Katelyn’s smile was so wide and radiant that even before she made the announcement, Savannah knew what it would be.
“We’re going to have a baby.”
Mike stiffened beside her. Savannah squeezed his hand. “That’s great!” She offered congratulations for them both. “When are you due?”
“Six months. We wanted to wait to tell people, but yah, we’re breaking the news now.” Katelyn was still all smiles and sparkling eyes. Even Kian looked like he was on top of the world. Savannah was happy for them. Really. They made each other happy. Anyone could see that, and she was glad. There weren’t enough truly happy people in the world.
“That’s amazing. I hope you’re feeling good.”
“Ugh, I wasn’t at the start, but it’s getting better.” Katelyn sipped at her water and smiled again right after.
“It was the same for me,” Savannah said carefully. She didn’t turn and look at Mike. “I was pretty sick for a few months, but it tapered off around four months. I was lucky after that. I never even had so much as heartburn, which a lot of people say is really common when you get into the third trimester.”
“And now we’re going to hear all about birth and how bad it is and all sorts of other stories about babies and diapers.” Kian heaved a mock sigh and Katelyn jabbed him in the ribs.
“Not that you couldn’t use some pointers. You have to go through this with me. Just because we have a daughter, well, my niece already, doesn’t prepare you for a newborn. She was three when we adopted her.”
Savannah remembered hearing something about that, from her father. About how Kian and Katelyn had decided to make a go of it pretty much right after meeting each other, especially after her sister died and there was no one to look after her niece. Custody of the child had been left to Katelyn.
“That sounds… intimidating,” Savannah admitted. “You two look like you already make great parents. You’ll do fine.”
“If I can do it, anyone can do it,” Mike cut in.
“Please tell me he’s not that great at changing diapers.” Kian rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to be taking pointers from Mike.”
“I don’t know, he’s pretty good…”
They laughed as one, their conversation surprisingly more comfortable than Savannah would have thought. They picked out a few dishes to share. Surprisingly the menu seemed quite good and Savannah was starving. When Mike asked her out to dinner, she made sure she’d eaten sparingly all that day.
“You’ll have to let me have your number,” Katelyn said after their food arrived. She loaded up her fork with mashed potatoes. “I’ll need all the pointers I can get. I don’t really have any other friends who have babies or even kids. If you would consider giving me any kind of advice, I would really appreciate it.”
Savannah could tell that Katelyn was being completely genuine. It wasn’t at all awkward, not even given the fact she used to have a teenage crush on Kian. That was forgotten or forgiven. The atmosphere was relaxed, like it would have been between a set of old friends who had known each other for years.
“I know I’m a lot older than you, but still, I’m a first time mom and that scares the heck out of me,” Katelyn admitted. “I was serious when I said raising my niece isn’t going to be the same. She’s four now and I have no idea what to expect from a newborn.”
“Besides a whole lot of sleepless nights?”
Katelyn laughed softly. “That’s right.”
“Of course I’ll give you my number,” Savannah reassured her. “Maybe we can have some play dates with Carter. I can’t get out much without him, but we could do coffee or something boring like that.”
Katelyn’s smile was immediate, full of relief and genuine excitement. “I’d like that.”
And just like that, Savannah knew she’d made a friend. She was learning that motherhood was a brand new world, a sacred world full of love and laughter and tears. It was a bond between women that she’d never fully understood before. She was so thankful to be a part of that world now, even if it wasn’t easy and it hadn’t actually been planned.
By the end of the night, Savannah felt like their evening truly had been one between friends. She wouldn’t have expected Katelyn to be so warm and nice. It was nice, having another woman to talk to. Most of her friends had ghosted as soon as she found out she was pregnant. If she wasn’t going out shopping or to clubs anymore, she wasn’t any fun. She’d really learned who her true friends were and who they weren’t. It had been a hard, lonely experience.
“You look like you’re lost in thought.”
