Blue Lines: The Assassins Series: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance

by Toni Aleo

  “I think you are beautiful, even when you are bitchy,” he said with a grin on his face. “Now come on.”

  With that he turned and left her alone in the room. With a huff, she scooted to the edge of the bed and let out another breath. The night before had been hell; she had been up all night with Braxton Hicks contractions and Lord, were they a doozy. After she called Dr. Richards and cried to him, the doctor reassured Piper that she was fine and would get through them easily. He gave her the warning signs, and said to go to the hospital only if they were five minutes apart or if her water broke. Neither happened, fortunately. Erik was great, holding her and rubbing her back to help ease the pain. It was a nice bonding moment.

  Out of bed and down to the end of the hall she found Erik standing with a couple of wrapped boxes.

  “Happy birthday!”

  Piper giggled as she went around the corner, wrapping her arms around his waist. She lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss his jaw.

  “You are so awesome, thank you,” she gushed.

  “You are welcome, and here is your first present. Stanley got it for you,” he said, handing her a box.

  She took it from him and smiled sweetly at Stanley as she opened it. It was a mittens and winter hat set. Glancing up at him, confused, she asked, “I think the high for today is ninety-nine.”

  He laughed as he nodded. “Yes, but the temperature in an ice rink is forty-nine degrees, so you’ll need those.”

  “What?”

  “Here, open this one,” he said, ignoring her as he handed her a bigger box. She had a bad feeling that she knew what the present was. When she opened it, her feeling was confirmed. Erik had bought her a pair of hot pink ice skates.

  “Ice skates,” she said with a nod of her head.

  “Yup, I even got Dimitri some, too; they are already in the hockey bag in his room.”

  That was so unbelievably sweet, she wanted to cry.

  “That’s awesome, but I don’t need these.”

  “Yes, you do, we are going skating today,” he said with a huge grin.

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Hush, open this one,” he said with a laugh as he handed her a smaller box.

  Piper ripped the paper but paused when she saw the Tiffany blue box. Her hands shook as she opened the box and set her eyes on a little circle pendant that said “Dimitri Blake,” with the September birthstone in the middle. Looking up at him, speechless, her eyes began to cloud and she cursed her stupid emotions.

  “Okay, maybe you’ll get me on the ice,” she said, causing him to laugh as he took the necklace from her and put it around her neck. She reached for the pendant, rubbing her thumb along it before placing it in the middle of her chest. Looking up at him, she whispered, “It’s perfect. I love it, thank you.”

  “I’m glad you love it,” he said, leaning down to kiss the side of her mouth. “It looks beautiful on you.”

  No one had ever given her a present that touched her in the most fulfilling way, but Erik had. Her heart skipped a beat every time she touched her son’s pendant, and when she thought that Erik had handpicked it for her, it made it a thousand times better. He was really coming around, really trying. And she would have to say that was the greatest present of all.

  Glancing up at his gorgeous, happy face, she asked, “So when are we going ice-skating?”

  * * *

  Piper should have stuck to her guns and said heck no to the skating thing.

  She felt like she was going to fall at any minute, but then Erik would take her in his arms and all her fears were gone. He stood behind her, his hands at her waist as he instructed her to move one foot and then the other. He was very careful, making sure she was safe. It was unbelievably sweet and romantic. When her foot slipped out from underneath her, she swore she was about to fall to her death, but Erik had her, bringing her upright and holding her against his body.

  Taking in a labored breath, she said, “Eck, Erik, please don’t let me fall.”

  Erik’s chuckles ran along her chest bone before he whispered, “Never, Mrs. Titov, never.”

  Chills ran down her back and it wasn’t from the chill of the ice rink.

  “All right, let go, left foot, right foot,” he instructed again.

  Piper took in a deep breath and tried again. Finally after an hour, he accepted that she was a horrible skater and directed her to sit on the bench.

