The Marriage Clause (2 page)

“Damn, you taste so good. When did that happen?” he muttered against her lips. He worked at the buttons of her shirt. “I don’t recall you being this tasty when I kissed you at the age of nine.”

“You tasted like dirt and bubblegum.” India giggled and whipped her shirt over her head. “There, the shirt is no more. What are you going to do now?”

“This,” he said in a guttural voice.

In a deft move he had her bra off and her breasts spilled free. Mikael fisted his hand in her hair and tugged it so her neck was exposed. After a hard kiss he trailed his lips down her body and took her nipple into his mouth. India gasped in pleasure as she arched her back, pushing her smooth globe deeper into his mouth and holding his head to her.

“Oh yes, that feels so good,” she moaned.

He lifted his head and gazed at her. “We need to be naked, like now.”

“Definitely,” she said breathlessly.

They were a flurry of activity, and amidst husky laughs got their clothes off quickly.  The first contact of their naked bodies made her whimper, he was so hot and hard in all the right places. He gave her lip a quick nip before he kissed his way down to her torso.  Mikael kissed the mound between her legs before looking up at her.

“I want to taste you.” His voice was a low growl.

India moved slowly until her back was against the headboard. She pulled away, feeling wanton and uninhibited. She moved her hands down her body, cupping her breasts and pinching her nipples, loving how his gaze followed her every movement. She trailed her hand down the smooth skin of her stomach, and his gaze followed her hands to the apex of her thighs. She spread her legs, slowly tantalizing him with the view of her moist sex. She used her fingers to part the wet, full lips of her pussy, exposing herself to him.

“I’m wet and waiting,” she whispered.

“God yes,” Mikael said.

He buried his face between her legs and pleasured her like a man possessed.  She felt waves of heat and pleasure wash over her as he groaned and took more. His tongue licked and he traced the entrance of her sex as he sucked on her clit. She lifted her hips seeking more, and she cried out as he penetrated her with his finger.  He slid the digit into her over and over again. India undulated her hips as he fucked her with his fingers.  Her release crested on her suddenly, and India grabbed at the sheets as her body arched off the bed. Mikael made guttural sounds of satisfaction from between her legs ad he greedily licked at her essence.

“I want you inside me,” she demanded breathlessly. “Now Mikael, please!”

“India, I swear you’re burning me from the inside out,” he muttered.  “I have never been this turned on in my life.”

Mikael covered her with his hard body and she could feel the hard length of his cock poised at the entrance of her sex. He kissed her and their tongues dueled and mated from her mouth to his.  Mikael thrust into her and buried himself deep, he whimpered into her mouth as he started a fiery rhythm of thrusts that took her passion to new heights.  Without missing a beat, he pulled her legs up high around his waist as he pounded into her. She heard him groan in ecstasy as the muscles of her sex contracted around his thrusts.

“God yes, you’re so thick but you feel so good.” She grabbed his face and kissed him wantonly before whispering against his lips. “I’m going to come, more, Mikael come with me.”

Mikael’s movements became an urgent frenzied race to take them both to completion.  He pumped himself inside her in deep strokes, pushing himself to the hilt within. India accepted him gratefully, and as her climax built she tightened her legs around him. Their bodies were slick with sweat, and she could hear the wet sexual sounds they made together.

“Yes, now,” she cried out.

The dam of her release broke and he took her cries into his mouth as her body shook from the intensity of her orgasm. Mikael moaned and his body was taut as he pounded himself inside her and followed her into the bliss of his release. He kept moving and the shaft of his cock rubbed against the sensitive wall of her G-spot sending her into another sweet release. Their bodies heaved as they tried to catch their breath.

“Holy hell, what was that?” India gasped and willed her heart to slow down to its steady beat.

“The best damn earthshaking, mind-blowing orgasm a man could ever ask for.”  Mikael took a long, deep breath. “I feel like I took one of those electric ball things and all the hair on my body is standing on end.”

“I’d do my famous touchdown dance but my toes are tingling and I don’t know if I can walk,” India admitted.

He snorted. “You have a famous touchdown dance? Next you’ll tell me you have a scoreboard on the back of your headboard.”

