“Are you okay?” Maddie asks.
“Honey, how are you feeling?” Mom asks.
“I’m fine. Sore and tired but fine,” I assure them.
“Should we tell them the good news?” Callan asks from behind them. He walks around the bed and stands at my side.
I look at my mom. “Mom, Callan and I have been carrying on a relationship for a couple of months now.”
Her mouth drops open, and the corners turn up into a smile. “Oh, well that’s wonderful, honey.”
I nod. “And we just found out that I’m pregnant.”
Everyone gasps and smiles and talks all at once—all of them equally excited.
Hours pass, and everyone stays by my side until the sun goes down. Finally, Maddie and Bennet offer to take my mom home for the night. Callan shuts the door and pulls a chair up next to me. He holds my hand as he sits down.
“You’ve had a busy day. You need to get some rest.” He presses his lips to my hand.
I smile. “I can’t wait to get out of here and back home with you. I want you to lay with me, hold me.”
“That we can fix,” he says, climbing next to me in bed. I curl into his side with his arm beneath my neck. I roll to my good side, my hurt side facing the ceiling.
“Was Decon arrested?” I just now think to ask.
“He was. And I don’t think he’ll be released any time soon. He has charges against him for abduction, assault, bodily harm and endangerment, and attempted rape. The police also found drugs. He won’t bother you again,” he promises.
“I can’t believe this. It’s all so mind-blowing. I mean, I’ve known Decon for a year. I guess it goes to show you how little you can know about a person.”
“Everyone shows their true colors eventually,” he mumbles, pressing his lips to my forehead.
I take a deep breath and breathe him in, letting his familiar scent soothe and relax me into a deep, dreamless sleep.
A couple days pass, and I’m finally allowed to go home. While I’m still stiff and sore and in pain, I couldn’t be happier to get out of the hospital. Callan has stayed by my side the entire time, and I think we could both use some rest and relaxation—something you can’t get in a hospital. He drives me back to his place and helps me inside. He carries me up to his room and places me in bed gently. He sits at the foot of the bed and begins removing my shoes and jeans. When I’m in nothing but a loose-fitting shirt, he strips himself and crawls up beside me. His hot skin touches mine, and it feels like he’s burned me. It’s funny how even in pain, a simple touch from him has me begging for more.
I cup his jaw and he rolls to his side, giving me a long, slow, soft kiss. He pulls away, and something in his eyes changes. “Don’t do this to me, Val,” he pleads.
“Do what?” I ask.
“I see that look in your eyes. We can’t. You’re hurt.” I giggle but stop quickly because of the pain in my side. “I need you, Callan. I thought I’d never get to touch you again.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead. “No, Valerie. I love you, and I want you just as badly as you want me, but I won’t hurt you. You need to take it easy and rest. Are you hungry? I’ll get you something.” Without a reply, he stands from the bed and rushes out the door.
Even though I’m annoyed at being turned down, I smile at how much he loves and cares for me.
He comes back several long minutes later, and he has a bag full of stuff and a breakfast tray. He sits the tray over my lap, and there’s a bowl of soup, a grilled cheese, a piece of chocolate cake, and a glass of iced tea. He begins unloading the bag that holds soda, water, magazines, books, and a coloring book and crayons.
I laugh as I pick up my chocolate cake and begin eating it. “Don’t want to get back out of bed today?” I ask.
“This way, you’ll have everything you need without having to ask.” He comes back around the bed to lay back beside me.
“What about a toilet?” I joke.
He shrugs. “I’ll just carry you to it.”
I shake my head. “I think I can walk, Callan. You don’t have to do all of this.” I hold out my fork that has a bite of cake on the end.
He takes it and swallows it down. “Yes, I do. I’m staying right here, by your side, until you get cleared by the doctor. I’ve already talked to Bennet about taking medical leave.”
“You can’t do that, Callan.”
“I can, and I did. So don’t even try to argue. Oh yeah, and Bennet and Maddie picked up your car and brought it home while you were in the hospital.”
“I can’t believe I forgot about my car.” I put down the empty plate and lay my head back.
“Krista is supposed to come visit you too. I think she feels a little guilty.”
“Guilty about what?” I ask, confused.
“She said she had to talk you into going to that party. If she wouldn’t have done that, you wouldn’t have been there, and you would’ve been fine.”
I nod. That does sound like Krista. “It’s not her fault. Actually, it’s probably a good thing it happened the way it did. I mean, Decon is off the street now. He can’t come for me or any other girl for a long time. There’s no telling how many women we saved.”
He kisses the top of my hand. “I’m sure you’re right, but I wish you didn’t have to get hurt in all of this.”
I wave him off. “Want some of my grilled cheese and tomato soup?”
He smiles and props his head up with his fist, where I feed him after taking a bite myself.
Hours pass, and the sun begins to fade. I’m wide awake, unable to sleep because I’ve done nothing but lay around and sleep for what feels like a week. But what I am able to do is watch Callan sleep beside me.
