“Fine. I have to go. I’ll call you later.” She hung up the phone but did not turn back to him. “How did you get in?”
“I heard you scream, all the way at my house. The door wasn’t locked.”
“You heard everything?” She turned slowly.
“Where’s the test? I want to see it.” With wide steps, he strode into the bathroom.
For a moment he just stared down at the sink, then he reached down and picked up the stick. His mouth opened as he studied it. Seconds turned into minutes. He just stood there staring at it.
Suddenly he nodded, shoving it in his pocket. “Lay down. Get some rest. I’ll pack the rest of your things.”
She jerked back, surprised. He was going to help her pack? Even through his anger, she could see the utter joy in his eyes. He wanted this baby. Why would he let go? “You are okay with…”
He frowned, an annoyed sigh blowing through his teeth. He shook his head. “No, you’re not moving to Hawaii. You’re moving in with me. Tonight.”
Damn! Her heart began to go crazy as he started to stride from the room. There was just no way. “Hunter, wait…”
He turned and pointed his finger at her, absolute anger blaring at her through his dark eyes. “Shut up. I’m not giving you a choice.”
He strode from the room. She stared in shock at Hunter, but on the inside, it was herself she was stunned by. Once again she couldn’t tell him yes, but she simply couldn’t utter the word no.
As if it mattered.
She curled up on the bed, dazed with a million emotions. Her heart played tug-of-war with itself. Her stomach roared at all the upset.
She swallowed back the nausea. If this was pregnancy, she had no choice but to move in with him. She couldn’t relocate all the way to Hawaii with her child. And deep down she knew she needed his help.
She needed him.
She would live with him. She would love him. But she would never, ever marry him.
* * * *
Holy Moly.
Hunter pulled the tiny fingertip vibrator from her top drawer. It was still in the package, unused. The thought of her even thinking about using it tortured him. His cock jerked and started to stand on end.
Licking his lips, he tried to go back to packing. He grabbed the remaining pile of underwear from the drawer and put it in the suitcase. It was mostly cotton bikinis. Nothing special.
Yet that made him hot as well.
He liked the thought of her in something comfortable, her belly swollen with his child, lying around the house. A vision of her in pink cotton underwear and a gray sweatshirt teased him without mercy.
He reached into the last drawer, and grabbed a pile of jeans. As he turned, he caught the sight of her curled on the bed asleep. His eyes swept her body, memorizing each and every curve.
Damn.
Never before had her he seen her in this light. Never had she been so very sexy.
Her wide hips would carry his child. Her belly would become extended and round. Her voluptuous breasts would swell with milk.
A lump fought against his jeans. He wanted nothing more at this moment than to curl right up to her, to slip inside her, and to celebrate.
He tore his gaze away and yanked the handle from the suitcase. In his left arm he cradled two cardboard boxes packed full of her clothes, dragging the suitcase with his other hand. They weren’t heavy but they weren’t light either. Thank God this was the last of it.
All night he had packed, moving every last thing of hers to his house, determined not to stop until it was done. He wanted her there with him and he wouldn’t take no for an answer any longer.
Fortunately she had not argued with him. In fact she had not said a word. She’d spent the whole evening lying in her bed, curled in a ball, looking out the window.
He took one last glance at her as he headed out the door. After this, all he had left to do was scoop up her sleeping body and take her where she belonged. His bed.
Whether she liked it or not.
He pulled the suitcase down the stairs after him and headed out the front door. He stepped into the night, gazing up at the stars. They had known all along. If only he could have a piece of their knowledge.
Holy moly.
As tired as he was, his chest still thumped with excitement. Truthfully, this was even more exciting then his news of becoming an astronaut. It was as if someone was taking his heart and squeezing tight.
He cut through their neighbor’s grass to his house, his mind a whirl with emotions and questions. He just couldn’t believe it. A baby. Already it was killing him to know if it was a boy or girl. What color hair would he have? Red or black? And his skin, would it be fair or dark?
It was going to be a long nine months.
And he’d be thankful for every second of it. He was going to be a father.
The suitcase thumped against the front steps as he pulled it behind him. Once inside, he sat the boxes on top of the rest, looking at the huge pile. Glancing around he wondered where the hell they would put all of this. But he knew he’d have to make room, not only in his house but in his life. He was ready.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t. She’d get over it, and her dumb vow soon enough. He was sure of it.
Sorta.
But she had to marry him now. Right? No woman in her right mind would turn him down in this sort of situation. Then again, he’d caught her on the phone still thinking of moving to Hawaii … of not even telling him.
Damn her stubbornness.
Looking at the time on his old grandfather clock, he shook his head. Two-thirty. Holy moly. Tomorrow was his first day of training at Houston. Worse, it started promptly at zero eight-hundred hours with an orbital dynamics class. His head needed to be clear.
If he could even fall asleep, which he doubted.
He headed out the door and back to her place, taking the stairs to her room two at a time. She still lay curled on the bed in the empty bedroom. He smiled to himself as his heart filled with warmth. Here was the mother of his child.
It was time for her to come home.
