by Alexis Angel
He’s the arrogant asshole who will stop at nothing to get his way, and that includes manipulating susceptible women in his path.
I not only cringe at the thought that I’m not a strong, independent woman, but I’m also going insane over this predicament, and I don’t see a clear way out.
I don’t want to fucking raise a baby alone, but who the fuck does? I’m not the only one on that front. What pregnant woman out there says ‘Wow, I’m so grateful to have no husband or boyfriend to stand by my side for the next 18 fucking years?’ No woman out there, I guarantee it.
Yeah, exactly, it just doesn’t fucking happen. Betrayal is a fucking bitter pill to swallow, and right now I’m choking on the residue of Zane’s.
As everyone sits down and looks up at me expectantly, I find myself going through the motions and greeting the people in the room in a friendly manner as I discuss the plans, goals, and the need for ideas and feedback.
Inside my mind though, I’m having a breakdown. I can curse Zane up to the sun and back, but it won’t change the fact that I’m still actually madly fucking in love with him, and I’m willing to jump in front of a fucking train to prove it.
I want to be with Zane. I want to have a fucking Christmas card with our photo on it, a baby in my arms as we’re sitting in front of the tree or by the fire. I want to come home from work and sit down as a family while we eat dinner together.
Fuck, I think I even want to live in the suburbs where we have an actual yard for our baby to play in.
It’s a beautiful scene in my mind. I look at my board members and think about how they have no idea about the fucking bombshell I’m about to drop on their heads.
I need to take a breather; I need some time to figure things out, even though I’m ready to announce to them that I’m going to take a leave of absence, and though my speech is drilled into my brain from hours of practice in front of the mirror.
I refuse to look at my smirking ex-boyfriend David Brigman, who is sitting in the back like a slimy leech. I have no idea why he’s grinning so profusely, so I choose to look away in order to resist the urge to smack him.
Just as I’m about to launch into my speech about why I need to take my leave, Zane bursts through the closed board room doors, breathing rapidly and looking wild.
35
Piper
“I need to talk to you.” Zane points directly at me. His eyes are fucking wild and savage, and I don’t know whether to be scared or hot for him.
“Um, this isn’t a good time,” I say and gesture around the table to the room full of board members.
In true Zane fashion, he tells me like it is, as bluntly as humanly possible. “I don’t give a fuck what time it is; this is important.” He continues to walk into the room until he is facing directly across from me, looking at all the board members.
He stands by the window, breathing hard, as if he’s gearing up to run a marathon.
“What is it?” I cross my arms defensively. I’m not about to let Zane Tanner humiliate me in front of my peers.
“I’m ready to tell you the truth…” he says and we lock eyes. “The truth about everything.”
I have the sudden feeling like I’m in a movie, and this is the ending scene where the guy comes full circle and makes everything right again by confessing his true feelings.
Only this isn’t a fucking movie, and as far as I remember, I am not the star of some Hollywood blockbuster chick flick.
Zane is as cute as Matthew McConaughey or some other hunk like that, but I shake my head. This isn’t the fucking film industry. There are no cameras or a director yelling ‘action’; this is real fucking life, and I’m pregnant and alone.
“Okay, I’m listening.” I shrug with indifference, even though inside I’m drowning in a sea of emotional sabotage that I pray turns to hope, waiting for whatever he’s going to tell me.
“You’re interrupting the meeting, Zane,” David stands up and looks at me. “Piper, he is being disruptive. I think you should call security.”
“I think you should mind your own fucking business,” Zane says and takes a step towards David, who reciprocates and charges Zane.
I run to stand in front of them, thinking about the baby. “Stop it!” I shout. I forget about everyone else in the room for a few seconds. “David, let Zane talk. Zane, don’t kick David’s ass.”
David roars with laughter. “You actually think this fucking punk can beat me up?” He scoffs, always easily insulted.
“I can, but that’s not the point,” Zane follows. “I’m here to air your dirty laundry, too, so maybe if you backed the fuck away, I’ll make it less horrific for you.”
I glance at David, and he turns white, then green, then recoils a little but he doesn’t go back to his seat.
Zane continues, pointing an aggressive finger directly at David. “This man is a fucking liar, Piper.”
“What are you talking about?” I look between them.
David shakes his head, and Zane glares daggers through him.
“He’s blackmailing me to stay away from you,” Zane says curtly.
“What?” I begin to reel as the room moves in slow motion. “Is that true?” I look at David.
David shakes his head, but doesn’t say anything.
“It’s true.” Zane nods with vigor. “He told me that if I pursued you in any way, he would take my company right out from under me.”
“How…is that even possible?” I shake my head as the room continues to spin from what I assume to be a combination of shock and early pregnancy woes.
“It’s not, because I have been working all morning, working my ass off to fix everything he tried to unravel,” Zane says with vengeance.
I stare at David, who looks at the floor and refuses to solidify eye contact with anyone.
“David told me he had investors that were willing to buy me out, but when I did some research, I found out that those were lies.”
Zane looks at me, and I stare back at him in utter disbelief. “Well, that’s not entirely true; I suppose I should give the dirt bag a little toss of credit. It is true about his talks with investors, but most of them were on the fence anyway. I swooped in and saved the day by getting them back on my side, and now all of them are pulling out.”
