Chapter Fifteen

She sat on the bench of the piano after she took the ice cream from me.

“For the longest time, I believed Jennifer would be the only woman to understand me. I had been lost these past few years. As much as I am sorry for running to her earlier, I just knew she would let me rant or vent if needed. It has been five years since I have laid eyes on the woman and I had been shocked when everything still came easy to us,” I began to explain with a little sigh.

“Both of us made the wrong decision with that kiss, but I’m a little glad it happened. Now please let me enlighten you before you start beating my ass. When she plowed her lips on mine, I will admit, it felt amazing. However it just made me want you even more.”

She glared at me, blinking her eyes. “Kissing her made you want me. How in the hell does that even add up?”

“It made me realize I cannot live without you, Via. You are the one I want to wake up to every morning, not Jennifer. I thought I had made myself clear on this detail.” Taking a seat next to her, I continued. “I understand it is going to take a while for you to trust me, even more so since what happened this afternoon, but I’m here and I love you, and I’m willing to love you for the rest of my life.”

Turning to face me, she caressed my cheek. “Did you love her?”

My face fell against her palm. “I thought I did. Then I met you. Via, you have changed my outlook on life, love, everything.”

Kissing her, I pulled away and my eyes blazed into hers. I was hungry and my erection had been throbbing for her body. “I have always wanted to try something, but I need your permission.”

She weakly nodded. “I trust you, Ryan.”

Without missing a beat, I stood up and extended my hand for her. She placed a hand in mine, a little curious as to what I had up my sleeve. I jerked her off the bench and closer to my chest. “I want you naked, baby,” I told her while trotting small kisses upon her neck.

Amazingly, she did as I pleaded without any hesitation. I closed the lid of the piano and spun around to face her. She had every article of clothing off except for her panties.

“Allow me to assist.”

Picking her up and placing her atop of the piano, I slid her undergarment off. I kissed the top of her foot, making my way up to her inner thigh and then buried my face in her sex.

Holy shit! She is so wet! My manhood hardened against the wooden instrument.

The dominant inside me took over. I grabbed a hold of her knees and lifted her up and closer towards me. She landed on the top of the piano rather hard, but moaned in pleasure. Taking a hold of her right ankle, I flipped her so she landed on her stomach. I pulled her down on to her feet so she was standing.

“Lean on the piano, baby.”

My hands trailed up and down her thighs, squeezing her ass as she leaned forward. Spreading her legs apart with my foot, I slammed into her. She let out a loud groan and I thrust deeper and faster. Oh, this woman drives me wild!

The dominance taking control again, I pulled out of her, picked her up and slammed her back on top of the piano. I clambered on top of her and entered her once more. The tip of my erection was ready to explode just feeling her body, but I needed to make this last. Her moaning brought me out of my thoughts. I pushed deep and hard as she positioned her legs so I could do so.

“I love you,” she groaned, running her fingers through my hair and pulling me closer towards her so she could kiss my chest.

Her warm liquid burst around my erection inside of her, mine shattering moments after hers.

“I love you too, baby,” I said, breathing out and burying my face into her neck.

* * * *

I fucking hate waiting. Via is well aware of this fact.

Yet she continued to make me wait every time we turned around. Impatiently, I paced the doctor’s office waiting room. I tried my damnedest to get her to allow me to hire a gynecologist to come to the house, but she wouldn’t hear of it, claiming we did not get out of the house enough.

This, in turn, led her to make a statement of my being ashamed to be out in public with her.

Holy Fuck! Via and I may be becoming parents in a matter of minutes! What in the hell am I going to do? I have no idea how to be a father and raise a human being! Dean is right—I can’t even keep a goldfish alive, let alone a child! Besides, I have my wife to baby-sit on a daily basis. How is she going to react if she is pregnant before our wedding—upset, angry, depressed, or ecstatic? Are there any books available on how a dominant and submissive/former dominant raise a baby together? Question after question swirled inside my head.

Hearing the door open, I looked up and met my woman’s gaze. I couldn’t tell if the expression she carried was good or bad. So I stood there, and waited for her response. I didn’t fucking care if it was a slap, a punch to the face, or a knee in the groin. I had to have something! She walked up and enclosed her arms around my torso. I held on to her, worried that something had gone wrong. “Please tell me, baby.”

