“Just time. There have been a lot of changes, the divorce, the baby… all in a matter of a couple of months.”
“I’m not going to stop asking,” I promise her.
She nods. “I know. I just… want things to be settled a little more. Besides, I thought you were going to woo me.” She grins.
“Baby, I have the rest of my life to woo you.”
“Yeah?”
“Promise.” I kiss her softly on the lips.
She steps out of my hold, effectively breaking the kiss. “You have what you came for?”
“Other than that smile on your face, yes.” I point to my stack of books I set on top of the shelf before pulling her into my arms. “How about you?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for tonight,” Winnie says a few hours later. We’re sitting on the couch, her feet resting on my lap, a blanket thrown over her legs.
“I had a good time. I miss it… spending time with you.”
“You see me every day,” she reminds me.
“I do. It’s not the same. Tonight was different. It was time carved out just for us.”
“We used to do that all the time.”
“I’m sorry.” I’ve said it a million times and it never feels like enough.
“It’s in the past.”
“It’s not. Not really, unless you’ve changed your mind?”
“Changed my mind about what?”
“Marrying me.”
“Harrison.” She sighs.
“Winnie.”
She pulls her feet from my lap and the cover falls to the floor. I watch as she climbs to her knees and settles in close to me, resting her head on my shoulder. “I love you. That’s never been an issue.”
“What is the issue?”
“You’re here because I’m pregnant.”
“No. I’m here because you’re my wife. I was a fool to let you go. Even before I found out about the baby, I was planning how to get you back. I missed you,” I say, kissing the top of her head.
She sits up to look at me. She’s close, so close I would just have to lean in the slightest bit to have my lips on hers. “I just don’t want either of us to have any regrets.”
“Too late.” I cup her face in the palm of my hands. “I regret with every breath that I let you go.”
“Me too.” She leans in, her lips hovering over mine.
“Tell me not to kiss you right now.”
“No,” she whispers. “I can’t do that.”
I close the distance and press my lips to hers. She climbs onto my lap, straddling me. My hands find their way to her hips as she rocks back and forth. “Winnie,” I growl.
“Hmmm?” she asks, kissing me, sliding her tongue past my lips, all while rocking her center against my straining cock.
“I want you,” I mumble against her lips.
She pulls back, her green eyes dark with desire. “Then take me.”
I react immediately. “Hold on tight.” I stand, my hands clasping her thighs. Her legs wrap around my waist as I do so, and her arms lock around my neck. “Your room or mine?”
“Ours.”
Leave it to Winnie to pick a time like this to extend me yet another olive branch. I don’t know what she means by ours. Does that mean I get to lie next to her at night? Wake up with her in my arms in the morning? Was it just the heat of the moment? Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together.
Entering the bedroom that we shared, the one she still sleeps in, I set her on the bed. “I need you naked. Now.”
She nods, pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it behind me. Next is her bra. “Harrison,” she says.
“Yeah?” I say thickly, my eyes refusing to blink, not wanting to miss a second of this.
Of her.
“I need you naked. Now.” She throws my words back at me.
“Right.” I get to work stripping out of my clothes, taking a step back, allowing her room to stand and slide out of her jeans. She kicks them off and they go flying through the air. “I don’t know where to start,” I say huskily. Reaching out with both hands, I cup her breasts, testing their weight. It’s been too long. The last time I was with her like this we were frantic. I didn’t get to take my time and appreciate her. Not like I plan to tonight.
“I think we should start here.” She wraps her hands around my cock.
“I want to take my time with you,” I tell her, placing my hand over hers. My intention is to stop her mid-stroke, but it feels too damn good to stop her. Instead, I help her as a groan rumbles from deep in my throat.
“Can we save that for round two?” she asks.
“What do you want, Winnie?”
“You.”
“You have me.”
“I want you inside me. Now.” She sits on the bed and moves back toward the headboard. She’s a vision, lying there naked in the moonlight. “Harrison.” She holds out her hand for me, and I take it, placing a kiss on the inside of her wrist.
Climbing onto the bed, I settle between her spread thighs, and she immediately wraps her legs around my waist. My hands are flat on the mattress, on either side of her head. I rotate my hips, teasing her.
“Two can play that game.” She reaches between us and aligns my cock with her entrance.
“No games. Not with you.” I push forward and am immediately surrounded by her warmth. “So good,” I say, bending to kiss her lips.
“Y-Yes. There,” she says, sliding her hands under my arms and gripping onto my back. “Don’t stop, please,” she begs. Her eyes are closed, and her head is tilted back.
I give her what she wants, setting a rhythm with every thrust. I can feel her body’s reaction and know she’s getting close, so I stop.
“What? No. Don’t do that.” She squeezes her legs tighter around me, trying to get me to move. I hold strong. Finally, her eyes open and she’s staring up at me in confusion. “Why’d you stop?” she asks hesitantly.
“I want your eyes on me. When you come, I want you to know it’s me.”
“Who else would it be?” she says sassily.
Pulling out, I slide back in nice and slow. “Don’t want you thinking about Javier,” I tease, using the name she dropped earlier tonight.
