by Kendall Ryan
With my free hand, I gripped the paper inside the envelope.
“Okay. We’re—”
“Wait! Stop!” Bren practically screeched, and I turned to look at her, my heart thundering.
“Jesus, what? What’s wrong?”
“I’m not ready. I don’t want to know.” She shook her head. “You were right. This whole time. You were right. We need to give this a chance regardless of the baby and without fear holding me back.”
A slight smile tugged on my lips. “But the uncertainty. You said—”
“I know what I said, but first tell me, what are we? Are we together?”
I nodded. “That would be my choice.”
She swallowed hard, not meeting my gaze as she spoke. “Mine too.”
“So we are,” I said simply. “We’re together.” I folded the envelope, tucked it back in my pocket, and then leaned down to cup Bren’s chin. “I’ll follow your lead with this baby and you let me know when you change your mind, okay?”
She nodded, and then I closed my lips over hers, savoring the rush of pure need that flooded my body whenever I touched her.
“You make me happy, Bren. Being with you makes me happy,” I whispered. She rose on tiptoe to kiss me again, softer this time, and she stroked my jaw as she moved, brushing my stubble with her palm.
“You make me happy too,” she whispered, and I kissed her again, weaving my fingers through her hair until she sighed against my mouth, letting my tongue slip between her lips to tease her.
Gently I stroked her tongue, coaxing another little moan from her as I wrapped my other hand around her waist and pulled her closer to me, until her body was flush with my own and she could feel the hard length of my need.
With every passing moment, every deep breath of her sweet, sweet perfume, that need grew stronger, until it threatened to gallop out of control. Even in the space of an instant, I found myself aching to be with her again, throbbing with the need to feel her tight and warm around me.
But first, I needed to show her exactly how happy she made me.
“Where’s the bedroom?” I groaned.
She pulled away for a moment, her eyes hazy, and she pointed to the door on the far side of the room. “Do you have a condom?” she asked.
I nodded. I always kept one in my wallet for emergencies. “I have one. Just in case,” I said, and then I took her hand and led her into the small, cluttered bedroom. Once inside, she wasted no time in stripping off her clothes, ripping her shirt over her head with so much force it sent her hair cascading down her back.
“Slowly,” I said, taking another step toward her and gripping her waist. “Unless you want me to do it for you?”
I trailed my fingers along the smooth outline of her spine, then found the clasp of her bra.
I might have been exposed to the female form every day in my line of work, but that didn’t make my moments with Bren any less special. I knew it took a lot for her to share her body with me.
With a quick flick of the wrist, I released her from the confines of her bra and moved to rub the sensitive swell of her breasts and stroke the pretty tips of her nipples.
“Beautiful,” I murmured, and she grinned at me.
“You’re not being fair. You still have your clothes on.”
“Then let me level the playing field.” Releasing her nipple, I gripped the hem of my shirt and dragged it over my head, letting it fall onto the floor with her clothes. Then, slowly, I reached for my jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping them in short order before dragging them down to my ankles along with my boxers.
As I stepped from my clothes, I heard her let out a little gasp, and I grinned. “You all right?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know how I keep forgetting.”
“What’s that?” I reached for her pants, undoing them like I had my own, trying not to drown in the scent of her and the weight of my own need.
“How…big you are.”
I grinned. “We both know how well you handle it, gorgeous. It’s going to be so good.”
She wet her lips and then hooked her thumbs under the slender strip of lace that held up her panties, ready to drag them off and show me the narrow trail of down that led to the place I longed to see most.
But then, just as she was about to step from her clothes, she started to sink to her knees in front of me.
“No,” I said, my voice more coarse than I’d expected. I couldn’t let her do that—not because I didn’t want her to. I wanted to feel her mouth around me more than almost anything in the world. But today wasn’t about me. It was all for Bren.
“Get on the bed,” I commanded. “And spread your legs for me. I want to look at you.”
She gazed up at me, her eyes wide, and for a moment I thought she might argue, but then she straightened and pushed aside her tangled sheets, making room for herself on the mattress.
When she lay there, her knees spread apart so I could see her sweet pink center, I stared for a long moment, my mouth watering, and shook my head. “Damn, you’re so fucking perfect,” I muttered as a pretty pink blush overtook her cheeks.
“I want you. I want to feel you inside me,” she whispered, parting her knees to lure me even closer.
I fought the desire to give in, to slide forward and take her hard and fast, as I shook my head again. “Not yet.”
Making my way to the edge of the bed, I commanded her to scoot toward me, and then I sank onto my knees until my mouth was level with her body. Slowly, gently, I kissed the insides of her knees, licking my way along the silky skin of her inner thighs until she shivered and writhed at my touch. My cock swelled as goose bumps lit up her flesh, a visual cue that she wanted me as badly as I wanted her right now.
“Mason,” she called, tugging at my wrist. “Please,” she panted, “I need you.”
And that might have been true. But I wasn’t giving in—not yet. I knew about the female anatomy. I knew that less was more, and women required gentler touches than men. And I wanted her nice and wet when I finally sank inside her.
