by Mia Pride
“I would be no gentleman if I told you what I was thinking right now,” he grunted, keeping his hands at his sides.
“I already know how ungentlemanly you can be,” I replied with a wink.
Chris ran a hand through his hair again and sighed. “Yeah, but that was different.”
“How so?” He smelled like cloves and something else I couldn’t quite place, but the spicy scent drove me mad.
“You hadn’t just been attacked by your ex-boyfriend that night, Monica. I can’t. I want to... more than you know. But seeing him on you like that? Hearing your cries? I shouldn’t be thinking about you naked! I feel like an asshole. Goddamn it.” Chris stepped out of my arms and turned around to face the wall. “I care about you, Monica. A lot. More than I’ve ever cared about anyone or anything. It scares the shit out of me.” Turning around again, Chris narrowed his eyes. “You scare the shit out of me.”
“You’re twice my size. I’m sure you could take me out,” I said wryly, but Chris only pursed his lips and wrinkled his brow.
“You use humor to deflect everything, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“You know what I’m saying, but I assume you don’t feel the same way based on your nonchalance every time we discuss this.”
“Did you just say ‘nonchalance’?” I quipped, knowing I was doing precisely what he accused me of, but hard habits died slowly, and he was right about me. I found humor made a good shield, protecting me from exposing my raw feelings and bruised heart. Fortunately, Chris ignored me and kept talking.
“Just being around you makes me lose all my senses. I feel like an awkward teenager again. To you, this may be an opportunity for risk-free casual sex, but for me, I have a lot more to lose than to gain by crossing lines that will lead me nowhere in the long run. I want more than that.”
Long run? What was Chris saying right now? He wanted the long run with me? I was overwhelmed by such a concept, yet I wanted the same thing. I wanted to make plans, hold hands in public, spend holidays together—not just as Brent’s best friend and sister, and not just as friends with benefits, but as a real couple. I wanted to be a real family with Chris and our baby.
“I want that, too.”
“You do? Which part?” Chris asked, taking a hopeful step forward and narrowing his gaze on me.
Chapter Eleven
Monica
WRAPPING MY ARMS AROUND his neck, I reached onto my tiptoes and feverishly kissed his lips, groaning when he slid his tongue into my mouth before sucking on my lower lip. “Are you sure?” His hot breath trailed down my throat as he licked, sucked, and nipped at my tender flesh.
Weak-kneed and breathless, I nodded and gripped his waist, pulling him closer to me. “About what? Sex?”
“About us...” Chris added, pulling away long enough to look me in the eyes. “I want you to be mine, Mon.”
“Stop talking,” I moaned and captured his lips with mine again.
Chris pulled away, and I sighed in frustration. “Not until I know that this isn’t another one-night thing for you. And that you are okay after what just happened with Steve. I want you, but I want all of you, and I’m willing to wait for the right time.”
This time, I stepped back, panting as I caught my breath. He wasn’t going to let me skate around this. Sharing my feelings wasn’t exactly my strong suit. His concern for me was touching, after what I went through tonight, but I wanted to let it go, to move on and enjoy myself. To forget that Steve even existed.
“This...” I said, signaling to the space between us, “is not as simple as two people getting to know one another on a series of dates. We already know each other. I’m pregnant with your child. This feels much more like do or die.”
“Uh, thanks?” Chris said with anger tingeing his tone as he lowered his brow.
“See? This is why I prefer not to talk. I suck at it.” With a frustrated growl, I threw my hands up and took a deep breath. “I like you, Chris. I like you a lot. What I’m saying is that this feels less than casual. We are past all that. Are we ready for the intensity of this? The commitments involved? If we remain friends, we have clear boundaries, custody schedules, separate homes, and separate lives. What if this doesn’t work out, and we end up hating each other forever?”
“What if it does work out, and we end up loving each other forever?” Chris added to counter my negativity.
“And you see that as a possibility?” I asked, raising a brow.
