by Leah Brooke
Overcome with emotion, Lana sniffed and leaned into him. “Oh, J.W., I do love you. I just need to know that you’re sure. I need to know you’re not going to get bored with me if I don’t regain my strength or get turned off if I do.”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” His eyes narrowed, the emotion glittering in them stealing her breath. “I want you to marry me, Lana, as soon as possible. I’m smart enough to know that I’ve found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with and see no point in waiting.”
Her heart pounded furiously, her stomach fluttering with excitement. Smiling up at him, she knew she’d already made her decision, the only decision she could have made. “Yes. I want to marry you, J.W., as soon as possible.”
J.W. grinned and pulled out his phone, his smile falling when she laid a hand over it. “What is it?”
“I know you. You’d have everything arranged in an hour.”
J.W. frowned. “Something wrong with efficiency?”
Daniel spoke from the other side of the room. “What would J.W. have arranged in an hour?”
Lana glared at her brother and sighed before turning to J.W. again. “His penchant for eavesdropping is almost as bad as yours.” Smiling again at the amusement in his eyes, she poked his chest, grinning when he caught her finger in his and lifted it to his lips to kiss it. “It seems I’m doomed to spend my life with overprotective men.”
Daniel approached and reached for his son, expertly cradling him in his arms. Seemingly enthralled with Henry, he tucked the blanket more firmly around him and glanced at Lana. “What’s going on?”
J.W. pulled her close and answered for her. “Lana’s finally agreed to marry me.”
Grinning, Daniel glanced back at his wife. “It’s about damned time, isn’t it, honey?”
“My sentiments exactly.” J.W.’s look melted her heart. “I was about to call and make the arrangements when she stopped me.”
Kristen watched the scene playing in front her, beaming and bristling with excitement. “Why?”
“We were just getting to that when my future brother-in-law stuck his nose in.”
Lana got to her feet and went to Kristen, taking her hand in hers. “Because this is your day. I’m not getting married on your day.”
Kristen squeezed her hand. “Nonsense. Henry’s birthday and your anniversary on the same day. Are the two of you planning to have children right away, or are you going to wait?”
Something must have shown on Lana’s face because Kristen gasped. “You’re pregnant!”
Lana’s mother and father walked in just in time to hear Kristen.
Her mother gasped, her gaze flying to Lana. “You’re pregnant?” Lifting her chin, she turned to J.W. “Can I assume you’re going to marry my daughter?”
“Yes, ma’am.” J.W. grinned. “I just got her to agree to it and am making arrangements right now—before she changes her mind.”
* * * *
Staring down at the wide gold band on the ring finger of her left hand, Lana sighed and leaned against J.W., smiling when her new husband pulled the blanket he’d gotten for her higher. “I still can’t believe you arranged everything so fast.”
Stretching out as much as he could in the first class seat, he smiled. “Like I told your mother, I didn’t want to give you the chance to change your mind. Besides, Daniel couldn’t wait to get involved, and he’s the one that had dinner catered.”
Grinning, she snuggled closer, pillowing her head on his shoulder. “Dinner catered in the hospital.”
“Kristen was in a private room. We didn’t bother anyone.”
“I just feel bad that we took away from their day.”
“Are you kidding?” J.W. sipped the coffee the stewardess had brought him. “Everyone was thrilled, and Kristen looked beautiful in that lingerie your brother bought her.”
“She did look beautiful.” She leaned forward, looking across the aisle to where her parents and Lenore Brant chatted excitedly. “I’m just glad your mother could make it.”
“Nothing could have kept her away.” Lowering her seat, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “You’ve had a big day, and even thought you won’t admit it, I can see that you’re tired. Sleep. We’ll be home soon.”
“Home. I really do live at the ranch now.”
“Yes, Mrs. Brant. You do.”
Loving the sound of her new name and the possessiveness in his voice, Lana blushed. “I need to stop at the apartment and pick up the rest of my things. What am I going to do with the furniture? I just signed the lease, too. When we get back to the ranch, I have to—”
His lips brushed her forehead. “Rest and plan the nursey. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Sitting up, she glanced at their parents and kept her voice low. “J.W., you have enough to do with the ranch. I can take care of my own things.”
With a sigh, J.W. settled her back against his shoulder and fixed the blanket again. “And I take care of what’s mine, Lana. That includes you. You’re tired, and you’ve had a long day. It’s almost midnight. Just turn it off, Lana, and stop arguing. It’s not good for you, and it’s not good for the baby.” Kissing her hair, he kept his voice low. “Our parents are getting upset. So am I, for that matter. I don’t want to argue with my bride on our wedding night.”
Resigned to losing their argument, she vowed to bring the subject up again the next day, when they were alone. “Fine, but I’m not going to be babied, J.W. I’m a grown woman.”
“I’m very much aware of that. Now, settle down and go to sleep.”
Lana was too tired to argue about it anymore. “You’re too damned bossy. You know I’m not going to put up with that, don’t you?”
“Of course. With all that passion inside you, I have a feeling you’re going to keep me on my toes. I doubt if you let me get away with anything.”
* * * *
J.W. started to realize how prophetic his words had been when they woke the next morning.
