The Rock Star’s Baby Bargain

by Lili Valente

  Colette

  When I wake up with the sun glaring into my eyes, I smile, not at all irritated that I forgot to close the curtains before we fell asleep last night.

  Even with only a few hours of rest, I’m thrilled to be awake again. I had lovely dreams, but for once in my life, reality is better than anything my subconscious can whip up in the dream kitchen.

  Zack is mine, and I am Zack’s, and we’re going to start our life together today.

  Today is the day.

  The first day of the rest of my unbelievably lucky life.

  I roll over to find Zack already awake, propped up in bed, reading something on his phone. He glances over as I move, his face lighting up as our eyes connect, leaving no doubt he’s as happy to be here as I am.

  Setting his cell on the bedside table, he slides back under the covers, then wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close. “Good morning, beautiful.”

  “Good morning.” I tuck my chin, resting my forehead on his chest as I add, “I need to brush my teeth. Morning breath.”

  “I love your morning breath. It makes me hard.”

  “Gross,” I say, giggling as he hooks his fingers into the top of my panties and tries to drag them down my thighs. I squirm away, pointing a stern finger at his face. “No. This isn’t like the shower. You’re not talking me out of it so easily. Teeth brushing first, then morning sex. This is a firm boundary.”

  He relaxes back against the headboard, grinning. “It’s not the only firm thing around here, so hurry up, woman. I brushed mine when I woke up an hour ago.”

  I frown, pausing with my hand fisted in the covers. “Why were you up so early? We didn’t get to sleep until after two.”

  Zack rolls his eyes. “I’ll tell you later. It’s not worth ruining the mood.”

  I frown harder. “It won’t ruin the mood.”

  “Oh yeah, it will,” he says with a laugh. “It’s not a big deal, though. I promise. And I swear I’ll spill all the gory details soon.” He pauses, his eyes dragging up and down the landscape of my body beneath the covers as he adds in a softer voice, “But I need to be inside you again first.”

  Tingles race across my skin, and my nipples bead beneath my sleep shirt, but still, I hesitate, worried that whatever he’s holding back is worse than he’s letting on. “I want to share everything with you, you know,” I remind him. “Good and bad, happy and sad. You don’t have to hide things from me.”

  “You promise?” He pushes the covers down to reveal the strained front of his boxer briefs, making my breath catch and blood rush between my legs, the sight of him hard and aching for me affecting me the way it always does.

  “I promise,” I murmur, coming onto my hands and knees and reaching for him, running my fingers over the thick ridge of his cock, biting my lip as he twitches beneath my touch.

  He groans softly, watching as I pull the fabric down, revealing the hot length of him. He’s so hard his skin flushes a deep red and fluid beads at his tip. I sweep my tongue across my bottom lip, suddenly dying for a taste.

  I lean in, but he stops me with a hand on my shoulder. “If you put your mouth on me, you’re not getting out of this bed until I’m finished with you, Cee. No break for brushing teeth. So brush now or forever hold your peace.”

  I waver, torn between the voice in my head that insists even mild morning breath is a reason for immediate retreat and the rest of my body, which is hot and hungry and dying to have Zack’s hands on me, his skin sliding against mine as he pushes inside me. I’m already so wet, and my clit is pulsing hungrily, demanding friction, contact, release…

  “I should brush.” I bite my lip, trying to muster up the strength to pull away from him. Instead, I curl my fingers around his cock, stroking him up and down, mesmerized by the way his eyes go dark as I tighten my grip.

  “You’re playing with fire,” he murmurs, his breath coming faster. “If you don’t have a toothbrush in your mouth in the next ten seconds, you’re going to have something else in there.”

  The words send an electric jolt rushing through me. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?” I circle the top of him with my fingers, smearing pre-cum across his velvety soft skin.

  “I haven’t decided yet,” he says, the words rough and strained. “I mean, the thought of your mouth on me is pretty damned riveting. But you know me, I’m always greedy for the real thing.” He reaches out, sliding his hand down the front of my panties, wincing as his fingers glide through where I’m slick and swollen with desire. “Fuck, woman, you’re so wet. You need help.”

