by Joanna Blake
Her eyes were huge as she stared at me. Then her face cracked into a shy smile. That was it. I was pulling her into my arms.
I didn't kiss her. I didn't dare. I just held her. I realized how tightly I was squeezing and quickly let go.
My hands held her face, so I could look at her.
"Rosie..."
She smiled, her huge blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
"Thank you for letting me come."
She nodded and her hands covered mine. Slowly, she lowered my hands. But she kept one in hers.
"Come on. Let me show you around."
I had a hard time focusing on what she was saying. I couldn't stop looking at her. At our hands, clasped together.
She kept hold of my hand as she led me around the farm.
Rosalie
"This is Henrietta."
Nick bent down to introduce himself to our resident mama goat. She'd had kids just a few weeks ago, and already they were bouncing around the farm, like tiny adorable lunatics.
I really had a soft spot for the goats.
"It's nice to meet you Henrietta."
I tried to stifle my laughter as Henrietta stared at him, slowly chewing on some hay. Then she opened her mouth abruptly and screamed at him.
"MAHHHHHHH!"
Nick stepped backwards, right into one of the baby goats who also screamed at him. He looked at me, his gorgeous eyes worried.
"Did I do something wrong?"
I shook my head, unable to stop laughing. A deep belly laugh that went on and on. He raised an eyebrow at me and waited for me to stop. The goats went back to chewing and shaking their little tails at us.
It only made me laugh harder.
"No- that's just- oh God! That's just how they-"
I bent over laughing. When I looked up, Nick was cracking a small smile.
"That's just how they say hello."
He shook his head.
"They are really loud for such small creatures."
I nodded.
"I know. They are very sweet though. Just wait until one of them tries to climb up your shoulders."
"They do that?"
I started laughing at the nervous look on Nick's face. I was sure he was worried about his pristine looking clothes. But he was only pretending to be horrified.
My heart melted a little bit.
Just a little.
We kept walking, going into the barn where Lisa was brushing down some of the horses and cows. Every creature here got equal care. Most people would value a horse over a dairy cow but not here.
We saw them all as equals.
Lisa was grinning ear from ear when she shook hands with Nick. He turned away and she made a face at me, pointing at his ass. I blushed beet red, thankful that the barn was dark.
"This is quite an operation you have going here."
"Not me. I'm new. Though I have brought some ideas to the table."
He looked at me as we took one of the paths deeper into the woods. I wanted to show him something. Well, a couple of somethings.
"You do everything together? Eat here, sleep here?"
He gave me a teasing glance.
"Showering?"
I laughed. It took me a second before I realized he was jealous. I decided not to make it too easy on him.
"Just the girls. Showering together, I mean."
His mouth dropped open.
"It saves water."
He let me walk ahead of him. I had a good idea why. I was pretty sure I'd just given him a boner.
"You okay back there?"
His voice sounded strangled.
"Uh huh."
I smiled to myself as I walked towards the clearing around the waterfall.
"This is where we swim. And there's something else I started, just over there in the woods by the meadow."
I pointed and waited for him to see it. His eyes got wide when he did. He smiled at me, shaking his head.
"You built a beehive."
I nodded.
"The bees did the hard work. But I found a few spots to set up welcoming habitats for them. We have a few different kinds too. Even carpenter bees."
He was staring at me, a hungry look in his eyes. I felt shy suddenly. And nervous.
I could tell he wanted to kiss me.
I wasn't ready for that though. I started talking instead.
"Most people consider them a pest species. But they are vital for pollination. And they help to break down fallen trees and old wood. They are a vital part of the ecosystem."
"Rosie."
I stopped babbling and stared at the waterfall. It rose about twenty feet in the air. Not particularly impressive, but we loved it.
"Rosie. Look at me."
I took a deep breath and lifted my eyes to his. What I saw took my breath away. Nick was looking at me with his heart in his eyes.
"You didn't have to let me come here. I know that. And I don't expect anything. But I want to be here for you and the child."
I nodded. I knew that.
"But I would want to be here, even if there wasn't a child. Because I love you."
He shook his head.
"You made me want to be a better man Rosie. I wish I was good enough for you."
He turned away.
"You are. Good enough I mean."
He froze in place. Now he was afraid to look at me.
"I need time to think about this, Nico. So much has happened."
He nodded.
"I know."
"But I'm glad you are here."
He was smiling as he followed me back to the farmhouse for dinner.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nicholas
I rolled onto my back, my arm covering my eyes. The lightning kept flashing outside. I guess it was the rainy season or something here. Because it was storming outside. A lot.
The old house had a series of tiny bedrooms. The attic had been made into one long room with several simple pallet beds for guests. I was up here.
Rosie was... downstairs. On the second floor.
Where I wanted to be.
My skin felt hot, even with the cool breeze coming in through the open window. It was impossible to sleep knowing she was so near by. I wanted to touch her so badly I was literally forcing myself not to.