His blond hair is pushed back away from his face, and his blue eyes are shut. His blond eyelashes are fanned out on his cheeks, and he has a scruffy five o’clock shadow growing on his jaw. It’s easy to see how much stress he’s been under these last few days, but while he sleeps, it all fades away. He looks so relaxed and worry-free. His hard chest is rising and falling slowly with his deep, even breathing, and his basketball shorts are low on his hips. Even though he’s dead asleep, his hard six-pack is still visible, and every second I stare at it, it only teases me more. I want to run my fingers across them, feel them as they tense and ease.
I reach out and place my hand on his stomach, and they instantly tighten with my touch. His breathing gets louder and more rushed.
I can’t help myself as my hand descends lower, beneath the waistband of his shorts. My hand wraps around his growing erection, and I slowly pump him up and down. He lets out a soft moan and my eyes jump up to his, but he still seems like he’s asleep. Maybe he thinks this is a dream.
I push myself to keep going, gaining speed with each pump. Finally, he lets out a moan, and his eyes pop open just as warm stickiness spills out over my hand. He’s breathing heavy as his eyes lock on mine.
“You’ve been a very naughty girl, Valerie,” he says, trying to remain serious, but I can see the grin he’s holding back.
He sits up and urges me back until I’m lying flat on the bed. He crawls between my knees, gently pulling my panties down my thighs.
“I’m going to punish you for that one,” he says, lowering his mouth to my clit, making me see stars with one sweep of his tongue.
20
Callan
ONE MONTH LATER…
* * *
“What’s the first thing you want to do now that you’ve been cleared by the doctor?” I ask her as I slide behind the wheel.
She grins. “I bet you can guess.” Her grin turns into a coy smile.
I shake my head. “Are you serious?”
“We haven’t had sex in a month, Callan. You’d think you’d want it worse than I do.”
“Oh, I do,” I agree, sliding the keys into the ignition. “But, after you assaulted me in my sleep, it’s not like you haven’t gotten off at all. I’ve been a slave to your body for weeks now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I agree, shifting into drive and leaving the doctor’s office parking lot.
As I drive us home, her hand is resting on my dick. Every once in a while, she’ll move it up and down, and for kicks, she adds in a nice squeeze. Needless to say, by the time we make it home, I’m painfully hard.
I slam on the brakes, shift into park, and pull out the keys as I step out onto the concrete. I practically run around the car, opening her door and pulling her out into my arms. Her mouth lands on mine as her arms wrap around my neck. I pick her up against me, walking us inside without breaking our kiss. I press her back to the front door while my hands travel her body. She begins pushing my shirt up my chest but freezes when we hear a loud, “Surprise!”
My mouth stops, as does hers. She slides down my body, and we both turn, awkwardly, to face the people that are now crowded up behind us. My eyes take them in: Bennet, Maddie, Jazz, Damon, Krista, and Val’s Mom, who’s holding a cake.
“What is all this?” Val asks, pushing her shirt back down her stomach.
“It’s your surprise baby shower,” Kris says.
“But we don’t even know the sex of the baby yet,” Val says, face growing redder and redder.
Maddie laughs. “And it’s a party to celebrate getting back on your feet. Callan told Bennet that the doctor has released you for work. That’s great news!”
My eyes flash over to Bennet, who’s hiding his smile behind his fist. “Thanks, man. This couldn’t have waited a few hours?”
Everyone begins to head out to the back patio. He shrugs. “I can honestly say I never considered you’d be hopping into bed the moment you got home.”
“I haven’t been able to touch my girlfriend in a month,” I point out.
He laughs. “Ouch.”
“Yeah,” I agree.
“Well, you’ve waited a month; what’s a couple more hours?” he asks, slapping me on the back and leading me into my office where he knows the good drinks are.
He pours us both a drink and Maddie walks in. “I knew I’d find the good stuff in here. The only thing out there is sparkling cider.” She picks up a glass and holds it out for Bennet to pour her some.
“So, Mads. When are you two having kids?” I ask, taking a sip and sitting down on the leather sofa.
Maddie’s eyes grow wide, and she nearly chokes on her drink. “Never,” she coughs out.
“What? Why?” I ask, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees.
She rolls her eyes. “Ask me that question again in six months.” She laughs before walking out and leaving us alone.
Bennet walks over and sits at my side. “Cal, I have something for you.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box.
“I’m sorry, man. But I can’t marry you,” I joke.
“Haha, fucker,” he says, handing me the box. “It’s my Mom’s wedding ring. She gave me my grandma’s for when Maddie and I got married, but this one was hers. She wants Val to have it, but that doesn’t mean you have to ask her to marry you. Or maybe you have a family ring of your own you’re wanting to use one of these days.”
I open the box and see the beautiful ring. It’s a massive princess cut diamond set on a gold band. It has dozens of tiny little diamonds surrounding it. I know Val loves it, and it’s from her late father.
“Thanks, Ben,” I say, still staring at the diamond and wondering if I should ask her to marry me. Somewhere deep inside of me, I’ve always known we’d be married one day, but I never put much thought into how or when. I just knew we’d get there. Maybe this is a sign. Maybe this is when I’m supposed to ask her. I mean, she’s already pregnant with my child and we’re in the process of moving her things from her mom’s house to mine.
