Hurriedly I leave Taylor’s puckered lips waiting patiently for my kiss in the car and jog up my front steps. I find Sara and Cooper cuddling on the couch and I growl incoherently. Cooper understands because he laughs as he stands, but Sara just looks me over in confusion.
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you in the truck,” he tells her as I follow them outside to grab Taylor from the car.
“Inside, now,” I snarl wanting to rip the dress clear off her body, but not wanting to give anyone else a show of what’s mine. I watch her bottom as she scurries inside, her new found energy leaving a path of bread crumbs for me to follow. And I plan to devour each and every morsel of her.
I can hear her scrambling down the hall and into the bedroom as I take my time letting the anticipation build. Walking past Tabitha’s room, I peek my head inside and find her resting peacefully, her arms wrapped tightly around her purple bear and her body curled into itself. She’s the picture perfect cherub princess. I can’t help myself and I walk farther into the space and caress the curls on her head. Just like her aunt, she can sleep through anything.
“You’re really good with her,” I hear in a subdued tone whispered from the hallway, Taylor now clad in just a lacy white bra and matching pair of panties.
“She’s a good kid.” Leaning down, I press a kiss to the top of her head and then quietly leave the room, closing the door without a peep. “Now, where were we?” I ask Taylor as I crowd into her space.
Her eyes flare with desire as she turns away and rushes down the hall, but not before I smack the ass that has been taunting me all evening.
In the bedroom I find Taylor perched in the center of the bed, her legs criss-crossed, as if she hasn’t a care in the world.
“I think you’re overdressed.”
“Am I?”
“Oh, yes.”
“I think I’m dressed just fine for this,” I tell her as I crawl onto the bed and over her body. Taylor falls onto the pillows as my mouth descends onto her panty covered pussy.
“Oh, God,” she cries out as I push aside the thin fabric of lace and devour her center in the way that’s guaranteed to set her off.
And when she explodes against my mouth, I quickly remove my clothes and thrust my cock so deep inside her that she claws at my shoulders. A warrior’s injury, and one that I’ll gladly take. My thrusts are fierce, aggressive, but Taylor urges me for more.
Reaching into my nightstand, I pull out a pair of handcuffs and latch them onto the bed and her wrists. Taylor looks at me not in fear, but in intrigue.
Yes, I have plans to make this date one she never forgets.
Chapter Twelve – Taylor
HUNTER TAKES ME IN his arms and kisses me gently, making sure each part of my body is covered by his lips. The only place he’s left unexplored is the part of me aching for his touch. I’ve never felt desire like this, a need so overwhelming that I feel as if my world might collapse if he doesn’t take control of my body right now.
Finally, his mouth begins to descend on that most private part of me just as a ringing noise jolts through my dream. Groaning I reach out for his head trying to divert his attention away from the nuisance sounding in the room, but my hand comes up empty.
I swat the empty air until prying my eyes open and reaching across the bed for Hunter’s phone. I don’t intend to be nosey, but at the name flashing on the screen I can’t seem to help myself.
“Hello?”
“Ttt. . . Taylor? Is that you?”
Stunned at first, my weariness falls to the wayside as my anger pushes forward at the voice I recognize from my childhood. “Why are you calling Hunter, Grandmother?”
“Well, I was hoping I could talk to you. I don’t have your number and I’ve missed you.”
“I’m not hard to find and you made it apparent that you sided with your own son all those years ago when I came to you after he hit me the first time.”
“We all make mistakes, Taylor. And I’m hoping that you can forgive mine as your sister did.”
“She’s a far better person than me.”
“I could argue with you about that one.”
Silence hangs between us and I’m hesitant to offer more to the conversation. Thankfully my grandmother ends the call only asking that I consider how much time we’ve missed together and that she’d like the chance to be in our lives as well as Tabitha’s.
