Tall, Dark and Charming

by Erika Wilde

  There was no holding back the whimper that fell from her lips. She was so turned on, so desperate for the orgasm glimmering just beyond her reach, she didn’t hesitate to do as he asked. She pushed the straps of her bra down her arms until her breasts were bared, and the satisfied groan that rolled up from his throat had her nipples puckering in anticipation of having his mouth on them.

  She gasped as his fingers slid into her, slow and deep as he’d promised, at the same time his lips latched onto her breasts and sucked while his thumb massaged her sensitive clit. Sensory overload was immediate, like an electric jolt of pleasure through her entire body that lit her up like a firecracker. The feel of his wet mouth and soft tongue flicking against her rigid nipple, combined with the rhythmic thrust of his hand and the friction against that bundle of nerves had her crying out his name as her entire being splintered into a million tiny pieces of unending bliss.

  When she finally floated back down to earth, she found him back on his side next to her, a satisfied grin on his smug face as he watched her recover. “Jesus, Daisy, that didn’t take much at all,” he said, and chuckled.

  Her skin already felt flush, but warmed even more at his playful comment. “Umm, it’s been awhile, and everything seems . . . heightened.”

  He moved off the bed and went to the dresser across the room. “Well, hopefully that should help you get a good night’s sleep.”

  He walked back toward her holding a gray T-shirt, and her gaze was drawn to the long, thick shaft still outlining the front of his jeans. “What about you?” she asked.

  “What about me?” he replied, making her sit up to remove her top and bra so he could then redress her in his soft cotton T-shirt to sleep in.

  She removed her leggings and added them to the pile of clothes on the floor. “You’re still . . . hard.” Very hard.

  He glanced down at the fly of his jeans, feigning shock at seeing his enormous erection. “Imagine that,” he scoffed humorously before glancing back at her with a dimpled grin. “Maybe that’s because I had the pleasure of making the beautiful woman in my bed scream my name as she came. It clearly made my dick very happy.”

  She couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of her. “I can take care of that for you, you know,” she said, reaching out and tucking her fingers into the waistband of his pants.

  He sucked in a breath, his gaze flaring with heat, but he gently grabbed her wrists and pinned them beside her head on the pillow as he leaned over her from the side of the bed. “Sweetheart, I didn’t make you come because I expected you to return the favor. I did it because I wanted to, and you obviously needed it. And honestly, it was so fucking hot watching you come that fast.”

  He lowered his mouth to hers, giving her a soft kiss that was so tender and genuinely sweet it wreaked havoc with Daisy’s mind and heart before he lifted his head again and looked into her eyes.

  “Now, here are the rules for the rest of the night,” he said, standing straight at the side of the bed. “You’re going to relax and let me take care of you, because it’s what I want and what you need. Got it?”

  She nodded, because what was the point of arguing with such a determined man? “Got it.”

  He smiled at her quick agreement. “Good.”

  Seemingly satisfied with her acquiescence, he turned off the lights in the room, leaving just the TV on for now, and walked around to the other side of the bed while tugging off his T-shirt and tossing it onto a nearby chair. His jeans came off next, and once he was in just a pair of black boxer briefs, he settled onto the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms and against his chest.

  She went way too willingly, and she reminded herself that this was all about the baby she was now carrying and not to get used to Aiden’s attention. Right now, they were trying to navigate this huge change in their lives that affected them both—in different and similar ways, and this was his way of coming to terms with the fact that he was soon going to be a dad.

  Cuddling up against Aiden’s warm, solid chest with his arm around her certainly wasn’t a hardship. And with her body turned toward his, she told herself it was more comfortable with her arm draped across his waist and her legs intertwined with his, even if the position was undeniably intimate.

  The volume on the TV was on low, and even though her body was sated from the orgasm Aiden had given her, it was more difficult to shut down her mind and the thoughts running through it. Like, what her mother was going to say when Daisy told her. And how the pregnancy might affect her job, not to mention having to figure out a way to juggle work and a baby once it was born—mostly on her own, because while she knew Aiden would help in whatever way he could, for the most part, the day-to-day responsibilities and raising of the child would be hers.

  “What are you thinking, Daisy?” Aiden asked in a soft murmur, seemingly sensing that her brain was working overtime when she should be trying to sleep.

  She replied honestly. “That I’m scared of all the changes ahead.”

  The arm around Daisy held her a little tighter. “Me, too, sweetheart,” he said, stroking a hand over her hair. “But we’ll figure it out together. I promise.”

  She believed him, because that’s the kind of man Aiden Stone was. Somehow, someway, they’d find a way to make this all work for the baby’s sake . . . even if it meant guarding her heart and emotions from the man who was now her baby daddy.

  Chapter Nine

  Aiden woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly content, despite the three-sixty change his life had gone through in a matter of minutes last night. But with Daisy snuggled into his body, trusting him to protect her while she slept, he knew without a shred of doubt that he’d slay dragons for this woman and the baby that was growing inside of her.

  Three months ago they’d spent an incredibly passionate night together, one that was supposed to be a spontaneous hookup and only about pleasure and sex. But waking up that morning after getting to know Daisy better, physically and emotionally, Aiden had instinctively known that there was nothing simple or casual about the deep-seated feelings that had developed for her during those twelve intimate hours they’d spent together.

