Will You Teach Me…?

Hi there! Hope you had a nice summer! It will soon be time to go back to school or work (maybe you're even already back) and I hope it went well ahaha. Remember, three weeks ago, we left Brianna follow Stephen to their room after the disastrous visit of our dear Roger... And the least we can say is that she's not ready for what's to come (and you aren't either, lol).

Thanks Rath101 and LykkeF for your reviews!

Rath101: oh yeah this version of Roger is a massive prick. In the Clover and the Tartan, he was adorable because I did not want him to interfere in Stephen and Bree's relationship… but in this story, he's an asshole (also because I didn't want him to interfere too much ahahah Brianna needed to be rid of him completely and that's what will happen…). Thanks for your comment, sweetie, and I'm sure your next one will be quite interesting to read…. lololol

LykkeF: Brianna has to compare both her husbands. At first, the comparison was easy: Roger was better. But now, things are getting blurry… When everything used to be black and white, now it's all shades of grey… (And I'm not referring to any book or movie by saying that, I mean it, ahahah). I can't wait to read your reaction to that chapter, heheheheheh. Thanks!

~o~

16. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Slowly, Brianna entered their bedroom and closed the door behind her. Sitting on the windowsill, Stephen was leaning forward and pulling off his riding boots with angry movements. Quite uncomfortable, the young woman remained motionless in the middle of the room, not knowing where to start. He had just taken off the second boot when she finally decided to speak up.

"Whatever you think you saw, I was in his arms because-"

"I'll have the security tightened around the property", he cut her off, heading for the basin of cold water and soap to wash his hands, which had been soiled by his boots. "He'd better not set foot here ever again..."

That means Roger is alive and well…, Brianna thought with a mental sigh of relief. "No harm was done. Jeremiah is fine and-"

"But I am not fine… And neither are you." He crossed the room towards Brianna, who did not seem to understand the meaning of his sentence. "I can see it in your eyes. His visit disturbed you. You're still in love with him…"

Brianna did not know what disturbed her the most: Roger's visit, the bitterness she sensed in Stephen's voice... or the fact that she had felt absolutely nothing but anger in Roger's presence, despite them being separated for months. But maybe it was just because he had surprised her. And now, she felt that anger again thinking about the red mark he had left on Jemmy's arm. And the way he treated me in court… She had been so absorbed in her chaotic life with Stephen that she had never taken the time to really think about the impact of Roger's behavior on her and the love she felt for him.

"He hurt our son", she said indignantly, taking a step forward. It was time to give her best shot and be convincing. "And he wanted to take me away from him again… Seeing him did not disturb me, it has only confirmed that you are what is best for Jeremiah."

"And for you?", Stephen said, slowly coming closer until he was right in front of her. "Am I what's best for you?"

Brianna's lips parted but she was unable to utter such a big lie. He would sense her hesitation; he would hear her voice quiver… So she just smiled shyly and nodded. Stephen stared at her for a long time, indecipherable, before replacing a red lock behind her ear with a sad smile.

"I wish I could believe you."

"Please... Stephen, we've had this conversation before: I've told you many times that you're a much better father than Roger..."

"Just like I've told you many times I also want to be a better husband."

Another silence. This time, Brianna knew she had to say something, even if it was not exactly the answer he was dreaming of.

"You're on the right track…", she whispered, nodding slowly. Immediately, Stephen's hands gripped her waist and he buried his head in the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of the jasmine perfume he had given her a few weeks earlier. Her clothes, her jewelry, her smell, everything about her bore the mark of Stephen Bonnet… his mark. Everything except her heart.

Placing a kiss on every inch of skin in his path, Stephen moved up her neck and jaw, until he reached her mouth. He paused, waiting for Brianna's eyes to find his, before slowly capturing her lips. Without haste or greed. With such devotion that Brianna surrendered to it.

