Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 265

Chapter 265

BRANDON’S POV

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The heavy stillness of the graveyard settled over us like a shroud. The white lilies beneath Claire’s headstone rustled faintly in the evening breeze, their pale petals catching the soft glow of the moonlight.

Aria didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, her fingers tightened around mine, her dark eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked down at the dark marble plaque.

Slowly, she stepped forward, kneeling onto the damp grass right in front of the grave. She reached out, her fingers gently brushing the cold edge of the stone.

“Claire,” Aria whispered, her voice trembling slightly in the quiet night air. “I know you can’t hear me… but I need to say this. I am so sorry. I am so terribly sorry for the blood my family spilled, for the peace they stole from you, and for taking you away from Brandon when you had your whole life ahead of you.”

A single tear spilled over her lashes, tracing a slow path down her cheek.

“I can’t undo what my parents did,” she continued, her voice soft but filled with a deep, solemn promise. “But I promise you… I will love him. I will protect the peace you always wanted for him, and I will make sure he never has to walk through the darkness alone again. Rest well, Claire.”

I stood beside her, my throat tight, a profound warmth spreading through my chest as I listened to her words. Reaching down, I gently helped her back up to her feet.

I turned my full attention to the grave, stepping up to the edge of the marble marker. The raw, jagged memories of the night I lost her tore through my chest, heavier now than they had been in years.

“The first time I came here, Claire…” My voice dropped into a low, gravelly rasp, thick with the weight of years spent in the dark. “I knelt right in this dirt and swore an oath on your memory. I swore I wouldn’t stop until I burned everything down. I swore I would have my revenge, no matter what it cost me.”

I squeezed my eyes shut for a fleeting second, the bitter taste of regret washing over my tongue.

“And I’m so sorry,” I choked out softly, letting down the final wall of my pride. “I am so sorry I failed you. I am sorry I couldn’t protect you… and I’m sorry I couldn’t protect our unborn baby. I was supposed to keep you both safe, and I let the monster take you from me.”

Aria gasped softly beside me, her hand instantly flying to cover her mouth as a fresh wave of tears filled her

I reached out, my fingers trembling slightly as I rested them against the cold marble.

eyes.

“The real culprit responsible for your death is rotting in a jail cell now,” I whispered into the cold night air. “The debt has been paid. The debt is finished. You can rest now, Claire. Rest well… both of you.”

A gentle gust of wind swept through the oak trees above us, rustling the leaves like a quiet, final release of breath.

The crushing weight of vengeance that had chained my soul for years finally shattered, dissolving into the quiet dark. I turned back to Aria, lacing my fingers firmly through hers. “Let’s go.”

11:46 Mon, Aug 3

Chapter 265

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We walked down the gravel path toward the iron gates, side by side. When we reached the SUV, Dominic was standing by the open rear door.

As we approached, he glanced at my face, then down at our joined hands, giving a sharp, approving nod. He knew the phantom had finally been buried. “We’re going home, Dominic,” I said.

“Understood, boss.” We climbed into the back seat, the heavy doors sealing us off from the crisp night air as Dominic pulled out onto the quiet road.

Aria turned on the leather seat, looking at me with absolute seriousness in her dark eyes. The moonlight cast soft shadows across her face, highlighting the quiet strength in her features.

“Brandon,” she said softly, reaching out to wrap both of her hands around mine. “If we’re really doing this… if we’re going to build a real family again, I need one thing from you.”

I looked into her eyes, my chest heaving with a deep breath. “Anything.”

“No more secrets,” Aria said, her voice dropping into an unshakeable, solemn vow. “No more hiding things to protect me, no more lies, no more keeping me in the dark about your world. Whatever comes next, we face it together. Completely transparent.”

I looked at her for a long second, then leaned in, resting my forehead gently against hers. “No more secrets,” I promised into the narrow space between us. “I’m yours. All of me.”

The drive back to the estate passed in a heavy, pregnant silence, but it wasn’t the suffocating quiet of before. It was thick with electric anticipation–a simmering heat that built with every mile as our joined hands rested on the leather seat between us.

