04 Reilly's Wildcard

by Anne Rainey

  Reilly glided his hand upward as she moaned his name. When he reached her sweet center and began flicking his thumb back and forth over her clit, Lucy’s breath hitched. He plunged his finger into her pulsing heat, then kissed her gently on her parted mouth. “Mmm, so sweet.” Her hips began moving, arching into his hand as he fingered her.

  Reilly slid a single digit in and out of her opening. His cock ached to plunge deep. Her honeyed pussy was nothing short of paradise, and he craved it.

  “Oh God, Reilly, that feels so good. Please don’t stop.”

  “I have no intention of stopping. Ever.” Reilly slipped his finger out and spread her juices over her kiss-swollen lips. “I’ve missed your spicy flavor something fierce, woman.” He covered her mouth with his and slowly drifted his tongue over her bottom lip. As her body bowed, Reilly moved downward, tasting the skin of her neck first, then the ample softness of her breasts. She fit his mouth, his hands. This woman was made for him, and he devoured her.

  First licking and then sucking on her nipple, he luxuriated in her gasps and moans. Her hands fisted in his hair, pulling him closer. He toyed with one and then bit down on the other, giving equal attention to both beautiful tits. He could easily spend hours nibbling on her.

  “Do you know you drive me to the very brink of insanity?” he asked, wondering if she had any idea the effect she had on him.

  “It’s the same for me,” she whispered.

  Reilly lifted his head and stared at Lucy’s widespread thighs. She sat with her sex dripping wet, breasts red and glistening from the heat of his mouth. “So damn sexy,” he groaned and grasped her hips, pulling her to the very edge of the couch.

  He dipped his head between her legs and drank up her tangy juice. He kissed his way slowly upward and voraciously licked her nipples. Lucy groaned raggedly and arched into him, clutching at the cushion for support. He lapped at her clit and tongue-fucked her. Lucy slammed her hips against his face and cried out his name as her climax took hold of her. Reilly sipped at her pussy until he’d swallowed every last drop of her sweet honey.

  “Now, sweetheart,” Reilly demanded. He entered her in one smooth stroke. Lucy’s flesh molded to his shape. Her body was so hot, Reilly thought he’d go up in flames. He didn’t care; it’d be one hell of a way to go.

  “Fuck me faster,” Lucy whimpered, her need a live flame that burned Reilly from the inside out. He ached to pound into her. Fuck her hard, drive himself deep. But he was ever mindful of the baby she carried.

  “After the baby is born, then we can get crazy,” he promised. “For now, just let me make love to you, sweetheart.”

  A startled gasp escaped Lucy. “I’m such a terrible mother.”

  He reached up and cupped her breast as he slid gently in and out of her sweet pussy. “You will be a perfect mother to our child. I know it in my bones.” She appeared ready to protest, but Reilly hushed her. “Shh, just feel me inside you, Lucy. Only concentrate on the way we fit together. So perfect and right.”

  “Oh, Reilly. You make me want things. You make me want to forget my fears.”

  “Good, that’s the way it should be,” he replied. “I won’t let anything happen to you, sweetheart.”

  “Make love to me, then,” she murmured.

  He leaned near her ear and whispered, “Mm, yeah, that’s what I like to hear.” The only sounds in the room after that were of Lucy and Reilly touching and playing.

  He pushed into her gently at first, then built the pace by slow degrees. His hips thrust against hers as his arms caged her in. Deeper and rougher with each stroke, until their flesh seemed to meld together.

  Reilly leaned over her, covering her body with his, and pushed forward again and again. Her wet channel brought him to the stormy edge of pleasure. When she clenched one last time, they both came undone and flew apart. She sank her fingernails into his shoulders, and he curled his arms around her, holding her tight as he filled her with his seed.

