Chapter 4: Unexpected Guest

Joella

I sighed contentedly as the warm water enveloped me, easing the tension in my sore muscles. My body melted into the tub, the fragrant scent of lavender and vanilla curling around me like a comforting embrace. Haden had woken me early this morning, his touch both possessive and reverent. He made love to me with a gentleness that felt almost worshipful, murmuring that he knew I was sore—but that he craved me too much to resist. And I, willingly, gave myself to him.

After four intense rounds, every inch of me ached. My limbs were stiff, my movements sluggish, and I couldn't help but glare at the triumphant smirk that tugged at Haden's lips as I limped across the room. The satisfaction radiating from him made me want to throw something at his smug face. He only laughed, unbothered by my silent threats, and disappeared into our bathroom. Moments later, the sound of running water filled the air, followed by the soothing fizz of my favorite bath bomb dissolving into the tub. Before I could protest, Haden swept me up in his arms, effortlessly carrying me into the bathroom.

"I've watched you struggle enough," he teased, lowering me gently into the water. His eyes gleamed with amusement, but beneath it, I saw something else—something tender, something unspoken.

And as I sank into the warmth, letting it cradle me, I realized that despite my exhaustion, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I watched as Haden stepped out of the shower, my gaze following the way the droplets of water clung to his skin. His muscles flexed as he reached for a towel, wrapping it loosely around his waist, and I bit my lip, unable to look away.

He had changed so much over the years. The boy I once knew had transformed into a man—bigger, stronger, his body hardened with time and discipline. His arms, chest, and back were now a canvas of ink, intricate tattoos tracing the ridges of his muscles, only adding to the raw power he exuded. He grabbed another towel, running it through his damp hair, and I swallowed hard as beads of water trickled down his sculpted abs. My legs crossed instinctively under the warm water, my body betraying me despite knowing I couldn’t take any more.

But my desire didn’t care about limits. It wanted him. It craved his heat, his weight pressing me into the mattress, the slow, agonizing roll of his hips as he filled me completely. I was yanked back to reality when he cleared his throat, a low, rumbling groan escaping his lips as he purposefully kept his gaze from mine.

"Tesoro, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, I promise you won’t be able to walk around campus tomorrow." His voice was deep, husky—laced with warning and temptation.

I smirked, tilting my head. "You haven’t even looked at me. How do you know how I’m looking at you?" I teased.

That was a mistake.

His sharp green eyes snapped to mine, locking me in place. My breath hitched, my pulse hammering as I took in the sheer intensity in his gaze. He looked ready to pounce, and the anticipation sent a rush of heat straight to my core.

"I’m always aware of you," he murmured, his voice rough, almost guttural. "My body is hypersensitive to you. The moment I stepped out of that shower, I felt your eyes on me, burning into my skin."

I swallowed as I shifted slightly in the tub, my thighs pressing together. His gaze flickered down, his lips curving into a knowing smirk.

"Tesoro," he warned, his tone laced with control, but his steps toward me were slow, deliberate. The air in the room grew thick, charged. My body tensed in anticipation as he leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

"Your body is calling out to me right now." His whisper sent a shiver down my spine before he trailed soft, teasing kisses down my neck.

I exhaled sharply, my head falling back against the plush pillow behind me. My body trembled as he slipped his hand into the water, his fingers trailing lower, lower—until they brushed right over my aching nub. A helpless whimper escaped my lips, my legs parting instinctively as pleasure licked up my spine. He chuckled darkly against my skin, his breath warm, his control agonizing.

"You’re way too sensitive for me to do what I really want right now," he murmured, his fingers teasing, tormenting. "But I can take care of that throbbing between your legs for you."

Haden slid two fingers inside me, curling them just right. A breathy moan escaped my lips as he pumped in and out, each movement deliberate, each stroke sending waves of pleasure rippling through me. He leaned in, his lips grazing mine, his tongue flicking teasingly as if coaxing me to open up for him. I obeyed, parting my lips, and whimpered into his mouth as the kiss deepened—slow, intoxicating, all-consuming.

His fingers moved torturously slow, dragging out the pleasure, making my body ache for more. I gasped as he pressed harder, his fingers stroking that spot that made my vision blur.

"Oh, Haden," I breathed, my voice trembling with need.

He smirked against my lips before sucking my bottom lip into his mouth, his teeth grazing teasingly.

