by Sam Crescent
“I understand, but there’s got to come a time when you stop taking time, and make a decision.”
She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I do love you.”
“I don’t know where to go from here.” And he didn’t. What did she expect from him?
“We’re dating.” April licked her lips before pressing them to his. “And I’m excited about having your baby.”
She took his hand, pressing his palm to her stomach.
A lump filled his throat at what she held within her body. Their child, their son or daughter, was nestled within her.
Wrapping his arms around her, Henry closed his eyes, sending a prayer to the heavens that everything would be okay.
****
Against Henry’s request April went back to work for Marcel. It didn’t take him long to inform her boss of her new pregnant state. She hated being treated with kid gloves. The good news about returning to work, was that Katie and David hit it off and were officially regularly dating. She had a new friend in Katie, who did nothing but talk all the time.
The silences at work were few and far between. April liked listening to Katie talk. The other woman knew how to make her happy. When she wasn’t at work she spent a great deal of time with Henry. They talked constantly about the future. He didn’t like to see her in the restaurant, and when he visited during her work hours, he watched her like a hawk. The thought thrilled her that he cared so much. On the other hand, he drove her crazy. If there were men who seemed to be into her, he intervened. Marcel got pretty pissed if he started to affect their business. The interference had Marcel threatening to ban Henry access to the restaurant. Just because he was a silent partner didn’t mean he couldn’t be barred from the club.
“This sucks,” Henry said, as she walked out of the back of the restaurant that night. Katie had left with David thirty minutes ago while she helped Marcel plan the following week’s menus. It had been four weeks since she found out she was pregnant.
There were no obvious signs to her body that she’d be expecting in the future. Her nipples were a little tender, and she still suffered with morning sickness. Henry was there to hold her hair out of the way and rub her back.
“What does?” she asked, taking a seat beside him. She toed off his shoes and rubbed her heels. The only downfall to working as a waitress was being on her feet for hours at a time.
“Marcel. He gave me another warning, refusing to listen to reason. You’re going to have to talk with him.”
She raised a brow, looking at him. “You’re crazy, right? Marcel is my savior right now. He’s the only one who can stand up to you.”
Henry pulled away from the restaurant and glanced at her. “You’re seriously not bothered by the male attention?”
Resting her head on the back of the seat, she chuckled. “I’ve only ever been interested in one man, and he’s proving to be a little difficult.” She put her foot back on the floor, rubbing it.
“I’ll massage your feet tonight.”
“Aw, really?” she asked.
“Yeah. I’ll pamper you.”
“It’s late. Don’t you have work tomorrow?” She smiled as she watched him. If she reached out to touch him, he’d turn toward her allowing her. The whole experience was surreal to her.
“The good thing about being the boss, April, is I can take whatever day off I want. We’ll take some time together, and you’re going to be treated if you like it or not.”
“I’m not going to argue with you.” She rested her hand on her stomach. April found herself doing that more and more just lately.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. His hand landed on her stomach covering hers.
“Yeah, everything is perfect.”
“Why are you touching your stomach? Are you in pain?”
She shook her head. “You need to stop reading all those pregnancy books about what could go wrong.”
“And you need to start reading them. There are always complications with giving birth.”
“I’m not going to read something that will freak me out.” She removed her hand from under his. He stayed holding her stomach. Slowly, his palm moved down her stomach to her thigh.
Her heart raced at the smallest touch of his hands.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
They’d been sleeping together, but they’d not had sex since finding out about her pregnancy. Henry refused to touch her until he knew everything would be fine.
No matter what she told him about sex being fine, he didn’t believe her. He wanted to wait for the doctor to confirm if they could have sex or not.
He glided his hand underneath her uniform.
The doctor he wanted to use wasn’t free until next week, but she’d been put on folic acid. “I spoke to the doctor on the phone,” he said. “He asked if you were spotting and explained to me the dangers to look out for.”
Henry moved her panties out of the way touching her slit.
She cried out, closing her eyes as he stroked from her clit down. “Open your legs. I want to get as much cream as I can.”
“You shouldn’t be doing this. You’re driving.”
“And I’m taking a lot of care.”
April gasped as he plunged two fingers inside her. Opening her eyes, she watched him suck the cream from his fingers. The sight had her pussy tightening.
“Beautiful.”
He couldn’t drive fast enough for her to get home. Within twenty minutes they were entering his apartment. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting him to touch her like he did back in the car.
“No, I don’t think so, April. You’re going into the bath, and then I’m going to give you that foot massage I promised you.” He pressed a kiss to her head. “Go on.”
“What? You’re seriously turning down sex?”
“Not turning it down. I’m postponing it.” He kissed her lips before moving her toward the bathroom. “Now, do as I ask. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
She went into the bathroom, taking the time to run herself a bath. April relaxed into the water, staring up at the ceiling as she thought about Henry. He’d been attentive, the perfect gentleman with her. She really did love him, and in her mind an image of Julia flashed in her mind. The guilt returned, and she sat up touching her chest.
