“Yes,” I said, knowing that I was agreeing to more than just tonight. He wanted a future with me and our child. He wanted more than friends with benefits. More than late-night booty calls and forbidden trysts in the back of his truck.
He wanted me.
All of me.
And I was finally ready to give it.
Jake stretched me out along the couch and slipped back down to the floor next to me. He tugged my skirt off and chuckled.
Forget the La Perlas. I hadn’t bothered with any knickers whatsoever.
I wore a simple stretchy tank top, hadn’t bothered with a bra either. It was nice to be out of baggy clothing. It was nice to not have to hide. And I didn’t have to hide anything from Jake. I felt safer with him than with anyone else.
As he circled his thumb around my taut nipple, I let out a gasp. Pregnancy hadn’t just ignited my hormones. It was like every nerve ending was working overtime.
He smiled, watching me, and swirled his other thumb around the other nipple, lest it get jealous.
I made a sound somewhere between a chipmunk squeak and a gasp. Heat rushed to my center. I arched my back, craving more.
And more is what I got.
Jake nestled between my legs, spreading me wide as he marched hot, needy lips up my inner thigh.
“God, I missed this, Tor,” he mumbled, and the heat of his breath set me off even more. “Your taste, your scent, your everything.”
A shiver of bliss ran through me as he took me in his mouth. And then he settled in to show me exactly how much he’d missed me.
Twenty-Five
Jake
It took every last bit of my self-control to stop myself from coming when Tori did, just from the act of watching her.
Surely there was a freaking trophy or something for that. But her contented sigh afterward was more than reward in itself. It didn’t even occur to me until after she climaxed that it might wear her out.
The worry was unneeded, though. She hadn’t even recovered before she had my shirt off. And I could tell that this wouldn’t be any ordinary lovemaking. She wrapped herself around my torso, each caress both a promise and a demand.
“I want you in me,” she said point-blank. “Now.”
I lifted her up and took her to my bedroom. Damned if I was going to do this cramped up on the sofa. As I lay her down on the bed, I nipped at her neck, the taste of her still hot on my lips.
I stripped her tank top off, and her breasts sprang free, tantalizing and full. I was thankful Tori had already undone my pants. I got so hard that I probably would have injured myself otherwise.
Tori drew me toward her, and I angled her hips so I wouldn’t put too much pressure on her growing bump. Our growing bump. The awe of it washed over me anew.
I paused, simply staring at her, taking in her beauty.
“Mmm.” She let out a sort of hum. It was musical in its sweetness. But then it built to something more like an animal about to attack.
I kicked off the last of my clothes just before she pulled me toward her impatiently until we met skin-to-skin. She was so warm and, God help me, so wet. I entered her, careful not to crush her abdomen, and moved in her. Light and slow, like she was so fragile she might break at any moment.
Yeah, that didn’t last long.
She grabbed me by the shoulders and flipped me onto my back.
“I haven’t waited three months for you to treat me like a Fabergé egg,” she said, pressing deep and hard to my root.
The sensation was so strong. Filling her, being surrounded by her. In her and of her. Possessing her and being possessed in return.
Mine.
Mine, damn it. And I was hers. No matter what.
I clutched her hips and somehow pulled her in tighter, all the while afraid I might explode at any moment.
As we slowed the pace from our initial frenzy, I was able to take in tiny details about her that had miraculously escaped my notice to that point. The way the lamp light caught the sun-kissed highlights of her hair and turned the golden streaks a dazzling copper instead. A smiling constellation of freckles on her earlobe. The raised silvery slash of a healed scar that graced the side of her knee.
“Tori.” Her name poured off my lips like both a plea and a cry of pure pleasure.
How could I make her see how much I loved her? How could I show her what she was to me? Who she was to me? My partner. My lover. My friend.
The mother of my child and all my future children.
With a scream, I could feel her tighten around me as she came. And as she continued to pulse with satisfaction, she drove even harder against me.
I tried to murmur the thoughts that swirled around my head. How much I loved her. How much I needed her. But soon words escaped me. I couldn’t focus on anything but the raw point of connection between us and the unbearable ache begging for release.
She paused, just a fraction of a second, and laid a gentle hand across my cheek, staring deep into my eyes. And I knew in that moment, she could see everything I wanted for us, for her and for our child.
As I climaxed, I brought her down against my chest and held her close.
This.
This was what I wanted.
Her. Forever.
Twenty-Six
Tori
There was no question about whether or not I would stay the night. I don’t think I could have moved even if I’d wanted to.
Not that I wanted to.
Until I smelled bacon.
I stumbled out of bed and into the kitchen where Jake was standing in front of the stove, whipping up scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes.
“Mmm. Protein.” I sighed.
Jake glanced over his shoulder and grinned at me. He wasn’t wearing anything but a pair of boxer briefs. To be fair, I wasn’t wearing anything but one of his soft, worn flannel shirts. It came down mid-thigh on me, though.
