Pregnancy Plan

by Tina Gayle

  She tugged free and gasped, “Derek, we have to stop.”

  Unwilling to break the connection, he grazed his lips along her neck. Wetting her ear with his tongue, he nibbled on her earlobe. Could he let her go?

  After a moment, he raised his head. “You’re right, I promised I’d take you shopping, and shopping is where we’re going.” He waited while she grabbed her purse, and scrambled out of the truck. Together, they walked toward the entrance to the mall. At the door, he drew her close to whisper. “I may need a fix every so often.”

  Jillian gazed at him in confusion. He demonstrated by leaning down and stealing a kiss from her surprised mouth.

  “Oh, I could use one of those every so often myself.” She captured his hand and stepped forward.

  ****

  The mall, busy with the weekend crowd, had people strolling slowly along its pathways, peering at display cases and talking. No one in a hurry, children darted between their parents’ footsteps.

  Jillian’s feet hurt. They’d been shopping for hours. She’d enjoyed the time with Derek—he didn’t complain, and he entered any shop she wanted to go into—but now, she wanted to go back to his place.

  She glanced at the roughened angle of his jaw. When they had dated almost a year ago, she thought him sexy, with his linebacker body and rippling muscles. He’d set her on fire with his kisses, but his attitude of “no strings, no attachments” had turned her off.. When she’d refused his offer of sex, he’d left. No more calls. No communication. And until yesterday, she hadn’t seen him.

  Now, being near him made her want things she couldn’t have. Sliding her arms around his waist, she snuggled closer. “Thanks for coming shopping with me, Derek. The Dockers and shirts were the main things I wanted.” She brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “So now that I have them, we can go if you want.”

  For a moment, he held her to his side, and then his pace increased. “Wonderful, let’s get out of here!”

  His broad palm and long fingers engulfed her hand when he gripped it. He kept her close as they wove in and out of the crowd.

  “Do you think the outfits that I bought for work will project the image I want to present?” Jillian asked once the aisle cleared and they could walk side by side.

  His arm slid around her waist. “From what you told me, your customers haven’t adjusted to your being in charge. I think it’s a great idea for you to show everyone you’ve transitioned from clerk and bottle washer to shop owner.”

  “Then it’s not a waste of money? After all, my father wore jeans and T-shirts to work for years. No one ever doubted his position as owner.”

  “Yes, but he didn’t have to follow in someone’s footsteps.” Derek kissed the top of her head. “You need to do things in your own way, and not as he did them.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  He drew her to a stop and picked up a large teddy bear off a display table. “We have one more purchase to make.” He handed her the bear.

  “Why are you buying this?”

  “It’s for the baby.” He grinned and strolled to the register in the middle of the aisle.

  Stunned, she stood, gawking at him. “But we don’t even know yet if I’m pregnant.” She hugged the teddy bear close and followed him.

  “Well, if you aren’t, then you can keep it as a way of remembering this weekend. It can keep you company when I’m not around.”

  At the cash register, he shifted her bags to his other hand, passed the bear to the clerk, and slid out his wallet. “You don’t want to forget this weekend, do you?”

  With a quick glance at the clerk, Jillian replied in general terms. “You don’t have to worry about me forgetting anything.”

  “Good.” He signed the credit card receipt, turned, and handed back her gift.

  “Derek, you didn’t need to do this.” She slipped her arms around the stuffed animal.

  “Think nothing of it, now let’s get moving.”

  His impatient steps reminded her of what they would do when they returned to his condo. The thought of lying in his arms had her giddy with excitement. “Is there a reason why we’re in such a hurry?” she teased even as she rushed to keep up with his long strides.

  “Just want to get home,” he said innocently.

  “Right.”

  ****

  Derek’s respect for Jillian had grown during the course of the afternoon as she relayed the challenges of running a small business. She also stimulated his libido with every move she made. Just sitting beside her, with her arms wrapped around the stuffed bear sparked images of her body plastered against him. He opened the garage door then drove in next to her car. He liked having it in his garage.

