Page 39 of Hush, Hush

I bite my lower lip at his demand. Sometimes it’s nice being told what to do. It keeps me from having my brain on twenty-four-seven.

Sitting up, I stretch. “I have an early day with the models tomorrow,” I announce.

“You mean the hot bitches?” Darren mocks. “I’m going to have one bent over my bed tomorrow.”

Cameron snickers. “Wrap up. Your family doesn’t need another illegitimate child.”

“Fuck off,” Darren barks in response. Even with the shadows, I can tell his face is red, Cameron’s words hitting too close to home.

When they start fighting, it’s past time to get the hell out of there. I take the worn path toward the main door before letting myself in. Few lights are interspersed throughout the ground floor, making everything glow eerily. I make my way up the stairs slowly, so Keegan can catch up.

Before I’m even midway up the staircase, the main door opens, and a body steps through. I wait, smiling down until I realize it’s not Keegan coming through, it’s an elder Knight. He peers up to find me staring at him. “Miss Astor.”

“Sir Jarvis. Good to see you. I didn’t think any of the elders were coming in until tomorrow.”

He gives me a fond smile. “We’re not supposed to, but the castle is my favorite. Don’t worry. I’m not peeking at anything.” He climbs the stairs and walks past, taking the shallow steps two at a time. When he’s only a few stairs above me, he turns, his tongue darting out to sweep over his lips. “I’m glad you made it this far, Delilah.”

His words sound more ominous than praising. They makes the hair on the back of my neck stand. “Thank you,” I rush out, trying to talk myself out of being paranoid. Just because a few people are unhappy about the fact that I’m here doesn’t mean everyone is.

When I focus on him again, he’s smiling genuinely. I brush off the weird vibes and wave goodnight to him. He retreats, slipping up the staircase silently. The castle ambiance must have me on edge.

“Delilah?” Keegan whispers.

Again, I peer toward the front door. This time, I find who I expect. “Hey,” I call out, waving so he’ll see me in the shadows.

He looks up, smiling, before moving forward. “I’m glad you didn’t go to the rooms yet.”

I wait for him where I am. He runs up to greet me, placing a kiss on my cheek before threading his arm through mine. Tugging me up the rest of the staircase, we head toward our rooms. He stops me outside mine. I’d already figured we’d sleep together, so I’m not ambushed when he takes both my hands and leads me in front of his door.

“I have a surprise for you.” Reaching out, he twists the doorknob, and his door creaks open. Inside, the room is a direct replica of mine, except one key difference. Candles are lit everywhere.

“What’s this?” I walk inside, turning in a circle at the plethora of candles adorning every available space. The soft glow gives his room an even more fantastical presence.

“I know I’m shitty at showing you how much I care,” Keegan relays. “I get in my own way. I can be callous and cold.” I peer at him, the strength in his voice only increasing as he goes. “Delilah, I don’t want to be that guy for you. I want to be the guy you’ve seen in me since we were kids. The front I’ve been putting on is getting old and tiring. I’ve done a lot of thinking over the last two weeks, and the truth is, I’ve loved you so much that I wanted to save you from me. From the darkness I feel inside sometimes.”

“You...love me?” I ask, hope anchoring in my chest. We’ve clearly come a long way recently, but I wasn’t expecting this. I’ve been dreaming about this moment for years.

“So fucking much.” He pulls me close, his huge breath expanding his chest against mine. “I was scared. I was dumb. I actively worked against you because I thought we would end up miserable like everyone else.” He pulls me away at arm’s length. The depth in his eyes catches my breath. “Trying to pigeonhole you, Delilah, was the worst mistake of my life. The reason we’re going to work is because you don’t bend to my every will. You won’t fall to your knees on my every whim. You fight back,” he grinds out.

His words have stolen my breath. He fractures in front of me with unshed tears. “I’ve loved you since we were kids, Keegan,” I tell him honestly. “I’ve been waiting for you to say that for a very long time.”

My declaration loosens something inside him. He moves forward, capturing my lips with his. He runs his hand to the back of my head, holding me steady, his tongue delving into the deep recesses of my mouth until I’m consumed by him. He’s all around me. His hands, his lips, the press of his hips against mine.

He pulls away, breathing roughly. Anticipation lays heavy between us. “I want to fuck you so bad. I want to ease all the pent-up tension between us. Taking it slow will be damn near impossible, but I’ll make it good for you.” He reaches up to pinch my nipple, and I moan, inching my hips toward his. “Or maybe not. You match me in so many ways. You want me pumping inside you, too, don’t you?”

I place my hands on his chest, his heart beats erratically underneath my palms. This will be the easiest declaration I’ll have to make. It’s been coming for years, building up more and more pressure. Every single night together that we’ve spent for the last week has been building to this. He’s not going to hold back, and I don’t want him to either. “I want you everywhere, Keegan Forbes. Your cock. Your lips. Your strong hands.”

He reaches behind me, scooping his hands under my ass and pulling me up his torso. I move my legs around him as he joins us at the hip and carries me to the bed. I’m well acquainted with Keegan’s different levels of being turned on. He’s already hard, straining through his pants. While he sets me down on the edge of the bed, I immediately work to free him. My shaking fingers fumble a few times as I slip the button through the hole and lower his zipper. He praises me, cooing my name like a prayer and a sin at the same time.

He rubs the crotch of my pants, searching for my clit through the material where he knows he’ll be able to ready me in no time. Already, my panties dampen from his attention. “I’m not even nervous,” I tell him as I press his jeans past his hips. “I’m just excited.”

“I’m nervous,” he reveals. He sinks his fingers into my hips and lifts while I lower my jeans. As soon as they’re at my thighs, I sit back down and take the hem of my shirt to whisk it over my head. When it hits the floor, he slows the pace. Opening my legs at the knees, he leans back to take me in. “I want you to enjoy this, but I’m afraid I’ll fuck it up, so talk to me. Be honest.”

“There’s no way you’ll fuck this up,” I tell him. I slip my hand down his front, cradling his erection. “Keegan, I want this cock inside me.”

He groans. Reaching behind his back, he grabs his shirt and tears it over his head. Next, he shoves his boxers and jeans down his legs. I’m now the only one still wearing clothes. I squirm, wishing I could just take my bra and panties off, but he wraps his hands around my wrists, keeping them on the bed.

I try to pull away and frown when he won’t let me move. A bead of pre-cum forms on the tip of his dick, and I lick my lips.

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