by Violet Paige
Evie moaned as I angled my cock to fill her entirely. The thickest part of my flesh sank into her as she hissed with pleasure.
I threaded my fingers through hers, our bodies bumping and sliding in and out. The heat built. The friction fused us together. Our breaths connected us. The sweat rolled down the side of my face while Evie begged me to give her another release.
“So fucking hot,” I grunted between thrusts. I pounded into her. I fucked her. I panted and sweated until we were both there.
I grabbed Evie by the waist and flipped her on her hands and knees. She looked over her shoulder with more dirty lust in her eyes than I could take. Her palms flattened against the sheets as she braced for the impact she’d come to expect from my cock. She wiggled her hips backward, begging for the heat of my shaft. Begging for me to crash inside her swollen pussy like all the times before. All the times I had been desperate to plant my seed inside her. When I wanted to fuck her deep and hard with all the come I could give.
I couldn’t be a possessed man tonight. I had to tame the beast inside me. I had to give her earth-shattering pleasure without the soreness that usually came the next day. My instincts were in conflict with my new responsibility. I had to worship Evie’s body in a new way.
I directed my cock to her pussy, determined to ease into her, but Evie threw her body back with a wild thrust, sinking on my shaft with a roar.
“Oh fuck.” I grabbed her hips.
I reached forward, tugging her tit between my fingers. I twisted until she gripped my dick so hard I lost my breath. I pounded into her.
“Yes.” She panted. “Yes, Jer.”
“I love fucking you this way.” My heart slammed against my ribs as I cupped her curvaceous ass. Certain plans would be postponed, but I was ok with that as long as I had this view. Taking her from behind was nirvana every time. I dug my nails into her waist.
Her head twisted to meet my gaze. With every stoke we were both climbing a staircase that was getting steeper and narrower. The space was tighter and constrictive. It was hard to breathe. It was hard to think. I pumped my cock as she met each thrust with one of her own. Two more steps. One more and we were going to fall together down a winding staircase.
“Fuck, baby. God, I love you.” I grunted shooting a round of heated release inside her. I’d wanted to fuck my wife for days but was forced to wait. Forced to let the tension and desire build. My cock twitched as her walls spasmed and clutched me with powerful grips.
She lowered her head to the pillow. “Oh, God.” She breathed. “That was incredible.”
I carefully slid my cock from her and tucked her body next to me as I took the open pillow. My hands instinctively covered her belly.
I kissed her neck. “Are you ok? Was that too much? It got rougher than I intended.”
“I’m fine. You know our baby is about as big as a grain of sand. Sex isn’t going to hurt it.”
“Grain of sand, huh?”
She nodded, twisting to face me. I could see the joy on her face.
“I don’t think I want to go to sleep,” she admitted.
“We don’t have to.”
“What if we wake up and the tests go blank? What if it’s the opposite of the first one?”
I ran a finger over her nipple. It hardened against my fingertip. “You are pregnant, Evie. I’ll keep saying it. I’ll say it all night.”
She giggled. “Keep saying it.”
“You are pregnant. You’re having my baby.”
Fuck. I was getting hard again thinking about it. It was unbelievable how primitive my instincts were. There was nothing evolved about my thinking when I pictured Evie’s belly growing with my baby. It was such a fucking turn on.
I was proud. I was protective.
She nuzzled against my chest. Her breath was soft and warm on my skin. “I want to keep this between us for a little while. Is that ok?” she asked.
“I think that’s a good idea.” My hand rested on her hip.
“I want it to be our secret for as long as it can. Our little family.”
The words were enough to make me stop breathing. We were a family now. Tied together for the rest of our lives. There was going to be a baby that was half Evie. Half me.
“I think I know when it happened,” she whispered.
I laughed. “You do?”
“I’ve read on so many blogs that women said they knew looking back exactly when they conceived. Like the stars aligned or something. A mother’s intuition kind of thing.”
