Fulfillment (Book 3 in The Temptation Series) (16 page)

“Um...so are
you having a good time? I know coming here, especially on your own,
could not have been easy. I appreciate that you did decide to come,
though. It means a lot to me that we can still share these types of
moments in our lives together, regardless of what has happened.” I
had made it clear that Claire did not form part of the invitation
and that his ‘plus one’ could be anyone else but her.

“Yeah.
Although Jake keeps giving me a death look, but apart from that
it’s been alright. No matter what we’ve been through, Lex, we were
friends before we became lovers then enemies, and friends are
something I want us to go back to...no matter what. I don’t want us
to be bitter anymore.”

“Good. I’m
glad you think that, because I don’t think you are going to like
what I’m about to tell you,” I looked at him as I bit the inside of
my cheek. He turned to face me, a look of unexpected angst on his
features.

I closed my
eyes for a split second to muster the courage, then opened them and
let it out. “Bryce and I are having a baby. I’m due in November. We
are announcing it tonight...shortly. I wanted to tell you in person
rather than spring it on you in front of our family and
friends.”

He blinked a
few times then turned to look back out over the city. He was deadly
silent for what seemed like minutes on end.

“Rick?” I
prompted him to say something.

“Could it be
mine?” he asked quietly, barely sounding his voice at all.

“No.”

“How can you
be sure? A November due date puts conception pretty fucking close
to when we were last together,” he hissed.

“No, Rick! You
are
not
the father of my baby. I’ve had tests
and conception was weeks after we had sex for the final time.”

“Had sex,” he
muttered angrily under his breath.

“Look, I knew
you’d be angry, but it is what it is. At least I didn’t fall
pregnant with Bryce’s baby while we were still together.”
Shit!
I just can’t fucking help myself, can I?

He looked at
me with hatred. “I want a paternity test. The timing is too
close.”

“You know
what, Rick? Fuck you! You have no right to demand this. You cheated
on me. You had another child with someone else. This child is not
yours, it’s Bryce’s. You have two choices: either calm down and
realise I’m telling the truth and re-join the party, or continue to
act like a selfish prick who is grasping at straws that are no
longer embedded in the earth and go home. What’s it gonna be?”

He pushed off
the balustrade and in turning looked at me. “I want the paternity
test.” Then he walked back inside and exited the apartment.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

After watching Rick storm
away from me, I turned back around, facing the still night air that
bounced off the surrounding buildings. The sounds of city traffic
echoed quietly from 43 floors below, capturing me briefly in their
humming lull. My focus shifted from the city ambience when I heard
footsteps coming my way.

I’m not sure
if it was the sound of his strides toward me made, or the sheer
probability that it was him who would be looking for me, or even
just the unmistakable feeling I got when he was in my presence.
Regardless, I knew Bryce was making his way toward me, and when I
felt his warm, strong, loving arms embrace me from behind, I felt
at peace again; calm, content, happy and relaxed.

He rested his
hands gently on my belly where our child was safe and sound. “Did
you tell Rick?”

“Yes. Couldn’t
you tell by the way he stormed out of the building?”

“Are you
okay?”

“I’m fine. I
knew he wouldn’t like the news, but I never expected him to think
the baby was his and then demand a paternity test.”

Bryce spun me
around to face him, nearly sending me vertically into the air from
sheer rotational lift. “He said what?”

“He wants a
paternity test. He said the timing is too close for him to just
take my word for it.”

“He’s fucking
lucky he has left the building. There is no way I will let him
stake his claim to
my
child.”

“Bryce, settle
down,” I said calmly. “No one will be staking claim to our baby but
us.”

He wasn’t
looking me in the eye, instead killing a focal point somewhere
beyond my head with his murderous glare.

I reached up
and touched his face. “Hey, look at me. This baby is yours. I am
one hundred percent certain of it. So regardless of Rick’s pathetic
attempt at whatever it is he is attempting to achieve by his
demand, it doesn’t matter. He is wasting his time.” I tenderly
rubbed his cheek bones with my thumbs, helping him let go of some
of his anger. “I’m yours Bryce.” I placed his hands back on my
stomach. “
We
are yours.”

