by J. M. Adele
She wanted her mouth on him. Gripping him at the base, she lapped all the dessert. Her pelvis rolled into his touch. He took from her as she took from him. Their bodies joined in an endless loop of flesh and skin. Infinite love in motion. Tongues explored. Palms squeezed. She bobbed her head, sucking and licking.
Cool air skimmed her core as his head flopped on the rug. “Fuck. I can’t hold on.”
His curse kicked off an adrenaline rush, feeding her determination to give him pleasure. Adding her hands, she worked him harder. His fingers dug into her. Flattening the soles of his feet on the ground, his hips jerked in short, sharp bursts until he finally let go. Heated breath rushed over her center as he cursed again. There was no chance to revel in her victory. His tongue drove into her, setting her off-balance. Slapping her palms on his hipbones, she reared up. His strong grip held her tightly in place, letting her know he was in control now. And she let him take what he wanted.
Sweet surrender.
The sunlight reflected off their slick skin. The breeze teased her hair as his mouth laved her folds. He eased his hold and she rocked into his movements, the pressure building. Overcome with complete abandon, she rode him unabashedly. Bared to him. Bared to nature. Stars danced behind her lids as her eyes rolled back. Pleasure burst from her core, shattering her to pieces.
Still in a haze of ecstasy, Lory barely knew where she was before he’d scooted out from beneath her.
Tipping her forward onto her elbows, he sank to the hilt into her pulsing heat. “So fucking good. I love being inside you.”
She couldn’t stop her cries of pleasure. Waves of ecstasy pulled her into some other realm. A low rumble vibrated from his chest as he slammed her from behind. He palmed one breast; his other hand fisted into the rug near her arm. His thrusts became erratic, his shaft throbbing inside her. He dropped his face between her shoulder blades, finally breaking apart.
Lory collapsed on the blanket, exhausted from the workout but completely satiated.
And mindlessly in love.
He kissed along her spine, then pulled away before helping her up.
She spun in his arms and planted a kiss on his lips. “That was amazing.”
He grinned. “You’re amazing. I love you.”
Pulling her closer, he plied her face with kisses. Across her cheeks and her nose. Over her forehead. She giggled, swatting him away.
Then he froze before she heard an audible swallow. After loosening the embrace, he gripped her by the arms. “Oh, fuck.” His face turned pale as he stared down at her in horror.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“We didn’t use a condom.”
“It’s okay, I’m on the pill.” Heat flushed her face in a ridiculous show of chagrin. Particularly after what they’d just done. Turning away, she searched for her underwear.
“Oh. Good.” He smiled. “How about that skinny dip?” He snatched the panties she’d just retrieved, holding them up like a flag. His grin wide enough to show off most of his teeth.
“Hey!” She jumped, reaching for the satin. He was too damn tall.
They’d played this game once before. He’d pinched a Judy Blume novel from her when she was thirteen.
And I got it back before he’d finished one sentence. Lory smiled as she dug her fingers into his ribs.
He flinched, dropping the underwear on the rug.
Ha! Gotcha… oh, shit!
Catching her in a bear hug, he lifted her off her feet before she could grab them. “I promised to clean up any mess. I don’t think I did a good enough job.”
That was true. Their skin was sticky from the dessert, among other things. Distracted by the press of their bodies, she wasn’t prepared for the shock of cold water. A scream ripped from her throat as a belly laugh tumbled from his mouth.
“Fuck, it’s cold,” she spluttered.
“Screamer.”
She opened her mouth to serve him a retort, but his kiss cut her off.
Her limbs wrapped around his warmth.
And before long, they had steam curling off their bodies.
Nighttime Visits
Lorelei
December
A thump outside her window startled her awake. Shit. I fell asleep. She bolted upright, her novel tumbling off her chest to the floor, and rubbed her eyes. A tap sounded on the glass. Stumbling over, she lifted the dormer for him to climb through.
“Shh,” she hissed, immediately wondering why she’d bothered. So what if we get caught?
TV noise drifted upstairs. Squealing tires and gunshots. Chances were, nobody would hear them anyways.
“Sorry. I texted but you didn’t answer.” He stretched to his full height before pulling her into a hug. “Did I wake you?”
Burying her face in his chest, she pulled in his scent with a deep breath. Soap and man. “I didn’t mean to doze off. I felt a little out of sorts, so I came to bed early. I wanted to wait for you.”
“It’s okay. You’re tired. Do you want me to leave?”
No. She shook her head, gripping him tighter. Two months, they’d been together. Weeks of furtive glances and illicit liaisons. Moments as slippery as black ice. She was very much in danger of falling and breaking her heart. Why did he still want to hide their relationship?
“Lie down. I wanna hold you.” His whisper teased her ear.
Lory crawled into bed, rubbing her unsettled tummy while he took off his boots and coat. “I’ve missed you.”
“Same.”
Then why are we still sneaking around? “When are we going to tell everyone?”
Nobody had said a word, but their families weren’t stupid. Her parents had eyeballed her with suspicion a few times after she’d disappeared for a ‘walk.’ Was Toni ashamed of being with her because she’d been with his brother? Like she was secondhand goods?
