by TC Matson
Tipping my head, I capture her mouth. Immediately, her hands move up my stomach and over my chest before wrapping around my neck. I press her back against the cold wall, flexing my hips, letting her feel my desire for her.
She wraps her hand around my dick and strokes it, eliciting a moan from me. I nip her bottom lip as I tweak her nipple and her body shutters. My fingers trail to her pussy, and I press a finger into her. She drops her head back and sighs, continuing to work my dick.
I twist her, shift my dick to her entrance, and push in, burying myself deeply. Nothing between us. Just her and me, bare. And fuck if it doesn’t feel incredible.
Her fingers try gripping the slick walls as I drive into her. Her needy moans echo off the tiles and mix in with the sounds of our hips and the steam. Lifting her leg and turning her slightly, I thrust with long strokes, loving the way her body loves it…loving the way my dick is swallowed by her.
I reach down and circle her clit. Instantly, her body snaps and she draws out a moan. Her pussy clamps around my dick as she erupts into her orgasm. The familiar feeling threads through me, my knees threatening to give out as I thunder into her. Bright lights burst and I careen into my climax, jutting forward and rooting myself as I spill into her.
I release her leg and turn her toward me. She looks great freshly fucked and I tell her just that.
She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip and peers up to me through wet lashes. The rawness in her beauty, wet and stripped from all her makeup, triggers an emotion I haven’t felt in ages. She steals my breath and doesn’t realize how crazy I am for her.
“I want to meet your parents today,” I say, surprising the both of us.
Her head flinches back. “Today?”
“Yes. Today. I have to leave tomorrow and after next week, after your finals, I’m going to persuade you to come be with me for a few weeks.” I smirk.
She grins and then it slips off her face. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, you know. About the baby.”
I kiss her. “I get it. Just promise me no more secrets.”
She shakes her head. “I promise.”
My face splits, pridefully. “I know you’re terrified, but I’m pretty fucking stoked I’m about to become a dad.”
She giggles.
“My beautiful wife is pregnant with our child. I can’t even start to explain the feeling that gives me.”
And it’s the truth.
Except I’m falling.
But it’s too soon for her to know that. Something tells me it would spook her with everything else that’s piled on top of her.
FIFTEEN
I’m going to die. I’m going to have a heart attack before we even get to my parents’ house. My heart rate is furious. I called Momma to tell her I was coming and bringing company. The hopefulness in her voice didn’t go unnoticed and for some reason, that made me even more nervous than I already was.
Declan reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Quit stressing. It’s going to be okay.”
“I don’t think I like your levelheaded ways.” I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. “I need you to be losing your mind right along with me.”
His chuckle fills the cab of his rental. “I’m nervous, but not about meeting your parents. They’re the last thing I’m worried about.”
I loll my head to him. “So what’s the first thing then?”
Because I need more to think about and stress out over…
“Well, for starters, I’m chasing the mother of my child and hoping she’ll fall in love with me so she’ll stay.”
Gulp.
“I’m not worried about being a father. I’m worried I’ll fail you.”
“How do you know you really want to be with me? I mean, I’m a mess.”
He peers over to me. “I trust my heart.”
This man…
“You’re always saying the right things. Do you have a book or something?”
His smile splits his face. “My words come from the heart.”
God, he’s being so damn sweet and I can’t enjoy it because I’m freaking the hell out about him meeting my parents. I bite my lip and look out the windshield to avoid his quick gazes.
“Hello?” I call out as I step into my parents’ house.
I’ve never knocked and today is no different. Instantly, the aroma of dinner wafts over us and my stomach grumbles at the scent.
“In the kitchen!” Momma hollers.
My pulse is humming in my ear as we step into kitchen. Dad’s back is toward us as he stretches to the top of a cabinet trying to get ahold of a bowl. When Momma’s eyes land on us, they instantly brighten up.
“Oh…Charles we have company.”
I cringe.
