Fallen: (A Psychological Dark Romance) (The Dark Necessities Prequels Book 2)

by Felicity Brandon

  Lily

  Ethan offered her one of his large palms. “Up now.”

  Adrenaline coursed around her body at the instruction. “May I lower my arms, sir?”

  Her sex pulsed as the words left her lips. The whole premise of seeking permission on every small action was still new and excruciating to her, but she had to admit, it left her almost permanently soaked with desire.

  “Yes,” he replied. “And thank you for asking me.”

  Lily’s lips smiled at his compliment as her arms lowered, and she reached for his hand to steady her journey back to her feet. Once she was standing again, Ethan drew her body toward him, holding her flush against his body as his arms snaked around her middle. For a moment there were no words, the silence punctuated only by her labored breathing.

  “Sit,” he commanded, though she noticed his voice sounded less assertive as he gave the order.

  “On the floor, sir?” she queried, confused about why Ethan had asked her to stand in the first place if he only wanted her to sit back down again.

  Over the last week, she had grown increasingly used to spending long quantities of time on the tired old carpet of the bed and breakfast, and these days she was nearly always naked, collared and leashed. It was a heady mix, and one that produced the usual passionate response from her body, but Lily had come to realize something else in the hours she’d spent on the floor. When she was proactively surrendering to Ethan’s will, her head was content. It sounded stupid when she tried to rationalize it, but there it was—the truth—whichever way she played it in her mind. Succumbing to Ethan was unnervingly natural, but the peace of mind she found naked at his feet was genuinely surprisingly. She would have expected to have hated it. It was embarrassing after all and denigrating to be treated like a pet while he got to relax in the hotel’s soft furnishings. It shouldn’t be right that a grown woman enjoyed that sort of treatment. There was no logical reason for it, but even if she could have accepted the way her pussy creamed each and every time he lowered her to new depths, nothing could have prepared her for the sense of tranquility she found there. It was as though every time Ethan clicked the leash to the collar, she relaxed. Lily didn’t have to think anymore; she didn’t have to care. Let Ethan deal with the complexities of the real world—let him do the thinking. And increasingly, that seemed to suit Lily just fine.

  “No, beautiful.” The resonance of his voice vibrated over her body. “On the chair.”

  Lily’s eyes widened. Ethan hadn’t let her sit in a chair when she was naked and leashed since that first night they’d arrived here and her heart raced as he guided her into the waiting seat. She sat there for a moment, her neck craned to meet his gaze for whatever was coming next. In her heart, Lily had an idea what was on Ethan’s mind, but she was too scared to look into his mind and find out for herself. If her instincts were right, then she would find out soon enough.

  Ethan grinned down at her. “I never spent much time contemplating how I’d ask this question,” he admitted. “In fact, before I met you I always assumed I never would.”

  He paused, shaking his head, but the sinful look in his eyes only made Lily’s heart pound faster.

  “Sir,” she rasped. “I—”

  “Don’t,” he told her, but his voice was gentle. “Let me do this properly, Lily. You deserve that much.”

  She bit her lip at his words, nodding her head in a gesture of contrition.

  “But, I bet you did imagine it, beautiful,” he went on. “So, I apologize if this isn’t how you envisioned the moment to be.”

  Ethan laughed, and even Lily had to suppress a chuckle. She’d rarely imagined being naked in a Scottish bed and breakfast at all, let alone wearing a collar, leash and gag around her neck, and never mind the question Ethan was now implying he’d ask.

  It was utterly crazy, but a bubble of excitement rose in her belly as she contemplated it nonetheless.

  Lily watched as his right hand dipped into his trouser pocket, and time slipped into slow motion as wordlessly, he fell to his knees. She could barely recall a time Ethan had been on his knees in front of her, and there definitely hadn’t been one where he’d knelt while she sat before him. All of a sudden, the whole situation seemed odd and unsettling.

  “It’s the way it should be,” he reminded her as he revealed the small box in his right palm.

