DAHLIA
I looked at Dane as he sat there, a frown on his face. What did he make of it all? It felt like forever before he stood up from the side of the bed and looked down at me.
"Move over." He commanded.
My cheeks flushed but I did as he said, my heart racing as I watched him take his shoes off before he slid into the bed next to me. I was sure he’d hear my heart. His closeness was making me go crazy and I dared not look up at him. He slid his arm under my head and gently pulled me into his chest. I closed my eyes, inhaling his scent as I placed my bandaged hand on his chest and curled the other under his arm, placing it on his shoulder. Tingles of pleasure rushed through me and I had to bite my lip to stop from letting out a sigh of pleasure.
I could feel every inch of his body against mine, right down to the bulge in his pants. Oh, dear lord, the images and thoughts that were rushing through my head were making my lower region throb
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DANE I saw her face fall when I told her I wouldn’t have accepted the job otherwise. It was a truth I had to mention now rather than keep hidden, it could ruin stuff for us later otherwise. I tried not to look at her chiffon plum-coloured blouse that showed off the outline of her bra, or her skirt that displayed her long legs and curvy thighs. Last night had been a mission for me to keep my hands to myself, I had ended up getting a hard-on and had left her bed before she even woke up. "Oh." She now said, her face looking crestfallen before she schooled it to passiveness once more. "I don’t want our relationship to start on a lie." I said, taking a deep breath. This was hard for me too. She had enough going on and here I was, about to burden her with more. I began telling her how my father had screamed for a post-mortem and for answers, but it was ruled a simple suicide despite how she was pregnant at the time. How my father had even tried getting the
DAHLIA My stomach was going crazy the moment he lifted me onto the counter and said those words. I wanted nothing more than for him to fuck me, but I didn’t voice that. Warrens remarks that I was too vocal and upfront, that it wasn’t fitting for a woman like me, crossed my mind. But something about Dane treating me like an equal, asking me what I wanted, made me want to be myself completely. I felt tired of having to fit into this box of perfection, being the ideal woman. I wanted to be me and something about Dane gave me that confidence… "As you wish, princess." He murmured seductively, his deep voice making my entire body heat up. His hands fell to my thighs, slipping under my skirt as he pushed it up and parted my legs, making me gasp at the bold move as he positioned himself between them. His hand didn’t leave my thigh, sending rivets of pleasure through me. The other cupped the nape of my neck as he kissed me passionately, but it was different th
Dane That night we had slept together, and I knew she wanted to know why I said no to sex. There was something else I needed to tell her, something that was a lot more personal, but the timing didn’t feel right. As much as I wanted to bend her over and fuck her, I couldn't. I cared for her and I was not going to ruin that trust. Sure it wasn’t a big deal for some, but for Dahlia, it may be. I had to remember she was raised as a princess, and despite being married to Warren, I wasn’t sure if she had had many relationships. Inevitably, it would be a conversation that we would need to have, and by the looks of it - soon. Dahlia had scolded me for lifting her onto the counter too, something I had found amusing as she had forgotten about my injury at the time, but to be honest I was feeling a lot better now. Although I teased her for a while before that. Dahlia and I had attended the press conference and Dahlia had done most of the talking. It had gone wel
DAHLIA "N-no…" Amal said. I frowned looking at her, she looked pale… I looked at Dane who was smirking victoriously. Lord, did he love to win. I resisted a smile at how handsome he looked sitting there with Aria, who was busy fiddling with his watch. I really did see what Baba meant. I smiled. My favourite people… I looked back at Amal and then Baba to see that he was lost in thought. "I like it Mr Altaire. I think I shall have the lawyers do the draft, but we will need to do this test…." Baba said. "H-how can you? Are you doubting me?!" Amal shouted. "You know, with my treatment and everything, the chances of me impregnating you were less… I think this is a fair point." Baba said. "We have a child present." I said pointedly. In all honesty, I didn’t want to talk about my father’s bedroom activities. "You don’t seem surprised about my health?" Baba now asked Dane. "Of course not, I heard someone discussing it on the pho
WARREN It had been so long, no matter how many gifts and messages I sent her, she didn’t seem to care! I now threw the empty alcohol bottle. "I thought your plan was working?!" I snapped at Kendra. I wanted Dahlia, I needed her. Even making love to Kendra, all I could think of was how it had been with Dahlia. Now that I didn’t have her anymore, I wanted her even more. "It was! She got scared. She was… but that new CEO has been staying there so often, and she’s upped her security, I haven't been able to get inside!" She whined. Even her voice was annoying me. "Then scrap that shitty plan!" I hissed. I paused, now turning to her sharply. "Wait? Dane Altaire has been staying there?" "Yeah…" She said, folding her arms. "And you didn’t think I needed to know this?!" "It doesn't matter Baby!" She whined. I slammed my hand against the wall. "It does! It means there’s something between them! He was smart