He’d been awake for several minutes, just lying beside her and listening to her breathe. When he felt her stir, he opened his eyes in time to watch her sit up, the challenge in her eyes bringing him instantly alert.
“Good morning. How do you feel this morning? You look more rested.”
“I am.” Holding the covers to her neck, she lifted her chin. “I’m going to go to my apartment today and talk to the landlord. Then I’m going to pack my things.”
Expecting it, J.W. nodded. “I wanted to talk to you about that.”
Eyeing him warily, she pushed her tangled hair back. “What about it? I assume you’re going to try to stop me.”
She knew him well already.
Hiding a smile, he took her hand in his, hoping to get a glimpse of her creamy breasts, but she held the blanket in place with one hand. “Not at all. I figured you’d want to settle in here as soon as possible and tie up loose ends. I spoke to your parents last night after you fell asleep on the plane. They’ll probably be at the apartment soon. Along with my mother. They want to help. They’re actually pretty excited about it.”
After a prolonged silence, she pulled her hand from his. “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”
“No. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to bring any of your new furniture here.” Hoping she would feel more at home with some of her own things at the ranch, he smiled. “We’ve gotten rid of the furniture in the study, except for my desk.”
Some had had blood on it, and even though it could have been cleaned, he wanted no reminder of her attempted kidnapping.
It would also give her something to do while she waited for the birth of their child.
Attempting a look of hesitancy at asking a favor, he shrugged and looked away. “I wondered if you’d mind redecorating it for me. Maybe some of your furniture could go in there, or you could change things around. We’ll go one day next week and look for whatever you need for the nursey.”
Leaning forward, he
dropped a kiss on her mouth, hiding a smile as he rose and headed for the bathroom. “I’ll have a few men at your disposal to move the furniture, but if you don’t feel up to doing it, I’ll get my mother to do it. I’m sure she can find the time—”
Lana rose from the bed, the sight of her naked body making his cock stir. “I can do it.”
J.W. turned from the doorway to get a better look, hiding a smile when he caught her staring at his ass. “Thank you. I like the way your apartment looks and the furniture’s comfortable. I appreciate that you’re not giving me a hard time about getting a couple of the ranch hands to move the furniture. If I don’t, your father will try to move things, and you and I both know he’s too old for that.”
Lana studied him as she moved toward him, a suspicious glint in her eyes. “You have it all figured out, don’t you?”
Taking her hand, he hid a smile and led her to the shower. “Of course. Now that you’ve aroused me, I think it’s only fair that you put me out of my torment.”
Lana smiled, running a fingertip down his chest. “I didn’t do anything to arouse you.”
J.W. started the shower before turning back to her, fighting hard not to smile. “You stand there arguing with me while you’re naked and then keep sneaking glances at my cock while getting that look in your eyes. It makes me hard as a rock, something you couldn’t help but notice.”
Lana giggled when he picked her up and carried her into the shower, her look of feigned innocence sending a rush of heat to his cock. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just telling you what I planned to do today. Isn’t that something a wife and husband do?”
Loving that she had enough confidence now to play with him, J.W. played along, adopting a stern expression. “It is, but you were doing more than that. You were daring me to stop you from going to your apartment. For some reason, you woke up looking for a fight. It looks like I’m going to do my part as your husband to help you spend some of that aggression.”
Handling her carefully, J.W. set her on her feet, holding her close as he adjusted the water temperature. Once he’d finished, he lifted her, anchoring her against the wall and slipping his cock into her hot pussy with a groan.
Her gasp of pleasure rippled through him, the feel of her wet and naked against his driving his passion higher. Holding her securely, he began pumping into her, shifting the hand at her bottom slightly to slip a finger into her ass. “It’s never enough. I can’t get close enough. I never stop wanting you.”
“J.W.!” She grabbed at him, the excitement in her voice driving him wild. “Harder. Stop being so gentle with me. I need more, too.”
Fisting a hand in her hair, he tilted her head back. “I’ll give you more.” He quickened his thrusts, lost in the feel of her.
Her scent.
Her softness.
Every stroke was like heaven, the feel of her pussy clenching on his cock and her ass on his finger building the pressure inside him.
The knowledge that she carried his child made taking her even more intense, filling him with a pleasure and satisfaction he’d never known existed.
Her cries of pleasure echoed off the walls of the shower, her body tightening against his as she came, calling out his name.
Holding on to her wet, slick body, he pumped faster, careful not to go too deep, the pressure inside him erupting in a rush of pleasure so intense that it made him weak in the knees.
Nothing felt as good as being inside her.
Nothing sounded as good as hearing her call his name with the little catch in her voice or on a sigh as she turned to him in the darkness.
He didn’t dare move for several minutes, not sure his knees would keep supporting him. Standing with her in his arms, he breathed her in, reveling in the little quivers running through her, quivers that made her clench on his cock and his finger.
Teasing both of them, he moved his finger in and out of her bottom in short, slow strokes, smiling when she moaned.
Gathering her closer, he stepped back to stand under the showerhead, burying his face against her throat. “I love you, baby. More than you can possibly imagine.”