She had never experienced such a kiss since they were married. It was not stolen or placed against her will on her closed lips. It was not libidinal like when he dragged her to their bed. Its exquisite slowness gave Brianna time to adapt, to accept, to imitate – so much so that she was in no way surprised when his tongue caressed the entrance to her mouth, begging her to let him in. She allowed it and Stephen deepened their kiss by pulling her closer. But the slow pace he imposed on her soon became unbearable and she found herself wanting more. As if reading her mind, Stephen left her mouth the second she was about to speed up the movement and she almost let out a sigh of frustration. Jesus, what was that?, she thought, panting. But before she could figure out the answer, he had pressed his forehead against hers.

"I do not want to be on the right track..." His fingers squeezed her waist a bit harder for a second. His desire to please her and provide for her was so evident that Brianna felt her heart race. "Show me... I'll be anythin' you want me to be, darlin'... But I'll need your help with that..."

Brianna had absolutely no idea what to think. She could no longer put things in perspective, and tell what was true or fake. Her husband's plea seemed so sweet, so sincere... or maybe she just wanted to believe him? She found out that the answer to that question did not really matter to her when he breathed again, right against her lips:

"I need you, Brianna…"

In one second, her numb brain kicked into gear. What would happen if she met his full demands? Would he believe her? Was she capable of acting sincere enough? Her whole body was screaming 'yes', despite the sirens of reason trying to warn her that something was odd. I could let go... Just once… He will forget about Roger, he will be reassured… It can only benefit me. This would restore peace to their home, appease Stephen's anger and jealousy, as well as help her forget about Roger and the disappointment he had once again caused in her heart. Brianna could have found a thousand excuses to justify what she was about to do. Just this once…

She would give in and stop worrying, stop pretending, stop being scared. She would let go, forget who they both were, and just be two intertwined bodies. Yes, she felt capable of it. And this languorous kiss they had just shared made her want to be convincing. She looked up, which was enough for their lips to join again. As she closed her eyes, the image of Roger in the stables and his strong arm tugging hard on hers to lead her away came back to Brianna's mind and she pressed herself harder against Stephen to chase it away. Have ye gone bonkers? His voice now. Incredulous, almost contemptuous. The young woman frowned, her fingers instinctively taking on her husband's waistcoat buttons. No, she was not crazy. Everything she had done, or was doing right now, was for Jeremiah. Oh please, I'm sure ye're startin' tae like it, ye lyin' whore…, another small voice squeaked in her head – an unpleasant mix of Roger's low, gravelly voice and her own, more high-pitched and sarcastic.

The young woman jumped when two hands grabbed hers to pull them away from the waistcoat and she opened her eyes, coming back to reality. Bonnet was staring at her with unusual seriousness, analyzing the depths of her soul through her blue irises. After a few seconds, he slowly guided Brianna's wrists back to his chest without taking his eyes off her, and she instinctively knew what he wanted. Her attention, her gaze on him… He wanted her with him, body and soul, and not brooding on some dark thoughts in one corner of her brain. How could this man – who had done her so much harm – know her so well in only a few months? That was a mystery… especially when Roger had never been able to fully understand her even after years of living together.

She would give him what he wanted, then. For Jeremiah's sake, but also to thank him because his intervention had stopped her from blaming herself mentally for all of her decisions. Careful not to break eye contact, she proceeded to unbutton his waistcoat gently, and he waited for her to remove the garment along with his blouse to unlace her bodice himself. No hasty movements, no knife to cut the ties, this time. The slowness with which he loosened them, eyelet after eyelet, was unusually sensual, and Brianna almost wished he went faster. But he did not and it took him about three minutes to remove most of his wife's clothes, except for her last petticoat and stockings. Sitting on the noisy bed, he pulled her to him between his spread legs, before taking one of her nipples into his mouth as his hands slowly pulled her petticoat up, slid under the fabric, and grabbed her buttocks.

