by J. K Harper
My hands drifted from the wood to his waist, curling around him possessively, tugging him even closer still.
He stopped, lips breaking away from mine, eyes burning into me with questions.
The world came back into focus with startling clarity. It’s him. He grounds me, yet still manages to send me flying.
He loves me. I can see it in his eyes.
Did I love him?
I could. Maybe…I did. I knew I’d never felt happier than when I was with him.
“Are you going to be my new daddy?”
Only Jack’s arm around my waist kept my knees from buckling. How much had Lizzie seen? Enough to be asking the question, that’s for sure.
My daughter stared up at us, innocent hope in her eyes.
Everyone was looking at us, not an ounce of pity on any of their faces. Intrigue, a little surprise, and a whole lot of grinning.
Looping the end of her plait around my finger, I gave it a little tug, buying time while my mind raced.
“What do you think?” Jack’s voice was a low whisper in my ear, which was completely useless, since shifters had supersonic hearing. Or something like that.
Yes! my heart screamed.
A smile spread over his face as he read my answer in my eyes.
“Uh…Lizzie…” I started. How the hell was I meant to explain this to a five-year-old?
Maybe you should have thought about that before getting all hot and heavy with Jack in the corner?
I gave my conscience a jab, shoving it back in it’s place.
Lizzie turned her full attention on me, giving me her best I-might-be-five-but-you’d-better-listen look. “Is Doctor Jack going to be the new baby’s daddy, too?”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Shit.
Chapter 18
Gina
They’re staring at me.
Everyone is staring.
I can feel it, pressing against me. Pity. Maybe some horror. The past isn’t finished, it isn’t over. Gina is still living it. I can hear them, their thoughts piercing the air and driving straight into my skull.
My chest hurts.
His arm is still around my waist, still holding me tight. He hasn’t let go.
I peel my eyes open and chance a look at him.
Shadows hide whatever he’s thinking, the green murky and confusing.
But he hasn’t let go.
What is he thinking?
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
Lizzie is still looking at me, then Jack, then back at me.
How did she know about the baby?
A tremble works its way up my legs as I meet the stares.
“I would be honored, Lizzie.”
Jack’s voice is shocking in the silence, his deep baritone ringing clear and strong.
What?
“But, I think this conversation is best continued without an audience.” His words were for the room, but meant for me.
Gentle hands steered me out of the room, up the stairs, and along the hallway.
“Which one is yours?”
“My what?”
“Bedroom.”
“Oh.” He was taking me to my bedroom. Did he think I needed to lie down? Was I that pale? Or was I being sent to my room for bad behavior? An inappropriate snicker escaped at the thought of what kind of punishment he might dish out. I’m losing it!
He raised his eyebrows in question, eyeing me carefully.
“Sorry,” I muttered, crossing the hallway to my room and pushing the door open. I took a seat in the only chair, set just in front of the dresser, and folded my hands on my lap.
They were shaking. I twined my fingers together, willing them to stop. I was numb. In an emotional void. I’d opened up and reached for him, and now it was to be snatched away.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
There it was—the accusation. The beginning of the end.
I didn’t answer, what could I say? I was going to? I meant to?
“It’s true, then?”
I couldn’t look at him.
He took my answer as silence, his sigh echoing around the room. “Have you been looking after yourself?”
No. Why wasn’t he shouting? Getting angry? Threatening to hit something? I stared at my lap. The tremble was still there.
“Gina…look at me, dammit!”
There it was, the shouting. I looked up.
But it wasn’t anger that stared back at me, it was frustration. Jaw gritted and brow furrowed, his eyes burrowed into me, searching out my secrets.
Still numb, floating on a cloud. Like before, in the past. Nothing can hurt me.
Three long strides and he was in front of me, kneeling at my feet. “Gina, don’t shut me out. Please!” His hand hovered near my cheek, as if he was scared I’d flinch away from him.
I’d lied to him; he should be the one flinching away.
His eyes pleaded with me, chipping away at my defenses.
My hands curled in my lap, thumb stroking my stomach back and forth. I’m proud of my past… My thumb froze.
The clock ticked, marking the seconds.
I leaned into his hand and the wall splintered. A sob tore its way out of my chest, forcing air out of my mouth until I was gasping, unable to stop.
Strong arms closed around me, pulling me to safety, rocking me gently as it poured out. Everything. The realization that to be proud of my past, I had to move on. Which meant forgiving myself.
Forgiving the naive nineteen-year-old who’d simply fallen for the wrong guy. She hadn’t meant to screw up her life. She’d fancied herself in love, that was all.
It wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t my fault.
I sucked in a breath, but the tears kept on coming, streaming down my cheeks like a broken tap. “I’m sorry…” I forced out around a hiccup.
“Shhh…you’ve got nothing to be sorry about.” He smoothed a hand over my back, handling me like fine porcelain china.
The clock ticked on.
The shudders softened, the hiccups fading as I leaned into his strength. This wonderful man who had done nothing but be there for me the whole time. Who’d seen things inside of me that I had hidden from myself. The need to become someone other than a victim; he’d given me a job. A purpose in life. The fear of trust; he’d encouraged me to talk and put myself out there, to take a chance on something new.
