by Rye Hart
“Being naughty,” she whispered and reached for a door in front of her. “These are quiet reading rooms. You can only occupy them for twenty minutes, but I think that’s long enough.” She opened the door and turned, moving to her knees and motioning for me to join her.
“Are you serious right now?” I glanced around and moved into the small room with windows on both sides. There was no one on either side of us, but there could be any minute. “Let’s just got back to my place and spend the night together.”
“We can do that too.” She reached up and unbuttoned my jeans, her fingers so soft, her eyes wide with wonderment. “I want to work on this thing between you and me.”
“You know I’m not good with relationship.” I reached down and brushed my fingers by the side of her face. “I can’t make any promises.”
“Do you care about me?” She tugged my boxers over my hips, freeing my cock as it stood proudly at attention.
“I’m falling in love with you.” I cupped the side of her face as she moved up and brushed her cheek down my length, stealing my breath.
“Me too. Then stop thinking about it, and let’s just see what happens.” She swirled her tongue around the head of my cock, sucking softly. “Tell me if I do this wrong.” Her pretty cheeks colored pink.
“Just don’t talk with your mouth full.” I laughed as she swatted at me and moved up to take me into her mouth. My humor turned into moans, grunts, and whimpers as I lost my load to the only woman whose body I’d be guarding.
My woman.
EPILOGUE - ABIGAIL
One Year Later
I couldn’t help but pace the floor as I waited for Harley to return. He’d been gone a month on his latest job, and not having him in my life or my bed was driving me crazy. We’d been through some ups and some serious downs, but he’d been true to his word. He was trying to make us work; there was just a lot of work there to do.
He was in counseling a couple of times a month to help with his nightmares about being in the war, and I was more than happy to sit for hours to listen to him talk through some of the events and feelings. He wasn’t nearly as opened up as I wanted him to be, but I figured that would change, and soon.
After checking my watch for the millionth time, I walked into the kitchen of our high-rise New York apartment and pulled out the stuff to make a salad. I had a chicken and veggie in the oven and hoped he would be hungry, as I’d cooked enough for three people.
A smirk touched my lips at the thought. Poor Janice had the horrible task of teaching me to cook, which was like trying to teach a frog to fly. It just didn’t work too well.
I yelped as the sound of someone coming through the front door filled up the space around me.
“Baby? I’m home. You here?” The sound of him breathing in deeply followed by him growling left my stomach in knots, my heart racing.
Would he be upset with my news? I brushed the front of my dress nervously and walked around the corner to greet him. “I’m right here. I’ve missed you.”
His jeans hugged his hips tightly, and his black t-shirt left little to the imagination on how well he took care of his body. Our fight before he left a month ago was more than forgotten as I walked across the room and crashed into him.
Strong fingers sunk into my hair, winding around the strands and pulling tightly as he kissed me with a fierceness I could only conjure up in my dreams.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he licked my lips and ran his free hand down my back to cup my ass. “I think I need to find a local gig. This traveling away from you isn’t going to work the way I thought it would.”
“Life’s too short to spend it apart.” I ran my fingers down the back of his hair and molded myself against his body, kissing him a few more times until the room grew faint.
“You keep licking at my mouth, and we’re not eating whatever’s making that heavenly smell.”
“What are we eating then?” I purred and licked at his mouth again.
He chuckled low in his chest and moved out of my arms, putting his bag down by the TV. “How about we spend the evening eating each other, and then I’ll fuck you real good from behind like you like?”
My body hummed with energy. One of the best parts about moving in together had been the ability to constantly explore each other – any time we wanted to.
“I like it.” I bit my lip as he winked and walked toward the bedroom. “Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, and I have some big news.”
“Me too. I’ll be out in just a minute,” his voice was muffled as he closed the bedroom door.
The ache between my legs was equal to the stiffness of my nipples. I wanted him all over me, but first… I needed to tell him my news. He’s been so good with me every time something new had come up over the last year, especially regarding my parents.
My Dad was still dead set against Harley and me being together, but my Mom had accepted the idea when we moved in together.
It was a different life, a different world.
Needing to grow up and remind my Dad that I was grown, I rejected his firm’s offer upon graduation from Harvard a few months before and decided to work at a competing firm. It was nothing against my Dad, but rather the need to start making a life of my own.
“Where you at?” Harley’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“In here.” I reached for the knife and finished dicing up various items for a salad.
“Smells so good.” He moved up behind me, sliding his strong hands up my side and cupping my breasts as he ground against me. “Feel that? I can’t even walk into a damn room with you and not get a hard-on. You’re going to be the death of me.”
I rolled my hips a little and laughed. “You probably say that to all the girls you guard.”
He chuckled and moved around me, grabbing a carrot. “Only boy bodies for me now, and to be honest, this last guy was a total asshat. How someone can act like they own the world and still have fans is a mystery to me.”
“Want a beer?” I walked to the fridge and got two out.
