Forgiven (Book 3, The Watchers Trilogy; Young Adult Paranormal Romance)

by S. J. West

  Once inside the sanctuary, I finally saw Brand for the first time that day. It felt like my heart dropped down into my stomach he looked so gorgeous. He was dressed in a black tuxedo standing between Pastor Ryan and Abby smiling at me as I walked down the isle to meet him. I felt like I had a million butterflies in my stomach by the time we reached the altar.

  “Who gives this woman to be wedded to this man?” Pastor Ryan asked, looking pointedly at Malcolm and Will.

  “We do,” they said in unison, letting go of my arms so I could walk away from them and begin a new chapter in my life as Brand’s wife.

  As Pastor Ryan began to tell us how we were entering into a blessed union, his voice seemed to veer to the background of my mind because all I could think about was the man standing in front of me.

  Brand’s soft gray eyes twinkled with his happiness and I knew this day would be the first of many happy days to come for us. He was everything I always needed but never knew I did. He made my life whole and held no doubts about his love for me.

  “Lilly,” Brand said, bringing me out of my reverie.

  “What?” I asked, smiling up at him in my euphoria.

  He smiled at me and whispered, “This is the part where you say ‘I do’.”

  I looked at Pastor Ryan and saw him nodding his head urging me to say those two little words.

  “I most definitely do,” I said loud enough for the whole congregation to hear.

  There were few a laughs but I didn’t care. I was marrying Prince Charming and I wanted the world to know he was all mine.

  My mother hired a photographer to take pictures after the ceremony. After almost thirty minutes of posing, we were finally allowed to go to the reception hall to partake of the food and festivities. To be honest, all I wanted to do was take Brand home and finally put an end to having to take cold showers. But, I knew how hard Utha Mae and her friends had worked to provide food for everyone in attendance and couldn’t bring myself to do something so selfish.

  A small band had been hired to play some music and Brand and I were directed to start the first dance. A familiar song began to play.

  I smiled up at Brand. “This is the first song we ever danced to.”

  “I thought you would remember,” he said, bending down to kiss me on the lips lightly.

  I remembered it well. It was Time in a Bottle by Joe Crocker. It was playing the night we danced in the gazebo right after my car accident.

  Brand began to hum the tune in my ear and I remembered what a beautiful singing voice he had.

  “Will you sing to me later?” I asked him.

  “If it would make you happy, Mrs. Cole.”

  I smiled. “It would make me very happy, Mr. Cole.”

  “Then your wish is my command.”

  After the prerequisite toasts to our marriage and cutting of the cake, Brand made good on his promise to sing to me and asked one of the band members if he could borrow an acoustic guitar.

  When Brand stood up to the microphone, he said, “My wife has requested I sing her a song. I think she’ll remember this one because it was playing the first time she ever told me she loved me.”

  Brand began to strum the strings of the guitar and sing. I did indeed remember the song. The first time I told Brand I loved him was permanently etch into my memory as one of the most glorious nights of my life. After I declared my love, we spent the first of what would become many nights in his bed holding, kissing, talking and laughing with one another. He knew this song held a special meaning for the both of us and I reveled in his thoughtfulness. I could remember lying in bed that night asking him what the name of the song was and he told me it was Afterglow by Inxs.

  Brand changed the lyrics up slightly to make it more personal, but I could tell from the way the girls at the reception were riveted by him they all wished they were me, even if it was only for one night.

  By the end of the song, I felt desperate to finally get Brand home and didn’t see any reason for us to stay longer than we had to.

  “You’ve got to throw the bouquet and Brand has to throw the garter belt or we’re gonna have a mad crowd Lilly Rayne,” Tara said, refusing to let me leave before we did those two things.

  Tara gathered all the single women together, and I tossed the bouquet over my shoulder not really caring whom might catch it. When I turned around, I met the stunned eyes of Tara now holding my bouquet squarely between her hands like it had just landed there of its own free will. I glanced at Malik sitting at one of the tables and saw a slow smile spread across his face. I didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking.