I slide the box into my pocket just as Jazz sticks her head into the room. “Hey, boys. Come on. Val is going to open some gifts, and then we’re doing cake.”
We both stand and walk out the French doors and onto the patio. “Hey, how’d you get in my house anyway?” I ask.
Bennet laughs. “I had Kris sneak it off of Val’s keys. Here it is, by the way.” He hands over the key, and I slide it into my pocket.
“That girl scares me sometimes,” I say with a laugh.
We sit and watch as Val opens her gifts. She gets things for the baby such as bottles, diapers, pacifiers, and a few clothing items in neutral colors. When everyone sits down with their piece of cake, I drop down to one knee in front of Valerie.
Everyone gets silent as they freeze and watch what I’m doing.
I pick up her hand and hold it in mine. “Valerie,” I begin, and immediately, she starts tearing up.
“You know how crazy I am about you,” I laugh out. “It’s funny, because before you, I never knew what I needed. I didn’t even know what I wanted. But then, something with us changed. You went from being the girl that drove me insane to being the girl that made my heart race. From the moment I knew I wanted you, I knew I’d marry you. I knew that we were meant to be, that I’d never survive losing you. So, while I’ve known for months now that we’d be married one day, I never thought about when or how I’d ask you. Not until five minutes ago when your brother slipped me this little box.” I pull the box from my pocket.
“Apparently, this was your mother’s ring, a ring your father bought for her to say how much he loved her. She wanted you to have it, but Bennet made it perfectly clear that I didn’t have to propose with it. But I got to thinking about you and me and this little baby we’re bringing into the world, and thought, this is it. This is the moment I’m supposed to ask you to marry me, to be by my side forever. And even though I didn’t spend months trying to plan out the perfect way of asking, I know that this is it. Right now, we’re surrounded by everyone we love, and this ring making its way into my hands, it proves it. This is us: fast, thoughtless, but always spot on. I promise to love you every single day for the rest of my life. I promise to cherish you, hold you, take care of you. Valerie, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Everyone is dead still while we all watch the emotions on Valerie's face change. She nods and smiles wide. “Yes!”
I slide the ring onto her finger as everyone stands and cheers us on. Finally, I pull her closer and press a kiss to her mouth: a kiss that marks the first day of the rest of our lives together, a day that means we’ll never be alone again. A day when we belong to each other.
We enjoy the rest of the party and Bennet and Maddie stick around to help us get everything cleaned up. Finally, we show them to the door.
“Sorry for intruding on your moment earlier,” Maddie says, hugging Val.
She waves her hand through the air, dismissing the thought. “No worries. We’re going to make up for it now though,” she jokes.
I wave goodbye and pull Val back into the house. “Now, where were we?” I ask, backing her up until her back presses to the door. I move my mouth to hers, and it’s like we were never interrupted. She wraps her arms around my neck, and I pick her up against me. Her hands find their way up my shirt, and she works it up until I break away to rip it from my body. The second it hits the floor, I’m right back on her, needing to be inside my fiancée.
She lets out a whimper that calls to me like no sound ever has. It causes my dick to twitch against her. It makes me lose my mind, and I can’t think of anything but her. My body has missed her this last month. I turn us around and carry her up the stairs, kissing her the whole way. When we get into the bedroom, I set her softly on the bed and crawl up her body. She pulls away her shirt, and my fingers get to work on her bra, setting her free. My eyes zero in on her breasts that are now growing along with her belly that’s still mostly flat.
“Please, be gentle. They’re so sore I could cry,” she whispers.
>
I pull away and opt to only press light kisses to the skin, avoiding the nipple altogether. I kiss down her ribs and to her stomach where our little baby is growing.
“I love you,” I whisper against her stomach.
“I love you too,” she says as I pull away and start working her skirt down her legs.
When she’s completely stripped and bare before me, I don’t bother with lowering my mouth to her clit. That’s all we’ve done for a month, and I know she needs more than that. I place myself at her entrance and thrust forward, filling her to the brim. She lets out a loud moan that tells me I’m right where I need to be.
Her nails dig into my back, pushing me to keep moving, but I’m so lost, I know that if I don’t go slow, everything will be over in five minutes. I need her more than that. She needs me. Instead of moving, I kiss her. Long, hard, and deep. I don’t move until she’s whimpering beneath me and begging me to.
Finally, I slide out of her, only to thrust back in just as deeply as before, but this time, I roll my hips against hers.
I wake in the morning and I roll to my side, happy to see her sleeping peacefully beside me. Her long, dark lashes are fanned out across her cheeks, and all I can hear is her deep, even breathing. I close my eyes and take a long breath, living in this moment: a moment where everything is perfect, a time that I can just relax and be happy.
When her hand cups my cheek, my eyes pop open, and my lips turn up in a smile. “Good morning,” I softly whisper, brushing a stand a hair away from her beautiful face.
She kisses my palm and smiles. “Good morning.”
She rolls into my side, and I wrap her up in my arms, holding her close, refusing ever to let go.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” she asks, sleepily rubbing her eyes.
“I was thinking, now that your doctor has released you, we could go to your mom’s and finish packing. That way, you can live here full time instead of always needing to run back and forth when you need something.”
His Every Desire (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 33