Julia tried to kill you. You don’t owe her anything.
You have a right to be happy. She can’t take that away from you.
Tears filled her eyes, and it took every ounce of strength not to let them fall. She balled her hands into fists to achieve her goal. There’s no way she’d cry for a woman who’d had more than enough tears out of her.
Why did you do it?
Julia wasn’t around to answer, and it was time for her to move on. April knew she couldn’t keep living in the past with Julia.
Her child deserved to have a life filled with love and joy, not guilt.
She finished her bath, wrapping her body in a white robe before she left the confines of the room.
Entering the bedroom she saw it bare, but a trail of pink petals led her out the door. Frowning, she followed the petals into the sitting room. The sofa had been moved, and in the center of the room was a massage table.
Henry stood on one side. He was completely naked, waiting.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Come and lie down.” He tapped the top of the table.
“I’m nervous.”
“Why?”
His cock swelled as he looked at her. “You’re going to need to remove the robe.”
She touched the tie holding the robe together. “How did you do all this?”
“I worked really fast and quiet.”
****
Lucky didn’t even begin to cover what Henry felt in that moment. Her body had changed in the last couple of weeks. To him, her hips were a little rounder while her breasts looked a little on the heavier side. His cock sprang to action at the sight in front of him.
&nbs
p; “Come and lie down.” He tapped the top of the chair. The tension in the room mounted. He stared in her eyes, waiting.
She moved, slowly, turned her back to him to slide onto the table. “On my front or back?” she asked.
“Whichever way makes you comfortable.” He cleared his throat. The desire to grip his cock was strong. He fisted his hands as she moved onto her front.
“I don’t know how long I’m going to have lying on my front,” she said.
He chuckled. Henry looked forward to the nights and days touching her beautiful blossoming body.
He slid a fingertip down her back, watching her body shake as he touched. Did she feel the electricity that he felt at the touch of their skin? No woman left him feeling like this.
He reached for the oil and poured some on her back. The clear fluid pooled at the base of her back. Henry smeared his hands in the oil working from the base out to the rest to her body. She moved her hands beneath her head as he started to caress her. April slowly started to relax underneath his touch.
Using the oil, he smeared it all over her body taking careful attention to the rest of her.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Your hands feel so good.” She groaned as he started to work out the knots in her shoulders.
He took his time lavishing her body with each touch and caress. Her dark skin called to him to touch, taste, and explore. She fascinated him in the most exquisite way. Running his pale hands along her body, Henry was amazed that she let him touch her.
The love he had just continued to grow. April was the love of his life, and they’d already wasted so much time. He moved his hands down to the base of her back staring at the rounded globes of her ass.
“This feels so good.”
“I can give you this every night,” he said, rubbing her ass. He filled his hands with her fleshy skin.
She groaned, pressing her butt more firmly against his hold. “What do I have to do?”
Henry chuckled.
“What makes you think you have to do anything?” He smoothed the oil down her thighs and glided back up taking his time to explore every inch of her legs as butt.
“You’re a businessman. You won’t throw suggestions or temptations like that unless you’ve got an ulterior motive.” She moved her head, and he glanced up to see her staring back at him. “What’s yours?”
“I want you to marry me.” He kept her gaze as he worked on her body. The scent of the oil didn’t hold a flame to the sweetness leaking out of her pussy.
“You’re proposing to me?”
“I’m in love with you, April. I’ve been in love with you for a long time.” He stopped touching her body and took a seat on the stool beside the table. She sat up on the table, staring at him. “You’re pregnant with my baby here.” He reached out and placed a palm on her stomach. “We’ve wasted so much time. I know I’m making the right decision. You’re the only woman I want. I don’t want to let you slip through my fingers.”
“Henry, I love you, too. You don’t need to propose to me to keep me around. I like being with you and spending time with you.” She covered his hand with her own. “We’re having a baby.”
“It’s not enough for me.” He stood, sinking his hands into her full hair to hold her head. Henry used his grip to get her to look at him. She opened her thighs, and he slid between her. His cock bumped her stomach. Even with the seriousness of their conversation, he wanted her, craved her in the most divine of ways. “I want you to have my name.”
“Is this about your kid being born a bastard or some weird kind of crap? It’s the twenty-first century, Henry. Your kid doesn’t need your name.”
He smiled. “I don’t give a shit about my kid’s name. I need to own you, possess you, and know that everyone who ever meets you will see that ring on your finger and back the fuck off.”
April tilted her head to the side to stare at him. “Are you staking your claim?”
“Yes.”
Her smile widened. “Well, I never picked you for a Neanderthal.”
Dropping a kiss to her lips, he rubbed his cheek against hers. “When it comes to you I’ll do whatever I have to in order to claim you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She gripped his arms.