The baby I feared I couldn’t love, I now loved with all my heart.
Because he had healed me.
“How far along are we?” His voice rumbled through his chest and into my ear.
I pulled back. “What?”
Gesturing at my stomach, he continued to stroke a firm hand down my back. “The baby; how far along?”
“You said we.”
He winced, a sheepish expression stealing over his face. “Yeah, I know, you’re the one carrying it, but I still think it’s a we situation. After all…wait…are you saying no?” The color drained from his face, his hand coming to a stop between my shoulder blades.
“What? No, I’m not—”
“Oh, thank fuck. You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“—But, Jack? I don’t understand…you want the baby?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
I examined him carefully, looking for signs of recent head trauma. Nope. He looked clear. “Because it’s not yours.” And I lied to you, I added silently. Though it was a lie of omission, it was still a big, fat, stinking lie in my book.
“So? Lizzie isn’t mine either.”
“But, Lizzie’s here.” He wasn’t getting it. “It’s easy to love Lizzie because…well…she’s Lizzie.” My hands flew into the air in exasperation. “You don’t know this baby—”
“Neither do you,” he pointed out, sounding way too calm for my liking.
Or maybe I was the one freaking out. If so, I definitely was blaming it on the hormones. “Exactly.” I couldn’t say it out loud; what would he think?
His
eyes widened, then narrowed as he assessed my face, making me feel like I was being scrutinized under a magnifying glass. “Sweetheart, it’s okay if it took you a while to bond with the baby. It’s natural.”
Mouth dry, I stared at the wall. “No. It isn’t.”
A firm hand steered my eyes back to him. “I’m a doctor. Trust me, it is. Lots of women go through it, most not having gone through the hell you went through. You didn’t do anything wrong, it isn’t your fault you felt this way.”
Damn. I was pretty sure the tears were going to start leaking again.
“So…how far along are we?”
I didn’t deserve him. I gave myself a mental smack, adding a pep talk. No, remember? I deserve every happiness. “About four months.”
“You don’t know? Have you had a scan?”
Oops. “No.”
“We’ll take care of that first thing tomorrow. Pre-natal care?” His eyes nearly crossed when I shook my head. Blowing out a stream of air, he rolled his shoulders back, giving me a stern look. “You need to start looking after yourself, sweetheart, and our baby.”
Our baby … Giddiness bubbled up inside of me to the point I almost felt sick. “Is that the doctor speaking?”
“It’s your future mate speaking.”
“Oh!” Oh. Giddiness fizzled into heat, the bubbles popping and sparking inside my stomach.
He rushed on, mistaking my silence for uncertainty, “I know it hasn’t been long, sweetheart, and I know humans move slower, but I knew from the second I laid eyes on you that you were the woman for me.”
“You did?” I squeaked out.
“And then I got to know you and discovered how amazing you actually are. You’re strong, stronger than you realize. Kind and generous and loving. Oh, and a little bit funny.”
“A little bit?” Before I knew it, I’d smacked him on the arm.
But he just laughed it off, a smirk teasing the corner of his mouth. “Hey, have you heard that joke? About the bear, the human, and the wolf?”
Trying to keep a straight face, I answered, “No.”
“Along came another wolf, they all fell in love and lived happily ever after.”
“Your jokes suck.”
He clutched his chest, mock outrage painting his face. “I just told you I love you, and all you can do is insult me?”
“You—you love me?”
His green eyes burned with conviction. “I do. With every fiber of my being; heart, mind, and soul. Let me love you every day forever, Gina. Let me show you how beautiful it can be.”
Did I really want this? This huge, sexy, honorable man as my mate? Forever? “That sounds like a long time…”
He stiffened.
“Are you sure it’ll be long enough?” I winked at him.
“Minx,” he growled, relief clouding his eyes. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” I breathed, pressing closer. “Yes, yes, yes!”
He lowered his head, his lips millimeters from mine.
I held up a finger. “One thing…”
He paused, a pained expression on his face.
“I love you, too.”
“Thank fuck for that!” he growled, claiming my mouth in a way that left no room for doubt in my mind. He was the man for me.
Flesh bruised and teeth clashed, our desperation peeling away any veneer of civility we had left. Instinct roared inside of me, a chanting demand to be sated, to be taken and cherished in the most basic way—as a man should love a woman.
He broke off the kiss way too early for my liking, my hands tugging at his neck and trying to pull him back down. I wriggled fully onto his lap, neediness riding me.
“How long until dinner?” he growled.
Okay, I liked where his mind was going. Eyes flicking to the clock above the dresser, almost toppling us over in the process, I made a swift calculation. “Just over an hour.”
He groaned. “Nowhere near long enough for what I want, but it’ll have to do. Will Lizzie be okay without us?”
My heart melted. “Yes.” Then I was airborne, nestled against his chest as he strode to the bed.
“We need a bigger bed,” he grunted, laying me down carefully. “Hell, we need a house.”
“Where do you live?”
“In the apartment above the clinic at the moment.” His eyes were traveling the length of my body, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. “But I have a house in the forest, not too far from here. It needs some work though.”
