The Edge of Night

The Protectors 3 

The Edge of Night Amanda is carrying a little secret that could get her killed. Morgan wants to help, but will his past prove more than either of them can handle? Morgan can’t get past that Amanda is carrying another man’s baby despite his being attracted to her. He lost his wife and their unborn child in a car wreck a year ago, and now he must face Amanda and her little secret. Amanda has fallen in love with Morgan, but Morgan has issues with the fact that she is pregnant with another man’s baby. She believes he won’t stick around once the danger is gone, but will he surprise her? As they try to stay one step ahead of the men after her, they begin to grow closer. Will it be close enough to overcome her secret, or will he refuse to bury the past? Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense Length: 87,814 words 

 

THE EDGE OF NIGHT The Protectors 3

Marla Monroe

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

THE EDGE OF NIGHT Copyright © 2011 by Marla Monroe E-book ISBN: 1-61034-679-3 First E-book Publication: July 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of The Edge of Night by Marla Monroe from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Marla Monroe’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Monroe’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

 

 

THE EDGE OF NIGHT The Protectors 3 MARLA MONROE Copyright © 2011

Chapter One “Let go of me, asshole!” The big, burly truck driver had at least a hundred pounds over her, though most of it was fat. Amanda fought him, raking her nails down his arm. He cursed and raised his hand to hit her. She braced for the blow, but it never came. “I believe the lady asked you to let her go,” a deep voice behind her said. She looked up, and a massive arm connected to a large hand held the truck driver’s fist. She couldn’t see the stranger’s eyes behind the mirrored sunglasses. “Stay out of this. She asked for it.” “And now she’s saying no.” The stranger stood there, apparently easily holding the truck driver’s fist with little effort. Evidently this worried the man, because he let go of Amanda’s arm and backed away with a snarl at her. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” Amanda breathed a sigh of relief. “If you hitch rides, you need to be prepared for that sort of attitude. You’re better off buying a bus ticket to wherever you’re going.” With this, the stranger turned and walked away.

 

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Amanda followed him into the truck stop and then into the diner connected to it. She slid into a booth in the back so she could see the outside and the comings and goings of everyone. The stranger joined another man at a booth closer to the front of the diner. Evidently the man hadn’t noticed she had followed him and sat behind him. She took the opportunity to study both men. Her savior stood a little over six feet tall and looked solid all over. His shaggy brown hair complemented the warm features of his handsome face. The dimple in his square jaw gave him a friendly expression, except when he had chastised her for hitching rides. She hadn’t been able to glimpse his eyes behind the shades he wore. His muscular chest tapered down to a narrow waist and slim hips. She could barely make out his taut abdomen through the tight black Tshirt he wore with his equally tight and well-worn jeans. And yeah, she’d checked out his package—impressive. The other man was equally easy to look at with light brown hair that brushed his shoulders. Since he was sitting down, she could only guess that he stood maybe a few inches taller than her stranger. His shoulders appeared just as broad, but she couldn’t tell much more about him. All in all, they were both clean, good-looking men. She wondered if they drove trucks or if they had come in one of the many trucks or cars outside the truck stop. She glanced outside again and noticed two motorcycles as well. Maybe they were bikers, she mused. A waitress interrupted her thoughts to ask what she could get for her to eat. “Diet Coke, scrambled eggs, and toast please,” she said. Amanda figured she needed to eat since all she’d had the night before had been an order of fries. She had to watch her money, but she also needed to keep her strength up. She had to be at her best to stay one jump ahead of Guy and his goons. She had been on the road for two weeks now, and so far she’d managed to stay ahead of them. It no longer mattered where she ended up as long as it was far away from Guy, her ex-boyfriend, the

 

