by Unknown
He swung around glaring at her. “What! You don’t get to make that choice, Carla. That baby is mine, too.”
“Please stop fronting like you care about this baby. You wouldn’t even know about it if you hadn’t barged in my apartment.”
His face turned a beet red. “Carla, I’m not on the damn case anymore. I’m here to make sure you’re safe.”
“I didn’t ask you to come protect me!”
He narrowed his brow. “No, you didn’t. Like a fool, I came because I’m in love you!”
Her mouth dropped opened and her heart clenched. What did he just say? “Excuse me, but what did you say?”
He dropped into the overstuffed plush chair. His voice lowered. “Don’t make me repeat it, Carla. It took a lot for me to say it then.”
“No, I need you to say it again. If you meant it, Zach; you’d say it again without hesitation. Do you love me or are you throwing around words to make me feel better?”
He groaned scrubbing his hands down his face. His piercing blue eyes captured hers. “I love you, Carla Parker. Your inch high ass has managed to bring me down. Are you happy now?” he asked sarcastically.
She ran her fingers through his hair in one clean sweep and took in how stunningly gorgeous he looked. His chiseled face and his demanding eyes that roamed over her like hungry blue flames sent a chill down her spine. “I want to believe you. I don’t want to give my heart to you for you to step on later. I’ve been through too much to keep dealing with heartbreaking pain over and over.”
Twenty three
Heart pounding, Zach walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. Quiet sobs shook her body as he held her close. “I promise never to hurt you and now that you’re carrying my kid, I have to make sure the both of you are safe.”
Carla turned in his arms and moved away from him. He stifled swearwords sitting on his tongue and let her go. There was nothing else he could say or do, to make her believe him when he was stunned to hear those three powerful words come from his mouth. However, saying them finally lifted the burden off his shoulders. He’d fallen in love with Carla the second time they’d had sex. The master of holding in emotions got tripped up by the big one and was unable to keep it bottled inside.
His sister nearly got the truth from him the more she dug, and Rodney had read him like an open book at the beach house. The way he went off proved he was in love with Carla.
Zach felt ill. Admitting he loved Carla was huge and had not sunk in before the second blow hit him square in the stomach. He was going to be a father. He’d never held a baby, changed one or pretended to like them. He tolerated Patty’s kids because they were family.
He exhaled in a long, controlled breath. He turned her, so she had no choice but to face him. He held her eye, not to challenge her but because he knew he deserved her contempt. “I want to be part of my baby’s life, but I want you too.”
“I told you not to say stuff to me you think I want to hear, Zach. I’m not that type of woman, and you know that.”
“Yeah, you’re hardheaded, stubborn and hotheaded, but you have yet to say how you feel about me. Carla, do you love me?”
“Why did you have to come here tonight and mess everything up?”
“We’re not going back to the Q&A bullshit. Do you love me, woman?”
Carla groaned. “You always have to have your way, Agent Murphy.”
He answered that by brushing a stray strand of hair back from her face and kissed her softly on the lip. He broke the kiss gazing into her dark brown eyes.
Carla licked her lips. “I hate when you look at me that way, too. It makes it hard for me to lie to you.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
“Yes, I love you. But, Zach, you have to get that barbaric attitude under control. I mean we both have to change our behavior for the sake of the baby. When you drop the baby off after visits, we should be pleasant to each other and not barking like we despise each other.”
“Whoa, back it up a minute. We’ll raise this kid together as parents in the same house. My kid will have my name and you will be my wife.” The self-inflicted blows just kept coming. One more and he’d be out for the count. “I’ll get you on my insurance and find us a house. I’ll take care of everything.”
She frowned tugging at the hem of her pink floral t-shirt. “Wait a doggone minute! Who put you in charge?”
“Carla, my way makes sense.”
“No, it doesn’t. I’m pregnant, that doesn’t mean I want a husband and the whole nine yards to go with it. I have a home, Zach. I have a job and insurance. I have no intentions of taking away your rights or access to your baby but don’t make plans for me.”
“Carla, I got too much on my plate to do to deal with one of your temper tantrums. I’ve made myself clear, but if I need to remind you how things work, I will.”
Carla narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “You are an ass.”
His chuckle was belly deep. “Yeah, but you love me.”
She balled her fists pulling at her hair. “God, I hate that too!” She pointed a finger at him. “You will not have complete control. We’ll stay here for now. I can’t pick up and run anymore; it’s too dangerous for the baby. We’ll leave if you honestly feel danger is lurking outside. Otherwise, we have to talk about us. There are obstacles blocking our way, Zach.”
“What obstacles?”
Carla went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Zach followed her, watching her take ingredients out to make a sandwich. She opened the bread sitting on the counter and slapped four slices on a cutting board. She then spread a layer of mayo, mustard and put a slice of white cheese on each, followed by a generous portion of thick carved turkey breast, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.
As she put the sandwiches together, she looked up at him. “I’m hungry. But to answer your question, you’re arrogant, bossy, and irritate the heck out of me sometimes.” She put a sandwich on a plate and pushed it toward him and took a bite of hers. She wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “I’m not saying I don’t get on your nerves too. I know I can be a handful.”