“Monica, of course I do.” Chris slowly stepped closer to me, touching my waist. “Just stop torturing me, all right. Either you want this, or you don’t. I know you’ve already decided one way or the other. You’ve never been an indecisive woman.”
I bit back a smile. Chris really did know me well. “I do want this. It’s not going to be a traditional courtship though. It’s going to get complicated and messy. And soon, even messier when this... thing arrives.” I rubbed my belly, and Chris smiled, placing his hand on top of mine. “But I’m willing to put myself in a vulnerable situation with you because I do want to give us a go.”
“Wow. This is really happening, huh?” Gently, Chris tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind my ear, grazing my neck and giving me goosebumps as a pleasant shiver caressed my neck.
“Yeah, I guess it is,” I murmured, looking up at him with a smile. I touched his chiseled jawline with the back of my fingers, enjoying the roughness of his five o’clock shadow against my skin. Turning his head, he kissed my fingers before pulling me against him. I felt his erection press against my stomach and cocked a brow. “And so is this.”
Placing my hands on his black leather belt, I pulled it through the loops and unbuttoned his pants. His eyes widened before lowering, lust darkening his gaze. When his zipper came down, so did his dark blue slacks, but I was more interested in what lay beneath his boxer briefs.
I gripped his cock, and he moaned, reaching out both hands and ripping my shirt open with a quick pull that sent buttons flying across the room. My bared breasts heaved, their nipples hardening into impossibly tight peaks as his gaze wandered down my body.
“God, I’ve dreamed of seeing you naked again,” Chris whispered, cupping my breasts with his palms, running his thumbs across my sensitive nipples.
“Me, too.” Sighing, I placed my hands on the elastic band of his boxer briefs, ready to yank them down, ready to feel him deep inside me again.
“Not yet.” Chris stilled my hands. “You were in charge last time. It’s my turn.” Chris unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to the side.
“Oh?” Licking my lips, I stepped back with a grin. “Okay, show me what you’ve got.”
When Chris gripped my hips and lifted me onto the nearest kitchen counter, I squealed with shock, laughing at his spontaneity. But my laughing ceased when he pulled the boxers down my thighs and spread my legs open before his gaze. My open shirt slid down my arms, leaving me virtually naked on top of his counter.
“You...” Chris murmured as his finger ran down my cheek, over my throat, between my breasts, and down my belly, resting on my slight baby bump. “Are the most beautiful woman I have ever known.”
“I bet you say that to all the spread-eagle girls you meet,” I said, gasping when his finger moved lower, grazing my clit and making electricity thrum through my entire body. I was so pent-up that the slightest touch was enough to set me off.
“Oh, God,” I sighed and tilted my hips up when his fingers slipped inside me, one and then another.
“You drive me crazy,” I heard Chris whisper just as his head came down between my legs. I felt his hot breath fan my inner thighs just as his tongue flicked across my clit, then again while his fingers worked inside me. My hips rocking in tandem with his tongue, I felt the pleasure building higher and higher. Opening my eyes, I watched as Chris sucked my clit into his mouth, cried out when his free hand reached up and gripped one of my breasts.
“Oh,” I cried. “Chris... I’m going to come...” Just as the word
s left my mouth, an orgasm more potent than any I had ever experienced before rocked my entire body. Tears ran down my cheeks as I moaned, squirmed, stiffened as the pleasure tore through me.
“I want you, Chris... now!”
Wasting no time, Chris tore his boxer briefs down his legs and drove himself into me. I cried out from the intense feeling of being suddenly filled by him. He was part man, part animal as he grabbed my ass and pushed me down onto him, harder, faster, his chest muscles flexing with every hard thrust of his hips.
Laying back onto the counter, I felt its cool granite surface on my back and enjoyed the sensation while the rest of my body blazed with heat. He leaned over me, driving into me with desperation, and our eyes locked.
This was not at all like our first time together. That had been the lust of two friends, both needing a fix. A one-time deal. This was so much more. There was emotion, possession, a desperate, clawing need to give and take, to share our bodies and our lives, sealing our promise to commit to this relationship.
