“The baby hates them. Every flavor. I get nauseous even looking at them.” Veda pouted at the bag, wondering how she was going to make it to the end of her pregnancy without her beloved Blow Pops.
Her phone buzzed next to the bag, and Veda leaned over and snatched it up, heart squeezing when she looked at the display.
“It’s Gage.” Her wide eyes met Hope’s. “We haven’t talked since we slept together.”
“Be cool.”
“Hello?” Veda answered, voice helium high and shaking.
Hope rolled her eyes, mouthing, “Not cool.”
Gage’s buttery voice floated through the receiver, entered Veda’s body, and warmed it from head to toe. It centered her world. It sent her body awash with light. She found herself instantly terrified at the thought of losing that light forever.
“I need to see you,” he said.
She drew in a breath. “I’m home.”
“Twenty minutes.” He hung up without another word.
Veda stared at the phone stupidly, mumbling. “He’s coming over.”
“It’s eleven o’clock at night.”
She looked at Hope. “So?”
Hope tilted her head like she was observing a toddler learning to crawl. “Veda, listen to me. If you really want that trust-fund baby back in your life? If you really want that ring back on your finger? Do not let him make you his booty call.”
“It’s not like that—”
“It’s eleven o’clock at night. No man calls at eleven at night, asking to come over, if it’s not a booty call. Especially not one who’s as angry with you as he is.”
“But—”
“Do not bust it open for him. Do you hear me?” Hope spoke in slow sentences. “Do. Not. Sleep. With. Him.”
——
Twenty minutes later, after a knock on her front door, Veda begged for strength as she pulled it open and locked eyes with Gage.
A long-sleeved black shirt hugged his muscular arms along with the charcoal grey pants on his rock solid legs. The sight of him took her breath away. He was freshly showered—his scent assaulted her more relentlessly than ever before, reminding her of the days they spent every night together. Nights when he’d crawl into bed after a shower and immediately get to work undoing his freshly cleansed body by performing the dirtiest deeds on her.
Deeds that left his plush pink lips submerged in her pussy, which clenched at the very sight of him. Deeds that left his long, thick fingers covered in her cum as they found all her hot spots with ease, leaving her a convulsing mess around his hand. Deeds that left the very bulge that tented his pants right then, pounding her G-spot tenaciously, hitting it a little harder with each ardent thrust.
Veda drew in a breath, lifting her eyes from his strained zipper and meeting his hooded gaze. She knew instantly, the moment their eyes met, that his thoughts weren’t far removed from the ones blasting through her.
She gripped the door so tightly she nearly split the wood.
Do not have sex with him.
“Hey, you,” she whispered, her tone sultry without trying to be. She stepped away from the door, motioning him in with a trembling hand.
He never broke their gaze as he stepped into the foyer, craning his neck to hold her eyes as he passed, giving her room to close the door.
Veda laid her forehead against the door after closing and locking it, replaying the words in her head.
Do not have sex with him.
She made a silent agreement with herself before swiveling to face him. “Gage, I think we should talk—”
She gasped at how close he was, his chest less than an inch away, his back bent as he leaned into her. She didn’t even realize she’d parted her lips for his until she was sucking the bottom one into her mouth with a whimper.
They gasped into a soft kiss, her drawing his plush bottom lip between hers and him suckling gently at her top, both frowning softly when their lips parted with a smack.
Veda lifted her wide eyes and found his shut tight.
Slowly, his dark brown orbs blinked open. They searched hers. He cupped her jaw. His thumbs stroked her cheeks. The tip of his nose brushed hers softly.
He frowned at her, and then his eyes were closed once more, even tighter than before. He angled their noses and laid his forehead against hers, his breathing strong and hard, fingers sinking into her curls. He tangled them in the strands and pulled her in.
Veda came to her toes and caught his next kiss, this one hot with the soft sweep of his tongue.
He took the kiss, took control, took her.
Do not have sex with him.
Gage spread his lips, tilting his head, deepening the kiss with a scratchy moan.
As her trembling fingers stroked his taut chest, his greedy fingers traveled down her back, coming to a languid stop on her ass. Spreading his digits wide, he clawed at the soft globes, squeezing, his long fingers covering so much ground the tips of them brushed her aching entrance.
You’re not his late night booty call.
Trapping her lips between his, refusing to break the kiss, Gage bent his knees, dug his fingers into the softness of her ass, and stood tall, sweeping her feet off the floor.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and locked her ankles tight, her arms slinging around his strong shoulders as the kiss grew wild and desperate, unwilling to find the words to stop him—or herself—as he carried her to the bedroom.
21
“Oh, Jesus, Veda—Jesus.” Gage thrust fiercely, spreading his lips wide over her neck from behind, warming the sensitive skin with his pained moans as he filled her to the hilt with a hit that made her scream.
The power behind his thrusts forced Veda’s legs apart, even wider than they already were. Her back arched, body rolling with one amazing, unbearable, toe curling tingle after another, leaving her unable to even scream—her throat reduced to helpless whimpers. Arms lifted high over her head, she dug her nails deeper into his silky hair, giving herself leverage as his pounds grew fast and desperate. Her whimpers joined his strangled moans and reached all the way to her bedroom ceiling, mixing with the squeak of her bed, accompanying every solid strike of his hips.