When I was done with my teasing, I stroked her swollen core with my thumb, focusing on the rise and fall of her breasts as she took short, frantic breaths. She was so slick, so welcoming, it was like torture to deny her.
“You’re trying to kill me,” she said.
I blew out a harsh laugh and prayed for patience. “You have no idea. This is as hard on me as it is on you.”
She leaned up to meet my gaze, but the heat behind her eyes told me everything I needed to know. Massaging her thighs again, I leaned down and licked her soft pink folds, dragging my tongue along her slit until I found the tight bundle of nerves I was seeking.
Slowly I circled her center. She dropped back into the mattress, pulsing against my mouth almost involuntarily as I sucked and licked and rolled my tongue in time with every little quake of her body.
“Mason, please,” she cried, arching toward me, driving her fingers into my hair. “Please.”
But it was all too good. Pushing one finger inside her waiting channel, I pistoned inside her, feeling her tighten and quake as she ground into my finger, my mouth, working herself against me to slake her need.
“I’m going to come,” she moaned. “I want you to feel me. Please, please, I want you to.”
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
Something inside me snapped and, still teasing her with my tongue, I fumbled for the condom on the floor and quickly rolled it over my aching, throbbing shaft.
“Yes,” she breathed. “Hurry, please.”
So I did. Grasping her hips, I rose to my feet and pulled her onto my length, plunging myself hard and deep until I was buried to the hilt. There was no denying what she’d said was true—she was close. Right on the edge. So tight, and so perfect. I could feel her walls fluttering all around me already. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath before I began my steady, rhythmic thrusts. Moving slower than I wanted to, but wanting her to feel every firm inch of
me.
“You feel so good,” she moaned, and I stared down at her, knowing that I could never explain in words exactly how good she felt. It was like the end of a thousand days of winter to be inside her again. She set me on fire.
“Touch yourself for me, baby,” I commanded hoarsely, and as her hand dropped between her thighs, I watched her fingers toy with the space my tongue had been only moments ago.
“Yeah, that’s it,” I praised her. “Now tell me how good it feels.”
“It feels amazing. It feels like…” She shook her head, but I knew what she meant. There were no words. She let out a low moan.
Her walls tightened around me, and though I wanted to spend all night inside her, the call of her body was simply too strong. Watching her breasts bounce as I moved, her hand working her sensitive bud, I was hovering closer and closer to the edge. As my balls drew up, I knew there was no choice left.
Gripping her hips harder, I moved inside her with everything I had, thrusting in and out with quick, needy bursts. She gasped, gripping the sheet beneath her as she moaned my name.
“Mason, Mason, I’m going to come,” she said.
“Then come for me, baby,” I growled.
She wasted no time. Her walls squeezed me so tight I saw stars and I held her hips tighter, afraid that I would be swept away by the sheer power of her orgasm. But before I could focus on her for too long, I broke apart myself. Euphoria spread through my body, making me lose all sense of self.
My mouth dropped open and I pushed into her as I came with her, working her body for every last drop of pleasure before finally releasing her and collapsing onto the bed beside her.
Chapter Nineteen
Bren
“That big bag of candy is sounding awfully good right about now.”
Mason chuckled at me from the bed.
I pulled on my pants, then turned around to look at Mason, still lying against my pillow and staring at me with those penetrating blue eyes of his. I was still scared shitless, but with every touch and every minute we spent together, I was starting to wonder if maybe it really could be this good with someone. This easy…
“Hungry?” he asked, but in response his own stomach rumbled.
I laughed.
“I guess it is about time for it,” he said, glancing at the digital clock on my nightstand. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed and swung his feet to the floor.
“No, don’t get up.” I yanked my shirt over my head and then rushed toward him. “Stay naked and we can order a pizza and eat in bed.”
Something about leaving this space and the cocoon of my room made me feel angsty. Like it might break the spell or pop the little bubble of happiness I was living in.
“I can get naked again whenever you need me to,” he said. “But if you’re not staying naked while we wait for the delivery guy, then I’m not either.” The mattress springs creaked as he got up and grabbed his pants. As he shoved his legs into his jeans, he glanced down at the floor, and I followed his gaze to find that the ripped white envelope had fallen out of his pocket.
“Yeah,” I said, swallowing past the growing tension in the room. Damn. For that hour there, I’d nearly forgotten all about that little white piece of paper.
Liar.
“You’re right,” I said, suddenly feeling like I was in a prison cell instead of a cocoon. “It might be good to get some food outside the house. There’s a pizza place around the corner open if you don’t mind my wearing this.”
He shook his head. “Not at all.”
Inwardly, I let out a little sigh as he pulled his shirt back on, hiding his contoured abs from view.
“All right, I’ll grab my purse.” Finding it in its usual spot, I took my clutch and led the way from the apartment building down to the row of little shops around the corner.
“There’s a river not far from here. It’s beautiful in the spring. One of the only places in the city where you can still fish.”
“You fish?” He raised his eyebrows and I nodded.
