Kept Bride (The Secret Bride 2)

Christopher takes two large strides toward me with a firm jaw and narrowed eyes. His voice is low and terse. “Don’t ever be afraid of that man again. You hear me? He’s had enough control over our lives for a lifetime. I will not allow him to control another minute any longer.” He sits down next to me on the bed and takes my hand in his. His voice softens as he adds, “I’m never going to let you be in danger again. If he’s alive… if… he better stay away. Because I won’t hesitate to kill him myself. He’s never getting you again. You aren’t his to take. You’re mine now.”

“Am I yours?” I ask, liking the way it sounds but not truly believing him.

“Yes, mine.”

“It doesn’t feel that way,” I admit. “Your mother is right. You were forced to marry me. She doesn’t see me as your wife. No one will.” I look out the window and see the blue in the sky. “I’m not even sure you see me as your wife.”

“It doesn’t matter what others think,” he says, rubbing a circle on my hand with his fingertip. “It’s about what you and I feel. And right now, I feel more connected to you than I do anything else. My life feels out of control right now. But you are my one grounding constant. You are the one person who truly understands what I went through and what I’m feeling now. I don’t care about the term ‘wife’ or all the legalities. We’re together. I’m not leaving you, and that’s all that matters.” He brushes a lock of hair behind my ear. “You’re my wife, Ember. Block out all the noise that says anything different.”

He leans forward and places his lips to mine. It’s not like last night’s kisses. It’s different. I hear his breath. I feel his breath. And when he pushes his tongue into my mouth, I taste his breath. It’s laced with hunger and need that matches my own.

He pulls away just enough to whisper, “I’m not letting you go. I know you’re afraid I will, but I swear to you, you’re mine. My wife. My future.”

The kiss continues and deepens even more as he lowers me back down to the mattress, mounting me as he does so. Effortlessly, he pulls down his underwear, and it dawns on me that this is the first time we have been able to do this action without a chain to our ankles. We’re free… at least from the metal constraints.

Christopher doesn’t waste any time removing my clothes fully but instead pushes my nightgown up over my breasts. I’m not wearing any panties, so there is nothing getting in the way of his sex and mine. He nudges my thighs wider, making room for him as he lowers his mouth to my neck and nibbles a trail of lust.

With one hard push, he enters inside, spreading me wide with his thickness. I inhale deeply as my pussy adjusts to his size. He pauses for a moment as he’s rooted deep within.

I welcome the connection even more than the feeling. I need him in me. I need to feel us as one when I feel he’s slipping away. I groan when he pulls out of me, but then I cry out when he thrusts back in. The slickness of my desire makes it easy for him to push and pull at a speed that brings me to climax faster than I had ever been able to before. It’s easier this time. I’m not worried about pleasing him and being a good wife in the schoolhouse as the smell of ghosts and secrets surrounds us.

Right now, it’s just about having the man I love deep inside me and never wanting him out. We’re safe here. We’re one. No one can hurt me, or him, or us.

The feeling of fear is replaced with a feeling of passion and sensuality. I move my body with his as his moans intensify. His nibbles turn into a bite, and then another. But I like the pain. I like the sting as it reminds me of where I am. It grounds me and puts me beneath the weight of Christopher.

“Harder,” I whisper.

A growl emerges from deep inside him, and he hikes my leg up on his hip and drives himself into me farther. He’s so deep it feels as if he’s nearly bruising my body where only he can touch. The discomfort is almost punishing but also primal in my need for more. I want the discipline of his cock to remind my body and soul that he will never leave me. He will never release his duties of husband and protector. I need his dick to beat the reminder inside me. Over and over. Harder and harder, I need it. I need it!