by Iris Parker
They had a point.
The pregnancy hadn’t been my top priority while Ezra was so sick, but now it was rapidly taking its rightful place in both my body and my heart. I ran my hand across my belly, and immediately felt the baby moving beneath it.
“You’re awake, too, huh, peanut?”
Another soft kick seemed to answer my question.
“Yeah, I’m not very tired either,” I said with another sigh.
It was just too hot, and I was just too tense. I would’ve given anything to get ahold of the bookmarked press reviews I’d saved on my MacBook. All through the long months of Ezra’s illness, they’d been my preferred method for sleepless nights like this one. A little reading and I’d eventually doze off, the laptop glaring all night long on my bed. It made me feel less alone, like having company that never asked for attention or anything else.
Well, almost anything. Unfortunately for me, it did require electricity, and I’d forgotten to pack my charger. The few times I mentioned needing one to Alton, his reply was always the same—that I was here for rest, not to work.
Once again, the man had a point. But sleep kept evading me, leaving me tossing and turning in bed too often for my own good. Nights like this were the worst, when all the pent-up tension bubbled its way up to the surface, coming back to haunt me time and again.
Being around Alton so much today had certainly added to that tension. Seeing him shirtless, feeling his arms around my body, watching the way he looked at me….
I climbed into bed, cursing myself through gritted teeth.
“Dammit, no! No way. You’re not doing this again, Jessie!” I muttered. The past three nights in particular had been rough, leading me to replay every single moment I’d spent with Alton during the day. It had become an obsession—a stupid, virulent obsession that only seemed to get stronger the more I tried to fight it. I’d taken the opposite approach last night, hoping it would help, but of course it hadn’t.
If anything, it’d just sent me into a downward spiral of sexual frustration. It had been like drinking a single drop of water in the desert, the moisture only serving to whet my thirst for more.
Just like seeing Alton this morning, dressed in those hip-hugging jeans of his. How hard would it have been for me to just slide them straight down off him?
Or Alton, his day-old beard shining in the sun as he chopped wood out behind the house. How long had I stood there by the window, just watching him as he worked tirelessly?
Alton standing bare-chested in front of the barbecue just a few hours ago. Soaked in sweat from the heat, the flames occasionally rising just enough to show every contour of his body. Each muscle was its own mountain, full of sharp edges that rose up and cast shadows over the valleys below. Imagining my lips on those delicious pecs, letting my mind fill in details where memory failed.
Though some things I would never forget.
Like the shape of his cock that night in Atlantic City, or the way it’d felt inside of me.
“Dammit, get your act together girl!” I hissed. The lewd memory flashed before my eyes, exactly the same as it had last night just before I’d given up on resisting. And look at how that had turned out, with Alton fondling me in the lake today. Was I surprised by how bold he’d been? I’d practically given him my blessing. If he hadn’t backed off when he did, I probably would’ve asked him to keep going.
Rather than sparking outrage or fear, the memory only spurred me on further. My body clenched and pulsed, my skin flushing bright red. Suddenly the humid air wasn’t the only thing making me feel hot, not even close.
With a groan I forced myself out of bed and began to pace the room, desperate to think of something—anything—that would help distract me. Clearly, the strategy I’d chosen to employ last night had been a complete and utter failure.
And I wanted more.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes to concentrate.
It worked, but all I could concentrate on was the memory of Alton’s hardness.
My eyes snapped back open.
Rubbing my face in frustration, I finally remembered that I’d spotted a bunch of bookshelves hidden away in an alcove off the living room. I’d never had time to check them out properly, but this was a golden opportunity for it. I would take anything—fiction, non-fiction, fantasy novels full of names that required a pronunciation guide, I was in no position to be picky. As long as the cover art didn’t feature pirates, ripped bodices, or guys who looked exactly like Alton, I was safe.
I just needed to go there, grab a stack of books, come back, and read until I passed out.
And then I’d dream of Alton, probably.
