Forced: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (The Blackthorn Brothers Book 1) (9 page)

“Of course there’s something wrong, Ash. You broke my heart the last time we were together, and now you’re dragging me back to my father’s and forcing me to marry you—which, no offense, doesn’t exactly bode well for us having a long and happy marriage.” Though it was nothing but the truth, there was no way I could tell him all I’d been through…or worse still, all I’d done. I just couldn’t go down that road, digging up my life’s mistakes and all the ways I’d been wronged, when no good would come of it.

“You don’t know that, Wren. And maybe getting married is a good thing. It’s not as though we didn’t once love each other.” He let his fingers trail down my back, his touch soothing my jagged nerves.

Yet, I knew that happiness wasn’t meant to be mine, even if he made me feel like it could be. And that was downright dangerous. Because I knew the promise of happiness was nothing more than a lie, and if I gave in and believed that it could be mine—that I could somehow overcome all my problems—then eventually my reality would come crashing down around me, and the fallout this time around would be even harder.

“We were volatile together at the best of times. So don’t go kidding yourself into believing that this is some sort of fairy tale, when you know the only road we’ll be on is a road to disaster if we stay the course.” The truth was, he didn’t know the half of it. Things would always be fucked up between us, and getting hitched sure as hell wouldn’t fix anything.

“You don’t know that, Wren. And I swear, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy and keep you safe. You just need to give this thing between us a chance, instead of condemning it before it’s even gotten started.”

The way he looked at me with those intense green eyes of his made me want to believe every word he said, especially after he’d given me the most mind-blowing orgasms I’d had in years. Yet he didn’t have a clue as to what he was walking into, and he was making promises he’d never be able to keep.

“It’s not as though I’ll be given much of a choice, either way, so why are you bothering with how I feel about this?” It may be sweet of him, but it didn’t change my reality.

“I know you think I’m a fucking asshole—and maybe I am. But it doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.” He let out a sigh of frustration, his body tense against my side. “You know what? Let’s just get some sleep. We’ve got a long day ahead of us, and there’s no point in arguing when neither of us has a choice. But, I swear, Wren—try to pull another runner, and I’ll handcuff us to each other faster than you can blink.”

I couldn’t help but scoff at him, even as I settled in against his side, ready for sleep. “As if I can’t pick my way out of a set of handcuffs.”

We slept in late, and eventually got on the road after grabbing a bite to eat, and though I had little to say to Ash, my silence meant that I was left with nothing but my thoughts for company—and that was never a good thing. Ash did his best to try to get me to talk to him, but I was in no mood for being soothed or humored when he and my father were hijacking my life.

“I was thinking…once we’re married, we should take some time to travel. My brothers can deal with the distillery while we’re gone, and I have more than enough stashed away.” He reached over and took my hand, bringing it to his lips—and earning him a glare as I pulled my hand away.

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Ash. And if I can’t get out of this wedding, then so be it. But that sure as hell doesn’t mean I have to live with you once we’re hitched.” I’d go back to San Francisco, ditch Ash and my wedding ring, and continue living my life while Ash got the help he needed for his family.
Problem solved. Don’t know why I’d gotten so worked up about it when the solution was so simple.

“Yeah…that’s not happening, babe.” The determined look he gave me was all too familiar, and I knew we’d be butting heads yet again. “The agreement is that I marry you and keep you safe. And I can’t do that if we’re not together.”

“Last I checked, my dad doesn’t have ESP. It’s not like he’d know.” And then it hit me that my dad also wouldn’t be around for much longer. He only had months to live. Maybe less. And though he hadn’t been the perfect father, he’d tried his best in his own way, and once he was gone, I’d be all on my own. My mother was long gone, my stepmother had bailed ages ago, and my stepbrother was dead by my own hand.

There was no one else
.

And suddenly, I couldn’t help the tears that fell down my cheeks—and leave it to Ash to notice, even though he was driving.

“Hey…what’s wrong?”

“If it’s what my dad really wants, I’ll marry you—but once he’s gone, this is over. Am I making myself clear?” I swiped at my tears, hating that they put my vulnerabilities on display for the world to see when I was trying to stay strong.

