This Man Confessed (5 page)

A
whole hour later, after Jesse has won my mum over and graced everyone with his dance floor presence, I’m finally on my way upstairs in Jesse’s arms. My heels have been kicked off and Jesse is holding them as he takes the staircase with my heavy head resting against his shoulder. My eyes won’t stay open. I hear my heels tumble to the floor and a few moments later, I’m placed on my feet.

My forehead falls straight to his chest. “We need to consummate our vows,” I mumble, rolling my head and drawing his scent into me. It’s the most soothing smell in the world.

He laughs lightly. “Baby, you’re too tired. We’ll consummate in the morning.” He clasps the back of my neck and pulls me out of his chest so he can look at me. I try my hardest to open my eyes fully, but it’s just too much like hard work.

“I know.” I try to push my forehead back, but he holds me firmly in place, scanning my face—every square inch of it. “What?” I ask quietly.

“Tell me you love me,” he demands.

 “I love you.” I don’t falter in the slightest.

“Tell me…”

“I need you,” I interrupt him. I know the drill.

He smiles thoughtfully. “You’ll never know how happy that makes me.”

“I do know,” I correct him. I know very well because I feel exactly the same.

He dips and kisses me lightly. “I want you naked and spread all over me. Let me get this dress off.” He turns me around and starts unbuttoning the dozens of tiny pearls running down my spine. “What’s happening with your brother and Kate?” he asks.

The question immediately snaps my sleepy eyes open. “I don’t know.” Nothing, I hope, but I won’t hold my breath. I won’t be telling Jesse about what I discovered in the toilets.

“Either you’ve learned to control your bad habit, or you’re telling me the truth.” He pushes my dress from my shoulders and takes it down to my feet so I can step out of it.

“I’m telling the truth,” I say, turning to face him. He straightens himself up and walks over to the door to hang my dress. “I think seeing each other has sparked memories, that’s all.”

“Memories?” he asks, making his way back to me.

I’m turned around again so he can access my bodice. “They were bad for each other,” I say. “They clashed terribly. It was best for them both when Dan left.”

“But now he’s back.”

“Yes, but he’ll be gone soon. What about Kate and Sam?”

“I’ve told you, that’s none of our business.”

“But she’s a member of The Manor.” I sound accusing, which is fine because I am. “Why did you allow that?”

“It’s not my job to ask potential members why they want to join, Ava. I check for criminal records, medical issues, and financials. If they can pay, they’re clean, and have no serious offenses, then they’re in.”

I scowl at thin air in front of me. “Members could screw anything between visits to The Manor and catch something, or be arrested for violence. How would you know?”

“Because they’re required to undertake monthly tests, and I obtain regular reports. There is no penetrative sex without condoms, and their honesty and disclosure form part of their agreement.” He reaches the final fastener and removes my corset. “These people are respected members of society, Ava.”

“Who love having kinky sex with strangers and weird contraptions?” I grumble.

“None of my business.”

That’s just it. It
is
his business, and it was also his pleasure. I wince at the direction of my thoughts and try to concentrate on the feel of him gathering my hair and pulling it to the side. The unmistakable heat of his lips on my nape makes me shiver, and he laughs.

“She’s going to get hurt,” I say quietly.

His arm snakes around my bare tummy, pulling me back against him. I’m more than awake now. “What makes you think that?”

My shoulders tense. “I know she likes him.”

His hips push forward into my lower back and slowly grind, lazily, purposefully. “And I know Sam likes her.”

I moan as he dips and pushes upward, moving his mouth to my ear. I’m not even going to bother trying to sound unaffected. “Then why can’t they date like any normal couple?”

“None of our business,” he whispers.

That’s it. That voice, those damn fucking hips, and the sharpness of his chest through his suit has me lock stock. I spin around and start walking forward, pushing him back toward the bed. “This marriage is getting consummated.” I shove him on the bed and climb up to straddle his hips. He’s looking up at me, thoroughly amused. “Mr. Ward, I’m taking the power. Any objections?”

He grins. “Knock yourself out, baby.”

I smile and reach forward, grabbing his tie and yanking it so he’s forced to sit up or be strangled. His eyes widen in alarm as I get nose to nose with him. “Who has the power?” I ask quietly.

“It looks like you do, for now.” He’s fighting a grin. “Don’t get used to it.”

