Teach Me: Sinful Desires (30 page)

“Thanks. We’re healing. It’s a process.”

Destini turned away from him. It hurt to look at him. It hurt so bad she could feel her eyes burning with the urge to weep. “So why did you come here again?”

“To say to you what I’ve failed to say to you so many times.”

Destini wouldn’t turn around. She couldn’t. If she had to hear it she would have to hear it with her back turned. “Okay.”

“I was wrong to insert myself into your life. I never knew how far my obsessions would go. But I was wrong for so many things. What I can’t apologize for is falling in love with you. It’s been remarkable what loving you has done for me. You gave me such strength, Destini. You taught me so many things about myself. I’m a better man because of it. I know it cost you a lot and I don’t deserve you. But I love you. And I couldn’t let you marry another man without having said that.”

Destini closed her eyes. She hugged herself as her heart shattered. Why did he wait so long to tell her? Why did he wait until today to come to her, now of all days and tell her. She loved him so much. She missed him so desperately, and she hated him for waiting until now to make her believe in him. “Bryce,” she turned.

He was gone.

She wiped at her tears. There was a single white rose with a baby blue ribbon by the door. She walked over, her wedding gown dragging behind her. Destini stooped and picked it up. She opened the envelope.

Destini,

I love you. Always and forever. Be happy.

B-

“Why now?” she said. She broke into sobs that released freely. She cried so hard she thought she’d never stop. The door opened, but she couldn’t lift her head. And when Russell’s arms came around her, he drew her to his chest. “I’m sorry, Russell.”

“Hey, don’t be. I know what happened.”

“What?” Destini looked up through her tears.

“He called me. He wanted to apologize. He asked for permission. If it would be okay if he came and saw you.”

“Why did you say yes? On our wedding day! Why would you do that?”

Russell gazed down at her with such love “Forgive me Destini. I needed this.”

“What? To bring him here? For what?”

“I love you Destini, but I want all of you. I don't have all of you do I?”

“Yes. I love you. I choose you. I don't want or need Bryce Gaylor.”

He wiped her tears with his thumb. “Then why the tears?”

“Russell please don't do this. Don't give up on me.”

“Don’t you know, Destini? With love comes sacrifice. And I do love you. Enough to open your eyes, to who you really want.”

“I would never abandon you at the alter.”

“It can't be abandonment if we agree. If we're honest with each other. Love isn't comfortable always, and it isn't always the final reward. You needed to see him. You needed to be sure.”

“We’re getting married,” she said, shaking her head, refusing to accept anything else.

“Are we? Look at me, sweetheart. What do you want? Tell me. Tell me that this is what you want and I will follow you to the very end. Tell me who do you really love.”

Destini threw her arms around his neck.

***

He decided to rent a motorcycle when his plane landed. He loved Martha’s Vineyard, especially the highways along the coast. Leaning into the bike, he let the wind be his guide. It eased his suffering. Seeing her was harder than he had imagined. It took every ounce of restraint not to grab her and carry her out of the chapel. He imagined he’d have many sleepless nights where he’d toil over his lack of action.

Bryce thought of calling his therapist. He knew Charles would be upset that he defied his advice and sought her out. But he needed someone to understand. For over a year, he’d watched her life from the sidelines. Never interfering, no matter how much it made him suffer. He learned that his desire both to please and destroy his father was the source of his torment. Once he made peace with himself, he understood the powers of love and forgiveness.

Bryce leaned into the next turn. He heard the honking of a horn behind him and steered his bike further to the edge of the road so the car could pass. Down the cliffs, the Atlantic Ocean crashed and broke against many rocks. The car kept honking. He checked his rearview mirror to see it was a limo. Confused, he slowed then stopped at the curve. Bryce removed his helmet as the door opened.

“Bryce!”

He looked back to see Destini in her wedding dress. He was off his bike and she was in his arms in minutes. He couldn’t believe it. He put her face in his hands. “What are you doing?”

“I love you,” she smiled.

“Are you sure?”

“I love you, Sir. All of you, every part of you. I’m sure.”

“I love you, baby,” he said, lifting her up into his arms. He swung her around keeping her to his chest. Destini squealed in joy. Bryce showered her face with kisses. “But what about the wedding?” he chuckled. “Should we find a chapel?”

“Russell told me that loving a person means you have to follow your heart. He let me go. He’s a good man, Sir, I do love him, but I can never ever replace how much I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. With all my heart.”

***

Two years later—

Destini woke alone in her bed. She sat up, confused. The clock on the dresser said it was just after three in the morning. Where was Bryce? She sat up in bed. The sheet drifted down to reveal her breasts. Bryce preferred she slept in the nude. Secretly, she loved accommodating his wish. The things he did to her in the night would always make sleeping bliss.

Where is he?

Oh come on, Destini. You know where your man is. Where else would he be this time of night? You lucky girl, you.

