Hard Ball

by Heather Stone

  I love Cole, but I know he was none of those things when he was with Lana or anyone else he ever dated. My heart seems to skip a beat. The ambiance alludes to more than just dinner.

  “Cole. It’s beautiful.” He strides toward me.

  “You’re beautiful.” His hands reach out to cup my face. I lean into his palm.

  “What’s all this for?”

  “I’ve had a really tough day and I needed to do something to take my mind off it.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  He shakes his head slowly.

  “We’ll talk and I’ll tell you everything, but right now I just want to be with you.” He pulls me to his side. “Everything that happened today made me realize how precious life is. I don’t want to take what’s important to me for granted anymore.” He chokes, full of emotion. My lips remain closed. Whatever happened today clearly rocked him. He needs to say what he needs to say.

  “I don’t want to waste another minute, Makenzie. It’s you. It’s always been you. I think deep down I always knew but I was too damn stubborn to admit it.” I smile up at him. “You’re it for me.”

  He falls to one knee. At first the movement doesn’t register. When my brain finally catches up, I gasp.

  “What are you doing?” I stammer, not knowing if I’m misinterpreting what’s going on.

  “You’ve been my rock for as long as I can remember. It was you who drove me home every night in high school just so I wouldn’t do something stupid. It was you who called every night to make sure I was home safe through college and it will be you who shares my life, my home, and my bed until I draw my last breath.”

  I wipe a tear from my eye. “Is there a question in there somewhere?” I tease.

  “Makenzie Marie Anderson, will you marry me?”

  My eyes find the giant pear-shaped rock shining atop a petite band of diamonds. It’s breathtaking. It’s so beautiful I almost don’t notice the blue box it’s perched inside. As much as I want to put the ring on my finger, I want him in my arms more.

  Pulling him to his feet, I practically jump on him.

  “Yes. Yes. Yes,” I chant, my exuberance shining through.

  “Yeah?” His excitement is evident by the giant grin plastered all over his face. I nod. “I need you naked and in my bed. Now.”

  Yes. Please.

  27

  Cole

  Carrying my future wife to our bed is the greatest feeling. With Makenzie in my arms, I’m on top of the world. I plan to strip her bare and mark every inch of her creamy skin. This won’t be fast, but slow and erotic.

  “Why is there mischief in your eyes?”

  Her sultry voice coils a grip around my dick and squeezes. The need to be inside her is growing more desperate by the second.

  “I need you.” The words come out gruff. Her head lifts, bringing her lips to mine. The kiss starts off soft, but quickly turns heated.

  Laying her down, I make quick work of removing her shirt, lifting it over her head and discarding it behind me. I watch as her hands trail down her firm stomach, finally reaching the button on her jeans. Slowly, her fingers unfasten the button, allowing a gap to form and her pink lacy panties to peek through. I groan at the sight. Before she has a chance to move, I bury my face in her jeans-clad pussy, taking a deep whiff, smelling her arousal through two layers.

  “Your pussy is begging for my cock, baby.” Her sharp inhale tells me my dirty words have an effect on her.

  I run my hands along her hips, grasping the sides of her jeans and pulling them down her legs. I want her naked and ready. Once I’ve accomplished my task, I lean back and take in the view. Makenzie Anderson is a goddess. Everything from her golden hair to her sculpted body calls to me. No other woman has made me feel this possessive, this carnal.

  I drop my pants, kicking them out of the way. Grabbing my cock, I stroke from the base to tip, nice and slow. Kenzie’s tongue darts out, licking a straight line across her bottom lip. The move has me tightening my grip. Moving closer, I use my free hand to palm her tit. My fingers pinching the nipple makes her moan.

  Dropping to my knees, I drag her ass to the edge of the bed, spreading her legs wide. My nose runs up the center of her pussy, feeling the moisture on my skin. I lick the inside of her thigh and thrill at the goose bumps rising over her skin. My lips getting within an inch or two of her wet pussy has her muscles trembling. I tease, but never touch the one place she wants, the anticipation building the need.

