by Amy Brent
“That depends a lot on you,” he said. “I feel like things have been going really well between us. And I'd like our relationship to grow into something more. But I need to know if you're in the same place I am. That you want the same things I do.”
“And what is it that you want?”
He reached up and cupped a hand against my cheek. “I want you.”
I leaned my face against his hand and closed my eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
“And if I ask you to stay...?”
“Then I'll stay,” he said. “As long as I know what we have is something serious. I'm not asking you for marriage or something. Not yet at least. But I need to know this is a real commitment.”
I opened my eyes and looked down at him. My heart raced in my chest. “Before you decide,” I said, “I think I should share my news with you.”
“Of course,” he said. He got up and sat in his chair, scooting it closer to me. He took my hands in his and squeezed them. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to find the right way to share my news. In the end, I decided there was only one way to do it. I had to be direct.
“I'm pregnant.”
He froze in place, staring at me. His hands went limp in mine. My mind raced, imagining the worst possibilities. That he'd take the job overseas after all. That he'd leave me to raise this baby alone. Sure, he'd pay child support, and he was wealthy enough that the baby would be well-provided for. But that wasn't the same as having a father. A real family.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes.” I sighed and lowered my head. I braced myself for what was coming.
Then he laughed.
I looked up at him and saw that he had a huge, goofy grin on his face. “Really? I'm...I'm going to be a father?”
He laughed again, but it was a laugh of joy. He grabbed my face and kissed me. Tears of relief slid down my cheeks.
He pulled back and brushed a thumb across my cheek, wiping away my tears. “What's wrong?”
I shook my head. “I thought you would leave me.”
“Are you kidding?” he asked. “Now I've got even more reason to stay. I'll put in my resignation tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I'm sure,” he said. “I was ready to stay when it was just for you. Now, I've got even more reason to stay. We can do this. It'll be great.”
I let out a shuddering breath of relief and leaned against him, putting my arms around him. He held me close and stroked my hair. My fears started to fade away. There was still a lot to worry about. I'd never had a baby before, and I wasn't sure if I was ready. But at least now I knew I wouldn't be doing it alone.
I took Rick's hands and stood up, then led him to the bedroom.
“What about dinner?” he asked with a mischievous grin.
“It can wait,” I said. I pulled him onto the bed and pushed him over onto his back. I pulled down my panties, pulled up my skirt, and straddled him, leaning down over him to kiss his sweet lips. He reached up and massaged my breasts, then slid his hands lower and grabbed my hips. He pulled me against him and started grinding up against me before I even had his pants off. I could feel him through his pants, and I ached in that moment to have him inside of me.
I pulled his pants down and lowered myself onto him. He moaned in pleasure and thrust up into me, holding my hips as I moved in time with his motions. I ached for this man, needed him, craved him. And now I knew he would really be mine.
In all of the excitement, it didn't take long for Rick's eager thrusting to bring him to climax. I coaxed him onward, stroking his face and whispering sweet nothings to him. I let him fill me, giving me what I craved, what I needed. Then I collapsed atop him and planted little kisses all over his face and lips.
When it was done, we laid there in bed, holding each other. I knew there were a lot of details to work out. I'd have to talk to Rick about whether he wanted to move into my place, or if we'd be getting someplace new together. I could offer him a full-time job at the bar. Not that he needed the money, but it would give him something to do now that he wouldn't be in the service any longer. And we had to make plans for the baby, getting ready to be a family.
But all of that could wait for another day. For tonight, I laid there, holding my man in my arms, at peace with the world. And I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Pregnant By The Seal
I met Jack at an airport in Northern Syria, the day before our expedition was due to head out. It was a sweltering day, high 90's, and the tiny airport didn't have any air conditioning. I stood there fanning myself with a folded map of the surrounding area, wishing we had scheduled this trip during the winter months instead of during one of the hottest weeks of the year. Timing was important, however. The Islamic State militants had been causing all kinds of trouble throughout the region for months now, and this was one of the only times things had settled down for it to be safe for us to get into the country. Though there was still high risk of terrorist attacks in the area, which is why Jack was here.
He got off the plane, a small private jet provided by our benefactor, Tremaine Industries, and headed straight towards me with a purposeful stride. He had a lot of swagger for a white boy, stalking across the tarmac with his jacket slung over his shoulder, a fine pair of Costa Del Mar shades covering his eyes. He had dark hair and a square jaw covered with a few days' stubble, and he moved like someone who knew how to handle himself, scanning the area as he walked for any possible threats. His resume listed him as a formal Navy SEAL, so I figured he knew his business. Why he was working private security now, I didn't know, but I was glad to have him along.
“Ms. Harris?” he asked, offering me his hand. “Jack Carmichael.”
“My pleasure, Jack,” I said, giving his hand a quick shake. “And it's Camille. We're gonna be working together, might as well be on a first name basis.”
“Works for me,” he said. He had a roguish smile, almost cocky. Though I liked a little confidence in a man. “I assume you have a car waiting?”
