Hopelessly Devoted to You

Hopelessly Devoted to You By Tressie Lockwood Copyright © July 2011, Tressie Lockwood Cover art by Elaina Lee © July 2011 ISBN: 978-1-936668-20-5 This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. Sugar and Spice Press North Carolina, USA www.sugarnspicepress.com

Hopelessly Devoted to You

Tressie Lockwood

Prologue Raina leaned against a pillar outside the plantation house while her family enjoyed themselves inside. The location for her parents’ anniversary party was Sasha’s idea. Her youngest sister would be the one to think of it. Raina had intended to stay in Savannah one more night to visit with everybody, but not knowing for sure if she was pregnant was driving her insane. She was good to no one in this mood, and with the nausea it was a matter of time before her mother figured out what was going on. Raina could go to a drugstore and pick up a home pregnancy test, but no way in hell she was taking that back to her parent’s place. Privacy was a joke, and that was one of the reasons she had moved to Charleston. Cheers went up behind her, and then she heard her mother’s teary voice above the others. Raina sighed as she stared out at the sun glowing golden orange behind trees that hung with moss. Savannah was pretty though. She’d missed it in a way, but not the tension between herself and her parents. They couldn’t understand her not wanting her whole world to revolve around taking care of her sisters. She’d done that. Her sisters were in their thirties just like her. Enough was enough. “My babies,” her mother squealed somewhere nearby. Raina imagined she’d just found out that Jonelle, Sasha, and her had bought them a world cruise. They’d love it, she was sure, and maybe the calls informing her about everything that went on in her sisters’ lives would ease up a bit. “Where’s Raina?” someone called out. She sighed again and glanced at her cell. One more call and then she would go in. The phone on the other end rang four times before it was picked up. “Yeah?” “Hey, baby,” she whispered. “It’s me.” Like her boyfriend didn’t know that from his caller ID. “I need to talk to you.” 1

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Kyle grunted and moaned like he was stretching. Resentment rose inside her thinking he’d been out with his friends late last night while she’d hugged the toilet bowl after sampling her aunt’s shrimp salad. Maybe that was the problem, and it would be over before long. As soon as the hope grew, it died. This sickness, mostly in the morning, had been going on for the last couple of weeks. Being busy at work and then planning her trip back home had kept her from getting tested before now. “Aren’t you in Savannah?” Kyle asked. “I thought you weren’t coming home until day after tomorrow.” “Would it kill you to sound like you miss me? The truth is I’ve been sick lately. I’m a little scared that I’m pregnant.” The line went silent. “Hello?” “I’m here.” She frowned. “Don’t you have anything to say?” “Well, you’re smart, Raina, and I like that. We have a lot of fun together, but I don’t think either of us is ready for a kid.” He yawned without covering his mouth. “When you know for sure, let me know and we can take care of it. I have to go. Gotta go in tonight.” He threw her a kiss through the phone and hung up. Raina blinked. He did not just blow her off, did he? Yes, he did and…Her stomach knotted. What did he mean by “we can take care of it”? She touched her stomach as if she was already sure a baby was growing there, and she had to protect him or her. He was right. They did have fun. Last week she had let slip that she could fall in love with him, and he’d all but freaked. She hadn’t even said she loved him, just that she could. At least he didn’t freak this time. Raina would be the first to admit she was good at her job but lousy at relationships. Some part of her thought maybe it had to do with her strained relationship with her parents. Which was crazy. But she knew she had issues she had to get straight, and letting it spill into her choices of who to date was a train wreck waiting to happen. At some point, she’d have to make some changes. “Hey, you!” Sasha called from the doorway behind her. 2

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Raina turned and stood up to take her sister’s hand. She’d been hiding long enough. Kyle could wait until tomorrow, but she was definitely leaving sooner than planned. No one would understand her reasoning, but hell, it wouldn’t be the first time.

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Chapter One Raina dropped into a chair at her apartment and stared at the paper in her hand. Her doctor had called to tell her on the phone that the blood test came back positive, but the paper she’d also mailed with a few other stats confirmed it. She was pregnant. Kids were a definite part of her life plan but not now. Not when she was unmarried and hadn’t even ordered her finances or bought a house of her own. Tears spilled from her eyes, and she tried blinking them away, but they kept coming. She found tissue to blow and wipe her nose. Nothing helped to pull her together. Now that she knew without a doubt, she called Kyle again. She’d been back in Charleston for four days, and the bastard hadn’t come by. He’d returned her calls when he knew she was in the lab with her phone tucked into her locker. This morning, she had called in to say she wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be there. She had plenty of sick time. “I’m going to need it.” She called Kyle. He should be at home because he worked at night. When he didn’t answer the first time, she dialed again and then again. He picked up grumbling. “What the fuck, Raina. You know I have to sleep. I have a double shift tonight.” “Oh, excuse me,” she snapped. “I thought you should know you’re going to be a father!” He cursed. “How could you let this happen? I thought you were on the pill.” “I am, and you know I lost that one by mistake. I wanted to wait and talk to my doctor about it, but you were all horny and didn’t want to hear about not getting any.” “Don’t fucking put this one me,” he roared. “Anyway, this is not anything we need to discuss. Just get rid of it. If you need money—” “If I need money? You’re not serious.” From the beginning, the biggest disagreement they ever had was that she made more money than 4

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he did. She held a master’s degree. He barely finished high school. Raina didn’t care about that, but Kyle never let her forget it as if she’d done something wrong. Getting through college without help from her parents had taken forever. She’d had to work full time and go part time, and even that had been a challenge. The whole process had taken years longer than most people, and now she worked as a junior chemist. “Oh, you’re going there huh?” Despite the fact that professional people ran in Kyle’s family, he had been sort of the black sheep of them all. “Well if you can take care of it yourself, then do it.” He hung up on her. Raina pulled the phone away from her ear not believing that he would act like this. Sure, Kyle could be an ass sometimes, but he was sweet too. They had a lot of fun together, and as long as she let him come up with all the ideas and decide on what they did, things were fine. But why should I have ever done that? She called him back with the intention of telling him she wasn’t about to abort her baby, but he didn’t answer. The line went straight to voicemail making her think he had turned off his cell phone. She cursed him out. He could think he was getting off scot-free all he wanted, but it took two to make this baby, and he was going to be responsible. Tiredness overcame her before she could get dressed to confront him at his house. She decided to nap first and then go there. By the time she was ready to go, it was three in the afternoon, only two hours before Kyle needed to be at work. She had to hurry. Raina pulled into the curved driveway in front of a ranch-style home. She’d been here lots of times, but mostly she and Kyle stayed at her apartment. Kyle’s brother owned the house, and Kyle lived with him. That had been another strike against Kyle, but she had overlooked it. One would think she’d have better sense. As she stepped out of the car, Raina’s stomach tightened. She couldn’t stand Hunter. He was arrogant and thought he knew everything. His background in the military working as an engineer had left him rigid and precise. He liked things his way or no way, and she had no clue how he 5

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could abide living with Kyle who was the master of disorder. At the front door, she rang the bell and folded her arms beneath her breasts. Doing so reminded her that her nipples had been somewhat sore over the last couple of weeks. They hadn’t leaked yet, but she should have known something was up. That and the excessive tiredness were the biggest clue. The door opened after she’d turned her back, and Raina swung around hating Hunter to have her at a disadvantage. For a moment, she could find no words to say. The man was gorgeous. He held himself straight which made his broad shoulders even wider. His jaw was chiseled as if from steel, clean-shaven, and his gray eyes could freeze a person where they stood. Raina hated most of all having to tilt her head way back to look him boldly in those intimidating orbs. Hunter was somewhere around his late thirties and looked good for his age, but today, there was strain in his expression. His lips were tighter than normal, and the way he seemed to close off more made her think he didn’t relish seeing her anymore than she wanted to see him. She raised her chin to show he didn’t scare her. “Is Kyle still here?” The flash of pain took her by surprise, but it was gone too fast to be sure it was there in the first place. “Come inside.” The words were a command. Raina thought about telling him what he could kiss, but she stepped into the house. Hunter had a lot more space between him and his neighbors in his single-family house than she did in her apartment, but she still didn’t need to make a scene outside. He led her to the living room, and she sat down on the couch. Hunter disappeared without a word, and she heard him talking. Only then did she realize someone else was in the house, and the woman was crying. What the hell is going on? A blonde in business-casual attire entered the room. Raina recognized her as Jill, a family friend and sometimes lover of Hunter’s. Jill’s eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, and she held a used tissue between the tips of her fingers. She took a seat across from Raina and didn’t speak. Hunter returned to the room with a drink for both of them. Jill downed 6

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hers, and Raina set hers on the table. She was impressed that he remembered her favorite. “Did you call him?” He hesitated, and that’s when she knew something was up. “Did I interrupt anything?” His dark brows lowered over his eyes. “Don’t you answer your cell phone?” She sucked her teeth. “Please. Tell that to your damn brother. I’ve been calling him all day.” While she spoke, she fished out her cell and found that she’d missed four calls. “It never rang. So annoying.” Jill squeaked. “You insensitive bi—” “Be quiet, Jill,” Hunter roared, and Raina jumped at the vehemence in his tone. She’d picked up her drink without thinking but didn’t take a sip. When she glanced up at Hunter who was still standing, this time she knew she saw pain in his eyes. “My brother was in an accident earlier this afternoon,” he announced in a monotone. “He’s been killed.” Raina surged to her feet, the words half registering. When they sunk in, the room spun, and the glass began to slip from her nerveless fingers. “But…but…” She pitched forward. The edges of her vision darkened, but the next instant, a strong arm came around her, and the glass was removed from her hand. She found herself wedged up against Hunter’s chest. He set down the glass and moved his hand to the back of her head, cradling it like she was someone he cared about rather than the dislike that had dominated their relationship. Raina clutched at the sleeves of his shirt. She heard him a long way off telling her to take deep breaths. She was going to throw up. Oh no, not in front of him. “I have to go to the bathroom.” Her words were muffled with her lips pressed to his shoulder. She tried to step out of his arms, but her legs were jelly. Hunter whipped her up into his arms and carried her out of the room. Jill called his name, but he ignored her. They trekked to the bathroom in the hall, and Hunter stood behind her 7

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with one arm wrapped around her waist while she decided whether her stomach had settled. She wanted to be alone, but he didn’t move. Her head swirled, and she began to cry. His big body pressed close from behind seemed to give her strength—that along with the physical attraction she’d always felt when he was near. She closed her eyes breathing deep. He said nothing, and Raina filled the quiet with nervous chatter. “I just talked to him this morning. We had an argument.” “It’s okay.” “I…we…didn’t agree on something important. I came here to talk it out.” She sniffed. “He got on my last nerve, but I cared about him. And now I…” She swayed. Oh hell! The world was going dark, and she heard Hunter saying, “Raina, honey, are you okay? Raina!” But she must be imagining the endearment and the worry.