Bree was gently throwing her head back, closing her eyelids by reflex, when Stephen's hands shook her slightly to make her open them again. Not knowing what to do with her own hands, she slipped them into the Irishman's hair, messing up his ponytail – just as her petticoat and stockings joined her other clothes on the floor. Slowly, but firmly, he whirled her around to lay her on the bed, which emitted another incongruous noise. The young woman rolled her eyes, and Stephen chuckled.

"I promise I'll do something about this bed…", he breathed, grabbing her thighs to bring her closer to the edge of the mattress, before kneeling down with a smirk. "But not right now…"

"Not right now, no…", Brianna whispered, propping herself up on her elbows as he placed his face between her thighs – their gazes still relentlessly connected. Despite his overwhelming desire, Stephen's tongue dived in her folds, skillfully varying pressure and speed. For some reason she could not explain, maintaining eye contact increased Brianna's sensations, and she felt her breathing quicken. When Stephen's hand moved away from her thighs to get closer to her sex, time seemed to slow down again, giving her plenty of time to anticipate the moment when his fingers would enter her, completing the movements of his tongue.

The intrusion was exquisite. The coordination between his tongue on the outside and his fingers on the inside was perfect. Stephen had already managed to pleasure her a bit like this on several occasions but nothing more; her refusal to surrender completely combined with Stephen's haste had never allowed it. For once, though, he seemed ready to take his time and a long sigh soon escaped her lips, as pleasure rose inside her. Bonnet's gaze grew darker, more calculating, and intensely obscene, and Brianna almost blamed herself for feeling aroused by it. But that did not matter. Today, she would give in. And she would live with the consequences, whether good or bad – for the sake of her son and to go back to her reassuring routine. Without violence or arguments of any kind.

A rougher flick of his fingers made her quiver and she let out a loud moan. Her legs tried to close up reflexively, but Bonnet's other hand firmly pushed her right thigh back into position. The hand that was masturbating her picked up speed and force, and Brianna let herself fall back on the mattress, not giving a damn about the noise of the bedding. Or her own gasps. Her back arched and Bonnet's free arm immediately slid in the space created between her and the sheets to imprison her waist and prevent her from inadvertently escaping his delicious torture.

When she finally came, her legs squeezing Stephen's shoulders, he kept going until her pleasure subsided. Panting, Brianna let out a final moan as he withdrew his fingers, and barely saw him get up – a smirk on his lips – to remove his last clothes. When he came back to the bed, she barely had the strength to sit up but could only see that he was far from done with her. With a shy smile, she turned towards the headboard of the bed to crawl under the sheets and feel a little less exposed, but the whole structure creaked loudly when he climbed on the mattress to hold her back. Brianna felt hot already, but it was nothing compared to the heat that emanated from Stephen's chest when he pressed his wife's back against it. With his left arm circling her waist, he methodically kissed and nibbled at her frail shoulders, then her nape, while his right hand reached up to undo her bun.

Brianna gave her husband a questioning look, but Stephen Bonnet was no longer there. In his place was a man absolutely mesmerized by the sight of her red locks cascading over her pale skin. She should have been used to it by now since Stephen spent hours staring at her hair, her lower back, or any other part of her body he liked when she was naked in front of him… But lately, the fire that ignited the Irishman's eyes had become so indecently ardent that Bree herself could feel her body burning. And this time was no exception.

Still watching him, Brianna pushed her knees a few inches apart on the mattress, before arching her back slightly and pressing her buttocks against his groin. Bonnet seemed on the verge of insanity: his dilated pupils followed her every movement, like a snake watching its prey until it found the right moment to pounce and sink its fangs into it. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly as their bodies made contact and his arm immediately wrapped around her waist to hold her in this position, while he responded to her silent request by positioning his cock under her buttocks.

Seconds later, he was inside her, fascinated by the undulations of her hips, the twitch of her breasts with each movement, the way her lips parted as he pushed deeper between her thighs. The sight of their two bodies on their knees, pressed against each other, pleased him more than reason, but the position limited their movements and he felt Brianna grow impatient between his hands.