“Oh my God, who told you?” she teased.

“Really, well we’ll see about that,” he said and rolled her body on top of his. “I want to be the one and only on that scoreboard, so I need to bring my A game.”

She could felt his cock hardening and reached between them to stroke his length until he groaned.

“You’re already exceptional and ready again, I see,” she gasped as he took her nipple in his mouth.

She positioned him at the entrance of her pussy and took him in slowly. He moved and India bit her lip as she accepted him with renewed arousal and excitement. She rode him with wild abandon and let passion take her away.  She fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her and the warmth of his body against her back.

When the sun woke her in the morning she was sprawled across his broad chest. She lifted her head to look at him while he slept. He was amazing, and the night they shared was unlike any other experience that she’d ever had. But fear crept into her heart and her subconscious came back with a vengeance screaming it was a mistake.
What have we done?
she thought and closed her eyes in panic. One night of passion meant she was probably going to lose her best friend.

Chapter Two

“No more broth,” India moaned. “Gran, it’s disgusting, let me die of the flu in peace.”

“I doubt very much you’re suffering from the flu,” her grandmother said.

India cracked an eye to look at the only woman in her life she could call mom. Etta Newton had her gray hair in soft curls that fell to her shoulder.  Her eyes held concern and merriment, and her face was still smooth even though a hint of age was starting to show. At sixty-six Etta still dated and thought she was in the prime of her life. Both she and Brownie, Mikael’s grandmother, took regular dance classes and went to the gym. They didn’t seem to slow down with age but instead got bolder as they progressed.

“What do you mean Gran? It’s the flu.” India cracked an eye open and looked at her grandmother. “The flu, right? I don’t have Ebola, do I? You didn’t bring back any tropical disease that’s going to cause the CDC to quarantine our house?”

Gran snorted. “I doubt I was there when you caught this sickness, Honeybee.” She held up a pregnancy test and waved it around in front of India’s eyes. “Time to go pee.”

“I refuse, I can’t be pregnant. I know my cycle and I had my period last month,” India said defensively.

“Do we need to have the talk again?” Gran asked. “Women can have a period early on in a pregnancy.”

India sat up. “Gran, I’m not pregnant.”

“Humor me and go pee on the stick, Honeybee.” Gran sat on the side of the bed. “Then if it’s negative we’ll get you tested for Ebola.”

Anxiousness clenched her stomach. “But Gran, if I’m pregnant…”

“What, the suit won’t take care of it? Brownie and I can go after him with the bat,” Gran said angrily. “I never liked that stupid asshole.”

“Gran, language!” India gasped.

“I’m not a child. I can call it like I see it, he’s an asshole,” Gran retorted and then patted her hands. “Don’t worry Honeybee, we’ll be a good family to the baby. Brownie will be a second Grandma and Mikael will be a good uncle.”

“But that’s the thing, Gran.” India shifted uncomfortably and sighed. “If I’m pregnant it would be Mikael’s.”

Her grandmother stared at her for more than a few minutes and then a big grin split her face and she clapped her hands. “I knew it, I knew it, y’all were acting so strange when we got back and Mikael took his gifts and said he had duty…. Oh, you and Mikael knocked boots and he planted a baby.”

“Gran!”

Gran tried to smother her smile.  “Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, go pee on the stick.”

“I don’t need to go right now,” India tried stalling.

Gran shook her head. “Eh, hell no, I’ve been shoveling broth and clear fluids in you all day. You can go.”

She held up the box, and India snatched it and got out of the bed quickly. She had to steady herself as a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her.

Her grandmother pulled her back to sit next to her. “Head between your knees until it passes.”

She did as she was told and soon she was in the bathroom taking a test.
Please don’t
let me be pregnant, please, please, please,
she prayed. But the digital read out kept blinking
pregnant
and the
not
never made an appearance. She had to move from sitting on the toilet and lift the lid to throw up. Holy shit, she was going to have a baby, for Mikael! India washed her mouth out and came out of the bathroom. Her grandmother sat on the bed looking at her expectantly.

“Well?” Gran asked.