He sighed
dejectedly. “You were once his.”

“You know
what? Looking back, I don’t really think I ever was Rick’s. I mean,
on the surface...maybe, and on paper...yes. But deep down, I was
waiting for you to come along and show me what it is to truly
belong to someone: mind, heart, body, and soul.”

He threaded
his fingers through my hair, gripping the sides of my face and
pulling me to him. The kiss he placed upon my lips and mouth was
just about the most passionate, emotional and possessive kiss I had
ever experienced, and after he pulled away, I literally had to be
forced back to the present moment.

I was standing
there, my head supported by his hands which were still firmly
placed on either side of my face, and my mouth was open, confused
by whether or not it still functioned. I slowly opened my eyes,
finding his equally impassioned expression.

“I love you,”
he whispered.

“I know,” I
whispered back.

He growled.
“Come on. The kids are on their way back from the arcade. It’s time
for your cake and for me to tell the world that I’m the luckiest
man alive.”

I smiled at
him. “Oh good, because I have been desperately waiting...waiting
for...cake.”

He raised his
eyebrow at me. “Cake? Is that all you have been desperately waiting
for?”

“Oh, Bryce,
you have no idea how much I love cake.” I stepped us up against the
balustrade and pressed my body against him, then hovering my mouth
just over his and breathing hot onto his lips, I continued. “I love
how sweet it is, how it rises, and I love it when it’s full of
cream.” I licked my lips.

His eyes
flared with desire. “That’s good. Because I have a huge cake for
you.”

I reached down
and cupped his erection which was now pushing against his trousers.
“How huge?”

“Fucking
enormous.”

I giggled as I
gently squeezed him. “Can you feed me your cake?”

His eyes
fluttered then closed. “Yes,” he groaned.

“When?” I
whispered into his ear.

He eyes shot
open. “Now.”

He was
lightning fast, scooping me up into his arms and making me squeal
as he walked briskly to the chopper. He opened the door and
carefully placed me down. I scooted backwards along the seat as he
climbed in and prowled toward me.
Oh, Fuck. He is going to screw
my brains out in the Crow with all our friends and family only
metres away.

I would
normally object to such a high risk sexual encounter, but the look
in his eyes made it impossible to say no, together with the fact
that my sexed-up hormones were currently going crazy. He placed his
hands on my calves and dragged them up my legs, taking my dress up
with them. I pressed against the door opposite to the one we got in
by, panting with excitement, my chest rising and falling while
watching his passionate desperation for me. He reached my underwear
and paused looking up at me.

I didn’t
hesitate. “Do it. Do it now, Bryce. I want to feel you in between
my legs. I can’t wait.”

He growled and
tore my underwear apart, then leaned forward and stroked my damp
clit with his tongue.
Oh, God. Yes!
I pressed my hand to the
window and it slipped from perspiration. I giggled seeing what I
had just done.

He looked up.
“What’s so funny?”

“I just did a
‘Rose’ from Titanic.”

He looked at
my smudged hand print on the window and chuckled then mumbled
something about being ‘king of the world’. I laughed, but suddenly
swallowed the amusement as his tongue hit that perfect spot,
flicking away and sending luscious pulses right through me.

“Oh, fuck,
Bryce.” A sweet orgasm rippled through me, as he flicked his tongue
and sucked my clit. I reached for his head and lifted him to my
face, feeling and tasting my desire for him. Then leaning in, I
pushed him back against the seat and unzipped his pants. He
shuffled them down just enough to free his ready and waiting cock.
I grasped it between my hands, dragging them up to his tip then
gently massaged the moist crown with my finger before climbing onto
his lap and greedily engulfing him with my pussy. He groaned as he
gripped my arse and helped me pump his cock.

“You have no
idea how fucking happy I am right now,” he breathed.

“I think I
do.”

“No...you
don’t.”

I smiled and
kissed him, only to hear what I thought to be Tash’s voice. “Oh
Geezus! My eyes, my bloody eyes.”

