Page 95 of Best Kept Secret

It wasn't a diamond ring, but it wasclose. One day, when she was ready, I'd give her that, too.

Mira shook her head and held her hand stiffly by her side.

"Darlin', this belongs to you," I said firmly.

"But…we're…Beau, we're not—"

"Yet." I picked up her wrist, wrapped the bracelet around it, and closed the hook. "Wewillbe. I have faith in us."

"And what if…thatdoesn't happen?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, it's gonna happen," I informed her arrogantly.

She rolled her eyes. It was exactly the levity needed in what was an emotional moment.

Mira looked at the bracelet, then touched it with trembling fingers. Her shoulders sagged just a little, and then, as if she made a momentous decision, she looked at Mama.

"Thank you, Donna." My girl had a big fucking heart. She wrapped her arms around my mother and hugged her.

"Oh, my. Thank you, sweet girl. Thank you so much for forgiving me." Mama brushed her tears away when she stepped away. She looked at me pointedly. "I don't know how you'll dothis, Beauregard, but you make this girl my daughter-in-law, and soon."

With that, Mama walked up to Pari, who was being held by Nova.

"That happened?" Mira looked at me, puzzled.

"Sure did, darlin'."

Mira swallowed hard. She looked overwhelmed—like she didn't know what to do with all the emotion suddenly being thrown her way. I could see it in her eyes, the battle between letting herself feel it and wanting to retreat into the numbness she'd lived in since that awful night when she was too weak to fight her pain.

"I…I'd like to come over to your place tomorrow."

It was the weekend, and for the past two weeks, she hadn't followed through on her suggestion to spend them with us. So, I was glad to see she was finally getting with the program. Soon enough, I'd have her living with us full-time. If nothing else, I was a persistent sumbitch.

"Good."

"But…I won't stay the night."

"Why? What do you think will happen at night?" I smirked.

She flushed. "You know." She turned away from me.

"You think I'll get into bed with you?" I put my arms around her, resting my hands on her stomach, her back against my chest, my mouth close to her ear. "I want to, Mira. I want to taste you, make you come. I want to spread your thighs and lick your pussy, soft and slow. Would you like that?"

Her breathing was already a little ragged but then so was mine. I was arousing her, yes, but I was excited as well. My cock was hard as it rested against her pert ass.

"I'll make you come so hard and so often that you'll beg me to leave you alone." I licked her ear. She shivered and moaned softly.

"There are people here," she said weakly.

"Then, when you're so tired that you can barely move, I'll get you on your hands and knees and take you from behind." I moved my hips against hers, and she leaned back into me.

"Right," she managed to squeak out. "That…that's why I'll come back here to sleep."

I laughed, a rich laugh—one I hadn't been familiar with for fucking months.

"Mira, you know we're going to end up wrapped in each other eventually, don't you?"

"Yeah." She turned in my arms and slid her hands around my neck. "I need some more time. Sex clouds the mind, and I need a clear head."

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