  “Please, Cole. Please fuck me.” Her sexy rasp has me just about ready to give in.

  I grin up at her. “Not yet, baby.”

  I lightly brush my thumb over her swollen pussy, gently parting her lips with my fingers, massaging her wetness with my thumbs. I ease a finger inside of her, then slide in another. Bringing my mouth against her hot slit, I nip and lick while my fingers establish a punishing rhythm. Makenzie shudders, running her hand through my hair, gripping it. Her moans and gasps push me to lick faster, harder, trying desperately to send her over the edge.

  “Oh, God…yes, Cole!” she cries out.

  I press my face even harder into Makenzie’s heated pussy and begin to lick her swollen clit while thrusting my fingers in and out. She thrusts against my face, chasing the orgasm. “Cole,” she shouts one last time before her sweet liquid coats my tongue.

  Kissing my way up her body, I find her mouth and cover it with mine, allowing her to taste herself. Her moans prove my girl likes a little kink. Her arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to her. Our kisses turn heated. Pulling away, Kenzie demands, “Fuck me, Cole. I need you inside me, now.”

  Who am I to decline such an offer? Smiling, I position myself at her entrance. She shakes her head.

  Before I have a chance to ask what she has in mind, Kenzie flips over, rising to her knees and putting her ass in the air. She wants me behind her.

  I run my hand down the curve of her ass. The perfect globes, smooth and begging to be smacked. I slap her left ass cheek. Her yelp prompts me to smooth out the burn. Her skin changes color, the darkening pink showing where my hand has marked her.

  “Get inside me now, Cole,” she demands. She wants to be fucked and I’m going to provide. I bring my hand down once more on her ass while I slam my cock into her wet and eager pussy. As soon as I’m fully seated, her cunt squeezes around me, drawing out the pleasure that only she can offer.

  I wanted this night to be romantic and tender, but I can’t help it. We’ve skipped all of that going right to animalistic. My thrusts punish her pussy just as she’s begging me to do.

  “Fuck me harder, Cole. Please!”

  I grunt in reply, pumping in and out as fast as I can.

  “You’ve got to come, baby. I can’t hold on much longer,” I groan.

  Bringing my hand around to her swollen clit, I rub and tug, drawing louder and louder moans from Kenzie. Her pussy tightens and I know her release is coming. One pump, two pumps…by three, both of us are falling over the edge. I’m spilling myself inside of her.

  28

  Makenzie

  “Shit, baby. I didn’t use a condom again.” Cole’s voice is apologetic. The events of the day slam back into my brain. With the dinner and the proposal, I forgot all about what I need to tell him. I stiffen, suddenly nervous again. Taking two deep breaths, I will myself to calm down. He asked me to marry him. So what if we’re skipping a step by having a baby? It’s ours and something tells me that Cole won’t be upset.

  “Cole, we need to talk about something.” My voice is small despite my newfound resolve. He frowns. “Sit down.” I motion to the bed. He does so without another word. “I…” there’s a knock at the door that has us both straightening.

  “Fuck,” Cole groans, running his hand through his already tousled hair. “My parents are here.” He winces.

  “What?” I screech. “Cole, it smells like sex in here and we both look thoroughly fucked.” I haven’t seen the Callahan’s in a while and I definitely
don’t want the first time to be when it’s obvious I’m sleeping with their son. Oh God. My hand comes to my forehead, staving off the impending headache.

  “They wanted to be the first to see your ring.” He smiles. “I told them earlier what the plan was.”

  The smile on his face has my fear melting. We’re adults, we just got engaged. I’m sure his parents won’t judge me too harshly. Besides, I grew up with them. If anyone would champion our future, it’s them.

  “They love you, Kenz, and they are so happy. I couldn’t tell my dad no.” His face goes white. “Shit. I didn’t even ask, I’m such an asshole,” he mumbles. I’m having a hard time catching up to his thoughts.

  “Slow down. What?”