Zane gives David a smug look, but David already has his head in his hands, his shoulders slouched in defeat.
“David?” I whisper.
I mean, I know the guy is still sour about our breakup and, let’s be honest, he’s been acting really fucking shady lately, but I would never expect this kind of sly motive from him.
“It’s true,” David shakes his head and finally musters up the courage to look at me.
“Why?” I shake my head as tears flood my eyes.
“You shouldn’t be with that jerk,” David screams and stands up, pointing at Zane. “I’m going to kill you,” he says through clinched teeth.
“I’d like to see you try.” Zane stiffens up his shoulders and proudly gives David the look of a king on a throne.
“Nobody is killing anyone.” I shake my head and hold my hands up in the air, trying to regain peace.
“David, I’m sorry, but I have no choice but to let you go,” I say firmly.
“Let me go? What the hell are you talking about?” David’s face twists with confusion.
“I think she’s trying to tell you in a nice way that you are fired, asshole.” Zane smirks. “Take the fucking hint. Oh yeah, I forgot, you aren’t smart enough.”
David’s fists clinch at his sides. “Piper, are you really firing me?”
“Yes.” I nod to confirm. “I’m sorry, David, but what you’ve done is unforgivable. Please leave the board room now; you are no longer a member.”
“I’m not going anywhere!” David shouts, as veins bulge in his neck.
“Call security,” I whisper to my assistant, who always comes to the meeting to take notes.
“Yes. ma’am,” she says and jumps out of h
er seat, running from the room.
“Piper, don’t do this,” David pleads, sounding more desperate than ever.
“You can’t blackmail people and get away with it, David.” I stand firm, holding my ground.
“You’ll regret this!” He yells as the security guard comes into the room.
“Enough with the empty threats, David. It’s over. I win, you lose,” Zane calls out as David struggles against the guard.
Finally, the guard escorts David out, and he’s gone, hopefully out of our lives forever.
I look around the room, and everyone is positively stunned. “Meeting cancelled for today,” I say and everyone stands up, numbly filing back out of the room.
The moment they’re gone, just like in the movies, I wrap my arms around Zane and kiss his strong lips. “You’re my hero,” I say.
“Piper, I’m so sorry you had to find out this way.” Zane shakes his head regretfully.
“It’s okay,” I say and run my hand across his cheek. There’s a hint of stubble that tickles my fingertips.
“I love you so much,” he admits.
“I love you, too,” I say and he literally fucking sweeps me off my feet and spins me around in a circle.
I know, you’re pretty fucking jealous, right? I realize in that moment that the best prize of my life is standing right in front of me, in the form of Zane Fucking Tanner, the arrogant asshole who is so astutely wonderful at playing his own game that he wins me, too.
“Let’s start over,” he says and grins that sexy grin I love so much as we gaze into each other’s eyes.
“From scratch?” I ask.
“Yes,” he nods. “I want to throw out our old deal and make a new one.”
I keep my arms wrapped around him and start to massage his neck muscles. “I like clean slates. What will the new one say?” I whisper and kiss him again.
“Well, let’s just say the new one will have very strict guidelines.” He grins.
“Are you going to make me comply?” I say naughtily.
“You bet.” He nods. “This new deal is going to include me and you having this baby together, as a couple.”
“I fucking love you, Zane Tanner. You are reading my mind,” I say.
“You know what they say: great minds think alike.” He winks at me with enough charm to light up the fucking room.
“You just show me where to sign, baby,” I say and press my body up against his.
“One other thing,” he says.
I pull away and look into his dark, handsome eyes. “Yes?”
“Let’s merge our companies. The best designer and the top manufacturer in the world? Hell yeah.”
I nod my head. “Now, we’re talking,” I say. “No one can stop us now.”
“Baby?” Zane looks at me.
“Yeah?”
“They never could.”
36
Piper
In the end, there always ought to be cake.
“Where the hell are you taking me?” I giggle, tiptoeing forward on my heels.
Oh, yeah. Four and a half months preggo, and I’m still wearing my stilettos. What did you think, I was gonna let Zane Tanner knock me up and then start wearing potato sacks and bedazzled Crocs all of a sudden? Bitch, please.
Zane has me blindfolded, which, generally speaking, I’ve proven to enjoy over the last few months. But that’s in the bedroom. Not out on the town.
The fucker slipped this over my eyes the second he got me settled in the backseat of his limo.
And if there’s the faint smell of pussy on Zane’s lips when he leans in to kiss me…well. You know that we never could resist a little licking in the limousine, after all.
“Just a little longer now, sweetheart. We’re almost there.”
He opens a door, and I step into a room that makes my heart soar and my stomach growl.
Look. When you’re pregnant, apparently, you get, I don’t know. Super powers.
And not just having to pee constantly, which would pretty much be the worst power ever, in my humble opinion. Urine girl. Just doesn’t have the right ring to it, you know?
But along with the overactive bladder, I’ve got a wicked good sense of smell to boot. I’m also pretty sure I have mommy rage strength—but I’m getting off track here.
