Thirteen
U nclench your jaw.
I repeat the same things to myself twenty times a day, but it never makes a difference. Unclench your jaw, relax your shoulders, uncurl your fists. Smile when people look at you. Be kind, be helpful, be pretty and pristine, the perfect little pawn.
But I can’t.
It’s subconscious at this point. The fear, the tension. It’s palpable under my skin.
I had hoped that with time, Alexander would come around. He’d realize that I don’t care if he keeps his precious gardener on the side, in the shadows. He’d do what he was bid.
I begged him to do what he was bid.
But he won’t.
The only solace I take from any of this is that it’ll be over soon. In a couple of minutes, I’ll be on my way to some high profile doctor who will poke and prod at me until they decide if I’m fertile or not, and when it comes back that I am, and Alex is too, the gig will be up. Ephraim will learn that the Keeper’s girl, the one they tried to hang onto, the only one they ever wanted to keep, couldn’t manage to seduce his son once.
Not once.
Not even to save her own life.
It fucking infuriates me.
If Alexander was a woman instead of a man, she wouldn’t have been given a choice. She’d have been raped if that’s what it took, over and over again until the men around her were satisfied and her body was spent. But he’s not. He’s a man, and for some fucking reason, we still have to bend to the whims of absolute morons.
The fury makes my steps heavy and quick as I race down the stairs. Let this be over then. Let them all find out the truth, and let them blame the man for once. I’ll burn his world down if I have to.
I’ll burn it all.
“Miss Harbough,” Shay says loudly, grabbing my attention as I head for the dining room to look for Miss Maddy. “She’s already in the car, just head on out. And good luck, okay? We’re all rooting for you.”
Why did she enunciate “she” like that?
I focus on her face looking for signs, and the little minx winks at me. “Shay,” I scold gently. “What—”
“Just go,” she urges. “Trust me, everything is fine.”
I will not trust her because everything is not fine, but I don’t stick around to argue with her. I head out the door to the car with windows too tinted to see anything, get in, and nearly get right back out.
“Draven?”
Click.
The locks engage as he offers me a suspiciously warm smile. “Hey, little keeper. Miss me?”
My chest tightens as I nod. “I did, yeah.” I won’t deny it. We haven’t seen each other much since the night he put me to sleep. Creed’s errands keep him out during the day, and his parties occupy his nights. Maybe he’s been avoiding me. Maybe I’ve been avoiding him. But the relief I feel right now can’t be ignored. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m taking you to this dumb appointment and then we’re getting burritos to celebrate how fertile we both know you are.”
“There won’t be much to celebrate,” I remind him quietly. “All it’s going to prove is that I’m not doing my job.”
“That’s not on you though.” He puts the car in drive and starts to move. “It’s on him.”
Maybe. But it won’t matter.
“Who do you think he’ll blame? Something tells me it won’t be Alex. But there’s nothing I can do about it, so.”
“Both of you. But he’ll be ashamed his precious heir has a cock that just blows in the wind, so Alex is going to be the one that has to answer for it.” His grip tightens on the wheel slightly. “He’s gambling with that girl’s life because she’s territorial. It’s stupid.”
Right. She’s the one who matters. Yet again, I have to remind myself to unclench my jaw.
“I’m sure his cock works just fucking fine. She seems to love it.”
Dray meets my gaze at a red light. “They’re both idiots. Don’t waste your anger on them, little keeper. We’ll figure this shit out, alright?”
We? There’s no we about any of this, but I keep my mouth shut. I am angry. I’m going to stay angry until I find a way out of this, and more and more, I’m thinking that means I need to run.
I just don’t know where the hell I’ll go.
“I’m fine,” I lie, firmly and with more conviction than I expected. “Can you just turn the radio on or something? I’m not in the mood to talk.”
Chuckling, Draven shakes his head at me and resumes driving. “I thought you missed me?” He forces a gasp. “Did you lie to me? I thought we were past the lies, baby.”
My stomach squirms. Baby, little keeper. All these pet names reminding me how fucked I am. “I wasn’t lying, I just changed my mind.”
“That’s rude. I have a better idea anyway. How about you scream at me until that tightness in your chest loosens? Say whatever you want, it’ll never leave this car. Take it out on me... I can handle it.”
He doesn’t want that. I don’t need to yell, I need to beat someone to death with a hammer. Preferably a man, since men seem to think women are playthings and property. Really any man would do.
“Why do you care so much?” I ask gently. It is an accusation, but I don’t want it to sound like one. “Why show up today, why do anything at all? It doesn’t make any sense.”
For the first time since I met him he looks nervous. “Would you believe me if I said I was just a nice guy?”
“No.” I roll my eyes, looking out the window. “No one around here does anything without an ulterior motive.”
“You’re not wrong there. In all honesty, I don’t know why I care so much, but I do. I also have a proposal for you if you’re open to hear it.”
It can’t be any worse than the last time a Creed son proposed to me, so I meet his eyes again. “What is it?”
“Have my baby instead.”
The words don’t quite sink in, not right away. I sit there staring at him, blinking, breathing, trying to process.
“What?” I’ve got it now, I just don’t know how to answer. “Why? What?”
He chuckles. “Have you thought about it? Fucking me? Letting me breed you?”
