Unforgettable (Family Justice Book 5)

by Suzanne Halliday

  He’d hoped she’d be the sensible, pragmatic counselor and suggest they marry to solve the problem.

  A neon billboard in his conscience flashed over and over with the word ‘COWARD’.

  So this is what a rock and a hard place feel like, he thought. Did he want to marry Heather? In a damn heartbeat. He’d been thinking about broaching the subject when they were in Boston for Alex’s wedding. But then Bella happened and he flinched. At the time it all just seemed like too fucking much.

  Plus, Heather had been married before. Unhappily and quite tragically, in fact. He’d overheard her once telling a colleague that for her, marriage wasn’t an option. Ever since, he’d been reluctant to bring it up. Because he was a giant pussy—afraid she’d say no.

  Her matter-of-fact answer cut off further discussion. Probably for the best. He needed time to think this through. They were a family goddammit and he wasn’t going to put up with any bullshit where Heather’s standing was concerned.

  6

  Calder nearly tripped over his feet when he threw open the door to their room in the villa’s guest wing and found his woman in the midst of taking a selfie. And not any selfie. This was an exposed baby bump picture that he knew without a doubt was going to end up on Instagram.

  The packages in his arms went crashing to the floor. Every time he saw her like this, proudly enjoying the modest bump that signified the baby they made together, he came seriously close to losing his shit.

  Stephanie laughed at him, her bright, happy expression lighting up her beautiful face.

  “Shugah,” she cooed in that southern belle twang she knew damn well turned him to a knuckle dragging ape-man. “See what you did to me?”

  Her head shake and eye roll was adorably sexy. So was the way she smoothed her hand over her bare tummy.

  “Won’t be long now before my wardrobe is nothing but yoga pants and mu-mus.”

  “What the hell is a mu-mu?”

  Stephanie’s joyful giggle wrapped around his nerve endings like warm butterscotch poured over an apple.

  Reaching for her phone, she tapped, scrolled, and then held up the device for him to look at.

  “According to Wikipedia, a mu-mu is a long loose flowy style of a dress.”

  He squinted, looking at the image displayed, and immediately snorted, “Nope. No way, Duchess. That looks like a nightgown from Little House on the Prairie.”

  She gasped and made a pouty face, holding it long enough to make him start to sweat, and then belted out a huge laugh as she threw herself into his arms.

  Pressing kisses on his face and neck, she teased, “Not to worry Moondoggie. There’ll be no bump disguises for me! I want the whole world to know I’m fifty, pregnant, and shagging my hot fiancé at every opportunity.”

  He chuckled and possessively caressed her bottom through the yoga pants she wore better than any supermodel on a runway.

  “Is this one of those opportunities? Got two hours to kill before my meeting.”

  The kissing stopped and she gave him a meaningful shove. “Seriously Calder? Killing time?” She poofed her hair and gave him a derisive smirk. “That’s what it’s come to?”

  Just like that he went from hopeful to a raging hard-on. He liked this performance. She did long-suffering female dealing with a boorish man like a goddamn pro.

  “If you insist, I suppose,” she sighed.

  Pulling the tank top over her head, she turned toward the bed and as she walked did a sexy rock and roll with her hips that nearly sent him to his knees. He hadn’t insisted on anything, so her quick capitulation was a road sign. One that got him grinning like a fool as he stalked after her.

  On top of her in a flash, he took over with the undressing and unhooked her bra.

  “Am I the shagger or the shagee?” He thought he should ask before things got out of control.

  Covering her delicious boobs with her hands, she smirked slightly as he peeled the yoga pants down and remained at her feet.

  “You are definitely doing the shagging. I’m pregnant. That’s enough work.”

  He barked with laughter. Kissing her beautiful bump, he hooked his fingers into a pair of white silk panties and tugged.

  When she was naked he sat back on his feet and stared. If this was what being pregnant at fifty looked like, he was overjoyed that the universe made him wait so long to find true happiness.

  Even in the darkest light she was luminous. All those clichés about a pregnant woman being radiant turned out to be true. At least where Stephanie was concerned.

