Dark Desires: An age gap dark romance, page 22
The next time I awoke, she was by my side and had barely left since. I’d come so close to losing her I needed to keep her close.
‘Love you, Daddy,’ she whispered against my lips as I slid my hand down to cup her full arse.
‘They’re here!’ A shout echoed from the main sitting room as noise filtered through our gargantuan home.
‘Ready?’ I asked.
‘As I’ll ever be.’ Valentina smoothed down her dress and bit her bottom lip as a torrent of my loved ones emerged.
My niece Grace threw herself at me, nearly knocking me over as my crutch slid out.
‘Sorry Uncle Logan,’ she said. ‘I’m so glad you’re okay.’
Elais, my other teenaged nibling, awkwardly shook my hand before I pulled him against me. The two of them just kept growing, both standing almost as tall as the surrounding adults.
They were all there, Mac and Katie, Esther and Alec with their two toddlers, Maeve and Cam, and my brother Ewen.
‘Happy non-wedding day, bro,’ Mac said, passing me a glass of whisky as I took up residence in the armchair closest to the fire.
‘Thanks. Everyone, it’s about time you met my girl. This is Valentina.’ I took her by the hand and pulled her onto my good thigh, trying not to wince as she touched my healing one.
‘Welcome to the madhouse,’ Ewen said as she smiled at him, her hand gripping mine tightly.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘It’s nice to properly meet you all.’
‘What a way to come into the family,’ Ewen said with a grin.
‘Oh, we do like a dramatic entrance, a rite of passage,’ Maeve said with a laugh. ‘You’ll fit right in.’
Valentina raised a brow at me and I kissed her cheek softly while whispering, ‘I’ll tell you all about it later. You’re not the only one who’s arrived in a blaze of bullets. Nor the only one who went a little stalkerish.’
‘I didn’t stalk you,’ Valentina said, giving me a pretty little pout.
‘You totally did. Not that I would have it any other way. I only wish I’d given in sooner.’
The bubble of my family around me warmed me as I held my girl in my arms. I’d still need to talk to Nicole after everything that had happened, and likely her father too, but they’d agreed to cancel the wedding with nothing more to be said about it.
‘Have you spoken to your mum yet?’ I asked Valentina.
‘I did. She’s pretty mad at me but understands that you and Nicole were never meant to be. She’s also pissed that she doesn’t get to wear her fancy frock to the wedding.’ Valentina smiled, making light of the situation, but I knew hurting her mother had hurt her too.
‘She can wear it to our wedding instead,’ I said.
‘You’re so sure I’d say yes, are you?’
‘I’d tie you down and edge you until you’ve got no other choice.’ Pleasure filtered through me at the blush that rose in her cheeks.
‘Logan! Behave. Your family is here.’
‘They’ll be your family too, baby girl.’ I pulled her lips onto mine and swallowed her light moan as she let me taste her.
‘Doctor’s orders. You can’t exert your leg for three more weeks. Don’t rile me up with a promise you can’t keep, Mr. McGowan.’
‘Takes no exertion at all from my leg to make you ride my face, sweet Cherry.’
Her face was crimson when Maeve called us through for dinner.
The following day was quieter in my home as my siblings ventured out together, catching up and entertaining the young ones. Valentina had gone back to her flat to spend some time with Lara, with two of my men in tow.
Nicole sat on the sofa opposite me, fidgeting with the hem of her dress and tears running down her cheeks.
‘Come here,’ I said, holding out an arm and waiting for her.
‘I’m okay. You don’t have too--‘
‘Get your ass over here and let me hug you.’
She sat awkwardly beside me as I wrapped an arm around her shoulder, letting her cry while I waited. Eventually, her tears dried and only a few sniffles remained.
‘I may not be your husband, but I can still be your friend.’
‘You don’t have to do that.’
‘I want to. All that shit, none of it was your fault. You were just a kid,’ I said as she pulled herself a little away from me and turned to look at my face.
‘I know he was wrong, and that he hurt me, but I feel horrible for shooting him.’