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bastard. Amanda had let down her guard and trusted him, something she hadn’t done in a long time. Her experience with men was that they would hurt you every time. Once again, she had been proven right. When the waitress brought her meal, she continued to watch the two strangers as they talked between themselves. Maybe she could hitch a ride with one of them. Her stranger seemed safe enough. If he was, then the other man should be, too. Well, in a perfect world she could count on it. One thing Amanda knew was there was no such thing as a perfect world. People would disappoint you or betray you without a second thought. No, she’d learned her lesson well this time. No more trusting anyone again. Once she finished her meal, she watched them closely to see what they would do next. They were obviously finished and looked to be getting ready to go. She checked her bill and figured out the tip, then left enough money to cover both. If she were going to try to catch a ride with one of them, she needed to be ready. The two men got up and walked outside toward the two motorcycles parked between a truck and an old car that had seen better days. Evidently they were on the bikes—even better. Bikes meant they couldn’t try to wrestle her in the backseat of a vehicle. She stood up and made her way toward the outside doors. Just as she stepped outside in their direction, the two men bumped fists, and the second man got on his bike and started it. He pulled on a helmet and roared off. She hurried to catch the stranger before he could do the same. Amanda quietly walked up behind him. He suddenly stood up, looking straight ahead, and stopped fiddling with his helmet. “What do you want?” he asked, somehow knowing she was there. “A ride.” “Didn’t you learn your lesson earlier?” He turned around and removed his sunglasses.

 

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He had hazel eyes the color of a fall afternoon. He stared intently at her. “I figured you’re safe,” she said with a shrug. “You can’t manhandle me on a bike while you’re driving.” “Oh, I’m far from being safe, little girl.” “I’m not a little girl. I’m twenty-eight,” she said with venom. “Really. I kind of doubt that.” He pulled on his helmet and opened his saddlebag to fiddle with something inside. “I can prove it. My driver’s license has my date of birth on it. You want to see it?” He shook his head. “Don’t you even want to know which way I’m going? I might be headed back the way you came.” “I don’t care where. Just away from here.” Amanda hadn’t thought he might not be heading in the right direction, but right now, she was desperate, and doubling back might be a good way to throw Guy off her trail. He pulled out a helmet from the saddlebag and threw it at her. She caught it, dropping her pack as she did. “I’m headed north, that good for you?” he asked. “Perfect.” And it was. Any way away from Memphis, Tennessee, would be good. She had made it as far west as Texas, so north would be great. “Get your pack back on, and let’s go. Oh, and my name is Morgan Garrett. What’s yours?” “Amanda.” At his raised eyebrow, she shrugged. “Just Amanda,” she repeated. “Well, just Amanda, hop on.” He swung his leg over the big bike and waited for her to climb on behind him. She put her pack back on and settled on the seat behind him, loosely holding on to his waist. When he pulled out of the parking lot, she found she had to hold on a little tighter. The wind pulled at the

 

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pack on her back. She kept some distance between her chest and his back. The first fifteen or twenty miles were made in silence. Then he called back to her. “Hold on a little tighter. I’m only doing sixty, and the speed limit is seventy here. I’m going to speed up.” Amanda wrapped her arms around his waist and shouted back, “Okay.” The thought occurred to her that he couldn’t help but feel her breasts plastered to his back. They were already sensitive, but now they ached as well. She loved the feeling of the powerful engine between her legs and could well understand why men loved having bikes. She wondered about Morgan and why he was on the road. Was he just on a road trip, or did he live on the go? Then she wondered if he had someone special in his life. Where had that come from? It wasn’t like she was interested, but she had noticed he didn’t wear a wedding band. Of course, she knew better than anyone how true an indicator that really was. Somehow she couldn’t see him belonging to anyone but himself. **** Morgan drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn’t ignore the feel of her lush breasts pressed against his back. With her arms wrapped around his waist, he knew more about her body than he needed to know. Of course, he had already noted everything about her luscious body before she climbed up on the bike behind him. The top of her head came about to his chin. Bright blue eyes the color of a robin’s egg adorned her heart-shaped face. Strawberry blonde hair hung just past her shoulders with a slight curl at the ends. She had womanly curves in all the right places. Her ass was to die for, perfect and squeezable. Yeah, he’d noticed, all right. His balls burned and his

 

