Catch Twenty-Two

by James, Marie

  “What?” I turn to face him, unsure of what he’s talking about because my mind is racing with thoughts of what’s going to happen.

  “Mom won’t be home until late. She’s working a double shift.” He inches closer to me, stopping just short of touching. “It means we have hours.”

  “Hours?” I twist my lips in a playful smile as I cock one eyebrow up at him.

  His eyes narrow as his hands clamp on both of my hips. “Back in Utah that was my first time, too, and as much as I’d like to guarantee this time I’ll last longer, I make no promises. What I can promise is that you’ll fall asleep tonight completely satisfied.”

  I open my mouth to speak, but he presses his fingers to my lips.

  “Nope. Not a word, but when you wake in the morning begging me for more, I’ll expect an apology for even thinking those thoughts.”

  I purse my lips, kissing the tips of his fingers, and fall in love all over again when heat fills his eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” I murmur against his fingertips.

  “Nope. Save that for in the morning. Right now I need you naked and under me.”

  I giggle like an idiot for the first time in my life when Zeke scoops me up like a bride and carries me to his room.

  I should say our room. I’ve spent so much time here over the last couple of weeks, my clothes have taken over his tiny closet and my bodywash sits beside his and his mother’s in the bathroom.

  “Eager?” I ask when he sets me on my feet and rips my shirt off over my head.

  “Frankie,” he warns, but his threat stops when he looks down at me.

  My breasts have filled out, nearly doubling in size from the pregnancy. It’s not saying much, considering I didn’t have much up top to begin with, but he watches me with desperation as his fingers trace the top lace of my bra.

  “Are they still sore?” he asks as he reaches around behind me to unclasp the offending article of clothing.

  “Not much,” I tell him, biting my lip to keep from laughing when he struggles with the hooks at my back.

  I don’t feel bad one bit for his lack of experience, but I do reach behind myself and assist him in getting it open. He groans, a feral sound deep in his throat when the satin and lace drops away from my flesh.

  “Wow. You’re beautiful.”

  And I feel it every day, not just now when he’s watching my nipples pebble from the chill in the air. Each day he makes sure I know how he feels. Each day he tells me he loves me without the pressure of having to say it back. He knew I’d get there, and he’s been beyond patient every step. He doesn’t complain or pressure me when I wake up in his warm arms even when his length is pressing against me. He simply presses a quick kiss to my lips and takes care of himself during his morning shower.

  “A-Are you just going to stare at them?” I tease.

  “Possibly,” he says, but his fingers grip my rib cage before he lets them wander up my body.

  His thumbs tease the very tips of my breasts, and it takes everything I have not to toss my head back and moan.

  “Does that hurt? I’ll stop if it hurts.”

  “Don’t you dare,” I whimper.

  “I want to… can I… is it okay if I kiss them?”

  God, he’s as nervous as I am, and for some reason that makes what we’re doing seem that much more important. I can see spending the rest of my life with this man, and from his own confessions, I know he wants the same exact thing. This may be only our second time to come together like this, but I don’t see how it’ll ever not be amazing.

  “Okay,” I agree, but he’s already lowering his head.

  Soft kisses quickly turn into sucking pulls as he laves and licks my nipples. A rush of heat washes over my entire body, and I have the sudden urge to squeeze my thighs together.

  “Zeke,” I pant.

  I don’t know what I need, but it’s something more than what I’m getting from him right now.

  He groans, wrapping his arms around me as he draws me against his body, but his wandering mouth never leaves my skin. I’m wound so tight, the threat of coming apart in his arms just from this is becoming a real thing.

  I just know I’m going to owe him more than one apology in the morning.

  As his lips find mine once again, his hands work open the front clasp of my jeans. In my own eagerness, I try to push them down before he gets the zipper all the way down.

  He breaks our kiss, taking a step back as he watches me with heated eyes. His t-shirt comes up and over his head a mere second before he works his own jeans open and off his legs. As if he’s done it a thousand times, he kicks his boots off before shaking his legs to rid them of the denim.

