Chapter Twenty-Three
Alice
T he kitchen is lit with a soft glow as I carry in the last remaining dish from outside, handing it to Gwen at the sink. “I believe this is the last of it.”
A kind smile graces her face as she accepts it. “Thank you for all your help, dear.”
“Of course, I’m happy to do it.” Picking up the tea towel, I begin drying what she has already washed.
“It was a fun night, wasn’t it?” she comments thoughtfully.
“It was,” I agree, thinking what a great distraction it was. “I especially enjoyed Thatcher and Hannah J.’s performance.”
A soft snicker escapes her. “They are quite the pair those two. I could listen to them every day and never tire of it.”
I could too, there was something so beautiful and heartfelt about it.
“But I enjoy spending time with this family in general,” she adds, love radiating through her voice. “They all have come to mean a lot to me.”
“Well, I understand that because I feel the exact same way.”
“And I know they do too, dear. My Thatcher tells me you fit in beautifully here, especially with his son.”
My heart bursts to hear her say that.
“He also told me you have quite the connection with Leela and that you have been a great help with the morning chores.”
“I’m glad he thinks so. It’s the least I can do until I am able to find a job and pay him and Braxten back appropriately.”
It’s something I wish I could focus on now, especially with me feeling so much better, but I know it’s not possible yet. Not with the threat escalating the way it is.
“Knowing Thatcher and his boys, your help is enough for them,” she says. “But if you do ever decide to look for work, you just let me know. I have a lot of connections in town and I’d be happy to help you find something you would enjoy.”
“Really?” I gasp at the offer.
“Of course, dear, anytime.”
“Oh, Gwen, that would be wonderful. Thank you so much.” I pull her in for a hug, appreciating her generosity.
She returns the gesture, her arms a loving and gentle embrace. “I’m always here to help with anything you ever need.”
I now know why she and Thatcher are so beautiful together, their generosity towards others knows no bounds.
Stepping back, she keeps hold of my shoulders. “I know how unfair life can be, but I also know how beautiful it can be, especially when you are with the right people. I want you to know that you are. There are no better people in this world than my Thatcher and his boys.”
I’ve known this from the beginning, but after getting to know them all I believe it even more now.
“Am I intruding?”
Gwen and I turn at the deep voice and find Thatcher standing in the entrance of the kitchen. By the look of humbleness etched across his face, he overheard our conversation.
“Not at all,” Gwen says, keeping an arm around my shoulders. “We were just having some girl talk, is all.”
“Well, whenever you’re done, our sweet Hannah is ready for her bedtime story.”
She nods. “Let me finish these last few dishes and I’ll be right up.”
“Go ahead,” I tell her. “I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Are you sure, dear?”
“Absolutely.”
She smiles her appreciation at me. “Thank you.”
Thatcher walks over, dropping a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning, darlin’.”
“Yes, you will.”
I watch as he takes Gwen’s hand in his to lead her out of the kitchen. He leans down, whispering something in her ear, and whatever he says has her giggling and swatting at his arm as they walk out.
Smiling, I finish drying the rest of the dishes then put them away before leaving out the front door.
The scent of burning wood lingers in the air as I start my walk back to the house. I admire the quiet beauty around me, taking in the night sky that is littered with thousands of twinkling stars and somehow fall even more in love with this place.
The sound of a twig snapping in the distance pulls me to a quick stop. A moment of fear pulses through me. I look around, but find no one.
“Hello?” I call out. “Is someone out there?”
Nothing but silence fills the night.
I shake my head, feeling foolish. “It was probably just a dang squirrel, Alice.”
I continue my way home when I hear something else, something that sounds like muffled voices. Listening closely, I follow the sound and find myself nearing the wooded area that borders Justice and Ryanne’s place. I quickly realize it must be them.
“Did you guys get lost?” I tease.
Just as I make it to the edge of the trees, I stop dead in my tracks, shocked at what I find taking place in the woods.
Ryanne is bent over at the waist, hands braced on the large oak tree in front of her, with her dress pooled around her spread feet.
It leaves her completely naked as Justice takes her from behind, savagely pounding into her.
“You love it when I fuck this hot, little pussy, don’t you, Ryanne?”
“Yes,” she whimpers. “So much.”
“Who owns it?” His voice is rough with unrequited lust.
“You do.”
