Never Expected Love

by S. M. Stryker

  Raven stops and turns as a tear rolls down her face looking between Beckett and me in confusion.

  "You mean I can't get my things?"

  "No, you are not going anywhere," again, both Beckett and I say at the same time. Bizarre.

  "But..."

  "Raven, you're not fired in fact I'll add to your job description and give you a raise for being proactive," I say. "Go back to your desk, and we'll talk about this later.

  I call Nicole and explain the situation. I insist that she stay at my place for a while. I also tell her that Mitchell will have a security system installed in her house to keep her protected in the future, but for right now, I want her with me.

  Raven and I slip out of Beckett’s office cautiously so no one sees us. Although Raven as only been her a few weeks, she’s met Toby Mitchell and they have been seeing each other. I like the idea of our employees also being our friends. Actually I consider them family.

  I ask Raven to come to my office, and she follows me, disappointment on her face.

  Once in my office we both take a seat. She looks so dejected.

  "Raven I just wanted to tell you that you have nothing to worry about. Your job is secure here. It took a lot of fortitude and perception to do what you did, and that kind of integrity is what I value in an employee. Thank you. I want to write a new job description for you.You will be in charge of our HR department as we grow." She looks up at me with a surprised look on her face. "How does that sound to you?"

  "Really? Even after what I did?"

  "Raven, you didn't get into the file for your own personal want, you got in there to protect someone that you hardly know. So, yes really."

  Her eyes glimmer with unshed tears. "Thank you, Richard, I don't know what to say."

  "Then say yes."

  "Okay, yes then."

  I stand to walk around my desk and extend my hand to her. “Congratulations."

  "Thank you, but I better get to my desk and start doing my job," she giggles as she turns and walks out my door.

  A few minutes later, there is a knock on my door. "Come in."

  Beckett comes walking in and sits in the chair across from me. He looks at me with a furrowed brow as he asks, "Richard, do you remember the app that Thomas, I mean Brad brought in to show us during his interview?"

  "Yes I do, it was a cool app, and it has a lot of possibilities."

  "Well, hopefully, he doesn't have either of our cell numbers. I was hoping that maybe he has it somewhere in the office so that we could tap into it. I'm sure we can get his cell number and find him that way."

  "I'll talk to Raven to see if she remembers any information about it, maybe he was bragging about it. Raven probably has his cell number too," I say.

  "I'll check his office," Beckett says, "then I'll see what Carson might know."

  "Okay, I'll talk to Raven while you do that." We walk out together of my office together.

  "Raven, can you pull up any contact numbers for Thomas, please? And did he talk about any of his apps?"

  "Yes, let me get them from his file. He never talked about work outside of here. Well, other than wanting information from me, so I’m not privy to any of the apps he was working on."

  She writes down the phone numbers and hands me the slip of paper.

  "Thank you."

  "You're Welcome."

  I give the numbers to Beckett and walk back to my office. This day has been so distracting I haven't gotten a lot accomplished, and before I realize it, it is after five.

  Beckett taps on my door and sticks his head in. "I'm heading to Nicole's house, do you need me to pick anything up while I am there?"

  "No, Nicole is going to go home after work and pick a few things up then I drive to my place."

  "According to Carson, Brad knows where Nicole lives, so you were right, it was probably him trying to get in. He knew Harlow didn't go home Friday, the only way he would know that is if he was watching her house, so tell her to be careful. Mitchell is over there now. Give me a call if you need me," he says. "I also have to stop by the bakery and tell them that Harlow won't be in the rest of the day."

  "Well, you take it easy out there. It sounds like he's after you as well."

  "Thanks, Richard, have a good weekend."

  "You too."

  Nicole calls me on the way to her place to and will check in once she gets to my house.

  I receive an email from Brad that states that he had an unexpected emergency that has taken him out of town indefinitely, and that he would no longer be able to work for us. His signature line reads Thomas, and I'm hoping that he doesn't suspect that we are onto him. But with a psychopath, it's hard to know what they are thinking.

