Sophia motions to the door. “Okay, tell Leo that tux is a go. Now, shoo, so I can try on a dress and show Brenda.”
With a wink and a salute, I head back to Leo. Every step I take, the memory of Brenda in that blue dress is cemented in my brain. Her blonde hair was tied up on her head, showing off the neck I love to kiss.
My dick instantly went hard. Thank God for the pants I’m wearing are a little big or Brenda and Sophia would’ve gotten a show.
I make it back to Leo without getting lost. He’s, of course, thrilled when I give him the thumbs up on the tux. His part of the wedding planning is done.
“Hey, you okay?” Leo asks.
I strip off the jacket, not sure what he means. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
Leo sits in the chair, resting his right ankle on his left leg.
“Oh, I don’t know, Chris. You have the same look on your face as I do when I’m thinking about the woman I love.”
Fucker knows me all too well. But I don’t admit it because I think I’m still in denial.
I just shrug it off. “I can’t help the way my face looks.”
He laughs. “Okay, I get it. You aren’t ready to admit that you’re in love with the blond bombshell.”
That’s always been his nickname for Brenda. He’s right on both accounts. I can’t admit to him I love her, and she is a bombshell.
But my concern goes deeper than not being able to admit my feelings to him. I worry about Ricky changing his mind about the baby, for one. Then there’s the chance Brenda won’t want me around.
Most of the time, I think, fuck it. If my heart gets broken, so what. I’ll survive. Then, other times, I’m so scared to go after what I want given her history with men.
Once I’m out of the tux, Leo texts Sophia, letting her know we’ll be waiting for her and Brenda at the pub next door.
Leo orders a pitcher of beer and three glasses, then I pipe ask for Brenda’s current drink of choice—ginger ale.
“You ready for Vegas, Leo?”
“Depends on what you and Brenda have cooked up for us.” He laughs.
I take a sip of my beer and shake my head. “Don’t worry. We aren’t planning anything bad. Just a show or two and dinner. The rest of the time, we can lounge by the pool or something.”
Leo nods. “When does Brenda want to see her father?”
“She mentioned having dinner with him on Friday night. It’ll give her some time to get her mind wrapped around telling him. She’s really scared to tell him, Leo. But if that fucker pulls any shit, I’m taking Brenda and getting the hell out of there.”
“Sophia told me about her relationship with her parents—well, lack of a relationship, really. She sure as shit didn’t hit the lottery when it came to them, did she?”
Before I can answer, Brenda and Sophia, walk in. They are giggling and it’s a beautiful sound.
As Leo gets out of the booth to kiss Sophia, hello, my eyes meet Brenda’s. Is she thinking the same thing I am? Does she want me to do the same? I don’t, not because I don’t want to. I stay where I am out of self-preservation.
“Hey,” Brenda says as she slides in next to me. “Is that ginger ale?”
I pass the glass over to her. “All yours.”
“Thank you. I’m so thirsty and hungry. But I guess I’m going to be hungry a lot the next seven months.”
I bump her shoulder. “Your hunger will give me a chance to indulge too.”
“I’ve never been here before. What’s good?” she asks no one in particular.
“The cheeseburger is the best,” Leo says as he looks at the menu.
Brenda nods her head in agreement. “Yum, that does sound good. I guess that’s what I’ll order then…medium rare.”
“No!” I yell a little louder than I wanted to.
“Jesus, Chris, what’s wrong?”
Sophia laughs. As a nurse, she knows what I’m worried about.
Embarrassed at my outburst, I lean back in my seat. “You shouldn’t eat any meat that can be undercooked. It’s not good for you, and especially not for the baby.”
Brenda gives me an “Oh, you’ve been reading more” look.
“He’s right, Brenda,” Sophia states. “Be sure any meat, poultry, or seafood you eat is cooked thoroughly. And no raw oysters either. I know how much you love them.”
“Damn, that’s harsh,” Brenda pouts as she leans back in the booth.