Hell, I wanted to sink myself into her and ride her until dawn. Noon maybe. Nightfall.
I hadn't had sex or thought about having sex since I had gotten on that plane in London. Well, I had thought about it. I'd remembered. All the times with her.
And now she was here and she didn't hate me. She didn't think I was worthless. But she also hadn't invited me to her bed.
She had smiled at me. She had even teased me with her joke about showering with the girls.
That was not true, as I had found out at dinner.
Everyone had been friendly to me. On her behalf I was sure. But they were kind. And extremely protective of Rosie.
Too protective.
I had looked around the table, wondering how many of them were in love with her.
All of them probably.
I kicked the sheet off my body, giving up once and for all. I couldn't sleep. I might as well get some fresh air. I pulled my pants on and slipped my feet into my shoes. I slid my arms into a shirt, not bothering to button it.
Judging from the yawns at dinner, they were all sound asleep. All that physical labor, and the hot sun... I couldn't help but worry that it was bad for Rosie in her condition.
But she was flourishing. That much was obvious. And she was one of them now.
These idealistic young people were all peas in a pod. Julio was wealthy and good looking. He had been very familiar with her during dinner. Everyone had. They had nicknames for her too.
Hermosa Rosa. Schone Rose. Pequena Rosa.
And Rosalina. That one suited her best.
Still, I didn't like it. I reached into my bag for a flask of bourbon I usually travelled with. I needed a drink. I took
the stairs quietly, pausing on the second floor landing. Lightning illuminated the hallway briefly.
I froze. Rosie's door was open. Just a crack but... it felt like an invitation.
One I was not strong enough to resist.
I knew it was her room because I had made a special note of which door was hers when they'd shown me to my sleeping quarters in the attic. The hot, muggy, lonely attic.
Maybe someone was in there with her. Maybe she had taken a lover. I couldn't hold that against her. Even if the idea tore me up inside.
I stepped closer. Only to see if she was alone. Or if... she needed anything.
Yeah right. I was basically a peeping Tom. But I couldn't stop myself.
Through the door I could see the outline of her body through the covers. She twisted in a way that made me think she was having a nightmare. Before I knew what I was doing, I was standing just inside her doorway.
It wasn't a nightmare. She was dreaming.
Her head moved back and forth on the pillow. Her mouth opened and a soft sigh emerged. A soft, sexy sigh.
She was dreaming about sex.
I groaned, closing my eyes. Her delicate camisole, the thin sheen of sweat on her skin, it was too much. It was torture.
But I couldn't leave.
I opened my eyes again, letting myself watch her. Knowing it was a violation of her privacy. My eyes traced every inch of her skin, all the way to the slender leg that escaped her thin blanket. Her foot was bare, sliding over the sheets as she tossed and turned.
I heard a small gasp and looked up.
Her eyes were open.
"Nico?"
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
Rosalie
"Shhhhh... it's alright."
Nico was here. In my room. I stared at his handsome face in the darkness.
"You were having a dream."
"I... was?"
He nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. He was staring at me hungrily. Had I said his name? Did he somehow know I had dreamt about him?
Again.
It happened so often, I had come to count on it. Even look forward to it. Maybe it was the hormones. But either way, my dreams about making love to Nicholas were very, very realistic.
Full body dreams you might say.
I was still aroused from the dream. The way he was looking at me was not helping. He was so handsome. His hair was longer now. His shirt unbuttoned... I could see his chest and flat stomach. I could see his thick pecs and sexy little nipples.
I wanted to bite them.
"It's okay, I'm here."
I nodded and leaned back. Then I did something that surprised even myself. I flipped the covers back in a blatant invitation.
An invitation for him to join me.
His eyes flared as he took in my body in my thin tank top and panties. He looked like he was in pain as he reached for me, his hand resting lightly on my hip.
"Are you sure, Rosie?"
I nodded. I didn't care about tomorrow. But right now, I needed him.
Badly.
He wasted no time after I gave my permission. He was on the bed, above me, kissing me before I even blinked. It felt so right, the way our bodies melted together. It wasn't soft though.
No, it was hard.
He was hard.
I knew it that moment, that it had been real. Every instant of it. He hadn't pretended with me. He loved me.
We were both breathless as we started pulling each other's clothes off. It was rushed, hurried, frantic. But each piece of clothing brought a soft moan or a sigh, as we explored each other's skin.
He stood up, reaching down to pull my panties down. He kissed my belly softly, before reaching for his pants. He stared at me as he slowly pushed them down. He was giving me time to change my mind.
But there was no way in hell that was going to happen.
I watched as he lowered his lips to my thigh and kissed me there. He nudged my legs apart and climbed between them. I felt the softness of his lips against my pussy. I closed my eyes as he began to taste me softly.
Too softly.
"Nick."
