River's Redemption: Blackwater, Book 5

by Anne Rainey

He grinned from ear to ear, and Jeanette let out a breath. He was happy. She’d hoped, but she hadn’t been sure he would.

  “Jesus, you sure know how to keep a man on his toes.”

  “You aren’t running.” She let a smile escape. “I guess that’s a good sign.”

  He placed a protective hand over her belly. “Our baby will know only love,” he said, his voice unquestionable and strong.

  This time, she let the waterworks flow. “I love you so much. And I want you so. I’ve never wanted a man more than I want you.”

  His smile was possessive and proud. “Damn good thing. I wouldn’t like you wanting another man. Ever.”

  His talented mouth pressed against hers, and Jeanette forgot about everything else. There was only River and Jeanette. All the worries and fears fell away. She opened her mouth and danced her tongue over his lips. At his rumble of approval, River opened up and took her in. Their tongues mated, and Jeanette clutched River’s biceps, excited and scared. Her body was on fire. She wanted him. Inside her. Around her. Drinking her in, filling her up. He was a craving in her blood, one she could no more deny than she could her next breath.

  Jeanette’s fingers trailed over his muscular biceps, and she drew in a breath when he looped his arms around her waist and pulled her in tight. A moan escaped. He was so strong, so virile. She was safe and secure with River. Their baby would be safe and secure too. River would always take care of them. As the thought flitted through her mind, Jeanette went still. She was in love with him. Her body always belonged to him, but now she also knew that her soul was tethered to his as well.

  Jeanette felt truly blessed. She wanted to say something to him, to make him understand how deep her feelings ran, but his words had her libido rocketing out of control, and once again her thoughts scattered.

  “I want you. You’re mine, sunshine. Will always be mine. Say you’ll never leave me. Not ever.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, River. Please, make love to me. I’ve missed you terribly.”

  He grinned and slipped his hands beneath her dress and pushed her panties aside. “Unzip me.”

  Jeanette quickly obeyed. Her fingers fumbled over the button on his jeans. As she opened his fly and glimpsed his navy blue boxer-briefs, her desire increased tenfold. She licked her lips and gently drew him out. The head of his cock tempted her to taste.

  River stroked her hair and murmured, “Later,” he said, as if reading her easily. “We can take our time later, sunshine. For now, I need to feel you all soft and tight around my cock.”

  It was the same for her. “Yes.”

  “Guide me in,” he instructed. “Show me how much you love me. Take us both there, little sunshine.”

  His erotic words had her heart pounding harder and her body quaking with need. “My pussy is dripping for you. It’s been too long.”

  He chuckled. “It’s only been a few days.”

  “I know. I counted the hours,” she whispered. Then she brought him down on top of her and guided his heavy erection in her, where she so badly needed him to warm her. Her body closed around his hard length, tight and hot. Currents skittered up and down her body, and her temperature spiked.

  “Ah damn, I missed you, Jeanette,” River groaned as he clutched a fistful of her hair and lowered over her, feasting on her breasts through her dress.

  The heat of his mouth seeped through the thin material, sucking the breath out of her and driving her into another world. When his fingers found their way over her nub, expertly flicking it just the way she liked, Jeanette’s body seized. Her muscles clenched as he drove his cock deeper, fucking her faster, harder. Their bodies slapped together, melding until there was no separating them.

  Soon Jeanette was there, spiraling out of control. Her hot pussy bathed his cock in wet satisfaction as he sank his mouth over hers and captured her shouts.

  As the desire began to ebb, River clutched her hips and pushed into her once, twice; then he arched his neck and moaned her name as he emptied himself deep.

  Jeanette’s breaths came in short pants, her body sweaty, the dress clinging. Her thigh muscles quivered from exertion as River collapsed against her, careful to keep most of his weight on his arms on either side of her body.

  “I’m never moving again.”

  River chuckled and tightened his arms around her. “Good, because I sort of like you right here.” He held her tight against him, as if unable to release her.