Lory breathed through her nose, trying to calm her system. She wanted to go out. On an actual date. In public. But they were still stealing moments in the fields, and he was still climbing the magnolia tree.
His brows dipped. “I’m not ready for anyone else’s opinion.”
Her throat cramped. Yep, he was embarrassed. “Are you worried they’ll be disappointed?”
His head jerked back as a groove carved into his forehead. He joined her on the mattress, propped on his side to face her. “Hell, no. It’s none of anybody else’s business. Is that what you think? They don’t want to see us together?”
She bit her lip, reluctant to express her fears. But hiding things like that would only make them fester and grow out of proportion. “I’m worried you don’t want them to see us together.”
His mouth parted on a huff as he stared at her. “I’ve been a dick.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, he groaned softly.
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
He dropped his hand to reveal eyes filled with remorse. “I have. I was selfish, not wanting to share you, and I made you think I was hiding you like a dirty secret.”
Okay, yeah. You did.
“For the record, my family know how I feel about you. They knew before I told you. Apparently, my poker face sucks.”
Oh. The knot in her stomach loosened. That explained why Sophia had foisted her onto Toni at the fair. Bless her cotton socks. Lory owed his sister big time. “Why don’t you use the front door next time you come over?”
He slid an arm under her breasts, tucking his chin in her shoulder. “Are you ready to tell your family?”
“Yes. I want to spend Christmas with you. Thanksgiving was miserable.”
“I bought you a present the other day.” He pressed kisses along her throat.
She tilted her head to give him more room. God, it’s nearly Christmas. “Did you? I only have one more gift to buy then I’m done.”
Toni pulled back to meet her gaze. “Is it mine?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I got yours ages ago.”
His eyes flashed; the grey almost eclipsed by the black of his pupils
in the dim light. “What is it?”
She elbowed him in the side. “Be patient.”
“It’s only a week away. I can hack it.”
She stiffened. “What?”
“I can wait.”
“Did you say it’s next week?” Her brain churned with numbers, adding them together, taking them away. None of it seemed to make sense. How was Christmas a week away?
He sat up, eyeing her with concern. “Yeah. You okay?”
Ah, I don’t know. “Mm-hmm.”
He combed her hair back from her face before placing a kiss on her temple. “You’re tired. I’m gonna go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Her hands gripped the covers. She was tempted to yank them over her head.
“Night, sweetheart.” Toni pecked her on the lips and put his jacket and shoes on before crawling out the way he’d come.
She stared at the ceiling, her stomach doing flips.
Christmas was the twenty-fifth, which meant it was about the eighteenth today.
How had she lost track of the time?
What the hell was the date?
What the hell did it matter?
They’d been dating for a couple of months at least. Two months, during which she hadn’t had a period.
Oh. Fuck.
Here’s the Thing . . .
Lorelei
Christmas Eve
“Mama!” Lory yelled up the stairs.
“Yes?” Her mom appeared on the landing at the top.
“I’m just going to the store.”
Her stomach hadn’t allowed her to do a whole hell of a lot over the last week. She’d put Toni off, telling him she didn’t want to make him sick. Maybe there was no avoiding that outcome? God, how was he going to take the news?
Today was the last opportunity to finish her preparations before Christmas. And for what she needed to buy, she had to leave town.
Her mama’s eyes searched her features. “Oh, are you sure you’re well enough?”
“I’m fine, Mama.” She yanked the corners of her mouth upwards, aiming for sincerity.
Her mother raised a brow, clearly not buying the act. “Can you grab some things while you’re out, please? The list is on the kitchen table.”
“Okay.” She turned away quickly.
“Thanks, baby girl.”
Baby girl.
Yeah, not so much.
How would Mama react when she found out her baby might be pregnant?
Lory stowed some crackers in her pocketbook before checking her wallet for cash. If she was going to buy a pregnancy test, she’d have to drive to the next county. Wagging tongues were the worst part of small country towns. Taking a drink bottle with her, she took off, still deciding on a destination.
Driving south, she cut through the De Soto National Forest, headed for the Walmart in Wiggins. The shadows of the trees beat against her car, delivering a public flogging. Sinner, sinner, chicken dinner. For all the progress society had made, it was still frowned upon to have a baby out of wedlock. Lord help her if she saw anybody she knew. She was banking on the fact that most townsfolk went to Hattiesburg on account of it being closer.
Exiting the car, she nibbled on a cracker, and sipped water before going in. There wasn’t a question in her mind of whether she was pregnant or not. Her ‘tummy bug’ hadn’t eased. She was getting damn good at hiding out at dinner time. Nothing smelled right anymore. Least of all her mama’s cooking.
Lory made her way to the pharmacy and purchased the test, before finding a restroom. That was the other thing—she needed to pee all the damn time. A few minutes later she was in the cubicle, staring at two blue lines.
And there it was. The end of life as she knew it.
How was she going to tell Toni? Christmas was tomorrow. Maybe she could tell him they were both on Santa’s naughty list? And instead of a lump of coal, he’d given them a baby.
It would probably be the end of another relationship.
Wasn’t she just kickin’ goals and takin’ names?
