Ooh. Fries.
I needed to get some.
Before heading back to the bar, I slipped into the bathroom and untied the short apron around my waist and set it on the bathroom counter. After I did my business (side note: pregnant women have to pee like every five seconds), I washed my hands and glanced in the mirror at myself.
I felt better than I had in weeks. Well rested, my energy was back, and my skin was glowing. Maybe it was all the bananas I’d been eating.
Maybe it was Tarek.
Tarek, who I left out at the bar with Matt. I hadn’t thought about the fact that he’d made his dislike of Matt very clear last night. I also hadn’t thought about the fact that he’d wiped Matt’s memory so Matt still thought I was avoiding him after our kiss.
Who knew what Matt might say to Tarek and what Tarek might do if he didn’t like it. Tarek seemed like a reasonable man, but there were times his cold, emotionless persona made me think he could do some damage if really pushed to the limit.
I had no idea what that limit was, but considering he was experiencing jealousy for the first time, I needed to get back out there.
After retying my apron around my ever-growing tummy, I stepped back out into the bar, my eyes going directly to the bar. Matt was at the other end, making drinks, and Tarek was still in the same spot I’d left him.
Except he wasn’t alone. There was a skinny blonde with big boobs standing right beside him.
I marched right up to the end of the bar and plastered a fake smile to my face. “Can I help you?” I asked her.
What I really wanted to say was get the hell away from him you extension-wearing, fake eyelash, no good dirty ho.
See the self-restraint I showed there?
I should get an award.
Like French fries.
Blondie flicked a glance in my direction. “No.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I pulled a beer out of the cooler below me and snapped it down in front of her. “Here. On the house. Buh-bye.”
She turned to me with a nasty expression on her face. “I don’t drink beer. Besides, handsome here was about to buy me a drink.”
I went from pissy to murderous in about five point two seconds. Just as I was about to unleash all the hormones of a French fry hungry pregnant woman, Tarek spoke up.
“I suggest you take the free beer and go,” he said, his accent making his words sound pretty. “Because it’s the nicest offer you’re going to get tonight. I’m not interested.”
He dismissed her without another glance, effectively turning all his attention away from her and bestowing it onto me.
Score for him.
Matt set some drinks in front of me. “Order up.”
I smiled at him. If my smile was a little brighter than usual, it was because Tarek just totally made my night. Unfortunately, Matt seemed to think it was because of him.
“Did I tell you you look great tonight?” he said, leaning in close. I could feel his breath against my ear.
“Thanks,” I said, trying to shift away.
He grabbed onto my upper arm. “Hey, how about we talk tonight? After work?”
I glanced at Tarek. A dark look was hanging over his features.
“I can’t.”
“I know you’re avoiding me, Soph,” Matt said. It was like a replay of the last conversation we had. The one Tarek took from him.
I started to make an excuse, but Tarek spoke first. “Let go of her arm.”
Matt glanced up. I felt stubborn male pride rear its ugly head. “Do you mind? Me and my girl here are having a conversation.”
Oh shit.
Tarek’s eyes flashed neon purple. “She is not yours,” he growled. As if to punctuate the words, several bottles of liquor on the glass shelves behind the bar shattered with loud popping sounds.
Several women screeched in surprise, and I jerked. Matt shouted and shoved me away from the flying glass and alcohol. I stumbled, my shoulder catching the corner of the bar as I fell forward, toward the floor.
Tarek caught me, lifting me away from the floor and darting back the little hallway to get away from the chaos.
“Was that you?” I demanded in a harsh whisper when he stopped beside the large silver walk-in cooler door.
“He touched you.”
“We’re friends, Tarek.”
“No.”
“Umm, yes,” I said, knowing I should make him put me down, but damn, the feel of him and his leather jacket was really nice. “I’m allowed to have friends. And if you hadn’t taken away his memory,” I whispered, “I could have just told Matt you were the baby’s father and this wouldn’t have happened.”
He pursed his cupid-shaped lips and I forgot I was supposed to be irritated with him. I reached up and fingered the hair swept upward away from his face and said, “I really like your new look.”
“I saw it in a magazine,” he answered.
Matt came around the corner. “Shit, Sophie, are you okay?” He stopped when he saw I was in Tarek’s arms. A confused and hurt look flashed across his face. It made my stomach hurt.
“Put me down,” I told him, patting him on the arm. He set me on my feet but stayed firmly at my side.
Matt disregarded him and came forward, his eyes studying me. “Are you cut?” he asked. “I think one of the bulbs above the liquor got too hot and exploded, and it cause a few bottles to shatter.”
Or maybe a pissed-off alien did it with his mind.
I think I’d just let Matt believe his theory.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Matt looked at Tarek again, then at me questioningly.
“We should talk,” I told him.
He nodded, looking a little relieved. It made me feel bad for having to tell him I was with Tarek. I paused in thought.
Was I with Tarek?
I had no idea. I was just as confused as Matt.
“After work?”
I nodded ignoring the angry glares I was getting from Tarek.