“I’m going to finish,” he panted, gripping my hips and thrusting.
“Me too,” I cried just as another orgasm consumed me. I tightened around him and propped myself up on my elbows, my legs quaking as all my energy drained. Stiffening, Chris grunted and shuddered before relaxing and placing his head on my breasts, our sweat-slicked skin touching.
“Wow,” I sighed, running my hands through his dark hair.
Looking up at me, Chris shook his head. “Was I too rough?”
“God no. That was amazing. I could do that all day,” I grinned, sitting up completely naked on his countertop as he took my hands and helped me to my feet.
Skin to skin, he held me in his arms, smelling the top of my head. It was so sincere, so caring, that I pondered if he felt the intense love I harbored for him. “I could do that all day too, but first, I think I need to get some food in you. Pretty sure your stomach growled more than once just now.”
Laughing, I shrugged. “Guilty. I do need to eat.”
Handing me his boxers, Chris looked at the torn shirt and smirked. “I will get you another shirt, and then we can fill ourselves with pizza and virgin cocktails.”
“Sounds great,” I said, smiling as Chris walked out of the kitchen. Biting my nails, I watched his sweet ass walk away and wondered how I had fallen this hard, this fast.
Chris
HOLDING MONICA IN MY arms as we watched TV, its flickering light illuminating the surrounding darkness, I sighed, feeling at peace for the first time in a long time. Work was a constant rush. Every day I had new contracts to sign, lawyers to consult, employees to guide. Running an empire and upholding our family name was a taxing responsibility I gladly took on for years, closing myself off to anything outside of my immediate world. But, Monica seamlessly broke through the walls holding me hostage, blinding me from anything worthy of my time.
And she was worthy of it all. In a short amount of time, she went from the perimeter of my existence to becoming my entire world, and I embraced it.
Feet tangled together at one end of the couch, our bare chests rose and fell in tandem as Monica lay across me, her head nestled into my neck as we watched reruns of her favorite show. Her intermittent laughter made me grin every time. She wore only my boxers, and her long, slim legs shifted from time to time, their softness a stark contrast to mine, covered in coarse, dark hair.
Her growing abdomen resting against mine made something odd grip my stomach. It was like a fist, squeezing and pulling, filling me with pride, possession, and wonder. We created a child, and it rested between us now, already a part of us. I felt something I never had before—something I’d heard described a thousand times yet never understood until now: a fluttering in my stomach, like restless butterflies stealing my breath with every flap of their wings.
Monica’s laughter rang out again just before she propped herself up on one elbow to look up at me. Her dark hair fell around her face in natural waves, and her flushed cheeks hinted at an innocence that hid within this sensual woman. “Is something wrong?” she asked, biting her lower lip. “You don’t like this show?”
“Oh, I do. Nothing is wrong, Mon. Everything is perfect.” Leaning in, I kissed her soft lips, determined to erase the worry from her brow. “You are perfect,” I added.
She grunted, and that unladylike demeanor of hers only added to her allure. She was unlike any woman I had ever known, and I relished her realness and honesty. There was no pretense, no talk of money, power or position. She cared for none of it, which made me want to give her all of it.
“I most certainly am not perfect, Chris. I hope you don’t actually believe that, or else you’re destined to be very disappointed soon enough.”
“You are, by far, the most honest woman I have ever known. Most women want to make men believe they are perfect by spending endless time and money on their appearance. You do your best to convince me you are not perfect, which only furthers my belief that you are.”
“I believe in a ‘what you see is what you get’ approach.” Monica grinned wickedly at me.
“Well, I very much like what I see,” I murmured, kissing her temple and inhaling her fragrant vanilla scent.
Getting up on her knees, Monica straddled my hips, her pert breasts standing boldly before my gaze, her waist still trim despite her noticeable baby bump. “Do you still like what you see?” she said, batting her lashes, pouting her lips, and intentionally pushing her belly out.
