'Please… please, kiss me,’ I screamed inside. My hormones had taken full control of my body. Still, I had the presence of mind to only say, "Okay." His hands inched up gently, cupping my heated cheeks. I closed my eyes when he brushed his thumb across my cheekbones. My heart skipped a beat when his soft lips pressed against mine. There was no urgency in his actions… no sense of dominance. His tender kiss only filled me with sweetness. When he slid his tongue along my bottom lip, I opened my mouth instinctively. He tilted his head to the side to deepen the kiss. God, he tasted like chocolate, wine, spices, secrets, and dreams. His hand moved to support the back of my neck. Tingles ran down my spine and I was certain I would have jumped off a building if he asked me to at that moment. "Mmmm," he hummed, brushing my lips lightly a few more times before his nose skimmed along my jaw. He placed a small kiss below my ear before whispering, “thank you.” I couldn’t come up with a suitable
He offered me a small smile. “Excellent question, Willow. I am comfortable facing this with some control over the situation and the people involved. I have been looking for the right woman and nobody threw me off as you did from the first moment we spoke.” He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles in a gentlemanly manner. “I want you. I like that you lead an uncomplicated life and have no ties holding you back. I like that you are determined and feisty—” he gave me another flirtatious wink. “And I want you to be mine. I want you to be completely devoted and invested in me… in our family.I was lightheaded from all the information he had dumped on me. The sensation was bizarre; I was hovering over us, watching myself sitting with this handsome yet lonely man.A part of me was yelling profanities at myself for entertaining this absurd conversation. I wondered what I would be called if I accepted this proposal. I couldn’t be called a ‘prostitute’ because Nicholas wanted to marry me. Slave
Was I willing to sign a contract, to be married to Nicholas even though I knew he didn’t love me? Moreover, I didn’t love him either. On the other hand, our feelings could transform into love later on. But was I willing to risk the chance that we might never love each other? Nicholas insisted that I had a choice. That I could leave when I was no longer happy. But if we already had kids by then? What kind of damage would our kids suffer if Nicholas and I split because of a loveless marriage? Was this the right way to marry and bring life into the world? ‘Children.’ I choked up at the thought. Was I really ready to have children? It was clear to me that Nicholas wanted children from the very beginning of the arrangement. Of course, he would want that; he wouldn’t be the one carrying the children around for nine months and suffering through morning sickness and too many other complications. The idea of having children excited me. In fact, the thought of a large family surrounding me w
"However, what are we going to tell people if I appear out of nowhere and marry you?" I peeked at him, fighting the urge to throw myself at him. "We'll have to agree on exactly what the story we tell people is. Coming up with something believable shouldn't be that complicated." I didn't have the level of confidence about the matter as he did. "The non-disclosure clause shall remain in force even if our arrangement is no longer practical for either one or both of us. Nobody else should know about it, regardless of what the future holds." I moved on with a placid nod. The next paragraph spoke extensively about the monetary exchange. Money was the subject of the next segment. As I read through everything he wish to give me, my jaw dropped. It was all spelled out in black and white, from the stipulations he mentioned the night before to the bank accounts I'd have access to while with him. "Nicholas, I can't accept all this. All of this is unnecessary." "It isn't excessive in any way.
"You have to understand, Nicholas, that none of this is familiar territory for me. Since my mother's death, I haven't had someone whom I answered to or update on my whereabouts. This is going to be a challenge for me, and if you really want this to work, you'll have to compromise." He smiled as he said, "I understand. I don't want to alienate you by being overbearing. However, I'd want to point out that there are a variety of other activities you can engage in outside of academics. I'm confident I could teach you everything you'd study at QCU, and possibly more." At this point, the grin had become permanent. "Plus, I'm sure my mother will herd you into working for her charitable projects." When his mother was mentioned, my anxiety returned. "Well, I appreciate your modesty about Nicholas Rowe University, but I think I'll continue with QCU for the time being." As he chuckled, I took a few deep breaths. "Does your family live nearby?" He smiled and nodded. "Yes, Geoffrey, my brothe
The following few hours passed quickly. Nicholas called his attorney right away to schedule an emergency meeting. Afterward, he showed me the best sights in the city all the while riding in the back of his car. We made a quick stop at his attorney's office, where I met Benson and promptly agreed to hand over my life after the contract changes were made. As we left the office together, I had to fight to keep the panic attack at bay. I was rich in the blink of an eye. I had consented to marry a man I hardly knew, have sex with him, and to some extent submit to his authority. I had to remind myself that I had not agreed to the proposal simply because I was desperate to belong. I was not out of my mind. And as the thought gripped me, I got closer and closer to backing away... to pushing Nicholas away. As we got back into the car, Nicholas wound his fingers with mine, nearly skipping and whistling. He slid into the seat next to me, and I couldn't help but note, "You're terribly cheerf
Although I questioned if I had to be ashamed of how wet I was, I laid my worries to rest when he appeared to like it. I was so intensely drawn to him that I was unreserved in my desire. He muffled my groans and slipped a finger inside. His thumb slid and stroked upward, while he followed to push another finger inside me. I cried out against his mouth. This was far nicer than all of my previous self-stimulation attempts. Then his lips returned to my ear. "Willow, does this feel good? Do you enjoy it when I touch you?" "Yes." "When we go home, you're going to get fucked. Are you prepared?" Yes! Yes, a billion times over. I was unable to speak, but I did nod vehemently. "You're close. I want to see your pretty face " An orgasm tore through me soon after, and I tried not to scream out too loudly from the pleasure rolling through my body. A wave of peaceful bliss followed as Nicholas softened his strokes, easing me down from my high. "You're so lovely," he whispered. When the car
Our bodies were inseparable as I stroked his hair, trying to come down from my orgasm by distracting myself. He craned his cane so that he could look at me. Our faces were so close that I felt his slowly calming breath on my clammy skin. I wondered whether I appeared to be as content as he did when he grinned with satisfaction. "Are you alright?" I blinked. "Yes." Before giving me another kiss, he traced my lips. "Thank you for giving me the pleasure of being with you." That's right, I gave this man my virginity. I had no regrets. "I appreciate you making it good. I've heard a lot of terrifying tales regarding people's first times." He smiled and looked down at me with mirth dancing in his eyes. "Practice makes perfect, sweetie. So, it will only get better." He kissed me, showing me just what he was promising. Sooner than I wanted, he got off me to settle down by my side. We simmered in the afterglow for an unknown amount of time. He occasionally gave me a kiss or brushed a str