Baby Surprises 7 Book Box Set

by Layla Valentine

  “Oh my God,” Colton whispered as I stepped to his side. “He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  I turned my eyes down to Lucas, who was still sleeping peacefully. I couldn’t get enough of the gentle rise and fall of his chest, or how his tiny fingers wriggled.

  He was beautiful and perfect. And he was mine.

  He was ours.

  “Hey little guy,” said Colton, whispering softly. “I know you can’t hear me, but I’m your dad. We’re going to meet tomorrow, and it’s going to be the best Christmas ever.”

  He reached down with care, knowing he was about to touch something infinity priceless and fragile, and stroked one of Lucas’s chubby cheeks with his fingertip. I glanced over to see a single tear dart down Colton’s cheek.

  “I can’t believe it,” he said. “I just can’t believe it.”

  “Well, you two can meet tomorrow,” I said, holding back tears. “But let’s let the little guy get some beauty rest.”

  Colton hurriedly wiped the tear away from his face and nodded. The two of us left the nursery as quietly as we’d entered, shutting the door slowly behind us.

  “That’s our baby in there,” said Colton as the two of us made our way back to the living room, where the air was warm and the fire crackled.

  He pointed to a bottle of wine that was sitting on the kitchen counter.

  “I think I could do with a glass,” he said.

  “Have a seat,” I said. “I think I’ll join you.”

  Colton sat down on the couch, and as I approached him with the wine, I realized I had the decision to sit across from him or next to him.

  I chose next.

  We sipped our wine in silence at first, both of us watching the fire. But as the minutes passed, our bodies moved closer and closer to one another’s. Soon, only inches separated us.

  I couldn’t believe that the man I’d spent the last year loathing was now sitting on the couch next to me, his body so close to mine that I could feel the heat radiating from it. I wanted nothing more than to be even closer to him, to be curled up at his side the way I was last Christmas.

  And he seemed to know what was on my mind, because Colton turned to me and moved his arm around my shoulders, bringing me in close. I moved to his side right away, tucking my head into the crook of his arm.

  “We’ve let a lot of time get away from us, Shayla,” he said. “I could’ve been here for you this last year, done what I could to make this all easier for you.”

  He was right, but there was nothing we could do about that now.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” I said. “What’s done is done. All we can do now is look forward.”

  He nodded, understanding right along with me that fretting about what had already happened was pointless.

  The future, by contrast, was stretched out in front of us, full of possibilities. All seemed like it was right in the world—Lucas was sleeping in the other room, and his parents were curled up cozy on the couch.

  What more could I need?

  But just as I finished forming the question, Colton answered it. He turned toward me, his mint-green eyes gorgeous in the low light of the room. He took my chin in his hand and brought me in close.

  And then he kissed me.

  Chapter 28

  Shayla

  His lips on mine was the one thing I’d been missing. The sensation of his mouth on mine made it clear as day that I’d been kidding myself in denying that I wanted him. I’d hated him, sure, but that didn’t make my attraction to him any less real, the need for his body against mine any less enticing.

  We kissed softly, as Christmas carols wafted through the air like a dreamy breeze. His body was so warm and inviting that I couldn’t resist pressing myself against him. Colton moved his other arm around me, wrapping it around my hip as he drew me even closer.

  Our kisses were soft at first, almost chaste. It made sense—intimacy between the two of us had been unthinkable even a couple of hours ago; as much as I wanted him, I needed to be eased into it. And Colton, being the man he was, seemed to sense that. He didn’t rush into anything, instead continuing to kiss me gently and tenderly.

  “I’ve missed this,” I said, taking my lips away from his for long enough to speak. “I told myself I didn’t, but I did.”

  “And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” he said. “But we don’t need to worry about that anymore. We have each other now.”

  He was right. All of that was behind us. Right then, at that moment, all that mattered was what we had.

  Our kisses picked up intensity, and soon our mouths opened enough for our tongues to explore. God, he tasted divine—delicious and manly and everything I wanted. And the feeling of his large, strong hands on my body pushed me toward new heights of passion. I needed more and more—kissing wasn’t going to be enough.

  Once again, he read my mind. Colton took his mouth from mine and stood up from the couch. He extended his hand to me, and I took it, knowing exactly what it meant.

  “Shall we?” he said. “It’s been too long.”

  I couldn’t have agreed more. I took his hand, Colton’s fingers wrapping around mine as he pulled me to my feet. Hand in hand, the two of us made our way through the house and up the stairs.

  Soon we were at the threshold of the bedroom. The curtains were open, and I couldn’t help but rush over to see what was happening outside.

  Colton joined me, and for a time the two of us watched the snow drift down from the sky, the flurries illuminated by the moonlight that streamed down through the narrow cracks in the clouds above. The frozen lake stretched out into the distance. It was quiet, and peaceful, and perfect.

  “Coming around on the season yet?” he asked, turning his eyes to mine.

  “Not quite yet,” I said. “I might need just a little more convincing.”

  Colton smiled, clearly up to the challenge.

  He pressed his lips against mine as he guided me slowly toward the bed. Once the two of us were on top of it, the intensity increased, passion now coursing through my body like liquid fire. Arousal took hold of me, blotting out any thoughts other than ones of Colton and how much I craved him.

