“Thank you,” she said with a laugh. “I guess it’s a good thing you have such a big family. They are going to have to make up for my lack of family.”
“My family is going to love you,” I told her. “You are going to be glad you were an only child by the time you get through my family.”
She smiled and took a drink. “I doubt that.”
We enjoyed the rest of our dinner. I could see her trying to be happy, but she was still a little down. After the dinner, we enjoyed a quiet stroll around the deck before the cruise was done. “Can we go back to my place?” I asked her when we were on our way.
“I’d like that,” she said.
The drive to my place was quiet but not uncomfortable. I pulled into the driveway, got out to open her door for her, and slipped my hand in hers. We walked to the front door where I had my key ready to open the door and show her I was the right man to take care of her.
“I’m going to run you a bath,” I told her. “I want you to relax and get off your feet.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said.
“I want to. Sit tight and I’ll be right back.”
I headed upstairs and started the bath before lighting a few of her favorite candles. I was getting to know her better. I was learning what she did and didn’t like. It was a little backward, but I planned on getting to know every detail about her. When our baby arrived, it was going to be crazy.
When I went back downstairs, she was flipping through the baby book I bought. I wanted to study and prepare myself for what was to come. I wanted to know what she was going through so I could try and help her.
“Have you been reading this?” she asked.
I nodded. “I have. I’m just hitting the third trimester.”
“I’m not sure I want you reading this,” she said with a grimace. “It gets a little graphic. It doesn’t exactly inspire sexy.”
“Baby, you’re going to be sexy no matter what you do or what you look like. I’m in, all in. I know there are going to be some rough times. I want you to lean on me.”
“I picked the right man to knock me up,” she joked.
“Damn straight. Come on, your bath is waiting.”
I wasn’t going to invade her space. This was a chance for her to relax and unwind. I gave her a kiss and left her alone. I kept myself busy by cleaning up the living room a bit before flipping on the TV to pass the time. I was pissed at her dad. He had no right to make her feel like she was a disappointment. She did nothing to warrant that. The man clearly didn’t know how good she was. How much she looked up to him. She idolized her father. She’d sacrificed a lot to make him happy.
Her dad was a good dad, but a little support would go a long way. I waited almost an hour before I went back upstairs to check on her.
I knocked on the bathroom door. “Babe?”
“I’m not decent,” she called out. “Which means I want you to come in.”
I laughed and opened the door. She was sunk low in the tub. Bubbles covered her body with just her toes and her head above the surface. The lights were off with only candlelight to see by. “Damn,” I breathed. “I am one lucky dude.”
“This was exactly what I needed.”
“Feeling better?” I asked and sat down on the edge of the round soaking tub. It was one of the things I requested when I remodeled the townhouse. I never actually used the tub, but in case I wanted to one of these days. Or her. I liked seeing her in the tub.
“I’m feeling so much better,” she said. “You spoil me.”
“I will always spoil you.”
27
River
I reached up to him. He took my hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ll leave you to soak,” he said softly.
“Don’t go,” I whispered.
He turned my hand over and kissed my palm. His kisses continued up my arm and then moved to my mouth. He left the side of the tub and grabbed a towel. I stood up, letting the water sluice down my naked body. He stepped forward and helped me out of the tub and then spent a great deal of time drying every inch of my skin. By the time he led me to his bed, I was primed and ready.
He gently laid me on the bed and stood beside it. He looked down at my naked body and smiled. “I am in awe of you,” he said.
“Why?”
“You’re incredible.” He put his hand on the rounded baby bump. “You’re growing a human inside you. My human. Our baby. I want you, and yet, I want to simply admire you.”
I smiled and grabbed his hand. I slid it to my breast. “You can admire me while you are making love to me.”
He chuckled. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Instead of getting naked and climbing into bed with me, he stayed standing. His hand roamed over my breasts. They were extra sensitive and even the slightest touch sent shockwaves through my system. His hand slid between my legs. I opened them a little wider. We both watched as his fingers slid over my sensitive folds before he pushed one finger inside me.
I groaned and opened my legs wider. He sat on the edge of the bed and pushed a second finger in. His other hand moved to caress my breasts. It was a slow burn. The orgasm started at the tips of my toes and slowly moved up my body. Every muscle flexed and released as the spasms coursed through my body. I released a low moan and languished in the feeling of being completely satisfied in the moment.
“Better?” he asked.
I opened my eyes and saw him looking down at me with such tenderness it made my heart beat just a little faster. “So much better.”
“If you’re tired, why don’t we just go to bed?” he said.
I raised an eyebrow and sat up so our faces were almost touching. “Not a chance, mister.”
He grinned. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
He let out a long sigh. “Thank god.”
“I think you are a little overdressed for the occasion,” I said. I moved off the bed and stood before him in all my naked glory.