  “You’re not contagious, are you? My dad…it’s not good, Kenz. I’ll tell you later, but he can’t get sick.” My stomach plummets. The look in Cole’s eyes tells me whatever he found out today is not good. It makes me want to cry. I pull myself together, hoping to ease some of his pain.

  “I’m not contagious. He’s safe around me.” I smile to reassure him. He nods happily. “But you better go open the door for them.”

  While he’s throwing on clothes, I rush to the bathroom to try to put myself together. After I’ve checked and double checked that I don’t look like I’ve just been rolling around in bed with their son, I close the bedroom door behind me and head to see my future in-laws.

  “There she is,” Mrs. Callahan says, beaming. “Let us see.” She points to my hand. Raising it, I smile at her gasp. “Cole, you did good, boy!”

  “Don’t keep an old man waiting. Come here, Kenzie Marie, and give me a hug.” Wade’s voice does two things simultaneously to my heightened emotions: It makes me sad at what he’s going through and floods me with love for my second father.

  “Hi, Mr. Callahan,” I say as I embrace him. His fragile body breaks my heart. This isn’t the man I grew up with. Wade Callahan was strong and untouchable, but this man is frail and weak. I want to cry, but manage only a sniffle.

  “Aw, Makenzie, don’t cry. I’m so happy to see you.” He squeezes, letting me know it’s not as bad as it looks, although I fear it’s every bit as bad. “We’re just so elated to finally have you in our family. It’s about time my son got his head out of his butt.”

  “I’m just as guilty. If you would’ve asked me a few months ago if I’d be with Cole forever, I’d have laughed. Timing is everything.” I shrug.

  “Isn’t it ever,” Mrs. Callahan remarks dreamily. It’s as if she’s recalling her own memories past. I’m sure these days she does that often. “Everything happens as it should. You’re a smart girl. If he’d have asked earlier, you probably would’ve run in the opposite direction. He needed to get rid of that Lana girl.”

  I watch as Cole frowns at the mention of Lana. I can only grin.

  “No need to drag up the past, Mom.” He rolls his eyes.

  “I think it’s fun,” I tease.

  “You would. You don’t have my past.” The rest of us laugh.

  “How are you feeling, sweetheart. Cole tells us you had to see a doctor.” I stiffen. How the hell do I avoid this conversation? Now isn’t the time. I want to tell Cole so we can decide together how to break the news to our families. It wouldn’t be fair to put it all out there with his parents as witnesses.

  “I’m fine. Just womanly stuff.” I chuckle awkwardly. Mrs. Callahan’s eyes narrow. Oh God…does she know just from that? She winks and my face pales. A slight shake of her head says she’ll keep it between us. I sigh in relief.

  The next hour we spend catching up. Mr. and Mrs. Callahan fill me in on the news they shared with Cole earlier. Tears are shed and hugs abound. The thought of a life without Wade isn’t one I want to think about right now. I have to believe that miracles happen. I’ll pray every day for him because our family needs him. After a while, Mrs. Callahan stands.

  “Wade, we better let these kids get back to their evening. We’ve taken up enough of their time.” She smiles, collecting her things and walking toward the door. She stops and turns, pulling me into her arms.

  “I’m so glad you two finally wised up.” She squeezes me tightly. “Tell him, he’ll be overjoyed,” she whispers for only me to hear. A tear falls down my cheek at her words of encouragement. If she can be so happy about it, won’t Cole? I can only nod.

  Once we’ve all said our good-byes and the door is shut and locked, I turn to Cole.

  “We need to talk.”

  29

  Cole

  Makenzie's tone and choice of words are ominous. We had such a great evening. What could she possibly be nervous to talk to me about? It's written all over her face. She’s scared.

  “What's up, babe?”

  “You're gonna want to sit for this.” Based on Makenzie's body language, I have no doubt whatever she's about to say is going to rock my world. Makenzie Anderson is anything but dramatic. If she's frightened to talk to me about something, this can't be good.

  I walk to the family room, taking my seat, patting the cushion next to me for her to sit. She does, but continues twiddling her fingers.