“And you know when those stars aligned?”
She nodded. Her fingers walked across my chest. “Mmmhmm. I’ll narrow it down for you. It was in Tahiti.”
“Now I have to guess? I don’t have a sixth sense like that. Just tell me.”
“Think about it,” she urged. “When do you think it was?”
“How many guesses do I get? Because we fucked every single day, babe.”
She poked me in the ribs. “Hey. Focus.”
“Ok. Ok.” I closed my eyes. “I know what your answer is going to be.” There was one day that stood out to me. I didn’t have a clue when it came to her body and conception, but there was one day I knew Evie and I had moved to another level.
“Then say it,” she teased.
“That day in the cabana,” I answered.
She giggled. “Winner winner. That was it. I know that was it.”
“Make sure to document it in his baby book: conceived in broad daylight on a Tahitian chaise.”
“I am not putting that in there. And who said it was a boy?” She pouted.
“You want a girl?” The thought terrified me. I knew baseball and locker rooms. I could assemble a mean Lego set or teach my son to throw a fierce punch. But a girl? No way.
She wrapped a leg over mine, drawing us closer together. “I want our baby.” She smiled.
I crashed my lips against hers. I tasted every corner of her mouth. Savored her tongue. Moaned when she purred. We weren’t going to sleep any time soon.
As of tonight, we had everything.
17
Evie
Jeremy was asleep. He was usually the first one up, but I was nervous when I woke up. If I stayed in bed, I’d only toss and turn and wake him. I carefully placed my feet on the floor and walked to the bathroom. The tests were scattered everywhere. I picked each one up and checked them. Still pregnant. I grabbed my phone off the charger and took a picture of them lined up together. This I would put in the baby book.
I brushed my teeth and tied my hair in a bun. I crept downstairs to make a pot of coffee when I remembered. No caffeine. Shit.
I didn’t think I could go cold turkey. Frannie had coffee every once in a while when she was pregnant. I started to make the pot for Jeremy. While it was brewing I sat at the kitchen table and googled caffeine and pregnancy. I felt better when I read the consensus from obstetricians was that small amounts would be ok. I’d try half a cup and leave it at that.
I looked up when Jeremy shuffled into the kitchen.
“Good morning.” He grinned. I loved that sexy morning look on him. I think my heart melted more, knowing he was going to be a daddy. His hotness factor had tripled overnight.
“Good morning.”
He pulled me toward him. “How are you and the baby doing?”
“Tired.” I looked in his eyes. “But good. We’re good.”
He kissed my neck. “Should I tell the pilot to push back our take-off time? We don’t have to leave so soon if you want to hang out here a little longer.”
“It was a good weekend, but I’m ready to go home.”
He looked surprised. “You’re calling the warehouse home now?”
“It is home, isn’t it?”
He walked over to the coffee pot and poured a mug. I noticed he had left two of everything in the kitchen. The rest was packed in boxes. He had accomplished a lot in two days.
“Don’t freak out, but I’m going to have a small cup of coffee. I read th
at it’s ok.”
Jeremy shrugged. “I’m not an expert in the pregnancy department.”
As soon as I poured the cup I cringed.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
My stomach rolled. I held my hand over my mouth. “I think it’s making me gag.”
“Hold on.” He rushed over to my side and threw the cup into the sink. “How about some tea instead?”
I nodded, staggering to the kitchen table. I couldn’t believe how quickly I hated coffee. I loved coffee. I felt tears sting my eyes. Jeremy was heating water and slamming cabinets looking for tea. He looked at me.
“What’s wrong?”
“I love coffee.” I sniffed. “I really love coffee.”
He chuckled. “It’s ok, babe. I’ve got some caffeine headed your way.” He placed the steaming mug in front of me.
I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and held the mug. The tea didn’t smell putrid like the coffee did. The lemon actually smelled amazing. I stopped crying after a few sips.
“I guess the baby solved the coffee problem.” I wrinkled my nose.