But at least it beat the alternative.
Looking myself over in the armoire’s full-length mirror, I frowned. Even though it was the middle of the night and everyone was asleep, I needed to do something about my outfit. Even in the privacy of my own bedroom, the spaghetti-strapped nightgown felt too revealing. My breasts were now much fuller than they’d ever been, and the sheer size of my belly made the thin cotton fabric stretch taut across my entire body.
My mind wandered, picturing how Alton might react if he somehow saw me like this. It should’ve been a mortifying thought, but instead it sent a little thrill down my spine. There was no way I’d run into him at this hour, but the idea that he could was enough to spark a whole new set of fantasies, tawdry and just believable enough to keep me awake well past dawn.
I sighed. The wool wrap I’d brought was too hot for this weather, but I needed to put something on over this gown. Otherwise I was doomed to spend the entire night dreaming about what might’ve happened if Alton had seen me like this, walking around his house at night half naked.
If nothing else, maybe the unseasonably warm clothing would help take my mind off Alton where the cold shower had obviously failed.
Now suitably dressed, I stepped out of my room and silently crept down the hall.
Jessie
I was mindful of every creak in the floor as I made my way to the living room, but I arrived without incident. No lights came on, no doors opened, and most important of all, I hadn’t run into Alton. I sighed with relief, or at least, I sighed with what I was determined to convince myself was relief.
As expected, the entire house was dark save for the moon shining in through the windows. It cast a pale blue glow on everything, highlighting the furniture and letting me avoid it all—the sturdy mahogany table covered in half-finished board games, the plush sofa, the comfortable armchairs that sat next to a large fireplace.
For a moment I could imagine just how cozy this place must be in winter, gathered around a warm fire as shadows flickered on the walls and snow frosted the windows. Nanette probably used the weather as an excuse to bake even more, and Alton—well, Alton never came here when it was cold, did he? A professional hockey player could hardly take a vacation in the middle of the season. The thought made me sad.
I shook my head, hugging the shawl closer to my body as I searched for the bookshelves. It didn’t take long, and I was happy to find plenty of suitable reading material. There were easily enough books here to keep me occupied for the rest of my stay here, and I shouldn’t have any more trouble keeping my mind off—
“Jessie?” Alton’s gravelly voice echoed from somewhere outside the nook, making me yelp with surprise and drop the books I’d been gathering.
Smooth.
Despite how miserably hot I felt under the wrap, I shivered.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he called. Heart pounding in my chest, I squeezed my eyes and tried to regain my composure. I wanted to keep skimming the books and forget all about him, but that was impossible. His voice was so damn tempting, and already I craved the comfort of being closer to him.
Not that I had much choice. Even if I could resist this urge to go spend more time with him, ignoring him would’ve been incredibly rude. I couldn’t justify that, not when Alton was the most helpful, devoted, and charming man
I’d met in a long time.
Or ever, I corrected with a shiver. He had spent the entire day trying to teach me to swim, and he hadn’t snapped or lost his patience once. Even Stephen had eventually gotten frustrated with my clumsiness, but Alton had been a rock.
I swallowed hard, clutching my shawl for dear life as I followed the sound of his voice out to the porch.
“Hi,” I managed, my voice low and a little shaky. “You’re…uh, you’re still up.”
Well, at least I still knew how to state the obvious.
“It’s too hot.” Alton was sitting on one of the porch’s rocking chairs, immobile, sipping on a bottle of beer that had turned moist with condensation. The moon’s silvery, pale light was shining onto his face, and he looked absolutely stunning. He was all strength and roughness, full of masculine features that made my heart beat a little faster.
Or a lot faster, I realized as I tried to squeeze away the shaking in my hands. “Too hot,” I agreed finally, lying through my teeth about why I couldn’t sleep.
Alton opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as I got closer. His face registered shock for a second as I stepped out from the shadows, his eyes locking straight onto me. I froze, wondering how on earth I’d gotten myself into such a bad situation.
