by Rye Hart
After a brief smile at me, he turned to face my Dad. I turned along with him and was shocked by the anger and disgust I saw plastered on my father’s usually kind face. With deep breaths, I tried to pull away from Conner to make the situation a little easier, but he tightened his grip on my waist so I couldn’t move.
“This wasn’t how I wanted to tell you, but I was going to tell you,” Conner said in an honest tone, his eyes locked on Dad’s.
“Tell me what? That you’re fucking my baby girl?” my father yelled, his face red with anger. “By the way, get your hands off her, asshole.”
Despite my father’s rude words, Conner surprised me by remaining steady as he only shook his head and said, “This isn’t just another fling, Alex. I love her, and she loves me.”
His words and the proud, confident way he said them made me smile and melt. My father’s reaction, however, was pretty much the opposite. His already red face turned almost purple, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. Before I even realized what was happening, he lunged at Conner from across the room.
Conner pushed me behind him as I gasped in shock at my Dad’s words and closed fists. Knowing Conner’s temper as well as I did, I half expected him to ball up his hands and match my Dad’s insanity punch for punch. However, this was apparently crazy-day at the Jones residence, because my calm, funny, easy going father threw a punch right at Conner’s mouth while my hot-headed, alpha boyfriend only stood there to take it.
“You stupid piece of shit,” my father yelled. “Neither of you even know what love means. She’s young and impressionable, and you’re a womanizing son of a bitch.”
“Don’t be a patronizing jerk, Alex,” Conner said though his split lip, letting a bit of his temper show through. “She’s a grown woman. As for me, I fucked around because I was a widower with no one I truly cared about. We both know I’m loyal as a dog when I love someone.”
With a raised brow, Dad huffed. “Yeah, I’m prime example of your loyalty. I trusted you with her, and this is what you do? She’s a kid,” Dad continued as he pulled back his hand for another punch, but that was enough for me.
Stepping around Conner, I stood between the two of them. “Stop! Look at me, Dad. I’m not a kid.”
As I knew he would, Dad instantly lowered his hand and rolled his eyes. “Yes, you are, Chloe. You’re my kid. Now move away.”
“No, I’m not moving,” I said in a stern tone. “If you want to hit Conner again, you’ll have to go through me, and risk your future grandchild as well.”
My father’s face went from purple to white in less than a second. Blinking a few times, he staggered backward.
“What?” he asked, and the question was echoed by Conner.
I took a deep breath and, deciding that this had nothing to do with my father, I turned to look at Conner. This wasn’t at all how I had planned to tell him, but things were what they were.
“I’m pregnant,” I started with a tiny smile as I touched my belly. “I found out after you left today.”
Despite the cut, Conner's lips curled up into a monumental smile as his hands covered mine, and he leaned in to kiss my forehead. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to say something, but before he had a chance my father’s voice echoed through the kitchen once more.
“This is . . .” he started.
“Not ideal, Dad,” I interrupted, annoyed at him for ruining such a happy moment for me. With a sigh, I turned to look at him. “My pregnancy, right now, is not ideal, but I’m happy—really, truly happy—so stop.” He frowned and opened and closed his mouth a few times, but I just continued, “I wasn’t an ideal baby either, and neither was Lucas considering what happened to Quinn, but we’re okay, and you love us. You’ll love this nugget too, and you know Conner will be a good father. So please, Daddy, try to understand and support this. If not for Conner or me, then for your grandchild.”
Dad paced back forth while rubbing his right hand across his lips. His eyes shifted from me to Conner to my stomach, and I could see the conflict in them. He loved both of us, and I had no doubt he would love my child as well, but I also understood how hard this was for him. He would need time to adjust, and I would do everything I could to allow him that time.
“This wasn’t what I wanted for you, Bumblebee. You deserve so much better than him.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but Conner beat me to the punch. “She really does. I’m an old, fucked up, basket case and Chloe is so much better than me. She’s so much better than pretty much every man in the world, and we both know it. I think she even knows it, but for some reason she loves me. I’ve tried to fight this. You can ask her, if you want, but she’s chosen me, and I promise you, as your best friend, that I’ll take care of her, love her and protect her for as long as I live. I’m gonna walk the line and prove to you that though I’m not worthy of her, no man will ever love and honor her more.”
“And you’ll do right by the child?”
Conner chuckled. “Seriously, Alex? Of course, I will. I’ll love this baby just as I love Lucas and I’m going to give him or her the best life I can possibly give.”
Touched by Conner’s words, I curled my fingers a bit tighter around his and pulled him closer to me. He looked down at me with a smile on his lips and gave me a sweet kiss on the forehead.
In a heavy silence, my Dad watched us with a weary expression on his face. A few seconds later, he moved his hand to massage the back of his neck and sighed. “Do you really love that asshole, baby?”
Despite the expletive, I couldn’t help but smile at Dad’s softer tone. With a nod, I replied. “Yep, I really love this asshole.”
“Okay, then,” he muttered, and both Conner and I raised our brows. “But if you hurt her, I swear I’ll cut your dick off and feed it to you.”
Conner laughed. “Duly noted.”
