Tell Me No Secrets: Secret Baby Romance Collection

by Jamie Knight

  I was surprised they never moved. Kylie died so close by. It must hold a lot of painful memories for Noah. Maybe he was holding onto the pain on purpose. The evidence pointed in that direction.

  Olivia and I got the dough formed and rolled out before spreading our toppings all over. By the time the pizza was in the oven, Olivia was a mess. Flour did have a habit of getting everywhere, especially with a six-year-old.

  “The pizza shouldn’t take too long. If you want to watch it, I can go get Olivia cleaned up,” I offered.

  “That’s fine. You take care of that, and I’ll clean her up.”

  Noah picked up his daughter, heading out. He kept stopping like he was going to say something, but he never did. Soon, I was alone in the kitchen without much to do.

  My mind wandered back to the last time I was here. Right before I left, Noah and I almost had sex. He was pressed into me, my back to this counter, our lips connected in a passionate kiss. Everything had felt so right. I couldn’t believe we were finally doing it, but something in him flipped, and he practically jumped off of me demanding I leave. I thought I had done something wrong, so I ran away back to my father. Maybe I should have fought harder, but I just didn’t. This was me giving it another chance. This time, I wouldn’t give up so easily.

  The pizza came out perfectly, and the three of us almost ate the entire thing. All the tension made me hungrier than I expected, and Olivia was super excited to have homemade pizza again. I suspected Noah felt the same way, even though he didn’t admit it.

  Later, when I was tucking Olivia into bed, she looked up at me with her big blue eyes. It had gotten quite late, and she was barely keeping herself up.

  “I’m happy you are here. Are you staying?” she asked sleepily.

  “Mmhm, as long as I can.”

  Olivia smiled before turning onto her side, falling completely asleep. I left her in her room and went back downstairs to join her father in the kitchen.

  The second I turned the corner, Noah was on top of me, caging me against the wall with his body. “What are you really doing here?” The look he gave me, I didn’t know what to make of it. It was like a mix of anger and desire.

  I put my hands flat against the wall. “I told you. I couldn’t stay with my dad anymore.”

  “I remember telling you to leave.”

  “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

  “You had no business coming back here.”

  I brought my bottom lip in between my teeth. Maybe coming back was a mistake. What happened between Noah and me was almost a year ago. I was stuck in my feelings, and this whole time, he could have been over the entire thing in a couple of days.

  “Noah, I —”

  Before I could finish my thought, Noah kissed me. He grabbed either side of my face and pressed his lips into mine. It felt like heaven had decided to visit me for a short amount of time. The ecstasy I felt in Noah’s touch was like nothing else. I grabbed onto his wrists, never wanting this moment to end.

  “I’ve missed you,” he mumbled against my lips.

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  Noah had no idea how much I meant it. I had missed him so much, it hurt, and I didn’t want to go back to that feeling. I wanted to stay in the happiness I was feeling right then forever.

  Chapter Three - Noah

  Scarlett had a grip on my wrists, the soft pillows of her lips kissing me back. This wasn’t what I had planned for the evening, but her body felt so perfect against mine. It reminded me of the last time we were in this position. I was overcome with emotion then, too.

  But it didn’t matter how good touching her made me feel. It wasn’t right.

  I broke away from Scarlett, taking a few steps back and dropping my head.

  “I can’t do this with you.”

  “Why?”

  I looked over at Scarlett, and she was still against the wall. Her hand was circling her wrist, the discomfort coming through clear.

  “Because, Scarlett, I mean, you know why. I lost my wife. I can’t go through that again, giving my heart to someone just to lose them.”

  “So, you’re going to stay locked up forever?”

  I didn’t want to talk about my life with anyone, especially with Kylie’s little sister. It wouldn’t lead anywhere good, so it was time to shut this down. I pointed to the doorway.

  “I think you should leave tomorrow morning. It’s what’s best for both of us. You don’t want to be tied down to a single Dad. You’ve got an entire life to live, don’t get stuck here with me.”