Dad sets the bowl down and turns to us. Immediately his face hardens as he catches sight of Declan.
“Momma. Dad. This is Declan,” I introduce them, my voice not as confident as I’d hoped.
My mother wipes her hands off and shakes his hand. “Hello, Declan. I’m Sandra.”
Dad squares his shoulders and shoves his hand out to Declan. “Charles.” It’s short and curt, an intimidation tactic.
“Dad. Stop. You’re making me nervous,” I admit.
“Declan. Do you like baked chicken and mashed potatoes?” Momma breaks Dad’s pressure.
“I do,” he nods. “Do you need any help?”
She waves him off with her towel. “Nonsense. Amelia, make him something to drink and go sit down. Dinner will be ready in ten.”
I steal a quick glance at Declan. If he’s nervous, he doesn’t show it and I envy the hell out of him for it. I’m petrified, shaking in my boots.
As we sit at the table, Declan squeezes my hand and offers a smile.
I glower because, let’s face it, his blasé demeanor isn’t fair.
“I don’t like how calm you are. How are you not freaking out? I’m freaking out. This isn’t fair,” I ramble.
His eyes beam. “I am, but I work under pressure every day. I handle it differently.”
I’m still shooting him mad eyes. “I need to know these tricks.”
He squeezes my hand again. “Breathe. It always helps.”
I roll my eyes just as my parents come in carrying the food and placing it on the table. Dad says the blessing and we begin to scoop our food.
“Declan,” Dad says gruffly. “Why do you look familiar?” He doesn’t even look at him.
I tense. Does Dad watch any racing? Through my entire twenty-one years on this Earth, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him watch it.
“Do you follow NRA racing?” Declan responds, placing the potatoes back to the center of the table.
Dad’s eyes widen for a fraction of a second before resting back into his chair. His jaw flexes. “Palmer.”
“Guess you do,” Declan says with a slight chuckle.
Dad’s eyes slowly shift to me, scrutinizing me. “How’d you two meet?”
“We—”
“She and Kirsten were coming out of their hotel. I was looking down at my phone, not paying any attention, and ran into her.”
“In Vegas?” Dad asks.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“You live there?”
“No, sir. Dallas, Texas.”
Dad grunts. “How does my daughter fit into your busy racing schedule?”
Declan glances to me, a twinkle dancing in his eyes, and he grins. “Pretty perfectly, if you ask me. Although the distance is hard, we’ve been making it work.”
I swear everyone can hear my heart pounding. I shove a bite of potatoes in my mouth to give myself something to do.
Dad shares a look with Momma and then rests his forearms on the table, bracing. It’s like he’s spooling up for a bombshell. “I saw on the news you got married in Vegas. Care to discuss the rumors?”
I choke, coughing and sputtering on the mashed potatoes. Bombshell officially dropped.
“You know how reporters are, sir. They can make a story out of an
ything. That’s the unfortunate part of being in the public eye. They see me enjoying my time in Vegas and now I’m married.”
I. Could. Kiss. Him.
“And the picture of you in the chapel?”
Hold that thought.
“His friend got hitched and asked us to be witnesses,” I lie to the man who has taught me to never lie and I’m positive has never lied to me. The man supports me in everything I choose to do in my life, and it feels like acid dousing my soul.
“Charles,” Momma pipes in, scolding Dad. “Don’t you think if she got married, she’d tell us?” Her words feel like a steamroller, squeezing what’s left of my lying soul out. “Amelia, honey. Are you happy?”
“I am.” I smile through the hurt, this time not lying.
“Declan. Are you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Are you going to be good to my daughter?”
“Of course.”
“Then that settles it. Charles, leave the two alone.” Momma gives a stern look to Dad.
“Don’t get in her way of schooling. She plans to become a teacher and I’ve worked my ass off to put her through college. Don’t mess up her dreams,” Dad warns.
This hits Declan. He clears his throat. “I won’t.”
