by K. C. Crowne
But now… it was more like rediscovering each other. The years had changed our bodies in a lot of ways. I was more muscular and filled out, and her body was more curves and roundness than I remembered - and I loved every delectable inch of her new womanly figure.
Charlotte nibbled my lower lip and stared up at me from behind her thick eyelashes. She offered me a salacious smile. “I need you inside of me,” she whimpered, her hand moving south and encircling my member. The feeling of her fingers wrapping around the base of my cock almost sent me over the edge. My eyes clenched shut, and I let out a low hiss as I tried to think of the most boring thing possible.
But there was no distracting me from the feeling of her hand stroking me, guiding me toward her opening.
“Please, Eli--” she begged.
The head of my cock was now at her opening. Her warmth and wetness teased me, inviting me in. Her hand slipped away, and I thrust into her, trying my best to be as gentle as possible. But my need was too much, and I buried myself balls deep inside of her on the first thrust.
She stared up at me with wide eyes, her mouth open as she whimpered.
“Yes…”
Which was all I needed to know… she wanted it.
I wanted it.
No need to keep denying ourselves.
I rocked back and forth, easing in and out of her slowly at first. I didn’t want to come too quickly. Her face contorted every time I buried myself deep inside of her, and I savored that expression. Seeing the pleasure all over her face was better than any orgasm I’d ever had.
I knew in my head that this wouldn’t be the last time we were together intimately - there was no way. We simply couldn’t be kept apart.
But I also didn’t want to rush this.
I wanted to enjoy it, to make every second count.
To make her come over and over again.
My entire body tensed, and I stopped moving, simply staying sheathed inside of her as I tried to collect myself.
You can’t come yet, Eli, I told myself. Not yet.
But feeling her warm wetness around me, God it was so fucking hard.
I gripped her hips and said, “Hold on,” as I rolled the two of us over. She squealed with laughter.
She was now on top of me, and she sat up straight. Her long, curly locks fell over her freckled shoulders. Her body was displayed before me, like a piece of artwork. I let my eyes take in the view as she slowly began grinding against me.
The change of pace was exactly what I needed, but seeing her breasts bounce in front of my face as she rode me took me right back to the edge. Her hips moved against me, alternating between moving up and down on my member to grinding herself against me. And all of it felt amazing.
I explored her curves with my hands. All the way from her round hips up to her full breasts and then back down again. My fingertips teased her skin as she rode me. Her breathing grew heavier, her sounds more urgent.
I leaned into her, my mouth latching onto her nipple.
She gasped, and her entire body seemed to quiver. Her movements became more desperate.
I teased that sweet nipple with my tongue as her body moved above me. Her cries became louder, her pussy tightening around my cock, clenching around me.
Milking me.
And those sweet words that I’d been yearning to hear echoed through the room.
“Eli, I’m coming” she cried out, telling me what I already knew.
“Yes, Charlotte… Come for me, baby,” I groaned.
My cock couldn’t take it a second longer, and I lost all control as she spasmed around me. I exploded inside of her, and together, our bodies writhed in pleasure until she collapsed on top of me, her face buried into the crook of my neck.
“I was really hoping to last longer than that,” I said with a dry laugh.
She turned her head and looked up at me with a smile. “You were perfect.”
I tucked a strand of her wild hair behind her ear. “I just couldn’t control myself with you. You just drive me absolutely crazy, Charlotte. You always have but being with you again is just… wow.”
“It is definitely wow,” she chuckled.
“Charlotte are you sure--”
“I am,” she said, cutting me off. “I have never been more certain of anything in my entire life.”
She lifted her body up slowly, my deflated cock slipping out of her. But she laid down at my side, her head resting on my chest again, as if she were listening to my heartbeat.
I didn’t know what to say, there were so many emotions swirling inside of me. All of them good, except for the anxiety I had about rushing her into something she wasn’t ready for. But if I had learned one thing in all my years, it was that I needed to trust people when they told me what was best for them, and I trusted Charlotte.
I stroked her hair and for a moment; I thought she was asleep.
“Eli,” she said, sounding like she was barely awake.
“Yes?”
And I waited for her to continue, only to be met with the sound of her even breathing.
I don’t know how long we laid there like that, but I couldn’t sleep. She eventually turned over, allowing me to slip from the bed and head to the bathroom.
I did my business, and as I turned to leave, I noticed something peeking out from the trash can.
I picked up the box, and when I did, something else slipped free from some toilet paper.
I didn’t even have to go digging to see what it was.
The words Pregnant stared right back at me.
Is that what she wanted to tell me, I wondered?
I could no longer feel my legs, so I sat down on the toilet. It felt like the room was closing in on me, and that the temperature rose about a hundred degrees.
She was pregnant.
She had to be. There were no other women here besides my mom.
Only Charlotte had been in the house, in that room.