  “You’re sure this is what you want?” His eyes watch mine, and even though he’s stroking himself in anticipation, I know he’d back off if I tell him I’m not ready.

  But I promised myself no more lies, and I can’t even joke around right now to get a rise out of him.

  “I want it,” I whisper. “I want you.”

  With great care, he runs his hands down my arms and over my hips. I expect him to rush through shoving my panties down, but his gentle fingers caress the tiny bump below my belly button, and tears sting the backs of my eyes when he leans forward pressing his lips to my skin, all the while whispering words too low for me to hear.

  After one final kiss on my stomach, his fingers hook into the lace at my hips. Torturously slow, he pushes them down my legs until I’m standing in front of him just as naked as he is.

  We’re no longer in the dark. This is nothing like the night we spent together in Utah. Now, I can see the love in his eyes. I can see every inch of his amazing body, and he can’t hide secrets, can’t hide what I do to his body or how he feels about me. I don’t regret that night, but at the same time I can’t help feeling a little sad that we didn’t have then what we have now.

  “The second time might be just as uncomfortable as the first,” he tells me as he stands to his full height, pressing his body against mine.

  I feel every inch of him, and some of the nervousness I felt that night returns.

  The pain has to ebb at some point. If it didn’t, women wouldn’t continue to let their partners inside of them. Piper told me once that sex with Dalton is the best thing that’s ever happened to her, so I know it gets better.

  “It’s okay if I don’t…” I swallow, hating that I’m embarrassed right now even though I’m going to have a baby with this man. “I won’t be mad if you can’t make—”

  His lips find mine again, and he kisses me long and deep as he urges me down to the mattress.

  “Oh, don’t worry about that, Frankie. You’re going to come. I’m going to make sure of that.”

  Heat lights my cheeks on fire when he kisses down my chin, down my chest, stopping to lick both nipples once again. His intentions become clear, and I’m seconds away from pulling him back up, telling him that he doesn’t have to do that, but then I feel his breath at my core, and his mouth there is everything I never thought to ask for.

  I whimper at the sensation when his tongue sneaks out for the first taste. Jesus, that’s erotic.

  “H-have you ever done this before?”

  He answers by shaking his head back and forth, his tongue never leaving my sensitive skin.

  “No?”

  “You’re my first,” he confesses before diving in again. “Tell me if I’m doing it wrong.”

  I fist the sheets at my sides and stare down at him. “Wrong? How in the world would I know? I’ve never done this before either.”

  A primal growl escapes his mouth as he clamps his hands on my thighs when they threaten to crush his face.

  He doesn’t respond with words. He simply devours me, licking and sucking, until that very same tingle I felt in the haunted house appears. Only this time, it’s stronger. This time it doesn’t waste a second teetering on the edge before it makes me fall. I come apart on a scream, my back arching off the bed as my eyes slam closed.
r />   He’s chuckling at me when I finally open my eyes. I can’t even wipe the grin from my face to pretend I’m angry at him.

  “Good?” His eyes search mine even though he should know the answer, but I don’t give him my words. I reach for his erection, and slowly sit up to take him in my mouth, but he doesn’t let it happen.

  “Nope,” he says as he pulls my legs out from under me causing me to fall flat on my back again. “That’s how you’re going to apologize in the morning.”

  When he winks at me this time, I grin up at him.

  “What now?” I whisper when he settles on top of me.

  The heat of his body covers every inch of me like a blanket, but I can tell he’s taking great care not to put too much pressure on my stomach. Even in the perpetual state of arousal he’s in, he’s looking out for me.

  “Now,” he says, looking down to where he just spent the last couple of minutes bringing me pleasure, “I need to be inside of you. Tell me that’s what you want.”

  “I love you,” I say instead.

  “I love you, too.”

  I cling to his back as he situates himself at my entrance, anticipating him snapping his hips forward like he did in the barn.

