Forbidden First Times: A Contemporary Romance Collection

by Sofia T Summers

  “Mom, I don’t know,” I said. My palms began to sweat and I wiped them on my shorts.

  “Yes, but you need to lock him down,” my mother continued. “A man like that!”

  “Mom, you’re sounding like such a hag right now,” Jared interjected. “Just let her be happy! You know how hard the last few years have been for her!”

  My mother ignored him.

  “Jessie, listen to me – I know what I’m talking about here,” my mother said. “My oldest daughter, finally married!”

  I groaned. “You’re making it sound like I’m like, over the hill,” I said. “I’m not even thirty!”

  “Yes, and your prime childbearing years are already over, so you’ll have to work twice as hard,” my mother said. She raised an eyebrow at me and I flushed. Her eyes traveled over my rotund figure. “And now, maybe you’ll have an excuse to finally do something about your health. I hear Atkins works wonderfully!”

  “Mom!” Jared and I exclaimed at the same time.

  “Jessie looks fabulous,” Jared said. “She’s curvy. Not fat.”

  “Well, being overweight makes it harder to conceive,” my mother said. “And you certainly wouldn’t want his eye roaming, would you?”

  I stared at her. I couldn’t remember my mother ever being this pushy – she was bordering on rudeness, and it was making me feel about two inches tall.

  “We just got back together,” I said finally. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re taking things slow.”

  “You need to hurry, honey,” my mother said. “A man like him, coming from a family like that?”

  “I don’t know what that means,” I replied.

  “Jessie, be serious,” my mother said in a no-nonsense voice. “He’s a catch. And very wealthy! If you don’t get him to marry you soon, I bet someone else will.”

  I rolled my eyes. “If that’s all this is about, I wouldn’t worry,” I said finally. “We have a lot to catch up on. I’m not in a rush. Besides, I wasn’t married when I had Olive – why would I have to be married to have another baby?”

  My mother got up from her seat and walked over to the counter. She took the coffee pot from the holder and poured herself a fresh cup, then turned to me.

  “I know you think I’m being silly,” she said. “But you should really think about what I’ve said.”

  Then, she walked out of the kitchen. Jared turned to me as soon as we were alone.

  “She is being so weird,” I muttered under my breath. “Acting like this is the nineteenth century or something.”

  “You know Mom,” Jared said. He kept an eye on the hall as he talked. “She’s always wanted to be part of a family like the Groves.”

  I blinked at him. “What do you mean?”

  Jared colored slightly. “Nothing,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”

  The rest of the day passed uneventfully – Olive spent a great deal of time showing off her coloring skills to her aunts and uncles, and everyone was more than glad to lavish attention on her. There was something bothering me in the back of my mind, though, and it wasn’t until I was at home, lying in bed that night before it occurred to me.

  Mom hadn’t even asked where Ben had been, or why he’d come back.

  26

  Ben

  I couldn’t stop grinning as I parked my Land Rover on the side of the street and loped across the lawn of Jessie’s apartment complex. Even seeing the rundown, drab exterior couldn’t dull my mood, and I practically raced up the steps to knock on her door.

  When Jessie answered, I let out a wolf-whistle. She was wearing a low-cut top that showed a fantastic amount of cleavage and her tits were pushed up by a lace bra that peeked out of the neckline. Her curvy ass and thighs were scorching hot in tight leggings, and just looking at her was enough to make fiery lust course through my body.

  “You look incredible,” I murmured as I pulled her into my arms and pressed my lips to hers. My tongue slid into her mouth and I tasted her, loving every second of her soft lips against mine. Jessie moaned softly as I ran my hands down her body and squeezed her ass, furiously resisting the urge to pull her leggings down and go down on her right in the doorway.

  “Olive,” Jessie said softly, pulling away and blushing furiously. She nibbled on her plump lower lip. When she stepped back from the door, I saw Olive sitting in the living room with Henny, whom I hadn’t seen in years.

  “Wow,” I said. “Hen, hey. Nice to see you.”