  While I wait for Nicole to get home, I fix a salad and put some chicken breasts in a marinade for dinner.

  I hear the garage door opening so I know she's here, and I meet her at the door with a glass of chilled white wine for her in my hand. She looks frazzled. I take her things into the bedroom and show her the drawers I cleared out for her to use. I place the chicken breasts on the barbecue while she is organizing her things. It's a little chilly this evening so we decide to eat inside. "I forgot to ask you how Sophia's doctor's appointment went."

  "She's doing okay; she's getting paler and weaker all the time. The doctor is concerned about her living alone, but until she feels she is ready there is nothing we can do. But the baby is growing and the kids were excited to hear the heartbeat."

  "Is she going to let her parents know what is going on?"

  "No, she's decided that since they didn't want her around when she was pregnant with Talon, that they will find out after she has passed only after the lawyer has finalized the adoption with a nice family for the children."

  "Wow, that's harsh. I would hate to be her parents when they find out, I don't care how upset they are, I would be devastated if I were them."

  "I know, me too, but she has every right to feel that way. She's a wonderful person. I'm going to miss her when she's gone. What a waste, she has so much to live for. It's truly a very sad situation."

  "Is your boss getting any better?"

  "No, he's the same ass. Did I tell you that he started there just before I did? Ass."

  I have to chuckle at that, I don't know that I have ever heard her cuss before.

  I stand up, clearing our plates from the table placing them in the dishwasher. I'm so preoccupied cleaning up the kitchen that I didn't notice Nicole has left the room. I call out for her but get no response.

  I notice a single shoe on the floor, then her shirt, another shoe, her bra. I've always dreamed of something like this, but holy hell! Every little trinket of clothing I find causes my dick to get harder with anticipation. As I get to the bedroom door, her panties are hanging from the doorknob. I open the door and gasp as I see my room illuminated by candles. Lying on the bed naked is the most beautiful woman in the world.

  "Wow!"

  "Surprise!" she says quietly.

  "I would have to say it is, but I love surprises, especially this kind." She slowly gets on her hands and knees and crawls her way to the edge of the bed, then steps off it slowly walking over to me. Music is playing in the background with a very erotic beat.

  "I think you're a little overdressed for the party. Here, let me help you get comfortable."

  She starts to slowly unbutton my shirt. She runs her hands up my abs and chest pushing the shirt off my shoulders letting it fall to the ground. She looks me in the eyes with those amazing sapphire eyes of hers as she slowly places her mouth on one of my nipples and pulls it through her teeth and moans. Holly Hell. I run my fingers through her hair as she continues to suck and tease my nipples. It’s enough to drive me insane. When she has my nipples as hard as stone, she starts to unbutton my slacks letting them slide down my legs and starts to stroke my dick through my boxers. "Oh God, Nicole, that feels so fucking good." She bites down on my nipple, sensation makes my cock jump, and I groan out loudly.

&nb
sp; She drops to her knees and removes my shoes, socks, and pants. Then looking up at me through her dark lashes she licks her lips and slowly pulls my boxers down releasing my erection as it springs free anxious to be inside her. She takes my cock in her hand and slowly starts to stroke it. My head tilts back and my eyes close as ecstasy flows through my body. She takes her thumb and rubs it over the crown, and then it's gone. Our eyes lock and she places her thumb in her mouth sucking my essence from it as she moans. I close my eyes listening to her moans when I feel the most amazing feeling I have ever had. A growl escapes my throat as she pushes her mouth onto my dick, her tongue flicking the crown as she sucks me down her throat. "Oh fuck, Nicole, that feels amazing." She moans and the vibration almost sends me over the edge.

  She lets my cock pop out of her mouth and asks, "So it feels good?"

  "Hell, good isn't even close, it's the most incredible feeling I've ever had."

  She continues to swirl her tongue over the slit, then she wraps her hand around the base and starts to pump it. I tangle my fingers in her hair as she sucks me so far back I can feel the back of her throat. "Oh God, Nicole."

