Desire slammed through her, and she rocked her hips against his fingers, wanting, needing to come. But instead of giving her that release, he tore his mouth from hers and spun her around so he was standing behind her now. He made quick work of shoving her dress up to her waist and tugging her panties down so that they fell to the floor around her feet.
Before she could take her next breath, he pushed his cock along the crease of her bottom, found her slick opening, and entered her in one driving thrust that had her crying out from the force of it. He gripped her hips so hard she was sure he’d leave marks behind, his body pistoning into hers in a fast, hard fuck that had her head spinning and her heart racing.
“Connor,” she moaned, standing on the tips of her toes and trying to grind back against him for more.
He continued to pound into her. “Put your hands on the counter and push your ass back against me,” he demanded, his voice a low rasp of sound that was rich with lust and sent chills of excitement through her. “I want as deep as I can get.”
She obeyed his order, bending her upper body and using the counter as leverage as she tipped her bottom higher for him, gasping as the angle seemed to gain him another inch inside her. He came over her from behind, aligning their bodies, from their thighs to his chest pressing against her back. One of his hands slid down her stomach and returned between her legs, catching her aching clit between two fingers and tugging rhythmically, while his other hand slid around her throat, tipping her head back so his mouth was against her cheek, his ragged breaths hot and damp against her skin.
He held her firm and immobile, taking her with a passion so fierce it branded her soul, while fucking her like he had a point to prove, that she was his. She couldn’t move even if she tried . . . and Lord help her, she didn’t want to. She’d never felt so possessed, so completely and utterly dominated, and as soon as her orgasm crashed through her, she felt Connor lose control behind her, his thrusts coming shorter, tighter, infinitely deeper as raw, primal grunts filled her ear—hell, the entire kitchen—as he came, too.
They were both panting when it was over, and suddenly Connor went from fairly relaxed to tense behind her. “Fuck. I didn’t use a condom.”
She had an initial surge of panic. They’d been so wild and frantic for one another that it hadn’t crossed her mind, either. But she assured herself that she was on the pill and, dear God, what were the chances of her birth control failing her twice?
“It’s okay,” she said, deciding that she wasn’t going to worry and obsess over something that hadn’t even happened yet.
He was still inside of her, and he wrapped his arms tight around her waist. “I don’t ever want you to not feel safe with me.”
She swallowed hard, because Connor was the first person she’d ever felt safe with. “I know. I’m on the pill. Everything should be fine.”
“Knock knock,” came Avery’s deliberately loud voice from the front room. “Anyone home? I’ve got a special delivery for you.”
Oh, shit, Val was home! A second round of panic sent a jolt of adrenaline though Katie’s veins, and she and Connor quickly jumped apart just as Katie heard Val say to Avery, “you don’t need to hold my hand. We’re in my house.”
Jesus, Avery probably knew something was going on and was stalling Val’s entrance. Katie yanked her panties back up and pushed her dress down while Connor fastened his jeans in record speed, then stepped over to the sink to wash his hands.
“Hey, we’re in the kitchen,” Katie called out, her voice still a little husky, and seconds later, Val ran into the room . . . and bypassed her mother to run to Connor, who turned just in time from drying his hands to catch her in his arms.
“Hey, princess,” he said affectionately, his new pet name for her, which the little girl loved.
Val placed her little hands on his cheeks, a big smile on her face. “Connor! I missed you!” she said, as if she didn’t see him every single day. “Push me on my swing?” she asked of the swing set he’d bought for her as part of her birthday present.
He tweaked her cute button nose before putting her back down. “Just a couple of times, then we need to eat dinner. We’re having pizza.”
“Best day ever!” Val ran out of the kitchen and to the backyard.
Connor gave both women an impish look, clearly aware of what a close call to getting caught that had been. “I’ll give you two a few minutes to talk,” he said knowingly.
He followed his daughter outside, and Katie glanced at Avery, already feeling her face getting warm. “How long were you out in the living room?”
“Oh, a good minute,” her friend said humorously. “I knocked, but when no one answered, I came in, because I saw Connor’s truck outside and figured you were home. But then I heard you know what, and I had to grab Val’s hand before she got an impromptu lesson on the birds and the bees.”
Katie winced. “Thank you.”
Avery’s grin never wavered. “Sounded kind of hot and heavy, and I know all about kid interruptions, so I was just giving you two the courtesy of finishing.”
“Would you stop?” Katie shook his head. “Connor came over right when Garrett was asking me out, and that didn’t go over well.”
“I’d certainly hope not,” she replied, laughing. “Did he go all caveman on you?”
Katie blushed more furiously, giving her friend the answer she sought. Desperate to change the subject, she glanced out the kitchen window to the wooden swing set that was now a presence in her backyard. “We’re telling Val tonight that Connor is her dad.”
Avery came up beside her to look out the window, too. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. Val clearly adores him as much as he adores her.”
“I know. It’s just . . . I can’t help but worry that it’s going to change things. I don’t want to lose Val.” Even as she said the words, Katie knew that Connor would never take their little girl away from her. But for so long it had just been her and Val, and now that dynamic was shifting and changing to include a third person, so where would that leave her?
