The Proposition 4: The Ferro Family Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Coming Soon: The Proposisition 5

  Limited Edition Bonus Material

  Secrets & Lies

  Secrets & Lies: Excerpt

  Ferro Family Tree

  Original Description for The Proposition

  More Ferro Family Books

  More Romance Books by H.M. Ward

  Please Leave a Review

  THE PROPOSITION

  Bryan Ferro

  Vol. 4

  H.M. Ward

  www.SexyAwesomeBooks.com

  H.M. Ward Press

  COPYRIGHT

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 by H.M. Ward

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form.

  H.M. Ward Press

  First Edition: April 2014

  ISBN: 9781630350239

  THE PROPOSITION

  Bryan Ferro

  Vol. 4

  CHAPTER 1

  Bryan sleeps heavily, naked under the sheets. He doesn’t toss and turn, he remains on his back with his brow unclenched, all signs of pain now gone. I pull up the blankets now that he’s stopped sweating. Traces of his former agony are still apparent—his damp hair and the tightness of his jaw. It seems impossible that this man is ill. He looks perfect at the moment. A cold shiver snakes its way through my belly and up my spine. Sleep is called death’s false twin. I shudder and push the thought away. It can’t be true. He can’t be fading as Jon stated, but even so—I fear his demise is imminent.

  There’s something about this, about the way the pain comes on fast and hard. It brings him to his knees. From the very beginning that’s what was happening, I was just too dumb to notice. I mistook the pain for anger. That’s why he wanted me in his room, so he could hide an attack. That’s why he sent me away that first night. His intention was to be with me, but whatever this illness is snuck up and robbed him of his night of pleasure.

  For a moment, I wonder how many women there have been since we parted. Bryan was my first love and I honestly can’t say I’ve felt the same about another man since. Some relationships are like falling stars. They glow bright and hot, but fade too quickly. That’s what happened to us. At least, that’s my rationalization for that fight—for him leaving me so abruptly.

  The past is dead, Hallie. Let it go. All you have is today. Let everything else go.

  I’ve told myself this since I was a child. It was the only way to survive until my Dad came along and that reminder was no longer necessary. It didn’t pop up again until Bryan left me, and then again at Dad’s death. I wish I’d been there so he didn’t have to die alone, but I guess we all die alone. I can’t bear the thought, so I shove it aside with all the other things I never want to confront. One day an avalanche of sorrow is going to suddenly burst free and crush me until I can no longer function.

  Laying on my side, I cannot find sleep, so I watch his chest rise and fall, grateful for each one. Dark damp hair lays in curls on his pale skin. The blankets cover most of his chest, but his shoulder is exposed, revealing those strong, toned muscles that I love so much. Those arms have wrapped around me more times than I can count. Bryan held me, hugged me, and made love to me with strength and passion. He tossed his medicine away because I was a judgmental idiot, knowing what it would do to him.

  There are very few times I wanted Jon Ferro near me, but tonight I needed him there for Bryan. Things can’t go on like this. How can Bryan keep this a secret? How is it that only Jon and I have noticed? Are the rest of his friends and family so self-absorbed that they can’t tell?

  You couldn’t tell, a voice in my mind whispers. The truth hurts. I should have known, but I didn’t. Even though years have passed and I haven’t seen Bryan, I should have seen it. This isn’t fair. It’s not, and even though I know that life isn’t always happy—holy fuck do I know that—this isn’t right. It’s just not. Bryan is a good man, and losing him will be more than I can fathom. I just lost my father and if they realize who killed Victor, I’ll lose my freedom too. If Jon was telling the truth, and it was Constance Ferro who reported the car stolen, she’s gunning for me.

  Why does she even care about me? I’m no one. I can’t hurt her and yet she acts like I’m poison. Bryan is her nephew, not her son. It’s not like I’m dating Jon. I physically cringe at the thought. That man is so overbearing and such an asshole. I often wonder why Bryan likes him. I realize I just described the entire Ferro clan, but Jonathan is ten times worse than the lot of them. Jon and Bryan have been best buddies since they were in the cradle, and now Bryan has one foot in the grave and I don’t know why or how he got there. Jon doesn’t know either. Death cannot have him yet, he’s mine. I think it even though Bryan isn’t mine and hasn’t been for a very long time.

  I want to cry and pound my fists, wailing that life isn’t fair, but it will do nothing to change this. Today, now—right here—is all I have. I was promised no more and I will have no less. I’m not wasting it sobbing.

  I refuse.

  CHAPTER 2

  Bryan’s forehead is smooth, his skin relaxed, and that horrible pain-filled expression is gone. His hands aren’t fisted, and his body isn’t tensed like it’s trying to tear itself apart. He rests like a man without a worry in the world.

  I smile to myself. He often acts that way—like he has no worries—and I had no idea how he did it. Now I’m dually perplexed. Whatever is going on with him isn’t temporary. Jon’s been watching his best friend fade in front of his eyes for months. I’ve been here mere minutes in comparison.

