He squeezed his eyes closed for a moment before looking at me. “It kills me to know I put you through that. I regret it like crazy, Jess, not saying anything one way or another.”
“Then why’d you do it?”
“I don’t have a good reason. When you sent me that picture…”
And just like that, the topic was broached. Relief flood through me that he’d brought it up.
“I hate to admit it, but the first thing I thought was that Amy’d pulled the same shit. She’d pulled every trick in the book to wrap me around her finger, and you bet pretending she was pregnant was one of ‘em.”
“But you don’t think I’d ever do that, right?” I asked, hurt that’d he might. “That I’d lie to you about being pregnant?” As the words left my mouth, I remembered that he had good reason not to trust me. I’d lied about the camera, kept it from him.
“You told a damn big lie to me, Jess,” he murmured, frowning. “But you aren’t that kind of woman. I was mad as hell about the camera, about you not being one hundred percent straight with me. I understand why you did what you’d done. Couldn’t have been easy for you, having a secret like that but not bein’ able to explain to yourself why you had it in the first place.”
“But I know now, Wyatt,” I hurried to say. “And all I can say is that I’m so, so sorry.”
He placed his hand on mine, enveloping it in his rough, warm touch. “We both got played hard by the same woman, sounds like.” He smiled slightly, as if seeing the wry humor in the situation. “I’ve let her turn my life upside down before, and I ain’t gonna let it happen again.”
More warmth spread through my body.
“But there’s still the baby.” Saying the word out loud was strange. I’d known I was pregnant, but I’d never actually said baby out loud.
Wyatt turned, my hand still in his. “I’ve been thinkin’. And I want you to know right here, right now, that I’m gonna do right by you and the baby. This ain’t gonna be easy, but I know enough to understand what’s right.” He looked into my eyes as he spoke. “Jess, I don’t ever want to be without you again. I love you. I love you like crazy. And there isn’t a doubt in my mind that I’m gonna love that little baby like crazy too. But first, we’ve got to forgive each other.”
He gazed into my eyes, those golden orbs heavy with a vulnerability I’d never seen before. At that moment, we held each other’s hearts. All we could do was say the words and go from there.
“I forgive you, Wyatt. And I love you, too.”
His mouth spread into a smile, one of relief and happiness and love. And I felt the same damn way.
“Never apart,” he said. “Never again.”
“Never again.”
His hand moved from my leg, up along my body until it came to a rest on my cheek. I closed my eyes, letting Wyatt’s gaze wash over me. His touch, his look, his love – it was all I’d wanted.
I realized quickly how wrong I was. The moment his lips touched mine, I knew his kiss was what I’d wanted more than anything.
His lips on mine made my body melt. I sighed through his kiss, tears forming in my eyes that I fought hard. But there was no use – all he’d said and done was so overwhelming. I wanted his love, his body, everything else that Wyatt so clearly wanted to give me.
I kissed him back, his tongue dragging slowly over mine as our hands touched and caressed one another’s bodies.
“This is all I’ve been able to think about,” he said in between placing his lips on the gentle curve of my neck. “I’ve been going crazy without you, Jess.”
“Wyatt…” Nothing else came out. What could I have said to describe the way he made me feel?
He kissed the shell of my ear, his warm breath gliding over my face. Wyatt’s hands moved to the hem of my shirt, taking it and pulling the clothing over my head. I was wearing a simple, white bra. I’d been so anxious about the idea of seeing him again that it hadn’t occurred to me to dress sexy. Maybe in the back of my mind I thought that’d be pushing my luck.
Wyatt’s shirt came off next, revealing the sculpted, toned body I couldn’t get out of my mind. We stripped to nothing but his gray boxer-briefs and my panties, the fabric between my legs soaked through.
“Couch is no place for this,” he announced.
Before I had a chance to respond, Wyatt wrapped his arm around the small of my back, the other scooping me up under my legs. With no effort at all, he lifted me from the couch, carrying me groom/bride style to the bedroom. We kissed as he carried me, my breaths deep with anticipation. We reached his bed and he laid me down gently, my hair fanning out around my face.
“God, you’re so beautiful I can barely even look at you.” He grinned, his eyes on me, taking in the sight of my nearly naked body.
I loved the way he stood over me, the notches of his hips disappearing into the waist of his briefs. He breathed in deeply, his broad, chiseled chest rising and falling.
“Please,” I said, reaching out to him. “I need you.”
“Jess, you have no idea how much I need you.”
Wyatt climbed onto the bed and on top of me. He lowered his head and continued to kiss me. The kiss was hot, without a doubt. But there was more to it than that. There was passion. There was tenderness.
There was love.
He reached down, his rough hand moving between my legs and rubbing my clit through my soaked panties. I moaned through the kiss, closing my eyes and letting the sensation of his touch against my pussy carry me away.
“I’m never gonna leave you again,” he said, his voice low and firm in my ear.
“Never,” I replied.
I rubbed his thick cock through his boxer-briefs, and together the two of us peeled off the last bit of clothing that separated our bodies. Once we were both bare, Wyatt dragged his cock over my pussy, the smooth glide of his head against me forcing out a low moan.
