“Someone save me!” Leo shouted. “Save me!”
He turned and saw me.
Our eyes locked like dual tractor beams.
He smiled and waved uncertainly.
I nodded and waved back.
There he was. A natural. A kid among kids.
Why didn’t I realize it before? Who better to be a doting father than a man who wanted to play as badly as the child did?
And who was more likely to be committed to that family than a man who knew the pain of abandonment?
Leo said something to the kids and kicked the ball down the field. They all took off at top speed, giggling and crowing at each other as they went.
What other surprises did he have in store? What else was destined to happen that I had no idea was coming? And yet, it somehow felt so certain and clear when the moment arrived.
He sauntered over with an easy smile. He glowed with pleasure. He really loved spending time with kids. It wasn’t an act to safeguard his occupational future.
And I wanted babies.
Especially with him. My body blossomed for him like we were mated. Fated to be partners and parents.
Oh my God.
I wanted to have his baby.
My stomach squirmed as the depth of the truth sunk in. I truly did.
“Hey, Ed,” he said. “Mind turning that thing off?”
I nodded at Ed.
“Sure, no problem,” Ed said. “And…sorry about what happened.”
Leo laughed. “No worries. You captured my best angle.”
I turned to Ed. “Let’s get that to Editorial and patch together a promo spot. People are going to eat it up.”
“Will do,” Ed replied as he started packing up his gear.
Leo took my hand and dragged me away. About ten feet away, he whirled me around and swooped in for a kiss. I intercepted him with a hand to his lips.
“We have business to discuss,” I said.
“I thought you just took care of that,” Leo said.
“Not that business,” I said. “Personal business.”
“Okay.”
“What you said the other day. Did you mean it?” I asked.
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“How would that work? There’d be a million details to consider.”
He took my hand from his lips and laced his fingers through mine.
“Don’t sweat the small stuff, Alex.”
Sweating the small stuff? I was merely curious about all the myriad details that for sure would have to be figured out. There’d be what kind of diaper cream to use. Something non-toxic and that was gentle on a baby’s skin. There’d be what kind of mattress to get. You didn’t want to go too soft or too firm.
Oh, wait.
Okay.
“Sorry,” I said.
He pulled me into his arms, his strength, his protective embrace.
I felt safe, perfectly nurtured.
I stared up into his eyes. The blue-gray orbs sparkled in the morning sun. His gorgeous lips moved. “Do you have an answer?”
My heart jumped in my chest. My belly joined the party.
“I do.”
He waited for a minute while I basked in the glory of his attention.
“Mind sharing it?”
“Not at all,” I said. “But first I want you to tell me what you want.”
He looked at me in confusion.
“You know what I want.”
“I do,” I said. “But I want to hear you say it.”
A grin swept across his face. “You are a dirty bird. I like it.”
“Say it, Leo. Tell me what you want.”
He squeezed me tight. His hardness a prominent heat on my belly. His eyes vibrated lust into mine.
“I want to fuck a baby into you. I want to come inside you until it spills down your thighs. I want to seed you. Mate you. Pump you full until you accept my future into your core.”
A hot flood blossomed between my legs. A spot deep inside me sparked. A new spark. One that had only one meaning.
“Tell me what you want me to do, Leo.”
His eyes burned into mine.
“I want you to have my baby.”
My knees turned to jello.
“Will you be the mother of my children?” he asked.
Children? As in multiple?
There was only one answer.
“Yes.”
CHAPTER NINE
Leonardo
I had seriously dragged ass the rest of practice. Coach thought screaming in my face would do the trick but he may as well have been a million miles away.
I couldn’t keep my mind off Alex.
Her sparkling eyes. Her easy smile. Her banging butt. Her tits. Oh my God, yes! Her tits. Those suckable nipples.
And her lips. Those luscious, full, kissable lips. She was gonna wrap those lips around the base of my shaft or I wasn’t The Lion of Spain.
And that sweetness below. I’d never tasted a more delicious morsel. And yes, I noticed that tight puckered starfish, too. That one might take some finesse, but I’d conquer that land before all was said and done.
She was a good girl, though. I respected that. Loved it even.
I burned to net a hat trick with her. That was scoring in all three spots in one game. Something about her. Something about us. I wanted to own her. Take her in places she’d never been taken before.
Fill her like no man had done before.
I shifted in my tight pants and adjusted my throbbing hard-on.
I’d never been so jerked around in my life.
I glanced around the Marina Harbor, waiting for my date to show up. People strolled along the boardwalk. Once in a while, one would stop to watch me, the guy with the helicopter at his back. Then, not seeing anything more happen, they’d amble off.
The reason nothing more was happening was because I was waiting for Alex.
Me.
Waiting.
It was all kinds of backwards.
I didn’t do the waiting since conquering the world of soccer over a decade ago. My watch showed 7:38 in the evening. She was eight minutes late.
