Chapter 215

BRANDON'S POV

I searched her eyes, looking for even the slightest hint of hesitation or a lie. I wanted to see if she was just saying what she thought I wanted to hear.

But there was nothing but clear, fierce determination in her gaze. A slow smile spread across my face, the heavy knot of doubt in my chest loosening just a little bit.

I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her palm softly. "Amelia was already fast asleep when I left," I told her, keeping my eyes on hers. "She completely wore herself out drawing."

Aria smiled, her expression softening with pure relief. "Okay. Good. Thank you for being there for her, Brandon."

The drive back to her place was quiet, but it was a comfortable, peaceful silence. When we walked through the front door, the house was perfectly still. Sarah was waiting near the living room, her coat already in her hand.

"Welcome back, Miss Aria, Mr. Brandon," Sarah said, offering that same ultra-polite, submissive bow. "Amelia hasn't stirred at all. Since you're both home, I'll take my leave for the evening."

"Thank you, Sarah. Have a good night," Aria replied with a warm smile. Sarah nodded and quietly said her goodbyes before slipping out the door.

I watched the front door click shut, that lingering mental note to double-check her background still sitting at the back of my mind. But before I could dwell on it, Aria reached out and took my hand.

"Come upstairs with me," she whispered.

She led me up the stairs, her fingers tightly intertwined with mine. We stopped by Amelia’s room first, pushing the door open just a crack.

The soft glow of the nightlight showed the little princess curled up under her blankets, breathing softly in a deep sleep..Seeing her safe and peaceful, Aria let out a quiet breath and closed the door gently.

She then turned and led me down the hall into her own bedroom, shutting the door behind us. The room was quiet, lit only by the warm evening light filtering through the windows.

Aria turned to face me, her gaze locking onto mine with a sudden, intense focus. "I want to take a shower," she said, her voice dropping into a low, breathless murmur.

Without breaking eye contact, her hands moved to the zipper of her dress. Slowly, deliberately, she lowered it, letting the fabric slide off her shoulders and pool around her feet.

She didn't hesitate, stripping out of her clothes right there in front of me, exposing her beautiful skin to my burning gaze.

I swallowed hard, my throat feeling completely dry as I watched her. "Aria," I rasped, my voice thicker than I intended. "What are you doing?"

She didn't break eye contact for a second. "I told you, Brandon. I want to take a shower." As the last of her clothes hit the floor, leaving her completely bare before me, my breath caught in my chest.

Every protective, possessive instinct I had flared to life, and I was already rock hard beneath my suit trousers. I wanted to reach for her, to pull her against me right then and there, but before I could even make a move, she gave me a small, knowing look, turned around, and walked straight into the master bathroom.

I stood rooted to the spot for just a few seconds, my heart slamming against my ribs as I debated my next move. The internal battle didn't last long.

With a low groan, I gave in. I quickly shed my suit jacket, ripped open my shirt, and kicked off my trousers, stripping down until I was completely bare.

The sound of rushing water greeted me as I pushed open the bathroom door. She was using hot water, and thick, heavy steam was already filling the enclosed space, fogging up the glass and making it hard to see clearly.

I stepped into the spacious shower, the warm water instantly hitting my skin. Through the mist, Aria turned around. When her eyes swept down my body and saw exactly what she was doing to me, she bit her lower lip, a playful spark dancing in her gaze.

"Took you long enough," she murmured, her voice sounding incredibly soft over the sound of the running water.

I stepped closer, the heat of the shower matching the heat burning through my veins. "Do you enjoy playing with me like this, Aria?" I asked, my voice low and dangerous as I narrowed my eyes at her.

A slow, breathtaking smile spread across her face. She reached out, her wet fingers lightly tracing my chest. "I do," she whispered, leaning up slightly. "After all, you are my boyfriend."

That was the absolute breaking point. Any lingering doubt, any ounce of restraint I had left from the long day completely vanished. I reached out, my large hands grabbing her firmly by the waist, and pulled her flush against my chest.

I leaned down and slammed my lips onto hers, kissing her hard, deep, and with a fierce passion that showed her exactly how much she belonged to me. The water pounded against the tile, washing over us as the kiss grew deeper.

My hands slid down her wet hips, gripping her tightly, pulling her body so close against mine that there wasn't a single millimeter of space left between us. She groaned into my mouth, her fingers tangling into my wet hair, anchoring herself to me.

I brought one hand up, tracing the curve of her waist before sliding down between her thighs. When my fingers found her, she was already slick and completely ready for me.

I slid a finger inside her, and she let out a sharp gasp against my lips, her hips arching into my touch. "Brandon," she whimpered, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps as I moved my fingers inside her, finding a steady, punishing rhythm.

"You like that, don't you?" I growled against her neck, biting down lightly on the sensitive skin right where her shoulder met her throat. I added a second finger, stretching her, making her twist beneath my hands as the water drenched us both.