  She nodded at me, then turned her attention back to Olive. “Your turn, honey,” she said.

  “Ready to go?” I asked Jessie.

  Jessie nodded. “Just a sec,” she said. “I need to grab some shoes from the bedroom.” She padded barefoot down the hall, wiggling her fantastic ass from side to side, deliberately tempting me and I suppressed a groan. God, I wanted her. Just as I was about to follow her into her bedroom for a quick makeout, Olive leapt up from the floor and ran over to me, wrapping her little arms around one of my legs.

  “Are you staying?” Olive asked hopefully.

  “I’m taking your mommy out for a date,” I said.

  “What’s a date?” Olive asked. She squeezed my leg once more, then returned to where she’d been sitting on the floor next to Henny.

  I laughed. “Something you’ll never go on,” I said. “Maybe when you’re twenty-one.”

  Olive looked perplexed, and Henny didn’t laugh. She looked up at me and cocked her head to the side.

  “So, Ben, how are you?” Henny asked. “It’s been a while.”

  I nodded. “It has,” I said. “But I’m really glad to be back.”

  “We’re glad you’re here,” she said, but her voice wasn’t particularly warm as she said it. I couldn’t tell if it was because she was always so reserved or because she was mad at me for leaving Jessie.

  Thankfully, in that moment, Jessie emerged from the bedroom in a pair of platform heels. She’d added red lipstick, making her already-plump mouth look even fuller and I felt another strong, torrid wave of desire for her.

  “All set,” Jessie said. She looked down at Olive. “Sweetie, are you going to be okay with Aunt Henny?”

  Olive coughed and Jessie’s smile faded.

  “Are you okay, honey?”

  Olive nodded. “Yes, Mommy,” she said. “My throat is scratchy.”

  “Probably just allergies,” Henny said. “We’ll be fine here.” She smiled, but it was directed more at Jessie than me. “We’re going to order pizza for dinner. Doesn’t that sound fun, Olive?”

  Olive squealed loudly and my heart melted. Part of me was tempted to call the restaurant and cancel the reservation I’d made, send Henny home, and spend the night in with my family.

  But Jessie and I hadn’t been on a real date in years, and I was dying to take her out.

  “Have fun,” Jessie said. She blew a kiss at Olive, then took my arm and we left the apartment.

  “You look so fucking sexy,” I growled as I helped her into the Land Rover. “I’d fuck you right here if I could.”

  Jessie smirked. “I went shopping,” she admitted. “I didn’t really have anything I could wear to Les Fleurs. So fancy,” she added.

  “Only the best for my girl,” I said. Lifting her hand to my mouth, I kissed her palm, then her fingers. Jessie squirmed at my touch and bit her bottom lip.

  “If you don’t stop, I’m taking you up on that offer,” she purred. “You know just how to touch me.”

  I grinned. “Dinner first,” I said. “Then, I have a surprise for you.”

  Jessie raised an eyebrow. “What’s the surprise?”

  I chuckled. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it?”

  Jessie groaned. I closed the passenger door and walked around to the driver’s side, where I climbed in behind the wheel and turned the ignition on. The Land Rover roared to life and I smirked as I pulled away from the curb.

  I was planning on taking Jessie to the fanciest restaurant
in Wilmington, and then to a hotel where I’d booked the penthouse suite. Earlier in the week, I’d gone shopping and had a ring custom-made for Jessie, and I was dying to finally propose and begin the process of making her my wife for real. I’d been ignoring calls from my mother – and my mother’s florist, wedding planner, calligrapher, and designer – for days now, and despite the fact that our relationship wasn’t the warmest, it didn’t make me feel great. It was time to let Jessie in on the secret ... and time to come clean to my parents.

  “Wow,” Jessie said when we pulled up. She blinked. “Are they going to let me in here?”

  I snorted. “Why wouldn’t they? You’re gorgeous.”

  She looked down at her outfit. “I should’ve bought a dress or something – I’m going to stand out.”

  “You’ll be fine,” I assured her.

