This Time, Baby: BWWM Interracial Romance (A Bundle of Joy Book 5)

by Roxy Wilson

  Groaning, he pushed his hand through her hair and together, they lay on the grass. There was no time to go inside. There was only this senseless, all-consuming need that broke all resistance.

  Tasha didn’t care. The bedroom was too far away for what she had in mind.

  Clothes came off in a flurry of movements. Hurry, hurry, hurry! She wanted to scream, but Tasha merely squirmed under him. Blades of grass rubbed against her naked body, but she didn’t care. It only added to the desperate desire that clung to her. When he took her nipple in his mouth, her body arched. Her fingers clutched his hair. His tongue flickered over the taut bud, sucking and caressing, until she writhed under him. When his mouth moved to pay homage to the other nipple, she panted. Her hands moved over his broad, muscled back and her nails dug in.

  Pushing his head between her breasts, he inhaled her scent deeply. His tongue licked the valley between her breasts and her stomach. She wanted to die with the sheer pleasure of it. Moisture leaked through her center, coating her thighs. She couldn’t wait a single second. Reaching down, she grabbed his erection, her fingers gentle as she rubbed the smooth shaft.

  It was his turn to groan. His eyes glazed over.

  She flicked her thumb over the tip and watched him as he moaned out her name.

  His knee nudged her legs apart. Letting go, she allowed him to mount her. For a second, his hand rested on her belly that was barely beginning to show and then he bore down. His length pushed against her center for a moment as he braced himself and then slowly he stroked inside.

  “Faster.” she urged.

  Obeying her command, he pushed deep until she moaned as a millions tendrils of pleasure spread through her body. Her breath caught in her throat as she bucked under him, meeting him stroke for stroke, as he invoked feelings she didn’t know were possible. Her heart kept pounding so loudly that she thought he must be able to hear it. Her fingers rested on his shoulders, clutching him for support, her hips moving in a piston-like movement to aid their cause. Wrapping her legs around him, she pushed and pulled, every inch of her body devoted to the passion swelling inside her like a fierce storm.

  Tasha raced up the steep cliff, her breasts heaving as the need for release built deep in her gut. For a few precious moments, she teetered on the cliff, and then fell fast into the abyss below. A short scream burst out of her mouth as the orgasm swelled and crested within each and every muscle. Her toes curled.

  When the storm rested, her lips parted as a sigh escaped her. But the relief was short-lived. As he urged her again to join him in the fast ride, his hips moving over hers, she found herself swaying on the steep slope again. A wave whipped in her gut and she moved with all the energy she could muster.

  She wanted to experience the sweet pleasure again. The second orgasm took her by surprise.

  A moment later, he muttered her name and spilled his seed inside her. Heath collapsed, but even in this moment of weakness, he had enough sense not to put his entire weight on her. Instead, he rested his elbows on the grass, so he was in no danger of hurting her.

  For a few minutes, they didn’t say anything, both of them too breathless to speak.

  He rolled off her. “I knew it was great between us the first time, but I had forgotten that it was this amazing.”

  Tasha couldn’t agree more, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she rested her hand on his chest, enjoying the way his heart drummed under her fingers.

  Everything just seemed, in a word, perfect.

  She didn’t know why she fought her desire for so long. Now, since she’d gotten a taste of him again, she wasn’t willing to let go. He was her man—she knew and accepted the fact with an open heart.

  It was getting cooler by the minute, so they picked up their clothes and moved inside.

  Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Tasha escaped to the bathroom. What did one say to a man after making love in such a wild, unplanned and fierce manner? It was even better than the last time they made love. Tasha assumed she’d built that night up too much in her head because of the alcohol she consumed, but the reality was even better than the memory. Lust wasn’t the sole reason for her decision, although certainly, it was a factor. She loved Heath. Tasha wasn’t as sure of anything else as she was of this fact.

