Rone’s radiant smile, a smile that took up his whole face and lit up his rich dark eyes left little doubt that he was excited. Heather let out a small exhale of relief. She hadn’t really thought that Rone wouldn’t want a child. The timing was just- off.
“You’re on the pill…”
“Yes. I don’t know. It’s not fail proof, obviously, but I’ve never even had a scare. I knew something was strange this month. I was late, which never happens, and I was so tired. I just felt- uh- not like myself. I bought the test thinking there was no way it would be positive. I thought maybe it was just bad PMS or something or that maybe I had missed a pill or something and it messed with my cycle. I went back and checked though and I knew I didn’t miss one. I’m always so careful about that. The test was positive.”
“How did you even sleep last night with that kind of secret?”
“Honestly, I didn’t really.”
“And you worked all day today and came home and made me dinner and then we came back here? You should have told me and we could have canceled.”
“Not on your life,” she laughed. “You can’t get off the hook that easily.”
“I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about you. You didn’t even sleep and you’re carrying my child.” He reached between them and placed his huge palm flat against her black tunic. “Really? You have a son or daughter in there? A mini you or a little me?”
“It wouldn’t hurt if it was a lot of me and a little you.”
He grinned, taking her joke in stride. It was a bit of a miracle he was still standing at all. Rone wasn’t the best with surprises. She’d purposely decided to tell him when he was sitting down.
“If our child looked exactly like you, I’d be thrilled. You’re the most beautiful woman on earth.” He paused, sudden panic flashing across his face. “On second thought, I hope it’s not a daughter. She can’t look like you. I can’t take having to run all the boys off that she’d be sure to attract if she had your beauty.”
“Oh, come on now.”
“A son would be easier…”
“If he has his father’s good looks, you’ll have to run the ladies off and I think that would be frowned on. A boy is no less trouble. Boys get into all kinds of scrapes. Look at you and my brother.”
Rone grinned. He hadn’t removed his hand. The massive palm pressed against her belly, the heat of his fingers seeping into her through the thin fabric of her tunic. She inhaled, savoring Rone’s touch.
“Whatever we have, Rone, I’m so excited. This was unexpected, but we both knew we wanted kids eventually. We might have to change our plans a little, but I know you’ll be the best dad on earth. I’ve wanted this with you for so long. I actually used to try and figure out what our kids would look like, in my head, back when you were just a fantasy.”
“I never let myself think that far,” Rone admitted. “It would have been torture.”
She knew what he meant. Loving Rone and thinking that he could never be hers, since he was off limits, as her brother’s best friend, was hard. She’d never wanted anyone else. She’d never imagined herself with anyone else. And here she was, about to be Rone’s wife, carrying his child. Sometimes life worked out in the best of ways, the most unexpected and unimagined ways.
“I don’t feel anything less than blessed. Every morning I wake up next to you is a gift. Every night I go to sleep is-”
“A workout?”
She slapped Rone lightly in the arm she hadn’t just put half an outline on. His muscles rippled as he stiffened to prepare himself for the playful blow. He knew exactly how he affected her. He knew just how standing there so close, without a shirt on, was hard for her to resist. Not wanting to lose focus, she continued.
“I’m only a few weeks along. Less than a month. We won’t have to change our plans for the wedding or anything, but afterwards- we’ll have a lot to figure out. I know the guys at the shop here are fair. They won’t give my spot away to anyone else. I can probably even work a day or two a week, even after I have the baby, since you always have two days a week off.”
“Over my dead body. I don’t even like you working right now.”
“I’m not made of glass.”
“We both know that. You’re much tougher than I am. But really… working here- it can’t harm the baby?”
“I don’t think so. I’m always so careful. I mean, anytime you’re working with blood you have to be careful. I’m always extra, extra sure to protect myself, just like everyone else here, and to protect my clients. Don’t worry. Nothing will happen. We are going to have a beautiful baby girl or boy.”
“Your mom is going to be so excited.”
“She always did want grandchild. Maybe she won’t think I’m such a lost cause then.”
“She doesn’t think you’re a lost cause. That’s harsh.”
“Well, maybe not anymore,” Heather conceded.
“She doesn’t. She’s your mom. I know Leanne. She was always kind of like my mom too. She might not like the tattoos or that you’re converting me into having more now and hence corrupting my once blank slate, but she will love that baby.”
“I know she will.” Heather’s soft tone filled up the room. The way Rone was looking at her, like she truly was the most amazing woman in the world, made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. In his world, she was.
“I just have one more question. Actually, I have a thousand questions, but just one more right now.”
“Okay. Go ahead. Ask away.”
“Is there any way that I can hurt you?”
“What?” Understanding dawned as a new heat entered Rone’s eyes. “Oh. No. I’m pretty sure that you can’t.”
“In that case, come here.”
She stepped closer. “I might have been lying about those cameras. Well, they are some in the main part of the shop, but not in here. This is completely private.”
“I’ve always wanted to christen this room and make it completely yours.”
