Forbidden Attraction: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

  “Oh, trust me, without any work, I have all the time in the world,” I muttered.

  He continued listing things off. I learned to eat plenty of small meals instead of a couple big ones. It was easier to digest and less likely to cause problems. He’d picked up some Pedialyte and other beverages, said I needed to make sure I was hydrated. And with the vomiting I was doing, I needed to be careful about restoring my electrolytes.

  “So I picked up some bland foods - potatoes for baked potatoes, some chicken soup. Stuff for sandwiches that will make it easy to eat when you’re not feeling well. In addition, here is some ginger that will go a long way in relieving the nausea.”

  I stood there, listening to every word he said, with my mouth open. I couldn’t get a word in as he went through everything he’d bought for me.

  When he finished, I was still gaping at him like a fool.

  “Colin, I-- wow, thank you. I really didn’t expect all this.”

  “I know you didn’t,” he said. “But I promised to take care of you, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

  I almost wanted to cry. Somehow, I managed to hold back the tears, but it was hard. No one had ever gone out of the way to take care of me before. It was all new to me.

  I rushed over to Colin and wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on my tip-toes to kiss him. Our lips met, and instantly, there was a spark between us. His lips were warm and soft, and it was clear he’d wanted to kiss me too. His hands were tangled in my hair as we made out like a couple of teenagers in my kitchen.

  Colin moved me backward, until my ass hit the countertop. He grabbed ahold of me and lifted me up easily until I was sitting on the counter. I let out a small squeal of surprise, then started giggling.

  Colin continued kissing me, his hands moving over my body. He gently cupped my breasts, then moved lower, stroking my growing belly. He stopped kissing and looked down at my tummy, and for a second, I felt self-conscious.

  “God, it’s so beautiful,” he said. “I’ve always dreamt of the day a woman would be pregnant with my child, and I never expected it to actually happen.”

  “You mean you’ve always wanted kids?” I asked him.

  He nodded, “Always. For as long as I can remember, I knew I was meant to be a father. My career, however, has always made it hard.”

  A serious expression crossed over his face, then he looked up at me.

  “Hope, I just want you to know that being with someone like me isn’t always easy. I’m married to my work, often working long hours and on-call 24/7. I don’t want you to think that I’ll always be the guy I was in Paris. I’m a lot different back home.”

  “Well, I very much look forward to getting to know the real, Colin, then,” I said, kissing him again. “And we’ll figure the rest out. Just give it time.”

  Colin nodded, resting his forehead against mine. His grey eyes were a storm of emotion.

  “Your doctor hasn’t said anything about sexual activity being off-limits, have they?” Colin asked.

  “No, not at all. So far, everything is going well,” I said.

  Colin pushed back the hair from my face and lifted me back into his arms. He kissed me, and whispered, “Good”, against my lips as he carried me down the hall to the bedroom. He lowered me down onto the bed, slowly stripping off my dress. Then he stopped and stared down at me, naked and swollen with his children. It was hard not to want to cover myself up. I’d never been so big in my entire life, but the way he looked at me, I felt beautiful.

  Truly beautiful.

  I sat up and pulled off his belt. My hands trembled as I removed his clothing. Once he was naked, he fell to the bed, lying beside me. Our hands explored one another’s bodies, as if we couldn’t believe the other person was real. I had a hard time believing that it wasn’t a dream. After weeks and weeks, it felt surreal to finally have Colin back in my bed again.

  “Please,” I begged, pulling on his arm, trying to get him on top of me. “Please, Colin. I’ve wanted this for so long.”

  He didn’t need to tell me, but I could see it in his face; he’d wanted it just as long as I had. He pulled himself on top of me, hovering above me with his ripped body and six pack abs. Sweat dripped down his chest already. The soft, black hair on his chest wet with it, and we’d only just begun.

  Since I was pregnant already, there was no need to wear a condom. He’d be inside me, completely bare, for the first time. When he came, he’d come inside of me - fully.