“You know what I think?” Avery looped her arm through Katie’s and didn’t wait for a reply. “I think you need to open your eyes a little wider and realize that Connor is the best thing that’s ever happened to you, that he’s not like all the other guys who came before him.”
Katie knew that Connor was different, but a lifetime of insecurities was a harder hurdle to overcome. She knew he’d always be there for Val, but what happened when the novelty of her wore off? Because inevitably, that was how all her relationships ended. Why would this one be any different?
* * *
Katie took her time cleaning up in the kitchen after dinner, knowing what awaited her out in the living room . . . the talk. But when she couldn’t stall any longer, she headed into the adjoining room, where Connor and Val were playing a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos that she’d received from one of the kids at her birthday party. Even at three years old, it was clear that Val already had a competitive streak, because she was determined to have her hippo eat most of the marbles and her tenacious expression reflected that.
When the play board was cleared and the game over, they each counted out their marbles, and Val came up with three extra over Connor. She jumped up from her kneeling position on the floor, hands raised triumphantly in the air.
“I win, I win!” she shouted happily and laughed at Connor. “That means you lose!”
He grinned at her. “Well, you know what the winner gets?”
Val’s eyes grew wide at the thought of getting a prize. “What?”
“Lots and lots of tickles!” Connor lunged for Val, tackling her gently onto the floor where he proceeded to wiggle his fingers against her sides and ribs until the little girl was in a fit of giggles and completely breathless. Only then did he stop.
Katie sat down on the couch as Val rolled to her stomach, propped her chin in her hand, and grinned at Connor. “Let’s play again!”
Connor�
��s gaze met Katie’s, and they exchanged “the look.” “How about in a little bit? Your mom and I want to talk to you first.” He got up from the floor and sat next to Katie, then lifted Val so she was sitting on the wooden coffee table in front of both of them.
She sat there, completely guileless, her little legs kicking back and forth. Katie and Connor had agreed that she’d tell Val the news, that it would probably be easier for her to hear, and understand, coming from her mom.
Katie exhaled a deep breath. She’d rehearsed this a dozen times, but that still didn’t make this moment any easier. “So, you know how Leah has a mommy and a daddy?”
Val nodded. “I just have a mommy.”
Before Katie had seen Connor in the magazine, Val had asked her why she didn’t have a daddy, and Katie had replied with “You do have a daddy. He’s just not here right now.” Which had then prompted Val to respond with, “When will I see him?” And because Katie never wanted Val to feel like she didn’t have a daddy, she’d ended the conversation with, “Maybe someday, but for right now, it’s just you and me.”
Clearly, the day had come.
Katie grabbed her hand, because her own heart was beating so fast and she wanted, needed that connection to her daughter in that moment. “Remember when I told you that you did have a daddy, and that someday you’d see him?”
A confused frown marred Val’s brows as she nodded again.
A lump of anxiety gathered in Katie’s throat, and she had to forcibly swallow it back. “Well . . . Connor is your daddy, sweetheart.”
Val’s little head immediately jerked to Connor, and she stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time. “You’re my daddy?”
The emotion in Connor’s blue eyes was unmistakable, the love for his little girl distinctly cemented in the bond they already shared. “Yeah, princess, I’m your daddy.” His voice was soft but undeniably gruff.
Val jumped down from the table and stepped over to Connor and between his widespread knees. She looked up at him with a heart-melting smile. “I like you being my daddy,” she said so sweetly it was hard for Katie to breathe. “You’re the best daddy ever.”
Connor touched his big hand to Val’s soft cheek, the moment between father and daughter incredibly tender and precious. “There’s something important I want you to know.”
“Okay,” Val said.
Connor smiled. “I love you, sweet girl.”
“I love you, too,” Val replied without hesitating, and even though Katie knew her daughter might not realize exactly what those words meant or the depth of emotion they encompassed, she was certain that the little girl would come to love this man as her father, wholly and completely.
Just like Katie was falling in love with Connor. The realization caused both pleasure and pain, because despite her feelings, it didn’t change the fact that her trust issues remained.
“On Sunday, I’m taking you and your mommy to dinner, to meet your grandma and grandpa, and your aunt and uncle, too,” Connor told her.
“I have a grandma and grandpa?” Val asked in awe, her tiny voice infused with excitement. “I’ve never had a grandma and grandpa before.”
To hear her daughter say that out loud, and knowing that Katie’s own parents had shunned this wonderful, beautiful girl who should have known a grandparent’s love on both sides, made Katie sad. Hopefully Connor’s parents would make up for that.
“Well, you do now,” Connor said, tapping her playfully on her nose. “And they can’t wait to meet you.”
Chapter Ten
“Are we there yet?”
Katie glanced to the backseat of the vehicle, where her daughter was buckled into her car seat with Sparkles the unicorn, clearly impatient to get to their destination—Connor’s parents’ house. They were in Katie’s car since there wasn’t enough room in his work truck, but Connor had insisted on driving since it would be easier than having her follow his directions, and it also enabled her to converse with Val easily.
