35. Mary
Chapter 35
Mary
The room falls silent. My jaw drops.
Engaged? What is he doing? This is not what I intended.
“Engaged? I think I’m gonna faint.” My mother takes a sip of her wine.
“Wonderful news. This evening can’t get any better,” my father says.
My mother’s eyes narrow. “Let’s see the ring then.”
Connor grins, unfazed. “It’s being sized right now. You know how it is with these custom pieces. Gotta get it just right.”
I want to kick him. But as I take in my mother’s pursed lips and pinched expression, a contrary delight wells up within me. She’s furious! For once, she has no control over my choices.
I squeeze Connor’s hand and smile. “It was so sudden and romantic when he proposed, but I couldn’t be happier to have a future husband who accepts me as I am.” Okay, maybe that’s a bit laid on thick.
Connor lifts our joined hands and brushes a kiss over my knuckles. The warmth of his lips makes my heart flutter despite this all being pretend. Or at least, I think it’s pretend.
Honestly, I have no idea what Connor’s playing at here.
“Well, congratulations,” my father says. “I’m thrilled for you both.” At least someone is happy about this imaginary engagement.
My mother forces a tight smile. “Yes, congratulations. Though I wish we could have discussed this as a family first.” Her pointed stare bores into me.
I’m not her little doll she can just marry off anymore. Not like she does with Ella.
“We didn’t want to wait. When you know, you know.” Connor winks at me, and I have to suppress a very real urge to kiss him right then and there.
My mother’s lips press into a thin line. She opens her mouth, no doubt to deliver a scathing retort, but just then, Ella returns from the bathroom. Her eyes are rimmed with red, but she plasters on a smile as she sits back down. Trent is nowhere to be seen.
“Did I miss anything?” Ella asks lightly, though her voice wavers ever so slightly.
Connor gives my hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Just sharing happy news. Mary is going to take over from your father. ”
“And we’re engaged,” I add. I don’t want Ella to hate me more. Although I don’t know which news would be worse for her. Shit.
Ella’s eyes go wide. “Engaged?”
“Yes.” I glance at Connor. He’s far too pleased with himself.
We suffer through the rest of dinner without another incident. My mother shoots disapproving looks at Connor when he isn’t watching, and Trent seems to have vanished. Some fresh air before the desert would be nice.
“If you’ll excuse me.” I slip away from the dinner table with Connor on my heels.
We make our way through the hallways until we reach the guesthouse at the far end of the mansion. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I confirm no one else is tailing us before going inside and shutting the door behind us.
The room is dark save for a dim lamp illuminating a plush sofa adjacent to the fireplace. I turn to face Connor as he leans against the wall beside the door, folding his arms across his broad chest.
“Engaged? Couldn’t you have led with… I don’t know… us being a couple or something?” I ask.
He pushes off the wall and takes a step towards me, his eyes glinting in the dim light. “Don’t you like the idea of being engaged to me, Blue?”
I shake my head, my heart pounding. “Do you really mean it? Or is this just another game to you? ”
He closes the remaining distance between us, his hands coming up to my face. His thumbs brush over my cheekbones, and I shiver at his touch.
“I’ll be whatever you want me to be. Just say the word,” he says.
“Stop saying that. Just tell me what you want. For once.”
His gaze locks with mine, intense and unwavering. “I want you. Plain and simple. I want to nag you about your coffee consumption. I want to be the man you can lean on. I want to be the man who gets to hold you, to kiss you, to call you mine. I want to wake up every morning with you in my arms and fall asleep every night, knowing you’re right there beside me. I want to build a life with you, Blue. A real life, not just stolen moments and secret rendezvous. I love you. I have for a long time. And I want to be your husband.”
He said it. He said the words.
“Marriage is a big step,” I say.
Marriage is a huge step, one I never imagined taking so soon, especially not with him. Okay, I admit that's a lie. I did imagine what it would be like.
Connor’s eyes soften. “It is.” A small smile plays at the corners of his lips. “But when you find the one, you know it. And I’ve never been more certain of anything. You challenge me and fascinate me. I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. You’re the one I want to spend forever with. The one I want to build a future with, to grow old with. You’re my everything, Blue. ”
His words wash over me, leaving me breathless and aching with longing. His eyes shine with a sincerity that makes my knees weak.
I lean into his touch, my heart racing. “I want that, too. More than anything.”
“Then say yes. Be mine, officially. Let me love you the way you deserve to be loved, every single day for the rest of our lives.” His thumb traces the curve of my lower lip, his gaze intense and filled with longing.
