ILLEGALLY MINE

by Mia Carson

  “So what is this other surprise you wanted to tell me about?” he asked quietly.

  Her face paled though she smiled, and the worry in Sam’s gut rushed right back. “That one will have to wait a little longer.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she covered his lips with hers in a kiss. “Please? Just trust me.”

  “Will I like this surprise?” he countered.

  “God, I hope so,” she muttered.

  Sam brought them to a stop in the middle of the dance floor. “Harley? What’s going on?”

  She puffed out her cheeks. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” He shook his head firmly, and she grabbed his hand. “Not here.” They left the dance floor quickly, and she led him to a corner of the hall leading towards the exit. She let go of his hand and immediately started picking furiously at her nails.

  He caught both of her hands before she ripped a nail off completely. “Harley, whatever it is, I won’t be upset,” he promised.

  A nervous giggle slipped out of her mouth before she clamped it shut again. “You might be over this—and keep in mind I don’t know for sure yet. It might be nothing and I could’ve been really off on my days, you know. A lot has been happening,” she rambled so fast he almost couldn’t keep up.

  “Harley,” he said sternly, “just tell me. I’m freaking out a little here.”

  “Yeah, well, I am too because I might be…well…you know.”

  Sam squinted at her, wondering if she was tipsy and he’d missed how much she drank before her speech. Then he realized she hadn’t touched a drop of champagne all night, not even when he asked her, when they arrived, if she wanted any. He was about to ask if she was feeling all right when his eyes widened and he stared at her stomach.

  “Now do you get it?” she asked quietly.

  “You…you…shit,” he whispered and clapped a hand over his mouth.

  Harley’s face fell and she started to back away from him until he caught her up in his arms and kissed her fiercely.

  “Pregnant,” he exclaimed and she shushed him quickly. “You think you’re pregnant?” he asked quietly, almost unable to hide his excitement.

  “Maybe,” she said through her tears. He wiped them away with his thumbs and she leaned into his touch. “You’re not mad?”

  “Why the hell would I be mad?” he asked, confused.

  “It seems like we moved so fast and then, if I am…you know, that changes everything—and I mean everything. I didn’t know if you were ready for it. Hell, I don’t know if I’m ready for it, and I might not be. As long as you know this was supposed to be that week and clearly, it’s not that week.”

  He kissed her again. “If you are, we’ll make it work, and I will be the happiest man in the city,” he told her. “And if not, then you’re not.” He hugged her again, lifting her off her feet as the future opened before him. Harley might be carrying their baby. The thought filled him with pride and the chance at being a father made him anxious to find out if she was or not. “When will you know for sure?”

  “I have to pee on a stick,” she said, cringing. “Then go to the doctor, I guess. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  “I love you, Harley. Of course I’m okay with it,” he assured her again.

  “Good—and don’t you dare tell anyone,” she added quickly. “Least of all Marcus. I don’t want anyone knowing until we know for sure. Promise?”

  “I won’t say a word.”

  “Now, we have to walk back out there and act like nothing happened.” She sighed, but the smile on her face told Sam she was just as excited at the prospect of a baby as he was. Her hands slipped to her flat belly and her whole body relaxed. “Right, then. Let’s go.”

  ***

  Harley hadn’t meant to tell Sam anything about possibly being pregnant until after the fundraiser, but the second he looked so worried for her, she had to let him know. Fear of his reaction nearly stopped her again, but watching his face light up as he realized why she was so nervous was priceless. He hadn’t let go of her hand since she’d told him, and as the hours ticked by, the night turned into a fairy tale she never wanted to leave. Everything was going perfectly, and at last count, the fundraiser brought in nearly six million in one night. With the money, Harley would be able to start renovations on a few old, abandoned buildings in the city and turn them into shelters.

  “I’m going to grab another glass of champagne,” Marcus announced loudly. “Sam?”

  “Yeah, I’ll go for one.”

  “Harley, care for a glass?”

  She glanced to Sam who quickly glanced at her stomach with a heart-wrenching smile. “I think I’ll pass, thanks.” Marcus stared at her funny, and Sam pulled him away, leaving Harley alone. She watched the couples dancing on the floor and listened to the happy chatter of the other guests. Tonight had turned out better than she’d expected, and she clasped her hands in front of her stomach, wondering if her life with Sam was only destined to get better. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a man walking over to stand beside her.

  “Wonderful party,” Ricky muttered quietly from her left. “It’s a shame you refused to work for me instead of your boy toy.”

  Harley’s body froze, and she refused to turn and look at him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was invited, of course, as one of the many elite of the city,” he explained and flashed the invitation card. “Pretty nice thing you’re doing here.”

  “Did you come to donate or harass me?”

  “I came to inform you Mr. Devois will be returning to the city next week and is requesting a meeting with me—and by extension, you—next Saturday night.” Ice clinked as he sipped on his drink, and Harley glared at him. “Once the deal is closed, you and your sister will be free women to go about your lives as you see fit. Unless, of course, your sister decides she finds this life too dull.”

  “You leave her alone,” Harley snapped and whipped around to face him.