‘The first kill is always the hardest, even more so if it’s someone you loved. Feel the feelings, and when you’re ready, let them go. You’ll get past this. You’ll find someone who truly deserves you and can love you without an ulterior motive.’
‘Like you love Valentina?’
‘Yes. And I’m sorry for falling for her behind your back. She swept me off my feet.’
‘And you don’t care about the camming?’ Nicole dabbed at her face with a tissue that she pulled from her pocket.
‘I don’t. I want her to be happy, and she enjoys it. Plus, I find other men wanting her kind of hot.’
‘You two really are made for each other.’ A small smile crossed her face before her eyes dropped back into her lap. ‘I got rid of the baby. I had to. I couldn’t bring up a child knowing it would always be his, and that I would have been the person who killed their father.’
‘I get it.’
‘It was still really early.’
‘It doesn’t mean it hurts any less. You can mourn if you need to.’ She reached for my hand and squeezed it as I spoke.
‘Your sister, Maeve, has actually been an enormous help. She’s helping me restructure my dad’s business to my liking now, so I don’t meet resistance later. It’s been a rollercoaster.’
‘You’re going to be great, Nicole. You are strong, and fierce and will be a great leader. Don’t let anyone, or anything, make you doubt it. You did what needed to be done, and you’ll be stronger for it one day.’
‘Valentina’s a lucky girl. I didn’t want you like that, but I meant it when I said that I saw your potential. My father was more annoyed about losing you than Hugh.’
‘I think that may have had more to do with Hugh than with me.’
I couldn’t help but wonder if Tony had treated Hugh more like a son than a burden, whether he would have turned out so selfish and mixed-up.
‘Stay in touch,’ I said when Nicole stood to leave a few minutes later. ‘You’re always welcome here.’
‘Valentina might not like that.’
‘She’d love to see you more. Now that the thorn is gone, the sharpness between you both will dissipate, too. If you guys want it to. Now get your butt out of here. I need to get my dressing changed and you’ll see a whole lot of ass if you don’t go.’
Nicole pulled a face before laughing and covering her eyes. ‘God no, keep your trousers on until I’m well clear of the threshold.’
Relief flooded me as I realised that she’d be okay, and didn’t harbour any ire toward Valentina.
We could all move forward.
CHAPTER FORTY NINE
VALENTINA
The car bumped beneath me as rain splattered at the windows. I turned my head and listened for any clues.
‘Where are we going? Can I take this off yet?’ I fingered the blindfold that covered my eyes.
‘Not yet, nearly there. Have some patience.’
Patience wasn’t my forte.
Our relationship had gone from strength to strength in the weeks following Hugh’s attack. I’d worried that after the forbidden aspect of our lust driven relationship was gone, Logan would grow tired of me. But his obsession with me grew with each passing day. He was almost as obsessed with me as I was with him.
Logan hummed softly as we continued down the bumpy road until at last he stopped the car.
‘Don’t touch that blindfold yet,’ he said, opening his door and coming round to open mine.
‘I was kind of hoping you’d make me keep it on...’ I joked as he held my hand and walked me over some uneven ground. Rain spots hit my cheeks as fresh, cold air swept over me. Pine and rain, that’s what it smelled like.
‘We can keep the blindfold for later,’ Logan said, nipping at my neck before he undid the material. His voice in my ear sent electricity through me.
I opened my eyes and took in the scene in front of me. A picturesque chocolate box cottage sat nestled in the woods with Glencoe’s mountains rising behind it and a babbling river running alongside it.
The cottage looked a little worn, but the cherry red doors and ivy-covered walls made me melt.
‘Is it an Airbnb? I love it. It’s so cute.’
‘No baby, I bought it.’
With a gasp, I rounded on Logan. ‘No, you didn’t?’
‘I did.’
I pulled him toward it, my eyes like saucers, not caring in the slightest that the rain was making my hair stick to my face.