  She gulped, her lips parting as she pulled in a shaky breath. “Oh my God, Ethan.”

  He flashed a smile in her direction, and for the first time maybe ever, he actually looked nervous. “Lily.”

  He edged closer so that his hands grazed her knees.

  “I’ve known you were the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with for a while now, and I’m well aware I haven’t given us a conventional, or an easy start, but you’ve stayed with me. You’ve been loyal to me and you’ve loved me, and in the last few days, you’ve begun to bloom in the most beautiful way imaginable.”

  Lily panted beside him. She could barely believe what she was hearing. Had she ever seen Ethan so humble before, so vulnerable—so human?

  “Thank you for letting me help you to bloom.”

  “Ethan,” she gasped, reaching for his hands. “For everything that’s happened, I never feel happier or more alive than when I’m with you.”

  She squeezed his hands in a reassuring way, and his gaze sparkled in response.

  “Thank you, little one, but let me finish.”

  Lily swallowed. “Sorry, sir.”

  Wriggling free of her grasp, Ethan opened the small box, revealing a sparkling diamond solitaire. Lily’s heart leapt at the look of the thing. She’d never seen anything like it in her life. The rock was huge, and must have cost the earth.

  “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, Lily?” he asked in one long exhaled breath. “As well as my friend, lover and little pet?”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Ethan

  He’d never been a fan of being on his knees, but as Ethan knelt there looking at Lily’s wide-eyed stare, he swore he’d never been as nervous as this moment. For everything he’d done—for all the power he’d exerted over women in the past—and over Lily in the last month, had he ever been as vulnerable as this? The delicate green-eyed woman held all the cards in her hands. It didn’t matter that she was the one wearing the collar and the leash. It didn’t matter that she was the one naked, and it didn’t matter that she’d be back on her hands and knees soon enough, sucking his cock or acting as his footrest. All that mattered now was her answer. Did she want to be his wife? Did she really love him, and could she envision a life with a man like Ethan?

  “Ethan.” Lily panted as the word slipped from her lips. “Can I call you, Ethan?”

  He smiled, his erection straining to be freed. Even at this moment, where she had all the power, Lily was looking for his permission. “Little one.” He edged closer toward her as he spoke, though his heart was still pounding. “You can call me anything you want right now. What’s your answer?”

  Lily’s teeth captured her bottom lip, but her mouth curled at the edges. “Am I allowed to think about it?”

  Ethan laughed. Was Lily serious? Or, was she just taking her time and playing the game by making him suffer? He guessed he couldn’t blame her. Ethan had made her suffer enough over the time they’d known one another.

  “You really need to think?” he probed, arching one eyebrow at her as he eyed her beading nipples. “Because I know you’re young, and we haven’t known each other long, but…”

  She inhaled at the look of him.

  “But I knew right from the first time I ever saw you in my visions, Lily. You are the woman for me. You’re the light in the darkness.”

  Lily’s hands fell to the metal leash hanging between her breasts, and she traced her fingers over the chain. “No,” she agreed with a coy smile.

  “No?” Ethan’s heart raced at the word.

  “No, I don’t need any more time to think, sir.”

&
nbsp; Their gazes locked at that moment, the atmosphere in the room shifting in that imperceptible way it did when the chemistry between them bloomed.

  “You’re sure?” He leaned closer, settling between her legs as his mouth grazed her collarbone. “Because that’s still not technically an answer, Lily.”

  She chuckled, but the noise sounded nervous. “I’m sorry, sir,” she gasped as Ethan’s mouth created a trail of kisses from her neck, down her chest. “Ask me again?”

  Ethan’s lips paused, and he glanced up toward her face. “Again?” he repeated in a soft tone. “You want another proposal, little one? When did you get so demanding?”

  Lily grinned. “I swear I didn’t used to be so challenging, sir,” she admitted. “But I’ve changed recently. The last few weeks have turned my whole life upside down.”

