The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 142 - One Hundred and Forty-Two

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Two

Malachi’s POV

She was still in my arms, her head resting on my chest, our breathing finally returning to normal. We were partially dressed, clothes hastily pulled back on but still disheveled, evidence of what we’d just done written all over both of us. My shirt was unbuttoned, her dress only half-zipped, her hair a mess that I’d caused with my hands.

I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want this moment to end. Because once we left this office, once we went back to the mansion, we’d have to pretend again. Have to act like nothing had changed, like we hadn’t just crossed every line that existed between us.

I was done pretending. Done hiding. I needed to make real moves, actual steps toward making her mine permanently. Divorce Travis, marry her, make it impossible for anyone to question who she belonged to.

Mine. She was mine. And everyone needed to understand that.

"We should go home," Alicia murmured against my chest, her voice lazy and satisfied. "It’s getting late. People will notice we’re both gone."

"Let them notice."

"Malachi."

"I want to stay here. Just like this. Holding you. Because I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to do this again without sneaking around."

I felt her smile against my skin. "You’re being sentimental."

"I’m being honest."

She shifted slightly, her hand moving across my chest in a gentle pattern that made something warm settle in my ribs. This was what I wanted. Not just the physical connection, though that was incredible. But this. The quiet moments. The comfort of having her close. The feeling that everything was right when she was in my arms.

We lay there in comfortable silence, her fingers tracing lazy patterns, my hand stroking her hair. Just existing together without the weight of everything else pressing down on us.

Then her stomach growled. Loud and unmistakable in the quiet office.

I frowned. "When’s the last time you ate?"

"Breakfast, I think. I had meetings through lunch."

"Alicia."

"I know. I forgot. It happens."

It happened too often. She was always taking care of everyone else, making sure everything ran smoothly, and forgetting to take care of herself in the process.

I didn’t want to leave this office. Didn’t want to go back to the mansion where we’d have to separate, where I’d have to watch her go to Travis’s room while I went to mine alone.

Then I remembered. The idea came fully formed, perfect.

I smiled.

"Get dressed," I said, sitting up and bringing her with me.

"What?"

"Put your clothes on. We’re leaving."

She looked confused. "I thought you said you didn’t want to go home."

"We’re not going home." I stood, started buttoning my shirt properly, fixing myself to look presentable. "Not to the mansion anyway."

"Then where are we going?"

"You’ll see."

"Malachi, I hate surprises."

"You’ll like this one." I helped her with her zipper, took my time fixing her hair so it looked less like someone had been running their hands through it. Kissed her between adjustments because I couldn’t help myself.

She got dressed with my assistance, small kisses peppered throughout the process. On her shoulder when I zipped her dress. On her neck when I fastened her necklace. On her lips when she tried to ask again where we were going.

"Trust me," I said against her mouth.

"That’s a dangerous thing to ask."

"I know."

We left the office separately, just in case anyone was still around. Met at my car in the parking garage five minutes later. She slid into the passenger seat, looking curious and slightly wary, like she wasn’t sure what I was planning but knew it was something significant.

I drove out of the city, taking routes she wouldn’t recognize. Heading toward the part of Silver Lake where the old money lived, where estates spread across acres and privacy was guaranteed by gates and walls and carefully cultivated distance from neighbors.

"Where are we going?" Alicia asked again, watching the unfamiliar streets pass by.

"I told you. It’s a surprise."

"I don’t like surprises."

"You keep saying that. But I think you’ll like this one."

"That’s what people always say right before something terrible happens."

I smiled. "Trust me."

She settled back in her seat, still watching everything with that careful attention she always had. Taking in details, cataloging information, trying to figure out what I was planning.

I loved seeing her so inquisitive. Her hands were in-between her laps, rubbing each other nervously.

We drove for another fifteen minutes, leaving the city proper and entering the kind of neighborhood where houses couldn’t be seen from the road, where privacy was absolute and wealth was understated but undeniable.

I turned onto a private drive. Stopped at electric gates that were tall and imposing, designed to keep the world out.

I punched in the code. The gates swung open smoothly.

Alicia was staring now, her expression shifting from curious to shocked as we drove through and she got her first glimpse of what lay beyond.

The mansion was smaller than the Blackwood estate but no less impressive. Modern architecture mixed with classical elements, all glass and stone and clean lines. Perfectly maintained grounds stretched out on all sides, gardens that had been designed by professionals and kept immaculate.

I’d bought this place two years ago. My private escape. The one place that was entirely mine, that had nothing to do with the family or the business or any of the obligations that defined my life.

No one knew about it. Not Pa Wood, not Travis, not even Maurice or Rose. This was my secret. My sanctuary.

And now I was bringing Alicia here. Sharing it with her. Because she was the only person I wanted in this space, the only person who belonged here besides me.

I parked in front of the main entrance. Turned off the engine. Looked at her shocked expression and smiled.

"Welcome to my home."