by Tia Siren
“Fuuuck,” she cried out, immediately bursting into an orgasm.
I groaned, throwing my head back and thrusting my hips upward, pulling and pushing my cock inside her. As her pussy overflowed and tightened hard on my shaft, I lost control, putting both hands on her waist and gripping down hard as I exploded inside her. I closed my eyes and let the waves wash over me, tightening my body until the last one had passed. I relaxed back down on the bed and shook my head, chuckling. That had been some fucking amazing sex.
Epilogue
7 Months Later
Cassie
I opened my eyes and groaned, feeling my bladder tingling again. I carefully pulled myself out of bed and up onto my feet, grabbing the bedpost with one hand and my big round belly with the other. I shuffled across the room and to the bathroom for the fourth time that night. It was getting harder and harder to get any sleep with the baby sitting on my bladder. When I got back to the room, I looked at the clock, which read one in the morning, and shook my head. I lay down and pulled the covers over me, sighing as I laid my head on the pillow. My eyes were only closed for a second when I felt a gush of water between my legs. I turned over and stood up, looking down at my wet pants. Suddenly another gush came, spilling out and running down my legs. My eyes grew wide, and I stood there for a second trying to get my bearings.
“Scott,” I whispered, trying to wake him up.
He groaned and shifted in his sleep.
“Scott,” I yelled.
“Huh?” he said, sitting straight up in bed. “What’s wrong, baby? You need something? Why is the bed wet?”
“Scott, my water broke,” I said, a slight panic in my voice.
Just then, pain waved through my body. It started at my back and moved around over my belly. I gasped, grabbing my stomach, feeling it tighten like a rock. The contraction was sudden and deep, and it was at that moment I realized the baby was coming that night. Scott’s eyes grew huge, and he ran over to my side, taking my hand.
“Is it a contraction?”
“Yeah.” I groaned, nodding my head.
“But we still have two days,” he said.
“Tell the baby that.”
“Right,” he said. “Stand right here. I’ll get our bags, put them in the car, and then I’ll come back and get you.
“Okay,” I said, still clenching hard.
As the contraction subsided, I took in a deep breath, realizing I was in for a rough night. I watched Scott run around the house as I walked over to the dresser and pulled out some clean pants. I waddled over to the bed and sat down, changing my clothes and pulling on socks one at a time. Scott came back in and looked at me, smiling as he bent down and put on my slippers. He helped me to my feet, and we got in the car, heading quickly toward the hospital.
I reached down and grabbed his hand, feeling another contraction coming on. They were way more intense than I had thought they would be, and I gritted my teeth and held my breath, squeezing his hand as hard as I could.
“Remember what the nurses told you,” he said calmly. “It’s hard, but use your breathing. It will help you get through the contractions.”
“Right,” I said breathlessly as I nodded my head.
I started to breathe in rhythms through my mouth, pulling in air and letting it out in short bursts. As the contraction reached its climax, I cried out in pain, collapsing back into the seat and closing my eyes as it began to lessen. I looked over at Scott with tears in my eyes.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I said, panicked. “This is so painful. I can’t even focus through it like I wanted to.”
“You can do this,” he said sweetly. “You are the strongest woman I know. The nine long months are over, and now you get to help our little baby come out into the world. You tell me when your next contraction is starting, and we will breathe through it together, okay?”
“Okay,” I said, shaking my head and grabbing my stomach. “It’s coming now.”
“Okay. Calm down and listen to my voice,” he said. “Relax your shoulders and absorb the pain. Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out in short bursts from your mouth. Imagine the pain moving from there and flowing out of you.”
I did exactly what he said, feeling the calming effect of his voice. He was being so encouraging and so kind, and it was bringing tears to my eyes. As the contraction began to wane, I let out a deep breath and looked over at him.
“Thank you,” I said. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby,” he said, grabbing my hand tightly. “We are going to meet our baby tonight.”
We pulled up in front of the hospital, and from there on out everything seemed to go so fast. They took me upstairs and got me set up in the bed, checking my dilation and seeing that I was progressing quickly. I decided against the drugs, wanting to give birth as naturally as I could. The contractions came and went, getting more and more intense as time passed. Scott stayed right there next to me the whole time, rubbing a cool cloth over my head and feeding me ice chips. Every time a contraction came, he would talk me through it, keeping his face close to mine and breathing with me. I didn’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t been there. He was my rock through the whole labor.
When it was time to deliver, he held my leg and my hand, coaching me all the way through it. After only three hours of full labor, our beautiful little boy was born. We decided to name him Sean after Scott’s father, and I could see the love on Scott’s face as the doctor handed the baby to him. He walked over and put the baby in my arms, kissing me on the forehead. Tears ran down my face as I stared at the perfect little boy I was holding. At that moment, everything I had been through was worth it. Every tear, every pain, every struggle had brought me to this moment, and I couldn’t have been any happier.
“You did an amazing job, Momma,” Scott said, kissing my lips.