  I helped Jessie out of the Land Rover, took her hand, and led her inside. After we were seated, she leaned across the table.

  “Did you see the way the hostess was looking at me?” Jessie whispered. She bit her lip, looking almost fearful. “I’m totally under-dressed.”

  “Jess, come on,” I said. “You’re beautiful – no one cares what you’re wearing.”

  Still, she shifted on her side of the booth and looked uncomfortable. A waiter came by and silently handed us menus. Jessie glanced down at hers and frowned.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “It’s just ... um, wow,” she said. “The prices aren’t even on here. You’re going to be out like, a grand. Just for food.”

  I shrugged. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I couldn’t afford it,” I told her. “Just relax. Don’t think about the prices. I want you to enjoy yourself.”

  But as the seconds passed, it was clear that she wasn’t enjoying herself. Jessie was fidgeting with her hair, toying with her napkin, and biting her lip. She wouldn’t meet my gaze and I had the sinking feeling that the evening wasn’t going to go the way I’d intended.

  When the sommelier arrived, I was about to order a bottle of champagne but Jessie shook her head. She smiled at him.

  “Can you give us a minute?” Jessie asked.

  The sommelier nodded and walked away.

  Jessie leaned over the table. “Ben, hon, I love you so much, but this isn’t my thing. Can we go somewhere else?”

  “Sure,” I said. “You want Italian? We could go to the Chateau?”

  “My pick,” Jessie said. A mysterious smile crept onto her face. “Please?”

  “Of course,” I told her. Jessie got up from the booth and I followed her out to the car, ignoring the glare of the hostess as we left. I was about to get behind the wheel but Jessie cleared her throat.

  “Keys, please,” she said.

  I raised an eyebrow at her. “Just tell me, I’ll drive.”

  Jessie giggled. “If I told you,” she said mockingly. “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?”

  I groaned and held up my hands. “Fair,” I replied. “I deserved that.” I tossed her the keys and helped her up behind the wheel.

  “Wow,” Jessie said as I climbed into the passenger side. “Driving this thing feels like driving a tank.”

  I snorted. She drove us through town. Every time we passed one of the restaurants and bars where we’d spent time years ago, I thought she was going to stop. But she didn’t. Jessie kept driving, until the lights of Wilmington were fading in the distance behind us.

  “You taking us to Raleigh for dinner?” I teased.

  Jessie giggled and shook her head. She got onto the highway and we drove further away. When she eventually took an exit, she turned to me.

  “Close your eyes,” she said.

  “What?”

  “You heard me,” Jessie said. She grinned. “Come on, or else it’ll spoil the surprise.”

  It felt more than a little silly, but I obeyed. The sensation of moving through the air without being able to see where I was going was disconcerting, but I would have done it a thousand times over just to make my girl smile.

  “Okay,” Jessie said triumphantly as the Land Rover slowed to a stop. “You can look now. We’re here.”

  I opened my eyes and burst out laughing.

  “You’re kidding,” I said.

  “Nope!”

  Jessie pulled up to the drive-thru window.

  “Welcome to Taco Bell,” a voice crackled through the speaker. “Can I take your order?”

  Jessie turned to me. “Go crazy,” she said. “My treat.”

  I was still laughing as we ordered – a dozen tacos, four burritos, and a bunch of other things that Jessie knew by name but sounded made-up to me. After she paid at the drive-thru window, we sat in the Land Rover with the windows down in the parking lot.

  “Sorry,” Jessie said as she bit into a burrito. “I just didn’t feel so fancy tonight, I guess.” She gave me a guilty smile. “Or ever, really.”

  I laughed. “It’s okay,” I told her. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t be into it.”

  “This hits the spot, though,” Jessie said. She took another bite, chewed thoughtfully, and set her burrito down in her lap. “You ever think about the future?”

  I blinked. Shit, I thought. Does she know? Did she feel the box in my pocket when we hugged?

  “Yeah,” I said finally. “All the time. With you. And now, Olive, of course.”

