Taking Chances: A Donnelley Brother's Novel (23 page)

Upon inspection of the bathroom in his bedroom - or our bedroom, I noticed that there were more than just bottles of men’s products. There was a strawberry scented set of feminine products just waiting to be put to good use. And there was even my hairbrush just sitting on the vanity, waiting for me. Everything that made my room my own now sat next to everything that made the room Collin’s. It wasn’t just his bedroom anymore. It was ours.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Collin’s reflection in the mirror. He was standing in the doorway, leaning against the wood frame watching me. His lips were curved gently at the corners in one of those thoughtless smiles - the kind of smile that simply happens without force or even consideration. It simply appears when one is truly content - truly happy. It had appeared on his face because he was watching me. He knew he’d made me happy by making his home mine, before I even had a chance to rethink or doubt my agreement to move in. My happiness made him happy.

Spinning around to face him, I grinned. Although mine was brighter than his, it wasn’t a forced smile either. I really was happy. Every moment with this man seemed to bring a surge of happiness flooding through my veins.

“Do you like it, beautiful?”

“Collin.” I stared deeply into his emerald eyes. “I love it. And I love you.”

His eyes were intense as he watched me move slowly across the space separating us until I was standing before him - only a breath away. When he spoke, his voice was husky. “I love you, Hadley. More than you could possibly know.”

“Oh, I know.” I cupped his face before sliding my hand around the back of his neck to pull his lips down to meet with my own. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

He moaned against my mouth. “And I’m never going to let you go.”

“Never.” I agreed.

And then his hands were on my waist and I was being lifted in his arms, my chest against his. I wrapped my legs around his waist as my arms folded around his shoulders. My body was pressed tight to his, and his hands were now holding my ass as he walked me from the bathroom, toward the bed.

Dropping me onto the bed, I laughed as his mouth moved from mine, to my chin, down my neck, and over my chest. Every inch of exposed skin, he kissed. Over and over again he rained me with kisses until I was panting beneath him. We hadn’t been together this way, this heated way, since the night before my mother had come to take me home. Of course we’d made love in my bedroom, our kisses quiet and our moans stifled - but this was different. Here, in our home, there was no need for us to be quiet. Here, in our home, I could make love to my man as loud and as long as I pleased.

Diving my fingers into his hair, I pulled his mouth back to mine. “Please.”

“Please what, baby?”

“Fuck me.” Still, after all the times this man had been inside of me, I still blushed for him. Once upon a time I’d thought my blushing skin was a curse - but now it was a curse I never wanted to be rid of. Collin loved when my cheeks turned pink - I knew he did, because every time I felt the flush of heat in my skin, his emerald eyes glowed. And that was a beautiful sight.

Collin didn’t say anything as his fingers tugged quickly, fiercely at my clothing until I was lying, completely exposed beneath him. Once I was undressed, Collin tore his own clothing from his body. His eyes were glimmering with desire and his cock was throbbing to the rapid beat of his heart as he looked down at me. On the tip of his penis, there was a sheen of moisture. Precum. It was beautiful - so beautiful - seeing his desire for me this way.

“You’re so beautiful like this, Hadley.” He said softly, mirroring my thoughts. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, and I don’t care, because no matter who fucked up upstairs - and someone fucked up for a man like me to have a woman like you - but I’m never giving you back.”

I didn’t have time to reply, before Collin had flipped me onto my belly. Stunned, I had no time to move on my own before he pulled my hips back, lifting me onto my hands and knees. I felt him move behind me and my breathing rushed in and out in uncertain, nervous, anticipation filled gasps.

Reaching around me, his large hand gripped a pillow that he shoved beneath my hips, before pushing me down against the bed again. His hands moved over the length of my back - his touch sent a shivered thrill through my entire being - from scalp to toe. Then I felt his hands kneading my ass, before they moved lower to the part in my thighs. His hand dipped low, to my sex, where his fingers met with my wetness.

“Shit, you’re so wet, baby.”

“Yes.” I gasped. Because, hell, the hottest man I had ever encountered was about to fuck me.
How could I not be wet?

“Open your legs wider, beautiful.”