“Cool,” Matt said. “Hey, don’t come behind the bar until I get the glass cleaned up. I don’t want you to cut yourself.”
“Okay, yeah.”
Matt walked off without another glance at Tarek.
“He shouldn’t concern himself with your safety.”
“You’re not the only person who cares about me, you know,” I said, irritated. Then I paused, feeling totally awkward. I spun toward him. “I mean, I don’t know if you care about me.”
Maybe he just wanted to own me. Maybe I was just his possession until his baby was born and he could take him.
“Soph, burger’s up!” One of the cook’s in the back yelled down the hall.
“Coming,” I called over my shoulder, incredibly thankful for a reason to get the hell out of this conversation. “I have to work,” I said and then hurried back into the kitchen.
I left quickly, not even glancing at Tarek before I ran off. Yes, he and I were tangled together, and yes, he literally made my head spin with passion and turned me on in ways I never knew possible, but beyond that, I really didn’t know anything about him.
He literally came for me in the middle of the night, took me up into his hovercraft, and impregnated me with his baby. I thought I was done freaking out about this. I mean, the entire first month after it happened, I pretty much walked around as a spaced-out mess.
Apparently, the panic was coming back because as I stood in the kitchen, it became increasingly harder to breathe.
“Sophie?” Jess, one of the other waitresses, called my name. Her voice sounded a million miles away.
The face of Josh, one of the cooks behind the line, swam into my blurred vision. He was frowning. “What’s the matter?” he said, his lips spelling out the words even though I couldn’t hear them.
I swayed. Jess grabbed me so I wouldn’t fall.
The next thing I knew, I was being carried out onto the empty, dark deck. Cool air brought a little clarity back to my fuzzy mind, yet I still struggled. I
still felt lightheaded and on the verge of passing out.
I felt something warm and familiar cover my mouth. Breath rushed past my lips, and I felt it traveling down my windpipe and swirling into my lungs.
I took a great gulp, sitting up like I was coming out of some weird coma.
“I’ve never met anyone so prone to not breathing than you,” Tarek said. His rhythmic voice floated over my frayed nerves and, damn him, it soothed me.
Just like the oxygen he just gave me.
He was sitting at one of the green tables in a plastic chair. I was cradled in his lap, his body supporting my weight with ease.
I glanced up at him. “I’ve never met anyone who breathed for another person before,” I muttered.
His lips lifted in a smile.
“I need to get back to work.” I tried to get down from his lap.
An arm came around my waist, anchoring me against him. “We need to talk, Sophie,” he whispered against my ear. He made my name sound exotic. I shivered.
“I can’t talk right now.”
“You’re angry with me.”
I didn’t say anything because it was true. I was angry. I was also hurt and confused.
A few moments of silence passed. “I don’t like it.” He admitted. He seemed thoroughly amused by that.
“So me being angry is amusing to you?” I snapped.
“No, but me being so upset by it is.”
“Oh.” Well, what did a girl say to something like that? I sighed. Suddenly, I felt exhausted. It was sort of depressing because I’d been so energetic earlier.
Damn hormones.
“Come on,” he said. “I’ll drive you home.”
I glanced at him. “You have a car?”
“No, but you do.”
“You know how to drive?” I said dubiously.
He sighed. “I drive a hovercraft. The technology on that craft far outweighs that of your Jeep Wrangler.”
“Hey.” I sniffed. “I like my car.”
He chuckled and set me down. “I’ll wait outside.”
“I can’t just leave,” I said. “I’m working.”
“Tell them you’re sick.”
It really wouldn’t be that big of a stretch considering I almost passed out in there. Matt was behind the bar, making some pink martini, and he smiled when I stopped at the counter. His smile faded a bit when I didn’t return it. “I’m not feeling that great. Would it be okay if I went home early?”
I didn’t feel too bad because we weren’t that busy. If it was a weekend night, I never would have left, but the girls here could definitely handle the crowd we had tonight.
“Did you get cut and not tell me?” he asked, stepping closer.
“No, I just don’t feel well.”
“She almost passed out back in the kitchen,” Jess said, coming up behind me.
Matt’s eyes widened. “Yeah, of course.”
I turned to Jess. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
She waved her hand at me. “I got it. Go.”
“Thanks,” I said, meaning it. “Just keep my tips.”
She flashed me a smile. “Thanks!”
I pulled off my apron and flung it on the shelf and picked up my bag.
“What about our plans for later?” Matt said.
“You can come by my house if you want.”
He nodded, looking relieved I hadn’t called the whole thing off. “Yeah, I’ll come by.”
Tarek wasn’t going to like it, but he would just have to deal.
“I’ll see you later, then.”
On my way out the back, I grabbed a stray basket of fries and dumped half a bottle of ketchup on it. I picked up a couple and shoved them into my mouth with a satisfied sigh. One of the line cooks looked at me like I suddenly had a tail.
I shrugged. “Low blood sugar,” I explained, then left, walking down the deck stairs to where my Jeep was already running with the lights on. The top was down. Tarek was sitting confidently behind the wheel.