Talk about sending my morning for a whirlwind, I wake up lost in a fantasy dream with Hunter only to find myself plunged deep in a nightmare. I can hear my sister now, “Leave the past where it belongs. You’ll never grow if you don’t move forward.” Damn wise sibling.
Falling back onto the bed I burrow under the sheets and nestle into the pillows, but just as I find myself in that pleasant piece of time between being awake and falling into sleep, I hear a screaming giggle. I can’t help but smile with my face pressed against the pillow.
I force myself out of bed, throwing on a pair of shorts under Hunter’s T-shirt and I make my way toward the kitchen where I’m greeted by the most glorious scene. Hunter, clad in only a pair of low slung gray sweatpants, stands at the stove. In one arm he carries Tabitha, and in the other, he is pushing around an egg mix in a sauté pan to scramble them.
Tabitha giggles again as he blows a raspberry on her cheek.
I watch them in fascination for a few minutes, loving the ease at which the two of them have with each other.
As he plates the eggs, he catches me standing at the entrance. His gaze travels from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. He’s hungry and I’m certain that it’s not for breakfast.
“Morning, Mommy,” he announces as he grabs a few pieces of bacon, setting them on the plates.
“Mommy!” Tabitha squeals. She wiggles to get down from his hold and he sets her on the floor where she immediately scurries over to me. I wrap her in my arms, loving the feel of her chubby body against me.
“Well, this is quite the spread. Usually, Saturdays are fend for yourself. What’s up?” I ask as I place Tabitha in her high chair.
I take my usual seat at the table as Hunter places the plate in front of me. Turning my head to thank him, he captures my lips before pulling away quickly and taking his own seat. The smell of bacon and eggs fills the kitchen and I take a second to inhale the scent, letting it fill my lungs.
Sitting here with Hunter and Tabitha like this, eating breakfast together, gives me a glimpse of what being a family should look like. The quintessential American dream of Mom and Dad with two point five kids in a perfect home and perfect yard. It’s the dream my father tried to pretend we achieved. But behind closed doors, I knew how flawed we truly were.
But something about the way Hunter is smiling at me as Tabitha shovels her eggs into her mouth using her fist doesn’t send that fear spiraling through me as it normally would. Instead, I feel a sense of peace.
Sensing that I’m on the verge of questioning my own happiness, Hunter speaks up. “So, there may be a reason for our meal this morning.”
Now I’m glad I trusted my instincts and questioned the breakfast. I find that rarely people do something for nothing. I’ve even considered why Hunter allowed Tabitha and myself to move into his home and pretend to be my fiancé at the drop of a hat, but then I realized he does get something out of it – access to me.
All of my energy suddenly leaves my body and it’s almost painful to lift my fork.
“Do tell.”
“Well, I went to grab the mail this morning since we missed it yesterday and I found a pretty big envelope with your name on it.” From the seat of the empty chair, Hunter grabs the piece of mail and tosses it in my direction.
“Oh my gosh, is this. . .?” My question trails off as I stare at the white envelope with a law office’s information embossed in the upper left corner.
“I’m fairly positive that it’s your sister’s Will.”
With a new sense of determination, I slip my finger under the flap and reach inside the e
nvelope to grab the heavy stack of papers. “I always thought that they had to gather all of the family and do a full-fledged reading of a Will.”
“Naw, that only happens in books and movies. When my grandparents died, my mother received the Will in the mail, just as you have, and if she had wanted to contest, she had to contact the lawyer that drew it up.”
“Huh.” I tell him in surprise. “I had no idea.”
“I’m sure they’ve probably highlighted or tabbed the areas that involve you and Tabitha. But I figure since Mr. Sedgwick most likely received a copy first, and we haven’t heard anything, that we are probably in the clear.”
Sifting through the paperwork as I finish the eggs and bacon I find the part referencing me as Tabitha’s legal guardian with full custody. And as I continue to scan, I don’t read anything of importance.