“So did you, Daddy.” I smiled. “He couldn’t be more perfect.”
Once they got me cleaned up and taken to the room where I was going to spend the night, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said.
“Hey,” Scott said, poking his head in and smiling over at Sean in the bassinet by the bed. “There are some people here to see you.”
“Hey, sweetie,” my dad said, coming into the room and over to the bed.
He kissed me on the forehead and smiled big, looking down at his new grandson. He reached down and rubbed his finger across his cheek like he had done to me so many times before. He looked back at me with tears in his eyes.
“You did good, Cassie,” he said. “He is beautiful.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” I said, looking up as I heard a gasp.
Scott’s Aunt Ida, Landon, and Whitney were standing in the room, all three of them with tears in their eyes. It was a beautiful moment, having us all together, and I couldn’t help being filled with joy. They took turns holding the baby, and I smiled as he cooed at his new grandmother. Landon sat down in the chair, and Whitney carefully walked over with Sean, gently placing him in Landon’s arms. She sat on the edge of the chair and looked over at the baby, pulling his blanket tighter around him. She nudged Landon and smiled, shaking her head. From the looks of it, Whitney and Landon were more than just acquaintances, and I could only assume he was the secret mystery man she had been seeing quietly in the background. I looked up at Scott, and he shrugged his shoulders with a slight smirk.
“How is the business going?” my dad said to Scott.
“It’s doing good,” he said, shaking his hand. “We’re going to close today, but Landon is going to be running things for a while so I can stay home and help with the baby.”
“Good,” he said, patting him on the back. “We are really happy to have partnered with you guys. You have really given us some exceptional service.”
He smiled. “We want everyone to think that. Thank you for giving us the opportunity. I know we weren’t able to come down as low as some of the wholesale places.”
<
br /> “Yeah, but the wholesale places don’t provide customer service,” he said. “It’s hard for someone in China to run a tool over to a job site when it is an emergency, and that is exactly what you guys do for us.”
“It was my pleasure,” Scott said. “Besides, I got to visit with Bill, and that was nice. He told me he is retiring at the end of the year.”
“Yeah. Hell of a guy. The company is really going to miss him, but I understand. He is tired of the run,” he said. “One day I’ll feel the same way.”
“Hopefully not anytime soon,” I said from the bed.
“Nah.” He chuckled. “I’m still young and virile. Now that your mother is back home, you know she won’t let me be some lazy retiree. Oh, and she will be over later. She had to go to her group and spread the good news.”
“Right.” I chuckled.
Everything had been going so well. Scott’s business had been up and running for two months. They were constantly getting orders and opening day had been crazy. The town had really looked forward to having a tool shop with that hometown feel again. My father partnered with the them, and they provide discount tools to my dad for the company. It was a win-win for everyone.
I looked up and smiled as Whitney handed Sean back to me. I pulled him close to my chest and looked down at him and then around the room, thinking about how perfect my life had turned out to be.
Everyone stayed for most of the day, bringing me in some non-hospital food and sitting around quietly chatting. I felt like I was really part of something big. My mom came by, but she was awkward and short as usual. That was okay with me. I had learned to not let her get to me. That evening when everyone left, Scott climbed into the bed with Sean and me.
“This is the perfect life,” I said.
“That it is,” he said. “But I can think of one thing that might make it even more perfect.”
“If you say another baby, me and you are going to fight.” I laughed.
“No,” he said, laughing. “This.”
He pulled a diamond ring from his pocket and held it up in front of me. I gasped, holding Sean close to me, tears beginning to stream down my face. I looked over at Scott in shock.
“It was my mother’s,” he said. “You are the most amazing woman I have ever met, and I want us to be a real and true family together. I can’t promise you the world, but I can promise you that I will always try to get it for you. Will you make me the happiest man on earth and be my wife?”
“Yes,” I said, crying. “Yes!”
Maybe I was wrong after all. Maybe there really was a happily ever after out there for me. As I leaned in and kissed Scott softly, I realized I had finally found mine, and it was with Scott and our baby, Sean.
***
END OF THE FOURTH STORY
Sneak Peak: Love Next Door
Scarlett needed a fake fiancé.
I needed a real mother for my daughter.
I never thought I'd find love right next door...
It was the last thing I was looking for.
Then I saw her crossing my driveway.
Sassy and curvy in tight denim shorts, I had to claim her.
So I welcomed her to the neighborhood with a bang. All night long.
But I've got my daughter to think about. I don't do relationships.
Until I find out Scarlett's in trouble.
Her psycho ex is stalking her.
She accidentally told him we're engaged.
But I'll do more than that.
This guy doesn't know I'm a cop...
Or what I'll do to keep her safe.
He'd better stay the f*ck away. He has no idea who he's messing with.
Scarlett's mine now, and I protect what's mine.
My daughter... and my wife.
*
Chapter One
Scarlett
My new address was close according to my GPS. Only another hundred feet until I got to see the house I would be renting for the next few months or longer while I tried to make a fresh start. I knew I was running. I should have stood strong and fought back, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t safe. My parents had agreed and were covering the rent on the large three-bedroom house while I looked for a job here in Nashville.