I unbuttoned his shirt one button at a time. I pushed it open and bent forward to kiss his chest while pushing the shirt off him. I gently pushed him backward until he was lying with his back on the bed and his feet on the floor. I took my time and undid his belt and then his pants. I pulled the pants and his briefs down his body.
“Wow,” I said with genuine appreciation. “You are one very fine, male specimen.”
He laughed and held out his arms. “Look your fill. My body is your body.”
My eyes raked over every inch of him. I couldn’t resist touching. My hand raked down his chest before grabbing the engorged cock that protruded forward. I gripped the steel shaft and reveled in the power I felt.
I dropped to my knees in front of him. My tongue lapped over the bulbous head before I slipped my mouth down his full length. He sat forward using those killer abs. His hands threaded through my damp hair while I bobbed up and down. I lapped and sucked and did everything I could to give him the same pleasure he gave me.
His fingertips massaged my scalp, but he never once applied any pressure. It was all me. I was in full control. I heard his breathing change and knew he was close. “River,” he groaned my name.
I didn’t stop. I sucked harder and moved faster. He released a slow groan as he erupted in my mouth. I sucked down every last drop. He fell backward onto the bed with his arms splayed out again. I smiled and got to my feet.
“Damn, woman,” he said on a breath. “I don’t know if I can handle that again. I feel like I’ve been reborn.”
I laughed and stretched out alongside him. My fingertips traced circles around his chest. I bent and kissed one nipple and then the other. I spent some time exploring his body with my mouth. I covered every inch before I instructed him to move to the pillows. He propped himself up and watched me as I crawled over his body and straddled him.
He was ready for round two. I was more than ready. I wrapped my hand around his cock once again and held him steady while I lowered myself down hi
s thick length. I took it slow, lowering my body inch by inch.
When I was fully seated on him, I rested both hands flat against his chest. “I don’t know if I will ever get tired of this,” I told him.
“Me either.”
“You know, when this belly gets bigger, this position might be our only option.”
He grinned. “You won’t hear any complaints from me.”
“I didn’t think so,” I said with a contented sigh.
I began to move slowly at first before my body demanded much more. I rode him hard and fast. I threw my head back and let my hair fall down to his legs as I moved. His hands were on my hips, holding me steady when he got in on the action. His hips bucked upward and would have knocked me off, but he held on strong. It was like riding a bucking bronco.
An orgasm slammed over me. I cried out and reached out to hold on to his shoulders. He continued to buck until he was shouting through his own release. I collapsed forward with my head resting on his chest. His skin was damp with perspiration. I kissed the side of his neck and tasted the salt. I kissed his jaw and rose up to kiss him again.
His arms wrapped around me and held me close to his chest. I could feel his heart pounding against mine. I had to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. Damn the hormones. The tears were of love and joy. As he held me and our heartbeats returned to normal, I realized I was falling more in love with him by the day.
I had no idea how to navigate this. We were together but not together. We never talked about our future. We talked about the baby, but we never talked about us. I didn’t know what that meant. I kept telling myself this was all still very new. We were still getting to know each other.
“You okay?” he asked.
I sighed and slid to the side. “I’m good.”
He leaned down and pulled the blanket up and over us before tugging me into his side. He snuggled me close and dropped a kiss on my forehead. “I think I’m really going to like this you-on-top thing.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be bouncing around like that much longer.”
“Why? Did it hurt? Are you okay?”
I had to laugh. “I’m fine. I’m worried about you. I might suffocate you with this belly.”
“You can suffocate me with those breasts,” he said.
He appreciated the fullness of my breasts on a daily basis. I just hoped he would appreciate the fullness of the rest of me. Maybe that was my fear. “Do you think you’re still going to find me attractive when I’m really big? Like nine-months big?”
“Hell yeah,” he said without hesitation. “Baby, you are growing my baby inside you. That is a major turn-on. You know, when you’re not in the mood, just say it. This thing we have is not just sex. I know there are going to be days you are exhausted or not feeling in the mood. I’m still going to want to be with you.”
“We’ll revisit this subject in a couple months,” I joked.
He held me and rubbed his hand up and down my arm. “Can I ask you something?”
“Yes, I think.”
“You never talk about your mom,” he said. “Is she around?”
This was further proof of how little we knew about each other. “No. She died when I was eight.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Thank you. It’s sad, but I don’t remember her all that much anymore. I remember her tucking me into bed at night and I remember her dancing in the kitchen when we made cookies, but I don’t remember her voice. Like I can see her talking to me, but I can’t remember what she sounded like.”
“Can I ask what happened?”
“Cancer. I don’t know the details. My dad doesn’t like to talk about it much. I remember coming home from school one day and my dad was there. He never got home before me. Apparently, Mom had gone to the doctor and learned she had an aggressive cancer. She chose not to get treatment. I heard my parents fighting about it one day and asked what was going on. Of course, they didn’t tell me much. Mom later told me the doctors wanted to give her medicine that would make her really sick, and she didn’t want to take it. As I got older, I came to realize she refused treatment. My dad is still pissed at her for doing that.”