Every day. Multiple times a day. God, he’s hot. Deliciously, dangerously hot. Those blue eyes of his haunt me when I’m awake, when I’m asleep, when I’m fucking dissociating. His cock is perfect, his fingers are skilled, and I’d be lying if I said the taboo aspect of it all didn’t make me violently horny.
Yes, I’ve thought about it.
But I always come to the same conclusion.
Fucking him is a death wish.
Still, just thinking about him and how he’d sound, how he’d move when he hits the edge buried deep inside me and fills me up with cum... my clit throbs.
“Of course I have. I’ve considered almost every option when it comes to protecting myself.”
“Good. You should. But believe it or not, I’ve been thinking of how to protect you too, and I think we both know the other can keep a secret.”
I can’t argue with him. If nothing else, he’s kept our past dalliances to himself, and I’ve kept my mouth shut about everything. But this is different. “Alex will find out. If you get me pregnant—” fuck, I have to stop for a second. The thought alone has my cunt getting slick. “Alex will know. He’ll know.”
“I wouldn’t worry about him, but I’m glad that’s your biggest hangup and not me filling your tight little pussy up with my cum.”
He parks at the doctor’s office and turns to see me better, witnessing the way I clench my thighs, the way my breath hitches.
Fuck, I want it. I want him. It’s been so long since anyone has touched me at all at this point I’m ready to jump him right here — but I can’t. I won’t. “Thank you for the offer, but no. Alex will come around. He has to.”
Biting his lip, his eyes travel all the way up my body from my legs to my face. “Alright, little keeper. Let’s get this over with while you’re wet for me.”
Oh, hell.
Laughing a little, I get out of the car on shaky legs and stare at the building. “Who said I’m wet for you?”
He throws me off guard when he gets out and locks the doors like he’s coming with me. “Your body. We have our own ways of communicating whether you want us to our not.”
His hand finds my lower back in a way that screams possession, but I find myself leaning in, chasing the scent of his cologne and the muscles he barely hides under tightly fitted clothes. He’s right, I am wet for him. It just doesn’t change anything.
“You don’t have to come in. I can call you when I’m done.”
Draven leans into my ear to whisper, “With that phone you didn’t need?” then smirks. “That’s okay. I’m coming in here since I can’t cum where I want.”
Another horrible joke from a horrible man, yet I find myself loosening up a little bit.
Maybe it’ll be nice to have some company, even if it’s him.
With my heart somewhere in my throat and my traitorous thighs slick, I check in with the receptionist and look for a place to sit.
“That won’t be necessary,” she says quickly. “We were given instructions to bring you back right away.”
Of course they were.
“Thank god for that,” Dray cuts in. “We’ve been going at it like rabbits, ma’am. I’m talking breeding her multiple times a day, and we just can’t understand what’s happening. Will we need to have sex here today? Is that one of the tests? Because I’m ready now.”
My jaw drops as my cheeks inflame red. All I can do is smack his shoulder.
“Oh, Alexander?” she asks, glancing at her papers. “I wasn’t aware you’d be joining her today. Your tests are scheduled for next week. You’ll have to speak with the doctor.”
I mouth an apology to the poor receptionist and deflate with relief when I see the nurse.
“I’ll be back. Just wait here, okay?”
“Hey, nurse.” He ignores me completely and walks over to shake her hand. “I was just telling her up front that I’m locked and loaded to breed my fiancé here if needed.”
“Oh.” She blushes, looking between us both with a nervous smile. “No, that’s not necessary, Mr. Creed.”
“You sure? Poor baby was begging for it in the car.”
His hand returns to my lower back as he leans in to kiss my cheek, startling me to the point that I don’t even know what to say. Obviously these people don’t know what Alex looks like, but what a shock it’ll be for them when the real one comes in.
Draven Creed is going to get me killed.
“I—” I start, looking up to meet those icy blue eyes, full of mischief. “I wasn’t begging for anything. You were.”
They drop to my lips like he’s about to kiss me. “That’s fair. How could I not?”
“Right this way. I’m glad to see this hasn’t dampened your desire for one another. I know struggling to conceive can be very difficult for a young couple.”
It can be, which is why this is insulting as fuck. There are people who actually need these appointments, who desperately want them, and here’s Ephraim wasting time, effort, and money on something not necessary at all.
She leads us into a room and takes my vitals twice. Both times, my blood pressure is sky high and my heart rate is through the roof. “I’m just nervous,” I explain. “That’s all.”
“I shouldn’t have gotten her so worked up on the way here. I think I was a little confused about what type of appointment this was. We’re newly engaged, so I’ll try to keep my hands to myself. You can see what my touch does to her.”
To prove his point, he slides his hand up the side of my neck and tips my chin up with his thumb, guiding me to meet his eyes. Whatever my heart rate does has the nurse laughing. “Maybe you should wait outside. It’s important we get accurate readings.”
“Damn, I’m getting the boot, baby.” His touch trails down until his palm is gently resting against my throat. “Don’t keep me waiting for too long.”
He places a kiss on the tip of my fucking nose and stands, turning to leave, and I have to wonder if my heart rate will ever go back to normal.
Everything about this is wrong, including his offer.
So why do I wish I’d have said yes?
APRIL