  “Careful there, dearie, you still have dealings with me. I suggest you hold onto that temper of yours unless you want me to inform Mr. Devois that his entertainment for the night likes it rough, or tell your Sammy boy about the secret you’re keeping from him.” Ricky leered as he finished off his drink and saluted her. “See you Saturday.”

  He sauntered back through the crowd, and Harley’s stomach revolted. She gripped it hard and rushed to the restroom, losing her dinner as the stall spun around her. Run. She would have to run. She would have to tell Sam everything and then get out of the city as fast as they could. She rested against the wall of the bathroom, staring dejectedly at the floor until another woman came in and asked if she was all right. All she managed was a shake of her head, and the woman went to fetch Sam.

  “Harley,” he whispered as he entered the bathroom a few moments later and crouched beside her. “I’m going to guess this isn’t food poisoning.”

  “That’d be a good guess,” she uttered as he helped her to her feet.

  “Time to go home then,” he said and supported her as they left the restroom. “Do you want me to get you anything from the store?”

  “A stick to pee on,” she told him, and he laughed as she fought the urge to cry as her bright future slowly ripped apart at the seams.

  She would have to talk to Brianna soon and tell her baby sister she’d let her down. Sleeping with Devois had never been an option once she realized her feelings for Sam and now that she carried his child, she was running out of options. There was no miraculous idea popping into her head to save them both. Harley couldn’t hold up the rest of her end of the deal; she never could have.

  Chapter 11

  Sam couldn’t remember another time when he was so anxious as he paced outside the closed bathroom door. Harley’s dress lay on the bed, along with his tuxedo jacket. The second they got home, she took the pregnancy test with her into the bathroom and hadn’t come out yet.

  He reached the doorway of the bedroom, turned, and paced back to the wall. Ov
er and over again, he walked the same steps until finally, he heard the door open and rushed to Harley. She walked out with one of the tests in her hand, her lips parted and her eyes wide. When she lifted her eyes to his and smiled, he whooped in celebration and scooped her up in his arms, spinning them around the room as she clung to him.

  “I’m pregnant,” she announced excitedly. “Sam, we’re going to have a baby!”

  “I know, this is insane,” he murmured as he set her back on her feet and kissed her. “How are you feeling? Is your stomach still upset? Do you need me to get anything?”

  She pressed her fingers against his lips as she grinned. “You’re going to be a right pain in the ass for nine months, aren’t you?”

  “Most likely,” he agreed. “Are you sure you don’t need anything?”

  “Sleep,” she said through a yawn. “I’m tired, that’s all.”

  “Then sleep you shall have, but how about a nice relaxing bath first?”

  She smirked. “You know me too well.”

  She walked back into the bathroom with Sam behind her, and he turned the faucets on, poured in the bubble bath, and watched as Harley removed the pins from her hair. Each lock that fell shimmered under the lights of the bathroom, and he moved behind her, pulling out the pins for her. She sighed as her hair came loose and he massaged her scalp, then slid his hands over her bare shoulders to the strapless, black, lacey bra she wore. He undid the hooks easily, pressing his lips to her shoulder and neck as he tossed the fabric aside. With his mouth trailing down her spine, kissing each vertebra in turn, his fingers slid under the band of her barely-there thong and dragged it over her curves, taking his time to kiss each cheek. He helped her step out of it, and his hands massaged her calves as he worked languidly back up her body.

  She was sexy to him before, but now that he knew she carried his baby, spreading his hands over her stomach and imagining it growing with his seed was a major turn-on. His cock swelled and throbbed in his pants as he made it back to his feet and pressed his body against her back. She gasped when he ground his hips against her ass, and she returned the favor. He grunted with need, and she spun in his arms, a sultry smile on her lips.

  Her fingers worked at the buttons on his shirt, and he removed it quickly as she undid his pants and pulled them down his legs. When she straightened, she grabbed him in her hand and squeezed until his whole body trembled. She released him and stepped into the steaming water of the tub, sinking below the bubbles. He turned the faucets off and stepped in after her. His ass had barely touched the bottom of the tub before she straddled his lap and he crushed her to him. Her full breasts were too tantalizing to ignore, and he lowered his mouth to her luscious mounds, seeking the pert nipples he wanted to suckle until she moaned with pleasure.

  The taste of her sweet flesh in his mouth made him swell even more, and his hips bucked on instinct. She shifted her hips until her slick folds rubbed against his cock hard, teasing him. He licked and sucked as her hands drove through his hair and the steam hovered around their wet bodies. Each little gasp spurred him on until he wanted nothing more than to penetrate and possess this woman in his arms, the woman he loved without any doubt whatsoever. Nuzzling her neck and nipping the soft skin, he grabbed her ass and lifted her up over his hardened cock. He spread her cleft, letting her only feel the tip of his arousal as she whimpered and gasped for more. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and he lowered her agonizingly slowly over his shaft. She cried out when he stretched her and she sank down on him, cradling him perfectly.

  “Sam,” she pleaded on a breath as her head fell back.

  “Ride me,” he whispered, and his thumb pressed against her clit, spreading her wetness from her swollen lips further back, swirling his finger around her ass as her hips rose and fell against him. “Jesus, Harley.”