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Chapter Two Raina opened her eyes and flinched seeing Hunter leaning over her. He held a washcloth in one hand and her drink in the other. She tried to sit up. “Easy. Take it slow,” he instructed. She’d never heard him sound so kind, especially not toward her. She swung her legs over the edge of the couch and sat up slowly. Glancing around, she saw that they were back in the living room and Jill was nowhere in sight. “I’m fine,” she told him with more annoyance than she meant. “Thanks for looking out for me. I’ve never fainted before in my life.” He looked doubtful and held the drink out to her. She ignored it, and him, and stood. The room stayed steady. “I should go.” She took two steps before his words stopped her cold. “You don’t care to know the details about my brother?” Raina closed her eyes. She was glad her back was to him because she was sure he’d run over to her thinking she was about to faint. This time, she was stronger, but the fear and uncertainty, the hurt and confusion was strong inside her belly. “Of course I want to know.” She returned to the couch. “Do you mind if I have a glass of water?” He studied her face for a second and then picked up the glass and left the room. When he returned, he brought back a glass of ice water. She took it and drank it down, her parched throat relieved. After she was done, she set the empty container on the table and leaned back, crossing her arms over herself. What Hunter must be dealing with finally got through to her. When he sat down beside her, she put her hand on his forearm. She thought she felt a tremor and hoped it wasn’t a flinch of disgust. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I know this must hurt you, and here you are trying to comfort Kyle’s girlfriend who you hate.” “I don’t hate you, Raina.” 9

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“Well we never got along anyway. I’m ready. Tell me about it, please.” Hunter sighed, and his eyes became unfocused as he looked away from her. She rested her gaze on his Adam’s apple as he spoke and let the deep timbre of his voice wash over her. “He was sleeping because he had to work late but then he came storming out of his room about eleven. He said he needed to get out of the house before—” When Hunter cut himself off, she knew what he’d been about to say. Kyle had known her well. He knew she was going to come over and confront him after he hung up on her. “He left his cell.” Raina put her head in her hands. She jumped a little when Hunter rubbed her back. He didn’t say a word, but she wanted him to tell her this wasn’t her fault even though she knew it was. She shouldn’t have sprung the pregnancy on Kyle. She knew he wasn’t mature enough to handle it. He’d been a few years younger, twenty-nine, and maybe he should have had his head on straighter, but he didn’t. “It’s my—” “Don’t,” he interrupted. “So what you argued. You’ve done it before. Hell, all three of us have. You don’t need to blame yourself because my brother decided to take a winding road going too fast and not wearing his seatbelt.” Hunter paused and studied her face, but she looked away. She wasn’t ready to tell him she was pregnant, if she ever did. To think that her baby would be born without a daddy was too much to think about right then. Not in a million years had she considered it. Without thinking of it consciously, she’d always assumed she would follow in her parents’ footsteps and find the right man to marry and have children with him. They would be devoted to each other just like her parents were to each other. But now that was forever altered. She clenched her hands in her lap and squeezed her fingers tight enough to hurt. Tears flooded her cheeks. Raina wasn’t so far gone that she didn’t realize her tears were more for her baby than for Kyle or the 10

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pain of losing him. Not that she hadn’t loved him. She did, but time and again, she had considered breaking it off, which told her that the feelings didn’t go as deep as she’d once thought they could. “Don’t,” he whispered. If she weren’t so distraught, she would have protested him taking her up onto his lap and crushing her in his strong embrace. She sucked in a startled breath only to fill her nose with his masculine scent—fresh and intoxicating. His cheek lay on top of her head, and she lifted her face to tell him to let her down, but that brought their lips too close. Hunter’s gaze locked onto her lips. On impulse she licked them, and she saw something flash in his eyes. She scrambled off his lap. “I should go. Thank you so much for taking care of me. Please let me know about the arrangements.” Her voice cracked on the last part of her sentence, and she fled. She heard Hunter calling her, but she didn’t stop. After running out the door, she hopped into her car and skidded out of the driveway. She buried herself in working overtime for three days until it was time to attend Kyle’s funeral. **** How pathetic am I to be thinking about Hunter during Kyle’s eulogy? She figured her emotions were out of whack being pregnant, and there was a sense of loss with Kyle being her boyfriend. Still, she couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt to be in Hunter’s arms. His gray eyes were chips of ice normally, but that moment they were warmer, gentler. She didn’t know if it was because he was vulnerable from his brother’s passing—his only family left—or from holding her. She was not so vain to think a man like Hunter would desire her. After all he had Jill, and she was a perfect size two if that. As far as Raina knew, he’d never even looked the way of a black woman because Kyle had talked about every aspect of Hunter’s life with bitterness and obvious jealousy until she’d been ready to choke him. Hunter finished his speech while Raina scanned the room. There 11

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weren’t many people present. She suspected some were from Kyle’s job. She recognized the man who hit on her a few months ago as one that worked with him. Toward the front were a few stiff types like Hunter. They were probably military friends. On the row with her were two skanky-looking women judging by how much skin they revealed. The dresses weren’t even black, and one false move would have boobs everywhere. Both of them cast overly made-up eyes with long fake lashes in Raina’s direction. One was white and the other black. Raina took all of five minutes to figure out why the glances were so full of hostility. Kyle had been cheating on her. She thought she couldn’t cry any more than she already did, but now she felt like the biggest fool in the place. The last of her tissue was soaked and wouldn’t absorb anymore water. Her nose ran. She willed herself to pull it together and not give these women the satisfaction. And then a hand holding a tissue reached in front of her. She took it with a murmured thanks and mopped her face. Hunter sat down at her side. His big, muscular thigh brushed hers. She waited for him to move away, but he didn’t. Raina sopped up his strength. When her face was as clean as it was getting, she peered through her lashes at Hunter. He stared straight ahead as last words were given and a prayer for Kyle’s soul. She glanced the other way toward the women. The white one’s face was red, and anger mottled whatever prettiness she had. The black one swore and rolled her eyes at Raina. What? Did they think they’d done with Kyle now that he was gone, and they were going to move on to Hunter? She didn’t know him well enough to judge if he was the cheating kind, but something told her either way it wouldn’t be with these skanks. As soon as the service was over, Raina escaped. She had intended to have lunch somewhere, but her appetite was gone. Instead, she called in for a few more days from work and took the rest of the week off. The first few days she slept a lot, and then she pulled herself from the bed. Some soul-searching helped her to forgive herself for being stupid where Kyle was concerned, at least for the most part. He was the ass, not her. Even if 12

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he had lived, she knew he would fight having anything to do with her baby. Well, in this day and age, she’d be just fine. And Charleston wasn’t some small cutoff town where she’d be ostracized for being an unwed mother. Anybody who didn’t like it could kiss her ass. And with all that bravado, she wasn’t ready to face her parents or her sisters with her news. She laughed at her weakness as she drew into the parking lot at her apartment complex. “It’s nice to see you smile again.” She gasped and spun around. Hunter stood near his BMW, which she hadn’t even noticed when she pulled up. Her breath left her chest as fast as it entered at the sight of him. He was still sexy, but from the angle of his eyebrow and the set of his lips, she could tell he was back to his old self. Or he hid his grief over losing his brother. “What are you doing here?” He shrugged. “You still don’t answer your phone.” His hands were pushed into his pockets, for some reason drawing her gaze to his crotch. Raina forced herself to look away. She frowned at her cell as she pulled it out. “What’s wrong with this stupid thing? I might need to switch companies.” He moved forward and slipped it from her fingers. She shivered at their touch, but he seemed not to notice as he scanned through the settings. “This is at least two models old. Don’t you upgrade?” “I’ve been too busy if it’s any of your business,” she snapped. She expected him to argue back, but he didn’t say a word, frustrating her all the more. Rolling her eyes at him, she flounced toward the complex. “Anyway, why are you here? I thought we resolved everything.” Hunter followed her inside the building and up the stairs to her thirdfloor apartment. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. When he made no move to do the say, she swung the door wider and gave him a pointed look. He crossed the threshold like it was some huge feat. Of course he’d never been there. She would never have invited him. Raina didn’t know how many times she’d told him to his face that she couldn’t stand him, and if he weren’t Kyle’s brother she wouldn’t give him the time of day. For some reason she felt guilty about the insults she’d hurled at him. 13

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Hunter might have been cold and blunt about whatever he felt like saying, but he’d never called her outside of her name. No, that little specialty had been reserved for Kyle when he was mad. She hated when he called her a bitch, and he had done it because he knew how much it hurt her. So why did I stay with him for three years? The apartment was stuffy, so she hurried to the thermostat to lower the temperature. Already her top was sticking to her, and she tugged at it while fanning herself. “Would you like some sweet tea or anything? I don’t have beer in the house.” She had thrown out the last couple that Kyle had left there a few days ago. A couple bottles of red wine were in the cupboard, but Hunter didn’t like red wine. Wait, how the hell would I remember that about him? “I also have red wine,” she offered on purpose. His narrow nose wrinkled in dislike. “I don’t like red wine. Thank you. Tea will be fine.” She headed into the kitchen, and he moved behind her with such stealth she didn’t hear him until he spoke from the doorway. “I stopped by to see how you’re doing. You loved him.” The questioning pitch on the end of his sentence must have been her imagination. “Look, you always hated me with your brother. I don’t know if it was because I’m black or what, but—” “Of course not!” She set the picture of tea on the table and put her hands on her hips. “Then what was it? Because you were always picking at something. After all I’ve accomplished in my life, here you are thinking I wasn’t good enough for your brother.” His eyes widened, and he crossed the kitchen floor in three long strides. He jerked Raina into his arms, and she pushed his hard chest. She had no choice but to look up into his eyes. Her breath came in short gasps, and her heart pounded. Still she couldn’t glance away from him. “Is that what you think?” he demanded. “Isn’t it the truth?” she rasped. “No. It’s not.” 14

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No signal at all, no hint told her what he was about to do. In an instant his lips covered hers, crushing them in his onslaught. Raina’s mouth opened allowing Hunter to push his tongue inside. The way he swept the warm, wet interior made her weak. He smelled so good and felt even better. His hard length stretched along hers robbing her of common sense. His brother, her boyfriend, had passed a little over a week ago, yet she couldn’t pull out of his embrace. She didn’t want to. Hunter devoured her mouth in such a hungry way. He raised her up so that her feet dangled above the floor. One hand cupped the back of her head, and the other squeezed her ass. Raina was tempted to spread her legs and let his cock press into her pussy. The hardness was insistent, and she wanted to give in. Her head swirled in a way that had nothing to do with pregnancy. They were lost in each other, unaware of anything around them, so it took a while for Hunter’s ringing cell to penetrate Raina’s mind. When it did, she wiggled to get free of his hold and turned her head to break the kiss. “Let me go,” she whispered. He took his time, but he did release her, and Raina used the counter to steady herself while Hunter answered the call. To hear him address Jill and begin a conversation with the woman as he walked out of the room was enough to bring Raina back down to earth. She didn’t know what that was just now, but it would never happen again.

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Chapter Three “Raina, I’m only telling you because I like you,” Kevin said. “They’re cutting a lot of jobs, and you know the rule—last hired, first fired. It’s the economy, and you should be prepared before it happens.” Kevin, not her boss but management, had always liked her. He had no problem with showing his interest, but Raina had always deflected his advances. He struck her as the kind of man she realized too late that Kyle was. Kevin was a smart, successful black man. He was shrewd, and she had the feeling he would always land on his feet. But she had zero interest in him. “I appreciate you telling me this.” Her stomach knotted. She couldn’t afford to be laid off now. Sure she had savings, but that would only last so long, and above all she needed the insurance. “How long do you think I have?” He shrugged. “Can’t be sure. They didn’t target you with this round, but that doesn’t mean the next you’ll be so lucky. Stick close to me, and I’ll look out for you.” He reached across the table and grasped her hand. She’d only agreed to have lunch with him because he said he had important news about the company to share with her and no one else needed to hear. His heads-up was appreciated, but Kevin was ready for more than grateful words from her. Not going to happen. “Good looking out. I guess I have some job hunting to do.” She kept her tone light, but she felt panic coming on. Why did one bad thing have to follow another? Three weeks had passed since she’d spoken to or seen Hunter, yet she thought of him often. That day in her apartment with him, she’d brushed him off. Her attitude had brought it home real quick that nothing was going to happen between them, and he accepted it and left. Unless she rolled out of here, Kevin wouldn’t be so easy. “I better get going to plan my next move.” She stood up gathering her 16

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trash. Most of the food was left on her plate because the smells in the restaurant were upsetting her stomach. “Thanks for being a friend.” Kevin tried to delay her, but she smiled and walked away. One way or another, she would work everything out. Her baby was counting on her, and she would do what she had to do. **** Raina rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath. The small construction company wasn’t in her field, but they offered a great benefits packet, and there was no reason why she couldn’t learn fast. She’d minored in accounting and was state certified. Numbers just weren’t her first choice. Besides that the hours were flexible, which she would need down the line. She sat in the office the secretary had directed her to and waited with impatience for the VP she’d been told would conduct the interview. For some reason, Raina pictured Mr. Arnold Hanover to be some aging, heavyset man with a thick mustache and a receding hairline. Maybe once upon a time, he’d been built when he did the physical labor involved in construction, but now he sat behind this oversize oak desk more often than not. Making up details of the man’s life helped calm her because no matter what she’d done education-wise, she had never mastered interviews. The door opened behind her, and Raina braced herself. She needed this job because a few days after Kevin warned her, more rumors of job cuts flew around her company. No one was safe, least of all the people who had less than five years vested. Raina cleared her throat and stood up with a smile. “Mr. Hanover…” The rest of the words died on her lips when she looked into the handsome face of Hunter Bradley. “H-Hunter. I thought…” He said nothing but let his gaze sweep over her from head to foot. She held herself rigid so he didn’t pick up on how he affected her. Hopefully, he couldn’t see how her breasts had swollen over the last few weeks. He strode to the desk and indicated for her to sit down before he took a 17

