Preach to me Baby

by Hazel Parker

“We’re out here,” she called from the back deck.

  Emily deposited her purse on the table and headed back. The long, summer days were coming to an end, soon to be replaced by the milder evenings of fall. Emily and Marin loved sitting out here at the end of the day, playing with Jack and enjoying the sun filtering through the trees.

  Emily stepped out on the warm deck with bare feet. She took a spot next to Jack on the blanket that he sat on, playing with his toys. She bent and kissed his head, earning a toothless smile from him.

  From her patio chair, Marin pointed to the table beside her.

  “Someone stopped in to see you today,” she said, indicating the note on the table.

  Emily picked it up and unfolded the paper. Then glanced back up to her sister, sure it had to be a mistake.

  “Dylan was here?”

  “He was. He asked to see you, and when I told him you were at work, he left that for you.” I studied the hurried scrawl, just his name and phone number. “He said he would be in town for a while and that if you didn’t call him, he was going to stop back here before he left.”

  “Did he see Jack?” Panic laced her voice. As much as she would love for him to meet his son, she didn’t want him finding out that way.

  Marin nodded. “I was holding him when I answered the door. I didn’t say anything and he didn’t seem to pick up on anything. You’re going to tell him, though, right?”

  “Yes.” Emily turned her face to the note in her hands. She would. Of course she would. She never kept the knowledge of their son from him for any malicious reason. She loved having a solid, real connection to their night together, to him. But that didn’t mean he did. And until she had this solid proof in her hands, she wasn’t entirely sure if she would have stood out in his memory.

  But since he did remember her after a year and a half and wanted to see her, she would tell him. It would be up to him whether he wanted Jack to be a part of his life, but at least he would have a choice in it.

  *****

  That night, after Jack had been tucked into bed and she had given Marin the baby monitor, Emily grabbed her phone and dialed Dylan’s number. He answered right away, and within a few minutes she was out the door on her way to see him.

  He was staying at a hotel downtown and the drive there gave her time to think about all the reasons why he would want to see her. She had been so preoccupied thinking about the reason she wanted to see him that she hadn’t considered why he had shown up after all this time.

  Her mind scanned all the likely reasons he would want to see her, none of which was conducive to the news she had to tell him. She hoped for Jack’s sake he wouldn’t turn her away. But when the most likely reason for wanting to see her was because he wanted to try for a quick hookup, that outcome wasn’t too likely.

  Pulling up to the hotel, she was still conflicted, but she couldn’t postpone what was to come. And underneath it all, she was excited to see him again. With each step, the anxiety climbed, nervous and excited in equal measures, until she was standing outside his door.

  Emily had barely pulled her hand away from knocking when the door was pulled open. She hadn’t prepared herself for what it would be like facing him again after all this time, her breath coming out shaky until she could get a grip on herself. She could see now, being faced with Dylan again after so long, all the features that he and their son shared. A pang of guilt raced through her.

  “Hey,” Dylan said, running a hand through his hair as his eyes took her in. His hair was shorter than it was when she saw him last, but he was every bit as dark and tempting. “Thanks for coming down here. I would have come to you, but I figured it would be a bit quieter here, you know?”

  He stepped back and she entered, her arm brushing against him. She tried to pretend she couldn’t feel his pull on her and kept moving into the room.

  “Can I get you a drink?” he asked from behind her.

  She turned to him. “Sure. Whatever you’re having,” she said, buying herself a little more time.

  While Dylan fixed their drinks, she looked around his room. It was huge, with a kitchenette and the bedroom in a separate room. Emily had never been in a hotel room like that before. While she looked around, she noticed his luggage. Bags and cases sat piled in the corner of the room, way more than just a few days’ worth of clothes. Once again, her curiosity got the better of her.

  “How long are you staying in San Antonio?”

  He didn’t turn to look at her, but he stopped pouring, his shoulders tensing. “Not too sure yet. It depends on a few things.”

  “So not Houston, and then maybe New Orleans?”

  He finished pouring their drinks. He turned, carrying them over to her, his amazing smile touching his lips. “No, not anymore. Our final tour wrapped up a couple months ago.”

  “So what brought you here, then?” she asked, getting the sense that she wasn’t getting the whole story.

  “I came here to see you.” His blue eyes were holding hers.

  “Just me?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, that’s great and I’m glad you looked me up, but there has to be a real reason.”

  Dylan moved to the sitting area, placing their drinks on the table before turning back to her. He came to a stop in front of her, close enough that she could have touched him. He scrubbed his hand over his jaw, thinking over his next words before speaking them.

  “I can’t get you out of my head, Emily. I wanted to see you again.”

  His voice was so sincere. The words were pulled from him like he hadn’t intended to be so straightforward. She knew he was taking a chance laying it out like that, but regardless of what he thought he wanted, she knew her news would change that.

  She had taken their hook up for what it was. It was a convenient situation, a vulnerable moment, a rebellious choice. Not a promise of anything more. But now, because of Jack, there was more and she could only imagine how that would change how he felt. There was no point in being keeping it a secret any longer.

