by Rye Hart
“Yep. Nothing I can’t handle,” I said.
“Then, I’ll go ahead and start taking a look at that oven. It should be cooled off enough by now.”
“Just be careful, okay?”
The sentiment slipped out before I could catch it. My eyes rose to his, and his eyes sparkled with something mischievous. Something daring. Something that made my stomach clench.
“I always am,” he said.
Then, he disappeared, his daughter on his heels with her mouth coated in cinnamon frosting.
CHAPTER 9
CAMERON
“Come on, Andrew. Keep your head in the game.”
Brad tackled me to the ground, and I struggled to get out of his grasp.
“Whatever’s in your mind, block it out. Get out of this hold. I know you can.”
But I tapped out, much to Brad’s dismay.
He was a retired Navy SEAL who had agreed to teach me self-defense. I met with him every morning while my daughter was in preschool. Wednesday through Friday and the Saturdays I needed her to go for one reason or another.
Two hours of my time was spent with him, learning how to defend myself, my daughter, and take down attackers with multiple skills that didn’t require weapons. I had two guns in my cabin, locked away from Audrey’s curiosity. One was a hunting rifle, so I never had to go into town for meat purchases, and the handgun was in a fingerprinted lockbox in my bedside drawer. It had two extra magazines in case those Mafia dickheads came bursting into my place wanting to hurt my daughter.
“Clear your head, Thompson. A clouded mind will get you killed nine times out of ten,” Brad said.
I drew in a deep breath and tried to focus myself.
He came at me, and I dodged his grasp. I kicked my foot out and took him to the ground before I straddled his back. I wrapped my arm around his neck and flexed, choking off his air supply as he tapped my arm.
But the second I released him, he wrapped his legs around me and took me to the mat.
We tussled for a while, but I finally got the upper hand. My mind still wasn’t clear, but I could throw my frustrations into my fights. It’s what I did most of the time, anyway. I often used my frustration and anger as fuel instead of a distraction. I had to keep my daughter as the main focus, my daughter and the child I would have with Heather. I knew what the Mafia was capable of, and if they ever found us, I needed to be willing to do whatever was necessary to stay in the game and to keep myself and my family alive.
I dodged a punch before I jammed my shoulder into Brad’s gut. I took him all the way to the ropes before I picked him up over my shoulders. I fell backward, cracking him against the mat before he rolled out of my grasp. He quickly got his legs around my neck, and I pried his thighs from around my face. I turned him over and grabbed his legs, pulling them up until he tapped out on the floor.
“Good. That’s good. You haven’t used that move in a while,” Brad said.
I needed to be ready for anything. That was why I’d hired Brad. He didn’t use traditional fighting techniques. He fought like I was coming for his life every single time. There was no boxing gloves and stereotypical punching patterns to memorize. Every attack was different, and he used everything at his disposal to take me down.
I left with many bruises and gashes most of the time.
Living with a secret identity meant I always had to have my guard up. I always had to keep an eye over my shoulder. I saw Brad’s leg kick up, and I grabbed it, twisted it around, and watched him stumble to the mat. I put my feet between his legs and pressed down into his groin, making him tap out very quickly.
“Didn’t wear your cup,” I said.
“Cheap shot, but a good one,” Brad said. “Your opponents won’t play nice, either. Nice to finally see you digesting that fact.”
I blocked every punch he threw before bringing my knee up into his stomach. He dodged it and wrapped around me, taking my arm with it. But I danced with him in a tango of anger and defense. I spun us around and released him into the ropes and then came at him with my fist.
I stopped it within an inch of his nose before a grin spread across Brad’s face.
“That’s the first time you’ve gotten out of that. Good job,” he said. “Water break. Take five.”
I wiped at the sweat on my brow as I reached for my towel. Why the fuck had I asked Heather to have dinner at my place? What in the world had I been thinking? Oh, yeah. Charlie. Whoever the hell that asshole was. I’d been thinking like a man, staking claim where there was no claim to be had. Heather wasn’t mine, only a willing subject to carry my child. We weren’t together. She wasn’t my damn girlfriend.
