AFRICAN AMERICAN ROMANCE: A Thug to Remember (Hood Alpha Male Pregnancy Romance) (African American Urban Contemporary Short Stories)

by Lady Keisha

  Through streams of tears she managed to prepare all the vegetables. She was just taking out a large pot when Betty returned. Betty saw her tear stained cheeks, and immediately asked if she was OK.

  “I’m just missing my family,” she replied. “Have you heard anything about Eli?”

  “No. Your family is still in London?” Betty asked while taking the pot from her hands.

  “No Betty, they all died in an accident. I’m the only one that survived. Seeing Eli on that bed made me think about my own brother. I just felt so helpless in that room.”

  Betty’s eyes welled with tears, but she kept her composure. “I’m so sorry Miss Abigail, I didn’t know. It must have been terrible!”

  “Thank you Betty. It still hurts, and seeing Eli lying there was just too much to bear.”

  Betty squeezed her shoulder. “I understand, child. Why don’t you go upstairs and let me finish up here. I’ll call you for dinner.”

  Betty carried a board of vegetables to Betty. “I don’t think either of us should be alone right now. Please let me help you with supper.”

  Betty gave her a smile. “Very well. Please pass me those and then you and me can whip up a nice pudding to go with dinner.”

  They both laughed and cried through the evening. It was after nine when the men returned from the hospital. Clayton and Simon said good bye to the doctor at his car and he left. They were both exhausted as they fell into chairs around the kitchen table.

  When Simon saw Betty he said, “Eli is OK. He’s going to stay at the hospital for a couple of days, but he is fine.”

  Betty was visibly relieved. She started getting plates out for dinner. “Why don’t you guys wash up? Miss Abigail and I’ll bring the food to the dining room.”

  Clayton and Simon gave each other a look of surprise.

  Abigail was too tired to carry the food through. “Wait,” she said as the men got up. “Wash your hands in that sink. We can all eat right here. No reason to go to the dining room.”

  “Miss Abigail, that’s not proper,” said Betty. “Guests don’t eat in the kitchen!”

  “I know that this is only my second day here Betty, but even you should realize by now that I’m not a guest.”

  Betty was taken aback, but she knew that she could not keep up fighting the inevitable. “Yes, Miss Abigail. You’re right. Now you two listen to her and wash your hands. Food must be all dried up by now.”

  Dinner was a loud affair with all of them telling each other about their day. They all laughed when Betty imitated Abigail’s scream as they took off in the microlight that morning.

  That night Abigail fell into an exhausted sleep. She remembered to set the alarm clock, but forgot to phone Sally. Her last thought before falling asleep was filled with a pair of piercing blue eyes, and a strong chest, and a smooth Texan accent…

  Abigail groaned as the alarm went off. Her body was sore in places that she did not know existed. She dragged herself out of bed and into a hot bath. As she stepped out there was a soft knock on her door. She wrapped herself in a bathrobe and opened the door. Betty was standing there with a tray.

  “I did not mean to wake you Miss Abigail, but I thought you might enjoy some tea. Simon and I will be leaving soon to go to the hospital and I never got a chance to thank you for everything you did yesterday.”

  Abigail took the tray and placed it on a side table. She saw two cups and invited Betty to stay with her.

  On the tray was a plate with fresh scones and a bowl with whipped cream. “Scones!” she exclaimed. Betty smiled at her. “I had to look up a recipe for those, now. Don’t go judging me too harshly.”

  Betty was pouring tea while Abigail filled two plates with the still-warm scones. They ate in silence but Abigail felt no tension between them. Betty finished her tea and got up. “Thank you very much Betty. I really appreciate the effort. Please give Eli a big hug from me and Clayton.”

  “I will, Miss Abigail. Thank you.”

  The door closed softly and Abigail dressed in a hurry. She took the stairs two at a time and was greeted by an empty and silent house. She checked the kitchen, dining room, patio and deck; and at the same time explored a couple of rooms she had not seen yet. It was after six when she found her way to the pool for a second time. Clayton was sitting at the small table still in a robe, squeezing oranges into a cup for their juice.

