by Rye Hart
Her pussy tightened around my cock, causing me to pause and focus on not releasing inside of her. Not just yet. I wasn't ready. As soon as I regained control of myself, I finished my sentence.
“You may even love them,” I said, “but I will always have your heart. You come back to me. Always.
“I will,” she cried out. “Oh God, I will.”
Our eyes met, and I said the words I'd been thinking for some time now.
“I love you, Ember,” I said.
Her eyes grew wide, and I wasn't sure if she was going to say it back or not. If she didn't, it was fine. I didn't expect her to be at that point. I just needed her to know how I felt.
“I love you so fucking much,” I said again. “And I don't even care if you feel the same about me. I just –”
“I do, Jude,” she said.
Her voice was soft and serious, her hands stroking my cheek. I stopped thrusting, just enjoyed the feeling of being inside her as she looked at me.
“I love you too,” she said.
“Oh God,” I cried out, as I drove myself balls deep inside of her.
Suddenly, I couldn't control myself any longer. Her words, the look on her face, and the way her pussy spasmed around my cock sent me over the edge, and I exploded deep inside of her.
She was right behind me, thrusting her body upward, saying my name over and over again.
“I love you, Jude, yes, baby. Yes!”
Together, we rode out one of the best orgasms of my life. I came so hard, I was seeing stars and shuddering above her, breathless and weak. She held onto me for dear life until I was empty.
I collapsed beside her and pulled her close.
“Best birthday ever,” I said.
“I'd say so too.” She giggled, and I turned to look at her.
The most beautiful woman in the world was lying beside me in bed, and she was mine. The sex was amazing, sure – as were the festivities with my friends. But, knowing she loved me back was the best thing I could have hoped for.
She wrapped herself around me, her arms around me, her legs tangled with mine. I kissed her forehead, her nose, her lips – everywhere I could. I couldn't get enough of her. She fell asleep in my arms as I kissed her to sleep.
***
The next morning, my house was still full of people. My friends had stayed over, sleeping in the guest rooms. When I came downstairs, Dominic and Zane were already at the table eating breakfast. Nathaniel was nowhere to be found. He'd probably either slept in or was showering. He wasn't as much of a morning person as the rest of us. His genius tended to come out at night.
I'd left Ember in bed to sleep a little longer. She was clearly exhausted, and I didn't blame her. She deserved to rest after the night we had. I joined my friends at the table and there was an awkward silence hanging in the air around us for a moment before everybody burst into laughter.
“Fun night, huh?” I said, pouring myself a cup of coffee as the laughter subsided.
“Just like old times,” Dom said with a grin. “God, I miss those days.”
“Me too actually,” Zane said.
We both turned looked at our friend in shock.
“What? I still get horny, even if I don't want to date,” he said. “Besides, Ember isn't so bad.”
“Easy to say now,” Dominic said. “But yeah, she's pretty awesome, and I don't mean just in bed.”
“She could be dangerous for me,” Nathaniel's voice piped up as he joined us in the dining room.
“Dangerous, how?” I asked.
“Just that I could fall in love with a girl like that,” he said, sitting down beside me.
“You did seem to like her a lot at the wedding,” Dominic teased.
“I did.” He grinned. “But Jude said she was off-limits, so – well, I was a good boy. Like always.”
“And it paid off,” Dominic laughed.
“Yeah, who'd have thought that, huh?” Nathaniel laughed.
As we talked and ate, I heard the sound of footsteps coming our way. My eyes fell on the doorway, and Ember smiled at me as she stepped through. She was wearing a dark purple robe with black trim, probably bought to match the lingerie we'd torn off her last night. The robe fell to about mid-thigh, bringing out the paleness of her skin.
She walked toward me, her hips swishing as she moved through the dining room. All of our eyes were on her and the room fell silent. Every single man was watching her walk. Not that I blamed them, she was easily one of the sexiest women I'd ever laid eyes on.
Ember walked over to me and laid a kiss on my cheek. I turned my head, taking her face in my hands, and kissed her lips instead. She nibbled on my lower lip before her tongue brushed against mine, sending a shiver down my spine.
When the kiss ended, she turned to the others with the same enigmatic smile.
“Good morning,” she said.
She squeezed Nathaniel's shoulder before sitting down beside me. Our hands found each other's right away, and I held onto her, proud to have her at my side.
“How'd you sleep, my goddess?” I asked.
“Like the dead,” she said, laughing.
Her hair was disheveled and dry, meaning she hadn't showered yet. The knowledge that she was still dirty from what happened the night before caused my cock to stiffen in my pants.
“How about you guys?” she asked.
Her gaze moved over my friends, who were in varying stages of awe. Dominic was grinning like a fool. Zane looked serious but intrigued. Nathaniel looked utterly smitten with her – not that I could really blame him after last night. The two of them had had a real connection. I noticed it right off the bat. It was something I'd encourage, if it brought happiness to Ember's life. After all, I wanted her to be happy and satisfied. That was all that mattered to me anymore.