  I twirl the sheet between my fingers as I lean my shoulder against the old headboard. I watch his chest rise and study the way his dark lashes come to fine points against his tanned skin. I take note of things I never want to forget, like the curve of his lips and that upper bow that’s so defined and kissable. The dimple on his cheek that’s faded now—the one that only appears when he’s truly amused—I remember exactly where that is and lift my hand. Reaching, I slowly touch the spot before gently caressing his face. I smooth my fingers along the dark stubble on his cheek, feeling his warm skin beneath my touch. That dimple made me notice him. It’s so characteristically Ferro. All the men seem to have it. His sister does, too.

  I wonder if she knows. I think about her for a second and consider how close they were once. I’d read in the paper that Joselyn and Bryan bickered publically at some point, which is a Ferro no-no. Elizabeth Ferro, their mother, must have flipped out, but she cleaned up the mess swiftly. The next day everyone was talking about some drunken movie star. I don’t think it was a coincidence that she was last seen around Bryan’s mom at a party, but then there were so many people at that event. Pointing to Elizabeth Ferro would have been ridiculous. They barely spoke, but the fact that she was there tells me all I need to know.

  The Ferros protect the Ferros. They always have, always will.

  I’m not one of them and they make sure I remember it. Every single one of them was like that, except Bryan. He didn’t care about his last name. At one point, he whis
pered in my ear, asking me if I would have dated him if he had been a Smith or he’d had nothing. His heritage made him leery, while the rest of his clan were proud. They still are. Images of Sean Ferro standing trial for killing his wife come to mind. The man didn’t shed a single tear. He went into the courtroom day after day, utterly proud, resembling a god unconcerned with such trivial things. That’s what the Ferros think they are—gods among men.

  But not Bryan.

  Never Bryan. He was uncertain and timid when I met him. Vivid memories flood my mind of a lanky boy with a trim waist and long, dark hair hanging in his eyes. I have no idea why he transferred to a public school, but he had and, as a result, all the girls drooled over him. A Ferro! Can you imagine? They all threw themselves at him. He acted like he’d had a few of them, but after we got to know each other, I found out it was all lies. He was as inexperienced as I was.

  My refusal to go on a date made him curious. My father would have killed me if I’d brought Bryan home, but the real reason I said no was that the guy had HEARTBREAKER written on his face. I’d had enough pain in my life and continued to say no to dates. We became friends instead. One day, though, something changed. Before I knew what happened, our lips were locked and I didn’t want to stop. We never wanted to stop. We were both like that, wanting each other in every way possible. Nothing was out of bounds, not when it came to Bryan. He had me in every way possible, cautiously at first, until I told him how I felt.

  I didn’t want him holding back, so he stopped repressing his desires and things got hotter. It was like that for a long time, until the day we broke up. It’s insane to think of Bryan as being this shy boy when faced with the sexy man he became. The first time he held my hand, oh God, the memory still gives me tingles. He shyly brushed the back of his hand against mine once and then twice. I grinned, knowing what he wanted, but I didn’t help him any. He was so different as a boy.

  I turned to him and said, “Why don’t you just take what you want?” The rest of his family did.

  Bryan’s dark lashes dropped to the floor. We were standing in the middle of the school hallway with packs of kids around us, but they all melted away when those green eyes lifted and met mine. Pressing his lips together, Bryan reached for my hand, took it, and said, “Because I want to make sure you want it too.” He had been so careful back then.

  Our eyes locked and there was no bell buzzing, telling us to get to class.

  Leaning forward, I whispered in his ear, “Can’t you feel it?”

  The magnetic pull from deep within took over until his lips lightly brushed against mine. A teacher’s voice broke the moment and we darted apart like the awkward pair we were. As I tucked my hair behind my ear and glanced up at him, I noticed that dimple. From that moment on, everyone knew about us. Bryan Ferro was mine—heart, body, and soul. Other girls tried to steal him away, but he only had eyes for me. No one else turned his head in the slightest.

  That was another lifetime ago. I was a different person and so was he. Where is that version of Bryan Ferro? What happened to him to harden his heart so much he’d blackmail me instead of call? I would have answered the phone.

  For him, I would have done anything.

  CHAPTER 3

  Bryan stirs as I stroke his face again, pushing his dark, damp hair off his forehead. He blinks for a moment, confused, before he sees me. He doesn’t remember how he got here or what happened. I can see the muddled memories behind his eyes. His lips start to pull into a smile to cover his disorientation, as if he could hide it from me.

  I stroke his brow again and see fear growing in the depths of that vivid green gaze. Before he can back away from my touch, I make a snap decision—one that will cost me later, but right now there is no later and I’m not losing him. He’s spooked. I see it and there’s no way I’m letting him run away. Not now.

  Dropping my hand, I laugh and push my bangs off my face. “Last night was a little crazy, huh? I’m sorry, but I’m not much of a drinker.”

  The worry begins to lift from his brow as he pushes up on his elbows. Bryan is still shirtless, naked under those sheets. I want to wrap my arms around him, but he’s acting like a cornered cat. If I make a wrong move, say the wrong thing, he’s gone. He’s afraid that I know how sick he is; I see it in his face. It kills me that he doesn’t want to tell me what’s wrong, but it’s clear that he doesn’t.