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seat as well. “Arnold had any emergency to deal with, and I offered to fill in for him. How have you been, Raina?” “I’m fine.” She peered at him with wariness. “Why don’t you look surprised to see me?” The way his lips widened into a smile reminded her of their kiss. “I’m not. Arnold and I conferred on all the applicants, and I was startled to see your resume among the bunch. I had to wonder why you would apply for a position that’s clearly not your chosen field.” “So you made sure he wasn’t around so you could be the one to butt into my business. Is that it?” “Why do you get up in arms whenever we speak? Does every word I say irritate you?” His tone was even and not ruffled like she felt herself. But it still ticked Raina off. She jumped to her feet. “Know what. Never mind. I didn’t realize this was your company. I knew you owned your own business, but I didn’t know the name. Sorry for wasting your time.” She charged over to the door, but his words stopped her. “You don’t need the job?” Raina ground her teeth. He was right. She did need the job, and if she could use knowing him to get the position, she would use it. People did it all the time, and she had to think about the baby. Damn, but then he would know about his niece or nephew when she started to show. Not that she hadn’t intended to tell him at some point. Just not now. She turned from the door and looked him in the eyes. “Is there any chance at all?” He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat back—the move of a man who held all the cards. Raina ground her teeth again. “I want to help you in any way I can,” he said. “Why?” He held a palm toward the chair she had vacated, and Raina walked back to it, head held high. She perched on the edge wary against him. If he thought he was going to hint at her “staying close to him” like Kevin did, he had another thought coming. Raina wasn’t selling herself to any man. 18

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“Out of memory of my brother. We both cared about him. I know he was…a handful.” She rolled her eyes. “A child can be a handful.” She didn’t want to hurt him, so she didn’t go any further. People liked to forget all the bad habits of those who passed. Hunter splayed his hands before him. He knew what she was talking about. “Okay, let’s leave it as we both cared about him. Aside from that, I was distant to you on too many occasions. I want to make up for it. Tell you what, you use this time to convince me of why you are the best candidate for this position having the least amount of experience.” Raina frowned. Arrogant as usual, like the world revolved around him. She understood he knew her well enough to know if he just handed her the job she wouldn’t take it. This thing would not end with her owing him one, that’s for sure. Still, it didn’t change the fact that she was notorious for lousy interviews. She needed security more than ever. No matter how she felt about Hunter, she had to do this. A few calming breaths helped. “You’re right. I don’t have the experience level that you were looking for, but I graduated at the top of my class at both the bachelors and masters level.” She popped open a folder and handed him her transcripts. “These are my grades. Also, you can see from my résumé that I managed the books for a microcompany for a year before I landed my current position. This letter gives more detail about how I was able to show the owner where she was losing money and where she could make greater profits.” “Impressive.” Hunter’s gaze never left hers although he took the sheets from her hands. As she spoke, her voice wavered which she cursed herself for, and her hands trembled. He gave no indication of having noticed it. Small favors. If he had seen it, she didn’t think she could go on. Why was she so pathetic in these situations? Was it because the person behind the desk expected something from her that she didn’t want to give? Whatever the case, she’d always worked better alone with no one peering over her shoulder. She searched her mind for other tidbits to add, but she drew a blank. 19

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All those damn example stories she’d gone over late into the night meant nothing since she couldn’t remember them. “Hunter,” she said, her desperation growing, which was probably the worse move. A fleeting expression met her gaze, and she thought it was in reaction hearing her say his name, but that was absurd. She used it again anyway. “Hunter, give me a chance. You can cut my salary by thirty percent and double the length of time your company sets for a trial period. I’ll prove that I’m right for the accountant position.” He pushed his chair back and stood up. That was as clear a sign of dismissal as Raina had ever seen. No matter. She’d just keep moving forward and look for an opportunity elsewhere. Maybe if she told her company she was pregnant, they’d keep her on a little longer. Who was she kidding? They’d cut her even faster. “Full salary,” Hunter said at last, “and I’ll take you up on the offer of doubling the trial period. I don’t believe we’ll need it.” Relief almost made her fall out of the chair, but she surged to her feet. “Thank you. You will not regret this decision. I promise you that.” He shook the hand she held out to him, and a sliver of pleasure raced over her skin. She pulled away and looked down. “I will need to give notice at my current job. Is there paperwork I should get started on or anything you want me to know?” “Have dinner with me tonight.” She froze. “Excuse me?” He moved from behind the desk and came around to her. “There’s that fire in your eyes I enjoy seeing. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were angry with me.” He tilted her chin up, but she yanked out of reach. “You’re damn right. If you think I’m going to jump into bed with you for this job—” “That’s interesting because I distinctly remember asking you to dinner not for a fuck.” His eyes, which were warm and amused a moment ago, turned hard. Raina didn’t answer, and he sighed. “It’s dinner. It has nothing to do with business. You have the job, Raina.” He moved closer to her, and she found herself stepping back trying to 20

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resist his pull. The desire she saw in him was reflected in her. This was not the time, and to sleep with one’s boss… Hell no! He stopped closing the space between them when she was locked against the desk with nowhere to go. Hunter traced a thumb over her cheek, and Raina did all she could not to turn into it. When she didn’t pull away, he pushed the digit between her lips. This is crazy. It’s too soon. “If we have sex, or maybe I should say when, it will have nothing to do with me giving you a job and all about your smooth chocolate skin that has enticed me from the first day I laid eyes on you.” She closed her eyes to shut out his face and pushed his hand away. “Let’s keep it about business, Hunter. I think it would be a bad idea to take it any further. If there’s nothing else you need from me today, I have an appointment.” As soon as she could, Raina fled trying to put thoughts of her and Hunter naked in bed out of her mind.

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Chapter Four Hunter stood in the shower until his skin began to wrinkle. Thinking of that made him recall how stupid he’d been to admit to Raina that he had wanted her from the beginning. Admitting it brought him too close to the real truth about what he felt for Raina. The fact of the matter was, he was hopeless when it came to her. Raina was everything he wanted in a woman, yet he’d had to hide it while she was with his brother. Not very well of course since he made a habit of pointing out how not right they were for each other. He’d done too good a job with that since now Raina thought he hated her. Hunter knew he should feel ashamed for going after his brother’s girlfriend so soon after he passed, and he lectured himself on that constantly. But when she had come by and she cried, he hadn’t thought. He just held her in his arms. That one touch confirmed the desires he had kept hidden away for three years. Now that he knew what it was like to hold her, he couldn’t stop pursuing her. He was no fool. He had seen the looks she gave him sometimes, the way she fought it. He didn’t doubt she had loved Kyle, and it was a credit to her character that she never encouraged him to take what they both felt back then to the next level. No matter how irresponsible Kyle was, Hunter would never have betrayed him. Now Raina had fallen into his lap. She’d work in his office so he could see her every day. He had every intention of going after her now, before some other man snatched her up. She wanted him. No doubt about how her body reacted. Besides, he wasn’t asking her to fall in love—not yet. Just spend some time. He would not take no for an answer. Raina would come to understand what she meant to him by any means necessary. However, Raina doubted him. He deliberately waited until after she started at her new position with his company to ask her out again. This time, he showed up at her door with flowers. 22

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At his ring, Raina opened the door, and her eyes widened. “Hunter, what are you doing here?” He enjoyed hearing his name on her lips, and he imagined how husky it would be when he had her writhing beneath him in ecstasy. “You always ask me the same question. I’m here to take you to dinner.” She smirked, crossing her arms under her breasts. He’d enjoyed the view of them too many times, and while they were perfect before, he noticed that they’d grown heavier. More than a mouthful, he thought feeling his cock shift in his jeans. That she always made sure not to look down was a good thing in this instance. “I don’t remember saying I’d go out with you.” He took a step closer to her. In the military, he’d learned to seek out the advantage early on and hold onto it. Raina wasn’t some third-world insurgent, but she did skitter away like a frightened animal. The look was in contrast with how confident she was in her job. She asked crucial questions, and she poured over the books to make sure she understood how they did things at his company. He liked that. “We could stay in,” he suggested. She stood her ground all of two seconds and then took a step back holding the door wider. “Come inside. I was just making spaghetti with homemade meatballs. You better like it or go hungry.” He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.” He watched her putter about her kitchen while he took in his surroundings. The apartment was nicely decorated but small. The touch of a woman in the apple patterns in so many spots was obvious, down to the tiny stool in the corner with an apple-shaped seat. “Like apples?” he suggested. She narrowed her eyes on him, but he saw the humor in them and the tight lips. Beautiful, sweet lips he wanted to taste again. Without waiting for permission, he searched the cupboards for a vase and filled it with water to set the roses in. The sheepish expression made him pull her close to his chest. “Thank you,” she murmured. But then she wiggled out of his grasp 23

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and went back to cooking. Soon the dining table was set for two with a big bowl of pasta and another dish containing sauce and meatballs. Garlic bread cooled on a rack, and she poured him a glass of white wine but rather than pour some for herself, she brought in her wine glass from the kitchen already full with a red liquid. “This looks amazing. Thank you,” he told her, allowing the sincerity to come through. Her start told him he’d truly been too mean trying to hide how felt. He’d fix it. “I’m sure it tastes even better.” They settled in to dinner. Hunter discovered that he’d been right. The food was excellent, and he complimented her until she blushed. “Stop! I’m glad you like it.” She hid a smile. “How are you liking the new position?” he asked. “You keeping up? Arnold not pushing you too hard is he?” She shook her head and took a sip from her glass before speaking. “No, he’s been great. Well, I think he likes me just a little, but the man is old enough to be my father. He’s just like I pictured him when I heard his name.” Jealousy rose in Hunter, and he clenched the fork in his hand. He’d had more than enough of watching Kyle touch Raina. He wouldn’t put up with it from Arnold. They had a bit of a rough patch switching rolls when Hunter first started the company. Arnold had been his CO in the Marine Corps, but now Hunter was his boss, and Arnold had chafed a little at having to answer to Hunter. In the end, he had opted to show the man the respect he was due, and they were fine. “I’ll talk to him. I don’t want him making you uncomfortable.” “It’s so not a big deal. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.” She watched him over the edge of her glass, and something told him she knew he was jealous. But she questioned why he should be since they had no connection other than his late brother. ”You’re ex-military, aren’t you?” “Mm. I was a sergeant in the Marine Corps. In for fifteen years, long enough to get a college degree. I was stationed here near Charleston and liked the area, so I never left. I saved some money, and my parents left Kyle and me a small inheritance. I used that to start my own company.” 24

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Hunter chose not to say that his brother had squandered what he’d been given. He hadn’t missed the trashy women who had attended the funeral. While he liked to believe Kyle wouldn’t be stupid enough to cheat on a beautiful woman like Raina, he suspected that’s just what his brother did. Women like that hung around for one thing, and that was money. Kyle had kept the affairs low-key because he knew Hunter would kick his ass. His constant reminder to treat Raina better early in their relationship had made his brother accuse him of wanting her for himself. After that, Hunter had backed off some. But his chilly demeanor hadn’t helped. “Tell me more about you,” he asked to keep the conversation going. “Do you have siblings? I don’t remember Kyle mentioning any.” Her lips tightened. “I have two younger sisters. My parents live in Savannah, and so does my youngest sister, Sasha. Jonelle lives in Charlotte. I was in Georgia for my parents’ anniversary not too long ago.” “Why do I sense tension when you talk about your family?” She shrugged, swirling the liquid in her glass. “Old feelings, I guess, more than anything. I had to help raise my sisters even though we’re not that far apart in age. When I was younger, I felt like they expected me to be my sisters’ parent while they enjoyed their lives. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sisters very much, and we’re close. But…” “But you were a kid,” he interjected, “and you should not have been expected to shoulder such responsibility just because you were firstborn.” “Exactly.” She smiled, and he swore his heart stopped. If anyone asked him, he would deny such sentimentality, but she did something to him he couldn’t explain any other way. “Raina,” he said softly. “Yes?” “I want to make love to you.” Hunter stared into her eyes daring her to deny that she wanted the same. “I think you know it’s not about your job.” “Wow, can you be any blunter?” Her words might have been flippant, but the way her voice shook made him want to move around the table and take her into his arms. 25

