The Cowboy and His Baby

by Jessica Clare

  “You think I treat you like my grandmother?”

  “Well, you don’t treat me like you did before.”

  “Before, when you weren’t pregnant? Annie, you’re carrying my baby. The last thing I want to do is hurt you or make you more uncomfortable than you already are. You spend all day rubbing your lower back and turning green at smells. You run to the bathroom every twenty minutes. Of course I’m being careful with you.” He paused and then continued in a lower voice, “It’d kill me if I hurt you in any way.”

  “You’re killing me right now with kindness,” Annie whispered. “I want what we had before. If the way you feel has changed, I need you to let me know now, so I can figure out how I feel—”

  Before she could finish speaking, he took her hand and placed it on his body.

  Right on his cock.

  His very hard, very erect, clearly aching cock. It strained against the material of his boxer briefs, and even through the fabric, she could feel pre-cum wetting the head.

  “You think I don’t want you?” His voice was husky with need. “You think I haven’t been fighting how bad I need you every minute of every day?”

  Annie sucked in a breath, utterly entranced by the feel of him in her grip. Unable to help herself, she slid her hand up and down his rigid length, caressing him through the fabric. “You never told me.”

  “You never indicated that you wanted me. I didn’t want to push you. I was waiting for you to give me a sign.” He reached up, caressed her breast and lightly thumbed the sensitive nipple. “You think we’re sleeping in the same bed out of coincidence?”

  “Oh.” Okay, she had thought it was a little odd. “I guess I’m just as willfully blind as you are.”

  Dustin chuckled. “I figured I’d give you time to get settled so I could romance you proper. It’s been hell trying to keep my hands off you, though. I have to practically tie them behind my back so I don’t grope you while you’re sleeping.”

  Her heart thrilled to hear that. “Even though I have the world’s ugliest nightgowns? They don’t exactly make tons of sexy maternity wear.”

  “I don’t care what you wear. I find you sexy. I’d find you sexy if you were wearing a burlap sack.” His thumb lightly stroked over her nipple, and oh, she ached so badly that she could scarcely stand it. “I think you’re utterly beautiful. I always have.”

  “But I’m fat now,” she began.

  “Don’t say that,” Dustin murmured, pulling her closer to him. “You’re pregnant with my baby. You’re beautiful. Saying you’re fat is ridiculous.” He leaned in and his nose brushed against hers. “And if you want deep tongue kisses, sweetheart, all you had to do was ask.”

  His mouth closed over hers and she moaned against him, her fingers curling at his nape. It felt like it had been a hundred years since he’d touched her, and the need in her was aching so fiercely that she could barely contain it. Dustin’s tongue stroked lightly against her own, teasing, and her body clenched in response. Oh wow. Even kissing him felt heightened while pregnant. With a little whimper, she kissed him back, losing herself in the feel of his mouth possessing hers. Nothing had ever felt so good, so very right. She was drowning in a sea of sensation.

  Dustin pulled away from her mouth and she made a little sound of protest. But he only nipped at her lower lip. “I don’t know anything about pregnant ladies,” he admitted in a low voice between kisses. “So if there’s something you can’t do or something I shouldn’t touch, you should tell me.”

  “Touch everything. Kiss everything,” Annie panted, and then blushed at how desperate she sounded. “I . . . I can’t lie flat on my back, though. It’s bad for the baby.”

  He nuzzled at her neck, and she thought she would die from the pleasure of it. Then he nipped the lobe of one ear and she nearly cried out. “So . . . standing? Hands and knees? On your side? You on top? You tell me how you want it, and I’ll give it to you.”

  And oh, didn’t that sound wonderfully filthy? Annie moaned again.

  “I’ll give you time to decide,” he teased her, and then he was caressing her breast again. “You’re so beautiful. Look at how pretty these breasts are. I thought they were perfect before, and they’re perfect now. Are they sensitive?”

  “Very,” she breathed.

