One More Time_A Second Chance Romance

by Rye Hart

  “You don't want to go?” she asked, not looking me in the eye.

  “No, I'm not going to just leave you afterward, Casey,” I said. “What kind of man do you think I am?”

  I propped myself up on my arm and stared at her for a long time. She eventually came closer to me, allowing me to wrap my arms around her, and pull her close. She rested her head on my chest and didn't say a word. I listened to her breathing, soft and even, with my face buried in the thick nest of her hair.

  I probably should have left, she was right, but I didn't want to go anywhere. The only place I wanted to be was right beside her, holding her close. I didn't want this to end, and part of me wished we'd get another chance, maybe a few more, to be together.

  I knew though, somewhere deep down, that would be a very bad idea. Because the longer it took for her to get pregnant with my child, the less time I had to win my dad's company back. Not to mention the fact that it would also give me more time to grow attached to her.

  “Thank you,” she murmured against my chest.

  “For what?” I asked. “I'm the one who should be thanking you.”

  “For not rushing out of here,” she said. “I know this is all business to you, but I don't want to be alone right now.”

  “You're not alone, Casey,” I said softly. “I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CASEY

  Do not get attached. Easier said than done when you're curled up with someone like Malcolm Crane. My head rested on his sculpted chest, and I could hear his heart beating as I trailed the tips of my fingers along his abs. His fingers moved along my back, the gentlest of touches that could put me right to sleep.

  My insides were warm and gooey. Not just from where Malcolm had filled me with his cum either but like in my stomach and chest too. I felt close to him in that moment – closer than I'd ever felt to anyone, anywhere, ever.

  The fact that he wasn't going anywhere was nice. It was a lot more than I expected considering the fact that I was merely a human incubator for his future child. I was thankful he was taking his time with me. Not rushing away now that the deed was done. It meant a lot. We didn't say anything for the longest time. We just lay there in a silence that was companionable, though tinged with a touch of awkwardness. I listened to his breath and savored his touch, because God knew, I might not ever experience that with him again.

  If we were successful, this was going to be it for us.

  As if he could read my mind, Malcolm cupped my chin in his hands and turned my face toward him. First, he kissed the tip of my nose before moving lower, to my mouth. The kiss was sweet, chaste, and yet somehow, reassured me and made me feel better about things. It was crazy, but it did.

  “I'm so glad I cleared my schedule for today,” he said.

  His free hand cupped my breast, circling my nipple, and my body shuddered pleasantly in response.

  “We can stay here all night, Casey,” he said. “If you'd like.”

  I would like it. Very much so. I knew it was wrong though, and knew I should say no. But instead, I opened my mouth and something completely different fell out.

  “Sure,” I said. “Couldn't hurt to keep trying, right? Just in case the first attempt didn't take.”

  “Exactly what I was thinking,” Malcolm said.

  He pulled me around, so I was on top of him, and I stared into his blue eyes. His hair was stuck to his forehead, still sweaty from the first go-round. I sat, naked and bare, on top of him and his eyes moved over my body. Up and down, his eyes moved, drinking me in completely.

  His fingers trailed along my breasts, moving down to my tummy, which was rounder than I cared for it to be, to my thighs and, then he cupped my ass.

  “I don't know what to do,” I admitted, feeling a bit sheepish.

  “That's okay,” he said, leaning up to kiss my lips. My hair fell around us, shielding our faces, acting like a curtain. It shut us out from the rest of the world.

  “I'll be happy to show you,” he purred, sending a chill of pleasure along my spine.

  Our bodies seemed to fit together perfectly. Like a hand and glove. With him guiding his hard cock, I soon felt him pressing against me again, hard and ready for round two. Malcolm gripped his shaft and guided it to my opening, slipping it between the soft folds of my lips, and I moaned. I lowered myself down, taking him inside of me.