I lean and whisper to her, “Hey, if you want, I won’t eat them either.”
Brenda shakes her head. “I don’t want you to do that. Gosh, I want you to enjoy whatever you want. No sense in you having to watch what you eat.”
My hand goes to her leg. “Training starts soon, so I’ll be cutting out alcohol and other things anyway. Sometimes, it’s easier to modify what you can eat when someone else does it with you.”
“Okay, I guess I’m going to need all the support I can get when it comes to this pregnancy.”
It’s Sophia who speaks up. “Hey, all three of us have your back, Brenda. You know that.”
I can almost hear Brenda’s thoughts. She knows Sophia will be there and Leo by default. But for me? I’ll remedy those doubts later.
The rest of our dinner goes as expected. We talk about our trip to Vegas, but the whole time I can’t get the picture of Brenda in that blue dress out of my mind. She’d make the most stunning bride.
As our evening ends, I ask Brenda if I can drive her home. Her blue eyes display her reluctance but she agrees despite whatever reservations she has.
Brenda’s place is fifteen minutes from the pub, so there isn’t much time for chitchat. So, I don’t mince my words.
“That blue dress, Brenda, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful sight in all my life.”
“Chris,” she whispers.
It’s a plea, really. I know what she wants. She wants space and time to process the last month. But the asshole I am won’t allow me to.
Pulling over into an empty parking lot, I throw my car in park.
“What are you doing, Chris?”
My eyes pin her in her seat. “I’m tired of dancing around our relationship.”
“Chris, I need—”
“I know what you need, sweetheart, and it isn’t some sit-back-and-do-nothing man. I can’t do that when it comes to you. And if you’re being honest, Brenda, that’s not what you really want.”
I can tell she’s stunned at my suggestion, yet she doesn’t open her mouth to argue.
“This is how this is going to go. I’m going to take you to your place. You’re going to pack whatever you need for Vegas and then I’m taking you home with me.”
I see Brenda swallow down her retort.
When she doesn’t tell me no, I pull out of the parking lot and head to her place with the hope she won’t be staying there much longer.
Brenda
I’m not quite sure what just happened but Chris just showed me a side I’ve never seen before. I’m so turned on by the caveman lecture he gave me, I can feel the wetness soaking through my pink lace boy shorts.
The minute we got to my place, Chris took my keys, opened the door, and led me to my room to pack.
“I can’t pack with you staring at me,” I tell him with a laugh.
My back is to Chris who’s sitting on my bed. I can’t see him but I can feel his eyes on me. The heat of his stare is almost too much.
“Well, your gorgeous ass is taunting me so I guess we’re even.”
This makes me turn to meet his sexy as hell eyes. Chris’s eyes are dark, to begin with, but when they get almost black, it’s then I can tell he wants me.
“Chris,” I plead.
He moves to me, taking my face in his hands. “No more fighting this. The second I get you back to my place, you will be mine. Do you understand what that means?”
I think I nod my head but I’m not sure. My head feels separate from the rest of my body. This is Chris. This is what he does to me.
&
nbsp; “Yes?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“And do you want to be mine, Brenda?”
I feel like I’m in some romance novel where the hero is sweeping me off my feet. Deep down, I know there aren’t always happy endings, but just maybe I need to take this chance.
“Should I take your silence as a no?”
“No,” I whisper.
I can tell Chris is confused by my answer.
“No, I mean it’s not a no. It’s a yes. I want to be yours, Chris, as long as you’re mine and no one else’s.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone smile as big as the man standing in front of me. It’s contagious, making me grin in return.
Leaning his forehead against mine, I’m immersed in the way Chris smells. The only way I can describe it is erotic if that’s a smell. It’s manly and full of heat. And my damn body is reacting without my permission.
“I promise to take care of you and your baby, Brenda. Just let me in here,” he says as he places his hand on my heart.
How can a girl say no to that?
