Talk Dirty To Me

by Ali Parker

  “No shit,” I breathed.

  Vanny turned bright pink. “I think about us all the time, Rhys. And I feel bad about how things ended. But as time passed, it got harder and harder to get back to you, and I made mistakes, and I kept things from you that I can’t take back, and I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”

  “Vanny.” I gripped her shoulders. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Absolutely nothing.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “Help me understand.”

  Her bottom lip trembled. A tear rolled down her cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb.

  Then she unwrapped her shawl. I didn’t understand. She stepped back and held her arms up. “You see now? I kept this from you. I should have called you. I should have told you. But I was so scared and then I saw that your father passed away and I couldn’t…” She trailed off and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  I still didn’t understand what I was supposed to be looking at.

  Then she turned to the side.

  And there it was.

  A belly. A baby belly. A round, full, pregnant belly.

  The breath rushed out of my lungs. “Hold on. Is that?”

  She nodded.

  “Mine?” I whispered.

  She nodded again.

  The world spun. I took a breath. It didn’t stop spinning.

  “Rhys? Are you okay? Do you hate me?”

  “Hate you?” I breathed. “How could I ever hate you? We’re… we’re going to have a baby.”

  A smile touched her lips.

  “Holy shit. We’re going to have a baby.” I grabbed her and pulled her in tightly.

  She hugged me back. The hug felt right. It felt safe. It felt like it was my place to be. Her belly pressed into my stomach and I pulled away, not wanting to crush the baby. “Come back to my place with me. We need to talk. We need to—”

  “I need to tell you something else first.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  Was she going to tell me she didn’t want to raise this baby with me? Was she going to say our ship had sailed? Was she going to say she didn’t want this?

  She didn’t want me?

  She stretched to the tips of her toes and kissed me. It was like kissing a fairy. “I love you too, Rhys. Take me away from here.”

  “Aren’t you in the middle of your show?”

  She gave me a coy little smile. “The listeners won’t mind. Everybody likes a little drama. Right?”

  Vanny struggled with the collar of my shirt. I tore it open. The buttons bounced and danced across my bedroom floor at the estate.

  “Your grandmother,” Vanny whispered as she shrugged out of her sweater.

  “Is eighty-nine years old and very hard of hearing, even though she denies it.” I pulled her shirt off over her head. “You can scream my name as loud as you like and she’ll be none the wiser.”

  Vanny giggled.

  “Fuck me, I missed that sound.” I held her face in my hands and kissed her like I was trying to consume her whole.

  She pressed in tightly to me. Her belly was firm against my stomach and I tried to remember what she’d said before, that I couldn’t hurt the baby. That she and her belly were tougher than they looked.

  She was radiant. She was full and supple and wonderful and even more beautiful than I ever remembered. She smelled like peppermint and sunshine and lavender. She tasted like vanilla and cinnamon. And she was carrying our child.

  For a brief moment, I thought I was going to cry.

  But there were important things to tend to. Like making love to the woman of my dreams.

  I lowered her down to the bed. Vanny’s hands wandered across my shoulders and down my back and then back around to my stomach, where she traced the lines of my abs all the way back up to my chest. She giggled softly into our kiss and spread her legs for me to settle between as we finished undressing one another. Her panties came off last and I trailed a finger between her folds.

  She was wet and ready like I knew she would be.

  I eased a finger inside her. Vanny bit her bottom lip and let out a moan so soft, I wondered if I’d imagined it. But then she moaned again, louder this time, and her back arched as I pushed in deeper. Then I pressed my tongue to her clit and sucked.

  Vanny cooed my name at the ceiling and writhed upon the sheets.

  She was mine. This was what our future looked like.

  I gave her another finger. Vanny rolled her hips, fucking my fingers like the sexy little vixen she was. She bucked and gasped when she came, her juices slick on my fingers up to my knuckles, and I went to my knees between her legs.

  She lifted her ass off the bed and her hips toward me in a silent plea.

  I stroked my cock before pressing the tip against her pussy.

  She whimpered.

  I slid inside her. She pulled me in. She was tight as hell and slick as ever. I clenched my jaw and held on to a growl that threatened to leave me as I grabbed her wrists and pinned her hands above her head.

  Vanny spread her legs wider.

  I fucked her deeper.

  “Yes, Rhys. Yes!”

  She took all of me. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her lips parted in a silent cry as she came. I released her wrists and flipped her over so she was face down on the bed. Then I slid an arm under her hips and pulled her carefully up to her knees.

  I entered her from behind.

  Vanny gasped. Her fingers tightened in the sheets and she craned her head back. I gathered her hair off the back of her neck and pulled, forcing her head back farther. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling.

  I nearly came right then and there at the sight of that coy little smile.

  I pulled her up against me. Her shoulder blades were pressed to my chest. I released her hair and let my hands wander all over her body as I thrust my hips, pushing in and out of her, gliding effortlessly in her juices. Her breasts were bigger than before. I cupped them in both hands. She sighed sweetly and rested her head against my shoulder as I fondled her and pinched her nipples. Her breathless giggles drove me wild and I had to pause my thrusts to stop myself from finishing.