  Scarlett sighed. She dropped her hands by her sides and walked towards me. “Do you really think you and Olivia are a burden to me?”

  “That’s not what I meant to say.” I backed up, not letting her touch me.

  “I’ve missed you guys like crazy. Ever since I left, all I could think about was getting back here and being with the two of you because, for me, there’s nothing better than that.” She was practically screaming at this point. Her long blonde hair waving as she gestured wildly.

  I hadn’t realized Scarlett felt so strongly about it. I thought if she left, it would give her a chance to forget about whatever may have been growing between us.

  “Scarlett, I —”

  She put a hand to her forehead and sighed. “Look, I’m kind of tired. It was a long drive to get here, and maybe we should talk another time.” She turned, heading for the door. “I just want you to know that this time, I’m not going anywhere.”

  I was left alone in the kitchen with my thoughts. I wanted to be one hundred percent upset with Scarlett, but there was something about her feisty behavior that turned me on.

  This wasn’t going to end well if my sister-in-law didn’t leave. I could give her a little time to spend with Olivia and figure herself out, but it couldn’t be for too long. I didn’t have it in me to resist her forever.

  Thankfully, Scarlett was still asleep when Olivia and I woke up. There were a few things I wanted to get done before talking to her again.

  “Where’s Auntie Scarlett?” Olivia mumbled. She had her head resting in the crook of my neck. She was still a little sleepy, having just woken up, and I was taking her downstairs to get some breakfast.

  “She’s asleep, sweetie. You can see her later. I was thinking after you have your breakfast, I could drop you off to play with Bryant. I know you were sad when they had to leave early yesterday.”

  That perked her right up. She nodded with more than enough enthusiasm to let me know it would be the perfect way to get her out of the house so I could talk to Scarlett alone.

  I made Olivia a quick breakfast of cereal — Lucky Charms, her favorite. I wanted to make up for sending Bryant home early yesterday, and I knew she’d be upset that Scarlett was going to have to leave, so this would be something nice — even if it was a little selfishly motivated.

  “I’m all done, Daddy!”

  I looked over at Olivia. She had a big smile topped with a milk mustache. I cracked a smile myself looking at how gleeful she was. One thing my daughter could always do was make me feel better.

  “Let me see the bowl.” I picked up my head as Olivia slightly titled the bowl, showing that it was empty. “Good job. Put the toys you want to bring in your backpack. No more than five.”

  She nodded, getting down from her chair and rushing to her playroom. I packed a few other things for her, stuff a six-year-old wouldn’t consider when going to play with their friend. Once I felt comfortable my daughter would have whatever she needed, I went to go and see how she was getting along in her playroom.

  “Got everything you need?”

  She was sat in the middle of the room, toys surrounding. Her little mind was at work, trying to pick just the right ones.

  “I don’t know to bring the Play-Doh or to bring my teacups.” She looked so deep in thought as if this was the most significant decision she ever had to make.

  I walked over and acted l
ike it was indeed the most severe thing ever. “Well, doesn’t Bryant have all the Play-Doh colors?”

  “No. There’s no pink.”

  “Hmm. That is a good point.” I took a nice pause. “I’ll let you bring your pink Play-Doh and the teacups because it is important to have pink, but don’t forget any of your toys when I come to get you later.”

  Olivia agreed, stuffing both toys into her pack before zipping it up. “I won’t, Daddy.” She stood up, throwing her backpack over her shoulders.

  “Are you ready to go?”

  “Mmhm.”

  I picked her up and helped her get her shoes on before we left for Bryant’s house. As I drove us, I could see Olivia starring out the window with quite a lot of intensity for a child. She always did this when we went for drives. I made a note to start asking her about what she saw because it had to be somehow different from the everyday trees that my over thirty eyes saw.

  We made it to Bryant’s house, and Hope, Darren’s wife, was there to greet us.

  “Noah! What a pleasant surprise! And Olivia, look at you!”