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“W-Why would you want that?” she stalled. “Why wouldn’t I?” He saw the myriad of responses flash across her face and guessed she tossed away most of them. Raina was the analytical type. She’d question every aspect of what he was offering and weigh the consequences. What he hoped for was her to bypass her mind and give in to her carnal desires. He laid his fork down on his plate and pushed back his chair. Her eyes widened the closer he drew to her, and her sweet lips parted in a silent O when he took her hand. He turned up the palm and planted a feathery kiss in the center before continuing to her wrist. With just a flick of his tongue on the sensitive skin, he had her trembling. A tiny nip made her cry out. “Hunter, you shouldn’t do that,” she rasped. He looked up at her but didn’t move his mouth too far from her skin. “Why? This is what we’ve both wanted for a long time. Nothing stands in our way. Two adults sharing pleasure. There can be no regrets in the morning.” He saw the moment he said that she wavered in the direction of refusing him. Hunter pressed. He wanted her, and tonight he would get what he had lain awake many times imagining. Kyle had done him a huge favor not taking her under his roof, or he would have lost his mind. It had been hard enough knowing where his brother had been when he stayed out all night and Raina didn’t call. He moved in closer and began kissing along her neck. Her head went back although he suspected she didn’t realize she did it. He traced the elegant line of her throat and sampled her smooth brown skin. When he pushed a hand upward beneath one of her luscious mounds, she moaned. “Say yes, Raina,” he whispered in her ear. “Yes.” He straightened and pulled her chair out from the table. When he lifted her into his arms, she protested, but he ignored it. Too late now. There would be no take backs. “Where?” he demanded as he carried her into the hall. Her face was buried in his chest, but she pointed the way. He kicked 26

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the half-open door wider and found her bedroom. Hunter laid her on the bed and straightened to stare down at her. He considered asking her if she was sure, but he didn’t want her to take it back. Maybe that was selfish, but damn it, at the moment who the hell cared? He shed his shirt and tossed it on the floor. Her big brown eyes lighted on the jagged scar over his left pec. “From a knife. Nothing serious.” “Uh, yeah, sure,” she murmured, but she sat up to run her fingertips over it. Hunter’s cock strained in his pants. He shuddered and stilled her hand. “Take off your clothes, honey. I’m not waiting another night or another second for you. Take them off, or I will have to do it for you.”

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Chapter Five Raina wasn’t going to pretend his dominance didn’t get her hot, and the scar. That excited and scared her at the same time. What happened? No, she didn’t want to know the details, but looking at him without his shirt…if her panties weren’t soaked through already, they were now. His skin was smooth and tanned, his muscles chiseled as if from granite. There was no doubt he still got out there with his men and did the physical labor alongside them. She watched him open the button on his jeans and lower the zipper. She sat on her heels and unbuttoned her blouse. Goose bumps rose on her arms seeing his eyes alight on her breasts. Thank goodness she’d chosen her best bra, the one that still fit. Her breasts were snug in it, but it was a sexy red lace number. The part over her nipples was sheer mesh allowing him to see right through, and the way his tongue darted out over his bottom lip and disappeared, she knew he liked what he saw. Raina lowered the straps over her shoulders and reached behind her to undo the clip. Her heavy breasts bounced free, and Hunter swore. “Damn, they’re so dark. I never imagined…” She hesitated. “You’ve never been with a black woman?” He shook his head in degrees like he didn’t want to risk missing her naked body. “No, and I must have been an idiot. Take off the rest. I want to see everything.” She sat on her butt and opened her pants then scooted out of them and her panties. Raina was average sized. She didn’t work overly hard to stay in shape. Every now and then she gained too much for comfort and dieted, but it wasn’t a regular issue. She was fortunate in that. She kept her pussy hair trimmed very short and didn’t feel she had anything to be ashamed of. Of course all of that would change soon. “Lay back, and open your legs,” Hunter told her. She did as he asked, and then squirmed a little because he stood there staring right down 28

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between her thighs. According to what he said, he’d never been with a black woman, and there were definite differences. She was darker there and the only pink was when her folds were spread. Was he turned on or disgusted? She licked her lips and took a chance. She spread her folds and pushed a finger into her wetness. His catch of breath was sharp and loud. “Do you like it?” she asked. “Fuck yes!” Raina breathed relief. She leaned up onto an elbow still working her finger in and out of herself. “What about you? I want to see it all too.” She nodded toward his open jeans, the bulge pronounced but covered. “By all means.” Hunter’s self-esteem needed no bolstering. He shoved his jeans over narrow hips and down muscular thighs. His rigid cock sprang into view, and once Raina was looking at it, she couldn’t look away. Why should she when he was thick and long. His cock curved up toward the ceiling. She didn’t guess at the inches, but knew he had more than enough to satisfy any woman. “Oh, wow,” she whispered. He grinned. “I take it you like it.” “Um, yeah, you’ll do,” she teased. His eyes glittered with amusement as he climbed on the bed. She couldn’t believe she was here flirting with Hunter, the man she couldn’t stand—the man she had tried to pretend that she wasn’t attracted to. And now they were going to have sex. Everything in her mind told her not to do it. This wasn’t the time. Maybe the time would never be. He crawled over, eyes locked on her. As he ascended, she lay back. He swept her from head to foot and paused at her breasts. Raina moaned as he caressed her nipple with his thumb. Around and around, he circled it, and she arched into his touch. The tip of his tongue flicked her tight bud, and she panted. “Hunter.” “Yes, say my name, baby.” He licked again and this time took the peak into his mouth. She’d been a little sore, but his sucking eased the ache and 29

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caused another in her core. “Mm, so good, Raina. I could lick you all night long.” She shuddered as he ran a hand over her belly, and she caught it before it went lower than her navel. They locked gazes once again, and his turned gentle. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you.” That so wasn’t what she feared. She was not a virgin no matter what his size. But while she wasn’t showing, the bottom of her belly was beginning to grow hard. If he touched her there, he’d know. She held onto his hand not knowing what to say. “Honey, I want to eat you.” He leaned in and kissed her lips leaving her weak. His tongue teased hers and ran along the insides of her mouth before he withdrew. “Tell me I can taste your sweetness.” If she said no, would he do it anyway? From the intensity she heard in his voice, she knew he was close to the edge. “Yes.” Her answer had everything to do with her lust knowing he wanted her so badly. At this point she could never tell him no. Not and keep herself from weeping in disappointment. His hands skimmed her sides, and he held her attention as he slid lower on the bed. Raina’s pussy clenched in anticipation. She knew she was wet down there, and she hadn’t even come yet. Hunter nudged her legs wider, and only then did he break their eye contact to examine her pussy. Lust darkened his eyes. His low groan made her tremble. That told her he liked what he saw. He teased her clit with the tip of his finger. With care, he massaged the tight bud in a circle. Raina’s hips came up off the bed. She clenched the sheets in her fists and bit her bottom lip. “Ahh, Hunter.” “Yes, baby, say my name again,” he encouraged her. “Hunter,” she whispered. He buried his mouth between her legs. The first swipe of his tongue made her cry out. She raised her knees and clutched the back of his head. His hair was silkier than she’d imagined, but her thoughts didn’t remain long on the disordered locks. She pumped into Hunter’s mouth. He licked 30

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like he enjoyed the taste of her cream, and with each lap, he moaned deep in his throat. Just the sounds had her squirming. An orgasm was coming hard, but she willed it to wait a little longer. At first Hunter concentrated on eating her out. He laved up every drop of cream she’d produced before he began. He dug his tongue deep inside of her while he pushed her folds wider. His nose tickled her clit, bringing her close to the edge. She cried out his name over and over. That drove him on. When her pussy wasn’t giving him more, he moved to her clit. “More, Raina,” he demanded. “Give me more of your sweet come.” “I’ll—” She couldn’t finish the words because he clamped down over her bud. He sucked hard enough to make her scream in delight, and then he released it to begin a tormenting flick with his tongue. Raina didn’t know how he kept it up, but he seemed to know the rhythm that would bring her to a head. Waves of pleasure rolled through her body and then receded. Hunter brought her to the border, and then the sensations receded. She’d come so close and then nothing. The torment drove her insane, and she tugged at his hair, pleading with him. Hunter didn’t back off until she could take no more. “Please, please,” she screamed. And then she was there. Her core tightened, and all the bliss she had been denied came crashing to a head all at once. Raina thrashed about on the bed, but Hunter locked her down with strong hands. She wanted to stare down at him and watch how he gripped her and ate like her out like she was his first meal in years, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Her head fell back, and her lids hung heavy. The feelings washed over her starting from her core. Hunter raised his head just once at her first orgasm and grinned. “I bet I can make you come ten times back to back.” “N-No,” she stuttered. He ignored her protest and attacked her little clit again. Repeatedly, he worked her pussy without letting her move an inch. Just the feel of his strength as held her down turned her on. At one point, Raina was sure she 31

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was speaking gibberish because Hunter’s mouth was so good. After the twelfth spasm that shook her from head to toe, he raised up to sit on his heels. “You lied.” He smirked. “I guess I did. Twelve times, not ten. But now you’re ready for me, right?” “You always have to have total control?” He leaned out and dragged her to him by her thighs. Raina’s ass impacted with his legs and slid toward his jutting cock. “Not always.” Her jaw went slack from the first piercing of his shaft. To her shame Raina thought how much bigger he was than his brother, and how good it felt. She didn’t want to compare them but her mind went there. This shouldn’t even be happening. Hunter shoved his thick cock deep inside her. All other men left her mind. He grasped her hips and drove her into his thrust as he pounded home. Her strength was gone, and her jaw so slack she couldn’t cry out. Raspy breaths left her mouth as her head hung to the side and her eyes closed again. Hunter was wild in his lust. He ground deep and grunted with each entry. She thought because he was so turned on he would come fast, but he held onto it with rigid control. Her smaller body was worn to a frazzle before he let go the first time. His release warmed her insides, and his growl was almost animalistic. “Yes, that’s what I’ve wanted for too long.” He jerked her upward so that she was on his lap and her breasts crushed to his chest. He covered her mouth in a brutal kiss that left her breathless. All along her neck he planted kisses and nips while his arms held her tight. She dug her nails into his arms holding on. Even after he came, Hunter didn’t pull out of her. He just kept touching her, kept looking at her. He stroked her skin and tasted it, and she felt it when he began to thicken once again. He made her ride him, bouncing up and down while she held onto his shoulders. Her swollen nipples scraped his chest and added to the sensation that sent her catapulting into anther orgasm. 32

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“Oh, I’m coming again,” she whimpered. “Good, give me everything, Raina. Hold nothing back from me.” He worked her hard and fast. When he reached behind her and began teasing her rear hole, she shouted through another climax. “More, baby, much much more!” He took her down from his cock and turned her so she was face down. She didn’t get a chance to protest or help get herself into position. He hoisted her hips in the air, and his tongue moistened her ass. She buried her mouth in the pillow beneath her. “Tell me you’ve had it here,” he demanded. Did she have a choice to say no? Damn, he was horny, but she loved it. “Yes, I have. Give it to me, Hunter.” “Beg me.” She shook all over. “Please, give it to me. I want it bad.” “Good girl.” He teased her entrance again with his mouth. She couldn’t believe it. No man had ever done that, and it turned her on so much, she thought she could have an orgasm with that alone. Hunter slid his naked form over hers from behind. His hands spanned her sides and moved higher until he cupped her breasts. Raina moaned and twisted from side to side slowly so her nipples would graze his palms. The buds were so sensitive, a tremor went through her with each brush. Her lover put space between them only long enough to slip on a condom, and then he returned to her. Raina arched her back as Hunter guided his cock into her tight hole. She caught her breath along with her lip and then panted. He stretched her to her limits, and the slight pain wasn’t a bad thing. He felt good inside her, filling her up. Raina dropped her head to the bed, but Hunter kept her ass high enough for him to keep himself buried to the hilt. He began a slow stroke, sliding almost all the way out only to push back in. The rhythm was too slow. She wiggled to hurry him, but he kept firm control. With one big arm, he held her around the waist and drove her back onto his erection. The pump might be slow, but the impact was hard. Raina couldn’t help herself. She played with her clit while Hunter pushed into her ass. Another 33

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orgasm split over her, and she whimpered. “Again,” he murmured. She squeezed her eyes shut, head resting on the pillow. He took her over and over. Then just when she screamed through the millionth climax, Hunter reached his second release. At last, he let her rest, and he held her in his arms until she fell asleep sore and satisfied.