  She wiggled, gaining his attention. As his eyes met hers, Jeanette saw raw hunger in their passionate depths. If he hadn’t just spent himself inside her, she would have thought he was ready to go again.

  “I think I’m going to be a bit sticky,” Jeanette teased, trying to inject some casualness into the intensity that now surrounded them. It didn’t work.

  “I could make love to you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and it still would not be enough.”

  She had no words for such a bold statement. He didn’t seem to expect any. He merely slipped out of her and replaced her panties. When his heavy length was once again confined inside his jeans, he slid both his palms up her thighs, then cupped her mound possessively.

  “I love you,” he said, his voice steady and strong. “Always and forever.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes, and she touched his jaw. “Always and forever, River,” she murmured, knowing it was nothing short of the truth.

  Epilogue

  “You cannot be serious,” River muttered.

  “I’m very serious. I want a midwife and no drugs. I won’t negotiate on this. I want to have this baby as naturally as possible.”

  At the moment, Jeanette was sitting across the table at Wanda’s home with the entire bunch chatting and laughing at once. For the past half hour, they’d been enjoying their evening meal of grilled salmon and steamed vegetables.

  Two weeks ago, Reilly and Lucy had gotten married in the gorgeous old church the Jenningses belonged to. Jeanette had been her maid of honor, while Shayla, Julie and Sarah, the fiancées and girlfriends of River’s brothers, had gotten to be bridesmaids. It’d been a wonderful summer day for a wedding.

  They’d held the reception at the Blackwater Restaurant, and everyone in town had been invited. Not surprisingly, the bride and groom had come up missing an hour into the festivities. It seemed Reilly hadn’t wanted to waste a single moment once he’d slipped the ring on Lucy’s finger. Jeanette, Julie, Shayla and Wanda had worked hours to get everything ready in time for Lucy’s big day. Everything went off without a hitch, so the work had been well worth it.

  Jeanette wondered how long she’d have to wait for River to propose. Knowing River, Jeanette would probably have to hit him over the head with a proposal before he managed to get the words out.

  Together, she and River had told the family that the doctor had pronounced she was indeed four weeks into her pregnancy. River had puffed up with pride, a grin ear to ear. He’d promptly picked her up and led her out of the restaurant. He’d taken her back to his place and made slow, sweet love to her the rest of the day and into the night. It’d been something right out of one of Jeanette’s dreams.

  Even now, as she glanced over at him, his gaze snared hers and a smile lit his face. Jeanette thought his eyes seemed a bit over bright—as if he held back tears of joy. She knew the feeling all too well.

  Amazing how life could do a complete one-eighty on you. If someone had walked up to her and told her that in such a short span of time the man of her dreams would be madly in love with her and she’d be pregnant with his child, Jeanette would never have believed them. It made a woman want to cry a veritable river of happy tears. She only wished her mom and dad were there to share in her joy.

  She forced her mind back to the conversation going on around her. River was in the middle of explaining to her—as if she were an unruly child—the virtues of modern medicine. But in this she was determined to hold firm.

  “A hospital is fine, but I want a midwife, and I want to do this
drug free. I mean it, River,” Jeanette said, more firmly this time, driving her point home. “And just to make sure you don’t try to wiggle your way around me by talking to the doctor yourself, I’ve asked Lucy to be in the room with me when it comes time.”

  River’s eyes grew wide. “So now you don’t trust me? You think I would manipulate you?”

  Jeanette gave him a knowing look. “When you want something, River Jennings, you tend to move heaven and earth to get it.”

  Heat filled his slow grin. “You do have a point.”

  Lucy patted River on the hand. “It’ll be okay. Jeanette’s tough. I’m sure everything will work out fine.”

  Since Lucy had given birth to twins, Jeanette considered the words a true compliment. Jeanette sat up straighter and took a sip of her water. “Thank you. At least someone believes I can do this.”