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cock ached for a piece of her. But he wasn’t going there. She was offlimits. Morgan truly doubted she was as old as she claimed, driver’s license or no driver’s license. She looked too innocent for her own good. When he had noticed the truck driver harassing her, he’d left Tyler to get a table for them and walked over to see what was going on. If it were just a fight between a couple, he’d have left it alone, but she obviously didn’t want any part of the big, overgrown bastard. When the idiot had raised his hand to strike her, Morgan saw red. Men didn’t hit women, no matter what they did. So what was he doing courting trouble by giving her a ride? He told himself it was to keep her safe. If she continued hitching with truck drivers, she was bound to pay for it before she got to wherever she was going. He knew better, though. He’d offered the ride because he wanted to be around her. Her saucy mouth and voluptuous body turned him on in a big way. But he wasn’t going to take advantage of it. Sure, he’d had his share of women lately, but this was the first time he actually wanted to know more about a woman than her bra size. By the feel of her breasts against his back, he had a pretty good idea of hers. When he had advised her to hold on tighter so he could up his speed, he’d cock-jumped big-time at the feel of those beauties pressing even tighter against his back. His already oversensitive balls had tightened even more. He couldn’t blame it on the vibrations of the bike either. They had reacted to the totally feminine body holding tightly to his. His original plan had been to ride up to see Dodge, one of his old army buddies. He still planned to do that, but figured he’d find out where she planned to go and ride her all the way there to assure she didn’t get into any more trouble. Then he could visit Dodge and find out how he’d been doing since his medical discharge four years ago. He had lost part of his leg to shrapnel and still seemed to be depressed from what Tyler had told him.

 

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Truth was, Morgan hadn’t been in any shape to see him until recently. He’d been just as depressed as Dodge. He hoped he could do something to bring his friend out of it. Tyler planned to meet him there in a couple of weeks. He had other business to tend to first. Nearly four hours later, he pulled into a small town on the other side of the Texas border. He needed gas, and they both needed to stretch their legs. He figured they could eat while they were there. He also wanted to find out where exactly she wanted to go. He stopped at the first decent-sized gas station he came to. “Go ahead and get off. I need to get gas. We’ll find somewhere here to eat lunch,” Morgan said. He watched as she walked around a little, getting her legs back under her after the long ride. He figured she was vibrating all over by now. The idea of her pussy vibrating around his cock made him groan. She turned her head to look at him with a curious look. “Why don’t you go inside and ask about places to eat while I gas up?” She nodded and turned toward the building. Morgan watched her walk away, noting the gentle rocking of her delectable ass. Yeah, this was going to be a long trip. He needed to find out where she was headed and get her there as fast as possible. A few minutes later, she returned just as he tightened the cap on the bike’s gas tank. She stopped next to the bike and stuffed her hands into her back pockets. It threw her breasts out, and his mouth watered. “We have two choices. There’s a steak house further down this road on the left or a mom-and-pop diner in the opposite direction on the right. What sounds good to you?” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and he found himself mesmerized by it. He jerked his attention back to the question. “How about the diner?” he asked. “Fine with me,” she answered. He noted she looked a bit relieved. It dawned on him she probably didn’t have a lot of cash to live on. That could get tricky when he

 

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planned to pay for it. He knew she would probably balk at his paying for her lunch. Something about her screamed pride. They climbed back on the bike and headed for the diner. Morgan parked near the door. He waited for her to climb off, then opened the door and held it for her to enter first. She evidently was used to men with manners since she didn’t bat an eye at his doing it. Where had she come from, and more importantly, why was she running? Was it from something, or someone? He would dearly like to know the answer to that question. More than likely he never would, though.

 

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Chapter Two As diners went, it was fairly clean and didn’t smell of stale grease like so many of them did. Amanda figured she had enough for a good meal if she was careful. The menu offered everything from hamburgers to hamburger steak and country vegetables. She chose three vegetables and a roll. She didn’t think her stomach could handle meat. “That’s all you’re going to order?” Morgan asked her. “Yeah, I’m not that hungry. Besides, vegetables are good for you.” He shrugged and ordered meat loaf with gravy and mashed potatoes. Amanda winced. She hoped it wouldn’t look as disgusting as it sounded to her right then. She needed to keep her veggies in her stomach. How she had managed to keep greasy fries down was beyond her. Everything else had come back up. “So, where you headed?” Morgan asked. “West, eventually.” She wiped at an imaginary crumb. “Why not now?” he asked. “Because you’re going north.” She wasn’t sure what his game was. “Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll take you there before I go where I’m going.” “Just like that? You’ll take me where I want to go? What’s the catch?” she asked, frowning across the table at him. “No catch. You need to go somewhere. I’m not in any hurry to get where I’m going. If it will keep you from hitching a ride with someone else, I’ll take you where you want to go.”