Her back slipped and slid against the sweat that had accumulated on his hard chest, but he kept her in place with the strong arm slung across her breasts, holding her writhing body tightly to his while twisting her nipple between his fingers. Shot after shot of pleasure zoomed through her as the smack of his dick inside her—and his lips assaulting her neck—filled the air. The sensation he awoke with the hot kisses on her neck, the gentle twist of her aching nipple, and each ferocious pound of his column spreading her wide left her a heaving mess.
Her slow descent into madness was only compounded by his other arm. The one wrapped around her hips, leading to the arrow-sharp fingers that caressed her throbbing clit in rapid circles, lighting fire to the pounding bud and her G-Spot all at once.
Encased in his arms, lost in the pleasure, Veda could only gasp wildly as her eyes fell down her own sweat-slicked body. Down to her legs, spread wide for the hardness that moved in and out of her, gleaming a little brighter with their love each time, slippery with the evidence of their desire. They both gasped when his dick suddenly popped out of her, and Veda’s hand shot down in a flash, reclaiming it with thirsty fingers, his member so wet with their passion that she struggled to hold it steady as she guided the tip back to her aching center. The need to have him back inside her helped her maintain control, and her head collapsed back onto his shoulder as he finished the job for her, lifting his lips and filling her once more.
“Yes,” she purred, tugging at the hair still tangled between her fingers, tilting her head to the side to expose more of her neck. More of the skin that tingled for the softness of his lips. The damp warmth of his tongue. She pushed her hips down with every thrust he sent up, their bodies working together to defuse the fire that raged between them, barreling blindly toward a peak they could only experience as one
.
Her eyes fluttered shut at the familiar ball curling tight in her stomach, thanking God that she was encased in her strong arms, because as that ball exploded, sending seismic waves of pleasure shooting over every inch of her body, her bones went numb. Her body slackened, including her throat, which couldn’t even produce a scream as she came.
“I love you, Gage.” The moment those words left her mouth, Veda swore his dick swelled inside her. Grew twice as big. Twice as hard. Twice as fierce. Even his groans grew more powerful.
Her heart swelled with just as much ferocity as her pussy, squeezing his hardness as she came, and she longed to hear the words back. She tugged at his hair as if she could pull the words from there. She turned her head and drew his lips into a fervent kiss as if she could draw them from his mouth. She clenched her walls tight as if her pussy could steal the words from his gasping throat.
But nothing came. Nothing but the strength of his kiss as his groans moved to whimpers, the tightness of his hold on her breast as he cupped it completely, and the stillness of his fingers on her clit as own his orgasm left him immobilized, unable to focus on any muscle in his body but his twitching dick.
Holding her body steady, he pulled out until just the tip remained inside, and in seconds he’d lost control, the shaft jerking as he filled her with his peak.
Veda licked her swollen lips, chest heaving in time with his, legs splayed for him as he finished, fingers now stroking his hair instead of pulling it, smiling softly at the guttural moan that wafted from his lips as he finished.
Making a pained sound, he reached down and pulled himself out of her, his softening member slapping against his stomach. When he collapsed, spent, he brought Veda with him, still cupping her breast in his greedy hand.
They lay together, immersed in silence, watching the ceiling fan spinning overhead. Falling into the simple act of breathing, they patiently waited for their amazed gasps to slow and soften. Until their breaths came normally once more.
Veda’s hands fell to cover his, at her breast and her pussy, where he still stroked her soaked lips with the pads of his fingers.
Her heart clenched with both love and fear. Fear that, at any second, he’d gently guide her off of him. Get dressed. Leave.
That fear was so real, it drove a gasp up her throat, and the words she didn’t want to say spilled from her lips. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything.”
She held her breath, pushing her eyes shut.
Silence.
Then, he tightened his arms, hugging her from behind.
Veda clutched her arms around his, hugging him back as best she could.
But when he turned and put them on their sides, her heart stopped.
She knew what was coming.
She knew he wasn’t laying her down so he could spoon her and fall asleep with her wrapped in his arms, the way he always used to. Still, when she felt it—the feeling of him curling in close, arms tightening around her from behind—every bone in her body screamed for more. She couldn’t remember ever wanting a man to stay exactly where he was more than she did right then. With Gage cuddled up to her. Making a safe little nook out of his big arms. Letting her curl into that nook, knowing nothing bad would ever penetrate it. Nothing evil. Nothing dark.
But he didn’t.
He slowly pulled his arms from around her body, even as she dug her nails into his skin to stop him.
Veda turned her head, watching as he moved to the edge of the bed. The deep lines of his back flirted with the moonlight spilling into the curtains. His spine bent forward as he buried his head in his hands, making the muscles of his back shift beautifully, like a symphony.
Then, he leaned down. He sat back up with his boxers in his hands, holding them high so he could find the tag. Then he bent down to slide his legs inside, lifting his ass from the bed just enough to pull them on.
