Chapter 25

She turned away from him without a word and headed for the guestroom. Intense loneliness consumed her. She bit back her sobs and blinked away her tears. Would she spend the rest of her life doing her best to be accepted into a family? Perhaps deep down, what hurt her the most was that she’d hoped Blake’s spontaneous proposal was the real deal.

Would she spend the rest of her life searching for a family she could call her own? First her biological mother had deserted her, leaving her at the mercy of her aunt Jasmine. Most recently, Blake had ignited her hope and then shattered it.

Liya had always been made to feel like the black sheep of Jasmine’s family. Now she was an outcast in Blake’s family. What had she done to deserve this horrible karma?

Liya was so caught up in her thoughts she missed the sound of soft footsteps.

“Liya?”

Liya brushed her tears quickly, when she saw that Sophia had come to see her. “Liya, please read me a bedtime story.”

Blake appeared in the doorway of the guestroom as if on cue. “Daddy, you come as well – you can read the part of the beast. Liya’s reading Beauty and the Beast to me tonight.”

Liya tried not to laugh too much at Sophia’s request as she followed Sophia to her bedroom. How appropriate of Sophia to ask Blake to read the part of the beast. He’d sure acted like one by faking their engagement and blasting her dreams to smithereens. She was aware of Blake’s eyes on her while she read. Pretending his roving gaze didn’t affect her was difficult enough. Blake made no secret of how much he desired her body. That much was obvious from his heated looks. Their fingers touched every now and then as they read from the same book.

As much as Liya tried, she could not stop their hands from touching. Blake didn’t seem to mind. He sat closer to Liya than was necessary and touched Liya’s hands at every possible chance.

Sophia grew drowsy but fought her sleep. Eventually, she fell asleep in Liya’s arms. Liya watched Blake as he scooped his daughter in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. She decided to go the kitchen and drink some water before she called it a night.

“Hey.” Liya jumped when Blake grabbed her hand from behind in the passage leading to the kitchen.

“What?” she asked, composing herself within a moment.

“I need to talk to you.”

Liya tried to keep her breathing steady. “Okay, talk.” She took a step backward to keep some distance between them and felt her back hit the wall. Blake grinned before closing the distance between them and placed his hands on either side of Liya. She was trapped in a custom Blake-Stone prison outside his bedroom. Damn.

He opened his mouth a few times, and then closed it as if he’d forgotten what he’d wanted to say. “As I was saying, I need to talk to you.”

“You mentioned that.”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, Liya.” She nodded, wishing he would just say what he wanted and let her go the kitchen.

“If you knew I had tricked you into saying yes to my marriage proposal, why did you go ahead and transform yourself into a seductress?”

“Me, a seductress?” Liya laughed so hard, tears rolled down her face. “Seductress?”

“Yes.” Blake leaned closer so his breath fanned her face. He brushed her breasts with his thumbs.

Liya couldn’t stop her nipples from instantly peaking into tight, painful buds. Damn her deceitful body. Blake was obviously horny. She wanted him too. They had a brilliant chemistry. She couldn’t deny that.

“I’m waiting for your answer,” Blake reminded her. “Especially since you figured out I deceived you.”

“Um…yes…” Her brain struggled to get into motion. Blake’s touch was like an addictive drug. “I-I wanted our engagement to appear as real as possible.”

Blake closed the last few inches between them. He pulled Liya closer so her body was crushed against his. She felt him grow hard against her stomach. The last of her sanity deserted her. She gave in to her body’s wanton need and parted her lips, eager for Blake’s kiss. She didn’t have to wait too long. Blake crushed his mouth against her, drinking from her sweet lips until she gasped.

“Is this the reason you wanted our engagement to appear as real as possible? Because you enjoy this?”

Liya shivered. “Yes,” she whispered. Blake was the only man she ever wanted to make love to. She felt the urgency of his desire in his every touch and in his throbbing manhood against her stomach. She moaned, never wanting him to stop when he cupped her breasts and massaged them enthusiastically, squeezing them until blinding, white flashes of a sexual high consumed her. Blake’s heated, savage kisses were unlike any she’d ever shared — they lit her from the inside out. She didn’t want the moment to ever end. He carried her back inside the guest room and shut the door behind him.

Blake pushed her dress up so her legs and stomach were exposed to him. She tugged the dress over her head and noticed Blake’s eyes had darkened. He picked her up easily until her face was level with his and her back against the wall.

“Now,” Liya murmured, unable to bear the tension any longer. Her body craved release.

“Now?” Blake teased. He unzipped his pants and let them fall to the floor. His erection strained against his briefs. “You want me to kiss you?”

Liya closed her eyes. This was torture. No he wanted her to tell him what she wanted. “No.”

“Then?”

“I want you...”

“Yes?”

“To make love to me.”

Blake lowered his mouth to hers briefly. “To your mouth?”

Liya squirmed against him. “Blake, please.”

“Yes? I’m waiting for you to tell me what you want me to do to you.” He gyrated against her.

“Oh, Blake,” she groaned. She wriggled out of his embrace and yanked off his briefs. She let go off her inhibitions and took his erection in one hand. Damn, he was hard and thick. “I want all of this inside me.”

“Here?” His touch sent shock waves of desire ricocheting through her body.

Liya nodded. “Here. Now.”

Blake picked her up and balanced her in his arms, her back resting against the wall once more. His first thrust was hard, urgent and eager. Liya gasped before her muscles closed around him, welcoming him inside her. He pulled out of her slowly — each agonizing movement robbing her starved body of the fulfillment she craved. His second thrust was harder, more powerful than the last. She’d only ever dreamed about being made love to like this. She’d never actually imagined she’d be lucky enough to experience physical passion other women only wrote about. Liya held onto Blake not wanting to ever let go. Blake carried her into his bedroom afterward. Liya clung to him. His body felt so incredibly right against hers. She fitted perfectly against the hard planes of his body. His body and hair was damp from their lovemaking. As the aftermath of the drug-like high wore off, Liya thought back about what had happened. Her face burned when she recalled how greedy she’d been for Blake’s body. She’d even voiced how much she wanted him... No, she’d gone one step ahead and showed him. She’d boldly shown Blake how desperate she was for his body. What have I done? Shame filled her before sleep claimed her.