by Alice Shaw
I nodded my head and gasped. My cock was pointing straight into the air, ready to fire against my chest. “Oh, fuck. Yes! I love it when you treat me like your slut,” I said.
“Of course you do. You’re my dirty omega. My sex kitten,” he muttered, before turning me around and placing me on my knees.
He entered me again, hands firmly planted against my ass cheeks. I cocked my head back and felt the quick pumps he gave me. “Look into my eyes,” he said. I did as he commanded, smirking slightly. “And knock that grin off your face.”
Riley smiled back. It was my turn to have some fun. “When you saw me last summer, you had to have me,” I said. “You’re such a fucking pervert. You just needed that tight young ass.”
“Shit,” he grunted, slowing down. That was enough to push him closer to the edge.
I smiled and whispered in a smooth voice, “Don’t stop now.”
“You know how to get me off,” he panted.
“You saw me, desperate and alone. You knew I was so powerless. Oh, fuck. And I was young too. That turned you on the most, didn’t it?” I asked him.
I loved seeing his eyes squirm, feeling his cock grow bigger before it exploded. That was my favorite part. “As soon as you saw me, you knew you needed to fill me up. You just had to settle me down,” I said.
“Fuck, I’m cumming!” Riley boomed.
“Me too,” I felt the sharp rising pleasure enter into my core. I reached for my cock as I felt each wave of his warm cum pulse into me.
We both came at the same time, connecting deep. And when we were both finished, we didn’t separate. We just laid in our small bed, holding each other.
“I’m going to do something big for you,” he whispered. But before I could ask him what that meant, he was snoring.
Chapter Fourteen
Riley
It had been over four incredible months with Holden, and we never felt like more of a team. We were working hard on the food truck, always testing recipes and re-writing them to fit our taste buds.
Some days were difficult, but other days were a dream. The difference now was that we were honest with each other at all times.
Holden was getting more and more relaxed with the idea of his body changing, but the thing that annoyed him the most was his lack of ability to put in manual labor at Gastro Gourmet anymore. I knew that he was feeling a little down about it today, so I decided to take an hour off to buy him a bouquet of flowers and chocolates.
At the florist, I eyed every single flower. In the center were some beautiful lilies. I stooped low to smell them, and smiled when the natural, floral scent wafted into my nose. They reminded me of Holden so much that I had to buy them. I grabbed a box of assorted chocolates at the front.
I tipped the clerk a few extra dollars before walking back out into the sun. The food truck was starting to pick up a lot of steam, and without having to pay any rent on the trailer, we were able to save a sizable portion. We were trying to build up our money, but I was sure that this was a purchase I could splurge a little on.
As I walked out of the flower shop, I paused for a brief moment. Officer Brady was walking a small Chihuahua on the boardwalk. He was wearing a nice pear of jeans, a button up shirt, and a newly bought cowboy hat. He definitely looked different. He looked happier. Brady saw me, but I could tell he didn’t know how to address me since our last meeting.
“Hey Brady,” I said, waving a little.
“Riley,” he said, tipping his cowboy hat.
“You been good?” I asked, forcing a friendly smile.
“Well, now that you ask, things are starting to look up,” he said, smiling back.
It was an awkward exchange, but it felt kinda good to be able to catch up. Life was changing, and that was certainly something to gloat over.
“You look good, man,” I said. “I mean… you look happy. It’s like something has changed.”
“A lot has changed. The wife and I had a little talk. We’re working things out. I’m… well, shit. I’m trying to analyze my life through a different lens. Or, at least that’s what the therapist has been telling me to do. I’m still adjusting to it all,” Brady said.
“That’s wonderful, Brady. I’m doing the same. I think it’s worth it. Life is too short. This whole thing is a wild journey,” I said.
“That’s for sure,” Brady said, laughing to himself. “Oh, hey. I wanted to tell you. Jared reached out with a proposal about your food truck. You’re cooking has brought a lot of interested people down here. In fact, it’s hyping up the bay a lot. You know, food tourism and all.”
“I’m a little flabbergasted that it’s been doing so well,” I said, blushing. I never enjoyed taking these types of compliments because I thought I didn’t deserve them. Deep down, I knew we worked hard for the fruits of our labor.
“Well, Jared had an idea. I know you’ve always wanted to open a restaurant on the other side of the water. Why don’t we do a fundraiser to help support you? It won’t make you millions, but it could help you pay some debt off. Plus, it might bring in a ton of publicity. Maybe you’ll be able to get that loan afterward.”
I looked down at my feet, feeling absolutely humbled. “I don’t know what to say. That would mean the world,” I muttered.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got some pull with some of the contractors here too. I’ll MC the fundraiser and invite them through. We’ll make a big party out of it, but still keep it at the local level,” he said.
Was I really talking to officer Brady? Or was this some weird, cloned version of the man I once loathed. Either way, I loved what I saw.
“It’s a plan. I’ll talk to Jared about it later. Thanks for everything, Brady,” I said.
Brady’s tiny dog began pulling on the leash. “Okay, Buster. I know. You want to get home to momma,” he said to his Chihuahua. “No worries, Riley. We started off on the wrong foot, but things are going to get better from here on out. You’ll see.”
