by Ella Jade
With a quick flick of his wrist, she trembled, tightening her hold on the comforter. Her head spun when the sensation of being on the edge turned into a free fall as she spiraled out of control, letting go and giving it all to him. In that moment, she knew everything was now in his control and she wanted it that way. Without removing his fingers, he positioned himself next to her, kissing her deeper, longer than before.
“Look at me,” he said.
She turned her face, staring deeply into his green depths, noting the intensity in them. The tingling throughout her core continued as he leisurely stroked her heat. His hard shaft pressed against her thigh. She wanted more. Not just tonight but she promised herself she wouldn’t make him feel obligated.
“All of you,” she managed to breathe out. “I need you to...”
“I’m going to.” He bit her bottom lip before kissing her again. “I need to get a condom.”
She nodded, knowing he didn’t need one to prevent a pregnancy but they hadn’t known one another that long and never discussed past history. Now didn’t seem like the time for that conversation. He quickly returned to her, naked and ready to become one with her.
“Before we do this,” she said. “It doesn’t have to change anything between us.”
“It’ll change a lot between us.” He moved on top of her. “That’s the way it’s supposed to work.”
“I just meant I don’t want you to think you have to take responsibility for anything.” Why was she talking so much? She had a hot guy on top of her waiting to get inside her. “I’m sorry, I talk when I get nervous.”
“You don’t have to be nervous.” He brushed her knuckles along his lips. “Why don’t you let me take care of you? The rest will sort itself out.”
“I just...” She bit her lip to stop it from quivering when he gazed into her eyes, waiting to pounce. “Okay.”
“Good.” Hitching her leg over his hip, he trailed his fingers along her side, taking her hand in his. “Clear your mind of everything but the two of us.”
“That’s easy when I’m with you.” She caressed her fingers along his jaw. “You make me forget everything.”
“Hmm...” His mouth joined with hers just as he thrust forward. “Justine,” he moaned against her lips.
He took his time, giving her all of him a bit at a time. When she wrapped her other leg around his hip, he began to move in a long, slow, deep rhythm never taking his gaze away from hers.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Is this okay for you and...”
“We’re fine.” She took his gorgeous face between her hands. “Thank you for asking. For being so wonderful.”
He grinned before sitting back, bringing her into his lap.
“Oh.” She leaned back, resting her hands on the bed as he worked her up and down by her waist. “That’s...” The rise in her core was more prominent this time as he took her breast into his mouth, licking and sucking her nipple. “I’ve never felt this before.”
“What do you mean?”
“What you’re doing to me. It’s the most profound experience.”
His thrusts were faster now, making the experience better more fulfilling. She arched her back when he tightened his hold on her, pulling her as close to him as he could. “You’re the amazing one.” He kissed her just as she tumbled into another powerful climax. She held onto him wishing she never had to let go. Would that be possible? Could she stay with him always?
He guided her onto her back, wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned out her name as he released. The veins in his neck pulsated as his muscles tensed. She’d never seen a more perfect man. Hot, in control, and he knew how to please a woman. When he was finished his orgasm, he opened his eyes and shook his head, grinning at her. Settling down next to her, he gently kissed her.
“You are exactly what I needed.” He propped himself on his elbow as she turned to face him. He fondled her arm, drawing small circles inside her wrist. His touches and gestures even when they weren’t being intimate always left her reeling for more. His attention to detail in every aspect of his life, especially when it came to her, made him more appealing each day.
“The feeling is mutual.”
“I’m glad you showed up on my doorstep tonight.” He kissed the top of her shoulder. “I’m sorry I was being weird.”
“You’re entitled to a little oddness.” She cuddled against him, closing her eyes. “I’m sure I’ve turned your whole life upside down.”
“You’re just what my life needed.”
She was more relaxed in that moment than she’d been in a long time. Her eyes fluttered as her breathing slowed. The last thing she remembered was his lips against her forehead.
***
Justine had taken a huge chance by coming here tonight. Given her circumstances she couldn’t blame Gavin if he had turned her away. For a few minutes it looked like he might. She didn’t expect him to stay with her through the pregnancy but she’d hoped they could stay friends. She needed to be with him tonight. She didn’t do things on impulse but with Gavin she wanted to be carefree. Maybe coming here looking for sex wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had but it was the most impulsive thing she’d ever done and it was amazing. She’s never been very adventurous when it came to sex. She was a late bloomer and only had two previous partners. She thought orgasms were a myth. Gavin debunked that. They were real and incredible. The man sleeping beside her was incredible. Because he was so wonderful she wouldn’t make him feel like he had to be with her. It was wrong of her to tell him she needed him.
She had enough going on in her life to make any guy head for the hills. He was young, rich, and didn’t need to be tied down to a pregnant woman with an alcoholic father. Crap! Speaking of her father, she needed to get home. He’d been out when she left and she needed to make sure he was home and safe.