Destini smiled. She got up and slipped on a heavy robe and slippers. He built their home next to the school. It was huge. His sisters and their families lived there with them. Destini was used to a big family, but not the warmth she found from the Gaylor’s. So much had changed. Destini walked out into the hall. Bryce’s parents never left Ireland. Though they’d tried to extract his mother from Mitchell’s clutches, it made her cling to him even more desperately. Eventually, Bryce and his siblings had to accept that Arlene was where she wanted to be.

As for Thaddeus, he was out of their lives. He didn’t try to know his sisters. He wanted even less to do with Bryce. And all of them believed it was for the best. Though there were times when Destini wondered about Bryce’s twin and what demons he kept running from.

After the debacle of a wedding, Destini’s mother refused to speak to her. Her actions had them whispering furiously. But she never wavered on her decision. Though she wasn’t close to her family, they were at least speaking again.

Destini crept along the hall. Her wing of their estate was silent as a tomb. But she could find him anywhere, especially in the darkness. She stopped. The door was just across the hall from theirs. It was slightly ajar. Destini pushed it open. A slow smile crept over her face.

Bryce paced. His daughter squealed and cooed up at him. “So, I haven’t finished the best part of the story. The princess didn’t believe the prince could find the locket. Why would she? He had failed so many times before. But he had a secret weapon. Something the dragon couldn’t keep him from. Do you know what that is, Heather?” He stopped and smiled. “Love.”

“There you are,” Destini said.

“Look who’s here.”

Her little girl’s round curly head bobbed up. He turned her so she could see her. Destini walked over to them and kissed her husband and her baby. “She’s up, or did you wake her up?”

“Guilty,” he said, handing her over.

Heather was three months, and already skilled at finding mommy’s breast. Her perfect mouth sucked at Destini’s robe as she turned her face, seeking the nipple. “Somebody’s hungry,” said Destini. She sat, opened her robe and pinched her nipple so her baby girl could latch on.

Bryce groaned. “Do you know how sexy you are when you do that?”

Destini rolled her eyes. “Yes. I will feed you next.”

He chuckled. He walked over to the crib and picked up Heather’s blanket. He inhaled it. “I want another. Destini?”

“Another what?”

“Baby, a girl too.”

“Bryce...”

“You said we could have four.”

“No. I said we could have more than one. I never said four.”

“Okay, five then. Let’s have five.”

“Are you insane?” Destini laughed.

“Yes,” he grinned. “Insanely in love with life. And if it’s more possible, I’m even more in love with Heather. I wake up some times, and I slap my face to make sure I’m awake. I’ve never been able to even dream something like this. Us. Our family, the school. All of it.”

“Bryce.” Destini rocked back and forth. She had held back for years from asking the one question that lingered unanswered between them. She knew about his therapy. She even went to some of the sessions. She knew about his childhood. It was the saddest, most troubling thing she’d ever heard. But there was one thing she still didn’t know.

“What is it, love?” he said, placing the blanket over Heather, tucking it around Destini’s arms.

“How did you get Thaddeus and your father to give you control of Gaylor? To give you everything?”

“I swore never to tell.”

“Tell? Who did you swear to?”

“My mother.”

Destini stopped rocking.

“Arlene.”

“She loves him, Destini. I understand that now. What I never knew is she loved me too.”

“What did she do?”

“He doesn’t see her as anything but a possession. When you treat somebody with such blind disregard, you expose your weaknesses. I didn’t know all the secrets of the black rose. I wasn’t worthy to be a knight. My mother knew. And she gave me enough evidence to tear down an empire. At first my father and brother laughed. I wasn’t privy to everything in their world. They thought I was bluffing. They found out I wasn’t. I don’t want you ever to know about the things my father and brother have done as a Knight of Gaylor. So good ole dad lives in solitude in Ireland. And Arlene has what she wants. Him all to herself. I think its karma that she owns his fate now.”

“And your brother?”

“He has the sex clubs, and the Knights. He is who he is. Now he can stop pretending to give a shit about Gaylor and focus on whatever darkness makes him happy.”

“I can’t believe it.”

Bryce nodded. “See why I never told you?”

Destini opened her mouth to speak but Heather’s tiny hiccups came first. They both looked at her. She grinned with her tiny pink tongue coated in breast milk. “Can you believe we’re here? That this is our life?”

“I can believe anything now thanks to you, Destini. I love you.”

“Oh, Sir. You’re right. This is what love is made of.”

About the Author

Sienna Mynx is your naughty-author of Contemporary, and Historical Multicultural Romance. Her dramatic tales of forbidden love are for readers that love the bad boys but desire to be the women to tame them. Variety is the spice of life, and each Sienna Mynx tale reflects the diversity that continues to remain colorblind. Sienna currently has 30 published books, as an indie author under her publishing company The Divas Pen LLC. A current resident of Georgia, Sienna Mynx has emerged into the e-publishing scene with spicy uncompromising tales of decadence.

To learn more about  future releases and projects currently underway pleas visit Sienna Mynx at The Divas Pen (
http://thedivaspen.com
)

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Teach Me