My stomach had been a jumble of nerves all morning. I’d been living in a state of paranoia for so long and I was constantly looking over my shoulder, then and now. I kept expecting to see him in the rearview mirror, his face twisted in anger.
I was always looking behind me, deleting messages on my cell, and clearing the call history. Those were habits I had developed over the past couple years in order to prevent a fight. My ex-boyfriend had been extremely controlling. At first, I’d thought his overprotectiveness was cute. It made me feel good when he dropped by unexpectedly or showed up in the middle of the night because he’d missed me. Those little habits soon became something far more sinister. I knew the signs—I had seen the movies, and my family and friends had warned me something bad was happening—but I couldn’t see it at the time.
Isaac Bishop had molded me into his puppet. I had been twenty-one and he had been twenty-six when we’d first started dating. I’d been young and naïve and easy prey for the man who had left a wake of abused women in his past. I didn’t know that until I contacted the police the first time. They told me to get away but could do nothing to ensure my safety.
“Relax. It’s over,” I reminded myself again. I knew it was going to take a while to develop a new sense of normal. I had to be patient and give myself time to recover from the emotional and physical abuse I had been living with for too long. I had to change the way I thought while slowly dropping those old habits.
I checked the rearview mirror to see my best friend, Hannah, in the big U-Haul right behind me. She’d volunteered to drive the truck for me. I knew she was worried about me and wanted to help me get settled into my new home.
“You have arrived at your destination,” my GPS announced.
I pulled into the driveway of the newer home that was on a quiet street filled with similar-looking homes. I shut off the car and got out, waiting for Hannah to climb down out of the truck.
“Wow! This is nice—and big!” she exclaimed, coming to stand by me. “I love it! It’s so cute and so grown-up!” She giggled.
“It is very big. What were my parents thinking? It is going to be a big change from the small apartment I had.”
She put a hand on my shoulder. “It is going to be a change, but this is necessary. Isaac is coming unglued. These domestic violence situations escalate until the point where the abuser ends up causing serious harm or worse. Your parents are right—you’ve got to get away from the guy. It isn’t fair, but it’s the way it is. Besides, Nashville is going to have a lot more opportunities for you to use that music degree. I mean, you’re in the heart of music city!”
“I know. You’re right. I just hate that I have to leave you and everyone else,” I mumbled, looking around my new neighborhood.
“I’m forty-five minutes away. I’ll visit on weekends, and we’ll text constantly.”
I nodded. “All right. Let’s check this place out.”
We walked inside, and I had to admit I was impressed. It was a good-sized home with more than enough space for me. My parents said a quiet neighborhood was better than an apartment complex where people were coming and going too often. They didn’t think Isaac would look for me in the area either. I hoped they were right.
We wandered through each room, commenting on the carpets and paint colors. The home had recently been renovated and had beautiful dark laminate floors throughout, except the bedrooms where there was new gray carpeting. All the appliances were new. It was a gorgeous home with lots of natural light. I knew I could never afford the rent on the place. Thank god for my parents.
“It’s so big. It’s going to look vacant with the minimal furniture I have,” I said, looking around the living room again.
Hannah laughed. “Just think of all the shopp
ing you get to do.”
I smiled. “That is true. Of course, I’ll need to get a job first.”
“Details, details,” she said, waving a hand. “Your parents will give you the money.”
I shook my head. “No way. I want to do this on my own. I’m letting them pay the rent and keep me afloat while I look for a job. That’s enough. I don’t want to be one of those freeloading millennials everyone hates so much.”
“You could never be that. Besides, you worked at the winery. It isn’t like you haven’t been involved in the family business. Don’t feel guilty. Your parents want to do this for you. They’ve felt helpless as to how to help you. They need to do this,” Hannah said in a serious tone.
“I know. You’re right. It will be nice not to have to worry about making rent. I want to focus on finding the right job that’s going to get my foot in the door.”
“Good. Now, let’s get started unloading that truck.”
“Are you sure we aren’t overreacting?” I asked more to myself than Hannah.
She turned to me, took both my hands in hers, and looked at me with her hazel eyes. “You’re not overreacting. Isaac has been treating you badly for years. No man should tell you where you can and can’t go or who you can talk to. No man should ever lay a hand on you. He’s bad news, Scarlett Morgan. Bad, bad news, and I don’t want to see you hurt, or worse, murdered by that man.”
I looked at her and once again found myself warring within. “He apologized. He was having a bad day, and I pushed his buttons. I was kind of rotten to him.”
Hannah shook her head. “No. You don’t get to take the blame for what he did. He smashed your car windows, Scarlett. What if you had been seriously hurt? You’re lucky you got away with a few small cuts. The man is a monster, a sociopath. You have to get away from him. I’ve been sitting back and watching for years. Not anymore. I agree with your parents on this one.”