  “Do you want to store your bags in the back of your car or do you want to take them inside?” Derek turned off the truck and stepped out to help her with her packages.

  “I’ll go ahead and pack them in the back of my car. That way I wouldn’t forget them later.” She retrieved her keys from her purse and tossed them to him. He opened the rear end and stashed her packages inside, the bear the last item in.

  “Is that everything?”

  “I think so.”

  He slammed the trunk and then directed her inside, through the kitchen toward the staircase. How had he kept from going crazy? His body had been demanding release for hours.

  “Where exactly are we going?”

  “My bedroom. You must be tired after all that shopping and want to lie down.” He continued up the stairs, coaxing her along.

  “You’re such a thoughtful soul.”

  He paused at the end of his king size bed and his hands tugged on her sweater. “You won’t need all these clothes. They’ll just get in your way.”

  He slid the silky fabric over her head. Her upper body exposed, he dropped his hands to her smooth, shoulders. His palms caressed the warm silk and he unhooked her bra.

  Straps removed, he leaned closer until her breasts lay against his shirt. His head dipped to brush kisses across skin. Her arms circled his neck.

  Fingers skimmed the waistline of her jeans, and he released the button. The raspy sound of her zipper sang in his ears. His tongue found her life’s rhythm at the base of her neck. Why did she have so many clothes on?

  He slid his hand beneath her cotton panties to the heart of her heat. She moaned and arched closer. His fingers played an alluring melody over the soft lips of her sex while her hips wiggling and undulating in a sensual dance.

  “Derek! Please.”

  He paused the music.

  “Now, honey, we need to get your clothes off so you’ll be comfortable.”

  He pushed her onto the bed. Her eyes wide, she sat up quickly. He’d inflamed more than her passion.

  “What about your clothes?”

  He squatted to remove her shoes. “That comes next.”

  “Can I help?” Her hands briefly touched his forearms.

  “No.” He stood, working her jeans off her legs. “You get to relax.”

  He fingered the buttons of his shirt. “Of course, I don’t want you to be lonely, so I thought I’d join you.”

  “Really? Do you always sleep in the nude?” Her gaze heated and his jeans grew tighter.

  He quickly unbuttoned his shirt. “No, I usually wear shorts.”

  The shirt gone, he unsnapped his jeans.

  She groaned, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open. Her incredulous expression had him feeling like a thoroughbred racehorse, fast, hot and driven to please.

  After stripping, he leaned forward. The dark hunger in her gaze fed his desire. Unable to hold out any longer, he devoured her soft moist lips and tugged her into the center of his bed.

  He covered her, and his mouth covered her breast. Her heavy-lidded brown eyes deepened to black. He gathered her nipple between his lips and tugged. Her eyes closed. The lustful sparkles vanished while a pleasured rumble echo through her chest.

  “Derek, please.”

  He rolled w
ith her in his arms. Her eyelashes fluttered, then widened as if in surprise at the change in their position.

  “I’ll let you set the pace.” His hands rested at her waist.

  With intense care, she lifted her hips and toyed with the very tip of him. Slowly, dragging his patience to the end of the line, she sank. He groaned as her slippery wet heat surrounded him, and then she started her ascent. Again, she tortured him with her leisurely pace.

  “Honey, you’re killing me here.” His hand fell between her legs and he found the bud of her desire. Stroking it, he increased her speed into a wild ride. Face flushed, eyes tightly closed, she gulped in air.

  The thrust of her hips sent him teetering on the edge. One more second, another instant, he fought to hold on. Her pleasure as important to him as his own, he waited for her to fall first. A whispered scream of triumph sounded in her throat and she collapsed on his chest.

  Derek quickly rolled over. Intense sensations flooded him with each thrust, and he locked his lips to hers. Allowing her no means of escape, he imprisoned her tongue and stroked it until he felt her body climax again.

