Riding the Storm

by Delilah Hunt

  That was enough.

  He wasn’t going to stand around trying to talk sense into the women and cause further upset to Zara.

  “Keep my family out of your thoughts, ladies.” His jaw clenched. “Please.”

  They went up the aisle leaving a stunned Mrs. Arlen and her friend in their wake. Matthew grimaced. If it wasn’t for the fact that Doc Arlen was the best veterinarian around, he would cut the man loose to show everyone he was serious about protecting his family. Then again, the old man had nothing to do with his wife’s gossip, so it wouldn’t be fair to taint his name.

  “Thanks for taking my side,” she said as they walked toward the checkout counter.

  He cast his gaze on her. Her little frame clutching the baby clothes. His chest ached with love. Did she really think he was going to let those harpies pounce on her and not do or say anything? He was going to have a serious talk with her.

  They came to the cash register and he watched her quickly pull open her purse. Beating her to it, Matthew whipped out his wallet and popped out his debit card. “It’s my child too. At least let me help out.”

  Hesitantly, she replaced her purse inside the coat pocket. “All right, it shouldn’t be that expensive.”

  Matthew shook his head and grinned to himself as the sales clerk rang up the items. Once outside, Matthew turned to her in a joking manner.

  “You’re bruising my ego, Zara. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.”

  Zara ignored him and shoved her hands inside her pockets. She stared out into the gray skies. “They weren’t very far off, were they, Matthew?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She stopped on the sidewalk, planting a hand on her hip. “Exactly what that old witch said. You’ve said it yourself.” She looked away. “I haven’t forgotten it. I can’t. I’ve been trying my best not to get too close to you, but have you even thought about how I feel? It’s just not that simple to shut off my emotions no matter how hard I try to pretend that it doesn’t hurt. Do you have any idea how humiliating it is? When I think back on how stupid I was to go over to your ranch that afternoon. When I knew...” She paused and he could see her fist tighten. “I knew you didn’t mean the invitation. But like you said, I pushed it anyway because I thought maybe if we spent some more time together like we used to…” She laughed bitterly. “Well it turned out to be a horrible idea, didn’t it? Now I get to hear everyone talk about how I managed to trick poor widower Matt Caldwell into thinking he’s the father of my child.”

  Matthew stared at her in utter shock when her voice broke.

  “And lucky me, I’ll get to be home trying to get rid of the stretch marks forming on my stomach and nursing your kid, while you go on happy with your life. Maybe even falling in love with someone beautiful and special enough to replace Kristin.”

  His heart broke from the pain in her voice. If only he could go back in time to the day when he’d sent her away. But would it have changed much? Probably not. What if she had announced the pregnancy then? Matthew grimaced, wondering if his reaction would have been worse because his efforts to push her out of his life would have been thwarted by her condition..

  So many damn mistakes when it came to the women he cared about.

  Matthew stood in the middle of the icy sidewalk uncaring of the footsteps behind them.

  “That day on the ranch. You came to tell me about the baby didn’t you?”

  She nodded and he wanted to hang his head in shame and kick himself in the balls. She never should have had to deal with the pregnancy alone for those first months, much less having to deal with his cold dismissal.

  He stared down at her making sure their eyes met. He had to make her know how much he regretted hurting her. “I was in a dark place. I told you how I felt after forgetting Kristin’s birthday. It was killing me, Z. I could hardly sleep at nights. That one night you slept with me was the first time I’d had a full night’s sleep since God knows when.”

  Her face softened. “I didn’t know it was affecting you that badly. You never talked to me about it. Always shut me out.”

