Page 56 of Secrets That Bind Us

I swallow thickly and gaze out of the window.

“But the drinking didn’t stop. Later that year, when Zoey and Evan announced they were engaged again, for the second time,” –we both roll our eyes– “said she was having an engagement party, and I needed to come down. I decided to tell Micah I wanted to call our wedding off. It had been a few months, and I hadn’t planned a goddamn thing.

Hadn’t looked at any venues, dresses, nothing .

I barely wore the ring because it felt like a lie, and every time I looked at it, I felt nauseous.

“It was the first time we ever had a screaming match. A bad one in front of my oldest. I called my best friends, made arrangements, and left my Savvy with them for the weekend while I came to her engagement party, where I had a one night stand that resulted in Noah.”

A blush creeps up my cheeks. “Turns out it was Dean at that party.”

Tiffany laughs. “Of course it is. Only the cosmos would let you have Dean Carson’s children.”

I laugh a little too. “Except I didn’t know it then. So, do me a favor and spread that rumor around town for me. I don’t have the strength to tell people Dean, in fact, did not adopt my son. He is his. Paternity test and everything proven.”

“Consider it done.” She grins. And it is still a beautiful grin. It’s just the sadness in her eyes that reminds me of the cloud I carried with me for years.

“I appreciate that. Anyway, when I flew back to New York, almost immediately after having that incredible one-night, Micah seemed to realize what would be slipping away, and I felt so guilty for what had just happened… When I found out I was pregnant, Micah said he’d raise the child as his, since I didn’t know who the father was, and I thought, ‘He really is good to me. Here is a man who really does love me. What is wrong with me? I should marry him.’” The back of my eyeballs prickle with unshed tears.

“And after the marriage certificate was signed, it was like he waited until that year to change. He was harsher. Mean. If he didn’t get his way, I was walking on eggshells.

He was drinking all the time. Or he wasn’t home.

He was often at the gallery we opened, but then I would check the cameras, and he was there– with other women, of course.

I became a laughingstock, but I was also so indifferent toward him to the point that I didn’t care anymore.

“I was grateful other women were paying him attention, because it meant I didn’t have to.

My lack of jealousy only made him angrier.

It was hell. And the biggest mistake of my life.

Except now there was an ironclad agreement.

A year-and-a-half into our marriage, he was involved in this freak boating accident in California.

Then I waited until he healed. After that, it took me almost three years of sneaking around with lawyers while I was on book tours, my mother dying, trying to handle being a married single mother, to be able to gather good evidence of his cheating and blatant issues with money management, to finally compile enough for a dissolution of marriage.

I served him in the office of that gallery, and he served me this scar. ” I point to the scar again.

“Poor little rich girl.” Tiffany mumbles, but not in a way that’s judgmental– in a way that says, money does not, indeed, buy happiness. And she would know. Her father was the fucking mayor. They had money some folks in this town are too financially unstable to even dream about.

I nod. “Poor little rich girl, indeed.” There is a calm presence that settles between us as we both take a sip from our oversized mugs.

I put my glasses back on, hearing Bear’s little paws as he waddles over to me and puts his head on my lap beneath the table.

I rub between his ears, feeling the velvety softness there, thankful for his presence. “And so you need a job.”

She inclines her chin and raises her brows for a fraction of a second. “Turns out experimental drugs do not always mean free.”

And so she’s working herself ragged to pay off her late husband’s medical debt.

I pat Bear on the head again, rubbing down his flank and patting him twice so he lets me stand.

“I’ll go get you an application, and then I’ll have you sit with my store manager, Trish.

She can kind of go over everything with you. ”

“Okay.”

I do exactly as I said, and introduce Tiffany to Trish, then go back to my future husband, who’s currently putting books on shelves very carefully with his big hands attached to the strongest, most colorful arms I’ve ever seen.

Arms intricately tattooed with different versions of our story.

He smiles as soon as he spots me. “How did it go?”