  She was joking of course, her tone cheeky and light-hearted, but Lily’s words were true. Ethan had crashed into her life and changed everything for her, but then, hadn’t she done the same to him? Hadn’t everything changed for Ethan since she’d come to him—just as he’d foreseen?

  “I see,” he murmured, shifting left to suckle at her tantalizing breast.

  Lily groaned, her hands falling into his hair. “Sir.”

  “Mmmm?”

  “Ask me, please. I have my answer. Ask me again.”

  Ethan’s cock throbbed urgently at her question. He wanted to ask her, and he badly wanted her to answer, but by God, her breasts were fabulous, and he wanted to fuck them again. Soon.

  “Lily.” His voice was a hoarse pant as he knelt up, grabbing at the chain and pulling her face in his direction. “Will you marry me?”

  Their faces were only a few inches apart, and he could feel the heat of her breath in each little pant that left those exquisite lips.

  “Yes, sir,” she gasped. “I will marry you.”

  He grinned in triumph. So, that was the way Lily wanted it. She wasn’t happy with the sentimental approach he’d taken before. Lily wanted the real thing—and for them, that meant this—this power dynamic. This need to yield to Ethan’s desires. To please him. To serve him.

  “Then I will be the happiest fucking man on this planet.”

  Ethan’s voice was virtually a snarl now, but he didn’t care. It didn’t matter. Lily had said yes—she’d agreed to be his wife.

  “This is yours,” he growled, lifting the ring box still clutched in his right hand. “Do you like it?”

  Lily swallowed, her gaze returning to the ring he’d chosen. Ethan had used his mother’s wedding band to ascertain what size he’d need. It was like destiny. She was his. They were meant to be together.

  “Sir, it’s amazing!”

  Ethan lifted his chin to see Lily’s eyes welling with tears. She was genuinely emotional, and he didn’t need to penetrate her mind to know—it was all there in her amazing green gaze.

  He slipped the ring from its cushion, shifting his attention to her left hand. “Allow me?”

  She smiled, holding her dainty hand out for him as he slid the band into place. Lily’s free hand rose to her mouth, as though she couldn’t believe the events that were unfolding before her.

  “It’s beautiful,” he told her and he meant it. “Just like you, Lily. And in twelve days, I’m going to make you Mrs. Reilly and spend the rest of my life with you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Lily

  Lily stared down at the diamond glistening in the early morning sunshine. The moment had finally arrived. After days of submitting and being pushed harder than she even knew was possible, today was the day Lily would finally give herself to Ethan, and become his wife. She glanced across at him in the driver’s seat. It was a good analogy, because that’s where he usually was—in charge and in control—and that’s where she wanted him to be, but as they drove the short distance to the place the wedding would take place, Lily’s mind flitted back to the life she had left behind.

  It had been a long time since she’d spoken to her parents, and even longer since she’d communicated with Jody, and even though her heart was full with Ethan’s promises and all the twisted desires they seemed to share, there was no getting away from that. Lily missed them. She missed them all. The normalcy of her parents’ inane routines and dull warnings, and the reliable, but grating encouragement of her friend—the type that would never let up, never back down and never give in—the type that had led Lily into meeting Ethan in the first place. As much as she loved Ethan, she loved her family, too. It didn’t seem right that she should have to choose, and yet that’s exactly what had happened.

  She’d made her choice—she’d chosen Ethan.

  “Little one?”

  His inquiring tone sliced through her pensive thoughts and Lily turned to see those blue eyes boring into her. “What is it?”

  “I was just thinking, sir,” she conceded with a small smile.

  His brow furrowed. “I was hoping you’d seem a little happier this morning,” he began. “Especially after the wake up I gave you.”

  Heat spread to Lily’s face at the memory of the way she’d been roused that morning. Ethan was still chaining her leash to the bed, and this morning she’d been woken by the delicious sensation of his mouth at her sex. She shivered lightly at the thought. It was certainly more than most brides would have expected on their wedding day. Lily knew that much.

