by TL Reeve
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She glanced away from him, trying to break whatever magnetic pull he had over her.
“Sure you do.” He placed his hand on the small of her back. Warmth seeped into her skin where he touched her. “I’m enjoying the hell out of this dance.”
They hadn’t even moved. “Uh?”
He bent his head. “The coy look in your beautiful blue eyes. The way you lick your bottom lip when you're not sure of yourself. Hell, I can see the pulse at your neck jump every time I touch you. How long are we going to play this little game before we fuck?”
She let out a shaky breath. “You’re pretty sure of yourself.”
“I am,” he replied, “and you didn’t say no.”
“Lead me not into temptation,” she murmured.
“Princess, we're past the temptation stage and we've moved on to burning this place down.” He captured her lips with his in a demanding kiss. In an instant, she realized he could back up his cocky attitude with action.
Dexter’s tongue tangled with hers, drawing a moan from her chest. She’d never done anything like this before. Sure, she had sex, but not with someone she didn’t know and not in some bar. Instead of pushing him away though, she clung to him, practically climbing into his arms. She couldn’t get enough of him.
She burned for this man.
A door slammed behind her and she opened her eyes. Somehow, Dexter had gotten them into one of the restrooms. He stepped away from her to lock them in, then spun her away from him, pressing her front to the door. Her head spun. Her heart raced. Anticipation and adrenaline combined with the simmering arousal she’d been feeling since she saw him standing at the bar, setting her ablaze.
He pushed his hands under her shirt and groaned. “Fuck, you’re so soft.” His thumb skimmed the underside of her breast and she whimpered. “Don’t worry, I got you.”
But she did. She should be telling him no. That it’d been a mistake. That her friends would come looking for her if she took too long. Yet, she couldn’t force the words past her lips. The cool air of the bathroom drifted across her exposed rear. When she put the skirt on earlier, she hadn’t been thinking about anything but feeling cute and having a good time. Now... She let out a shuddered breath.
“Dexter...” She licked her bottom lip and sighed when he palmed her ass. “I don’t... I mean I’m not...”
“Shh,” he murmured. “You're in control here. As much I want you right now if you said no, I'd understand. We'll go our separate ways.”
She glanced over her shoulder. The sincerity in his voice cracked the remaining vestiges of her indecision. If she tried to speak, she feared it would be gibberish fueled by lust. This hulking man flipped some switch within her, and she had to see this out—as weird as it sounded. “I'm on birth control and I'm clean.” She winced at her statement.
“Hell of a thing to tell a man seconds from getting deep inside you,” he grunted. “Fuck, you're killing my self-control, princess.” His fingers delve into her panties. “But, same here. Gotta get checked every six months for the military.” He circled her clit with the tip of his index finger. “Damn, girl. You're all wet.”
Heat filled her cheeks. She had been since the moment his lips caressed her ear. More so when they'd been on the dance floor. She bit the inside her cheek as he continued to manipulate the hard nub at the top of her sex. Dexter pressed his big body to her back, trapping her between him and the exit. A thrill shot through her. The idea of being held in such a way only ramped up the need crawling through her veins. She wiggled her ass across his groin and gasped. The hard length of his erection teased her.
“Don’t worry, it’ll fit.” The quiet confidence in his voice edged on cockiness. He pushed aside her panties. “Look at you all pink and swollen.” He ran his finger along her slit before dipping it inside.
She clenched around him and trembled. He had her so worked up just with a few simple touches, she thought she’d implode. “Stop teasing me and fuck me.”
He added a second finger, stretching her even more. “Is that an order?”
“Please?” She glanced over her shoulder once more.
“Now you’re saying please.” He laughed. “We’re going to have so much fun, princess.”
The release of his zipper echoed off the walls. Her breath hitched. The coil low in her belly tightened with expectancy. She curled her finger into the door for purchase as he lined himself up and pushed forward. Brittney’s eyes widened. A soft sob fell from her lips. Now she understood how he got his nickname, Dirty-D.