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Chapter Six Raina woke up the next morning driven from the bed to the bathroom. She dropped to her knees and threw up anything that hadn’t been digested from the night before. Her head spun like a top, and her stomach roiled. The fresh scent of soap she’d loved the day before weakened her today. She slumped against the wall beside the toilet, waiting for the room to stop spinning. When it did, she worked her way to her to knees, but she almost pitched forward. Out of nowhere, Hunter was there, and he pulled her onto his lap as he sat on the edge of the tub. “I’m fine,” she mumbled. Trying to get off his lap was an exercise in futility. Hunter held on. “Okay, okay just for a minute.” A minute turned into much longer, but after a while, Raina forced herself to get mobile. She hadn’t wanted Hunter to see her this way, but now that he did, she could only hope he didn’t put two and two together. By the time she made it to the breakfast table, Raina wanted nothing more than toast and the fruit juice that had become her staple when she couldn’t eat. After two slices of dry toast and a huge glass of cranberry-grape juice, she felt like she could function. Trying to pretend she hadn’t just emptied her stomach, she turned to Hunter with somewhat of a smile. The least she could do was make him breakfast for that display. Maybe the smells wouldn’t be so bad now. The offer trembling on her lips froze at the look on his face. “No alcohol, bigger breasts, morning sickness…” he ticked off on his fingers. If she was lighter skinned, she’d have flushed. “You’re pregnant,” he accused her. “When were you going to tell me?” A thought seemed to occur to him. “You let me take you too rough last night. Damn it, Raina, what were you thinking? Is it…is it his?” The confusion and other emotions she felt were the reason she didn’t 35

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lock onto his question of whether or not the baby was his brother’s. Like she made a habit of cheating. Anger and sadness dominated her thinking, that he’d found out like this and not that she told him herself. She wanted to deny that she was pregnant and take more time to think about the situation. What the hell kind of impression was he getting, her having his brother’s baby and yet having sex with him the night before? Not until that moment did she feel like a slut. “That’s what we were arguing about.” Her thoughts were jumbled. She tried to get control of her emotions. “On the phone—getting rid of the baby.” She couldn’t say the word abortion. Even though she felt terrible the last time she spoke with Kyle was to argue, it didn’t change the fact that she wasn’t killing her baby. “You’re not getting an abortion!” Hunter’s roar startled her out of her own head, and she blinked in surprise at the anger distorting his handsome face. “Excuse me?” “You heard me.” He stormed across the kitchen and took her by the arms. She thought he was going to shake her, but he only held her firmly, not hurting her at all. The livid expression on his face shook her enough to be physical. “You are not going to kill my brother’s son or daughter. End of discussion.” Raina wrenched herself from his hold and backed up a step. “You must be crazy if you think you’re going to tell me what I’m going to do with my own body. I don’t know why you think you have a say, but let me make it plain for you. I’ll do what I damn well please. End of discussion.” So what she didn’t intend to hurt her baby, and it was his brother who was the one who wanted the abortion. The fact that Hunter jumped to the conclusion that she was the one pissed her off too much to set him straight. “Raina—” “And since this conversation is over, you can get out of my 36

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apartment.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. At first she thought he was going to ignore her demand, but then his shoulders slumped, and he turned to leave. As he walked out the door, she dropped into a chair and rested her head on the kitchen table. Tears filled her eyes. Last night had been good, but their argument overshadowed it and clouded the scorching hot memories. Unfortunately, it did not lessen her desire for Hunter. She’d been with guys who needed a little training in how to please a woman, but Hunter hadn’t required one pointer. Either the man had ridiculous experience or he was a natural. Her body still craved him. But now wasn’t the time to mope over his loss. She would keep moving forward and not dwell on the negative. **** A few days later, she was getting ready for a doctor’s appointment, when the doorbell rang. She was dumbfounded to find Hunter at the door looking as fine as any man had the right to look. “W-What are you doing here?” she mumbled. He stepped into the apartment uninvited. “I’ve decided to go with you.” She blinked. “With me where?” “To the doctor. You forgot you work for me?” His tone was matter-offact, but he seemed as tense as she was, probably assuming she’d direct his ass to the door like last time. At his words, she frowned. Of course, she’d had to give an excuse as to why she needed the afternoon off. “It’s fine. I don’t need an escort.” She whirled away and crossed to the dining room table to fidget with her purse. “Just a routine thing.” “I expect they will be counseling you about the psychological impact of getting an abortion, and I want to be there as well. I won’t interfere.” “Wha—?” She had been about to ask what he meant assuming she was going for counseling. He still thought she was getting rid of the baby. For a minute she considered leaving him in the dark along with telling him he 37

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couldn’t go, but to be honest, she wanted someone with her. Even if this visit was one of many, she wanted someone on her side. Jonelle or Sasha would have driven in or at least supported her on the phone, but she hadn’t told them the news yet. Her parents would have found out, and that wasn’t an option right now. “Look, I’m not getting an abortion, okay? I never was. That’s what Kyle wanted.” She turned to face him and saw the look of surprise. Her lips tightened. “Yeah, I know you thought the worst of me, not him.” “That’s not what it was about,” he insisted. “No? Then what was it about? Because the way you went off on me the other day seemed pretty clear.” He walked over to her and laid heavy hands on her shoulders. He gently squeezed one making her want to move into his arms, but she resisted. “There wasn’t a doubt that he would feel that way. But I did jump to the conclusion that you gave into what he wanted, and for thinking that I’m sorry.” His thumb caressed her jawline, and she slipped out of reach. “Why would you assume that?” “Raina, how many times had you given into what my brother wanted? Where to go out to eat, what to eat when you got there, etcetera?” “That’s all superficial stuff, but how would you know any of it?” His beautiful gray eyes pinned her in place. He put a hand out to bring her back to him but then dropped it. “He came home to tell me every detail of your time together. I know that will make you angry, and I probably should have put a stop to it, but I didn’t. I wanted to know.” She sucked her teeth. “Well I don’t put it past Kyle to do something like that, but I don’t get why you listened. Why would you care what we did?” He cleared his throat. “Aren’t you going to be late for your appointment?” “Oh shoot.” She checked her watch. “Yeah, I better get going.” “We’ll take my car,” he announced as they headed out the door. Raina rolled her eyes. He’d changed the subject and finagled his way into going 38

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to her appointment. She didn’t feel up to more fighting, so she let it go. Hunter was right. She had given into Kyle way more often than she should. At the time she thought she was keeping the peace since much of what they disagreed on wasn’t a big deal. Only in the last few months had she began speaking up more because any little thing he said or did pissed her off. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit that they had been hurtling toward a break up. If he hadn’t died, she would have broken it off eventually. Raina had wanted to take a break from being the one in charge. She’d had her sisters following behind her for so long and resented her parents putting everything on her for too many years. Letting Kyle take control had been the easy way out. She didn’t like Hunter showing her what she’d been, but it was the truth. Maybe that’s why he thought he could boss her regarding the baby. Ah, no, sir! After the doctor appointment, Hunter convinced her to let him take her to lunch. She gave in because she was starving and exhausted. Spending more time with him probably wasn’t the best thing to do, but he tempted her. Hell, he’d tempt any woman with a face and body like his. At the restaurant, Hunter pulled her chair out and hung behind her for a moment to be sure she was settled and then headed around to his own seat. The waiter left menus, and he picked up his while she perused hers. She should get something grilled and a good side of veggies, but she wanted a Swiss mushroom burger with seasoned fries on the side. Her stomach gurgled just reading about it. “How about a chicken Caesar salad?” he suggested. “The serving sizes here are ample, and it’s healthy. Herbal decaf tea might be good or maybe a fruit juice.” She flicked up an eyebrow at him and cleared her throat. When the waiter returned, she gave him her order for the burger but conceded to substitute the fries for green beans. “And can I get another strawberry smoothie, please? Thanks.” Annoyance rolled off of Hunter, but he didn’t say a word until their server was gone. “Did you order that to spite me?” 39

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“No, I ordered it because I’m hungry.” He sighed, and she jerked in surprise when he reached across the table to take her hand in his. He held her in a firm grip like he expected her to try to escape. Tingles of awareness raced up and down her arm. She hoped he didn’t see the goose bumps. “I want to adopt him.” Raina forgot her sexual excitement in a heartbeat. “Whoa, what?” “I want to be legally responsible for him in my brother’s stead.” Now she did try to get away, and he let go without a fight. “Raina, I know this sounds crazy. I’m not asking to take the baby away from you. I’m just saying I want to be his father.” While he did everything but show her his financial portfolio to prove what an excellent choice he was to be her baby’s daddy, she sat there dumbfounded. And then it came clear that Hunter wasn’t asking to marry her—not that she entertained that thought more than a millisecond—he just wanted the adoption. He even went so far as to hope to get onto the birth certificate. She knew nothing about that kind of thing. Did adopting her baby mean he expected her to give up her parental rights? He must be out of his mind. “Hell, no.” He stopped speaking and looked at her like she was the one who had lost it. “Pardon?” The waiter brought their food, but all of a sudden Raina wasn’t hungry. She pushed the plate away. “For your information, my baby could be a girl or a boy, and I will love him or her enough for two parents. You are not taking my baby from me just because you have money. Well you know already that I make decent money working at your company. I don’t need the extra help. Single mothers raise great kids every damn day, and I’m going to do it too!” She stood up to go, and he did too. Anger radiated off of him, but she was not impressed. He stopped her as she dug through her purse for cash to pay her half of the meal. “Raina, sit down.” “I’m leaving as soon as I find some money,” she snapped. 40

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“Sit down…please,” he emphasized. “You have the wrong idea. I have no intention of ever trying to take away your baby, and I apologize if I’ve offended you. Please stay.” She told herself she only sat because she couldn’t find any cash, and she didn’t want him to have the satisfaction of having paid for her meal. When the waiter came by, she’d give him her credit card to settle things. “The answer is still no.” “I understand that. I’m sorry I pushed too soon.” He apparently had no trouble eating. Bite after bite disappeared like he expected to be called to active duty any second. Raina’s stomach reminded her that emotional outbursts didn’t feed her or the baby growing inside her. She took a few tentative bites of her burger and had to admit it was delicious. Might as well enjoy it. “Would you be willing to compromise?” he said. She paused in her eating and glanced up at him. The hope she saw in his eyes surprised her. What was it to him? He was handsome and sexy, still viral at thirty-eight. He could have any woman he wanted, and she’d likely give him as many babies as he desired. Why her or hers? She waited until the bill was settled before asking her question. Hunter had opened his mouth to protest her setting out her card with his, but then he shut it. They each paid, splitting the tip, and then left the restaurant. In the parking lot beside his car, she had to ask. “What kind of compromise?” He leaned forward, a half smile making him even more irresistible. Whatever woman got him, she’d be the luckiest on the planet. “Let me help you care for him or her. The baby doesn’t have a daddy. I’m not asking to make it official if that bothers you, but if I could help buy the baby things and spend time with him after he’s born—or her.” Buy him things and spend time? She swallowed. Having already planned to breast feed her child, she figured Hunter would be spending a lot of time with her in order to see the baby. A part of that thought thrilled her. But she was also scared. Her feelings for him had become muddled. Yes, she was attracted to the man, and she no longer felt guilty about that. 41