  With one final punch, he collapsed over her. The hazy glow of completion created a unique feeling, one he hadn’t experienced with anyone else. Yet, he couldn’t name it. Didn’t want to try, but it capture him, tied him in knots as to what he should do.

  Should he convince her that they belonged together?

  Marriage might work. After all, if she was pregnant, he could take care of them.

  The thought both shocked and delighted him. He wanted to be apart of her life. Now how did he go about convincing her she wanted to be part of his?

  Rolling to one side, he carried her over with him. Uncoupling, he felt the loss of the warmth. Comparing that sacrifice to what it would feel like not to have her again, convinced him they needed a more permanent relationship.

  “I think...” A ringing tone interrupted. “Who could that be?”

  “Maybe it’s one of your girlfriends?” Jillian teased and nudged away from him.

  “No one knows I’m here except the people at work, and Jason.” Derek tightened his hold and tucked her against his side. “We’ll let the answering machine get it.”

  Silently, they waited while the phone continued to squawk. Finally, the answering machine clicked on. They listened for the caller to identify himself. With the machine located downstairs, the muffled voice couldn’t be heard.

  “What was it you were thinking?”

  “I was wondering about your plans for the future.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He brushed his hand across her shoulder. “When this weekend is over, and you find out you’re pregnant. Will I ever get to make love to you again?”

  She brushed her lips over his. He tasted her addictive flavor. “You might not want to.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  “You never know. Once, I’m fat, cranky, and bloated with a baby, you might not even want to come near me.”

  She appeared serious about such a crazy unlikelihood.

  “I will always want you.” His lips covered her before she could reply.

  Fear of losing her unleashed his desire. He ravished her mouth. Wild with uncertainty, he didn’t give her a chance to respond. His lips shifted over her mouth, neck, breasts.

  He couldn’t get enough. He wanted to eat her alive.

  Her body as greedy as his, she bucked and twisted beneath him. An inferno burned through his blood. Fire demanded fuel. He drove into her, seeking the completion that only she could give.

  Flames rose higher and higher. He plunged deeper and deeper. The spark ignited, he drenched her womb with his sperm.

  She would be the mother of his child.

  He had no doubt of that fact.

  ****

  Lying beside Derek, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand skimming his chest, Jillian wished she could believe he’d always want her.

  But in her world, things didn’t last forever.

  He believed what he was saying, but as much as it elated her to think of them having a future together, it brought along some concerns.

  What did he really want?

  Her body? Her mind? Her will?

  She struggled with letting another man control her life. Her father had used both guilt and manipulation, her brother, her willingness to help. Now with her dad dead and Michael living in Dallas, she had her freedom, power over the store, a baby hopefully on the way and the chance to live the life she wanted.

  If Derek wanted a commitment, did she know him well enough to give him a chance and let him into her world?

  After sliding out of bed, Jillian extracted a sundress from her suitcase and slipped it on, then reached for her underwear.

  Derek, on the other hand, had a very good arsenal of weapons to use against her. One was her desire for his body, and another the child she might be carrying.

  She covered her stomach with her hand and watched as he arrogantly exited the bed. His steel-gray gaze nailed her with his determination. The man had decided.

  “I’m going to be around for a very long time.” He stalked to her and kissed her possessively, then bent to retrieve his jeans from the floor.

  The alluring target of his naked butt was too much to resist. She swatted it.

  Jerking up quickly, he spun on his heels. Fire lit his eyes. Her brazenness shocked her and she backed away. He approached, ready to retaliate. She turned and rushed from the room.

  “You’ll pay for that,” followed her down the stairs.

  Chapter Five

  Derek strolled into the kitchen. Jillian stood next to the sink loading their breakfast dishes into the dishwasher, her brown hair uncombed. A baby-blue cotton dress hit the middle of her thighs, leaving her knees exposed. The material hugged a round luscious tush. With her feet bare, she looked good enough to eat.

