“Hunter!” I shout exasperatedly.
“What? I’m just kidding. I’d miss being around a woman that refuses to let me buy her an engagement ring because she still thinks we’re just temporary.”
“Not this again. . .” I groan.
“Just stating the facts. Maybe after your appointment today we can go ring shopping. I have the afternoon off since Aiden wanted some extra hours.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I know, but you love me anyway.” Leaning over, he kisses my cheek before settling the blankets back over my head.
“Says who?” my muffled voice asks.
“Says your fiancé.”
I hear his deep chuckle then the door click shut as he leaves the room.
Damn stubborn man, I think to myself.
At first, I toss and turn in the bed, trying to get comfortable with my expanding belly, but nothing seems to work. Then I hear the soft giggle of Tabitha running down the hall, most likely being chased by Hunter, and I smile to myself. Closing my eyes, I fall back to sleep with the sound of heavy footsteps and childish laughter – the best sounds I’ve heard today.
The office is empty when I arrive around 9:30 a.m., which isn’t surprising, but not having Tabitha with me is a bit jarring. I’m used to having to wrangle her around the shop until she settles in the play area. Hunter even went and bought her a pretend computer so that she could “work like Mommy.” Needless to say, it was a big hit, and it’s now her favorite toy in the shop.
With the barren space, I decide to get a heads up on inventory for the next month. I slip off my heels and slide them under my desk to tug on a pair of sandals, much better suited for my ankles and head into the storage section of the warehouse.
Hunter has been asking me to cut back on lifting and moving the equipment, demanding that I wait for him before tackling any of the inventory, but he should know by now that I’m not much of a rule follower.
Needing to reach a container on the top shelf I extend my arm as far as it will go, but my stomach keeps getting in the way. I step onto the rack, hoping to give myself just a few more inches, but the case is set too far back. Looking around the space, I can’t find a ladder, but instead, I locate a large five-gallon bucket and flip it over, using it as a stepping stool.
Just as I reach the container with the tips of my fingers, I hear my phone ring in the other room. After learning of Hunter’s accident a few years back and the fact that Tabitha is with Hunter’s mother this morning, panic grips me.
The bucket slides as I jump down and rush over to my desk, not bothering to check the ID as I answer the call.
“Hello?” I ask as I catch my breath.
“Good morning, Taylor.”
“Grandmother?”
“Yes, dear. Why do you sound so surprised?” She must hear the tremor in my voice. A vibration caused by not being prepared to have a conversation right now.
“Oh. . .well. . .just, we usually message each other. Calling hasn’t really been our thing.”
“That’s because you ignore me when I call.”
She isn’t lying about that. I typically check the number calling and let it go to voicemail.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine, for now. I was calling for a reason.”
“Okay, what’s that?” I inquire as I take a seat at the desk and pull up the upcoming week's schedule, making sure we don’t need to adjust any time due to weather. Fall is rolling in and the work time is usually cut in half, but unlike most landscaping companies this is the time that Hunter and his team begin working on landscape design and integrating new elements that will flourish in the spring.
“You find out the gender today, correct?”
“Maybe,” I reply absentmindedly.
“What do you mean, maybe? I thought you both decided at the last appointment to find out.”
“We did, and the baby didn’t cooperate. Now I’m thinking just to wait it out and be surprised.”
Grandma Helms hums on the other end and I roll my eyes. I remember her making that same sound when I was a child and she didn’t approve of something that I’d done.
“What does Hunter have to say about it?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Sure it does. He’s the father. He’s opened up his home to you and Tabitha. He’s proposed to you for goodness sakes.”
“So?”
“So!” my grandmother’s irate tone squawks in my ear and I cringe at the noise. “What is this really all about, Taylor? I know your change of heart is not just about the appointment. So, tell me, what has you so twisted up?”
Leaning back in the chair, I sulk as I realize that she’s hit the nail on the head. As I sit in silence, she chimes back in.
“Let me see if I can figure it out for you. The more you let Hunter into your life, the more you feel trapped. It’s harder to run away from someone that you’re in love with. Am I close?”
“Maybe,” I brood, closing my eyes against the sun streaming through the warehouse windows. My mouth has suddenly turns dry and no matter how many times I lick my lips, I can’t get the moisture to stick. “The thing is, Grandma, this is not how I wanted to fall in love. I feel as if I was forced into this thing with him and I can’t get out. This isn’t what I wanted.”
“I get that, sugarplum. But sometimes life throws a wrench in our plans. Do you think your sister had intentions of never seeing her daughter grow up? Or that your mother and I had to watch your father harm you the way that he had, without saying a word all because we knew it would do more harm than good since he had an in with the police? Do you think a well off and handsome man like Hunter planned on waking up one day to be an instant father and husband?
“We all make choices based on life-changing instances. You can’t dwell on your dreams if you don’t live for today. Otherwise, you’ll always be reaching for something that may truly never exist.
“Now, tell me, do you love Hunter? Do you want to be with him?”
Isn’t that the ever-growing question? Did I want to be with Hunter? Sure, he makes me feel alive for the first time in my life. I’m not just drifting along in someone else’s day-to-day. He gives me a reason to want to live each second of every day. He makes me want to stay in one place.
