“You’re sure this isn’t too weird for you?” I asked, smiling in slight disbelief.
“I wasn’t sure in the beginning, when I first found out, but… No. You’re stunning. Beautiful in every way, everywhere. This is what brought us back together. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
My eyes misted a little at the sincerity and conviction in his voice, and I held my breath when he bent forward to press his lips to the bump. He didn’t linger there, moving up to my breasts to worship them hungrily. They were more sensitive than usual, and I was surprised at how quickly my orgasm began to build within me. He hadn’t even touched my sex yet, but I knew I was drenched. As he explored more of my body, it seemed he was intentionally avoiding the place I needed him most. My hips rolled upward of their own volition, pushing against him with urgency.
I needed more of him. More of his touch, his lips, his strength…
“Please,” I whispered. Donovan grinned up at me in satisfaction.
“Tell me what you need, baby.”
“Touch me… Please, touch me.”
“Where?”
My head popped up off the bed to see his sexy smirk, and I gave a breathy little laugh. He wants me to talk dirty? I thought, wondering if he knew what he was getting himself into. He apparently hadn’t read my contributions to the world of erotica yet.
“Touch my pussy,” I breathed. “Feel how wet I am for you. Only you.”
Donovan groaned, probably in reaction to my words just as much as the slickness of my folds against his fingers. I was completely bare and soft even to my own touch.
“Fuck, baby. So gorgeous.”
“Taste me. I’m so close. Make me come with that perfect mouth. Show my pussy who it belongs to now.”
He shuddered as though my words went straight to his groin, and I was pretty sure he couldn’t have refused me if his life had depended on it. His tongue plunged into me, licking hungrily from the deepest part of me up to my clit. The sensitive bundle of nerves was swollen with need, and when he pressed a thick finger into my warmth, I realized I was even closer to an orgasm than I’d thought.
Donovan seemed focused on finding my most sensitive spots, learning what made my toes curl and my thighs tremble. My back arched, and I cried out as I shattered against his lips and fingers. I breathed heavily and gazed upward in confusion at the tiny streaks of silver that moved across the ceiling, and it was a moment before my brain registered what they were.
Stars. The man actually made me see stars.
“Still with me?” Donovan grinned, wiping his mouth and licking my essence off his fingers as he hovered over me. I nodded, not quite coherent enough to form words. “Need a break?”
I responded by matching his smirk with one of my own and tugging him down for a kiss. Our tongues danced as I reached down to wrap a hand around his length, evoking something like a growl from his chest. I felt the tendrils of desire curl within me again as I explored him. As I got my first glimpse of what Donovan was packing, I was once again moved to use the word ‘beautiful’ in a context that never would’ve occurred to me before.
Donovan had been blessed with a gorgeous exterior, and that part of his body was no exception. Our numerous makeout sessions had given me a reasonable impression of his size, but I now had a new appreciation of just what it was I’d been feeling. Generally speaking, I wasn’t all that concerned about a man’s size. There were plenty of average-sized men who could manage a woman’s pleasure without difficulty, and I had enough experience to know that bigger was not always better. Even so, I couldn’t contain the shudder of anticipation that ran through me as I tried to imagine how he’d feel inside me.
“I want to taste you too,” I begged, increasing the pressure of my hand a little as I stroked him.
“Oh, God, baby,” he moaned. “Trust me, I want that too, but I’d never last. I want to be inside you the first time.”
“Then get a condom out of the nightstand. I need to feel you. All of you.”
He moved quickly to retrieve the foiled package from the drawer, rolling it over his length and tossing the wrapper aside. He hesitated briefly as he positioned himself between my legs, and I didn’t need to ask what had stopped him. We’d talked about the need for protection while I was pregnant, but we hadn’t discussed the safety of specific positions. I clutched his biceps and pulled him toward me.
“It’s fine.”