  “My-oh-my,” said Abigail, “did you oversleep?”

  “No,” he replied “it is Sunday and there is no work on the ranch except in an emergency.”

  Abigail realized that she lost track of the days. He offered her a glass of orange juice and poured one for himself. He gulped it down, got up and threw off his robe. In a tight pair of blue shorts he dove into the pool and swam two lengths before resting on the steps in the shallow end. “Jump in Abigail! The water is nice.”

  Abigail removed her shoes and rolled up her jeans. She sat on the edge of the pool with just her feet in the water. To her surprise the water was warm. “I didn’t pack a bikini, Clayton, I really didn’t know you had a pool.”

  He took her hand and before she was ready for it he pulled her into the water. She gave a small yelp, but giggled as he dragged her to deeper water. They both laughed as she struggled to swim in jeans. She made it back to the shallow end and asked, “Are you sure we are alone?”

  Her wet blouse clung to her body and Clayton stared in wonder at her curves. “Um, yes, we are alone.”

  Abigail wiggled out of her jeans and threw them onto the paving. “That is much better,” she said as she returned to the deep end. She reached him and he brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek. “Please don’t be offended for me saying this, but you’re truly beautiful, Abigail.”

  She looked at him blushing. “Thank you Clayton, I have not heard those words in many years.”

  She pushed away from the side, leaving him stranded. She got out of the pool and said, “You’re not bad either. Come get out so that I can make you something to eat.”

  Clayton fired up the grill and in short order they had breakfast ready. Both of them were dry by the time they finished eating. “So what do you do on the ranch on a Sunday?”

  Clayton shrugged. “Not much really. I normally have breakfast, a swim and then I just relax around the pool all day. Betty comes in early just to check that everything is OK then she spends the day with her family.”

  “I need a day of rest after that horse ride yesterday. My whole body is sore. I’m just going to run upstairs to get a pair of shorts. I’ll be back in a moment.”

  He watched her walk away and admired her lithe body. She returned armed with sunscreen. She opened her blouse and tied the front ends into a knot. He stared at her applying the sunscreen to her legs and feet. She removed the blouse and asked him to get her back.

  He stood behind her and with a trembling hand started rubbing sunscreen over her back. Her flesh was both warm and soft. She leaned into his hands, enjoying the impromptu massage.

  “I have a better idea,” she said. She removed her bra and settled on a towel on the lawn. He moved closer and started massaging the sunscreen into her back and neck. She moaned softly as his big hands worked her aching muscles. After a few minutes Abigail felt sleepy, so she got up before she could slip away and quickly grabbed the bottle from him.

  “Your turn,” she said, and squirted a blob in sunscreen into her hand.

  He lay down on the towel she just vacated. She started with his back and neck. She took her time as she worked down his torso to his legs. Just as she started working on his thighs, he jumped up and kept his back on her as he jumped into the pool.

  “What now?” she asked.

  “Please don’t laugh at me Abigail.” He blushed. “No one has touched me in years, and I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of you.”

  Abigail had never been self-conscious. She got into the water without her bra and swam up to him. “Are you still a virgin?”

  “No!” he laughed. �
��But I may as well be. It’s been six years since I’ve been with a girl.”

  “So you’re gay?”

  “Hell no! Not at all...” He awkwardly reached for her hand. “Look at where I live Abigail. I can’t just go out and party and meet women. I have been born on this farm and I worked here since I was four. I was home schooled until I was ready for college. I went to college in Dallas. There I met Jason, our mutual acquaintance, and Lisa.”

  “Lisa?”

  “Lisa was my first and last girlfriend. She was from Amsterdam and we shared a few classes. She was very sexual and very patient with me. We were together for almost two years. We graduated at the same time, but she left to go back to Europe. I came back to the ranch. That was six years ago.”