“I guess so.” He leaned back in his chair. “We have two hours before we’re supposed to leave. I told your mom last night we’d stop by on the way to the airport.”
My jaw dropped. “We can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“They are going to know.”
He shook his head. “No way. Evie, you aren’t showing yet. Unless you’re telling me I married into a family of fortune tellers, she isn’t going to know.”
“It doesn’t matter. She’ll figure it out. I need to call her and tell her I came down with a cold or something.” I paused. “Shit. If I do that she’ll try to bring Italian wedding soup over. I’m not ready to tell anyone. I want to see a doctor first. I want to make sure everything is ok.”
“It is ok. And you and the baby are fine. It’s not the end of the world if your mother figures it out.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to share the joy with her. I did. I heard what she said to Sylvia Hartwell last night. My mom loved her grandchildren with all her heart. She would be ecstatic to know I was finally going to have a baby. But she had been through so much. She had survived a grueling cancer battle. I wasn’t going to put any stress on her that wasn’t necessary. Until I knew for sure this pregnancy was going to stick, I couldn’t tell her. I’d spare her any pain I could, especially for the sake of her health.
“Frannie figured it out before I did,” I explained. “She’s the reason I took the test Friday. I’m telling you. Those two will know. And if Frannie knows she’ll tell the cousins, then Aunt Sophia, and next thing you know we’re in the Newton Hills weekly Gazette.”
“Ok. Ok. I get it. The Rossi grapevine is basically one big social media announcement without our endorsement.”
“Exactly.”
“Drive-by?” he suggested.
I laughed. “That won’t work.”
“Video call?”
“Good idea, but no.”
He huffed. “I don’t know what to tell you, babe. I don’t do goodbyes at the Hartwell House. I just leave.”
I looked at Jeremy. I didn’t want that to be his normal anymore. No more running. This team did things together. I wanted to be able to come back to Newton Hills as a family. Our baby was going to know its grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. We weren’t going to slink out of town like outlaws.
“All right. Then I’ll have to just take the risk.” I didn’t like it. “We get in. Hug. Get out.”
Jeremy laughed. “Are you planning a bank heist or telling your parents goodbye?”
I narrowed my eyes. “This is serious. No dilly-dallying.”
“Oh now I can’t dilly-dally? Fuck.”
I giggled. “I’m only trying to protect my mom. And us. I realize there are a lot of legal parts in the air right now. How are you going to tell your mother?”
The grin fell from his lips. “She can find out when she gets the counter-suit.”
“Jer, come on. It’s her grandchild. People change with babies. Maybe this baby could bring you two together.”
He shook his head. “No.” He emptied the rest of his coffee in the sink and rinsed it out. “I said what I needed to say to her last night. She doesn’t deserve any more than that.”
He climbed the stairs to the bedroom.
His phone rang on the table. I groaned when I saw Sasha’s face on the screen. Sometimes days went by when I forgot her existence. It seemed like as soon as I got used to her, I was reminded how breathtakingly beautiful and smart she was. Every time she called or texted I had to accept she was still Jeremy’s business partner. They were in touch regularly. They worked side by side. But something wasn’t right between them.
Why did she have to call on a Sunday morning? What could possibly be happening in the baseball world that required Jeremy? Couldn’t she handle a weekend without him?
I groaned and charged up the stairs with his phone.
“It’s Sasha.”
He was brushing his teeth. He looked confused, spit in the sink, and answered the phone.
“Yeah. What’s going on?”
I studied his face while he listened to Sasha. The deep crease formed between his eyebrows. Something was wrong.
“No. No.” He shook his head. “I can be there…” He looked at his watch. “…four hours, Sasha. Just tell him to not make any decisions until I can meet with him. Book us a table at Cipriani.”
He hung up. He exhaled an angry puff of air. “We need to go now.”
“What’s wrong? What happened?” I followed him into the bedroom. He started throwing clothes into his suitcase.