  “I want to taste one,” he told her, and heat pulsed between her thighs. Annie wanted to roll onto her back so she could experience this in full glory, so he could move over her, but she remained carefully on her side as he tucked a flat pillow gently under her belly and then slid forward in the bed, curled against her so he could nuzzle at her breasts. It didn’t matter that she was very pregnant, she realized. He’d make this work. He’d take good care of her.

  He always did.

  The thought made swift tears rise in her throat again. Stupid pregnancy tears. Even when she was losing her mind with how turned on she was, she was still weepy. But then Dustin’s lips closed over her nipple and desire clawed through her, fast and hard. She gasped, clutching at his head as he lapped at the peak, teasing it with his tongue and then gently sucking on it.

  Oh, heaven help her, she was going to come if he kept doing that. He wouldn’t even have to touch her again. She’d just spontaneously combust from his mouth on her breast. “Dustin,” she panted. “I need . . .”

  His tongue flicked against one hard tip.

  She cried out, her sex clenching tight in response.

  “Are you close?” he murmured, his hand skimming down her belly even as his lips toyed with her breast. “Let me feel how wet you are, sweetheart.” His fingers brushed over the curls of her sex and then he grazed her folds lightly. “So damned wet. Look at that.”

  “Please, Dustin. I need you.”

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll give you everything you need. I promise.” His fingers danced along her folds and then he slipped deeper, exploring her with gentle touches. “You’re so damn soft. I love this. I want to kiss you all over, touch you everywhere. Will you let me?”

  For once, her voice failed her. Annie nodded helplessly.

  “My beautiful Annie,” he murmured, and stroked one finger gently into her.

  She gasped, arching against him. It had been so long since he’d touched her that his caresses felt downright shocking. Then his mouth closed over her nipple again and he suckled as he stroked into her. His thumb brushed over her clit and that was enough—her entire body clenched in a spasm of bliss and then she was coming, her mind lost to the pleasure of it all. Gasping, crying out his name, Annie seemed to climax for forever. When she finally came down, she was panting and exhausted . . . but gosh, she felt good.

  So, so good.

  Dustin shifted in the bed and then he was kissing her again, his mouth hot and urgent on her own. She lost herself in his drugging kisses, letting the sweet pleasure of his embrace take her away again. His lips slanted over hers, and the kiss grew in urgency until she felt desire pooling in her belly again. She moved her hands over his chest, felt his shirt, and tugged at it. “I’m naked and you’re not,” she panted. “That hardly seems fair.”

  “You want me to get naked for you?” He kissed the tip of her nose.

  “Absolutely.”

  Without protest, Dustin sat up in bed and ripped his shirt over his head. She could make out his outline in the darkness, enjoyed the gorgeous flex of his arms and the ripple of his muscles. Was ever a woman so lucky? He was masculine perfection and he was in bed with her. Annie couldn’t help herself, she reached out and caressed one hand over his flat stomach, fascinated with touching him. She made a sound of disappointment when he got out of bed, but then realized he was stripping his boxer briefs off and slipped back under the covers a moment later.

  And because she was greedy, her hands immediately went to his cock and she caressed him. Oh yes, she remembered this, how big and wonderful he was. He cupped her fa
ce in his hands and kissed her again, and she moaned against him even as she stroked his hard, hot length. His hips flexed, as if he were trying to pump into her greedy hands, and she loved the feel of him. She wanted to give him pleasure like he’d given her. “Tell me how to touch you.”

  “Forget touching,” he told her with frantic, urgent kisses across her face and neck. “I want to be inside you. Are you too tired?”

  For this? “Never.”

  With a low groan, he kissed her deeply again, and then she pushed him away, tugging the covers off their bodies and getting on her hands and knees. Annie felt weird and ungainly, but Dustin caressed her hips and breasts as she did, and told her how beautiful she was, and any sense of shyness or awkwardness fell quickly away. She wanted this as much as him. When she was in position on the bed, she settled a pillow under her belly and then tossed her hair back. “I’m ready if you are.”

  He caressed her buttock even as he rose onto his knees. “You’re comfortable? You’ll tell me if you hurt?” When she nodded, Dustin moved behind her on the bed, his hands on her hips.