“We are not pregnant. It was a false alarm. I know how much you wanted a baby. I’m so sorry, Ryan.” She began to sob into my chest.

Stroking her back, I kissed her hair. “Oh baby, no. I’m not upset. I want us to have a baby when we are ready, and we will be someday. We have plenty of time to settle down and have children.”

She looked up at me and I smiled. “This just means I get to keep you all to myself for a while longer.”

She sighed a breath of relief. “I’m so glad you feel this way. We are in no way ready to bring a baby into our lives yet. The doctor gave me a year supply of birth control pills.” She grinned. “Before you even say a word, I am capable of remembering to take a pill at the same time every day.”

“I have something to show you.” Leading her out of the doctor’s office, I added, “I know you hate surprises, but this one you will love. Trust me.”

* * * *

Charlie pulled up to the floating home I had bought for Via as a wedding gift.

She looked over at me in confusion. “Whose house are we at now?”

“It’s all yours, baby,” I informed her, kissing her hands. “Why don’t you go take a look inside?”

Completely baffled, she stepped out of the car and made her way to the door. Three screeching women flew out of the front door before she could even make it halfway. She jumped up and down, joining them in their madness. “Oh, my damn—I can’t believe you guys are here!”

“Your delicious fiancé invited us.” The leader of the pack spoke up, I believed her name was Rachael.

All of a sudden, I had four pair of eyes ogling me.

Strolling closer, I wrapped my arms around my bride.

“I made a few phone calls and invited them here to keep you company while I have to be away. Don’t worry—I’m not leaving the state again this time.”

“Not to worry, Mister Rayner, sir. We will take excellent care of her while you are gone,” the tallest one assured me. I wanted to say her name was Tory.

Rachael, Tory, and I believed the other one’s name was Leslie, went back into the house once they discovered their wine glasses were empty. I was hoping they were not planning on getting my wife too drunk while they were visiting.

Via stared up at me and smiled. “I can’t believe you flew my friends here. This means so much to me, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby. I just want you to be happy.”

She pulled me in for a tight hug. “I am always happy with you,” she whispered, running her fingers through my hair. “Now, about this business trip, how long will you be gone?”

“Just a few hours. I need to pay a visit to a client of mine,” I told her, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Don’t worry. The girls were brought here to keep you occupied for the entire night.”

“Why Mister Rayner, I do believe you are trying to get rid of me.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “You know me so well, Mrs. Rayner. Consider this my wedding gift to you. You deserve a night with your friends. Besides, I am just following the guidelines of the contract. Madison should be on her way to keep you women in line.” I kissed her lips once more. “Enjoy your night, baby. I will see you first thing in the morning.”

* * * *

My hands shook as I sat in the backseat while Charlie drove towards the town of Shelton. I had to make a small visit to someone—a Mister Martinez at the Washington Corrections Center. I needed answers and I wanted them now.

“Good afternoon, Mister Rayner. How’s the Missus?” the bastard himself had the nerve to ask the moment I sat down across the small table from him.

He was damn lucky there were guards in each corner of the room or I would have already plowed him.

Shaking my thoughts out of my mind, I smiled at him. “She is doing quite well, no thanks to you.”

“What do you want?” he asked, his face losing its sense of humor.

We stared at each other long and hard, trying to read each other’s expressions. I managed a grin. “I’m here to make you a deal, Mister Martinez.”

“You have my attention.” His reaction was expected and satisfying.

Forming a steeple with my index fingers, I placed them over my lips with a smirk. “You are aware that I have the power to reduce your sentence. That is, if you agree to comply. I want the names of the men you hired to kidnap my wife and for you to agree to leave us alone. You help me and I give you my word to reduce your sentence to, let’s say, ten years.”

His eyes narrowed at me. “I’m sorry you wasted your time, Mister Rayner.” Looking at the guard, he nodded his head. The guard strolled over towards us.

I stood up, knowing where this was going. “You know how to contact me if you change your mind.”

* * * *

The house had been sad and lonely without Via.

After my little visit with Mister Martinez, though, I was glad she was not here to witness my small breakdown in my office.

Not saying a word, Charlie assisted me in picking up the books and papers splattered on to the floor.

Pulling my phone out of the pocket of my jacket, I noticed I had a missed call from my mother. I decided to call her first so she wouldn’t hound me about it later.