“We can call your parents on the way to the airport. Tell them it’s my fault we have to leave without stopping by the house.”
“Are you going to tell me why?” I folded my arms in front of my chest. I hadn’t realized until now just how tender my breasts were.
“The Sportsman’s Ball was last night.”
“Right. You said Sasha could handle it.”
He tossed his tux shoes from last night on top of his dirty clothes. “I thought she could.”
“But something happened?”
“Johnny Stepp was there.”
I winced. I was probably supposed to know who that was.
“He’s my fucking shadow. Snatching up my investors when I’m not looking. He’ll pay to get them out of contracts. He wants my team. And he’s willing to do anything to get it.”
“Johnny Stepp stole one of your investors last night?”
Jeremy zipped the side of his suitcase and set it down so the wheels rested on the hardwood.
“He thinks he did. But I’m going to sit down with Victor and I’ll bring him back on board. Can you get dressed so we can go? I’ll call the pilot while you get ready.”
“Sasha can’t do this for you?” I squeaked. I wasn’t ready to rush out of Newton Hills. I still hadn’t labeled the last of the boxes. I hadn’t gone through my clothes. I had a list of things I wanted to finish before we left.
“I’ve neglected Scout too long. I’ve spent too much time away from the company. This is my fault. I should have been there. I should have been at the ball last night and this wouldn’t have happened.”
My stomach flipped with nausea.
“I’ve lost three investors this month. Three. That’s more than I’ve lost in the past five years.” He lifted the bag and headed for the stairs in the hall. “Five minutes, ok?”
I nodded. There was nothing I could say. I didn’t know how to bring him back to this moment. Back to the softness of our happy news. Back to the love and warmth we had made in my bed. Back to planning my move. Planning our life. Talking about our baby.
I sat on the bed. I didn’t want to believe for one second that he could flip the switch so easily. That now I was pregnant, his mission was accomplished and he could focus on something else. That wasn’t the Jeremy I had fallen
in love with.
That wasn’t the man who was the father of my baby. I wiped a stray tear from my eye.
18
Jeremy
I walked into Cipriani ready to explain to Victor Kravitz exactly why he needed to stick with me. He couldn’t pull his investment from Scout like he was a kid picking up a ball and stomping home. Our contract was binding. I had to convince him that even if Johnny Stepp was willing to pay the steep penalty, there wasn’t a price tag that could cover the cost of his reputation. Stepp would ruin him in this deal. His money would be worthless in the sports world if no one could trust him.
Sasha waited for me in the lobby. Her long white coat brushed the tops of her thin ankles.
“He’s already here,” she reported. “You know he’s never late. I didn’t know you would be.”
“Traffic from the airport didn’t help. I got here as fast as I could.”
Sasha’s heels hit the marble in long click-clack strokes as we approached Victor.
“Mr. Kravitz.” I shook his hand when he stood.
“You caught me before my plane to Dallas.” The silver-haired man had a firm shake. Victor was much younger than he looked. He was forty-five and loaded. “I ran into your associate at the ball last night. Good to see you again,” he nodded at Sasha.
“My business partner,” I corrected.
We sat around the table and ordered brandy. I remembered his favorite label.
“All right, Victor, let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. I know Stepp has made a move.”
He held the snifter in his hands. His class ring was monstrous on his knuckle. I wondered if Stepp had promised him a championship ring to add beside it.
“We were just talking. You know how conversations start at the ball. I was a little surprised you weren’t there.” I could feel Sasha’s disapproving look from across the table.
“I had family business,” I explained.
“Oh, that’s right. I heard you got married. Congratulations.” He took a sip. “Can’t say marriage is something I’ve ever had the stomach for, but good for you.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t want Evie to be the focal point of the conversation. I needed to steer him back. “Look, you’ve been interested in Scout for six months. We’ve had a good partnership. Stepp is only going to make promises he can’t keep. I’ve known him a long time.”
