“Jealous?”
“I was. That is until your favorite toy and my cock came to a workable solution. They had a meeting of the minds, so to speak, and I think we’ve come up with a solution that will suit us all.”
Creigh’s lips twitched as if she was biting back a smile. “Such as?”
“Duracell will get your clit, and my dick your pussy. They plan to tag team your juicy cunt and then let you decide which you like better.”
“It’s going to be kind of hard for me to make that decision.”
“Oh, baby.” Dean pressed his straining erection forward and rubbed it against the soft flesh of her firm ass. “It’s already hard.”
Creigh moaned and pressed her ass back against him. “So I see.”
“Think we should do something about it?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Good. I was hoping you’d say that. Take this and press it against your clit.” He handed the toy to her, and without waiting to see if she did as he requested, he scooted down just a bit and bent his leg so his knee was pointed up and his foot was on the bed. Then Dean angled his leg forward a little, then lifted her top leg and placed it over his. The move put her pussy in the perfect position for him to slide his cock seamlessly into her.
Reaching between them, he took hold of his cock and ran it across the damp folds of her sex. Dean wanted to make sure he was good and slippery when he eased inside her. Since they’d been back together, they’d been burning up the sheets every single chance they had, and Dean was adamant that she was not only comfortable while they made love, but that she enjoyed it as well. The second part was easier than the first, but for Creigh he had all the time and patience in the world to make sure he did everything right. Because at the end of the day, it was all about her.
“You ready, cara?”
“More than.” She reached back and placed her hand on his hip and pulled him toward her. A sign as sure as any she wanted what he had to give.
Not one to ever be accused of leaving a lady waiting, Dean ran his hand over his cream-coated length to distribute her moisture evenly around his cock, then moved into position. He pressed the thick crown of his erection against the dark pink opening of her sex and eased his throbbing shaft inside her from behind.
“Ohhh…fuckkk!” he growled as the liquid heat of her pussy surrounded him, engulfing his cock in what had to be the only living proof of heaven on earth.
Creigh let out a deep moan and pressed back onto him as she placed the stimulator against her clit. “Oh…yeah…” Dean wasn’t sure if the sound of approval was for him or for the toy, but truthfully he didn’t care. If she liked it, he loved it. Whatever made her come was good in his books.
Dean lowered his leg a bit more so she was spread open at a more comfortable angle and placed his hand on her hips. Holding on tight to her, he began a slow but steady rhythm, easing his cock into her inches at a time to make sure she was used to it. But they were both too familiar with each other to be satisfied with steady anything. Wild was how they enjoyed it, so wild was how he gave it to her.
He picked up his speed and powered into her from behind, pulling her back against him as he thrust into her. The newfound movements seemed to be just what Creigh needed because in seconds she was moaning, arching, and crying out for him.
Her hand shook around the toy, and he could tell at any moment she would abandon it. But that would never do. He wanted her to have the pleasure from both him and the toy. He wanted to watch her come undone under the force of her release.
With that end goal in mind, he ran his hand over the gentle swell of her belly, down to the sweet heat of her sex, and took hold of Creigh’s trembling hand, hard at work, gripping the vibrator with all of her might.
“Allow me,” he insisted.
She didn’t even argue. She let it go, then immediately moved her hands up to her breasts, where she put her fingers fast to work on her nipples, pinching and squeezing the tips to give herself the little something extra she craved.
While she busied herself up top, Dean went to work down below. He switched the toy up to its highest setting and pressed it firmly against her clit. “Tell me how good it feels.”
“Good, so good. I…oh…Dean…” She pushed back against him and away from the toy. But he followed her with the vibrator, forcing her to accept the pleasure that awaited her at both ends. And as he figured, it drove her wild. Creigh’s cries of passion rose higher and higher as she began to really work herself back against him, taking him deeper and deeper inside her with every thrust. “God…yes. Right there. Fuck me.”
“Like that, do you, cara?” he asked through gritted teeth. “Do you like the way my cock feels inside your sweet pussy?”
“Yes. God. Yes.”
Dean ground down on his teeth to hold back the ear-blasting groan threatening to burst forth. She was so hot and so fucking tight that just being inside her was enough to make him want to come.
He thrust, over and over, with sure and steady strokes, all the while holding the toy to her clit. Even though it was touching only her, he could feel the vibration through the walls of her sex. He loved how it made her clench around him with every stroke and how the added stimulation drove her wild. The feel of her sex pulsing around his thrusting cock multiplied his pleasure tenfold and made it extremely hard not to let go and fill her pussy with his cum.
Dean began to feel the familiar tug of his balls signaling his impending release, and he knew he only had minutes left before he lost it altogether and began to pound into her like a madman. Picking up speed, he began to power into her with everything he had inside him. The bed rocked and dipped as they drove into one another, each stroke more intense than the one before.
“Dean!”
Her voice had a frantic edge, and he could tell she was as close to coming as he was. And if one of them was to go first, it would damn well be her. “Come for me, cara. Come.”