But I couldn't stand the way that asshole had been behaving.
I’d wanted to put the guy in his place, use some of my moves on him and break his piggish little nose. Maybe I could ask Heather about him over dinner.
I finished my sparring with Brad before I went to pick Audrey up from school. Then, I headed back to the cabin. She was so excited that Heather was coming over for dinner, and I tried to be excited with her. But mostly, I was chastising myself for asking in the first place. Nevertheless, I needed to put my best foot forward. We were still in the beginning stages of all this, and we still needed to negotiate our contract together.
I told myself that once it was solidified and signed, I could back off. The business transaction could begin, and this urge to be near her could finally go the fuck away.
I showered and cleaned myself up and then started cooking dinner, enchiladas with Spanish rice and of course, macaroni and cheese for Audrey. My daughter set the table, and I gathered all the food to be put down. Then, a knock came at the door.
“Can I get it?”
“Of course, you can,” I said. “But use your manners.”
“Well, hello there,” Heather said at the front door. “You look beautiful in that outfit.”
“Thank you. I really like your dress. Daddy’s gonna like it too.”
I furrowed my brow as I set everything down on the table. Heather’s giggle filled the room as I watched her step in, and fuck me, my daughter was right. Heather had on this deep crimson dress with pale yellow accents that fluttered dangerously around her curves. The neckline was high, but the sleeves fell off her shoulders. The dress fell down past her knees, but the bodice was tight around her waist.
The perfect amount of sexy without being inappropriate for my daughter.
I really liked that.
“She’s right,” I said. “I do like that dress.”
“Really?” Heather asked. “I haven’t had an excuse to wear it yet.”
“Then, I’m glad I could provide one, and it goes well with dinner.”
“It smells great in here. What did you cook?”
“Enchiladas and Spanish rice,” I said.
“Mac and cheese for me,” my daughter said. “I don’t like rice.”
“Well, I love rice,” Heather said. “So I’ll eat your portion.”
Oh, I adored a woman who ate.
We all sat down at the table and dished up our food, and Heather was not shy when it came to what she wanted. My daughter was taken with her. I could see Audrey constantly catching glances of her. I had told her that Heather was trying to help me give her a brother or sister. At four years old, she didn’t quite understand what that meant, and that was just fine by me. In her mind she probably thought that meant Heather was going to help me pick a baby out at the store or something.
“So,” Heather said, “how was your day?”
She looked over at my daughter, and I watched her perk up a bit, something she never did in the presence of strangers. It was something she seemed to always be doing with Heather.
“I went to school,” she said.
“On a Saturday? You must really like school.”
“Yeah. They have caterpillars.”
“Do you like caterpillars?” Heather asked.
“They’re my favorite animal.”
&nb
sp; “You know what mine is?”
“What?” my daughter asked.
“Horses.”
“Do you ride them?”
“I used to, a long time ago, when I was your age,” Heather said.
I marveled at the conversation as they went back and forth. Audrey didn’t talk to anyone like that. Ever. Hell, sometimes she didn’t even talk to me like that. I sat there, eating my food and drinking my water, watching my daughter very quickly come out of her shell around this woman.
It made me wary of the decision I’d made with her. The last thing I needed was my daughter getting attached to a woman who wasn’t staying. I was fortunate enough that she didn’t remember her mother and the havoc that woman had wreaked.
I didn’t need her remembering Heather being there and then not.
“Will you be here when the baby comes?” Audrey asked.
Heather’s fork fell from her hand, and she started coughing. She reached for her water as her face turned red, and I watched my daughter reach over and start patting her back.
“It’s okay,” Audrey said. “Cough harder.”
My head fell back, and I swallowed the groan rising up my throat.