“I can’t promise it’ll be easy, Chris, but I’ll try.”
With a quick nod, he kisses me on my forehead and leads me out to his car…bag in hand.
* * *
“I’ve always wanted a place by the beach,” I admit as I look out Chris’s picture window.
While he’s not directly on the beach, I can still see the water from his house, albeit with craning my neck.
“I love it here. I don’t think I’ll ever leave. Your bag is on my bed and I made room for you in my dresser and closet.”
I giggle because I only brought enough clothes to get me through our trip to Vegas.
“I didn’t bring that much, Chris. You kinda distracted me at my place.”
“I’d say I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I’m not. I want you to be comfortable here so if we need to go back and grab some stuff, we can. Or we can go get new stuff.”
“I’m just teasing you. I have more than enough stuff for Vegas. It’s only three days total anyway.”
The second the timeframe is mentioned, something changes in Chris. Is it disappointment?
“I want you to stay with me, Brenda. But I know things are crazy right now so I won’t press my luck. But when we get back from Vegas and you feel like you want to stay with me, then we’ll go get your stuff and bring it here.”
Chris
It’s getting late and we have an early flight out in the morning. And maybe I assumed to much by putting her stuff in my room instead of the guest room, but I know if I give her an inch, she’ll run away. So, until she realizes she’s safe with me, I’m going to keep her as close as I can.
I told myself not to push her, yet here I am basically telling her to move in with me. Jesus, I don’t even recognize myself anymore.
Before I met Brenda, I dated a lot of women. Well, okay, maybe dated is a strong word for what I did, but still, I never tied myself down to one woman. But then I laid eyes on Brenda and I knew one day she’d be mine.
“I mean, if you want to live here with me, I’d be okay with it,” I say, trying to sound somewhat indifferent, but it only earns a giggle from Brenda.
“How about we see how Vegas goes first? You’ll probably go running for the hills after you meet my father. My childhood was pretty dysfunctional.”
I know all about her childhood and her abandonment issues. But Brenda is quickly becoming my world and the need to protect and support her and the baby is real.
I take her in my arms and hold her close. “Whatever happens in Vegas won’t change the way I feel about you. You’re mine and I’m yours, completely.”
She looks up at me with her gorgeous blue eyes. “This past year has been crazy and the next is going to be crazier. But if you think you’re ready for some adventure, I’d like it if you were by my side.”
No words come out of my mouth after hearing her confession. Instead, I give her my answer by throwing her over my shoulder and hauling her to my room…our room.
Brenda squeals but once her feet hit the bedroom floor, she grabs me by the back of the head and crashes her mouth to mine.
Her hands roam my body like she’s searching for something and can’t find it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. Any time Brenda’s hands are on me is heaven.
“Chris,” she whimpers against my lips.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Make love to me, please.”
And I do.
Laying Brenda down gently on the bed, I raise her shirt over her head, exposing her already growing breasts.
“Don’t you dare cover these up,” I tell her as she tries to hide from me. “When I said you were mine, I meant all of you, Brenda. You’re perfect, and you’re going to be so damn sexy when your belly grows.”
My hand moves to her stomach. She groans, perhaps at the thought of a swollen belly. But I don’t let her think too much about it because I cover her groan with my mouth.
Brenda bites my lip gently, making my dick harder if that’s even possible.
“Lift up, Brenda.”
I slip her barely there shorts down her body. The wetness of her panties shows me just how turned on she is.
Hooking fingers in the waistband, I yank them off in a hurry.
“No condom,” I tell her. “I can’t get your more pregnant than you already are.”
Brenda barks out a laugh. “I guess that’s true. It’s not like they’re foolproof anyway.”
For a second, my mind wanders to Brenda and Ricky. But Brenda pulls me out of a potential downward spiral when her hand goes to the hem of my shirt.
“It’s not fair I’m naked and you aren’t. I want this off.”
Reaching behind my head, I tug my t-shirt off. “The rest isn’t coming off until you’ve had your first orgasm of the night.”