He took his time working himself into her. His dick stretched her sensitive walls to the point of pain, but she took it, willing her body to relax. The minute she did, he shoved deep and held himself in check. Her vaginal muscles rippled and pulsed around him, accommodating the length and girth of his dick. Dexter pressed his forehead to her back and cursed.
“Fuck, you’re so tight. You got my dick in a vice and I don’t want to pull out,” he groaned.
“Please,” she moaned. “Move.”
His strokes were short and strong. Each time he filled her sent her closer to the edge. For this supposedly being a quickie in the bathroom—or what she thought should be a quickie, it felt like they were joined forever. Dexter’s pace quickened. The sounds rumbling up from his chest only heightened the experience. Brittney grabbed onto his thigh, digging her nails into his dark pants and thigh. He groaned her name, palming her breasts then used them for leverage as he fucked her in quick, hard thrusts.
The tingling tickle of her impending climax spread through her body. She bit her bottom lip so as not to scream. The last thing either of them needed was someone trying to beat the door down while they were in the middle of coming. Brittney met him stroke for stroke, chasing her orgasm. Her breath left her in a whoosh when he pressed his finger to her clit and began rubbing the bead. She jerked in his hold. The tidal wave of her pleasure crashed over her and she was coming hard. She sobbed through her release, taking everything he gave.
Dexter groaned. His pace faltered. “Shit, girl. Got me losing my head” He thrust twice more before she felt the first pulse of his release. She shivered from arousal as he continued to pulse deep within her.
She sagged and gave a breathless laugh. “Wow.”
He wrapped an arm around her before pressing his lips to her neck. “What a way to be sent out for duty.”
Six weeks later...
Brittney sat inside the tiny clinic down the block from the studio where she’d been interning. She’d passed out while making her coffee run for the head meteorologist of the station. For the last couple of days, she hadn’t felt well, but she figured it had to do with the abnormally hot and humid days they’d been having.
“Brittney Hart?” the nurse at the door said.
She stood then, taking an extra moment as the world tilted once more. Shit stood too fast. When everything stopped spinning, she headed for the door. “Sorry.” She gave the woman a small smile.
“Not a problem,” the nurse said. “Take your time.”
“It’s way too hot. I think I could be dehydrated,” Brittney said. “Or heat exhaustion.”
The nurse nodded. “Could be. Let’s get you checked in.” She led Brittney over to the scale. “Step on up.”
Brittney did and frowned. Had she really lost five pounds? Crap. “I’d be excited if I was trying to lose weight.”
The nurse laughed. “It’s only a couple of pounds. Sometimes I wish I could just shed them without trying.” She motioned for Brittney to sit then placed the BP cuff around her arm. “When was your last menstrual cycle?”
“Uh,” she said as the cuff inflated. “I’m on birth control so sometimes they’re spotty. But, I guess like, eight weeks ago, maybe?”
The nurse wrote down her blood pressure then took her temperature. “It’s why I can’t stand that stuff. It screws with my body so bad. I can go six months without a period then it’s like a monsoon
.” The nurse laughed. “Gross visual, but you get the point.”
Yeah, Brittney did. It happened to her a time or two when she first started taking the pill. “I understand.”
“Let's get you to a room.” The nurse guided her down the hall. “I'm going to be upfront with you. We can do this now or when the doctor comes in, but I know she'll want to do a blood test and urine sample.”
“I'd rather get it over with if you don't mind,” Brittney said. “The quicker I can get back to work, the better off I'll be.”
The nurse nodded. “I understand.” She showed Brittney to her room. “I’ll be right back with the cup. If you start to feel faint or sick, my name is Sally and the call button is right here.” She pointed to the small red button on the wall next to the light switch.
“Thanks.” Brittney paced the small room while she waited. If her mother found out she’d fainted at work, she’d have zero sympathy for her, while also chewing Brittney out for making the Hart name look bad. It’d been why she chose the clinic to go to when her boss asked if she wanted to get check out. No one would be able to trace her back to the place.
