With My Whole Heart

by MariaLisa deMora

  ***

  Connor

  “You ever gonna tell her?” Cooper’s voice was quiet, and since he’d already said Marie and Sam were sleeping, that was to be expected. “You know, what you did?”

  “Probably.” Connor lifted his beer and took a pull. “Yeah, definitely. After we’ve been married about five years. That oughta be just enough time to have her forever tied to me.”

  Cooper laughed softly. “Sarah said she wanted to argue the money. I swear, Jaime would almost be happier if she were just doing this because she and Marie are friends.”

  “She said as much tonight. Said she feels like a fraud, because she might have started because she needed the money, but she’s entirely about the fact that she’s helping the two of you now.” Connor sighed. “I love her, Coop.”

  “I know you do, little brother. You tell her yet?”

  Connor smiled. “Yeah. Dad said to follow my heart. So I did.”

  “She leave ya hangin’?”

  “Not a bit of it. My girl caught me and gave it right back to me.” Connor finished the beer, staring at the TV he’d muted when the phone rang. “We get this surrogate thing done, and I’m asking her to marry me. Won’t be giving her months to get ready, either. She pops your kid out and I’m hauling her ass to Vegas. I’ll propose in front of Elvis, and he can do the honors before she cottons on to what I’m saying.”

  Cooper laughed. “I’m glad you got that, bro.”

  “Me, too, man.” Connor smiled. “Me, too.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jaime

  She stood at the kitchen sink, chin to her chest, looking down at her hand resting on her still-flat belly. Tonight, she thought, and smiled. Nate would be heading home with a friend after school to spend the weekend. Connor didn’t have any games or practices until Monday. They had two nights together, and she had the doctor’s official approval, with the caveat they not do anything too strenuous. Jaime’s smile widened into a grin. Two nights.

  As if on cue, her phone rang and the display said, Connor calling …

  “Hey there,” she said when she answered. “How was school today?”

  “Good as it can be with hundreds of insolent future leaders of our nation all planning their takeover coup.” The humor in his tone belied his words, and she laughed. “Don’t laugh. I caught three of the senior boys passing a tablet back and forth. They were using mapping software to work through the best and easiest way to drive to Nashville and back without their parents knowing. Seems one of them got invited to a frat party, planning on being the early kid on campus, I guess.” Connor chuckled. “Not sure who looked more disappointed the weekend plans were waylaid, the parents or the kids.”

  “Wow,” she breathed, “I’m going to go out on a limb and say the parents. Are you coming over soon?” Like now? She smiled at her thoughts.

  “I’m on my way, baby. Be there in ten.” His voice was soft with a smile, and when he continued speaking, an edge of rough crept in. “You got plans tonight?”

  “Every plan I have in my head begins and ends with you.” Before Connor, she would never have been so bold, never have put herself out there with a statement like that. Once again, he proved she didn’t have anything to worry about, responding in kind.

  “God, I love when you say things like that. I can’t wait to touch you,” his voice sounded like it was filled with gravel, “and taste you.”

  “Drive safely,” she whispered.

  “On my way,” he confirmed. “See you soon.”

  “See you soon.”

  Knowing he was only minutes away sent her into a flurry of activity as she straightened the living room and kitchen, quickly tidying some of Nate’s things, and putting away the clean dishes. She took the lid off the slow cooker where she had a whole chicken along with vegetables, testing the doneness of the potatoes and turning down the cooker. That was where she was when she heard Connor’s key in the door.

  Standing at the kitchen counter, she remembered the first night Connor had come into the apartment using that key. She hadn’t given it to him, Nate had, which was the biggest act of implied approval she’d ever heard of. Afterwards, Nate had been cool about it, but let her know in no uncertain terms that he expected Connor would be over a lot. “We’re on the couch and he gets home from school, we could spill the popcorn getting up to let him in,” Nate told her with a grin. “This way Coach sets the stage for his own entrance.”