  “That was fantastic,” she admitted. “Thank you.”

  Ethan grinned. “My pleasure,” he purred. “So, what’s on your mind, or do I need to find out for myself?”

  Lily’s breathing accelerated just a little at his threat. Ethan had been much better at controlling his urge to jump into her mind in the last week or so, but then she supposed they had been so close in that time, there had been very little need to do so.

  She sighed. “I was just thinking about my parents.”

  Lily’s voice died in her throat as the admission fell from her lips. She’d never given much thought to the idea of her wedding day, but she’d never expected anything like this. And the very least she would have imagined was her father there to give her away, and her mother seated in a pew somewhere, dabbing her eyes with pride. It was odd for them not to be here, and Lily’s belly clenched whenever she thought about how worried they’d be about her after all this time. Even the letter she sent wouldn’t have compensated for a phone call.

  Ethan glanced in her direction again. “You miss them.”

  “Yes,” she replied. “I’m sorry if that sounds pathetic.”

  “It doesn’t,” he told her flatly. “I get it. I know what it’s like to be without your parents.”

  She turned toward him again, taking in his handsome profile. “Can I ask about your father, sir?”

  Lily’s heart pounded as she asked, but somehow, she had to know, and if today was the day she was going to become the next Mrs. Reilly, then today seemed like a good day to find out. “I know he killed your mum.”

  She hesitated at that, contemplating just how that must have affected the man who was sitting beside her. No wonder he was as messed up as he was. No wonder he’d done such terrible things. His father had murdered his mother. How could anyone reconcile a tragedy like that. How could it not screw them up? “But what happened after that, sir?”

  His fingers tightened at the steering wheel. “I wasn’t planning on thinking about that man today.”

  Ethan’s voice was a low growl as he recollected his father, and the tension in Lily’s tummy furled even tighter. Shit, what was she thinking; pushing him on this subject as they drove to take their vows?

  “I’m sorry,” she started. “Don’t—”

  “No, it’s okay,” he reassured her, though his tone was still gruff. “You’re allowed to ask, little one. I’m asking you to become my wife and we both know all of the ramifications that come with that little privilege. The least I can do is tell you about them.”

  Lily swallowed, her heart racing despite his words.

  “
He was convicted.” Ethan’s voice was strained as he recounted the tale. “For her murder, I mean. It went to trial and he was convicted, but not before we were all dragged through the horrors of the court case.”

  Her heart sunk. “That must have been terrible.” Lily’s tone trembled as she considered the prospect.

  For all his boring routines, her father was a reliable and caring man. Lily could barely imagine a life where he’d been vile and mean, subjecting her mother to endless violence and cruelty. It must have been unbearable.

  “If you’re wondering if that’s why I’m the way I am, then you’re not the first.” Ethan sounded resigned as he made the admission. “I’ve often deliberated the same issue.”

  Lily inhaled. Her question had created this intense and sullen mood in him, and she wished she could take it back. “I guess we’re all products of our environment, sir,” she murmured.

  She certainly was. More than most. Lily had spent her life desperate to get out of the restraints her parents had set for her, only to run straight into Ethan’s. The realization was strangely ironic.

  “I’m not sure that explains all of it though,” he said thoughtfully. “I mean, even my father only killed one person.”

  “But she was important to you,” Lily insisted. “You shouldn’t underestimate the effect it had on your life, sir.”

  Lily had turned back toward him as she made the plea, and his lips curled at the sound of it. “It sounds like you’re telling me what to do, little one.”

  Excited tension bubbled in her stomach. Lily had heard that tone in his voice before, and it usually meant a sore bottom and a wet pussy were on the cards for her.

  “Wife’s prerogative?” she replied, batting her eyelashes at his grinning response.

  “Ah, but you’re not my wife yet,” he reminded her with a laugh. “And even then, you won’t be forgetting who’s in charge, will you, little one?”

  She relaxed a little at that. Ethan was smiling again. “No, sir,” she admitted. “I don’t think so.”