"But it's my fault she had the power to threaten blackmail in the first place…," I muttered. "I can't tell you how wonderful it felt, to have the support of your whole family, but…"
"Our family…"
"Okay, our family," I sighed, smiling back reluctantly. "But they gave up, you all did, just to protect me… To protect us," I added, when he shot me that look again.
"Libby… We gave her nothing." I fingered the paper Spencer had handed me before he'd slipped from the room and smiled.
"She bought up enough stock to have control, it's as simple as that. It's how business is done. We still hold enough to fight her tooth and nail at every step. I know her, sweetheart. She likes an easy life, and she just bought herself a whole fucking world of complicated." He leaned down and kissed me until I was wet and he was throbbing against me. "Besides, life often has a mind of its own."
"You're distracting me on purpose," I said weakly.
"I certainly hope so," he answered back. "Or I'm doing it wrong…"
"But you wanted the merger so much… you wanted… Mason… you wanted it… to be so strong…" I barely got the words out.
"And then I found something I wanted even more… right here."
He took my hand and led me out into the darkness. The sky was finally clear, the lake as smooth as glass. He stood behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist, his hands resting warmly on my belly. He tucked his face into my shoulder, close to my ear. "I want you, sweetheart. Just you… and this beautiful, peaceful place." He nuzzled closer and I could feel his delicious length pressing up against me.
"I lived to work… for too goddamned many years. I'm not making that same mistake this time." He sighed, leaning his head against mine. "Elaine and I never worked together, on any level, but it didn't help that I was gone so much. I think, in so many ways, things have turned out for the best." He turned me to face him. "I spent so much of my life wanting what I didn't have. Now I realize, it's all right here…
I love you, Libby. And I want us to always be a family." He ran one big thumb gently over my lips. "Even more than ever, now that you want it as much as I do…" He smiled sadly. "But I wanted children for years… and it never happened. There's always the chance… that it never will."
I stopped him with a kiss, tangling my hands in his hair. "I love you, forever, Jack. Babies… no babies. You've already given me more family than I ever dreamed of." I pulled his long, hard body against my softness, just listening to his heartbeat. I smiled to myself… as a surge of happiness rolled through me. These last two months… I blinked. Had it been that long?
"I know what you mean… About it all turning out for the best." I looked up. "I opened the envelope today… about my mother." I sighed. "There wasn't much… just that she's gone. Only a few months after she gave me up. I doubt I'll ever find out more. Who she really was, or why she gave me up…"
"Sweetheart," he put his warm lips against my forehead. "I'm so sorry… I'd hoped it would give you the answers."
I rested my head on his strong, broad chest. "In a funny way, I think it has…," I said. "My whole life I always thought she just didn't want me. That a baby… that I… was just a problem, and that she solved it by throwing me away…" I took a deep breath of the cool night air. "But it's almost like she never even had a life of her own at all. She rented a little apartment for a few years, but then there was no record at all after she left." Jack's hands stroked my back in long, soothing motions as he listened. "She died… when she was still so young…
All those years I blamed her, for not loving me… for not wanting me. But who was there for her? She wasn't married, and her parents were dead. She had nothing… no one…" I turned my face up to Jack's loving gaze. "Maybe I'll never fully understand. But I have something I never had before, in my whole life…"
"What, sweetheart?"
"Freedom," I said softly, as tears filled my eyes. "Because I feel like I can finally forgive her… even if I never do find out what really happened. It all had so much power over me, since I was just a little girl. Now, somehow it just doesn't anymore..."
I sniffed as he wiped my cheeks tenderly. "Her choices don't have to be mine. And I'm not alone anymore…"
He wrapped me in the strength of his arms and held me tight. "And you never will be, Libby. As long as there's breath in my body, I swear to you. I will love you my whole life. And you will never, ever be alone again."