‘It even has your little wood stack,’ I said, brushing my fingers over the pile of firewood that leaned against one wall.
‘I love it.’
‘I love you,’ he said, pulling me up against him and licking the rain from my lips before sliding his tongue into my mouth. ‘I thought I could never have this. You showed me I can have anything if I try hard enough.’
‘What about work?’ I asked, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
‘I’m taking a back seat and handing the reins over to Maeve. We’re going to formally join the Thompson and McGowan syndicates, with her and Cam leading both. I’ll still be involved, but mostly, I’m all yours.’
‘I like the sound of that,’ I said, running my fingers through his wet hair and tugging lightly.
‘I’ve ordered super internet for you too, so you can keep camming if you want too.’
I loved camming and loved being seen, but between Hugh and Tim, it had left me feeling unsafe.
‘I don’t know if I want to. Maybe if I can find a way to do it anonymously, and with you.’
‘You know you’ll never have to work if you don’t want to. Or you can stay here and make and sell socks and cakes, or whatever your pretty little head dreams up.’
‘I do like to be watched,’ I said, trying to broach a subject I’d been unsure of. We’d done some kinky things together, but now that we were in a real relationship, I didn’t know where I stood.
‘Baby girl, I’ll make all of your dreams come true. Right down to the absolute filth you crave. If you want to be watched, or fucked, or anything else, just let me know. I’m more than happy to share, as long as I’m the one who gets to keep you for good.’
‘You wouldn’t be jealous?’
‘Of seeing you writhing in pleasure? Never. As long as it’s agreed before it happens, I’m down for whatever sick little fantasies you want to explore.’
He led me into the cottage before stoking the log burner and getting the fire crackling and popping.
‘Will you help me decorate it?’ he asked. ‘Or we can pay someone to come in and do it all.’
‘I’d love to. Do I get my own drawer?’
‘No, Valentina. You get the whole damn house. If you want to. Move in with me?’
‘Really?’
‘I don’t want to go between my place and yours any more. I want to have you all to myself. You can keep the apartment with Lara if you want to, for when we visit the city.’
‘What about your flipping massive mansion?’
‘Ewen’s going to keep living there, and it’s going to always be kept for our family get-togethers, where any of us can stay when we want to. This can be our country digs.’
He sat down on the rug in front of the fire, his leg still stiff when he tried to fully bend it.
I straddled his lap and stole a kiss, melting against him as the heat from the fire licked at the side of my face.
“Is that a yes?’ he asked.
‘It’s a yes, Daddy.’
‘Now be a good girl and get out of your wet clothes so Daddy can christen his new rug.’
‘The doctor said—‘
He pulled my hair back harshly and bit at my neck while I whimpered. ‘Fuck the doctor. If I don’t fuck you, I might explode.’
Logan stretched me out around him by the fire, filling me until the day darkened into night and we both lay in an exhausted, sweaty heap in our new home.
CHAPTER FIFTY
LOGAN
Spring gave way to early summer as flowers bloomed to their fullest along the edge of the cottage. I’d left Valentina sleeping in our bed as I made a coffee, inhaling its deep scent, before heading out to the garden and grabbing an apple on route.
The early morning sun flooded the hills to the rear of our property, sending golden hues bouncing through the valley.
‘Morning,’ I said as my donkey, Rosie, came trotting toward the edge of his field, nudging at my pockets as I reached out to scratch her behind the ears. ‘Alright, alright. Calm down. You know I’ve got it in my pocket.’
She stomped a hoof as I pulled out the apple and broke it in half, giving the first half to her as I sipped my coffee.
‘Such a greedy girl.’
Breathing in the damp morning air, I closed my eyes and sighed happily. The months I’d spent in our cottage with Valentina were the best I’d ever had. I hadn’t realised how heavy the responsibility of taking on my father’s business had weighed on me. In stark contrast, Maeve thrived under it, working alongside her husband, Cam, as well as Tony and Nicole. She was truly creating a crime empire that rivalled those in Europe.