  Brand made quick work of taking my garter belt off and throwing it into the crowd of single men. Apparently the belt had a will of its own and journeyed back to its original owner. Malcolm held the blue garter to his noise and inhaled deeply while giving me a wink.

  Now that our duty as the wedding couple had been done, we made our goodbyes and got into Brand’s car to drive away from the church. As soon as we were far enough away, Brand phased us to his driveway. Grabbing one of my hands, he phased us directly to his bedroom.

  We fell against one another drinking in each others lips like we would die of want. Reluctantly, I pulled away just to take a breath.

  “I have to get out of this dress,” I said, turning my back to him for his help.

  Brand lowered the zipper with one hand while letting his other hand trail down my back as more of it was revealed to him. I held the dress in the front against my chest so it didn’t just fall to the floor. After the zipper was down, I felt Brand’s hands slide inside the opening seeming intent to peel the dress off me, but I turned around before he could explore any further.

  “Give me one minute,” I said to him, bringing his lips back to mine for another kiss to tide me over before I went to the bathroom to prepare for the rest of the night.

  I reluctantly pulled away and walked to the bathroom. Before entering I turned and said over my shoulder, “Stay in your tuxedo.”

  “You know things would go much faster if I disrobed while you’re in there,” he said. “Or are you planning to torture me all night?”

  “I don’t want fast,” I told him. “I want to do everything I’ve always wanted to do to you for the past few months. And one of those things is undress you myself.” I smiled at him. “Just do what I ask, I promise you’ll like it.”

  Brand smiled back and bowed at the waist to me, “Whatever your heart desires is my command.”

  When he stood back up the hunger he held for me smoldered in his eyes silently telling me I should probably hurry up or he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from just throwing me down on the bed as soon as I reappeared.

  I quickly took off my dress and everything underneath to slip into the babydoll negligee I received at the bachelorette party. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get all the bobby pins Malcolm put in my hair out and silently wondered if he did it on purpose to slow me down. Once my hair was completely free and loose, I looked at myself in the mirror. The negligee did very little to hide my body, but I wasn’t as self-conscience about it as I thought I would be. I wanted Brand to see me. I wanted to watch his eyes as he discovered every inch of flesh on my body. I wanted to feel his hands explore all that I had to offer him.

  When I opened the door to the bathroom, Brand was lighting the last of the white candles in the room. He set his lighter down on the table by the window and turned to face me. I saw his lips part slightly as he caught his breath. I stepped further into the bedroom.

  “Do you like it?” I asked, slowly spinning around so he could see it from every angle.

  “Do you really have to ask?” He said in a hoarse voice.

  I walked over to him and slowly ran my hands down the lapels of his tuxedo jacket, feeling the silky texture against the soft skin of my palms.

  “You’re turn,” I whispered to him, running my hands in between his jacket and shirt and up over his shoulders until the coat fell to t
he floor behind him.

  I tugged on the bow tie at his neck and pulled the knot free, sliding it off from around the stiff collar of his shirt. One by one I undid the small buttons of his shirt exposing his chest inch by glorious inch. Once the shirt was open at the front, I ran the palms of my hands over his chest muscles, slipping the shirt off his shoulders so it could join the jacket. I let my fingers make maddening trails down the length of his arms, bringing our torsos closer but never quite touching. As I glided the tips of my fingers back up his arms and across his chest, I felt his muscles tighten as I slid them down over the tight muscles of his abdomen, finally finding the top button of his slacks.

  Brand’s breathing had become shallow by this point. When I looked up at his face, I saw he was watching my every move.

  He swallowed hard before saying, “I can’t take much more, Lilly.”

  “Wait,” I said, begging him to be patient while I released the button on his pants and planted small, distracting kisses across his chest. I quickly found the tab for the zipper and pulled it down allowing gravity to do the rest of the work for me, leaving Brand standing in only a pair of form fitting black boxer briefs.