 

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“Just take me north. I’ll decide where from there. No need for you to worry about me. I can take care of myself,” she said, snapping the menu back into the holder on the table. “You weren’t doing such a good job earlier,” he reminded her. “Yeah, well, I made it this far. I can handle myself.” Tears threatened her composure. Amanda refused to give in to them, especially not in front of Morgan. Since when had she become such a crybaby anyway? Since Guy, a little voice reminded her. “Fine. I’ll take you north with me. Then you can choose where you want to stop. I’m not crossing the border, though.” “I’m not asking you to,” she said. Their food arrived and ended their stilted conversation. Amanda wasn’t the least bit hungry, but she forced herself to chew and swallow every bite of the vegetables. Twice she had to stop and breathe through her nose to keep from getting sick. Eventually, it passed, and she managed to finish. When the check arrived, she tried to take it, but Morgan held it out of her reach. “You’re not paying for my food. I pay my own way,” she snapped at him. “Might as well save your breath. I’m paying for your food while you’re with me. Get over it.” He stood up and made his way to the register without waiting to see if she would follow or not. Amanda seriously considered letting him leave without her, but knew she needed his help to get as far away from Guy as possible. This was one of those times she needed to not cut off her nose to spite her face, as her grandfather used to tell her. So, she left an extra dollar on the table for a tip and followed him out of the diner. He never once looked behind him to see if she was following him or not. Either he didn’t care or he knew she was there. When he reached the bike, he pulled out the spare helmet and handed it to her without looking at her. She gritted her teeth and fumbled with the catch until she managed to get it fastened. Her

 

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backpack felt a little lighter to her today. Maybe she was regaining her strength now. It had sure taken long enough. “You getting on or standing there?” Morgan’s voice startled her. “Getting on.” She swung her leg over the seat and settled in behind him. She wondered how long they would ride before he stopped for the night. Then she wondered what she would do when he did. She would do what she always had, make do. One thing she had learned early in life was how to make do with what life sent you. You couldn’t count on anyone else to take care of you, make you happy, or tell you the truth. So it was best to take care of yourself, and that was what she did—or had done until she’d fallen for pus-pocket Guy. Shaking off the memory of his betrayal, Amanda settled against Morgan’s back and counted the mile markers as they sped past. Somewhere around six that night, she needed to pee something fierce. She waited and waited to see if he would stop, but he didn’t, and she couldn’t wait any longer. She leaned in toward his ear and told him she needed to stop. He leaned back. “What for?” Fury warred with need. She couldn’t believe he was asking her that. “I need to pee,” she finally yelled back. He said something she didn’t catch, but took the next exit and pulled up outside a gas station. Amanda nearly fell off the bike trying to get to the bathroom. When she returned several minutes later, Morgan was leaning against the bike with a bottle of water in one hand. He held it out to her. “I’m fine,” she said, ignoring the proffered water. “I’ve already had mine. This is yours. You need to drink it, or you’ll get dehydrated. I should have stopped a ways back, but wasn’t thinking. Neither one of us will last too long in this heat otherwise.” He held out the water again.

 

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This time, Amanda took the water and opened it. It tasted great going down. She slowed down after the initial three chugs. She’d make herself sick if she drank it too fast. She was smart enough to know that. “Think you can handle another two hours of riding before we call it a night?” he asked her. “Sure. I’m fine.” The truth was she was sore, but she wasn’t about to admit to that. She needed the ride. He pursed his lips, but said nothing. When she donned the helmet again, he climbed onto the bike and cranked the engine. She climbed on after him and held on as he pulled back onto the highway. Nearly two hours later, he took an exit that promised lodging, food, and gas. Her legs felt like rubber, and her ass vibrated to the point of almost being pain. She badly wanted a hot shower, but she didn’t have the money for a hotel room. She would have to sleep next to the bike. She sure as hell wasn’t sleeping with him. Not that he had asked her to anyway. Morgan pulled into the drive of a motel that boasted clean rooms and cable TV. She got off the bike and carefully walked around the parking lot to get her legs back in working order. The constant vibration of the motor between her legs had stimulated her clit until she thought she’d scream if her legs squeezed just right one more time. In another time and another place, she would have loved to make love on a vibrating motorcycle. As soon as the thought came, she brushed it away and cursed her overactive libido. It was what had gotten her in trouble in the first place. Now she had nowhere to live and no prospects of a job so far. Yeah, sex led to major trouble. Morgan returned, running a hand over the back of his neck. He looked agitated. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “They only have one room left. It’s a king. You’ll have to bunk with me.”