I pressed the lily bouquet against my nose and smelled the wonderful scent. I hoped what Brady said was true.
I called Holden to tell him about the fundraiser. Maybe it was time things finally changed.
I looked down at the big stack of papers. My hand was cramping up, but filling out these forms was damn well worth it. At least, I hoped so.
“I have an idea,” Holden announced. He had just woken up from his day nap.
“Good dream?” I asked.
He nodded his head and yawned, scratching through his hair. “I wasn’t sure what you’d do with all your recipes. You have at least a hundred different main courses in that book of yours,” he said.
“Yeah, I know. I was getting overwhelmed thinking about it the other day. You have any ideas?” I asked him.
Holden put on a pair of pants, while hurriedly telling me his exciting idea. “The best things in life come with a little mystery, flair, and pizzazz,” he said.
“Go on,” I said, intrigued by the start of his sales pitch.
“Gastro Gourmet won’t have tables. It won’t have waiters or waitresses. It won’t even have a menu. That’s going to be the beauty of this beast.” Holden waited for me to respond, but I wasn’t necessarily seeing the big picture.
“No menu? Don’t you think that’s a little… counterintuitive?” I asked him.
“Don’t mess with my hormones right now, daddy,” he groaned.
“Okay, sorry.” I laughed. “Go on. Tell me about the brilliance of this idea.”
Holden rolled his eyes, but he continued. “Every single day we’ll focus on four different main courses, three appetizers, and two different desserts. Essentially, you’ll never know what you’re going to get until you show up to the truck.”
I put my finger to my chin and really pictured it. I knew it was a good idea because it made me want to go there right now for dinner. “Actually, that’s not too bad…”
“I know. I’m a freakin’ genius,” he said. “It’s going to take some work, b
ut it’ll keep us and the customers satisfied. Plus, it’ll give us an excuse to try new things all of the time.”
“Oh! And when we have the money, we can travel and test out new foods. Ugh, you really are a genius, Holden,” I said.
“When you do open that restaurant, you can make it a totally different place. It’ll have a new name, a fixed menu, and décor. It can be something else entirely, it’s own entity.”
“Jeez. I never thought we’d find ourselves here. It actually feels like things are within reach,” I said.
“They are. If we just believe in ourselves, we can accomplish anything,” Holden said. “But what are you up to right now? What are these papers?” Holden asked.
His wonderful belly was growing, and I couldn’t stop thinking about our baby. I was excited, but I couldn’t help but feel the growing pressure to get everything done before he was born.
I smiled at my boyfriend, waving him over to sit on my lap. “I just finished the forms to get a loan for the business,” I said.
Holden put both hands against his mouth. “You’re serious?” he asked.
I nodded, feeling pretty confident about myself all of a sudden. Holden had given me the extra courage I never thought existed. “This has been my dream from the start. Now that we’re having a baby, I have to get my ass into gear,” I said.
Holden sat on my lap and cocked his head to kiss me. “You’ll do great,” he said. “Our food truck is gaining more and more traction everyday. They can’t deny your talent.”
Even though I felt my self-confidence rising, I didn’t want to get too cocky, just to get let down. “I sure hope so, babe,” I said.
“Well, I know so,” Holden said.
Holden was the best friend and love I had ever had. He always knew what to say. Hearing how sure he was made me feel less worried about life.
“Plus,” Holden went on, “we won’t have to fear too much, what with the money we’ll raise at the fundraising party.”
I laughed because the whole thing was going to be such a shit show. It had been a long time since I had gone to a party at Jared’s bar, but they always got pretty rowdy. This was going to be Holden’s first time seeing it in action.
“Isn’t it crazy that Brady is going to MC the event?” I asked him with a crooked smile of incredulity.
“I still don’t know if I should trust him,” Holden said. His hands moved over his stomach, and mine instinctually followed.
“He’s safe,” I said. “Our talk was good. Besides, everyone deserves a second chance.”
“Well, he hasn’t apologized to me, yet,” Holden said, frowning. “But when he does, I’ll be happy to be cordial.”
“Hey, you’re pregnant. You can do whatever you want, babe,” I said.
“Four months,” he whispered, wagging his butt against my crotch. “It’s getting closer and closer every day.”
“And I still haven’t even met your family,” I said. “I feel awful about it, actually. We’ve spent so much time working at the food truck that it’s sort of taken over the reality of our life.”
Holden curled his hand over mine, tracing the outline of my fingers with his. “It’s okay. There’s plenty of time for that,” he said. “I’m kind of excited for you to meet them, actually. They’re good people, deep down.”
The image of my own parents came to mind. The last I saw them, I was locked up, behind a plexi-glass wall. I held that phone up to my hands to talk to them. The grief covered their faces.
My mother was a saint, and she forgave a lot of people, but it was too much for her in the end. My father wouldn’t say a word to me. I was merely a disappointment to him.
“My parents weren’t the most forgiving people. They were well off, and they acted like they were cultured. But deep down, they were trapped in their own bubble just like everybody else,” I said, sighing. Then, thinking about the robbery-gone-wrong, I dropped my head.
