Blue (Darkness Falls #3) (22 page)

It was almost anticlimactic, as though David had gone to face up to Goliath and it turned out he was just an average dude. Blue had spent so many years building his childhood memories into nightmares that they’d grown out of all proportion to reality. The realisation that his reaction to Alexandra was based on a false premise was a difficult one to swallow. His deep-seated fear of her and the almost
Pavlovian need to submit to her was born of nightmares of his own weaving. In facing up to his fear, he was also letting go of her. He thought about her beautiful face and felt nothing other than twisted detachment. Red was his world now. She’d taken his fear away. She’d shown him that he could give up the ultimate control of his body and wellbeing to another and it wasn’t that bad an experience.

“How are you doing?” She asked when she came back and he opened his eyes, watching her progress across the floor. She was so fucking beautiful in leather.

“I’m okay.” He said honestly. Good would have been a lie. He hurt everywhere.

“Good. You can stand up.” She steadied him as he pushed off the table, his muscles stiff from long-held tension. She made short work of removing the ropes, piling them on the bench to coil properly later, and he flexed and rolled his wrists as she untied his cock. The relief was overwhelming but he kept it in check. She looked pale, except for colour high in her cheeks, and her eyes were red, almost like she’d been crying in the bathroom. How long had she been gone? Something was wrong here.

He wasn’t expecting the bolt of white hot pain that lanced up his spine, threatening to explode his head, when she grabbed his balls and twisted. Her face was cold and implacable and he sank to his knees. It was excruciating and relentless and he wanted to die. “Say your goddamn safe word!” She snapped, but he was too far gone. It hurt so much it drove every conscious thought from his mind. “Say it!” She released him and he nearly keeled over as the agony faded slightly into a dull ache.

“Please.” He croaked, nothing seeming to function properly. “Stop.”

“I’ll keep doing it until you say your safe word.” He felt her hand circling his balls again and freaked out.

“Stop! Stop!”

“That’s not good enough.” She squeezed and he bowed, simultaneously trying to curl around the pain and flex his back to let it out.

“
Asterix!” He howled and she released him immediately.

“I’m so sorry!” She burst into tears and flung her arms around him and he held her, dazed from the pain, until the realisation of what she had been trying to prove crashed in on him with crystal clarity. She’d forced him to say his safe word because he needed to know that the minute he said it, she’d back off.

That was the moment that the emotional side of it swamped him. He’d spent so many hours as a naïve teenager screaming his safe word until his throat was raw and Alexandra had just laughed and carried on. He’d never trusted anyone else with his safety because he’d never trusted anyone to stop when he asked them to. Noelle would. He’d asked for an out and she’d stopped the moment it had passed his lips.

“I love you.” He gathered her up, squeezing her close and she just cried against his chest.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you that badly but I didn’t know how else to make you say it.”

“I know. It’s okay.” He kissed the top of her head. “Are we done here?”

“Yes.” She snuffled. “We’re done. I’m so fucking proud of you.”

“Me too.” Grinning, he felt lighter than he had in a really long time. Well, lighter than anyone hit by a bus had a right to be feeling. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up.” He got them both to their feet and then walked through the house, not caring a fig that he was stark naked. If anyone saw him, they could consider it their lucky day.

In their room, he turned the shower on and then moved Noelle’s hands out of the way. He wanted to undress her. He didn’t get to do it often with two bath slaves in full time residence, but it was one of his favourite activities, peeling layer after layer of clothes from her gorgeous peaches and cream skin. She let him, still tearful from hurting him. They washed each other gently, as though they were discovering each other again for the first time.

He watched her kneeling on the floor of the shower, sponging the welts on his legs with light touches and his heart swelled with so much love he thought it was going to burst. “I love you.” He said again and she looked up, catching him smiling at her.

“I love you too.” And there it was. It was the first time she’d said it that he’d really believed it wasn’t in a brotherly way or just in deep friendship. She loved him in the way a woman loves a man who is her whole heart.

“Come up here.” Taking her hand, he pulled her up and then scooped her thighs around his waist
, lifting her up. “Will you let me love you?”

She kissed him, soft lips brushing his own with such tender sweetness that he didn’t need a verbal answer. Pressing his
bruised and aching cock to her entrance, he let her slowly slide down on it and it felt like coming home. Overcome with emotion, he pressed her to the wall and drove into her again and again, rocking them both into exquisite oblivion.

It eased the irritation of getting dressed, even though he picked his softest, most worn jeans to wear. He was going to be feeling that session for a really long time, even though she hadn’t drawn blood. His ass was
bruised and aching and he wasn’t entirely sure if his balls would ever recover. She had a surprisingly strong grip for someone who had such tiny hands. Not that they had felt so tiny when one was up his ass.

