Bachelor’s Return (7 page)

Melissa woke to the sun covering her body as if she were lying on the beach. The warmth kissed every inch of her body, and she moaned. Her breasts tightened, and she twisted in pleasure at the sizzling sensations from her taut nipples. A fire lit inside her. Heat pulsed in her feminine core as her legs parted.

Her eyes shot open.

James lifted his head and grinned at her. “Good morning.”

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “Mornin’.”

Her breath hitched at the feel of his cock against her wet folds. Her hips instinctively rocked against him.

“You feel better?” He bent and nuzzled his nose against her cleavage. His tongue teased her nipples once again, and she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Maybe.”

Gripping one of her knees, he shifted over her and ran his other hand over her stomach to her center. Her breathing quickened as his finger found her wetness. He flicked a digit over her clit, and she stifled a whimper, jerking against his touch.

“James.”

He chuckled. “A little eager, are we?”

She reached between them and closed her hand over his shaft. His hardness throbbed in her clasp. “No, but you might be.”

James growled as she directed his cock to her opening and rubbed him against her. He gave in and pushed, filling her deliciously.

She cried out, and he covered her mouth and kissed her. His tongue imitated his thrusts. Passion fevered her response, and her legs tightened around his narrow waist, demanding his strength, his ardor. Her arms wrapped around him, holding on for dear life as his thrusts became almost punishing, but she loved it.

She felt like she was falling as desire consumed her. Her core tightened and she gave into the feeling, reaching a plane so high she didn’t know if she ever wanted to climb back down. Her body stiffened, then exploded. He thrust twice more before his control snapped, and he emptied into her womb. She hugged him, taking all he offered as he collapsed, his sweat coating her body.

He rolled them over and she lay on his chest, replete. “That was fun,” she said.

Laughter rumbled in his chest as he hugged her. “I’m glad you liked it.”

She lifted her head and nipped his chin. “At least I know now what’s it like. Maybe I won’t be so scared to try new things.”

James frowned. “It’s not going to work with other people.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Why not?”

“Because I said so. Don’t even think about trying this with anyone else.”

She didn’t miss the threat in his voice. With a mischievous smile, she dared to taunt him. “But since I’m not a virgin anymore, I’m sure guys won’t be so scared to sleep with me.”

He rolled her over in one swift movement so she lay trapped under him. “You’re not going to sleep with anyone else but me.”

He hardened inside her again and she gasped. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

James glared. “The hell I can’t. Admit it. You’re mine. You’ve been waiting for me all along.”

She sobered up and pushed at him, trying to move, but his hands held her still at the waist. “I need to go home.”

“You are home.
I’m
your home,” he stated.

Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head.

“Don’t deny it,” he ordered. Her heart ached.

“No. You’re going to leave. I’m going to go back to being the brat and you’re going back to your city life.” Her throat clogged with emotion. She couldn’t deny him anything and he knew it.
The jerk.

“Even if I do, I’m not going to see anyone else.”

She wanted to believe him, but a part of her doubted he’d stay. For her.

“Yes, you will.” Her inner muscles tightened around him when she felt his cock twitch.

He leaned down close to her ear. “I don’t want anyone but you. No one else is going to fit me like this. No one else is going to make me angry one second, then happy the next. No one else is going to love me like you do. No other woman is going to be right for me like you. Only you.”

Her tears fell. “It’s not going to make a difference.”

“Don’t fight me, Melissa.” He started to move and her breath caught in her throat. “You love me. You’ve loved me since you were little.”

A sob tore past her lips. “You’re going to leave me.”

“No, I won’t. Not if you give us a chance.”

She shook her head, but her arms wrapped around him, her hips lifted to meet his thrusts. The heady feel of him filling her was too much. Release demanded her body to embrace him, but she tried to fight it. As much as she loved him, it wasn’t enough. She wanted everything. Needed everything.

“I love you.”

