by Jenika Snow
“I do care for you, a lot. It kind of frightens me at how much you’ve begun to mean to me in such a short amount of time.” She was being honest, wanted him to know how deep she was in this.
“It’s crazy, I know, but fuck, Shea—” He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “Shit, baby, this is us. This is real and you were meant to be mine.”
“Yeah, I was.”
God, I really was meant to be his.
20
Two months later
For the next sixty days, Abel was as patient as he could be. Shea came and went as she pleased. Only to work, though, or to go visit her apartment to grab whatever mail had been left there. She’d even gone back to work but spent the majority of the time with him still, commuting to the office then back to him. Whenever she got home from work, she’d always seek him out.
And that’s just the way he liked it.
She’d curl her body around his and he’d lift her up, holding her close. The moment her legs were around his waist, his cock came into instant action.
He loved being inside her, with her wrapped around him. The love he felt for her was real.
It didn’t matter to him that she still had her apartment or even how long it would take her to make a decision. This wasn’t something he took lightly himself. When he first came up here, he hadn’t thought he’d last that long. He did love his creature comforts but as one day rolled into a second, then a third, he found himself more drawn to this life than the other.
Not a lot of people would love being without the Internet or going to the grocery store once a month for supplies.
He happened to love gardening, to nurse seedlings into full ripe fruits or vegetables. To him this was part of his life. This was his life. A routine that meant over the winter he didn’t starve.
In the basement of his home, he kept his storage supply that included food, water, and even books for those long days.
“Is this a weed?” Shea asked, looking down the rows of potatoes.
“Yes. Anything that’s not a potato, you’re going to have to get rid of.”
“Okay.” She hummed to herself as she walked along the potato bed picking out weeds. It wasn’t a completely necessary job but he also didn’t want her straining herself.
The past couple of mornings she’d been visiting the toilet because she’d been sick. Even throughout the day she’d complained of not feeling well.
He had a feeling he knew what was wrong with her and that pleased him immensely.
Smiling, he ran the rake through the thick pile of leaves, pulling them into one neat spot so that he could transport them to the pile. He was making his own compost and fertilizer. Scooping up the leaves, he placed them on top of some of the old and decaying ones.
Glancing over at Shea, he stared at her curvy ass, and thought about her heavily pregnant with his child. She’d look so damn sexy with her nice big tits and full-rounded stomach.
Their child growing inside of her.
She got to the end of the potato bed and wiped the sweat from her brow, sighing.
“This is demanding work.” She walked over to him.
“Just think what it’s going to be like when I pull them suckers out.” He wanted to tell her to rest inside, but he knew she’d argue. She loved being out here as much as he did.
“You make it sound exciting.”
“It is. Look around us, Shea. This is our food that I’ve been planting. This will keep us fed and it’s so much better for us than anything else we can eat.” He took her hand, moving her toward his ripening tomatoes. He saw a cherry one that was beautiful and red. Plucking it from the plant, he gave it a wipe. “I don’t use any commercial chemicals. Have a bite.”
She took the cherry tomato and popped it in her mouth.
He saw the first explosion of flavor in her mouth as her eyes went wide.
“That is amazing.”
“Home grown always is.” Moving around the garden, he fed her more tomatoes, different flavors, some blueberries, strawberries, and even raspberries. She moaned as each ripe fruit exploded in her mouth.
At the end of the small journey they sat down beneath one of the apple trees, drinking some cool water.
She rested between his legs and he placed a hand on her stomach, rubbing the spot.
“I spoke to the landlord today,” she said.
Shea had been working the morning shift before she came home to help him.
This was a development.
He paused in stroking her stomach, waiting to see what she was going to tell him.
She kept him in suspense as she finished off her water. She turned in his arms, straddling his waist.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because I needed to tell him that I wouldn’t be renewing my rent or whatever. I’ve got a few things to pack up but other than that, I don’t want to go back there.”
“You want to stay here?” he asked.
“Nah, I want to go backpacking across Europe. “ She chuckled. “Silly. Of course I want to come here with you. There’s nowhere else I’d like to be.” She breathed out slowly. “I also … finished my last shift today.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I wanted it to be a surprise because of everything that has happened and then I was kind of worrying—”
Sinking his fingers into her hair, he slammed his lips down on hers, silencing any of her worries or concerns. Her hands went to his shoulders. Her nails dug in. She moaned as he held her in place, loving her mouth.
Trailing kisses down her neck, he sucked on the pulse, running his hands down her back, cupping her ass, drawing her close against his raging cock.