Sally returned a few moments later with a sample cup and an order form. “The restroom is right down the hall on the left. Fill it as best you can, then leave it on the counter marked lab. When you’re done there, head over to the phlebotomy office across the hall, they’ll draw your blood. I’ll see you when you’re finished.”
“Sure, thank you.” Brittney followed Sally’s instructions and by the time she was finished Sally was waiting for her.
The corridor they walked down seemed longer than before. Her stomach had been queasy, and her heart hammered. She brushed it aside, determined not to cause a scene. She continued to chalk all of her symptoms up to the weather and the fact she still hadn't eaten much. As she sat down on the table in the exam room, she let out a deep breath then moaned when the air kicked on.
“The doctor will be with you shortly,” Sally said as she closed the door behind her.
Brittney leaned back and closed her eyes. She liked the set up in the room. The table was more of a reclining chair. It allowed her to relax without fully having to lay down. There were no human anatomy charts hanging on the wall or flow charts on how diseases spread. Instead, there were island vistas and photographs from whom she assumed was the doctor. There were also maps and souvenirs strategically placed around the area.
A quick tap on the door had Brittney glancing up as it opened and a woman, about her age, entered the room. She wore a white coat and had a purple stethoscope around her neck. Her clothes underneath were trendy and cute as well. Brittney instantly liked the girl. “I’m Doctor Platt.”
“Hi,” Brittney said as Sally closed the door behind her.
“When Sally did your intake, you said it’d been about eight weeks, give or take since your last period?” Dr. Platt peered up at her as she continued to scribble on the small chart in her hand.
“Yes,” she answered. “My birth control kind of knocks me for a loop sometimes.”
Dr. Platt frowned. “And you’ve never missed a dose?”
Dread pooled in her belly. “No, why?”
“Miss Hart,” she said. “You’re pregnant.”
Brittney wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. How could she be pregnant? She’d never stopped taking her medication. She’d always been careful except... She groaned and covered her face with her hands. Dexter. “I could make up a thousand excuses for how this can’t be, but here we are.”
Dr. Platt touched her knee. “Birth control is 99.9% effective in the prevention of pregnancy, so I have one more question for you.”
“Okay?” Brittney couldn’t believe what was happening to her. Of all the stupid shit she could have done in her life.
“Were you taking any other medication, an antibiotic, anything, while you were also on the pill?”
She’d had a sinus infection the week before finals and had gone to the school health clinic to get something. Shit. She nodded. “Yeah. Antibiotics. I’d been sick a week before school let out. I couldn’t be down and out for finals, so I went to the student health services to get it treated.”
“Makes sense then.” Dr. Platt smiled as she grabbed her stool and sat. “I want you to know, you have choices here. Whatever you decide to do is up to you, but your window of opportunity is growing shorter.”
Whatever she decided to do? A window of opportunity? She couldn't think about it right now. She had to get back to work. Routine, for her, helped settled her frazzled nerves. “I need to get back to work. I can't layout. It's an internship.”
Dr. Platt pursed her lips. “I understand you feel out of control. But, before you go, you’ll need some fluids. You also have a mild case of dehydrated.”
“Oh. Makes sense I suppose.” She bit her bottom lip. “Sure, fluids. Whatever you think is best.”
“Sally will get you set up. Before you leave, I'll have some information for you and a prescription for prenatal vitamins should you want them—which I recommend as well.” She squeezed Brittney's knee once more. “If you need anything else, we're here for you.”
The doctor made it seem like she was dying, not pregnant. While she laid there allowing the saline drip to work its magic and get her levels back up, she thought about Dexter. Since that night at the bar, she hadn’t even given their tryst a second thought. Now... Shit. She had no idea what unit he was attached to. Or where he’d be in Afghanistan. She didn’t even know where he was from other than his nickname—Dirty-D, and his last name--Walsh. She placed her hand against her lower belly.
Pregnant.