It was like she always had to do it her way. Maybe most guys wouldn’t have had a second thought about that considering what she brought to the table, but I wasn’t most guys.
I was the one used to getting my way.
Anything I wanted.
Anytime I wanted.
But so far with Alex, I had yet to get the thing I wanted most.
Get it every which way until we both died of exhaustion.
But she had me waiting for it, just like she had me waiting now.
A warm wind blew off the Balearic Sea at my back. The salty tang in the air tickled my nose. I verified my suit coat was buttoned and shrugged off the mess that was the knot in my tie.
I was never good at it. Did it matter?
If the crispness of my knot threw her off, then Alex wasn’t the girl I knew her to be. Still, my hands itched to straighten it out.
A yellow and black taxi pulled into the parking lot and stopped by the curb. The longest, most beautiful set of legs imaginable stepped out.
Whoa. She was gorgeous.
I’d wait hours to get a glimpse of those wonders of nature.
She wore a tight, sky blue dress and white, strappy sandals. Her long black hair was gathered up in a bun perched on top of her head.
And her curves.
From top to bottom.
Those were curves that could keep a man on the straight and narrow.
She stepped out carrying a brown briefcase.
What was up with that? Did she turn into an attorney since our discussion yesterday morning?
I ran a hand through my hair and attempted to get the wind-blown chaos roughly into place. A blast of jet wash from the chopper fifty feet behind me whipped it back into disarray.
I waved and tried to shout above the whine of the turbo engine.
“Alex!”
She
grinned and the joy in her face melted my heart. I wanted to devour that mouth. My cock bulged in my pants.
I wanted to fuck that mouth. Pump it full of hot cum.
She held her arm up protectively above her head as she approached.
I walked over to meet her halfway and spoke into her ear to be sure I was heard. I licked her earlobe first because, why not? I was already in the neighborhood.
She trembled, like I knew she would.
“What’s up with the lawyer luggage?”
“I’ve brought a few thing we need to look over.”
Okay. Maybe she liked porn. Everybody had a deep, dark secret. Maybe hers was watching a filthy flick while I gave it to her doggy style.
Worked for me.
“Leo, why does that thing look like it’s about to take off?”
“That thing is an Augusta AW101.”
She looked at me blankly.
“The same chopper as Marine One.”
That got her attention.
“You own the same helicopter as the President of the United States?”
“No, I don’t, but my little brother does.”
“Your little brother?”
I turned and waved at my little brother, Giovanni, sitting in the cockpit. He made a crazy face like he was incompetent. He loved messing with people.
“Yep, Giovanni,” I said. “And it’s not exactly the same. Gio tells me the President’s is one step down from this beauty.”
“You’re insane,” she said.
“Yeah. Most people would agree with that. Ready to go?”
Her face twisted into a grimace of fear.
Playing with a mouse before you sprung the trap was one of my favorite past times.
“You want me to get inside that?” she asked.
“Absolutely. Why? Are you scared?”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m not scared!”
She furtively glanced back at the chopper and the worry on her face couldn’t have screamed any louder. “Apprehensive, yes,” she said.
I laughed and wrapped my arm around her, then pulled her toward our fairy tale carriage. Though one with more bells and whistles and one that was considerably more costly than a magical pumpkin.
I guided her to duck low as we approached. I opened the door and ushered her into a seat. She froze. She said something lost under the whirring blades.
I pulled out a headset and slipped it over her ears. I helped her buckle in, then jumped in beside her. After securing the door and getting my headset on, I squeezed her knee.
“Alex, let me introduce you to my snot-nosed little brother, Giovanni Cruz,” I said.
Gio looked back from the cockpit and waved. “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” he said.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she said. “Umm, I hate to be picky, but do you know how to drive this thing?”
“It’s fly. You fly a chopper. And don’t worry. I’ve done this once before.”
Alex’s face went pale and her jaw dropped open.
“Kidding!” he said “Nearly eight years flying birds and doing other things in the Marine Corps. Of course, I came home with my brain a bit scrambled.”
Only Gio could joke about something so true.
Alex grimaced. I grabbed her hand and she cupped her other on top. She squeezed a lot harder than I expected.
“Gio, she’s about to jump through the door to escape,” I said. “And she’s about to squeeze my hand off.”
“Oh, sorry,” Alex said.
“I’m kidding,” I said. “I like it.”
“Are you two love birds ready to —ck?”
The headset crackled, garbling the last word. I knew he did it on purpose.
Alex’s eyes opened wide.
“Yes,” I said, “we’re ready to rock.”
Gio laughed and started working the controls.
“Ma’am, I need your verbal consent before we take off,” he said. “You know, for liability reasons, in case this bird ditches and your surviving family members come after my bank accounts.”
Her eyes opened wide with horror.
He looked back and grinned. “I should probably stop joking like that.”
“Keep it up, little brother,” I said, “and I’ll bust your lip the minute we touch down.”
“Alex, will you keep a leash on that mad dog? I’m trying to be a professional here?”