Creigh released her hold on her breasts and reached behind her to grab his hip. She dug her nails into his taut flesh and cried out his name as her pussy flooded his cock with the creamy evidence of her desire. Her pussy contracted and spasmed around his pumping cock as she came, but Dean held strong, thrusting inside her until she came again. It was only after her second release that he dropped the toy to the bed and allowed himself to let go. With a low growl, he pressed his cock as deep within her and came, groaning her name.
It took a few minutes for him to catch his breath. When he was finally about to breathe like a sane person and not like a rabid dog, he made quick work of pulling out of her body and then lowering their legs back to the bed. Instead of getting up and heading to the bathroom to clean up, Dean slipped up behind her even closer and pulled her back against him.
“I really like the way you take me out to lunch.”
Creigh laughed and pulled his arm around her. “Would you believe me if I said this wasn’t exactly the plan?”
“No. Not for a second.”
“Then I won’t even try.”
“Good.” Dean turned his head and looked behind him at the clock on the nightstand table. “From my calculations, we have another two hours before we can expect the kids home.”
“Two hours with the right two people can be a lifetime.”
“I was thinking the exact same thing.”
“We could always, um”—Creigh paused for a second before continuing—“talk.”
“We could, but I’m sure we can find more lewd and lascivious ways to wile away the time.”
Creigh looked up at him and arched a brow. “You think you’re up to it?”
Dean flexed his hips and pressed his damp cock against her ass. He wasn’t hard right now, but if they stayed in this position for another two minutes, he would be. There was just something about her ass, her breasts—hell, Creigh in general—that made him act like a randy teenager. “I think that can be arranged.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
; Chapter Ten
Creigh showered longer than usual, hoping the water could help wash away her sins and regrets. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t get her mouth to form the words that would make Dean leave. She wanted to tell him the truth, Lord knew she did, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the second he knew, Dean would disappear, and Creigh didn’t think she could take it. No, she knew she couldn’t. She loved him too much to tell him, but she respected him too much to lie. She was caught between a rock and a hard place, and they were holding her down, ripping at her soul every second she kept the baby’s father’s identity to herself.
When the water began to grow cool, she rinsed off and stepped out of the shower. She grabbed her towel and dried off, then walked out of the bathroom to her bedroom and began to get dressed, all the while pondering what to do.
The sight of Trace yesterday had been like a hit to the solar plexus. Hanging around the house all night waiting for him to call had been almost as painful, but by morning she went back to the same revelation she’d come to months before. He didn’t want anything to do with the baby. And that was fine. It was fine when he said it the day she told him, and it was fine now. The only thing that changed between that day and yesterday was Dean. He deserved to know. Telling him was the right thing to do. The only question was how and when. It needed to be soon, and it needed to come from her.
Yet still. It was far easier said than done.
Creigh was just starting on her hair when she heard the doorbell ring. Frowning, she glanced at the small clock she kept in the bathroom, surprised there would be a visitor so early on a Saturday morning. Setting her brush down, she headed back into the bedroom just as Dean walked into it from the hallway. “Hey,” he said, closing the door firmly behind himself, “where you going?”
“I thought I heard the doorbell ring. Is someone here?”
“No, the kids were just playing. I told them to cut it out because you were resting.”
“It’s okay; I’m up.”
“It’s not okay; you need to rest. I still haven’t forgotten about yesterday.”
Neither had she, and the fact he was trying to be so attentive only made her feel worse. “Really, it’s not a big deal.” Her guilt made her words more brittle and harsh than they needed to be. She quickly turned her face away so he couldn’t see her anguish. “I’m going to go finish getting ready.”
She attempted escape into the bathroom, but Dean followed, stopping in the doorway to lean casually on the frame. “That’s a pretty dress. Is it new?”
Creigh took a deep breath to compose herself before glancing down at the drape-front maxi dress she was wearing and smiling. “Yes, A-mei got it for me.”
“I like it.”
“Thank you,” she said as pulled her hair back and clipped it up and out of her way. “It’s so freaking hot right now, and the dress is so comfy and airy; plus it doesn’t make me look as if I were wearing a circus tent.”
“You can never look like you’re wearing a tent.”
“I don’t know. The closer I get to the due date, the larger I feel.” Creigh turned to the side so she could see her profile in the floor-length mirror. “The larger I look. These next two weeks are going to be a killer.”
“I think you look beautiful.” Dean walked over to her and stood behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his chin on her shoulder.
Creigh leaned back against him and closed her eyes. “You’re blind.”
“I think I see you more clearly than even you do.”
Creigh saw herself for exactly who she was, and she didn’t like herself at all. She had to tell him. She had to tell him now. Afraid but determined, she opened her eyes and turned to face him. “Dean, I—”
The doorbell rang again, cutting her off midsentence.
“Damn it,” Dean growled. “I told them to stop.” He spun on his heels and headed out of the bedroom and straight toward the living room.
“Dean, it’s fine.” She hurried after him, not wanting the kids to get in trouble for just being kids. Besides if there was anyone who deserved to be punished, it was her. “Dean. Wait.”