“Right this way.” I led him through the airport to where our rental car, also courtesy of Tremaine Industries, waited in the parking lot. There were only half a dozen other vehicles there. We'd chosen an isolated airstrip to reduce the chances of running into any trouble. Not that our job here was all that dangerous. But terrorists had blown up a few temples and other historic sites over the past few months, all as part of their religious war. They considered statues and graven images to be idolatry, and they hated with a passion anything that went against their extreme view of Islam. My group had been sent here to retrieve as many historic and religious artifacts as we could, in order to save them from destruction and relocate them to museums in less disputed territories.
I walked over to the driver's side door and opened it, but Jack thrust himself in front of me and blocked the door. “I should drive,” he said. “Just in case we need to make a quick getaway.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. He seemed awfully paranoid for a white boy, but I guessed that he was right. “Fine,” I said, circling around to the passenger side of the car. It was a large, all-terrain SUV, ideal for our job here since we'd be venturing off the beaten path to get to some of the excavation sites. I was just glad that the car we'd been given was roomy enough. I was a big girl, after all, and it was no fun squeezing into a tiny compact car in a hot, sweaty day.
I eyed Jack as he drove us to the hotel, not even trying to hide the way I was checking him out. My mama always said a girl should never have shame in admiring a man, no matter what anybody had to say about it. This man was built, with firm muscles straining against his tight black t-shirt. The navy didn't take scrawny boys or scrubs and turn them into SEALs. For them it was only the finest of the finest. And believe me when I say he was fine.
A smirk crossed his lips when he caught me looking. “Like what you see?” he asked.
“Mm-hmm,” I replied, pursing my lips. “
You got it going on.”
He laughed, and some of the tension in his shoulders seemed to release. “I hope we can have a good working relationship, Ms. Harris...Camille. I take my work very seriously. I wouldn't want to see any harm come to you or your team.”
“You really think there's any danger?” I watched him out of the corner of my eye, studying his reaction. If he tried to coddle me just to ease my worries, I planned to catch him in the act. “There hasn't been any activity in this area for a while now, at least according to the reports Tremaine gave us.”
He shrugged, keeping his attention on the road and watching the other cars we passed, alert for any possible trouble. “I'm cautionary by nature, Camille. I'd rather be over-protective if it helps reduce the risk to all of us. Americans in this part of the world aren't treated well when they cross the wrong sorts of people.”
A shiver went through my spine at that. I'd seen the news reports. There had been people out here who'd been captured, tortured, even beheaded. The artifacts we were here to retrieve weren't really all that valuable, beyond their historic significance. It sure as hell wasn't anything worth dying for. And I had never had any silly ideas about being some sort of Indiana Jones, and not just because being a large black woman, I wasn't exactly much like Harrison Ford.
“Let's just get the job done,” I said, “and get home. I ain't planning on winding up on the news.”
Jack patted my knee. His touch was firm and sure of himself. “I like a woman who keeps an eye on her goals,” he said, winking at me. “I can see why you were chosen to lead this expedition. There are plenty of other archaeologists with your credentials, but a task like this takes someone with some moxie.”
“Mr. Tremaine chose me because I'm the best woman for the job,” I said. Not that I'd ever met the mysterious billionaire. He had funded several expeditions I'd been on, going back all the way to my college internships. I'd worked hard to make a name for myself in the field, working under several prominent archaeologists on digs all around the world. This was my first time leading my own expedition, and I had Mr. Tremaine to thank for it. Though all I knew about him was what the news said: that he had a strong interest in preserving historical artifacts, and that he spend a generous portion of his vast fortune trying to save priceless artifacts from destruction. Though those stories were mixed up with news of Tremaine industries performing hostile takeovers and laying off workers by the thousands, so sometimes I wasn't sure what to think. I never knew for sure how secure my job was, so I made sure to be the best that I could, so that I'd be an invaluable resource.
I doubted that I'd ever meet Tremaine himself, but as long as he kept signing the checks and funding our supplies and travel expenses, that was just fine by me.
“I'm confident that Mr. Tremaine made a fine choice,” Jack said. He looked almost amused as he said it, though I couldn't be sure why.
We arrived at the hotel without incident, though we still got plenty of looks from the locals as we made our way through the lobby. Americans in general weren't too common in these parts, and I doubted any of the people here had ever seen a white man and a black woman together in the same place at the same time. Though there were plenty of neighborhoods back in the States where we would have gotten even more looks, all things considered.
We met with the rest of my team in a cramped little conference room on the hotel's second floor. It was hot, it was sweaty, and there was a bit of a rank smell coming from somewhere I couldn't place. Worse yet, there was no air conditioning, just a few old, rusty ceiling fans stirring the air from above. The rooms we were staying in weren't much better. It wasn't that Tremaine Industries wouldn't have footed the bill for a nicer place. We were just in such a remote region that staying in a five-star hotel wasn't really an option.
“This is Jack,” I said as we entered, introducing him to the rest of the team. “He's gonna watch our backs over the next couple of days. Make sure we all get home in one piece.”
Jack took a look around the room, checking the windows and looking under the table and behind the old, dusty paintings on the walls. “I'd appreciate if everyone checks in with me before going out anyplace on your own,” he said, his tone all business. “I'm not keen on having one of you wander off and getting yourselves kidnapped or something.”