“You just asked that question two minutes ago,” Katie said with a light laugh.
Val sighed. “I know, but it’s so long.”
At least one of them was eager to meet Carson and Allison Prescott. Katie was anxious on so many levels that her stomach was in knots. She knew they’d love Val automatically, because she was Connor’s child, but how would they feel about her? She couldn’t seem to stop the insecurities looping through her mind, because she desperately wanted his family to like her.
Connor reached across the console and placed his hand on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Stop overthinking things, Katie,” he murmured so only she could hear. “You look like you’re going to throw up.”
It amazed her how he could read her so well and so easily. It wasn’t the first time he’d been so attuned to her emotions, and she took a deep, calming breath and glanced at him. “It’s just nerves. It’s been a long time since I’ve met a guy’s parents, and I want to make a good impression, considering I’m the mother of your child.”
“You’re more than just the mother of my child, Katie,” he said with a warm smile, his blue eyes filled with affection. “And my family is equally excited to meet you, too.”
You’re more than just the mother of my child. He hadn’t elaborated on that comment, nor had they officially defined their relationship, though that day out on the front porch with Garrett, Connor had made it very clear that they were exclusive. So, what did that make them? Exclusive fuck buddies? She hated the term, because her feelings for Connor had grown beyond mere friendship, and she knew he cared for her, too.
Then again, if he’d insisted on some kind of committed relationship with her, she wasn’t sure she was ready to take that next step, or ever would be. Three times burned, and with her parents’ history of a nasty divorce with her caught in the middle, and yeah, she was legitimately wary that something this good could last forever. It was easier to protect her heart so when things fizzled, a split wouldn’t completely devastate her, especially since Connor would be around for Val for the rest of the little girl’s life, whether the two of them were together or not.
“Thank you for bringing Val’s baby book,” Connor said, interrupting her thoughts. “Everyone is going to love seeing her as a baby, and how much she’s grown in the past three years.”
“Of course.” Connor had already gone through the photos, several times, and Katie knew it would be a great way for his family to feel like they’d at least seen those missing years, along with Val’s growth spurts and happy moments, even if they hadn’t actually been there.
“Are we there yet now?” Val asked again.
Connor glanced in the rearview mirror at his daughter. “Yes, baby girl, we’re almost there,” he said, his voice amused. “Two more turns, and then I want you to find the house that has the small fountain out front.”
“Okay!”
Connor helped Val count the two turns he made onto different streets in the neighborhood he was driving through, and then she searched for the fountain. Connor’s parents lived in Wilmette, and he’d told her that they were still in the same house they’d bought when they’d gotten married thirty-two years ago. The same house that Connor and his sister had grown up in.
“There it is, Daddy!” Val exclaimed, pointing toward the well-maintained house with a small gated courtyard out front and a modest, two-tier fountain.
“My mom always wanted a fountain, so my dad bought it for her on their thirtieth anniversary,” Connor explained as he pulled up to the curb and parked the car behind a larger SUV, which Katie assumed belonged to his sister and brother-in-law, since they were expected to be here for dinner, as well.
“It’s beautiful.” And romantic, she thought, awed by how many years his parents had been married.
“Beautiful!’ Val repeated, and Katie and Connor laughed.
They got out of the car, with Connor releasing Val from her car seat while Katie gathered her purse and the book of photos she’d brought. C
onnor and Val led the way with Katie following a few steps behind, since the little girl had automatically latched on to Connor’s hand. When they reached the courtyard, Val let go and ran toward the fountain and splashed her hand in the water.
“Hey, you, get over here,” Connor said lightly as he rang the doorbell.
Val immediately listened and ran back by his side. Katie rolled her eyes at how easily her daughter had obeyed Connor. “You do know if I was the one to tell her that, she would still be over there playing in the water and testing my patience.”
A sexy grin curved those sinful lips of his. “What can I say? Girls just can’t resist the Prescott charm.” He winked at her before opening the door and stepping into the house.
Truth, Katie thought, because she was equally guilty of giving in to Connor’s many demands in the bedroom. Give me your mouth . . . and she did. Come for me . . . and her body succumbed. Ride my cock . . . and she eagerly complied. Anything he asked for, she didn’t hesitate to give, knowing her acquiescence would ultimately be rewarded with the most exquisite pleasure.
“Mom, we’re here!” Connor called out in the foyer, jarring her out of her inappropriate thoughts, thank God. As it was, her face was a little warm and no doubt her cheeks were pink.
At the first sound of unfamiliar voices, Val clamped on to Katie’s leg, all her original excitement and bravado now reverting to shyness and uncertainty—just as she’d been with Connor that first day he’d met her. Four new faces came out to greet them, all friendly and welcoming and pleased to meet Katie as Connor introduced his parents, then his very pregnant sister, Natalie, and brother-in-law, Wes.
Allison, Connor’s mother, bent a little lower to smile at Val, who had her face half-buried in Katie’s skirts, clearly overwhelmed by everyone. “You sure are a pretty little girl. And who is that that you brought with you?” she asked of the unicorn plushy clutched in one of Val’s arms.
“Sparkles,” Val said softly, tentatively.
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