  They were both burning up and sticky, and Reilly’s thigh muscles ached from the exertion. He’d be damned if it wasn’t the best feeling in the world, though. The scent of their passion clung to the air around them, and Reilly inhaled deep, hoping the smell would sustain him for a few hours. Mere seconds passed before he pulled away. He hesitated a moment, transfixed, staring at Lucy’s sated body, still shuddering from the orgasms he’d coaxed from her. A smile lit her face, her skirt twisted and tangled around her middle and her shiny, dark hair all around her body. Reilly knew he could never let her go. Somehow, someway, he had to prove to her that their relationship deserved a chance. They would make it work. They had to, because he didn’t think he would survive losing her this time.

  Chapter Six

  After spending the night together, Reilly had driven Lucy back to her car. He hadn’t liked it, but since the next day was Monday, they both had to get up early for work. So he’d caved and let her go. They’d arranged to see each other after work, but then his mom had gotten wind of Lucy and the pregnancy and she’d done what any mom would do—she’d drilled him until he’d found himself telling her everything and agreeing to dinner on Tuesday. By the time he’d thought to tell Lucy, it was Tuesday after work, and they’d spent a decadent half hour soaping each other up.

  “She wants to meet me?” Lucy cried as she stood across the room and slipped into a white skirt and top.

  Reilly sat on the bed and put his shoes on, confused by Lucy’s anxiety. “It’s just my mom. I don’t see the problem.”

  “You don’t see the problem?” She threw her arms in the air. “I’m the woman pregnant with her grandchild. Don’t you think I would have liked a little time to maybe prepare myself to have dinner with her?”

  Lucy practically shouted, and Reilly didn’t think that was good for the baby. “I don’t want you getting overworked. It’s not healthy, sweetheart.”

  “You should have thought of that before you sprang this on me at the last minute, then, because I’m well past stressed. I’m frantic!”

  Reilly stood and went to her, then took her into his arms. She was stiff as a board at first. “Calm yourself,” he softly demanded. “My mother is not so sinister. One look at you and she’ll be charmed. I imagine she’ll pamper you all night. It’ll be all I can do to get you out of there so I can get you alone.”

  “I’m really nervous, Reilly,” she admitted as she began to relax, her voice quivering. “I don’t know what to say to her. How to act.”

  “Just be yourself, sweetheart. It will be okay, you’ll see.”

  She snuggled closer and leaned against him. “My mom died when I was so young, and now I’m about to meet your mother, who, by all accounts, is the most perfect mother ever. Soon I’ll be a mom myself. This is all very new to me.”

  She tugged at his heart when she said things like that. She was so starved for a mother’s affection. Reilly couldn’t imagine anyone not loving Lucy. “I know,” he murmured. “I understand your fears, but my family will embrace you as if you were their own flesh and blood. Besides, you have a trump card. You’re carrying a Jennings in your belly. That’s enough to earn you a pedestal, trust me.”

  “Can you imagine a little dark-haired boy with your green eyes?” She sighed. “Oh God, this is so unreal.”

  “A boy?” he asked. “Not a girl?”

  Lucy blinked as if startled. “I’d be happy with either, but I keep picturing a boy for some reason.”

  “Did you want to find out the sex at your ultrasound appointment, or would you rather be surprised?”

  Lucy appeared to give that some thought as she fiddled with her clothes and smoothed down her hair. “I have to wait until I’m about four months along before I can do that, but I want to be surprised anyway. It would be more fun that way. What do you think?”

  He shrugged. “It’s up to you.” He slipped his arms around her, then cradled her belly in his hands. “I’m not very good at waiting, but being surprised doesn’t sound like a bad way to go.”
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br />   She looked over her shoulder, her smile sensual and intimate. “You are terrible at waiting. I’m going to enjoy watching you squirm for the next several months.”

  He turned her around and kissed her lightly. “You take pleasure in driving me crazy, don’t you?”

  She winked. “It’s quickly becoming my favorite pastime.”

  He laughed and kissed her again. Things were heating up nicely, but when he looked at the clock on her nightstand and saw the time, Reilly said, “Come on, let’s go face the music.”

  Lucy took a deep breath and let it out. “I can do this,” she muttered.

  He chuckled. “It’s going to be fine, you’ll see.”

