“Has anyone been in here, Leigh?” he asks, his eyes not on me but on where his finger presses further inside me. I groan, my hands attempting to grip the platform beneath me.
“Answer me,” he says, thrusting his finger in further. I wince at the pain but press back against him, welcoming it.
“N—no.” The word tumbles from my lips as I close my eyes and breathe as he pulls his finger out an inch then back in further than before.
“I won’t take you there right now, but I will . . . soon.”
He drops down to his knees, placing the tip of his cock at my entrance before pushing inside me in one long, slow motion.
“Grant.” His name is breathy on my lips as my body struggles to accommodate him.
“Soon, baby.” The words are spoken through gritted teeth as he tries to contain his composure. “There won’t be a single inch of you that I haven’t touched—that I haven’t fucked or tasted.”
I want to scream as he pulls all the way out before slamming back into me. He repeats the process over and over before sitting back on the stationary portion of the machine, leaving me on the moving platform. He grips my hips, my entire body sliding back and forth on the platform—each time it returns, impaling me on his cock.
“I’m going to fill you so full with my cum,” he grunts. He’s absolutely drunk on lust right now and I’m no different.
The sound of our flesh slapping fills the studio, joined with our moans and grunts as Grant begins to lose control. His movements grow erratic, words falling out of his mouth as his neck and chest flex with his movements.
“You’re mine, Leigh. Fucking mine!” he growls before pulling me back one last time and holding me in place as his release pours inside me.
“Are you serious?” I ask as I lie naked in his arms on the floor of the studio.
He turns his head to look at me. “About what?” He runs his fingers over my upper thighs, causing me to squeeze them together. “About being in every single part of you?” He plants a kiss between the words. “Deadly serious, baby.” He sucks a nipple into his mouth, causing my back to arch off the floor. He releases it and I grab his face, forcing him to look at me.
“About the baby.”
His eyes search mine, like he’s looking for a hint from me on how he should answer.
“Yes, I’m just as serious about the baby.”
“Grant, I know you’re scared, but having a baby to keep me isn’t the answer.” I prop myself up on one arm so I can look at him. He looks at me, his eyebrows knitting together.
“I’m not trying to trap you, Leigh. You told me to do some self-reflection and figure out what I want, and I have.” His expression is clearly conveying that he’s upset.
“I’m just saying we can have a normal relationship where we communicate and are committed to each other,” I tell him. “I’m not going anywhere, Grant. I told you I was in love with you and I meant it.”
He’s staring at me, his eyes fearful, and I reach out and grab his hands. “Baby, that’s why you date: to see if you both want a life together and are compatible. I know you’re scared of repeating your past relationship—of thinking everything is going okay and then it all falls apart.”
I search his face but he still looks confused, like a hurt little puppy, and I realize that as much as this man has his life together and knows all the ways to please a woman, he has no idea how to be in a relationship.
“So do you not want a baby?”
“I do, Grant, but I don’t want you thinking that’s the only way to keep me—or any woman, for that matter. I know I’m very independent. I know that probably scares you because you don’t know what you bring to the table in our relationship. I know because I have that same fear too.” I cup his cheeks. “You’re an amazing person, Grant. I just want you to figure out what you truly want—what would make you happy—not because you think it’s the only way to keep me.”
He flops onto his back, exhaling and staring up at the ceiling.
“I really don’t know shit about relationships, huh?” He runs his hands through his hair and I lie across his chest.
“We’re all trying to figure it out. I love you, Grant, because of who you are, not because of what you can give me.”
He pulls me on top of his body. “You are the most amazing, confusing, delicious woman I’ve ever met.” He holds me to his chest as he sits up and rolls me to my back. He stares at me, leaning down to plant a soft kiss against my lips as I feel his cock harden against my inner thigh.
“I love you, Leigh Brooks.”
His kiss grows urgent and I reach between us, grabbing his length and positioning it at my entrance. He growls into my mouth as he languidly begins to piston in and out of me.
20
Grant
Ryder’s laugh reverberates around his kitchen.
“Go ahead, man, laugh at my pain.” I shake my head, taking a sip of the new Slade hard cider.
I look out the back window of Ryder’s house. The leaves have mostly turned, the golden hues of yellow and orange dancing in the remaining sunlight of the day. The air has turned crisp, and summer is finally over.
This time of year always makes me feel nostalgic—bringing back memories of camping and bonfires with my dad. I can still the smell the smoke of the campfire as he would point to a random tree and tell me the genus and species of it, along with some random facts. I always wondered how he knew stuff like that, and it made me want to be that kind of dad someday—the kind of dad who instills knowledge and skills in their child.
“I’m sorry, it’s just a bit comical to me for some reason.” Ryder’s words pull me back to the present and I lean against the counter. “For a doctor, you really miss the obvious sometimes.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, Leigh said something similar to me.”
“I’m starting to think Leigh is the smart one in this equation.”
We step out back to finish laying the brick for his outdoor fireplace.
“Her feelings aren’t unfounded, you know.” He doesn’t look up as he runs a thick layer of cement on a stone before placing it on the already-neatly-stacked row.