Her heart soared as her body fell apart for the second time that morning.

Melissa snuggled deeper into the pillow, breathing in James’ masculine scent when she heard someone clear their throat. She peeked her eyes open to see Liv standing in front of her with her hands on her hips and large pink rollers in her hair.

She shot up.

“Liv…” Melissa looked down in relief to see that she still had on James’ t-shirt. After they had taken a shower, he’d dressed her and tucked her back into bed. He’d then kissed her goodbye, reminding her that he loved her, and left to go check on her apartment for her.

“You are in big trouble,” Liv stated, eyes narrowed.

Melissa grimaced. “I can explain.”

Liv sat on the edge of the bed. “You should have told me. You should have called me last night.”

Thinking her friend was referring to James and her, she started to apologize, but Liv cut her off with a swipe of her hand in the air.

“No. You were wrong. I’m your best friend. How could you keep me out of this? What are you going to do?”

Melissa bit her lip. She didn’t know what to do. She and James never had the chance to talk. He’d forced himself to get dressed earlier this morning and went to take care of her apartment for her, just as he’d done all her life when she needed help. He was her rock. No matter how much he’d complained in the past, she knew this time was different. He was taking care of her because he wanted to and because he loved her. “We haven’t talked much about the future.”

Liv frowned. “What are you talking about? I’m talking about your apartment.”

Melissa gave a nervous laugh. “Oh.”

“Our moms are worried like crazy. They’re both getting ready for the wedding, but James came downstairs to reassure them that you were okay when they saw the news this morning. Your mom came upstairs to check on you, but you were still sleeping. What did you think I was talking about?”

Melissa’s blush deepened. How did she explain to her best friend that she did more than spend a night with her brother? Awkward didn’t define her situation. “Um…I thought you were talking about James and me.”

“Continue.”

“Well, we…um…sort of decided that we like each other.”

“I could have told you that.”

Her eyes shot to her friend’s face. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve known you had a crush on James since we were little.”

Melissa was speechless. It’d been the only secret she’d kept from her friend, but she hadn’t found the courage to tell anyone. “How did you know?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that you cried for a week for no reason when James started dating your sister in middle school and the only picture you framed was the one of you and James at your graduation.” Liv stood up.

Melissa’s mouth gaped open. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”

“And spoil all the fun watching you guys go at each other? It was going to happen someday, anyway. You guys are perfect together. I don’t know any other couple who could argue, then laugh and cry together at the same time. You were too worried about finding a guy who’d turn out like your father and James was determined not to marry, but I knew you two would end up together one day. You both just took a while to realize that.”

Shock reverberated up her spine, then Melissa glared at her friend. “You should have told me!”

Liv laughed. “And miss out on you guys attempting to kill each other? I don’t think so. I knew James was overprotective with you even when you were younger. Why do you think he ruined all your dates?”

Melissa fell back against the pillows.

“You might want to get up and start getting ready. I’m so glad I decided to keep your dress here. Otherwise if it had burned in your apartment, I would have to go hurt someone.” Liv headed to the door just as James appeared. “Hey, bro. You’re in trouble.”

Melissa sat up to see James frown at his sister.

“Why?” he asked.

“Our moms are going to kill you guys before they jump with joy that you two finally hooked up. Good luck.”

Just like that, Liv disappeared, and James came into the room. He smiled at her, and she couldn’t help feeling warm and fuzzy inside as he came up next to the bed. Gathering her into his arms so she was kneeling on the bed against him, he kissed her.

Melissa wrapped her arms around him, pressing her breasts against his stark white shirt. “How’s my apartment?” she asked in between kisses.

“Not livable.” His hand slid over her lace-clad bottom. “Neither do you have a job at the club anymore.”

She drew back to look at him. “And you like that, don’t you?”

He had the gall to smile. “I told you I get what I want.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not going to go back to work once the club is rebuilt.” She held her ground. She loved him, but if she allowed him to always get his way, she would never win anything.