Followed by
Jade’s, “Is that?...Are they?...Fuck me, where’s the popcorn?”

I quickly
glanced out the window and spotted Tash pushing a reluctant Jade
back toward the apartment, all the while giggling and cursing at
her. “Jade, get your arse out of here now.”

I didn’t care
though because I was having my cake and...cream, yes I was having
the cream too. Bryce jerked, groaned and gripped me tightly.
Oh,
fuck. I really do love cake and cream.

Dampened with
sweat and giggling, I quickly climbed off him. “Oh my God, they saw
us. I’m never going to hear the end of this.”

“I hope not.
We just fucked in the Crow. I have wanted to fuck you in the Crow
since the day Alexander was born.”

“Really?
Little do you know I wanted that, too.” I sat for a small moment,
blissfully absorbing the peaceful, happy aura surrounding us, and
remembering that first time he buckled me into the front seat. “You
have no idea how hard it was for me to keep my legs closed that
time you were fishing for the set of headphones.”

“You have no
idea how hard it was for me not to have pried your legs apart and
kissed that sweet pussy of yours. I nearly fucking did, you
know.”

I laughed,
“I’m glad you didn’t.” I raised my eyebrow at him. “I’m glad you
didn’t, because that very first time I felt your tongue on me was
pure unadulterated bliss. I’ll never forget it.

“Neither will
I, Hunny.” He leaned over, grabbed my hand and brought it to his
lips. “Are you ready to do this?” He was staring at me, waiting
like a kid on Christmas morning.

“No,” I
replied. His smile plummeted, so I quickly added. “I need to get
cleaned up. I’m not going out there in front of my family and
friends, fully fucked and panty-less. I need underwear.”

He climbed out
of the chopper and helped me out the other side. “Come on then,” he
said as he playfully smacked me on my bum and placed his hand on my
hip, holding me to him as he led me to his office.

***

After a sneaky
trip via the private elevator to our bedroom to clean up, Bryce and
I re-joined the party and positioned ourselves behind a small table
which had been set up on the step that looked down into the lounge
area. The room had been decorated with hundreds of silver and blue
metallic helium balloons with matching spiralling twine that
dangled from each balloon’s securely tied lip. There were also
approximately twenty large bouquets of white and blue roses, placed
meticulously around the room.
Trust Bryce to find a way to have
blue roses for me.
I smiled at their brilliance, which was
nothing in comparison to the man standing next to me. The room
looked magical, but it was still very simple and elegant, and I was
grateful Bryce had stayed true to his word when he promised he
would not go overboard. I really did not want that.

I had been
appreciatively taking in the surrounding scenes, and had not
initially noticed the enormous three-tiered cake that had been
placed on the table before me. It was perfectly centred and looked
stunning and delicious. It also kind of looked like the Empire
State Building. No shit! It stood about one meter high with long
rectangular panels of white chocolate secured to each side of the
three square tiers, and each tier was topped with fresh
raspberries. It was simply stunning and looked utterly
delectable.

“I told you my
cake was huge,” he whispered to me.

I shook my
head at him and giggled. “You’re not wrong. You really are
something else, Mr. Clark. White chocolate and raspberries, you
honestly think of everything.”

He pulled me
into his side as a number of waiting staff quickly passed out
glasses of champagne to our guests. “I think of you, Alexis. You,
our families, and no one else.” He kissed the top of my head then
gently tapped his glass, in order to gain the room’s attention and
hush the verbal communication flowing around it.

When the
conversations passed to silence, Bryce began to speak. “Firstly, I
just want to thank you all for coming today, to celebrate Alexis’
birthday. We both really appreciate you all taking the time to
share this evening with us.” He let go of my side and placed his
hand on the champagne flute he was holding, peering into it.
“Look...I’ll start by addressing the elephant in the room by saying
that it is no secret Alexis and I found each other under somewhat
controversial circumstances.” He moved his gaze to me, a hint of
guilt flickering in his eyes. I winked at him, encouraging him to
go on.