“Why are you always fighting me?” he asked. “You’re in love with me. We’re going to have a baby, and you’re not giving in to what we both want.”
He watched her lick her lips and visibly swallow. What did she have to be nervous about?
“I guess, after everything that’s happened in our lives, I’m scared you’re going to marry me and after the baby’s born, you’re going to regret it. You were once with my best friend, and that same best friend tried to kill me. I’m just—I’m scared, Henry. I’m so scared.” She nibbled on her lip. Her insecurity touched his heart.
Touching her hip, he took her lips, plunging his tongue inside her mouth to taste all of her. She moaned and her nails sank into the flesh of his arms. The slight bite of pain was a welcome relief against the panic that she always caused. April was the one woman he wanted more than anything, yet she constantly found ways to pull away from him. He hated that he couldn’t catch her.
Henry knew deep in his heart and soul, he’d never stop trying to catch his woman. April completed him.
Breaking the kiss, he ran a thumb along her swollen lips. “When it comes to you, April, I’ll never have any regrets. I love you. Marry me and make me the happiest man in the world.”
Tears filled her eyes, and he hated seeing them.
“No more tears.” He kissed each tear away tasting the salty drops on his tongue.
“For the longest time I thought you hated me,” she said, whimpering.
“Never.”
“It’s surreal. I loved you from afar, and I stayed away thinking it was useless and now I know it wasn’t. I’m so happy,” she said.
“Why are you crying?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” She started to laugh. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Henry. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
In the next second she squealed as he picked her up in his arms.
“What are you doing?”
****
April wrapped her legs around his waist, holding on for dear life as he carried her through to the bedroom. Henry’s possessive streak excited her. She’d never known a man be so desperate to claim her.
I’m getting married.
She gave a little squeal. “We’re getting married.”
“Yes, we are.”
“I’m going to be a fat bride if we don’t get married soon. It’s going to look like we had no choice but to get married if we wait to long.”
He kicked open the door to his bedroom and placed her on the bed. She shuffled back toward the pillows as he followed her up. Henry didn’t say another word as he tugged her close, opened her thighs, and gripped his cock. There was no need for words. April gasped as he ran the tip of his cock against her core. He bumped her clit causing an explosion of sensation. She thrust her pelvis against him, needing more contact.
“Please,” she begged.
Henry always had her on the point of begging him. The pleasure was always too much for her. The tip of his cock moved down to her entrance. He eased the first inch inside her.
“We’re going to get the sheets all greasy.”
“I can afford new ones.” He took her hands in his pressing them either side of her head. She moaned as with one long thrust he impaled her with his thick length. Their moans echoed off the walls in the room. “I don’t care how swollen you get with my kid, April, but I’m not waiting too long to marry you. We can have a small ceremony.”
“Weddings take time,” she gasped as he pulled out of her only to slam back inside, his cock more swollen than his first entry. He kissed her hard, stopping her from speaking.
“No more talk of what we can’t and can do. I love you, and we’re going to make this happen. I don’t need
all the fancy crap, and I know you, April. You’re not fond of big crowds.” He paused in his thrusts to stare down at her. “We’ll invite a couple of friends, a priest, and we’ll have a simple ceremony—unless you want something lavish.”
She stared up at him, shocked at how much he knew about her. April never liked large crowds, nor did she like to be the center of attention. “How do you know?”
“Julia organized you that birthday party the year we met. You walked into the room, and I watched you.” He dropped another kiss to her lips. “You looked like you entered into your own version of hell.”
“You saw that, and she didn’t.”
He bumped their noses together. The affection he displayed caught at her heart. “I was always looking, April. Every little detail of you fascinated me. I wanted to know what you were thinking, feeling, yearning for. I needed to know the answer. Watching your reaction told me a lot. You stared around the room at all the strangers you’d never met and looked ready to run. When you saw Julia, you forced yourself to stay, even though you didn’t want to.”
She held onto his hand a little more tightly. “I can’t believe you saw all that.”
“I cared. You were so uncomfortable, and all I wanted to do was take you out of there. She even forgot that you didn’t drink. I left the party long enough to grab a case of soda.”
“You were the one who got it?” she asked.
Each new revelation made her fall in love with him a little bit more.
“Yes, I saw how miserable you were. Everyone was drinking, having the time of their life apart from the main woman. It was your night, and you should have enjoyed every second of it.”
His cock pulsed inside her, and she stared up at him feeling the love and the warmth surround her from his touch alone. “We’ve wasted so much time,” she said.
“I take it I get to have a simple wedding with the woman I love?”
“You can have whatever you want so long as I’m the one who gets to keep you for the rest of my life.”
Henry leaned down so his lips were beside her ear. “You’ve got me, April. Nothing is going to take me away willingly.”
She tightened her hold on his hands never wanting to let you go. What had started out as a guilty craving had changed into something beautiful, life changing, and April never wanted to let it go.