With a huff and a more accepting expression, my Dad turned around and left the kitchen. Once we were alone, Conner turned and pulled me close to his chest. His smile was the biggest I had ever seen, and it filled my heart to the point of exploding.
“You better keep those promises, you know. The only one allowed to do anything to your dick is me.”
“I won’t argue with that,” Conner said between laughs. Once his chuckles died, he gave me a quick peck on the lips and raised a brow. “So, a baby, hmm?”
I nodded. “Yep. Scared?”
He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Scared? C’mon, Angel. Considering how mad you were at me, I was kind of hoping you’d get knocked up. What better way to guarantee you’ll marry me?”
Despite the butterflies in my stomach, I couldn’t help but laugh at his awful proposal. “A better way is to ask. Preferably, in a romantic setting and with a ring. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Conner Wilkes. You better not disappoint.”
With his blue eyes locked on mine, he gave me a long and passionate kiss and then whispered, “Have I ever?”
“No,” I whispered back, because that was the truth. From the moment I had walked into his kitchen, Conner had surprised, shocked, overwhelmed, and amused me, but he had never disappointed me. And deep down, I knew he never would.
EPILOGUE — CHLOE
As I opened my eyes, I couldn’t help but think about Peter Clarke and his graduation speech. For months, I had hated the man and called him an asshole for making me believe I could have everything I wanted. Back then, when I didn’t have a job, a love life, or any prospects at all, his words had felt like a punch in the face.
However, as I laid on the hospital bed and stared at Conner, my soon to be step-son, and my father fussing lovingly over my baby girl, I realized that Peter was actually a genius. Or maybe a psychic. Either way, he was brilliant, and his words were as true as the day was long.
For most of my life, I had wanted only one thing and that was to have the love of Conner Wilkes. Having achieved that, there was no way to deny that the world really was mine for the taking, just like Peter had sa
id.
“Hey, Angel,” Conner greeted as he peeled his eyes away from our daughter to look at me. “I thought you were asleep.”
I smiled at him and sighed. “I was, but I’m glad I woke up. The four of you are a sight for sore eyes.”
He walked in my direction with our baby in his arms. “How are you feeling, love?”
After a deep breath and a long gaze at our beautiful girl, I smiled and said, “I’m absolutely perfect.”
“Yes, you are,” Conner said as he leaned in for a kiss.
THE END
More Steamy Romance By Rye Hart
About the author:
Rye Hart. Own Your Naughty.
Rye Hart is an Amazon Bestseller for the following books in her Rock Hard Series:
Rock Hard SEAL (#36 US Amazon Bestseller)
Rock Hard Fake Groom (#40 US Amazon Bestseller)
Rock Hard Boss (#44 US Amazon Bestseller)
Rock Hard Daddy (#52 US Amazon Bestseller)
CUFF ME Daddy (#58 US Amazon Bestseller)
Rye writes about powerfully sexy women and the hot alpha bad boys who love them. You will not find any cheating here. Rye's books are packed with hot passionate love and happy ever after endings.
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Rye Hart here! Thank you for supporting a new indie romance author. Anything you can do, whether it be writing a review, or even simply telling a fellow reader that you enjoyed my book means the world!
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I’ve also included sneak peaks for the top three best sellers, within my Rock Hard Series, in the following pages.
Rock Hard SEAL: Sneak Peak
Rock Hard SEAL: A Navy SEAL & A Virgin Romance
CHAPTER ONE –ABIGAIL
“Hold on to your panties! This trip will be one to remember, and if all goes as planned you’re going to come back a whole new woman, Abigail Carter. I can promise you that. Heck you’ll probably have a hard time even walking straight after Madrid is through with you.”
“Stop it, Libby.” A blush stained my cheeks when I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one around us had overheard. Luckily, the lunch crowd was loud enough to drown out most of our conversation. I turned back to look at Libby who shrugged her tanned shoulders. “What is wrong with you? Don’t say things like that out loud. You never know who's listening to us.”
Libby rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Chillax’ girl! I think your Dad has made you a bit too paranoid and sheltered from all those bodyguards with sticks up their you know what. I’m just saying I want you to prepare yourself to let loose for once in your life and what better time than this trip to Madrid with your best friend?” Libby asked. She grinned at me. “Think of it this way. This trip is your first real trip unsupervised. We are going to have a damn good time, Abi. I’m telling you.”
“I have no doubts that we will,” I replied with a grin. Excitement bubbled inside of me just thinking of it. Ever since I was five, I could remember a bodyguard always walking alongside me. Having a Dad who prosecuted terrorists on behalf of the United States government had a tendency to attract threats. Being the protective man my had always been, he took no chances when it came to the safety of my Mom and I. The bodyguards were always there.
It wasn’t until I hit college that I realized, with aggravation, that most of these guards had a tendency to relay information about every small detail of my life back to my Dad. It made dating a bit complicated, since most of the male population at Harvard knew exactly who my Dad was. From day one, guys were terrified to even go anywhere near me. The burly and big muscled bodyguards didn’t exactly make for attractive accessories for a petite gal like myself to flaunt around. All I’ve ever wanted was to be normal for a change.