  “I didn’t mean what I said to you. We both know you’ve never pushed yourself on me. I might have acted like I didn’t want you on the ranch that evening, but I did. Deep inside I was leaping out of my skin to have you so close. You didn’t do a damn thing except for being your usual sweet self. Why do you think I barged into the laundry room that day? It was driving me crazy having you so near and not being able to touch you, sink my cock inside your warmth.” Matthew bent and kissed her lips, nibbling at the full bottom one. “God, you were so hot, sweet girl. Perfect and snug around my prick.” His cock hardened and Matthew knew he was entering dangerous territory. “I still think about it all the time, how tight your cunt was, so damn small and squeezing the cum from my cock.”

  Zara moaned and leaned into him. “Don’t do this to me, Matthew.” She gave a furtive glance around them. The streets were deserted for the time being.

  “Come home with me,” he begged, holding her to his chest. “It’s going to be cold tonight, but it doesn’t have to be for us if we keep each other warm, sweet girl.” His vision swept to her swollen belly. “The three of us.”

  A snowflake fell from the sky, landing on her nose. Matthew kissed it away, the ice melting on his lips, and crossed his fingers behind his back. Please say yes. Don’t deny us.

  She pressed a hand to his chest. Their eyes connected. “I’ll come home with you.”

  “Thank you.” Matthew lifted her hands and pressed them to his lips.

  Minutes later when they were both seated inside his pickup, snow falling steadily from the sky, Matthew glanced over at Zara.

  “Why were you out walking anyway? It’s not safe for you, Z. The ground gets slippery and you could easily fall and hurt yourself.”

  “I was out walking because the stores were close by.” She looked out the window, which was dotting with melting flakes of snow. “I have a lot of things on my mind, Matthew. It’s good to walk and just get a clear head sometimes.”

  “Yeah, but you know you can always talk to me, right?”

  She tore her gaze from outside the window and raised her eyebrows. “Are we friends again?”

  Matthew looked over at her. “You don’t consider me your friend?”

  “We’re friends,” she answered in a low voice, glancing out the window.

  They pulled up in the driveway of the ranch and Matthew raced around to open the passenger side door, helping her to exit.

  Zara laughed and rolled her eyes. “I’m not an invalid.”

  Matthew kept his expression serious while fighting back a smile. “I already told you, I’m not joking when it comes to your safety.”

  Inside the house, Matthew put the bags on the floor beside the couch and set to work at the fireplace.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  He looked over his shoulder to see her standing behind him, a worried expression on her face and a hand on her back.

  “What, think you can start a fire better than I can?” he hedged, knowing full well what she was asking.

  She shook her head and her lips widened into a lopsided grin. Matthew rose, brushing the soot from his hands as she moved closer. “It’s a Friday night. Do you really want to spend it with me?”

  “Who else would I spend the night with?”

  She shifted her weight and her chest heaved with a loud intake of breath. “When are you going to start dating again?”

  He hadn’t expected that. He stared at her in complete shock. Date who? He didn’t want anyone but her.

  “I’m not trying to get into your business. I’d just like to know so I can…” She bit her lips and her eyes darted across the room. After a spell she shook her head and said, “Never mind.”

  Matthew frowned and glared at her. “So you can what? Avoid coming to the ranch like you’ve been doing?” He thumbed her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You don’t want to see me wit
h another woman?”

  Her eyes widened. She wriggled in his hold. No chance. Matthew circled his arms around her thick waist and held her to him. “Are you worried I’m going to abandon you and our baby?”

  “I know you wouldn’t do that,” she muttered against his chest. “But you’re going to have a family someday. Your wife and the children you have with her are going to be your top priority.” She lifted her head and gave him a wry smile. “If I stick around here and wait for that to happen, I’m going to end up being the other woman all over again, causing problems for your marriage. Even though you and I both know you only see me as a friend.”

  “What are you saying?” Matthew asked releasing his hold on her.

  She moved over to the couch and clenched her hands together. “I don’t want to go through that again. I won’t put myself through it.” She looked up at him with a plea of understanding on her face. “There’s an accounting position in Rapid Springs that I planned on applying for. I’m thinking of moving there once I have the baby. It’s not too far from here, an hour’s drive at the most, so you would be able to visit whenever you’d like. I’d never try to keep you from your child.”