I opened my mouth and closed it. Then, thinking of what Mandy had said, I started again. “My, um, my dad and I used to go on fishing trips when I was little. He’s the one who taught me.”
“That sounds like a nice memory. Do you still go?”
My throat went dry. “No.”
That seemed like enough sharing for now. For a second I wanted to pat myself on the back, but I knew, even in my own warped mind, that wasn’t nearly enough.
We walked into the building and, lucky for me, Mason’s attention was captured by the glowing neon sign listing the restaurant’s specials. In a matter of seconds, a waitress appeared and led us to a table with windows that overlooked the river I’d been talking about.
“Seems like we’re destined to eat on the water,” I said. “First the golf course, now here.”
Mason nodded. “I like it. It’s…romantic.”
Less romantic was the pile of appetizers we got—a mountain of fried goodness that was destined to make us feel awful for days to come. Still, I couldn’t help but inwardly squeal at the thought of lots and lots of garlic knots dipped in spicy marinara.
Was that a pregnancy craving, or just a garden-variety craving? My thoughts tripped back to the white envelope and my throat went tight.
“So.” He eyed me warily, and I cut in.
“What is it? What’s the matter?” I asked, almost paranoid that he could read my thoughts.
He shook his head. “Nothing, nothing. I just… I kind of want to talk about the baby. If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind.” I shrugged, sort of relieved I wasn’t alone in this. “I think about her a lot.”
“Her?” he asked, cocking a brow my way.
I slapped my hand over my mouth. “Oh my gosh,” I murmured. “I didn’t even realize. I mean, I’ve sort of been calling her a girl in my head.”
“Does it feel like a girl?” he asked softly. “Have you been having symptoms?”
A rush of heat flooded to my cheeks. “I wasn’t going to tell you, but I have been having some, definitely not a lot, but a few symptoms.”
“Like what?” he asked, sipping on his soda.
“Well.” I cleared my throat. “My, uh, breasts? They’ve been really tender. And I also, maybe, have an increased libido. Possibly,” I added, my cheeks flaming.
His mouth spread into a wolf’s grin, and for a moment I wondered whether he was proud of himself for amping up my sex drive or if the idea that this baby might be real was too much for him to hold inside. Whatever the case, though, I found myself beaming back.
I grabbed a mozzarella stick and a knot of buttery bread.
“Have you had any cravings?” he asked.
“Well, I’m dying for these garlic knots,” I said. “I don’t know what counts as a craving, though. My mother ate lemons whole when she was pregnant with me.”
“Are you serious?” he asked with a chuckle. “I’ve heard some women tell me whacky things, but I don’t recall hearing that one before.”
I nodded. “Dead serious. My dad brought home limes because the store was out of lemons once and she chucked them at his head until he went to another store and found some.”
“That’s intense,” Mason said. “So are you telling me I should get a helmet just in case?” he teased.
“Couldn’t hurt,” I said with a laugh. “But, yeah, if that’s the response to a craving, then, no. I don’t feel the urge to pelt you with food.”
“Are you sure? Because I’ll duck.”
“Don’t you dare. If I’m carrying your baby, you’d better let me hit you with all the garlic knots I want.”
His smile warmed and sent a thrill through me. “Okay, fine. Deal.”
“Deal.” I nodded, then picked up a garlic knot and tossed it at him.
He snagged it out of thin air without even blinking and I gasped.
“I can read you like a book,” he said before taking a triumphant bite.
&n
bsp; That may be true and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
“I guess I just have to use the element of surprise next time.” I shrugged and then took a bite of my own food.
When Mason finished chewing, he said, “So, you think about her a lot?”
“I do.” I nodded.
“What do you think about?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I guess I sort of think about what her nursery would look like and what kinds of things we could do together as she gets older. Teaching her to walk.”
“And fish,” Mason added, and my heart broke a little bit.
I had thought about that. Often. And I still hadn’t decided if it would break my heart to do it without my dad there or help me heal some.
“Yes, and fish,” I said quietly.
“Do you think you’re going to be an overly protective mom?”
“Why? You planning on taking her skydiving?”
“Not until she’s at least fifteen.”
“Eighteen,” I countered.
“Eighteen, then. No, I was thinking of teaching her to work on cars and how to ride horses.”
“You ride horses?” I asked.
He nodded. “I have cousins in Montana who own a ranch. I used to go there every summer to help out. My parents thought it was important that I get a full sense of the world.”
“Well, anything with animals is okay in my book,” I said. “Just don’t let her treat your patients or anything until after medical school.”
“We’ve decided on medical school for her already?” he asked with a laugh.
“It’s the family business,” I shrugged. “It seems likely, don’t you think? Plus, on her first Halloween we can get her tiny scrubs and a little stethoscope. How cute would that be?”
“You really have been thinking about this a lot, huh?” he asked softly.
I nodded. “A lot. And I want what’s best for us. Which is why…when we’re done here, I think we ought to go back to my place and find out what’s inside that envelope. I’m being a chickenshit and it’s time to rip this Band-Aid off once and for all.”
He nodded encouragingly. “I think that’s the right thing to do.”