“Waylen, I went to the police station to bail Gabrielle out,” Leilani says, feeling her anger rise. “I had no idea that he would be there.”
“Who are you talking about?” Waylen asks.
“Don’t play games with me, Waylen,” she says. “You know I was with Andrew.”
“Ah, yes, you haven’t seen him in a while,” Waylen says bitterly. He loosens his hold on her waist and pushes her off his lap. “You must have really missed each other after such a long time apart.”
Leilani shakes her head and says, “Listen, Waylen, Andrew bribed the police officers and—”
“Let me guess, he bribed the police and asked them to threaten Gabrielle,” Waylen said, rolling his eyes. “You went to save her, and he offered you a deal.”
“Yes, that’s what happened,” Leilani says angrily.
Waylen rubs his temples and closes his eyes. Leilani can’t tell if he believes her or not. She wants to grab his shoulders and shake him as hard as she can. She wants to scream at the top of her lungs. Instead, she grits her teeth and takes a deep breath.
“Does Andrew know that you’re pregnant with my child?” Waylen asks.
“Of course,” Leilani says.
“So, you’re telling me he’s still interested in you even though you’re pregnant with another man’s child?” Waylen asks.
“Apparently, he is,” Leilani says.
“Maybe you’ve encouraged him,” Waylen says. “What have you done that makes him think he still has a chance with you?”
Leilani can’t believe her ears. Is Waylen seriously accusing me of flirting with Andrew? She thinks. The man kidnapped and tortured my sister, kept me prisoner in his home, and then tried to have my sister beaten by the police. If Waylen thinks I might have feelings for Andrew, he’s as crazy as Andrew.
“Are you kidding me?” Leilani asks. “I risked my life to escape from him at Misty Mansion, and now you think I’m flirting with him? Does your jealousy make you that stupid?”
Waylen jumps to his feet and grabs her chin. He holds her head in place and stares deep into her eyes. His expression is stormy and threatening, but Leilani is too angry to care. She stares back at him with the same intensity.
“If I wanted to be with Andrew, I’ve had tons of opportunities,” she says. “Why would I wait until now? Why would I settle for a car ride when I could have stayed at Misty Mansion all along?”
Waylen’s shoulders sag slightly, and he lets go of her chin. He opens his mouth as if to say something but quickly closes it again. Suddenly, he looks very tired. Leilani almost feels bad for him—she feels just as tired.
“Waylen, I don’t want to fight about other men anymore,” Leilani says gently. “This jealousy has to end. On the way back from Nanny’s hospital, you said that you’d trust me, so please, believe me when I say you’re the only man for me.”
Waylen takes her chin between his fingers again, but his touch is softer and sweeter. He tilts her face up toward him and presses his lips against hers. She feels the anger melt away, and she slid her arms around his bareback and runs her hands up to his shoulders. He groans and deepens the kiss.
His hands slid down to her waist, and he unties her silk robe. He slips it off her shoulders and kisses the bare skin underneath. Then he scoops her up in his arms and carries her to the guest room sofa. He lays her down and covers her body with his, trailing kisses from her earlobe to her shoulders.
Her short nightgown bunches up around her thighs, and his bare skin feels hot on hers. The strength of his need presses hard as an iron rod against her hip. He parts her legs with his knee and starts to kiss his way up her thighs. When he sees that she’s n.a.k.e.d underneath her nightgown, his eyes go liquid with desire.
“No, Waylen, we can’t,” Leilani says, pushing his head away.
“Just let me see how your body is changing,” he says, his voice hoarse. He reaches under her nightgown and gently pinches her waist, “It feels a little thicker.”
“Get your hands off me,” Leilani says, feeling hurt. “I can’t help that I’m gaining weight—I’m pregnant!”
Waylen runs his hands up her ribcage and cups her b.r.e.a.s.ts. “These have gotten bigger, too,” he whispers. “God, Leilani, you’re beautiful.”
He strokes her n.i.p.p.l.e with his rough finger, and a wave of pleasure shoots through her. She arches into him, and a small, breathy m.o.a.n escapes from between her lips. He tugs the neckline of her nightgown away and takes her b.r.e.a.s.t into his mouth, flicking his tongue across her n.i.p.p.l.e.
She digs her fingers into his strong back and m.o.a.ns again, louder. He presses his body against hers, and her mind goes blank. His mouth moves from her b.r.e.a.s.ts to her neck, and he whispers her name against her skin. His h.i.p.s thrust against hers. She freezes.
“Waylen,” she gasps, “We can’t—the baby.”
Waylen pulls his mouth from her skin and slowly stands up. He looks down at her, and she can see the desire raging in his eyes. She glances down at the bulge in the white towel and bites her lip.
“Do you want some help with that?” she asks.
Waylen groans, “Don’t tempt me. If you started touching me there, I don’t think I’d be able to control myself. It’s too dangerous.”
He walks back to the bathroom and shuts the door, and Leilani hears the sound of running water again. She tugs her nightgown down and climbs into bed. She listens to the water and wonders if Waylen is masturbating. She’s dozing when she feels a warm body pressed against hers.
“Don’t worry, I’ll control myself,” he whispers. “I just want to sleep near you.”
He holds her from behind and rubs her pregnant belly. She hums happily and closes her eyes, slowly drifting into a warm, peaceful sleep. When she wakes in the morning, their positions have changed—he’s lying on his back, and her head was pillowed on his shoulder—but his arms are still around her.
His long eyelashes brush the tops of his cheeks, and his lips are curled into a small smile. She brushes her lips against his neck, and his lips twitch. She freezes, worried she’ll wake him. She closes her eyes and tries to sleep, but the sun is streaming in through the window. Eventually, there’s a loud knock at the door.
“Mr. Bamford, are you there?” Robert calls through the door. “You need to wake up, sir. It’s already 11:00, and you have important business this afternoon.”
Leilani rubs Waylen’s arm, but he doesn’t move. His breathing is gentle and slow. She tries again, kissing his neck and shoulders, but he doesn’t respond at all. She feels bad waking him, but her neck is starting to cramp. Slowly, she slid out from his arms and stretched her arms above her head.
Her hand hits something hard, and she turns to see a stack of books on the nightstand. It’s the same stack Robert took off the coffee table the other day. Normally, Leilani isn’t interested in Waylen’s library. He likes books about wars, the economy, and technology, and she finds them terribly boring. But she’s curious about these books—why doesn’t Robert want her to see them?
She reaches for a book, but a large palm grabs her hand and pulls it away. She rolls over and finds herself nose to nose with Waylen. He tilts her head back and kisses her tenderly on the lips, pulling her into his body. She pulls away slowly.
“Waylen, stop,” she says. “Didn’t you hear what I said? You have to get up and get ready.”
Waylen silences her with another kiss. He nibbles her lower lip and starts to slide his hand under her nightgown. She grabs his wrist and pulls his hand off her legs.
“Waylen, we can’t,” she says. “If you want to stay in bed all day, that’s fine, but I have things to do.”
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.
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