He undressed me with aching slowness, kissing every tender spot as he went. I was frantic with need by the time his mouth touched the hollow of my throat. My shirt… my bra… he dropped them, forgotten on the floor, in his search for my skin.
His lips trailed between my breasts and the stubble on his jaw raked against my swollen nipples. He kissed a path along my belly as he slipped jeans and panties down… Only for a moment did he take his warm hands away. I watched, holding my breath as he stripped, the silver moonlight coming through the windows, reflecting off his sculpted body… I stood, spellbound by his perfection… Then I was in his arms, and he was flesh and blood again. Hard and hot with a need I shared. He lifted me onto our bed and covered me with his body.
"I want you…," he rasped out the words in my ear, his heavy cock drawing a line of moisture up the inside of my thigh.
"You have me," I gasped back. "I'm all yours…"
‘Delicious… sweet… sweetheart…" He ran his lips down my body, taking the time to taste me with his tongue, explore the curves of my breasts… the hollow of my navel. By the time he reached my mound, he had my legs spread wide and his eyes were sparkling with lust and delight. "All mine," he growled. "To take as I please… to taste as I please…"
He took me with his mouth, the first touch of his tongue arching my body He lapped and teased, drinking me in. I was soaked in wetness, and yet it only fed the flames. He eased two long fingers into me and my need turned into a wildfire…
"God… Jack… oh, please…" I was begging now. "I need you to…"
"What, sweetheart?" he asked, his breath hot against my swollen lips. "Tell me what it is you need…"
"You know," I gasped back. I could feel his mouth poised just over me and tried to push myself closer…
"Tell me," he teased. "I want to hear you tell me." He flicked the tip of his tongue against me and the shock hit me like lightening.
"I want you inside me," I begged. "I want your cock so deep inside me…"
I heard his breath catch in his chest and in the next second he was on top of me, inside me, buried in one deep thrust. He pushed my thighs apart, holding my knees as my heels gripped his ass. He'd never been deeper and my body held him there. I was tight around his thick, hard shaft. Our bodies tense, on the verge of climax, he looked into my eyes. "You are mine," he said, pushing the head of his cock further, stretching me to the limit.
"I'm yours," I gasped, my breath coming in quick, tiny puffs. He pushed a little more and I clutched at his chest. "Take me… oh god, take me… fuck me…"
The single word unleashed us both. He drove inside me with long, powerful strokes, building to a climax that hit us both at once. We shattered into a thousand pieces, the waves of combined orgasm pounding our bodies until we flew apart… and then came back together again into one greater whole. I was Jack, and Jack was me. There was no more separation.
There was only us.
47
Jack
I stretched in the cool sheets, reaching beside me for Libby's delicious softness. The bed was empty beside me, her pillow still warm. I heard her movements across the hall in the bathroom, the toilet flush. I slipped my hands behind my head and sighed deeply, waiting for my wife to come back to bed. In spite of the uncertain future with Mason, I was content in a way I'd never been before. All the empty places in my life that, for so many years I had filled with work, suddenly weren't empty anymore. I had a life now, with the woman I loved. No matter what the future held, it would be bright and filled with promise.
"Penny fo
r your thoughts…," she said, seductively, curling one naked thigh around the doorway. She peered around the wooden molding, with a secret smile on her lips. "Me, I'm hoping…"
"You, always…," I answered back, enjoying her playfulness. She shifted so that one heavy breast popped into view.
I pushed the blankets back to expose the effect she was having. My cock was swaying, already at full attention. Her eyes shined, the color more intense than ever. She put her hands up to push her hair back, letting both breasts come into view, swaying as she took her sweet time walking to the bed. It was a game, I realized, smiling in anticipation. One, from the look on her face, we were both going to win…
"I have a surprise for you," she purred, as my heart pounded. She stood at my feet, leaning forward to run her fingers up the insides of my thighs. Her nipples dragged my skin as she crawled up between my legs. She stopped just short of touching me. My balls were tight, cock swaying… waiting…
"A present," she said easily. Then she leaned forward to lick my huge, dark head. One single lick that held me prisoner. "Do you want it…?" she asked wickedly, smiling at my torture. "Or should I make you wait?"
