by K. C. Crowne
“You’re what?” I shook my head, thinking my ears were stopped up. “I thought for a second you said you’re pregnant.”
“I am pregnant,” she repeated, speaking slower this time, her eyes closed as if she couldn’t bear to look at me. “And it’s yours. I’ve not been with anyone else, I swear.”
My legs turned to jelly, and I had to hold myself up with the wall behind me. I was thankful it was there, or I wasn’t sure I could remain standing. Molly finally opened her eyes, and they were filled with tears. My insides ached, seeing her like that. It felt like my heart shattered into a million pieces.
“Oh darlin’,” I said, summoning the ability to walk again. I went straight to her and wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. If I thought the news was hard for me to hear, I couldn’t imagine what she was going through. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s my fault. I wasn’t on the pill since I had no intention of having sex, and I just— well, I didn’t know how to get the morning after pill or anything. This is all so new to me.”
“It’s not your fault. I should have been more careful.” I stroked the hair away from her face, wiping away the tears with my fingertips. I never wanted to see her cry ever again if I could help it. I’d do anything to take her pain away. “And don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll take care of you and the baby”
I was calmer than I would have expected. I found that I was even a little excited. Nervous too, of course, but the idea of having another child was good news to me. I hadn’t thought about it, never planned on it, but I loved the idea. Finally, a child I would be able to help raise from the very beginning.
“I don’t know how, though,” she said, staring up at me. “With you all the way out here and me in the city…”
“You plan to stay in New York?” I asked. I don’t know why I asked. I should have known the answer. It was obvious from the moment I met her that Molly would never leave New York City. Why did I think a baby would change that?
“Of course,” she said, seeming astonished by my question. “My entire life is there. My career, hopefully. My dreams are all based in New York City. I can’t just pack up and move out here and expect to work in my field.”
“Houston isn’t that far away,” I suggested. “You could open your own shop for a hell of a lot cheaper than in New York—”
Molly backed away from me, shaking her head. “Silas, I can’t do this right now. I don’t know what I expected, but there’s no way we can have the perfect, happy family here. I just can’t.”
“Molly, I can’t miss out on my kid’s life again. I missed so much with Christopher and you see what happened.”
“And I can’t give up everything I’ve worked for either, Silas.” Back to being the reasonable, mature one. Her tears had dried up and she looked at me with a serious expression. “I need to think about all of this. We both do. I can’t just make a decision on a whim like this. But you needed to know.”
“I agree. Please tell me you’re staying for a few days, so we can talk about this more?”
“I am.”
“I can have Mama G make you up a room.”
“I got a hotel.”
I scoffed. “You’re not staying in no damned hotel.”
“I don’t think it would be wise to stay here until everyone knows what happened. They’d ask questions about why I’m here without Christopher.”
“When do we plan to tell them?”
“As soon as we decide what we’re going to do.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re thinking about not keeping the baby.” My heart dropped even thinking about it. I knew it was her choice, but this was my child too. “I’ll raise the child myself, but please don’t—”
“No,” she said, scrunching up her face as she interrupted me. “I have no intention of getting rid of the baby, and I don’t intend on giving my child away.”
Relief washed over me. The idea of raising my child alone didn’t bother me, but I knew that Christopher felt cheated for not knowing me. I didn’t want another kid of mine to go through that again.
“Here,” she said, handing me a card. “I’m staying here, room 303.”
I held the card in my hand, staring at it, unsure what else to say.
“There’s no way I’m going to miss out on raising my child, Molly. I hope you know that.”
“I know, Silas,” she said, sounding tired. “But you can’t ask me to uproot my life either.”
I slipped the card into my pocket as Molly turned to leave. There was no way I’d let her raise my child in the city. I wouldn’t lose so much time with another one. I would be there from the start this time.
Ooo000ooo
“What’s wrong with you?” Wyatt asked.
My brother had come out to check on one of the pregnant horses while I brushed Traveler and Jagger down for the hundredth time.
“Nothin’. Why?” I asked, trying to deflect.
“Come on Silas, you’ve been brushin’ that same spot for the last twenty minutes, starin’ off into space. You’re gonna give him a damn bald spot if you don’t stop. So tell me what’s goin’ on.”
I wasn’t a man who typically spilled his guts, but my brothers, especially Wyatt, had a way of pulling them out of me. Still, Molly’s news was too fresh in my head and I had no idea what the fuck I was going to do about all of it.
“Nothing is wrong,” I lied.
“Shit, you’re a bad liar,” Wyatt said, shaking his head and throwing his hands up. “Fine, if you don’t wanna to talk, I can’t make you. But you haven’t been the same since Christopher left and we’re worried about you, brother.”
Christopher. He thought this was about my boy.
“Things with Christopher have never been better, actually. We have a little work to do still, but he talks to me at least once a week now.”
Of course, I doubted things would stay that way once he found out I’d knocked up his best friend.
“That’s good,” Wyatt said, scrunching up his brow and studying me. “Then what’s up? Having girl troubles?” He snickered, obviously thinking he was funny. He had no idea how correct he was.