  No matter what she was doing, day or night, she wore a tiny smile. When he saw her up close and personal, like now, her eyes held a mesmerizing story. The smile and her eyes did things to his heart.

  Calder placed his big hands on her stomach and spread his fingers. Her pale skin was soft and warm. The bump where their baby grew was firm. He let the marvel wash over him like a wave.

  Taking it all in, he glanced up at her breasts. She dropped her hands and stood proudly. Stephanie had perfect tits. He liked the heaviness and how they swayed and bounced with her movements. The pregnancy enhanced their allure. Slightly swollen and a size larger, the added benefit of nipples waiting and at the ready for the task ahead just made her even more achingly beautiful.

  Then he glanced down at the modest thatch of light brown curls beneath the growing bump. Her hips had a womanly curve, which made the whole picture a seductive treat.

  Stephanie put her hands on his face and lifted his head till he was staring into her passion-filled expression. The small smile was now a wicked smirk. He’d have to adore her another time. The gleam in his lady’s eyes told him he better get a move on.

  “If you ever stop looking at me like that, I will kick your ass.”

  More romantic words, he couldn’t imagine.

  “You need a massage,” he suddenly growled. Standing, he turned her around, gave her cute Georgia peach ass a little pat and told her to climb on the bed.

  Tearing open his nightstand, he fished around in the cluttered drawer until he found a bottle of massage oil. On his way to the bathroom to grab a hand towel, he removed his shirt and shoes.

  When he joined her again, he found Stephanie, reclined on her side, one hand hanging over her hip and the other holding up her head. She looked half-seductress and half-beauty queen. His Duchess of Wicked Delights.

  Very deliberately, Calder marched to the side of the bed and threw the towel on the stand next to the bottle of oil. Then he reached for his belt buckle and yanked it open. She was watching his movements closely and wetting her lips.

  Taking care not to damage his hard cock, he pushed the jeans down his legs, kicked them off and tossed them aside. They landed with a loud thunk as the belt buckle hit the wood floor.

  She reached out her hand and examined the cotton-covered protrusion with nimble fingers. He growled at her in warning.

  Calder steeled himself and allowed her tactile survey as long as he could before ending it by taking hold of her hand. Using his advantage, he tugged her slightly until she toppled onto her stomach. She wiggled and squirmed, finding the right position, and then lay her cheek atop her crossed arms.

  Uncapping the oil, he took a whiff and nodded. Yes. He liked this one. It smelled of tropical flowers and made him think of the islands. Pouring some into his palm, he rubbed his hands together and then reached for one of her feet. After rubbing and kneading for a minute or two, Stephanie moaned softly and he could see her body release the tension.

  By the time he told her to turn over, he’d oiled, rubbed and massaged every centimeter of her back, butt, legs and feet. Neck to toes he’d methodically caressed and stimulated all her pressure points and sexy triggers.

  Congratulating himself on how together his shit was as he took care of her, that same smugness vanished in the blink of an eye when she rolled over and his eyes drank in the sight of her naked beauty waiting for his touch.

  Unable to help it, he reached for his dick
and tried to ease the aching with a gentle rub. When Stephanie raised her arms above her head and writhed like a mermaid out of water, he came perilously close to losing it.

  Shaking his head to clear the dirty thoughts all clamoring for attention, he bent over her feet and started the massage again.

  Her toes were painted hot pink. Calder swallowed hard. Around one ankle was a delicate gold chain with a tiny dangling, jeweled crown. A gift he’d surprised her with after the wedding trip to Boston. It looked just as sexy on her trim ankle as he knew it would.

  After doing her feet and legs, while she undulated and purred the entire time, he concentrated on her stomach—completely avoiding the cluster of curls. Smoothing the oil over her small bump he stroked softly and tried to send his love to their baby through his touch.

  When he moved higher he devoted quite a bit of time and energy on worship-massaging her tits. By then, she was visibly quivering and feverishly biting her lips.

  “Calder,” she moaned. He heard the need in her voice. A need his body wanted to answer.