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Now every time he walked in the room, her heart fluttered, and that was too much. Besides her fears, it was unfair of her to keep the baby away from Hunter. He was his uncle by blood, and despite what she’d said, she felt it was important for a child to have a father figure in his life. Hunter, so successful and strong, would be good at that job. The only thing she needed to do was to bury her feelings and just let him build a relationship with the baby. Nothing more. “I can do that,” she told him. Joy transformed his stern features, and he walked over to her. Hunter grasped a lock of her hair and teased it between his fingers. This time she couldn’t read the expression in his eyes and wondered what was on his mind. “Thank you,” he murmured. “Now the other thing.” She frowned. “What other thing?” His arm came around her waist, and he hoisted her up off her feet. Her body stretched against his, and he pushed a thigh between hers. Raw heat scorched her from head to toe as his mouth came down on hers. Raina told herself to turn her head, but her body refused to obey. Her brain seemed intent on sending signals of erotic excitement and commands to go after more. Her hands, without her permission, crept up over his shoulders and wound around his neck. She pushed fingers into his hair, luxuriating in the silkiness. Hunter tilted his head sideways deepening their kiss. She felt invaded with his tongue and welcomed it. A moan wrenched from her throat. Mm, yes, Hunter. No, no! We can’t! Common sense did not want to reassert itself. She clung to him, loving the feel of his hardened cock. With Hunter lifting her off her feet, she was at a level that his erection pressed against the apex of her thighs. She pleaded in silence for the material between them to disappear, so he could penetrate her. To be crammed once again with that big, amazing cock would be the ultimate in satisfaction. Gasping, she tore her mouth from his. “We’re still in public, Hunter. 42

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Someone will see us.” He froze. She watched as he seemed to come out of a trance. If nothing else, she couldn’t deny the man wanted her like no other had. But how long would it last? Until her belly was as big as a beach ball? Until after the baby was born, and she had wrinkly, loose skin or couldn’t lose the extra pounds? Sure her breasts turned him on with their size now, but what about later when they hung too heavy with milk and stayed that way after she weaned her little one off them? She pulled out of his arms and held up her hands. “We shouldn’t do this. It can’t go anywhere, and—” “How do you know?” he interrupted. “Hunter…” “Come home with me, Raina.” He grasped her hands and turned them to kiss each palm. Arrows of desire shot straight down to her pussy. She bit her lip, and he moved in closer as if to follow those caresses with more. Her heart raced, and she teetered on denying him. She parted her lips to tell him no, but he teased her mouth with his. Damn, the man played dirty. He moved to her ear and nuzzled there. “I want you.” A shudder rocked her. “Yes.”

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Chapter Seven Hunter knew he was doing this all wrong. He’d intended to demonstrate to Raina just how much he cared about her and the baby. He’d wanted to prove that his feelings ran much deeper than physical attraction, but when she stood in front of him looking so beautiful, so vulnerable with her fears and doubts plain in her eyes, he couldn’t resist. He had to touch her. And once he touched her, he needed much, much more. She’d said yes to going home with him. He wouldn’t back out now. He had time to convince her that he was the man for her and the only father for her baby. While she sat beside him in the car, he watched her from the corner of his eye. She fidgeted and chewed her lip. Whenever she did that, he was no good to resist her. If she only knew all she had to do was ask him for whatever she wanted and he would do it. When had he become such a sap? Every red light stopped them on the way home, and he gripped the steering wheel in annoyance. Visions of her sweet body under him danced through his head. Making love to her had been amazing. He’d never enjoyed himself so much, and tonight he’d get to experience it all over again. Raina wore a dress that extended only to her mid-thighs, and when she sat down the short hem rose a little more. He had a nice view of those luscious legs, the smooth, cocoa skin hardening his cock just looking at them. How he longed to part them and shove himself as far as he could inside of her. Was she wearing regular panties or a thong? He frowned, probably not a thong. Neither mattered. He had every intention of tearing them off of her and making her go home naked under her clothing. The thought almost made him forget how to drive. She shifted in her seat, and the dress rose higher. Hunter ran a hand over his face. He needed to get a grip. “So, why haven’t you told your 44

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family?” “What makes you think I haven’t?” she quipped. “Have you?” “No.” A sigh escaped her. “My parents…I don’t know. I guess I had this image in my mind that I was going to follow in their footsteps. I was going to find a man to marry and have his children. Now I’m going to be a single mother. I can already feel their disappointment.” “Don’t you think they’ll support you?” He felt her tension and considered dropping the subject, but something told him she needed to talk it out. “I guess they would. I don’t know. Maybe.” She shrugged, a casual move, but the emotion in her eyes told him more. “They put a lot of pressure on me to take care of my sisters. I did it, but I felt like I couldn’t screw up like everybody else. I had to be perfect because they were looking at me. At least that’s the speech my parents gave and the excuses they used to keep me in line.” “Did it work?” She glared at him, and he amended his tone. “Don’t think I don’t understand. My father was military. I did what he expected. Turns out I was good at it. But I had dreams of my own, which I implemented later. Kyle didn’t attempt to please anyone but himself, and in a way I admired him for it.” Her brow uncreased, and he reached across to stroke her face. She let him touch her a little and then moved away. He wanted her back but didn’t push it. “Yeah, you do get it,” she admitted. “I moved away, but I guess I still feel their hold. Before…before Kyle passed and you and I talked, you couldn’t have told me I wasn’t living my life completely on my own terms. But now I realize I was letting him do what he wanted as a way to keep running. I’m not doing that anymore. That’s why I hesitate to let you get involved with the baby. I feel like I’ll be leaning on you to avoid taking control.” He gritted his teeth. She had a great argument, and he could see where she was coming from. To let him in too much meant she was back to 45

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running. She wanted to make a change and do things better, but he couldn’t let her shut him out by going too far in the opposite direction. How would they find balance with her scared of falling into old habits? And how could he prove himself to her if he couldn’t help to the extent that he wanted to? For the moment, he decided to focus on tonight and being with her. At long last he pulled into his driveway. The garage door was shut, but he didn’t bother opening it. They could enter by way of the front door. He stepped out of the vehicle and hurried around to help her out. Raina gave him her hand, and he watched as she put extended one long leg. His cock stirred in his pants. Soon she stood before him, and he wound an arm about her waist. At the door, he stuck his key in still holding her close. The lock turned before he could work it, and the door sprung open. Hunter’s eyes went wide at the site of Jill naked except for a transparent wisp of material covering her slender body. “I’ve been waiting for you, Hunter,” she cooed and then broke off when she spotted Raina. “Jill,” he ground out, “what the hell—” “I think you need to take me home,” Raina snapped. “Raina, hold on.” He let his words trail off as she jerked from his arms and stomped down the steps to his car. He looked from Raina’s retreating back to Jill. Anger stirred him to clench his hands into fists, but he kept them at his sides and cast his voice low. “How many times do I need to remind you that we’re done? Our relationship was in the past. Leave it there, Jill. I tolerate you because your mother and mine were friends, but that’s as far as it will go. Where the fuck did you get a key?” She pouted, not giving in for an instant. Although he had spoken low to save her the humiliation because she had been a friend to him after he lost his parents and recently his brother, she had no such restrictions. Her flirty voice carried over the still night no doubt reaching Raina’s ears. “Silly, you know you gave me a key, and I’ve only been staying here full time for the last two weeks. How could you forget?” 46

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Yeah, how could he forget her story about a mandatory renovation at her building because of code violations and having nowhere else to go? He’d offered to look into it given his knowledge in the field, but she’d waved him off. At the time, his mind was understandably on other things. And of course, Jill had been a help. Not once had she shared his bed, but how could he explain all of that to Raina? “Be gone by the time I get back,” he reiterated, “and leave the key.” “But where am I going to go?” she whined. “I live here.” He took a step in her direction, and she fled into the house. He ran a hand over his face, pulled himself together, and then turned back to Raina. She stood by the passenger door, arms crossed, and looking off in another direction. With her face in shadows, he couldn’t see her expression or figure out what she was thinking. He could guess. “Raina…” he began. “Save it. Not interested.” She sighed and turned in his direction to give him a cold stare. “Take me home, please.” The drive back was silent for the most part. He tried several times to explain, but she didn’t let him get very far. By the time they drew up to her apartment building he was livid—with Jill and with himself for letting her put him in this position. He climbed out of the car to walk with her to the door even though she told him not to. “I’m not letting this go, Raina,” he insisted. “Like I told you, I’m not interested in Jill. I want you.” Warmer words teetered on his lips, but he didn’t think this was the right time for that. Besides, it was more likely that Raina would throw his words back at him. “She and I were over a long time ago.” “Yeah, and that’s so obvious by the fact that she lives with you.” “Come on!” he shouted in his frustration. “Can’t you trust me?” Her eyes widened as she stared at him in disbelief. “I know you didn’t just ask me that. Do you even know how many times your brother said those exact words to me? And I was the dumb ass that forgave him. Oh I knew he was lying half the time, but I let it go anyway. Not anymore. I’m done with that.” 47

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She took the stairs to her apartment and unlocked the door. She would have slammed it in his face if he didn’t put his foot in the gap and force it open. Raina stumbled away to keep from being hit, but he was careful not to let that happen. He took advantage of her stunned reaction to reach out and jerk her to him. With Raina plastered to his chest, he moved them both farther into the apartment and shut the door. “I’m not leaving,” he announced. “Get your hands off me!” She wiggled in his hold. “You have no right to barge in here.” Hunter tightened his hold as he watched her struggle. Her breasts felt amazing against his chest, but the kicks she sent to shins hurt. He shifted her in his arms and carried her to the living room. When he dropped down on the couch, she stretched across his lap. The moment he was still, she struggled again, this time grinding her sexy ass into his crotch. Hunter grunted, and his cock began to swell. Feeling it, Raina shrieked in fury and went still. “When are you going to let me go?” she demanded. “When you calm down and stop fighting me.” She would hold still for a moment and then when he took his time loosening his hold she fought him again. The cycle repeated until she was exhausted and he felt like he was going to come in his jeans. Raina’s heavy pants made her breasts rise and fall. The movements mesmerized him, especially since he could see a good bit of her cleavage. The short dress had risen up over her ass, and her long legs were uncovered for his full enjoyment. “If I let you go,” he said, “will you just sit here and talk to me?” “I don’t know why you’re trying so hard. Then again people never admit it when they’re caught in a lie.” He frowned. “I’m not lying. Before we got to my house you were ready to have sex with me. That hasn’t changed.” She rolled her eyes at him. “My self-esteem isn’t so low.” “You want me as much as I want you,” he countered. To demonstrate, he loosened his hold and ran his hands to her waist. She faced away from 48

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him, and he began to move his hips, pushing his hard-on up against her ass. A sharp intake of breath from the little beauty made him all the more sure she wanted him. “S-Stop,” she whispered. She pushed at his wrists, but the pressure wasn’t great. He moved up to her again, letting her feel his length and knowing her panties must be wet. “Take off your panties, Raina.” “No! You bastard, Hunter. Don’t do this.” Her hold tightened. She arched her back. She was ready, and he wasn’t backing off. He knew he wasn’t wrong, and maybe she would be pissed off in the morning, but he would not give up on her. Jill—or for that matter his brother—would not ruin this. He reached in front of her to run a finger over her swollen slit. Just as he knew they would be, her panties were damp, and she didn’t have the strength to stop his exploration. He pushed the material aside and fingered her pussy. She whined, and he grinned behind her back. Her slick warmth tugged at his finger as he pushed into her opening. She cursed. He sank in another finger and then began working them in and out. At the same time, he massaged her clit, and that got a greater rise out of her. Raina rode his fingers like she was desperate for more. She widened her legs and rested her hands on his knees. While she leaned out over his lap, he watched her ass rise and fall. He wanted a lot more himself. When he pulled his fingers from her pussy, she protested but then bit off the cry. She glared at him over her shoulder, and then her startled gaze dropped to where his hand was, lowering his zipper. Her eyes widened, and she scrambled to get off his lap, but he caught her around the waist. His cock sprung free when he pushed his boxers down. The tip teased her quivering ass, and he clenched his jaw to keep from releasing. “Take your panties off, Raina.” “I told you we’re not going there.” But she wasn’t fighting to get away, and her ass rose a little as if in preparation for his entry. Hunter was through with her game of pretending she didn’t want it. He 49