“Wow, this just made my day. Look here, Tabitha. This means I’m officially your mommy.” I grin as the toddler waves the piece of bacon she had been gnawing on in the air wildly.
“I can put that in my fireproof safe if you’d like, for safekeeping.”
“That would be great. Thank you. And I guess this means we can get out of your hair now. We don’t have to continue keeping up pretenses.”
“What?”
I can see the confusion swirling in Hunter’s gaze as his fork dangles in his hand mid-air.
“Well, I just mean that I can look for an apartment for Tabitha and me now that there is no question what my sister had wanted. I have some money saved from the job. You can go back to being you, and I can move forward and try to figure everything else out.”
“You’re going to move out?”
Hunter stands at the table and slams his fists on either side of his plate.
“Well, yeah. . .I thought. . .”
“Whatever you thought, you thought wrong. What the he. . .heck, Taylor? What about last night? What about my proposal? What about the freaking baby on the way?”
“I don’t know. . .I just. . .”
“I can’t believe this right now. You’re not leaving while you’re pregnant with my child. Why is it always two steps forward and then five back with you, Taylor? Why can’t you open your freaking eyes and take in what’s around you?” Hunter bellows before storming out of the kitchen, heading down the hall, and slamming the door to the bedroom.
I stare at his empty plate and listen to Tabitha’s giggles as she plays with her food, utterly oblivious to everything that just occurred in the kitchen.
It’s only a minute later before a slightly calmer Hunter stomps back into the kitchen. “I have to go to the office, someone triggered the alarm.” He leans down and presses a kiss to the top of Tabitha’s head. “Bye, sweet pea.” I’m surprised when he repeats the movement with me, and he must notice the shock on my face. “We’ll talk about everything when I get back. Just, try to remember that you don’t have to run from me, Taylor. You’re allowed to be happy.”
Before I have a chance to reply Hunter is slipping through the front door and his truck is barreling down the driveway.
“Damn, I sure do know how to make a shit storm out of everything, don’t I?” I ask Tabitha. She smiles at me and tells me that she loves me.
“Yeah, I love you too.”
Hunter is gone for about an hour and by the time he arrives home I’m a complete nervous wreck. Not only because someone tried to get into the warehouse office, but also because of the conversation I know we’re going to have.
I try to act as if our conversation this morning hasn’t affected me, but when Hunter sits on the couch beside me and then tugs me over onto his lap, I curl up against him.
“I’m sorry about this morning. I brought you a peace offering,” he adds as he points to a familiar cup and logo sitting on the end table.
“That’s sweet, but I don’t think I can have coffee.”
He reaches over, grabs the cup, and then holds it out to me.
“The baby book says you can have small amounts of caffeine, but that’s not what it is. I got you hot chocolate.”
Taking a hearty sip, I close my eyes as I taste the familiar flavors of chocolate and cream. “My hero. And I should be apologizing to you, not the other way around.”
“I don’t know. I shouldn’t be trying to push you to do something you’re not ready for. I know that you’re scared of relationships, and I usually would be on board with something more casual, but it’s you, Taylor. Something about you makes me want more. Makes me want things I never have before.
“And I’m afraid every day I’m going to come home and find you with your things packed up and gone. It literally makes my chest hurt to even consider not seeing you every day.”
“Hunter, I. . . I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. All I want is for you to try. Try to fight the urge to run. Try to give me a chance, us a real chance. And try to allow yourself to be happy.”
“You’re going through an awful lot to keep me around,” I confess.
“I know, but you’re worth it.”
Taking another hearty gulp from my hot chocolate, I ask him if he’s sure.
“Oh yeah, absolutely. Now let me see if that drink is as good as you make it look.”
I hold the cup out toward him but he just takes it from my hand and puts it back on the table. His lips collide with mine, his tongue searching the far reaches of my mouth.
Pulling back just slightly Hunter smirks. “Yeah, just as I thought, delicious.”