By the time I finished drinking my coffee while chatting to Rosie, chopped enough wood to power our extra large wood-fired hot tub, and made it back to the cottage, Valentina was up and the kitchen looked like it had been hit by a flour bomb.
‘Jeez, what happened?’ I asked as I washed out my cup and cleaned my hands.
‘I turned the mixer power up too high before the eggs had incorporated enough and it sprayed the flour everywhere.’
Valentina was in a flap, cursing as she wiped at the counters.
‘Hey, baby girl, slow down.’
‘I don’t have time to slow down. Everyone will be here in three hours and I still have a load to do.’
I slid behind her and pulled her back against me, nipping the spot on her neck which always made her melt. ‘Let me help. I’ll clean up while you finish making the cake. I can set out the sandwiches and pastries and such on the table while you have a shower. It’ll all be okay.’
She took a breath and let her head rest back against my shoulder.
‘Thank you. You always know how to take the stress off.’
‘That I do.’ Reaching under her apron, I slid my hand into her pyjama bottoms and cupped her in my palm. ‘You don’t do well when Daddy hasn’t paid your cunt any attention, do you?’
‘No, Daddy.’
‘Do you need to come all over my fingers before we worry about the kitchen?’
‘I don’t know if we have time.’
Twirling my fingers over her clit made her gasp.
‘There is always time for your pleasure, my love. You’ve been such a good girl getting everything ready. I think you deserve a treat. Now open your legs like a good slut and let me in.
Hooking one of her knees over my arm, I pulled her thighs roughly apart and slipped my fingers inside her already wet pussy, fucking her with slow, deep strokes.
‘That’s it, sweetheart, grind on my fingers. Take what you need.’
‘You feel so good, Daddy.’ Her chest rose quickly as I worked her into a state.
‘Always so fucking wet for me. I should give you my cock for being such a good girl.’
‘Yes. Please?’
I laughed as I kissed her throat roughly. ‘No time for that today. You’ll have to beg me later.’
Her pussy clenched at my fingers as she neared her orgasm, writhing so prettily on my hand.
‘So fucking needy. I love how desperate you are, Valentina. Can’t go a day without my dick inside of you.’
Her breath hitched as I added a third finger and swept my thumb over her clit. ‘Come for me, baby, fill Daddy’s hand with your wetness.’
My fingers quickened inside her, her body jerking as I got rougher with her. She always came harder when I was rough.
‘Daddy!’ she yelped as I continued until she came hard around my fingers, moaning and clawing at my arms with her nails. I didn’t let up until she sagged in my arms, the orgasm fading.
‘There’s my girl.’ I turned her head and sought her lips, wiping my wet hand over them as she licked at my fingers.
‘God, I fucking love the shit out of you,’ I said as she grinned.
‘Love you more,’ she replied.
A few hours later and our open plan kitchen and sitting room were stuffed full of people. Lara, Valentina’s mother, Lucille and Nicole were all squashed into the room amongst my siblings and their families for our official housewarming.
Nerves bit at my stomach as I watched Valentina playing the perfect hostess, adoring the chance to show off her baking skills and our cute little house.
The short little sundress she wore did ungodly things to me. Even as the months had passed, my desire for her hadn’t waned, and with each passing day, my love for her grew more fierce.
‘Lucille,’ I said, as she passed me. ‘Could I have a word?’
Her eyes narrowed for a moment before she nodded and followed me out the back door to our struggling vegetable patch.
‘You know I love your daughter with every inch of my soul?’
‘Mmm.’ Valentina’s mother had not fallen in love with me as fast as her daughter had.
‘I’m going to ask her to marry me. Today. This isn’t a request for permission, as there is no way I am willing to go on without proposing to her, but I hope that you’ll give us your blessing. I know how much it would mean to her.’
Her shoulders dropped as she sighed before reaching up and patting my cheek. ‘Logan, despite the age gap and the wholly wrong way you came into her life, I don’t doubt for a moment that you adore her. But if you so much as hurt her, I’ll skin you alive myself.’