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leaned forward until his chest touched her back. He snapped her legs closed and shoved her dress higher. A tearing sound rent the air around them as he gave her panties a savage tug. The strips landed on the floor and he took hold of her waist. “Now you tell me no and mean it without rubbing your sweet ass on my lap this time,” he ground out. “If you don’t, I’m going to fill you with this.” He grabbed one of her hands and made her squeeze his cock. The pleasure was mind-blowing. “One second, Raina.” She hesitated. He knew he wasn’t playing fair when he ran his hands up her thighs and felt them tremble under his touch. He let his cock head stroke her bare ass and pushed between the rounded globes to tantalize her opening. She was so hot and wet, he ached to get inside of her. He wanted to hear her cry out his name and feel her core squeezing and sucking at his shaft. She didn’t utter a word in protest when he reached around in front of her to massage a breast and pinch the tightened nipple. At the same time, he guided his cock to her pussy. One stroke from the front to the back and then he couldn’t take it any more. They both wanted this. Her second was up. He pushed in and grunted at the sheer bliss of being inside her. While his cock settled deep, he played with her stiff peek. He’d found his way past the barrier of her dress and bra to her smooth skin. Thrumming the nipple with his thumb, he pushed his cock to the hilt and began a slow pump. Raina’s head went back, and she whined, but she wasn’t calling his name. That was unacceptable. He released her breast and sat back. This time he didn’t touch her at all. “Ride it, Raina.” At first he thought she wouldn’t obey him, but then she began to move. She rose up and down his length, her pussy clenching around him. The muscles worked him to the point that he had to clench his teeth and breathe deeply through his nose to keep from coming. The sensations tore at his control. With slitted eyes he watched her ride his cock. He tilted his head to the side taking in the sight of her ass spread and his thick rod disappearing up her channel. 50

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Each time she came down, he couldn’t help groaning. She was going to bring him to a head long before he was ready to let go. “Faster, baby. Please me.” She picked up speed. He couldn’t think straight. Her moans distracted him, yet they added to his pleasure. “Mm, you’re going to make me come, Raina.” His words pushed her to pump faster. She bounced on his cock making him forget everything except the feel of her, her scent, the sounds she made. Her nails dug into his legs through his pants. He welcomed the sting, and then she screamed. He felt her thigh muscles spasm, and her pussy pulsed around his cock. Knowing she had reached her peak brought him to his own climax. He let go and filled her while she called out his name.

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Chapter Eight Raina froze on Hunter’s lap. What the hell had she just done? She’d let him seduce her into having sex with him, and she’d yelled his name while she orgasmed. Why did she have to be so weak to his touch? From the second he began touching her, she was gone. And when he pushed his fingers inside of her, they’d gone way beyond turning back. Hunter tore her panties to shreds. The demonstration of his strength and how desperate he must be to have her sent her lust to new heights. In the aftermath, she sat there like an idiot scared to move and face him. Her pussy still clamped around his cock, and their combined juices dripped down as clear evidence of how good it had been a few moments ago. After she’d pulled herself together, Raina climbed off Hunter’s lap. She tugged on her dress, which seemed way shorter all of a sudden. His eyes burned up her back—or her ass—as she walked toward the bathroom. Raina hadn’t made it behind the safety of the door before he caught up and turned her to face him. “I know you’re not satisfied,” he said with absolute confidence in his tone. She swallowed and tried to deny it. “Hunter, things aren’t settled between us. This really isn’t the time for—” His knee between her thighs put a stop to her words. Raina refused to be responsible for his ruined pants because it was for sure she’d come all over the material. He lifted her chin and skimmed her lips with his. She shuddered. His teasing wasn’t helping her body to calm down. If anything it was behaving as if she were sex starved which was farthest from the truth. “Tell me you don’t want me,” he demanded. She rolled her eyes, trying for attitude. “Please, I never denied being attracted to you. That’s not the point.” “No?” 52

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One minute he stood in front of her, the next he was on his knees, and his lips were wrapped around her clit. He sucked once and then went to licking up the juices dripping from her core. “Hunter!” she shrieked. He drew her closer and sucked harder. Her knees gave out, and he held her up. She tangled her fingers in his hair. What he did to her felt so good, she raised a leg over his shoulder widening her opening. Hunter stuck his tongue inside her, and Raina moaned. She was close to coming again. “Oh, no. It’s too much! I’m going to come.” Waves of pleasure washed over her from her core. She bit down on her lip, but it didn’t stop her from crying out at the intensity. Her limbs shook, and every time he went back for more of her come, his nose rubbed her clit and sent new pulses of pleasure through her. The aftershocks had her riding his mouth and never wanting him to stop. Where had her self-respect gone? Hunter had probably left her bed and returned to Jill, and for all she knew they could have laughed about the stupid black girl thinking someone like him could want someone like her. Those thoughts sobered her real fast. She pushed him back and put a hand over her pussy, but Hunter looked up and saw her expression. He must have known she was done for the night. He stood up, and the sadness in his eyes startled her before he hid it. “You don’t believe me,” he said. “No, I don’t. I think you should leave. What we did tonight…well the damage is done. You got what you came for.” “Raina.” He grunted and gripped her arms. She stood frozen until he let her go, dropping his hands to tuck his cock inside his pants. Raina was hardpressed not to beg him to stop. He was stiff and ready for more. But like he’d said earlier, she needed to tell him no and mean it. This time she did, and he seemed to pick up on that. “I’m going with you to every appointment. Tell me when they are, and I’ll clear my schedule. I will shop with you for things for the baby, and if there’s ever a problem with the insurance, let me know.” His determination was obvious in the tightening of his lips. “I’m going to be 53

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there for you and him or her every step, whether you like it or not.” After that blow, he kissed her cheek and left the apartment, shutting the door quietly behind him. Raina stumbled to her room and threw herself across the bed. She knew she had to get up and shower, but right now she didn’t have a drop of energy to do anything but cry. **** Raina groaned as she lay in bed. A bell ringing somewhere disturbed her sleep, and she put a pillow over her head. The bell was soon joined by a ringing phone, and she swore. “Really? You need something at—” She peered bleary-eyed at the clock. Okay, ten wasn’t so early. Yawning, she threw back her comforter and stood up. The room spun a little less often now that she was past her first trimester, and today seemed like one of the better days. Too bad for whoever was bothering her on her day off that her attitude didn’t match the improvement in health. The cell phone was nowhere to be found, and she thought she might have left it in kitchen. First things first, the door. She trudged out to the front of the apartment and checked the peephole. An unfamiliar sunweathered face met her gaze. She opened the door. Her neighborhood was a good one, so she didn’t expect to be attacked. “Yes?” she said to the man in paint-stained jeans and worn T-shirt. The man smiled. “Are you Ms. Raina Caroway?” “Who’s asking?” she insisted. “Oh I’m sorry. I’m Roger Little. Mr. Hunter Bradley hired me to paint your baby room today. I like to get started early, but he specifically told me to wait until no earlier than ten in the morning. Said you being in the family way, you would need to sleep in on the weekend. So is the room back here?” He stepped by Raina as calm as he pleased and found his own way to her empty spare room like Hunter’s command was all that mattered. Raina’s cell phone started up again, and the song she’d loved days ago irritated her now. Who did Hunter think he was hiring someone to paint 54

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her apartment and not saying anything? And how the hell did he think she could live here with the smell of paint and not throw up all day long? Pissed beyond measure, she stomped toward the kitchen and found her phone. By the time she reached it, the ringing had stopped. She stabbed a few buttons and saw that all the calls had come from Hunter. Oh he calls after the fact! She speed-dialed him and tapped her foot while she waited for the phone to connect and him to pick up. She had tolerated his tagging along with her to doctor visits and didn’t fuss when he wanted to give his opinion on things she bought for the baby. Hell, not one complaint had passed her lips when he insisted on purchasing most of the items they bought. Let him spend his money. Hers would be saved, and she had to admit she’d enjoyed his company. He was fun to be with as long as she kept him in the friend zone in her mind and he didn’t push for more. Okay, that part was a little disappointing, but she could live with it. But this was too much! “Raina,” he said when he answered. She heard the anxiety in his tone. “Are you okay?” “No, because you are under the impression that you can just do whatever you want to do, and I’m supposed to shut up and go along with it,” she snapped. “Who the hell do you think you are hiring someone to paint my spare room? Did you even care what color scheme I might want? Did you give a damn about me being sick at the smell of paint?” “Of course.” She jumped. His voice had come from behind her, and she whirled around clicking the end call button. He stood in her kitchen doorway, sexy in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with an emblem on it that said “Weapons & Field Training Battalion Parris Island, South Carolina.” His pecs shaped the material against his hard muscles and made her hornier than she’d already been over the last couple of weeks. She had to force herself to return her gaze to his face, but when she did she couldn’t miss how he looked at her. Even though she’d put on more weight, Hunter didn’t hide his desire. And the fact that she was wearing a nightie that stretched to 55

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mid-thigh didn’t help the matter. At least it wasn’t see-through. “Well?” she said, hands on her hips to try to cover her physical reaction to him. Something like amusement glinted in his eyes before he was all serious. “You mentioned that you wanted a soft green for the baby’s room rather than going with pink or blue, so it wouldn’t matter what sex the baby is. In fact, you pointed out the exact shade on a painting you admired while we were out shopping. I purchased the painting later and showed it to the man I hired. He had no problem matching the color. I’ve used him several times before on a few houses I own.” Raina gawked at him. “But that was in passing, and it was weeks ago.” He nodded and continued. “Roger uses a type of paint that has very little scent. However, I figured your nose might be ultrasensitive, so I arranged for you to stay at my house. I have several spare rooms, and it should only be a couple days.” “You can’t be serious. You think you control everything, and I’m supposed to fall in line? Even if what you said works out, that doesn’t change the fact that you don’t even stop to discuss it with me.” She railed at him but inside she was stunned. Her comments about the baby’s room color had been in passing, something she’d barely formed in her mind let alone voiced them to him in a way that she thought he heard. And he’d considered whether the smell of the paint would make her ill. Damn him, the man had even told the painter to wait late enough for her to wake up for the day. Hunter couldn’t have known she’d been awake half the night fantasizing about him and trying not to call out his name while she was pleasuring herself. And that was the rub right there. Hunter was bossy and take charge. He did things without asking her, but he was usually right, and it was tasks she’d delayed because she was so tired all the time. He pissed her off, but he was a good man. There couldn’t be a better father for a child. She turned away from him and closed her eyes while rubbing her temples. A headache had started. By this time of day, she would have had something in her stomach. “Why, Hunter?” she whispered, scared to hear 56

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his answer. “Why do you do all this? Is it because the baby is Kyle’s?” She hadn’t heard his footstep as he moved closer, but she sensed him nearer. His hands moved to her waist, and he rested his chin lightly on the top of her head. “You have no idea.” She spun in his arms to face him. For all of a second, she resisted leaning into his embrace, but the battle was pointless. His chest warmed her cheek. “Why?” she asked again. “It’s because of you, Raina. You mean a lot to me. I’m sorry I get ahead of you and make decisions without discussing it with you first. I will try to do better.” He raised her chin and kissed her on the cheek. She knew by the look in his eyes he wanted more than that, but he didn’t push. “Don’t fight me if it works. Will you promise me that?” She frowned. “Meaning you want me to stay at your place.” “Is that so bad?” Temptation anyone? “I won’t stay there with Jill. It’s awkward.” “I told you she moved out that same night when I took you there. I discovered she was lying about renovations to her place. I explained everything to you once you calmed down.” She didn’t comment. He had explained, and she’d believed him only because he’d demonstrated his truthfulness over the time she’d grown to know him better. A man like Hunter was smart enough not to have one woman living with him and bring another to his house. Raina had also overheard Hunter inquiring about renovations to Jill’s apartment building, and she’d picked up on his anger when he found out it was all a lie. She hadn’t told him she heard, but it was a relief to learn the truth in that way so she knew he wasn’t feeding her a line. Raina sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll come, but like you said I want a spare room, not your bed.” He nodded, and Raina disentangled herself from his arms and hurried to her room. She wanted to get out of there well before Roger opened the first can of paint. After she’d tossed a few items in a small suitcase along with her toiletries, she returned to the living room where Hunter waited. He frowned seeing her carrying the case and nipped it from her fingers. 57

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“You should have called me in to get that. You don’t lift heavy items. Got it?” She saluted. “Yes, Sergeant.” Color suffused his face. “I didn’t mean…” “Don’t worry about it.” She slapped his arm. “Come on. You can buy me breakfast. I’m starving.” She gave Roger an extra key to come and go since Hunter vouched for him, and they were off to Hunter’s house. Raina’s stomach stirred from more than just hunger. She might have been bold about telling him she wasn’t sharing his bed while she was there, but she was already dreaming of his touch. How she was going to resist the urges she didn’t know, but time would tell.