The rest of dinner goes by without Dad interrogating us. His standoff attitude was put away and we had a good time, mostly talking about racing. Dad was interested in Declan’s world—a big shot sitting at his table. As they talked, I continued to die, feeling horrible that I bold-face lied to my parents.
The ride home was quiet and as I walk through the door, Declan grabs my elbow and twists me around. “You did it to protect their feelings.”
“Sabotaging mine and destroying their trust in me in the process,” I mutter. “They’ll never forgive me when they find out.”
“They love you too much not to. They will.”
I sigh. “They’ll be devastated.”
A ghost of a smile quirks his lips up. “Not when they get their hands on the baby. They’ll melt.”
God…I’m letting my parents down in so many different ways. In one weekend, I’ve screwed up everything they ever instilled in me.
He kisses me gently and smiles against my lips. “Quit stressing. It’s not healthy.”
Needing a distraction, I run my hands up his chest and lace my fingers behind his neck. “I think this will be our biggest argument. You’re so calm and collected and I’m losing my mind.”
He arches his brow at my words. “You continue to be my perfect and I’ll be your calm.”
Tiptoeing, I press my lips to his, soothing my anxieties with his serenity. His hands slide across my back and pull me closer, deepening the kiss. He grabs my ass, gives it a squeeze, and then lifts me, walking down the hall and into my bedroom. The moment my feet hit the floor, I tug off his shirt and unzip his pants, pushing them down. His dick pushes against his boxers and I caress it through the fabric.
His eyes are darkened with desire and heated with arousal. He jerks my shirt over my head, slams a kiss to me, and guides me to the bed. Removing my pants and panties, he kisses up my legs, gently nipping at the insides of my thigh. I gasp and my body snaps.
With a heavy tongue, he licks from my entrance to my clit, flicking across it before sucking it with perfect pressure. My hips jerk. I reach and tug at the ends of his hair, whimpering. He pushes his fingers into me and pumps them while his tongue swirls around my clit.
Continuing his glorious assault, he trails his tongue up my stomach and takes a nipple into his mouth, biting on it. My body snaps again and I gasp. He moves off me, getting rid of his boxers before settling back between my legs. Slowly, he pushes in, rooting himself. The pressure of him filling me puddles heat at my core as he rocks in.
This time doesn’t feel the same. It’s profound, an agonizing feeling of love swaddling me as he cradles my face while thrusting. He gyrates and it hits a sensitive spot, instantly washing my orgasm over me.
I grip the sheet, arching as I’m thrown into vehement ecstasy while stringing along desperate words. His drives become stronger, hitting deeper and touching every pleasurable place within me. I cry out, my body shuttering under him.
His speed picks up, delving harder and burrowing deeper.
“Shit,” he hisses and plummets into his climax, bearing down on me.
Once washed up, Declan lies back in the bed and pulls me to his chest. His hand rests on my hip as I listen to his heartbeat.
“Boy or girl?” I ask.
“All I ask for is healthy.”
I nod in understanding because it’s what I want too. “What if we don’t agree on a name?”
He breathes a chuckle. “Well, then we take it to the track. Best time wins.”
I laugh, slapping him on his stomach. “You’d win and that’s not fair.”
He kisses the top of my head. “You worry about some weird shit, Amelia. We’ll figure it all out. We’ve got time to decide.”
“Although I’m scared to death, just knowing you’re happy and okay with it is getting me excited.”
His arm tightens around my shoulder. “I’m pretty stoked.” Silence falls around us for a few moments. “How are you going to be when I get our child out on the track? Teach him or her everything there is to know about racing?”
I titter. “I’ve already thought of that.” I push up to my elbow and smile at him. “I trust you.”
And I mean those words in many ways beyond just about our child. I trust him with my heart, my feelings, my life. He trusts his heart, and I’m trusting mine.
Something passes through his eyes and he blinks before offering me the sweetest smile. “I’m glad.”