 

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“No way. I’ll sleep out here with the bike.” Maybe he wasn’t any different than all men, she decided. “Like hell you will. You’ll sleep in the bed. I’ll take the couch thing they have.” “You can’t make me sleep in the room. I’ll stay out here.” Her chin lifted in stubborn pride. “Then I’ll climb on that bike and ride out of here. I can ride all night. You can’t. You’re already about dead on your feet. Either accept the bed or climb back on the bike,” he said in a cold voice. Amanda squirmed. She didn’t know what to do. He was right. She’d never be able to survive another two hours, much less five or six hours, on the back of the bike without falling off. “Fine. You keep your distance.” “Little girl, I have no intention of bedding a minor, so just put that thought right out of your mind.” “I told you, I’m twenty-eight,” she groused, following him as he pushed the bike over to one of the rooms. She watched him unlock the door then step inside. She hesitated long enough that the door slammed with her on the wrong side of it. She wasn’t sure whether to knock or just wait and see if he opened the door again. She didn’t have long to wonder. Morgan opened the door and held it for her. “Come on in, Amanda. I’m not going to attack you.” “I know.” She bluffed. “No, you don’t. That’s why you’re hesitating at the door. Get over it already, and come in. You’re letting all the air-conditioning outside.” Amanda grimaced and crossed the threshold. When he didn’t immediately attack her, she relaxed and looked around the room. Sure enough, there was only one king-size bed. The only other furniture not bolted to the floor or the wall was the very uncomfortable love seat next to the window. Even at her short height, it wouldn’t be

 

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comfortable. There was no way she was going to let him try sleeping on that then drive them on the bike. “You can’t sleep on that love seat. You’re at least six-three. Even I’m going to be tall for it,” she told him. “Unless you are inviting me into the bed, it’s exactly where I’m going to be sleeping,” he said. “You want the bathroom first?” Amanda gnawed on her lower lip for a second, then grabbed her pack and walked to the bathroom. She really wanted that hot shower. The bed situation could be figured out later. Right now, she wanted to wash off the grit of the road and stretch out her aching muscles. Her butt was going to be one sore spot come morning, she realized. Turning on the shower, she adjusted the temperature, then stripped and stepped beneath the spray. The water pressure wasn’t great, but it was enough to rinse off the soap once she finished bathing. She stepped out of the shower and dried off feeling 100 percent better. A good night’s sleep and she would feel good as new. That was until she remembered why she was where she was—Guy. Sighing, she brushed her teeth and hair and pulled on a sleep shirt that reached just below her knees. Then she pulled her jeans back on and opened the bathroom door. **** Morgan stopped what he was doing when the bathroom door opened. Steam escaped, and then she emerged surrounded by it. Immediately his eyes were drawn to her nipples that had instantly bounded to attention once the air-conditioned air in the room reached them. Fuck. They were huge and long. He snapped his attention away from her luscious breasts and concentrated on pulling off his boots instead. “It’s all yours. I didn’t use all the hot water, but don’t expect much water pressure,” she said.