_____
Antonio
Antonio unloaded sacks of supplemental feed from his truck, stacking them in the barn. He’d been lifting shit all damn day. His back muscles ached. His legs burned from climbing in and out of the tray. This was a job Grey and he used to share. One would build the pile while the other emptied the truck, passing the goods between them. Doing it all himself was something else. He wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve before reaching for his water bottle.
He needed to quit whining. Even if it was in his head. Truth was, he was pissed. He hadn’t seen Lory in a week. He didn’t doubt she was sick, but his gut told him something else was going on. Was she having second thoughts? Maybe she did still love Grey after all. Seven days of sparse communication had all his fears clawing to the surface trying to pull him under.
The sound of approaching footsteps had his head turning.
“Hey.” Lory leaned on the frame of the barn door, her face sallow and sunken, but still infinitely beautiful.
Ask and ye shall receive.
“I’ve been trying to phone you.” Nice greeting, Anton.
Her nose wrinkled before she dropped her chin.
He was a jackass. She seemed to curl in on herself, clothes hanging loose on her slight frame. “Sorry. Are you still sick?”
“Not exactly.” She bit her lips.
What does that mean? He moved to stand in front of her. “Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
She shook her head more times than was necessary. “I couldn’t talk. But I’m okay.”
“You don’t look okay.” Christ! Shut the fuck up with the compliments.
“Thanks?” She glared at him.
“No. That’s not”—He squeezed the bridge of his nose—“I can see the shadows under your eyes. You haven’t even responded to my messages.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she thrust out her hand. Inside it, she held a white plastic stick. He squinted, trying to make sense of what it was.
Is that? No. What?
“Are you pregnant?” His brows headed for the wild blue yonder.
She sniffed, nodding as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Fuck. He took a step backwards, fingers diving into his hair as if doing that could hold him upright while his insides collapsed to the straw-covered dirt.
Hooooly shit.
He pulled his palms down to grip the back of his neck and visualized their plans vaporizing to dust.
She wanted to study. They both did. How were they going to do that now?
They’d need their own home.
Papà would be furious.
Would he kick me out?
What if I lose my job?
How was he going to support them?
How were they going to raise a child?
His heart galloped out of control as the rest of him turned to ice. A cold sweat broke out across his skin. The two useless sacs of air in his ribcage refused to work.
So much for using condoms. . .
But she was on the pill. . .
He stood there for God knew how long attempting to reconcile the fact that he was going to be a father. His mind whirred to a halt as a tiny piece of joy sparked to life.
Holy shit. I’m going to be a papà!
All those plans were still within reach, the timeline just needed a bit of rearranging. Anton had no idea how much time had passes while he frantically reorganized their lives in his head. When he was finally back in the land of the living, Lory had disappeared, and the sun had moved an awful long way across the sky.
Oh, Jesus. He’d scared her away. No.
He pulled out his phone, bringing up her number.
“Hey, this is Lory! You know what to do . . .”
Beep.
Message bank. Damn it.
“Lory. Where are you? We need to talk about this.”
His hands shook as adrenaline assaulted his system. He needed to calm the fuck down or he
wouldn’t even be able to walk, let alone drive.
He hit redial.
No answer.
The call cut off as his phone buzzed with an incoming call from Clay.
“Clay.”
“Do you know what’s goin’ on with Lory? She took off to the airport.”
“The airport?”
“Yeah. Boston. Is Grey up to more bullshit? Because I swear, I will have his balls if he so much as touches a hair on her head.”
Anton clenched the phone a little tighter as he ground his teeth. She’d gone running back to Grey. With Anton’s baby in her belly.
His arm dropped to his side as an avalanche of emotions gathered momentum.
Damn if that wasn’t a sword straight through the heart.
Boston
Lorelei
Lory dragged her feet to the exit of Boston Logan, the crowd around her making her feel like a snail. Everybody in such a rush, probably desperate to get home for Christmas. And here she was, desperate to get away.
The sliding doors opened, letting in a gust of frigid North Atlantic air. She halted her steps. “Jesus H. Christ, it’s freezing!”
“Move.” A woman barged past, tossing a curse over her shoulder as a farewell.
Bless your heart, honey. “Sorry.” Standing off to the side, Lory fished in her pockets for her gloves. “I’d better not get frostbite.” She grabbed the lapels of her coat and pulled them together before breaching the doorway.
The queue to get a cab stretched for yards. Taking out the water bottle the flight attendant had given her, she tentatively sipped its contents. Her hand felt around for the cheese and crackers she’d stashed but didn’t retrieve the prize. The way her stomach was twisting, she wasn’t game to try anything solid anyways.
This was the worst idea ever. Why am I here?
The answer hit her like a sour grape.
She’d always done this.
Any time she’d been in trouble or needed soothing, she went straight to Greyson. He’d been her best friend, her protector. He would lead; she’d follow. He was safe. Easy. He treated her like something precious to be kept in a display case. Y’all can look, but you can’t touch.
Toni didn’t do that. He encouraged her to try new experiences and expand her horizons. He put her on edge in a good way. She flicked through her catalogue of time with the Agrioli men, a realization derailing her train of thought.