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Chapter Nine Hunter could have suggested a hotel for Raina to stay in the couple days, but he didn’t want to give her any ideas. He fully intended to woo her some more while she was at his house. Not with sexual advances, but with his attentiveness to her. He’d noticed Raina, like him, was getting horny. Living in close quarters would push her to her limits, and he’d be right there to welcome her with open arms. As far as he was concerned there should be no question of them being lovers if she wasn’t ready for more. But women saw things differently, he guessed. He was confident he would get her there. She was halfway already because she could have suggested the hotel herself. That fact that she didn’t told him a lot. “Here we are,” he said as he held open her bedroom door. He made sure to fill the space enough so that she had to brush past bringing their bodies close. There went his plan not to be make sexual advances. When she glanced up at him, he slipped an innocent expression into place. “Something wrong? You don’t like it?” “Oh yeah, it’s great. Thanks.” She smiled. Damn it, she was beautiful. He longed to stroke her hair. In the last couple of months it had grown longer and fuller. Pregnancy worked for Raina. She’d been breathtaking before, but now her skin glowed with life. A small curve had formed in her belly, and of course her breasts were heavier. He imagined sucking her thick nipples, and his cock hardened. Good thing she’d turned away. “Your house is so nice. I’ve always thought so,” she commented. “It’s not overbearing with a masculine feel. When I first came here, I expected a lodge with dead animal heads on the wall. Kyle had said you were a sharp shooter and that you sometimes go hunting when you go on vacation.” He chuckled. “I hunt for food, not for trophies. I’m glad you like it. I hope…to remake one of the rooms for the baby so when you visit, he or 59

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she has a place to sleep.” She whirled to face him, but he saw wonder rather than anger in her eyes. “Like a second home. You’re not going to give up, are you?” “No.” She looked away. “I was thinking…” Hope rose in him. He took a step toward her but stopped. Raina was a like a skittish doe right now. He had to tread carefully. Push her too hard and she’d get her back up and fight him. He was glad that his strategy for appearing as her friend, not a man determined to make her his, was working. He waited for her to continue. “Um, if I put your name on the birth certificate as the father, there would be no question, and for all intents and purposes, you would be the baby’s daddy.” His chest tightened. “You would do that?” She looked up at him. He couldn’t hold back. This time he did cross the space between them and took her into his arms. She let him to his relief, and he pressed her head to his shoulder and stroked her back. “You have no idea, Raina,” he murmured. “Of what?” She squirmed in his hold and met his longing gaze. “You’ve always wanted kids or maybe you want something of Kyle to hold onto?” “Woman, how can you be so blind?” he demanded. She frowned, and he sighed then lowered his head to kiss her soft lips. No more cheeks, he decided. His plans crumbled to dust. Raina parted her lips so he could delve deeper, and he took advantage to circle his tongue about her warm, wet mouth. Nothing tasted sweeter than the woman he loved, and he could no longer keep the truth from her. His admission might scare Raina, but he couldn’t help himself. Not with her living in his house. “Honey, I loved my brother very much, and yes, it means a lot to be involved in the baby’s life because of him.” He captured her chin and held it so she couldn’t look away. “It’s you that I’m hopelessly devoted to. Can’t you see that? I love you. I would give anything to be with you 60

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forever, and I want to father your children—this one and every one following.” “You love me?” She struggled in his hold, and he let her go. Raina stared at him with incredulity. “Wait, we hated each other.” “I never hated you.” She glared. “You picked at everything I said or did. You made me feel like I wasn’t good enough for your brother.” “Baby.” He moved closer and stroked her arms. He wanted to draw her into his embrace, but he waited for what he’d told her to sink in. “It was the other way around. I didn’t feel Kyle was good enough for you. I pushed at you because I wanted you to see the truth and decide you deserved better. I’m ashamed that I longed for my brother’s woman. I’m sorry I hurt you.” Tears glistened on her lashes, and it cut him to the core. He raised a thumb to brush away the moisture. Desperate longing cut off the rest of his explanation. If only she could love him just a little. The fact that she was willing to let him claim her baby as his own was a start, but it would never be enough. “Hunter,” she croaked, and he lost the sliver of control he had. He drew her into his arms and crushed her sweet mouth. Raina gave into him winding her hands in his hair and arching so her breasts pushed against his chest. He lifted her up and carried her to the bed. Together they lay down, and he cupped one swollen mound. His hands shook from him fighting not to pull away the material covering the treasure. Raina sniffed, and he looked up to see that she was crying. All thoughts of sex left his mind. “Raina, please don’t cry,” he pleaded. “I promise I will make it up to you. I will dedicate my life to making you and the baby happy.” She smiled through her tears and caressed his jaw. He turned his lips into her palm and kissed it. “That’s not it,” she said. “I’m crying partly because I can’t believe how stupid I was, and partly because I’m happy. It took a while, but I came to the conclusion that I love you too, Hunter. I knew I wanted you 61

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from the first time I saw you, but you’re hot as hell, so that was no surprise.” He chuckled at her compliment. He’d heard women tell him that before, but it meant everything for Raina to say it. “My issue with running away and not wanting responsibility anymore kept me with Kyle and made me let him use me. But the other reason was I knew it was the only way I could see you. I didn’t hate you as much as I wanted to believe I did. And I’ve fallen deeper in love with you over the last couple of months. I want you to be my babies’ daddy.” His heart soared. “Are you sure?” “Man, I am positive.” Her smile at that moment was like the sun coming out after a spring rain. “Good. Then let us use this room for the last time.” She frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?” He loosened a few buttons on her blouse and pushed the two sides open. Anticipation and seeing her smooth cocoa skin made his cock twitch. “I’m going to make love to you here, but from now on you will always share my bed.” She smirked. “See there you go again taking charge and not asking me anything.” “I—” She pulled the sides of her blouse wider and dragged her bra straps down to allow her breasts to pop free. Lust took hold of him, and he licked his lips. “Whatever you want, honey,” he told her before lowering his head. She laughed. “Yeah, we see who’s in charge here.” Hunter was okay with letting her think whatever she wanted. He would care for her as he saw fit and love her and the baby as he promised. Right now, all he wanted was to indulge in the sweet chocolate goddess under him. He ran the tip of his tongue over one nipple and felt it tighten. Raina’s moans encouraged him to continue, so he sucked the bud into his mouth. She arched off the bed, and he wrapped an arm around her to bring her 62

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closer. He reveled in her flavor, loved the feel of her curves as he licked from the base of her breast to the center and all around the areola. All the while, Raina cried out his name and pleaded for more. He sat up and yanked his shirt over his head before throwing it on the floor. Raina’s top followed, and then he worked on her pants and the rest of his clothes. She was left in her panties and bra, and he paused just to look at her. Seeing his gaze, she put one hand over her breasts and the other across her belly. “Don’t stare. I’m getting fat.” “Put your hands down, Raina,” he commanded. “You don’t hide yourself from me. Ever. You are beautiful, and now that you are officially mine, I get to look at you all I want.” Slowly, she lowered her arms, but he saw the tension around her eyes and in the compression of her lips. The woman had no idea how painful his erection had grown seeing her without clothes. Did she realize how much he wanted her and how it tormented him not to touch her? Hunter leaned down and kissed over her belly. He followed his kisses with licks until he reached her panties. Those he dragged down in his eagerness to get a look at her naked pussy. Just as he suspected, it was wet with her juices. He dipped a finger in the cream and sucked it. Raina gasped, and he grinned. “I want you completely bare before me.” He reached up to unhook her bra and threw it on the floor. A bead of breast milk formed on her nipple. His eyes widened. He went after that too and marveled over its flavor. “I think I’m going to be jealous of my son getting to feed here several times a day, every day.” Raina rolled her eyes. “Goodness, that’s the second slip. If it’s a girl, what will you do?” “Protect her and love her just as I will her mother.” He placed his hands beneath her ass and lifted her a little toward his mouth. “Now, no more talk. I need to eat you.” He dragged her legs apart and buried his face between them. Each lap at her juices brought more cries, and he reveled in it, enjoying the power 63

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he had over his love to excite her. He closed his mouth over her opening and sucked hard before switching to her clit. The tiny bud seemed to throb under his ministrations, and he didn’t let up until she writhed and screamed through an orgasm. The cream flowed, and he bathed her with his tongue. Groaning, he went after more, pushing his tongue as far as it could go up her channel. He licked away every drop and then teased her clit for more. After another orgasm and he’d eaten to his fill, he reared back on his knees. Her pussy was moist and her muscles relaxed waiting for his cock. Hunter watched her as she stared at him. He taunted her by stroking his shaft but not giving it to her yet. His balls ached, and he’d grown out bigger than he ever remembered being. He eyed the curve in her belly. This time he’d take her more gently so as not to harm her or their child. He leaned in and rubbed the head over her slit. Raina moaned. He pushed in an inch and withdrew. The pleasure was torment, but he kept up the game. Parting her folds to give her a little then taking it back had her begging. Hunter loved the way her breasts bounced with her thrashes on the bed. Honey, I’m going to take you soon. You’re all mine at last. “Do you want it, Raina?” “You know I do,” she yelled. He smiled and let her feel the head. “Ask for it.” “Give it to me, Hunter, please. I want you inside me.” Her voice was so low this time, he almost didn’t understand the words. But he shook his head. “No, be more specific. What do you want inside you?” Hunter might have thought he held all the control, but Raina knew how to please him even without touching him. He’d learned that after their first night together. She opened her big brown eyes and stared into his with the most seduction expression he’d seen on her face to date. “Sergeant, I’m so hot. I need your cock inside of me right now!” Hunter couldn’t hold out another second with that kind of plea. He thrust his cock deep inside her pussy and pumped to please Raina. Her 64

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legs wrapped around his waist, and her thighs squeezed his hips. He gave her all she wanted, and before long emptied his load inside her sweetness. After he’d taken her twice more, Hunter fell down beside Raina and cuddled her in his arms. As he listened to her soft breathing while she slept, he acknowledged that he would always miss his brother, but Raina and the baby brought light into his life that he would fight never to lose again. **** Six months later. Raina peered up from the baby on her chest to the man just coming in the door. Her heart fluttered. Hunter wasn’t just any man. He was her husband now, and his name was listed on the baby’s birth certificate as the father. Tears formed in her eyes. Oh great, I’m going to cry again. I’ll be glad when these damn hormones get it together! Hunter approached the bed and dropped to his knees to stroke her face and then the baby’s. “How are you doing, honey? Do you want anything? How is he?” She glanced down at the little Seth. “We’re fine. He should be waking up soon for another feeding. I just roused myself. Did my mother call back?” He nodded. “Yeah, we’re going to be descended on by the masses in a couple days. I spoke with your father as well, and he said he couldn’t hold her back any longer.” Raina sighed. “Dang, she was just here for the wedding.” “Well, you know she blamed missing out on much of the pregnancy while she was on her world cruise, so she’s making up for lost time. Will it stress you too much?” He frowned. “Because if it will, I will tell her myself she can’t come yet.” Raina’s heart beat faster, and the tears started up again. He was so protective of her and doted on the baby. She couldn’t be happier. Although 65

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she was exhausted most of the time, she loved seeing him walk through the door and having him close. She reached out, and he grasped her hand. They laced their fingers together and sat in silence while Raina got a grip on her emotions. When she was calmer, she whispered, “Hunter, I love you more than life, and having you with me, I can deal with any issues. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.” Hunter kissed her hand. “I love you too, honey, and our son. And you’re right. Together…we’re perfect.”

The End

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About the Author Tressie Lockwood has always loved books, and she enjoys writing about heroines who are overcoming the trials of life. She writes straight from her heart, reaching out to those who find it hard to be completely themselves no matter what anyone else thinks. She hopes her readers enjoy her short stories. Visit Tressie on the web at: Blog: www.tressielockwood.blogspot.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/tressie.lockwood

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