  Now, how best to disclose her feelings to him? Should she just blurt it out? Or perhaps, wait for a better time? Tasha didn’t think she had the nerve to say it so soon. Maybe she should look for a more opportune moment? Perhaps such a confession might go down better after a romantic meal. She would hold on this little nugget of information for a little while longer.

  When she came out, Heath was switching off the lights in the living room. “Given the circumstances, I thought you might want to share my bed.”

  She laughed. His comical expression was enough to put her back at ease. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  It felt so nice to cuddle up next to him and feel his warm body against hers while she burrowed under the covers. Tasha thought she might remain awake for some time given the strange situation, but her eyes closed the moment she hit the bed, and she was lost in her dreams.

  Around six in the morning, she woke to find the bed empty. Knowing that farm routine was different and he might be at work already, she got out, showered, and changed. Much to her delight, he’d left breakfast for her on the kitchen counter. A single rose bloomed in the glass vase that lay along with the muffins and tea.

  Wow, something she could easily get used to. After breakfast, Tasha strolled into the office. She spent four more hours working on the papers and had a rough draft of the documents he needed immediately for his land deal. Since it was nearly lunchtime, Tasha decided to walk over to the farm and see what he was up to. Did he want to grab lunch with her? Or was she on her own?

  Stepping out, she inhaled the sharp smell of horses, hay, and earth hitting her nostrils. It was refreshing to be out in the open air. Although she liked living in the city, Tasha thought she might enjoy staying on a farm. Not that Heath asked me to move in! She laughed at her own idiocy. How could she plan so much in advance when they didn’t even discuss their future once?

  The thing was it just seemed easy to imagine her life with Heath and their child. The commute to her office would hardly be forty-five minutes, especially if she invested in a car. It would be great for her baby to grow up in this environment. She would like that. As she neared the stables, Tasha kept a sharp lookout for Heath. He was nowhere to be seen. She could see the farm was thriving. The horses she saw were beautifully groomed, looked healthy, and seemed to be well-fed. In one field, there were riding lessons going on. She made a point to ask Heath if she could learn to ride a horse after the baby was born.

  As she neared the end of the stables, Tasha caught sight of Heath as he walked with a woman on an empty field. He was holding her hand. Tasha watched as he bent to kiss her on the cheek. The kiss was innocent enough and didn’t raise any suspicion. Then the woman reached out and clung to him. What the hell is going on here? The way the woman’s fingers moved to his cheek, Tasha could tell they were intimate. Who is she?

  Molten rock hit her square in the chest. “Excuse me. Who’s that with Heath?” she asked a stable hand who was passing by. “I wouldn’t want to intrude if that’s a client,”

  He spared a glance at the couple. “That’s the missus.”

  “Missus?”

  “Yeah. Heath’s wife.” He strolled away.

  Tasha stood rooted to the spot. Her breath hitched in her throat as she fought for air. Could Heath have lied to her about the status of his marriage? Wasn’t he divorced? She didn’t do any background check on him either on her own, or by pumping their mutual friend, Emily, for information because like an idiot, she believed him.

  Then if he were still married, why wasn’t his wife living with him? Is it possible that she went away for a weekend? Or perhaps they were separated but not divorced? From the way he put his arm around her companionably as they strolled abou
t, she could tell their relationship wasn’t over.

  Yeah, like a fool, she gave her heart to man who didn’t have any intention of returning the favor. Tears sprang to her eyes as she fled back to the house, unmindful of her present condition, yet eager to get away before she made a fool of herself. Her earlier estimation about Heath was most accurate—a cad. Now, she didn’t have any intention of seeing him again.

  Chapter Ten

  Heath wasn’t sure why Tasha disappeared without a word. His elation at having found the woman he could imagine spending the rest of his life with faded when he came back to the house around lunchtime and found no sign of her. A note awaited him on top of a pile of neat papers in the kitchen.

  “Hi!

  I’ve finished the draft that you can submit for the land deal. Something came up and I have to go back. Took the relevant papers with me and will courier them once I’m done.

