Chapter 14 Lily
LILY
One month later
“You’re not serious?” I look around at the huge bookshop.
There are shelves floor to ceiling, complete with ladders, and rows and rows of bookshelves in aisles down the middle.
Signs indicate the topics and genres. And there is a massive romance section, with fantasy romance, romcom, mafia, historical, and American small town, amongst a ton of others.
Kane raises his eyebrows. “You don’t think one minute is enough? Fine. We’ll compromise. Two minutes.”
“Kane!”
“What? Not that. Get your mind out of the gutter, angel. We’ll do that for as long as you like.”
My cheeks heat and I glance around to see if anyone has overheard. But it’s quiet, and the other browsers are mainly absorbed in the books.
“That isn’t what I meant. This is far too generous a present.” It’s my twenty-second birthday. Kane and I met six weeks ago, and a month ago I broke into his apartment, and he claimed me.
Since that day, it’s been a book rec with five chillies around here. Porn without plot. Pure smut.
Kane is insatiable. He wakes me most mornings by licking me out, which I admit is the most original alarm ringtone I’ve ever heard.
I come and then he slides into me. He uses my body as he wishes, turning me over to fuck me from behind fast and hard while whispering filthy words in my ear, or lifting my ankles to his shoulders so he can thrust into me deep and slow while relentlessly stroking my clit.
Which makes it all the more surprising that we’re here in central London in a bookshop for my birthday treat, rather than in his bed, with me tied to the headboard and his cock in my mouth. Or my pussy. Or other places that make me blush even more wildly.
“You’ve seen how well-endowed the contents of my bank account are. Very large.”
I cover my mouth and laugh. He’s right on that count. Both the bank account and the implicit other enormous thing. Who knew something so big would feel so amazing.
“Now.” Kane pulls me roughly to him and kisses my forehead, before holding me away, those violet eyes so dark they’re purple. “Every book you want, angel. As many as you hand me, I will hold. I’ll give you until the count of three, then I want you to run.”
He always makes everything fun, my billionaire boss. My devil kingpin fiancé.
“One.” He looks me up and down as I turn and get ready, leaning forward. “Two.” I eye up the romance aisles. That’s where I’m heading first. “Three.”
I’m giggling like a toddler as I sprint off to the fantasy romance section, my hair flying behind me, and Kane on my heels.
An elderly lady exclaims, “Oh!” as we blast past her, and heads turn as I screech to a halt, searching the shelves.
There. The full set of gold foil embossed, black-edged hardbacks of the series I’ve been reading as eBooks. I tug them off the shelf and Kane is there, arms outstretched for them.
“Give it to me, angel,” he growls, and I laugh again at the intense expression on his face.
There’s nothing my stalker likes better than to spoil me. Nothing grants him more pleasure than to make me come or giving me presents.
I pile the books onto his hands.
He winks. “More.”
“You’re going to regret this,” I say as I pull out another series—this one paperbacks with bright iridescent covers.
My engagement ring glints in the lights as I pile them into Kane’s arms. It’s still not quite familiar.
Not real that I’m loved enough to deserve that expensive ring. “Your arms will give way.”
“I’m strong enough to take it,” he teases as I scan the shelves for more favourite books. “You won’t break me, I promise. I’ll be your stallion and you can use me however you like.”
Another pile of hardbacks get tipped into his waiting arms and our eyes meet. And for a second, I’m distracted from my task by the sheer love I see there. Unconditional. He told me that a month ago, and has proved it over and over. There’s nothing I could do that would put my stalker off.
I’ve tried.
He doesn’t care if I’m sweaty, or messy. He doesn’t care if I’ve been crying over a book that broke my heart. Kane just gathers me up, snot and all, and cuddles me.
“I want that indie author series—”
“In small-town romance,” he replies, reading my mind. “That way.” He jerks his head to the left.
I don’t ask how he knows that, just trusting him and jogging in that direction.