I did. And I knew my quick compliance turned him on, because I heard a moan push from deep in his throat and then, as I turned my head to the side, I caught sight of his large hand wrapping around his very engorged cock. His eyes connected with mine as he pushed his finger inside my sex, while moving his hand along the length of his cock in timely motions to the finger pumping inside of me. As his finger quickened, his fist quickened.

It was the hottest thing I had ever seen. My muscles clenched around his finger and I felt my orgasm building higher and higher and higher - until he pulled his finger out. I growled a pained sound of agonized loss and enraged confusion as the haze of my passion cleared. Then, I realized what he was doing - guiding his cock to my entrance. I lifted my rear just enough for his tip to meet with my pussy, and then he was inside me. It was quick, but painless. A sharp breath sounded as he pulled back, before rocking deep, fast, and hard. He repeated this over and over as my body tightened and coiled beyond anything I had ever before experienced. My mind was a haze and my reality slipped away until there was only the two of us left - and we were one.

His chest against my back was warm and firm as his hips pounded against my rear, his cock buried to the hilt inside me, his mouth against my shoulder. I knew he was close when his cock jumped inside of me before swelling just the faintest amount - and I was right there with him, my every muscle clenched tight in preparation for the worlds most toe-curling orgasm of all time.

And then my vision was momentarily black as I held my breath despite the cry that tore through my lips. My body was entirely his in that moment and his was mine.

Collin collapsed against me as he pumped once, twice, three times - spilling everything he had inside of himself to give. He kissed my shoulder and the back of my neck as his hands caressed me lovingly, tenderly. I soaked every moment, every touch, into the deepest crevice of my soul as I thanked the heavens above for sending me an Angel when I lost all hope in their existence.

Chapter 20

“I swear, Collin, if you make me wait any longer to go for coffee...” I paused as I fumbled over a threat. When I couldn’t find one, I muttered. “I won’t be responsible for my actions!”

“We just finished our run.” Collin protested. “We can’t go to the cafeteria in our work out clothes, beautiful.”

“Is there suddenly a dress code?” I asked pointedly. “I seem to remember going for coffee a few times after running.”

He shrugged. “Not today, baby. I’m too sweaty.”

“Fine.” I shook a finger at him. “Then I suggest you hurry your butt up if you want to deal with a woman who has some semblance of rationality - because I lose all sense when I don’t get my coffee.” I warned, not that he didn’t already know that.

“Woman!” Collin chuckled in exasperation, and I paused midway up the stairs to watch him freeze mid-step. Slowly, he raised his hands. “I did not mean that.”

I took a step down, and then another step, before running to him in mock charge. He caught me without a problem, quickly restraining any and all hope I had of knocking him onto his ass. Then, before I knew it, my body was hanging over his shoulder and he was marching me toward the stairs. I pounded against his back as I protested loudly.

“You’ll put me down if you know what’s good for you!”

I felt his hand slap against my rear and I cursed aloud in shock. “You did not just spank me!”

“I did.” I felt his body shaking with laughter. “Did you like it?”

“Kinda.” I replied jokingly, but he moaned deep in his throat. Obviously he hadn’t been expecting my reply - and I hadn’t been expecting his moan. I would take a thousand spankings to hear him moan like that. “Do it again.”

I was really meaning the moan - but I got a spank too. I didn’t mind. Anything for that sound. Oh, it was so good - it clawed like desires fire through my veins - igniting me.

By the time we made it out of the shower and back downstairs again, I was thoroughly sated.

***

As I half ran to the front door of our home, I felt the gentle fabric of my soft pink chiffon dress tickling just above my knees. Collin was moving slowly behind me, and I swore he was moving so slowly to try and torture me by keeping the caffeine I craved so completely from my entity.

I wanted to ask him why, and for what, he was punishing me, but I decided against it as he scooped me into his arms on the front porch and grinned down at me. “How about we drive the quad today, beautiful. Get that coffee into you sooner rather than later?”

“I think you’re the love of my life.” I announced. “Quad it is!”

He chuckled, but there was something in his eyes - something I couldn’t place. Collin Donnelley seemed nervous.