  “Lilly,” Brand moaned, closing his eyes, “please…”

  “Just one thing left,” I said, running my hands under the black elastic band and then pulling downward.

  “Why, Mr. Cole,” I said standing back up with a suggestive smile on my face. “I do believe you’re happy to see me.”

  Brand opened his eyes and looked at me like he couldn’t believe I just said what I did.

  A pleased smile spread his lips as he said, “Yes, Mrs. Cole. I am very happy to see you.”

  Before I knew it, he had me cradled in his arms carrying me to bed. He laid me down gently on the already turned down covers and slid in beside me.

  “My turn,” he murmured against my ear, nibbling the tender flesh there and kissing his way down the curve of my neck.

  “Mine’s simple,” I said, trembling slightly under the soft pressure of his warm lips against my skin. “Just undo the bow.”

  Brand’s lips passed over the tops of my breasts and quickly found the silky bow tying the two halves of the bra together. He pulled on one end of the bow with his teeth instantly releasing the fabric, exposing me to his eyes for the first time. I heard his sharp intake of breath just before he lowered his head and made love to every inch of my body for the first time.

  Chapter 9I woke up the next morning to find my husband no longer in bed, but I heard the distinct rattle of cookware coming from downstairs. I hugged his pillow to me breathing in the scent of him which still lingered there. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling from ear to ear. Of all my school girl fantasies about how my first time making love to a man would go, I never imagined the experience would shake me down to my very core.

  Brand had been gentle and attentive in his love making, always seeming to know how to bring me to the brink of passion with his hands and mouth. When we joined our bodies for the first time, he held me gently to him waiting for my pain to subside before we went any further. He kissed my tears away and promised it would be the one and only time he ever intentionally hurt me. He withdrew from me then and worked to reawaken my passion to a point where I begged him to come back into me.

  Throwing off the sheet I was under, I went in search of the bow tie Brand wore the night before and quickly tied it around my neck. I quietly slipped out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Brand, wearing only his black boxer briefs, had his back to me checking on something he was cooking in the oven. I tip-toed to the kitchen island and struck a relaxed, and what I hoped to be sexy, pose.

  “What’s for breakfast?” I asked.

  Brand closed the oven door and turned to face me. I watched his eyes travel from the tips of my toes to the bow tie around my neck.

  “I thought it was quiche,” he said sauntering up to me and taking me into his arms, “but now I think it’s you.”

  For the next four day, Brand and I hid away from the world. We divided our time between his home in Lakewood and his London residence. The world could have been on the brink of destruction and we wouldn’t have known or cared about it. We didn’t contact anyone and no one tried to contact us. We made love in every room of both houses and even ventured outside once completely naked while it rained, only coming in when we needed to warm up in each others arms while making love in front of the fireplace. I knew if I died I would die a fulfilled and happy woman.

  I also became very thankful for the large box of condoms from Abby and Angela.

  But like all things must, our honeymoon had to come to an end. Just married or not Utha Mae would have killed me if I missed spending Thanksgiving Day with her. Since she did so much to help us prepare for the wedding, Brand and I told her we would handle the Thanksgiving meal to give her some much deserved rest. I worried she might protest so I was pleasantly surprised when she didn’t.

  When Malik and Tara made it to Brand’s, Tara knocked on the door and opened it slightly.

  “You two decent?” she yelled. “I don’t want to see more of y’all than I got to.”

  I went to the door and yanked it wide open.

  “Get in here crazy,” I said giving her a hug.

  “Well, we haven’t heard from y’all since the reception. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know what y’all been up to.”

  I felt my cheeks blush red hot.

  “See,” Tara said knowingly pointing to my face. “Told ya.”

  “Stop picking on my wife,” Brand said good naturedly to Tara. “She can’t help it if she finds me absolutely irresistible.”