  The feeling was intense, and my body exploded in sensation the moment he entered me. It was unlike anything I'd felt before. I'd used toys and masturbated before, sure, but, having the real thing inside of me was mind-blowing. I sat there, my body trembling slightly as it got used to him being so deep within me. Malcolm stroked my back, and gently started moving me up and down on top of him until I found the rhythm myself.

  I fell forward, my hands resting on his strong chest as my body moved on top of his. Malcolm's hands were kneading my back as I ground myself into him, making my body pulse with delight.

  Malcolm kissed my neck, then my collar bone, drawing a soft sigh from me. Then he slid his tongue down my chest, taking one of my nipples between his lips. I groaned as his tongue lapped at my sensitive skin, making me spasm around his cock as I continued riding him.

  “Oh yes, Malcolm, yes,” I whimpered.

  As I ground myself against him, impaling myself upon his hard rod, an animalistic sound came from deep within Malcolm. His head fell back against the bed, and his fingers dug into the flesh of my hips. His eyes were half closed, but little slivers of blue peered back at me from behind heavy lids. He held onto me, pulling me down hard on top of him, over and over again. Faster and deeper. He thrust upward into me, filling me deeper than before and made my entire body shudder with pleasure.

  “Oh Casey, I –” he growled.

  His eyes opened wide, and his movements became frantic. I might be new to sex, but I could read his body, and I knew he was close. His jaw was clenched tightly, and he was fighting it. Trying to hold off and delay the inevitable.

  “Come for me, Malcolm,” I said

  I tightened the muscles with me around his cock involuntarily, as my entire body spasmed. I cried out, clawing at his chest as pleasure ripped through me, taking me by surprise, and I groaned. Waves of pleasure washed through me, shaking me from head to toe.

  “Come inside me, Malcolm,” I moaned. “Please.”

  Malcolm grabbed onto my ass as I thrashed wildly on top of him, and he pulled me down hard onto his thick rod. Our pelvises pressed together as every muscle in my body tensed up on me. The sounds coming out of my mouth didn't even sound like me – they were wild and unbridled. I had no control over my limbs or my voice, but Malcolm kept a tight hold on me.

  I stared into his eyes as he shuddered and grunted, filling me with even more of his cum. I moaned in pleasure as I felt it shooting deep inside of me. If luck was on our side, he was putting a baby inside my womb in that very moment. The idea of carrying his child inside of me was suddenly very surprisingly sexy and appealing to me.

  My heart racing and my breathing ragged, I collapsed on top of him. I felt completely spent, and Malcolm kissed my forehead as he stroked my face. Neither one of us seemed capable of breathing normally at first.

  Malcolm whispered to me, his voice tickling my ear and sending small jolts of sensation through me.

  “God, you drive me fucking crazy,” he said.

  A warmth filled me from the inside out. I so badly wanted to smile, to revel in the sensation of being wanted. But, I knew that there was no way we could end up together. I knew this little fairy tale couldn't be.

  I moved beside him and felt his cock slip out of me, and with it, even more of his seed. It trickled down my leg, even as I clenched my thighs and tried to keep it inside of me. Not that losing a little would do much harm, I supposed, but I wanted to do my best to increase our chances for success.

  Though, in reality, part of me hoped we'd have to try at least a few more times.

  Malcolm hel
d me close, my tiny body enveloped by his, and before too long, he'd fallen asleep with his big, strong arms holding me pressed close to him.

  At first, I fought sleep, afraid that Malcolm might be gone when I woke up. But eventually, exhaustion took hold and darkness crept in at the edges of my vision as I felt myself drifting off.

  ~ooo000ooo~

  I opened my eyes, and at first, I feared I'd been right about Malcolm leaving. I was alone in the hotel room, a strained silence all around me. I'd been covered up at some point while I slept, the blanket tucked in around me. Malcolm though, was nowhere to be found.

  I sighed, reminding myself that what we had wasn't anything special. It was a business arrangement. Just because the sex had been romantic and amazing didn't make it anything more than a working deal between us. A deal we were both getting something out of.

  I sighed and sat up in bed, and that's when I saw a note on the nightstand next to me.