  Half an hour later, as they entered the front door of his mom’s house, the house he still considered home, Reilly immediately spotted several members of his family. Sammy stood in the doorway to the kitchen with his arms crossed, frowning over at him. Brodix and Sarah sat on the couch, grinning at each other and clearly in their own world. Even River had shown up. He sat on the arm of the couch, a rare grin on his face. River spotted Lucy, and winked. When his mom came forward, Reilly knew immediately that she was up to no good.

  “My son!” she exclaimed, then hugged him tight. She pulled back a fraction and admonished, “You are forever keeping me on my toes, aren’t you?”

  He winked and kissed both of her soft cheeks. She had a dish towel hanging over one shoulder and a wide smile curving her lips. Her gray hair was neat as a pin, and her once rounded figure was a few pounds slimmer. Ever since her heart attack the previous year, she’d been eating healthier, and she’d even joined a yoga class. Reilly and his brothers had been thrilled to see the changes in her.

  Reilly brought her over to meet Lucy, who had stayed a good five feet behind him, as if trying to disappear into the background. Reilly would have none of it. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Lucy Rice, the woman who will soon be giving birth to your grandchild.”

  His mother stepped forward, head high, back straight, then beamed a ready smile at Lucy. She took her into her arms and hugged her with the same exuberance she’d shown him, then kissed both of her cheeks. “You honor me, dear. I can see my son is very happy. You’ve taken wonderful care of him. And the baby, is he or she healthy also?”

  “Yes, the baby is doing quite well. The pregnancy hasn’t been too rough at all. I feel very lucky.”

  “We’re the lucky ones, I think.” His mother looked her over from head to toe, then smiled.

  “Mom,” he softly warned, “I thought we were having dinner with you, not the entire clan.”

  “This is a special occasion, Reilly. I can’t help if your family wanted to celebrate with you.” She turned to Lucy and said, “I know the Jennings bunch can be a bit overwhelming, but we’re harmless, I promise.”

  “It’s okay. I am too.” She grinned at him, and he desperately wanted to get her alone where he could soak in the brilliance of her smile for a good hour or so. Without warning, her face went pale, and she covered her mouth with her hand.

  Reilly took hold of her arm to steady her. “Morning sickness?” he asked. When she nodded, he pointed to the hall. “Bathroom is first door on the right.”

  She sprinted from the room. Had he put too much stress on Lucy by bringing her to dinner at his mom’s?

  “She’ll be fine, dear,” his mom said in her usual knowing way. “The nausea is normal.”

  “It should be called all-day sickness, because it’s well past morning right now,” Reilly grumbled as he helped his mother sit in the recliner, then took his own seat on the love seat.

  Sammy was the first to speak. “Mom filled us in, but I’d like to hear it from you.”

  Reilly should’ve guessed this was coming. Sammy was his oldest brother, but he’d always been more like a father to the rest of them. Sammy wouldn’t be satisfied until he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Reilly wasn’t being forced into anything with Lucy. He wanted to know if Reilly cared about Lucy as much as he cared about the baby she carried.

  “It’s not as complicated as it seems,” Reilly replied. “I wasn’t as careful with Lucy as I should have been, and she ended up pregnant.”

  “You’re evading the one thing of most importance, my son,” his mother chastised.

  “What do you mean?” he hedged, not wishing to get into his feelings with the lot of them. What was going on between him and Lucy was private, and he wanted to keep it that way.

  “Do you care about Lucy?” she asked, her gaze penetrating.

  He hadn’t had much time to get used to the idea, but his answer came easily all the same. “Yeah, I do.”

  “And does she feel this way for you?” Sammy chimed in, a frown marring his brow.

  “We haven’t gotten that far. We’re sort of taking things a day at a time here.”

  “Nonsense,” his mom said. “If she didn’t care about you, she wouldn’t be here tonight.”

  Reilly hoped his mom was right, but he kept his thoughts to himself. “She’s been through a lot,” he told them. “Her first husband did quite a bit of damage, and she didn’t have the happiest of childhoods.”

  Sarah spoke up then, lending her own insight. “Lucy is a very loving person, but she tends to hide her sensitive nature behind a wall. David cheating on her was only the icing on the cake. I’m afraid her mother died when she was young, and her dad’s cold indifference has caused Lucy to guard her feelings.”