  Blinking in surprise, I arch a brow. “Oh, yeah?” My breath hitches as his knuckle brushes against my clit. “What were you thinking? Therapy?”

  “Yes,” he confirms, tugging my panties down with his free hand as he continues to tease me with the other. “Dick therapy.” Both of his hands go to my underwear, dragging them down so fast I’m knocked off my knees and fall back onto the mattress, giggling as he strips the fabric off my feet and reaches for my tee shirt.

  “No, I’m going to brush my teeth,” I protest, laughing harder as he pulls my shirt over my head. “Seriously, I am,” I say, my words becoming a moan as his mouth closes around my nipple.

  He sucks deep, and my head falls back. I tangle my hands into his hair, humming in approval as he captures my other nipple in his warm fingers, sending sizzles of anticipation racing to every corner of my body.

  “That ship has sailed, sweetheart,” he rasps against my damp skin, flicking his tongue across my sensitive flesh one last time before rolling us both across the bed until I’m on top of him with my legs on either side of his hips. “There’s only one place you’re going right now.”

  “And where’s that?” I tease, bracing my hands on his chest as I rock my hips forward, sliding my wetness across his erection.

  “Onto my dick.” His eyes burn into mine. “Get on my dick, Colette. Right now.”

  My breath rushes out. “God, you’re sexy.”

  “And you’re moving too slow.” He grips my hips, his fingertips digging into my ass as he lifts me. Reaching between us, I fit him against me, a cry of relief escaping my lips as he guides me down, down until he fills every inch, stretching me perfectly, deliciously.

  “Yes, oh yes,” I sigh as I begin to move languidly, taking my time exploring every tiny evolution of sensation as I sway forward and glide back, coating him with my slickness.

  “Fuck, woman, you feel so good,” he murmurs, lifting to push even deeper until I’m so full it almost hurts.

  But it doesn’t.

  Because I am so turned on, so wet, and so ready for him.

  “I’m never going to get enough of you,” he says, a pained expression tightening his features. “But you’re going to have to stop pretty soon, or I’m not going to last two minutes. You’re so sexy when you ride me.” Cupping my breast in one hand, he rubs his thumb over my nipple, making me whimper as I shift my position. I lean forward until my arms are braced on either side of his head and my clit grinds against his pubic bone with every roll of my hips.

  Fisting his free hand in my hair, he holds tight as our lips collide. He kisses me hard, his tongue swirling against mine before he whispers, “You taste amazing. You didn’t need to brush anything. You wake up perfect.”

  “You’re crazy,” I say, moaning as he swats my ass in response.

  “I’m not crazy.” He squeezes the stinging flesh with his big hand, pulling me closer as he thrusts his hips up sharply, making me cry out as my pleasure spikes. “I’m in love with your taste, your body, every part of you. You make me crazy, Colette. I’m never going to get enough. Not if we fuck every morning for the next fifty years.”

  “Yes, yes,” I chant as I climb higher, circling my hips faster, harder, until I’m dizzy and so close to spiraling out that all it takes is a word.

  “Come,” he says, his breath hot against my neck.

  And I do.

  I cry out, coming so hard it feels like my spin
e is on fire, sweet and hot, burning as the tension coiled low in my body breaks and unleashes a chain reaction in my nerve endings that goes on and on.

  Circling my arms around Zack’s neck, I hold on tight as he rolls on top of me and takes me harder, faster, drawing out my pleasure until it circles back to the beginning again. I come a second time just seconds before he arches into me, his cock pulsing hard as he lets go, filling me with his release.

  I wrap my legs around him and hold on tight, but I don’t send out the familiar wish. If we make a baby, I’ll be over the moon, but if we don’t, that’s okay, too.

  Because we are together, and we always will be.

  For the first time in my life, I don’t feel even the tiniest bit alone. I thought I knew what love felt like, but in the past, there was always a piece of me held in reserve, an inner sanctum I’d assumed no other human could access.

