by Melody Anne
Her sacrifices weren’t even sacrifices in her own eyes. She believed everyone would do the same thing for their family. She was so wrong. Most people he’d ever known didn’t give a lick about anyone or anything but themselves. She was an exception.
Patsy finally pulled herself together and he went back into the den to have another drink. He had to calm down again before he saw her. Patsy had promised not to tell Nicole of their conversation. He hated to have her sister keep secrets from her but he also didn’t want her defensive because he knew her secrets. He had to be careful not to act too differently around her, or she’d be furious. She obviously didn’t want to be pitied and she didn’t want to be a martyr.
He finally had himself under control enough to walk up the stairs. He’d been gone over an hour and was shocked to find her still in the tub. She was lying back in the water but she was awake. He walked in and groaned, as the bubbles were quickly fading. He reached in and felt the water had cooled off so he turned the faucet on hot to re-warm the tub.
“I can do that myself,” she said, bringing her knees up to her chest in modesty. He looked at her with his brows raised high. She was hiding not only what he’d seen many times over but licked, sucked and done just about everything imaginable too. As if she could read his thoughts, her cheeks turned scarlet and she quickly looked away.
He released some of the cooler water and soon the tub was back up to a nice temperature and full of new bubbles. She relaxed her body eyeing him warily. He blew out his breath, reminding himself to not act differently. What would he have done before his world had been knocked off of its axis? That was easy. He would’ve joined her in the tub.
He gave her a very seductive smile and began stripping his clothing off. She looked at him in shock and he could see she was trying to decide whether to stay in the safety of her bubbles, or jump out of the tub. He really hoped she stayed.
He got his clothes off, not even trying to hide his desire for her and stepped into the tub. He moved her forward and sat down behind her, quickly pulling her into his arms. It was like coming home. She leaned against him tensely for a few moments and when he didn’t try doing anything other than hold her, she finally started to relax.
“I didn’t want to go to that party anyway,” he said, as if not attending was his idea.
“Ha,” she said, with a jerk of her shoulder. He had to fight off the smile. He loved how she had to have the last word and he loved how he could wipe all words from her. He began rubbing his hands against her stomach. He felt the shudder run through her body and his worries started melting away.
His hands soon traveled up her soapy body, until they gripped her incredibly luscious breasts. He rubbed her hardened nipples between his fingers, causing her to gasp out loud. He was incredibly aroused at that point and couldn’t imagine a time when she wouldn’t turn his brain to mush.
His hands kept stroking her, making moans of pleasure escape her body. He wanted her supple and willing to concede to his every wish, before he started the conversation he wanted to have with her. It was really hard to use sex as a way to get what he wanted though because the second he touched her, his own mind went out the window and he tended to forget what he wanted to talk about.
She pushed her body back against him and he was the one who let a moan escape. She was slippery and wet and he was beyond ready to join their bodies together. He leaned forward and kissed along her slender neck, nipping and licking the tender skin. He loved the taste and smell of her. His one hand continued to massage her breast, while his other hand slipped lower on her body, finding her aching nub and making her cry out in pleasure. It didn’t take him long, rubbing her swollen womanhood, before she began shaking in pleasure.
He slid his fingers inside her moist heat and felt her contractions grip him, as she flew over the edge in ecstasy. She was so responsive to his every touch he should’ve known he never could count on having a conversation in the middle of love-making.
He quickly turned her body around so she was straddling him and took her ripe nipple into his mouth. He had to taste her skin; he had to feel her heartbeat against him. He had to have her right then.
He lifted her hips above his straining erection and slowly lowered her on his shaft. He groaned, as her heat surrounded him. She was so tight, wet and hot he couldn’t hold off. She took over for him and braced her hands on his shoulders, moving her hips up and down on his thick shaft.
He grabbed her head, bringing it down to his, needing to drink from her lips. He thrust his tongue inside her soft mouth, tasting her and tangling their tongues together. He held her back so she was smashed up against him. Her breasts were rubbing against his chest, causing lightening to shoot down his entire body. She moved her hips faster and faster, up and down his throbbing shaft. He could feel her body getting even tighter, as she neared orgasm again. She was so unbelievably responsive.
He couldn’t tear his lips away from hers. He kept greedily drinking, as she kept up the intense rhythm of their love-making.
Suddenly, she ripped her head away and cried out, as her body grabbed him so tightly, it was almost painful for him. She was gripping him over and over again with the strength of her release, sending him spiraling out of control. He moved his hands down to grip her hips, as he surged into her as far as he could go and shot his release deep within her. He could feel himself pumping repeatedly, giving her every single ounce of himself.
