by Black, Tasha
The sky had gone pink with cotton candy clouds over the dark trees.
“It’s so beautiful out here,” she breathed.
“Yeah,” he said. “I never get used to it. I honestly would have bought the house no matter what, since it’s behind the garage, but this really sold me.”
Noah’s cries grew louder again.
“Oh boy, you’re feeling rough, aren’t you, little man?” Axel said to the baby, cradling Noah’s silken head in his big hand.
“He likes singing,” Delilah heard herself say.
Axel turned to her. “Do you want to take him for a minute?”
She opened her arms.
Noah’s warmth filled her heart, she didn’t care that he was screaming his head off.
“Hi, baby,” she murmured.
He wrenched himself around in her arms with a strength she didn’t know he had.
Delilah hung onto him for dear life, hoping she wasn’t hurting him.
“Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Daddy’s gonna buy you a mockingbird,” she sang softly.
Noah froze for a moment, then began crying again.
“If that mockingbird don’t sing, Daddy’s gonna buy you a diamond ring,” she went on.
Noah’s cries dampened to whimpers.
“Walk with him a little,” Axel whispered to her.
“If that diamond ring turns brass, Daddy’s gonna buy you a looking glass,” she sang, walking carefully down the length of the porch.
It was easier to hold him now that he wasn’t squirming. She felt her heart rate slow as she sang on.
The last rays of sunlight licked their flames over the trees as the sky deepened to velvet blue. The night birds and cicadas began to join Delilah’s song.
Noah stopped whimpering and tucked his little face into the crook of her neck as she sang on about all the things his father would bribe him with.
She let her voice get softer.
Noah interrupted the song with a reproachful sniff here and there.
At last his warm body softened against her chest as he fell asleep.
She finished the song, enjoying his soft breath and the warm weight of him.
“Holy cow,” Axel said. “When he’s in a mood like that it usually takes me at least fifteen minutes to calm him down.”
“I got lucky,” Delilah whispered.
But pride bubbled in her chest. It felt good to have comforted another person, even a miniature one, enough that he would go to sleep right in her arms.
He doesn’t know what you are.
She shook her head as if that could rid her of the thought.
“We should get him to bed,” Axel said.
She nodded and they headed back inside, through the house and up the stairs to Noah’s room.
Axel opened the door and she tiptoed in after him with Noah.
The mattress of the crib suddenly looked so low, and her armful of Noah so high. How in the world was she supposed to get him all the way down there without waking him up?
“I’ll help,” Axel whispered.
She let him slide Noah out of her arms and rest him gently into his crib.
Noah’s lower lip pouted out and his forehead scrunched up, but he didn’t open his eyes.
Axel rubbed his little belly gently for a moment and the baby relaxed into a deep sleep.
They stood there a few more minutes, gazing down at the sleeping baby.
Delilah felt a peace so strong it brought tears to her eyes.
“I’ll, um, reheat our dinner,” she mumbled and fled the room.
She took the steps quickly but quietly, her tears blurring her path as she hurried to the kitchen.
The meatloaf was still steaming.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to survey her handiwork.
The meal had been prepared by the little restaurant, so the meatloaf was already sliced. She had simply dumped a bunch of ketchup on top and stuck it in the oven so it would look different.
She set slices onto their plates quickly, so Axel might not notice that it wasn’t a whole meatloaf.
Then she spooned on the vegetables, which she prayed wouldn’t be too familiar. She hadn’t had time to put cheese on top or do anything to disguise them.
She was setting the plates on the kitchen table when Axel returned.
“Thanks for helping with him,” he said softly. “He really likes you.”
“I really like him,” she replied, feeling heat rush to her cheeks.
“Yeah, he’s pretty likable,” Axel said, grabbing two water bottles from the refrigerator. “But I may be just a little bit biased.”
“If you’re not, who will be?” Delilah asked.
She knew the answer to that. When your own parents didn’t believe in you, nobody else would either. She’d learned that much from experience.
“I guess you’re wondering about his mom,” Axel said softly.
“You don’t have to tell me anything,” Delilah said quickly. “You’re a great dad - end of story.”
“She was my girlfriend,” he told her as he sat down at the table. “We weren’t all that serious. But when she got pregnant, I told her right away that I wanted to marry her.”
“Wow,” Delilah said, wondering how many men would have the same immediate reaction.
She sat opposite him and took the water he offered.
The table was so tiny their knees were practically touching.
“Things weren’t perfect with us, but I always wanted a family,” he said. “I knew we could make it work if we both wanted to.”
Delilah nodded.
“Anyway, she said she wanted to see how things went,” he said. “She told me she didn’t want us to be married because we felt some obligation. So I agreed. But as the pregnancy went along things got worse and worse. She seemed so restless.”
He looked out the window, as if the moonlit view over the porch would help him find the words.
