Branna

by L. A. Casey

  My heart fluttered.

  “That is the best thing I’ve heard all day, baby.”

  Ryder smiled. “I’m excited about it. I can’t wait to take care of you.”

  “Honey.” I frowned. “You do take care of me.”

  “You pay our bills, Branna.”

  I chuckled. “It’s not the 1940s. Women are capable of workin’ and supportin’ their families.”

  Ryder snorted. “I know that, and I love you for it, but I’m a provider. It makes me feel less than a man when I can’t pay our bills, buy our groceries, or get you flowers whenever I want, but it’s going to change. Soon. I promise.”

  “I trust you,” I said. “With me life.”

  Ryder smiled and continued to prepare our dinner.

  “And FYI, if you’re goin’ to buy me somethin’, make it chocolates instead of flowers.”

  My husband joyfully laughed. “Noted.”

  Ryder’s laughter, his plans for the future, and his love for me pushed back my nagging thoughts and focused my mind on the now. This was what my happiness was all about. He made everything better. No matter how bad things got I knew when I looked at my side, I would find him there.

  When I awoke on the tenth morning of our honeymoon, I found myself wishing we had just arrived. I couldn’t wait to see my family when we returned home, but this private time away with Ryder had done us a world of good. I was more in love with him than ever before, and to be honest, I didn’t think I had ever had as many orgasms in my life. If I hadn’t known Ryder was a selfless lover before were arrived at our little cabin, I damn well knew after our sex marathon.

  A marathon that I was still in the running for.

  I felt bad that Ryder was catering to me and making me feel on top of the world during most of the time we had sex. Blow jobs were pretty much out of the question in my current state of pregnancy, which sucked—no pun intended. Whenever I gave him one, my breathing would labour, and I’d develop a stitch in my side that would halt sexy time until it passed. He said it didn’t matter, but it did to me. I hated being limited to what I could do to pleasure him. I dreaded to think how much of a sex vegetable I’d become further along into my pregnancy.

  I shivered with fright as that was definitely not something I was looking forward to.

  A snap, crackle, and pop drew my attention to the right of the room. I lifted my head and smiled when I saw the fireplace was alive and dancing with flames. Ryder must have awoken during the early hours of the morning and repacked the fire with logs. I was greatly appreciative of it, having learned a few days ago what it felt like to wake up to a freezing cold room. I rested my head back against my pillow, smiling as waves of heat floated over the bed. I was the most comfortable and content that I had been in a long time, and when I looked to my left, it became concrete in my mind that this moment—this feeling—I experienced when I looked at my husband would be forever planted in my memory.

  I loved him more than a person could love another, and I knew how lucky I was to have him.

  I turned onto my left side, and for a few minutes, I watched him sleep. I smiled every so often when his snoring would disturb his sleep, and he pulled a funny face until he settled back into his slumber. When I was sure he wasn’t going to wake up, I lifted my hand to his face and traced his defined jawline with my fingertips. I slid my fingers down his neck and onto his chest where I played with the hair my fingers skimmed over. His torso was exposed, but a blanket covered his lower half. I traced his abdominal muscles and noted only four of them were defined where there used to be six.

  Ryder had commented on his loss of muscle and added lines to his face when I discovered my stretch marks when we first arrived at the cabin. I felt horrible about them, and I worried Ryder would view me as I viewed myself. When I expressed that, he expressed how different he looked since we first met and listed the changes in his body. I realised then that the slight changes in his body never affected how much I loved him. He was still incredibly sexy and had the best body I’d ever seen. I knew his younger brothers were ripped and defined beyond anything, but I couldn’t explain it. When I thought of the perfect body—the perfect man—I saw Ryder.

  No one could compare to him, and no one ever would.

  I knew then that my gaining weight, having stretch marks, and eventually having a basketball for a stomach wouldn’t change how Ryder perceived me. I was beautiful to him before, I was beautiful to him now, and I’d still be beautiful to him after I had our baby. His confidence in me gave me the confidence I needed and greatly appreciated.