“That’ll be the day,” I said.
Gio did a last check and seemed satisfied that everything was in order.
“Here we go,” he said.
Alex squeezed tight. I kissed the back of her hand. It was a standard Prince Charming move that normally wouldn’t have made the last page of my playbook. But with Alex, it felt right.
“Ready to leave the world behind?” I asked.
Her voice crackled into the headset.
“Yes.”
I moved her hand and wrapped it around the hardness between my legs.
“If you’re going to squeeze, allow me to give you a better target.”
Gio spun up the engine and the powerful beast lifted off the ground. He yawed the tail landward and pointed us out toward the open water.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
I glanced down at the light blue fabric crumpled halfway up her smooth thighs. Another couple of inches would be her panties. And a millimeter beyond that was my destination.
But I didn’t think that’s what she meant.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Should I be worried?”
I gave her a wink as Gio flew us out of the harbor and over the sparkling orange of the waves below, reflecting the setting sun above.
I loved flying with Gio. The quiet comfort of family. We’d often not talk at all, listening to the wind and watching the world slip by. No prying press or adoring fans to deal with. Nothing but the infinity of open air.
A strong updraft hit as we soared less than a hundred feet above the undulating surface. The chopper jumped altitude.
Her hand on my cock squeezed tight.
Alex shrieked. “Don’t do that again!”
“That wasn’t me,” Gio said. “Was an errant gust of wind. But if the result is you manhandling my brother’s package like that, he might pay me to manufacture a few more.”
Alex yanked her hand away looking embarrassed.
“Thanks, Gio,” I said. “You suck.”
“Do not,” Gio said.
“No more of those, please,” Alex said. Then she looked at me with a wicked grin. “I might tear it right off.”
“I’d love to see you try,” I replied.
She smiled in the most drop-dead sexy way imaginable. It was all I could do not to mount her this instant.
I pointed off to the right to a group of low-lying islands that shimmered in the growing darkness.
“The one to the far right is Ibiza, the Mecca of dance clubs.”
“Is that our destination?”
Gio eased the stick to the left and we banked in the same direction.
“Nope. I’ll take you there another time. Tonight, I wanted to have you all to myself.”
“Spare me your pillow talk, bro,” Gio said. “It’s making my stomach queasy.”
“Shut up,” I said.
“Alex, is this what he calls his A game?” Gio asked.
Alex laughed. “I think so.”
“I feel bad for both you,” Gio said.
“No need,” Alex replied, “I like it.”
She snuggled closer to me.
The next while, we simply enjoying the thrill of flight. That comfortable quiet that I’d only ever experienced with Gio before.
A pin-point of light appeared in the distance. Gio straightened up on it and dipped the nose to pick up speed. We raced over the dark water.
She leaned forward staring out the front.
She’d know in a minute.
“Are we going to a boat?”
“It’s a super yacht,” I said
. “And yes we are.”
She looked at me. “Isn’t that a little presumptuous? This is only our second date and you assume you can skip the dinner and dancing and take me straight back to The Love Boat?”
I shrugged. “Your hand is on my cock.”
She hadn’t noticed when I’d guided it back there earlier.
She yanked back like it was a cobra about to spit venom. She wasn’t totally off base.
“I presume no such thing,” I said. “And I liked your hand where it was.”
“I’m sure you did.”
Her hand kept its distance.
“This is so sweet,” Gio said. “You two are like horny teenagers sneaking some action in the backseat while the grownup drives.”
“Don’t you mean flies?” Alex said.
“Touché.”
* * *
We swept in over the bow and Gio eased us to a stop above the helipad at the stern. Thankfully the sea was relatively calm. I liked pushing the envelope more than most, but the few times Gio had landed us in rough waters at night were enough to pucker anyone up tight.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t do it again. I would. You didn’t conquer life by submitting to the fears it placed in your path.
Gio eased the chopper to the deck and I felt the reassuring contact of a safe landing. My older brother, Dante, waited at a safe distance, greeting us with a wave. He had on his captain’s hat on and everything.
“Go for exit,” Gio said. “Piece of advice, ma’am?”
“Sure,” Alex said.
“Be careful with this one,” he said. “I’ve never seen him latched on so tight to anyone. Don’t break his heart.”
Alex stared at me.
Ugh. Brothers.
“Thanks, Gio,” I said. “Now kindly shut up.”
I jumped out and helped Alex exit. She stumbled and fell into my arms. The briefcase landed with a thump on my Italian leather shoes.
I dressed up for once.
“Sorry,” she said. “My legs are a little wobbly.”
“Then let me be of assistance.”
Before she could reject my offer, I swept her up in both arms, snagged the case, and carried her like a bride to our post-wedding suite.
Dante met us at the safe perimeter.
I set Alex on her feet and gestured at my brother.
“Alex, this is my older brother, Dante.”
Balls (Cruz Boys #1) Page 11