“I love you, Jess,” he murmured as he positioned his cock between my lips. “I love you like crazy.”
“Then make love to me. Make love to me now.”
“It’s all I want to do,” he swore. “Every damn day.”
Without another word, he pushed his cock into me. I let out a sigh of unimaginable pleasure as he entered me, inch by inch. Reaching around, I grabbed his firm ass and pressed down, making sure every bit of his cock was deep inside me.
Wyatt moaned before pulling back and plunging again. His lips locked onto mine, kissing me slowly and tenderly and deliciously. I dragged the back of my nails over the outlines of his muscles, feeling them tighten and loosen as his body worked.
We kissed, our lips not leaving the other’s as he drove in and out of me. I only opened my eyes for a moment to glance down and take in the sight of his cock tunneling into me. There was so much to worry about, so much we needed to address. But at that moment, there was nothing in the world but the two of us, our bodies joined together in the way only lovers could be.
Wyatt raised himself up on his arms, gazing down at me with those golden eyes, his expression hard and serious as he pumped between my legs. An orgasm began to take shape, and right in the middle of a deep thrust, it broke.
“Oh…oh my God!” I came like I’d never come before, not with another man, not on my own, not even with Wyatt. It was as though the love between us unlocked some deep reservoir of pleasure I didn’t know was inside me. The orgasm pulsed, rushing through me in waves, ebbing and flowing.
Wyatt’s expression focused even more deeply, and with another series of plunges he let out a hard grunt. His cock pulsed inside me, followed by the sensation of him draining against my walls. I loved to watch him come, to feel it happen inside me.
We finished quickly, and when we did Wyatt did the opposite of what he’d done whenever we’d been intimate before. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close.
“No holding back anymore, huh?” I asked with a dreamy smile.
“What’d be the point of that?” he asked. “We’re in love, da
mmit. No holding back anymore.”
I was giddy, thrilled.
“I want you to stay with me here,” he told me. “Whatever your old life was, leave it behind.”
“It was not much of a life to speak of,” I confessed. “Memories came back, and I remembered enough about it to know it’s nothing I want.” I smiled sadly as I told him about my life. “Tiny, lonely apartment, no family, no friends. A job where I’m paid to deceive. I’m done with it.”
He nodded. “You can start a new life here with me and the family. This cabin’s a little on the small side, but…” He shook his head, as if getting ahead of himself. “We can worry about that later.”
“I still need to go back and pack, break the lease on my apartment, stuff like that. And I want to be done with my old job,” I told him. I smiled brightly. “But maybe…I don’t know. Maybe I can go some good instead of making money off hardship.”
“Become a PI for good,” he tossed out, a smile on his face as well.
“Something like that.”
“I like what I’m hearing,” he acknowledged. “But from here on out, it’s you and me and this little guy right here.” He placed his hand on my bare belly.
“Or girl,” I said, grinning.
“Or girl.”
Silence fell, one that didn’t need to be filled with words.
We were in love. Nothing else mattered.
Chapter 19
WYATT
We spent the rest of the day making love and lying in bed and talking about what came next. I thought I’d been in love before, but with Jess it made me realize everything I knew – thought I’d known — about the subject wasn’t worth a damn. Being with her was like nothing I’d experienced before. I didn’t want her to leave my side, even for a minute.
But we both knew she had to. She had a life to sort out, and as tempting it as it might’ve been for her to leave it all behind, it had to be done right.
“I’m comin’ with you,” I announced the next morning over coffee and pancakes. “I drive you back to town, stay with you while you get everything wrapped up, then we come back.”
She shook her head, her lips pressed together. “I need to do this on my own. And I don’t want you leaving the ranch behind while I sort out my business. You’ve got Juniper and Red and all the rest of the animals to worry about. What if something happened to one of them while you were gone?”
She had a point. Maybe if things hadn’t been so crazy around the ranch, maybe if I didn’t have a new foal to look after, going with her might’ve been an easier option. But I didn’t like it.
“I want you to hurry back, then,” I said, reaching across the table and taking her hand. “We’ve got a new life to build together, and we’re not gonna waste a second we don’t have to.”
She squeezed my hand back. “You know I feel the same way. I’m just going to go back, tie up the loose ends, and I’ll be back before you know it.”
I nodded. “Perfect. But you’re gonna let me take a look at that car before you leave. Not a chance you’re gettin' on the road in somethin’ unsafe to drive.”
“Alright,” she said. “I’ll give you that.”
We finished the rest of our breakfast in silence, enjoying one another’s company. After breakfast, Jess gathered her things while I checked her car. As I checked the oil and tire pressure and all the basics, I made a mental note to make sure I bought her a new car when she moved in, something more suited for the area. I imagined she’d make a fuss about me doing something like that, but I wouldn’t hear a word about it. I wanted her to be safe, and after seeing what had happened to her car in the rainstorm, I wasn’t about to take any chances.
But I would worry about later. About the time I finished, Jess returned from the house with her suitcase and a small brown bag in her hand.
“What’s that?” I asked, nodding toward the bag.
She smiled as she stepped toward me, her gorgeous, auburn hair bouncing with each step. “Bumped into Ginny on the way into my old room.”