  Reaching down, I took hold of his cock, positioning it against my opening. Colin gently lowered himself against me, not putting too much weight on my belly. It was clear he wouldn’t be able to lay on top of me fully, so he moved backward on his heels and lifted my pelvis up off the bed. The tip of his cock was resting against my opening, teasing it.

  He slipped inside of me, stretching me open as I cried out. My hands grabbed onto the blankets underneath me tightly as he thrust into me.

  The look on his handsome face was priceless. His eyes were clenched shut, and he just remained inside of me for a few seconds, savoring the feeling of our union. I used my Kegels and gave him a good squeeze, feeling him against the walls of my pussy. His entire body tensed up in that moment.

  “God, Hope. If you keep that up, I won’t last long at all,” he said.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said with a devious grin. I loved when he could continue fucking me for long periods of time. He could often make me come over and over again. But I was pregnant and tired, so even if it was a quickie, I knew I’d be content. After all, it wouldn’t be the last time we had sex. Not if I had anything to say about it.

  I clenched down, harder and harder, milking his cock as he rocked back and forth on his heels. His eyes were filled with fire, and he had a determined look on his face. He was determined not to come quickly, and I was determined to make him come fast - not because I wanted it to be over, but because I wanted to make him feel so amazing, that he lost control.

  “You’re so tight,” he groaned. “I’m going to lose it.”

  “Then do it, baby,” I said. “Come inside me. Don’t hold back anymore.”

  Colin paid no attention to my pleas. Gripping my thighs, he hoisted my ass up off the bed. “You’re going to come first,” he demanded.

  “What if we come together?” I said.

  He buried himself balls deep inside of me, and I cried out. His strokes were even and perfect, hitting all the right spots. I was close, so very close already. Him filling me with his cum would be the icing on the cake, and I needed it.

  I needed him to come with me.

  “I’m going to come, Colin. Come with me, please? Come inside me. I need it,” I begged.

  My back arched up off the bed as the first wave of pleasure hit me. I screamed, gripping the blankets and holding on for dear life as my body thrashed about underneath Colin. He held onto my hips, holding me in place, and buried himself deep inside of me one last time. He groaned loud and deep as he unloaded himself deep within me.

  “Yes, yes,” I cried out. It was everything I’d ever imagined it to me. His warmth filled me up, and I loved every moment of it.

  In that moment, I became his and his alone.

  I was the mother of his child.

  Colin collapsed beside me on the bed, and he pulled me close.

  “Well, that was fast,” he said, almost looking ashamed.

  “Yeah, but it was amazing,” I said. My thighs were still quivering from the aftershocks, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk the next day. “That’s the important thing, right?”

  “Of course,” he said, kissing my forehead. “As long as my girl is happy, I’m happy.”

  “I’m your girl, huh?” I asked. Hearing those words filled me with such warmth.

  “Only if you want to be,” he said, resting his head against mine and staring deep into my eyes.

  “Of course I do,” I said. “I’m already carrying your child, we might as well make it offi
cial, huh?”

  “That’s my thought too. Can’t get much more serious than this, can we?”

  I was on cloud nine. I buried my face into his chest, inhaled his musky, masculine scent, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I could be any happier.

  Hope

  A Couple Months Later

  I was growing larger by the day, and at six months, I was told to stay off my feet. At seven months, well, I was losing my mind. Being diabetic, I ran the risk of premature labor, so anything I could to mitigate those odds, I did it. Still, I wasn’t used to sitting at home all day. Colin had me move into his palace, since it was bigger and so he could keep a closer eye on me, but he worked so damn much. Anna was with me in the evenings that Colin had to be at the hospital, but I had to admit, it got pretty damn lonely at Colin’s place.

  I missed traveling, but there was no way I’d travel in my condition. My editor knew I was taking time off, and it was all good. I could return to writing as soon as the babies were born. I might not write travel articles, but there was bound to be something else I could write about. I’d figure it out, surely.

