by S Cinders
He drew his hand out, and Mandy whined at the loss of contact. Elliot’s chest rumbled with a laugh as he replaced his hand and began to slowly stroke her, parting her folds and sinking his finger deep inside of her aching heat.
Mandy cried out, the feeling of him inside of her was heaven, and she wanted it to go on and on.
“More,” she pleaded with him, “Please, Elliot!”
He wasn’t sure if it was the sexy way she had pleaded his name or the begging, but he felt the need to bury himself inside of her to the hilt.
“I don’t have a condom,” he rasped.
And they both stilled. Her pussy aching and his cock smashed against the fly of his pants.
“I am clean,” Elliot said gruffly, “There hasn’t been anyone for quite a while now.”
Mandy knew that the last person she had been with was him. And at that moment she prayed it was the same for Elliot.
“Please,” she clutched at his pants trying to undo them and finally succeeding. “Fuck me. It’s okay! I trust you.”
Elliot moaned loudly as Mandy reached inside his boxer briefs and stroked his aching cock. It was pure heaven, and he never wanted it to end.
Mandy was getting closer and closer to her orgasm. Elliot had increased to two fingers and was pumping and scissoring as he glided in and out of her with his long fingers.
“I am going to move you to your hands and knees,” Elliot gravel tones sent heat through her body. “I don’t want to hurt the baby.”
It briefly occurred to her that they were fucking in the elevator like animals. But she didn’t care. Mandy knew what heaven it was to have him inside of her. She would do this in Central Park if it meant he would be with her.
Her panties were ripped away, and the blunt head of his cock started rubbing at her slick folds. He cursed at the contact. Shit, everything about her was an aphrodisiac, and he was helpless to her siren’s call.
He gently entered her. Mandy was so fucking tight that he couldn’t breathe. Her sheath felt like a fist around him, and he lost all sense of gentleness.
His cock swelled, and he began to thrust holding her hips as he drove himself deeper and deeper. Mandy cried, begging, and pleading for him to go harder. It had been so long, and he felt so amazing.
She hovered on the brink, knowing that any second, he would send her crashing. And then he cried out shoving himself inside of her one last time, and they both flew over the edge, crashing into a million pieces.
How long they stayed there, he wouldn’t know. Elliot was vaguely aware of taking off his shirt and offering it to her. It was strange in the darkness, almost as if it were a dream.
Neither spoke, not knowing what to say, and unsure if all of this was happening.
The lights flicked on and the elevator jolted before beginning to move again.
Elliot looked over at Mandy. Her hair was disheveled in a just been fucked way that had his gut in knots. She was standing again in his button-down shirt that pulled against her baby bump.
And she looked so damn beautiful that it took his breath away. So, what she said next completely shook him to the core.
“This was a mistake. I am sorry, Mr. Brand. I understand if you have to let me go.”
Elliot didn’t think before grasping her arm just as the door was about to open. He whipped her around so that she was sheltered from whoever was standing in the lobby and quickly pushed the button back to the penthouse.
Tears had begun to form on her lashed, and Elliot felt like the worst sort of cad in the world. But one thing was clear. He would never let her go. He just needed to prove that to her.
CHAPTER 15
“So, I think my friend has the hots for your sister.”
Kim choked on the glass of water she was drinking. Even if the statement hadn’t been jarring enough, Nate walking out in a bitty towel and nothing else caused her lungs to seize.
“Fucking hell, Nate!”
The bastard had the nerve to smile, and Kim felt the irritation curling her toenails.
“Where are the clothes I gave you?” she spat, not caring if her tone was harsh.
She wondered if the man even knew how to dry off properly. Rivulets of water lazily made its way down his sculpted chest. Her eyes were immediately drawn the ridges and bumps of muscle in his abdomen. Shit, even his broad shoulders and cut arms had her creaming in her panties.
It wasn’t fair. It damn well wasn’t fair.