I sigh and go to him, putting my arms around his lean torso and my chin on his chest so I can look up into his oceanic eyes. He smells so good. His arms immediately come down over me, hands settling on the small of my back. I am so grateful for this man. “Can you tell me more about Aiden?”

He grimaces. “What do you need to know?”

I hum. “Everything, probably.” I shake my head sadly. “You shouldn’t be thirty-two, having to deal with grief and medical bills.”

Dean nods, with a soft twinkle in his eyes for me. “Later, when we’re home, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

I press on the tips of my toes, and he bends forward to reach me for a kiss. “I love you.”

He grins again. “And I can’t wait to make you my wife.”

I hum. “Mrs. Verity Carson.”

He runs his nose along my cheek before his lips reach my ear. “Behave or I’ll rut into you on the fucking floor, Mrs. Carson .”

Chills. Chills spread everywhere like little ripples of euphoria. “Dean…”

“Matter-of-fact… isn’t there something you need to show me in the office?”

I’m about to nod my head. I am about to say, fuck it all, and lead him to the back, but a throat clears behind us. I can feel Dean shaking with silent laughter as I turn in his arms to see our entire crew watching us with smiles on their faces.

“Go on…” Trish delights, making a please continue motion with her hand, and the rest of them eagerly dip their heads in agreement.

I sigh heavily, blush creeping up my face, making my cheeks feel so hot. “C’mon, let’s all finish up.” When they all leave, I turn around to face the sheriff. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”

He winks at me. “Just wait ‘till tonight, sweetheart. I found something interesting in this shifter book I saw. I might not have a ‘knot’ but I’m gonna do my fucking damnedest to try.”

God, I love this man.

“Shhh baby, don’t wake the kids…”

I stare down at Dean, the commanding god I love with every beat of my heart– even more now with how incredible he is in every aspect of my life. He’s inserted himself everywhere, and I can’t find it in me to care. “I can’t help it. You’re so fucking thick. It feels so fucking good, baby.”

He grins wickedly up at me, cobalt blue eyes shimmering like dark sapphires.

His large hands trail up from the tops of my thighs to my hips, then to the dips of my waist, thumbs pressing on my ribcage.

His sight always lands there- where my heart races for him.

“Slower baby. I want to feel your heartbeat through your pussy. I fucking love it, Ver. You know how fucked I am for you? Huh, Baby?” He thrusts up on my down, making me gasp out loud. “Shhh, pretty girl.”

“I can’t!” I gasp when he does it again.

He makes a motion with his chin to my hand. “I got this. Show me how you played with your pussy when you thought of me.”

I pause, blink down at him and blush.

He quirks a dark brow. “What is it?”

“I… used a toy.”

He bites his lower lip. “Your fingers weren’t enough, were they?”

I shake my head.

He thrusts upwards again and my hands land on his hot chest to keep from falling over. “Show me. I just want to watch baby…”

Chills rush all over me, taking me back to a time when he first said those filthy words to me in his truck.

Feeling brave, I lean over and grab the small vibrator I purchased that’s hums lowly from my nightstand.

He doesn’t move, just stays staring at me with that intense gaze of his.

I bite my lip, remembering the time I brought it up to Micah and he threw a fit, making me feel so terrible about myself I didn’t use one for a year. “Are you sure?”

He grins again. “Does that little thing eat your pussy like I can?”

My cheeks flame. “ No .”

“Does it make you come so hard you’re gasping for breath, your legs shake and you can’t talk?”

I shake my head again.

“Sounds like that thing is my teammate, not my competition. It’s cliter- us babe.”

I burst out in a fit of giggles at his joke. “Dean!” but God, it feels so good to be able to laugh at any time with the love of my life.

Without slipping out of me, he flips us so quickly so I’m on my back and he shoves my thighs apart so wide the stretch hurts.

Dean sits back on his heels, just the crown of his thick, mushroom tip inside of me.

that teasing playfulness of his is gone.

Staring down at me is the dark angel God sent to torture my heart, body, mind and soul.

But only torture it enough to be able to put it back together.

How he weaves every bit of my being to fit into his is fascinating.

