Abe nodded. “Yes, I agree, and it's a risk I’m willing to take. Of course, Felicity’s health is most important, but we can discuss options if it comes to that. I can support multiple children, if need be.”
The very idea of having twins - or more - made me nervous, but just a bit. The chances were likely slim, and like Abe said, we could address that if it came to it. No use worrying about something that probably wouldn’t happen.
With a prescription in my hand, we were out the door. Abe and I kept most things friendly and professional these days, but every time I saw him, it took everything in me not to do something stupid.
My panties were usually soaked after spending just a few minutes with him. And to think, before long, I’d be carrying his baby. That didn’t help with the wetness any.
We took the elevator down to together. This time, I drove. I wanted to head over to the restaurant afterward and wanted to have my car. Many visits, he drove me, which was nice - but also meant spending more time with him.
He cleared his throat. “Are you comfortable with accepting payment yet?”
“Most of the time, surrogates get paid in increments, depending on how far along things are.”
“Yeah, I know, we talked about that with the lawyer already and I’m not doing that.”
He pulled out a check book, and my heart stopped. This was it, he was really going to pay me, and I could finally accept it without guilt since I was doing something for him.
I’d be able to open the restaurant back up and do so much with the money. It would get me back on my feet, at last.
Abe explained that it was a certified check from his bank, just to make things easier on my end. “If you have any problems, tell them to call me. I can come in and clear it up in person if need be, but my bank said it shouldn’t be an issue.”
He handed me the check, and this time, I took it.
“Thank you,” was all I could mutter, having felt like I’d lost my voice.
“No, thank you,” he said.
“I haven’t really done anything yet.”
“Even considering my crazy offer is something.”
I stared down at the check. $50,000. Free and clear, in my hand. I’d never grown up terribly poor, but not incredibly rich either. It was a large sum of money to be given all at once, and Abe seemed to hand it over like he was giving me change or maybe a few bucks to buy myself lunch.
But, of course, I was giving him something even more valuable in return.
We parted ways, and I hurried to my car, eager to get the ball rolling on everything.
My restaurant would be open again, soon.
Ooo000ooo
“Thanks for your help, Grant,” I said, writing him a check for payment.
“No, you don’t have to pay me,” Grant said, a sweet smile on his face.
I’d known Grant Barnes for as long as I could remember. He was Leah’s older brother and married to Piper, one of my best friends. He didn’t really need the money, having inherited a lot of properties that turned out to be incredibly valuable, but he worked as a handyman to stay busy.
But even though he didn’t need the money didn’t mean I wouldn’t pay him. He’d done me a favor by helping me to install all the new equipment I’d ordered, and I believed in paying people fairly for their time.
I handed him a check, and he tried not to take it.
“Grant, do you want me to get Piper involved?”
“She won’t take the money either,” he said, and I knew he was right.
“Donate it to charity then, I don’t care. I know Leah and Piper are both involved in a lot of good causes, so pick one and donate it - but you aren’t leaving here without this check.”
Grant took the check, but then it hit me - it didn’t mean he’d cash it. I frowned. Next time, pay with cash. If it doesn’t go through within a few days, I’d drop by with some cash.
“I don’t know why you have to be so damned stubborn,” I teased.
“You’re one to talk, Felicity. We’re just happy to see the diner reopening. Leah can’t stop complaining about the lack of good lunches every single day.”
“Tell Leah that we’ll be back in business next week, once the inspector approves of us reopening.”
It felt so damned good to say that. I couldn’t help but smile knowing that things were back on track, that this was just a small blip that we’d get through.
After Grant left, I checked the schedule - the plumber had already fixed the tree branch issue with the pipes. New equipment has arrived and were installed. I needed to place an order for food, but I’d wait a few more days, always striving to keep things fresh.
And to think, I didn’t even use all the money Abe had paid me. I paid down some of the past debt and had just enough set aside to consider putting a down payment on a new location in a few months to a year, after earning some interest and saving up a bit more.
Things were looking good.
I took a seat in my office and leaned back into the chair. I was smiling, but there was still a gnawing feeling in my gut.
An emptiness inside of me that I didn’t fully understand.
I pushed all thoughts of that away, telling myself I should be happy. Things were going well; my future was back on track.
Checking the time, I realized I needed to take my fertility meds again. Since starting them, I was overcome with horniness. Sexy dreams every night, always of Abe. Sensitive nipples. Even my shirt brushing up against them drove me absolutely crazy some days. But so far, that was the only side effect, and those were things I could deal with.
My phone rang, and it was Abe.
“Hey there,” I said, trying not to think too much about the handsome, sexy creature on the other end of the line. I crossed my legs, which only put pressure on my most sensitive parts and sending shivers through my body. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to check in, see how everything is going. Are you still feeling alright?”
“I am, everything is fine,” I said, pulling my hair down from the ponytail and twirling a strand to try and distract me from my thoughts.
“Are you feeling ready for the appointment in a couple weeks?”