 

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He watched from the corner of his eye as she walked around the other side of the bed and pulled back the cover. She stood there a moment, hesitating, then turned her back to him and, bending over, pulled her jeans off from beneath her top. Damn. When she’d bent over, her generous ass beckoned to him. She had plenty of cushion for the pushing without being too large. He could imagine spanking those rounded globes as he pounded into her from behind. Morgan shook his head and huffed out a breath. He grabbed his things and escaped to the bathroom. He was in so much trouble. She was too young for him. Even if she was telling the truth about her age, he was close to thirty-eight. That was ten years’ difference. His cock ached from tip to balls to bury himself so far inside her she wouldn’t know where he stopped and she began. He turned on the shower and was rewarded with a steady stream of hot water, but without a kick that would beat his naughty thoughts into submission. He had no right to even think about her like that. She was bad news— running from something or someone. He didn’t need to get caught up in her mess. He scrubbed up and rinsed off, but still his balls tightened and his dick throbbed. Shit, he couldn’t go out there with a freaking hard-on. She’d take one look and scream. Morgan took his cock in one hand and began pumping it. He tried to bring up the face of one of the few women he’d had of late. Until recently, he’d been celibate. Instead of the last woman’s face he remembered sucking his cock, he couldn’t get Amanda’s delectable mouth out of his mind. He tried bringing up the last ass he’d fucked and couldn’t get past Amanda’s generous globes just outside the bathroom door. Finally, he gave up and let his mind have her despite knowing he couldn’t possibly in real life. He tightened his grip and began tugging on his cock at a brutal pace. He needed to come and then get her out of his head. It seemed the faster he pulled and the harder he thought about her, the more elusive his climax became. Disgusted, Morgan stopped and banged

 

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his head against the back of the shower stall. Then he started over and thought about how good it would feel to sink his dick between her plump lips and fuck her face slow and deep. He reached between his legs and fingered his balls. They were already hot and tingling. He massaged them as he thought about her tongue licking him there, maybe even taking them into her mouth. Would she be able to handle it, or was her mouth too small to hold even one of his balls? Morgan groaned at the thought of her tongue racing around the mushroom cap. When she finally deep-throated him, he came, shooting cum up on his belly as he squeezed his balls. It took him a few minutes to catch his breath before he could rinse off and step out of the shower. The water had already turned cold by that time. There wouldn’t be any steam to herald his emergence from the bathroom. Morgan quickly dried off and pulled on fresh boxers. He had no intentions of sleeping in his jeans. They were already molded to his skin from wearing them so long. She would have to deal with boxers. When he emerged from the bathroom, it was to find that she’d piled up on the love seat with a pillow and a blanket. She didn’t fit it at all, so he held little doubt that he would. He started to yell at her to get back in bed, but found she was fast asleep. Damn, if she could sleep like that, yelling at her probably wouldn’t wake her up at this point. He threw caution to the wind and picked her up in his arms. She weighed little or nothing. He gently laid her in the bed and pulled the cover back over her. Then he retrieved the pillow and blanket and got on top of the covers on the other side of the bed. He pulled the cover over him and turned on his side to go to sleep. It didn’t take long. He’d had very little sleep in the last few days. Morgan had been helping a friend keep his woman safe from her crazy ex-husband and hadn’t gotten much rest. He planned to visit Dodge up north and figured to get some rest then. It looked like his plans had changed again, though. He had a woman to get to safety,

 

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wherever that turned out to be. With that thought, he fell into a restless sleep.

 

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Chapter Three Amanda felt comfortable and wasn’t really in any hurry to wake up, but she needed to go to the bathroom. She cracked one eyelid and realized she was back on the bed. No wonder she’d slept so well. Then she realized her pillow was moving. Both eyes flew open, and she nearly screamed. She was lying with her head on Morgan’s chest and her arms around his waist. Dear God, she was almost on top of him. Panic threw her into action. She backed off of him and in the process managed to elbow him in the groin. He woke up and threw her beneath him to the bed, pinning her with his superior strength and weight. “What in the hell?” he began. “Get off of me,” she yelped, trying to free her hands. Morgan slowly backed off her and stood up by the side of the bed. She rolled off the other side and hit the floor on her ass. “What were you doing on the bed with me?” she demanded. “I was on top of the covers, and you were under them. I didn’t think it would be that big a deal, and we both needed to sleep.” “Well that’s not how we ended up,” she complained. “Hey, don’t look at me. I wasn’t the one who climbed on top of me,” he groused. Amanda’s face heated up at the implication. She’d been the one to breach the covers. If he’d just left her on the love seat. Then something else punched through her outrage. “What’s that noise?” she asked.