  Abigail touched his hand. “It has been years for me too, Clayton. I just could not get back into the whole dating thing after the accident…”

  They both fell silent for a while. It was Abigail that broke the quiet. “We are to be married, Clayton. I know it is just a business transaction, but we are going to make the best of the next two years, are we not?”

  “What do you mean, Abigail?”

  “Show me your room, and let me show you.”

  He scooped her up and carried her out of the pool. They left a wet trail all the way up the stairs that ended in front of his room. He gently placed her on his bed and she pulled him closer. She kissed him and he returned the kiss. His strong arms enveloped her and she could feel his excitement press against her leg.

  He was big and heavy and she felt a bit claustrophobic. She gently pushed him away and got out from under him. They both got up and removed their last bits of clothing. He blushed when she looked down at his erection.

  She pushed him back onto the bed and straddled him. She took his hands and placed them on her breasts. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and felt him pulse against her. She took his wrists into her hands and pushed his arms all the way back onto the bed. As she leaned forward, she brushed herself against the entire length of his erection. She lined up the tip of his cock with her wet entrance and slowly sat back, taking all of him into herself in one long, slow movement. He filled her up, and the tremor he caused forced a little sigh from her lips.

  He did not move. His face was a study of concentration. “You OK?” she asked.

  “Yes,” his tight-lipped reply, “but I don’t think I’ll last very long.”

  He closed his eyes when she leaned forward again to kiss him. He returned the kiss and she could feel his orgasm building. The way he moved in her, the way his rhythm stuttered and became uneven. Abigail felt a bit disappointed. She wasn’t there yet. Still, this was their first time and she didn’t want her future husband to be disappointed in her. So she lifted away from him, resigning herself to another night when she would go unfulfilled, but he pulled her close.

  “Please don’t stop. Not now, please.”

  Luxuriating in his words, surprised by the care he took with her pleasure, she kissed him again and was rewarded by how he moved under her. She lifted herself up slightly to make room for him to thrust into her.

  Their rhythm synced, and suddenly he was more sure of himself, more confident in his thrusts. She realized he hadn’t been close so much as he’d been uncertain. He was like a man riding a horse for the first time in years, afraid he might hurt his mount.

  Licking her lips, getting the image of him riding in her saddle stuck in her mind, she moaned and promised herself to make him fuck her in his boots in hat. Next time, maybe.

  She quickly matched his thrusts and slammed herself against his body every time he moved his hips up. She leaned forward to kiss him again and arched her back as she did so that she could take all of him into her. He placed both hands on her breasts. Her breathing increased as his one hand moved down her torso and over her abs because she wanted him to touch her there in the worst way, oh please, oh please, oh please!

  Maybe he was psychic. He used a bent finger against her clitoris and that was all it took for her. Time stood still as her orgasm bloomed. Her whole body was on fire. She lost control and screamed against his mouth and let the waves of their passion roil through her over and over. At the same moment, she felt the pulsing of his release into her.

  It had been simple, straightforward sex. Not the best she’d ever had, but she definitely would never kick him out of bed.

  She collapsed onto his chest as she felt him shudder again. Then it was just the two of them in the big bedroom, panting, basking in the glow of what they had given each other.

  It took them a long time to float back to reality. He stroked her hair and whispered, “Want to go again?”

  “Hold your horses cowboy!” she laughed. With her fingertips, she tickled his sack and made him twitch. “That’s a good boy. Now. Let a girl freshen up. Um. Where’s your loo?”

  He pointed to the door leading to the master bathroom and she ducked in to wash sweat from her face and clean away the sticky sweetness of her own sex.

  When she came back, he was fast asleep. It made her smile. Men. Always wanted more than they could handle. She climbed onto the bed next to him and placed her head on his chest. His soft breathing gently rocked her to sleep.

  It was late evening when Simon came to the house. He found them in the kitchen eating a dinner. “Sorry for the intrusion,” he said. “I just came by to tell you that Eli is doing well. They operated on his leg, and he will be out of hospital in time for the wedding!”