“I have a secret,” she confesses as I slowly thrust in and out, joining our bodies as one.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Mmm hmm.” She lifts her hips. “I made him up.”
“No!” I act appalled.
“True.” She moans. “Story.”
“I like stories. Want to hear one?”
“Now?” she asks, exasperated.
“Why not?” I thrust deep, and still.
“Harrison.” My name is a plea from her lips.
“It’s a good one.”
“Fine. Just don’t stop moving.”
I grind my hips and bend my lips to her ear. “They lived happily ever after,” I whisper, nipping her lobe.
“Who did?”
“We do.” I don’t wait for her reply as I unleash months of missing her. With every thrust, I think about the nights I spent alone, wondering what she was doing. I’ll make damn sure that scenario never becomes my reality again.
“T-there,” she mumbles, closing her eyes.
“Eyes on me, Winnie.”
She forces them open. “You are the love of my life.” My words are clipped as her walls squeeze my cock like a vise.
“Harrison,” she calls out, and it fuels my orgasm. With one more deep thrust, I’m spilling inside her. I fall to my elbows on either side of her head, careful not to crush her. Her arms and legs are wrapped around me like she’s afraid I might disappear.
“I liked your story,” she whispers. “I love you, Harrison Drake.”
“I love you too.”
I don’t ask her if I can stay. Instead, I clean us both up and climb back in bed beside her. She comes willingly when I open my arms for her. Her body relaxes against mine, and her breathing evens out.
“Yes,” she mumbles.
“What’s that?” Her only reply is a soft snore that she’ll swear never happened. It’s adorable, and completely Winnie. I’m looking forward to many more nights like this in our future.
Chapter 12
Winnie
The last several weeks have flown by. My days have been spent wrapping up the school year, which ended just last week, while my nights included plenty of time in the arms of the man I love. It’s crazy to think we’re here: pregnant, living together, and planning a future. Not that we made anything official, as far as the moving in part. Harrison just never left. He sort of transitioned from sleeping in the room across the hall to sharing my bed at night. Not that I’m complaining, though. Hell no. It feels good to have him there, his arms around me and his naked body pressed against mine.
Harrison continues to ask me to marry him—or remarry him—almost daily. I’ve come to expect it, actually, at some point during the day. Sometimes it’s over breakfast or right before I drift off to sleep, while other times it’s through text. No, he knows I won’t actually agree to remarry him via text message, but he’s making a point. He won’t stop asking until I finally say yes.
Today is my twelve-week appointment. Last night, over chicken Parmesan, we agreed to tell our families after today’s appointment, so I’m doubly excited. Harrison is meeting me at the doctor’s office since his workdays are busy with the gym. The west expansion in Dalton is almost ready, which means he’ll work long hours as he helps train staff and gets everything ready for the grand opening. Chase has been a big help, doing a lot of the heavy lifting during the day, but now they’re to the point where they need Harrison on-site more.
The crazy part is, now that the newer site of All Fit is nearly ready and the southern location in Lakeview is rolling full-steam ahead, another location to the north has presented itself as a golden opportunity. That’s four total All Fits. When Chase brought it to Harrison last week, his first reaction was no. He didn’t want to take on another project, especially with the baby on the way, even though that was his master plan all along. But we sat down and talked about the opportunity, which is a solid investment. It’s another old gym. The guts are there, but it’s in desperate need of rehab. I agree with Chase that it’s a great fit for them. The problem is, with Chase running the Dalton location that opens soon and still overseeing the Lakeview site, that leaves Harrison to have to refurbish the new location in Porter. Sure, Chase will be available to help, but his focus will be on the other two sites. That means this one will be mostly Harrison.
“Gwendolyn.” My name is called, pulling me from my thoughts.
I glance around, realizing Harrison isn’t here yet. As I approach the door, I say, “I’m expecting someone.”
The nurse isn’t the same as the one from my first appointment, which leaves me feeling a little relieved. “Okay. As soon as they arrive, I’ll escort them to your room.”
“Thank you,” I state, following her down the short hallway. We stop at the scale for a quick weight and blood pressure check, and then she hands me the small plastic cup. I know the drill at this point. Once I’ve peed in the cup and left my sample, I make my way back to my room, where I find Harrison waiting.
“Sorry I’m late,” he apologizes quickly, pulling me into his arms and kissing my forehead.
“It’s okay. You’re here now,” I remind him, reveling in the feel of his arms and scent surrounding me.
“My conference call went longer than expected, and Gina is still learning the ropes. I told her to interrupt when it was time for me to leave, but she didn’t.”
“I’m sure it’s difficult for her to know when to interrupt and when not to,” I tell him, pulling myself from his arms and taking a seat on the table.
“I get it,” he starts, running his hand through his hair. “But I told her to interrupt me. Anything to do with you comes first.”
Even though it makes me smile on the inside, I don’t let it spread across my lips. “I get that, Harrison, but when you’re there, you have to focus on work. You have a lot to do now that you’re purchasing that fourth location,” I remind him.
His eyes bore into me with that same focus and determination that I’ve always loved and admired. “You. Come. First.”