Savannah started when she realized Mike was holding open the car door for her. They’d already walked out down the street after saying goodbye to Kian and Katelyn and she hadn’t even realized it.
“Sorry. Yah, I kind of was.”
“Did you have fun? The food was actually pretty good. Or at least, I thought so, even if it was a little too fancy.”
“I think that’s called presentation,” Savannah said dryly.
“Oh, I’ll show you presentation.” Mike rolled his eyes. “Get in the car. I have someplace to take you.”
“Why don’t I like the sound of that?”
“You’ll like it. I promise.”
She liked the sparkle in Mike’s eyes. It reminded her of when they were first together and he was so shy and eager to please. He would have moved the world to make her happy and she’d never forgotten it.
She turned and climbed into Mike’s car. It was low and she had to make sure her dress didn’t ride up. She’d chosen one of her best that wasn’t too short, which left about two to choose from. She liked the deep black color. It was simple and elegant. It wasn’t cut low and didn’t ride up high. As Mike said, it left everything to the imagination. She found that after she became a mother, she’d outgrown her eagerness to show off her body. She no longer cared about attracting attention or even overly about how she looked. She still liked to be pretty, at least, to take care of herself, but it had changed. She didn’t feel the need to wear things that were skin tight or pushed up her breasts or bared her stomach. She actually found that tasteful clothing could be far sexier.
Mike shut the door gently and slid in beside her. He turned the ignition and the car roared to life with a deep, throaty, rumbly sound. It fired up her blood and she wasn’t even into cars. She knew Mike loved driving it just for the sake of driving. She remembered a fight they’d had the first time they were dating. It was over nothing, something stupid that she couldn’t even remember. He’d taken off in his car, leaving her at his house, stranded since he’d picked her up. He’d come back an hour later. She asked him where he went and he admitted that he’d just driven around until his mind cleared and he wasn’t angry any longer.
“Where are you taking me? To the edge of the city?” She asked after they’d been driving for what seemed like ages. She was actually enjoying the rush of the warm night air, the lights whizzing past, the freedom of the freeway late at night when there wasn’t much traffic.
“Something like that. I happen to know a back-road or two that the star gazing is pretty impressive on.”
“Oh?” She glanced over and smiled, a little shyly. Mike’s slow, lazy smile melted her heart. “I’ll admit that it was fun to go out with friends, but it’s way better to be alone with you.”
Mike’s smile grew even wider. “Funny,” he admitted. “I was thinking the same thing.”
Chapter 16
A Silent Sky
Mike
“If you look up, you can see the stars. It’s not something that you can see in the city very often, at least not like this. Not with all the lights and everything.”
Beside him, Savannah’s breaths were audible in the silent car. They stared through the windshield at the twinkling blanket of the night sky. The city had faded in the distance. They’d driven for a long time to get out there, but they had all night. He knew of a dirt road that was seldom traveled.
He’d found the
place one night when he was driving endlessly, driving to escape his mind, his thoughts, himself. He always thought it would be the perfect place to bring Savannah but he never dreamed he’d actually be there with her.
“They’re incredible,” she breathed. She remained on her side of the car, waiting. Waiting for him to make a move, waiting for him to ignite the first sparks of the fire that always burned so brightly between them.
“Not as beautiful as you.” When she turned, the corners of her mouth lifted teasingly, as though she didn’t believe him.
When he reached across the console, cursing the damn thing and wishing for a bench seat, and touched her cheek gently, he felt the buzz of electricity race up his hand. His body tingled, racing to life.
“You’re being ridiculous,” she protested, but the words were breathless.
“I’m not. You’re the most beautiful woman on earth, Savannah Fiacco. The only woman I’ve ever wanted. The only woman I’ve ever loved.”
“Are these the kind of lines you feed to someone to get them to do exactly what you want?”
He grinned. “Is it working?”