  Thank you for your hospitality.

  Tasha.”

  Further investigation showed she called a cab about an hour before he walked into the house. Couldn’t she at least have the decency to call him? Damn! The woman twisted him into knots. He’d believed their lovemaking meant something to her. But the way she deserted him, it clearly showed it’d been more a night of passion than love.

  Was he always destined to fall in love with women who broke his heart?

  Tasha seemed different, or so he believed, but apparently, she was no better.

  When his calls went unanswered, Heath planned a visit the next day. Unfortunately, one of his stable hands broke his leg while climbing up a tree to rescue a stuck cat and he spent most of the next two days in the hospital with the poor guy who didn’t have a family. Three days later, finally free of his other obligations, he made his way over to Tasha’s apartment. Heath was determined to sort out this matter once and for all.

  After pressing the bell a number of times and not getting a response, Heath considered his next move. Was she deliberately ignoring him? Or, was she still at work? He pressed the bell of the next door neighbor. “Sorry to disturb you, ma’am,” he said to the elderly lady who opened it. “But I’m looking for Tasha. Do you know when she would be back?”

  “She went to visit her mother. Might be back next week.”

  “Thank you.” Heath wasn’t sure how he should react to the news. The fact that she left the city without telling him anything didn’t bode well for the future of their relationship. When she was with him, she didn’t mention anything about a planned visit. Was it because she didn’t consider him important enough to share her plans with him? Or, because she decided to travel on the spur of the moment? If she didn’t want a relationship, why did she sleep with him? He could still remember the way her arms curved around his waist when they spooned against each other all night. She wasn’t faking her affection for him. Plus, the passion she showed wasn’t a figment of his imagination. So then, why was she blowing so hot and cold?

  Is it a game?

  He didn’t think she was the kind of a woman who enjoyed playing with a man’s feelings. He’d never expected such behavior from her. So perhaps he’d been mistaken about everything. Maybe this had all been just a way for her to pass the time until the baby was born. If that was the case, what was he going to do about it? Heath didn’t want to mourn over a woman who could dismiss him so summarily after a wild night of lovemaking.

  Perhaps it was time to forget her.

  Nevertheless, try as he did, Heath couldn’t erase thoughts of her from his mind. At nights, he tossed and turned restlessly as he dreamt about her and during the day, he was lost and distracted. Even his employees began to wonder if he wasn’t feeling well.

  “Boss, you might want to take a day off,” his assistant manager suggested when Heath forgot about an important meeting with a potential client who was interested in buying two horses.

  “I’m fine. It was—a mistake.”

  His assistant manager chewed his bottom lip. “It’s just that everyone is talking and—”

  “What is it?” Heath snapped. Contrite, he rubbed a hand on his forehead. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ve been a little stressed out. You know what? I’m going to take your advice and take the rest of the day off.”

  “Great. There’s a new movie that was released this Friday. You might want to catch a show.”

  “Thanks, but I have plans.” After locking his office, Heath took out his car and drove into the city. He last visited Tasha’s apartment several days ago. Surely, she was back by now. If not, he intended to leave a note for her. When he reached her place, Heath parked the car and took the elevator. Ringing the doorbell and knocking on the wooden door produced no results.

  “Damn it!” He patted his pockets to see if he brought something to write on. As he considered ringing the bell of the elderly lady again, Tasha appeared from the elevator that pinged open.

  Heath wasn’t sure which one of them was more surprised to see the other. “Hi.”

  She sniffed, dug into her purse, and took out the keys. “I’m glad you dropped by, Heath. I’ve got your papers ready.”

  He followed her inside. “Which papers?”

  “The accounting papers. I’m sorry it took so long but I had to visit my mother a little unexpectedly. I also told her about the baby and she’s very excited.”

  He tried to read her expression to see where this was going. Should he ask her why she left so abruptly that day? Or…would it make him seem like a whinny, desperate man?

  Picking up a large brown, envelope, she handed it over. “Here it is. Good luck.”