Chapter Nine
Lily jerked awake, overwhelming nausea rising in her throat. She crawled from the bed, trying hard to keep it back as it roiled in her. Sleep stuck in her eyes, but she had no time to rub them.
She half ran, half stumbled to the bathroom. Just in time she threw her head over the toilet. She gagged and choked on the bile.
Suddenly hands were pulling back her hair.
“Holy moly.” Hunter croaked, sleep pulling at his voice.
He stroked and massaged her back as she threw up over and over. A part of her appreciated it, while another wanted to tell him to get off and get lost. It was embarrassing enough.
Finally her stomach settled. She spit a couple of times, and pushed herself up. Hunter let go of her hair as she went to the sink and rinsed her mouth.
He stood there, staring at her. “How long has this been going on?”
She swished the water in her mouth and spit it out. “A week.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Annoyance edged his soft words.
She walked from the bathroom. “I didn’t think it was important.”
“It was. You know it,” he said, following her. “How could you even think of keeping this from me?”
“I…” She stopped, pausing at the top of the stairs. What could she say? He was right. Her behavior had been a bit despicable. She’d thought about keeping the truth from him, she was so desperate to keep her promise. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” His hand stroked her hair. “I understand. Sorta.”
She pulled from his touch as a tingle of warmth ran down her spine.
Her insides twisted again, but not from the baby. She knew she was falling, like a ball tumbling down a hill, right into his arms. She wanted to hang on so badly, she was even thinking of doing ghastly things.
But it was over now. Still, she didn’t want to talk about it. She wanted to avo
id the conversation. If only she could avoid reality.
“I’m hungry.” Holding the railing, she started down the stairs. He followed closely behind her.
“We need to talk about this.”
She didn’t want to. Nope. No way.
“Do you have any eggs and bacon?”
“No. I have cereal,” he grunted.
“I want something hot and filling.” Deep down, she knew she was being a brat. But at this point, she figure she was justified.
“Fine.” Stepping the kitchen, he went to the cabinets and swung the open one of the doors. The thick, rippled muscles of his arms and shoulders flexed at the small movement. Unable to tear her eyes away, she scooted onto a stool at the breakfast bar. Despite herself, her eyes drifted downward.
Cheese and crackers! How was she just realizing it? He was only in his boxers, a pair of silky black shorts dotted with stars and moons. Sinewy muscles of his upper body rippled under his dark skin. His shoulders were wide, his back so built that his backbone ran like a deep crevice through them. Then there was his rear, a sight she could never forget. And his legs, short but stocky and powerful.
If he turned, she would see his cock dancing against the silk of his boxers. Without a doubt, she would stare. And he would know it. Would it make him grow hard?
Cheese and crackers! Where was her mind?
In the gutter, that’s where.
Luckily her stomach growled, making for a mild distraction. If she didn’t get something soon, she was going for McDonalds.
He was sorting and pushing things aside in the cabinet. Did he even have anything to eat here? What the hell was in that cabinet? She knew him. Most of his meals had always been with her or fast food.
Finally, he pulled out a box of pancake mix. He opened it and sniffed the top. She almost laughed at him, but her heart sank like a rock as she saw his eyes go to the clock.
He was checking the time. Seeing if he had enough for her. After all, he had his duty and first true love to go off to.
It was childish of her. She acknowledged that. Right now though, she felt like a big whiny brat and just didn’t care.
“I’ll make you pancakes, but we talk while I do.” His tone left no room for argument. “I want you to marry me. You can plan a quick to-do or we can set it up at the courthouse.”
Cheese and crackers! Well, he didn’t miss a beat. Nor did he give her an option.
She began to crack her knuckles as she watched him pour milk into a bowl. He was an ass, but she was glad he wasn’t being romantic. Hell, it was a damn relief. She obviously had a hard time saying no to him when he turned on the charm.
She patted her hand against counter and racked her brain as to how to handle it.
But perhaps he was right. Better to get everything out in the open and out of the way.
She drew a deep breath, preparing herself for her speech. “Yes, I am carrying your child and all considering, I do need your help. I realize you are his father and I won’t keep you away. And I’m sorry about the way I’ve behaved lately. I’m sorry we’ve lost our friendship. I want to go back to that. I do.” She gulped at the knot forming in her throat. “I will live you until after the baby is born and I get back on my feet. But I’m taking my house off the market and after that I’m moving back in on my own. I won’t marry you, Hunter. Ever.”
“I see.” He nodded slowly. “I don’t want to be just friends anymore. We’re past that. I want you as a lover.”
“Hunter…”
“I want you as my wife.” He turned to her, a batter-covered spoon dripping with pancakes mix in his hand. It dropped to the floor in thick little puddles. His dark eyes burned through her. “And I think you want that as well.”
She nearly choked as she started to speak. “I disagree.”
“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to agree to disagree.” He turned back to the pancake mix. “For now.” He poured the mix onto the buttered pan. “But I have a feeling minds will change. You’ll have to watch this. I have to go get ready.”
A protest teetered on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed it. Let him think what he wanted. She’d said her piece. He was just going to have to come to face it. She slid off the stool as he walked away.
Flipping the pancakes, she finished up breakfast and filled their plates.