“Do you have any idea how badly I want to be inside you right now?”
“I want it, Abel but there’s something I’ve got to tell you.” She let out a moan as he wrapped her hair around his fist, pulling her head back. The shirt she wore didn’t offer much protection and as she thrust her tits out, he couldn’t resist a taste. Sucking one of the buds into his mouth, he relished her cries of pleasure.
This was how it was supposed to be between them.
She sounded so fucking sexy with the way her cries filled the air between them.
“I’m pregnant, Abel,” she said.
And if that wasn’t sweet music to his ears, he didn’t know what else was.
21
Four months later
Shea placed a hand on her rounded belly and smiled as she watched Abel putting the finishing touches on the nursery. Although truthfully it was just a set-up off of their bedroom where the baby would stay until he could finish the expansion on the cabin. He’d started it a couple months ago, but with winter approaching he’d had to stop so they could get things ready. Once spring came in after the baby was born he was going to finish the expansion.
When it was all said and done they’d have a separate room for the baby, an extra bathroom, and they were even talking about making a third bedroom for when they had more children. Shea was looking forward to it all.
After getting rid of her lease and breaking away from her job, she realized how much she loved spending time up here with Abel. Although realistically she wasn’t quitting her job fully, but instead working part-time from home, doing reports and then heading into town once a month to upload them and check in with her manager.
It worked out perfectly for her, for their situation, and she couldn’t be happier.
He finished the crib by placing a blanket inside of it, the small piece of furniture handmade by the man she loved. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was, or how perfect things had turned out.
Abel walked up to Shea and embraced her, pulling her in for a tight hug and kissing the side of her neck. He whispered sweet, soft things to her, ones that made her heart race and had the baby kicking.
Pulling back and placing her hand back on her belly, she looked up at Abel and smiled. Before she could even say anything he was on his knees in fro
nt of her, pushing up her shirt and kissing her exposed abdomen. Sliding her fingers through his hair, she gently tugged on the short, dark strands.
Life was incredible and wonderful, confusing and anxiety ridden, but at the end of the day it was moments like these that she cherished and that made it all worthwhile.
Abel stood and gave her one quick peck on the lips before taking her hand and leading her into the kitchen. Dinner was cooking, a stew made with deer meat Abel had hunted just this past spring, canned vegetables from their garden, and a freshly baked apple pie that she’d made.
The fire roared and crackled in the hearth, and the battery powered radio played classical music in the background. It was an incredible feeling, one of contentment and pleasure.
“How’s it looking?” she asked as she came up beside Abel. She placed a hand on his narrow waist and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“It’s delicious, but then again whatever seasonings you added really finished it off.” The rain started, freezing droplets slapping against the windows. She was used to this type of weather though, the ups and downs, the hot and cold.
The winter up here would be even more intense, thick and too dangerous to even attempt heading down the mountain. But they’d stocked up, were still gathering supplies. And they’d be prepared. They’d be fine all winter, just the two of them away from everyone and everything.
And when that time came where she couldn’t go down to town because she was heavily pregnant and the roads were too bad, she planned to take a long vacation, one that she might not even return from after their child was born. Financially it was feasible, mentally and emotionally it was probably what they’d all need.
“Sit down, baby, let me serve you,” Abel said and kissed her on the lips before gently ushering her toward their small table.
She smiled as she saw the bags of baby clothes they’d gotten the last time they’d ventured into town, just a few items that she couldn’t help but pick up. Their next trip down the mountain would be in the next few weeks. Then she’d finish up her uploading at work, they’d get a large stockpile of canned and bagged food, as well as toiletries, bottled water, and batteries. There was so much stuff they needed to get to be prepared for the winter that it was astonishing sometimes.
But I wouldn’t change it for anything.
She’d learned a lot about the man she’d loved over these last few months. An inheritance kept him comfortable, but the metal designs he did for local businesses made sure he always had enough funds to live his dream on the mountain.
Shea knew there was a lot more she had to learn about Abel, and vice versa, but she also knew they had a lifetime. This was just the start of their life together and she only saw things getting better, only saw them getting closer.
She loved him and he loved her, and the baby growing in her belly was a testament to that connection, to those emotions.
Epilogue
Ten years later
Abel watched his wife finish hanging out the laundry. The sun was high in the sky and in between the birds chirping away, he listened to their three children playing. His wife, heavily pregnant with their fourth, hummed as she worked.
He should be weeding through his vegetable bed but right now, he just wanted to watch his wife. Since she’d made the decision to come and stay with him, she had blossomed into a beautiful flower.
