Dirty Little Promise (Forbidden Desires #2)

Emma

Another week came and went as Gavin and I pushed through what we hoped would be the worst of his case. We looked for receipts, and talked to people who might be willing to testify. And, finally, Gavin told Quinn everything about the case.

It was hard for Gavin, going back through all the trials and tribulations of his time with the woman he’d loved. Although I’d expected to feel jealous or possessive, the more I learned about Ashley, the sadder I felt for both of them.

Meanwhile, I was dealing with the issues of Sonja’s upcoming sentencing. Since she’d confessed to everything, there would be no trial. She was facing three years in prison for aggravated assault.

I still couldn’t bring myself to go back to the brownstone. Despite it all, I was surprised I didn’t feel like the world was coming undone around me. Whenever I thought of my ruined house or my wasted effort, I felt so bitter that I wanted to scream and break down. But I didn’t.

And that was all because of Gavin.

No matter how bad things got, I could look to him or tell him about it, confident in the knowledge he was sharing the load with me. I wasn’t alone.

Day after day, I would look at him, either while helping him through his case or while telling him about my own heartache, and I’d find myself thinking of my conversation with my mother. He was the one for me—I knew it in my heart. We were building a foundation for something real. Something lasting.

The only question was whether he felt the same way.

I wanted to ask. My insecurities made me wonder what might happen next, but I kept my thoughts to myself. Gavin had enough to deal with without me getting all weird on him.

Instead, I focused on the library, hoping work would take my mind off the brownstone, the case, and my own concerns. When Friday came, I was working late building a book tree in the children’s section. The bell rang at the door and I turned, ready to tell the visitor the library was closed, and I caught sight of Gavin.

He was wearing the charcoal suit I loved best, the same one he’d been wearing the day I walked into his office for the first time. At the sight at him, I felt my heart bubble over with warmth, and I grinned.

“Come to help with this book tree? I can’t get to all the branches.”

He shook his head as he pushed his hands into his pockets. “Not today. We have plans.”

“We do?”

He nodded. “We do. Now, come on or we’ll be late.”

I gave my book tree a last glance, then followed him to the door and out into the street, golden with the warm glow of sunset. His limo wasn’t there, but he led me to his car and helped me inside before climbing behind the wheel.

“Where’s Ben?”

“Gave him the night off. I wanted it to just be the two of us.” He stuck the key in the ignition, but before he twisted it, he turned in his seat and handed me a gift-wrapped rectangle.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Open it.”

I peeled away the shiny white paper to reveal a beautiful leather-bound copy of the complete works of Jane Austen.

“How did you—”

“When we were watching Sense and Sensibility. You mentioned you didn’t have physical copies.”

“Thank you.” I ran my fingers over the embossed title, tears threatening my eyes.

“Open it,” he said again.

I opened the cover of the book to find the word Will scrawled in Gavin’s untidy writing.

“It’s already got the beginnings of an inscription here for someone named Will.” I frowned as I glanced at him, puzzled.RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

“Does it? Weird.”

Gavin started the car and pulled out onto the street while I examined the book. Before long, he pulled up to a shady patch of woods and I looked around, taking in the bluff that overlooked the city.

“This is—” I didn’t finish. He knew what I was going to say.

It was the place where we’d touched for the first time. It had been the first time he’d ever let me get close to him, and it was a night I thought about often. The night I considered the true start of it all.

Silently, he got out of the car and opened the trunk to pull out another wrapped package. Sliding back into the driver’s seat, he handed it to me.

I didn’t need instruction this time. I ripped the paper away to find a copy of Sighs, Cries, and Broken Things, one of the books from the poetry reading we’d gone to together.

Grinning, I looked up at him. “Did you read this?”

“I was hoping we could read more of it together. But right now? All I want you to do is open it.”

I did, and on a blank page inside the cover was written the word You. Nothing else.

My heart beat a little faster as I began to put two and two together, but I couldn’t get ahead of myself. I just needed to be here, in the moment with him. To enjoy whatever was happening and not expect anything more than that.

Still, I held my breath as we pulled back onto the street, the radio turned down low as we drove past a row of brownstones and stopped at one with a construction sign in front of it. I blinked.

“This is my house,” I said.

“It is. Come on.”

He got out of the car and opened my door for me, then led me up to the stoop and unlocked the beautiful new turn-of-the-century door. We stepped inside the little foyer where the floors were still scratched and gouged, but I could tell work was being done here.

“What’s all this?” I asked.

“I’m having your place renovated. I know how much it means to you.”

As happy as this made me, my heart sank a little. Gavin wasn’t asking me to marry him after all. It was just this beautiful, wonderful surprise.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“But that’s not why we’re here.”

I looked up at him. “It’s not?”

He shook his head, then pulled a gift-wrapped book from my bookshelf. I tore the paper away and opened the front cover, this time finding the word Marry written inside.

I couldn’t stop the tears from welling in my eyes. “Oh my God.”

Gavin grinned and backed away. “We’re not done yet, love. Come on.”

Overwhelmed, I followed him back to the car, my whole body trembling.