  As I waited, I reached down and rubbed my hands over her belly. She was getting round.

  She rolled her hips and pushed her ass back.

  I drove in deep.

  Vanny whimpered. I sealed her cries with a hand over her mouth, just how she liked it. I could feel her smiling under my palm as I quickened my speed. She closed her eyes and moaned and pressed back, begging for more, and I gave it to her until she came. My orgasm was quick to follow and I filled her up, leaving her quivering and gasping and writhing in my arms.

  When we fell apart and collapsed on the bed, we both lay on our backs and stared at the ceiling while we caught our breath.

  I admired the lines of her legs and the fullness of her breasts. I soaked in the sight of her hard nipples and the rise and fall of her chest. I got lost in the shadows her eyelashes cast on her cheeks and her pulse fluttering like a tiny bird at her throat.

  The girl was mine. After all this, I finally had her back.

  She turned to me and smiled a bright, wide smile. “You should know,” she said breathlessly, “my stamina is even higher now that I’m pregnant.”

  I grinned. “Woman, are you trying to kill me?”

  “Put your big boy pants on, champ. Your baby momma needs more of where that came from.”

  Chapter 40

  Vanessa

  Two Months Later

  I fanned my face and leaned up against the kitchen island. “Why did I think it was a good idea to host a family dinner when I’m eight months pregnant?”

  Gigi was hovering over the stove, stirring gravy and chutney. She laughed softly and looked over her shoulder at me. “All ideas sound good at the time of conception, my dear. Execution is the tricky part. Go get some fresh air. I can hold down the fort here.”

  I thanked
her with a hand on her shoulder and moved out of the kitchen, through the dining room, and past the three sitting rooms to the covered back patio. I found Rhys out there puffing on a cigar with Chris. When they spotted me, they promptly put their cigars out in the ashtray on one of the outdoor tables.

  “I just came to get some fresh air,” I said, leaning up against the side of the massive house. “I’m dying in there. It’s like five-hundred degrees.”

  Chris chuckled. “Is my little nephew giving you a hard time?”

  I rubbed my swollen belly. I couldn’t believe how big I was—or that there was a baby inside me. The whole thing still felt so surreal. “Yes. He is. He’s a squirmy little bean today. Getting ready to come out though, so that’s a good sign.”

  Rhys came over and put his hand on my belly like he always did. His eyes softened and he smiled as his son kicked at his palm. “Where’s Gigi?”

  “She kicked me out of the kitchen to cool down. I’m going to go back in and help in a minute.”

  “I’ll go. You and your brother can catch up.”

  Chris passed us by and shook his head. “Nah. You lovebirds take a breather. You’ve been cooking all day. I’ll help Gigi.”

  Rhys grinned at me when we were all alone. “You look absolutely gorgeous in this dress, you know that?”

  “This dress is one of the only things that fits me right now, so I’d better.”

  He chuckled. “I guess you’ll just have to spend the rest of your pregnancy at home. Naked.”

  “Or my wealthy baby daddy could spoil me with some new maternity clothes.”

  He shrugged. “I like my proposal better.”

  “Of course you do.”

  Rhys cupped my face in his hands and gave me sweet, tender kisses.

  I shied away. “I’m supposed to be trying to cool down. You’re not making that easy.”

  “Sorry. Sorry. My bad.”

  I stepped back and fanned my face. Being outside was definitely helping. I breathed in the fresh air. It smelled like grass and pine trees. I gazed out at the property, at my home, and marveled at how beautiful it was. The view of the rolling green acreage would never get old. The greenbelt of pine trees to the north was pushed up against a man-made pond Rhys’s father had built when he was a young man himself. There were fish in there and Rhys had talked frequently about going fishing with his son when the time was right.

  I’d send them off in their rowboat with a packed lunch of deviled egg sandwiches like Rhys’s mother had done for them.

  Traditions were important.

  A riot of voices reached our ears. Rhys kissed the side of my head. “Sounds like our guests are here. Shall we go in?”

  I nodded. “Hey, one more thing.”

  “Yes?

  “You know you’re going to be an amazing father, right?”

  He smiled. “I’ll do my best. I don’t know about amazing. There were a lot of things my father did that I won’t do. And a lot of things he didn’t do that I will. But I don’t have much sense of what is right and what isn’t. I’m going to need your help.”

  “Lucky for you, I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Me neither. Now come on. What kind of hosts are we, hiding from our guests?”

  We met the rest of the family back in the kitchen. Gigi and Nannie were already gossiping like old hens while they pored over the dishes on the stove. Kim and Chris were hugging and poking fun at each other while Sandi hung back, her arms wrapped around her father’s thigh. My parents had just come in, looking bright-eyed and eager for dinner. My mother had a pie platter in her hands and my dad a bottle of wine.

  Rhys took the wine and the pie and peeled back the tinfoil on top. “Damn. This looks good.”

  “A Hampton family recipe,” my mother said.

  It wasn’t long before everyone had a full glass of wine—minus Sandi and I who sipped a fancy sparkling alcohol-free cider Rhys served at his distilleries specifically for kids—and they were munching on the charcuterie board on the kitchen island I’d set out earlier.