He murmured as he began to play with my folds, flicking his tongue again my clit. He was teasing me mercilessly. I didn't want soft. I wanted hard.
Now.
"Nico... don't."
He lifted his head, his eyes glazed with lust.
"I want you. Now."
He shook his head, then resumed his slow, torturous kisses. He built his pace slowly, until I was frantic, writhing on the bed in frustrated desire.
I wanted the pressure of him inside me. Against me. Above me.
But he kept up his feather light touches until I was on the verge of exploding. Then he stopped. I felt his breath against me.
"Rosie... tell me this isn't just for tonight."
I moaned, unable to form coherent thought.
"Tell me you are mine Rosie."
His finger traced the edges of my lips and I jerked on the bed. His tongue lapped at me in between his words.
"Tell me..."
I whimpered, reaching for him. But he pulled back, moving his head out of reach. Then he began again.
"Rosie. Say it."
"Oh God... what? Please Nico..."
He growled and nipped my inner thigh.
"Say you are mine. You belong to me."
"Yes..."
"Say it."
"I belong to you."
He lifted himself up, bracing himself above me. I felt him positioning himself against me. I rocked my hips towards him. Wanting him.
Needing him.
"You're mine. Say the words Rosie."
"I am... I am yours."
With a groan he drove himself into me. He wasn't rough. But he didn't stop until he was all the way inside me. We both moaned at the exquisite feeling.
He fit so perfectly inside me. I felt tight, stretched out. But it felt so right. Like he was meant to be there.
He stared down at me as he began to move.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Nicholas
Rosie was staring up at me as I slowly fucked her into a trance state. She was so sensitive, so responsive. I was revealing in the power I had over her.
That was nothing to the power she had over me.
I felt like I was in heaven. The girl beneath me, letting me fuck her like a freight train, she was paradise to me.
She was home.
I felt her undulating against the tip of my cock and stopped, poised at her entrance. She was on the verge of coming. I wanted to make it good for her. So good that she wouldn't change her mind in the morning.
That she wouldn't go back on her word.
"You're mine."
She nodded and I gave her what she needed. I was careful not to be too rough. But I'd done some research on how to make love to a pregnant woman and it was much safer that you might think.
Making love.
I almost laughed but my dick felt too good.
We weren't making love. We were fucking like two sweaty wild animals. It was fucking perfect.
I lifted her thigh, starting to pump into her faster now. She was squeezing me so hard that it almost hurt. I knew it was going to make me cum.
Too soon.
"I hope you aren't tired."
She was tossing her head back and forth as I started to pour myself into her. I grunted, my stokes losing their tempo. I lost control as I came so hard, I saw stars.
I leaned my forehead against hers as we caught our breath. I didn't withdraw. Even now, the urge to seed her was almost overpowering.
Even though I'd already done it.
"Why?"
I stared down at her, brushing her hair off of her sweaty forehead.
"Why what?"
"You said you hoped I wasn't tired."
I smiled at her and flexed my hips. Her eyes were wide as she realized what was happening.
I was getting hard again.
"
Here, lay on your side."
She was compliant as I arranged her. I ran my hands over her flanks and lifted her top leg slightly. Then I eased myself back inside her.
We spooned that way, slowly fucking as the storm raged outside. I had more control this time. Now that I knew she was mine. I was less desperate.
Slightly less desperate.
I used my hands to toy with her, bringing her to orgasm again and again. One time I did it just by playing with her nipples. Other times I circled my fingers on her clit until she rocked against me, her body convulsing sweetly.
Around dawn I finally let loose, holding her hips steady while I drove into her again and again. I felt lightning shoot up from the base of my spine through my cock as I came. Rosie came with me, her body coaxing every last bit of orgasm from my body.
I had never known it could be like this.
I smiled as I pulled the blanket back over us, not pulling out of her for an instant.
It was almost funny, considering I had been as celibate as a monk these past few months. I was more than making up for it now. I had all kinds of plans of what we could do together. Dirty, naughty things.
Now that I had Rosie.
Rosalie
I knew it was silly, but I was embarrassed. Nico was laughing at me as I said the same thing over and over again. He kissed my cheeks, teasing me about how pink they were as we got dressed to go downstairs for breakfast.
"I wonder if they heard us. I hope they didn't hear us."
Nicholas insisted on helping me get dressed. He was fussing over me, treating me like a porcelain doll. It was ridiculous, considering I had been doing manual labor for almost two months now.
It was true though, that I was careful not to lift anything too heavy. Everyone else here looked out for me, especially now that they knew about the baby. They made it easy, gave me the lightest chores, made sure I didn't deal with the animal refuse or anything that could harm the baby. Still, I worked from sun up to sun down, just like everyone else.
Well, except when I was puking.
My cheeks were bright red as we sat down at the table.
It was silent for a minute. And then everyone broke into loud cheers and whistles.