“Is that a thing?” William, one of the younger members of the team, asked. “I mean, is that a thing we need to worry about? Kidnapping?”
“Not while I'm around,” Jack said, exuding confidence. Seeming content that there were no bombs or hidden cameras in the room, he threw himself into a chair and propped his feet up on the table, crossing one ankle over the other. Suddenly he looked less like an expert in personal security, and more like he owned the place.
“It's good that you're sure of yourself, Jackie boy,” I said, smirking at him. “But do you mind keeping your filthy boots away from my maps?” I knocked his feet off the table, then brushed the dirt off the maps spread out before us.
“My apologies,” he said, giving me a wry smile. He pulled over a spare chair and propped his feet up on that, acting as if nothing had happened. I had to give it to him, he didn't miss a beat.
“I guess the Navy doesn't teach manners,” Tracy said. She was our expert on Middle Eastern history. She also had a bit of a chip on her shoulder.
Jack ignored the jab and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head and flashing Tracy a smirk. I eyed him for a moment, surprised at his poise. Most men I knew would have a quick comeback or pointed remark waiting for a woman who mouthed off to them. Jack didn't seem to feel the need to defend himself. It raised him up a notch in my estimation. Bickering could get so petty sometimes.
The team and I spent the rest of the afternoon going over the details, plotting out where we'd be heading, what to expect, and how to handle ourselves while we were here. What we were doing wasn't strictly legal, though it fell into a bit of a gray area. We had to make sure we didn't draw the wrong kind of attention to ourselves. Though most of our work would be in isolated areas. These sites had been well-preserved before the conflict in the region started, but now a lot of them were surrounded by wartime ruin.
Jack observed the meeting with detached interest, only chiming in when he had a security-related concern to bring up. The meeting ran smooth as can be, and around supper time we called it a night, with plans to head out first thing in the morning.
After dinner I wandered into the dusty little bar just off the lobby of the hotel. The lighting was dim and a few shady characters lounged at tables off in the corners, while a slender man with a thick mustache polished the bar. A few lazy ceiling fans spun overhead, but they did little to stifle the heat.
I was surprised to find Jack there, sitting at the bar, nursing a drink. I sauntered over to him and asked, “Mind some company?”
The corner of his mouth perked up in a grin and he nodded to the stool next to him. “I always enjoy the company of a lovely lady.”
I took the stool, laughing. “Lady?” I shook my head. “Baby, I ain't no 'lady.' I am a woman, and proud of it.”
He looked me up and down, his eyes roaming over my generous curves. “You are, at that,” he said.
I ordered a whiskey sour, and Jack's eyebrows went up when he heard my order. “Definitely not a 'lady' drink,” he said. He raised his glass to me and took a long drink of it.
“I like my drinks like I like my men,” I said. “Tall, cool, and hard.”
He laughed and took another swig of his drink. We had a few rounds, all on Tremaine's dime. One of the advantages of working for a billionaire was that he didn't look too closely at the expense reports. “So tell me,” he asked once we'd had a chance to loosen up, “what brings a woman like yourself traipsing around the globe, running errands for a billionaire like Tremaine?”
“I ain't no errand girl,” I said. “I do it for history.”
“For history?” He arched an eyebrow, looking at me quizzically.
&nbs
p; “History deserves to be preserved.” I finished off my third drink and ordered a fourth. I was just a bit light-headed, but it was a nice, gentle buzz. “My family lost our history. It was stolen from us.”
“Slavery?” he asked, his voice grim.
“What else?” I shrugged, tapping my fingers against my glass. “You ever see that movie, Roots?”
He nodded.
“Well, the guy who wrote it, who wrote the book it was based on, that is, he did all kinds of research. Traced his family history all the way back through their time as slaves and on back to their original tribe in Africa.” I took a slow sip of my drink, savoring the cool burn. “But the thing is, it wasn't all right. I loved that movie, and it was the first book I ever went out and read on my own as a little girl. I always wanted to find my own roots.” I shrugged, running my thumb along the edges of my glass. “But later on I learned that the author messed up a lot of his facts. That doesn't mean the story isn't true, in a manner of speaking. But he couldn't get everything right.”
“So you want to preserve what you can of history,” Jack said. “Make sure that people have what they need, so they can get their own stories right.”
I shrugged, not sure what point I was really trying to make. He reached over and took my hand in his. His grip was firm and strong, his hands calloused like a working man's. It felt like he had hands that would keep a girl safe in the night. Strong, but gentle. Protective. Sensual.
His fingers caressed mine. Maybe it was the whiskey, but his touch sent a thrill through me. I looked up at him and caught his eye.
“You're a fascinating woman,” he said.
“Is that so?” I arched an eyebrow, studying his rugged features. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Not at all.” He reached over with his other hand and held my hand between both of his. I squeezed his hand tight, feeling like this was a touch I didn't want to let go of. It had been awhile since I'd known the touch of a man. We'd only just met, but sometimes, that's all it takes.