He motions his head to the small wand in my hand, but he doesn’t take those blazing eyes of his off mine. “Go on, baby. Show me how you made yourself come thinking of me.” He murmurs.

It’s a low, erotic, masculine command made to set me on fire and it works. I click it on, finding the constant vibration setting I enjoy and place it directly on my clit. My back arches immediately at the contact and I moan into the room.

“Fuck. That’s my girl. You just clenched around me and I swear you just got wetter. I want that again. Keep going, baby.”

So I do. Over and over I roll it over my clit, drawing tiny circles. His hands move to the inside of my thighs, pressing them further down. Splitting me open to his scrutinization. My hips roll, seeking more of him, needing more of him. But he stays completely still, letting me use him.

“There’s my girl, look at you using me. Such a filthy fucking girl. But you love my dick, don’t you baby? Made for you… Every millimeter of me was made for you. There you go, baby. Don’t fucking stop. Sooo fucking sexy like this. All mine, aren’t you?”

“All yours.” I moan, nodding, bucking my hips to take him further.

He smirks like the divine devil he is. “That’s right, baby.

Mmm… fuck . Your pussy looks so fucking good swallowing me.

It’s my favorite sight. Creaming all over me, baby.

God, I want to eat it. I wanna lick that pussy fucking clean when you come for me.

Oh, fuuuccckkk …” One hand goes to my breast and he pinches my nipple, pulling it to the other one, using just the one giant hand to pinch them together.

The sensation is almost too much. My eyes cross and my back arches again but he doesn’t let me go.

He chuckles darkly. “Some things never change. One day these are gonna leak for me and I’m gonna suck ‘em dry, baby.”

I’m gonna go crazy. “Dean, please!”

He lets go of my breasts, slapping one and then the other roughly but I love it.

He knows just how much to give me and when.

He fists his hand, putting it to the side of me and looms over me.

I swear for a second I can see his black wings behind him.

Dark angel. Mine. So very mine. My heart constricts at that knowledge.

His eyes glimmer like indigo stars against a black sky.

He breathes against my lips and my hips roll in search of more of him. “Please, Dean!”

“What is it, pretty girl? You need me to fuck you, hmm? That toy ain’t enough, is it?”

“No! Please! I need you!”

“Damn fucking right you need me. This pussy aches for me, doesn’t she?” he drags his cock out and shoves it back in until his balls are against my ass.

“Yes!” I squeal.

He puts his forearm in my mouth and I bite down on it.

He growls in approval. “Be a good fucking girl for me and take my dick. I want you to make me bleed, baby.” Thrust .

I bite down harder, the bruising rhythm of his thrusts getting harsher.

I whimper around his arm and bite down harder.

“Fuck, yes.” Thrust thrust thrust . “There you go, pretty girl.” My back arches and I let out a scream into his flesh when I come so hard my legs shake and I swear I pee myself a little.

“Fuck. Yes. That’s it. Squirt all over my dick, baby.

Fuck!” He rips his arm off my lips and devours with my mouth with his, fucking into me like a savage beast like he can’t get enough – or still punishing me for leaving him behind.

But I’ll take his wrath. Every day.

I throw one arm to clutch his taut, muscular back etched in scars and tattoos.

Each thrust makes me gasp into his mouth.

Each one sends me further into ecstasy. My nails dig into his flesh, my other hand doing its best to hold onto the vibrator but it’s lost between us as my pelvis does everything to meet his.

I tear away from him to cry out his name and the look in his eyes is feral.

“That’s my baby. My girl. Forever my girl. Ah, fuck !”

He stills above me, cock throbbing inside of me, every pulse so thick I can feel it and it sends me into another smaller, ripple of rapture.

He taps his forehead to mine, kissing me so sweetly.

We hear a clatter and peek over to see my vibrator inching along the hardwood.

We look back at each other and burst into another fit of laughter.

When we finally stop, he shakes his head and kisses me once more. But before he can say it I take his face in my hands. “I love you, Dean Carson. Forever.”

The storms in his eyes quiet down… and I watch them change from indigo back to blue.