But of course, what my grandmother doesn’t realize is that this throws an entirely new twist in her scheme to pair me with Hunter for eternity. Now I have to let him go. Because he deserves far better than I could ever give him. He needs to be with a woman strong and capable in her own skin, not someone willing to fly off at a moment’s notice when things begin to unravel. I’ve never been the fighter.
As I tell my grandmother this, I can hear her resigned sigh on the other end.
“All I ask is that you really think about this before you do something that you’re going to regret. If you love him, you need to tell him. Tell him everything you’ve just told me – about your fears, about your inability to see the good in yourself, everything. We all deserve love, Taylor. Including you. Fight for yourself for a change.
“And, please for all that is good in the world find out the gender because I want to spoil you and the child, and that would just make my life so much easier.”
Leave it to my grandmother to find the good in our deep conversation.
Giggling, I tell her that I’ll let her know.
“Thanks for the talk, Grandma.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie. And in the future, don’t ignore my phone calls. I can tell when you send them straight to voicemail.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
We end the call and I stare blankly at my computer screen as I recall all of her wisdom. Tell him how I feel? Why does that seem more terrifying than giving birth?
After a few minutes, I shake my head free of the impending discussion that I need to have with Hunter. The thought of him rejecting me is painful, but the idea of him accepting my love is almost as terrifying.
I print off the inventory sheet and
move back into the room I had previously vacated. Moving the bucket back in front of the shelf, I step up and reach for the container. My fingertips brush the plastic until I can get it to twist toward me enough to grab the edge.
“Ah ha!” I exclaim, excitement coursing through my body.
“What are you doing?” a frightened voice bellows in the room, the sound growing louder as it approaches.
Before I know it, I’m swept into Hunter’s arms and carried out of the room, then gently placed on the small couch in the break room.
Wordlessly Hunter steps over to the table, takes a seat, and leans his head on his arms. His chest expands and contracts at a fast pace and I can’t help but wonder what has him so worked up.
“Are you. . .are you alright?”
“I think you’re trying to kill me.”
“What?” I ask in confusion. Hunter turns toward me and looks me over, his eyes leaving a speckling of goosebumps over every surface that they touch.
“Seeing you on your tiptoes standing on the top of a flimsy bucket and leaning over a shelf pretty much stopped my heart. I’ve never been so terrified outside of the day we found out you were pregnant. I think I died a thousand times in that second I walked in.”
Realization dawns as I listen to the description of what he saw and the fear that gripped him.
“Hey, I’m okay. I honestly didn’t even think about the danger of slipping. I’m sorry, Hunter.”
“God, all I can think about now is what could have happened if you had slipped and I hadn’t been on my way in.” The turmoil swims in his eyes. It’s bright and powerful, and I feel awful for being the cause of his pain.
Gosh, I really am in love with him. Seeing him in pain is literally causing my chest to ache and my stomach to twist in knots.
Pushing my feet onto the ground, I stand from the small two-seater couch and walk over to Hunter, placing myself firmly on his lap. He instantly wraps his arms around me and holds me tight.
Is this what it would be like? My touch immediately soothing him? His arms wrapped around me, making me feel safer than I’ve ever experienced? Would we be each other’s talisman of light in a world of darkness?
“I’m sorry, Hunter. I’ll be more careful.” I stroke his thick hair, loving the way the wavy strands twist and pull against my fingers. His body vibrates against me at each pass.
I feel his arms tighten around me as his hands reach up to hold the backs of my shoulders. His head turns, and like the touch of a feather, his lips caress the soft skin of my neck. My body heats the instant his tongue peeks out and licks the same spot his lips have vacated.
“Hunter,” I say, my voice husky and rough. I close my eyes as he repeats his kiss in another spot on my neck. “We can find out the gender today.”
All kissing stops, and at first I think he’s contemplating his next move. But then I feel the edges of his mouth tug up toward his eyes as his lips stay pressed against my skin. He pulls back slowly and looks at me with the broadest grin I’ve ever seen him wear. My chest pounds beneath the muscle and bone at his reaction.
“You mean it?”
My ability to form words leaves me and all I can do is nod.
“I’ll be sure to thank you properly when we get home.”
And damn if I don’t mewl like a cat being teased with some catnip.
Chapter Thirteen – Hunter
A BOY. WE’RE HAVING a baby boy that made damn sure he proudly showed his little twig and berries during the ultrasound this time around.
Taylor and I are driving back to the office after the two-hour appointment, and I could tell in the room that she was hesitant to ask the gender, but once the technician pointed out what she is carrying Taylor had smiled widely with tears streaming down her cheeks. She had been fixated on the screen, watching our little guy twist and turn in her stomach, but I had been solely focused on her. Watching her reaction and how fascinated she is with our child makes my love for her blossom and flourish in a way I never imagined.
“You seem pretty pleased with yourself,” she touts from the passenger seat. I can feel her gaze transfixed on me as I stare out the windshield. My grin hasn’t left my lips since I saw his tiny figure on the screen earlier. My cheeks are beginning to ache, but I can’t help myself.