  “It’s awful when parents don’t want their own kids,” his mother said, sadness emphasizing the wrinkles in her forehead.

  “I agree,” Reilly bit out, thinking of his own biological parents. He wished he could give Lucy’s father a piece of his mind for the emotional scars he’d left on Lucy. “I think that’s why Lucy is so set on doing the right thing with this baby. She is very vulnerable in the role of mother. I think maybe she’s afraid she’ll turn out just like her dad.”

  “Lucy would never treat a child the way her dad treated her,” Sarah replied, a note of anger in her voice. “Never.”

  “Of course not,” he agreed, “but she won’t truly trust herself until after the baby is born.”

  His mother sat up straighter and smiled. “Then, in the meantime, we will all support her and show her what a real family is like.” She looked at him with that same penetrating gaze that only a mother could pull off. “And, Reilly, you’ll have to be extra patient with her. She’ll come around. I saw how she looked at you when she thought no one was paying attention. In time, she’ll fight her demons.”

  When Sammy held his beer in the air and said, “To a new generation of Jenningses!” River and Brodix followed suit.

  “Here! Here!” River shouted.

  “What am I missing?”

  The room fell silent, and everyone turned at once. Lucy stood in the entrance to the hallway, her hair brushed and her face a little pale. The way she filled out the white gauzy shirt and matching skirt took his breath away. She looked like a pretty angel. Reilly rose from his seat and went to her. At the same time, Sarah quickly stood and crossed the room. “I can’t believe you’re pregnant,” she said as she took Lucy in her arms. “This is so exciting!”

  Reilly stopped in the middle of the room and let the women hug. Lucy was more subdued than Sarah but no less happy. She glanced at him over Sarah’s shoulder, and he could see the joy reflected in her eyes. Yes, the dinner had been a good idea. It was just the thing Lucy needed.

  “Let the woman have some air, Sarah,” Brodix said around a laugh.

  “Sorry,” she replied, her cheeks turning crimson. “The mention of babies tends to make me go all gooey.”

  The ladies parted, but Sarah grabbed Lucy’s hand and tugged her toward the couch to sit next to her and Brodix. Reilly went to her, sitting on the arm on her right, and smoothed a palm down her hair. “How’s your stomach?”

  She looked up at him, a contented smile on her face. “Better, thanks.” She glanced over at Sarah and gritted out, “Morning s
ickness is for the birds.”

  He frowned at that. “Are you sure you’re up for dinner? No one will mind if we bow out.”

  Lucy slapped his thigh. “I’m fine. Quit worrying so much.” Then she grinned. “Besides I’ve been dying for some of this terrific food you keep telling me about.”

  “You’re in for a treat,” his mother declared as she stood and headed for the kitchen. “I’ve planned a delicious meal.”

  They all filed into the large dining room. He helped Lucy into her chair and seated himself to her left, while his mother moved to the stove to dish up pasta.

  “We’re having penne pasta with browned slices of zucchini topped with fresh basil, and grilled baby back ribs.”

  Reilly hummed his approval. “You’ll love Mom’s ribs. They’re treated overnight in spicy brine, roasted, then finished on the grill.”

  “It all sounds lovely, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat it all.” She blushed and aimed her next statement toward his mom. “I hope I don’t offend you if I fill up quickly.”

  Reilly slung an arm over the back of her chair and leaned in to press his lips to her silky hair. “Of course not, sweetheart. Besides, River’s here. He’ll be glad to eat whatever you can’t finish, trust me.”

  River rolled his eyes. “I can’t help it if the rest of you have the metabolism of turtles.”

  Lucy frowned. “I can’t imagine raising five boys. Good heavens, I’m having a hard time imagining one.”

  His mother, Wanda, laughed. “Don’t fear. It’s merely first-time jitters. Every mother experiences this sort of thing.”

  “I don’t know.” Lucy slumped. “I’m pretty clueless, and it’s frightening to think of having a little baby relying on me for his strength and security.”