7. Paxton
PAXTON
The door clicks shut behind me, the sound swallowed by the thick silence of my bedroom. Moonlight spills through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting silver stripes across the king-sized bed where Paige lies tangled in the sheets.
She's on her stomach, one arm flung above her head, her honey-blonde waves fanned across the pillow like liquid gold. The rise and fall of her back is slow, steady… completely unaware.
My cock throbs just looking at her.
I strip off my shirt, the cool air doing nothing to temper the heat pooling in my gut. My fingers itch to touch her, to trace every curve, every dip. I kneel on the bed, the mattress dipping under my weight, and she doesn't stir. Not even when I brush a strand of hair from her cheek.
Her skin is warm. Soft.
I lean down, pressing my lips to the shell of her ear. "Paige," I murmur, my voice rough. "It's time for your punishment."
Nothing.
A smirk tugs at my mouth. Of course she doesn't wake up. I could set off fireworks beside her head and she'd sleep through it.
I drag my fingers down the slope of her spine, watching the goosebumps rise in their wake.
Her camisole has ridden up, exposing the curve of her lower back, the dimples just above her ass.
I hook my fingers into the waistband of her panties and peel them down, slow, savoring the way the fabric clings before finally giving way.
She's bare underneath, her pussy already glistening in the moonlight.
Fuck.
I toss the fabric aside and grip her hips, flipping her onto her back.
Her arms flop to the sides, her lips parting on a soft sigh.
My gaze locks onto her tits… full, heavy, the nipples tight little peaks begging for my mouth.
I don't deny them. I lean down, taking one into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the stiff peak before sucking hard.
Paige arches off the bed with a moan, her fingers tangling in my hair. But her eyes stay closed.
I chuckle against her skin, the vibration making her shiver. "You like that, baby," I murmur, switching to the other nipple. "Let's give this one the same attention."
My hand slides between her thighs, fingers gliding through her wetness. She's soaked, her arousal slick and hot against my skin. I circle her clit, slow at first, then faster, watching the way her hips twitch, the way her breath hitches.
"Paxton," she whimpers, her voice thick with sleep.
I dip two fingers inside her, curling them just right, and her back bows off the bed. Her pussy clenches around me, her thighs trembling.
I pull back just enough to watch her face. Her lips are parted, her cheeks flushed, her chest rising and falling in quick, shallow breaths. She's so fucking beautiful like this, completely at my mercy, her body mine to play with, to tease, to own.
And I plan to do just that.
I continue with my torture. The way her cunt flutters around my fingers is obscene. Hot, tight, desperate… She's close. I can feel it in the way her thighs shake, the way her breath stutters in her throat. I pull my hand away just as her hips lift, chasing the friction.
A broken whimper slips from her lips.
I grin.
My mouth replaces my fingers, my tongue dragging through her wetness, slow and deliberate. She tastes like sin, her arousal thick on my tongue. I lap at her clit, flicking it with the tip of my tongue before sucking it between my lips.
Paige gasps, her fingers twisting in the sheets. "Mmm."
I pull back again.
Her hips jerk, her body begging for more, but I don't give it to her. Not yet.
I crawl up her body, my cock aching, dripping with need. I grip the base, giving myself a rough stroke before pressing the head against her entrance.
She's so wet, so ready, but I don't push inside. Not yet.
"Fuck, baby," I growl, my voice rough. "You're so goddamn perfect like this. Soaked for me, begging in your sleep."
I tease her, dragging the tip of my cock through her folds, coating myself in her arousal. She whimpers, her hips rolling, trying to take me in.
"Not yet," I murmur, my free hand gripping her hip, holding her still. "You don't get to come until I say so."
I lean down, capturing her nipple between my teeth, biting just hard enough to make her gasp. My cock throbs against her thigh, leaving a wet streak of precum on her skin.
"More," she whispers, her voice thick with sleep.
I chuckle, low and dark. "More what? You want my cock?"
She doesn't answer, but I know what her body wants.
I push inside her just an inch, just enough to make her back arch, her nails digging into my shoulders.
"So tight," I say, my voice a growl.
"Paxton," she mumbles.
I lose control and slam into her in one rough thrust, burying myself to the hilt. She cries out, her body stretching around me, her pussy clenching tight.