Whatever just passed through him, I felt it. It gripped my heart and I felt it in my soul. I’m falling for him…quickly…madly…intensely.
SIXTEEN
Being away from Amelia has shot straight to the top of my most hated things right under not coming in first in a race or wrecking out. I feel the emptiness in my stomach and I have to fight all day not to turn into some clingy boyfriend and blow up her phone.
She’s turned me into a love-struck teenager.
I didn’t go back to her place this week, allowing her the time she needs to focus on her finals, but that didn’t stop us from talking daily. Morning texts. Lunch texts. Afternoon texts. Nightly calls. And I was able to persuade her into coming to me for a little while.
Which leads me to now—pacing with anticipation.
I had to go over a few things with Cale, my crew chief, so I couldn’t pick her up from the airport. I asked Chuck if he minded getting her, which he didn’t. Gives him time to feel her out.
Chuck: Pulling in.
My pulse spikes with eagerness. To see her. To feel her. To have her.
I’ve never had a woman on my bus outside of employees. No one-nighters. Never a girlfriend. She’s about to christen my place. I’ve missed her like fucking crazy and it’s official. I’m falling in love with my wife.
Crunching gravel under tires and the squeak of the golf cart’s emergency brake being pressed indicates their arrival. I push open the door. The moment her bright blue eyes land on me, I’m done. Smirking, I try steeling away my awe, but once she gets to the top stair, I snatch her close and claim her lips.
A clearing of the throat causes me to pull back, but only slightly. “Hi,” I whisper.
Her lips pull up. “Hi.”
Chuck takes her bags and places them on the sofa before turning to us with a huge knowing smile. “It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Pal—Amelia,” he quickly corrects himself. “I’ll let you two catch up.” His gaze slides to mine, silently giving me his approval—like I really needed it.
I keep my hand on the small of her back when she turns to talk to him because I’ve missed the way she feels. “Thank you, Chuck. I’m so glad I got to meet you and see pictures of your grandson.”
Mentioning his pride and joy swells Chuck’s chest. He nods and
heads off.
The moment I close the door behind him, I sink my fingers into her hair and capture her mouth again. She lets out a small moan, gripping my arms as I breathe in her presence.
“I’ve missed you,” I admit, pulling back to look at her.
Her teeth scrape over her bottom lip. “I can tell.”
Our moment is interrupted by a knock on the door. I check the clock on the counter and exhale heavily, aggravated. “She’s early.”
Amelia’s brows mar together. “Who’s early?”
Janet wears her blonde hair down dressed in a pair of black pants, a white shirt, and a navy-blue blazer jacket, looking both professional and casual. She smiles the moment her gaze hits Amelia. “I’m Janet. Part of his PR team. It’s good to finally meet you.”
Amelia smears a polite smile on over her confusion. “You too.”
Janet take a seat at the table and opens a folder. “Per your request, here is a list of the best doctors close to Bristol. Unless, Amelia, you’d like to use your doctor at home?”
Amelia blinks to me.
At the time, having Janet help seemed like a good idea, but now, I’m feeling a little wrong. Like I’m overstepping. I should’ve asked Amelia myself, but I didn’t want her to worry alone.
I lift a shoulder, shooting for honesty and hoping she doesn’t get pissed. “I’m trying to take some of the stresses off you. You can trust Janet. She and Chuck are the only ones who know.”
“I prefer not to use my doctor,” Amelia responds quietly. “Small town gossip.”
Janet nods, grinning widely. “I was hoping you’d say that.” She slides a list containing four doctors to Amelia. “They’re all equally amazing, but the choice is yours.”
Looking for confirmation, Amelia blinks up to me. I shrug again. “This is your choice. I don’t care who you choose as long as I’m with you.”
She glances back to the paper with the blue inked-printed names and studies it before shaking her head. “I don’t care which one. Just so long we can find out how far along I am.”