Only Charlotte could be the one pregnant.
But the question was, whose child was it?
And why hadn’t she told me?
Chapter 17
Charlotte
I rolled over, expecting to find Eli on the other side of the bed. When my arms fell onto empty blankets, my eyes popped open. The light shining in through the window was bright, and I turned back around to check the time. The clock on the bedside table said it was a quarter after ten. Jesus. I couldn’t remember sleeping that late in a long time. No wonder Eli got up without me, I thought.
It felt good just to stretch my body out in the cozy, warm bed. I hadn’t felt this relaxed in months, if not years. A smile stretched across my face as I remembered the events from the night before.
Eli and I were clear on what we wanted - we wanted to see where things went. No more waiting, no more pretending I didn’t still love him. We were doing this, and my heart was happy.
I placed a hand on my belly, remembering that his child was growing inside of me. I knew I needed to tell him the news. I had tried to last night before falling asleep, but the tiredness had gotten the best of me. It couldn’t wait though, he deserved to know. I knew this would mean I’d have to make some tough decisions about my future - where was I going to live? What about my career? Could I see myself staying in Liberty? I mean, I wasn’t sure I could ever go back to Red River. Not like it was the same town I returned to years before anyway. The local places were all going under in favor of big chains. My sister didn’t even live there anymore. My parents, well, they might not ever speak to me again after leaving Peter the way I did, especially with all the lies he was spreading about me.
What did I have to return to anyway?
Liberty seemed like a nice town. Could I make it home?
I knew one thing - this time, I wouldn’t run away from Eli without talking to him first. I wouldn’t just leave.
I was older now, able to handle whatever life threw at me better this time, and he wasn’t thousands of miles away at sea. He was there for
me, and we could figure it out together.
I threw on some jeans and a t-shirt just in case we had any visitors and went downstairs. I took the back stairs that led into the hall right outside the kitchen and dining room, and as soon as I stepped off the bottom stair, I heard voices. I could see Eli at the table with another man, someone I hadn’t seen before. He was large, built like a lumberjack, with dark hair and dark eyes that turned toward me when I stepped into the room. Eli was facing away from me but turned to look at me.
I smiled and expected one in return.
But instead, I noticed his brow was furrowed and he was frowning.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Oh, you’re not interrupting anything important,” the other man said, standing up. He walked over to me and reached out a hand. “Ezra Carpenter.”
“Charlotte Grey,” I said slowly.
“Oh yes, Eli has talked about you.”
“He has?” I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Yes,” the man smiled, and it was a friendly, warm smile. “Said you were one of the best landscape architects around and if we’re looking for someone for any of our jobs, you’re the person to call.”
“Oh wow, thank you, Eli,” I said. “I appreciate the kind words. So, do you two work together?”
“Yeah, my construction company is building the houses for the Harveys,” he said. “And Eli is talking about starting a company of his own, so I came over to talk about some details. We’re looking to partner with each other.”
I noticed Eli still hadn’t really said anything, which was surprising to me. I looked past Ezra to see Eli staring down at his fingernails instead of looking at me.
“Oh? What kind of business, Eli?” I asked, trying to get him to talk to me.
“Real estate development,” Eli answered, his voice low. “Looking to build some homes for the folks who lost them during the flood, and then growing from there to build affordable housing in other areas that were struck by disaster or poverty.”
My heart fluttered in my chest, and my smile grew even wider than before. I always knew Eli was a good person with a big heart but hearing his plans for the future only cemented that fact in my head.
“Wow, Eli. That’s amazing. If I can help in any way, I’d love to be part of something like this.” I thought about how my dreams of building community gardens could really help those in underserved communities, but for now, I kept that to myself.
“Sure, of course, Charlotte,” Eli said, still not looking at me.
The room was quiet, and it felt like my presence wasn’t exactly wanted anymore, though Ezra still had his polite, friendly smile.
“I’m sorry to have interrupted,” I said. “I’ll leave you two men to discuss your business in peace.” I turned on my heels to head back up the stairs.
“Charlotte?” Eli’s voice was like ice.
“Yes?”
“We need to talk later.”
I looked over my shoulder at him, trying to determine what kind of conversation he had in mind. From the looks of it, it wasn’t a good one.
“You know what?” Ezra cut in. “I think we’re done here anyway, Eli. Why don’t I get out of your hair.”
“Thanks for your help with my business plan, Ezra. It means a lot.” Eli shook the man’s hand and walked him to the door.
“Nice meeting you, Charlotte,” Ezra called back before leaving the room.
“Nice meeting you too.”
I stepped back into the kitchen and paced the small room as the voices became more distant. The front door opened and closed, and there was a moment or two of silence before I heard Eli’s footsteps headed back toward the kitchen.
I bit my fingernail in anticipation for what he was about to say. After everything we’d been dealing with, not much could surprise me - but I wasn’t sure I could handle much more bad news.