My lower abdomen tightened, the pleasure building to a peak as he began to speed up, his fingers working me into oblivion. My body tensed, trembling, my legs turning to jelly as my release hit me hard.

Can you cum too many times?

I slumped back against the edge of the tub, my eyes fluttering closed, my body completely spent. Haden let out a low, satisfied chuckle before pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

"Come on, tesoro. We're about to be late," he murmured, his voice laced with amusement as he pulled me up from the water. He grabbed a towel, wrapping it securely around me before effortlessly lifting me into his arms, carrying me bridal-style back into the bedroom.

As he set me down, he gave me a pointed look. "Did you take your pill?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Haden, I took my pills."

"Hey, I’m just making sure. You’re the one who stopped talking to me for a week when you thought I got you pregnant," he reminded me, his tone playful but firm.

I huffed, rolling my eyes again, but he wasn’t wrong. Back when we had relied solely on condoms, he had asked if we could stop using them. I was stunned when he casually dropped a folder of his test results in front of me, proving he was clean. After some convincing, I agreed and got on birth control, though if I was being honest, I was awful at remembering to take it. That’s why I had an alarm set on my phone now—because the last thing I needed was another pregnancy scare.

"Whatever. You ready?" I asked, shifting the subject.

Haden chuckled, shaking his head. "Since we’re both still in towels, that would be a no."

I smacked my lips before breaking into a playful smirk. "Well, hurry up! You know my mom’s gonna be on us for being late."

Sunday meant two things in our household—church and family night. Mom was adamant about both, insisting that we start the day in prayer and end it together. Family night usually consisted of business talk between Brad and Haden, while Mom and I discussed my finals.

We got dressed quickly and headed out the door, but as soon as we arrived at church, something felt... off.

The moment we approached, Mom pulled Haden and me between her and Brad, positioning us like a human barrier. Her expression was tight with irritation, while Brad’s face remained unreadable.

Haden and I exchanged a quick glance before turning our attention to the podium.

Mom and Brad always sat next to each other—always—so this? This was weird. Unheard of. I kept sneaking glances at her, but she never once looked my way. Instead, her leg bounced rapidly, a sure sign she wasn’t just annoyed. She was pissed.

What the hell happened?

Once the service ended, we followed them back to the house. The tension hadn’t eased one bit.

Brad ordered takeout for lunch, and we all gathered in the living room while we waited. The air was thick with something unspoken, something just waiting to explode.

Haden, of course, had no patience for the guessing game. "So, anybody want to tell us why it feels like we walked into a war zone?"

I mentally slapped him. He always had to say something.

Mom rolled her eyes and sighed, her arms crossing as she turned to Brad. "What's the problem, Brad?"

My eyes widened at her tone. Mom and Brad never fought—not in front of us, at least. This was beyond weird.

Brad scoffed before running a hand down his face. "Oh, I don’t fucking know. Maybe the fact that your late husband’s brother wants you is the problem!"

My brain short-circuited for a second.

"Wait. Uncle Jacob stopped by?" I asked, ignoring everything else Brad just said. It wasn’t that I didn’t hear him—I did. His words definitely registered. But all I could focus on was the fact that I hadn’t seen my uncle in over nine years.

"Will he be back?" I asked, feeling a rush of excitement.

"Hell no," Brad snapped.

I turned to him, startled by the hostility in his voice. My gaze flickered to Haden, who was leaned back on the couch, looking far too amused by all of this.

"Dad, are you being possessive?" Haden teased, his tone playful.

Mom smacked her teeth. "Unbelievably so. He's literally upset about a hug. A hug!" she yelled.

I couldn’t help it—I let out a small chuckle. Like father, like son.

Brad's jaw clenched. "No, Stella. That was not just a hug. That embrace was too close and too long. You had to pull away first, and he acted like he didn’t want to let you go. I’m not blind—I can tell when someone wants what’s mine."

Good Lord.

He sounded just like Haden in that moment. At first, I had always thought Haden took after his mother, but the more I learned about Brad, the more I saw the similarities. That stubborn attitude, that intensity, the unwavering possessiveness—it was all Brad.

I exhaled, trying to defuse the situation. "I mean… it’s been years since we’ve seen him. He was probably just happy to see Mom. We haven’t seen him since Dad’s funeral."

That day played in my mind like a movie. Dad and Uncle Jacob had been incredibly close—best friends, partners in crime, brothers bound by something deeper than blood. Losing Dad had shattered him. It was the hardest thing any of us had ever faced, but for Uncle Jacob, it had been unbearable. He could barely walk into the church, let alone stand before the casket.