  I laugh once and flop back onto the bed, the way I used to. After all that’s the Hallie he came looking for, the girl who was wild and without caution. The thing he doesn’t know is that she died a long time ago. I’m all caution now. Nothing is fun or done without measure. I plan everything and risk nothing. I’m not the girl I was. She’s gone, but I act like her for a moment. I remember her carefree ways, and the tone of her voice.

  I channel her the best I can and speak with her gusto and a passion that’s been long since lost, “You were hysterical, by the way. My ribs still hurt because you had me laughing so hard.” The lies pour from my lips, one after another, covering everything from the missing pills to him passing out.

  I end it with a shyer question, not because he needs to be asked, but because I need to hear the answer. I tuck my hands behind my neck and stare at the old popcorn ceiling and the yellowing paint. “Do you, uh, remember any naked parts from last night?”

  Silence.

  I’m biting my lips, but it’s agony to wait for his response, so I chatter, filling the void. “Those came first, well, I came first. But I thought you did. I thought you liked it. I mean, we haven’t been together like that in a really long time and I don’t—”

  By now, Bryan has rolled onto his side. He looks down at me smiling. In a teasing, light tone, he says, “Hallie, shut up and kiss me.” His lips come slowly toward mine. I inhale swiftly, yearning for contact, dying to be lost in his arms. I want the real world to fade away. I just want him and me, and when those lips touch mine the small spark of yearning explodes into lust and shoots through my veins in a fiery flash.

  Bryan shifts and rolls on top of me. He doesn’t ask permission. He’s all Ferro now and acts like the god he is, stripping me of his shirt, and gazing down at my naked body. I want to pull up the sheets and hide. The intensity of those eyes is too much. I love and hate it at the same time.

  I finally gasp his name. “Bryan.”

  He’s been straddling me, skin on skin, not moving—just watching me the way I’d been watching him last night. Like this might be our last moment. There’s no foreplay this time. I feel his hard shaft pressing against me and I hope he’ll touch me there, between my legs where I want him, but he doesn’t. Bryan slams a hand on each side of my head, startling me, and then forces my legs apart.

  I want this, but it’s so different from the normal way he behaves. I wonder if it’s the drugs or the fact that he has no time left. Either way, I’m not stopping him. My knees fall apart as he repositions his hips, then before I can take another breath, he drives into me.

  I gasp, reaching for him, but Bryan pegs my wrists to the bed. His face is close enough that I can feel his warm breath, but he leans in closer, keeping himself lodged deep within me, not moving, not riding me the way I want. His gaze is sharper now, clearer. “Don’t lie to me.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Shocked, my jaw drops. “I didn’t!” I make up more stuff about how I told the truth, but he senses it. I know he does, but I keep lying—lacing it with truths—to try and throw him off. The worried look in his eyes kills me. I can’t tell him I know, not if he doesn’t want me to, not yet.

  Giggling, I add, “Come on, Bryan, you know I can’t drink. I was trying to keep up with you. We both passed out. I woke up and you were still sleeping. It’s no big deal.”

  Bryan grabs one of my knees after releasing my hand and presses it into my chest before pushing into me harder. I gasp, unable to breathe. He’s so hard and although I was barely wet when he pushed in, I’m not dry now. I want him and this position makes me feel every inch of his long, h
ardness.

  He repeats in that heated tone of his, “Don’t lie to me. I know you too well. We shared too much. I know the way you lie, the way your eyes remain locked on mine, and how the corner of your mouth twitches. I know you, or have you forgotten?” He thrusts in deeper, once, as if it’s punishment.

  But it’s not. I scream in pleasure. With my free hand I try to claw his back, but I can’t reach around my knee. I can barely breathe with the way he’s pushing me into the bed, but Bryan doesn’t move. I thought he’d fuck me and leave, especially if he’s upset that I found out, but he doesn’t. He stays there like that, teasing me, but in a fierce, almost scary way. It’s like he’s thinking about the things he could do to me, how he could overpower me, but he knows I’d like it. It’s a double-edged sword for him, I guess, so he hesitates.

  Fine. He wants the truth, then let’s talk. “I know you too,” I manage in a voice that’s much too husky to have come from me, but it did. Bryan grinds his hips and I close my eyes, enjoying the sensation. “I know you’ve been lying, so why should I tell you anything?” He stops and releases the pressure on my knee.

  After a deep breath he shakes his head and smirks. It’s that crooked smile, the one that I want to lick off his face. “I haven’t lied once since I’ve seen you. I wanted to use you. I wanted to fuck you until I was done. I’m not done.” He presses into me again, thrusting harder this time, but only once.

  I coo, trying hard not to beg him. I know that’s what he wants me to do, but I won’t. Not this time. He owes me some answers if he wants me that way. “There’s more to it than that.”

  He laughs like I’m amusing him, but it’s so smug—so arrogant and pompous. “No, there really isn’t. Your fiancée complicated things, so I had to come up with a more creative means to get you in my bed.” His green eyes blaze as he licks his lips. I know he’s thinking about what he wants, how he wants to take me, but he doesn’t move. Having him there teases and torments me, but I remain still like it doesn’t bother me.