Had I really been afraid of being alone with my thoughts in bed?
Because being alone with Alton was much, much worse.
“Mind if I sit?” I heard myself ask in spite of myself.
Alton stood up and offered the rocking chair before grabbing a nearby stool, straddling it as he faced me. It was only then that I noticed he was shirtless, still dressed in those hip-hugging worn out jeans that I’d imagined sliding down. I swallowed hard, unable to think.
“You don’t have to…,” my voice cracked, sounding as unsteady as I felt.
“You need a comfortable chair a whole lot more than I do,” Alton answered.
“You were here first. It’s late, I—I—”
“Sit.” Alton’s tone was commanding and firm, a voice I’d never heard from him before. The only thing that stopped me from sitting immediately was the fact that my legs had turned to jelly, and it was taking everything I had just to keep myself from melting on the spot.
I stayed where I was, my mind unable to process everything that was going on around me—the stifling heat, the comforting darkness that I’d so foolishly stepped out of, my surprise at finding Alton here. The gravity in his voice made me feel like I was falling, and all I could do was stare at the smattering of dark hair on his perfect chest. When I did find the courage to look up, the hunger in his eyes was so intense that it drove my gaze straight back down.
“Look at you,” he said, each word falling slow and heavy from his lips. He stood up, taking a few steps closer, and reached out to me. His hand stopped inches from my face, freezing in place as he drew a long, ragged breath.
It suddenly dawned on me that Alton, too, had been lying about why he couldn’t sleep.
That should’ve been my cue to leave, but my body refused to cooperate. I just stood there, waiting and watching.
“You’re sweating,” he observed with a frown. Using his thumb, Alton wiped a few beads of sweat from the scalp line of my forehead. I swallowed hard—he’d been touching me all day in the lake, but this was different. Immediately I was back in Atlantic City, recalling how Alton had been such an attentive, confident lover.
Another look into his eyes told me that he was there, too.
“Is that…wool?” he asked. “On a night like this?”
I swallowed hard, my voice stolen by memory.
“Take that off,” he said, using the same firm voice he’d used when telling me to sit. Without waiting for me to respond, Alton grabbed the edge of my shawl and lifted it from my shoulders.
The warm night breeze hit my moist skin immediately, and—as if I needed the help—my entire body shuddered with even more shivers, intense and plainly visible to Alton.
“Jesus,” Alton hissed through clenched teeth. His eyes trailed over me from head to toe, quickly settling on my chest. My nipples were already erect, and I knew without looking that the nightgown did nothing to hide them.
I couldn’t imagine what a sight I was, eight months pregnant and so lewdly exposed. Part of me wanted to run away, worrying that I was tempting a hungry lion. But my feet refused to move, mesmerized by Alton’s obvious desire. Tossing my shawl onto the chair, he stepped even closer, until I could feel his breath on my damp neck. He placed his hands on my shoulders, gently sliding their way down.
Straight to my sensitive breasts.
“Jessie…,” he grunted. “You look so fucking gorgeous.”
I’d been trying so hard to avoid this, but when his demanding lips touched the soft skin below my ear, I knew the battle was lost. My breathing was as labored as his, all caution thrown out the window. I was craving him as much as he craved me, and denying it was impossible.
One of his hands landed on my belly as his mouth crashed onto my neck, and all I could think was how right this was. I needed this, and needed him. Maybe it was a mistake, but it felt so good to just let go for once. Alton’s fingers slid beneath the v-neck collar of my nightgown, skin on skin as he cupped my breast.
All I could do was let out a whimper, a long sigh of relief and elation.
It was probably a mistake.
No, it was definitely a mistake.
But tonight, I was back where I belonged, and nothing could’ve been sweeter.
Alton
I couldn’t resist any longer. Being around Jessie had been a constant temptation, her every move and glance enticing me with the sweetest of memories. For months I’d watched as our encounter in Atlantic City left its mark on her body, obvious and undeniable. That, by itself, had been enough to drive me crazy.