A devilish glint lit his face.
My breath hitched at the sight of him looming over me, so sexy and hot…and mine.
“Should be no problem to get it fixed up in time for the little guy’s arrival.”
“Or girl,” I corrected.
“Either or, as long as the baby’s healthy.” He held a hand in the air, cutting me off like I’d done so many times to him in the past. “Now, I have a very serious question for you…”
Chapter 19
Jack
“Do you trust me?” I murmured.
“Yes.”
“Completely?”
An indignant toss of her hair. “Of course.”
“Good.” I kneeled down next to her on the bed, appreciation widening my smile as her breasts bounced and swayed.
“You have a one track mind,” she murmured, her eyes widening as I leaned over her.
“Yes. You.”
A sigh met my confession, her mouth reaching for mine, tongue tangling and dancing with a hint of desperation.
Sliding my hands down her arms to her stomach, I pushed up her sweater, tracing a lazy path to the edge of her bra. “Off.” Breaking away from her lush lips for a fraction of a second, I tugged it over her head and threw it away, onto the floor where it belonged.
Creamy flesh met black lace, her breasts swelling and spilling out of the delicate cups, a bounty demanding to be tasted. Sliding a finger under the edge, I tested her reaction.
Her stomach sucked in on a gasp, her pupils dilating with lust.
“I seem to remember saying I was hungry,” I mused, sliding the finger around the lace scalloped edge and tugging lightly.
“So you did.” It came out as a breathy whisper.
“Do I have permission to…eat?” I weighted each word, drawing them out until it was impossible to mistake my meaning.
Her tongue darted out, wetting her top lip. A nod.
Green light.
A flick of a button, the scrape of a zipper, and I peeled her jeans off, her ass wriggling in the air to help the cause.
Popping a couple of my own buttons, I tugged my shirt off, over my head, sending it to meet her sweater on the floor. Her soft sigh stroked my ego, but not as much as her body laid out before me stroked my cock. Voluminous curves hugged by black lace, creamy skin to fill my hands with, and long legs to wrap around my neck. My eyes zeroed in on her panties, the sheer fabric giving a hint of the deliciousness hiding beneath.
But I was getting ahead of myself.
Bracing myself above her, I lowered my head to her chest, laying feather light kisses up and across her neck, blowing warm air and sending goosebumps skating across her skin.
She shivered beneath me, her fingers twisting into the comforter.
“Close your eyes,” I instructed.
Her eyelids fluttered closed. No hesitation.
Licking a path across her collarbone, I found the mass of scars.
She flinched.
“Shhh.” I pressed a kiss to the hardened skin.
She stilled.
Coming down onto my elbow, I lowered my hips to the side, trailing a hand up her stomach and circling her belly button. Now I knew what to look for, it was obvious. The slight rounding, the curve as her hips prepared to spread. A firmness beneath the soft skin. Flattening my palm against her stomach, I pressed gently.
Our baby. To think that I’d even considered ending my long life ….
“Jack?”
“Sorry … distracted.” I f
lashed her a wry smile, forcing my hand to move away from our miracle. Sweeping my palm up her ribcage, I cupped her breast, the flesh spilling over. Lowering my head, I sucked the lace-covered nub into my mouth, tonguing the distended peak.
Her back arched off the bed, her eyes flying open.
I stopped. “Eyes closed.”
They clamped shut.
I moved to her other breast, sucking and teasing the nipple until it stood proud and erect like it’s twin, straining against the lace barrier.
“It unhooks at the front,” she mumbled.
A quick glance confirmed she hadn’t opened her eyes. “I like this bra.” A flick of a finger and her breasts spilled into my waiting hand, dusky pink nipples begging for more attention. I fell on them like a starving man, suckling and teasing until her moans reached fever point, her legs writhing on the bed, back arching, thrusting toward my mouth.
Reluctantly leaving her breasts, I rolled up onto my knees, straddling her lower legs. Kissing a path down her stomach, my hands crept lower and hooked into her panties, rolling them down with each swipe of my greedy tongue. Her scent filled my nose, rich and sweet and hot.
“Fuck, Gina…” I groaned, peeling them down her legs and unhooking them from her feet. “Still trust me completely?”
No hesitation. “Yes.”
“Thank fuck for that.” Picking her legs up, I pushed them wide, settling between them.
A tremor traveled through her thighs, but she didn’t move. Didn’t peek.
Spread out before me, her legs propped open, her core glistened with her sweet, sweet arousal. Dusky pink, a hint darker than her nipples, she beckoned to me. Taste. I leaned closer, drowning in her scent, letting it wrap around me and tugged at the the thick, heavy shaft straining between my legs.
I exhaled, settling down onto my stomach, my legs hanging off the bed and feet digging into the floor for purchase.
“Jack?” Uncertainty coated her voice.
“I think I’m going to be hungry 24-7.”
It was all the warning I gave her.
Chapter 20
Gina
Hot.
Wet.
Those were the words that flashed into my mind. Along with a scream. “Jack!” My hips bucked off the bed as his tongue delved deeper, curling a lazy path through my core.