  And he felt the same way. Below my waist I felt the pressure of his manhood against my leg, and knowing he was hard for me only served to turn me on even more.

  Colton’s hands moved down my body, over my breasts that strained against my sweater, and came to a rest on my hips. Once there, he slipped his fingers under the thick fabric and onto my bare skin.

  I let out a long sigh of pleasure at his touch, not realizing until that moment how desperately I’d desired it. Colton kissed me hard again, his touch traveling up and taking the sweater with it, until it was high enough for him to take it off over my shoulders. Once it was gone, my upper body was bare aside from the lacy black bra I wore.

  I returned the favor, helping him out of the impossibly soft cashmere sweater he wore and exposing the gorgeous, toned upper body underneath. I ran my hands over the hand lines of his muscles as he went to work on the strap of my bra, unfastening it and letting my breasts tumble free. His mouth moved over my breasts, kissing the delicate skin as I ran my hands through his thick hair.

  “Don’t stop,” I moaned. “Please, don’t stop.”

  I could tell that he had no intention of stopping. Colton continued, his hands working on the button and zipper of my pants and hurriedly working my bottoms off. Soon he had me nude underneath him. His eyes devouring me as he propped himself up on his arms, his muscles thick and bulging.

  But as soon as I was naked a tinge of insecurity ran through me. I was still trim and shapely, but pregnancy had put pounds on me that I hadn’t been able to totally get rid of.

  “I’m…still trying to get back to how I looked before the baby,” I said. “It’s a work in progress.”

  But nothing about his gaze hinted that he was even slightly disappointed in what he saw.

  “You’re so beaut
iful that it almost hurts to look at you,” he said. “And I’m not going to hear another word otherwise.”

  As if to underline his point, Colton lunged down and kissed me hard, and my hands swept over his abs and came to a rest on the buckle of his belt. I went to work quickly getting it all undone. Soon his pants were down, his member taut against his gray boxer-briefs.

  He helped me with the rest, and within seconds the two of us were naked and under the covers, our flesh warm and yearning for the other’s. Colton’s hand caressed my inner thigh and came to a rest on my sex, which was warm and wet and ready for him.

  “You’re so beautiful, Shayla,” he breathed. “So damn beautiful.”

  “I could listen to you say that all day,” I said with a smile.

  “If you’re not careful, you just might.”

  Right then, something about his eyes and his touch and his mouth and everything else filled me with a love that I couldn’t even begin to describe. And then, as if anticipating me, as if one step ahead of me, he spoke.

  “I love you, Shayla. I’ve spent the last year loving you but thinking I’d never see you again. And now that I have you in my arms…”

  Tears of joy formed in my eyes.

  “I know,” I said. “But you don’t need to worry about any of that. I’m here and Lucas is here, and you don’t need to worry about us going anywhere. I love you, too.”

  I kissed him softly, and the desire returned to his eyes. This was obviously the exact answer that he wanted to hear. Our kiss intensified, our hands almost frantically moving over each other’s body.

  One of his hands caressed and kneaded my breasts while the other rubbed between my legs, the pleasure pulsing out through my body from below. I moaned and writhed at his touch, but I knew that it wasn’t going to be enough.

  My fingers wrapped around Colton’s manhood, grasping him tightly. He was hot and thick and hard in my hand—just how I wanted him. I stroked him slowly as he touched me, soft, manly grunts slipping past his lips as I fondled his head.

  “I need you,” I moaned. “I need you inside of me now.”

  No further convincing was necessary. Colton took his hands from my body and climbed on top of me. He lowered himself just enough for the tip of his head to graze my sex, sending a shiver of delight through my body.

  Colton dipped his head down, kissing and sucking my nipples before reaching below and taking hold of himself, pointing his manhood right where I wanted it and sliding into me.

  Inch by inch he penetrated me, filling me with his thick warmth. I was more than ready for him as he glided in deep, and soon he was buried to the hilt.

  Once he was fully sheathed, Colton held fast for a moment, allowing me to get accustomed to the feeling of his thickness and his length inside of me. Colton’s member was almost intimidatingly big, and as desperately as I wanted it, I needed a second to come to grips with how much was inside of me.

  Soon he was sliding in and out of me, each thrust pushing a new burst of ecstasy through my body. Colton lifted himself up, his eyes locking onto mine as he moved in and out of me, his expression a perfect blend of deep love and animal lust.

  I clamped down onto his hips, moving my hands until they came to a rest on his perfect, round ass. Then I lifted my legs, wrapping them around his body. I wanted Colton locked against me, his hard, muscular body pressed against mine. I wanted to feel the beating of his heart against my chest.

  More than anything, I wanted him all for myself.

  His thrusting picked up in speed, and I could sense by the intensity in his eyes that he was close. And I was right there with him. He pushed deep into me over and over again, the smell of his musk mixing with the warmth of his skin to provide the perfect sensory experience.

  I moaned and writhed underneath him, my face forming an expression of pleasure that was so intense that it must’ve looked pained.