After that, he disappeared—moved to Europe, buried himself in a new life. He called sometimes, checked in, sent me gifts for my birthday, but he never came back to the States. He said it was too hard.

Brad looked between me and Mom before shaking his head, his jaw still tight, his frustration barely contained.

"Ella, you didn’t see how his eyes roamed over your mother. You also didn’t feel the coldness coming off him every time he had to acknowledge me," Brad said, his voice tight with frustration. "I respect that he’s your uncle and Stella’s brother-in-law, but I will not tolerate a man being disrespectful to me in my own home. I have no problem with you seeing him, but it won’t be here."

With that, Brad turned to Haden and gestured toward his study. "We have some numbers to go over."

Haden nodded, that same annoying smirk still plastered on his face. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to my cheek before pushing off the couch and following Brad.

I turned to Mom, who still looked irritated, and patted the seat next to me. With a sigh, she sat down and pulled out her phone, handing it to me.

"Here’s his number. Give him a call."

I copied it into my phone before looking up at her. "You okay?" I asked softly.

Mom let out another sigh, rubbing her temple. "I’m fine. Just frustrated."

"Was Uncle Jacob really cold to Brad?"

She nodded, confirming it. "Yes, he was… but I don’t think it’s because he wants me. I think it’s because, one—he doesn’t know Brad, and two—Brad is married to his brother’s wife. You know how your uncle was about your dad."

I nodded in understanding. Uncle Jacob had always been protective of my dad, sometimes almost possessively so. Losing him had been a deep wound, one he’d never really let heal.

Mom leaned back against the couch. "And for the record, Jacob wasn’t looking me up and down the way Brad made it seem. His eyes swept over me, yes, but you know how he and Joe always did that. It wasn’t a sexual thing—he was literally checking me for signs of abuse."

That made sense. Dad and Uncle Jacob had always done that with me too. Anytime I came home from a friend’s house, Dad would look me over, then pull me into a tight hug—not just out of affection, but to check for any tension, any flinch that might indicate something was wrong. Uncle Jacob didn’t trust easily, and since he didn’t know Brad, of course, he’d be wary.

"Did you explain that to Brad?" I asked.

Mom scoffed. "He wouldn’t let me get a word in! He told Jacob to get the hell out of his house and to never come back. When I tried to explain, he flipped out."

She shook her head, exhaling sharply. "Your uncle almost punched him, but I stepped in and told him to leave. I promised I’d have you call him. And after Brad’s blow-up? I guarantee Jacob’s going to hound you now, making sure we’re safe."

I sighed. Yeah, that definitely sounded like Uncle Jacob. He was going to ask a lot of questions.

"How long is he staying?" I asked.

"Until after your graduation—so about a month."

That made me smile. I missed him. This whole situation was just a big misunderstanding, but I knew it would take Brad a minute to come to reason. He and Haden were so alike in their stubbornness, but Mom? She wasn’t like me. She wouldn’t back down. She was headstrong and fiery—this wasn’t going to just blow over.

This was going to be interesting.

A few minutes later, Haden and Brad reappeared, just as our food arrived. We ate with light conversation, but the tension between Mom and Brad still lingered, both of them civil but obviously still stewing. Haden, of course, found the whole thing entertaining, teasing his dad at every opportunity. Eventually, we headed back to Haden’s penthouse—I had a flight to catch in a couple of hours.

After packing up, I sat on the bed and pulled out my phone, dialing my uncle’s number.

"Hello?" His deep voice came through the speaker.

A grin stretched across my face. "Hi, Uncle Jay!"

"Heyyy, Peanut! How’s my niece doing?" he asked, matching my excitement.

"I’m good! Just upset I missed you yesterday."

"It’s okay. I’ll see you next weekend. Your mom told me you had to head back today. Let’s plan to grab lunch?"

"Of course! Can’t wait!"

"Perfect. I’ll talk to you later, Peanut. Safe travels. Love you."

"Love you too, Uncle Jay," I said before hanging up.

"Everything good?"

I looked up to see Haden standing in the doorway. He grabbed my duffle bag, then reached for my hand, pulling me up.

"Yeah, everything’s good," I said with a smile.

He nodded, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "Good. Let’s get you to the airport."

Then he kissed me again, lingering this time, before leading me to the door.