  I turned into my husband’s arms and kissed him. “Guilty as charged,” I confessed with a dramatic sigh. “I do find my husband completely and totally irresistible.”

  Tara seemed to avert her eyes from our lovey dovey show of affection and found the painting of me hanging on the wall.

  “Is that supposed to be Lilly?” She asked, walking over to it.

  “Can’t you tell it’s me?” I asked.

  “Well, yeah but it makes you look like the supermodel version of you. I mean don’t get me wrong,” Tara amended. “You’re beautiful but the girl here is drop dead gorgeous.”

  “It looks exactly like Lilly,” Brand said, disregarding Tara’s observation. But I couldn’t disregard it so flippantly because I had thought the same thing when I first saw Brand’s paintings of me.

  “Well, anyway,” Tara said turning away from the painting, “what do we need to start on first?”

  By the time noon rolled around, we had completed the cooking of our Thanksgiving feast. Just as we were putting the finishing touches on the table, our guests began to arrive.

  The first to arrive were Malcolm, Abby and Sebastian.

  When Malcolm came in, he pulled me into his arms for a hug and kissed me on the cheek.

  “You’re positively glowing,” he told me, no malice or jealousy in the statement. “Are you happy, dearest?”

  I nodded, having a hard time repressing a smile. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”

  “Then I’m happy,” he told me, kissing the top of my head before walking to the table to examine what we had prepared.

  Will brought Utha Mae with him. When she saw me, her face lit up and she said, “Baby, I’ve never seen you so happy. You look like your glowing.”

  I felt my forehead furrow wondering why Malcolm and Utha Mae had said almost the exact same thing but quickly discounted it as being coincidence.

  I gave Will and Utha Mae kisses on the cheeks while Brand took Utha Mae’s overnight bag up to the spare bedroom. I had invited her to stay the night because I wanted to take her shopping the next day. If there was anything Utha Mae loved more than food it was finding bargains, and Black Friday was the day to go shopping for them. I had already gone to the little convenience store up the road and picked up the newspaper with all the fliers advertising what would be on sale the next
day. As was tradition, I knew Utha Mae, Tara and I would plan our attack strategy later that afternoon.

  “Now are you sure you want me to stay the night?” Utha Mae asked. “I know you two just got married, and I don’t want to get in the way of anything you might want to do together.”

  I tried very hard not to blush at Utha Mae’s insinuation. Intellectually I knew she understood Brand and I were having sex now, but the little girl who Utha Mae raised didn’t want to admit it to her.

  “You could never be in the way,” I told her, putting my arm around her waist. “Come on. I want to know what you think about what we cooked.”

  As all nine of us sat down to eat, we joined hands and let Utha Mae make her annual prayer of thanks.

  “Dear Lord above, we thank you for providing for us not only on this day but every day of our lives. Please give us your blessing in the next year to come and watch over us to make sure we honor you in the things we do. Thank you for bestowing your grace on my babies this year, especially Lilly. You have truly gifted her with a wonderful new family. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

  “Let’s eat!” Tara said, immediately helping herself to the beef tongue and caramelized onions Malik made especially for her.

  Everyone laughed at her audacious behavior and quickly joined her.

  As I looked around the table, I realized what Utha Mae said was true. I did have a new family and couldn’t imagine my life without any of them in it.

  “Where’s your mother Lilly?” Malcolm asked as he helped Brand and I clean the kitchen.

  “She’s in Las Vegas,” I said. “Lucas surprised her with a trip there for Thanksgiving.”

  Malcolm lifted an eyebrow. “Is that wise?”

  “No,” I admitted, “but there really wasn’t any way for me to stop her. I can’t exactly tell her the truth. She’d think I’d lost my mind and try to have me committed to Whitfield. Lucas pretty much has her wrapped around his little finger.”

  “Yes,” Malcolm agreed. “He was always very good at doing that, especially with women. Which reminds me, have you heard back from Samyaza yet?”