  “Me too, Dylan. I’ve thought about you more than I probably should admit.” She read the relief in his face, but she kept going. “But there’s more to it than just that one night.” She licked her lips and took a breath. “A couple months after our night together, I found out I was pregnant. We have a son.”

  When he didn’t say anything, didn’t move at all, Emily’s racing heart picked up. She opened her mouth to say more, but she wasn’t sure what else there was to say. Finally, a long few moments later, with his eyes still concentrated on hers, he spoke.

  “You’re sure it was that night?” His voice was quiet, cautious.

  “Positive. Shane barely touched me anymore, and I haven’t been with anyone since you.”

  Dylan nodded and seemed to consider her words. His eyes were still trained on her own, but she couldn’t read what was behind them.

  “Do you have a picture?”

  She nodded and pulled out her phone, letting him scroll through the pictures. His eyes flicked between the screen and her. He moved through them slowly, studying each one for several seconds before passing on to the next. When he got to the end, he handed the phone back to her, his face still calm and unreadable.

  “Well shit,” he said, his hand running through his hair. “That’s not what I was expecting.”

  The jackrabbit beat to her heart sped up at his words. Facing him and the honest truth of how she felt, Emily didn’t want him to turn her out. She didn’t want him to be hurt by her keeping this from him.

  “I know. I’m sorry. This is a terrible way to find out and I didn’t do it to hurt you. Neither of us signed on for this when we hooked up.” She still couldn’t read his face and not knowing how he felt was killing her. “Just because I was happy with the news didn’t mean I expected you to be. Maybe I was wrong in that decision, but I can’t change it now.”

  Dylan’s forehead creased, his lips pulling down. “I came back for you. This is unexpected, but it doesn’t change that.” />
  Of all the things she was expecting him to say, this wasn’t one of them. She couldn’t wrap her mind around his words, at how obviously he stated what he wanted.

  “It should. I mean, we barely knew each other. This is a big deal.”

  “It is, but you can’t say we barely know each other. I told you more about myself that night that I had to anyone else in years.”

  She looked away from him. Not because he was wrong. Just the opposite. She had made a true connection with him that night and had been trying to deny that it meant anything other than an infatuation. But standing in front of him, hearing him tell her that he felt it too was a lot to take in.

  She felt him move to her side, his hand reaching out to skim over her arm. The fire that lit up her skin was intense and she shot her eyes back to his.

  “I’m not going to let anything stand in the way of us being together. That’s why I came here. That’s why I stopped at your house before I even checked into the hotel. And why I’ve set up meetings here all week for a position at a production company. If you’re not ready to give this a shot, I won’t push you, but you got to know I want this.”

  Between his words and his hand on her skin, fingers kneading at her shoulders like they had all those months ago, she had no hope at slowing the beat in her chest. Despite the implications of what he was saying, she wasn’t nervous. She knew he was being honest with her and she’d be lying if it wasn’t what she wanted too. To have him a part of her and her son’s lives, to give a relationship a shot.

  Strong hands moved lower and his breath brushed the shell of her ear. He gave her a slow moment to pull away, to say something. Instead she leaned into his touch. She loved how his grip on her tightened and how his lips were a feather touch on her skin. Anticipation ignited her.

  This was new, sweeter than the times they shared all those months ago. He brushed his lips against hers, just a touch. Then again. He groaned against her lips as her hands slid over his body, up his ribs and wrapping around his neck. They began an easy rhythm, their bodies acting on instinct. Dylan’s hands pulled her against him in time with her kisses and her eagerness pooled between her legs.

  Dylan’s lips moved down her neck, licking and tasting her skin.

  “Did you ever think about me fucking you?” he breathed out between kisses, fingers tugging up her shirt.

  “I did. Many times,” she answered with no hesitation, closing her eyes and remembering the countless nights she laid in bed imagining him doing just what he was now.

  Her shirt hit the floor and his hands were pulling at her pants next. As the rest of her clothes hit the floor, his hands cupped her breasts, his warm mouth exploring her newly revealed skin.

  She pressed herself against him, getting closer but not close enough. Dylan’s hand slid between them and her body tightened and quivered in anticipation of his touch where she needed it most. When his fingers passed over her slick, wet skin she couldn’t hold back the groan of relief she felt. She rocked into his hand, his thumb a caress over her clit. His fingers slid along her slit and she inhaled a quick breath.

  Dylan, his tension echoing her own, withdrew his fingers and pushed his jeans off his hips. In a rush, he kicked them off and came back to her. She could feel his erection brushing against her mound and she wanted to feel more of him against her. All of him against her. She skimmed her hands over warm muscle, pulling his shirt over his head.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, his arms going to her hips. It was different than when they were together last time; there was a sureness in her now that she never felt before. But she felt the same freedom with him as she had their first time together, and she knew now that it had nothing to do with the moment or the deprivation she had run from. The novelty of being allowed to choose for herself had worn off by now. She fully knew that it had everything to do with this man.

  He walked them backwards, through the open doorway until they reached the bed. Dylan sat and she followed him, straddling him. She looked over his body, the ridges of muscle, the designs inked in his skin. She took her time, working her way up to his eyes and when she met them, the raw unguarded desire there had her bending at the waist to pull his lip between her teeth.