  Anticipation and arousal flared as he shifted against her, and his grip teased over her sides and thighs before moving back to her hips. His cock prodded against her core for a moment, and then he pressed against her, slowly, achingly pushing inside her.

  And oh, it was so, so good.

  Her entire body quaked in response, and she clenched at the blankets, crying out.

  Immediately, Dustin tensed behind her. “Sweetheart? Should I stop?”

  “No,” she panted. “Feels good. Never stop. Ever.”

  “Magic words,” he gritted out, and she felt his hips flex as he drove deeper into her.

  He took his time, and Annie was practically itching with impatience as he inched into her. She knew he was being careful, and nothing hurt or felt uncomfortable, and so all she felt was a greedy sort of need. She wanted more of him. She wanted him pulsing into her with short, hungry bursts. She wanted him to lose control.

  She needed it.

  Dustin groaned deeply, rocking against her. “Still feel good?” When she nodded, he grunted a response and then began to slowly pump into her, starting a rhythm.

  And oh, that was nice. So nice. Annie closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of their bodies pushing together as he thrust into her from behind. Her full breasts—so large and alien like her stomach—swayed with every motion, and her belly rubbed against the pillow, but that didn’t matter. His slow, methodical thrusting felt incredible, and she gave a little sigh of pleasure as the slow curl began in her belly. He always knew just how to touch her to make her feel so good. So beautiful.

  He reached forward, one hand moving to her hair, and then he twined his fingers into it, anchoring her in place even as his body began to move faster. A little moan escaped her, and she was surprised at how much that simple motion could turn her on. It was like he was holding her against him, and hot need coursed through her even as her body clenched around him.

  He bit out a curse, panting. “You feel amazing, sweetheart.”

  “Dustin,” she breathed, the pleasure in her body building with every moment. “Go faster. I need more.”

  “I won’t hurt you?”

  “Never. Please.” She reached back for him, trying to touch him. “More.”

  He gave her more. With a groan of her name, Dustin redoubled his efforts, his thrusts harder, his thighs slapping against her own, and she was lost in his possessive takeover. Before she knew it, Annie cried out as the waves of another orgasm pulsed through her, and then Dustin’s movements took on a jerky, wild rhythm. He bit out her name, tensing against her, and then slowed his movements, his breathing heavy and ragged, and she realized he’d come, too.

  “Couldn’t last long,” he panted, caressing her hip even as he gently rocked their joined bodies. “Felt too good to be in you bare like this. My sweet Annie. My girl.”

  She sighed blissfully, her toes curled with pleasure. “Thank you.”

  He chuckled. “Well now, you’re most welcome.” With one last caress, he pulled away from her and then gently helped her to her feet. “Let me help you clean up, sweetheart, and then I’ll get you a drink.” He hesitated, then pulled her against him and pressed another hot, delicious kiss to her mouth. “I’m glad you said something. I’ve wanted you ever since you showed up again, Annie. Never doubt that.”

  “I won’t,” she told him shyly, but she knew it was easier to say it than believe it.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Dustin woke her up at dawn for some steamy kissing, caressed her until she climaxed, and then instructed her to go back to sleep. She did, gratefully, and when she woke up some hours later, she stretched and smiled up at the ceiling, dopey with happiness.

  Life was wonderful.

  She tested her muscles as she crawled out of bed and headed to the shower, but everything seemed to be fine. A little tight in places here and there, but nothing she couldn’t live with. The baby was flipping and tossing in her belly as if saying hello, and really, she couldn’t remember a time she’d been so darn happy.

  Dustin wanted her.

  The sex was just as good as she’d remembered. And afterward, he’d held her so carefully and so tightly against him, naked, that she’d fallen asleep as if curled in a nest, pillows on one side and cowboy on the other. She’d never slept so well. The wake-up call had been nice, too. Annie dressed, combed her wet hair, and went to grab breakfast for herself and for Spidey, who’d been in the bathroom all night and probably needed to have a walk as soon as possible.