He flipped open the sandwich and plucked off the pickles. “I’m glad you noticed that. Look, I’m flexible; I’ll stay here with you. We’ll see how we work together and make plans from there.”
She took the milk from the fridge and poured a tall glass. “Do you want some milk?”
He shook his head. “I don’t drink milk.”
Carla raised a brow. “With a body like yours, you don’t drink milk?”
He hunched a shoulder. “What can I say; milk doesn’t do my body good. I can’t stand the stuff.”
Zach finished his sandwich and washed it down with a glass of water. He wiped his mouth. “I do love you,” he said. For the life of him he didn’t know where this was coming from. “You can depend on me to be around for every step of your pregnancy. If I have to take a damn desk job to prove that to you, I will.”
Carla nibbled on a pickle chip shuttering her expression quickly. “When I found out I was pregnant, I left Rodney messages asking him to contact you. When neither of you responded, I had no choice but to give up looking for you.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I changed phones and then my commander forced me to take vacation time. I didn’t know Rodney had been reassigned until recently. He tipped me off about Phillip.”
She shoved the plate with half the uneaten sandwich away from her. “How is this going to work? I don’t want you to give up what you love for me. What will you do if you’re not chasing criminals around the world?”
He took her hand. “I’m qualified to transfer to another department in the FBI. Cybercrime is at an all-time high—I could give that a try.”
She fingered the strong veins running up the back his hand. She lifted it and kissed it. “I love you and I love this baby. I never thought I’d have kids. I never thought I’d fall in love with a man like you. It really is true that we have no control over who we fall
in love with.”
“You’re independent and strong—a male version of me only you have a heart. Think you can teach me to be a loving person?”
He liked the contrast of their fingers locking together. Her smooth brown skin warm against his sturdy white fingers, and it sent his heart aflutter. She smiled. “That’s a doable request. But, we should sign up for parenting classes. Neither one of us know anything about babies.”
A lump formed in his throat. He stopped fighting the inevitable and accepted the reality that they were having a bundle of joy, and he had to know what to do in case he was in charge of the baby. He took a breath. “That is not a bad idea. I should know which end of the baby to powder and diaper.”
“You can be amusing, Zach. I love this side of you.”
“I’ll make an effort to show that side of me more often.” He kept holding her hand as he led her through the living room and into her bedroom. It was larger than her last one but decorated in the same colors.
“Ooh, you found the bedroom. What do you have on your mind?”
He shook his head. “Not that. You should get as much rest as possible.”
“I’m not tired, but I know what I do want,” she replied. She crawled on the bed and getting in front him latched her arms around his neck. “Zach, you don’t have to watch over me every second. I’m two months pregnant. We should enjoy each other while I can still stand and still see my feet.”
Carla pulled the t-shirt over her head. His eyes shot to her breasts. They were fuller but still perky. Her stomach was flat with a small bump. It probably wouldn’t be noticeable on a woman with more weight on her. Zach touched her stomach. “I don’t want to hurt the baby.”
“You won’t hurt the baby. He’s snuggled deep down in there and won’t feel a thing,” she said placing kisses on his neck.
Zach pulled away and knelt before her, putting his face on her stomach and kissed the small bump. “I still can’t believe that’s my baby in there.”
“Are you happy about it? Please tell me the truth?”
He rubbed his cheek across her smooth skin. “It scares the shit out me, but I can’t wait to hold him or her.” He held her around the waist. “Baby, please marry me. I’m not demanding but asking because I want to marry you.”
Slipping her hands up his back, she answered, “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
“Seriously?” He lifted her chin up to face him taking her attention away from undressing him. “We’re getting married. You’re not saying yes to get me in bed?”
Carla broke out laughing. “I love you and I want to marry you.”
Zach finished undressing her and gently laid her on the thick pillows that lined the bed. He nestled himself behind her body, putting a hand between her breasts and an arm around her waist. She was soft and warm, and his arousal came quickly. She moaned as he rubbed his palm over her buttocks and down between the cheeks finding the moist slickness of her womanhood. His finger spread her lips searching, she groaned out loud when he skimmed over the top of the sensitized, swollen bud.
He started to make small circles with his finger over the top of her womanhood he paused and pushed a knuckle deep into her.
Carla cried and gasped out a moan as he withdrew his finger from her body.
Zach didn’t leave her disappointed long. He placed one of his feet between hers and kicked her legs wide apart. Then his finger returned to slide between her lips, and she gasped again when he found her spot. It was swollen. He heard another moan as he started to rub her again, alternating between sliding his finger between her lips to coat it in her juices and thrusting it up into her to begin the process all over.
He felt the heat start to build up in the pit of his stomach and tingles ran down his spine. He sensed her orgasm was close by the way her nipples puckered and tightened into hard peaks.
“How close are you, Carla?”
“I’m close. So close.”
He could feel her nub pulsating under his touch, her body shaking body. She bent her neck back to see his eyes. She moaned out loud as he licked his finger sucking her juices from it.