  “You’re perfect,” I whispered to his sleeping form.

  He didn’t wake, but he did stir. He moved his legs, and it tugged the blanket that covered him further down his thighs. My husband, as always, slept naked as the day he was born, and I had zero problems with it. My hand, still on his stomach, continued to trace his abs. I quietly chuckled when I noticed the beginnings of morning wood. I shook my head, amused that even in a dead sleep men could get hard. I looked at Ryder’s face as I slid my hand down to his groin and took his cock in my hand.

  I lightly squeezed it, and Ryder’s lips parted. His hips also involuntarily twitched upward ever so slightly. I positioned my hand correctly and began to stroke up and down. It didn’t take longer than twenty or so seconds for Ryder’s muscles to tense and for soft moans to escape him. I leaned in to place my lips on his neck and kiss him softly. I dragged my tongue over his sweet spot, nipped at his flesh with my teeth, and squeezed him at the same time, causing him to hiss. I pulled back and looked at his face, watching the moment he awoke.

  “Oh, shit,” he rasped, his voice husky.

  Without a word, I placed my mouth on my husband’s, enjoying his surprise to my playtime with him. I smiled against his lips when his right hand fisted my hair, and his tongue forced his way past my lips. I yelped and pulled back from our kiss when he bit my lower lip. I released his cock and brought my hand to my mouth.

  “Ow!”

  “You cheated,” Ryder said, a little breathless. “I said you were to always come first, and if you kept doing what you were doing, I was going to bust all over your hand.”

  I pushed myself upright and turned, letting my legs dangle over the side of the bed.

  “That was kind of the idea, you shithead,” I huffed.

  I was about to stand up, but before I could even move, Ryder’s hands were on my shoulders, and he applied enough pressure to keep my arse on the mattress. I shivered when I felt his thighs press firmly against my back, along with something else that was hard. I opened my mouth to speak but moaned when Ryder’s tongue slid over the flesh on my neck before he grazed my shoulder with his teeth.

  “I’ve got chills,” I murmured.

  “They’re multiplying,” Ryder finished.

  I closed my eyes and laughed. “Keep doin’ what you’re doin’, Danny boy.”

  My husband kissed the back of my head as he chuckled to himself. His hands moved to my shoulders, and he began a gentle massage that made my toes curl. Once or twice, I moaned out loud, and I felt Ryder’s cock twitch against my back, but he didn’t comment on it; he just kept doing what he was doing.

  “This mornin’ was supposed to be about me makin’ you feel good,” I said softly, hissing in delight a little when he’d knead out a knot.

  “Making you feel good does make me feel good,” Ryder replied.

  It was hard to argue with that logic, but I argued anyway.

  “Ryder.”

  “Branna.”

  “I’m not jokin’.”

  “Do you hear me laughing?”

  I opened my eyes. “Let me give you a hand job, for God’s sake.”

  “Well, if it’s for God’s sake.”

  I smiled. “I hate you.”

  Ryder moved his lips to my ear. “We both know that’s a lie.”

  “I’m not so sure,” I baited.

  I gasped when I was tugged back farther onto the bed and found myse
lf on my back and staring up at the ceiling. I smiled when my thighs were parted, and Ryder wiggled his way up my body until his face came into view above me. He was in the push-up position, his hands on either side of my shoulders, and even though he held himself off me, he lowered his torso, so his stomach brushed mine.

  “I used to be able to lie on you in his position, holding myself up with just my elbows.”

  I snorted. “You should have thought about that before you knocked me up.”

  Ryder smirked. “I’ll be able to do it again in a few months.”

  Literally a few months.

  I squealed. “We’re goin’ to be parents and have a little mini-us!”

  My husband only smiled at my excitement before he disappeared. He kissed his way down my body, and I couldn’t help but giggle when I became ticklish. I attempted to sit up, but then my nightdress was pushed up, and I felt a hot breath on my inner thighs.

  “Ryder.” I chuckled. “I’m not even in the mood for—omigod.”