That one piece of clothing on his naked body sent Veda shooting up to her knees. She crawled across the bed as he bent down to retrieve his slacks next, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“You don’t have to go.” She feathered the strong wings on his back with kisses, moving her pecks up his neck, burying her nose in his hair, squeezing him tight. “Don’t get dressed. Don’t go. Stay. Please stay.”
He remained motionless, staring ahead. “I’ve got a long day tomorrow. The nurse practitioners are being rolled into orthopedics first thing. I need to be prepared.”
“You can prepare here.” She tried to keep her voice calm, level, removing her arms from around his waist, crawling alongside him so she could see his face. Her eyes ran his profile. She tried to smile but felt it shaking.
He stood so he could slide on his pants. Buckling them, he turned his head and met her eyes.
Veda’s heart stopped. “Gage, I love you.” And I’m pregnant.
A lump moved down his throat. His gaze fell to her lips. Her naked breasts. Her hands, with she clutched tightly in her lap. His eyes stayed down, and he went to speak but clapped his mouth shut before the words came, frowning softly.
“Can we at least talk for a little while?” I want to be a family. “It doesn’t have to be about us.” I’m a wreck, and our baby needs you. “We can talk about anything.” She felt the emotion burning her eyes manifesting themselves in her voice and tried to maintain control. “We can talk about the weather, or the Yankees, or what a disaster those new Ez-Meds machines are…”
The corners of his lips lifted softly.
“So many possibilities,” she smiled. “None of which involve you leaving.”
He kept his eyes lowered, licking his lips.
“We could talk about my Grandma Pearl… If you want to,” she whispered. “I know what you did for her. That was… really, really sweet. And you didn’t have to do it. But you did.” Her heart was splitting in two.
What have you done, Veda?
He lifted his eyes to hers, and then bent down, taking the tip of her chin between his thumb and forefinger.
Veda leaned in when he tugged because she had no choice. Her body moved against orders from her mind, and she found her bottom lip suckled between his, followed by the tip of his tongue wetting her top lip. His delicious flavor filled every inch of her, his essence following each gentle peck.
He pulled back, stared at her lips, and then leaned in again.
Just when Veda was sure he was done, he stole another kiss from each lip, the top then the bottom, over and over. In some instances, he paid more attention to one lip than the other, as if he couldn’t decide which he enjoyed more. The frown between his eyebrows deepened each time he broke a kiss. Deeper still each time he leaned in for more.
When he pulled back again, slowly lifting his darkened eyes to hers, searching her gaze, Veda was ready with her mouth parted. Ready for his lips to come back to hers for one last taste.
But he straightened instead, releasing her chin and standing tall.
The gasp that left her nearly sealed her lungs together.
He finished dressing, seizing his shirt from the floor and tugging it on before meeting her eyes. His chest rose. “Goodnight, Veda.”
Veda’s eyes fell, and she curled her arms around her body, unable to look back up at him. “Goodnight.”
His stomps shook the floors, and since she couldn’t bring herself to watch him go, she assumed they were headed for her front door. So when the softness of his lips suddenly warmed her forehead, her heart—the heart she’d believed had already shattered to pieces—put itself back together just so it could shatter all over again.
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to look up. To let him see her shattered heart manifesting itself through the moisture gleaming in her eyes.
This time, his stomps did lead to the door. Out of her room. Across her living area. The creak of her front door opening floated through. The click of the bottom lock. The boom of the door as he closed it behind him with a little more force than necessary.
And Veda collaps
ed onto her bed, burying her nose and mouth into her pillow, unable to stop the heartsick cry that flew from her lips the moment she was down.
22
“Ummm, excuse me? Waitress?”
“Waitress?”
“Waitress!”
Veda rolled her eyes as the screams from her tables—filled to the hilt with the impatient customers—grew more shrill every second, annihilating her from behind. She thanked God her morning sickness had finally passed, otherwise, she’d surely be fighting to withhold a marathon puking session right then.
“Fuck my life.” She glared at the Micros screen before her, utterly baffled. Every table at Dante’s was jammed packed that night. Music, laughter, and scattered conversation filled the air with short-lived ease. Veda knew that ease would be short-lived because her tables were beginning to realize they were being neglected. That their waitress was incompetent. She knew for a fact that she’d already screwed up one table’s order, but didn’t have the balls to raise the subject with the patrons or the cranky chef in the back. Some part of her prayed that the problem would magically fix itself.
“Fuck, shit, balls…” She nibbled the corner of her lip, and her finger lingered over the Micros screen, unable to locate the button she needed.
“It’s your first day.” Dante’s deep voice warmed her ear from behind, and her shoulders relaxed. He had the kind of voice that always had a smile lingering underneath, always kind and calm, easing even the stormiest heart.
He reached past her with a chuckle, and his fingers navigated over the touch screen with the ease of a seasoned pro, somehow knowing exactly what she needed without her having to ask.
Veda exhaled when the check she’d been struggling to print came zooming out of the machine, turning to smile up at Dante. “Thank you, Dante. Please don’t fire me.”
Yearn (Revenge Book 4) Page 17