Already halfway there, it was a no-brainer. Fuck, this was a side of her I'd never seen. And I more than wanted it…
"Come here," I growled impatiently, reaching for her hips. She smiled slyly, taking her time, letting her curves shift with her movements. My sweet girl had become a fucking temptress…
She spread her legs, straddling my hips. Then she took my ready cock in her hands and slowly… achingly slowly inched her body down my shaft, taking me into her soft, slick heat. The smile never left her face, but she bit into her bottom lip as her clit reached the base of my cock. She rested her weight on me, pushing me in to the hilt, riding me in slow, rhythmic circles. Her eyes never left mine. She knew exactly what she was doing…
"Tell me what you want," she demanded, her body undulating as she worked her hips. Her breasts rose and fell, huge beautiful globes. She licked her lips. ‘What is it you need?"
"You," I gasped out harshly. "My god, Libby. I fucking need you…"
She leaned down and her breasts splayed deliciously over my face. My rock-hard cock went even harder. "But that's not my present," she whispered in my ear. She sat back up and shined with utter satisfaction.
"This is," she said, taking my hands and placing them on her luscious, round little belly… I felt my jaw drop as I locked my eyes with hers, searching her face. She nodded and a sweet tear rolled down her lovely face. "I love you Jack…
Both of us do."
I held my wife, my family, tight in my arms. Libby had fallen asleep, exhausted by the power of our climax. But I'd held her close, safe until she started to stir. I never wanted to let her go.
She opened her eyes, stretching against me, her head on my chest. "I think you liked your surprise," she said, laughing lightly. "It certainly felt like you did."
"Are you sure, sweetheart? You took another test?"
"I took four," she laughed again and rested her chin on my shoulder so she could look up at me. "This morning." She shook her head. "I don't know how I missed all the signs. There was so much happening… I just never put all the pieces together." I pushed her curls out of her eyes, love flooding through me. "We should see the doctor…," I began. "To be sure?"
"We already have an appointment on Monday," she said, tipping her head to the side as she watched me. "I thought maybe there was something they could do… so I could get pregnant sooner." Her face glowed with happiness. "But it's going to be our first prenatal visit, just like it was supposed to be all along."
"A baby…" It was strange how the word felt on my lips, after all those years of waiting… of wanting. "A baby of our own." I put my hand on her belly, carefully, as if she could break. "He's in there, right now… tiny and growing. A tiny, perfect point of love…" My voice broke as emotion threatened to overwhelm me.
"She's here," Libby replied evenly, pressing my hand down firmly. Her eyes twinkled as she teased me. "She's right here, where Mommy and Daddy can keep her safe and warm."
I exhaled in long, slow satisfaction, glancing out the window over the water. The sun was already high in the sky. I smiled, refolding Spencer's note, slipping it carefully back into my pocket. No matter what else the man had done… I owed him…
"I can't, really," Libby pushed her plate back. "Eating for two is just an expression, Jack. Seriously, I can't."
She'd had three pancakes and two slices of bacon. I gave in reluctantly, but pushed her glass of juice a little closer.
"What would you like to do, sweetheart? We have all day. We can do anything, go anywhere…" I stopped myself short. "What do people do when they find out they're going to be parents?" I asked, blankly. "Is it too early to buy a crib?"
She laughed, taking my hand in hers. I gripped her fingers. My beautiful girl… She was so fucking strong… So much stronger than me.
"We live our lives," she said wisely. "We let nature take its course." She kissed me, smoothing my hair. "I want to walk around the lake… maybe swim, if it's still warm enough. And I want to begin a new sculpture in the studio," she said, eagerly. "I feel like I'm bursting with inspiration… there's so much inside me."