Nate lifted a brow, “I can’t wear that shit.”
Kim knew her eyelid was twitching like a crazy person. She had always considered herself rationally sound. There were many times in her life when shit had hit the fan and Kim was always the rock in those situations.
Kim had been the only one to attend Mandy’s graduations from both high school and college. And she had managed to keep her cool. Kim had caught her parents cooking meth and threatened to turn them in if they kept doing it at the house. It was all in a day’s work.
Kim had seen her dad passed out drunk on more times than she could count. Caught their mother trying to give a twelve-year-old Mandy weed for cramps because she didn’t want to buy a damn bottle of aspirin.
But no matter what had happened, Kim didn’t fly off the deep end. Even when Andrew the ass hat had cheated on her and left, Kim had plowed through. So, what was it about this man that got under her skin.
Was it that sexy smirk that never seemed to come off his face? Was it his killer body that had somehow managed to sneak its way into her dreams? Or was it that smooth whiskey voice that seemed to taunt her at every turn?
“You aren’t leaving here naked,” Kim said firmly.
A grin broke across Nate’s face, and he walked over to her couch. With every step, the little towel parted showing more of his muscular thigh.
Kim hadn’t even realized she was staring until Nate cleared his throat—damn it!
“I would love to spend more time with you and the little bean,” Nate said conversationally and spread his arms out across the back of the couch.
“Are you fucking insane? Did Andrew send you here to screw with me?”
Nate shook his head, “I have nothing to do with Andrew the ass hat.”
Kim’s lips twitched when Nate used the name Freddy has christened Andrew with. But she wasn’t going to smile. This idiot needed to get some clothes on and get out of her apartment, store, and her life.
“Tell me what was wrong with the clothes I loaned you.”
Nate ran his hand through his damp honey blonde hair. Kim felt her mouth water as she watched the play of muscles dance across his flesh. No man should ever be that good-looking, she thought to herself.
“First off, they are small enough to fit you.”
Andrew was smaller than Nate, but it wasn’t that bad.
“Just go put them on!” Kim demanded.
Nate shrugged as if to say suit yourself and got up to go back to her bathroom. Every move he made was like a great jungle beast lumbering through the forest. He was grace and agility and had no sense of hurry whatsoever.
When he returned a moment later, Kim dropped her cup.
The sweatpants ended about three inches above his ankles and were so tight that she could see every nuance of his body. And let’s just say that Nate is both a grower and a shower. The bulge in the front of his pants made Kim involuntarily squeeze her thighs together. And the longer she looked, the larger it became.
“You can’t wear that,” Kim croaked and only met Nate’s eyes when he shouted out a bark of laughter. “What?”
Nate continued to laugh as he stuck his thumbs inside the waistband of the tight sweats and began to tug downward. Every ounce of flesh that he exposed had Kim panting.
Kim whirled around right before he pulled the elastic band away from his large erection.
“What in the fuck are you doing?” she demanded.
There was a rustle, and then the sweatpants flew over her shoulder and stupidly she caught them.
“You didn’t like me wearing your towel, and you don’t like me in the ass hat’s pants. So, it looks like I am stuck with what my momma gave me.”
“You can’t,” she stumbled, “You aren’t—naked people do not fraternize with the general public!”
She heard the amusement in his voice, “That’s good to know. I’ve only recently joined the naked population. And I am not sure what the rules are yet.”
Kim whipped around, but whatever she was going to say lodged in her throat.
Standing before her, in all of his glory, Nate smirked before taking a step closer to Kim. If the room had seemed tense before, it was nothing compared to the sexual tension that clung in the air.
Her throat was dry, and her heart seemed to be pounding at about a million beats per minute. She couldn’t think, couldn’t speak, and most definitely couldn’t look away.
The way she looked at him had Nate digging his nails into his palms. The woman was not only eye-fucking him. She was doing a hell of a job on round two or three. He couldn’t remember a time when he wanted a woman more than now.