  “God.” The rasping tone hadn’t left his voice during the drive; if anything it was deeper, rougher. Chin over her shoulder, she watched him stalking across the room towards her. He came up behind her, fitting himself to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, tugging her against his front. “I can’t believe my luck.” Mouth to the side of her neck, he kissed and nibbled the tendon exposed when she arched her neck, offering him better access. “A woman as hot and sexy as you—” The kisses trailed up her neck to her ear, and latching onto her earlobe with his teeth, he tugged before whispering, “all mine.”

  She didn’t know when she’d caught her lip between her teeth, but it took blowing a deep breath out before she could release her hold to answer. “Hi, Connor.”

  Mouth to her neck again, he murmured, “Hi, Jaime.” His arms gave her a squeeze before one of them relaxed, his hand slipping up her side, thumb caressing the underswell of her breast, a slow back and forth that quickly built a fire inside her. “Miss me, honey?”

  Nodding, she tipped her head back against his shoulder. His other arm moved south, and his big hand cupped her hip, tugging her tightly against him as he arched into her, his hot erection pushing and straining, cradled between the cheeks of her ass.

  “Too fast to move this straight to the bedroom?” He kissed the hinge of her jaw and she lifted her head, meeting his mouth and opening for him. Turning in his arms, she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, rising up on her toes to offer him more. His palms slid down and cupped her ass, the hard brand of his cock pressing against her belly. A moment later he was walking her backwards towards the bedroom door, mouth never leaving hers.

  In the dimly-lit bedroom, he took his time undressing her, fingers and mouth covering every inch of skin he exposed, branding her with his touch. When she was bare before him, he threaded his fingers between hers, pulling her arms around him and placing her hands low against his back as he bent his head, fitting his mouth to hers in a long, deep, wet kiss. A soul-searing kiss, one that seemed to go on forever, but didn’t last nearly long enough. His hands came up from where they rested on her waist, skimming up her sides until he cradled her face between his palms. Pulling back, he stared down into her eyes, and she shivered at his expression. Intense, and focused, his eyes were dark with arousal.

  “I love you, Jaime.”

  The moment held and stretched, and, voice stolen by the powerful emotion gripping her, she mouthed the words back at him, “I love you, Connor.”

  Then his clothes were off, strewn around the room in much the same fashion hers were, and he was laying her back against the mattress, stretching out beside her. Propped up on an elbow, he leaned over and kissed her, closed mouth at first, firm, as if he were impressing himself on her. Then he teased along her bottom lip with his tongue, and she opened, while the kiss blazed up and out of control. Delving into her mouth, he tangled his tongue with hers, stroking and twisting, teeth nipping. His hand landed on the inside of her knee and he curled his fingers around, tugging up and to the side, letting her thigh rest against his hip. Opened like that, she had no defense against his touch, groaning when he slid his hot palm up her thigh to cover her center. With the heel of his hand resting just above her clit, his fingers slipped and slid through her folds, teasing her opening, circling while he applied pressure, all while he deepened the kiss, eating down her moans.

  She lifted a hand, cradling the back of his head, fingers exploring there as his were below. She traced the whirls of his ear, felt the silky texture of his hair slipping bet
ween her fingers, scratched lightly at his scalp. Nipping at his bottom lip, she pulled a groan out of him and smiled against his mouth when his hips jerked, his hard cock bouncing against her hip where she pressed against him.

  She pulled back and he lifted a fraction of an inch, staring into her eyes as his hand continued its gentle torture. Fingers threaded through his hair, she held his gaze, waiting. Lifting her hips, she urged him to do what she knew he wanted, had held back from during their time together. “Please,” she said on a breath, pumping up with her hips again. He stilled for a moment, then pressed one thick finger inside her and she heard herself groan, head arching back into the pillow.

  ***

  Connor

  Watching Jaime give herself over to him was the single hottest thing Connor had ever seen. Jesus, he thought, slowly driving his middle finger in and out of her scorching channel. She kept her hold on his hair, and the sweet sting of her pull on his scalp pushed him higher, made his dick impossibly harder. He bent his neck and kissed her, groaning when she met him halfway, as hungry for him as he was her.