“I don’t want to have a baby with her to trap her. That’s insane.” I shake my head.
“Maybe not, but it does kind of seem that way. Look, you guys accidentally got pregnant and you bonded over the loss, but now you just need to prove to her that you can still be that man for her. She wants commitment, man, not obligation.”
I stare at the brick in my hand. “How do I show that?” I feel like an idiot—like I’m a complete newbie at this relationship stuff.
“Just be there for her. Be honest about your feelings and intentions. If you both want a life together—babies and all that jazz—you can have it in time, but you don’t need to jump into it if it’s not what you actually want.” He says it like it’s so simple.
I feel like we’re going in circles with all of this. I know what I want with Leigh: I want forever and I don’t see the point of waiting. If you know what you want with someone, who cares? Go for it, because life is short and unpredictable.
“Is this the style you like, sir?”
I stare at the diamond ring in my hand, the lights dancing off the edges.
“It’s perfect.”
“We do require 50% up front as a down payment, with the rest due at pick-up.”
I nod. “And the total time it will take?”
“Two-and-a-half to three weeks, tops.”
I hand over my credit card, securing the custom ring I designed for Leigh, then I head back to the hospital.
It’s been two-and-a-half solid weeks of emergencies at the hospital. I’m exhausted, burnt out, and lonely. I’ve seen Leigh once this entire time, and that was the day I left Grand Lake to head back to Denver.
Between the opening of her second studio—which is now in full operation, my rounds at the hospital, and life in general, it feels like things are starting to catch up to me.
&
nbsp; I open the ring box I picked up on my way home from work. The black velvet makes the ring pop in the moonlight. I lean back in my chair, staring at the ring. I pull it from the box, holding it up to watch as the sparkles dance across it.
This won’t be the first time I’ve proposed to a woman, but I pray it’s the last. I sip the remaining whiskey in my glass when I hear the soft clicking of shoes on the marble entrance of my penthouse. I stand, shoving the ring in my pocket. I take two steps to exit my study when I see a hand wrap around the edge of the open door and slowly open it.
My heart catches in my throat as I see Leigh’s beautiful smile spread across her lips as she crosses the room and jumps into my arms. Her dark green dress flows around her with the movement.
“What are you doing here?” I gasp as she wraps her legs around me and I bury my nose in her hair, drinking her in.
“I missed you,” she murmurs, her lips pressed against my neck.
We stand like that for several minutes, the shock finally subsiding.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I say between kisses as she slowly slides down my body. I cup her cheeks in my hands. “I’ve missed you so much.”
The Miles Davis album I placed on the record player earlier fills the room and I grab Leigh’s hand. “Dance with me,” I say as I lead her toward the center of the room, pulling her body tightly against mine.
We dance for several songs, neither one of us speaking. I’m lost in her presence, completely drowning in the love I feel for her. I put a bit of distance between us and she looks up at me.
“Everything okay?”
“Everything’s perfect.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “Just wanted to look at you is all.” My tone is hushed as I take my time noticing every little nuance of her face: the way her hair curls on the ends around her face, the sparkle in her hazel eyes, and the delicate but long lashes that frame them.
“You look absolutely stunning.” I glance down her body at the dress that hugs her breasts and waist, flowing lightly around her hips and down to her calves. I tip her chin upward and see tears pooling in her eyes.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” I wipe at the edge of her eyes with my thumbs.
“Nothing, honestly. I just . . .” she shakes her head and my stomach drops, “I just never thought I’d find this kind of happiness.” She smiles and relief washes over me. I pull her toward me, engulfing her in a warm embrace.
“I feel the same way, baby.” I kiss the top of her head. “Did you eat dinner?”
She nods her head yes. “Good, then how about I pour us some wine and we take a nice bubble bath together?” She smiles. “You’re staying, right?”
“Yes, I’m here for the weekend.” She sighs, stretching out her body against mine and lying back on my chest.
“This is the first time I’ve used this tub.” I kiss her ear and she shrugs her shoulders and giggles.
“That tickles.”
“Mmm, what else tickles?” I whisper in her ear as I drag my hand slowly up her inner thigh. I tease her momentarily when a thought pops in my head and I blurt it out.
“Will you meet my mom while you’re here?”
She turns around, crossing her arms over my chest and propping her chin on them. “I’d love to,” she smiles, adding on, “are you planning to propose?” She smiles again, a laugh tumbling from her lips.
Suddenly I remember the ring in my pants pocket that’s now in a jumbled mess on the floor. Is she just saying that because August told her I proposed to her at dinner with my mom, or did she see me with the ring?
“Well, not now, I’m not. The surprise is ruined.” I pretend like I’m trying to reach for my pants. “Let me just call off the clowns and the fire-breathers.”
She laughs, splashing me before leaning forward and planting a kiss on my lips.
“And what if I did ask you?” I study her eyes as they stare at me.
“I’d say, why rush?”
“Hmm . . . are you saying no?” I cock an eyebrow.
“Are you asking?” She gives me the same look back.
