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Cilla continues to grin at me. "You do look rather dashing, Mr. Davenport."
"Is that right?" I take a step in her direction.
She’s still laughing, so I take her by surprise when I grab her by her waist and haul her up so her feet are dangling off the ground. Then I bend my face and kiss her, smearing her face with the colors on mine in the process. She squeals, tries to arch her face this way and that, trying to evade me, but I’m stronger and faster. I drag my cheek against first one of hers, then the other, then rub our noses, before kissing her deeply again. She melts into me, wrapping her legs about my waist and her arms about my neck. The phone slides down my back and bounces off the floor. I ignore it, heading toward the wall next to the door leading outside. The one Serene rushed through moments ago. I push my wife into the wall, making sure my throbbing cock is positioned exactly against her pussy, so when I thrust my hips forward, I hit that sweet spot in her center.
She groans, "Oh, my God, how do you do that so well?"
"I’m good at finding my mark, baby." I piston forward, gathering speed, knowing we might have a minute, maybe two. If we’re lucky, three. The only time we had more time for each other was during the early days of our honeymoon.
When you have a kid around, you make the most of the limited time you have and draw as much satisfaction as you can from it. So, I squeeze her thighs, holding her in place as I dry fuck her. I kiss her deeply, grinding down as deeply as I can with the barrier of our clothes between us. She digs her heels into my back, and when her body arches, and she shudders, and her breathing grows rough, and I can hear her heart thundering against mine, I bite down on her lower lip, making her jolt. Then I tear my mouth from hers, look into her eyes and growl, "Come."
Instantly, her body vibrates as she shatters. She opens her mouth to scream, but I place my mouth on hers, absorbing every sound, continuing to grind my cock into her clit which I can feel throb through the clothes. I feel the warmth of her pussy sear my length. Feel her flutter as she comes. I continue to rub up against her as the aftershocks grip her. I soften my kiss, until she raises her eyelids.
The dazed expression in them is my badge of honor. My heart feels so full, like it’s growing bigger by the second. It fills my chest and overflows, turning my body into one pulsating organ beating out the rhythm that says: "I love you. I love you so fucking much."
Her eyes fill. She opens her mouth, and I’m sure she’s going to say those three blasted words back to me, when there’s a scream from the garden.
57
Priscilla
"Serene!" My heart slams into my rib cage. My pulse rate shoots through the roof. I have just enough time to take in the flash of comprehension, followed by terror, on Tyler’s features. A look I’ll never forget. The next second, he lowers me to the floor and races through the door. I follow him, running into the garden. I scan the grass that slopes down to the boundary wall separating the property from the rest of Primrose Hill, the trees that line the space near the walls, the garden shed…but don’t see her.
"Where is she?" I pant. "Serene?" I call out.
There’s another scream, and this time, it's clear the sound comes from the space behind the garden shed.
Tyler takes off in that direction, and I follow. By the time I reach the shed, he’s disappeared behind it. I round the side of the shed into the space between the shed and the wall and careen to a halt.
Serene’s standing there, her back to us. And a few feet away, facing her, is Lauren. She’s at the far side of the shed. She holds up her hands, palms facing us. "Please don’t scream, Serene. I only wanted to see you."
Tears streaming down her cheeks, Serene turns and rushes past Tyler, throwing herself into my arms. I scoop her up and cradle her close. "There, honey. Don’t worry. We're right here. Everything’s going to be okay."
Ahead of me, Tyler’s shoulders seem to swell. He seems to be getting bigger, broader, as if he’s going to jump out of his skin like The Incredible Hulk. Anger radiates off of him. I sense his patience has snapped. That he’s regretting not putting her behind bars, so she wouldn’t come face-to-face with our daughter without warning again. Or perhaps, he’s thinking he should have upped the security even more? How did she get in, anyway?
It’s not like the security from the Davenport’s security agency isn't exceptional. And he mentioned to me that his uncle Quentin, who runs the agency, assured him he’d put the best men on the job. Lauren must have been very determined and resourceful to have found her way onto the grounds.
"How dare you come here and scare my daughter?" he growls. His voice is tightly leashed, like a whip ready to flick out, and even a touch will be enough to draw blood.
I can’t help but be grateful I’m not at the receiving end of it.
Lauren winces. Some of the fight seems to go out of her. She lowers her chin. "I’m sorry. I know it’s wrong. I know I shouldn’t have come here."
"No, you shouldn’t have," he snaps.
She locks her fingers together. "I needed to see my—to see Serene."
Serene stirs and peers out from under her eyes and over her shoulder. She sucks on her thumb, a clear sign she’s upset. But she’s not crying. She seems curious.
"Are you okay, baby?" I ask softly.
She nods without looking away from Lauren.
There’s no recognition in her eyes. The shock that she faced after being hurt and falling into the pool wiped most of her memories of that day. The doctor told us it wasn’t unusual, given what she’s been through.
The details might come back in time, when she's ready. It might also happen that she never remembers.
But seeing a stranger who she wasn’t expecting must have upset her…again. Which is why Serene must have screamed.