Little butterflies curled around in my stomach just seeing him sitting there. I climbed up into the passenger seat, slinging my bag on the floor and fastening the seatbelt. He wrinkled his nose at the basket of fries in my lap.
“What is that?”
“Fries,” I said, shoving another huge bite into my mouth.
“That is not healthy for the baby,” he said, taking them away.
I snatched at the basket, only managing to grasp air. “I need them!” I shouted.
“You humans put garbage in your bodies.”
“Give. Me. The. Fries,” I growled.
He produced a banana from God knows where.
“You’ve been leaving these, haven’t you?” I said, glaring daggers at it.
“They are healthy. My son likes them.”
“I want fries.”
“No.”
I gasped. “What did you just say to me?”
He must have realized his grave mistake because he glanced at me warily.
I thought of a hundred really badass things to say.
Then I burst into tears.
The look of alarm on his face didn’t even cover it. He was genuinely horrified by my display of blubbering.
“Sophie,” he said, leaning forward.
“I’m hungry,” I said pitifully.
He sighed dramatically. The fries appeared before me. I sniffled. Then I took them and put one in my mouth.
Heaven.
Tarek shook his head. I ignored him. Before driving away, he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it around me. “If you’re going to eat garbage, at least let me keep you warm.”
I snuggled into the leather, which was insanely warm from his body heat. Just as he was pulling back his hand, I caught it and pressed a kiss to his palm.
His face softened and he smiled.
He drove expertly, of course. Really, was there anything he couldn’t do with ease?
I ate my fries as the wind whipped through my hair and I stared up at the stars in the night sky. Just because he gave me my “garbage” and drove like a professional did not mean I wasn’t still angry with him. My emotions and my hormones were all over the place, and I really needed to know where I stood with Tarek… and with Matt.
He pulled in close to the building and turned off the engine. I was still gazing up at the glittering sky when I softly asked him, “Do you miss it?”
“Miss what?” he answered.
“Home.”
“I used to.” He gazed up at the sky, a feeling of peace washing over his features.
“But not anymore?” I asked, only able to look at him.
He shook his head. “Not anymore.”
“What changed?”
He pulled his gaze from overhead and looked at me intently.
“You.”
the summons
I
nside my apartment, Tarek pinned me against the wall, covering my body with his and kissing me senseless. His lips, oh goodness, his lips were like velvet rubbing over mine. They were full and warm, soft and yielding, yet they claimed me in a way only he’d ever been able to do.
His hands came up and cupped my face, holding it up to give him unbidden access. Longing filled my body as he coaxed even more desire within me.
Our tongues stroked each other, and I made a sound of gratification when he increased the pressure. My crotch began to throb and my panties dampened with moisture. I arched closer to him, pushing my hips outward to meet his. His throbbing cock strained against his jeans, begging for release.
I pulled my mouth away, denying my body what it was screaming for. I was supposed to be mad at him. I was supposed to be getting answers, not confusing myself more by falling into bed with again.
“I’m going to go change,” I said, slipping around him. He didn’t try to stop me, and I was glad because frankly, I was weak when it came to him.
In my bedroom, I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the raging need boiling my blood.
After tossing my work clothes in the nearby hamper, I pulled out a pair of jeans and stared at them wistfully. They were just too tight now. I could probably wear them unbuttoned, but that wasn’t very appealing, and it seemed kind of uncomfortable.
I was going to need to make a visit to my parents this weekend. It was time to tell them because the next time they saw me, they would probably guess anyway. With a sigh, I put back the jeans and reached for a pair of black leggings instead. The stretchy material was much more comfortable. I added a white V-neck T-shirt over top and stepped in front of the mirror. Surprise greeted me because I was totally showing. When did my belly pop out like that?
I thought about the date… I was roughly four months along. Since I was a thin person, I guess it seemed logical that my belly would be noticeable at this stage. I rubbed a hand over the bump and smiled a little.
I was scared. I was shell-shocked. I was confused. But I really did love this baby.
That was a good sign, right?
Because Matt was coming over later, I reached into my closet and pulled out an oversized hoodie and carried it out to the living room with me. I didn’t think answering the door with my baby bump on full display was a good way to start the conversation.
Tarek’s eyes went directly to my stomach the second I stepped into the room. He watched me possessively but also like he too was just realizing just how much I was showing.
“My being here is good for you,” he said, a little bit of surprise in his tone.
I tossed the sweatshirt on the couch and turned to him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’ve been exhausted for weeks. Looking a little sickly and tired. It was one of the reasons I watched you so carefully. I thought perhaps you wouldn’t be able to carry my child.”
Denial swift and strong cut through me. “I can carry him,” I said, putting a hand on my stomach.
The corner of his mouth lifted briefly. “So I see.”
“If you thought I couldn’t carry him, why did you get me pregnant?” I asked suspiciously.
“I told you, our race is unable to procreate. This was pretty much a last effort.”
“So you’ve tried this with other human women before?”
He nodded.
A sick feeling came over me. The thought of any other woman carrying his baby made me ill. I sank on the sofa, trying not to think about it.
Distant Desires: Part Two Page 7