Nate knew that he was easy on the eyes. He had never had a problem with the ladies not falling at his feet. Slowly, he bent down and picked up the cup that she had dropped.
“I believe that this is yours,” he rasped, trying to hand it to her.
Kim hadn’t missed one second of the action. She didn’t take the cup that he was offering. Her eyes only stared.
“Why?” she finally blurted out, “Why are you doing this to me? If you are trying to hit it, then I have to tell you. I will buy whatever you are selling. If this to prove a point, that sex sells? Then you win. Is this just your way of showing me that I am weak? I don’t understand.”
He tipped her chin up and placed the gentlest of kisses on her parted lips.
“I want to fuck you right now. I have wanted to be inside of you the first moment I saw you. I picture your body bent in a hundred different ways as you scream out my name. You are a beautiful woman, and I want you. But that has nothing to do with your store. I want to help you, and I will. But you need to let me in.”
Kim swallowed and to her horror tears filled her eyes, “Nobody is that nice. What is it you want from me?”
“I could take you right now,” he murmured as his eyes searched her face. “But you would hate me for it, and crazily enough, I don’t want that. Let me help you, Kim. Not because of any payback, and not because I want to get into your pants. Although, I do, and I won’t hide it.”
“Then why?” Kim whispered.
“Because someone needs to take care of you for once. I see how you watch out for your sister. And I can tell that you have taken far too much out of the business account for your parents. You even still have Andrew the ass hat on the payroll, and he walked out on you and the bean.”
Kim closed her eyes, not able to meet him with the shame that was filling her.
“I want to help you, Kim. But first, you need to realize that I am not your enemy.”
It took her a moment to finally open her eyes, but when she met his, she knew that it was the right choice.
“Okay.”
It was one word, but she felt all of her defenses that she had built for years shaking in their foundations. Maybe this was a mistake, she wondered.
Then she glanced down and was reminded that this golden Greek god was still naked and within touching distance.
“On one condition!” her hand shot out and wrapped itself around his cock.
His response was hoarse, “What?”
“You teach me what pleasure is, real honest pleasure. I have gone down the ‘love’ route, and that is a bunch of fucking bull-shit. I want to know what it is like to want to scream someone’s name. To be so far gone in desire that I want to do the things that you talked about. Do we have a deal?”
CHAPTER 16
Week 30: Baby's hair grows
Thirty weeks into your pregnancy, or 28 weeks after conception, your baby's eyes can open wide. Your baby might have a good head of hair by this week. Red blood cells are forming in your baby's bone marrow.
By now your baby might be more than 10 1/2 inches long from crown to rump and weigh nearly 3 pounds.
“THAT NEW DRESS LOOKS lovely on you, dear.”
Mandy looked up as she walked into the penthouse apartment to see Mrs. H and Robert playing cards. She flushed at the compliment, knowing that the older woman was most likely trying to make her feel better.
“Thanks, Mrs. H, what are you playing?”
Mandy set her purse down on an end table and kicked her shoes off. She had been waiting to do that all day, and it felt amazing.
“Let’s get your feet up, lass,” Robert stood and pulled out a chair for Mandy. He then positioned a footstool, so she could prop her feet up.
“Robert, I don’t understand why you aren’t married,” Mandy said sinking into the chair and sighing. Mrs. H had gotten up to grab Mandy a water bottle and didn’t hesitate to hand it over.
“Are you asking?” Robert’s faded blue eyes twinkled under his gray brows.
Mandy smiled, “I can’t decide between you and Mrs. H, she is quite a catch as well.”
Mrs. H waved her hand at their nonsense, “Go on with you, now. How did your appointment go today?”
“The peanut is growing well. I measure right, for the most part, it was a pretty straightforward visit.”
“For the most part?” Mrs. H prodded.
Mandy winced, “I am retaining some water in my extremities. They have assured me that is it...”