India nodded, too shocked to even speak, and her grandmother did a little happy dance of joy.

“Wait until Brownie hears this!” Gran chortled.

“I don’t see why you’re so happy, Mikael won’t be,” India muttered. “I don’t think he wants to be saddled down with a kid and me. We were drunk and ended up in bed.” India flopped back on the bed. “Tequila shots are bad, so very bad.”

“He’ll be thrilled, and when you get married it will be great. I can see you in a nice ivory dress with a vintage feel. He can wear his dress blues,” Gran started planning out loud.

“Who says we’re getting married? He doesn’t even know I’m pregnant,” India pointed out.

“It’s a natural step, honey, and besides it’s been all planned for years… oops.” Gran suddenly shut up.

India lifted her head to look at her warily. “What oops—Gran, what are you hiding?”

“Nothing Honeybee, um, I was just excited about the baby and a wedding.” She looked away and her left eye started to twitch, a classic tell for when she was lying.

“Gran, you tell me right now or I swear I’ll….” India couldn’t think of anything to threaten with.

Gran held up her hand. “Okay, okay, sheesh. When you and Mikael were kids we had a sleepover at Brownie’s house. Remember when he convinced you to build the fort and you fell asleep in there?”

India nodded. “Yes, and I don’t see how that’s relevant right now.”

Gran rubbed her hands together. “Brownie and I thought you looked so cute and we had a few Sherries. Then we thought you should get married when you were adults. So we drew up a contract to say that you were to be married and what we both would do for the wedding and contribute to your future.”

“Oh my God, but that was a joke, right?” India asked.

“Well no, because we had her lawyer come over and notarize it and we both had a copy,” Gran answered and then said quickly, “The next day it was funny, but then we said why not? We both knew you’d end up with each other and in a way it comforted us…”

“Are you crazy!” India shrieked. “Gran, you’ve done some insane things, but this? I should have you institutionalized, or even better put you in an assisted living community.”

“I’ll have you know I am quite in control of my mental faculties,” Gran said primly.

India glared at her. “Are you really? Because you and Brownie made a binding contract to betroth your grandchildren.”

“Betroth is such a sweet old fashioned word…”

India pointed at her. “No, you don’t get to be all moon-eyed. Gran, did she give you a goat and you gave her a lotus flower to seal the deal?”

“Well that’s so silly for these contemporary times.” Gran frowned. “You should be happier over this, I mean a baby and a family…”

India threw up her hands and laughed. “Really!  Oh, I’m thrilled. Go get Brownie over here right now.”

“Okay, and then what?” Gran asked.

“I’m calling Mikael to get his butt here, and then we’re all going to sit down for a long, long talk,” India said. She was so mad she forgot to be sick.

“That’s a great idea, I’ll put some tea on and some lunch, something light for you since nothing is staying down, but we need to nourish the little bit.” Gran went off merrily humming.

“I don’t believe this!” India said to the empty room.

She took her cell off the bedside table and went through the contacts to Mikael’s number.  He was usually always in her recent calls, but since they slept together she’d been avoiding his calls, and he had called a few times.  India took a deep breath and pressed the phone icon to connect the call.  She listened to the ring and half expected him not to answer. He’d called and left a few messages, some of them really sweet, but she was too much of a coward to call back.

“Well, well, well, I thought you had joined witness protection and changed your name.” His voice was a deep baritone of amusement that sent shivers down her back. She could remember vividly what that mouth could do.

“Hi…I’m sorry, I just needed some time,” India said.

“I understand, we’ve been friends for so long that I hoped you could talk to me about anything, even us,” Mikael said.

“We need to talk, and I need you to come over,” India said. “Like right now because your grandmother and my grandmother have taken insanity to a whole new level.”

“Oh hell, do we have to go bail them out or something?” Mikael asked.

“No, apparently they betrothed us when we had that fort sleepover and in their tipsy of sherry stupor entered us into some kind of marriage clause. Get this, it’s a legally binding contract,” India explained.

Mikael laughed. “But we were nine and seven, what the hell? Is that even legal in the United States?”

“How am I supposed to know? I’ve never been set up in a marriage before,” India snapped.