  Zara wanted to leave town. He couldn’t allow that to happen. More pressing, he couldn’t allow her to think he viewed her only as a friend or that she wasn’t important to him.

  “Do I get a say in this or have you already made up your mind?” He knelt beside her.

  Her eyes flickered to his hand on her thigh. “I thought you’d be relieved. You can move on with your life now. I don’t want you to worry that I’m going to interfere.”

  Matthew rose and stretched out a hand, drawing her to stand. “I don’t want you to move away. I want you to interfere in my life. I want you. Don’t leave, Zara.”

  “But, why? I’ve already told you, you can see the ba—”

  Matthew kissed her lips, cutting off her speech. “This has nothing to do with the baby. This is between you and me, sweet girl, and the fact that friendship is just the tip of the iceberg of what I want from you.”

  Her eyes widened and she stared up at him. “Don’t tease me, Matthew.”

  “Does it feel like I’m teasing you?” He gazed at her through lowered eyelids with his eyebrow up lifted and his erection pressing into her.

  She shook her head. “No.”

  His hands closed around her frame and he lowered his head, rubbing his hand on the curve above her ass. “I love you, Zara. I think I’ve loved you for a very long time, although I refused to admit it.” He looked up, holding her gaze. “Do you still love me? You haven’t said it since the afternoon we made love, but I hear it all the time. Your voice crying out, telling me that you can’t stop loving me.”

  “I do love you,” she confessed.

  He almost doubled over in relief. She was smiling at him, in her shy, sweet way. His cock pulsed.

  Matthew placed his hand beneath her shirt. “Do you remember what I said to you that day in your apartment? Before I licked your pussy.”

  Her eyes glossed over and she whispered heatedly. “Said you were going to come inside me again.”

  “Today’s the day, sweet girl. I’m going to slide every inch inside your hot little cunt.” He lifted the hair from her neck. “You still dripping for me, Z?”

  Her lips parted on a low moan. “I never stopped thinking about the way you felt inside me, how you tasted on my tongue.” She trailed her fingers on his stomach. “I want that again.”

  Matthew closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. His cock felt stiff and impossibly hard. He brushed his knuckles against her luscious lips. “Did you like having my cock in your mouth?”

  To this day he never forgot the way her mouth had closed around him as he shot off his cum. No other woman had ever reached for his cock as sweet or as fast the way Zara did.

  “I always wondered what you would taste like.” Her eyelids lowered and she placed her hand on his erection. “I couldn’t help it, Matthew. When I saw you stroking your cock, your seed spilling out…” She sank her teeth into her bottom lip and looked up at him, her eyes misting. “You tasted exactly as I imagined.”

  Matthew groaned and took her hand, leading her down the hallway. They entered the bedroom and Matthew kicked the door shut.

  “Take off your clothes,” he ordered, lifting the shirt over his head.

  Zara stared at his chest then he saw her eyes flicker down to her stomach sticking out oh so sweetly.

  She fingered the bottom of her shirt and sighed. “I have some stretch marks now. It’s not a lot, but–”

  Matthew growled in exasperation and slanted his eyes in warning. She went silent, removing the shirt. His eyes went to her stomach, rounded with a thin line slightly darker than the rest of her skin. Golden-colored marks stood out around her hips, belly, and bellybutton. He supposed those were her areas of concern. He didn’t see the big deal.

  Her entire stomach could be covered with those marks and he wouldn’t give a damn. She was pregnant, about to give life to his child, the next generation of Caldwell’s, stretch marks were the last things he saw when he looked at her.

  Zara reached behind, unhooking the bra while Matthew bent at her feet, tugging the jeans below her knees. When finally she was standing naked before him, he took a step back allowing his gaze to drift over her ripened body.

  He looked down at her, admiring the pretty v shape between her legs and his cock swelled.