“I think so, yes,” I said. We had other appointments before then, but I knew which one he was talking about - the one where they actually inseminate me.
I could be pregnant in a few weeks.
It was a lot to take in, and it didn’t help with that empty feeling, but I’d already signed up for this and there was no backing out now. Okay, maybe horniness wasn’t the only side-effect, I was feeling a tad bit emotional about the idea of getting pregnant, but that was normal.
“You don’t sound okay,” Abe said. “Felicity, if you’re having second thoughts, we can—”
“I’m not having second thoughts.”
Abe was quiet for a few moments. “I think we should meet up before our next appointment, just to make sure everyone is on the same page.”
Meet up? Even though the last couple of times almost led to us doing things we’d regret? Even though I was a horny monster ready to rip off his clothes and have my way with him?
It didn’t seem like the best idea, but I couldn’t argue with him. Maybe I didn’t want to.
“Sure, want me to come over tonight?”
Abe
Damn. Felicity walked into my house in casual jeans and a sweater, and you’d have thought she was wearing lingerie by the way my erection grew at the sight of her.
Her jeans hugged her hips tightly, her baby blue sweater showed off those amazing breasts of hers. But most of all, her hair was down, falling down past her shoulders. She removed the beanie on her head and there was some static electricity, which she promptly laughed and tried to fix. “This is why I rarely wear my hair down,” she said.
I wanted to reach out and help her, feeling that soft, silky hair under my fingertips, but that wouldn’t be appropriate.
Having her over was a risk, I should have met h
er in public. But it was too late for that now.
“I think your hair looks lovely down,” I muttered, then kicked myself for speaking the words out loud. I shouldn’t have complimented her, not like that.
I took her coat and hung it in the closet for her. It was so hard not to rest my hands on her hips or to let my fingers linger on her. But I resisted and quickly walked into the living room, motioning for her to follow me.
There’d be no alcohol. For one, it was best not to drink while trying to conceive, and two, I didn’t really trust either of us. I knew fertility drugs could make a woman horny, and just thinking about Felicity being fertile and ready for my seed made my knees go weak.
I poured us both a glass of sparkling water instead.
“So what did you want to talk about?” Felicity looked up at me, batting her thick lashes at me. Whether she’d intended to or not, it was a seductive look, and it affected me as one might assume it would, all the blood rushing to my cock as I made my way back to the couch. A safe distance from her.
“I just wanted to check in, make sure you’re doing okay.”
“I told you over the phone I was,” Felicity said, taking a sip of her water.
“Yes, but I wanted to see for myself, make sure you weren’t merely saying that out of a sense of obligation.”
She smiled, and it went all the way to her eyes. It touched something inside of me, warmed me to my core, and I had to look away to save myself from doing or saying something stupid.
“Thank you, Abe. I appreciate your concern, but there’s really nothing to worry about. I started the fertility drugs the day I got the prescription, as Dr. Miller suggested, and I think we should have plenty of luck at our first appointment. Fingers crossed, of course.”
She sounded cheery enough, almost happy to be doing this. Was she, like me, even turned on by the thought of getting pregnant?
All these years, with other women, I’d fretted about getting one of them pregnant. But because of my age and this arrangement, well, I had to admit, I rather liked the idea.
I liked it a lot.
I steepled my fingers in front of my face and studied her, trying hard not to focus on the soft curve of her jaw, or her clear, perfectly porcelain skin. She seemed to glow from within, even more than usual, and I wasn’t sure if that was a side effect from the drugs or simply because she was happy.
I hoped it was the latter. She really did deserve to be happy.
A buzzer went off, alerting me that the chicken in the oven was done. I hopped up to run into the kitchen, and of course, Koda was behind me.
Felicity apparently followed along too.
I pulled out the baking dish and frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Felicity asked, stepping up to the counter. “Anything I can help with?”
Felicity's sweet scent filled my nose, and it made me forget all about the chicken for a second. There was a lot she could help with, but nothing I could say out loud.
“Oh, I just can’t tell if it’s done or not. Let me get the meat thermometer in that drawer over there—”
I had to reach around her, my hand sliding across her hip.
She flipped around and was now facing me. We were inches apart. “I’m sorry, let me get out of—”
Before she could finish that sentence, instinct took over. I didn’t remove my hand from her hip, instead, I placed the other hand on the opposite side, pulling her into me. Our lips smashed together, and perhaps it was the dry air or maybe my imagination, but there was an electrical shock as our lips met.
That didn’t stop me.
Nothing could stop me now.
Nature took over from that point, and before I knew it, we were no longer in the kitchen. I was pulling her along with me, down the hall and into the bedroom. I kicked open the door to the master bedroom and pressed her against it, pulling at her clothing.
I needed to see her naked.
I needed to put my seed inside of her, to put my child inside her. My lizard brain could think of nothing else but that. And I didn’t bother to try and fight it.
I unhooked her bra, and her large, round breasts fell into my hands. I stroked her perky, pink nipples and her body shook against mine. A soft moan escaped her throat.