She was my world. My love. I knew my friends would take care of her, and be good to her. If she wanted them, we could share her, but at the end of the night, it was my bed she would be crawling back into. I was the one who held her heart.
Chapter Twelve
Ember
“So, wait, you're dating four different men?” Talia asked, raising an eyebrow at me. “And one of them is your stepdad?”
It had been two weeks since the best birthday party of my life, and my best friend had just gotten back from her trip. I couldn't wait to call her and make a date, so we could catch up on everything. We went out for lunch one late July afternoon, visiting one of our favorite little cafes downtown. When I told her everything that had happened while she'd been away, her eyes nearly bugged out of her head and her jaw nearly hit the top of the table.
After she managed to recover her senses though, she started having a kick teasing me about the situation. I guess until that moment, it hadn't even occurred to me how crazy the situation was, how crazy is must sound to her.
Well, maybe it had occurred to me a little bit – there were times I had to pinch myself because even I didn't believe. But, seeing the look of shock on her face had reminded me of how unique my situation actually was.
“He's not my stepdad, Talia. Not anymore,” I chuckled. “And when you say it like that, you make me sound like a character in some porno or something.”
Talia's face hadn't changed. “Well, if the shoe fits – ” she started, but broke into a fit of giggles, shaking her head. “Nah, I'm just messing with you, girl. If you're happy, I'm happy for you. Besides, those men are hot. Like really hot.”
“Aren't they?” I said, feeling the smile growing on my face.
“So, which one if your favorite?” she asked.
Her eyes sparkled with a deviousness that made me think she was jealous. Hell, if I were in her place and she in mine, I know I would be. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, taking a drink of my tea as I tried to explain it to her.
“That's like asking who your favorite child is,” I said. “I care for each of them, in my own way. Each of them have something different and special about them. And they all bring
something unique to the relationship –”
“I mean in bed, silly,” she said, throwing her straw wrapper at me from across the table.
I felt my face redden. I knew that's what she meant, but it was a question I wasn't sure I wanted to answer. I could see by the look in her eyes and that stubborn set of her jaw though, that she wasn't going to drop it until she got the answer she was looking for. I let out a breath. Better to bite the bullet now than have her continue to hound me about it, I supposed.
“Well – they all have their talents,” I mused. She shot me a glare that was supposed to be fierce, but only looked silly. So I decided to tease her some more.
“For instance, Zane is completely dominant,” I said. “He knows how to make me feel like I'm irresistible to him. Like, when he looks at me, he gets this little gleam in his eye that says he has to have me, right now.”
“Not fair,” Talia groaned, resting her face in her hands.
I smiled wider. “Nathaniel is the exact opposite though,” I continued. “He's all about making love, sweet kisses, giving me what I want. We just stare into each other's eyes and there's this really intense connection, you know?”
Talia sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes, and jealousy etched deep in her features.
“And then we have Dominic – he's probably the most fun, besides Jude. He's just so playful and into pleasing me. He could go down on me for hours on end,” I said.
I felt a tightness forming in my belly as thoughts of Dom floated through my mind. Not only was he amazing in bed, he was always so much fun to be around. The more time we spent together, the tighter our bond became, and I could feel myself falling for him.
He'd been offering me tips on law school as well, so we didn't just spend all our time fucking each other's brains out. No, it wasn't like that with any of the guys. We actually dated, all of us – and it was nice.
“And of course, there's Jude,” I said.
Even saying his name made my heart go pitter pat in my chest. I smiled so wide, it felt like my mouth was going to be permanently stretched out like that.
“I love him, Talia,” I said. “I really, really love him.”
“That's great,” she said and smiled.
Even through the thick haze of jealousy that surrounded her, I could tell she was happy for me. Genuinely happy for me. Which was nice, because I was happy too – and having my best friend in my corner only made me happier.
We finished our lunch and were waiting for the check when the subject of my mom finally came up. Talia's mother was my mom's best friend, so she'd heard some things already.
“Has your mom even reached out to you?” she asked.
“Nope,” I said flatly. “Not that she'd know how to reach me since she cut off my phone. But, I highly doubt she gives a shit about me, to be perfectly honest.”
Talia's eyes softened and there was a sympathy in her expression that was as deep as it was genuine. She didn't disagree with me, but I knew she felt bad for me – and I hated that even more. I almost wanted her to tell me I was wrong, that my mom was sitting at home, completely worried sick about me. Her agreeing with what I said only made me feel worse.
“I still can't believe she did that,” Talia said. “What a crazy bitch.”
“Tell me about it,” I muttered. “I'm sure she'd really freak out if she knew I was involved with her ex. I know it would only reinforce what she already thinks about me, and why I did what I did.”
I rolled my eyes and finished the last of my tea. Talia still didn't argue with me or tell me I was wrong, which made me think she hadn't heard any contradictory information. Hell, my mom apparently hadn't even asked her about me – which said a lot.
Tears started to well up in my eyes, but I didn't want to cry in front of Talia. At least not in public. I sure as hell didn't want to cry about my mom. She didn't deserve my tears. So I wiped them away and put on a fake smile.
“Ready to go, chica?” she asked, picking up the bill even though I told her she didn't have to.