Don’t get me wrong. I was always grateful for the hard work my Dad put into his career and constant efforts to ensure the safety and security of Mom and me; though, I would have given anything to just breathe a little. Growing up, that never really happened for me.
Not this time though. A jittery feeling filled me thinking of it. This time, I was on my own finally. It was liberating.
“Our postponed spring break,” Libby said, taking a sip of water. “At least we can do this before our jobs start up here in Manhattan.”
“Thankfully,” I said. “I know my Dad too. He’ll give me cases that keep me too occupied to think of anything else.”
“That’s why I’m telling you we are going to find a sexy Spanish man to please you over the next three months.” Libby sighed dreamily as she twirled a golden curl around her finger. “Three months in Spain is terribly romantic. Maybe I’ll find a Spanish lover too. Oh… what if we found brothers? How cool would that be?”
“You will, but who knows about me. We know I’m not exactly a natural,” I said and gave Libby an envious look. She had killer tanned legs, long blonde curls, and looked fresh and put together no matter what time of the day it was. “You won’t have any problems attracting a Spanish man or any man for that matter. You don’t have problems in that department at all.”
“Neither do you,” Libby said. “You’re gorgeous, Abi. They are going to eat you up over there. Literally!!” Her laugh was contagious, but it was lost on me. My thought threatened to consume me.
I played with the ends of my hair nervously. I was the only one out of my circle of friends who had zero experience when it came to men. The last guy I had kissed was after a study session for my English Lit sophomore final. Naturally, the bodyguard at the time who followed me around reported that back to my parents. It was the awkward lecture afterward that deterred me from ever trying something again, though I thought about it all of the time.
And now, at twenty-two years old, I was still a virgin and fucking terrified of sex. The only things I’d been exposed to came from living vicariously through Libby who gladly filled me in on tricks and such.
I longed for it though— desperately. I was such a romantic nerd when it came to imagining my first time. Maybe on a bed covered in rose petals? I shook my head at the ridiculous thought. That wasn’t real. Most men, according to Libby, would do it anywhere you offered it. A bathroom? A closet? The back of a movie theater? Done.
I smirked at the thought. What would it be like to give myself over to the heat of passion? Not giving two shits about where we were because I absolutely had to have him and he wasn’t willing to take no for an answer? My pulse sped up at the very thought.
“We’ll see about that. That’s not my priority because this trip is all about our time together before we have to enter into the real world,” I said breathily, trying to pull my head out of the gutter and put myself together enough not to give away my secret desires. The real world sounded rather terrifying if I were being honest with myself. My father had moved and shifted every area of my life since I was a little girl, and now I would soon be on my own.
An odd sense of relief raced through me, decimating the lingering fear. Where my father went after terrorists and horrible men in his practice, I wanted to do something totally different. I wanted to help bring justice to those who were hurt by an abusive parent or spouse, or maybe help set up protection for those who couldn’t do it themselves. Being in the legal system with my degree and my father’s last name was going to get me far in life, but not in the way he wanted it to.
Where he was focused on rising to the top and stomping out crime, I wanted to offer my services to those that needed it the most but rarely had the ability to find it. He was going to shit bricks when the time came for us finally to sit down and talk about my future plans. No matter what though, I was heading in the direction of my heart. Money be damned.
“Hey. You still with me?” Libby gave me a quirky smile.
“Hmm? Oh yeah. Just thinking about our trip.” I ran my fingers through my hair and forced m
yself to focus back on her. “We’re going to go sight seeing right?”
“Yes. Tons of that as well! I bought a polaroid camera to bring with us since neither one of us plan on using our phones, right?”
“Right,” I said, nodding. “No Facebook, Twitter, or Instagramming our moments in Madrid. We are there to enjoy it. We’ll create memories in our minds.”
“You got it,” Libby said. “Now, let’s—”
My cell phone buzzed on the table between us, interrupting Libby. I glanced down at the caller ID. Groaning at the number, I looked back up at Libby apologetically. “I’m sorry, Libs. I’ve got to take this. You know how my Dad gets if I don’t.”
“I know. He freaks out.” Libby rolled her eyes with a sigh. “I think he’s where you got all your paranoia.”
I rose from our table with my phone in hand. “Just give me a minute. Order a chicken salad with no croutons and dressing on the side for me if our waiter comes before I’m back.”
The small restaurant and patio were packed, but I managed to somehow squeeze my way out past the hostess station. While it was tempting to let my Dad’s call go straight to voicemail, I knew that he’d repeatedly call until I answered, or better yet, he’d send someone to look for me. That was always a fun encounter seeing that I was in my early twenties now. Everything suffered due to my Dad’s overprotective attitude. Especially my pathetic love life.
“Hi, Dad,” I said, leaning up against a light pole. “What’s up? I’m out eating lunch with Libby right now, so—”
“I’m glad I caught you both then,” he said, smoothly. “I need you to come into the office today. There is something that we need to talk about.”
Suspicion filled me as chill bumps raced across my skin. Nothing ever good came from my Dad wanting to see me at his office. “About what?”