She set his aside and dug into hers. A few minutes later, she was ready to eat his as well. He came down just in time.
Disappointment struck her hard, mixed with surprise at herself. Somehow, she expected him to be in a uniform. Instead he wore a pair of black slacks, and a gray, button down cotton shirt. An identification card was clipped on his chest. What hair he had was slicked back, wet from the shower.
His eyes studied her as he stuffed his wallet in his back pocket and grabbed his keys. “Make yourself a doctor appointment today. And I don’t want you doing anything. Leave those boxes be and I mean it.”
He bent and pecked her on the cheek. A warm feeling rushed her, and she couldn’t help but lift her hand to where he kissed her.
“Bye.” With that, he walked out, leaving her with orders to do nothing all day and all too much to worry over.
Chapter Ten
His hands traveled down her body, coming to rest on her sex. He cupped her, spreading her lips apart with his fingers. His tongue licked at her nipples, and they grew hard and pert for him. Her breasts were so large now, engorged from the pregnancy. She lifted their weight, squeezing at her own nipples. “Titty fuck me,” she moaned.
Even in the dark, Hunter’s black eyes bored into her. She could feel their heat, their need. His body slinked over hers, and his cock positioned between her tits. She squeezed them around him. Slowly he began to move back and forth as she rolled her nipples in her fingers. The heat of his rod moving back and forth warmed her skin. Suddenly he jerked, cum spreading across her chest.
He slid down, bringing his mouth to her nether regions. Slowly his kisses melted into her folds. His tongue lapped her, repeatedly hitting her clit.
Need coiled in her lower stomach, pleasure built in her. His finger inserted inside her, and she lifted her hips against hips. Moaning, she let rapture take it. She convulsed with ecstasy.
Lily jerked upwards, gasping. Her mind whirled. Her heart beat like drums in her chest. Her sex throbbed, hot from the orgasm that had just shaken it. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she panted and searched for reason.
Cheese and crackers!
She ran her hand through her tangled hair. Every day for nearly two and a half months, she’d awakened sick to her stomach, and went to bed nauseated. She should be thankful it was gone.
But her ever-changing body was playing another prank on her.
The sweat still wet her hair, dripping from her forehead. The dream had been so real. In fact, she was sure she’d had a real orgasm from it.
The dreams had come the past three nights, vivid and startlingly sexy, and always of Hunter. They weren’t like any others she’d ever had. These seemed, for all accounts, real. She could still feel the pleasures in her body each time she awakened.
Her hands shook violently as she crept from bed. She didn’t want Hunter to wake. She didn’t want to deal with him right now. Besides, he needed his sleep. All the training he was going through was taking a toll on him. He always had something to study, or go over. He was nervous about passing the water treading and scuba tests, so after training he went to the athletic club three times a week.
Her feet padded across the carpet. She went to the bathroom, and took a quick pee. These days, she always had to go. Besides, she was wet with passion and needed to wipe herself. Really, she needed to change her underwear. For now, she threw them in the hamper and went without.
What she needed was a glass of milk to calm her, and maybe a sandwich. As quietly as possible, she crept down the stairs to the kitchen. The warm glow of the fridge illuminated the room as she searched for goodies. She grabbed out some lunchmeat, pickles, and must
ard along with the milk.
She started to compile the sandwich but her hands were still shaking like crazy. She poured the milk and took a sip, glancing at the clock. It was eleven. Considering the time difference, Holly might just be awake.
She hoped.
She carried the milk into the living room and plopped onto the couch. Immediately her hand went to rest on her slightly protruding stomach. She picked up the phone and dialed numbers. It rang ten times, but she really wanted to talk to Holly. She let it keep ringing.
Finally Holly answered. “Hello?” Grogginess croaked in her voice.
“Did I wake you?” She was careful to keep her voice low so as not to rouse Hunter.
“No … not at all. Is everything okay?”
“Weird.”
“Weird?” she asked. “So weird you’d call me at ten at night?”
“I’m having these dreams. There so real, so … sexy.” A vision of tonight’s dream flashed through her mind. “It’s like it’s really happening.”
“Are you sure it’s not?”
“Very funny, Holly.”
Holly gave a delicate laugh. “It’s hormones, Lily. I’ve heard of this with some pregnant woman.”
“How do I make it stop?”
“Not get pregnant? Really, you’re stuck with them.” A long, stretching yawn carried over the line. “Really, sexy dreams are hardly something to complain over.”
“They are when your laying next to a man you want and yet don’t.” She sighed. “They’re making it harder than it already is. To me, they’re nightmares.”
“I have no comment.”
Lily could have growled. “Of course you don’t.” It might’ve made things easier to resist Hunter if her family would throw in a little negativity. But Mom and Dad hadn’t said much, just asked when the wedding was. When she said there wouldn’t be one, they laughed. She’d bet it had something to do with Hunter talking to them first. As for Daisy and Holly, she expected them to hold her to her promise, not give blank opinions.
Cheese and crackers!
Holly yawned again. “Go to sleep, Lily.”
“I’m not sure I want to.”
“Try.” There was soft understanding in her voice.
Operation Love Page 7