“I, um, what was that?” Heather asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “It was nothing. Princess?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s bedtime,” I said.
“But Heather’s here.”
“And you’ve already been up an hour past your bedtime.”
“I want to stay with Heather,” Audrey said.
“She and I have to talk one on one for a little bit, so you need to get ready for bed,” I said.
I looked over at her and saw Heather wiping her mouth. Her eyes fluttered up to mine, and she nodded, so I took that as a good sign. I left to help Audrey get cleaned up and get her to bed. Then, I kissed her forehead and read her the story I read her every single night, Goodnight Moon.
She knew it by heart and would mouth it along with me while I read it out loud.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, honey?”
“Can Heather stay?”
My heart dropped at the question. With the way Audrey was reacting to Heather, was this really the thing I needed to be doing? In my heart of hearts, I knew it was. I wanted another child, and Audrey wanted a sibling, but maybe it wasn’t a good idea to bring Heather back around. I’d made a mistake inviting her into our home.
“I’m not sure. We’ll talk about that later, okay?” I asked.
“Okay. Night, Daddy.”
“Good night, princess.”
“I read Goodnight Moon a lot as a kid myself,” Heather said.
She was sitting on my couch as I came into the living room.
“It’s a good book,” I said. “Rebecca’s favorite.”
I sat down beside her, and she turned to face me.
“I didn’t know she knew. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I should’ve warned you. I try not to keep things from my daughter.” I said.
“You're an incredible father,” she said.
I didn’t always feel like one, but I was thankful for the sentiment.
“I hope you don’t think it’s strange that I invited you into my home. I know the agency sort of bats against that idea.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “It actually helps me feel better about all of this. You know, getting to know your family dynamic better. It lets me know I’ll be handing this child over to a good man.”
Good. It had been a long time since I’d been called anything remotely close to that.
“So, we have some things to discuss,” I said.
“We do.”
“First off, some ground rules. I’m paying for all of your medical expenses and whatever prenatal vitamins or medication you might need during the course of the pregnancy, the birth, and your recuperation.”
“I appreciate that, thank you,” Heather said.
“I would also like to attend the appointments with you. All of them.”
“That’s fine. I’ve been researching some obstetricians in the area.”
“I’ve already got one I trust,” I said.
“Oh.”
“I didn’t mean for that to come out as harsh as it did. I just … I have all of that under control.”
“That’s fine,” she said.
She looked down into her lap, and I could tell I’d made her uncomfortable. I definitely didn’t want that. I scooted closer to her, so close I could feel her body heat against me. She looked back over at me and graced me with those beautiful brown eyes, and part of me wanted to reach up and smooth my thumb over her cheek.
I resisted the urge, though I felt her legs relax. She uncrossed them and settled her thigh against mine, and it rushed my body with fire. My eyes locked with hers as she unfolded her hands in her lap, and without thinking, I reached out and took her hand in mine. She didn’t pull back.
“Two million,” I said.
“What was that?” Heather asked.
“That’s what I’d like to pay you. Two million.”
“Come again?”
“The fee. The price I pay you for having my child.”
I grinned as the color drained from her face. “Two million spread out over the course of the nine months. That’s what I want to pay you.”
Her jaw dropped open, and it pulled a chuckle from my throat.
“Is that enough?” I asked.
“That’s, um, yes. Th-that will be just fine.”
I enjoyed the look of shock on her face and the way her cheeks filled quickly back with color. I smoothed my thumb over her skin, and her eyes immediately dropped to the connection. She was so close, I could smell her hair. The dazzling fragrance of honeysuckle and apple.
I wanted to bury my nose in it.
“I agree to your terms,” Heather said. She looked back up at me with a determined, strong stare.
I found myself hoping our child would have her stare.
“Then I’ll call the agency to let them know we’ve agreed on our terms,” I said. “We can meet at the office Friday morning to begin the procedure.”
“That’s perfect. I can just open up a little later. The rush won’t come until the afternoon anyway.”