I didn’t have time to question him as he pulled me toward the quad parked at the side of the house. I waited impatiently for him to climb onto the danger-mobile that had become my friend, before settling myself onto the seat behind him. Holding on tight, I pressed my face to his back as we rode the short distance to the cafeteria.

The parking lot was the busiest I had ever seen it in all my time here at the Ranch. An ATV, or vehicle of some kind filled nearly every space.

“Holy!” I scooted back on the seat before discretely moving my spread legs to one side of the quad and sliding off. “I don’t think it’s ever been so busy here! Do you think the entire world has joined you in your mission to keep me from caffeine?”

Collin chuckled, shaking his head. “Mom told me the tours have really started booking up. It’s nearing the end of summer so people are trying to get as much out of their summer as they can.”

I slipped my hand into his as we walked to the door of the cafeteria and he stilled for a moment, making my heart race with uncertainty, before he lifted my hand to his mouth to kiss the back of my palm.

He pulled open the door and we walked into the busy cafeteria. It was loud. People were chatting and eating and drinking their morning coffee’s as we walked, weaving through tables. I was still feeling shocked at how busy it was. It wasn’t like it was prime time. It was nearing 10:00 a.m. on a Sunday. Typically, the Ranch ran on an earlier schedule on a weekend, but today just seemed to be one of those weird days where no one was running on time. I knew I certainly wasn’t, so I pushed it from my mind, more concentrated on the man beside me as we walked toward the ordering counter in pursuit of caffeine.

Suddenly, Collin wasn’t there beside me and the hand he’d been holding was pulled, forcing me to spin around to face him. He was kneeling on the floor where I’d once knelt - the day we first met. I felt my cheeks begin to burn as I thought about the joke he was surely going to crack, when my eyes caught sight of something shimmering in his hand.

Oh, holy freaking
insane
! This could not be happening! A ring...

Suddenly, as though everyone in the room had been expecting this moment to come, the entire cafeteria quieted and I felt eyes on us. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes misted.

“I once doubted I’d ever find a woman I’d want to spend the rest of my life loving. Everyone here knows I’m not the kind of man who inspires fairytales. But Hadley, you’re the woman, the only woman, who makes me want to be the man dreams are made of.”

“Oh.” I felt the word sound on a sob and Collin smiled up at me softly.

“I love you, beautiful. I’ve loved you since the first day we met, when you knelt right where I’m kneeling now. I didn’t know it then, but that moment changed my life. Standing right here, I changed. Everything changed. And I’m praying, it will all change again today - where it all started.” He took in a deep shaking breath. “Hadley Grades, will you marry me, beautiful? Will you make me the man dreams are made of? Will you make me a husband and one day a father? Will you stand beside me for the rest of our lives, loving me, challenging me, and caring for me? Because Hadley, I can’t imagine a life without you. I can’t imagine a life without loving you, without challenging you, and without caring for you day in and day out.”

The silence that fell after his speech was deafening. But for a moment, I was suspended in time. My heart beat fast and my blood was rushing in my ears as happiness surged through my veins. It wasn’t until a sobbed, “Yes,” fell from my lips, that Collin jumped up to pull me into the circle of his arms, spinning me around and around before putting me down.

He caught my hand in his, sliding a beautiful white gold solitaire engagement ring onto my finger.

Laughter and loud cheers and whistles fell away as the man I loved leaned into me, whispering. “This is what my mom made me promise to do.”

My heart stilled, “Propose?”

“No, love.” He pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “I wanted to do that as soon as I saw you in Toronto. I promised that when I proposed, I’d make it public. When I got to thinking, this seemed like the perfect place. And everyone we love is here.”

“Everyone?” I felt my eyes searching for my parents. As though knowing who I was searching for, Collin spun me around, and I saw them making their way through the crowd toward us.

My mothers face was streaked with happy tears she hadn’t yet been able to rein in and my father looked so beautifully proud. A warmth unlike any other spread through my entity as I realized what Collin had given to not only me, but my parents, and to everyone else in this room. He’d given them the gift of the beginning of us. He’d given them a proposal, although unspoken, that they be here for us, and support us in our journey of life together. Suddenly, as my mother pulled me into her chest to hold me tight, I wanted to thank Gracie - my soon to be mother in law.