Donovan seemed to lose himself in my eyes as he sank into me. He filled me completely, gasping as my heat enveloped him. The intensity of it stole the air from my lungs, and we couldn’t look away from each other, suspended in a moment of profound clarity, desire, and relief. I wrapped my legs around his hips and urged him to move, whimpering breathlessly as my body adjusted to accommodate his.
He thrust into me gently at first, but we both needed more. The connection we’d felt from that first touch, that first look, seemed to intensify each time he buried himself within me. It had grown from a tiny spark to a raging inferno, and we were powerless against its energy.
Our gasps and moans grew steadily louder as his speed increased, and we chased our release in a near-frenzy of clenching fists and thundering hearts. I began to tremble beneath him, and my thighs tightened around his hips, making his movements a bit shallower. Donovan ground his full length into me and cried out at the precise moment I reached my second climax.
“That’s it, baby. Come for me. Just like that.”
His last word was little more than a groan as he exploded inside of me, unable to hold back even one more second. He captured my lips once again and kissed me long and hard, prolonging his orgasm so that he was still twitching within me almost a full minute later. I gasped when at last he pulled away.
“Wow,” I breathed, staring into his warm, brown eyes. “I’ve never… I mean, it’s never…”
“Felt like that?”
“Yeah. Wow…”
“I know.” Donovan disposed of the condom quickly and all but collapsed onto the bed next to me, gathering me in his arms and ignoring the thin layer of sweat that covered us both. “That was incredible. I knew it would be, but I never imagined…”
We lay in silence for a little while as our pulses slowed and the exquisite post-coital ache set in. His fingers drifted almost lazily over my skin, tracing flowing patterns onto my arms, my chest, my hips, my back…
“So beautiful,” he murmured against my hair, and I smiled as I adjusted my head to look at him.
My hand came to rest on his cheek, and the devotion I saw in his eyes made my chest tighten. I wanted so badly to name the emotion that swelled within me, to say it out loud a hundred times and make sure he knew exactly how I felt about him. But was it too soon? Were the hormones pushing me to rush into something that would only end up hurting me? Would he say it back?
It was almost painful to swallow that one little word, and I had to look away from him to manage it. I covered by burying my face against his neck and pressing my lips to the pulse that throbbed there. Thankfully, Donovan didn’t seem to have noticed my moment of anxiety.
“You’re sure I wasn’t too rough?” he asked doubtfully.
“Positive. Unless there are health concerns, there’s no reason pregnant women can’t have sex right up to the very end. Actually, I’ve read it’s a great way to induce labor.”
“Hmmm,” Donovan grinned. “I like the way you think.”
I giggled and felt a flutter echo from my belly. I was laying on my side with my abdomen pressed against Donovan, and to my surprise, the hand that was caressing my hip stopped abruptly.
“Was that…?”
I looked up to see him staring at me with wide eyes.
“Did you feel it?”
“That was the baby?” he asked excitedly, now pressing his hand to the bump.
“I’ve been feeling flutters, but I thought it was still too early for anyone else to feel them. I can’t believe you felt that!” I was thrilled to be able to share the incredible
sensation with someone else, but reality caught up with me quickly. “Oh, no… Don’t tell Miranda. She’s been hoping she’d get to be the first one to feel it.”
“I won’t,” he promised, seemingly unable to wipe the smile from his face as he waited hopefully for more movements. None came, but that didn’t dampen his mood. We lay like that for a few minutes, each lost in our own thoughts.
“Glad I picked up those condoms a couple weeks ago,” I mused aloud, reclaiming his attention. He laughed.
“So am I. I would’ve brought some, but I didn’t know if you were ready. I didn’t want you to feel pressured.”
“I appreciate that. I’d love to have skipped the condom, but you know…”
“I know. Someday we will. Count on it.”
Donovan kissed me again, and I thought back to one of the phone conversations we’d had several weeks ago. We were both clean, but safe sex was part of the surrogacy contract. Neither of us minded taking precautions for the baby’s sake. We just hoped his nosy but well-intentioned sister wouldn’t use it as an excuse to ask questions about our sex life.