I waited for her to answer. “Good evening mom. I am assuming that everything is in preparation for tomorrow.”

A grin appeared on my face. “No, I haven’t lost my mind. This will be good for us. She said I had a lot of ass kissing to do for screwing up her favorite holiday. You and I both know I have fucked up a lot in my life. I need to make things right with her. She is the one thing in my life that I do not want to fuck up.”

She groaned about my using the f-bombs too many times. “I apologize. Are you sure Amanda’s plane will land in time?”

I felt a great amount of relief knowing my mother had everything set up and ready for Via. The reason why I hoped her friends kept their word and not got her too drunk—I needed her alert, not hung-over!

Strolling out of the office, I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen.

“A Mrs. Claire Roberts to see you, Mister Rayner.” Charlie came in through the dining room with a middle-aged woman, maybe mid-forties.

She wore a black pencil skirt, and a white button-up top with a black jacket to cover.

“I’m sorry to intrude this evening, Mister Rayner.” She spoke in a voice identical to Via’s.

“How may help you, Mrs. Roberts?” I grinned at her.

She seemed nervous as she looked me over. Her eyes reminded me of my wife’s, but hers were pure green. Holy shit! She is my Via’s estranged mother. I mean, she has to be.

She forced a smile and spoke. “From the expression on your face there, I am assuming you have figured out who I am. I’m sorry for interrupting your evening like this. I was given your address from a woman named Madison White.”

My eyes lit up as I peered over in Charlie’s direction. “Did you hear that Charlie? A woman by the name of Madison White gave Mrs. Roberts our address. I wonder why she would ever do such a thing.”

Focusing my attention back on her, I said, “I’m sorry Mrs. Roberts, Via is away for the evening.”

“As anxious as I am to see my daughter again, I came here to pay you a visit. Miss White instructed I should do so. She informed me Via would not be here this evening. I wanted to explain my reasons for everything I have done in person.” Her nervous smile returned.

Charlie strolled out of the room to give us some privacy, while I escorted her into the living room. She elegantly sat on the couch, her anxiety not allowing her to relax. I planted myself on to a nearby chair. “What is it that you feel you have to share with me, Mrs. Roberts?”

“Anthony and I have known each other our entire lives. We became high school sweethearts. We married at the age of seventeen—not by choice, of course. I found out I was pregnant with Olivia on New Year’s Eve in 1986. Tony and I married that summer and she was born in the fall,” she began to explain. “I wasn’t ready to take on that kind of commitment, marriage and a baby, at my age. Anthony knew how unhappy I was. He was the one who told me to go, so I went. Was it right for me to abandon my kid the way I did? Absolutely not, and I regret hurting Olivia like that.”

“If you don’t mind my asking,” I interjected, “why did you stay away? Why are you suddenly showing up now?”

She smiled as her body became a bit more relaxed. “I know what you must be thinking. This woman has caught wind her daughter is marrying a wealthy man and that is the only reason she wants back into the picture. Believe me, this is not the case. Miss White hand-delivered a wedding invitation to me. Her intentions were for it to be a surprise, but my daughter is as stubborn as her father. After Miss White phoned me this afternoon, stating that you would be home without the company of Olivia tonight, I wanted to clear the air with you.”

“You believe I am going to be able to convince Via to what—talk to you before the wedding? Excuse me for saying this, but the woman has a mind of her own—a mind that refuses to listen to my voice,” I confided in her with a chuckle.

“Anthony has spoken to me about you. He claims Olivia acts different around you —calmer and much happier. I have no doubt in my mind you can persuade her into talking to me again. Please, Ryan.”

* * * *

An hour after Claire Roberts had left my mind was scrambled. How in the hell am I going to tell my wife her estranged mother of twenty-six years has made a sudden appearance? What was Madison thinking in the first place, tracking Via’s mother down and inviting her to the fucking wedding?

My cell phone rang, interrupting my thoughts.

“Ah, Miss White, I have been awaiting your call,” I hissed. “Oh no, me, upset? Most certainly not, Miss White. So what, my wife’s absent mother shows up at our door without a single warning.” My sarcasm was becoming thicker with each word. “We will talk about this in the morning. How are the women doing? Please tell me the girls haven’t ordered male strippers. Good, thank you. Good night.”