“I still can’t believe you did that.” He said as they got in the car to fetch the girls.

“Did what?” She was driving because he was too sore.

“Fisted my ass.”

She burst out laughing and shrugged. “You could take it. Do you regret it?”

He thought about it for a long time. They were almost at the school by the time he finally sighed. “No. I don’t regret it. I don’t regret any of it. I just feel like I should.”

“Honey, only a real man could have taken that without crying like a baby.” She parked the car and leaned over to kiss him. “You’re one hard ass motherfucker.”

“I love it when you talk dirty to me.” He joked, almost dragging her over the gear stick to kiss her properly. “If we weren’t parked outside a school right now, I’d fuck you just like this.”

“The soccer mums are probably giving us the stink eye.” She laughed. “Come on. Let’s go get those daughters of yours.”

“The bell hasn’t gone yet.” He plundered her mouth again, holding her close as their tongues duelled with fierce joy. In
the distance a bell rang and he pulled back, noting with delight her mussed hair and kiss-swollen lips. She looked beautiful. More to the point, she looked his. No-one could doubt what she’d been doing or who she belonged to. “We should go.” He lifted her back over into her seat and they climbed out of the car. He reached for her hand without thinking. It felt natural and she just smiled at him, lacing her fingers with his as they headed for the school gates.

“Oh come on!” Lisette scowled when she approached. “Seriously?”

“What?” Noelle glanced at him, but he was just as confused as she was.

“You two! You look like some sort of advert for the rich and sexy. Can’t you just cut it out and be normal like everyone else’s parents?”

Blue looked Noelle up and down and she did the same thing to him. They looked like they did every day of the week. People were looking at them, but people always looked at them. It was probably their celebrity status, Blue knew, but he liked to think that some of it was envy too.

“One day you’re going to be this sexy too.” He shrugged, grinning
, and Lisette screwed her face up.

“
Eww! Why can’t you be like everyone else’s dad and tell me I’m not allowed to date until I’m thirty-five?!”

He frowned. “Do you want to wait until you’re thirty-five to date?”

“No!” She appealed to Noelle for assistance, but she just shook her head.

“Sweetie, your dad is never going to be a normal guy. He doesn’t fit into any category or mould and he’s never going to be like the other dads here. You should celebrate the fact that his love for you is exceptional, rather than pointing out his differences.”

“That was actually pretty wise.” He congratulated her and she smirked.

“I thought so.”

“Jeez!” Lisette turned away from them. “You two are so freaking embarrassing!”

“We try.” He put an arm around Noelle’s shoulders just as Amelie came barrelling out of the classroom and hurtled across the school yard towards them.

“This is going to hurt.” Noelle’s grin was wicked. “Brace yourself.”

“If I didn’t love you so much, I’d hate you.” He caught the small girl as she flung herself, backpack and all, into his arms, barely restraining a cry of pain as his bruised body protested her exuberance. “How’s my gorgeous little princess today?” He asked, kissing her forehead.

“I painted a giraffe!” She put her palms on his cheeks to make sure she had his whole attention. “Then Miss Wirral read The Twits to us! Then we learned about going on safari! Then we had to do sums with Lego! Then we made cakes!”

“I love cake.” Blue grinned, trying to break the steady flow of activities. “Did you save one for your daddy?”

Amelie’s face fell. “No, but I have got one for mama.” She leaned in, thinking that Noelle wouldn’t hear her whispering. “If you’re really nice to her, she might share it with you.” Blue burst out laughing. He just couldn’t help it, even though he knew it worried Noelle that Amelie thought of her as mummy. She was so damn cute it was unreal.

“Ugh, come on!” Lisette stomped away in the direction of the car.

“What did I do now?” He asked Noelle, shifting Amelie around so that he could walk more comfortably.

“She is right. You really do look like an advert for something wholesome and sexy.” She shrugged, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “It’s a really good look, Blue. Fatherhood suits you.”

“How could it not with girls like these?” He ruffled Amelie’s hair. “Let’s go home.”

All the way back to the house Amelie chattered about the homework she’d been set for the weekend. It was book week at the school and she had to dress up as a character from her favourite book. Blue watched on with affection as they bounced ideas around for a costume. Even Lisette lightened up enough to pitch in with ideas. As far as Noelle was concerned, Amelie could have whatever costume she wanted as long as they all made it together and that was just fine with him.

When they got in, Lisette ca
ught his eye and he nodded. “Mama…Noelle…can we dress up for dinner tonight? Like properly dress up?” She asked in a wheedling tone.