"What do you want, darlin'…?", he whispered against her ear.

Brianna turned her head towards him, both excited and panicked. His feverish gaze was sparkling with mischief, just like when he was preparing – or had already played – some bad trick. She was thinking about an answer when Stephen's hands slid down her waist to grip her hips and she instantly knew what she wanted. As she bent forward to rest on her palms, he cracked a triumphant grin… one second before he thrust hard into her, causing Brianna to gasp with both surprise and pleasure.

It was the very first time since they were married that Stephen dared to have her like this, on all fours. A few months earlier, she would have refused such a position, but the desire she read in her husband's eyes was so violent that she would rather escape it. She did not want to see how crazy she drove him. Would she be able to resist this desire if she looked him in the face? Probably not. Few men had looked at her like that in her entire life. He was even the only one, to be completely honest. And she dreaded the effect it was having on her, especially since their relations were more peaceful.

Each thrust caused her to sigh, gasp, or scream as he went deeper and deeper into her. Around them, the bed protested loudly and if she had not been so distracted by the waves of pleasure rising from her lower abdomen, she would have laughed. A little embarrassed of the racket they made, she wanted to ask him to change places or slow down the pace to be more discreet, but all she managed to say was:

"Stephen…"

Bree's eyes widened, knowing that blurting out his name like this could be confusing, and she resisted the urge to turn around and see the effect on him. He was probably bloated with pride, smiling smugly from ear to ear… As if to reward her, Stephen leaned forward and one of his hands slipped around her thigh to reach for her clitoris. Brianna took a deep breath, the bedding issue already far from her mind.

"Say that again."

He was jubilant. She could hear it in his voice… in the way he had grunted those three words. She could feel it in the way he fucked her ruthlessly. Hearing her moan his name for the very first time made him feel all powerful – totally controlling her – and he did not plan on stopping there.

"Again."

Another thrust. Brutal, deep. Breathtaking. So much so that he had time to give her the same order a third time before she could comply, completely out of breath. Her obedience was rewarded with an orgasmic quickening of his movements and Brianna felt herself losing her mind. Stephen poured into her as she climaxed, just before his hand left her clitoris to grab her throat – throwing her head back to carry her away in a long, deep kiss. His other hand still holding one of her hips to keep their bodies together. Brianna knew he was only doing this for one reason: he did not want a single drop of his semen to go to waste, hoping for another child – but it was not likely to happen at this point of her cycle, so Brianna let it pass and took a few seconds to catch her breath.

Stephen pulled out after a minute, whistling a joyful tune that caused Bree to roll her eyes, then left the bed to freshen up as she plopped down on the mattress. Stephen usually forbade her to stand up after intercourse, but for once she had no intention to do so. Her pleasure had been so violent that her hands were tingling unpleasantly and one of her ears was ringing. Even if she wanted to, she felt completely unable to stand on her own two legs. She was still staring blankly at the ceiling when the sound of clothes being put on made her turn her head: Stephen was putting his breeches back on with an exasperating smirk and she frowned.

"Where are you going?", she asked bitterly before castigating herself for it. But no matter how twisted their relationship was, there was nothing pleasant about being abandoned naked after sex. Stephen chuckled.

"Don't you worry, darlin'. I'll just ask for somethin' to eat… And don't put your clothes back on, you won't need them."

His hungry look left no room for imagination as to his plans for the rest of the day, and possibly even the night, and Brianna gloomily watched him leave. She waited for his footsteps to disappear down the stairs and carefully got out of bed, her legs still wobbly. Rummaging through her closet for a handkerchief, she used it along with clean water to wash her sex and remove any substance within reach. Then, she hid the folded handkerchief in her things and went back to bed incognito.