Eli stepped into the room, and the look on his face had shifted. It was no longer the frown from before; instead there was a sadness in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him before he had a chance to speak.
He pulled something from his pocket and dropped it on the table. My heart dropped.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Charlotte? After I spilled my heart to you about still wanting a family one day, and everything we said to each other last night, you couldn’t even tell me you were pregnant?”
I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. Just a sound. “I---”
“Seriously, I don’t even care if it’s Peter’s. I will raise that child as my own and--”
“It’s not Peter’s” I managed to squeak out.
“It isn’t?” Eli’s entire body seemed to freeze.
“No, because Peter and I hadn’t been intimate in months.”
“It’s not his?” His words were so low, I could barely hear them now.
“No, Eli. It has to be yours. I haven’t been with anyone else. That night on the floor in the office was the first time I’d had sex in months.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I didn’t even know where they came from.
Eli fell into a nearby chair, burying his face in his hands.
Oh God… He’s not taking this well, I thought.
“Listen, I don’t have any problems raising this child on my own--”
He removed his hands from his face. “Do you really think I want that, Charlotte? Just give me a second, please. But I can assure you right now, you will not have to raise our child alone.”
“Okay,” I whispered, taking a seat next to him.
He took several deep breaths.
“We’re going to have a baby,” he said slowly.
“Yes…”
“I’m going to be a father.”
“Yes,” I said, turning my face away, afraid to see the stress in his eyes. “I had wanted to tell you, Eli, but I was so worried you might take it badly and be upset, and clearly you are--”
“Charlotte, I am not upset. Not at all. I’m a little shocked, but this is the best news of my life.”
I looked up again, and he wasn’t stressed or frowning. No, on the contrary - he was smiling as wide as I’d ever seen him smile before, and there were tears in his eyes.
He leaned forward, cupping my face in his hands. His lips met mine as he whispered.
“I’ve never been so happy.”
Chapter 18
Eli
“So, what’s going on?” Mason asked as he took a seat at the dining room table.
I had called an emergency meeting to let the guys know about my trip to Tennessee with Charlotte. We were preparing to leave later that afternoon, and I wanted to tell them in person.
I had also asked Charlotte’s permission to tell them about the baby, and she agreed it was best if we were open and honest. I was nearly bursting at the seams to tell them the news. All of them had happy, beautiful families of their own, and I was finally going to be able to have one too. I knew most of them would be excited for me, and once I told mom? Well, I knew she would be jumping for joy. She seemed to be trying to push Charlotte and I together from the get-go.
“Well, first of all, I wanted to keep you guys in the loop. Teddy thinks it’s best if we file a police report in person against Peter, just so they have it on record. So, I’ve booked us some tickets, and we’re leaving this afternoon--”
“Wait, you’re going alone?” Graham interjected.
“It’s fine. There’s no reason to suspect Peter is violent. I trust Teddy, and he looked over the evidence. I still believe Jenny killed herself. The only reason we want to report this is because it’s clear he was also hurting Jenny, which could have led to her suicide. It needs to go down on his record.”
“I still don’t think you should be going alone,” Graham said.
“I can’t ask ya’ll to leave your families on a whim like this. You’ve got kids now, guys, you can’t just up and travel across the country at the last minute. And trust me, I
can handle this.”
“Graham has a point,” Sam said, siding with his twin.
“Do you really want to leave Penny with a house full of rugrats? That poor woman is a saint, but she needs you, man.”
Sam’s face told me all I needed to know - I was right.
“I promise you, I got this. Men who beat women are cowards when faced with other men. We will stay in the hotel, just report everything to the police, and I’ll see what we can do about repairing Charlotte’s reputation, but we won’t be meeting with Peter or even letting him know we’re in town.”
“It’s a small town. He’ll know,” Graham muttered.
“But most likely we’ll be on the next plane back to Utah by the time he finds out. Just a quick trip, do our business, and back here.”
Graham’s eyes seemed to bore into me. “So she’s coming back here? Do you know how long she’s staying?”
“We haven’t figured out all the details yet, but yes, she’s likely going to stay here awhile. There’s something else I wanted to talk to you guys about.”
Graham cocked an eyebrow. “Go on.”
I’d never been great with long-winded announcements. I decided to just rip off the band-aid.
“Charlotte is pregnant, and it’s mine,” I said, and before anyone could interrupt, I added, “And we’re getting back together.”
Graham was out of his seat, standing up and towering over us, his hands on the table as he bent down toward me. “What did I tell you, Eli? She was going to get her claws into you and--”
Mason placed a hand on Graham’s back and stood beside him.
“Did you say she was pregnant? You’re going to be a father?”
I nodded, those words still having a strong effect on me. I was going to be a father.
“Yes, you heard right,” I managed to sputter out.