  He’d been ready for her all day, ever since he got her text after the doctor visit this morning. Green means go. Yeah, go wasn’t a problem when he was lying in bed next to her, naked, skin-to-skin. Come, now that was a different story. Everything threatened too soon, and this was an event he wanted to savor.

  Teasing and circling her opening, he paired ring finger to middle one and slowly pushed both inside her, stretching and preparing her for him. They’d talked often over the past weeks as they kissed and petted, and he knew she hadn’t taken a lover for years, her life too busy with keeping hearth and home together for her son. Jaime had laughed hard one night while they were watching TV, some silly sitcom where the ditzy blonde lead was talking about revirginizing being a thing. Face buried against his chest in an effort to quiet her laughter, Jaime had choked out, “I’ve been revirginized.”

  Might as well be true, he thought, panting against her mouth at the sensation of her muscles clutching hungrily at his fingers. Sleek and tight, hot as hell. “Fuck,” he gritted out, pumping in and out of her, “wet and hot, baby.” He wanted to make her come, wanted to give her that. “Give you everything, baby.”

  “Connor.” Her whisper ghosted across his lips, and he bent his neck, breaking the kiss to lap at her nipple, pulling it between his lips and teeth, drawing deep. “God,” she gasped, her body twisting against his, her hand slipping up and down the back of his neck in time with his fingers plunging into her. She stiffened, still moving, but tense and tight, on the brink. Mouth to her nipple, he grazed the tender flesh with his teeth, pushing his fingers deep and pressing down on her clit with his thumb, circling and gliding back and forth until she moaned again, this a wordless cry while she tightened around him.

  He shifted, withdrawing his fingers, pushing her other leg wide so he fell between them, hips lined up with hers as he thrust, clenching his ass to try and hold back. The head of his cock rubbed between her folds, engulfing him in heat and wet, slippery fire on his shaft. Then he tipped his hips, and the crown nudged at her opening. A blazing pressure engulfed him as he slowly pushed inside a couple of inches.

  She’d stilled and quieted as she came down from the heights to which he’d driven her, and now as he began his possession of her body, she came back to herself, came back to him. Hips tipping and tilting, she angled to take in more of him, hands slipping and smoothing up his sides and back. “Please,” she whispered, lips to his ear. “More, Connor. I need more.”

  Yes, baby, he thought, and bowed his back, pushing forwards with his hips, leading the way with his cock, pressing deeper into her. “All for you, Jaime.” Gasping with the effort of holding back, not wanting to hurt or frighten her, he felt the muscles in his ass and thighs jerking. “Feels so good, baby. Perfect.”

  “Yes, perfect,” she echoed, and he felt the scrape of her nails against his shoulder. “God, Connor, move. Con, please.”

  Then she clenched down on his cock, muscles rippling and milking, pulling him deeper. With a growl, he pushed, seating himself inside her, feeling the heat of her ass on his balls, juices from her pussy soaking his shaft. “You want me to move, baby?” His words had an edge of threat in them, and he knew she read it correctly when she responded immediately with another clutching grip on his cock. “Jesus, Jaime.” He pulled out halfway and eased back in, deep, grinding the base of his cock against her clit, feeling the little puffs of her panting breaths against the skin of his neck and shoulder. Sweat-slicked, their bellies slid across each other, and he tipped his head, lifting on his elbows to look down their bodies.

  In the low light of the room, he saw her curves, breasts slightly flattened on her chest, nipples drawn tight on their peaks. The barely-there swell of her belly, rounded handles of her hips, and then he pulled out halfway again to see the glistening sheen of her arousal on his cock. “God, look at you.” He lifted his gaze to her face, seeing her eyes were focused on him, hooded and filled with lust and love. “So fucking beautiful. Look at us.” He pressed inside her again, then shifted, pushing up on his hands so he could see better. “Look at how we fit together.” Halfway out, he paused, tightening his stomach muscles, pulling his cock up, twitching it inside her so she gasped his name. “You’re perfect, Jaime.” Deep inside her, he watched as she took him, seeing the glide of his cock as he seated himself again. “So fucking beautiful.”