 

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Morgan groaned and crossed the room to pull aside the curtain. It was raining. Not just raining, but it was pouring buckets. “Does this mean we can’t go anywhere?” she asked. “Yeah, it means we’re stuck here until it blows over. A little rain won’t hurt, but trying to ride a bike in a deluge like that would only get us killed.” Morgan shoved his hands onto his hips. Then he seemed to realize he was all but naked and grabbed his jeans and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving her alone in the room. She took advantage of the alone time and pulled her jeans back on. She debated on trying to put her bra on, but was afraid he would walk out when she was half dressed. Resigned to being braless for the time being, Amanda gathered the bedding and made the bed. No need to leave it mussed up. They were going to be there a while and didn’t need the added reminders of their sleeping together. Unfortunately, she could still feel the strength of his chest beneath her, as well as the tickle of chest hairs against her cheek. A few minutes after, the shower shut off, and Morgan emerged from the bathroom dressed in jeans but no shirt. His hair was still damp. A single drop of water rolled lazily down his chest to disappear into the waistband of his jeans. Amanda swallowed hard around the knot forming in her throat. He was by far the most handsome man she’d ever seen. “Just as soon as this rain lets up, we’re out of here, so make sure you have everything packed.” “I’ll be ready,” she assured him. She grabbed her pack and headed for the bathroom at the same time he turned around to return to it. They touched chest to hip in the doorway. At his quick indrawn breath, she knew he felt that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Morgan’s hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her as she stumbled. The heat from them seared a path from her shoulders to her nipples. Why was he affecting her this way? It had to be hormones.

 

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For all of an instant, she thought he would kiss her. He even seemed to lean in toward her, but something stopped him, almost as if he remembered something. He stepped back out of the doorway and turned his back on her. Amanda let out a breath and hurried inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She needed to get her bra on and be ready the minute the rain stopped. She wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t leave her behind given half the chance. When she walked back out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, she was fully clothed, armored up against the attraction she was beginning to feel toward Morgan. Why now, when everything hinged on his helping her get away from Guy, did this have to happen? “So, are you going to tell me where you’re headed so we can cut the trip short and get you there ASAP or not?” Morgan sat on the love seat with his long legs stretched out in front of him. “Just take me wherever you’re going, and drop me off at the closest motel there. I’m not picky. I’m not heading anywhere in particular.” Amanda licked her lips and looked around the room for somewhere other than the bed to sit. There was nowhere else. “Then tell me who you’re running from.” Amanda jerked. “What makes you think I’m running from someone?” “You have that look about you,” he said. “What look?” She furrowed her brows. “You’re always looking around, making sure there’s no one you know around you. You constantly look back when we’re riding. You’re running from someone. Are you in trouble with the law?” Morgan asked. “No. I’m not in any trouble. I swear to you.” She stood up. If he refused to take her any farther, she would be in trouble in this little backwoods town. She didn’t think there was even a bus stop there.

 

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“Please, you have to believe me. I’m not going to be any trouble. I…I was seeing someone and found out he had a fiancée. I just want to get as far away from him as I can. That’s all.” She wrung her hands, pleading with him with her eyes. “Shit.” He stood up and walked over to the window where he’d pulled the drapes back to reveal the pouring rain. Amanda glanced at the clock by the bed. It was nearly noon and checkout time. What would he do? He turned around and switched on the TV, flipping channels until he found The Weather Channel. They spent the next fifteen minutes listening for the local weather. When the Local on the 8s came on, Amanda nearly cried. The radar showed heavy rain for at least the next several hours. “I guess we’re stuck here for another night,” Morgan fussed. He switched off the TV and picked up the phone. “I’ll make sure we still have this room and get another room if they have one open.” Amanda moved over to the love seat while he took over the bed and made the phone call. From the sound of things, there still wasn’t another room. “We can stay here one more night, but they have a family reunion coming to town tomorrow, so we’re SOL after that.” He ran a hand through his hair and groaned. “Um, do you think they have anything in the office worth eating? I’m sort of hungry,” Amanda said. “Don’t know. Guess we need to find out before everyone else gets the same idea and cleans them out.” They slipped out of the room, staying close to the building to avoid as much of the rain as possible. Still, by the time they made it to the office, they were both damp. Morgan’s shirt stuck to his body and outlined every contour of his muscular chest and tight abdomen. She licked her lips and suppressed a moan. They were in luck, and the office had plenty of snacks available at an inflated price. She raided the drink machine while Morgan negotiated chips, cookies, and even a honey bun from the clerk