“I need a beer.” He lifted his hands, and I turned and tossed one to him.
“He was that bad, hmmm?”
“Yep. There’s only one person I’ve had to work with before that was worse. The girl just wouldn’t relent. Throwing her panties at me, pretending to want to learn self-defense so she could grind against my cock.” He shook his head and lifted the beer to his perfect lips as his eyes filled with merriment. “It was a little embarrassing.”
“Someone I know?” I took a sip of my water bottle I had by the stove and put it down, moving over to him and sliding my hands up his strong chest. “Anyone hitting on my man should be put down.”
“Like a sick animal at the vet?” He lifted his eyebrow.
“Yep. And it should be painful.” I molded myself to the front of him.
“Ouch!” He laughed and cupped my ass, rocking against me. “You’re so jealous all of a sudden. Can I tell you that I like it?”
“You can tell me anything.” I pulled him down for a long kiss, sucking on his tongue softly as our sweet moment quickly morphed into both of us panting, needy for more. “Dinner can wait.”
“No.” He nipped at my lips and moved back. “I need to tell you something. Big stuff. Come out to the patio with me. After that, we can eat and make love or make love and eat. Totally up to you.”
“Really?” I whined playfully as he pulled out of my arms and walked to the patio door. “Just tell me here. It’s getting cold out there.”
“Get out here before I spank your fine ass.” He opened the door and gave me a smile that melted my heart. He was a different man than the one I met and fell in love with, but love had the power to melt even the hardest of hearts.
“I might actually enjoy that.” I walked out on the patio and yelped as he popped my rear. “Hey! I was kidding.”
“Don’t tease me with the ass. That’ll never work in your favor.” He closed the door. “You wanna go
first, or you want me to go first?”
I let my eyes move across the sunset, the view stunning. “I’ll go first, but give me two seconds. I need to grab something.”
He growled playfully as I moved past him and walked into the house, making my way to the bedroom. Was there any good way to tell him something this big? I didn’t think so. Maybe just being honest and getting it out there was the best answer.
I walked back toward him, forcing myself to put one foot in front of the other. What if he wasn’t happy with my news? I’d never heard him talk about a future filled with love or laughter or little feet.
“You okay?” He reached for me the minute I walked back to the patio, his expression filled with concern.
“Yeah. I think so.” I wrapped one arm around him and lifted my chin, wanting to watch his reaction closely. “I know we didn’t plan for this, but there’s going to be three of us around here pretty soon.”
“You got us a dog?” His eyebrow lifted.
I lifted the pregnancy test pinched between my fingers. “No, a baby, but maybe we can turn it in for a dog instead?”
He laughed and pulled me into a warm hug, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine.
I melted against him, letting my fears and worries go. We’d been through a million things together over the last year. My Dad’s disappointment. His Mom’s chemo and radiation. Moving in together and making a deep commitment to love each other forever. A baby was just part of that love now.
“I’m thrilled, baby.” He moved back and took a shaky breath. “I want four kids, by the way. Seems like now’s a good time to let that cat outta the bag.”
“Really?” I chuckled.
“Yeah. Absolutely.” He touched the side of my face as his expression softened. “I want to be the father to your children and you the mother to mine.”
“You will be.” I pressed my hand over his as my heart thumped in my chest. “You know that I love you.”
“I know. I want to seal it for all time, though.” He moved down to his knee as my heart almost stopped in my chest. He lifted a small black box, popping it open. “Be my wife. Let’s build a house together in the country like you wanted, a family, a life. Marry me.”
Tears blurred my vision, but I nodded and reached down, plucking the diamond ring from the box and laughing. “Yes. Of course, I’ll marry you. I love you so much.”
He stood and put the ring on my finger. “I don’t care what happens, baby. As long as I have you, I have everything.”
“I love you,” I whispered before his lips pressed to mine, sealing the deal and locking me to him for the rest of my life. There’s nowhere I would have rather been.
The End
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Historical Mail Order Bride Romance Collection
Highlander’s Curse
Chapter One
Eva looked at herself in the full length mirror. She liked how her jeans hugged her full hips.
"Eva, can you pretty please play a game with us!" pleaded six-year-old Jamie, her youngest cousin. He always enjoyed play time with his cousin and he rarely took no for an answer.
"Not tonight, I have a big project for work that my boss needs tomorrow," Eva tried to explain. She was already stressed to the max with all the recent demands being placed on her. It wasn't easy trying to get noticed at a big publishing firm when she spent most of her time running menial errands, and Eva was starting to feel like a small fish in a very big sea. Eva didn't like the idea of admitting that maybe her job just wasn't working out, but at the moment, her financial prospects were the biggest incentive for getting her butt out of bed every morning.
"Pleeeeeeease," chimed in Maggie, Jamie's older sister by two years. The little girl furrowed her brow and wrinkled her nose as if she was about to cry.