Back in her cocoon of sheets and quilt, she waited for Stephen, her mind relentlessly replaying some images of what had just happened. His strong hands on her hips. His rasping voice asking her what she wanted. His demented gaze as he admired her red mane. God, those eyes... The intensity of his desire had always terrified her. One had to be crazy to want to possess someone so much, without knowing anything about them, completely ignoring their feelings, their fear… their consent. Like owning an object. However, after seven months in his company, not only did she start to get used to it but she also enjoyed it somewhat. She had always thought she was pretty growing up and the boys' interest in her in high school and then in college had confirmed it. But in Stephen's eyes, she was not just pretty. She was beautiful; better than that, she was...

Brianna jumped when the bedroom door opened and Stephen reappeared with a fruit platter in his arms which he placed on the dressing table while ogling the shape of her naked body under the sheets.

"Divine…", he whispered with a lustful grin.

A smile involuntarily appeared on Brianna's lips. This compliment ended her own thinking surprisingly well – but before Stephen could congratulate himself for making her blush, she stood up and grabbed a bunch of grapes, swallowing two before lying face down on the mattress to eat the rest. Her husband's gaze literally burned her skin and she finally looked up, her mouth full of fruit. Comfortably seated on the edge of the dressing table, Stephen stared at her with an enigmatic grin.

"Why don't you have me painted? It'll last longer…", Brianna taunted with a cheeky pout. She had almost said "take a picture" but corrected herself at the last moment. A chuckle echoed in the room and Bonnet straightened up, taking his clothes off again. A few seconds later, he was back in their bed… and pinched a grape directly from her bunch.

"I would love to… but the idea of lettin' another man look at your naked body just doesn't sit well with me…", he muttered, letting his fingers run down her thighs and up the curve of her buttocks. "It's a shame I can't draw like you do…"

Brianna stiffened slightly but hid her embarrassment by swallowing another grape. "You… you saw my sketches?" She wanted to sound indifferent, but the idea that he had noticed something strange in her drawings terrified her. There was no way he would understand her code or even its purpose, of course, but he knew how to read her so easily that she still dreaded his answer.

"You had left some of them on your dressing table one morning. If you ever need a model or some inspiration…", he joked, waving a hand at himself.

Relieved to see he suspected nothing, she smirked. "What would I do with a portrait of you? I see you quite enough every blessed day…"

Stephen's hand slapped one of her buttocks, causing her to wince in pain. But the sex — and the relief of avoiding the worst after Roger's visit —had put her in a good mood, and she just raised her eyebrows as she defiantly placed another grape between her lips. Stephen chuckled, captivated by the sensual contrast between her pink lips and the green color of the fruit. With a quick gesture, he stole the bunch from her hands and ignoring her protests, placed it on the bedside table.

"I was eating that, in case you hadn't noticed!"

"You'll finish later…", he growled, grabbing her thighs again before adding against her lips: "I have better plans for your mouth."

Brianna rolled her eyes at the inelegance of his remark but did not have time to retort. Stephen was kissing her again, and she instinctively put her arms around his neck as he carried her away in another embrace.

~o~

The night had been long and incredibly sweet. The few hours of sleep had been interrupted by more intoxicating caresses, kisses, and orgasms. Stephen seemed determined to erase any traces of Roger or her old life from Brianna's brain and although that was unlikely to happen, the young woman had no problem with him trying. He had never cared that much about her pleasure in seven months – or maybe she had always refused to surrender to it. Bree would still have to restore some distance between them after this night if she wanted to keep control of herself and her feelings. She would have to pull herself together. Remember who she was, and who he was. Neither routine, nor Bonnet's good manners, nor sex – no matter how good it felt – should distract her from her goal: to regain her freedom.

But every time Stephen's hands roused her from sleep, the sky was still stubbornly black and studded with stars, and she indulged again guiltlessly in pleasure. Until a new day finally dawned.

When the first rays of sunlight entered the room and her eyes fluttered, the soft feel of the sheets on her bare skin made her shiver, all the more so when one of Bonnet's warm hands slipped around her waist to drag her closer to him.

