Breach of Honor by Naomi Porter
61 Will
MORNING ARRIVED AS it did every day. Instead of welcoming it, I hated what today meant.
In two hours, Jason would arrive to pick me up, and my angel would be devastated when I walked out the door. I didn’t care what Axel had said about sending her away when she arrived to talk; I couldn’t. I needed to make her understand how much I loved her, how she was my world.
I loved her until she passed out, exhausted and blissfully sated. I held her close, breathing her in and begging time to stand still.
Last night would always be the best night of my life.
No woman could ever hold a candle to Miranda. She was loving and gentle, self-sacrificing and trustworthy, a fighter and fucking resilient. There could never be another woman in my life, despite what she had been made to believe.
Carefully, I slipped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, and went to the guest bathroom to shower. I didn’t want her waking up yet. Strangely, I sensed something different about her last night. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I wanted her to rest after the workout I gave her into the wee hours of the morning.
Showered, dressed, and packed, I waited for Jason to arrive. All I could think about was Miranda sleeping peacefully in our bed.
And praying Axel found a way to end this nightmare. I ignored the doubt raging through my veins. It had to be because of his don’t get your hopes up bullshit. Regardless of his wiseass comments, I did trust him, and I wasn’t sure why.
After last night with Miranda, it was like she was giving me another chance and it about killed me. No way would she let me go to Vegas with “my mistress,” no questions asked. But I had to go whether she liked it or not. Fuck, if Vegas didn’t pan out as Axel and I hoped it would, I was sure Miranda wouldn’t give me another chance.
A knock at the door brought me to my feet.
Jason, no doubt. The bane of all my troubles, both financially and in my relationship. If I could just put my hands around his neck and squeeze the life out of him, I might feel a little redemption for the destruction he’d caused. But not likely.
I had a conscience. I wasn’t morally bankrupt. I still lived by the St. James honor code. It was why I was in this mess. The good guy in me needed to stop Jason from stealing from my family. I had to protect my clients, my family, and Miranda. If I didn’t stay the course with Axel, I would have been wrought with guilt.
Fuck what was I thinking? I was drowning in guilt because from Miranda’s perspective, I was a lying, cheating sack of shit. When really, I’d been trying to do the right thing.
Miranda
I woke alone in our bed. The clock on Will’s nightstand showed 9:10 a.m.
I blissfully sighed—last night. There were no words for the magic that had transpired between Will and I. The hours spent lost in each other, carnal at times, soul binding at others… no words would ever do justice the love that had filled our beachfront home.
I rolled to Will’s side and ran my hand over his pillow. How many times had I said I loved him? I couldn’t remember, but it was a lot while I’d been entranced by him.
Mmm… My heart fluttered, remembering all the many ways he’d made love to me. And not once had he suspected I was pregnant. Those websites had been right; pregnancy hormones were phenomenal. After my fifth orgasm, I’d stopped counting. It didn’t matter, not with Will’s stamina matching mine. We rode each other into the wee hours of the morning like it was the fucking Kentucky Derby, the sex edition.
After we were sufficiently sated, Will had spooned me and we fell asleep, utterly satisfied from our insatiable encounter.
A hopeful sigh left my chest. Will was all mine. After last night, after the way he made love to me with so much emotion and tenderness, there wasn’t any doubt in my mind or my heart he was mine.
I heard a muted sound from outside the bedroom. I shivered, not from cold but from an eerie stillness that entered my soul. The kind that scared me in the middle of the night and I’d wake in a panic, fearing I might lose a loved one. It paralyzed me for what the day might bring.
I popped up in bed and dialed into the voices. Will’s cell phone was on the nightstand, so he wasn’t on a call. My mind raced as I slid out of bed. I grabbed yoga pants and a hoodie out of the closet and put them on.
Who is he talking to?
Maybe the neighbor, I reasoned, brushing my fingers through my hair. But I knew better. On a Sunday morning, nobody would bother us.
I quietly turned the doorknob and peeked out. Jason. Dread filled me at the sight of him in the club chair. Will had to be on the sofa, but I couldn’t see him.
Should I go out there or wait for Jason to leave?
My curiosity urged me down the hallway toward the living room.
“Morning,” Jason greeted me. “Even in the fucking morning with bedhead, you’re a goddess.”
The lust in his eyes made my skin crawl. I’d never hated anyone before, but I despised him. Alarms went off as my eyes traveled to Will’s… this felt off.
“Shut up, Jason!” Will walked over to me. “Morning, baby.” He kissed my temple, pulling me close. “Can I get you something? Coffee?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Of course you’re fine. Look at this place. Must have been some night.” Jason snickered.
My cheeks grew hot as I took in the room. My robe was in a pile by the fireplace, Will’s clothes were thrown haphazardly, and chocolate syrup and a can of whipped cream were on the coffee table. I’d gotten hungry after our third round of sex, so we’d ventured out into the living room. After I’d satisfied my craving for strawberries and chocolate, Will satisfied his desire for more of my pussy. The syrup and whipped cream had been extras Will used on me.
Maybe Jason wouldn’t think anything of them. Wishful thinking. I knew what a raunchy dog he was, so I was sure he knew what we’d done in here.
“Will must have the stamina of ten men, doing two women at the same time. By the looks of it, you were dessert.” He hissed with laughter through his teeth.
Asshole.
Will guided me to the sofa and took a seat. I sat beside him and stared numbly at his handsome profile. “You were with Cori before I came home?”
“Of course he was. That Cori is demanding. And just so you know, she doesn’t like to share,” Jason informed me rather spitefully.