“Well, I’m in your car and you’re practically on top of me and in a minute I know that this dress is going to be a rumpled mess on the floor, so yah, I would say it’s working.”
Mike tipped up her chin. God, he wanted to kiss her. Crush those lips under his, taste her, drink in her sweetness, swallow her moans and delighted cries. Her breaths changed, growing shallow as she looked up at him and saw the need in his eyes.
“I would only change one thing,” he said, as his hand rode up her thigh. She was so warm, her skin like silk. His hand pushed up the hem of her dress. She was right, he’d rather rip it off, but tonight, for one night, he’d be a gentleman. “This isn’t going to be on the floor. I’ll have everything I need, just like this.”
Before she could respond, he crushed his mouth to hers. She moaned and melted against him and he leaned over further, pressing that damn console square into his stomach. He didn’t devour her or push his tongue inside. He wanted for once, to take his time, to enjoy her, to savor each and every single second. When his tongue swept into her mouth, it was to taste her, her sweetness, the tang of a mint she must have popped into her mouth along the drive. He drank her like a heady wine, enjoying every single breath.
Her hands moved to his shoulders, sweeping over them like a caress. He couldn’t help himself. He leaned further over and gripped her endless, waterfall hair. His fingers tangled in the long dark strands of silk, tugging her into him. His head spun and his body reacted violently, as violently as it always did when she was near. His cock refused to listen to reason. His blood surged, refusing to take it slow, refusing to enjoy the damn moment like he’d promised himself he would.
Savannah met him halfway, leaning over that rigid console. She pushed back as his hands roved over her body, over that dress that hid all those delicious curves and bronzed skin.
She pulled away, gasping. He leaned back, dragging air into his own lungs. The world tilted around him. He remembered staring through the windshield, out at the stars and then the next second, his eyes were closed and Savannah was moving, shifting over the console and into his lap. The seat was pushed about as far back as it would go to accommodate his long legs and he thanked the stars that were up there in that sky that there was enough room between himself and the steering wheel for her.
She settled on his lap, that dress riding up to her waist, a set of red, red lace panties peeking out. If he had any self-control, it snapped right then and there. His cock hammered against his fly, threatening to punch through his jeans.
Savannah spread her legs and pressed herself up against him. He could feel her heat right through his jeans. He’d never known a truer torture than what she was doing to him at the moment. And then she reached down and gripped him right through his jeans. He nearly rocketed out of his skin.
“Savannah…” he panted, completely useless. Her delicate, talented hand only tightened around the bulge in his jeans. She caressed, rubbing a whole lot of denim and cotton boxers against his cock. He ground his teeth as the painful friction chaffed him. It wasn’t the wrong way. Any way at all would have been the right way at the moment. He ground his teeth in sheer frustration. “You’re going to kill me here.”
She grinned. She raised her head and glanced at the back seat. “It looks pretty small back there. I might have to get back to my own seat and we might have to go back to just looking at the stars.”
“Get in the back,” he ground out.
She giggled and moved away, agile as a nymph. She was small enough to crawl past the console, into the backseat, which wasn’t nearly as small as it looked.
Movements jerky, nerves frayed, Mike managed to release the door handle. He slammed the driver’s seat forward and crawled in, slamming and locking the door behind him. He groaned at his lack of foresight. He should have taken his damn jeans off when he was out of the car.
“Don’t. Don’t take them off. Let me.” Savannah anticipated every single need, every desire. Her hands were already working his jeans undone, pulling them down his hips as he slid into the backseat, taking up most of it. She knelt between his thighs, still working at his clothes.
When she freed him, he knew he was in for it. She wasn’t letting him go easy. She was going to torture the hell out of him before she let him see or touch any of her glorious body.
Chapter 17
Taking The Lead
Savannah
Mike always took the lead. She let him. She’d always let him, since it felt right. Being the one in control, even for a few seconds, gave her a new, heady feeling that she enjoyed. The responses she evoked with a single touch were gratifying. It was odd how giving someone else pleasure could be just as good as receiving it.