“You taste so damn good, baby,” he murmured.
He pinched her nipples making them hard. He turned her slightly, so his mouth took control of her nipple and suckled at it greedily while his other hand followed the contour of her hips tracing until they reached for the heat between her legs.
Her breathing quickened when she reached between their bodies and took his girth in her hand.
“Oh yeah, beautiful, just like that,” he said with a hoarse approval in his voice. “Are you ready for me?” Zach moved his hips, and Carla’s fist tightened around his length so that he was effectively pumping in her hand. His hand came to rest on her abdomen, and she writhed on the bed.
Zach applied a little pressure when she didn’t answer. His finger slid between her folds and found her swollen nub. She almost went through the roof as he brushed over the most sensitive part of it, and a low, groan escaped her. Her hand gripped his shaft even tighter in response, coaxing an answering moan as she stroked him a little harder and faster.
“Yes, I’m ready for you. Make love to me, baby.”
“You’re so damn wet, Carla.” Zach continued to slide his finger over her nub and down to her opening, teasing her by pushing into her just a fraction before pulling back out and going back to her nub. “You’re so ready to have me inside of you, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I need to feel you inside me.”
“I intend to keep you happy like this all the time, baby.” He kissed the back of her shoulder. “I want to keep you wanting me the way I want you.”
Zach pulled her hips upwards to get her into the ‘doggy’ position. Carla’s head was resting on her forearms and as Zach settled himself between her thighs.
Zach slid the full length of his shaft up to its hilt inside Carla. He used his hands on her hips for leverage; pulling her back onto him while he plunged forwards. She let out a howl of a surprise as he pushed against her. He tried to be careful and not hurt her, but she felt too damn good to keep control. The months without her had built inside him, and if he didn’t slow down, he would lose it.
“Am I hurting you?”
“No, she moaned and pushed back on him, urging him to go deeper.
Zach continued to thrust into her; his balls slapping against her nub increasing the stimulating that he had started with his fingers.
He knew he was good at giving women pleasure, but from here on in she was the only woman to receive his treatment. Carla Parker was going to be his wife, and he planned to keep a smile on her face in the bedroom and out of the bedroom.
The race was on to see who would cross the finish line and reach their peak first. Carla’s knees started to shake, and he knew that it would be her. Her walls tightened around his shaft, squeezing his orgasm from him; his body trembling as he exploded.
Zack balanced his weight on his knees and arms as Carla fell forward on the bed. He rolled over on the bed and lying beside her. His heart racing and sweat covered his body. It finally hit him. There was a difference between having sex and making love. Making love to Carla was intense, pleasurable, and he’d never experienced anything like it before. While sex with other women left him satisfied, sometimes he felt whorish for not asking their full name before screwing them.
chapter twenty three
Carla blinked trying to shut out the bright sunlight filtering through the white mini blinds. She rolled over, her hand landing on an empty space. Zach wasn’t in the bed. She sat up throwing the blanket off her and looked at the side of the bed he’d occupied. “This is going to take getting used to,” she said sliding her feet into black fuzzy slippers. She went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The curtain was wet, and a damp towel hung over the rod.
Sighing, she yanked the towel off the rod and threw it in the hamper. “We have to set some rule. I love him, but I’m not his maid.” She finished her shower and wrapped the t
owel around her body and went to the bedroom. She froze and looked around.
The bed was made; the decorative pillows arranged by size and not a crow’s foot in the bedspread. She didn’t want to sit on the bed to apply lotion. Taking the bottle off the dresser, she sat in the chair and applied lotion to her arms, rubbing it in.
“Hey,” Zach said entering the bedroom carrying folded laundry.
“Good morning.” Carla sat the bottle of lotion on the floor. “You’re doing laundry?”
“No, these are my clothes. Is it okay if I use a drawer?”
“Zach, consider this your home. Anything I have is yours to use.” He lifted her gently out of the chair and swept his lips over her brow. Carla wrapped her arms around his waist resting her head against his chest. “Do you need a hug this morning?”
“It feels good to hold you in my arms like this. Carla, you’re changing my life.”
It did feel good having his arms around her. She felt safe and secure with him in the apartment. A moment ago she felt like scolding him for leaving a dirty towel in the bathroom, now she desired to consume every part of him, never letting him go.
“I hope the change is for the better because you’re changing me too. Instead of wearing a size two, in a few months I’ll be the size of a blimp. Thank you for that, Zach.”
His rough hand caressed the bare area of her back. “I’m not gaining extra weight to make you feel better. However, I will do whatever I can to ease any discomfort you’ll have.”
She looked up at him. Her emotions welled up, and tears sprang to her eyes as she pressed her hand against his heart. “These damn hormones are the pits. But, when you say things like that, it’s almost like I’m meeting a different person.”
He grinned. “I am different.” He switched positions, so he sat in the chair bringing her down on his lap. “Baby, I’m not gonna change overnight. It will take time for you to train me to be a good husband. I’m asking that you don’t give up on me if I stumble along the way.”