  Using the towel, he gently wiped off any lingering oil. Without missing a beat, he tossed the cloth over his shoulder, took hold of her knees, and parted them. Her delicious scent hit him. She was wet. He didn’t need to explore to find that out. It was visible by the dampened curls he longed to nuzzle his nose in.

  “Clean up on aisle three,” he murmured. She groaned and put her hand on his head as he maneuvered between her legs and lowered his face into her lush beauty.

  Licking Stephanie was Calder’s idea of a very good thing. They both loved it. Once she believed him and stopped insisting he just did it cause it was expected, she’d relaxed and found the pleasure he needed to give. Feeling cheated if she didn’t come, he’d dealt with his disappointment by always making sure she climaxed before they got to the main event. That way he didn’t feel like a dick, and there was a good chance she’d come again, with him this time.

  Mmm. She tasted so fucking good. Rolling her swollen clit on his tongue, he held on tight as she jerked and writhed each time he suckled on the delicate nub.

  His hands beneath her knees, Calder held her open and set a furious pace of licking and sucking that unraveled her composure in record time. Sliding a finger into her wet depths, he turned up the heat on her clit and pushed her to the edge.

  She came with a whimpering cry. Her pussy contracted around his finger. He loved when that happened. There was something intensely carnal about feeling her body orgasm.

  He slowly kissed, sucked and nipped his way up her body, giving her time to catch her breath. As usual, it was easy to lose his way when presented with her peaked nipples. Lashing them with his tongue until she groaned, he immediately stopped and went in deep on her mouth for a soul-searing kiss she willingly gave.

  Stephanie’s naughty tongue in his mouth always made Calder lose it.

  “Let the shagging commence,” he drawled while pulling away. Freeing himself of the underwear, his hungry cock sprang free and he moved into position. Sitting back on his feet, he yanked open her thighs again and pulled her toward him until her legs could easily wrap around his waist. Then he lowered over her and inserted the head of his cock. They both moaned.

  He kissed her, caressed her neck, fondled her tits and entered her at an excruciatingly slow pace. His heavy cock sliding deeper and deeper into Stephanie’s wet heat was so fucking awesome that his mind struggled to keep up.

  Buried completely, she crossed her ankles around his back and rolled her hips in a circular motion that he was sure should be declared illegal. It felt like her pussy was massaging his cock and every so often a strong squeezing would suck all the oxygen out of his brain.

  His lady fucked like she rode. Gracefully, with unmatched strength and passion. She didn’t have to tell him she loved his cock. It was right there in every hip roll and hungry grunt.

  He set a leisurely rhythm and flexed his hips in a pattern. Shallow and then deep. Sometimes in multiples. Each time he sank deep, she groaned.

  When her hands stopped clutching at his head and moved to his ass, he shifted gear and got ready to blow her mind.

  “Moan for me Duchess. My cock likes when you moan.”

  “Oh Calder,” she whimpered. “You feel so good.”

  She was answering his sharp thrusts. The sounds their joined bodies made filled the air along with their grunts and groans.

  She tightened. He picked up speed. Her fingers dug into his ass. He reacted with a series of punishing thrusts.

  Capturing her mouth with his, Calder kissed her passionately, felt the tightening increase, and broke free from all restraint.

  She moaned into his mouth as her whole body shook from the power of a fierce orgasm that he felt along the entire length of his buried shaft. He followed right along, heaving and bucking as a thundering climax claimed him. His cock going off inside her and the way she whimpered and shook made Calder feel like a god.

  If there was any question how they managed to get pregnant, making love like they did sort of provided an explanation. Some days he quite literally felt as though he could fuck her non-stop and still have something left over.

  A while later they were spooning under the covers wrapped in the sated aftermath of their lovemaking when he remembered something.

  “Oh shit, honey. I almost forgot. Family night at Brody and Heather’s place. We’re supposed to bring an appetizer. Victoria is requesting some pineapple cream cheese thing she swore you’d understand.”