"Good mornin'…", he whispered in her ear. Brianna winced, before smiling more "sincerely" when he made her face him. The pirate was already dressed and combed, and Brianna wondered how he could get up, get prepared, and then lay down next to her without waking her. But that was not her biggest problem: Bonnet seemed extremely satisfied (which was rather encouraging) but the glint of mischief was still visible in his eyes as if he was about to say or do something that she wasn't going to like.

Gradually moving down Bree's body, he began to trace a vertical line of kisses from her breasts to her navel. "Believe me, darlin'… I have never hated leavin' this bed so much as this mornin'… but I have things to do… and I am starvin'…", he finished, before nibbling on the skin of her stomach. Brianna shooed him away with a giggle, and almost rolled her eyes at her own acting performance. "Come and have breakfast with me, it's been a while since we last shared a mornin' tea…"

Brianna sighed. She just wanted to be alone and think about that disastrous night, and how she had shamefully indulged in lust. But as usual, what she wished for did not matter. Therefore, she opted for a solution that would allow her to have a few minutes of respite. "I'll come down in a moment. Let me just stay in bed a little more… I got very little sleep last night. I wonder why…"

Bonnet laughed and bit his lower lip. "All right… but don't be long."

Without waiting for an answer, he got up and left the room, glancing one last time at his wife's naked body. No sooner had he closed the door behind him, than Brianna rolled onto her back and sighed angrily. Yes, she had saved Roger's life, she had convinced her husband she was faithful and attracted to him, but she had mixed feelings about that victory. The way he had seduced her during the night, his caresses, the pleasure he had given her and that they had given each other… everything had gone way too far. It was too realistic, too… tangible. She could not let that happen again. She would have to find a solution, a parry to put some distance between them again, or just go back to pretending. A few minutes later, she decided to get up so he would not get impatient. After a quick wash, putting on a simple outfit, and a ribbon in her hair, she felt ready to face the day. Or so she thought as she left the room.

Because what Bonnet had in store for her this morning, she had not seen coming. A few yards from the door, on the second-floor landing, was Roger – still tied up but this time to a chair and gagged with thick pieces of cloth. And with his hands resting on the chair bars behind Roger, Bonnet was patiently waiting for her to come out of her lair. Upon seeing her, Roger's eyes expressed such violent disgust and contempt that Brianna took a step back. What the hell…?

"I wanted to show you that I am a man of my word, darlin'. As you can see, he's still alive...", the pirate said happily, ruffling Roger's shaggy hair with one hand. "Nights are still a bit chilly for the season. I felt bad sending him back on the roads like this… How was your night in the corridor, Mr. MacKenzie? Have you been warm enough?"

He… he spent the night… here?, Brianna thought in horror. The idea that Bonnet had calculated everything was slowly creeping into her mind. The torrid night, the multiple orgasms, the noisy bed that he was reluctant to have repaired or replaced... He only needed the last piece of the puzzle... and the piece had showed up voluntarily at the gates of River Run. With his mouth still full of rags, Roger did not answer Stephen's question, but his furious eyes spoke for him.

"Oh, silly me…", the Irishman sneered, untying the gag to allow him to speak. "I had forgotten that tiny detail." He then leaned over Roger's shoulder and nodded. "I, for one, haven't been cold at all… As you can imagine…"

Brianna felt her stomach churn inside her, and if it had not been empty, she would probably have vomited on the carpet. Roger was staring at her with unprecedented aversion and disgust. His mouth – that she had once loved to kiss – was twisted into a venomous grin. He knew how she moaned, how she cried in pleasure… He had certainly understood that she was not faking it and the incessant noise of the bedding throughout the night had not helped. A slut... That's what you are. A filthy little slut… And a traitor, on top of that… Another retch. She wanted to disappear, to run away, to disintegrate into a million pieces, but her body refused to move. She was still frozen in amazement when Bonnet's expression changed dramatically and became threatening. He walked around the chair to face Roger and grabbed his jaw between his fingers.