  Olivia gave a shy wave then played with the skirt of her dress.

  “Hey, Hope. I hope this isn’t too much of an inconvenience.”

  The woman smiled. “Never. Olivia is always welcome to come over and play. Bryant is in his room if you want to go join him.”

  My daughter showed me that it was exactly what she wanted, so I put her down, and she ran into the house.

  “Here’s some stuff she might need,” I told hope as I handed the backpack over. “I don’t know how long I’ll need to keep her here, but I can make sure to come back tonight.”

  “No, don’t worry about it,” Hope waved off my worries while taking the bag. “She can stay overnight if that’s what you need. As long as you don’t mind. I’m just surprised you’re not having Scarlett watch her. Darren told me she came back yesterday, and I know how the two of them get on.”

  “That might be the issue.”

  “Now, what does that mean?” Hope gave me a level look.

  I hadn’t meant to say that part out loud, but my mind had been racing, and it slipped out.

  “Oh, it’s just that I’m worried about Olivia getting too close to her aunt because of what could happen.”

  “And what could happen?”

  “You know.”

  Hope sighed, giving me a look. A look I knew all too well. “You can’t protect Olivia from everything. You have to know that. She’ll meet and lose people all throughout her life, and that’s life. Maybe it’s time to test the waters a little bit. Let Scarlett watch Olivia while you get back to work.”

  That’s the same idea Scarlett had.

  I scratched at the back of my head. “I was going to talk to Scarlett about her plans, I could bring that up, I guess…”

  She put a hand on my shoulder. “Think about it. You do deserve happiness, Noah. I hope you don’t forget that.”

  “I’m sure you’ll keep reminding me.” I gave her a smile.

  “Of course, I will. Now come here.”

  Hope opened up her arms and brought me into a hug. She always had good points and wasn’t afraid to say anything to my face. Sometimes, it took me a little bit of time to internalize the things she had to say, and we didn’t always see eye to eye, but her advice was welcome.

  “I’ve got to get going, but I’ll call. And if you need anything or something happens.”

  Gently, she pushed me towards my car. “I know, I know. How many times has Olivia spent the night here?”

  “You’re right. I’ll see you later.”

  I waved goodbye to Hope and got back into my car. It was still pretty early, and I didn’t feel quite ready to confront Scarlett. There was a lot of stuff I needed to work through in my head. There was plenty of time since Olivia would be with Hope and Darren tonight, so I thought a quick trip into town could do me some good. I was also thinking of going to the lake and letting that fresh breeze help clear my head.

  But I wasn’t going to back out of speaking to Scarlett. It was something that most definitely needed to happen.

  Chapter Four - Scarlett

  My old room was just as I left it. The night before, I dropped my bag in the corner and fell onto my old bed. In the morning, I woke up with a massive smile on my face. Noah said a lot of things, but the one I was focused on was him admitting his feelings. I didn’t need an ‘I love you,’ though that would make my heart literally explode. The mere fact that this whole affair wasn’t in my head, and that he actually missed me was enough for now.

  He was still in deep denial, and I could understand. The way we lost Kylie… She was such a good climber, so a simple route was nothing for her, but that’s the nature of accidents. Sometimes, they just didn’t make any sense.

  I didn’t want to act like Noah couldn’t have his own grieving process. I went through a lot mourning my sister, but he had completely closed himself off from the world. It was concerning, and it looked like Olivia was missing out, too.

  This time, I wasn’t going to let Noah push me away. I was going to fight for my place in their lives.

  I was shocked when he kissed me. I felt it all the way down to my toes. Obviously, I wanted it to go further. I wanted Noah to rip off my clothes and fuck me every which way. I had felt his dick pressed into my body. I knew it was… sizable. To have him inside me would be pure bliss. Just the thought sent shivers up and down my spine.

  I always wondered if Noah would gentle or rough. How he would take me if he let himself go. I slid my fingers into my panties, thinking about Noah’s fingers doing the same. He’d probably tease me. He tried to hide it, but he could be playful.