“Well, I was hoping to keep you busy with other things.” A glint sparkled in his eyes and she knew he was up to something.

“I was thinking of renovating your mom’s house, and that’d be a big project for you.”

She frowned. “Why would mom want her house renovated?”

“She’s going to sell it so she could move into this house now that Liv is moving out.”

Confusion bit her. “So she wants to renovate it before she sells it?”

“No, she wants the owner to renovate it herself.”

“I don’t get it.”

James drew her off the bed until she was standing in front of him. Her eyes widened when he pulled a velvet blue box from his pocket and he dropped to the floor on one knee.

“Will you marry me? Please?”

A sense of homecoming filled James as he pulled down the street to the white house with green shutters. His trip to the city had been long and stressful, but the sacrifice was worth it as long as he was able to return home.

He parked his car in the driveway, noticing the number of cars over at his mother’s house. Thinking to stop in to change first, he made his way to the door before he heard his name.

“James, you’re home!” His mother called him from her front door.

Trudging like a child across the lawn, he forced himself to greet his mother, even though he really wanted to go into his own house and see his other half, whatever she was doing. He had called Melissa on the way home and she’d told him that she’d be waiting for him.

It’d been three days since he’d seen her and he hated every moment away.

“Hey, Mom,” he said, hugging his mother. The scent of sugar and cookies drifted to his nose and he smiled.

“Liv and Alan are over here. You should come in and say hi.”

He threw a longing look at his house before he allowed his mother to pull him over the threshold. No longer fearing that his mother was going to throw eligible females at him, he went along. Making his way to the kitchen, his skin prickled when he heard the shrill of his sister’s voice and another’s laugh that made him hard in a heartbeat. He threw the door open. Instead of noticing the mess on the table, the boxes thrown all over the place, and the yards of ribbon sitting on chairs, he spotted the one person he wanted to see.

Melissa’s laughter halted and she broke out into a smile just for him. He went straight to her and gathered her into his arms before anyone else could stop him and kissed her.

“You’re home,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him back.

James grunted, pulling away before he embarrassed himself in front of his family. He spotted his soon-to-be mother-in-law and sister-in-law, throwing them a smile before turning to Liv. His eyes went straight to her dome-like stomach. “How’s Junior?”

Liv grinned and patted her round belly. “He’s fine. How was your business trip?”

“Too long,” he answered, drawing Melissa closer. He didn’t want to let her go even for a second. Then he leaned down to her ear. “Why aren’t you at home, waiting for me?”

Melissa laughed. “I had to come over and work on our wedding stuff.”

He growled. Their wedding was in less than two weeks, and she’d made him wait out on a one year engagement, but at least she hadn’t refused to live with him during the time. No way he’d agree to separate beds. He still liked his idea of eloping, but the women in his family wouldn’t have it.

He’d watched Melissa blossom under his love each day, promising her he’d never leave her. As much as he still hated her job at the club and her uniform, they’d compromised and he was the only one that got to strip her out of the damn leather.

One year ago, he was determined to keep his bachelor state of life, but now he counted down the days until Melissa wore his name officially. He couldn’t be more content with his family surrounding him and Melissa by his side. His mother’s lectures even made him happy, considering that they involved baby making. He couldn’t argue with that.

Melissa pressed a kiss against his lips, then whispered into his ear, “You could feign a headache and tell them you need me to tuck you into bed.”

James grinned, warming with love for his woman. He’d never tire of her suggestions. “Good deal,
brat.
”

Coming home never felt so sweet.

About Clarissa Yip

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=authors&authors_id=168

Contemporary Romance Author, Clarissa Yip, leads a life of adventures and mischief. Constantly on the run, she’s forever seeking to next best story. She continues on her journey to fulfill her dreams to share her world with yours. From the beautiful Hawaiian Island of Oahu to season-changing New York, you’ll never know where you’ll find her.