  I had to excuse myself several times to pee, as pregnancy did to me, and I had to sit, too. My feet and my back were killing me. But nothing could spoil the moment of having the family together. Rhys was in his glory. He hadn’t had a big happy family growing up. He’d had the opposite.

  But our son would know what it felt like to be loved and cherished. He would know what family meant. And loyalty. And trust.

  He would have a cool Uncle Chris and a cousin Sandi who, when she was older, would certainly tease the hell out of him. He’d have a wonderful set of grandparents who would love him more than anything, and two great grandmothers, a real and true luxury these days.

  He would have a father to look up to. A man worthy of being a father. I knew Rhys would be everything I hoped the father of my child could be and more. I had complete and total trust that this was right.

  And he would have me as a momma. Honest. Trustworthy. Loyal. Fierce. Protective. Humble. Sweet. Sensitive.

  Confident in her own skin.

  He would have the world.

  We sat down to dinner in the dining room. Rhys sat at the head of the table and I sat on his right. He held my hand as he picked up his wine glass and I picked up my cider. Then he turned his attention to everyone else gathered at the table.

  “I wanted to take a minute to thank you all for coming. This might be the last time we get a chance to all sit down for a meal like this once the baby is born. I think things will get a little crazy for a while in the best way.” He paused to smile at me and run his thumb over my knuckles. “Vanny and I have been working hard to prepare for the new member of our family. As you all know, we’ve finished the nursery. Vanny has the bedroom all set up how she wants for when he’s first here. We have meals prepped and all that fun stuff I didn’t know we’d even have to think about in preparing to become parents.”

  The table laughed. I smiled adoringly at the man of my dreams who I still couldn’t believe was mine.

  Rhys continued. “But there’s one thing Vanny and I haven’t done yet. One thing that’s been in the back of my mind, nagging at me to get right. Whatever right is.” He turned to me. “Vanny, I know we did this thing completely backward. We pretended to be in love before we fell in love. We pretended we were okay apart when, really, we were both desperate to be back together. I don’t want you to ever doubt me again. I will be by your side until the day I die. No matter what. Because you are my life, Vanessa Hampton. You and that precious little baby in your belly. So on that note.”

  Rhys slid off his chair. It slid back across the hardwood floor.

  And he took a knee.

  My mother gasped. Kim squeaked.

  I immediately started crying. My eyes flooded with tears so quickly, I couldn’t even see him as he pulled a ring box out of his pocket.

  “Vanessa Hampton, I already gave you a ring once. But that was just a practice round. This is the real deal. This is yours. And so am I if you’ll have me. You’re everything to me. I love you and I want to spend every day showing you just how special you are and how much you deserve. Vanny, will you marry me?”

  My heart thundered in my chest like the hooves of wild running horses.

  Was this real? It felt too good to be true.

  But then again, so did everything when it came to Rhys. And he was very, very real.

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  The table erupted in cheers of joy. Rhys plucked the ring from the box and slid it on my shaking finger. Then he was on his feet, wrapping me up in his arms and pressing a kiss to my lips. My tears continued to flow and the kiss was salty but I didn’t care because it was perfect, too.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered.

  He pressed his forehead to mine. “Believe it. It’s me and you forever now.”

  “I don’t know about forever. That’s a long time.”

  He chuckled. “Woman, don’t play with me like that. You’re mine and I
’m never letting go. You hear me?”

  “I hear you.” I pinched my bottom lip between my teeth.

  Gigi cleared her throat. “All right. All right, you kids. Keep it in your pants until our guests leave, will you?”

  More laughter ensued as everyone took their seats once more and the meal began for real this time. I didn’t have much of an appetite. I was too excited and too emotional. A proposal on a normal day was a tearjerker, but when you were eight months pregnant?

  Cue the waterworks.

  I finally managed to get my crying under control long enough to peer at the giant rock on my finger. It was dazzling. The stone was cut in the shape of a teardrop and framed in smaller diamonds set into silver clasps. The whole thing glittered and caught the light of the candles on the table and of the chandelier above. It was the kind of ring every girl stopped to peer at in a window display and dream about getting one day.

  And it was mine.

  And so was the man at my side.

  Kim got up from her seat and came around to get a good look at the ring. “Oh my gosh. It’s beautiful. I want one.”

  I laughed. “You’ll get one eventually.”

  She pouted. “But the man I want it from is marrying someone else in two months.”

  “Have you considered he might just not be the right man?” Rhys interjected.

  Kim put a hand on Rhys’s shoulder and leaned back, peering down at him skeptically. “You knew Vanny was the right one, didn’t you? And you didn’t give up?”

  Rhys shifted in his seat. “Well sure, but she wasn’t engaged to someone else and—”

  “Hush,” she said, lifting a finger. “You knew she was yours from the get go. Well, I know he’s mine. But some other girl is going to walk down the aisle to marry him, and I’m the one who’s planning the whole thing. I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “It’ll be okay,” I told her. “Everything works out like it’s supposed to.”

  Kim sighed. “Easy for you to say. You just got engaged to the richest man in Nashville and are probably going to have the cutest baby to ever walk the face of the earth.”