  “So good, Connor.” Her mouth opened, lips forming an O as she panted. “Perfect,” she agreed, eyes clenching tight as her head thrust back into the pillow.

  He dropped down to his elbows, muscles in his arms shaking as he buried his face against her shoulder. “Love you, honey.” Ass and back working, flexing and arching, bowing in turn, he plunged in and out, building, chasing, while she met him stroke for stroke, her hips lifting, arms by turns tight around him as she held on, and clasping as she rode the edge of her orgasm. “I’m close,” he warned her, wrapping his arms underneath her, holding her tight against him. “Baby.”

  “So close.” She breathed the words out on a huff of air, and he moved, shifting to push one hand down between them, pressing his thumb against her clit. That was what it took for her, and she exploded underneath him, bucking and writhing, trying to get closer and get away at the same time. Her inner muscles tightened around him, clutching him desperately so he had to fight to keep rhythm, and then he was falling over the same wall she’d climbed. He roared as his balls drew tight to his body, electricity shooting down his legs and then back up, detonating at the base of his spine.

  Grunting, wordless, he rocked deep, then deeper, feeling his cock pulsing inside her, surrounded by heat and tight flesh as he came. Slowly he came back to himself, feeling the silky strokes of her palms up and down his back. “Jaime,” he whispered, his voice choked because of the beauty she’d given him. “You okay?”

  “If by okay, you mean more relaxed than I’ve ever been in my life? Then yes, I’m okay.” She nuzzled the side of his head, pressing a kiss to his ear. “Better than okay, silly man. You are as fabulous in bed as you are out of it.” Smiling at her words, he lifted and looked down at her.

  “You’re no slouch yourself, woman. Holy shit, that was hot as hell.” Bending his neck, he pecked her lips with a quick kiss. “Lemme get a washcloth. I’ll get us cleaned up.” Leaning in closer, he kissed her again, more slowly, possessing her mouth with his. “Amazing, baby.” Putting his mouth to her ear, he whispered softly, hoping to set any final fears to rest. “So very worth the wait.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jaime

  Standing up from the couch where she and Nate had been caught up in a Sunday afternoon monster movie marathon, Jaime lifted her arms and stretched. As she arched her back, she felt the fluttering in her belly again. Stronger this time than it had been in the past few weeks, she cradled her belly with one palm and experienced the sensation against her hand for the first time as the baby rolled and tumbled insid
e her.

  Life was an amazing thing. She smiled down at Nate where he was sprawled on the floor in front of the couch, eyes still on the TV. Scattered around him was the detritus of his snacking, and she bent over to start gathering up the empty bowls he’d used for chips, cookies, and popcorn.

  The days are just flying past, she thought, straightening up, a little out of breath. Five months. Her next regular visit to the OB would be tomorrow. Hard to believe. Walking to the kitchen sink with the dishes in her hands, she glanced over her shoulder at Nate as he asked, “When’s Coach coming over?” She smiled at his unstated acceptance of how Connor had fit himself into their lives.

  “Not tonight,” she told him. “He’s getting ready for the state tests. Seems even the history teacher has work to do this time of year.” At least basketball was over for a couple of weeks. The last four weeks before winter break had been brutal, with much of his time taken up by the team and games. She’d been stuck in the queasy turmoil of morning sickness that really was an all-day sickness for a few weeks, and hadn’t gotten to see him as often as either of them would have liked. “He’ll be here tomorrow night for dinner.”

  They’d argued last night, not a fight, just a back and forth differing of opinion about tomorrow’s doctor’s appointment. He’d gone with her to the first ones, wanting to get a feel for the doctor. She felt guilty when he organized his life around her like that, and with this being a busy week, she’d finally put her foot down. No way did he need to take another day off, or even a morning off to go to a routine appointment, when what he needed was to be in his classroom. Marie and Cooper would be there, of course, excited to hear the rapid and strong heartbeat of the baby.

  “What do you want to watch next?” Nate called, not having moved from his reclining position. “More creature features, or want to see this thriller?”