The three of them spoke at the same time, “Normal!”
Mrs. H looked worried, “Did they say that there was anything you could do?”
Mandy shrugged, “I need to make sure and stay hydrated. He said the swimming is excellent exercise and to continue it. And when I am swelling to try and stay off my feet.”
“Makes sense,” Robert added, “Do you feel like a game of Black Jack?”
Mandy smiled, “Are you ready to lose?”
Mrs. H snorted, “He fancies himself a card shark, but we all know that he would lose his drawers if we played for real money.”
Robert didn’t even pretend to be offended, he laughed and passed Mandy her allotted chips—chocolate chips.
The white chocolate was worth five dollars, milk chocolate was worth ten, and dark chocolate was fifteen. The first time Mandy played she ate more than she gambled and laughed until she almost wet herself.
Robert regaled them with stories about when he was in the navy. Some of the antics those sailors had gotten into were downright shameful and positively hilarious. Mrs. H told stories about when Elliot and Nate were young. Mandy secretly liked these best.
The image of a young Elliot that whistled as he delivered papers at five thirty in the morning warmed her heart all over. Elliot had been distant since that day they were trapped in the elevator. Oh, Mandy supposed it was her fault for pushing him away. But she hadn’t known what else to do.
These people were becoming friends to her, and Mandy couldn’t jeopardize that. A niggling feeling of unease swept through her. She had heard from Shay today.
Shay had been Mandy’s best friend for several years now, and she was the one to invite Mandy to work that party where she first met Elliot. Mandy was also fairly confident that Shay had gone home with Nate that night.
Shay’s grandma had been sick and passed shortly after that, so Shay had been out in Tennessee dealing with funeral arrangements, selling her grandmother’s home, and settling the estate. While they still spoke on the phone often, Mandy hadn’t seen Shay in nearly three months.
Mandy didn’t know she was keeping her job a secret from her best friend. Well, that was a lie. She was terrified that Shay would tell Eliot who she really was and that he would either kick her out or try and take the baby from her.
For the first time in a long time, she ignored the call when Shay had tried her earlier. Elliot had a business meeti
ng this afternoon and then a gala that he had to attend that night. Since Mandy had an appointment, she spent the time in the cab calling Shay back.
It was good to hear her friend’s Tennessee twang, and Mandy really was excited for her to come back. She just didn’t know how to explain it all.
“You are off your game, pumpkin,” Robert gave her an inquiring look.
Mandy bristled, “What do you mean?”
He arched a brow, “Well, you just had nineteen and asked to hit again.”
“Oh, shit!” Mandy looked down to see most of her chocolate money had been given to the other players.
“Is something bothering you, dear?” Mrs. H gazed at Mandy assessing, and suddenly she felt as they could see right through her.
“I am just going to go to my room now,” Mandy muttered.
Forgetting about the footstool by her feet, she caught her toe on the edge and tripped. The ungainly weight of her belly was causing Mandy not to be able to readjust. It happened so quickly. One moment she was sitting and the next she was sprawled out on her hip. It had to be bruised, but Mandy was fairly certain that she was okay.
Mrs. H and Robert, on the other hand, were near hysterics. Before Mandy knew what was happening, an ambulance had been called. She tried to reassure them that she was fine, but when she tried to stand there was a massive pain that shot up from her ankle.
The paramedics were there in less than fifteen minutes. And to Mandy’s utter humiliation they not only placed her on the gurney, but they strapped her to it.
It was this sight that Elliot walked into.
A very pale Mandy, whose swollen belly looked awkward as she was strapped down. Mrs. H was crying, and Robert was reenacting some sort of Greek tragedy. Elliot felt his heart stop. He went straight to Mandy.
“Are you hurt? What happened?”
“I am afraid that we need to get her to the hospital, Sir,” the young redhead tried to escort Elliot out of the way.
“Hospital?” his voice sounded panicked to his ears, “What is wrong?”