  Without warning, my husband’s lips fastened on my clit, and he suckled on it until spasms of pleasure fluttered to life. I pressed my head back into the mattress and thrust my pelvis into Ryder’s face, causing him to groan against me. He hooked his arms around my thighs and kept my arse on the bed as he feasted on me.

  “Ryder,” I moaned. “Circles, baby. Move your tongue in—Holy Christ!”

  He rotated his tongue in lazy circles, and the sweet torture sent chills through my body. I badly wanted to reach down and fist his hair in my hands. Even though my bump wasn’t big, I didn’t want to have to bend forward to do it, so I settled on gripping the bed sheets for dear life. My moans became audible and so did my breathing. My chest began to hurt as I sucked air into my lungs. It wasn’t an agonising pain; it felt more like a stitch, but it was enough to take centre stage over my pleasure.

  “Ryder.” I winced. “Stop.”

  Almost instantly, Ryder was sitting up, resting back on his heels with his hands on my bent knees.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  I whimpered. “I’ve a stitch in me side. It hurts.”

  He quickly got up from the bed and helped me to sit upright then fully stand up off the bed. I closed my eyes and took slow, deep breaths while holding onto Ryder’s biceps, and then, out of nowhere, when the pain subsided, I began to cry.

  “Bran?” Ryder said, alarmed.

  “I’m the worst... partner... ever,” I sobbed. “I can’t even do se-sex good an-anymore.”

  I thought I heard him chuckle as he folded his arms around my body and kissed the crown of my head. He held me, naked as a baby, and swayed me side to side until my sobs became sniffles and my sniffles became sighs.

  “I love you,” I said to him, “but you have to be gettin’ sick of this. Because I am.”

  “I’ll never get sick of you.”

  I sat back on our bed while Ryder got dressed. I watched as he pulled on his boxer briefs, his socks, and then his grey trousers—that he insisted I called ‘sweats’. But I just couldn’t call them anything other than what they were—trousers.

  “This should be your outfit every day,” I said, eyeing his body up with nothing but love, admiration and a hell of a lot of lust.

  Ryder looked at me and saw me checking him out. His lips twitched, humour tracing his features.

  “I’m not fully dressed yet,” he commented.

  I locked my eyes on his torso.

  “I’m very happy with you bein’ topless.”

  Ryder laughed as he pulled on a plain white t-shirt.

  “If we lived in Hawaii, I would, but we live in Ireland... and it’s winter.”

  I smiled. “God loves a trier, and I had to try.”

  My husband smiled, shaking his head before he rounded the bed and held his hand out to me.

  “Let’s go get you fed, and then we can go for a walk.”

  I saluted. “Yes, sir.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Say that again.”

  His voice was husky, and his eyes were hooded.

  I grinned and shook my head. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

  “Your body is on my mind, and that is the furthest thing from the gutter.”

  I took his extended hand. “Charmer.”

  “If being honest makes me charming, then so be it,” Ryder teased.

  We ventured off into the kitchen, and after forty minutes, both of our hungers were sated. We spent a further ten minutes arguing about my outfit choice. I aimed for comfort; Ryder aimed for temperature and weather-appropriate attire. He won by a landslide, simply because I didn’t have the energy to argue with him. When we both were suited and booted, we headed outside to the well-marked trail facing the cabin.

  The trees over our heads folded over one another and almost formed a tunnel of sorts, making the path we were walking down hand in hand shaded and murky. It was beautiful and made it feel like we were going on a secret adventure. I had a little spring to my step with this thought, and my husband was quick to put me in line.

  “Watch your step,” Ryder said, his hold tightening on me.

  I did as asked, and made sure I placed my feet on solid ground and not slippery leaves. It was a little difficult since the leaves were everywhere. They were every shade of orange and red imaginable, but even their allure could not hide the fact that they were slippery little death traps. When I was sure of my footing, I lifted my head and looked at the natural beauty that surrounded me.

  “It’s so beautiful here.”