I match his grin and push my lips to his, a collective moan mingling between our mouths as I force my body into his, pressing him back down to the bed, while our mouths work each other in perfect harmony. I’ve been getting far too much gentle Jesse lately, but I’m going to remedy that now. I break away from his lips and work my way into his neck, savoring the feeling of his big hands sweeping across my naked back.

“Damn you, woman,” he moans.

“You don’t want me?” I tease, nibbling at his ear, circling wet, firm strokes in the hollow below his lobe. His scent is intoxicating.

“Don’t ask stupid fucking questions.” He pushes against me, and I know he’s going to spin me over, seize control, and then probably instigate sleepy sex, so I force myself back down onto him.

“Oh no, Ward.” I watch his chest heaving, his stunning face strained. He is clearly fighting instinct to take over here, but I’m not giving in. I know he could tackle me onto my back in a split second, and with little energy or strength, but he won’t. On top of being far too gentle with me, he’s trying hard to prove a point—that he can relinquish the power, that he can be reasonable. He’s trying so bloody hard…and failing.

I reach forward and take his hand, and he watches carefully as I lift it, the cuffs chinking as they unravel. My eyes flick to his to gauge his reaction, and I find a look of understanding surfacing. Then his arm tenses. I tug gently, but he won’t budge. This is the ultimate test. I know how he feels when he’s unable to access me, but it’s an unreasonable fear, and we have got to get past it. I tug again with slightly raised eyebrows. He’s reluctant, but he lets me guide it to the headboard.

“You won’t leave this time,” he pants. “Promise you won’t leave me this time.”

“If you promise you won’t get mad.” I snap the cuff over the wooden bar and look down at him. “Don’t get mad with me.”

He shakes his head faintly and takes a deep breath. I know how hard this is for him. “Kiss me,” he orders harshly.

“But I’m in charge,” I remind him.

“Jesus, baby, don’t make this harder than it already is.” He reaches out with his free hand and grasps the top of my arm, pulling me down so I’m flush to his chest again. My lips land on his and his marvelous mouth saturates me.

I start working his tie loose, yanking it from his neck, as he claims me with his tongue. Then I begin on the buttons of his shirt until I’ve got the lusciousness of his hard chest under my palms.

Slowing our kiss down, I pull away and he growls, his eyes clenching shut, but I ignore his obvious displeasure and start trailing my lips down his neck, onto his chest, across his solid stomach until I reach the zipper of his trousers. My nose runs the length of his cock over the material, and his hips jerk up, a suppressed bark flying from his mouth. My plan is working. I’m going to work him up into a frenzy so when I release him, he’ll be rampant and hopefully fuck me unconscious. We’ve got way too much hard fucking to catch up on.

His hand lands on the back of my head, and he yanks at my hair a little, making me smile in smug satisfaction as I slip the button of his trousers and slowly pull his zipper down, sliding my hand into his boxers and firmly grabbing his rock-hard length.

His hips fly up, the metal of the cuffs clanking loudly. “Fuck, Ava! Fucking hell!” His head shoots up and he hits me with desperate, hungry eyes. “Mouth, now!”

I crawl back up his body and grab his cheeks in my palms. “You want me to take you in my mouth?” I press my lips to his…hard.

“Do it.”

“Who has the power, Jesse?” I bite his lip, and he moans.

“You do, baby. Mouth.”

I smile against him and drift straight back down, pulling his cock free and licking a teasing, wet lash straight up his shaft.

“Oh fuck.” He groans. “Oh Jesus, Ava.”

“Good?” I ask, taking him halfway, before drawing back again.

“I knew I married you for a reason.”

I bite into his flesh lightly, warningly. “All the way?”

“Yes.”

I wrap my lips around him and glide down, until he hits the back of my throat. He groans loudly, his groin pushing up. I try to relax my mouth, try to accept the invasion, but my gag reflex fails me and I’m suddenly retching.

What the hell?

I drop him fast and leap up from the bed, my stomach convulsing, a sweat breaking out across my brow. I’m going to throw up. I fly into the bathroom and collapse in front of the toilet, then proceed to evacuate the contents of my stomach, trying to hold my hair out of my face while aiming right.

“Ava!” he bellows. The sound of cuffs start clanging loudly. “Ava!”