  “Besides, if things get scary, we’ll just hog-tie her and force the doctor to our way of thinking.” She shrugged. “Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

  “Lucy!” Jeanette screeched, not liking the gleam of satisfaction on the other woman’s face. “I thought you were on my side.”

  “I’m on the baby’s side, girlfriend, and you know it. Whatever the baby needs, the baby will get.”

  “Hear, hear!” River shouted, putting in his own two cents.

  Then it was Wanda’s turn to lend her weight, and for a small woman, she could really lend a lot of weight. “I think you should listen to them, daughter. Having babies naturally can’t be easy.”

  “How about we just wait and see how it goes,” Jeanette offered, knowing they were wearing her down. “Does that make everyone happy?” They all gave nods of agreement, and Jeanette suddenly wanted to cry.

  Oh God, she loved them all so much. She felt incredibly lucky to have them in her life. It was just too much sometimes. After her parents had died, she’d been so alone. If not for River, she didn’t know what she would’ve done. Now she had an entire family to love and cherish.

  “I’m seriously the luckiest woman alive,” Jeanette said softly, putting her thoughts into words. Everyone grew silent and gazed at her with affection. River leaned over and kissed her cheek gently. “We’re the lucky ones, sunshine.”

  River stood tall and proud under the rose-covered arbor in the backyard of their family home. Love welled in his chest as he watched his sweet Jeanette walk toward him. Her pale yellow dress set off the wavy mass of her long, shiny, dark brown hair beautifully. He was a lucky man. Since the moment he’d met her, when she’d been a freshman in high school, he’d been blessed.

  River was glad he’d held firm about having a small outside affair. Only their close family and friends were in attendance. Reilly stood next to him as his best man, with Brodix and Vance as groomsmen. Sammy had offered to give Jeanette away. The gesture had forced River to hold back a flood of emotion. Lucy was the maid of honor with Shayla, Sarah and Julie as bride’s maids. His mom sat in the front row with the twins watching on. Yes, a small affair was a good idea. It would make it easier for him to sneak off with Jeanette later. Damn, he couldn’t wait to have her all to himself.

  His soon-to-be wife fairly bloomed beneath the warm, summer sun. With the family home as the backdrop, it was the perfect spot to say their vows and start building a future together. Her hips swayed as she walked, driving him wild with thoughts of what he’d be able to do to her once he had her alone. She was nearly three months along, and her body was already beginning to show the signs of pregnancy. She was still as slim as ever, but River noticed that her breasts and hips were fuller, which only made her that much more irresistible to him.

  As she reached him, River held out his hands. A jolt of possessiveness shot through him as she placed her own delicate fingers in his, trust and love shining in her eyes.

  He hadn’t had the best start in life. And he still battled inner demons. Hell, he probably always would. But knowing Jeanette would be by his side, loving him, made it easier to bear. That she hadn’t given up on him was the real miracle. And River intended to spend the rest of his life proving to her that she’d made the right choice. No doubt, it was sure as hell a better ending than any he could write in one of his novels. He looked forward to every second of their future together.

  About the Author

  Anne grew up in a small town in central Ohio the only girl with three rowdy, older brothers. When she wasn't playing tackle football with them she could be found tucked away in her mother's book room getting lost in mysterious worlds created by authors such as Martha Grimes and Andrew M. Greeley. She's had a variety of odd jobs including Chiropractic Assistant, Frame Stylist, Restaurant Hostess, and Nail Technician.

  Anne now lives with her fabulous husband, two gorgeous teenage daughters, two ornery dogs, three snooty cats, a tree frog named Gus, and a snake named Salizar. When Anne's not dressing, feeding, cleaning or spending time with them, she can be found at the computer writing stories hot enough to make your toes curl!

  Anne loves to hear from her readers. You can find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Anne-Rainey-Fan-Page/121274891238824 or email her directly at annerainey11@gmail.com. Join her newsletter for updates on new releases, signings and contests for a chance to win books. The link to join is on the front of her webpage at www.annerainey.com.