  Those same feelings for Daisy were reaffirmed again this morning, when he realized just how much he’d missed this close, physical connection with her. How much he’d missed her—their effortless conversations like they’d had last night, her smiles and laughter and their witty exchanges, and how comfortable and easy it was to just be with her, even beyond the attraction and chemistry that was always present. She was the reason dating anyone else no longer held any appeal, because it was suddenly so obvious to him that no other woman would ever compare to this one, who seemed to fill the gaps in his life that he hadn’t even known were empty until her.

  And now, holy shit, she was going to have his baby.

  He’d slept on and off throughout the night as the reality of the situation sank in and took hold. Ready or not, he was going to be a dad—something he’d never envisioned for himself, considering he’d always thought he’d be single. Yeah, there was still an element of shock that he was dealing with at the unexpected news, but instead of letting Daisy’s pregnancy turn his life upside down or freaking the fuck out completely—yes, he’d had a moment in the kitchen when he’d freaked slightly—he had enough moral compass to step up like a man should when life didn’t go as planned. Unlike his father, who’d opted to check out and walk away from his wife and kids when the going had gotten tough so he could marry a younger woman and start a new family with her.

  Daisy would never have to worry about going through this process by herself, or him abandoning her or their child, but he hadn’t forgotten about the married dickhead who’d fucked around with her heart and emotions and made her cautious when it came to trusting other men. Hell, he’d seen her distrust in action last night when she’d assured Aiden that she didn’t expect anything from him and that she was prepared to go it alone. Total self-protection mode at its finest, and an emotio
nal obstacle he was going to have to navigate carefully until he convinced her that he wasn’t going to fail her or their child.

  Because he was all fucking in. There was no middle road for Aiden and no doubts or fears he couldn’t conquer along the way in order to make some kind of relationship with Daisy work, even if it was just as co-parents—but ideally, he wanted her as part of the package, too. They might not have dated for the past three years, but they’d worked together five days a week for that long and weren’t strangers, either. He knew enough about Daisy that he liked and respected her. He’d even go so far as to say that he cared for her, and they had a friendship he’d like to think made for a solid foundation to raise a child together and hopefully to build something more between them, as well.

  She shifted restlessly against him, then rolled to her back with a sigh as one of her hands came to rest protectively on her stomach. He took a moment to look at her as she slept so peacefully, already imagining what she’d look like once her belly really started to show, and it was incredibly easy to envision Daisy glowing and stunningly beautiful in her advanced pregnancy.

  Smiling at the thought, he moved down a few inches and pushed up the hem of his shirt so he could press his ear to her warm stomach, same as he had last night, but this time listening intently because he was genuinely curious to see if he could detect any kind of pulse. Yeah, he really was a total dork, but having made the decision that he was all in, he didn’t give a shit, because he wasn’t going to miss out on any part of this pregnancy if he could help it.

  Daisy’s fingers threaded lazily through his hair as she stirred, then he felt her tense beneath him as she woke up to find him resting his head on her abdomen. She looked down at him with wide, startled eyes, and he smiled at her.

  “Morning,” he murmured. “Just seeing if I can pick up any baby sounds in your belly.”

  “And?” she asked huskily, the first glimmer of amusement shining in her eyes. “Do you hear anything in there?”

  He masked his face into an expression of concentration. “I hear gurgling sounds . . . but that’s probably your stomach letting me know that it’s breakfast time and I need to get my butt out of bed and feed you and the baby.”

  “Yes, most likely,” she agreed with a soft, still-sleepy laugh as her fingers resumed threading through his hair, as if the two of them spent every weekend lying around in bed together and this was their normal routine. “I should be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat when I go to my first ob-gyn appointment next week and get a ultrasound done.”

  “I want to go with you,” he said automatically. No way was she getting to hear their baby’s heartbeat without him there, too.

  “Aiden, you really don’t need to go to my doctor’s appointments.”

  She was giving him an out he didn’t want and putting up those emotional walls. Even if she didn’t realize that’s what she was doing, he did. “Sweetheart, I know that I don’t have to. I want to.” Then he grinned to lighten the mood. “Besides, I’m afraid if I don’t go, I’ll have major FOMO.”

  The corner of her mouth quirked with humor. “Fear of missing out?” she asked.

  He lifted his head and nodded. “It’s the first time you’ll be hearing the heartbeat, and I know I’ll regret it if I miss out on the experience.”

  Her expression softened as she relented. “Okay. The appointment is four in the afternoon this coming Thursday.”

  “Thank you.” He kissed her stomach, just a light, affectionate skim of his lips, before getting out of bed and pulling on his jeans. “I’m going to go start breakfast. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

  “Okay. I’ll be there in just a bit.”

  Not knowing what Daisy’s stomach might be able to handle in the morning, Aiden made scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, and toast, figuring it was a healthy enough meal to begin the day. She walked into the kitchen fifteen minutes after he’d left her in bed, wearing the same outfit she’d had on last night and having re-braided her hair so any wild strands that had escaped during the night while she was sleeping were now tamed. She was back to being buttoned-up Daisy Parker, and he realized he kind of liked being the only one who saw the sensual, naughty side to Daisy.