  “We will come back after Dimitri’s born,” he said, unlacing her skates.

  Piper was elated with his comment about coming back to skate after the baby came. That meant that he was looking toward the future. That meant he wasn’t going anywhere.

  Right?

  With a little grin, she let out a happy breath as she played with the pendant he had given her. Glancing over at her, he smiled as he asked, “Are you feeling okay?”

  She nodded. “I feel wonderful.”

  It was all because of him, too, and she couldn’t thank him enough for all he had done. After opening her birthday presents, they went back to bed and cuddled while watching movies. It was the perfect day, and she was sad to see it was almost at an end.

  “No more of those Braxton Hicks thingies?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve been good, but let me tell you, if those were just a little preview of what is to come, I’m not going to make it.”

  Erik laughed as he shook his head. “We still have Lamaze classes to take, which should help prepare you for the delivery, and I’ll be there.”

  “I’m about to say eff it and do the epidural.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “I don’t know. Audrey isn’t using it but Fallon is. Elli didn’t get to with the first two but with the boys she did, and Harper was a champ, almost pushed Ally out in the car. So I don’t know.”

  “Well, whatever you choose, you got me to claw at,” he said with a grin.

  “This is good to know and I will hold you to that.”

  He nodded as he pulled her legs up, bringing her closer before laying her legs across his. Taking her chin in his hands, he placed his lips to hers softly as his other hand rested at her side. Kissing her slowly, he drew out the kisses, sweeping his tongue in an erotic way. He made her toes curl and her heart race as she kissed him back, her own fingers tangling in his hair, trying to bring him closer.

  God, she wanted him.

  She took in a deep breath, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as her heart raced at speeds only he could precipitate. “You’d better be careful, Mr. Titov, I might try to have my way with you on this bench.”

  He moved his nose along hers. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  She took in a sharp breath, tangling her fingers in his hair. She wanted him, and she wanted him now.

  * * *

  When the sign came up for Sweetbriar, Erik almost cried out in relief. Driving quickly through the town, he did a wide turn into the driveway and was surprised he even shut the car off before hopping out to open the door for Piper. Once she was out of the car and in his arms, he kissed her up against the car. His cock was pressing against the zipper of his slacks, begging for her, and as he pressed himself into her, he was rewarded with a sexy groan.

  Lifting her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into the house. Nudging the door shut with his foot, he pressed her against the wall, pulling the front of her dress off before he buried his face between her swollen breasts. She cried out, her fingers tangling in his hair as her center rubbed against him. Groaning, he bit down on her taut nipple before swirling his tongue around it, bringing her breast into his mouth as he trapped her body with his. He was rewarded with her cries of passion, her fingers pulling the back of his hair as her legs squeezed his waist.

  He wasn’t going to make it.

  She pulled at his shirt, up and over his head, before throwing it to the side. Her mouth moved down his neck, kissing his chest before running her tongue along his nipples. He hissed out a breath as his hands bit into her hips,
thrusting himself into her. Not able to take any more, he held her close, bringing her mouth down to his as he carried her down the hall to the couch. He set her feet on the floor and watched as she unzipped the dress, pulling it down with her panties. His hand shook as he removed his pants, his cock springing free.

  Piper lay on the couch moving her legs apart as Erik settled between them. She moved her wet center up his swollen cock and it took everything for him not to push into her and fuck her until he couldn’t see anymore. Instead, he pulled away, taking her arms in his hands, bringing her into a sitting position.

  “Stand up,” he groaned out.

  “Huh?”

  “Stand up, one foot on each side of me.”

  She looked confused as her chest rose and fell but she did what he asked, putting her in the perfect spot for his mouth to devour her. Gripping her fine ass, he buried his face into her center, tonguing her as his fingers bit into her skin. She tasted so sweet and it made him harder than a rock while her screams filled the room. Her fingers held on to the back of his head, pulling his hair as he flicked his tongue along her taut clit. When she pulled away, bending over for support, his hand smacked her lightly on her ass, surprising her as she screamed out.