  I played with my clit as I thought about Noah plunging into me — his long, hard cock entirely inside my body. I’d been touching myself to thoughts of him taking my virginity for the past year, his sweaty body sliding all over mine, his teeth biting my nipples. I moved my pointer finger faster and faster, thinking about the frenzied pace of our potential lovemaking—his seed running down my leg as he exploded inside of me.

  “Jesus fucking Christ!”

  I bit down on the pillow to keep from screaming and waking up everyone. My muscles relaxed, and I snuggled into the covers. I really was still sleepy. Yesterday had been a really long day.

  I had plans to talk to Noah more about letting me stay. I made sure to think of all my talking points on the drive over. My former brother-in-law liked logic. He wasn’t always like that, but it was how things were now. If I could get him to keep me around because logic dictated it, then the next step would be getting Noah to open up. I knew it would be a lot of work, but he was worth it. Being able to spend the rest of my life with him and Olivia was worth the uphill battle.

  When I finally got up, Olivia and Noah were gone. I went to the kitchen and found a note saying they were out for the day. It felt like he was ignoring me. Noah did like to ignore a problem. He used to attack everything head-on, but now, he was just different. I liked the new Noah, for the most part, but one thing I needed to change was how he wanted to sweep everything under the rug.

  While I was eating some yogurt for breakfast, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Noah.

  Dropped Livvy to play with Bryant. She’s spending the night. I won’t be back until later. Thought you’d like to know.

  So, that was where they went. It didn’t surprise me that Noah left before I even woke up. He’s probably avoiding me with every inch of his being. Was the coming home late meant to dissuade me from trying to talk to him? Or maybe he just wanted to spend the least amount of time with me possible, swooping in right before bed.

  Well, he was in for one hell of a surprise.

  ***

  Noah wasn’t kidding when he said he was going to be home late. It was past ten, and I had been waiting for him for almost two hours at that point. I had gotten myself all gussied up. I bought a few lingerie sets with the hopes of ent
icing him. Maybe it was playing dirty, but I just wanted him to let go of his restraints and give in to the desire. If I had to push him a little in the right direction, I didn’t mind.

  It was the waiting that was getting to me. I had committed myself to staying up, but I didn’t know Noah was really taking his sweet old time getting back home. It would suck if he found me all sexy but asleep.

  I was a few seconds away from placing a call when I heard the door open.

  “Finally.” I fixed my hair, making it all messy in that sexy way before getting into an alluring pose. I had practiced which one would be best, and I went for a lounging one that showed off my breasts. “Noah, is that you?” I called out.

  I could hear him moving around the front of the house, dropping whatever bags he had. His footsteps got closer and closer, my heart beating faster with every step. This was the boldest move I had ever made, and the pressure was mounting. It was exactly what I wanted to do, but that didn’t get rid of the nerves I was feeling.

  “Look, Scarlett, I think we need to—”

  At that moment, Noah rounded the corner, and when his eyes fell on my body laid out, he stopped short. He stood by the living room entrance, staring at me, not making any moves. I was starting to get antsy.

  “We need to what?”

  Noah took a step forward, and I lifted slightly. I felt like at that moment, he was throwing a challenge my way. Testing the waters to see if was committed to this.

  One long pause later, and Noah came over to me on the couch. He picked me up, surprising the hell out of me, I almost fell out of his arms, but he had a good grip on me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting to feel even more secure.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Upstairs,” he grumbled.

  That was obvious from the steps we were going up. Noah didn’t seem to be in the talking mood anymore.

  Chapter Five - Scarlett

  We got to his bedroom, and once we were inside, Noah dropped me onto the mattress. I sat up, pushing myself further onto the bed. I looked up at him, his dark eyes boring holes into my soul. It seemed as if he was waiting for me to make some kind of move, so I got up onto my knees and rested my hands on his shoulders.