“That’s right, baby. And when I am done fucking it I’m moving to this tight ass of yours.” He follows up the remark by delivering a light slap to her bare bottom.
Mortification washes over me as I realize what I have intruded on. Spinning around, I’m about to make a fast escape, but end up running into a solid brick wall. My eyes widen in horror when I look up to see that wall is Braxten.
His expression is indecipherable as he peers down at me, but I can only imagine what he must be thinking.
“Harder, Justice,” Ryanne pleads, the high pitched sound penetrating this already embarrassing moment. “Fuck me harder!”
Oh god.
Pushing past Braxten, I run to the house, making it there in record time. After bounding up the front steps, I charge inside and head straight to the bedroom at the end of the hall.
I stand in the middle of the room, my hands covering either side of my flaming cheeks as I fight to calm the wild beat of my heart.
How could I be so stupid? Why couldn’t I just mind my own business?
Braxten appears in the doorway, silencing my torment.
“I am so sorry,” I rush out the apology. “I didn’t know what I was walking in on and…” The explanation dies in my throat as he advances on me, slowly but surely, each weighted step reverberating through the room like a steady drum.
I begin to retreat, the sheer dominance on his face forcing each step until my back hits the wall, leaving me nowhere else to go.
That doesn’t stop Braxten.
He closes in on me, his arms pinning on either side of my head. The intensity dancing in his dark eyes sears me to my core.
“Tell me something, Alice.” His voice is calm, too calm. “Are you sorry for walking in on my brother fucking his wife or because it turned you on?”
I stiffen in place, shocked by the accusation.
He flashes me a knowing smirk. “I saw it in your eyes, Wonderland. Saw it in the flush of your cheeks.” His hand lifts to my face, fingers softly grazing. “By the way your breath raced past your lips, much like it’s doing right now.”
I shake my head, denying all of what he says.
“No?” He quirks a disbelieving brow. “So, if I shoved my hand into your panties right now, I won’t find your pussy wet?”
His dirty words drag a moan from my throat that I try to stifle, but it breaches my lips, completely giving me away.
The reaction makes him chuckle. “That’s what I thought.” His hand slips beneath my thin sweater, the warmth of his palm colliding with the naked skin of my stomach. “Tell me what you liked about it?”
“Braxten,” I whisper his name, his question embarrassing me further.
“Don’t be shy, baby. There’s nothing wrong with how you feel. I’m hard as fuck right now.” His bold confession doesn’t surprise me, he’s never been afraid to admit his feelings.
“Did you like that they were outside?” he asks, trying to coax me into the conversation. “Fucking where anyone might see them?”
Silence spans seconds as he waits for a response.
I finally nod, admitting it not only to him, but to myself. As horrified as I am, there is no denying that I was captivated by what I saw. It was desperate, untamable, real, and raw.
“How about what you heard?” he asks, his voice deeper than before. “Did you like hearing my brother talk dirty to her?”
You love it when I fuck this hot, little pussy, don’t you, Ryanne?
Justice’s words echo back to me, the replay sparking through my body like an electrical current.
Knowing there is no stopping now, I nod again.
The confession has Braxten fisting my sweater in his hand and dragging it upward. It leaves me no choice but to raise my arms as he removes it from my body, revealing the lilac lace bra that I chose to wear tonight just for him.
“What about Ryanne’s position?” he asks, moving to the clasp that rests between my breasts.
“Did you like how she was bent over? Her big tits bouncing as my brother fucked her from behind.” He follows up the explicit words by flicking my bra open and cupping the heavy mounds of my bare flesh in each of his hands.
My head drops back against the wall, his touch along with the erotic picture he paints igniting through my body like a dangerous accelerant.
“Answer the question, Alice.” He tugs on my nipples, delivering an exquisite pinch of pleasure. “Did you like it?”
“Yes,” I cry out, the heated response forcing past my lips.
He dips his mouth to my ear. “Do you want me to do that to you? Bend you over and fuck you so hard that you have no control over your own body?”
“God, yes,” I moan, my desperation pulsating within the response.
His lips graze the shell of my ear. “I do too, baby, and I will. I promise we will do all the things, but there is something I need to do first.” He drops to his knees before me, driving his words home.
Anticipation fills me as he begins removing my leggings, shimmying them down my legs. I step out of the material and stand before him in nothing but my matching lace panties.