Fuck.
I don't give her time to adjust. I pull out and slam back in, my hips snapping against hers, the sound of skin slapping skin filling the room. Her tits bounce with every thrust, her nipples hard little peaks begging for my mouth.
I lean down, taking one between my teeth, biting just hard enough to make her gasp. "You're mine," I growl against her skin. "Every fucking inch of you. This cunt, these tits, all mine."
She whimpers, her body trembling beneath me.
I grip her hips, lifting her slightly, changing the angle so I hit that sweet spot inside her with every thrust. Her breath hitches, her back arching off the bed.
"That's it," I murmur, my voice rough. "Take it. Take every fucking inch."
I can feel her getting close again, her pussy fluttering around me, her thighs shaking. I slow my pace, dragging out every thrust, making her feel every inch of me.
"Not yet," I growl, my fingers digging into her hips. "Only when I let you."
She whimpers, her body trembling with need.
I pull out completely, leaving her empty, aching. She lets out a broken sob, her hips lifting, trying to take me back inside.
I flip her onto her stomach, gripping her hips and pulling her onto her knees. She's so fucking wet, her arousal dripping down her thighs.
I slam back into her, my cock buried to the hilt in one rough thrust. She cries out, her fingers twisting in the sheets.
"That's it," I growl, my hips snapping against hers. "Take it. Take every fucking inch."
I reach around, my fingers finding her clit, rubbing tight circles. She's so close, her body trembling, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps.
"Come for me," I demand, my voice rough. "Come all over my cock."
She shatters with a cry, her body convulsing around me, her pussy milking my cock. I don't stop, my hips snapping against hers, drawing out her orgasm until she's a trembling, whimpering mess beneath me.
I pull out, flipping her onto her back again. Her eyes are still closed, her lips parted on a silent gasp. I grip my cock, giving myself a rough stroke before pressing the head against her entrance.
"One more time," I growl, my voice rough. "I want to fill you up. I want my cum dripping down your thighs when you wake up."
I slam into her, my cock buried to the hilt in one rough thrust. She cries out, her body stretching around me, her pussy clenching tight.
I don't hold back. I fuck her hard, my hips snapping against hers, the sound of skin slapping skin filling the room. Her tits bounce with every thrust, her nipples hard little peaks begging for my mouth.
I lean down, capturing her nipple between my teeth, biting it gently. "You feel so good," I growl against her skin.
I can feel myself getting close, my balls tightening, my cock throbbing. I reach between us, my fingers finding her clit, rubbing tight circles.
"Come for me again," I demand, my voice rough.
She shatters with a cry, her body convulsing around me, her pussy milking my cock. I follow her over the edge, my cock pulsing inside her, filling her up with my cum.
I collapse on top of her, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Her body is trembling beneath me, her breath hitching in her throat.
I press a kiss to her shoulder, my lips lingering against her skin. "Good job accepting your punishment," I murmur, my voice rough.
I pull out slowly, watching as my cum drips from her pussy, coating her thighs. I drag my fingers through it, pushing it back inside her, making sure not a single drop is wasted.
"Soon," I growl, my voice rough.
A Month Later
The late afternoon sun slants through the windows, gilding Paige's honey-blonde waves as she leans against the doorframe of my office, arms crossed, one bare foot propped against the other.
She's wearing one of my old flannels—sleeves rolled to her elbows, hem skimming mid-thigh—and the sight of her drowning in my clothes makes my cock twitch against my zipper.
"Can I go now?" she says, lips quirking.
"No. I still haven't had my fill of you in my clothes."
She pushes off the frame, stepping closer until the scent of her wraps around me. "You're supposed to be working."
I catch her wrist, pulling her between my legs. "I was working. Until someone decided to distract me."
Her breath hitches as I drag my thumb over the inside of her wrist, feeling the flutter of her pulse. "You're the one who told me to come find you if I needed anything."
"And do you?" My voice drops, rough. "Need something?"
Her cheeks flush, but she doesn't look away. "Maybe later. When I'm really tired."
The promise in those words settles low in my gut.
It's been a month of this—her soft moans in the dark, the way her body arches even in sleep, the trust in her note that started it all. I've memorized every inch of her, the way her nipples bead at the first brush of my tongue, the way her thighs tremble when I drag my beard over her cunt.