Jamie took a look at Maggie's devastated expression and quickly followed suit with his own take on the puppy-dog look.
Eva chuckled before throwing her hands up in the air in an expression of surrender. "You guys are good, you know that?" she teased.
"Hurray!" Both Maggie and Jamie jumped up in excitement.
Eva quickly closed the book she had been working on and brushed a thick tendril of black hair behind her ear before turning her full attention back toward her little cousins. "So what game did you have in mind?" she asked them.
"I want to play hide-n-seek," demanded the impulsive Maggie.
"No!" cried Jamie. "Manhunt, I want to play manhunt," he said with a decisiveness that was uncanny for a six-year-old.
Eva couldn't help but laugh at their exchange. She had been more like a big sister to her little cousins ever since her Aunt Marie and Uncle Mark had graciously taken her in when she was struggling to make ends meet. She adored little Jamie and Maggie, but she had already begun to suspect that they were more than a little spoiled.
"How about we play both?" she offered in an attempt to placate the two. "Which one do you want to —" she began.
"Manhunt!" Jamie interrupted enthusiastically. He turned to look at his sister; a disapproving scowl was already forming on Maggie's face. "Please," he added to both his sister and his cousin.
"Oh okay," Maggie gave in. It didn't take much for her to indulge her baby brother.
"Yippy!" cried Jamie. "You are it!" he tagged Eva abruptly with his hand before he turned on his heel and darted down the hall and out of the room.
Maggie gave an impatient sigh and a rather precocious eye-roll, before she too took off after her little brother.
Eva was left alone in the room before she had time to fully process what she had just gotten herself into.
She waited a few moments, allowing the children time to disperse off in the large house before she made her way down the dark hallway. She didn't have a lot of energy after a grueling day at work to run after them, but she didn't think she would have much trouble catching a six and eight-year-old. However, they were a lot more familiar with the old Tudor-style house than she was, as she had only been living there for a few months, which gave the children a decisive advantage in their attempts to evade being tagged "It."
As Eva began moving throughout the rooms in search of her cousins, she couldn't help but feel a little unsettled by the eerie quietness that descended upon the house; it was almost too quiet. She thought for sure she would hear the sound of the children running down the hallways, or giggling and giving themselves away. Instead, the only sound came from her own beating heart as it echoed loudly in her ears.
"Jamie? Maggie?" she called out, hoping that they might throw her a bone and respond. "Can I get a hint?" she asked. Whenever she was alone, she sometimes had the feeling that she was being watched. Although she knew that her young cousins and aunt and uncle were somewhere on the property, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Eva wasn't necessarily a superstitious person, but this house had the ability to creep her out and make her doubt that she was seeing the world with crystal clarity.
Eva's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud crash coming from a room upstairs. "Gotcha," she muttered under her breath. The distraction was welcomed, as it momentarily diverted her attention from the strange direction her thoughts had shifted.
She headed toward the stairs and made her way up as quickly as she could. When she reached the top, she found herself facing several different doors. She wasn't sure which one the crashing sound came out of. She moved toward the first, but before she turned the handle, she heard what sounded like a guttural moan emit from behind the door.
Eva paused, unsure if she should proceed. The sound was definitely not something that the children would be capable of making. Likewise her aunt and uncle were in the study on the main floor, which was quite far from where she was.
Eva wra
cked her mind for the obvious explanation for the noise, but came up empty. Eva knew that she should march downstairs, find her aunt and uncle and have them aid her in the investigation, but she didn't want to make a big fuss over nothing.
Eva shook her head in an attempt to clear her racing thoughts. "Get a hold of yourself," she muttered quietly. She hated that she was a timid person who often balked when faced with difficult prospects. It was why she was stuck in a job that she was too frightened to leave, why she was too scared to leave Brighton and finally make the move to London, and why she was still tragically single at twenty five.
Confident wasn't often a word used to describe Eva, but that didn't mean she didn't mean she didn't try to be. Eva, don't you dare run downstairs to get help! You are a grown woman and whatever you heard was just your imagination, she silently gave herself the feeblest pep talk. You have nothing to fear, she added for good measure.
Nothing to fear, she repeated in an attempt to drill the sentence into her head and hopefully infuse a bit of steel into her backbone.
With a determination that she hadn't thought she was capable of, Eva shakily opened the door and stepped inside, ready to face what lay within.
Chapter Two
A desperate cry pierced the air around Eva and reverberated in her own head. It only took her a sickening second to realize that the scream was coming from her own lips.
She screamed as the sensation of falling overwhelmed her. Darkness consumed what little light had remained around her body as she felt herself torn away from the door handle. She reached out to grab onto something to stop her fall, but she desperately found herself clawing at the air.
Eva stopped screaming the moment her body hit a pool of frigid water. The shock of the impact forced the air out of her lungs, and when she instinctively tried to draw a breath, her lungs filled with the cold liquid.