God, she wanted it as much as I did.
No one was going to stop us now.
I removed her pants, and she stepped out of them and into my arms, as I kissed every inch of her perfectly supple flesh. I took her nipple into my mouth, sucking it gently as she whimpered, relaxing into me even more than before.
I turned us both around and guided her to the bed. I slipped her panties down and noted just how wet they were.
She was so wet for me.
My cock was engorged now, begging to be released from my pants. Felicity read my mind and released my erection, pulling my pants down as I fell into bed with her.
She gripped at my shirt, ripping it off, with my help, over my head. Our bodies fell together, naked. Her soft skin rubbed against mine as she wrapped herself around me, arching her back to be closer to me - literally begging for me to fuck her.
Her body knew what it wanted, and how could I deny her?
I thrust into her, her tightness squeezing at my erection as I filled her up, going as deep as I could possibly go. Felicity’s nails dug into my flesh as she cried out, “Yes, yes, God yes.”
It took everything in me not to come right away, to fill her up until she dripped with it. Her tightness wrapped around my cock was heaven.
I rocked back and forth, thrusting into her - pushing my way deeper and deeper. Felicity held onto me for dear life, her body shaking underneath me. She arched upward, meeting every thrust of mine, eager to take me inside of her again and again.
Felicity cried out, a series of unintelligible mumbles that turned into a scream as she came around my cock. I clenched my eyes shut, trying to keep my composure and to keep up the rhythm at the same time. I didn’t want it to be over, not yet. I wanted this to go on forever. I wanted to give her so much pleasure.
As her first orgasm subsided, I knew I needed a break or else I would explode any second. I slipped my erection from her, even as her eyes begged me not to.
But we needed to change positions, to give me a chance to breathe again.
“Get on top,” I demanded.
I sat back against the headboard and Felicity climbed into my lap, straddling me. She slipped down my cock, gasping as I became nestled inside of her once more. Slowly, she began rocking back and forth, rubbing her clit up against me with each movement.
“That’s good,” I said, grabbing her ass. “Make yourself come.”
Felicity nibbled her lip and started riding me harder, her eyes barely open. Her head fell forward, and I moved her hair to the side, kissing her neck as her movements became more erratic.
She whimpered into my ear, her body shuddering up against mine.
“Good girl,” I growled. “Come for me, Felicity.”
I moved her hips up and down against me, as she flailed. The sounds coming from her were just enough to push me over the edge, I couldn’t hold it a second longer. I wanted to fight it, but it was too late.
I came with her, groaning as I spilled my seed inside of her, her pussy seeming to milk my cock for every ounce of it.
Felicity’s body went limp against me and we sat there a moment or two as exhaustion began to take hold.
I knew it had been a mistake to do this - but at that time, I couldn’t care less. Nothing else mattered except her soft skin pressed against mine and her breathing, which was growing more and more even.
I helped roll her over and off me, and she fell onto the bed, her eyes heavy with sleep. But there was also a smile on her face, a content smile that warmed me from the inside out. How could I tell her to leave after something like that?
I couldn’t.
I kissed the tip of her nose and covered her with a blanket. She was snoring before I even laid my head down on my pillow
.
I was asleep not too long after.
Felicity
I was confused before I even opened my eyes. The light was too bright for my room, which had blackout curtains on the windows since I often took an odd schedule. I peeled my eyes open as the memories from the night before hit me.
I wasn’t at home.
I was in Abe’s bed.
The window opposite me was the cause for the light. There were curtains, but they were thin and not drawn back. Abe had always said he was a morning person, so the sunlight didn’t bother him as much, I suppose.
Speaking of Abe, he was nowhere to be found.
I sat up in an empty bed, wiping the sleep from my eyes.
The door to the master bathroom was shut, and I could hear the sound of water running on the other side. He was showering. I checked the time - it was after seven am. He was usually at my diner before now.
The diner!
Shit, I needed to open.
I hopped from the bed and searched for my clothes. I had to get home, shower and change before going in. There was no way I’d get there in time, not at this rate.
Then I remembered, the diner was still not open for business. I needed to get approval from the inspector, and our appointment was a few days away still.
I sat back down on the bed, relieved.
The sound of water stopped.
He was getting out of the shower, and I needed to figure out my next moves. I hurried up and got dressed and was about to slip out of the bedroom when I heard the bathroom door open.
“Mornin’” I said awkwardly, with my hand on the doorknob.
“Morning,” he said.
Abe was wearing nothing but a towel, which slipped down low on his slim hips. He walked over to a dresser, facing the other way and giving me a nice view of that ass.
We’d had sex. Again. And this time, it was somehow even better than the first. The fertility meds had made me so horny, so ready for him.
The fertility meds. Oh God.
Abe dropped the towel, and I lost all train of thought. His body was rock hard, and his ass rivaled any underwear model I’d ever seen before. I gawked with my mouth open, and I’m sure there was a little drool hanging out of there.
Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection Page 84