“Good morning,” he said. He slipped my dog a bit of bacon, and that sealed it. It didn’t matter what name I finally decided on, Jake was officially my puppy’s favorite human.
“Good morning.” I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around him, pressing my belly against the small of his back.
“You hungry?” he asked.
“Very,” I mumbled. “So is this still date three, or…?”
“Date three can last as long as you want,” he said. “Forever.”
I stayed there, just resting against him until—
“Oh!” I jumped away and clutched at my stomach.
He whirled around.
“Is everything okay?” He looked down at the way I held my hand over my stomach, my eyes wide in shock. “Are you okay? Is she—?”
He reached for his phone and flipped it on with a panicked look on his face. He scrolled to the L’s in his contacts and was about to dial Dr. Layman when I stopped him.
“I’m fine. Better than fine. I just felt her.”
“What?” He dropped his phone onto the table and fell to his knees in front of me, massaging my belly with light strokes.
“I’ve kind of wondered for the last couple weeks if I might be feeling the first few flutterings. They felt like gas bubbles, only more...purposeful. But this. This felt like she must have hauled off and head-butted me.”
“See. She likes protein.”
“I think she likes her daddy.”
He put his forehead against my abdomen and whispered things I couldn’t make out. When Jake looked up at me, he was smiling, but tears traced the contours of his face.
“Hey,” I said. “I’m supposed to be the one with the hormonal crying jags.”
“I love you so much, Tori.” He pressed a gentle kiss to the palm of my hand and another to my bump. “I love you both so much.”
“Oh!” There it was again. More of a soft jab this time. Like a little boop. A nudge. “She says she loves you, too.”
I lifted his chin to meet my gaze.
“So do I,” I said. “I love you, Jake. And, umm, since
you’re down there, I wanted to see if you might like to…”
“Another round?” He cocked his eyebrow.
“No.” I giggled. “I mean, well, yes. Later. But I meant, since you’re down there on your knee, maybe there’s something you might like to ask me. I’m ready to give my answer now.”
“Tori, are you serious?”
“As an unplanned pregnancy. And I’m not even going to make you pop the official question again and go through all the lovey-dovey blah, blah, blah.”
“What if I want to go through the lovey-dovey blah, blah, blah again?” He took the ring from the chain around his neck and kissed the knuckle of my left ring finger.
“Okay, but I’ve really gotta pee.”
“Then I’ll keep it short.” He cocked a crooked grin. “Partners?”
“Partners.” I grinned back.
He slipped the ring on...well, he tried to, but it got stuck on my swollen finger. We both laughed.
“Settle for a pinkie promise?” I stuck my littlest finger out. He placed the ring on it and then planted a tiny smooch on the tip.
“Best third date ever,” whispered Jake as he stood up and lifted me into his arms, twirling me around in a circle.
“Best date ever. Period.”
He captured my mouth in a kiss that was a promise of things to come and a celebration of everything we’d already shared.
I totally forgot about my bladder woes. Until he backed me against the table, and I knocked over a giant glass of ice water he’d laid out for me.
Liquid sloshed everywhere and trickled down my leg.
“Eep. Outta my way!” I squealed as I wriggled out of his arms and made a run for the bathroom, him chuckling in my wake. I paused at the linen closet long enough to toss him a towel to sop up the water.
When I was done, I stared at myself in the mirror over the sink.
Holy crap.
I was engaged.
To a man who was really, really amazing.
And now I had no choice but to tell my brother.
Who was going to be really, really angry when he found out.
Twenty-Seven
Jake
Tori and I spent the morning lazing in bed—fooling around and dozing off in each other’s arms. I skimmed my fingers along the velvety soft skin of her bare back and stared out at the backyard. I felt her stir beside me.
“What’s up?” asked Tori, gazing up at me.
“Hmm?”
“You look perplexed,” she said.
“I was trying to think of a way that I’d rather spend a Saturday morning.”
“And?”
“And I’ve got nothing.” I kissed the top of her head as she nuzzled into the crook of my shoulder. “Next stop, Heaven.”
“You should know that I’m no angel,” she murmured, and I laughed.
“Could have fooled me.”
“I know what you mean, though,” she said. “This feels...right.”
“Complete was the word I was thinking of,” I said. “Whole.”
Her stomach growled and I let out another laugh.
“You’re a bottomless pit.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“No, it makes me happy. I mean, I still can’t wrap my head around it. You’re growing a little person in there. That’s a crazy-level miracle.”
“It is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” She took my hand and laid it on her bump. “It’s going to be even more amazing when you can feel her, too.”
“I can’t wait.”
Her stomach let out another rumble.
“And she clearly can’t wait to eat lunch.” I laughed and pulled on a pair of boxer briefs then tossed her my shirt that she’d been wearing earlier. “Grilled cheese sound good?”
“Sounds scrumptious.” She slipped on a pair of underwear. “Ooh. Do you have any pickles?”
“For the sandwich or on the side?”
“Hmmm. Side...and sandwich? Honestly, I’ve been craving pickles so much that I would straight-up drink the juice if I could.”