And there on the top shelf, in a big display, is the whole twenty-book Canadian romance series I’ve been working through.
I scoop them up. Then for good measure, I add some standalones by an author I recognise but haven’t read.
And we continue like that as the timer Kane set—when? How?—ticks down until as I stack a book on top of the two piles he’s holding, the alarm goes off.
“That’s all.” Kane rests his chin on the books and grins. “Should keep you busy for a while.”
“A week at least,” I reply innocently.
“Minx. Let’s buy you your book haul and then we can get you home for some reading time.” And the way he says it, I know he means that I’ll be reading, and he’ll be eating my pussy until my eyes cross.
At the till, the assistant takes in the unusual sight in her stride.
“Someone’s very lucky,” she says with a smile as she beeps through the novels, stashing them into strong paper bags with the shop’s logo on the front.
“Yeah,” I agree. “I am.”
The total is obscene, and I gasp as the assistant announces it.
“Thank you.” Kane passes over a credit card without a blink.
I pause though. “Maybe I don’t need…” I finger the most expensive books. The limited-edition ones.
“Don’t need?” He glowers.
“It’s a lot of money.”
“Stop.” He raises his hand and catches the assistant’s eye. She’s standing at the till, his bank card in hand, a little awkward.
It’s for the best. Of course I’d like those books. I admire the design and I’d have enjoyed examining the way the typography was done, and considering how the images go together. But I don’t need them. I have Kane, and that’s all I really need.
“We’ll take a second set of those special editions, please.”
My jaw falls open and I make a sound like shocked squirrel.
“Of course, sir.” The assistant nods eagerly.
“No, that’s—” I begin.
“Make it three sets,” Kane interrupts me, voice like granite.
I splutter. “What—”
“Four,” he says implacably. “The more you protest, the more collections of those expensive books I’m going to buy for you.”
“But—” My brain cannot compute. I knew Kane was unhinged, and a billionaire, but this is silly.
“Five.”
I shut up.
There’s a long silence and none of us move, like when someone from out-of-town walks into a bar in a Western movie.
Kane reaches over and pulls me into his side, nodding to the shop assistant. His hand smooths around my waist and settles on my lower stomach. He presses a kiss to my hair as I turn my face into his chest, the thick cotton of his shirt caressing my cheek. I’m overwhelmed.
“Good girl,” he murmurs when I remain quiet. “That’s it. Take what you deserve.”
My mind trips up on the word deserve, but if I say anything I’m risking a sixth set of books, which I really cannot justify. The books are all wrapped in tissue paper and bagged like they’re precious gems.
“I adore spoiling you.” Kane presses a quick kiss to my temple then gathers up the silky rope handles of the bags and we head for the exit, me remaining tucked at his side.
He’s shortened his stride, so we walk comfortably together.
“Don’t attempt to deny me again, or you’ll find yourself tied to my bed until you scream. ”
“I know, but…” It’s still difficult to articulate the unworthiness that persists. We step out into the street that’s bathed with sunshine.
“But nothing.” Kane nods to one of his men and we pause at the side of the road.
His bodyguards are very subtle, although they’re always around to protect him, I rarely see them.
And Kane has admitted they’re not security guards for the shopping centre.
If I ask him something directly now, I get a direct answer. “Just say, thank you, Daddy.”
I huff with laughter. Who knows why that’s hot? But suddenly I’m squirming from all his innuendos, him being my baby’s daddy, and maybe that he’d be my daddy too. He certainly takes care of me in all the best ways. He’s done nothing but spoil me for a month.
“Thank you, Daddy. You know though, that I didn’t need all these books. I only need you. It’s too much money for you to spend…” I leave off the unspoken bit. Too much to spend on me.
“Angel,” he drawls. “I love you, but this is absurd. I bought you the whole bookstore for your birthday. This game is just that. A game. You can have all the books you want.”
“You bought the bookstore?”