She gently rolled over and kissed his cheek, taking a moment to memorize his gorgeous face. His five o’clock shadow was fuller now but she noted how much softer his jaw looked while he slept. It wasn’t as chiseled. He didn’t look like he carried the weight of the world when his eyes were closed. She wondered what had him so tortured? She recalled the way he’d appeared and acted when they were at Jason’s party. He’d been guarded and careful around his family. What was that about?
He was entitled to his troubles but if he shared them with her she’d do whatever it took to help him. When she looked into his eyes, she saw a future. One that she knew couldn’t exist between them. She should go. She could use her father as an excuse but that wasn’t the whole truth. She quietly sat up and made her way to the edge of the bed. She had to go before she put ideas into her head that had no right to be there.
“Where are you going?” He reached for her arm, as he pulled himself into a seated position, gliding his lips over her shoulder.
She didn’t face him when she spoke. “I have to go.” She regretted saying the words but she couldn’t spend the night with him.
“Not tonight.” He guided her back down, holding her in an embrace and nuzzling the back of her neck. “I need you to stay.”
“I don’t want to leave.” She closed her eyes as he held her close. Had her impulses been selfish? “But I have to. I need to make sure my father is home.”
“You can call him.”
“You don’t understand. Some nights he doesn’t come in until really late. Other times a bartender or a neighborhood friend calls me and I have to go get him.”
“What?”
“He has a drinking problem.”
“I suspected.”
“Last month he was mugged on his way home. He has no recollection of the incident. I had to pick him up at the police station in the middle of the night.” She had hoped after that had happened he would have sobered up but that only lasted a week and then he was right back at it.
“He’s a grown man. It’s not safe for you to be out looking for him in the middle of the night. It isn’t your responsibility to look after him
that way.”
“I’ve always looked after him that way. He’s been drinking for as long as I can remember.”
“I’m sorry.” He stroked her hair. “That must have been tough when you were a kid.”
“It still is,” she whispered, wanting more than anything to stay in Gavin’s arms all night, and forget about everything else. She was secure with him. “He does the same for me. We’re all we’ve got.”
“That’s not true.” He kissed her neck. “You have me. I can take care of you.”
“That’s sweet but that’s not why I wanted to be with you.” She gazed over her shoulder, meeting his comforting stare. “You asked me to redeem you. What did you mean?”
“I was just babbling.” His body tensed against hers. “Ignore me.”
“You seemed sure of what you were trying to say.”
“I don’t have the best track record when it comes to relationships.” He was quiet for a few moments. “I tend to screw things up.”
“I don’t believe that.” She turned to face him. “You’re so kind and gentle.”
“You might bring that side out of me.” He kissed her lips. “I took some time off from dating because I needed to regroup and figure out who I am.”
“Did it work?”
“I thought it was working and then I met you.” He smirked but not his usually cocky grin. This was light and unsure. “Tonight when you came here I was trying to back off because you’re pregnant.”
“I don’t expect anything from you.” At least he was being honest. She couldn’t fault him for not wanting to be tied down with someone else’s responsibility.
“That’s not what I mean.” He stared into her eyes. “I’m not saying I can’t be with you because you’re having a baby. I just don’t know if I’m the right guy to be stepping into that role.”
“I get that it’s complicated. I’m confused most of the time myself when it comes to my future. I don’t expect you to be able to see what’s going to happen next. I don’t need you to step into a role.” She pressed her palm to his cheek, hoping that took the pressure off him. “How about we just take one step at a time? No expectations? I like being with you. We could just see what happens.”
“That’s a good idea.” He trailed his fingers down her back. “I want you to spend the night with me. If you need me to send Dominick to look for your father and make sure he gets home I can do that.”
“Is Dominick on call?”
“Something like that.” This time his smirk was cocky more in line with the Callahan who needed to be in control of the world. “He gets paid really well.”
“I’ll stay with you.” She kissed him, indulging in the warmth of his touch. “I’ll check on my dad in a bit but first I’d like to do something else.”
“Hmm...” He rolled her onto her back, glancing over her naked form. “Does it involve me?”
“I’d say you’re going to play a very big role in what I want to do next.”
“Perfect.” He ran his fingertips over her breasts as he dipped his face into the crook of her neck. “Because I was just getting started.”
“You used a condom.” She shook her head, realizing she had just blurted out that random fact while he was being alluring and desirable. “I mean, that’s good that you did but... this is a bit awkward.”
“I’m not as promiscuous as you might think.”
“I didn’t think that about you but you probably thought it about me.”
“No.” He gently kissed her lips. “After my last relationship, I had a physical and everything was fine. I used a condom because I wouldn’t want you to think I’d do anything irresponsible when it comes to you or your baby.”
Could he be any more perfect? “I’m not promiscuous either. You probably won’t believe this but I used a condom the night I got pregnant. I guess I fall into that little percentage of epic fail.”