I pull her to the edge of the bed and throw her legs over my shoulders. “Oh God,” is the last thing I hear before I feast on the woman before me.
Paying very close attention to her whimpers and moans, I lick and coax her bud as her first orgasm overtakes her. Her body shakes harder than I’ve ever seen it.
As her breathing evens out, her eyes flutter open.
“Oh God, Chris. I thought my body was going to shatter.”
I smirk and quickly rid myself of my shorts and boxers.
It’s a good thing I’m pretty confident with my body because Brenda giggles at the sight of my erection.
“What’s so funny?” I ask as I stalk her on the bed.
“I’m nervous,” she whispers.
Jesus Christ, I’m about to explode just looking at her and now she tells me she’s nervous? We’ve had sex at least ten times before today.
I lean over the top of her, resting on my forearms, and kiss the tip of her nose. “Why?”
My usually assertive girl is suddenly shy.
Cocking my head to one side, I lean down and kiss her neck, hoping to coax an answer out of her.
“Because we’ve fucked, Chris. We’ve never made love, and that scares me.”
I stop kissing her.
“You’re right, Brenda, but I’m going to tell you something. Every time we had sex before right now may have been a ‘no strings attached’ arrangement. My head knew that, but my heart never got the message.”
“Chris, I…”
My mouth finds hers and as our tongues mix in deep kisses, I don’t give her a chance to give me her excuses as to how what’s between us is crazy.
Brenda responds as I’d hoped. Her legs wrap around my waist as I ease into her wetness. In one movement, I’m in my favorite place—buried deep inside her, body and soul.
Our movements aren’t hurried and desperate, like all the times before. Instead, they’re slow and sweet, with Brenda matching my pace.
The words “I love you” are on the tip of my tongue as my gaze meets the heat and sweetness of her eyes. But I hold back.
As we both fall over th
e edge together, I know our relationship has shifted tonight. And I think Brenda knows it too.
Brenda
“Have I ever mentioned how much I hate flying?”
Sophia laughs. “Brenda, you’ve mentioned it every ten minutes for the last two hours of this flight. Do you want me to switch seats with Chris so he can sit next to you?”
“No!” I blurt out, louder than I mean to.
Leo and Chris are in the row across from us but they’re too busy talking about the upcoming soccer season to notice.
“Everything okay with you and Chris? I kind of noticed a little weirdness between you two.”
I sigh. “He insinuated he wanted me to move in with him.”
“Oh my God. That’s great, isn’t it?” she asks, looking confused.
I lean in closer to my best friend. “I almost told Chris that I loved him during sex.”
“What?” Sophia yells. And this time, Leo and Chris look over.
“Go back to your guy talk and leave us be,” I call out, waving my hands. Nothing to see here.
Sophia snuggles in closer. “Tell me everything, Brenda, and don’t leave out the juicy parts.”
And so, I do. I tell her about Chris claiming me as his. I don’t go into too much detail about the sex, except how sweet and loving it was.
“I was just about to tell him I loved him when he shut me up by kissing me. Jesus, Sophia, what the hell would he have done if I told him that?”
My best friend just shrugs. “Do you love him?”
I nod. “I used to think I didn’t know what it meant to love someone romantically. I mean, I love you, but you know what I mean. But the way I feel when I’m with him is surreal. He makes me feel loved and safe. Those are two things I didn’t think I’d ever deserve.”
I swallow the lump in my throat as my best friend processes what I’ve finally admitted.
“Brenda, you know what your parents did to you had nothing to do with you as a person. You were a kid, and they were selfish assholes. Don’t let them win by not accepting love into your life. I’ve never met anyone stronger than you. You pulled yourself together when most people would’ve crumbled. You got yourself through high school and college, earning that scholarship. And you’re the best damn teacher out there. So, don’t let those fuckers win.”
His Runaway Goal: Book Two in the Game Winner Series Page 10