I pull her to me, this time letting the kiss linger, my tongue tangling with hers. The kiss quickly turns into more. She crawls up my body, positioning a knee on either side of me as she straddles my lap.
“What do you want?” I ask against her lips. She doesn’t respond—she just continues to kiss me, her hips beginning to rock against me.
“I want to hear the words, Leigh.” I grip her neck, preventing her from leaning forward and kissing me again until she tells me what I want to hear.
“I want to feel you inside me.” Her hands roam my body beneath the bubbles. I let out a hiss when her fingers wrap around my hardened length and lightly squeeze.
“How do you want it?”
I can see the frustration building in her and it spurs me on. I like hearing filthy words coming out of her mouth. “Why do you provoke me?” she says, sliding her hand up and down my length a few times.
“Because I want to drive you absolutely fucking wild with desire until you’re so fucking needy for my cock that you can’t take it any longer.” I see the blush spread across her cheeks at my brute honesty. “So tell me, Leigh, how do you want it, hmm?” I tighten my grip on her nape, pulling on her hair in the process. Her neck is exposed to me, so I lean forward and run my tongue up it. “Do you want me to make sweet love to you? To tell you all the ways I love and adore you? That I would go to the ends of the earth to make you happy?”
She nods her head no, biting her bottom lip.
“No?” I smile a devilish grin, because I know exactly what she wants.
“You want to get fucked, don’t you?” I reach up with my other hand, pinching her nipple hard between my fingers. I feel her thighs tighten around my hips with the pain and pleasure mixing together.
“You want me to bend you over that counter, don’t you? So you can watch yourself in the mirror as I bury my thick cock deep in your sweet little pussy and fill you with my cum?”
Her chest begins to rise and fall rapidly as I slip my hand beneath the water and rub my thumb in circles over her clit.
“You want me to spank that perky little ass of yours, huh? Maybe tonight will be the night I finally explore it—finally fill you with cock right back here.” I reach around, running my hand over her tight asshole before squeezing her cheek.
She lunges forward, water sloshing around us as I lift her body up and bring her down hard, burying myself in her tight center as she screams my name.
21
Leigh
“Tell me about him.” I stand at Grant’s father’s gravestone, his arms wrapped around me as the cool autumn air whips around us.
“You know how people say their dad was their hero or this amazing person they idolized? He really was that person for me.”
He rests his chin on top of my head and I pull his arms tighter around my body.
“He was that guy who always knew what to say in a given situation. I remember being so stressed about getting into med school, and my dad was just so calm about all of it. Mostly because he believed in me, but also because he’d say there was no use fretting over things you’ve spent your life building, because nothing I was going to do in the weeks leading up to my acceptance letter was going to change the course of events.”
“That’s very wise and true. You seem to have inherited his sense of calmness.” I lift my head and look up at him just as a raindrop falls from the sky and hits me square on the nose.
“Come on.” He takes my hand and walks me back over to his SUV. “Let’s go grab some coffee.”
We duck inside an adorable coffee shop. It looks like the kind of place you’d want to write a novel in. The floors are original hardwood, complete with years of wear and unique knots and grooves. I grab us a sofa in the back next to a massive window where rain has begun to streak down the glass. Soft jazz plays on the overhead speakers, setting a relaxing and calm ambience.
“Thought you migh
t enjoy this too,” Grant says, setting a large muffin down in front of me after placing our order at the counter.
“You know me so well.” I smile as I break off a piece and take a bite.
“Tell me more about your dad. You look just like him, ya know,” I say as Grant takes a seat and I flop my legs over his lap.
We spent the morning with Grant’s mother, Lucia, who is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but so sweet and downright hilarious. By the way she had me clutching my sides as tears of laughter streamed down my face, you’d think we’d known each other for eons. She gave me a tour of her Cherry Creek townhome before we settled in for a light brunch of tea sandwiches, eggs Benedict, fresh fruit, and coffee.
I was beyond nervous when Grant mentioned meeting her the night before, but she instantly put me at ease. She showed me Grant’s baby photos, pictures of her late husband, and a few of the dozens of awards Grant won over the years for various scholastic and athletic achievements.
“He and my mom met young. They both said they knew instantly that they were meant to be together. My mom always wanted to be a mother—that was her dream and she was really good at it, but it was hard for her to conceive. It took a toll on both of them.”
I see the sadness in Grant’s eyes as he talks.
“My mom had a few miscarriages.” He reaches down and squeezes my knee, my chest tightening at the word. “That’s why she quit working once she was in her second trimester. My dad said it wasn’t worth any risk to her or me.”
“Were you guys living in Chicago at the time?” I ask, remembering he said he was originally from there.
“Yeah. My dad was actually getting his PhD and just graduated when my mom got pregnant. They had zero money and were living in student housing when dad got a job as a TA at his college, and when he graduated, he did get a full-time teaching job there, but it was barely enough to cover the bills.”
The barista calls our names and I pop up to go grab our drinks.
Only For Forever: An Enemies to Lovers, Small Town Romance (Men of Rocky Mountain) Page 13