“I figured. It was pretty silent when Rebecca and I came in yesterday morning. It’s why I wanted to organize things in this fashion. I don’t want to impede your business.”
“That’s kind of you. Thank you,” she said.
She was so close, I could feel her breath puffing against my face.
I jotted down the details we worked out, so I could feed the agency accurate information, and then I led her to the door. My hand pressed into the small of her back, and I could feel her leaning into my touch. I opened the door for her and escorted her out and then paused when I didn’t see a car.
“How did you get here?” I asked.
“I hailed an Uber,” she said.
I saw the headlights of a car coming up the driveway, and I froze. Other people were coming to my cabin. That wasn’t good. I eyed the person behind the car carefully, committing every single detail of their face to memory. I walked Heather to her car and helped her in, chastising myself further as I closed the door.
What the fuck had I been thinking? Now, two people I didn’t know knew where the fuck my house was!
Nope. She wasn’t coming back to my place. It wasn’t happening. Fuck. What the hell had I opened myself up to?
CHAPTER 10
HEATHER
My back slammed against the wall, and his lips devoured my neck. His hands cupped my breasts, massaging my nipples to painful peaks as he sucked on until I moaned loudly. He traveled lower, my legs thrown over his shoulders and his hands gripping my ass. I was suspended in midair as his tongue dove into the depths of my pussy, lapping at me as I shook against his face.
“Andrew. Yes. Fuck!”
I ground into his face until I shivered through my orgasm, but his tongue
didn’t let up. I fisted his dark hair, gazed down into his beautiful blue eyes. His cheeks shimmered with my arousal as my toes curled. I pressed him further. Deeper. I felt his stubble rake against my pussy lips. I pressed into the wall and arched into him, shaking as my second orgasm barreled through my body.
“Andrew! Shit!”
He caught me in his arms and quickly bent me over the couch. His cock was massive, thick with girth and pulsing with life. He slid it into my dripping pussy, my walls giving way to his intrusion. I stood on my tiptoes as he fisted my hair, drawing my head back to gain leverage.
“Fuck me,” I said. “Fuck me good.”
He pounded into me, hard and fast. I reached back and wrapped my hands around his forearms, feeling them flex as he controlled my body. His cock throbbed against my walls. My legs began to shake. He groaned and grunted, filling my body with his thick dick as I caved to him.
“Give it to me,” I said breathlessly. “Let me have it.”
I came around his cock, shivering as my body stilled. My legs grew taut, and my nails curled into his skin as I cried out his name. His chest fell to my back. I felt his strong muscles twitching against me. His sweat dripped onto my body as he kissed each divot of my spine, all the way down until his lips fell against my ass. He dropped to his knees and parted my ass cheeks, his tongue rimming my puckered hole.
I collapsed on the couch as his tongue slid into my dripping entrance, then he found my swollen clit once more.
“You taste so good,” Andrew said. “I can’t get enough.”
“Don’t stop,” I said breathlessly. “Don’t stop that tongue. It’s too good. So good. Andrew, don’t stop.”
He licked me well, flicked my clit, and slid his long, dexterous tongue against my pussy walls. Squeezing my flesh, he devoured my pussy. He flipped me over onto the couch, and I went tumbling, a sweating mess as he dove on top of me..
His lips crashed into mine as my legs parted for him, and his cock slid easily back into my body.
“Heather. You’re so fucking tight. I can’t stand it.”
“Come for me, Andrew. Do what you want with my body.”
My body began to ache with the need for another orgasm. I lifted my hips up to meet his every thrust. Juices dripped down my thighs while his hands traveled the length of me. Every part of me was touched by him. Kissed by him. Nibbled by him. Fucked by him. I wanted him to take all of me and to pin me down and make me his forever and a day. I rolled into his body. I felt his cock rake against parts of me no other man had. Our lips connected, and our bodies collided, and juices slid from between my thighs.