  Look for these titles by Anne Rainey

  Now Available:

  Haley’s Cabin

  Seduce Me

  Burn

  Turbulent Passions

  Dare Me

  A Little Bit Naughty

  Vaughn

  Touching Lace

  Tasting Candy

  Taking Chloe

  Tempting Grace

  Cape May

  What She Wants

  What She Craves

  What She Needs

  Blackwater

  Sam’s Promise

  Breaking Brodix

  Vance’s Rules

  Reilly’s Wildcard

  The most potent lover she’s ever had…and the morning sickness to prove it!

  Reilly’s Wildcard

  © 2013 Anne Rainey

  Blackwater, Book 4

  Lucy Rice knew that a night of uninhibited passion with sex-on-a-stick Reilly Jennings would leave a lasting impression on her body. But never in a million years did she expect to see a plus sign appear on that little white stick.

  Pregnant? She can’t believe her eyes. When a second test confirms it, Lucy admits the truth. She’s about to be a one-night-stand mommy. How’s that for luck?

  Reilly never wanted the responsibility of fatherhood, much less tie himself to an infuriating, headstrong woman like Lucy. Still, his sense of honor won’t let him abandon his baby like his biological parents abandoned him. Yet it isn’t long before he’s captivated by the coming baby—and the mother carrying it.

  Lucy is rocked with all sorts of conflicting feelings for the father of her child. Unfortunately, she’s been down that road before, and it left her a blubbering mess. Not again. No way, no how. Except Reilly seems hell-bent on keeping her close. Maybe it’s the hormones, but Lucy’s beginning to forget why that’s a bad idea…

  Warning: This title contains a tender and romantic man bent on proving he can be more than a good time, and a woman in serious need of the love of an honorable man.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Reilly’s Wildcard:

  Lucy reached out to him, and a familiar warmth seeped into her. What was it about Reilly that made her feel as if she’d known him her entire life? “Annabelle was too young to go through what she did. The older I got, the angrier I became. At first I was mad at my mom for dying on us and leaving us with Dad. Irrational, I know.”

  “I think it’s a natural reaction, given the circumstances.” A beat of silence filled the air before he asked, “Where is your dad now?”

  Reilly’s calm, gentle voice and feather-light touches over her fingers relaxed her the way nothing else ever had. She couldn’t remember a time when she
and David had talked like this. Why was it so easy with Reilly? It scared her that she was opening herself to him so quickly.

  Lucy thought of his question and cringed. “We don’t really speak. After Annabelle joined the army and I went off to college, Dad pretty much washed his hands of us. I tried to reach out at first, but you can’t make someone love you. They either do or they don’t.”

  Reilly frowned. “His loss, if you ask me.”

  “That’s pretty much the way I look at it.” Her voice trembled. The emotional topic or Reilly’s nearness? She had a sneaking suspicion it was a little of both.

  He leaned closer and murmured, “I’m glad you came to the restaurant tonight.”

  “Me too,” she whispered as her breathing increased and her temperature spiked.

  Reilly angled his head and touched his lips to hers. It was a barely there caress that had Lucy craving so much more. She moaned and pressed more firmly against his mouth. A growl emanated from his chest; then his tongue teased at hers. Lucy closed her eyes and drifted into the kiss, tasting the delicious flavor of Reilly. She cupped his lean jaw in her hand, relishing the roughness of his five o’clock shadow against her palm.

  He lifted an inch and said, “God, you are so beautiful, Lucy.”

  She wanted to reply, but he stole her words with another scorching mating of lips. Her pulse beat a wild rhythm, and she suddenly took control, sliding her tongue into his mouth, licking at the wet warmth she found there. Reilly groaned and pulled away. Had she done something wrong? When he stood and stared down at her, dark desire etched into the rugged features of his face, a thrill of excitement raced up and down Lucy’s spine.

  “Are you sure about this?” Reilly asked, his hands fisted at his sides.

  As an answer, Lucy took hold of the right strap on her dress and tugged it downward. The left one went next. Soon her lace-covered breasts were exposed.