  He groaned with each move she made and the way she bit her lip hard as the pleasure built between them. His hand slipped to her ass and pressed his finger against the one place they both enjoyed. As she took him fully within her hot sheath, he slipped his finger into that forbidden depth and she cried out sharply, clutching hard at his shoulders. She rode him harder and faster as he filled her with his cock and fingers, his tongue plundering her mouth, filling her until she could take no more.

  She gasped for air as her inner muscles clenched around his cock, milking him dry as she let out a scream of ecstasy. His hands moved to her hips and he thrust inside her until his bellow of release joined hers. He held himself deep within her, marking her for all time as his.

  Their bodies went limp, and she slouched against his chest. His head fell back against the edge of the tub, and the only sound was their gasping and the water lapping at their bodies.

  “So,” she murmured a few moments later, looking at him with a wicked grin.

  “So?” he repeated slowly. “Harley?” His chest tightened with sudden worry that he might have harmed the baby, but she giggled and leaned back, letting him slip out of her. They both shuddered at the loss, and she scooted back across the tub.

  “What would you say to late night tacos?” she asked.

  “Tacos.” He shook his head and slouched even lower in the water. “I think I can manage tacos.”

  “Good, just get a ton,” she told him. “Like twenty.”

  “Twenty?” He sat up straighter and laughed to see her cringing.

  “Maybe thirty?”

  “You want some nachos to go with them?” he joked, but when she slipped up to her chin in the tub, he lost it and leaned across the tub to kiss her warmly. “Tacos and nachos. As soon as I can walk again.”

  “Sam?” she asked quietly, and he frowned at the sudden change in her voice. “Are you…are you happy with me? With all of this?”

  “Of course I am,” he said quickly. “Why, do you think I’m not?”

  “I just wanted to be sure. I mean, we met in a not so great place and things happened and I…I want to make sure you’re really happy and not trying to be happy out of guilt for the baby.” Her hands moved below the water to hold her stomach, and she sniffed hard as tears glistened in her eyes. “I don’t want you to resent me.”

  Sam sat confused for a solid ten seconds before he pulled her gently into the cradle of his arms and held her close. “I could never resent you, and I don’t feel guilty. I’m not lying when I say I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life right now, and it’s all because of you, Harley,” he said quietly as he lifted her chin so he could stare into her eyes. “Don’t you ever think for one second I don’t want a life with you, or that you’re not good enough.”

  She nodded and wiped her face. “Sorry. It must be the hormones or something.”

  “Are you happy?” he asked, realizing all that night he hadn’t even stopped to think if she was.

  “I’ve been happy since the night you gave me your business card.” She wiped away the rest of her tears and sighed. “I guess I’m just worried it’s too much good happening in my life and I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “Well, I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. “I want this life with you.” He held the nape of her neck as he kissed her long and slow, showing her the best he could what she did to him and for him. He was happy again, and he could laugh again. No matter what the future might throw at them, he would never let Harley go.

  ***

  Harley parked her new truck—courtesy of Sam—against the curb of her old apartment building and shut it off. She just had a call from the doctor confirming she was indeed pregnant, and so far, everything looked good. She texted Sam the good news, and he sent her back several exclamation points after telling her again how much he loved her and how happy he was. He was at the office, getting ready to leave, and she wouldn’t see him until tomorrow when he returned from his trip.

  All that was left to do was get over this last hurdle in her life. Brianna and Karen were both home today, and she wanted to tell them her good news in person. After they had a chance to take it
in, they would get to the other reason for her visit: figuring out what to do about Ricky. Harley had managed to convince the bastard this whole time she was still going to go through with it, but she never would and risk hurting Sam like that. She didn’t ever want to see Ricky again, but she was at a loss as to what to do that wouldn’t wind up with her sister facing down this nightmare alone. Saturday was only four days away, and they were quickly running out of time.

  Last night, as she sat up with Sam, talking quietly about their future, she almost admitted then what the auction was really about for her and how it wasn’t over. But she already knew what he would do, and seeing him hurt by that bastard Ricky was not something she could let happen. One way or another, she would figure out a way to get through this in one piece.

  “Harley!” Brianna shouted when she opened the door and hugged her sister.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” she asked as she hugged her sister and glanced, confused, at Karen. “Bri? Are you crying?”

  Karen didn’t smile as she closed the door behind the sisters. “Ricky was here.”

  “What? Why?” she asked and set Bri back so she could look at her. “Bri, what’s going on?”

  “He told us that Mr. Devois no longer wants only one Smith sister,” Bri said through her tears as she wiped angrily at her face. “He’s decided he wants both, and Ricky promised to give him both of us.”

  “That wasn’t the deal,” Harley snapped. “He can’t do that.”

  “He threatened to come after Karen and Sam,” Bri sputtered. “Harley, I’m so sorry! I know you’re happy with him and I’ve put you both at risk! I’m so sorry!”

  Numb, Harley sank into the kitchen chair and hung her head. “I was never going to sleep with him,” she finally admitted. “I was going to have us run, but now…now I’m not sure.”

  “Harley, what’s going on?” Karen asked as she held her hand.