"Don't you dare comin' back on my property, Mr. MacKenzie... Brianna will not always be there to save you..."

Roger looked away from his ex-wife – who had started shaking all over in shock – and shook his head. The hatred in the Scotsman's gaze was matched only by that in Stephen's. "Dinnae fash, ye willnae see me anymore. I would be remiss if I disturbed yer marital bliss, Mr. and Mrs. Bonnit…"

"Good man…", Bonnet retorted, patting his cheek. He straightened up and snapped his fingers at the stairs. Immediately, three men – including Hennessy – carried Roger and his chair downstairs.

Brianna watched the Scotsman leave like a nobleman in his sedan chair, then disappear down the entrance hall where he would probably be released and walked out. Her legs buckled under her and her back hit the closed bedroom door, preventing her from falling. Her lungs were starting to burn as if she had forgotten how to breathe and she opened her mouth wide to no avail. Not the slightest trickle of air passed in her throat and she wondered for a moment if she would just die there, on the landing, from simple lack of oxygen. Her eyes scanned the surroundings frantically before settling on the one and only person who was still there in the corridor. Stephen.

He was staring at her carefully with narrowed eyes, ready to subdue her if she ever decided to try and murder him with her bare hands. But Brianna could not move. There was doubt in his green eyes – as if the idea that he had perhaps pushed things a little too far had crossed his mind – but his lips quirked into a wide smile.

"You have nothin' more to fear, darlin'. I'm sure Mr. MacKenzie learned his lesson and will not bother us again."

His words seemed to give Bree the boost she needed and she took a deep breath. Her head was spinning, her hands and legs were shaking – she probably looked miserable but Stephen was ignoring any sign of her distress and kept on acting as if nothing had happened.

"I'm starvin'. Let's have breakfast if you don't mind."

"…n…ute…" was all Bree managed to say and she saw her husband frown and tilt his head forward.

"Sorry, I didn't hear that. You were sayin'...?"

Brianna felt her face burn. With rage, shame, hatred, and sadness. Her eyes were tearing up and her throat tightened. She did not even know how she found the strength to repeat in a loud, intelligible voice: "Give me a minute."

Stephen nodded – as if she had just asked him to give her a few more moments to perfect her look – and after one last triumphant glance, he went down the stairs. Turning around, Bree first collapsed against their bedroom door, but the thought of having to look at the ragged sheets or inhaling the smell of their antics was unbearable to her – and she dragged herself to Jeremiah's empty room. Phaedre had probably already gotten him up and taken him downstairs to have breakfast.

Her once slow and hesitant movements became hasty, and frantic, and she rushed to the bed, grabbing her son's pillow to bury her face in it and muffle her screams. Soon, she felt a stinging pain in her throat and along her vocal cords. The more she screamed, the more her voice suffered, and the yelling turned into barely audible gasps interspersed with heartrending sobs. If she had hoped to go back to Roger one day and pick up their lives where they left off, that hope had vanished the moment she had read in his eyes all the disgust and revulsion that she inspired in him. Stephen had played a trick that was almost as cruel as the day he had forced her to marry him. Brianna had played his game of seduction and let more mental barriers down, convinced that it would benefit her or at least bring her some peace of mind. And he had used that to wipe out what was left of Roger's love for her.

She did not even cry out in pain when her legs let go of her and she fell to her knees, still holding the pillow tight against her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she slowly slid down to the floor to cry her broken heart out.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

And now… I bet you've all clasped a hand on your forehead, screaming "WHY, STEPHEN, WHY?". LMAO. One thing is certain, what was for him a simple bad trick will have huge consequences on Brianna; consequences that he had not even imagined. Or maybe he has… It's hard to tell with that man.

What are your thoughts on this chapter? Was it steamy enough for you? I can't wait to read your reactions, I've been waiting for months to get to this part of the story to read your comments on what just happened, ahahahah.

The next chapter will be published on September 25th! Until then, I'm waiting for your comments! Xoxo

Xérès