They’d gotten married after the birth of their first child, and as they say, the rest was history.
For the entire pregnancy they’d planned for a home birth. She wanted to do everything naturally. On the day that her water broke, he freaked out. He’d taken all the necessary classes and they’d even gone over everything with the doctor but he couldn’t do it.
Reading books on complications with pregnancies, he’d carried her to his truck and taken her to the hospital, where she’d given birth to all three of their babies, and where she’d give birth to their fourth.
Unable to not touch her for even a moment, he put down his rake and moved behind her.
Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her neck. “Hello, baby.”
“Are you talking to me or our son?” She chuckled softly.
“You don’t know if it’ll be a boy.”
“I know, but I’ve got a hunch.”
They had three girls already and Abel couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t hoping for a little boy. The estrogen in the cabin was intense and overpowering. But hell, he would take another daughter any day of the week, especially if she had Shea’s spunk and delicate features.
“So long as you and our baby are healthy, I don’t care what we have.”
She put her hands over his, leaning back.
He loved this woman so much.
“They’re so happy.”
Glancing over her shoulder, he watched their daughters running wild and throwing water at each other.
“Yes, are you?”
Shea tilted her head back, smiling at him. “How could you even doubt it?”
“I don’t but I love to see that smile on your lips and to know you’re happy.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you and our family.”
She gripped the back of his head, pulling him down for a kiss.
Tonight, he’d make love to her and show her in more ways than one exactly how much he loved her.
This woman had given him love, a family, a purpose, and for that, he would give her everything.
Six months later
He knew he was smiling like a fool, but Abel couldn’t help it. With his wife sitting beside him nursing their son, and his daughters sitting in front of the hearth working on a puzzle, all he felt was love.
Before Shea and their children came into his life, Abel hadn’t realized what living was really like. But over the last decade he’d found peace, happiness and love with his woman and their family. Hell, he’d have five more babies with Shea if she’d let him.
“Will you take him so I can get a cup of tea?”
“I can get it if you want.”
“No, I need to stretch my legs. Having an infant attached to your boob most of the day is surprisingly draining.” She chuckled softly and kissed their son’s head.
Abel took Josiah and leaned in to kiss Shea on the lips before she stood and headed into the kitchen. He stared down at the baby and smoothed his fingers through the tuft of dark hair atop his little head.
During the last ten years they’d made the once tiny cabin a nice sized home. He’d built onto it to add a deck off the master bedroom, two extra bathrooms, and three more bedrooms. Although if they had any more kids he’d have to add a couple more rooms to fit everyone.
He smiled at that thought.
Shea had even gotten into helping him with the metal work designs he did as a side job, and she was exceptionally good at it. Her eye for detail made each piece exquisite. In fact, her designs had increased their business by twenty-five percent just in town alone.
She was the other half to his soul, as clichéd as that sounded. It was the truth. She was his reality.
They were a team through and through, and damn he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The End
CLAIMED AS HIS (Mail Order Brides, 2)
By Sam Crescent and Jenika Snow
www.SamCrescent.com
[email protected]
www.JenikaSnow.com
[email protected]
Copyright © April 2018 by Sam Crescent and Jenika Snow
First E-book Publication: April 2018
Editor: Kasi Alexander
Cover Created by: Popkitty
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters and incidents are the product of
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First came marriage, then came a baby, then came the drama of being a mail order bride.
Lucy had become a mail order bride, and although she should’ve backed out she was lonely. Upon first meeting Ian his arrogance got under her skin. She should have left right then, but her attraction to him went deeper.
And so she found herself staying married to a man who was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it.
But what he didn’t know about her was that Lucy wouldn’t bend to his will. And what she would soon find out was that Ian got turned on by that.
But the longer they’re married the more she sees that he is a good guy who got a bad rap. And her attraction soon grows to love. Even if she has no intentions of leaving Ian, his family has other plans, ones that don’t include Lucy.
All Ian wanted to do was humiliate his parents. He wanted a bride that came from a poor background, had no connections and nothing to offer the family name. She’d be his choice, not theirs, so finding the mail order bride website was a saving grace to him. The moment he saw Lucy, he knew his plan would work.
His parents wouldn’t see her as perfect, and to him that was all he needed.
What Ian never expected was the overwhelming need to protect her. He didn’t want his vile family to hurt Lucy, and even though he could be an asshole, he couldn’t bring himself to disregard her.
However, his plan is already in motion. But he can prove to Lucy that no matter what, he loves her more than anything.