Before I had a chance to say anything, he went on. “I’m tellin’ you, Silas – if it’s a woman there’s no sense in worryin’ about it. Things like that tend to work out on their own.”
I had to laugh considering his own history with women wasn’t exactly smooth. He’d had a hell of a run himself and was nursing a pretty big broken heart and a grudge the size of San Antonio. But he was a good brother, always there to help.
I’d have to tell them all eventually. Molly and I were having a baby. But I needed to clear the air with Molly and talk to Christopher before we told anyone else.
“Somethin’ like that,” I muttered, walking around to the other side of Traveler, a spot where Wyatt couldn’t see me, and focused my attention on continuing to brush.
“Oh, so there is a girl?” Wyatt asked surprised, following me around. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
“I didn’t say—” I sighed in exasperation, shaking my head. “Wyatt, I really can’t talk about this right now. I don’t even know where my head’s at with all of it. I need some time to figure it all out.” I dropped the brush.
“Fine,” Wyatt said, seeming to read my mind. “I’ll leave you to it. But you know where to find me when you’re ready to spill.”
“Thanks, man.”
My younger brother left the stable, and I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until he was out of sight. Finally, I could relax.
Except, there was no relaxing, knowing what I did.
Molly was carrying my child.
And she thought she was going to run back to the city.
Oh, hell no. I didn’t care what I had to do, but there was no way I was going to miss my child’s life a second time.
And it went deeper than that too.
Molly was mine now; she was carrying my child, and I would do anything to keep both of them here, with me.
Absolutely anything.
Molly
There was only one hotel within a thirty-minute drive of the ranch, and it was by no means a classy place to stay. I would have preferred staying at the ranch, but there would have been too many questions and I wasn’t ready to answer them just yet. Silas and I had a lot to figure out before we let the cat out of the bag.
I couldn’t imagine how Christopher would respond to the news. Or the rest of his family either.
How could I have been so stupid? I kicked myself over and over for it.
I laid in the shitty bed that was as hard as a rock, the TV on in the background. Some sitcom was playing, but I couldn’t be bothered to pay attention or even turn the volume up. I stared straight ahead at the screen, but my mind was elsewhere.
There’d be no chance of sleep even though I was exhausted from the traveling. My hand rested on my belly, and I kept thinking about the life growing inside me. My parents would kill me. Well, not really…they’d be upset, but at the end of the day, I trusted that they’d love me and my baby.
I had no job, and most of the job opportunities I could find were for internships or very low wages - not enough to live on in New York City. My parents couldn’t keep supporting me, especially now with a baby to consider. I wouldn’t be able to live in the studio with Christopher - I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d move out and cut all ties over this.
I couldn’t blame him if he did.
And that was perhaps the worst part - I couldn’t even talk to my best friend about this. This was huge, my emotions were all over the place, and I had no one I could talk to.
I’d never felt more alone in my life.
“We’ll figure it out, sweet pea,” I spoke out loud, rubbing my belly. “Your mama is strong, she’s a fighter. She’ll figure something out.”
A knock at the door startled me, causing me to jump on the bed.
“It’s me.” Silas’s voice called from the other side of the door.
With a sigh, I rose and walked to the door, unlocking the dead bolt and opening the door. I stood in the doorway, blocking his way.
“I told you we needed time to think, Silas,” I reminded him. “We’re both too emotional to be—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Silas closed the distance between us, lifted my face in his hands and pressed his lips to mine, literally taking my breath away.
I couldn’t speak. Hell, I couldn’t even think straight. All I could think about was his lips on mine and the way his hands felt moving down the length of my body. I opened my mouth to him, his tongue pushing in as I backed up, letting him into my hotel room.
He kicked the door closed behind him as we moved toward the bed. His hands pulled at my clothes, ripping them from my body. And I knew I should stop him, but I couldn’t.
What harm can it cause now? I asked myself. I was already pregnant with his baby, and Christopher would never forgive me anyway.
My hands ripped at Silas’s clothing, undressing him as quickly as he undressed me.
Feeling the muscles of his chest and abs tighten under my touch, hearing the way his breath caught in his throat, was too much for me. It ripped away any and all resolve I had left.
We fell backward onto the bed, and I no longer cared that it was as hard as a rock.
Silas was above me, holding himself up on his strong forearms and staring down at me like I was the most beautiful thing in the world. My heart skipped several beats, and I knew I was falling hard for this man. I hardly knew him, so it couldn’t be love - could it? I wasn’t sure; I’d never been in love before. But I could see myself falling headfirst for him.
His lips pressed into mine and his body lowered over me. I wrapped my legs around him, and it was like our bodies knew what to do. He thrust into me, and even though I’d felt him before, it still took me by surprise.
I’m not sure I’d ever get used to the fullness inside me and how it made me feel.
I was so wet for him, and this time I was more ready than the first time.
And it felt so amazing that my pussy spasmed around him, and I came almost instantly from that simple penetration.