  But when I look into the core of my being now, Zack is there with me, so good and safe and kind. I know he would never take advantage of our closeness to hurt me. Or ever take our connection for granted.

  Lifting up on his forearms, he looks down at me with a frown. “Shit. We forgot to take your temperature.”

  I smile up at him. “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does,” he says. “We thought today was going to be the day, right?”

  “I think so.” I skim my fingers up and down his back. “But truly, it’s okay. We took the appropriate steps, right?”

  “But it would be nice to know for sure,” he says, his expression softening. “I don’t know when I got so into this baby-making thing, but I really want to get you knocked up. I want to sex a baby into you more than I want pancakes and bacon. And I really want pancakes and bacon. I skipped dinner last night.”

  I grin. “Me, too. And pancakes and bacon sound amazing.” I wiggle closer to him, loving the feel of him softening inside me. “But let’s stay here for one more minute.”

  “Or two,” he agrees, kissing my cheek before whispering in my ear. “I’m glad last night wasn’t a dream.”

  “Me, too.” I tighten my arms around him. “I would have been so sad to wake up without you.”

  He grunts and pulls back with a sigh. “Speaking of waking up without people. Seems Chip tried to leave in the middle of the night. Nancy went to make him breakfast this morning and couldn’t find him anywhere. His car was still there, so she assumed he must have gone for an early walk or something.”

  I wrinkle my nose. “He doesn’t seem like an early walk kind of guy.”

  “Yeah, he isn’t.” Zack rolls to the side, sliding out of me, but I stay on my back, wanting to give his swimmers the best chance possible before I head to the bathroom to clean up.

  He reaches for his phone. “Which Nancy found out when Jed went into the studio a little later and found this…” He turns the screen to me, revealing a shot of Chip curled up in a ball under the recording deck, a dingy brown blanket drawn over his sleeping bulk.

  “What the hell?” I ask with a laugh.

  “Apparently, the ghosts told him to get the hell out,” Zack says, glancing back at the image. “Nancy said he was so ramped up it was hard to get the full story, but it sounded like he went upstairs to the attic and saw something up there. Something that scared him so badly that he ran for the stairs, fell down one flight, and then hobbled down the rest with a sprained ankle before limping across the grass to crash in the studio.”

  My brows slide higher on my forehead. “Really? You think he saw something? What did Nancy say?”

  “She apologized profusely and swore no guest has ever reported an experience like that before, but I told her not to worry about it.” He shrugs and tosses his phone on the mattress. “I figure each guest gets the ghost experience they deserve, right?”

  I tilt my head, studying him out of the corner of my eye, debating how much to tell him. “Yeah, Chip wasn’t…very nice last night. He’s a big part of the reason I left. He painted such a dark picture of our future.”

  “I figured,” Zack says, his jaw going tight. “I fired him via text this morning. Just the way he was looking at you before I went into the studio… I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I was trying to sleep last night. I don’t want a man who looks at women that way representing me or my business.”

  Warmth rushing in my chest, I sit up and lean over to kiss his temple. “You’re the sweetest man. I love that about you. So much.”

  “I’m sorry I left you alone with him.” Zack curls his hand around my knee. “That was stupid of me.”

  “No, it wasn’t. You should be able to leave your manager alone with your girlfriend. That isn’t something you should have to second-guess.”

  “But I knew he was a slimeball.” His voice is dark with guilt. “I thought he would behave himself because he wanted to keep me on as a client, but I shouldn’t have taken that for granted. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” I assure him again. “I’m fine. He said some rude things, but he didn’t hurt me.” I smile. “And it sounds like he got his. Ghost karma seems pretty brutal.”

  “Yeah, it does.” Zack hesitates, chewing his lip for a beat before he adds, “Is it crazy that it kind of makes me more excited about spending another week there?”

  I laugh. “No, it isn’t! Me, too! I can’t wait to get back. I mean…assuming you want me to stay the rest of the week.”