  Cass was in the kitchen, making breakfast, her fluffy dog Joy bouncing at her heels and begging for treats. She looked over at Annie and Spidey, smiling. “Morning. Want eggs and bacon?” She gestured at Spidey. “When I woke up, Dustin was bringing him in from a walk in case you’re wondering.”

  He did seem rather calm, her little guy. That was sweet of Dustin, to think of her pup, too. Then again, he was just wonderful in every way. Of course, that might be the hormones talking. She was sure he had flaws. She just didn’t see them at the moment. “I’d love breakfast. Let me take him out for another quick walk just in case, and then I’ll do the dishes.”

  Outside, Spidey sniffed tuft after tuft of brown autumn grass and didn’t seem in a hurry to pick out a spot to do his business. That was fine with her. Hugging her oversized sweater to her body, Annie lifted a hand to her brow and scanned the horizon, looking for men on horseback, cattle, or any of the ranch dogs that inevitably followed at the horses’ heels. In the very far distance, heading up a rolling hill, she saw someone on horseback riding alongside a bunch of cattle. The dogs were spotted. That would be Jordy, she suspected. Eli’s dog was an enormous, snow-white Great Pyrenees, and Old Clyde had a pair, one of which was white. Moose had dark markings and he’d be at Dustin’s side. She looked for her man, but the ranch was sprawling and she didn’t see him anywhere by the time Spidey was done and the cold was getting to both of them. Her dog sat at her feet and waited patiently, an indication for her to pick him up. “No, buddy, not for a few more months.” She rubbed her belly. “Sorry.”

  Once inside, she saw Cass sitting at the breakfast table, taking bites of bacon and feeding the ends to Joy, who looked enraptured by the treats. It was clear Cass loved her dog, but it was also clear why Joy was so bad at listening. Joy had her big white paws on Cass’s leg, her face practically in the woman’s plate. “Ten bucks says that’s your counter-surfer,” Annie told her as she joined her.

  Cass grimaced. “Really? But Joy’s so small compared to the other ranch dogs. She’s barely the size of Jim and only half the size of her mother.”

  “It’s harder to untrain them once they’ve learned that people food can also be their food, but there’s things we can do,” Annie said, smiling at Cass. “I’m not here to lecture. I just want to help so we’re not reinforcing ba
d behavior. One of the first things we can do, though, is to start spraying the counter at night with a substance that tastes bad so when they get up there and start licking things, it won’t be very appealing. I’m not sure how effective that will be unless you leave food out, but we can always try a treat spot, instead.”

  “Treat spot?” Cass asked, curious. She finished her food, wiped her fingers, and then started rubbing Joy’s head. It was obvious from the way the dog laid her head in Cass’s (shrinking by the day) lap that she was well loved. “How do we do that?”

  “We create a spot in the kitchen that we start rewarding them at. Basically, we teach that they only get treats when they’re sitting in that spot. Like, if you wanted to set a mat down in the corner by the door, we train them that if they’re sitting on the mat, they get treats. No mat, no treats. That way, you can still reward her and give her nibbles, but it’ll stop her from jumping all over you or sticking her face in your plate to snatch a treat.”

  Cass brightened. “That sounds great. I know Eli isn’t a big fan of spoiling the dogs but . . . I can’t help it. I love them. They’re like children to me.” She gave Joy’s ears a rub and then planted a smacking kiss on the dog’s head. “She’s my baby girl.”

  It was nice to be around people that clearly cared for their pets as much as each other.

  They talked for a little longer about training, and then the talk switched—as it always did with them—to babies. Cass had gotten in a few more boxes of items she’d ordered online, and after breakfast, they fussed over the little booties and rattles and a mobile with dangling stuffed puppies that made squeezy noises when touched. “You seem happy this morning,” Cass told her, folding one tiny little blue outfit after another. “Relaxed. Like the nervous edge is gone.”

  Annie could feel her cheeks heating. Was it that obvious they’d had sex? “I do feel good. Dustin and I had a great talk last night about . . . us. And the future.” Well, future more or less. Just that they had a future together. Right now that was enough for her.