“Can you stay tonight?” I asked hopefully.
“I think leaving might actually be painful.”
“Mmm,” I agreed, enjoying another slow, lingering kiss.
When we found the energy and motivation to move again, we got ready for bed. Donovan helped me tidy up, stacking our dirty dishes in the sink, locking the doors, and turning off the sultry music that was still playing in the living room.
“Guess I should’ve known what I was in for when I heard Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding on your playlist. And that sexy-as-fuck red dress? This was clearly a premeditated seduction,” he teased, wrapping his arms around me from behind as I finished brushing my teeth. I met his eyes in the mirror and gave him a sassy smirk.
“I didn’t hear you complaining.”
“And you never will.”
Eleven
Donovan
Last night’s events replayed through my mind on an endless loop as I foraged through Kennedy’s refrigerator for breakfast ingredients. I was half tempted to serve the dessert we hadn’t gotten around to eating. It had been rather satisfying to realize that her eyes changed color when I sank into her inviting warmth the same way they did when she was enjoying something sweet. The clear, brilliant blue had darkened like a stormy sea, and I’d been all too happy to lose myself in it.
I’d been aching for her much longer than I’d realized. Maybe my whole life. Being inside her for the first time had been like nirvana. Like the ultimate combination of finding God and coming home.
And as if the life-altering sex hadn’t been enough to make my year, I’d had the honor of being the first person, other than Kennedy, to feel the baby move. It was incredible.
But feeling our baby move will be even better.
The thought surprised me, but I didn’t shrink away from it. I’d been completely honest with my father when I’d said I was ‘all in.’ No matter how unique the circumstances that brought us together might have been, Kennedy was my future. I was more certain of it now than I’d ever been, and I was content to take my time with our relationship, knowing we had our whole lives ahead of us.
“You really don’t have to cook breakfast,” Kennedy said, drawing my gaze to the kitchen doorway where she stood naked beneath an open satin robe. We’d already gone one round this morning, but I was gearing up for another. “I know you have to work later. I’m fine with cereal like every other day. Or if you’re really hungry, we could always go out and grab something.”
“You’re not imposing or taking advantage,” I reminded her, forcing my eyes away from her as I started on the eggs. “I like to cook. I wouldn’t turn down some coffee, though.”
“I only have decaf,” she winced, pointing to her belly in explanation. I sighed theatrically but couldn’t hide my smile.
“I suppose I can drink that crap. Just for you, baby. Though, I’m surprised you even bother with it.”
“I thought maybe I could trick my brain into believing it’s the good stuff.”
“Does it work?”
“Not even a little bit.”
Our shared laughter was interrupted by a knock at her door, and we both glanced reflexively at the clock on the microwave. It wasn’t quite eight a.m., and Kennedy’s expression made it clear she wasn’t expecting anyone. She tied her robe more securely around her waist and went to answer the door.
I peeked around the corner to see a man standing on her doormat. He looked a little older than my twenty-seven years and bore a striking resemblance to Kennedy. I knew he had to be her brother, and I grimaced briefly down at my boxers. The guy seemed to be surrounded by an aura of absolute defeat, and I could hear the concern in Kennedy’s voice as she waved him inside.
“Eli… What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“June kicked me out. She wants a divorce,” he muttered, his blue eyes dull with exhaustion.
“Holy shit.” Kennedy took the duffel bag from over his shoulder and closed the door behind him. “You need a place to crash for a while?”
“You wouldn’t mind? I can ask Mom and Dad, but you know how Mom is…”
“Of course I don’t mind. You know that. Are you okay?”
She gestured to the sofa, taking the seat next to him. Eli seemed thoroughly downcast and maybe a bit irritable. I contemplated the wisdom of trying to sneak back to Kennedy’s bedroom for my clothes, but breakfast was already on the stove, and I couldn’t very well walk away from it. I couldn’t help but overhear their continued conversation as I flipped the scrambled eggs to keep them fluffy.