Heather wasn’t going to tell him no. She was powerless to resist Rone and she really always had been. She’d fought her attraction for so many years, once she let her guard down, that was it. She had no resistance, she had no walls. It was an offer too good to refuse.
Chapter 4
The Nights Are The Best Part
Rone
He was going to be a dad! Rone couldn’t believe it. Best of all, he had the woman of his dreams tucked right there into his arms.
Heather took a step back and moved the tray with her equipment and inks out of the way. She turned, fire in her eyes. It was her fire that he loved, her spirit, her beautiful, amazing spirit that never ever quit loving him.
“Get on the chair,” she commanded.
Lord, he loved when she used that tone, when she told him exactly what she wanted. He didn’t hesitated to comply. He sat back down and Heather straddled him, a leg on either side of his wide hips. She bent her head and claimed his mouth, kissing him, a kiss that seared and claimed and melted him. He couldn’t believe that after years together, kissing her was still like the first time. No, it wasn’t like that at all. It was so much better. He kissed her with the experience of a lover who knew exactly what she liked, the sounds she made, the scent of her body and the taste of her silky skin.
Her tongue stroked his in sweet, seductive strokes. He moaned, low in his throat, letting her steal his breath and capture the sound, take it into her own mouth and swallow it down her throat. He coiled inside his stomach. He lifted his hands and burrowed them in the loose bun she had coiled on top of her head. The silky dark strands of her hair cascaded down, framing their faces as the pins in her hair went flying.
“I want you naked,” he rasped, breaking the kiss, voice deep and gravelly.
“And I want you inside of me.”
His cock nearly punched out of his jeans. “I want to give you everything,” he said hoarsely. “Everything you want.”
Her hands flew between them, un
doing the bottom of his jeans and unzipping his fly. She struggled to pull his jeans down. He arched up on one arm, holding her with the other, putting an inch of room between himself and the chair and finally his jeans gave way.
Heater shifted away. She moved off of him, ripped off her leggings and threw them to the side. She still had that long black tunic on and it covered all the parts of her he wanted to see.
When she shifted back on top of him, the heat of her naked skin pressed against the head of his cock, he knew he didn’t want to just see her. Never that. The sight of her was never enough. He needed her to fill up each and every one of his senses. He needed to touch her, inhale her sweet scent, the scent of Heather, the woman he loved. He needed to taste her body, to hear the lusty moans of pleasure ripped from her throat.
She took him slowly, sinking down one inch at a time, torturous. She was rapture and heaven. She was everything he needed, everything he knew he wanted and everything he didn’t know that he did.
She moved slowly, eyes open, watching him, watching as she rocked back and forth, taking him deeper. She was so warm and so damn tight. He wanted to watch her watch him, her lips pressed into a thin line, her brow furrowed in concentration, but he was afraid if he kept his eyes open a second longer he was going to lose it and that would be the end of their christening her room. He didn’t want the place to become a five second joke, so he screwed his eyes shut and tried to block out the sound of Heather’s raspy breaths.
He tried not to concentrate on the feel of her, the heat washing through him at the heat of her. He tried very hard not to focus on the way his balls tightened, on the slow rock and grind of Heather’s hips, on the little moans of pleasure torn from her throat. She undulated against him, grinding hard, taking her pleasure.
His hands gripped her hips and rocked her hard. And then, because he couldn’t take it a second longer, he reached between them and his hand found her clit. He slammed his face forward and suckled her breasts right through the thin tunic. She had on one of those lace bras that was basically a scrap of fabric. Her nipples were hard right through both layers.
He bit down, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to send a shock wave through them both. He knew just how much pressure to apply to her clit to send her hurtling into another universe. She came around him, her inner muscles clenching tight on his cock. He didn’t need any encouragement to let go. He came in hot bursts, deep inside of her.
They rocked together, coming back down, their breaths slowly to a normal cadence once more.
Heather slowly moved away. “Well…” she cleared her throat. “That was… unexpected.”
“But good. I hope.”
“Always.” Her smile lit up the room. She grabbed her leggings and tugged them back on. She glanced at the tray of inks. “I think we can finish this another night. If not, I’m going to have reset everything up. I doubt it would be sterile.”
“Whatever you want. Although, would it look stupid to walk around with an outline half done?” He’d completely forgotten about his arm burning, but now that he had, it throbbed. “I think the numbing cream has pretty much worn off.” He looked over at his arm. “And maybe some of the stencil too.”
Heather shook her head and made a little chiding noise. “Bad boy. You’ve ruined my artwork.”
“This is on me for life!”
“I’m kidding. I can redo the stencil. Don’t worry. I’ll clean up, set up again just to make sure everything is totally clean and finish up the outline. I’m not going to let you walk out of here with a bad tattoo. Ever.”
“Might as well finish it then. Since we’re already here.”
“Yeah?” She actually looked impressed. She bent over the chair and gave him a long, lingering kiss, full of heat and intent. He was instantly rock hard again. “I’ll give you a moment to readjust your jeans while I start setting up again.” She winked at him wickedly. She moved away, but turned back a minute later. “You know what I love about you, Rone?”
“There’s just one thing?”