The orgasm was so powerful, it felt as if a very piece of his soul had departed him and seeped into her. She truly owned him, if only she knew. There was nothing in the world he wouldn’t do for her. He prayed she never knew that because it may end up destroying him, if the one thing she asked for was to be set free.
He pulled her head down to his shoulder, not wanting her to see into his eyes but needing her to be next to him. He needed them to be skin to skin with his body inside her, never moving from that position. He stroked her back, as they both enjoyed the aftermath. Neither of them was willing to speak or break the moment. Their conversation would have to wait until later.
Chapter Ten
“Fine, I’ll use the stupid car then,” Nicole said, as she threw her hands up in frustration. She’d called a cab to pick her up and take her to work and when Ryan found out he flipped.
Ryan had sent one of his security men to the gate, to pay the driver and send him on his way. There was no way in hell he was letting her call a cab when she had a vehicle to drive.
He’d blocked her entrance at the front door and wasn’t moving an inch on the matter. If she wanted to leave the house, it was going to be in the car he’d bought her. He stood there, blocking the door, with the keys dangling from his fingers and a smug look on his face. She’d finally backed down and let him have his way.
“Was that really so hard?” he practically growled at her.
“Yes, it was, and thanks for asking,” she mocked him. He wanted to bend her over his knee. Of course, that thought got his mind going in the wrong direction and he was already late for a board meeting. He had to hurry and get his work finished at the office so he could get over to the shop and meet the architect for the remodel work Jasmine requested. He found it amusing he’d much rather be doing that than sitting in his office.
Nicole didn’t know he’d be at her work place later that day and he was looking forward to surprising her. He didn’t think it was going to be a surprise she was delighted about but that was just too bad for her.
Nicole grabbed the keys from him, with a little huff and marched out to the garage, with him right on her heels. He loved watching the sway of her hips as she walked away from him, especially when she was in a tiff and the movements were more pronounced.
“Are you stalking me now?” she asked, as she stepped through the garage door.
“I’m leaving for work too,” he informed her and chuckled. That earned him another glare.
“Well then, I’ll see you later,” she said and reached for her car door. He spun
her around and kissed her long and hard, leaving her breathless.
“Think about that today,” he said, then jumped in his car and drove away. Nicole stood there dazed for a few moments and blew out her breath in frustration. The man got under her skin in seconds. He evoked powerful emotions in her, whether it was anger, lust, or happiness. He didn’t do anything half-way.
She pulled onto the street and had to stop a couple miles down the road at a drug store. She’d put off taking a pregnancy test for a ridiculous amount of time and knew it was time. She was terrified to confirm what she already knew in her heart but she had to do it. She wouldn’t take the test at home where Ryan could read her face like a book.
She walked out of the store, with the test safely stored in her handbag and had to control her breathing. What scared her more than knowing the truth was how much she wanted the baby. At first she’d been terrified to think she was pregnant and then as the thought sunk in that she was most likely carrying Ryan’s baby she’d been overwhelmed with joy.
She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt her love for Ryan had never gone away. She’d loved him with the innocence of a child and since living with him that had grown into an adult’s deep and binding love. She knew he didn’t love her and that knowledge was enough to destroy her.
She knew he desired her and in the months they’d been together, that desire had turned into a red hot inferno. It seemed neither of them could get enough of each other but that wasn’t enough to make a relationship work, especially with a baby on the way. She had such mixed feelings over the test. She wanted the baby with an overwhelming desire but at the same time was terrified of what that would mean between Ryan and her.
She walked into the shop and for once was grateful neither Jasmine nor Trinity was there. They were as bad as Ryan at reading her every expression and she really needed time to take her test and deal with the emotions to follow, whether the answer was yes, or no.
She couldn’t wait even a second longer and headed straight for the bathroom. Shakily she read the instructions, then sat with the small stick sitting on the edge of the sink. She waited a full ten minutes before getting the courage to grab the stick again and see what the results were.
Her eyes filled with tears and overflowed down her cheeks but they were not tears of sadness, or even terror. They were tears of complete joy. She’d already known the answer, so she really didn’t see why the stick turning blue should be able to fill her with so much emotion but it was a confirmation that she was carrying Ryan’s baby within her womb.
By the size of her stomach, she figured she was several months along already too. She was surprised he hadn’t said anything about her weight gain. Actually, looking back, he’d made a comment she was so much healthier and her body was even more attractive to him. She smiled as she thought how his tune would change when she was as big as a whale.
She wasn’t ready to share her secret with anyone yet, so she stayed in the bathroom a while longer. She had to get control over her features, or the girls would know for sure something was up. She buried the test in the bottom of the garbage can and walked out.