But seeing her there in a tight, thin little nightgown, her swollen breasts practically bursting out of her top like that? Her rosy skin, exposed in the moonlight for the taking?
For my taking.
I was gone from the moment my lips touched her skin. From the long months of restraint in the hospital to the tortured and sleepless nights, it had all been building to this. Everything that I’d been bottling up bubbled to the surface, my self-control now only a memory.
She was here, she was mine, and she tasted so damn good. I tilted her head back and kissed her, the satisfaction of her lips matched only by hearing her moan beneath me. That set me off further, filling me with a desire to take even more.
Cupping my hands below Jessie’s chin, I leaned in further and deepened the embrace. There was no hiding her passion as she returned my hungry kisses, her hands grasping at my shoulders as she writhed with approval and need. I brought one of my arms around the curve of her lower back, and felt her shivering from head to toe at my touch.
Jessie broke our kiss, only to throw her head back and offer herself up to my ravenous mouth. I lowered my head, pressing my lips to her sensitive, delicate neck. She shivered again, her skin speckled with goosebumps that only encouraged me to keep going. The sexiest woman I’d ever laid eyes on was in my arms again at last, but this was only the beginning.
Guiding Jessie backwards a few steps, we found a small table hidden in a dark corner of the porch. When her smooth, perfect ass brushed against the edge I could see the confusion in her eyes, but it quickly turned to lust after I hoisted her up to the flat surface. My hips slid against her belly on the way up, and I heard a soft whimper of approval as she felt my hardness through the fabric of my jeans.
Jessie’s legs opened just enough for me to come up to the very edge of the table, pressing my body into hers. Sliding my hands beneath her ass, I lifted her up and pulled her even closer, until my hips were supporting some of her weight.
The heat radiated off Jessie’s thighs in waves, warming my abs and obliques as her legs instinctively crossed together behind me. Leaning myself forward, I resumed our kiss, entwining my fingers through her hair.
/> Jessie’s fingers dragged down the length of my torso, and my own hands moved back to explore beneath the hem of her nightgown. It was a tight fit, but I slid my palms up across her rounded belly and kept going until they at last met the firm curves of her chest. Jessie’s nipples were rock hard and demanded attention, her moans filling the night air as I squeezed them between thumb and finger.
My cock pulsed with need, and I could feel Jessie’s hips undulating slowly by my stomach. She teased me by scooting herself back further onto the table, then arched her body up closer to me as if to demand more. Suddenly I couldn’t stand even the thin cotton barrier between us any longer. I grabbed her nightgown from the inside and pulled it up over her head, throwing it free onto the table behind her so my eyes could feast on her exposed, beautiful skin.
Even cast in shadow and dim moonlight, Jessie was fucking gorgeous. She’d been beautiful since the day I saw her, but there was so much more to her than that—both then and now. What had started with those enigmatic eyes of hers at the bachelor auction had led to something much deeper. With the obvious imprint I’d left on her body and life, from her full breasts to her protruding belly, Jessie’s femininity was as undeniable as it was sexy.
And undeniably mine.
Whatever shred of control I had remaining was now long gone. I lowered my head down further, grabbing a nipple with my mouth and sucking greedily. Jessie’s fingers wove through my hair before pulling hard, a low growl of desire escaping her throat. I took the nipple between my teeth, grazing the tender flesh as I slid my tongue over the tip. When her shaking became too violent I switched breasts, repeating everything with the other nipple.
“Oh, Alton,” she murmured, her pleas making me insane with lust. “Yes. Please, yes.” I broke away long enough to raise my head, getting a good look at her. Even in the pale moonlight, I could see the beads of sweat atop her rosy skin. Her breasts were wet from my kisses, and her face looked as crazed and hungry as I felt. “More. Please,” she reiterated, her eyes pleading and clueless as to why I’d stopped.