I hung up the phone and plopped myself down on the bed, burying my face in the pillows. My wife is going to go ape-shit, that’s just all there is to it. She despises her mother for leaving, and Madison makes the dumb ass move of inviting her to our wedding. This is just amazing—an awesome way to kick-off the honeymoon!

I blame myself for this mess. Oh Ryan, let your brother talk you into going to a nightclub in Vegas. Oh Ryan, if you don’t dance with this woman you are going to regret it for the rest of your life. Oh Ryan, just agree to the woman’s contract so you can keep her in your life. The massive amount of shit that flies through my head since I have met this woman!

Then again, where in the hell would I be without her? Alone, lost in the world of work. The woman has a way of stressing and de-stressing me out at the same damn time! She is my breath of fresh air in this air-polluted world. She is also the cause of my hair turning gray.

Would I change a single thing from the last few months? Absolutely not! This woman is the only thing I look forward to when I wake up from day-to-day. She is the last face I see every night and the one I want to wake up to in the morning. I love her.

* * * *

The Floating House, Seattle, Washing. Via Johnson (Soon to be Rayner!)

The stereo in the living was on full blast with Taylor Swift’s latest album.

With drinks in our hands, we danced around like a bunch of drunken fools. Leslie, the youngest of our clique, made her way closer to me. “How do you like the new house? I can’t believe all of us get to stay here until the wedding. Well, we do. You get to go back home to Mister Elegance himself.” She giggled.

I rolled my eyes at her. “He isn’t as bad as everyone claims. He is sweet and loving once you really get to know him.”

She held up her hand, staggering to stand since she was a little on the tipsy side.

“None of this mushy-gushy shit.”

Grinning at me, she continued, “We are here to celebrate your freedom while it lasts. You have what, a little over a month until you walk down the aisle?”

“I bet the two of you bump heads a lot, don’t you? He is overbearing and so in control, and you are quite the control freak and perfectionist. Tell me something, who wears the pants?”

“He does when I allow him to take them off of me.”

We stared at each other for the longest time before, as if on cue, we both roared out in laughter. Her laugh was quiet, but her snorting made her loud.

Once she was finally able to contain herself, she said, “I don’t know, but somehow, I am not surprised by that.”

“Who wants to go diving, y‘all?” Tory, the southern belle, chimed in as she strode between us.

She set her drink down on the bar and sauntered to the back of the house, closest to the water. Rachael, Leslie, and I all stared in horror at each other. The last time she had a bright idea like this, a couple of us ended up in the hospital with a concussions. The three of us ran after her at the same time.

I was the first one to catch up to her.

“Victoria, no. We can’t dive off a two-story railing. It’s too dangerous.”

Stripping out of her clothes, kicking her pants off and leaving her panties intact, she teased, “Awe, did Mister Domineering tell you this?”

My face burned hot at her bitter words. “Fine, you want to jump, let’s jump!” I stripped my clothes off as well and climbed on to the railing with her.

She grinned when I looked over. “Ready?”

Before we could even start counting, she had already leaped and flipped into the water. Rising up to the surface, she hollered that I needed leap my little ass into the water.

Laughing, I flung myself off the railing and into the water. I could feel the wetness, but couldn’t see because my mind had slipped into blackness.

“Tory, you idiot, you killed her!” I heard Rachael shout.

More than two hands were touching me, as they lifted me up. I attempted so many times to open my eyes, but my brain wouldn’t allow it.

* * * *

Northwest Hospital-Seattle, Washington. Madison White.

I knew it! I just had the feeling something horrible was going to happen! Now, there were three frightened women pacing the waiting room of the ER. I would be pacing like a motherfucker too if one of my best friends had smacked her head on concrete.

Once I showed them my badge, the nurses let me pass through to Via’s room. Sitting here, I contemplated how in the hell I was going to explain this one to Mister Rayner. One thing’s for sure, he is going to be pissed! He gave me specific orders not to allow the girls to do anything rambunctious. What was supposed to be good, clean fun had turned into a living nightmare.

The doctor came in and mentioned the words comatose and brain swelling. I had no idea what in the hell he was talking about! Digging my phone out of my pocket, I unlocked the screen and dialed Ryan’s phone. “Hello, sir, we have a little situation here…” Here comes the ass chewing!