Leilani closes her eyes as a mix of emotions rush through her: embarrassment, anger, desire—she can’t tell which she feels most strongly. Her heart thuds in her chest, and the monitor beeps at a faster speed. She blushes to know that Waylen could hear her reaction to him.
“Don’t be shy, wife,” Waylen says.
“Who are you calling your wife?” Leilani snaps, feeling her face grow even hotter.
She thinks about Waylen making love with Leonie in her bed, and her anger grows. It doesn’t matter that he was drugged, seeing them together hurt her in ways she never knew she could be hurt. She frowns as Waylen’s cool lips brush against hers, but she can’t help but respond to his kiss.
He gently opens her mouth and slides his tongue in. He’s light and teasing until she m.o.a.ns into his mouth. He groans and seems to lose control, deepening the kiss. She clutches his arm and kisses him back, growing dizzy with the intensity of it. When he finally pulled away, she’s gasping for breath, and her heart monitor is beeping out of control.
He glances between her and the monitor and smirks. She wants to pull the sheets up over her head, but he’s already bending down to kiss her again. Her heart thuds in anticipation, but she forces herself to place her hand on his chest and push. “Waylen, don’t,” she says, “I’m not well.”
His expression instantly changes from flirtatious to worried. He gently strokes her shoulder. “I’m sorry I lost control,” he whispers. “If you let me kiss you again, I promise to be gentle.”
He kisses one corner of her mouth and then the other. His lips are soft and light against hers, and he kisses her slowly. The heart monitor beeps just as loudly and quickly. Her entire body feels warm and molten. She wants him desperately, and she arches up toward him and deepens the kiss.
Waylen groans and tangles his hands in her hair, sliding into the bed beside her. Quickly he hovers over her, supporting his weight on his elbows, so he doesn’t hurt her. Though his body only barely brushes hers, she can feel his warmth and arousal. She m.o.a.ns quietly, and then Waylen breaks the kiss and jumps out of bed.
“You tempt me so,” he whispers roughly. He paces the room several times, rubbing his temples and taking deep breaths. Suddenly he stops and turns to look at her. “Why did you ask me who I was calling a wife? It’s you—you’re my wife. You’re my wife now and forever. You’re meant to be my wife.”
The intensity of his gaze in unbearable, and she closes her eyes to avoid it. “We signed a divorce agreement,” she says. “I’m not your wife.”
“We’ll get married again,” Waylen says as if another wedding is the most obvious solution in the world.
Leilani smiles at his confidence, but then she freezes. She remembers a clause in the divorce agreement that said that she’d have to sever all ties with the Bamford family. At the time, she signed eagerly—excited to never see or talk to another Bamford again. Now she regrets everything.
“What’s the matter with you?” Waylen asks, “Don’t you believe me when I say I want to marry you again? I’d marry you again every day for the rest of my life if I had to.”
Leilani shakes her head. It doesn’t matter if that’s impossible, she thinks. If I don’t lose this baby, I’ll probably die giving birth to it. The marriage would be pointless anyway. Better to let Waylen live with this hope a little longer.
“So, what’s the matter?” Waylen asks again.
“Nothing. I’m just hungry,” Leilani says, desperately trying to change the topic.
Waylen gives her a questioning look but nods and rings for the nurse. When the woman arrives, he asks her to bring the bowl of porridge immediately. While they wait, he strokes her hair. The room is quiet and peaceful, and her heart monitor beeps steadily.
When the nurse returns with the porridge, Waylen immediately takes a small spoonful. “It’s a bit too hot still,” he tells Leilani before blowing fresh air on the hot oats.
Leilani watches with wonder. She’s never seen him so helpful and humble before. In the past, he would have called for a servant to do it. Leilani tries to prop herself up so she can eat, but she’s too weak. Her arms wobble beneath her, and her elbows collapse; she falls back onto the pillows.
Waylen puts the bowl down with a clang and leaps to his feet. Gently, he takes her by the shoulders and helps her up into a sitting position. He supports her with one hand and rearranges the pillows behind her with another. Then he helps her lean back against the fluffy white pillows.
“I can do it myself,” Leilani says.
Waylen smiles but doesn’t reply. Instead, he sits down and continues stirring and blowing on the porridge. He takes another taste and then refills the spoon. Carefully, he lifts it to her lips, but she refuses to eat any. She stares at him completely baffled.
“What’s the matter?” Waylen asks. “I thought you were hungry. Have you lost your appetite again?”
“No, it’s not that,” Leilani says, “It’s just that you seem so strange to me.”
“You just need time to get used to me,” he says. “Luckily, we have a lot of time. The entire future, in fact.”
Leilani flinches, but he doesn’t seem to notice. She turns her attention to the porridge, forcing herself to chew and swallow even though the oats taste gluey. Waylen watches her intensely as she eats, and she finds herself growing self-conscious. When she finishes, a single oat clings to her bottom lip. She doesn’t notice until she realizes Waylen is staring at it.
“It looks delicious,” Waylen says, his voice hoarse with desire.
Leilani tries to wipe the oat from her lip, but Waylen catches her hand in his own. He leans in and lightly licks the oat away. His tongue tickles, and she squirms. “Waylen Bamford, that’s enough,” she protests.
“It’s never enough,” Waylen says. “I could kiss you every day for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it.”
Her heart hammers embarrassingly in her chest. Waylen smiles and caresses her face, slowly tracing a line from her hairline to her ear to her jaw. He rests his forehead against hers, and she starts to tilt her face upwards for a kiss. And then she remembers Leonie, and jerks her head away. “Why don’t you kiss Leonie instead?” she asks sourly.
“Leonie?” Waylen asks, and his forehead wrinkles. “What on Earth are you talking about?”
A cough interrupts them. Robert Tinder stands awkwardly in the open door, looking into the room. Leilani blushes and tries to scoot away from Waylen, but Waylen holds her in place.
“What is it?” Waylen snaps.
“Mr. Bamford, we’ve located Michelle,” Robert says. “How would you like us to deal with her?”
“What’re your thoughts on the matter?” Waylen asks Leilani as casually as if he’s asking her what she wants to have for dinner.
Leilani bites her lip. She loathes Michelle, and a part of her would love to see the woman suffer. But another, louder part of her hesitates. Why am I so reluctant? Leilani thinks. Michelle tries to kill my child and me. I should want to punish her for everything she’s ever done to me, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Besides, there are some questions I’d like to ask her in person.
“I want to see her,” Leilani says.
“Fine,” Waylen says, sounding disappointed, “We’ll imprison her for now, and when you’ve fully recovered, I’ll take you to go see her.”
Something about the way he says the word “imprison” makes Leilani shudder. She’s been on the receiving end of Bamford family punishments before, and she knows just how horrible they can be. She watches Waylen carefully and sees him exchange a meaningful look with Robert.
“What about Mr. Clifford?” Robert asks.
“You know what to do with him,” Waylen said, his eyes flashing with sudden violence.
“What do you want to do with him?” Leilani asked worriedly.
“The details don’t matter,” Waylen growls.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.