“Anyway, I figured she was tired and that things would be better after the baby was born,” he went on. “I felt a lot of sympathy for what we were putting her body through.”
Delilah nodded. She had never been pregnant, but the idea of growing a human inside yourself while continuing with all the tasks of daily life seemed impossible.
“The night Noah was born I was so happy,” he said. “He was so healthy, so beautiful. I was in awe - I felt so lucky to be his dad.”
He took a deep breath and gazed at Delilah, as if gauging her reaction so far.
“But she didn’t feel the same,” he said. “I fell asleep in the hospital chair with the baby on my chest. When I woke up, she was gone. She left a note saying it wasn’t going to work out. She didn’t want to be a mom.”
“Oh my God,” Delilah breathed.
“I thought maybe it was postpartum depression,” he said. “It’s very common, and it’s dangerous to new moms. I called and texted but she never picked up. I even called the police, worried that she might hurt herself. And, of course, I brought Noah home when they released him.”
“Wow,” Delilah said.
“I hoped she would be home soon after. It didn’t occur to me that she really wasn’t coming back until I got a letter from a lawyer a month later,” he said. “She was voluntarily relinquishing her parental rights.”
“You must have been furious,” Delilah said. She was furious herself at anyone who could leave the sweet baby.
“At first I was mad, on Noah’s behalf,” Axel admitted. “But now I think about it from her point of view. She never wanted a baby. And I wanted a family so much. She had him for me. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the pregnancy, the birth, all of that was a sacrifice she made for Noah and for me. And I can’t be anything but grateful to her for that.”
His blue eyes glistened with emotion.
Delilah had never met a man like this - a man so prone to forgiveness, so dedicated to his small family.
“Anyway, I just thought you should
know,” he said. “Can’t have you hearing the rumors going around town and not knowing the truth.”
“Rumors?” she asked.
“I shouldn’t say rumors,” he said. “Really it’s more that everyone seems to feel sorry for me. But I’m happy. Noah is all the family I’ll ever need.”
She nodded.
He took a big bite of meatloaf.
“Oh wow, this is amazing,” he said. “You’re an amazing cook. Was this hard to make?”
“Not really,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t ask a lot of follow-up questions about the recipe. “So Noah’s your only family? Do you have anyone else local?”
“Not local. I’ve got a brother in Glacier City,” he said. “But yeah, Noah’s it for me here, and he’s plenty.”
She nodded. Noah would be enough for her too. Noah was lovely and babies were a lot of work - she could see that much already.
“That’s enough about me,” he said, with a smile. “Probably more than you wanted to hear. Tell me about your family. I want to know all about you, Delilah.”
She froze for a moment, feeling like a deer in the headlights.
She couldn’t tell him the truth.
But for the first time ever, she couldn’t bear to lie either.
He was watching her patiently, the expression on his handsome face telling her plainly that he wasn’t just making polite conversation. He wanted to know her.
And there was the pull again, the electric sizzle between them deeper now, inspiring an agony of need that seemed to take hold of her whole body.
Instead of answering, she leaned across the table and kissed him.
9
Axel
Axel’s world seemed to tilt on its axis as Delilah’s soft lips pressed against his.
The bear roared in his chest, desperate to claim her, even as his heart ached with the sweetness of her gesture.
She began to pull away and he instinctively cupped her cheek in his hand to stay her, thumbing her jaw open to taste her.
Her tiny moan set his senses on fire. He was glad the table was between them to slow him down.
She kissed him back with such passion. It was as if she could sense his need, as if she knew the bear was beneath the surface, yearning for her.
“Delilah,” he murmured, pulling back.
“I-I’m sorry,” she said.
She was sorry.
Guilt shot through him. She hadn’t meant to kiss him. He had read her responses all wrong. She was his employee. Noah liked her. And he was letting his bear take control.
He got up from the table.
“I’m sorry too, Delilah, I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said, clearing his plate. “I didn’t mean to force myself on you. I hope we can both forget that happened. I’ll take care of the kitchen. You go on and relax.”
“It’s fine,” she said, her voice smoother now. “It never happened. We’ll clean up together.”
He wanted to beg her to leave him. His body was still pounding with desire for her.
But he couldn’t bear the idea of sending her away, even just out of the room.
How are you already in my heart?
He nodded and worked on wrapping up the leftovers.
That meatloaf was sensational, and there was enough for him to have a cold sandwich for lunch tomorrow.
He placed the container in the fridge and moved on to the sink, then began to wash the dishes as Delilah wiped the table.
The warm soapy water was pleasant, and he enjoyed the sounds of the chairs being pushed in and out as Delilah worked. It was nice to have another grown-up around.
You’d better remember that and keep your paws off her if you want to keep her here, he reminded his bear sternly.
After a moment, the sounds behind him stopped. There was nothing but the cicada song outside and the gentle rush of running water in the sink.
And then two hands slid around his waist as Delilah rested her head against his back.