  “No, stand up,” he said against her swollen lips.

  “I can’t take it!” she cried, her body quivering under his touch.

  “Yes you can,” he said before moving his mouth quickly, back and forth through her lips. When she fell again, his hand came down, slapping her ass cheek again. She was breathing so hard, her body shaking as he moved his tongue along her lips, dipping the tip of his tongue inside her, tickling her hole before lapping at her. Going back up to her clit, he slid his finger inside her before she shattered, her nails biting into his neck as she screamed out his name.

  Kissing her thighs, he continued to fuck her with his finger, her body squeezing him as he moved his fingers quickly in and out of her. Bringing his other hand up her body, he took hold of her breast, squeezing and molding it as he continued to kiss and lick her thighs. Her breathing was labored; her body was shaking and red from the pleasure he was giving her. He wanted this to last forever.

  Moving his lips along the inside of her thighs, he moved under her, until he was looking at her perky ass.

  “What are you doing?” she breathlessly asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

  “I’m about to make you come again,” he said as he moved his hands up her thighs. “Bend over, hold on to the back of the couch. Don’t try to get away, or I’ll slap that ass again.”

  She made a small sound as she bent over to the back of the couch, her ass in the air, as was her beautiful pussy. His cock strained, wanting her. He wasn’t going to make it with this woman, but he knew he had to try. Bending down, he moved his hands along the back of her thighs before running his tongue from her clit to the entrance of her pussy.

  She let out a strangled cry, her knees buckling as he continued the trail he had started, over and over again until she was shaking beneath his mouth. Dipping his fingertip inside her, he pressed the pad of his thumb against her asshole, pressing, just to give her a little more pleasure. She screamed out as she tried to collapse into the couch, but he was having none of that. As he licked her again she came with a fierceness he’d never experienced, which only increased his own satisfaction, knowing that he did this to her. She was his and he was starting to feel protective of her.

  Chuckling, he dusted kisses along her spine as her body trembled under his lips. She fought for breath as he turned her against the couch, her body limp in his arms.

  “Come here, sweetheart,” he whispered.

  “I think you killed me.”

  He chuckled again as he carried her to the bedroom, pushing the door open with his toe and then gently laying her down on their bed. Moving over her, he kissed her thighs, then her pussy before stopping at her belly. Glancing up at her, he saw that she was watching him, her eyes heavy-lidded as her chest rose and fell. Her body was rosy and glistening with sweat. She was so fucking breathtaking, he couldn’t stand it, but most of all he was thankful she was his.

  Placing a kiss to her extended abdomen, she took in a breath as he finished the trail up her body to her mouth. Kissing her passionately, he pushed inside her, both of them groaning with the sensation. Biting down on his lip, she arched her body to his, taking him deeper. Her body squeezed him tightly as he moved feverishly inside her. All time stopped, as they moved together in perfect unison; it was then he knew that they weren’t fucking.

  They were making love.

  He cupped her face and used his other hand for support to keep from pressing down on her too much as he continued to slowly thrust inside her. His lips meeting hers, he kissed her slowly, drawing out the passion. He never wanted this to end, but he could feel his balls drawing up, his body jerking. Knowing he wasn’t going to last much longer, he sat up, taking her thighs in his hands before he started to move more quickly. His eyes were locked on hers as he lost himself. When he came, he groaned in blissful agony as he spilled inside her. Still holding her thighs, he let his head fall back as he fought for breath. It was like the earth had just exploded.

  Taking in another deep breath, he looked down at her spent body, her sneaky little grin as she laid out for him. Smiling, she reached for him, bringing him down for another lusty kiss. He fell to her side, bringing her into his arms as their legs tangled. Moving her nose along his, she smiled against his lips before kissing him sweetly.

  “Good birthday?” he asked against her lips.