“Yeah, it was nice seeing you though,” I said, pulling her into a tight hug. “We should get together once more before school starts, at least.”
My mind started counting down the weeks, and that's when it hit me – we were already halfway through July and I hadn't had a period yet. It occurred to me then, that I hadn't gotten my period since moving in with Jude. My heart raced as the realization hit me, and Talia could see something was wrong.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I –”
I bit off my words, not sure what to tell her. I contemplated not telling her anything at all, but she was my best friend and possibly the only person I could talk to right now. She looked at me with an expression of concern on her face – I could only imagine what mine must have looked like.
I shook my head and let out a long breath. “I just realized I'm late.”
“Late for what?” Talia cocked her head to the side, a confused look on her face.
“Late-late,” I said. “As in my period. That kind of late.”
Her face gave everything away, even though she tried to remain calm. Her voice shook only the slightest bit – which was probably a hell of a lot better than I could have done in that moment.
“Well, how late are you?” she asked softly.
I did the math in my head. “A week,” I replied. “Give or take a few days.”
She nodded. “Alright. Well, that doesn't mean anything. You might just be a little late. It's scary, but it happens,” she said. “Are you on the pill?”
“IUD, remember?”
“Oh yeah, but still just as good. I'm sure you're fine,” she said. “We'll pick up one of those pregnancy tests and just ease your mind, okay? I bet it's probably stress or something like that though.”
I nodded. My pulse was still racing, but she had a point. I had an IUD. I was safe. These things happened, and I was probably just late. Still, better to be safe than sorry.
***
“I'm pregnant,” I said. “I. Am. Pregnant.”
I stared at myself and practiced those simple words over and over in front of a mirror. Things hadn't gone as planned, and the tests came back positive. I even verified it with my doctor, just to be sure that the stupid drug store tests weren't defective – even though I'd taken about fifty of them over the last few days. All of them positive. I wasn't sure how this could be happening to me.
My IUD had apparently fallen out somewhere along the way. There was no sign of it inside of me anywhere. No harm done to my insides either. It had simply, just fallen out. Vanished like it had never been. It wasn't a common occurrence. In fact, it rarely happened at all. It had happened to me though. Right when I was in the middle of sleeping with four different men and trying to finish college, so I no longer had to rely on one of them just to survive.
Now, all of that – my future – hung in the balance. I wasn't sure where this left me. Where it left any of us. Jude wasn't the type of guy to throw me out on the street, I knew that. However, if it wasn't his kid, what did that mean for us when the baby was born? Would Jude and I split up? Would Nathaniel, Dominic or Zane want to raise a child with me? Nathaniel, maybe. Dominic would care for the child, and probably me as well. Zane would handle his responsibilities.
I knew the second I got the positive results that I didn't want to lose any of them. Especially not Jude. Things were still new between us, but the merest thought of losing him nearly killed me. I couldn't lose him. Please, God, I begged. Let this be his baby.
The front door opened and closed, and even though I was expecting Jude to come home, I jumped anyway. My heart raced, and I had to focus on my breathing. I needed to not panic or freak out when I told him that I was pregnant. Knowing those words would be coming out of my mouth – and not knowing how they'd be taken by Jude – was tearing me apart inside.
I let out a silent breath and told myself that I was strong. That I could do this. That I'd get through this and survi
ve – no matter what.
“Ember?” Jude called up the stairs.
“I'm in your bedroom,” I said.
My voice cracked and wavered, but only a tiny bit. His footsteps echoed through the house, and I counted each and every step of his until he reached the top. When he approached the landing, I heard him turn toward the bedroom, his footsteps drawing ever nearer.
He entered the bedroom while I was still facing the mirror, staring at my reflection.
“Everything okay, love?” he asked.
He walked over to me and wrapped his big, strong arms around my waist, pulling me into him. Closing my eyes, I leaned back and relaxed into his body, feeling like I was in heaven simply because I was in his arms. For a second, I forgot about the news I had to break to him. As soon as I remembered though, I started trembling and tears welled up in my eyes.
“Ember?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. “What is it?”
He turned me around to face him, staring deep into my eyes. Those sweet, deep blue eyes. He loved me so much that he'd never leave me – right? Even if it meant raising another man's child? I didn't want to say anything. Didn't want to risk losing what I had. What we shared.
But, I knew I couldn't keep it a secret. Knew I had to tell him – and it was killing me a little more with each passing moment.
“I have something to tell you,” I said, my voice slow and halting.
I stroked his tie, trying to avoid his gaze. His eyes narrowed, and he looked at me with an expression that was more worried than anything. I just needed to spit the words out.
I cleared my throat and inhaled the cool morning air, letting it out slowly as I tried to keep hold of my nerve. My composure. My dignity.
“Jude,” I finally said, surprised at how clear and strong my voice was. “I took a pregnancy test. Several in fact, and I'm –”
Before I could finish, his entire face changed. It was like someone had lit a candle behind his eyes, letting them glow and sparkle from within. His hands on my arms tightened as he pulled me in close, hugging me tightly to his chest.