  Ryder squeezed my hand. “I agree... In fact, it’s so beautiful I want a picture of it.”

  I stopped walking when he did, and shoved my hands into my pockets when he reached into his own for his phone. I raised my brows when he started to back up. I made a move to walk with him, but he held up his hands.

  “No,” he said. “I want a picture of what’s beautiful. You.”

  I blushed like a schoolgirl.

  “I’ve still got it,” Ryder said as he patted himself on the back.

  “Are you sure you can see the background or do I take up all the space?” I asked, grinning.

  Ryder snorted. “Please, you’re an itty bitty thing.”

  I laughed. “I wish.”

  My husband simply smiled as he lifted his phone and pointed it in my direction. I turned a little to the side, placed my hands on my bump in a way that showed I was cradling the little bundle of joy inside me, and beamed a smile when Ryder counted to three.

  He wolf-whistled when he took the picture and said, “Damn, my wife is sexy.”

  “Kiss arse.”

  “Can I kiss your ass?”

  I laughed. “If you want to, you can.”

  “Oh.” Ryder grinned as he pocketed his phone. “I want to.”

  He began to advance on me, and I instantly began to screech.

  “Stop,” I squealed with laughter. “I can’t run!”

  “You’re easy prey for me then, Sweetness,” Ryder joked as he jumped for me and captured my lips the instant his body touched mine.

  I laughed against his lips and flung my arms around his neck, pulling him as close as possible to me. He made that almost animalistic growling sound in the back of his throat like he always did when his body reacted to mine. I hummed as I kissed his lips, before nipping at his lower lip with my teeth.

  “It’s colder than a witch’s tit out here,” he warned. “Don’t start something we can’t finish right now.”

  I smiled as I released his lip. Ryder’s eyes held a heated promise of what later would bring, but for the moment, he wanted us to focus on our mini walking adventure, which was what we did. After a blissful hour of exploring, a sudden rumble of thunder startled us both. I looked up, and just beyond the mountains, were nasty looking clouds that were rolling in. Ryder checked the weather app on his phone and cursed under his breath just as lightening cracked and flashed across the sky.

  “A storm is coming.”.

  We decided we
’d had enough nature for one day with the weather warning and headed back to the warm and toasty cabin. We made it inside, and not a second later, my phone rang from the bedroom.

  I did a mixture of a brisk walk and a waddle, according to Ryder, which caused me to give him the finger as I headed towards the bedroom with his laughter flowing behind me. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, glanced at the screen, and then answered the call as I placed it against my ear.

  “Hey, Kay, what’s up?”

  “Aideen had ‘er baby!” Keela’s excited voice squealed through the receiver of my phone.

  “What?” I gasped. “She went early again?”

  “Yep, but it took longer than Jax this time around.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She went into labour yesterday and only had him ten minutes ago. She held out until late last night before she went to the hospital.”

  I furrowed my brows and startled once again when thunder boomed outside.

  “Why didn’t anyone ring me?” I asked, focusing on the phone call.

  “That was Ado’s call,” Keela said quickly. “She didn’t want to interrupt your honeymoon.”

  “Is she shittin’ me?” I asked, exasperated.

  “I know. We told ‘er you and Ry would want to know, but she made us all promise to wait until she gave birth before we called. And by promise, I mean she threatened us all to within an inch of our lives.”

  I shook my head. “I’m goin’ to beat ‘er arse.”

  Keela snorted. “She’s doin’ great and so is your new nephew.”

  Nephew.

  “She had another boy?”

  “Yeah,” Keela squealed again. “He weighed ten pounds, four ounces and is twenty-one inches long. He is a big boy. They called him Locke Ryder Slater!”

  Locke Ryder Slater.

  I began jumping up and down—as best as I could—with joy, but stopped almost instantly when loud rain began to belt against the bedroom window. The sun was setting, and blackened clouds were quickly shutting out any orange glow with murky shade. I frowned at the forest our cabin overlooked. The wind had picked up considerably and was causing the trees to thrash from side to side.