When we got to his apartment, I followed him to his apartment without a word, waiting for the final surprise. When we got there, though, my heart practically stopped.

Candles flickered from every surface, including the floor strewn with rose petals. Gavin led me through the beautiful scene he’d created for me to his bedroom where a book was waiting, wrapped in glossy white paper.

My hands shaking, I pulled the paper away to find a leather-bound journal. Its pages were blank, save for the first one where the word Me was written.

“I thought the journal could be our fresh start. Some pages to fill with our story.”

I bit my lower lip as tears sprang to my eyes again. When Gavin slowly sank to one knee in front of me, the tears fell fresh and strong.

“Gavin,” I said, barely able to choke out the word.

“Sweet Emma, when I met you, I was broken.” He stroked my knuckles with his fingertips. “But you saw past all that; you accepted me and all my flaws. You challenged me to be a better man, and for that I owe you immensely. I love you with all my heart, and I can’t imagine growing old with anyone else. You’re the one I want. Just you.”

I swallowed hard, nodding along as tears rolled down my cheeks. “I love you too, so much.”

“The story of our love is only beginning. It’s time to write our own happy ending.”

Gavin swallowed, growing more emotional than I’d ever seen him. He reached into his pocket, withdrawing a little square box. When he opened it and pulled out the most exquisite ring, my heart almost stopped. It was old-fashioned and simple, but gorgeous. Absolutely perfect.

I couldn’t believe this was happening.

“Marry me, pet?”

I drew a deep, shuddering breath. “Yes, Gavin, yes. I will marry you.”

I held out my hand and he slid the ring on easily, kissing my fingers when he was done.

But I wanted more than that. So much more.

Dropping to my knees in front of him, I grabbed his face and crushed my lips to his, wanting him to feel how much I appreciated everything he’d done, all the thought he’d clearly put into every moment of this night. There was no flash or public fanfare. Instead, it was exactly how it was supposed to be—just us. Private and intimate.

“I love you so much,” he murmured.

“A million billion,” I told him.

I think he felt my appreciation because he led me to the bed and I fell on top of the covers, barely breathing as he pulled away my clothes. In the glow of the candlelight, I lay back and watched as he shrugged off his jacket and dragged his shirt over his head, revealing the chiseled stone of his abs. He unbuckled his belt and let his pants fall to the floor before stepping out of his shoes and socks, then finally tucked his thumbs under his boxers to reveal his thick, hard length.

God, I’d never tire of seeing him.

Unable to help myself, I scooted to the edge of the bed and motioned for him to come closer so I could grip his length and pull him into my mouth. Still, as I circled his tip with my tongue, I knew this wouldn’t be enough. Not for a night like tonight. So, with hunger plain in my now husky voice, I looked up at him.

“Let’s try it.” I knew he understood what I meant, but he glanced down at me, a mischievous light in his eyes.

“Ah, love. Whatever you want. But let’s get you nice and ready, then. Lay back for me.”

I did as I was told, spreading my legs wide for him as he got on his knees in front of me and licked the space between my thighs.

By now, he knew my body like it was his own, loving every inch of me in all the ways he knew best. It was like every move was perfectly designed to inch me closer and closer to climax. As his calloused finger traced my folds, I writhed against him, willing him to end my torture and push inside me once and for all.

“I thought you wanted to . . .”

He looked up at me, a faint smile on his lips. “I do. I just want to make sure you enjoy it just as much as I will.”

Without another word, he went back to work. My body squeezed around him while he sucked my clit and teased me relentlessly, pumping one finger into my pussy.

I whimpered, needing him to push in more. Just when I was near the point of pain, he pushed a second finger inside and I exploded, every bit of tension breaking apart into a million pieces. I cried out, gripping the covers as I screamed for Gavin, begging for more. When the rising swell of my pleasure finally slowed, he placed soft kisses against my thighs and spread my legs even further.

There was a silence, and then I felt something warm and slippery dripping down me. Gently, he massaged the lube into my skin, warming it as I rocked against his touch.

I couldn’t deny that I was nervous, but as soon as I heard Gavin’s voice, all my anxiety melted away.

“How are you feeling?”

“A little nervous. But excited too,” I said, and it was true. For all the worry I felt, I was also curious. I wanted to know what this would feel like, but more than that, I wanted to be with him in every way I possibly could. Wanted to please him in every way.

“I’m going to get you ready now,” he said. “If there’s anything I do that you don’t like, say stop and I will.”

I nodded.

“Turn over for me,” he whispered, helping me from the spot where I lay so that I was now on my hands and knees.

“Good.” He spanked me for good measure and then trailed his fingers up and down my backside, smoothing more liquid into the space before—I gasped—his other hand found my clit again and swirled in light, teasing circles.

“Relax, baby,” he said.

I let out another gasp as a finger slid slowly but steadily into me. Into the place where I’d denied him all the times before. It was tight but not unpleasant, and he moved in and out slowly, readying me for more as his other hand worked its magic.

“Do you like that?” he asked.

“Yes,” I hissed, and it was the truth. The curiosity in me grew and I arched, wanting to feel more, needing to please him.

“Good,” he said, and then pushed another finger inside me.