  But for the time being, I was out of work and confined to my bed most of the day. After running out of shows to watch on Netflix, I’d usually hop online and see what was going on in the world.

  Let’s just say, not a lot happened from day to day. Not enough to keep oneself entertained if you’re used to traveling the world.

  One day, I just had too much energy to continue lying down, and the doctor had said I could move around and get some gentle exercise nothing hardcore. I was, after all, still going strong. No problems yet. I was lucky. So I decided that it was about time to go through some of the boxes stacked in the living room. Most of it was mine from when I moved in, but some were Colin’s from when he bought the place. He’d never had a chance to finish unpacking apparently. I figured I’d do what I could, mostly from sitting in a chair. At least it would keep me busy for a few hours, and I was nesting so it would make me feel better. Besides, we needed to make room for the baby stuff that was coming in day by day, so I was being productive too.

  I hobbled into the living room and plopped down on a chair, opening the box nearest me. I sighed as I realized it was one of Colin’s. All office stuff, of course. It wasn’t a heavy box, so I pulled myself back to standing and carried the box into Colin’s office. I sat it down on his desk, but something caught my eye.

  It was his checkbook.

  Normally, I didn’t care much about his finances, he seemed pretty responsible and handled things well, but the carbon copy of his latest check was written out to none other than Whitney Gilmore for $2600.

  Of course, my curiosity got the best of me, so I picked up the checkbook and flipped through it. Pretty much every check from it was written out to her. For the same amount. And paid to her at the beginning of the month.

  My heart skipped a beat as I thought about why he was writing her checks. There was nothing in the memo line, nothing that would tell me what the money was for. Just one check after another written to his ex.

  His pregnant ex, as I recalled.

  No, don’t be silly, Hope, I told myself. He already told you the baby isn’t his.

  Then why is he writing her checks monthly, for such a large amount? I couldn’t think of any logical reason, and my pregnancy hormones got the best of me.

  Colin was at work, and I knew not to message him unless there was an emergency. Was this an emergency, I wondered? No, crisis maybe, but not an emergency. I didn’t want to bother him at work, so I checked the time. It was approaching five pm. He’d be home soon.

  I planted myself in the living room, with my feet propped up. My insides were twisting and turning, and I couldn’t help but sob my eyes out. It was ridiculous, but I was freaking out. First thing I did was text Anna.

  He’s paying his ex $2600 a month. Why would he be paying her that amount of money monthly?

  Her reply came quickly.

  Calm down, Hope. I’m sure it’s another misunderstanding. You know his ex is crazy and manipulative. Just wait until he gets home and ask him about it.

  She was right, his ex did sound pretty crazy and manipulative, but that was the story he’d told me. What if that wasn’t true at all? No, no, stop it, Hope. You know Colin by now. He’s a good man. He wants to be a father. Why would he abandon one child and insist on raising two others? There were so many questions without answers.

  I did a quick Facebook search and found Whitney’s profile. The same one that she’d posted about him being the father in the beginning. When I clicked on it, I had to scroll really far back, and there was a photo of her with a brand-new baby bed and some other furniture. In the comments, someone asked her where it all came from.

  “Colin bought it for me, of course,” she’d said. “He’s helping to support the baby.”

  My heart sank. Why would he support a child that wasn’t his? And why would he keep it all from me?

  By the time Colin came home, I was a complete mess. I was sobbing my eyes out on the couch, my face buried in a pillow.

  “Hope? What’s wrong?” Colin asked, rushing to my side and dropping to his knees. “Are you okay? Do we need to get you to the hospital?”

  “No,” I cried. “I’m not okay, but I don’t need to get to the hospital. I need answers, Colin.”

  “Okay,” he said slowly. “What kind of answers?”

  “Tell me the truth, is Whitney having your baby?”