  She continues to suck and stroke me, and I know I'm close as moans and groans continue to slip from my mouth. This feels so goddamn good, but I don't want to come in her mouth.

  "Nicole, I'm so close, you need to stop.”

  She wraps an arm around my thigh tightly as she continues running her teeth down my cock. Fuck!

  "Oh God, oh God, Nicole, Oh fuck!" I let out a loud growl as I come.

  I pull her up into my arms as she licks her lips and smiles at me. "Was that ok?"

  I take her mouth with mine, tasting my essence on her lips as I fuck her mouth with my tongue. I'm ravenous, wild with lust for her. I lay her on the bed and start to devour her. Starting with her mouth down her neck, stopping at her nipples as she starts to writhe beneath me. Her hands are in my hair, pulling and tugging. I never would have thought that would turn me on, but I'm hard once again. I make my way to the apex of her thighs, and I massage them as I start kissing her wet lips. She lets out a moan as I draw my tongue up her slit, stopping at her clit, flicking my tongue making it hard. I pull it into my mouth softly nibbling it then holding it between my teeth and tongue. As I let go and start to massage it, her body goes wild, moving and bucking. I can't take this anymore, I have to have her. I slowly crawl up her body, resting my weight on my forearms taking her mouth with mine. Our tongues dance and twist to the music playing in the background, and her nails now clawing down my back. I place my cock at her entrance and slowly push into her as she grips my biceps with her nails digging deep, and God it makes my cock throb.

  We move in unison as I thrust into her. I take her face in my hands and her mouth with mine as I groan into our kiss. I feel out of control, my body taking over without thought. Gripping her hips, I roll and placing Nicole on top of me. She sits up and I take her hips and start to move them.

  "Ride me, baby, move to what feels good for you." I stick my thumb into my mouth getting it wet and place it on her clit as I start to massage it. Her hips start to circle and move as I feel her legs start to tremble. She throws her head back as there is a constant moan escaping her open mouth.

  "Oh, Richard, oh God!" I feel her core clenching down on me and I feel the tingling in my balls as they tighten up. I look at her and know that I am the one that is putting that look of ecstasy on her face.

  "Oh, oh, oh God, oh yes, God yes.” She lets out a scream as I growl my release. She continues to thrust down on me as I reach my climax continue and then falls on my chest. I wrap my arms around her as we both drift off.

  The park is flooded with children and onlookers, and the fountain is crowded with children of all ages, even a few adults running through the burst of water to cool down from the hot day's sun. We brought the kids downtown to Portland for the day so Sophia could get some much-needed rest. Nicole is watching Skylar, and I'm watching Talon just in case they get split up. Although that's not very likely since Talon doesn't let Skylar out of hands reach. He is such a good big brother. I hope he stays that way after Sophia's passing.

  Sophia still hasn't said she is ready to move in with Nicole, but I know the time is shortly coming.

  Once the kids are finished playing in the fountain we walk to the Saturday market and get them something to eat from one of the many food carts in the city. It doesn't take long for the kids to get sleepy. It's hard to remember that they are two and three. I lift Skylar up to carry her back to the car. She lays her head on my shoulder and within minutes, I can hear the soft murmurs of her snoring. From the looks of Talon, he won't be too far behind her once we put him into his car seat.

  We climb into the Rover and I say, "I had fun today.” Nicole is quiet, offering no reply. I look over and notice a sadness in her demeanor. I take her hand in mine, entwining our fingers. “Hey what's wrong?"

  "Sophia told me that the adoption papers are being drawn and that she has already met with the adoptive parents." A tear slides down her cheek. "Oh, Richard, I love them. I'm going to miss them, not to mention Sophia." She opens the glove box and pulls out a tissue to wipe away her tears.

  "I know, I've tried not to think about it, but I know when the time comes, I'll be devastated too. A month ago, I never would have guessed that I would be so in love with two little humans as I am with them. I'm sure that Ben has checked them out thoroughly before he okayed the adoption. Has she said anything about them?"