“Wow,” he said. “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for him and you.”
“I honestly don’t remember it being hard,” I said. “I think that was part of her goal. She didn’t want me to see her suffer for months. She died two months after she found out.”
“Holy shit,” he breathed. “That’s fast.”
“It was. It left my dad reeling.”
“He basically raised you on his own,” he said.
“Yes. It’s been me and him for a long time. I don’t think I had a bad childhood. Me and him have always been close. We kind of had to be. It was us against the world.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me. I feel like I know you a little better. I feel like I know him a little better and understand your relationship with him.”
“He’s my only family. I can’t lose him. I don’t want him to be pissed at me. I want him to be in my life. I need him in my life. I can’t imagine how I’ll do this without him.”
“He’ll come around,” he said. “It’s a lot to take in, but I’m sure he’ll come to accept you and the baby.”
I kissed him. “Thank you. I hope so.”
28
Lukas
I told myself to let it go. It was none of my business. But I couldn’t just let it go. The woman I cared for was suffering. She was suffering at the hands of her own father and I was not just going to sit by and let it happen. The man needed to understand he was hurting her. I wanted to believe he didn’t get how important he was in her life.
I knew it was probably not my place to interfere between a daughter and father, but damn if I could watch her suffer. He was going to deal with me. I would be respectful, but I would make it clear I wasn’t exactly a loser. I could and would take care of her and my baby. I could not sit by idly and let him say things about her that were not only untrue, but pretty fucked up.
I could not let him disparage the mother of my child. It was probably just a little medieval, but I had this urge to protect her. Not just her but my baby. If she was stressed out and worried about whether she was letting her father down by doing something that was incredibly natural, that affected my baby. That was what gave me the right to say something to him.
“You better fucking hope so,” I muttered.
This was so dangerous. I might just end up getting myself fired. That wasn’t exactly a good move a few months before I was expecting my first child. He couldn’t fire me. It would be a lot better if I had tenure. Then he really couldn’t fire me.
“I’m here to see the dean,” I said to the older woman sitting behind the desk. River told me the dean fired his other assistant.
“You are?”
“Lukas Constantino,” I said.
“Is he expecting you?”
I shook my head. “No, but I’m sure he’ll see me.”
“He asked not to be disturbed.”
“Can you please just tell him I’m here?” I asked nicely.
She looked irritated but picked up the phone anyway. I waited for her to get off the phone. She hung up and a moment later the office door swung open. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” I said.
That was a good sign. He was at least concerned about her. He nodded. “You wanted to see me?”
“Yes, I was hoping I could have five minutes of your time.”
He didn’t look happy but waved me in. He gestured for me to sit down and closed the door behind us. “What do you need?” he asked.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk since everything happened,” I said. “I wanted to clear the air.”
“I think the air is plenty clear,” he said. “You violated the rules outlined in your contract. You got my daughter pregnant. I’m not going to ask how the two of you came to be together.
I don’t think the details are important. The damage is done.”
“That’s why I’m here,” I said as my temper flared. “Our child is not damage. The child is not a scandal. You are trying to make this dirty. It isn’t. We’re both adults. The child will lack for nothing. Your grandchild has two parents that are not only smart and educated; we are also responsible people.” When he opened his mouth, I held up my hands to stop him. “I won’t get into the details, but we were responsible. Things happen.”
“My daughter had a promising future. She was on track to become the head of the art department before this happened.”
“You act like her getting pregnant is the worst thing in the world. You’re treating it like her life is over. Why can’t she work? Why can’t she find something else that fulfills her?”
“She’s going to have a kid!” he said with a raised voice like it was the most obvious answer.
“We are going to have a baby.” I nodded. “I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of nannies or daycare, but they are an option. Her life isn’t over. Her life is just beginning. It’s a new chapter for her. For both of us. I can’t understand how you look at her and see a failure.”
“She could have been great.”
“She is great! She is amazing. She’s smart as a whip and kind. You’ve got this idea of who she should be. You. You want her to be you. You’ve tried to stuff her into this mold, and because she doesn’t fit, she’s a failure. That is the most backward thing I have ever heard. Why can’t she be who she wants to be? You’ve raised a strong daughter with her own opinion. She knows what she wants. It’s not like she’s breaking the law or being unscrupulous. She’s exploring her own path. You’re supposed to be her father. You’re supposed to be supporting her and encouraging her. You’re doing nothing but criticizing her and making her feel guilty for living her own life.”
“I’m not making her feel guilty,” he argued. “I’m trying to help her understand the mistakes she is making.”
Our Little Secret Page 17