When the SUV finally came to a halt in the driveway, I barely gave Dominic time to step out before opening my own door. Hand in hand, Aria and I walked through the front doors.

The foyer was completely quiet, save for the soft tick of the grandfather clock. Mrs. Gable and the house staff had retired for the night, leaving the sprawling mansion bathed in warm, low lighting.

Aria didn’t say a word. She simply turned to face me, her dark eyes flashing with a sudden, unshakeable intent that sent a jolt of fire straight to my gut.

She took my hand, tightening her grip, and led me up the grand staircase. Every step felt deliberate, the quiet tap of her heels echoing through the empty hallway as she guided me directly toward my master bedroom.

The moment we crossed the threshold, she pushed the heavy mahogany door shut behind us.

The lock clicked into place. Before the sound could even fade, I grabbed her waist and pulled her flush against my chest, crashing her body into mine with a fierce, possessive urgency.

“God, Aria…” My voice came out as a low, harsh rasp, my breath hot against her skin as I buried my face in the crook of her neck. My hands pressed hard against the small of her back, molding her curves to my hips. “You have no idea… I’ve missed you so damn much. It’s been killing me.”

A soft, breathless gasp tore from her throat as my lips found the sensitive curve of her throat, tasting the sweet, warm skin I had been starved of for months.

11:46 Mon, Aug 3

Chapter 265

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Her hands flew to my hair, her fingers lacing tightly through the strands as she pulled me closer, arching her body up into mine. “I missed you too, Brandon,” she whimpered, her voice laced with raw desire. “Show me. Show me you’re mine again.”

That was all the invitation I needed. I cupped her face in both hands, tilting her head back, and captured her mouth in a deep, bruising kiss that consumed every lingering doubt between us.

She parted her lips willingly, meeting the desperate rhythm of my tongue with a fiery passion of her own. We tasted like rain, tears, and a long–overdue surrender.

My fingers fumbled with the buttons of her blouse, popping them open with an impatient tug until the fabric fell away from her shoulders, exposing her soft, glowing skin to the dim light of the bedroom.

I slid my hands over her ribs, feeling the frantic, rapid pulse of her heart beating against my palms.

She reached for the buckle of my belt, her hands trembling slightly but driven by the same ravenous need.

She loosened it, pushing my jacket off my shoulders and running her palms down my chest, over the rigid muscle, tracing every line as if reacquainting herself with every inch of my body.

I lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping instinctively around my waist as I carried her to the king–sized bed. We tumbled onto the mattress together, a tangled mess of frantic limbs, breathy whispers, and heavy sighs.

I shed the rest of our clothes, tossing them carelessly onto the floor, until there was nothing left separating us. Standing over her in the twilight, I took in the sight of her, flushed, breathless, and completely open to me.

“You’re beautiful, Aria,” I rasped, leaning down to trail a line of slow, searing kisses down her jawline, past collarbone, and over the rise of her breast.

her

A sharp gasp escaped her lips, her back arching off the bed as my mouth closed over her sensitive peak. She pulled me down into her, her nails digging into the muscles of my shoulders, leaving faint red marks in their wake.

“Brandon, please…” she pleaded, her voice a breathless, aching whisper. “I need you. Now.” I hovered above her, positioning myself between her thighs, my dark eyes locked firmly onto hers.

I wanted her to see me, not the phantom, not the monster of her past, but the man who belonged entirely to her. “Look at me,” I commanded softly.

Her eyes opened, dark and glossy with undeniable desire, anchoring themselves to mine. Slowly, deliberately, I pushed into her, sinking deep into her tight, velvety warmth.

A loud, shuddering moan broke from her throat, her hips lifting instinctively to meet mine as I filled her completely. My own head fell back, a ragged groan tearing through my chest at the sheer, overwhelming bliss of being wrapped inside her again.

The initial friction was agonizingly intense, a surge of pure sensation that nearly shattered my control. I paused for a fraction of a second, letting her adapt to the stretch, kissing her mouth softly to soothe her racing

breaths.

Then, I began to move. I established a slow, deep rhythm, thrusting into her with a steady, relentless power

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