  “Great birthday,” she answered with a nod.

  He glanced over at the alarm clock and smiled as he looked back over at her. “You know it isn’t over yet.”

  “It isn’t?”

  “Nope, I still have an hour to make it better than great,” he said sensuously, biting at her chin.

  She let out a breathless sigh as she moved her foot up the back of his calf.

  “Well, let’s not waste time.”

  Chapter 22

  Erik knew it was going to be a bad day when he woke to Piper crying.

  “Sweetheart?” he asked, sitting up to look down at her. She was holding her side, taking in deep breaths. He took her into his arms and looked down at her questioningly. “What’s wrong?”

  “Damn Braxton Hicks.”

  “Still?”

  “Yeah,” she cried as she nodded. “I called the doctor again, and they are too irregular to be anything else. I didn’t want to wake you. I know you have camp in the morning. I’m sorry.”

  “No, don’t be sorry. What can I do?” he asked, running his hands up and down her arms.

  “Can you get me some more water? He said that I might be dehydrated.”

  Well, that didn’t sound good. Hopping out of the bed, Erik rushed through the house to get a tall glass of ice water. Almost falling over Stanley, Erik rushed back to the room, handing her the glass. She drank it quickly, her face full of tears as she let out deep breaths.

  “They are going away. I’m sorry for waking you.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Anything else you need?” he asked, glancing at the clock. It was three in the morning. He had to get up in a few hours to leave for camp and he knew he was going to be tired. Piper had been having these pains for the last three nights since her birthday, and they made him nervous. They hadn’t even gone out for her birthday with her parents or to dinner with Audrey and Tate because she had been so tired the last couple of nights. These Braxton Hicks were taking everything out of her and he wanted nothing more than to fix everything for her.

  “Hold me?”

  He smiled as he crawled into the bed, pulling her close. She snuggled into him and closed her eyes, but something was still off. Her body was tense and it worried him.

  Erik slept little that night and woke tired and groggy. The first day of training was usually the day when Coach Bacter noticed who had been working through the summer and who had clearly just
sat on their ass watching baseball games. Erik had worked hard and wanted that to be known, but he knew that he wasn’t going to be at his best.

  After taking a quick shower, he came back into the room to find Piper sleeping soundly. She was so beautiful and he hated to leave her. It made him nervous, and he knew he would worry constantly about her until he got home. Running his fingers along her jaw, he moved her hair out of her face, leaning down and kissing her on her cheek before leaving.

  Driving to the arena, Erik couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen. He read that the Braxton Hicks meant her body was getting ready for delivery. She was only thirty-five weeks; five left to go. She was concerned that if the baby came early there could be something wrong and Erik had to admit that worried him, too.

  He had told his father that he didn’t love the baby yet, but that had changed with each day that went by. He loved Dimitri and he couldn’t wait to hold him in his arms. He just prayed and hoped that the baby was healthy and strong.

  Pulling into the parking lot of the rink, he parked his car and got out, reaching for his bag in the backseat. His mind was full of Piper, and as he started for the back door, he wondered if should call her and if she was awake.

  “Erik!! Woohoo! Erik!”

  Erik turned to see a group of girls waiting by the fence, waving with seductive grins on their faces. A part of him knew he should have just waved and kept going, but they were fans. He loved fans. Tucking his phone back into his pocket, he threw his bag over his shoulder and made his way over to where they stood. There were three of them, all blondes with big breasts and nice trim waists. One of the girls wore a short skirt with a shirt that didn’t leave anything for the imagination. The other girl, the youngest-looking one, wore a skintight purple dress that had the Assassins emblem on the chest. The last girl’s jeans hung low on her hips while her shirt didn’t cover her breasts at all.

  Puck bunnies.

  His mind was telling him to walk away but he didn’t. He wasn’t sure what he was thinking as a smile came across his face before reaching for a puck one of the girls had held out for him to autograph.