  Not yet.

  He needed to do something to take the edge off so he could be gentle and not fuck her as hard and rough as he’d like.

  He swung his gaze up to see her staring at him, her brown eyes so damn open and trusting. His balls drew up and he could feel pre-cum wetting his penis. She was so fucking vulnerable and he knew she trusted him not to hurt her.

  “Come here.” He hoped his voice hadn’t sounded as harsh to her ears as it did to his. Grabbing a square pillow, he eased onto the bed, legs wide and feet on the floor.

  “Matthew,” she said his name on a husky breath, lifting her gaze from his cock to his face.

  Matthew dropped the pillow to the floor between his legs. His heart thumped when she lowered herself on the pillow, sitting with her back arched, palms on the floor, stretching forward until her lips brushed his cock.

  “Do you want it?”

  She nodded, her eyes glinting with heat. Groaning, he ran his fingers along the base, using the pad of his thumb to slicken the head with moisture.

  “Are you sure you can handle this, sweet girl? If I give you cock, I want you to suck on more than just the tip this time.” He raised his eyebrows to make sure she understood him.

  A tiny mewl escaped her and Matthew drew in his breath when she ran her fingers along his heavy sac.

  “Please, Matthew.” She locked her gaze with his. “Let me suck it. I’ll do it real good, I promise.”

  Begging. She was begging for him. His cock pulsed at her neediness. “Hush,” he crooned sliding the moist head across her lips. Her mouth opened and he pushed inside. “Still like the taste of my cock?”

  She nodded and sucked on the head as Matthew pressed deeper feeling the muscles in her throat loosen to accommodate him. He tilted his head to the side in relaxation while gripped the coarse hair at her nape. He opened and closed his eyes, looking down at her mouth taut and wide, stretched with his prick.

  Soft fingers began to stroke his testicles, caressing them up and down.

  Christ.

  His entire body tautened when she glanced up at him, lifting her mouth off his cock to dip her tongue into the tiny slit he knew would be coating her throat with seed as soon as her lips closed back over him.

  Zara reached under and lifted his sac. The tip of her tongue ran down the underside and she looked at him before lowering her head and kissing his balls. His seed roiled and his cock twitched in envy.

  “Take it inside your mouth,” Matthew half pleaded, half ordered.

  She closed her eyes and wrigg
led her ass on the pillow. God, she looked as if she was going to orgasm from doing this.

  “Is your cunt aching for me?” he asked, unsure how he found his voice with her lips pulling on his balls.

  She squirmed again and nodded, trying to fit the entire sac into her mouth. Impossible. Matthew curled his hands into her hair, pulling her away from his groin. She looked up at him disappointment and confusion, and then leaned down reaching forward to take his cock back into her mouth.

  Matthew groaned inwardly. Damn, he loved her. Shaking his head, he held her hair with one hand and his prick in the other, rubbing the glistening tip along her face, leaving traces of pre-cum on her cheek.

  “Zara, my sweet, sweet girl. I want you to take me deep inside your warm mouth. Let me feel the back of your throat, baby.”

  Her eyes widened and Matthew pushed the enflamed head into her mouth, drawing back when she began to suckle hard.

  “Tell me you can take it all.”

  She held his gaze, uncertainty shining bright in her. Matthew smiled with tenderness. “You have to, sweet girl. I know how much you want my seed inside your hungry little mouth.” He squeezed the tip and a drop of liquid beaded at the top. He held it out to her, watching as she licked it away. He grunted and squeezed it again, finding it harder to talk. “Can’t have my cum unless you take it all.”

  Her brown eyes became hazy and he knew he’d hit a spot with her. His seed. How she loved it.

  Without another word, Zara shifted her position, going on all fours in front of him. She raised her chin and parted her lips.

  His eyes threatened to roll to the back of his head. Matthew gripped the edge of the bed, jerking his hips as her mouth closed over him, slowly taking the entire length.