“I’m…” I throw up again, choking as I try to talk, try to assure him that I’m fine. Shit, I need to release him.

“Jesus, Ava!” The persistent clattering of metal on wood rings out through the suite, accompanied by Jesse’s panicked yells. “Fucking hell,
Ava
!”

I can’t talk. My throat is blocked, my eyes are watering, and my stomach is aching from turning so much. What the hell is wrong with me? I’d hardly started. I’ve taken him endlessly like that and it’s never had this effect. Shit, I feel queasy. I grab some toilet tissue and dab at my forehead. I really need to get a grip and get my arse back in there to release him before he has heart failure.

“Ava!” There’s an almighty crash, and then he steams into the bathroom, shirt open, trousers undone, and a look of pure dread on his face.

I try to wave an arm at him, anything to reassure him that I’m okay, but I’m quickly grasping the side of the toilet again, bracing my arms as I continue to gag and choke.

“Jesus, baby.” He sounds so worried, the neurotic fool. I’m only being sick. I feel him close in behind me and gather my tresses, holding them and rubbing my back.

“I’m fine.” I wipe my face and rub my palms over my cheeks when I know I can’t possibly throw up anymore.

“Clearly,” he mutters dryly. “Let me look at you.”

I shuffle around on a sigh. “Still want to fuck me?” I ask in attempt to soothe his obvious worry.

He rolls his eyes. “Ava, please.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Lady, you’ll kill me off, I swear.” He pushes my hair from my face. “You okay?”

“No, I feel sick.” I collapse forward, my cheek colliding with his bare chest where his shirt is open.

“Why do you think that is?” he asks quietly.

I stiffen. I’m really not ready to deal with it yet. I haven’t got the energy right now, so I keep my mouth shut, but I need to take my head out of the sand and face reality—the reality that I’m most certainly pregnant. “Take me to bed, please.”

I hear him exhale deeply. It’s an obvious demonstration of frustration. I won’t be allowed to live in denial for much longer, but his need to care for me at the moment is getting me off the hook. He stands and pulls me up. “You are the most frustrating woman on the fucking planet. You want to brush your teeth?”

“Please.”

He smiles down at me and brushes his knuckles across my cheek. “Everything will be fine.”

Will it? Fine for him. He gets what he wants. “Okay,” I agree feebly, catching a glimpse of a hanging handcuff from his wrist…and a huge red blister. “Jesse! What have you done?” I grab his hand and turn it over, discovering that the inner side on his wrist displays a mass of angry red welts. I suck in a shocked breath. Shit, that looks sore.

He pulls his wrist from my grip and removes the cuffs, throwing them to the floor. “You keep my heart beating, baby, but you can also make it fucking stop.” He shakes his head and lifts me onto the counter. “You said you couldn’t live without me, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

He narrows accusing eyes on me. “Then stop trying to kill me off.”

I feel a grin surfacing. “You’re such a drama queen.”

“There is nothing dramatic about being worried when my wife throws up after I’ve just thrust my cock in her mouth.”

I burst into laughter. My head falls back, my eyes close, and I laugh. Really hard. I have tears and all. I can’t stop, and he lets me have my moment, waiting patiently with my toothbrush hovering in front of my mouth. “I’m sorry!” I chuckle. “I’m really sorry.” I wipe my eyes and home straight in on a pair of curious greens, a raised brow, and a chewed lip.

“I’m glad you find it amusing. Open your mouth.”

I let my jaw drop open and he sets about brushing my teeth for me before running a cool washcloth over my brow and then scooping me up and transporting me to the bed. My eyes widen when I see the mangled headboard with strips of wood all splintered and hanging off. He’s trampled the bed.

“In you get.” He places me on the edge, and I waste no time crawling up and snuggling down, letting out a long, contented sigh as I turn over and watch him undress, my greedy gaze drinking in his perfection.

“I can’t believe I’m spending my first night as your wife in one of your torture chambers.” The unpleasant thought has me shifting slightly and wondering who has been in this bed and what has gone down. I want to get out.

He knows what I’m thinking. “No one has slept in this bed, Ava.”

I frown. “They’ve not?”

He smiles as he shrugs his shirt off. “No one has been in this room since I cornered you.” He’s watching me closely. “And the bed’s new.”

“Really?” I blurt, a little shocked.