  Abigail got up and gave him a hug. “That’s great news Simon. Thanks for letting us know.”

  Simon bid then a good night and left the kitchen.

  The next two weeks flew by in a blur. Abigail’s days were filled from dawn to late at night. Their love making brought them close to each other and they indulged at every opportunity. It was a complete surprise to Abigail when she started falling in love with Clayton. She learned about him in a thousand small ways laying in his arms and listening to his soothing drawl.

  One afternoon she asked him about his parents, and the way he changed the subject made her realize that she might never know. She also realized that the never asked her about her parents, or the accident. For the first time in years a whole day would pass without her thinking about it. It made her incredibly happy and sad at the same time.

  Her e-mails to Sally got longer and longer as she shared her life and emotions with her best friend.

  The wedding day arrived and Betty was like a field general organizing her troops. A giant marquee dominated the garden and the barbeque fires were lit before the sun came up. Large trays filled with homemade sausage and steaks stood in neat rows on the kitchen table. Betty removed another tray of Kolaches from the oven and set it aside to cool as Abigail finished her tea.

  “Get upstairs and into a bath, miss Abigail. I’ll be there shortly to come and help you.”

  Abigail got up and left the kitchen. She passed her room and went into Clayton’s. He was dressed and in the process of putting on his boots. “Good morning, Abigail!”

  She sat next to him and gave him a big hug. She looked up into his blue eyes and said, “Clayton, I think I have changed my mind.”

  He went ice-cold and she felt his body stiffen as he stopped breathing. She sensed his alarm and with a playful shove pushed away from him. “Relax, Clayton. We are still getting married!” she laughed.

  He started breathing again. Relief washed over his face.

  “What I meant to say is that I’m falling in love with this place and I don’t know if I want to go back to London.”

  Clayton looked like a deer caught in a car’s headlights. “And me?” he asked. “Are you falling in love with me?”

  She hugged him again. “You are this place Clayton. I feel you in every tree, bush and sand grain on this ranch.”

  He reached over to the nightstand and pulled the drawer open. When he found what he was looking for he pulled it out and knelt before her.

  He presented her with a be
autiful but simple diamond ring. “In that case Abigail, will you marry me? For real and forever?”

  She slipped the ring onto her finger. It was too big, but she did not care. “Mrs. Clayton Wright” she said with a smile “I like that, because I finally found ‘Mister Right’.”

  Epilogue

  At ten o’clock there was a knock on Abigail’s door. She was dressed and almost ready to go. Betty was fixing a last stray lock of her hair with a pin.

  “Come in,” Abigail said. Simon was standing there with the same faded suit he wore on the day they met.

  “Simon! Come in, please. What are you doing here?”

  “Sorry for the intrusion, Miss Abigail, but I was just thinking that you don’t have to walk down the aisle alone. If you will have me, I would be honored to walk you to Clayton’s side.”

  Abigail hugged him tightly. “Oh, Simon, yes! But you’re wrong. It’s me who will be honored. I cannot think of anyone I would rather have but you!”

  Betty beamed at Simon with tears rolling down her cheek.

  Abigail took Betty’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Ma Betty, you better get downstairs before the bride runs you over!”

  The name did not escape Betty’s attention and she burst out in tears again as she hugged Abigail tightly. “Welcome home my child, welcome home!”

  Simon presented his arm to her after Betty left. She took it and as they made their way downstairs, Abigail felt how she was literally walking into a new life. She felt so happy. Nothing would ever be wrong again. Not here, on the ranch.

  THE END

  Taken by the Cage Fighter

  Chapter one

  “You can’t be serious, Sky. That’s predominately a man’s world and you should not be interfering in such a dangerous sport. I know that you have a mind of your own, but sometimes your stubbornness can get you into trouble. What makes you think anybody’s going to take you seriously, as a promoter and a gym owner? Don’t get me wrong, I think that breaking those glass ceilings is a good thing. I just don’t know if it’s right to gamble with your life savings.”