  "Not a lot, just that they are wonderful with the children and that the children love them too. Evidently, they have taken the children to a few places to see how they would interact together."

  I pull her hand to my lips, "I'm sorry, honey, I wish I knew what to say to make it better, but there isn't anything I can say. This is just a shitty situation, but we'll make it through this, okay?"

  She nods as she wipes more tears away.

  "Come on, we're almost to their home, you don't want them to think you're sad." I squeeze her hand until she glances up at me. "We'll get through this okay?"

  "Okay," she whispers.

  She pulls down her visor and smoothes out her makeup, wiping the smeared mascara out from under her eyes.

  We carry the babies into the house and lay them on the bed. I know exactly what Nicole is feeling, it's almost a sense of loss, the feeling of your heart being ripped open and your stomach twisting in knots. It stirs memories of my parents’ death. I can see this could be a problem. Nicole and I give them a kiss on the head and cover them up. Sophia still looks like she could sleep for another twelve hours.

  "How are you feeling? Were you able to get some sleep?"

  "Yes, I did, thank you for watching the children today. I got the pictures you sent to my phone. It looks like everyone had a great time.”

  I look at the kitchen table and see she's putting together a scrapbook.

  "Are you doing one for each of the children?"

  "Yes, I don't have much for the baby, but I've put down my thoughts and feelings for it and I do have a couple ultrasound photos in there."

  "That will be nice. Is there anything you need?" I ask

  "No, but thank you for today, it really felt good to sleep."

  "If you need anything or if you need more time to rest, just let us know, we will work something out,” I say.

  "Thank you both, I don't know what stopped you two on the beach that day, but you are both angels." She pulls both Nicole and me into a big hug." When she lets go, she has tears brimming her eyes.

  I look over to Nicole. "Are you ready, honey?"

  She nod then looks to Sophia. “Give me a call if you need anything, Sophia, and let me know when your next appointment is."

  "Okay, thank you both again."

  I pull the door open and with my hand on the small of Nicole's back, I guide her through the door and to the car.

  Nicole is quiet in the car as Lullaby by Nickelback comes on the radio. I think I'm going to lose it, m
y hands get sweaty and my breathing quickens, tears brim my eyes. I feel so broken, all the old emotions of my parents death comes crashing down on me. I glance over to Nicole and she looks up at me, her beautiful blue eyes glisten with unshed tears. I reach to turn the station, but her hand is on top of mine.

  "Don't, we need to talk about this," she whispers. "I want children, and I know we haven't talked about the future, but I want them with you. Watching you these last few weeks and the way you are with Skylar and Talon…" She shakes her head and the tears begin to fall. "I've never seen a man give so unselfishly of not only your time but of your heart for those children, and they aren't even your own. You're an amazing man, Richard."

  "I do love Talon and Skylar, but you have given yourself to them as well, even to the point of quitting your job."

  What the hell am I thinking? How could I even be thinking these kinds of thoughts, we've only been dating a few weeks. I know I love to be with her, but love, this can't be what I'm feeling, and it's too soon. Love takes time to grow, doesn't it? Fuck!

  We drive the rest of the way home in uncomfortable silence. I don' know if it's because I didn't tell her that I wanted children with her or maybe she wanted to hear me say I love her. Either way I fucked up, but I have to figure out what I'm feeling. I don't want to say something that could hurt her worse in the future.

  She's out of the Rover and in the house before I am out of my seat, and I feel like shit. I run my hands over my face and let out an exasperated breath before hauling my sorry ass into the house to talk to her.

  When I find her, she is throwing her things into her suitcase and zipping it up. "Where are you going?"

  "Back to my place."

  "Why?"

  "Does it really matter, you said ... or didn't say enough," her voice sounds angry and hurt.

  "Nicole, I'm forty years old, I've never had a relationship before, and I'm trying to learn as I go. I don't know what these feelings are, but I'm trying to figure that out. I don't want to tell you something that I'm not sure of myself. Can't you give me a little time?"