Determined to stop him, Creigh rounded the corner of the hallway, then abruptly pulled up short when she entered the living room and caught sight of a beaming Dean, standing with the kids in front of a room full of people. Balloons and streamers draped the ceiling in soft shades of pink and lilac, and there was a large duck-adorned banner with the words BABY SHOWER hanging on the wall. The second the guests caught sight of her, they let out a loud cheer and shouted, “Surprise!”
Creigh gasped and covered her mouth with one hand and her heart with the other. Although the rumblings of a baby shower had been raised by more than one person, Creigh had always vetoed the idea because she’d already had everything she needed, and it seemed sort of silly to have one when it wasn’t necessary. Nevertheless, seeing all the people gathered around to celebrate the birth of her child brought her to tears. “Oh. My. God. How hard was I sleeping?”
“Hard enough,” Gino called out, much to the amusement of everyone in the room.
“You…” Too touched to give her former brother-in-law a hard time, she just shook her head and looked all around the room at her friends and family. “I can’t believe you guys. How long have you been planning this?”
“About a month,” A-mei said, coming forth to give her a hug. “I know you said you didn’t want one, but as usual, no one listens to you.”
“So I see.” A laughing Creigh was pulled from A-mei’s arms into her mother’s, then a neighbor’s from down the street, then a cousin’s. It went on and on like that for a good minute as friends and family embraced her, one after the other, and wished her well.
After greeting almost everyone in the house, Dean and the kids finally made their way over to her.
“So were you surprised?” Harlow asked, all smiles, as was Hamilton, who was surprisingly fatigue free.
“Yeah, Mom, were you?” he asked, hopping up and down to garner her attention. “Did we fool you?”
Creigh placed an arm around each of her kids’ shoulders and pulled them in close for a hug. “Definitely. I’m so surprised.” Creigh looked over to Dean and shook her head lightly. He’d done the impossible and not only kept the party a complete secret, but also executed the decorating and arrival of the guests all while she was in the other room. It was unheard of. No wonder he’d told her to take her time this morning when he slipped out of bed at seven.
In awe, she asked him, “How did you do all this?”
“I have skills you’ve never seen,” he teased. “Besides, you know us De Lucas. We like a good party, and there was no way I was going to let any child of mine enter this world without a big blowout.”
Child of his. God, she didn’t deserve him, but she was going to keep him nevertheless. Releasing the kids, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She closed her eyes and let her tears fall freely as she hugged him with all her might, doing her best to let him know, in whatever way possible, how much he meant to her. The room erupted in a chorus of “aahs” and wolf whistles, which embarrassed her a little bit and caused her to bury her head in his neck.
“Okay, people!” Hamilton yelled. “Nothing to see here. Keep it moving.”
Her son’s antics, as usual, made Creigh laugh. Amusement overrode embarrassment. Raising her head, she pulled back a bit and looked up at Dean. “That’s your son.”
“Don’t blame me.” Dean reached out and ruffled Hamilton’s hair. “Blame Gino. Kid inherited his big mouth from his uncle.”
“Hey now,” Gino called out. “I resemble that remark, as does everyone else in this room.”
Gino’s comment set off a round of smart-ass replies, which started the ball rolling in the never-ending smack-talking fest of the De Lucases versus Gibbses. Their families had known each other for many years, and the only thing they liked doing better than eating with one another was ribbing one another.
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Whenever their families came together, it was a madhouse. It was all in good fun, of course, but it was wild—and loud. Over the years, after watching the way both families behaved, Creigh was convinced Italian Americans and African Americans were cut from the same boisterous cloth. Sure they had their differences, as every race did, but they also shared a common love for good food, great conversations, and family.
As soon as the party started, the group instantly divided, with the men going outside to bicker about the proper way to run the grill and the women moving to the family room to start on the sea of presents. Creigh sat in a chair near the fireplace that served as the place of honor as gift after gift was brought in and piled in front of her.
It took her almost two hours to open all the gifts and thank everyone for the bounty now stacked in the corner on the coffee table. There were more diapers and clothing than any one child could go through in a lifetime, but Creigh was ever so grateful to receive them. Thinking back now, she couldn’t fathom why she’d been against a baby shower. Not only had she made out like a bandit, she’d had a great time to boot.
By midafternoon Creigh was exhausted. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten as well or laughed as hard or made so many trips to the bathroom. It was in the midst of coming back into the living room from one such excursion she caught sight of Dean standing in the open doorway leading to the front yard, signing a form on a clipboard. She’d barely made it to his side as the mail carrier handed him a thick letter.
“What is it?” she asked as he shut the door.
Dean shrugged and handed her the envelope. “Some downtown law firm. The shop isn’t being sued for a bad flower delivery or something, are they?”
His attempt at a joke fell flat. That was the last thing she needed. “Lord, I hope not.” Nervous, Creigh ripped open the envelope and pulled out the sheaves of paper. She quickly glanced through the pile to grasp what she was holding. There was a letter on top of a bunch of documents, with arrows pointing to where she was to sign, addressed to her from someone she’d never heard of.
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