Tears prick the corners of my eyes as I playfully poke his chest. “Well, you still need to get me a ring, mister. Can’t have people thinking I’m not spoken for.”
“Oh, trust me, that’s the easy part. Getting you to say yes was the real challenge.” He leans in, his lips brushing against mine. “And now that I have, I’m never letting you go.”
Unable to contain myself any longer, I throw my arms around his neck and crush my lips to his. I pour every ounce of love and desire I feel for him into that single, perfect moment.
He responds instantly, his mouth moving hungrily against mine as he backs me up against the wall. His hands roam over my body, igniting sparks everywhere he touches.
When we break apart, Connor kneels in front of me.
“What are you doing? I ask.
“I don’t have a ring.” His fingertips graze the waistband of my jeans. “But I can do this.”
He unbuttons my jeans and shoves them down along with my panties. I step out of them, feeling exposed and vulnerable, yet I let him hook one of my legs over his shoulder and place kisses on my inner thigh.
Another kiss, higher up, and another.
His mouth is hot, his stubble scratching my sensitive skin. His free hand shifts underneath my shirt to grope one of my breasts roughly before pinching the nipple hard enough, making me whimper.
By the time Connor’s mouth finally reaches the apex of my thighs, I’m trembling with need. His tongue delves into my wet heat, and I cry out, fingers twisting in his hair to keep him there.
His tongue teases my folds, feather-light touches that make me ache for more. I squirm against the wall, breath coming in ragged gasps. His fingers sink inside me, crooking to find that spot.
“We could get caught.” The realization should shock me, but instead, it only intensifies the coil of heat in my belly.
“Less thinking, more feeling, Blue.”
He keeps up the exquisite torture, fingers, and tongue moving in a rhythm that denies release until I’m nearly sobbing with need.
Connor’s other hand grips my hips, holding me in place as he devours me with single-minded intensity. The coil of pleasure in my belly winds tighter and tighter, his name falling from my lips like a prayer.
“That’s right, it’s me making you feel like this.” Connor increases the pace of his assault on my body. His fingers move faster inside me while his tongue lashes against my clit with renewed intensity.
I cry out in pleasure, vision whiting out from the sheer ecstasy of my release crashing over me.
A smirk appears on his face. “You taste so good. Just what I like for dessert.”
Heat floods my cheeks even as my fingers tighten in his hair.
He stands up and lifts my chin, gazing into my eyes with a tenderness that makes my heart ache. “You’re so beautiful like this. Happy. Relaxed. My fiancé. Mine.”
“Then don’t stop.”
“Where did your reservations go?” He unbuckles his belt and opens up his jeans, releasing his hard cock, before hoisting my leg around his waist.
“Less talking, more fucking.” I tug him closer for a kiss, desperate to feel him inside me.
His cock is hot and throbbing against my entrance.
“Will you be a good girl and take me?” He growls low in my ear.
“Yes.” I gasp as he enters me, stretching and filling me so perfectly.
He stills for a moment, eyes closed, as if struggling for control. When he opens his eyes again, the intensity in his gaze makes me tremble and he starts to move in a slow, sensual rhythm .
Every stroke sends pleasure rippling through my body, but it’s the depth of emotion in his eyes that truly undoes me. I clutch at his shoulders, overcome by the force of the situation.
We’re going to be married.
“You feel incredible.” He slides out slowly, only to thrust deep once more.
I moan, arching into him, craving the friction and pressure building inside me. He watches me closely, gauging my reactions as he sets a torturous pace, alternating between deep, powerful, and faster strokes.
I’m putty in his hands, unable to do anything but feel as he masters my body with his.
“Connor.” I’m balanced on the cusp of bliss again but unable to tip over. Desperate.
His lips find the sensitive spot below my ear, teeth nipping at the skin.
“Connor,” I breathe out. “I love you so much.”
“And I love you.” He kisses me softly. “Always, Blue. You’re my always.”
A wave of ecstasy that steals my breath and leaves me trembling in its wake rushes through me. He groans, his rhythm faltering, and follows, burying his face in my neck as he finds his own climax.
His weight is a comforting presence, anchoring me to this moment. I stroke his hair, damp with sweat at the nape of his neck, and he hums contentedly against my skin .
“You realize we can never go back now.” His cock is still inside me as his fingers dig into the flesh of my ass. “After this, I won’t settle for anything less than always having you by my side.”
“I’m more than okay with that, my personal stalker or, should I say, fiancé now?”
He kisses the top of my head, a soft, contented sound in his throat. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”