***
Absentmindedly Hunter’s hand rubs small circles around my bare belly as we lay in bed. At about the very end of five months, the baby has decided that it was going to make itself known. Not only has my stomach grown massively (I think I look like I’m closer to nine months than five), but I’ve started to get second-trimester morning sickness.
I was so concerned that something was wrong when I couldn’t keep any food down, but the doctor assured me that everything was fine and gave me a prescription to combat nausea. Apparently, it’s rare at this point in the pregnancy but not unheard of.
I tried to fight against taking any medicine, but I could see it weighed heavily on Hunter to see me sick all of the time. So I sucked it up and took a pill. The first day I woke up without needing to rush to the bathroom, it gave me time to actually take in Hunter as he slept. I hadn’t noticed how tired and worried he had become.
“Morning, sweetheart,” I hear from behind me as Hunter’s hand moves up from my stomach to cup one of my breasts. He presses a kiss at the base of my neck and I melt into his chest.
“Mm. . .mornin’. How did you sleep?”
“Great. You’re welcome to wake me up at 2 a.m. anytime as long as you do that thing with your tongue again.”
My cheeks redden and I try to hide my face under my arm, but of course, Hunter anticipates it and leans over my body, kissing my cheek.
“Don’t hide from me, sweetheart.”
“Well then stop embarrassing me.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that telling you how much I enjoyed you sucking my cock in the middle on the night would embarrass you.”
“And you’re doing it again.”
Hunter laughs as he gets out of bed and I pull the covers completely over my head.
“Go back to sleep. You have a few hours before you need to be at the office and I’m dropping Tabitha off at my mom’s this morning.”
Peeking out from beneath the mound of white, I look at him in confusion. “Why is your mom watching her today?”
“Did you forget already?”
“No. . .” I ponder for a moment, but nothing triggers my mind, but I’m not ready to give up the fight yet. That is until Hunter looks down at me with that damn smile that melts me from the inside.
“Okay, fine. I forgot.”
“Today is your doctor’s appointment and since the baby flipped around a lot last time we have the chance to find out the gender.”
�
��Oh, yeah. But Hunter, what if I don’t want to know? Last time we were ready to see it, but now that I think about it, I kind of want the surprise.”
“Really?” he asks in shock.
“Yeah.”
“Do I get a say? Because I think it would make things so much easier on our families and us.”
“How would it make things easier?”
“Well, for starters we would have decided on a name or two. Clothes and whatever else we need can be purchased ahead of time, and I think it would just be easier to call it a boy or a girl, instead of just ‘it’.”
“You know, a lot of people aren’t doing gender-based things anymore.”
“I’m not saying that it’s a gender-based thing. It’s more a peace of mind thing. Because if it’s another girl, I’ll have time to mentally prepare myself for everything that comes with having a girl.”
“What if it’s a boy?”
“Well. . .I don’t know. Come on, Taylor.”
An argument at five in the morning isn’t something I had planned on happening and the stress is almost too much. I bury my head into the pillow and growl because I keep changing my mind. I was fine with all of this last time, but I took the fact that the baby wasn’t cooperating as a sign that we weren’t supposed to know.
“Taylor?”
“Fine, I’ll think about it, okay?”
His frown instantly morphs into one of those sexy grins that make my panties catch fire. “Thank you. And maybe call your grandmother. She may be able to offer some advice.”
“Would you stop talking to my grandmother?”
He speaks with her almost as much as he talks with his own mother. At first, I was livid, but after taking her call on his phone a few weeks back, I’ve begun to message and call her every once in a while. We aren’t on solid ground yet, but the relationship is tolerable.
“Naw, she’s a pretty cool lady. I hope when I’m in my nineties that I’m as active as she is. I mean, she’s preparing to travel around Europe.”
“Well, then maybe you should go with her and leave me alone.”
He seems to ponder my suggestion for a second. “You think she’d let me tag along?”
Stolen Hearts (The Stolen Series Book 3) Page 12