“Definitely not. I love most of all that life is always a surprise. Each and every single day is just… awesome. Much better than I thought it would be.”
“And the nights? What are they like?”
She rolled her eyes and turned back. Her soft answer drifted over to him, filling him with heat and love and all the hope in the world.
“The nights are the best part.”
He knew he was the luckiest man in the world and every single day just kept getting better.
The End
THE WEDDING
Chapter 1
A Gift To Be Forever Thankful For
Kian
“I feel under-dressed.”
One love song faded into another and the bridesmaids started their trek up to the front of the closed in yard where countless flower gardens, a huge pond complete with a small wooden bridge and a white arbor wreathed in flowers proudly stood.
The area was beautiful, picturesque, even. It had been months and months ago that Heather told him and Mike she was getting married and dropped two invitations. The venue, a huge, weathered gray cedar barn that had been converted into a money making machine that was any couple’s dream choice for the wedding reception, stood proudly off to the left of an ancient sentinel beyond the trees and pond, the flower gardens and the white chairs lining a petal strewn aisle.
He was a little surprised at the whole scale of everything. Heather was pretty low key. He would have pictured her more as a stand at city hall in front of a JP kind of person. He remembered being a little shocked when he’d read the invitation and looked the place up at home. Of course, his wife was delighted.
Kian turned and faced Katelyn. She looked as stunning as ever. Blonde hair, curled and swept up, the prettiest blue eyes, the most gorgeous coral lips, high cheekbones, flawless skin with or without makeup… what more could any guy ask for?
“You look amazing,” he corrected her. “Not at all under-dressed.” It was true. The navy blue dress she had on was absolutely stunning.
“There are people here in like- ball gowns.”
“Those are the bridesmaids.” His remark earned him a sharp jab in the ribs.
“That’s not what I mean. Look around! Everyone looks like they went to the salon to get their hair done. I’m hardly even wearing makeup.”
“That’s because you don’t need it. And even if you were wearing a trash can you’d still look like a princess.”
“I think you mean a potato sack or something. How does one even wear a trash can anyway?”
“I don’t know. Just jump inside.”
“That would stink.”
“Yup. Anyway, my point is, your dress looks just as pretty as everyone else’s. Doubly so because it’s on you. You don’t need a whole bunch of makeup and your hair looks just fine.”
Katelyn pursed her full, coral lips. She said nothing at all as her eyes scanned the aisle, watching as the groomsmen walked up next.
He wasn’t just being a dutiful husband and being kind. Even after having a baby and raising her niece, Katelyn had the body of a goddess. She never had time for herself. She gave everything she had to the kids, and of course to him, when she wasn’t doing her interior design work on the side.
“I wonder what her dress is going to look like.”
“What?”
“The dress. You know, the whole point of a wedding.”
“Oh. Right. The dress. I forgot that it’s the entire reason people get married.”
“Not the reason they get married. It’s the reason there’s a wedding.”
He failed to see the difference. “What about the whole love thing?” His wife actually giggled. She put a hand up to her mouth to hide it. “That’s what I thought. I’m not a real weddings type of person. You know that, but today is a day without kids and,” he winked, “more importantly, a night without kids.”
“I can’t believe you got Savannah’s parents to watch our kid
s too.”
“Savannah’s mom loves being a grandma. Mike is my best friend and you know that I’m part of the Fiacco family and always have been. She was happy to do it.”
Katelyn relaxed beside him. He watched the tension melt out of her shoulders at the thought of a night alone with him. He was going to make it well worth it, that was for sure. He loved his daughters more than anything in the world. After losing his first child in a terrible accident, he never had any of the complaints that other parents had. He was never too exhausted, never too busy, never too anything. There wasn’t a minute that went by that he didn’t love the hell out of those girls, but one uninterrupted night without anyone sneaking into their bed was something both he and Katelyn could use.
It wasn’t at all that their relationship was stale, even after years together. It was just that the uninterrupted nights when both of them weren’t exhausted from work and the girls was a hard commodity to come by. They made what time they had worth it, but a full night… neither of them were going to get any sleep. He’d see to that.
Kian had to focus on something else before he hardened up like a damn rock. He was half way there already. He searched for something else to do and he caught Mike’s eye. The guy was sitting a row in front of him, a few seats down.
Mike and his wife, Savannah, both turned. Mike flashed a thumbs up. “It’s actually happening,” he said in a low tone. “I can’t believe Heather is getting married.”
“When she started at the shop she was just a kid.”
“I know, right? I feel ancient sometimes.”
“Oh my god.” Savannah rolled her eyes. She smiled softly at her husband, her affection obvious. “You are not ancient. Don’t say things like that.”
“Two kids and another on the way makes me feel ancient. It only reminds me how many years ago I was young. All the toys I played with as a kid are antiques now.”
“Stop!” Kian growled. “I’m even older than you are.”
“We aren’t ancient, are we?” Katelyn blinked innocently. “I sure hope not. Here I thought I was being all trendy keeping up with my interior design. I guess I don’t feel old since all my clients are decades older than I am.”
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