“I have reasons to be pleased.”
“Oh, really? What are they?”
“Well, for starters I knocked you up the first time we had sex, even with protection. Then we find out you're pregnant with a boy. And to top it off I get to take you home today and bang the fuck out of you. So yes, I’m pretty damn pleased.”
Turning my head toward her, I wait for her gaze to meet mine then shoot her a wink known to bring women to their knees. Her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink and I know that my trademark has the desired effect.
Pulling into the parking lot, I maneuver the truck into the space then help Taylor jump down from the cab.
“We probably need to look at getting a new vehicle maybe an SUV or minivan.”
“No minivan,” she growls as I take her hand and walk with her toward the entrance. It’s the first time since we’ve gotten together that she doesn’t immediately recoil when I try to hold her. I asked her once why she did it and she explained that she had grown up without ever feeling a touch of affection. It made me sad to know that she grew up in a home where she never felt an ounce of love or warmth.
“Okay, but an SUV is good?”
“Sure. But can we afford it?”
I usher her inside and follow her to her office. “Well, since you started managing everything we’ve saved a significant amount of money. And we were already doing well, sweetheart. Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, well maybe we can go look at some this weekend?”
“I like that idea. Now, I just need to go over the schedule then we can head out of here. I want to go home and make good on the third reason I am pleased today before my mother drops off Tabitha.”
I can see that it takes her a minute to realize I’m talking about screwing her one hundred different ways, but when she does, her eyes dilate until the blackness covers almost all of the light blue.
Her eyes follow my every movement and I feel them digging below my layers of clothes, seeing past the cotton and denim, visualizing my naked body beneath. She’s hypnotized and I can’t help but use that in my favor.
Grabbing the schedule she printed out before we left, I move toward her and lean close to her ear, running the back of my hand down her arm. She shivers at my touch, eliciting the response I had hoped for.
“Sweetheart, keep looking at me like that and I’ll bend you over and fuck you right here on your desk.” Her body shivers again, this time for a different reason. “I bet if I slid my hand under your panties, I’d find you soaked, wouldn’t I?”
Moving my hand up her arm and around the back of her neck, I tilt her head so that she’s looking into my eyes. The heat flaring in her irises is just the reaction I had hoped for.
“You like that idea, don’t you? You like knowing that I can take you right here against your desk without a second thought. I bet you even like knowing that someone could walk in on us at any time, don’t you?”
Her body trembles against me, and I know that I’m pushing her past her limits, but I can’t help myself. My desire matches hers and I know that I’m past the point of no return.
“Tell me yes, Taylor. Tell me I can fuck you right here.”
Her breath is shallow, her chest moving up and down rapidly. I peer down for a split second, loving how my gaze collides with the deep crevice between her breasts. My mouth pools with saliva at the thought of tasting those sumptuous peeks.
She only moans in response but doesn’t give me the answer I’m seeking.
“Taylor,” I groan, rubbing my aching erection against her thigh.
Finally, she responds with a whispered, “Yes,” and the demon inside me unleashes.
Reaching behind me, I lean back until I feel
the knob of the door and twist the small lock, hearing the locking mechanism turn into place.
“You’re so gorgeous. I think you’re sexier today, with my child growing inside you, than when I first saw you three years ago.”
“You do?” she asks breathlessly as my hands slip around her waist toward the hem of her shirt.
“Oh, yeah. So fucking sexy. I walk around with a hard-on pretty much twenty-four seven.”
“Really?” She asks, her eyes dropping down to look at the tent formed behind my zipper.
“Definitely. Now let me see those gorgeous breasts.” Without slowing, I lift her shirt over her head and toss it toward the chair in the corner, not caring whether it lands on the cushion or the floor.
I look down at Taylor with her mouth parted, heavy pants swirling from her lips, and I can’t help myself as I lean down and hungrily mesh our mouths together. The flavor of the chocolate milkshake we grabbed after her doctor’s appointment and a hint of mint from the mouth spray she used as we pulled into the parking lot assault my senses. She tastes like mint chocolate chip ice cream - my favorite.
My tongue plunges into her mouth, dueling for control against hers.
It’s a clash I’m happy to fight, but not willing to succumb to.
There will be no white flag waved in surrender. No defeat or forfeit.
She’s mine.
“Let me take over, baby. Let me have you.”
From the edge of the desk, I take her wrists and pin them behind her back with one hand. With my free hand, I slip down the cup of her lacey bra and reveal one pert breast, nipple just begging me to take it in my mouth. I’d be an idiot not to oblige its plea.
I swirl my tongue around the dusty rose areola, leaving a wet trail following the path. Taylor’s body shudders when I close my mouth around the stiff peak, sucking the tip into my mouth. Taylor is so affected by the way I suck on the sensitive bud that she jerks her body against me. Watching her writhe from my touch is almost as compelling as watching her come. Almost.
From her lips, she moans out my name. It’s a call and a prayer. She’s standing before me waiting to confess all of her sins. And damn if I don’t want to make a few new ones.
Stolen Hearts (The Stolen Series Book 3) Page 13