Because when Zane opens that door, the smell that hits my nose is fucking orgasmic.
“Cake,” I breathe in disbelief. I’m already salivating. “You beautiful bastard, you bought me cake.”
“Ugh,” Zane chuckles in mock disgust as he lifts the blindfold from my eyes. “Your damn mommy powers, Piper. Can’t surprise you for anything anymore.”
We’re in Zane’s penthouse, I realize. Which, usually, is gorgeous enough on its own. But from the kitchen island all the way to the living room coffee table, all across every open surface of the open floor plan right down to a few gorgeous pieces on top of his self-serve bar…
Cake.
Gorgeous, beautiful cake.
In every shape, size, and color. And (I hope) in every flavor too.
Big cakes. Small cakes.
Cakes with fucking chocolate rivers running down their sides.
It’s like Piper heaven. No, really. If this wasn’t totally in character for Zane to do, now that I’m pregnant with his child, I would have been suspicious that I’d died with a good enough soul to get to spend eternity surrounded by baked goods.
But no. It’s real. It’s totally fucking real.
As my stomach growls with mommy hunger, I turn to Zane with the biggest, dumbest smile on my face that I’ve got.
And with something else, too.
That hunger in my eyes?
It’s not just for red velvet and buttercream.
“Like it?” Zane asks, holding his arms out hopefully.
“Get your fucking clothes off, and gimme that cock!” I squeal, launching myself into his arms.
Zane is gentle in the way he holds me now. So careful that it’s kind of fucking sweet. He’s sure that he doesn’t squish my belly before he ever takes me into his arms. But once our little bundle of joy is guaranteed safe, he squeezes me like he never wants to let go.
And I never want him to. Except, of course, to get his fucking clothes off. Because I was serious about that. Why wouldn’t I be?
You don’t let a man buy you an entire penthouse full of cake without sucking his cock so good he goes stupid, after all.
And I intend to do exactly that.
“Piper, slow down,” Zane laughs, kissing my forehead while my fingers fumble with his belt. “Don’t you want to, you know. Try the cake?”
“Uh-uh,” I say, shaking my horny little head no. “Wanna blow you. Pants. Off. Now!”
“You’re still such a fucking slut, Piper,” Zane sighs. He takes his belt buckle from me and undoes it with ease. “What about why there’s so much cake. Do you want to know that?”
“Because you love me,” I say matter-of-factly, tugging at the button of his slacks. “And I love cake. Duh. Idiot.” I look up at him helplessly, fluttering my eyelashes. “Unbutton.”
Rolling his eyes, Zane pops the button of his pants open too. And he pulls down the zipper to boot. He’s sweet like that.
“Mmm. Mine!” I say, dropping to my knees and burying my face against his boxers.
His pants slump to the floor around me as I rain kisses down on his huge, thick cock. Zane can pretend all he wants that I’m being silly right now, but he’s already hard for me. There’s no fucking pretending in that department.
“They’re wedding cakes, Piper,” Zane says with a little laugh—and then a gasp as I start licking the front of his boxers like a lollypop I can taste through the wrapper.
“Mm. Cool,” I say, my lips against his cock through the boxers. “Love weddings, sounds fun. Babe,” I breathe, looking up at him. “Get it out for me?”
Sighing, Zane whips his cock out. All twelve fucking inches of it. All huge, thick, hard and hung.
> And all mine. Totally fucking mine.
I plunge my mouth down on it like I was born to suck him off, and Zane resigns himself to his fate.
“Damn, woman,” he says, shaking his head. “You really do like cake.”
“Mmm!” I pull my mouth off his cock and smile up at him briefly. “I really do. But what I want right now…”
“Is some icing,” Zane finishes knowingly. “Go on then, baby. Do your worst.”
Zane acts like he’s not totally in love with the way I’m blowing him like a cum-hungry slut right now, but cocks don’t lie. I have that huge fucking weapon throbbing for me in a hot second, pumping pre-cum all over my tongue in preparation for a grand finale that I’m going to lap up like an absolute whore.
What? It’s good for the baby, I swear! Something something Norwegian study, haven’t you heard?
Mommies who swallow have easier births. Sounds like pseudoscience nonsense, maybe, but look. If Norwegian scientists think I ought to be swallowing up all of Zane Tanner’s hot, creamy baby batter, who am I to tell them no?
“Fuck, Piper,” Zane hisses, his hips rocking against my lips in time. “You’re a goddamn slut for cake.”
I just moan and keep sucking. There will be time to talk later. And with Zane, there’s never any end of things to talk about.
Our companies and the merger currently taking place between them.
My belly, our child growing inside of it. All the ups and downs of the pregnancy that we’re navigating together. As a couple. A perfect, sexy team.
Or the way that Zane is totally turned on by my hot little body in tight little dresses still, even as my belly grows bigger with our child every day. In fact, I think I might have awoken some kind of dormant kink in this sexy, sexy man.
He promised me a new dress that first time that he ruined my clothes in his limo, on the first night we ever fucked. Now, it seems like he comes over with a new one every day.
Tight and curve-hugging, like they were made to accentuate my baby bump and plump, swollen tits.