ZARA I looked around, I was in a deserted street… There weren’t even cameras around here. In my distraction I hadn't even realised I had gone so far out… Oh god. I could see his growing shadow that was cast on the ground, getting closer now. "I hate people who eavesdrop." His chilling voice made my heart hammer loudly. The man from the club. I wanted to turn to see his face, but more than that, I knew I needed to run. Pushing aside all my thoughts, I broke into a run. All I needed to do was find a cab! I have always been a fast runner and I was not going to let anyone catch me. Whether it was those men who I owed or this creep. If he was willing to kill Uncle Hadid, he was dangerous. Something told me that if anything came in his way, he wouldn’t hesitate to remove it from his path. I saw the lights of an approaching car. My heart leapt in relief when I saw it was a cab. I hailed it down and tapped on the window. "I need a ride!" I sai
DAHLIA We had returned home and it was now much later in the evening. Dane had tucked Aria in, something she had been so happy about, exclaiming how her old daddy never did. That broke my heart, I never realised she had noticed such things. Although I encouraged Warren to spend time with her, he never wanted to. I was grateful for Dane, I could see the concern in his eyes for me and the fondness for Aria. He had kissed me before taking Aria. The very scene was one I wanted to embed in my mind forever. I had showered before slipping on a dusky pink silk nightdress. I combed my hair, letting the curls dry naturally. Returning to my bedroom, I turned my diffuser on, letting the changing light illuminate the room, the soothing oils calming me. A knock on the door made me look up and I picked up my matching gown, slipping it on. "Come in!" The door opened to reveal Dane holding two mugs of hot drinks. My heart skipped a beat
DAHLIA I had tried to ring Zara all morning and I was now getting worried. It wasn’t like her not to reply. The bathroom door opened and Dane stepped out. My heart almost stopped beating seeing him standing there with only a towel wrapped around his waist. It hung low, showing off his refined Adonis belt. Oh, how I wanted to pull that towel off, drop to my knees and worship him in the way I knew best… Oh lord… Forgive me for the dirty thoughts that are filling my mind. A sexy smirk crossed his lips as he walked over to me. "Distracted princess?" He mocked. I rolled my eyes. "You wish." I said with a toss of my hair as I turned my back to him, trying to hide the blush that coated my cheeks. His arm wrapped around me from behind, his hand wrapping around my throat. My heart thundered as he squeezed it slightly, making pleasure rush to my core. Lord… this man. "I do." He murmured, sucking on the tip of my ear.
TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER… DAHLIA "Careful there Cain!" Dane’s mother scolded her grandson despite the smile on her face. "You will get your mother's clothes dirty." She kissed the chubby little boy on his cheek. He pouted as he tugged at her necklace. I smiled watching them, my little boy with his large grey eyes like mine and his hair was the same as his father and sister. "Let me fix that for you." Amanda said adjusting my veil that Cain had just tugged. I looked in the mirror, I was dressed in a stunning white wedding dress with jewels and beads. My hair that now almost reached my waist, was open and in its natural curls, pinned back in an elegant puff. The scar on my face was faint and I didn’t hide it any longer. My face glowed with the dewy makeup my stylist had applied, and my jewellery glittering. Today was the day I was to marry the love of my life. Dane. Life had changed so much since the day we ended Joaqui
DAHLIA I didn’t know where he had taken me or why he had the sudden need to come out with his true identity. We hadn’t driven far when the van stopped and I was being dragged out of it, all I could see was it was some sort of car park. My stomach sank as he pulled me into the darkness and down the ramp to the lower floor, I couldn’t see anything much and I did my all not to stumble whilst Joaquin didn’t seem to care. There were a few dim lights but for the most part, it was dark here. He pushed me against a post and began tying me to it roughly, I winced when the rough rope singed my skin. "I’ll make quick work of this." He muttered. My stomach twisted in fear, what was he planning? Every worst-case scenario flitted through my mind and I just felt sick. Maria… Zara… Amal, who was carrying his child… Kendra, who could have been his daughter… The moment he removed the cloth from around my mouth I thought of what I could say.
DAHLIA It had been a few weeks since Kendra’s body had been found and Dane had stayed true to his word. Emily would not get away with it and the doctor who had attended to Aria had given his statement. I was officially free from Warren completely and I couldn’t be happier. Dane’s relationship with his family had been strained, but regardless of that fact, I had invited them to our engagement. I knew deep down, they were still his parents, and I also knew they would treat Aria well. They had treated her well before too. I just hoped one-day things would work out. Family was not always pleasant, and many of us had parents who made mistakes, but that does not mean we should immediately disown them. I just hoped with time things would work out and they would realise what they were missing, because I would love it if Aria had more family around. The news of my engagement and pregnancy was swirling around, but we had not confir
DAHLIA My heart was racing as he spoke those words. Dane was proposing. My chest rose and fell as I tried to speak. My throat felt dry and I got choked up. He reached over and took the ring from my fingers. His gorgeous dreamy hazel eyes looking into mine for an answer. I couldn’t reply, so I nodded. Breathing deeply as I held my hand out. A devilish sexy smirk crossed his lips. "Use your words, princess." He purred teasingly. I poked my eyes at him. "Yes, I would love to." I whispered, holding my hand out to him. He took it, kissing it softly before he slipped the stunning ring onto my finger. "I love it, and I love you." I said, cupping his face as he stood up and pulled me into his arms. I kissed him passionately, hoping he could feel all my love for him in that kiss. He moved away when I gasped for air and I smiled at him. "Love you too, princess." He said running his fingers through my hair.