My heart skips around in my chest, the same way it always has when he’s demonstrating his possessive side. Harrison has always let me be my own person, but he’s not afraid to show me (or in this case, tell me) that I come above everything else. Well, except for when I didn’t, but we’re not going there, not reliving the mistakes we made the first time around. Then my mind flits to the fact that I always, and I do mean always, come first, if you know what I mean. Sometimes more than once. I can feel the flush spreading up my neck and burning my cheeks.
He seems to notice immediately, his laser-sharp focus drinking me in and reading my dirty thoughts. The corner of his lip turns upward as he slowly moves closer, never taking his eyes off mine. That warm blush turns into a full-fledged inferno as blood and heat roars through my veins. “Care to share what has you all flushed?” he whispers, his larger body caging me to the table.
“I’d rather not,” I whisper, in a voice that barely sounds like my own.
“Hmmm,” he hums, sliding his nose against my jawline. “I guess after we leave here, you’ll just have to show me.”
My body screams in agreement. Yes, that! I want to show him. So bad.
Before I can say anything though, a knock sounds at the door. Harrison doesn’t move right away, so when Dr. Taylor steps into the room, a coy smile on her face, my heated blush quickly transforms from need to embarrassment. I feel like a teenager who was just busted by her parents sneaking a boy out of her room.
“Well, good afternoon, Gwen. Harrison,” Dr. Taylor says, the smile evident in her voice.
“Hi,” I squeak over my very dry throat.
“Dr. Taylor,” Harrison adds, in a voice that does crazy things to my panties. With a quick kiss to my forehead, he finally pulls back and takes the empty seat across the room.
“How have you been feeling this month?” she asks, washing her hands at the small sink.
“Well, actually,” I verify.
“No more spotting?” She glances over her shoulder for confirmation.
Shaking my head, I reply, “None.”
“And the morning sickness?” she inquires, writing a few notes down on my chart.
“Completely gone. It was like as soon as I hit twelve weeks on Tuesday, it just stopped.”
“I’m happy to hear that,” she adds, making a few more notes. “It looks like your urine came back clean for sugars and your blood pressure is normal. Everything is looking good.” She sets down my chart and opens a drawer. She pulls out a tape measure and a small handheld Doppler instrument, and approaches the table. “The good news is that we shouldn’t have a problem picking up the baby’s heartbeat today on the Doppler. Go ahead and lie back,” she instructs, adjusting the small pillow at my head.
I lie completely still as Dr. Taylor pulls up my shirt and exposes my abdomen. I feel Harrison’s presence beside me as the doctor unsnaps my pants, places a paper towel at the opening, and gently pulls them down. She takes a few quick measurements with the tape measure before setting it aside and reaching for the small bottle on the counter. With a small dollop of warm goo, she moves the Doppler over my lower stomach, adjusting and turning it as she goes. It tickles a little, but my concentration is completely on the noise. It sounds like an old movie, something from a reel, until suddenly, a loud gallop fills the room. It’s a little fuzzy, but there’s no mistaking what it is: a heartbeat.
Peanut’s heartbeat.
My eyes instantly fill, burning with unshed tears, as a hand grabs mine. I turn and take in the look of wonderment on Harrison’s face. His eyes are trained on mine as the sweetest sound fills the room. He’s holding something in his hand, and I realize it’s his phone. He’s recording the heartbeat, a small sm
ile playing on his lips.
The rest of the appointment flies by. Dr. Taylor orders lab work to be completed before my next appointment in four weeks, gives us the opportunity to ask questions, and sends us on our way. As I approach the reception counter to check out, the flirty nurse from my first appointment is standing there, talking to the receptionist. “Oh, hey, Harrison!” she coos, her eyes lighting up as she catches a glance at the man at my side.
“Hello,” he says politely, but doesn’t embellish his greeting. His hand at my elbow tenses just a little, a sign that he’s uncomfortable.
“I’ve already got results from my first month,” she tells Harrison, ignoring me completely. The receptionist takes my folder and starts to make my next appointment. However, my focus is torn between listening to her offer me appointment times and eavesdropping on Miss Flirts A Lot. “…I saw you the other day, but you were so busy. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Yes, I’ve been extremely busy lately,” Harrison comments as the receptionist hands me my reminder card. “And I’m happy you’re seeing results. Keep up the good work, and have a good day,” he adds, pulling me from the office and out to the sidewalk.
“Everything okay?” I ask as he walks me to my car.
His reply is immediate. “Yeah. Perfect.” The tension in his shoulders says otherwise.
When we reach my car, I turn to face him. “Are you sure?”
Harrison takes a deep breath. “I just… I guess I don’t want you to worry about Clara. I don’t want anyone like her to come between us.”
I gaze up at my husband—err, ex-husband—and notice the worry lines around his gorgeous eyes. “Clara? Is that the nurse’s name?”
“I’ve seen her a few times at the gym. She’s working with Ray in the evenings, but she comes in sometimes on her lunch breaks. I only know her name because I know everyone’s name who comes into my gym. She’s one of those flirty women, but that’s it, Winnie. You have nothing to worry about.”
Without giving it a thought, I reach up and run my thumb over his frown. “I know, Harrison.”
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 13