I move my hands to the waistband of his pants and pull them down. The seams of his boxer briefs are stretched thin with the size of him.
I place a kiss on his erection through his briefs before taking it between my lips and warming him with my breath. I reach up and grab the waistband of his underwear and remove them.
As his cock falls forward, I catch it with my hand and start to massage it. Back and forth, lightly twisting as I go. I kiss the tip. When I pull away, I can taste his sweet pre-cum on my lips. I stick my tongue out and enjoy lapping it up.
I look up at him once more. His eyes are dark, dangerous almost, as if he were to lose his control if I don’t put him in my mouth at this very second. A warm sensation flows throughout my body.
I hold him in one hand while I lick the underside of him, from the base, all the way to the tip. He shudders with pleasure. I do it again. And again.
“Adrienne, if you don’t stop teasing me, I will take you upstairs, throw you on our bed, and fuck you, without letting you come, for hours.”
He’s serious too. I contemplate getting myself into trouble for a moment.
The last time this happened was one of the best nights of my life. The things he made me feel. I never knew what edging was before that, but I’ve become quite fond of it since then.
No, tonight is about Marshall. I take him in my fist once more and move my head forward until he is all the way in my mouth. A soulful moan escapes from his lips.
“Oh, fuck. I’m not going to last long, baby.”
I close my mouth and begin moving my head in and out. I swirl my tongue around in circles as I go. Every now and then, I take the tip of my tongue to play with the pinhole at the end of his cock. This drives him wild.
He makes a guttural, “uhhh” sound before grabbing the railing to hold himself up when his knees go weak. The idea that I can bring such a powerful man to his knees with one touch is intoxicating and empowering.
I take his whole length back into my mouth and begin to suck vigorously. I can tell that he is close by the way his legs are quivering.
A few moments later and I can feel his hot seed squirting into my mouth. I take all of it in, swallowing every drop. I suck as I pull him out of my mouth.
He drops to his knees in front of me, pulling me into him, and kisses me passionately.
“Oh my god, you have no idea how hot that was. And how bad I needed that.” He rests his forehead on mine for a moment before saying, “Let’s go upstairs, so I can thank you properly.”
* * *
“Marshall, that was…” I drift off, still trying to catch my breath.
After Marshall carried me up the steps, he slowly stripped me of all of my clothing, but left my lingerie on.
He had me lay on the bed and he massaged every single part of my body. Some parts with his hands, some with his tongue. On others, he used both. Marshall has always been very skilled at his craft, which left me addicted since our first date.
“Amazing?” he finishes my sentence for me as he kisses me on my shoulder.
“Yes, and…” still breathless…
“You want to do it again?” he says as he moves his hand to my breast.
“Of course, but I need a little time to recover!” I laugh.
“Take all the time you need.”
Marshall gets up from the bed and walks over to the closet. I turn to watch him go. I could watch his tight ass all day long. I lose sight of him as he enters the closet, but not for long. He comes back out with his flannel pajama bottoms on.
“What would you like for dinner? I’ll order take out since it’s a little late.”
“I’m not in the mood for anything in particular. You decide,” I answer
“Sounds good.” He leans down on the bed and gives me another kiss before he goes downstairs.
I lay there a little longer thinking about where I am in my life at the moment. This is never where I pictured myself at twenty-six.
I thought, for sure, that I would be unmarried, still living in my tiny apartment, working for Courtney. All of that changed when Marshall came into my life.
Now, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. I own an apartment now. I work for myself at my own foundation.
I have a family again. Bill and Noelle. Leah. Lock. I miss my parents terribly. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about them, but having in-laws who are so gracious and caring certainly helps soften the blow.
And the kids at the center, I love them like they’re my own and so does Marshall. He loves to come hang out with them and he makes the time to do it. They love Marshall too and I know that one day he will make a great dad.
That thought makes me both excited and queasy.
We’ve talked about having kids of our own. I am ready, but I know that Marshall is hesitant because of his mother. She and Bill went to hell and back trying to get pregnant. After two years, they opted for in vitro. It took several times, but finally they got pregnant with twins.
However, her blood pressure sky-rocketed when she was four and a half months along and she ended up on bed rest for the entire second half of her pregnancy. When she went into labor a month early, they rushed her to the hospital where she had to have an emergency C-Section.
His brother ended up as a still-born. His mother suffered major blood loss and, despite the transfusion, they lost her too. Marshall ended up in the NICU for six months until he was healthy enough to go home.
As excited as I am, I am not looking forward to telling him that I’m pregnant. Hopefully, I can hold out a little while longer.
* * *
As I make my way down the stairs, dressed only in Marshall’s work shirt, I hear him hang up the phone in the kitchen.
“I ordered sushi,” Marshall says as I reach the bottom of the stairs and it stops me in my tracks. I love sushi. How am I going to talk my way out of this?
“Oh, okay,” I answer. I try to put a smile on my face, but Marshall catches the surprised expression before I have a chance to hide it. It makes his brow furrow.
“Is that okay? You practically orgasm every time we have sushi,” he states with a laugh.