She could come up with so many reasons why she should terminate the pregnancy and only one reason to keep it. She didn’t have the will to let the baby go. As weird as it sounded, and though a child wasn’t planned, she liked the idea, sort of. Going back to school would be difficult. She’d have to pace herself and go easy on school work and study group, but as it stood, most of the year would be spent in classes that weren’t too stressful for her. She could do it. If push came to shove, she’d take her spring semester classes online, so she didn’t have to miss anything.
Already she had a plan formulating. Sure, the situation wasn’t ideal, but it could work. All she had to do was tell her parents. Brittney frowned. Her mother would flip her shit. A baby wasn’t in the plan until she married some rich socialite. Her father... He didn’t seem to bother in her affairs. He watched her grow up from afar, never wanting to intercede with her mother’s plans. So, her having a baby would be a non-issue with him.
She nibbled her bottom lip as she stared at the IV solution, silently willing it to hurry up. If she didn’t get back to work, she might lose her internship, or worse, they’d call her mother. Though her temporary boss had been understanding, she didn’t want to risk losing her position. Her mother had a reputation for breaking people. Brittney knew before everything was said and done, if she lost her job on the same day she found out she’d been pregnant, it would be her on the receiving end of her mother’s breaking.
Chapter 1
Seventeen years later...
“Remember, this is a working trip. Listen to Shiro, Oz or Lars when they tell you to do something,” Brittney said, standing at the entrance to her son, Donar—or Rai, as he liked to be called now’s, door.
“I know mom,” Rai said, placing his clothes into his bag. “I won’t get in the way.”
It was the first time they were going out storm chasing together. For so many years, she’d left him with a friend at their small duplex while she worked. She couldn’t worry about saving lives while watching her son and keeping him, as well, out of harm’s way. Now that he was sixteen, it’d been time for him to stretch his wings.
“I understand you won’t,” she said entering his room. “I just don’t want to see you getting hurt because we’re not paying attention.”
He glanced up at her, his grey eyes filled with concern. “I won’t. I und
erstand the rules are to keep me safe. I don’t plan on doing anything to mess up this chance.”
Brittney gave her son a soft smile. “I’m smothering again, aren’t I?”
Rai shook his head. “Nah. You’re being my mom.”
She placed a kiss to his temple. “A job I’m most proud of.”
Becoming a young mother seventeen years ago hadn't crossed her mind, she'd been focused on her career and going to college. Her main goal of becoming a weather girl had been dashed the minute she told her parents she was pregnant. Within days, the internship she'd been excited about once she'd started working for the station, dissolved. Any chances of finding another place to go were slim and none. The minute any of the stations saw her name, they backed out—a by-product of her mother's rage.
Then, her mother disowned her. Brittney was cut her out of her parents' will and also denied the trust fund she'd been working toward when she'd graduated. The money would have set her and her child up for life and she wouldn't have had to worry about where they'd live or how they'd eat. Instead, she'd been forced to go on assistance and fell back on housing to put a roof over her head for the remainder of the summer.
Six months later, her father had passed away from a heart attack. Brittney believed her mother caused it with the vile way she treated her daughter. The doctor called her father’s type of heart attack, Taktsubo Cardiomyopathy, or more commonly known as; Broken Heart Syndrome. For as much as her father appeared uninterested or aloof when it came to Brittney, she knew her father loved her more than life itself, and having her mother cut Brittney from his life, utterly destroyed him. For that, she couldn’t nor wouldn’t ever forgive the woman.
Thankfully, and unbeknownst to her, her father paid her tuition in full when she started school, so she’d been able to finish college on time. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in meteorology and, in the interim, she'd taken classes online to obtain her Masters. She'd had offers from NOAA and NWS in Texas for entry positions, but she'd chosen to stay in Oklahoma for a few years, unable to stomach the thought of going home. The thought of being anywhere near her mother not only made her angry, but it also sent her into an anxious spiral she swore she wouldn't allow herself to fall into.