  Her soft laugh had a musical quality to it. She hugged his arms where they wrapped around her. “Family night.” The way she murmured the two words was filled with emotion. One arm reached back and caught the back of his head. “Your family changed my life. Victoria’s too.”

  He hugged her tight and kissed her shoulder. Taking control of the fingers scratching his head, he brought them to his mouth for a soft kiss.

  “They’re your family too.”

  She wiggled around till she faced him. “I was thinking.”

  Anytime she started with ‘I’ve been thinking’, Calder mentally sat up and began taking notes.

  “If it’s a girl, what do you think about naming her Alexandra? Alexa for short. Or Xandra if something exotic floats your boat.”

  Shit. He was so overjoyed at the prospect of being a father that he was fine with leaving the details to Stephanie. Whatever made her happy made him happy. If she wanted to name a daughter Pocahontas, he’d be on board with a big smile.

  But the smile in his mind faded quickly when the wayward thought that wouldn’t stop bugging him reared its ugly head.

  “And what last name will this daughter have?”

  Her heavy sigh blew across his face. If he had a shirt on, she’d be fussing with the buttons but since that wasn’t possible, she mapped his collarbone with her hands. Diversionary tactics.

  “It’s not nineteen sixty. We can give the baby any name we want.”

  The bindings keeping his emotions in check over this issue began to fray. “Dammit, Stephanie. You know perfectly well what I’m getting at.”

  He couldn’t believe she was dragging her feet about getting married. Hearing her called Mrs. Bennett at the doctor’s office was chipping away at his composure. It was driving him crazy that she wore his ring but wouldn’t pin down that last huge detail. The marriage part.

  Her eyes searched his for a moment and then she lowered her head and snuggled close with her face buried in his neck.

  “We should talk,” she murmured.

  Oh my god. She isn’t going to marry me. He felt he might get sick.

  “Please don’t be mad, shugah, okay?”

  No, it wasn’t okay. She belonged to him and the baby she carried only made his claim stronger.

  “But, well, I thought we might wait a bit. Not long. Say, January? A winter wedding sounds nice doesn’t it?”

  Huh? Okay, seriously? What the fuck.

  “Stephanie. I don’t understand. Wh
y wait?” He heard the frustrated growl in his voice but didn’t care.

  She squirmed in his arms and he gritted his teeth. Having this discussion while naked probably wasn’t the best idea.

  Pushing back, she raised her head and grabbed onto his face. “You’re mad.”

  “I’m confused, that’s all,” he assured her with a half-smile. “I couldn’t be mad at you, ever. Don’t you know that by now, Duchess?”

  Her eyes twinkled. The rosy blush moving onto her cheeks was amusing but he had no idea what caused it. She ruffled his hair and then sat cross-legged facing him.

  “Okay, Mr. Dane. Here it is. Blame the baby hormones or look in the mirror. Either will do. I want to get married and I want the baby to be part of our vows. When I think about marrying you while my belly is big with your child, well,” she shrugged like it was no big deal but Calder got it in an instant. Just like with the baby bump pictures, his sexy Duchess was proud of their relationship and over the fucking moon with joy that God saw fit to grace them with a child.

  He sat up as his jaw dropped open, imagining Stephanie with her luminous glow and radiant smile standing before Father Ed swollen with child as she pledged her heart to him. She was right. It wasn’t nineteen sixty and an unmarried couple having a baby together was no big deal. The big deal was the in-your-face statement his lady love was making by holding off.

  “I want you to wear something white.” It was all he could think of to say. “And flowers in your hair. Maybe barefoot,” he snickered.

  “Oooh, barefoot and pregnant at the altar. Yes!”

  “And I want Bella to be your flower girl.”

  She jolted in surprise and then smiled. “I see your interest in her,” she pouted playfully. “Competing with a five-year-old sucks.”

  He chuckled and made a face. “Did you hear her put Finn in his place at Dylan’s party? Oh my god, that girl is a force to be reckoned with. Bella Jensen is one bad ass kid.”

  “She thinks you’re Thor, you know.” Her winking eye roll was adorable. “All that long, blonde hair and those muscles.”