“Oh, I guess my stomach is just a little upset.”
“Okay, well have a seat and I’ll go get you some Alka-Seltzer.” As he walks away, I try to get my shit together. Alka-Seltzer has aspirin in it. Pregnant women can’t have aspirin! Calm down Adrienne, you can’t get yourself worked up right now. Before I know it, Marshall is back and I am in full on panic mode.
“Oh my god, Adrienne, what’s wrong?” Marshall is shouting at me, but it may as well have been a whisper. I can barely hear him over the sound of my head throbbing in my ears…
“Adrienne. Baby, wake up.” I open my eyes and see Marshall’s face.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I was getting ready to ask you the same thing. When I got back to the kitchen, you were kneeling on the ground, white as a ghost and then you passed out. Should we go to the hospital?”
“No. I’m fine. I think I just need to go lay back down.
* * *
When I wake up the next morning, Marshall is sitting at the table in our room, reading the paper. He made breakfast and was waiting for me to wake up so we could eat. The second that the smell of bacon and eggs hit my nose, I know I’m going to be sick.
I haven’t had much morning sickness up until now, but I have a feeling that’s about to change. I dart out of the bed and run straight to the bathroom. Marshall jumps up from his chair and runs after me.
“Babe, I think that we need to go to the hospital. You’re still sick from last night. What did you eat yesterday? Could it be a bad reaction?”
I close the lid to the toilet and take a seat, my head in my hands. I can’t keep this a secret any longer. Not only is it not fair to Marshall, but I do need to make an appointment with an OBGYN.
“Marshall, I’m not sick. I mean, yes, I did just get si
ck, but it’s not from something that I ate.” I look up at him with tears in my eyes.
“I’m pregnant.”
Marshall’s eyes go wide. His hands are on his hips and he is frozen to the spot. I wait for him to move or say something, but he does nothing.
“Marshall,” I start as I begin to stand up. “I know that we just started talking about having kids and I know that you’re not ready just yet, but…”
“But what? Adrienne, how did this happen?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been taking my birth control at the same time every day for years! Things just happen Marshall. Birth control isn’t one-hundred percent effective.”
“I know that, but we’re not ready. We’ve only talked about this twice. We said that we were going to wait.” At this point, he is pacing back and forth in the bathroom, his hands pulling at the hair on the sides of his head.
“I agreed to wait, Marshall. This is a surprise to me too.”
He sits down on the edge of the bathtub and takes a deep breath.
“Okay. Well, let’s find a doctor and make sure that you’re both healthy then.”
“Marshall, are you okay? You still sound like you’re freaking out a little.”
“That’s because I am freaking out a little. I’m sorry, but this is just really sudden.”
“Don’t you think that this is sudden for me too? I didn’t expect this either. It’s not something I planned. Look, Marshall, I know that you’re terrified that something will go wrong like what happened to your mom, but you can’t think like that. There is only a very small chance that something like that will happen.”
“Well, that’s a bigger chance than I’d like to take.”
I am crying at this point. “Marshall, this is supposed to be a happy day. A happy time for us. Just relax and believe me when I say that everything is going to be fine.”
“How do you expect me to relax when you drop a bomb on me like that?” he shouts.
Marshall never shouts. At least not at me. He looks at me with an almost seething stare.
“Marshall, do you think that I did this on purpose?” I ask, in desperation, tears running down my face.
“No, of course not,” he pauses, just before looking away from me.
I wasn’t convinced that he believed me. He comes over and gives me a quick hug before saying, “I am going to grab a shower. Let’s call around to some doctors today.”
“Okay,” was all I could say.
Marshall
I stand in the shower, unable to move, to think, letting the hot water pour down my body. I can’t believe this is happening. More importantly, I can’t believe that I acted like a grade-A asshole to Adrienne just now. It takes a lot to freak me out, so when I get to this point, I don’t know how to handle it in the best way.
I, of all people, should know that medicine isn’t one-hundred percent effective. I live and breathe pharmaceuticals. But I hate surprises. Especially one that could shatter mine and Adrienne’s entire world. I’m not stupid. I know that there are millions, billions probably, of women out there who have had perfectly healthy pregnancies. But that can’t stop my brain from replaying my father’s words to me when I was fifteen, asking about my mother. Finding out that I have, had, a brother,
“You never, in a million years, think that something like that could happen to you. Until it does. And your life will never be the same.”
On the flipside, I am sure that Adrienne was just as freaked out when she found out. My treatment of the situation was incredibly unfair to her. I turn the water off, grab a towel, and wrap it around my bottom half.
When I get out of the shower and exit the bathroom, I see that Adrienne has crawled back into bed. I’m so mad at myself. I know I hurt her and it’s breaking my heart. I walk over and sit down on the edge of the bed.
“Adrienne,” I start. The only response that I get is a sniffle. I put my hand on her back and rub gently. This, at least, makes her turn and look at me. “I’m sorry, Adrienne.”
She sits up in bed, the sheet falls, but the swell of her breasts catches it on the way down. She doesn’t say anything, so I continue.