“It happens.”
“There you are being polite again.”
“I’m going to follow your lead.” He slipped his hand between her legs, smiling when he became aware of how ready she was for him. “However you want it works for me.”
“If you were just getting started, I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
Chapter Eight
The holidays were finally over and Justine welcomed the slower months ahead. She and Gavin had grown closer in the last few weeks. She’d taken him to meet her family. Aunts, uncles, and cousins galore. Gavin was very gracious when confronted with questions about his intentions and what he had planned to do when the baby was born. Her family meant well but her agreement with Gavin was still in place. They were taking it one day at a time and that seemed to be working. She’d never been happier. When he said he didn’t care that she was carrying another man’s child, she believed him with all of her heart.
On a frigid mid-January evening, Dominick had dropped them at a trendy Manhattan restaurant. They’d taken to spending Friday nights at Gavin’s place, ordering in and snuggling by the fire. On Saturdays, Gavin liked to try a new restaurant. His family was affiliated with so many people and places, they were always a special guest of a chef or an owner.
“You can have a drink if you’d like,” she said after he declined the wine list.
“I’d much rather wait until you’re able to have a glass of wine with me.” He took her hand. “It’ll be more pleasurable that way.”
“I can think of some other pleasurable things we could do while we’re waiting for me to have a drink.” She slipped off her shoe and ran her foot along his calf. “Can you?”
“You can tell me all about it later.” He reached down and grabbed her foot, massaging it with his strong fingers. “Maybe a full body massage is on your list.”
“With those slippery oils?”
“So you can glide all over my body.”
“Can we skip dinner?”
“No.” He let go of her foot. “But we can skip the appetizer and dessert to make it quicker.”
“I am kind of hungry.” She put her shoe back on. “Now that my belly is growing so is my appetite.”
“You don’t look pregnant.” He took her hand again. “You look rather stunning in that dress.”
“You have very good taste.” He’d arranged for a shopping trip over the holidays and insisted she pick out a new wardrobe. “The clothes in my closet might be worth more than my car.”
“Do you want a new car?” He brushed the back of his fingers along her inner arm. “I’ll give you whatever you want.”
“You mean that, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.” He kissed her fingers. “What color do you want?”
“I don’t want a new car.” She needed to change the topic before he bought her one. He’d talk her into it so fast she wouldn't have time to object. “There is something I’ve wanted to talk to you about.” She debated asking him this because it might cross a line. “I have an ultrasound next week.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Just a routine visit.” She could have had one a bit sooner but with the holidays and getting used to the idea of being pregnant she had put it off. She was beginning to feel more stable in her life and she wanted to move forward. “They’ll be able to confirm the due date.”
“Can you find out what you’re having?”
“Not yet but I’m not sure if I want to know. I like surprises.”
“Claudia didn’t find out either.” He let go of her hand and took a sip of his water. “She and Brody wanted to wait.”
“I can’t make up my mind.”
“Whatever you decide I’m sure it will be right for you.”
“I was kind of wondering if you wanted to come to the appointment with me?” She held her breath as she monitored his reaction. Maybe the suggestion violated their whole ‘no expectation for the future’ rule.
“You want me to come to the ultrasound with you?”
“If you wanted, I mean, I know you’re really busy but may
be I could pick a time when your schedule isn’t so crazy.” What am I doing? “Your schedule is always crazy. Never mind.”
“I’d love to come with you.” He smiled. “I’d make time for that.”
“Really?”
“Why wouldn’t I want to go with you?”
“I just didn’t want you to think I was asking too much. I could ask one of my aunts to go with me but...” He said he wanted to go. Why couldn’t she just leave it at that? “I don’t want you to feel obligated.”
“I don’t feel that way, and I hope I haven’t done anything to indicate that I think you’re an obligation?”
“You’ve been wonderful but we’ve been spending so much time together.” And I’m getting attached to you which I know could be dangerous.
“Justine,” a familiar voice said from behind her. Oh no!
Gavin glanced over her shoulder, staring at the man who’d called her name as he approached their table. What is he doing here?
“Carson.” She gripped the napkin in her lap, trying not to let the anger she’d bottled up the last few weeks bubble to the surface. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing considering this isn’t the type of restaurant either of us would frequent.” Carson looked to Gavin. “I’m Carson Hensley.”
“Gavin Callahan.” Gavin extended his hand.
“Of Callahan Industries?” Carson shook Gavin’s hand, looking sort of impressed.
“Yes,” Gavin said. “I’ve heard of you too.”
“Oh, well, hopefully nothing too bad.” Carson looked at Justine.
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Gavin cleared his throat. “We’re about to have dinner. Is there something you needed?”
“I was having dinner with a client but they were called away.” He directed his attention to Justine. “As I was leaving, I saw you. I haven’t heard from you on that matter and I’m curious to see if you made a decision.”