  Unable to hold off a moment longer, I came. The orgasm exploded through my body, causing me to shake and thrash and moan like I’d never done before. Colton’s orgasm was next, and he came deep inside of me. His muscles tensed and flexed under my touch, and when we’d both finished he collapsed on top of me, breathing hard.

  I kissed him softly on the shoulder, a thin sheen of sweat on his skin that left a salty taste on my lips.

  After a time, Colton rolled off me and to my side. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled my body close. I placed my head on his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat as I watched the snow drift down.

  “Let me check something,” said Colton, bending down to grab his pants.

  “Please tell me you’re not getting dressed to go out in this,” I said.

  “Nope,” he said, rooting through his pockets. “Just wanted to see if…” He took out his phone and checked it, a smile crossing his face as he did. “Yep,” he said. “It’s after midnight. It’s officially Christmas.”

  He set the phone on the nightstand and turned his attention back to me. “Merry Christmas,” he said.

  “Merry Christmas,” I said back, my heart bursting with joy.

  Then he chuckled to himself.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “Just thinking about how it’s only a minute into the holiday, and I’ve already gotten everything I want.”

  I couldn’t resist kissing him.

  “The feeling’s more than mutual.”

  Chapter 29

  Shayla

  Waking up next to Colton had been wonderful the first time, but after the life-changing revelations of the past twenty-four hours, that morning felt precious beyond compare.

  I watched his sleepy eyes flutter open, revealing that gorgeous mint green, followed by his mouth spreading into a contented smile.

  “Merry Christmas,” he said.

  “Merry Christmas,” I said right back.

  Colton hopped up and looked out the window. I joined him and saw that a fresh sheet of snow covered the ground, the sky above cloudless and blue.

  “Perfect Christmas weather,” he said.

  “Yep, and I even kind of like the snow now that I’m living somewhere it has a chance to stick around for a while.”

  “That’s the spirit,” he said before turning and planting a kiss on my lips.

  He stood up and stretched, giving me a full view of his taut, muscular body as he tensed and released.

  “But it wouldn’t be Christmas without a nice breakfast,” I said. “Right? I’m still kind of new to all this stuff.”

  He turned and grinned. “Good thing you have me to teach you how to do Christmas right. And yes, breakfast would be wonderful.”

  “Hmm,” I said, pulling the blanket up over my body and thinking the matter over. “I have eggs and bacon, but not much else. I totally spaced on getting prepared for the storm.”

  “Then how about this—you get started on breakfast, and I’ll get the driveway shoveled. Are there any stores around here that might be open today?”

  I thought the matter over.

  “Yeah, there’s one of the big-box stores in Adeline, one town over. But they’re only open for a few hours today.”

  “A few hours are all I need,” said Colton. “Once we’re all done with breakfast, I’ll get some things for tonight. Then we can do Christmas right.”

  “The big man is going to trek into the wilderness?” I asked with a smile. “So brave.”

  He grinned again. “That’s what I’m here for.”

  Before either of us could say anything else, a baby’s cry cut through the air.

  “Looks like someone’s ready to meet you,” I said.

  “Let’s go see him,” he said. “It’s about the best present I could wake up to on Christmas morning.”

  The two of us threw on some clothes and hurried into Lucas’s room. Sure enough, my baby was wailing his little lungs out, his face a deep shade of red and his hands balled into tiny fists.

  “He’s so beautiful,” said Colton, looking down at h
im.

  I scooped him up and brought him close to my chest.

  “He might get a little less cute when he’s woken you up for the third time in the same night.”

  “Maybe so,” said Colton. “But still, he’s perfect.”

  I sat down in the rocking chair in the room and prepared to feed him. Once Lucas was at it, he stopped crying right away.

  “I’ll start on our breakfast after he’s had his,” I said.

  “Take your time,” said Colton. “I’ll get started on clearing the drive.”

  But he didn’t go anywhere. For a few moments, he simply stood watching Lucas and me, his eyes locked onto the baby.

  “It’s unreal,” he said. “I always thought I’d be a father someday, but now that it’s here…it’s like a dream.”

  Tears formed in my eyes. I stuck out my hand and he took it, giving it a firm squeeze.

  “Okay,” he said at last. “That snow’s not going to shovel itself.”

  “Go and work up an appetite,” I said. “I’ll be ready for you when you’re done.”

  He nodded and stepped out of the room, but not before taking one last loving look at Lucas and me.

  Once he was gone, I finished up with Lucas and brought him downstairs. Through the window I watched as Colton, shovel in hand, set to work in the front yard. I put Lucas into his seat and flicked on the stereo, the unmistakable sound of carols filling the house.

  Now, instead of being annoyed by the carols, or even just tolerating them, they actually brought me enjoyment. As I made some coffee and prepared the eggs and bacon, I found myself humming and singing along.

  And not only that, but a big smile was on my face as I hummed them. Lucas, seated happily in his chair, cooed and giggled as he watched his mommy sing along to all the hits.

  After a time, the door opened behind me. I stopped in the middle of my song and turned around to see Colton, his face red from the cold.

  “Oh, don’t let me stop you,” he said. “I’m just surprised to hear that you’ve got such a beautiful voice to go with the rest of you.”