He froze, his heart pounding, breath held in anticipation.
“You didn’t force yourself on me,” she murmured.
He felt her lips press against his shoulder as her hands roved over his abs.
“Delilah,” he groaned.
“Shhh,” she whispered.
One delicate hand wandered lower, too close to where his raging cock pressed at the fly of his jeans.
He spun around, held her by the shoulders.
“You’re playing with fire, Delilah,” he warned her.
She gazed up at him with those beautiful dark eyes, her cheeks rosy, and then went up on her toes to kiss him.
There were a million reasons why he knew he shouldn’t kiss her back.
But he couldn’t seem to remember any of them.
Mine.
He swung her up into his arms and carried her through the dining room and living room and up the stairs to his bedroom.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer.
He closed the door behind them and turned on a bedside lamp so he could see her.
The bear paced and roared, craving a quick claiming.
Axel fought him back.
“Axel,” she moaned as he placed her down gently.
“Is this what you want?” he asked, his voice rough with wanting.
“Yes,” she said. “Please, I need you.”
Fuck.
All his control was out the window now.
He slid his hands down her sides, loving the soft feel of her, the generous curves that filled his palms.
But when he began to slide her t-shirt up, she stiffened.
“Delilah?” he whispered.
“C-can we turn the light off?” she asked.
“No,” he told her. “I need to see you.”
“I’m not what you’re used to,” she told him.
“How the hell would you know what I’m used to?” he asked.
“I’m not thin,” she corrected herself.
His heart almost broke.
“You’re beautiful,” he told her. “You’re beautiful and I want to see you.”
She didn’t reply, but she lifted her arms to make it easier for him to slip the shirt off.
He gasped when he saw her.
She was exquisite. Her luscious breasts nearly bursting out of a lacy bra, her round, soft belly begging to be kissed, her hips wide like the full moon, making him want to howl…
But she had turned away from him, as if he were going to strike her.
Is this how she had been taught to think of her magical body? That it was worthy of punishment?
A woman like this should be worshipped.
But words weren’t going to take that hurt away from her.
He was going to show her how to feel.
Fighting every instinct to rush, he slid her jeans down to her ankles and helped her step out.
“Get in bed,” he told her.
She crawled in obediently, driving him wild with the sight of her round bottom presented for him in a pair of tiny lace panties.
The bear inside him growled with pleasure at her submission.
When she lay before him, dark hair splayed out on the pillow, he peeled off his own t-shirt.
She gazed at him, lips slightly parted as if the sight of him made her mouth water.
He crawled on top of her and kissed her sweet lips again.
She lifted herself up to meet him and the feel of her warm curves against him sent his blood boiling.
He pulled away and looked into her eyes.
“Be still for me,” he warned her. “You’re so beautiful, I need to taste my fill.”
She blinked, her eyes gone hazy with need.
His cock throbbed in response and he kissed her again, passionately, praying to regain control.
When he broke away, she gasped for breath.
He kissed her forehead, then moved down to nuzzle her neck, teasing himself with the scent of her and the feel of that tender skin
his bear desperately wanted him to bite.
It would be so easy. She was so warm and willing, so weak with lust. All he had to do was sink his teeth into her and she would be his forever.
He let his teeth graze her skin as he kissed her, teasing himself.
She moaned gently and arched her back, maddening him with the press of her breasts against his chest.
Somehow, he managed to pull himself away. He ran a trail of kisses down her collarbone, then pulled back to pluck open the front clasp of her bra and release her breasts.
Delilah seemed to hold her breath.
He feasted his eyes on her beautiful breasts and their crinkled brown nipples, stiff and begging for his touch.
He nuzzled them, smiled against her chest when she gasped at the feel of his rough jaw against her tender flesh.
She moaned in earnest when he licked one nipple into his mouth and teased the other with the pad of his thumb.
But when her hips began to quiver, he knew she needed more.
The bear slavered at the scent of her.
Axel needed to taste her more than he needed his next breath.
10
Delilah
Delilah fought the urge to hide as Axel nuzzled her belly.
She had always been soft and rounded where other women were hard and narrow.
It felt strange to have a man so hungry to see her, so clearly enjoying rubbing his sexy rough cheeks against her tummy.
But he didn’t stay there long.
She held her breath as he nudged her thighs apart.
The sensation of his tongue against her almost sent her immediately over the edge.
She clutched the sheets and fought to stay quiet.
He licked her again, a long slow caress.
Delilah moaned.
She felt him smile against her inner thigh as he fed on her wildly, lapping and sucking gently, driving her insane.
The world around her had long since disappeared - even the room was fading. There was only her aching, hungry sex and his wicked mouth.
At last he slid a finger against her opening and flicked her swollen clitoris with his clever tongue.
Delilah cried out brokenly and lost herself in the throes of a pleasure so intense, that it felt almost dangerous.