  Casey, went to grab us a bite to eat. Be back soon. Malcolm.

  He was coming back, with food. For both of us. A smile spread so wide across my face, it almost hurt. I dropped the note and reprimanded myself – don't get attached, Casey. He's being nice because you're doing him a favor, not because he cares for you. Don't forget that.

  His words from earlier, when we were in the midst of making love, echoed through my ears though, and seemed to counter that argument.

  So what if I drove him crazy? It didn't mean he could – or would – ever love me or want to be with me. I had a chance to change my life and the lives of my family. I couldn’t screw it up by being overly emotional.

  I was in the middle of an internal argument when the door opened, and Malcolm stepped inside with In-n-Out bags in his hands.

  “Figured you're a California girl,” he said, his hair wet as if he’d showered. “And what true Californian doesn't love In-n-Out, am I right?”

  “Malcolm, you really didn't have to go to all the trouble,” I said.

  “I know I didn't have to,” he said, plopping down on the bed beside me. “I wanted to. Figured you'd be hungry when you woke up. I know I was.”

  He pulled out a cheeseburger and handed it over to me, an adorable smile on his face. “I hope you like Animal Style fries.”

  “Duh, who doesn't?” I said.

  “Good girl, that's what I wanted to hear,” he said. “Think we should eat at the table?”

  “Probably be less messy,” I said.

  I was naked underneath the blanket still, and even though Malcolm had seen me in all my glory already, the idea of standing up now and exposing myself stressed me out a bit. Being naked in the middle of sex was one thing, but afterward, when the passions had cooled, would he still find me as attractive?

  Not that it matters, I reminded myself.

  “Yeah, you're probably right,” he said. “But, there's something incredibly indulgent about eating in bed. Probably because we were never allowed to do it as kids.”

  “My parents couldn't have cared less if I ate in bed or not,” I told him.

  He cocked his head to the side like a puppy. “Really? There were no rules against it?”

  “Nope. None,” I replied. “Truthfully, my mom was always at work and couldn't micromanage us like that. And Dad – Dad didn't really care what we did.”

  “You have siblings?” he asked.

  “I do,” I said.

  He opened the wrapper on his burger and started eating, right there in bed. There was a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth and he almost looked like a kid who thought they were getting away with something. It was actually kind of adorable.

  “Tell me about them,” he said. “I was an only child. Always wanted a sister or brother, though.”

  “Well, Sierra is sixteen going on twenty-five,” I said as I unwrapped my burger. “Smart girl but thinks she's smarter than she is. Still, I think she'll get into a good college one day and make us all proud.”

  “You didn't go to college?” he asked.

  I took a bite from my burger, and stared down at it as I chewed, taking my time.

  “I went, but I didn't finish,” I said. “My dad got injured at his construction job, and someone had to take care of things. I'd always planned to go back, but it never worked out.”

  “I'm sorry to hear that,” he said.

  His voice was soft and sounded sincere, the look on his face one of genuine compassion. I shrugged and changed the subject as fast as I could.

  “I also have a younger brother, Nick,” I said. “He's fourteen, going to be fifteen in two months. He's into sports, big time.”

  I piled some fries in my mouth, making sure I got one smothered in Thousand Island. Malcolm reached over and wiped some dressing from my mouth with a napkin, and it somehow felt completely natural. He didn't even seem to realize he'd done it, but my lip tingled from where he'd touched me.

  “I always wanted to play football,” Malcolm said.

  “Why didn't you?”

  “Didn't have time. I started working for my dad when I was fifteen, and I was expected to work every day, after school,” he said. “No exceptions.”

  “That sounds awful.”

  He shrugged, chewing on a French fry. “I always knew it would be my company one day, and I took every opportunity to learn from him,” I said. “But yeah, at times I felt like I'd missed out. Greg got to go on dates, played sports, went to parties – and I worked. A lot. And that was it.”

  Malcolm sighed, then looked down at the rest of his burger.

  “What's wrong?”