“Bet she was thrilled to see you,” I said, dusting my hands and leaning back against the car.
“She was. And when I told her I was driving back, she didn’t let me leave until she’d made me something for the road.” She held up the bag., shaking it slightly “Egg salad sandwich and some homemade potato chips.”
My stomach grumbled something fierce at the mention. “I’m tellin’ you, once you’ve had those homemade chips, you won’t want to touch that stuff that comes in the bag.”
Her hand holding the bag fell to her side, and it was obvious there was something else on her mind.
“Let’s hear it,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I might’ve let slip about the baby.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That right?”
“Sorry!” she gushed quickly. “I assumed you’d told her.”
“I didn’t, but I should’ve. How’d she take the news?”
“You kidding?” she asked, laughing. “She’s thrilled, said it’s about damn time you gave her a grandkid.”
I glanced to the side, allowing a smile to cross my lips. “Sounds about right.”
“OK,” she said. “I drive in, take care of business, and hurry back.”
I stepped up to her, hooking my thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans. Then I pulled her body close to mine. “Then we start our new life.”
“Then we start our new life,” she repeated, grinning from ear to ear.
I handed her the keys, and she took them before I planted a deep kiss on her soft lips. The kiss lingered, her taste filling my mouth. My hands on her body, my lips on hers…I sure as shit didn’t want to let her go. Hell, what I really wanted was to pull her back into my bedroom and really give her something to want to stay for.
But she had business to sort out. And so did I.
“Alright,” I said, using every bit of strength I had to pull my lips away. “You get a move on. Text me when you get to Houston, and keep me posted, y’hear?”
“You know I will.”
One more lingering kiss and she was off. I gave her gorgeous ass a firm swat and got giggles as a response. Then I leaned against the front door and watched as she climbed into her car, flashing me one more loving look before starting the engine. Seconds later, her car disappeared over the horizon of the property and she was gone.
I hated it instantly. And the thought scared the shit out of me. When I’d gone through all that horseshit with Amy, I swore I’d never let a woman get close enough to me to hurt me. But I was doing it again before even a year had passed.
But Jess was different. I could feel it in my bones. There was something about her, something that made me want to let all my walls down. And I’d do anything to protect her.
I returned to the cabin. Once I had a cup of hot coffee in hand, I looked around my home. It wasn’t the biggest cabin in the world, though it was more than homey. I’d built it with my brothers, readying it to be a home for my wife and I when I finally settled down. After things went south with Amy, I’d moved back into the main house and hadn’t spent much time in the cabin aside from the past few weeks. Now, I’d found someone to live there with me. I had some work to do.
It was fine for just one person, but my little family, a word that lifted my soul, would be three. A one-bedroom joint wasn’t going to cut it.
Determination filled me as I made my way to my supply closet, opening it and gathering my drafting materials. I spread them out over the kitchen table, mug of coffee close at hand. Hours flew by as I worked. I’d taken the layout for the cabin as we’d built it and added a pair of rooms. There’d be an extra bedroom, one that could double as a guest bedroom or an office. But more important than that was the nursery. It wouldn’t be easy, and I’d need the help of my brothers, but it would get done.
Jess and I were going to build a life together, and we’d need a proper home to do it in. Once I’d finished the last bit of drafting, I sat back in
my chair with a big old smile of satisfaction on my face. But I quickly realized an addition to the house was only the first thing I’d need to get started on. The baby would need all sorts of furniture – a crib, a dresser, maybe a nice little rocking chair for Jess to sit in while she was nursing. The expansion might need to wait for a spell, but these I could start now.
The ranch had a pretty damn decent workshop, and with some plans in hand, I started on a crib. Damned if it wasn’t one of the most satisfying things I’d made in a long, long time. Knowing I was building with my own two hands the bed where my baby boy or girl would be sleeping…hell if it didn’t put another big smile on my face.
After a couple hours of working, I hurried to the main house for a little something to eat. Mama G was there, and however I’d been grinning all day, it was nothing compared to the big smile on her face when I showed up.
She didn’t say a word, instead pulling her hands out of the sink where she’d been washing dishes and running over to me, throwing those skinny arms around my middle.
“My boy’s gonna be a daddy!” she squealed, squeezing me with the always-surprising strength she often showed.
“That’s right,” I said, returning the hug. “Sorry about not telling you right away, Ma.”
She pulled away and swiped her hand through the air, dismissing the idea. “Don’t matter none. You’re giving me a dang grandkid, and that’s all I care about.” Then a strange expression crossed her face, as if she didn’t quite know how to say what she had on her mind.
“What is it, Ma?”
“It’s just…” She sucked in a breath. “Well, I couldn’t imagine a better woman for you to be doin’ it with. I had a good feeling about Jess the moment I laid eyes on her, not the creepy-to-the-bone feeling I got with Amy. I know these things, Wyatt. That girl’s gonna be good for you.”
“I know she will be. Happy you like her as much as I do.” My phone shook in my pocket, interrupting our conversation, and I slipped it out. “Ah, hell.”
Cowboy's Baby: A Secret Baby Ranch Western Cowboy Romance Page 17