DAHLIA It had been a few days since we had visited Devin in the hospital, yet still we were unable to track Kendra down. Although Dane did tell me that there was a high chance she may be dead. I just hoped it wasn’t the case, for Devin at least. Malcolm had tried to find more details on Kendra’s birth father, but he wasn’t even mentioned on the birth certificate. There were a few places Malcolm went to ask around, people who knew her mother, but he had drawn another blank. Tonight, Dane was taking me out. He had said it had been a while since we got a break and just a change would be good for us both. I was excited about it. I had taken some time to pick out a crystal-encrusted mini dress, which I wore over a nude bodysuit that emphasised my curves. The dress had a high collar and shoulder pads, which only had more tassels. It was probably the shortest dress I’ve worn, the dangly bling strands just about covering my behind, but it felt right. I paired it with silver
DANE Was she a woman or an angel? She was so selfless that here she was willing to help the brother of her ex-husband's mistress… I had seen her looking around the hospital earlier with a frown on her face. "I haven’t got the money for the bills, and the doctors said they can’t keep me on dialysis-" "Devin. I’m here. Don’t worry. I’ve paid the bills on Kendra’s behalf. No one will bother you. Calm down." Dahlia said, placing her hand on the boy’s shoulder. He noticed the cuts on her hands and looked at her sharply. "What happened to your hands?" "I… was attacked." She said, giving him a small smile. "Oh… I’m sorry…" "It’s ok, I’m alive. That’s the important part…" Dahlia stated with a gentle smile, "Is it ok, if I take a seat?" "Of course, any friend of Kendra’s is a friend of mine. I mean… I don’t really have friends, so…" "Do you get to go out?" "Yeah, if someone takes me, but Kendra’s busy… Sh
DAHLIA It was several days later and luckily, it seemed like that was the end of Emily. There was nothing she could do to us or try to claim Aria. There was plenty of proof of her neglect, after all the doctor had seen the state Aria was in when I had taken her to the hospital that night. Thanks to the cold that night I had fallen ill too. We had to go through legal terms to register her as there was no proof of any child being born in any hospital in the city that was unaccounted for, there was no way she could do anything. Today, Dane and I had decided to head to Maria’s old apartment. We had planned to ask them if there was anything they saw or heard before Maria was killed but we had drawn a blank. Maria’s friend had passed away and her son had renovated the entire building and had a shop built in its place. "Another dead end." Dane said, tapping the steering wheel as we drove away. "Dane, shall we visit The Hope Trust Hospital? Kendra’s brothers
DANE There was only one Emily I knew, and for her to be here… felt unreal. I was done and dusted with her, so why now? I didn’t need her, nor did I want her anywhere near Aria or Dahlia. I looked towards Dahlia, who was standing there looking stunned. Her large eyes were full of emotions, her chest heaving. "One moment…" I said to the watchman. Closing the door, I walked over to Dahlia. I was about to pull her into my arms when she stepped back, sending a stinging pain through me. Her breathing was heavy, and I could tell she was beginning to panic. "Don’t worry… She cannot come between us… or Aria. If she thinks she can worm her way back in, then she has another thing coming." I said quietly, tugging her by the elbow. I pulled her into my arms forcefully. I didn't care if she wanted to or not, I needed this. "Have faith in yourself beautiful, and in me… No one can mess this up." She nodded, but I could still feel her shaking. I didn’t
DANE We had just arrived home when we heard Aria laughing as she and Hadid sang some Arabian song. "Finally home…" Dahlia said with relief. I was glad she was feeling better now. "Home indeed, speaking of which… I have a few things I wanted to show you." "Sounds perfect." She said. "Mama!" Aria said as she hurried over. Dahlia hurried forward worriedly. "Careful Ari." She scolded lightly catching her carefully and kissing her head. "Mama, Grandpapa and I are singing songs!" She said. "That’s lovely, now how about you go and enjoy yourself? Mama will go shower and then we will join you all for some pizza?" "Oo yummy! Takeaway?!" "Yes." Dahlia laughed. Aria gave me a hug before she walked off to tell Hadid. Dahlia stood up, smiling as she turned to look at me, taking her coat off slowly. If only she realised how enticing that move was… "Mind ordering?" "Not at