Page 67 of Unfulfilled Promises
“Word,” I returned, and he placed his hand on the back of my neck and slammed his lips to mine.
I wrapped my uninjured arm around his neck as we kissed, battling the desire that was rapidly building between us. It was Seth who broke the kiss first, explaining, “I need to get you fed. Then we can come back here, and I’ll have dessert.”
Handing me the bra, he turned and walked into the bathroom, leaving me to finish dressing. Carefully, I pulled my shorts off and slid my arms into the straps before hooking the front. He returned, and when he saw I was sitting on the bed in my bra, he stopped in the doorway and adjusted what I knew to be a huge dick.
I wasn’t afraid of sex, not with him, but I was afraid of my reaction if something triggered me, and I never wanted him to think he was the cause. Maybe I needed to go back into therapy, or possibly have a sit-down with some of the ladies in the family to see how they handled moving on with romance after their endeavors.
“I need a shirt from the second drawer please,” I said, and he snapped out of his trance and grabbed one from the drawer.
After helping me pull the shirt on, he assisted me to stand before we walked out of my bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I armed the lock like I did every time I left, and we began to slowly walk to the kitchen. Seth kept his hand in mine as we walked the familiar hallway of my brother’s home, and as we passed the enclosed patio, I looked at him and remarked, “Ithink I need to get my own place. I can’t stay with my brother forever, especially with him and Hannah getting married.”
“That’s a thought, but how about we put that to the side until we get this mess straightened out?”
I nodded as we kept moving closer to the kitchen. “Probably a good idea.”
The yummy smell of garlic and tomatoes filled my nose as we walked into the kitchen. Hannah was stirring a pot, and when she heard us behind her, she turned with a smile. “The bread has three minutes left, and I just drained the pasta. I hope you don’t mind, but I used some of your frozen bread and canned sauce for dinner.”
Approaching the stove, I sniffed the heavenly aroma and replied, “It’s for the house, and I’m so happy you picked this. I’m starving.”
Hannah looked at Seth. “Everyone’s in the war room if you want to join them. I’ll keep an eye on Regan while you’re gone.”
He looked at me and asked, “Do you want me to stay, or will you be okay?”
Leaning up, I pecked him on the lips and said, “I’ll be fine here with Hannah. I’ll help her get dinner finished and let you know when it’s ready.”
I could see his hesitation, and Hannah interjected, “She’s going to sit on the stool and watch as I finish dinner, then we’ll let you know when it’s ready. So, scoot already. I’ve got her.”
He gave me a look that asked what I wanted, and when I smiled and took my seat on the stool, he nodded, gave me a quick kiss, and walked down the other hallway leading to the war room.
Hannah looked at me, and I could tell she had questions. “If you turn the oven off, it’ll finish baking while we visit,” I said, and she walked over and turned the oven off before returning to me.
“Are you doing okay?” she started and carefully took the hand of my injured arm into hers, glancing at the bandage covering my gash.
“I’m okay. Tired, and a little bewildered by all this, but I’m okay.”
“And things with Seth? Have you worked it out?”
I nodded and explained, “We both decided to start over. No secrets, no manipulations, no looking back.”
“And the rest?” she delicately asked, and I knew she was worried about the physical aspect of a pending relationship.
For the next few minutes, we whispered about what happened in the shower this morning, and she squealed in delight, happy for me. The noise drew attention because the next thing we heard was thundering footsteps running toward us.
Hannah and I both snapped our heads toward the sound, and she jumped off the stool and stood in front of me, prepared to defend me against whoever was approaching. When we saw Seth, Rhys, James, Devlin, Lucian, Booker, Caldwell, and a few of Rhys’s guards run into the kitchen, ready to protect us, I began to laugh.
There was no way anyone could get into the fortress Rhys turned the house and grounds into, but the first indication there was trouble, they came running to save the day. And they looked shocked and confused at my laughter when they arrived.
“What was that noise?” Rhys asked when Hannah joined me in laughter.
I shook my head and tried to explain, only to laugh again, feeling more present and more alive than ever before. Looking at the men, I explained, “I was just telling Hannah a funny story and we got caught up in the laughter. We didn’t mean to scare you.”
Seth approached and brushed a piece of hair from my forehead. “I love seeing you smile. It lights up the world.”
I knew his words were sincere. Seth may have approached this whole thing from the right mindset but the wrong perspective when it first started, but now, I had no doubt that his words of love and his dedication to me were from the heart.
And it was at that moment, I realized how much of my heart he already held. I didn’t want to fall in love, but he reached in and claimed my heart as his own the first time he kissed me. If today was any measure of his feelings, I knew we had no place to go but up.
Chapter 31