“More than you know. Get over here,” I growled, placing my hands on her hips and pulling her down on top of me. Monica squealed but willfully obeyed, planting her lips on mine as our tongues danced, and she ground her body against mine until we both panted, hands frantically grappling at waistbands to remove what little fabric prevented us from connecting once more.
When her soft hands slid my boxers down my thighs just as I tugged hers to the side, Monica came down on my cock with a frenzy that made me groan, digging my fingers into her hips as her wet heat enveloped me, consuming me. I sucked her nipple into my mouth, feeling her arch and tense as her hips moved with a rhythm that threatened to drive me mad. I wanted to slow the pace, to savor every stroke of her body against mine, but we would have time enough for slow love making.
For now, the animalistic instinct to ravage one another drove us both mad with want and need until we collapsed in a sweaty, satiated daze, holding one another as our breaths slowed, our eyes closed, and we fell asleep naked in each other’s arms.
Chapter Twelve
Monica
WHEN THE COLD GEL HIT my skin, I flinched but smiled as Chris took my hand in his. “Thank you for being here,” I said, knowing that finding time away from work was hard for him to accomplish.
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss this.” The ultrasound technician looked up when she heard his deep voice, scanning him admiringly before looking back at me with a knowing grin. I only grinned back. Chris was red hot, and I would just need to get used to other women noticing it. But when Chris wore his tailored black suit as he did now, he appeared as powerful and commanding as he truly was. Only I saw his lighter side, and I loved being able to see more in Chris than the rest of the world was allowed.
“All right. We are ready to begin,” the tech said. “Before we do...” The technician clicked a few buttons on a screen and looked up at us. “We should be able to determine the baby’s gender today. Do you want to know?”
Crooking my brow, I looked up at Chris. We had discussed this in the past six weeks since we started officially dating, and Chris seemed to waver back and forth, sometimes wishing to know, other times not. “What are you thinking, Daddy?” I asked with a grin.
Chris crossed his arms and took a deep breath. “I want to know. I don’t want to want to know, but I do want to know.”
“I can write it down in an envelope for you to look at later if you prefer,” the ultrasound tech suggested.
“We have dinner with Brent and Crystal later. We can open
it together at their house!” I said, feeling excitement take hold. We already knew they were having a boy based on an ultrasound Crys had three weeks ago.
“That’s a good idea.” Chris grinned and nodded, unfolding his arms to step closer and grab my hand. “Let’s do that.”
“Good, that seems to be a common option these days, with gender reveal parties,” the woman said. “Now, let’s get started.” Placing the wand on my stomach, the tech paused from time to time to push buttons and take measurements. “Here is the baby’s arm...” She stopped and placed a mark beside the left arm so we could better determine what we saw on the dark screen. “Here is the leg... and look, a little foot.”
“And, look at the heart!” Chris said with awe in his voice. “Is it supposed to beat that fast?”
“Oh, yes. Perfectly normal, Daddy,” The tech replied. “Your baby measures at eighteen weeks, which is perfect since you conceived in December. Growing as expected and nothing of concern. Great news!”
I sighed, suddenly feeling loads of stress leave my body. I had not realized how worried I was until this moment. When the woman put the wand away and began to clean my stomach, I looked at her and cocked my head. “Did you see the gender?”
“I surely did. Why don’t you get situated, and I will hand you the sealed envelope as you leave?”
We thanked her for her time, and she smiled before leaving the room.
“She totally wants you,” I said with a chuckle as I sat up and pulled my sweater over my stomach, raking my hands through my hair.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Chris murmured, putting out a hand to help me to my feet.
“You really don’t know... do you?”
“Know what, exactly?”
“Know that every woman wants to do you.”
“Do me?” Chris looked at me and bit back a grin. “No... I don’t know that every woman wants to ‘do me.’ Maybe I’m just too busy staring at you.” Leaning in, he kissed my forehead, and I felt that familiar fluttering in my belly. Sometimes it was hard to tell if it was the baby or my feeling for Chris, but I knew for certain it was him this time.