  “Out with it, Kenz. Whatever you have to say, we’ll handle it together.” Her eyes meet mine. I see…doubt.

  “Shit, you're not having second thoughts about marrying me, are you?” My insecurity where she's concerned is coming through loud and clear. I feel like such a pussy in these moments. Never before have I cared at all what a woman thinks of me. In fact, I've gotten sick pleasure out of making it so previous women have left with the worst possible opinion of me after I'm through with them. That way there was less chance of them coming back. But Makenzie is my forever, and the thought of her thinking poorly of me or not wanting to be with me stabs at my heart.

  “God, no, Cole! Why do you always think the worst?”

  “What did you expect me to think? You're playing with your hands and not looking at me.” My hands flail wildly. “Of course I think you're about to give me bad news.” I huff out a breath. “What the hell else could you possibly be scared to talk to me about?”

  “I'm pregnant.” The words fly out of her mouth. No preamble and no softening the shock. Although I hear her words loud and clear, it takes a moment for my brain to process what she's actually saying.

  “You're what?” I ask just to clarify.

  “You heard me, Cole Callahan,” she spits. “When I went to the doctor today, they did a pregnancy test and it came back positive. Since it’s still so early, they did a blood test too, and that also came back positive. I was nervous to tell you because I wasn’t sure how you would react. And based on how green your face is at this particular moment, I would say chances are high you're about ready to go postal, or head to Mexico.”

  Makenzie stands up and begins to pace. I catch phrases like “I knew you couldn't handle this” and “I knew this was going to blow up” and finally, “Obviously, we could never be this happy.”

  I stand, grab her by the wrist, and spin her around so she falls flat against my chest, my lips crushing against hers. I kiss her fiercely, needing her to know that this could never be a bad thing.

  “The fact that you think I wouldn't be happy that you're carrying my child wounds me.” I place another kiss, a soft one, on her lips. “You're my life, Kenzie, and I couldn't be happier.”

  I smile. Her eyes widen and I see the crack in her armor.

  “You are?”

  I grin.

  “I'm going to be a dad. We're going to be parents.” I pick her up, swinging her around, so incredibly fucking happy. “You've given me the best gift I’ve ever received. I love you, Makenzie Anderson, and nothing and nobody will ever change that.”

  “I’m so relieved.” She sighs. “I’m excited, Cole. This is real and we are going to have a baby.” Her burst of excitement has my mouth spewing the first thoughts that come to mind.

  “Let's get married tonight.” Her brows go up. “Let’s go to Vegas, and get this done. I want you to be my wife whe
n our son or daughter is born.”

  Her hands fly up.

  “Slow down, cowboy. We are not rushing into a wedding just because we're having a baby. I want to do things the right way, and rushing doesn't make sense.”

  “Baby, when haven’t we rushed? Everything about us is unconventional. Is it a crime that I want you to be my wife now?”

  She ponders my words. Her mouth opens but words don’t come out. Her brows rise and then fall as she works out my proposition. “It's not if that's what you really want, but I want you to know that I don't need that. I am okay with going slow.”

  “If I have a choice, I want to do this. I want to make you my wife now.” I shrug like it’s obvious.

  “What about your family and mine?”

  “Makenzie, I make enough money to fly them all anywhere you want, anytime you want. You name the place and the day and it'll happen.”

  “Anywhere? Anytime?”

  “Absolutely.”

  She taps her mouth with her finger, pretending like she has to think about it. I know my girl, she’s had this shit worked out in her head for years. Maybe it wasn’t me she saw at the end, but she’s a planner. The only consolation is that I’m her man and nobody else will ever live out that dream with her.

  “I'd like to get married somewhere tropical. She draws out the suspense. “Like Hawaii,” she offers. I nod. “Is this coming weekend too soon?” I grab her in a crushing bear hug before realizing that I’m also crushing our child. I quickly place her on her feet. She knows what has me worried and chuckles.

  “Well,” she draws it out, drawing a wide smile from me. “It's not soon enough, but I think you’re ready to get back in the game.”