“I don’t know…” Noelle wavered.

“Please!” Amelie got excited as she kicked off her shoes and skipped around them all. “Let’s get dressed up! Will you do makeup on me?”

“Why don’t you?” Blue kissed the top of her head. “It’s been a tough day. I’ll order in fr
om the gourmet catering service so you don’t have to cook and Thomas and I can set the table.”

“Okay.” She gave a resigned smile. “Girls, go and get yourselves through the shower, wash your hair and assemble in guest room one for makeovers.”

“Yes!” They ran upstairs to their respective bathrooms and Noelle’s shoulders slumped.

“I feel so sad when we do this.” She admitted.

“Why?”

“Because they should be learning these things from their mother.” She leaned into him. “I feel like an imposter sometimes.”

“You’re all the mother they’ve got.” His reply was easy but heartfelt. “If they’re not learning it from you, they’ll be learning it from the internet. I’m glad they’ve got you. At least I know you’re a good role model rather than some stranger on YouTube.”

“I know you are.” Still looking sad, she went to wash her own hair.

He didn’t know how long it was going to take them but he had food to order and he went in search of the phone.

Two hours later, Amelie appeared looking gorgeous. She was wearing her favourite princess dress and her glossy black hair had been curled into ringlets. She looked like a tiny sugarplum fairy. Lisette was the next to appear, looking as sleek as Amelie was bouncy. Noelle had straightened her hair for her and the teenager was wearing a floor-length gown of black satin, no doubt on loan from Noelle’s wardrobe. Noelle rarely wore black and Blue doubted she’d get the dress back. It looked too good on Lisette.

“You two…” He shook his head feeling all choked up. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Not so bad yourself, dad.” She straightened his bow tie and brushed a speck of lint from the lapel of his tux. “You too, Thomas. You look good in a suit.”

“Thank you.” Thomas
flushed and Blue grinned at him before turning back to Lisette.

“Is she coming?”

“Yeah, she went to find her diamond earrings. We chose the blue dress, like you asked.”

“Thank you.”

They waited in silence for her to arrive and she rushed in a few minutes later, coming to an abrupt halt as she gaped at the transformed kitchen. “What…” Blinking, she took in the fairy lights, candles and flowers. “What’s all this?”

“Daddy has something he wants to say!” Amelie blurted out, unable to contain her excitement
, and it broke Blue’s astonished gaze. Noelle looked jaw-droppingly stunning and when her eyes met his, he knew that this was absolutely and without reservation what he wanted more than anything else on earth.

“Noelle, Red, my little one.” He beamed, walking across
to her. Taking her hand he dropped to one knee and looked at her radiant face.

“Oh my G
od!” She gasped, tears welling in her eyes as it suddenly dawned on her what was happening.

“I’ve been in love with you since the day I walked into Cal’s office and saw you there, poised for flight.” He kissed the back of her hand. “
I know we haven’t had the most conventional of relationships, but then we’re not conventional people. All that really matters is that I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything in my life, except my daughters, and I think you feel the same. So I, well ‘we’ really,” he grinned at the girls, “would be the happiest people alive if you would do me the honour of becoming my wife.” He produced the ring he’d had sitting in his room at the Manor for months and opened the box to present it to her.

“Oh!” She gasped, seeming to be speechless as she gaped at the emerald cut diamond solitaire. He could have afforded something bigger and flashier, but it just wasn’t her style. “Blue, I…” She looked up at the girls, who looked like they were going to implode if she didn’t give him an answer soon, and then met Thomas’ eyes. He nodded and Blue hid a smile. The sub had been on board since the morning they’d had the talk, knowing Red would never find another man who would be so accepting of him
in their marriage bed. “Oh my God!” She said again and the tears spilled over, but she was smiling.

“I think you’ve forgotten how this works.” He teased lightly. “You’re supposed to say yes or no, not freak out and hyperventilate.”

“I just…this was totally unexpected!” She looked around again. “It’s beautiful, Blue. So beautiful.”

“And…?” He prompted, amused that he’d managed to completely blindside her with the proposal. “Red, I let you go once and you came back to me. I’d be an idiot to let
you walk away a second time. I want you in my life permanently.” She nodded, too overcome to speak, but he wasn’t letting her off that easily. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes!” She blurted out. “Yes
, I’ll marry you.” The girls went nuts as he slid the ring onto her finger and surged upright to catch her in a kiss that was so romantic it could have been right out of a black and white movie.

“I love you, Little Monkey.” He teased, swiping tears
from her cheeks with his thumb, and her return embrace was fierce.

“I love you too, Sasquatch.”