  “I’m going to go slow until you tell me to go faster.”

  Just as he promised, he slowly feeds himself inside of me, and my eyes roll back at the sensation of him filling me.

  “Frankie? Are you okay?”

  “Mmm,” I manage.

  He’s so thick that I have to wiggle my hips a little to try and accommodate him better, but he’s patient with me.

  “Does it hurt?”

  “No,” I answer. “Does it hurt you?”

  He chuckles, and it comes out sounding more like a throaty moan than anything else. “Not a bit.”

  He kisses me soft and sweet, but I can feel the tension in his body.

  “Make love to me,” I beg. “Please.”

  We both moan when he shifts his hips back before pressing forward once again. It doesn’t hurt at all. He’s filling me up, but it’s in the most delicious way. My fingers dig into his back. My legs wrap around his trim hips as he rocks into me.

  “Frankie,” he pants. “This is… you’re amazing.”

  He swells inside of me, much the way he did the first time, and I know what happens next, but then he leans back, brushing his hand down my stomach until his fingers are sweeping against my center.

  “Yes, please,” I pant, and it only takes a few strategic brushes before I’m seeing stars again.

  “So tight,” he mutters as his hips begin to move again.

  He’s being gentle, making love to me like I begged him to do, but I can see it’s taking all of his restraint. He wants to move, to go faster, to go deeper.

  “Harder,” I beg, and he hisses like he’s been waiting his whole life to hear it.

  In an instant, he shifts back on his haunches, gripping my waist as he shoves inside of me. It’s the deepest he’s ever been, but I ignore the tiny bite of pain when I see the look of pure bliss on his face.

  His eyes never close as he watches me, and I can’t seem to look away, needing to see him come undone because of me.

  “I love you,” he groans as he pushes forward.

  He jerks inside of me, and the look of pure love and adoration on his face lets me know that I’m the most important thing in his life. I also know that he plans to prove it to me every single day for the rest of mine.

  Epilogue

  Frankie

  “Holy crap,” Zeke mutters. “That’s…”

  He shakes his head, his words failing him.

  “That’s what I’ve been feeling for weeks.”

  “Is it weird?”

  “Totally creepy. It’s like an alien trying to get out.”

  “Do it again,” he insists, making me laugh.

  “I can’t make him kick, Zeke. He moves when he wants to.”

  “That is amazing,” Zeke presses.

  “Not so amazing when he’s bouncing around in there at night while I’m trying to sleep.”

  Zeke grins up at me because he knows I’m not really complaining. We spend every waking and sleeping moment together. Other than the few classes we weren’t able to line up together this final spring semester of our senior year, we have eyes on each other.

  The bell rings overhead, and Mrs. Hampshire claps her hands together. “Okay gals and guy, we’ll pick up where we left off on Monday.”

  “Tuesday,” Paisley says. “Monday is a holiday.”

  “That’s right, dear. Everyone have a safe long weekend.”

  “I’m going to sleep all day on Monday,” I groan as Zeke helps me get off the floor. I’m still not due for another couple of months, but just when I get used to the new shape of my body, I gain another five pounds and it throws everything off.

  “I don’t have any problem with staying in bed all weekend,” Zeke whispers in my ear as he wraps his arms all the way around me.

  “We’re not doing that anymore.” I swat at him with my hand. “You’re the reason I’m in this mess to begin with.”

  “Oh, come on,” Zeke groans. “Our baby is a miracle.”

  He grabs the strap of my backpack, carrying it like he does every day since he saw me almost tip over backward trying to get my arms through the straps before Christmas break.

  “Our baby is a giant, running out of room,” I counter as we make our way to the door leading to the hall.

  “I’m a big guy,” he says with pride, and I swear he puffs his chest out a little with the words. “I can’t help it you’re as small as a little fairy.”

  I huff.