“You’re a dick,” Will growled at Jason, but he didn’t deny it either.
My gaze fell to my lap. I needed to process all of this. After Charlie’s Lounge Friday night, the last text Will had sent me was around two in the morning, wanting to know if I was coming home. Did he have her in my bed? Did he get her to leave before Lily and I had arrived? And then what, she had returned? All the beer bottles and Chinese food containers stared back at me on the coffee table.
I swallowed hard to keep the bile in my throat from sending me running to the bathroom. I didn’t want to cause a scene in front of Jason. Why was he even here? He never came over on Sundays, let alone in the morning.
“Well, are you ready to go or what?” Jason directed his question to Will.
“Ready for what?” I looked at Will expectantly, which was when I noticed he had already showered and dressed for the day. I didn’t even hear him this morning, nor had I noticed before now. He held my hand, stroking the top with his thumb.
Jason smirked. “We’re going to Vegas with our lady friends.”
Will’s jaw ticked.
“Lady friends?” I repeated, but I knew who Jason meant.
“Baby, just go to the bedroom so I can talk to Jason.” Will stood, encouraging me to leave.
I didn’t budge. “What’s going on?”
“No, either you’re coming with us or… well, or,” Jason said, clearly a threat.
Is he speaking in code? What in the hell is he talking about?
“Give me a minute!” Will snapped.
I felt like I was riding on a carousel—a never-ending carousel. The dizzying effects of the roundabout dialogue between Will and Jason threw me off balance.
Will tugged on my hand. I sighed getting to my feet and he pulled me to the bedroom. I dragged my feet reluctantly but followed. He closed the door and wrapped me into his arms, burying his face in the curve of my neck. He held me tight, so tight I felt the violent beating of his heart against my chest.
“Will, what’s going on?”
“I’m going to Vegas for a few days with Jason.”
“And Cori?”
“Last night was… everything that represented our love. I loved you as much as I could. Did you feel it?” he asked with desperation in his voice. “Did you feel my love for you last night?”
I nodded as tears pooled at the rim of my eyes. “I thought I felt it, but now—”
“No! Don’t doubt me. Please, don’t doubt me or my love.” His eyes took on a glossy sheen. “When I get back from Vegas, there will be no more Jason and no more Cori. It’ll be just you and me, I promise.”
“Don’t you dare go!” I blinked back tears.
This couldn’t be happening, not after last night, not after making love... not after what I gave him. I wouldn’t be made a fool of, treated like I’d won a consolation prize.
I sniffled back the snot that had nearly dripped down my nose and gave him an ultimatum. “If you go with her, I won’t be here when you get back.”
“It’s only for three days. In seventy-two hours, I’ll be completely yours.”
“You’re supposed to be completely mine, NOW!” My chest seized, throat constricting. This would be the worst fucking time to hyperventilate. I sucked in a breath as the floodgates blew wide open. “Go kick Jason out! Lock the door and come back here with me. Please...” I begged, sobbing uncontrollably. “Please, Will. I’ll forgive you for all the months you cheated on me, and we’ll start with a clean slate.” My chest rattled at a brutal intensity. I feared it might explode from the shattering agony, the realization that I didn’t matter.
Will cupped my face and kissed me hard, pushing his tongue into my mouth, and I died there in his embrace. “I have to go. But I’ll be back, and we’ll start over.”
I shook my head in disbelief. Did he really think he could go to Vegas with her and I’d be okay with it? “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Miranda, I love you… but I’m going to Vegas.” He stared in resigned indignation. “When I get back, things will be different.”
“I’m supposed to believe things will be different? Really? For months you’ve been having an affair and lying to me, and you expect me to trust you? Well, you can fuck off, Will! Or do you prefer to be called Billy!” I gripped my chest, running into the bathroom, and locked the door. I crumpled into a heap on the bamboo floor, overcome by guttural sobs.
“Miranda,” he yelled, jiggling the doorknob. “Open the door. Open the goddamn door!” He pounded and pounded. “Don’t do this…”
I couldn’t breathe, my throat closing slowly. I couldn’t cry as panic took over. My baby… I had to breathe for my baby. Small short breaths, in and out, in and out. Slow, calm breaths.
My heart… my heart glitched to a stop as a hard bang against the door jolted me back to reality.
“Enough of this shit! Let’s go,” Jason’s voice boomed.
Did he just shove Will against the door?
“Baby, please open the door.” Will’s voice was controlled this time.
I didn’t care what he said. I’d found my resolve too. “If you leave, I won’t be here when you get back,” I warned him through my sniffles. “I’ll be gone, and we’ll be over.”
“No,” he growled. “We won’t be over. We’ll never be over, and you’ll be here when I get back.” I could tell his face was pressed against the door. “I know you’ll be here, Miranda, because you love me, and I love you.”
“No,” I whimpered.
“Yes. You’re mine, M and I’m yours.”
Will sliced my heart in two when he left me to take his lover to Vegas.
TO BE CONTINUED IN…
BOUND BY LOVE
Love always wins, even against the devil himself.
I destroyed Miranda. It had to be done to protect her. When she knows the truth, she'll see I was always faithful.
But it's not only Miranda I'm fighting for anymore. I need to protect her and our unborn child. Our happiness is at stake if my enemy gets to them first.
No matter what happens, we will always be bound by love... always and forever.
Bound by Love, is the final book in the St. James Billionaires Duet. The tension and suspense are amped up but your heart will finally be restored with a HEA.
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