  Jessie nodded. “What do you think you’ll do, now that you’re back?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know, to be honest. Before we got back together, I was thinking about opening a business – a private security firm.”

  “Why not still do that?” Jessie asked.

  “You’d be okay with it?” I asked skeptically. “Starting a business is a lot of work – especially at the beginning. I’d be working long hours. You and Olive would be asleep most nights when I’d be getting home, and if someone was out, then I might have to cover for them myself.”

  “Of course I’d be okay with it,” Jessie said. She smiled at me. “I love you. I want you to do what makes you happy.”

  I pressed my lips together. I still wasn’t sure, but having her support felt so good that I knew it didn’t matter.

  “What about you?” I asked.

  Jessie sighed. “I don’t know, either,” she said. “I love my job, but I don’t really feel like I’m going anywhere. I’ve put in my dues, and now it feels like maybe I should think about moving on. I still want to go into broadcasting, but I don’t know how to make it happen.”

  I reached across the console and took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

  “We’ll figure it out together,” I told her. “As long as we have each other, I think we can do anything.”

  Jessie grinned. “You’re damn right we can,” she said. She reached into the bag and started unwrapping a taco.

  I shifted in the seat. “Jess, there’s something else I want to talk to you about,” I said, reaching in my pocket and closing my fingers around the ring box.

  Jessie lowered the taco and turned to me. “What is it?”

  “I—”

  “Shit, hold on,” Jessie interrupted. She frowned and fumbled in her bag, pulling out her vibrating phone. Her frown grew deeper. “It’s Henny. I have to take this,” she said.

  I nodded.

  “What’s up,” Jessie said into the phone. I heard the muffled sound of Henny’s voice on the other end, but I couldn’t make out the words.

  The taco fell from Jessie’s hand into her lap and she twitched.

  “We’ll be right there,” she said. Hanging up the phone, she turned to me.

  “It’s Olive,” Jessie said. “She’s sick – Henny brought her to the ER.”

  27

  Jessie

  I was so sick with fear that for a moment, I thought I was going to throw up the burritos that I’d just housed in the Taco Bell parking lot. My heart was racing and a cold, musky sweat broke out over my whole body as we sped back onto the highway and towards the ho
spital.

  All I could think about was my daughter. From the passenger seat, Ben kept calmly urging me to slow down, but I couldn’t – I could barely hear even hear his voice. He put his hand on my thigh, heavy and warm and reassuring, but I barely felt it.

  What was the matter with my little girl, and how had I managed to miss the signs and symptoms? I racked my brain trying to remember how Olive had been acting over the last few days – if she’d been sluggish or feverish at my parents’ house. She had gone to sleep unusually early that night, but I’d chalked it up to the fact that playing with her aunts and uncles always tuckered her out.

  “Her cough!” I gasped aloud.

  “What?” Ben asked. “What cough?”

  “She coughed,” I said. “Right before we left, remember? Oh, god, why did we have to go out? What if she’s really sick? She said her throat felt scratchy,” I rambled on. The Land Rover sped up in time with my voice. “I’m the worst mother in the world,” I continued. “She’s never been sick, not beyond a cold or anything like that – what if she dies?!”

  “She’s not going to die,” Ben said. His calm tone infuriated me, but I was too focused on Olive to care. As the Land Rover barreled towards the hospital, my panic increased. I was nearly in tears by the time I pulled up to the emergency room entrance, and I leapt out of the SUV, leaving the door open behind me.

  “I’ll park,” Ben said as he quickly climbed out of the passenger seat and hurried to get behind the wheel.

  I barely heard him – I was running, faster than I ever thought I could move in heels – and practically pushed myself through the doors.

  I gave the intake nurse Olive’s name and she directed me back to a small, curtained-off room where Olive was sitting in bed, propped up with pillows and looking pale and sweaty. Henny was sitting beside her – when she saw me, she leapt up and gave me a hug.

  “What happened, baby?” I crooned to Olive. There was an IV in her arm and her face was puffy and swollen, like she’d been crying.