I didn’t even know it was possible until that moment, as my nails dug into his back and I writhed underneath him, crying out his name.
I didn’t think we’d ever get to do this again.
And my body was thanking me for the chance.
Silas rolled his hips, burying himself deep inside me with a growl. “Damn, I needed that.”
I’d needed it too, but I couldn’t speak - the waves of pleasure were washing over me again and again.
“I needed you,” he groaned. “Fuck, Molly, you drive me so crazy.”
He pumped in and out of me, kissing down my neck, taking my nipples between his lips. He was playing with me, exploring me more than he had before. We’d already broken all the rules. I was pregnant, what was there to lose now?
And I could see it in his eyes; he thought he’d never see me again.
Yet there we were.
Silas rose up, leaning back against his thighs and giving me one hell of a view. His tight body, all those muscles moving in perfect rhythm as he made love to me. He grabbed my ass, hoisting me upward to get a better angle - thrusting in deep.
The way his gaze moved over my body…I knew the reason for the change in position was for him to look at me. My breasts bounced from the force of his movements, and I writhed underneath him, feeling like I could come again at any second.
“Come for me, baby,” he demanded of me.
Hearing his thunderous voice issue a demand like that sent me over the edge.
“Yes, yes,” I whimpered as my body began to flail underneath him.
He had a tight grip on my ass, holding me in place, never breaking his perfect rhythm as I did exactly what he asked me to do.
I collapsed onto the bed as the aftershocks moved through my body. He slipped his cock out of me, but I knew he wasn’t finished with me yet. And I was glad - I wanted to do this all night, if we could. I never wanted to stop.
“Ride me darlin’,” he said, rolling us both over.
I ground myself against his cock, my wetness coating him. I teased him, rubbing the tip of him against my opening. Hell, I was teasing us both, until my body couldn’t take it anymore - I needed him inside me.
And he needed it too, obviously. He grabbed my hips and pulled me down against him, his cock filling me up once more.
I bounced up and down on top of him, my breasts hopping with each movement. He took one of my breasts in his hand and brought my nipple to his lips. He sucked on it hard, and my eyes rolled back in my head from pleasure.
I was happy we weren’t at the ranch. We’d taken a risk the last time; someone could have heard us. I wasn’t even sure they hadn’t. But here, we could be as loud as we wanted, and that was for the best - because I couldn’t keep the screams inside this time.
“Silas, yes! It feels so good,” I screamed. I repeated his name. His groans added to the music we were making, and it was beautiful. And brought me to orgasm again. This time, I could tell Silas was struggling to not lose control. So I did him a favor.
“Come inside me,” I begged. “Please, Silas. Come inside of me.”
Being pregnant already meant I didn’t have to worry about the consequences. It was a freeing feeling for both of us, I imagined. Silas grabbed my hips and pulled me down onto him, impaling me with his manhood.
His cock throbbed and pulsed inside me, and the image of him filling me with his sweet, sticky cum was enough to bring me to orgasm again.
I collapsed on top of him, panting as my body continued to quiver from the aftershocks.
Silas pushed the stray hairs from my face and ran a fingertip along my jaw, lifting my face so he could stare into my eyes.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, kissing the tip of my nose. “I want to make this work between us, Molly. I want to be with you.”
My heart swe
lled, and for a second, I was ready to say yes - I was ready to jump all-in.
But reality hit me.
I rolled over and off him, and he turned toward me - wrapping his strong arms around me and holding me against him. His heart thudded in my ear, and suddenly, I was exhausted.
I wanted to sleep there, in his arms, and forget about everything for a little while.
My eyes closed on me, against my will, and I fell into the darkness of exhaustion. I was content, at least for the moment.
Everything else could wait until the morning.
Ooo000ooo
I stretched in bed, kicking my legs out, trying to get comfortable. I forgot where I was and why my bed was so hard at first, until my foot touched something.
No, not something. Someone.
My eyes peeled open, and I found Silas beside me. He was awake, his eyes open and turned toward me.
“Were you watching me while I slept?” I asked, a smile tugging at my lips.
“Would it be creepy if I said yes?”
“Maybe a little,” I teased. I couldn’t resist reaching out for him, and I ran my fingers down his bare, perfect chest. A shudder moved through my body as I remembered the night before. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t like it.”
“I can’t help it, you’re just so beautiful,” he said. “I can’t stop looking at you when you’re near me.”
I kissed his lips sweetly, unable to stop myself. As I pulled away, he took my face in his hands and pulled me back to him, kissing me deeply. His erection pressed against me, and I knew he wanted round two.
My body was sore from the night before, and my head was spinning. As I woke up, the reality of everything began to hit me.
We couldn’t be together. I belonged in New York City. He belonged here. Yes, we were having a child, and I wouldn’t deny him access to his son or daughter, but the two of us were from two separate worlds.
I pulled away from the kiss, but the look in Silas’s eyes almost drove me back.
“We need to talk,” I said.
“Can’t that wait?” He leaned close to me, nibbling my lower lip, and I shook in his arms.