Ash shifted his attention between me and the road, reaching over to brush the tears from my cheeks. “I’m so sorry, love. I know he’s all you have left. But you have my word, you’ll never be alone. I’ll be here for you…whatever you need.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” It was already hard enough to keep him at arm’s length without him chipping away at my anger with him.

“Because you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved, Wren.” He let out a long breath, his gaze focused on the road ahead, as if he hated himself for making such an admission. And yet, at the moment, it was exactly what I’d needed to soothe my broken heart.

I hated to admit it, but Ash was most certainly the only man I’d ever loved—I just wasn’t sure that going down this road again was a smart idea. It certainly hadn’t ended well the first time, despite our love for each other. And though any sane man would have bailed a hell of a lot sooner than Ash had, it didn’t mean I could forgive him for abandoning me—even if he didn’t know the hell he’d dropped me in by leaving.

Our late start that morning, and the scenic route Ash had chosen, ended up adding another day to our travels, which suited me just fine, since I was in no rush to deal with my father and his asinine scheming. Yet by the time we stopped for the evening, it felt like the fight had gone out of me. I just didn’t have the energy to keep arguing with Ash, over and over, when nothing was going to change by doing so. And I’d given him my word that I’d marry him—for a short while, anyway—which meant there was no point in rehashing things.

“We’ll be in Seattle by noon tomorrow, even if we sleep in a bit.” Ash had pulled off the highway and into a cute little town that was nestled in the woods and the mountains, getting us settled at a gorgeous inn.

Once more he got us a room with just one bed, though at this point, who was I kidding? Luckily, the room was really nice, and even better, there was a deep soaker tub. But first, I needed dinner, before my mood started to sour as my blood sugar dropped. “Don’t suppose we can get something to eat? Maybe just order room service?”

“Why don’t you go take a bath, while I order for us, and then we can watch a movie or something?” Just like the old days when we’d grab some takeout and watch a movie, snuggled up together.

“Sounds as good a plan as any.”

But as I drew myself a bath and slipped down into the steaming hot water, I was overwhelmed by it all. Seeing Ash again was digging up old memories I’d never really been able to bury and tearing open old wounds. It left me feeling emotionally raw and physically exhausted, my fight stolen away from me long ago.

It was clear Wren was dealing with a whole lot of turmoil in her life. And though I knew that being forced to marry me, especially when coupled with her father’s terminal illness, was certainly a huge part of it, she still had me wondering if that was all that was going on. Not that she’d talk to me about anything. All I could really do was try to be there for her, though I worried that it wouldn’t be enough and she’d continue to push me away.

Just as I started to worry about how long she’d been in the tub, our meal was delivered, giving me an excuse to knock on the bathroom door. “Your meal’s here, love. Probably best to eat it while it’s still hot.”

She came out wearing nothing but a tank top and flimsy little shorts, as she squeezed her long hair dry with a towel. And yet her eyes were rimmed in red, making me think I was right to worry about her. I sat down on the edge of the bed and gently pulled her to me. “I hate seeing you upset, Wren. You can talk to me, you know.”

“There’s nothing to say.” She wouldn’t even look at me, and her voice sounded so small…so broken. “Once again, I have no control over what happens to me. You and my father have come up with a plan, and I have no say in it.”

I still felt like I was missing something.
But what?
And clearly, I was the last person Wren wanted to confide in. “You know your dad has enemies, given the line of work he’s in, and he’s just worried about you.”

“And you’ve been hand-picked as my knight in shining armor—even though you abandoned me the last time, when I needed you most.” She sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry. You had every right to leave. My problems weren’t your responsibility.”

Fuck
. “What problems, Wren? Just talk to me, love…”

“Problems that no longer matter.” She pulled away from me, and though I wanted to hold onto her, I didn’t want to push her.

At this point, it was more important that she learn to trust me again. And that wasn’t something you could force someone into, even if circumstances certainly could. It was still up to her to make that leap, and it was up to me to show her that I’d be here for her, no matter what she needed.

“Come on then…let’s pick out a movie. We can watch while we eat.” I convinced her to go for a blockbuster comedy, not wanting anything too dark or stressful in the mood she was already in. “My burger’s surprisingly good. Yours?”

“Yeah…it’s perfect. And the fries are good too.” She even managed to give me a small smile, which I was damn happy to see.