"So much, indeed," I said purposefully, pulling her close, her belly curving gently into mine. "But I almost forgot. You're not the only one with surprises." I took her hand, leading her out to the studio. I could feel her excitement starting to build, and a sudden awareness struck me. Of all the years we had ahead of us, the enjoyment of a thousand gifts yet to come. How I would enjoy spending my life giving her everything I could…
I led her in, my hands over her eyes, remembering her pleasure the first time I'd shown her the studio. It was there, just as I'd arranged, on a round table in the center of the room and covered with a white cloth. I walked her close, placed her hands on the table. I stood behind her, a hand around her waist. "What, Jack? Tell me…"
I took my hand away from her eyes. She turned back to look at me, her eyes huge. "My sculpture?"
I nodded. "I took some liberties," I said. "I didn't think you'd mind…"
She pulled the cloth away and our breath caught in unison. "Oh my god… Jack…" She reached out, running her hands delicately over the surface… love in her touch…
"You had it cast in bronze," she breathed, circling the table, exploring with her fingers. "The piece I finished on our honeymoon… It's beautiful. My god, Jack… no one's ever done anything like this for me…"
I ran my fingers across her cheek. "It's only the beginning, sweetheart.
Our family has connections… in the art world." I smiled as her eyes grew wider. "And yours is a talent that deserves to be seen. I just made sure it was seen by the right people." Her mouth opened, then closed. She ran a loving finger over the shape of the baby's tiny head, curled against its mother's breast. She turned brilliant, loving eyes up to me as I caressed her.
"I had all the other completed pieces cast as well…," I told her, feeling a swell of pride in her accomplishment. "You have two galleries in New York that have already offered invitations to exhibit… one in London…
It's all you, Libby. I sent photographs, but I didn't pull any strings… Hell, you didn't need me to.
Your work stands all on its own."
"She's going to have her mother's green eyes," I said softly. "At least I hope that she does… She'll be beautiful, just like you…"
We'd walked for hours in the sand, holding hands and imagining our child. In our private little cove, I had lifted her skirts and wrapped her legs up around my waist, filling her again, taking our time… I'd held her, rocking her precious body into mine until we'd spent ourselves completely. We ended our day in her studio, with me watching her hands work their magic. I could watch her work forever…
"My mother had green eyes too…," she said softly. "Dark hair, like mine." She wiped her hands clean and smiled across to me. "It was on the certifi
cate from the hospital… when she died. It would have been nice to know more… so I could tell our children about their grandmother one day." She reached her hands out to me.
"It might not be over, sweetheart." I took her hands and held them to my chest. "We can hire someone to look even deeper…"
She shook her head. "I already know the things that matter. And I've found some peace with it," she said. "I believe Dorothy did the best she could… I just wish I could have known her. Who she really was… what made her laugh." She put her hand up to brush the hair off my forehead.
"I wish she could have met you… and our baby. So she wouldn't have been alone anymore. And I wish I could have told her that she'd done the right thing, giving me up. That I could have… that I would have loved her anyway…"
We headed back to the house in silence, greeted by Moki's happy barks. She danced circles around our legs, reminding us it was past her dinnertime. I filled her bowl and left her content in the kitchen. Libby was on the sofa, her cell phone in her hand. For a moment, I was afraid something was wrong…
"It's the nurse from the hospital…," she began. "I missed the call, but she left a message…" She was pale, but her eyes were shining with excitement as she listened…
"She has something to give me," she whispered. "She's kept it for all these years…" She dropped the phone from her ear and looked at me, eyes wide and mouth open.
"The day my mother died… she left me a letter…"
48
Libby
"Please… come in." I opened the door and blinked, startled for a moment. "Mrs. Granger… please…" I stepped out of the way to let them pass. She was older than she'd sounded on the phone, with thin, papery skin. But her eyes were bright and clear.
The Baby Contract Page 17
