All Chapters of Dark Love: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Inara would have liked more time to try and calm herself but remembering her last episode with him on timing, she hurried to her parent’s room and knocked on the door.“Dad, mum, Lemuel is taking me out.”She hoped they couldn’t hear the tremor she was fighting to keep from her voice.“Enjoy your courtship.” Her mum said.“Chastely.” her dad added.

“You can wrap your arms around me, Nara. It’s okay.” he said softly. Gingerly, she brought her arms around him, coming to rest her head against his brawny chest, her sobs gradually reducing as the intense pain on her bum started to ebb.“Let’s get you a bit comfortable.” he said and lifted her onto his shoulder, taking her to the living room where she noticed for the first time that there was a big automatic couch that doubled as a bed in there. Gently, he lay her on her side, brushing her hair away from her wet cheeks. Her sobs were down to sniffles by now.  

“Hey, pumpkin.”Inara turned to find Alex coming up behind her where she was standing out on the terrace of the church building trying for the second time to see if Zee had shown up for the wedding rehearsal. It was 8:00 am and Zee was not there yet.Inara noticed that Alex had lost some pounds. His weight loss efforts were paying off. He was looking good.“Wow, you are slimming down.”

By evening, after dinner, Inara realized that she had not written her vow. She got into her room, grabbed a pen and sheet of paper, then sat down at her dresser to think. Words didn’t come.She tried to remember what the other brides she had watched in church used to read from their paper. They always said sweet things. But her own wedding wasn’t normal. It made it difficult to write anything.After more pondering with no headway, she decided to let her heart lead her and before long, she had finished writing the vow that she would read.

Reverend Anthony's Church, Heavens Vine was brimming with the arrival of guests for Lemuel and Inara's wedding.Outside the entrance to the church, a banner had been erected with the picture of Lemuel's proposal to Inara. It was the picture where he was kissing her hand, the one that had the engagement ring on it.The words "Inara weds Lemuel" had been boldly inscribed on the banner with a romantic handwritten font.Some paparazzi were hanging around by the church entrance waiting eagerly to take pi

After the wedding ceremony, Inara found herself in a familiar situation, which was being in a car alone with Lemuel.The only difference was that, they were in their wedding clothes and she was seated beside him in the Range Rover that had brought him to church. The luggage she had carefully packed the previous night was in the booth and a low jazzy music was playing in the car as he navigated them through the streets.Inara recognized the apartment where he had punished her and quickly looked away. That hadn’t been funny.

After Inara stopped crying, sleep overtook her and she found herself in her wedding dress, studying her reflection in the mirror at the dresser in Lemuel’s room.It then occurred to her that he had earlier yanked her wedding dress off her. How could she be wearing it now? Then it dawned on her that she was in a dream. She gasped as words formed a sentence across the surface of the mirror like smears of dripping blood. The Last Dare is Lifted, it read.

When the door swung open, she saw that he had changed into dark grey pajamas but without the top on. Seeing him all bare chested again made her catch her breath and he walked straight towards her and enveloped her in his arms. Feeling soothed and seeing his earlier anger gone, she responded, circling her arms around him. “I really want a bath sir.”“You’ll have one now Nara, come with me.”

All Inara could think about was what was about to happen. He wrapped his hand around her waist and broke the kiss to brush her hair gently away from her face, his hazel eyes taking in her green ones.Damn, he really loved those eyes with the long lashes. They always, always did him in and he really liked it. He started to kiss her again. Her lips were so soft and felt so good pressing against his.Her hands came up instinctively, circling around his neck and he could feel her fingernails tentatively playing along the back of his scalp as the kiss continued slowly and he could almost feel her heart beating against his chest.

Inara lay beside him in the aftermath of their lovemaking, her mind entirely befuddled about how shamelessly she had cried out in the throes of her pleasure beneath him. His voice whispering sweet words in her ears, coaxing her on was also something she had greatly enjoyed. It made her body want more which brought another source of shame to her. She also felt some ache between her legs and groaned.“Time to ease your sore sweetheart.” he said and carried her off the bed, taking her back to the bathroom where she welcomed a warm bath, allowing the water to soothe her. Then he left to change the sheets and she heard him using