“I think a part of me will never forgive them for leaving me behind. I know a lot of it was my fault, but I was their son. I was they’re only alpha,” I said. “I can forgive Brady for turning me into the police that night. I can forgive the people who beat me day after day in that cold and lonely jail cell. But the pain that my parents brought me is so firmly rooted that I doubt I can ever heal that wound again.”
“Take your time with these things, Riley,” Holden whispered. The dim light of my small room shined down over our heads. We were poor in money, but when we had heart to hearts like these, I felt richer than ever. What would I do without him?
“I will. I’m not giving up this time,” I said.
“I know it’s hard, but I believe in you. If you need me, I’ll be there, by your side,” he said.
“I love you more than you can imagine, Holden,” I whispered.
I swayed my head until it rested against his slim neck. I cradled his belly with my hands, feeling the shallow movements within him. There was so much life between us now, and for once, I felt as if all things were connected.
In time, the pain would turn into comfort. We would find the answers that we needed to find. It always worked out like that, anyway. Right now, we had each other, and that was all I ever wanted.
“What will we name our children?” I asked, after closing my eyes for a few seconds.
“If she’s a girl, we name her Olivia. If he’s a boy, he’ll be Ethan,” he said. “We’ll figure it out.”
“That was quick,” I said, laughing.
“Here. Let me show you something.” Holden pushed himself off of my lap. He walked over to our dresser. Hanging off the corner was the same backpack he brought with him on this crazy journey, back when we first met.
He unzipped the bag and reached into the center, digging through the contents. He pulled out a few pens, old keys, and then finally, a small diary. Holden delicately opened the diary and flipped to the very last page.
“This was written back when I first knew I was an omega. I think I had baby fever for about a year. I wrote down a whole list of names,” Holden said.
“The names are great, Holden. I can’t wait to be a father with you. And I definitely can’t wait to read the rest of these diary entries,” I said, grinning.
Holden snatched the diary back and held it against his chest. “Nope. Way too embarrassing to be read. Let’s just say I was a horse kid growing up.”
“Obviously. How else could you get such a sexy bubble butt?” I smiled.
Holden arched his back, and I smacked it hard. He laughed and put the diary away. Then, he came back over and sat back down. “Everything is going to work out now. And if you ever get worried, just know that I’m here too. We can do this, baby. It’s just going to take some more time,” he said.
“I know that. And I’m willing to wait for it,” I said.
His eyes finally glanced over at the lilies that were soaking in an old vase. “Hey, when did you buy those? They’re gorgeous.”
“I bought them for you, darling.” I reached into the desk drawer and pulled out a big box of assorted, hand dipped chocolates, made locally. “And, of course, these delicious chocolates,” I added.
“Oh my goodness!” Holden jumped off my lap and reached for the chocolates. His eyes glowed as if I had dug up the Holy Grail.
“You don’t like the flowers?” I began laughing.
“I love the flowers, honey. But you can’t dangle a box of chocolates in front of me. You know these are my favorite kind,” he said, mouth watering.
“You’re so fucking cute,” I said. “Come here.”
Holden had already ripped open the box. His mouth was stuffed with four different square chocolates. He tried smiling, caramel falling out of his mouth. “Oops,” he said.
I burst out laughing and took him into my arms. I started to tickle his sides, kissing him all over. “Hey! Not fair! I hate tickles,” Holden screamed.
He dropped to the bed, laughing uncontrollably. I stopped tickling him to kiss him, but suddenly, I felt
something odd tap against his stomach. Holden flipped me around and started to tickle me back, but I quickly stopped him. “Holden, wait. Did you feel that?” I asked him.
“Feel what?” he asked.
“The baby. The freakin’ baby is kicking like a player in the World Cup!” I exclaimed.
Holden’s eyes widened as he put his hands against his stomach. Tears of joy immediately formed in his eyes. “This is the first time I’ve felt it,” he said. “Our baby… he’s listening to us.”
“He wants your chocolate,” I joked.
“That reminds me. I need some more,” Holden said, dropping two more in his mouth. “It’s not for me. It’s for the baby.”
“Riiight,” I said.
We both sat in silence, just feeling the baby’s light tapping. It was by far the coolest thing I had ever felt. It made me analyze my own life in such a different way.
Sometimes you forget how much your parents went through to raise you. Of course, mine raised me as much as they could, but I never really gave too much thought to the idea that they had planned every step of the way.
My parents once had such high hopes for me. I had a strong feeling that they once sat just like this, feeling my frustrated punches. I just wish I gave them more from me earlier.
Life was so mysterious and beautiful, all at the same time. All you could do was sit and think about the magnificent future that was sure to come.
But before we could get any rest, Jared came busting in through the front door. “You guys have to get out of bed. Now. Something has happened.” He was completely out of breath and in a state of panic. “Seriously, there’s no time to explain. Come now.”
“Wait here,” I said to Holden. I didn’t want to bring any danger to Holden, especially now that he was four months pregnant.
He wasn’t having any of it. “I’m coming whether you like it or not.”
“Stop bickering,” Jared said. “Follow me.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Chapter Fifteen