Jasmine had arrived but was literally buried to her elbows in batter, so she couldn’t follow Nicole around, as she sometimes did. Trinity ended calling them and saying she couldn’t make it in because her youngest child had a cold. Nicole knew the women loved owning their own place, most of all because it allowed them to be mothers first.
She unconsciously rubbed her hand along her stomach and thought she’d love to be a full-time mother. If she could still work for them, she’d get to make that a reality. The place was set up for kids, with a nursery in the back and a playground out front. It would be ideal for a new mother.
She had real hope and she wanted to shout to the world she was going to be a mother. It would be hard not to say anything to Ryan that night but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to share with him, yet. She didn’t know how he was going to react to the news. She knew he loved children because he was amazing with his cousin’s kids but he’d been emphatic with her that their relationship was a temporary thing.
A child tied them together unlike anything else and even when they went their separate ways, they would always be a part of each other’s lives. It was all too complicated, so she decided to make some floral arrangements to get her mind off the situation.
“Good morning,” Ryan said, getting Nicole’s attention. She jerked in surprise and looked up with guilty eyes.
Ryan wondered what she was up to. He’d stood there watching her for several minutes and she’d been concentrating so hard on what she was doing she hadn’t been aware of anything around her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him suspiciously.
“I’m meeting an architect here for the girls, they want some remodel work done,” he told her.
“Oh, I didn’t know,” she said, seeming to breathe a relieved sigh. She really had his curiosity up. She wasn’t normally one to keep secrets. If she wanted to say something, she outright said it and to hell with the consequences.
“It looks like we’ll be around each other a lot because this project will take at least a couple months,” he said, with a self satisfied smile. Her eyes rounded at his words. There was no way she could be around him constantly at home and at her place of work and still keep her secret to herself. She needed to tell him but didn’t know how to do it.
“Well, um, I need to do some stuff in the back,” she said and then ran away. He was close to chasing her down and demanding to know why she was acting odd, but the man he was meeting showed up and that kept him busy for several hours.
By the time he was finished, Nicole managed to pull herself together and he knew he was getting nothing out of her. Ryan had discovered over the last several months even though she infuriated him on a continual basis he couldn’t imagine living without her, or Patsy for that matter.
He looked forward to seeing them both when he walked in the door and his once empty home was filled with warmth and laughter and he didn’t want it to go away. Now that he knew what she’d gone through as a child he knew she hadn’t left him for the reasons he’d once thought. It was time to put his heart out on the table and take a gamble.
He was afraid if she rejected him again he’d never be the same but he didn’t want to continue on the way things had been. He didn’t want her to give him everything of herself in their bed and nothing in the daylight.
“I have to head back home. I’ll see you in a few hours,” he said. Taking her in his arms, he kissed her with so much tenderness it left tears in her eyes. Nicole stared at him with a shell-shocked expression and simply nodded at him.
Ryan walked out of the shop whistling and feeling positive about the night to come. He went home and began setting the scene for what he hoped would be a romantic night, with a very happy ending.
Nicole got held up at the shop. The girls never asked her to stay late but they’d needed inventory done and asked for her help. It was eight by the time she made her way out the door. She was dead on her feet and still in shock over the pregnancy test.
She’d figured out she’d simply tell him the truth and explain a baby didn’t mean they needed to change things. They could come to a mutual agreement so they could both be equal participants in their child’s life. She hated the thought of them being nothing more than strangers. It hurt her in ways nothing had ever hurt before.
Nicole stepped into the house and looked around in confusion. The lighting was incredibly dim and no one seemed to be about. She looked down at the floor and saw rose petals everywhere. Had someone spilled something? Had there been an accident? She followed the path and found herself in the dining room.
Nicole gasped as she saw the scene before her. Her body began to tremble and her mind refused to acknowledge what she was seeing. Ryan was standing at one end of the room in a tuxedo, which showed his impressive body off to perfection. The man really wore a tux well, she thought. He was stunning and she c
ould barely pull her eyes away from his magnificent form.
She looked at the table that was set for seduction. There were candles burning and more rose petals strewn about. Champagne was chilling and the aroma’s drifting in made her stomach growl in hunger. In the middle of it all, there was the largest rose bouquet she’d ever seen. A romantic song was playing in the background causing her body to react.
“What is all this?” she asked in awe.
“I thought you deserved a bit of romance,” he told her, with passion burning in his eyes. It took her breath away. He’d gone to so much trouble.
“I…I don’t know what to say,” she finally gasped. She felt the prickle of tears come to her eyes and quickly turned, not wanting him to see. She blamed her weak emotions on her pregnancy.
“Dance with me,” he gently commanded and then she was in his arms. She didn’t even think about resisting him. She fit into his body as if they were meant to be together. She laid her head on his masculine shoulder and he pulled her tightly against his hard body.