  He took it from his hand. “Thanks. I was wondering—”

  “Heath, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve got to go somewhere else.” She pushed her fingers through her hair. “There’s barely enough time for me to get ready.”

  Was it a date? He gulped down the curse that sprang to his lips. “I’ll get out of your way then.”

  “There’s a doctor’s appointment next week, that is, if you’re still interested.”

  If I’m still interested? What’s that supposed to mean? “Of course.” He didn’t know why she would adopt such a skeptical tone, but before he could ask anything else, she ushered him out of the apartment and closed the door. For a few minutes, he stood still and stared at the door. He really wanted to ring the bell again and demand an explanation for her odd behavior. Why is she acting so distant?

  Did that night mean nothing to her?

  Anger and hurt rose in equal measure inside his heart, but Heath swallowed his feelings. Instead, he returned to his farm and spent the next week mentally preparing himself to see her again. He ‘d grown tired of this constant yoyo of their relationship. He was going to flat out ask her why she slept with him if she didn’t intend to be with him. Permanently. Then once he was sure she’d been toying with his feelings, he would keep their relationship on an even keel.

  A week later, Heath sat by her side as the doctor checked her pressure and pulse. “Everything is progressing quite smoothly. Up until now, there are no issues that we need to worry about.”

  Heath felt relieved the baby was doing well. Tasha was obviously showing now, and the cute tummy only added to her appeal. He’d never seen a more gorgeous pregnant lady. Desire raised its head but he curbed it. He’d gone down this path enough times and it only resulted in heartbreak.

  When they left the hospital together, Heath marshaled his thoughts. Why was he going ahead with this? She was clearly not interested in him. Their nights together were obviously a mistake as far as she was concerned, but Heath couldn’t leave the thought alone. He wanted an explanation.

  His heart yearned for one.

  “May we can talk over a cup of coffee or tea?” he suggested.

  “I have to go somewhere else,” she replied in a clipped tone.

  Disappointed, he shifted from foot to foot. How could he have believed he loved this cold, emotionless woman? She wasn’t capable of any deep feelings. He was wasting his time.
But he couldn’t leave it alone. “Why are you blowing me off as if that night didn’t mean anything?”

  She hailed a cab. “That’s because it didn’t mean anything.” The cab slid to a stop, and she opened the door, and sat inside.

  His temper got the better of him, and Heath grabbed the door before she could slam it shut. “You’re a cold one, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe,” she admitted. “But in my opinion, it’s better to be cold than to be a lying and cheating son of a bitch.” Yanking the door hard, she managed to shut it.

  The cab zoomed off while Heath stared at it. What the hell did she mean by that? Did she just accuse him of cheating on her? And why? He didn’t do anything. Heath cast his mind back to the night they spent together. What happened the next day? He didn’t even meet her. Although he’d planned to have lunch with her, she wasn’t in the house when he arrived. How could he have cheated on her? The only strange thing that happened that day, apart from Tasha’s abrupt departure, was the arrival of his ex-wife. She came to deliver some important news.

  Comprehension dawned slowly. Heath smiled as he realized the true reason why she was upset with him. Now he felt convinced Tasha loved him. It was the only explanation for her behavior. His heart swelled with happiness and he whistled as he made his way to her apartment to confront her once more. This time she wouldn’t be able to push him away.

  First, though, he had a stop to make.

  After that, he would be ready to sit down and have a final talk with the woman who meant the world to him.

  Chapter Eleven

  Simmering with anger, Tasha slammed her apartment door shut and strode inside. She put her purse on the living room couch and flopped down. Heath’s ability to make it seem as if she’d been the one who’d been acting in a rash and silly manner was infuriating. How dare he accuse her of being cold? What is a woman supposed to do when she discovered that the man she loved betrayed her with another woman? Or rather, he didn’t have any intention of being honest with her. When was he planning to tell her he wasn’t divorced? Was it after the baby was born when his wife tagged along to see his offspring?