“I guess I knew it was coming,” Eli admitted glumly. “We’ve been having problems for a while, but I didn’t think we were at this point yet, you know? I offered to try counseling and all that, but she thinks it would be a waste of time.”
“Wow… I’m so sorry. I won’t pry for details you’re not ready to talk about, but you know I’ll listen if you need me to.”
“Thanks. I don’t want to get into it right now. It’s nothing horrible like cheating or anything like that. She doesn’t like that I’ve been working so much, and… We just grew apart, I guess. That honeymoon phase thing is totally accurate.”
“You look exhausted.”
“I haven’t slept. We were literally fighting all night. No matter how many times I tried to disengage, she just kept coming back to it. She finally told me to get out about an hour ago, and then it was like I couldn’t leave fast enough.”
“Okay… Well, we can go by later and pick up some more of your stuff if you want. Maybe if I’m there, she won’t start more drama.”
There was a momentary pause followed by the sound of Eli sniffing the air.
“Are you actually making breakfast?”
“Oh…” I went back to the kitchen doorway and smiled awkwardly when Kennedy glanced in my direction. “Yeah, we were getting ready to have some eggs. Are you hungry?”
“We?”
Eli’s head whipped around toward the kitchen, and he got to his feet quickly, rising to his full and considerable height as he stared at me in surprise. He had a thick, muscular build and clearly knew how to use it. Kennedy stepped between us, apparently hoping to nip Eli’s overprotective big brother routine in the bud.
“Yes, we. This is my boyfriend, Donovan West. Donovan, this is my brother, Eli.”
I crossed the room with my hand outstretched, a casual smile on my face. I probably looked a lot calmer than I had any right to, considering I was standing in his baby sister’s kitchen in nothing but my boxers. Eli gripped my hand briefly but didn’t return the smile.
“Nice to meet you, Eli. Kennedy’s told me a lot about you.”
“Wish I could say the same.” He frowned at his sister. “You’re dating?”
I didn’t miss the way his eyes flickered to her stomach, and Kennedy didn’t either. She rolled her eyes in irritation.
“I’m dating one perso
n. Him. Be nice. Don’t get all judgy on me. I get enough of that from Mom.”
Before Eli could give any kind of response, Kennedy’s phone rang, and I recognized the ringtone she’d assigned to Miranda.
“That’s your sister,” she told me, reaching for the phone to answer it. “Hey, sweetie. Can I call you back in a little while?” A split second later, she jerked her head her head away from the phone, having accidentally answered it with the speaker setting on.
“No, this’ll just take a second. I need you to go to your closet and find those gray pumps you bought last fall. I think I might need to borrow them.”
Kennedy smiled and shook her head, apparently deciding it would be faster to simply comply with Miranda’s demands rather than argue with her. She pointed toward her brother with a glare of warning as she began to walk toward her bedroom.
“I’ll be right back. Behave. Don’t scare him off.”
Eli shrugged, evidently unwilling to make any such promises, and turned his attention back to me. The tension was noticeably thicker in Kennedy’s absence. I headed back toward the kitchen, speaking to Eli over my shoulder.
“So, I may have missed your answer, but did you want some eggs? I made more than enough. Kennedy doesn’t seem to buy into that whole ‘eating for two’ thing, but I keep thinking she’ll surprise me one of these days.”
“Sure. Thanks.” Eli settled onto one of the barstools that faced the kitchen and eyed me speculatively. “Your sister called her?”
“Yeah. I’m Miranda’s younger brother. Have you met her?”
“Once or twice. So, wait… You’re the baby’s uncle? And you and Kennedy are together?” His concern was visible and his implication clear, but I merely nodded, refusing to take the bait. “Is that how you guys met?”
Chance Encounter (Fates Aligned Book 1) Page 10