  Colin snorted, almost like he couldn’t contain the laughter, which pissed me off even more. I glared at him. “It’s not funny. I found your checkbook and all the checks you’ve written her the last few months,” I said. “Why else would you continue giving her money if she wasn’t having your baby?”

  “Hope, seriously, it’s not what it looks like,” he said, stroking my face.

  A sharp pain in my abdomen caused me to cry out, and Colin looked at me with concern. Another one hit me, hard, and Colin reached for me.

  I slapped his hand away, not feeling like myself at all. My insides began to scream in pain, and panic set in pretty fast.

  “Colin, something is wrong,” I said.

  “I’m calling an ambulance now,” he said, reaching for his phone.

  I screamed as pain ripped through my body. Nothing had ever hurt as much as that did, and I felt like I was dying.

  “It’s too early,” I cried out. “No, no, no, it’s too early.”

  “It’s okay, we’re going to get you to the hospital, and it’ll be fine, Hope,” Colin said.

  I wanted to believe him that everything would be okay, but as my insides were being ripped apart, it was hard to imagine it.

  A warm, wetness spread underneath me, drenching the couch. At first, I thought I’d peed myself, but Colin said softly, “Your water just broke.”

  “So this is it?” I said. “The babies are coming?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Colin said, stroking my face. “But you’re fine. You’re past the seven-month mark, and you’ve got me here. We can do this. The babies are going to be fine.”

  All this time, I’d been told that having twins while diabetic might bring about premature labor, but I didn’t really expect it.

  “I’m going to call Dr. Luna,” Colin. “I’m going to tell her we’re on the way to the hospital.”

  At that point, I was no longer paying attention to him. All I could focus on was the pain. I wasn’t a religious person, but I found myself praying for my babies. My little girls. Dr. Luna had told me a couple months before that I was twin girls. It hadn’t felt real until that moment, but I found myself praying for my daughters to survive.

  I loved them fiercely and I needed them to be ok.

  Colin pulled off my sweatpants, and I didn’t fight him. They were soaking wet from my water breaking. He stared between my thighs, his face white as a ghost.

  “We don’t have time to get you to the hospital, Hope,” he said.

  “What do you mean?
” I cried out.

  “One of the babies is coming now. She’s crowning already,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this. I’ll deliver them myself.”

  “Oh God, Colin, are they going to be ok?” I wept. “You’re in good hands, Hope. Just trust me,” Colin said.

  In the distance, I heard sirens. Maybe the EMTs would get there in time, but what would they do that Colin couldn’t? Unless they could get me to the hospital before I actually gave birth, but that wasn’t likely.

  I pushed with everything I had in me, unable to fight it even if I’d wanted to. My body was telling me what I had to do, forcing me to do it. My baby girls wanted to make their appearance into the world.

  “You’re doing great,” Colin said.

  His voice was always so calm. He was in the zone, and it was clear he felt confident in what he was doing. Still, there was something behind those eyes - a hint of nervousness, perhaps? Maybe because they were his children and not someone else’s.

  “Just one more push, sweetie, and we’re there. I see our little girl,” he said.

  I didn’t even notice that the EMTs had entered, coming in all on their own. Colin explained, calmly, who he was, and that he had it under control. One of the EMTs, a woman, knelt down beside me and wiped my forehead. Another helped Colin down below.

  One more blood curdling scream, and I felt my body give way. My baby slipped out of me and into the arms of her father. The silence was deafening.

  “Why isn’t she crying?” I called out.

  The EMT beside me looked on, but spoke to me in soft, soothing tone.

  It felt like an eternity had passed, but then I heard it. A muffled whimper than turned into a cry. My baby was crying, that meant she was alive. She was breathing.

  Before I could ask to see her, an intense pressure filled my belly.

  “Colin!” I called loudly.

  He handed the baby to the EMT who cleaned and wrapped her and looked again between my legs. “Looks like this one doesn’t want her sister to have much of a head start,” he said. “Take a deep breath and push Hope,” he directed.