“I’m so sorry. I reacted like an asshole would. Of course I know that you didn’t do this on purpose. It was ridiculous of me to even entertain the idea. I’m sure you’re just as scared and nervous as I am.”
I grab her hand, pull it up to my lips, and kiss her knuckles. Her willow colored eyes are highlighted by the thin sheen of tears collecting in them.
“When I first found out, I was scared too. But it was mostly because I was afraid that you would be angry with me. And then, for that to actually have happened,” her sentence breaks off as the tears start streaming down her face.
I pick her up and place her on my lap. I move her arms so they’re wrapped around my neck and then I take her by her chin and force her to look into my eyes.
“I’m so sorry. It breaks my heart that you’re upset and that I’m the one who made you feel that way. I promise that I am happy about this. As I said, I am sure that you’re just as nervous as I am, but as long as we have each other, we can get through anything.”
She smiles through her tears and tightens her hold around my neck.
Adrienne
Two weeks later, Marshall and I are sitting in the examination room of Dr. Liza Bradley’s office. Noelle and Liza were sorority sisters in undergrad. When we broke the news to her and Bill, she insisted that we go see her. It’s very refreshing knowing that our lives are in extremely capable hands.
“Based on the size of the fetus at this time, you’re approximately six weeks along. That puts your due date at…” Dr. Bradley looks to the 2015 calendar on the wall next to her. “May twenty-seventh.”
I am lying down on the exam table. Marshall is standing up next to me and our hands interlocked, tightly, between us. All of a sudden, we hear a noise similar to the sound of a galloping horse.
Liza turns to us with a smile on her face and says, that is the sound of your baby’s very healthy heart beating away.
Marshall and I look at each other, both with tears in our eyes and enormous grins on our faces. The doctor presses a few more buttons and two black-and-white images spit out of the printer next to the ultrasound machine. She rips the pictures off of the printer and hands them to us.
“Okay, I want to see you back here once a month until you reach twenty-eight weeks. Then, your appointments will move to twice a month.”
She hands me a few tissues to wipe the gel off of my stomach and she moves toward the door. “Go ahead and get yourself situated. When you’re all set, head back down this hallway toward the front desks. Just make sure you check out with the receptionist before you leave.”
“Thank you so much!” I say. “It was very nice to meet you.”
“It was wonderful meeting you as well. See you soon.”
Present
Lana
Laying down on the chaise lounge in my room, I can’t help my mind from wandering back to the dance that I shared at the gala with Marshall. The way that he led me around on the dance floor was intoxicating.
I hate not being in control, but he made me want to surrender it for a moment. The spark that lit up between us when we first touched was unexpected. When he reached out and grabbed my hand to keep me from walking away, the spark grew hotter.
Once I was in his arms though, his constant touch sent bolts of electricity through me from head to toe. He made me feel safe. He made me feel comfortable. The way he looked into my eyes, like it would cause him pain to look away, made me feel beautiful and powerful.
I don’t ever remember feeling these emotions before. The entire exchange felt familiar. What is it about this man that causes chaos throughout my mind and body?
Before I get a chance to think about it further, I hear a knock at my door. I roll my eyes and huff at being interrupted as I get up and walk across my room. When I open the door, I come face to face with Lock, who is splattered wi
th blood from head to toe.
“Oh, my God!“ I scream, jumping back away from the entrance to my room.
“Something terrible has happened, Lana. I really, just can’t believe it,” he answers as he enters my room, his tone unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Dazed, almost. Confused.
“Can’t believe what?” I’m shaking with terror.
He stops suddenly, in the middle of the room. When he turns around, I see that he is holding an 8 x 10 photo of Marshall and I dancing at the gala the other night. I stand there, staring at it, paralyzed by fear.
“I tried to get away from him, I swear!” I plea.
“Oh, I know. I have pictures of your pathetic, failed attempt to escape his grasp.”
“Lock, I’m sorry, I kept telling him that I needed to go and that he shouldn’t have been there.”
He starts toward me again, crumpling up the picture and throwing it on the ground as he does.
“You’re mine, Lana. I don’t know how many times I need to explain that to you.” His voice terrifyingly level.
“I know, Lock.” The dark gleam in his eyes has me backing up slightly. His longer strides have him in front of me in no time. I put my hands out to try and keep him from getting too close to me.
“Are you pushing me away?”
“No, no, I wouldn’t… I just, the blood…”
He reaches out grabbing my forearms and pushing me backward until I feel the wall at my back.
“A little blood never hurt anyone.”
He takes my wrists in one hand and pins them to the wall above my head. His other hand grabs my chin and opens my mouth. His tongue dances over my lips before plunging inside. His kiss is brutal. Claiming. I close my eyes and try to swallow my fear.
His hand moves from my chin to cup my neck, squeezing it. Not too hard, but enough to make me nervous. He removes his lips from mine and lets my wrists go.
Just as I start bringing my arms back down to my sides he commands me to put them back where they were. I open my eyes and see his fierce, black-as-ink irises staring back at me and I don’t hesitate.
Stolen Love (The Wildheart Duet Book 1) Page 11