“You sure you’re not growing an alien in there?”
“Shut up.” She threw a pillow at me, and I ducked.
Her hair was a mess. She was off a button on the wrinkled shirt. I was ninety percent sure I’d seen her put her underwear on inside out.
And God, it took all my self-control not to toss her back onto those rumpled sheets and beg her to take me into her again.
“I’m going to grab a shower,” she said.
“Towels are in the closet behind the door.”
“Care to join me?”
“Does the pope poop in the woods?”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Her stomach growled again.
“Take it as a hell yes. Just let me get lunch started first before our little sweet potato bursts out of there Alien-style and tries to strangle us both.”
“Sweet potato?”
“I have an app that sends me size and development updates. Next week, she’ll be a banana.”
“A banana?” Tori giggled as she undid the buttons on the shirt.
“A banana who can recognize voices.”
“Impressive. Oh, and don’t forget that she can also kick.” She dropped the shirt to the floor as she turned on the overhead vent. “Don’t take long.”
Trust me, I wouldn’t.
As soon as she’d shut the door behind her, I ran to the kitchen and pulled out a griddle, bread, cheese, and butter. One other thing I’d learned about Tori over the last few weeks, not to mention years, was that the woman liked her comfort food.
And apparently, she liked her comfort food with pickles now.
I whipped up the sandwiches and got them on the griddle. I was tempted to pour her a glass of pickle juice as a joke, but the thought of it made me gag.
Steam was starting to puff out from under the bathroom door by the time I set the table. The sound of her singing rose above the whoosh of the stream of water. I needed to hurry if I wanted any real time with her in there before the hot water ran out.
I switched off the heat under the griddle but left it on the stove to stay warm.
“Save some water for me,” I called then pushed the hard kitchen chair against the table. Tori’s lower back had been killing her the last couple weeks. Hmm.
I ran into the living room to grab a couple pillows from the sofa to make the chair more comfortable. Right as I was heading back to the kitchen, a key turned in the lock of my front door.
Before I had a chance to compute what was going on, much less react, Nate walked in.
“Oh, hey,” he said, waving a handful of papers and barely looking at me. “I didn’t think you’d be home. I tried calling, but you didn’t answer. Just needed to drop these by.”
“Phone’s off,” I mumbled.
“Sorry to barge in, especially on the weekend. These contracts need to be looked over and signed by Monday.”
That was when Nate actually took a look at me, standing there in my underwear, randomly holding a couple of pillows.
“Sleep in much?” He laughed.
Then he blinked and glanced at the bathroom door, where the shower was still going. Thankfully, the rush of water muffled Tori’s singing voice. But it couldn’t hide the fact that it was a woman’s voice.
“Dude. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you had someone—”
“No, no. It’s okay.” I tried to herd him toward the door. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Is that the girl from the text a few weeks ago?” Nate brought his voice down. “Are you guys getting serious?”
“It’s...it’s still a little complicated.” And the complication was standing right in front of me.
The rest of it was ridiculously simple. I was in love with my gorgeous, smart, amazing fiancée. Who happened to also be carrying my child. Didn’t get much simpler than that.
“Well, I’ll head out and catch up with you later about these super-exciting contracts.” He dropped them on my
coffee table with a smirk and a wink.
“Yeah. I’ll do that.” I was all but shoving him out the door when the water turned off.
Shit.
“See you later.” Nate chuckled as he opened the screen door. “Guess you can hand back those keys to the monastery when you get me those contracts.”
“Yeah. Very funny,” I said without laughing.
It would have been easier to pass off a naked woman in my bathroom as no big deal if he didn’t know me so well. If he didn’t know that this was far from normal for me.
Even from my college days, I wasn’t one to sleep around. I’d had a couple serious girlfriends before Becky, and that was it.
“See you later,” I said.
He had one foot out on the porch. Almost home-free.
“Did you say something?” called Tori.
Shit, shit, shit.
Nate’s brow furrowed as he unsuccessfully tried to place the voice he knew so well. Then I watched as the cogs slowly slipped into place. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared.
“No,” he whispered, his fist clenched at his side.
“I can explain.” I lifted open palms.
“No,” he said again, this time louder. I didn’t know if he meant, No, he didn’t want me to explain, or just, No, in general, to this whole messed-up scenario.
I couldn’t blame him either way.
Nor could I think of a worse way for all this to go down.
“Nate, listen--”
“Are you on the phone with my brother?” yelled Tori. “Get off. I can think of a much better use for that mouth of yours.”
Nope. Now there was officially no way for this to go down any worse.
Then the bathroom door handle started to turn, and I realized it could get so much worse.
“Don’t come out here, Tor!” I called, holding my hand up like I was directing traffic.
“You are on the phone?” Her voice sounded shaky. “Aren’t you?”
Nate had turned a terrifying shade of purple.
“It’s not what it looks like,” I said to him.
“Really? ‘Cause it looks like you’re screwing my little sister,” growled Nate.
Into Trouble: A Best Friend’s Sister Forbidden Romance Page 9