“Oh, J.W.! I love you, too, so much that it scares me.” Her voice wobbled. “It never lasts long enough. I want the pleasure to last forever.”
J.W. eased his cock and finger free and set her on her feet, supporting her when she slumped against him. “It will, baby. It will. We’ve got the rest of our lives to fill with pleasure.”
Holding on to him, she lifted her head with a small smile. “I suppose this means you think you’ve won.”
Gathering her closer, he nuzzled her neck and slid a hand down to her ass. “It sure feels as if I have.”
Straightening, she ran a fingertip over his stomach, blinking against the spray. “Is this how I can expect you to act whenever I get mad at you?”
J.W. grinned, happier than he’d ever been. “It seems to work.”
* * * *
Laughing, Lana finished tucking in her shirt and looked up at J.W. as they left the bedroom and started down the hall to the kitchen. “Despite your efforts to distract me, I haven’t forgotten that you neatly arranged things with my apartment in a way—oh God!”
The scent of bacon hit her hard, making her stomach roll. Pushing away from J.W. in a panic, she slapped a hand over her mouth and rushed back through the bedroom to the bathroom and dropped to her knees in front of the toilet, where she was violently ill.
J.W. rushed after her, gripping her hair in his fist and rubbing her back. “Lana. Oh baby. What the hell?”
Mortified and weak, Lana slumped. “Get out. Please go away. I hate you seeing me like this.”
“No.” Wetting a washcloth, he wiped her face, his eyes dark with concern. “That’s my baby you’re carrying. We’re in this together. If you start getting embarrassed about little things like this, you and I are going to have a problem.” Holding her against him, he studied her features. “You’re white as a sheet.” With a curse, he tossed the washcloth into the sink. “I shouldn’t have taken you this morning. I was too rough. We need to get you to the doctor.”
“No.” Lana struggled to sit up, grateful for J.W.’s support. “It was the bacon.”
“Bacon?” J.W. lifted her chin, his eyes narrowed. “You love bacon, baby. I usually have to fight you to get a piece.”
Just the thought of eating a slice of bacon made her stomach roll again. “Well, the baby obviously doesn’t like it. Oh God. The smell’s coming in here. I’ve got to get out of here.”
J.W. scooped her up from the floor with apparent ease and lifted her high against his chest. “Hang on, baby.” He strode from the bathroom and through the bedroom to the French doors, flinging them open and carrying her outside. Lowering her to the cushioned seat at the table, he nuzzled her temple. “I’ll get you some of that herbal tea the doctor recommended. It should help your stomach.”
Lana nodded and swallowed heavily. “Can I please have some toast?”
“Of course, baby. You can have anything you want.”
“I don’t know what happened. As soon as I smelled the bacon…” Her stomach rolled again. “God, I can’t even say the word.”
J.W. chuckled softly and laid a protective hand over her abdomen. “He apparently doesn’t like bacon.”
“You don’t have to look so happy about it.”
Kneeling beside her, J.W. wrapped his arms around her and leaned close, his eyes dark with emotion. “I’m not happy that you’re not feeling well, but I have to admit that it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to know that my child is making his presence known inside you.”
Lifting a brow, Lana smiled, blinking back tears. She’d never known she could be so happy. “His?”
Nodding once, J.W. got to his feet. “His. Our future daughters need a big brother to keep an eye on them.”
Amused, Lana leaned back and turned, lifting a brow. “Have I mentioned that you’re a chauvinist?”
J.W.
grinned and tweaked her nose. “Once or twice. Now stay put while I go get your tea and toast.” He ran a hand over her hair and glanced up when two of the ranch hands rode by and nodded to him. “I’m also going to call your parents and my mother and tell them that you’ll be a little late. I think just getting your personal effects out of there is enough for now. We’ll get the heavier things when you decide what to do with them.”
“But J.W.!”
“No. I’m not going to have furniture brought in only to move it again because you don’t like where we put it. Besides, you’re going to be busy putting your things away in the master bedroom. I want that done first.”
* * * *
Lana shook her head and inserted her key into the lock of her apartment door. “It was nothing. Really. I promise you that I’m fine. It was just the smell of bacon.” Pushing the door open, she smiled at J.W.’s mother. “Your son is a worrier.”
Her mother-in-law smiled in return. “He has been ever since his father’s first heart attack. He’s not happy unless he’s handling everyone. The problem is he’s arrogant about it because he knows he’s good at it.”
“Concern for his family and arrogance are good traits in a man.” Lana’s father stepped back and let Lana, Lenore, and Lana’s mother precede him into the apartment. “He’s a man who takes care of—”
Entering the apartment, Lana came to an abrupt halt, hardly believing what she saw. She gasped in horror and then found it difficult to breathe at all. From behind her, the gasps of her mother and mother-in-law seconds later were followed by an uncharacteristic string of curses from her father.
The four of them just stood there for several long seconds, taking in the destruction.
Most of her furniture had been destroyed, and it looked as if a wild animal had attacked it. Her sofa had been slashed in several places, the stuffing from it and her colorful pillows scattered all over the place. Her coffee table and end tables had been tossed aside, the wood splintered and several legs broken.