He’d never truly told her what he wanted before. He just let her learn by experience. She hadn’t given commands either. He’d always known just what to do to make her come alive.
She closed her hand around his cock again, marveling at just how hard he was. He was like a damn rock though his jeans. She wanted to taste him, to put him in her mouth and turn the tables on him, to give him pleasure until he was the one begging her to stop. She’d never taken him all the way before, not like that.
The idea was exciting. It seemed illicit and wild, completely fitting with the fact that after an amazing five star dinner they were now in the backseat of his car like a couple of wild teenagers.
She tightened her hand around his cock a little more and he groaned. Instead of throwing back his head, Mike raised it. He wrapped an arm around her waist and slammed her into him. She half fell, half leaned against him, her breasts near his face.
“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he said thickly. He leaned forward and found her nipple right through her dress. The peak was already hard and straining through the fabric. The dress was strapless so she’d opted to go without a bra. She’d been self-conscious of her decision all evening but the feel of Mike’s warm, wet mouth suckling her through the fabric made her very glad she’d opted to go without.
He kept suckling and biting her gently until she saw stars and her breath was nothing but husky, raspy gasps. She couldn’t think about anything but how much she wanted him.
She freed her hands and leaned back carefully. Mike took the hint and pulled away. Even though it was dark there was no mistaking the wild look in his eyes. I do that to him. A wave of powerful longing swept through her veins. She got busy undoing his jeans. He got the hint and shifted around, helping her pull them down along with his boxers. He picked his square toed leather shoes off and she helped him, awkward as it was in the backseat, shed those damn jeans.
He was so damn hard, his cock stood straight up in the air. A rush of moisture soaked her panties. She throbbed for him, ached to take him inside of her.
Not yet. This wasn’t just all about her. It was about making him feel good too. She stared at his c
ock, shiny with droplets of his own desire and her mouth watered.
She settled herself over him and he got the memo. One hand tangled in her hair and he groaned as he guided her face downwards. She fitted her lips around the tip of his cock. Her tongue snaked out, swirled over him, lapped up the salty droplets. She could have purred with satisfaction at the moans that were torn from Mike’s throat.
She wrapped her lips around him and took him deep into her mouth, nearly to the back of her throat. She pulled back at the end, to keep from gagging. His hips bucked beneath her. She pulled back, letting him work her mouth. His hand was still fisted up in her hair and he guided her face gently. She let him show her, set the rhythm. She swirled her tongue over his shaft, swirled it over the tip, took him deep, suckled him until his entire body was rigid and straining under her.
This is what I wanted. It was exactly what she pictured. She couldn’t count how often he’d had her in the same position, panting, straining, begging for him.
By the time he uttered her name, she knew he was close to the brink. She kept up the rhythm, working him hard with her mouth. She didn’t need to move her hand there to pump him at the same time. She knew she could, but she didn’t. She pulled back, flicking her tongue along the sensitive tip.
“Savannah!” Mike dragged her face away, using a fistful of hair. He didn’t hurt her, he was gentle, even though he was absolutely as out of control as she had ever seen him before. “If you keep doing that, I can’t promise that I’m going to be able to stop myself…”
“Then don’t.”
He stared at her, his eyes wide and glistening in the darkness. “What? Come on, don’t even tease…”
“I’m not. I want you to finish like that.”
Mike let out a sound that sounded like her name as an oath and a promise and a plea all at the same time. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. Now stop worrying and enjoy it.”
She lowered his mouth to his cock again. She worked him harder than before, took him deeper, right to the back of her throat. She gagged once and had to pull back, but Mike didn’t notice. His hips were bucking into her mouth wildly. It was like he was already gone, already lost. He was so very close… and then she reached up and cupped his balls with her hand.
Tattooed Hearts_A Secret Baby Second Chance Romance Page 9