  Impregnating her wouldn’t be a problem.

  He pushed the button on the answering machine before he edged in behind her, pinning her against the counter. His hands slid around her breasts. He pinched her nipples, lowered his head, and nibbled on the curve of her neck. She relaxed into his arms, moaning as he caressed her.

  He whispered. “Next time you slap me on the butt, you’d better be willing to pay the price.”

  Several clicks echoed through the room.

  “If this is the price, I’ll willingly pay.”

  Then a male voice rang from the answering machine. “Hey Jason, are you home? I was wondering if you happen to know where Jillian...”

  “No. I want...”

  She stiffened against him and the voice continued. “I’m trying to reach her. A friend of hers said she was in Dallas, but she hasn’t called me. I want to warn her I’ll need part of my inheritance sooner than I thought. That dot-com company I bought into is not doing as well as I’d hoped. They’re looking at doing a margin call here soon, which means...Anyway, give me a call. Thanks, buddy.”

  She stepped forward and leaned against the sink. Her head hung in a dejected pose.

  Derek cupped his hands over her shoulders and drew her back into his arms. “Maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

  Her head rocked back and forth. “You don’t know Michael and money. The two don’t go together.”

  With his arm around her, he directed her into the living room and tugged her onto the couch beside him. “How bad can it be? Surely, he has enough to cover the margin call or he’d never have invested in the stock.”

  “That may be true of most people, but Michael’s always overextending himself. We’ve divided most of my parents’ property. I let him have my father’s car. A week later, he showed up with a new BMW convertible. He traded in my dad’s car and bought a new one. He said he got a heck of a deal, but it couldn’t have covered the total cost of the car. So now, he has another monthly payment.”

  She buried her head into his shoulder and her arms circled his waist. He
held her close and decided she needed protection from her brother. Otherwise, her brother would drain her dry.

  “Now Michael will try to pressure me into sell my parents’ house. He owns half, and he said he’d let me buy him out, but...” Her hands tightened on his shirt. “Now, I’ll have to spend the next few weeks getting appraisals so I can pay him off as well as try to get a loan. Who’s going to want to finance a century old house to a single woman who owns a little over half of a hardware store?”

  She rushed on, barely pausing as she relayed her misery.

  “I was hoping to get him to finance the house so he’d have a steady income and wouldn’t be tempted to spend all the money in one place.” Lifting her head, she leaned backward. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t bother you with this.”

  Derek maneuvered her onto his lap and positioned her head back onto his shoulder. “Jillian, I want to help you. If getting a loan is a problem, I can loan you the money.”

  She jerked away, her stare telling him of her resistance to the idea. “No. You don’t even know if I’d be good for it.”

  “Doesn’t matter. As the future mother of my child, you need a nice place to live. So why shouldn’t I help pay for the house?”

  Tears trickling down her face, she cupped her hands around his face. “I may not even be pregnant.”

  His mind refused to entertain any thought of failure. Lips inches from hers, he whispered. “It’s just a matter of time.”

  The kiss he’d planned to be soft and comforting quickly turned into a battle of possession. His tongue warred with hers, dueling for the right to claim her mouth. His strong arms held her close. He’d start by pleasing her, but he wanted her total surrender. She needed him in her life.

  His body burned with ways to convince her of that fact. Her soft cries when his mouth brushed her breasts, the shudders when his lips ventured lower, the spasms of delight when his tongue stroked her heat, every reaction strengthened his desire to be someone she could count on in the future.

  Her climax ignited a fever to share himself with her. The barrier of his clothes vanished with a hand, a nudge, a shift, a kick, a sigh until he was free.

  Spread out on the rug, she seduced him closer and he covered her long sensuous body in one swift move. Her hands clutched his bottom, fingers digging into his flesh. Unable to delay a second longer, he drove into her soft velvet warmth with a loud bellow of need.