  While her teeth nibbled at his lips and jaw, she reached between them, grasping his thick cock in her hand. Her breath was shaky, impatient and needy. This scenario had played out in her head countless times. Positioning him at her entrance, she slowly sank down.

  Her body filled with him, enveloped him, and his soft groan turned needy beneath her when she started rocking against him. His hands grasped her hips and they moved in fast rhythm, an urgency in both of them. With each pull forward, Emily ground her clit against him, fire seeping out from her center, lacing through her veins.

  He moved with her, a wild frenzied rush. His clear, blue eyes watched her every move, and she liked the way he looked at her. Emily drove against him, unable to get enough.

  The tension building in her wasn’t gradual. Like a match being struck, it was on top of her quickly, stilting her movements, making them rough. She planted her hands on Dylan’s chest, her fingers grappling to hold onto him, to hold onto the moment.

  Below her, Dylan’s grip tightened on her. A ragged groan tore from him and he was right there with her. Her walls tightened around him and she cried out. As his fingers dug into her skin, his own release overtaking him, she saw the relief in his face.

  She felt it too. Not just a sexual release, but a connection that had been restored. Emily let herself collapse against his chest, in no hurry to leave this moment. With Dylan’s hands caressing her back, she breathed a contented sigh.

  “I’m happy you came back.”

  “I am too. I knew I would, driving away I knew I couldn’t go without seeing you again. I hadn’t talked or laughed or connected with anyone like I did with you, not ever. But I got to tell you, I was nervous as hell to come back. I didn’t know if you’d want to see me, or if you were with someone else. That would have killed me, but I still had to take the chance to see you.”

  “I’m glad you did. Even if things didn’t turn out quite like you expected.”

  “Are you kidding? I love kids. Always hoped I’d have one someday.” Even without looking at him, she could hear the truth in his words. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “Really?” she asked, pulling back to look at him. “You’re not such a tough rocker as you pretend to be, are you?”

  “Oh, I can be tough when I need to be. But yeah, I’d much rather be myself with you. No amount of fame would change that.”

  Emily settled back against his chest, Dylan’s arms wrapped tightly around her. Neither were in a hurry to leave what they had found. In the quiet of the night they shared themselves, their stories, and hopes for a life with Jack. They enjoyed the calm before they would need to get dressed and head out of the hotel. Heading towards her home and their son. Heading toward their future.

  THE END

  The Senator’s Secret

  “I just can’t sit here anymore!” I exclaimed to myself as the walls of my apartment started to close in. Today was The Big Day. Today I found out if I had landed a prestigious internship with Senator James Fuller Chilton, aka the thirty-two-year-old Kid Wonder, aka Mr. Future President, aka Sexiest New Freshman Senator.

  I had just graduated from Thomas College with a degree in political science and I was keen to cut my teeth on some real action. I saw myself as a future Chief of Staff and/or Mrs. President to a handsome Mr. President, which given recent developments in politics had often proved to be one and the same role.

  I grabbed a parka and headed for Henlow Park to work off my nerves as I waited for the call. Walking through the falling leaves of the park, I was so lost in thought daydreaming about my blazing success of a Washington Future I didn’t hear my phone until it was on its fourth ring.

  Fumbling, I grabbed for the call and gave a breathless, “Hi,” into the receiver then cringed at my ca
sualness.

  “Sasha Jones?” queried a confident male tone.

  I straightened up. “This is she,” I replied as professionally as possible.

  “Wonderful,” the voice enthused down the line, “Sasha, terrific. Sasha, this is James Chilton, Senator. You applied for an intern role in my office?”

  I nearly dropped the phone. Senator Chilton himself was calling? I pictured the senator from his recent Time cover. Thick, dark-blond hair, square jaw, straight, brown-eyed gaze, and reassuring smile. He looked like a stock image photo for the American Dream. But would you expect less from the scion of one of America’s major political families?

  I recovered my poise, “Senator Chilton, thank you for the honor of your call.”

  Senator Chilton chuckled down the line, “Oh, Sasha, no need for formalities, especially if we may be working together. And reading your impressive C.V., I would say the honor is mine. Now how are you placed for an interview?”

  I struggled to respond to make arrangements for an interview in a few days’ time. Senator Chilton had reviewed by C.V., and that means he had seen my picture. At 5’6, slim, and slightly busty, I was often described as no slouch in the looks department, but someone like James Chilton dates models before settling down with a society beauty. I blushed, glad the Senator couldn’t see me.

  Arrangements for an interview were made and Senator Chilton tied things off with a cheerful, “I can’t wait to meet the picture standing before me, Sasha,” and hung up before I could even respond.

  I stood in the park looking down at my phone. I had struggled to hold my own just on the phone with the handsome Senator; I knew I had better bring my A game to the interview.

  *****

  I strode confidently into the offices of Senator Chilton. I had spent the last few days preparing hard for my interview, from reading James’s memoir of his political youth to getting a haircut and a discreet French manicure. In a neat skirt, blouse, and blazer, I looked the part—I hoped.