  He gathers me into his arms and pulls me onto his lap. “Either you’re staying, or I’m going back to Hidden Kill Bay with you. Those are the choices because I’m not letting you out of my sight. Assuming that’s all right with you.”

  “That’s perfect with me,” I whisper, running my fingertip across his bottom lip. “We don’t even have to get out of bed if you don’t want. I’m sure we could bribe Nancy to leave our meals by the door. We won’t have to worry about sperm count anymore, you know… Now that the most fertile time of the month is over.”

  “Beautiful and brilliant,” he says, cupping my breast in his hand. “How did I get so lucky?”

  I suck in a breath as he rolls my nipple between his fingers and thumb. “Don’t start something you’re not prepared to finish, mister. If you make me want you again, pancakes and bacon are going to have to wait.”

  “Who needs food, anyway?” he says, rolling us both across the covers, making me laugh before he makes me gasp.

  And moan.

  And cry his name.

  And silently thank the universe for this morning, this man, and this unexpected twist in my love story.

  Our love story, the one I can’t wait to write with him for a long, long time.

  Epilogue

  Zack

  I thought life couldn’t get any better than having Colette all to myself in the mountains with nothing to do but make love and music, eat too much french toast, lie by the pool, and go for long walks in the woods.

  But the six days we’ve been home in Hidden Kill Bay have been just as sweet.

  Sweeter, actually.

  I’ve never seen my gram take to anyone the way she’s taken to Colette. Gram’s always been friendly and welcoming with my friends and past girlfriends, but she tends to hold people at a distance until she gets to know them.

  But by the end of our first dinner together, she’s stealing my girl away to the backyard to show off her rose garden and offering to sponsor Colette as a junior member of the Botanical Society.

  The Botanical Society—aka, the town garden club—is serious shit. No one gets in without a sponsor, and sponsorship isn’t something my grandmother takes lightly. The last time she vouched for a new member, I was still in high school.

  I’m not sure Colette realizes what high praise it is for Gram to welcome her not only into our family but into her green thumb tribe as well. But it’s clear she adores both of my grandparents. She lights up every time I suggest going over to walk Thermos, Gram’s dog, or swinging by for coffee and one of the homemade cupcakes my gramps always tries to
have on hand.

  She even offered to move into my room there with me if I was worried about leaving my grandparents alone. But as kind and generous as that was, my grandparents do just fine on their own, and I was all too happy to move into Colette’s apartment.

  At least until we find the perfect house and put down roots in our hometown for good.

  I always knew I’d end up here. Hidden Kill Bay is in my blood. It’s where I had all my big firsts—first steps, first kiss, first gig playing music—and I’d like my lasts to be here, too. Sure, I’m becoming a true local again a little sooner than expected, but I don’t regret postponing my plans for a tour until the album drops in February.

  I want to be with Colette and make sure this thing we’re building has strong, healthy roots before we decide whether going on tour together makes sense.

  Of course, I hope she’ll decide to come with me—spending that much time apart sounds like hell—but wherever we land on that, I know we’ll find a way to make it work. In just a few short weeks, Colette has become my number one, and loving her is my absolute favorite thing to do.

  Being the sweet, funny, smart, down-to-earth person she is makes it easy.

  Or maybe it’s so easy and good because we were just…made for each other.

  I used to think that kind of thinking was sappy and naïve, but that was before Colette.

  “B.C.,” I murmur, hooking my hands behind my head and leaning back in my beach chair. The weather is perfect today—summer hot, but with a breeze off the water that eases the need to run into the ocean every five minutes to cool off.

  “What’s that?” Colette asks, sounding sleepy.

  I glance over to find her curled on her side on the beach blanket, her cheek pillowed on her arm and her eyes closed. “Sorry,” I murmur, “did I wake you?”

  She hums, and her lashes flutter open. “No. I was just resting my eyes. I was on the computer too much yesterday with the job application stuff.”

  “Heard anything yet?” I ask, crossing my fingers.