He shrugs. The armour-plated SUV pulls up and we slide into the back, piling the bags in with us. With the black leather seats and darkened glass, travelling through London with Kane is a different world from when I once ran across the city on foot, escaping my family.
As the car speeds us home, Kane twists me and drags me onto his lap, my knees on either side of his hips and my arse on his thighs. Between us there’s a lump of his erection, but apparently Kane is in no hurry to sate his physical desires. Or mine. I’m hot and needy between my legs.
Cupping my jaw, he looks into my eyes as though searching them.
He seems as serious as the day two weeks ago when we went shopping for rings.
As sombre as when he slid the platinum band with diamonds and a large amethyst the same colour as his eyes onto my finger, and said hoarsely, “You’re really mine, now. ”
And in return I could only squeak assent because my heart had expanded to fill every part of my chest and was spilling out from my throat and pressuring my clit from above.
“Happy birthday, Lily. Are you happy?”
“Yes.” It’s not even a question. The word bubbles up as naturally as the sigh of contentment and closing my eyes as he slides his fingers into my hair and slowly caresses my scalp.
“Do you trust me?” he says simply.
“Yes.” People would say I’ve lost my mind, falling for my stalker. But I do trust him. Entirely.
“Good. Then it’s time for you to do something for me.”
I open my eyes and he smiles at me, evidently amused by what must be my confused expression.
“What?” I ask.
“I need you to stop wondering what happened to your cousin and aunt, or decide that you’re ready to know, and ask.”
My body stiffens as my thoughts collapse and rebuild like one of those building explosions on a loop. He knows what happened to my cousin and aunt. He knows what I search for on my new phone. The one I thought he didn’t know about or track. “You’re still stalking me.”
“Angel.” There’s a twist of amused disapproval in his tone.
“Have you met me? Of course I’m still stalking you.
I’ll be stalking you for the rest of our lives.
” He rubs my thigh. “How else will I know to surprise you with fun like that book-buying trip? And how else will I know I’ve bred you successfully, since you haven’t told me yet that your period is late? ”
I make a wordless sound of disbelief. “It’s one day late.”
He smirks. “I know.”
“I didn’t want to say anything because it’s far too early to be certain. Pregnancies aren’t sure things until three months, right?” And I didn’t dare hope. I definitely didn’t want to say anything to Kane and have him disappointed if my period arrived as usual.
“You never have to hide from me,” he states. “I’ll give you everything, if you allow.”
“Including a baby if this one…?”
He chuckles. “That’s not a hardship. All the babies you want, I want too. Breeding you is my favourite thing after seeing you smile and hearing your laugh.”
Kane pulls me closer, until I’m snuggled into his chest. He’s warm and solid and more loving and understanding than anyone I’ve ever known. I’ve never felt so safe and cared for.
“I love you.” I tighten my fingers possessively on his jacket. “I love you so much. You’re my best friend.”
“Good. And I’ll be your husband too.” I feel the rumble of his voice as much as I hear it. He squishes me closer to him. “So will you stop keeping things from me?”
However tight he’s holding, he’d never hurt me. I knew this, I did. But somehow there was a little stone inside that was still afraid.
It’s gone. Filleted out by my fiancé. It’s like it was a cancerous lump that my family put into me, and with surgical precision he’s removed it, stitching the wound closed, and healing it until you’d never notice it had been there at all.
Instead, all that’s growing inside me is the product of our love. Our baby.
“I won’t search for my cousin and aunt anymore,” I promise softly.
“And I don’t need to know what happened to them.
” I have a feeling Kane killed them all, but I don’t have any desire to know anymore.
It’s enough to be certain that Kane loves me so much, anyone who upset me will never touch me again.
“Thank you, angel.” He brings one hand up to my neck and strokes my hair. “Now let’s get you, your books, and our bean-sized baby home, so I can show you with my body how much I love you. Over and over again.”