And now, the thought of her swollen with my child, her tits heavy with milk, her belly round?—
A sharp knock at the door cuts through the haze.
Nathan's voice, clipped. "Sir. You have visitors."
I exhale through my nose, fingers tightening around Paige's wrist before I let her go. "Who?"
"Your father's lawyers. They insist it's urgent."
Paige steps back, smoothing the flannel over her hips. "I'll go."
I don't take my eyes off her as she slips out, the door clicking shut behind her. The air feels colder without her.
A few minutes later, Nathan steps inside, his usual unshakable calm fraying at the edges. The lines around his mouth are tighter than they were this morning, his shoulders squared just a little too rigid beneath his tailored suit.
"They're here," he says, voice low.
"Send them in."
Nathan steps aside without another word, his polished shoes clicking against the hardwood as he moves. The door swings wider, and two men in expensive suits enter, their leather folders thick.
"Mr. Miller." The older attorney—Harper, if memory serves—takes the seat across from me, his movements deliberate. "We've received notice of a formal challenge to your inheritance."
I lean back in my chair, the leather creaking under my weight. "From who?"
"A distant cousin on your father's side."
A humorless laugh rumbles in my chest. "Didn't know I had one."
"He claims your marriage to Elena was never entered into in good faith." He doesn't flinch as he delivers the blow.
My fingers curl into the armrests. "On what basis?"
The attorney opens his folder with slow precision. "He alleges it was a fraudulent marriage created solely to satisfy the conditions of your father's will."
I exhale through my nose. "He has proof?"
The younger attorney whose name I forgot slides a stack of photographs across my desk. They land with a soft thud, the glossy edges catching the light. I glance down.
Paige.
My chest tightens.
There she is, walking beside me through the vineyards, her honey-blonde hair catching the sunlight like spun gold.
Another shot of us outside the bakery, her head thrown back in laughter, my hand resting at the small of her back.
A third… of us leaving the restaurant last week, her fingers curled into the sleeve of my jacket, her smile soft.
I frown. "What does any of this have to do with my inheritance?"
Harper sighs, tapping one of the affidavits with a manicured finger. "The petition argues that your current relationship with Paige demonstrates your marriage to her mother wasn't genuine."
My jaw locks so hard I hear my teeth grind. "That's absurd."
"I agree." He doesn't sound particularly concerned. "But perception matters. Several people in town reported seeing the two of you together frequently. Rumors began."
"So?" My voice drops, low and dangerous. "Rumors aren't evidence."
"No." Harper leans forward, his tone measured. "But statements from household staff may complicate matters."
The air in the room stills.
Nathan doesn't move beside the door, but I catch the flicker of fury in his eyes. He's thinking the same thing I am… who the hell has been running their mouth?
"Former and current servants have spoken about the atmosphere inside the manor after Elena's passing." Harper's gaze doesn't waver. "Things that suggest your marriage was never more than a business arrangement."
Silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating. The vineyards beyond the window sway in the breeze, oblivious. I gather the photographs into a neat pile, my movements controlled, deliberate. "Fix it."
The attorneys exchange a glance before standing. "We'll begin preparing our response immediately."
They leave without another word, the door clicking shut behind them. For several long seconds, neither Nathan nor I speak.
Finally, I break the silence. "Find out the servants who have been talking."
Nathan gives one sharp nod. "Yes, sir."
"And while you're at it..." I push away from the desk, my shoes heavy against the floor as I cross to the window. The vineyards stretch out before me, endless rows of green under the late morning sun. "...any employee who thinks gossip is part of their job can collect their final paycheck."
Nathan doesn't hesitate. "I'll handle it."
"I know you will."
He leaves without another word, the door closing softly behind him. The office falls silent again, the weight of the photographs pressing against my palm.
My gaze drifts toward the lawn, toward the place I usually see her. It took months for Paige and me to build something real after everything we've been through. Now some stranger who doesn't know a damn thing about our lives wants to tear it apart.
I rest my hands on the windowsill, the wood cool beneath my palms. The breeze carries the scent of earth and growing things, familiar, grounding.
They can challenge the will.
They can question me.
But they won't destroy what we've built.
Not while I'm still breathing.