  She sat down at the table while he plated their breakfast. “Orange juice or coffee to drink?” he asked.

  She thought for a moment. “I probably should be more careful about my caffeine intake, so I’ll go with orange juice. Thank you.”

  He delivered her eggs, bacon, and toast, then went to the refrigerator and poured them both a glass of OJ and returned to the table, sitting beside her. He watched her take a couple bites of her food, her appetite much stronger than it had been during last night’s dinner, when she’d been too anxious about telling him she was pregnant.

  The expression on her face was appreciative and happy by the time half her eggs were gone. “I think I’ve eaten two of the best meals I’ve had lately here at your place,” she said with a laugh. “You’re spoiling me.”

  He smiled, because the concept definitely appealed to him on a regular basis. “You don’t like to cook?”

  “It’s not that,” she said before she took a drink of her juice. “I just don’t have the space in my small kitchenette to create meals that have more than three or four ingredients, and a lot of the time when I get home from the office, it’s late and I’m too tired to cook. Mostly, I heat up a prepackaged dinner or I grab takeout on the way home from work, but I suppose I need to change those habits, too.”

  “Or maybe I’ll just have to cook for you more often,” he said, meaning it.

  “I’ll be fine, Aiden,” she assured him with a smile.

  He ate a slice of bacon and couldn’t help but worry about her, which was a foreign thing for him when it came to a woman. But he now had a vested interest in the baby she was carrying, and he wanted to do whatever it took to make her day-to-day life easier, too. Which made him wonder about her family and if she’d be able to rely on them during her pregnancy, and even whether she’d have some kind of support system after the baby was born.

  So, he asked. “I know you just found out about the baby, but have you told your family that you’re pregnant yet?”

  She’d been happily enjoying her breakfast, but as soon as he mentioned her family, it put a quick damper on her cheerful expression. Her eyes immediately cast down toward her plate in a blatant attempt at avoiding his gaze. “Umm, no, not yet. I’m an only child, and I really don’t have a lot of family to speak of.”

  That revelation flooded him with concern—because it was clearly a topic that made Daisy uncomfortable—and sadness for her, because he had his mother and his two brothers in his life, no matter what. He remembered her mentioning her mother during their night together in San Francisco and focused on that.

  “What about your parents?” he asked.

  As if he’d just caused her to lose her appetite, she set her fork down on her plate and pushed it away. Her lips pressed together as she finally met his gaze again, and he hated that vulnerable look now etching her expression.

  “Parent,” she clarified. “Just my mother. I don’t know my father and have never met him or any of his family. He walked out when I was a baby because, according to my mother, who got pregnant with me by accident, having a kid wasn’t something he’d bargained for or wanted.”

  Ahhh, fuck. Aiden’s stomach twisted into a giant knot, and now a lot of her behavior and remarks from last night made sense—how she didn’t expect anything from him, or that he shouldn’t feel responsible or obligated in any way to the baby she was carrying. And most telling, her comment of You didn’t ask for this . . .

  Now he understood where it was coming from. Clearly, all she had as experience were her mother’s unplanned pregnancy with her and a prick of a father who hadn’t had the balls to step up and be a man and take responsibility for his own child.

  “And you haven’t told your mother yet?” he asked, more gently this time since he now reali
zed how sensitive the subject was.

  She shook her head. “No, because I already know what she’s going to say, though realistically, I realize at some point I will have to tell her she’s going to be a grandmother.”

  He frowned. “You don’t think she’ll be happy, or at least supportive when the initial shock wears off?”

  “The answer would be no, to both,” she replied as she absently ran her fingers along the condensation gathering on her glass of orange juice. “Because she’ll see this unplanned pregnancy as this huge, horrible mistake I’ve made that will ruin my career and the rest of my life.” Her voice ached with pain.

  Holy. Shit. Anger welled up in him, because he couldn’t imagine anyone being that callous toward their daughter, let alone the grandchild she was carrying. Aiden had no doubts that his mother and both of his brothers would need a bit of time to process the news that he was going to be a dad, but they’d never call a baby, his baby, a mistake.

  He badly wanted to understand Daisy’s mother’s thought process and was fairly certain there was more to the story that he didn’t know yet. So, he asked. “Why would your mother think that?”

  She met his gaze again, clearly uncomfortable sharing this difficult part of her past with him, but she exhaled a breath and spoke. “My mother, Diane, was nineteen when she met my father, right after she’d been accepted into the Los Angeles Dance Academy, which had always been her dream. According to my mother, my father was quite a smooth-talking charmer. He said and did all the right things, and she fell hard for him, except when she got pregnant with me, he didn’t stick around. So, she was forced to give up her scholarship and dream of dancing to get a job and raise me, and I grew up hearing about it, which always made me feel like a burden and that she resented that I was born. I was also lectured about not trusting men because they’d take advantage of me and make promises they wouldn’t keep . . . and, well, that’s pretty much what happened with Troy. I got a nice, big, fat I told you so from my mother when I had to tell her about that.”