  “And tight,” he says as he leans down and whispers in my ears. My cheeks flush. “So very tight. Every time is like the first time. I can’t wait to get you home. I’m gonna bend you over the—”

  I squeak in embarrassment when I see Piper and Dalton standing outside of the door waiting for us. Family planning class is no longer first thing in the morning. Too many of the girls were missing due to morning sickness, so this semester it’s been switched to right before lunch. So instead of queasy girls, Mrs. Hampshire has to deal with hungry little devils.

  “Sounds like you guys have the same plans we have this weekend,” Dalton says as he wraps his arms around Piper.

  Her cheeks are just as flushed as mine are, and I know they heard the filthy things Zeke was saying to me.

  “I’m sleeping all weekend,” I mutter.

  “We’ll see,” Zeke says, lifting his hand to fist bump Dalton’s.

  Piper rolls her lips between her teeth to keep from laughing. I used to hate how close Dalton and Zeke got, but it was inevitable I guess. We spend almost as much time with them as we spend with each other.

  My phone rings, but I hit the ignore button when I see my mom’s number pop up on the screen.

  “She’s still calling?” Zeke asks.

  “Yeah,” I mumble.

  “You’re going to have to talk to them eventually,” Piper says as I shove my phone back into my pocket.

  “Well it isn’t going to be today.”

  I’ve had one simple conversation with my parents since the day Zeke and I went to go tell them about the baby. It was the day I showed up a week after that to pack up all of my things. They weren’t exactly surprised to see me, but they both stood to the side in shock when Zeke helped me load my things into his truck. They didn’t ask me to stay or try to throw their parental weight around, but when I didn’t bother to call or show up at their house for Christmas, the calls started. They know where we live, but it must be too much work to drive across town to see their daughter because they’ve never darkened the door of Eden’s little house on the outskirts of town.

  Thankfully, they haven’t canceled my health insurance, but that’s about all I have to be grateful for these days where they’re concerned.

  “It’s a long weekend. I say we all get out of town,” Dalton suggests as we begin to make our
way to the cafeteria for lunch.

  “Denver would be nice,” Piper adds. “Frankie, you wanted to go to that specialty shop there, right?”

  “The baby store?” Zeke says with a wide grin. Both he and his mom have been chomping at the bit to buy things for the baby. I’ve done my best to rein them in, but the further along I get, the harder that’s been. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  “Same plan as always?” I ask when I look up at my smiling best friend.

  “Of course.”

  Piper doesn’t get much alone time with Dalton, and they hardly ever get overnight visits together, but every once in a while we lie to her parents about where she’s staying and they get to slink off for a night or two. Her parents know I’m pregnant and although they worry about my future, they’ve been nothing but supportive. It’s crazy how they can support me, but they’re still holding a grudge against Dalton. They’re both eighteen now, so I don’t know why they don’t just give both their families the finger and walk away.

  I frown with the thought. I know why they don’t do it. Both of them love their parents and are hoping that things will smooth over, eventually. They don’t walk away from their families because it wouldn’t be as easy as me walking away from mine.

  “Plus this is the last holiday before spring break,” Piper says as she opens the door to the cafeteria. “Aren’t you guys going back to see your nan for spring break?”

  “We are,” I answer. “We’re hoping that she won’t—”

  “Get your fucking hands off of her!”

  My words come to a screeching halt when the anger-filled voice rages inside the cafeteria.

  Zeke wraps a protective arm around me, the same Dalton does to Piper even though Linc is clear across the room. He’s charging in the direction of Drea. Her eyes widen, and even though Ryan has his arm around her shoulder, she tries to take a step away from him anyway.

  Ryan stands tall, never one to back down from a fight. He’s one of the school’s bad boys. He was never mean to us, but Piper and I never registered on his radar either.

  “What in the world is going on?” a girl to my right mutters, but even though she’s not really talking to me, I shake my head in answer.

  “Leave me alone!” Drea yells loud enough for the entire cafeteria to hear. “I told you I don’t want anything to do with you.”