  “It's just – well, when I was younger, I feel like I gave up everything to work for my dad. I gave up my childhood for him. And then, he throws this curveball at me? Give him a grandchild or else the company goes to his other son – my half-brother, Adam – who only popped up in our lives a couple years ago.”

  I reached out and squeezed his hand. “We're going to give you a baby, Malcolm.”

  He turned toward me, and there was that warm, sweet smile again. He put his food down and wiped his fingers off on a napkin before cupping my face in his hands. He stared at me, long and hard, and at first, I thought he was going to kiss me – some small part of me hoped he would.

  Instead, he said, “Thank you, Casey,” he said, his voice soft and gentle. “You're utterly amazing, and I'm so glad I met you.”

  “Yeah, me too,” I said.

  Those weren't exactly the words I wanted to hear from him, but it was the best I was going to get. Malcolm kissed my forehead before returning to his food.

  Malcolm added, “You know, I'm so glad we've had this opportunity to talk,” he said. “I'd like to get to know you better.”

  “Do you think that's a good idea?”

  “Why not?”

  “I mean, Terrance said – ”

  I couldn't really tell him what Terrance said. I wasn't sure why I was protecting him, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words he'd spoken to me. Words that had hurt me.

  “Just that, we need to keep things professional,” I finished. “For your sake.”

  “Terrance needs to learn his place,” Malcolm said. “He's worked with my family for so long that sometimes, he thinks he's part of it. He thinks he knows what's best for everyone. I should have hired another lawyer, but he's on retainer and it was easy. I'm sorry he talked to you the way he did. It was wrong.”

  “You know, if you keep talking like that and buying me food, I might actually start liking you,” I said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

  “Oh, would that be so bad now?” He winked at me

  Yeah, it would be very bad. Very, very bad, I thought to myself. No use bringing it up, though. Like I'd told the lawyer, I knew my place. I knew what I was to Malcolm.

  His surrogate. Nothing more.

  Why did knowing that leave such an empty feeling inside of me?

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  MALCOLM

  My mother had called a family meeting. Said it was vital t
hat I showed up. A few days had gone by since Casey and I had slept together, and while I knew it was too early for pregnancy tests to come back positive, I was constantly checking my messages, hoping to hear something from her. I wasn't sure if I'd tell my parents right away or not, just in case something went wrong. But, having something to report would be better than nothing, right?

  Instead, I was going to show up to the meeting with no actual news to share.

  Thankfully, this meeting didn't include Adam. My mom had made sure to tell me that ahead of time. I guess she wanted to make sure I wouldn't be too stressed out about it. The competitive nature of this whole business was starting to get to me. It was especially starting to get to me down at the office where Adam was learning everything there was about the company – including my specific job duties. Having a shadow at work was never fun, especially when that shadow was undermining you every step of the way.

  So, when I stepped into the parlor to meet with my mom that day, I felt at ease. No Adam, just my parents and me. Should be easy enough, right?

  Wrong.

  As soon as I'd stepped into the parlor room, I almost turned right back around and left. Seated across from my mother, facing the doorway, and looking straight at me, was Danielle.

  I stopped, hesitating just long enough that my mother turned and saw me.

  “Malcolm, please,” she said. “Have a seat.”

  Dad sat next to Mom, and I had the option of joining Danielle on the loveseat or sitting in one of the chairs off to the side.

  “You didn't tell me we'd be having company,” I said.

  I didn't even bother to look at my ex. I stayed in the doorway, preferring to stand rather than sit anywhere near her. I was also still considering leaving. It wasn't until my father stood and walked over to me that I knew I would have to stay put. His face was serious. Dead serious.

  “Malcolm, you heard your mother.”

  Danielle still hadn't said a word. She sat on the loveseat, wearing a Tiffany blue dress with a white ribbon at the waist. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a twist, neat and formal. Her hands were resting in her lap, looking every bit the proper lady I knew she wasn't. Her blue eyes stared back at me, and I felt absolutely nothing when I looked at her. No love, no rush of emotion, nothing.