Though I had no doubt the food helped her mood, I wasn’t stupid enough to think that her problems didn’t run far deeper than low blood sugar levels dragging her down. Still…for now, I was happy to see her in a decent mood, knowing that once we got back to Seattle, she’d be nothing but miserable, since her dad would want her married as soon as possible.

As hungry as we were, it didn’t take us long to clear our plates, setting them aside so we could relax on the bed and watch the movie. And though it was a good movie, I could think of little but Wren, especially as our bodies rested against each other in the small bed. Unable to help myself, I slipped my arm around her shoulders, and gently pulled her toward me, loving that she nestled up against my side as we watched the movie and sipped our beers, rather than fighting me.

It was nice doing something so…normal. My life was usually too crazy and chaotic to sit back, relax a little, and just enjoy the evening. Not that I didn’t go out and have a good time. Hell, I’d done more than my fair share of that. But this was a lot more relaxing and low-key, and the fact that I was doing it with Wren was damn nice. It’d be even nicer once she didn’t hate me, and I could get a few more smiles from her. Because watching her struggle with whatever it was that was haunting her was killing me.

By the time the movie ended, Wren was asleep in my arms. And in that moment, I couldn’t have been any more content to know that she was sleeping peacefully.

The next leg of our trip was a short one, though the closer we got to Seattle, the more nervous and withdrawn she seemed to get. I knew this had to suck for her, but I hadn’t been lying when I said that I didn’t have much of a choice. My brothers and I—and even the cops—had tried to track down my father’s killer, and no matter what clues and rumors we followed up on, we ended up with one dead end after another.

It was beyond frustrating to know that whoever murdered my dad was still out there, and could easily come after the rest of my family. And I wasn’t overreacting. I was fully aware that my family had made its share of enemies over the years, given the line of work we’d been in, but we’d walked away from that life after my father’s murder, and were now focused on making Blackthorn Whiskey a huge success, instead of it being a front for our less-than-legitimate activities.

I just needed this last threat to go away, so we could get on with our new lives.

I glanced over at Wren, concerned about her and everything she was going through. “We don’t have to go straight to your father’s if you don’t want to deal with that right now.”

“No. I want to get it over with. There’s no point in putting it off.” Her jaw tightened and it was clear her entire body was tense with the prospect of seeing her father and the argument that would no doubt follow.

“It’ll be okay—you have my word, I’ll do right by you.” I hooked the back of her neck and pulled her to me for a quick kiss, doing my best to keep my eyes on the road.

But a quick kiss wasn’t what Wren had in mind. She leaned over and nipped at my ear and neck as my hand drifted up her bare thigh and under her skirt, while she reached down and stroked my cock through my jeans. I immediately went hard, and resisted the urge to push her head down into my lap, knowing just how good it’d feel to have those sweet lips of hers wrap around my hard cock.

Pushing her panties aside, I slipped my fingers between her slick folds and against her clit, as she moaned up against my neck, increasing her pace as she stroked my cock. “More…”

“Fucking hell, Wren…” I plunged my fingers deep inside her, loving how she bucked against my hand, forcing me in deeper, even as she undid the button and zipper of my jeans, pushing my boxers out of the way and freeing my hard length.

Her warm fingers trailed over the head of my cock before wrapping around my girth, slowly stroking me as I forced myself to focus on the road so we wouldn’t end up in a ditch. But then she lowered her head toward my lap and ran her tongue along the slit and ridge of my cock, sucking on the head as her hand shifted down my length. I couldn’t help but groan, my head falling back against the headrest.

I quickened my pace, thrusting my fingers into her, as my palm pressed against her clit and she moaned against my shaft, the vibrations of it sending waves of pleasure through me, as my orgasm started to build. Taking more of me with each pass, she sucked me until my head was spinning, and teased me with flicks of her tongue, our pace quickening until she was coming, her body tightening around my fingers and her cries escaping around my cock as she sucked me until I could take no more. “I’m coming, love.”

Yet instead of pulling away, she just quickened her pace until my orgasm tore through me and I shot my cum down her throat as she continued to suck me, swallowing everything I had to give her, and then licking me clean. “I missed this so much, little bird.”

She gave me a smile as she settled back in her seat. “I bet.”