I pulled my fingers out, leaving her breathless and shaking against the shower wall. I stepped back just an inch, my chest heaving as I looked down at her. "Get down on your knees, Aria. Suck it."

She didn't hesitate. Her eyes darkened with a fierce intensity as she sank to her knees on the wet tile, the shower spray hitting her back. She reached out, her small hands wrapping around the base of my length, guiding me to her lips.

When she took me into her mouth, a loud, deep groan tore from my throat. "Fuck, Aria," I breathed, my hands slamming against the tiled wall behind her to steady myself.

She was incredibly responsive, using her tongue and the friction of her lips to drive me absolutely insane. Every slide of her mouth was agonizingly perfect. She looked up at me through her wet lashes, completely capturing my gaze while she took more of me.

"Ah... yes, right there," I moaned, my hips twitching forward entirely against my own will. "You're so fucking good at this. Good girl, Aria. Keep going."

The sensation was too intense, the heat of the steam and the friction of her mouth pushing me over the edge much faster than I anticipated. I felt the pressure building heavy in my groin, the absolute point of no return rapidly approaching.

"Stop, stop—up, now," I panted, my voice thick and strained. I reached down, grabbing her under her arms, and pulled her back up to her feet before I could lose control completely.

She stood before me, her lips parted and shining, a triumphant smile on her face. "You are a little temptress, you know that?" I whispered hoarsely.

Without giving her a chance to answer, I scooped her up into my arms, lifting her completely off the wet floor.

I stepped out of the spacious shower enclosure, grabbed a large towel from the rack, and quickly dried her dripping skin, ignoring the water still running down my own back. I carried her straight out into the bedroom and laid her down in the center of the mattress.

Aria looked up at me, her dark hair splayed across the white pillows. I reached down, grabbing her ankles, and slowly spread her legs wide, pinning them back to fully expose her to me.

I settled myself heavily between her thighs, my hands sliding underneath her knees to hold her open. I leaned down and pressed my mouth directly against her, my tongue tracing her from bottom to top.

Aria instantly screamed my name, her hands clutching at the bedsheets as her back arched completely off the mattress. "Brandon! Oh my god, Brandon, please—"

I didn't stop. I used my fingers to open her up further, eating her out with a fierce, relentless hunger, matching the frantic rhythm of her trembling hips.

She thrashed against the pillows, her cries echoing loudly in the quiet bedroom as she neared the edge of her release. Before she could completely unravel, I slid up her body, pinning her wrists over her head.

I aligned myself and pushed my length inside her in one deep, heavy thrust. Aria's eyes went wide, a loud gasp escaping her lips.

I leaned down until my lips were brushing against her ear, my voice dropping into a deadly serious, dark whisper. "Be quiet, Aria. Keep it down, or you're going to wake up Amelia.”

The word died in her throat as I pulled back and thrust into her again, setting a brutal, relentless pace. Every slam of my hips against hers echoed in the quiet room.

Aria gripped my shoulders, her nails digging deep into my skin as I buried myself in her over and over, driving her into the mattress. She was panting, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath, but I didn't give her a single second to recover.

The heat between us was suffocating. I locked my fingers with hers, pinning her hands flat against the bed, and looked down into her blown-out eyes

as I took her higher and higher.

"Brandon, I can't..." she gasped out, her head shaking on the pillow, completely overwhelmed by the speed and the sheer depth of every stroke.

"You can," I growled, shifting my weight to drive even deeper, hitting her sweet spot until her toes curled. "Take it for me, Aria."

The friction, the tight pull of her body around mine, and the muffled, desperate sounds she was making pushed me straight over the edge. I tightened my grip on her hands, my muscles locking up as the final wave hit me.

With one last, deep thrust, I buried myself completely inside her and came, filling her as a low, ragged groan tore from my chest. I collapsed against her, our heavy breathing the only sound left in the room, completely spent.

Aria lay curled against my side, her head resting securely on my chest while I slowly traced patterns along her bare shoulder. The soft glow of the moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting long shadows across the bed.

The exhaustion from the past forty-eight hours was finally catching up to us, but the heavy, jagged tension that had threatened to tear us apart yesterday morning was gone.

I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss into her damp hair, my arm tightening around her waist. "You're safe, Aria," I murmured into the darkness, my voice low and thick. "You and Amelia. I'm not letting anyone disrupt this. Not anymore."

She stirred slightly, lifting her head to look up at me. Her eyes were dark, filled with a profound softness that made my heart tighten. "I know, Brandon," she whispered, her hand resting flat against my chest, right over my steady heartbeat.

"I trust you. We both do." I looked out toward the bedroom door, thinking of the little girl sleeping peacefully just down the hall.

The peace we had right now was beautiful, but I knew the world outside this room hadn't stopped moving. Julian was still out there, driven by a desperate rage, and my gut was still telling me to watch our surroundings very closely.

But as Aria shifted closer, burying her face into my neck, I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind for the night. I wrapped both arms around her, pulling her completely against me, and let myself fall into a deep, protective sleep.