 

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manning the desk. He even produced a plastic bag for them to carry their stash back to the room. Morgan took both the drinks and the bag, leaving her with nothing to hold. She really needed something to occupy her empty hands with his delectable body so close to her and her hormones kicking up. They started back toward the room, only this time they were facing into the wind. Morgan blocked much of the spray that would have probably blinded her. She kept one hand against his back as much for comfort as to keep up with him. When he suddenly stopped, she ran right into him and had to grab his waist with both hands to keep from falling backward. She looked around him to see why he’d stopped, only to see that someone had walked outside their door, right in front of him, and startled him. “Uh, sorry. Didn’t see you, man,” Morgan told the man. He merely grunted and disappeared back inside the room, but not before she caught a good look at his face—Mike, one of Guy’s goons. Shit. They’d followed her. What was she going to do now? Amanda all but hugged Morgan’s body the rest of the way back to the room, and when he opened the door, she managed to make it inside before he even had the door all the way open. “What in the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded, dropping the bags to the bed. “Sorry, have to go to the bathroom.” She hurried to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. They were there. How had they managed to keep up with her? Panic set in, and she began to hyperventilate. She grabbed a towel and balled it up, holding it to her face to breathe in and out of until she had her breathing back under control. Then she used it to dry off the worst of the rain. The swift knock on the door startled her. “You okay in there? Come on out. I need to dry off before I soak the floor.”

 

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Amanda blew out a breath and opened the door, handing him the towel she’d just used. She stepped out of the bathroom and noticed her pack had been moved. Had Morgan looked through her things? She eyed him, trying to discern if he had, or if he’d just moved it out of the way. “You need to get out of those wet clothes and put on something dry, or you’ll end up sick.” He ran the towel over his wet hair, then hung it up in the bathroom and began pulling off his shirt. She quickly turned around and dug in her bag for dry clothes. She could hang the ones she was wearing up to dry. As soon as he abandoned the bathroom again, she grabbed her dry jeans and T-shirt and closed the door behind her. Hunger spurred her on to hurry and change clothes. It had been a good eight or ten hours since they’d eaten the lunch. She was starved. When she opened the bathroom door again, it was to find that Morgan had changed into dry jeans, but hadn’t bothered to put on a fresh T-shirt. The muscles along his back rippled as he bent over and moved his boots out of the middle of the floor. Amanda swallowed down the need to reach out and touch him. He turned around as if she’d made some sound and lifted an eyebrow. “What?” “Um, I’m starved. Can we eat?” She latched on to the only thing she could come up with. “Sure, what do you want to start with?” he asked as he poured out the stash onto the bed. The honey bun looked good to her. She grabbed it and took a seat on the floor with her back to the bed and opened the package. “You have to share.” “Share my honey bun? Are you crazy?” She laughed and shook her head. “Yep. I want at least a bite. They’re my favorites.” Morgan looked deadly serious when he said it.

 

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“Fine. I get first bite, though.” Amanda pulled back the plastic and bit into the delicious pastry. When she looked up, she caught him staring at her tongue as she licked the sticky from her fingers. He grabbed one of her hands and pulled her finger toward his mouth. When he closed his lips around it and sucked, she thought she was going to climax from the sensation of his tongue twirling around it, the suction of his mouth. Then he let her go and stood up, carrying a bag of pretzels with him. “I thought you wanted a bite?” she asked him in a breathy voice. “I think I got what I wanted.” They finished their snacks on opposite sides of the room, each avoiding eye contact as much as possible. Amanda drank the diet cola he had opened for her, while he took the orange soda. She found herself wondering what his kiss would be like after the soda. Realizing what she was thinking about, she growled and tossed her trash into the garbage can by the love seat. “What?” he asked, looking at her funny. “I didn’t say anything.” “You growled.” “No, I didn’t.” He shook his head and switched on the TV once again. “Maybe there’s something interesting on to pass the time.” She sat on the love seat when he reclined on the bed, and they watched a series of sitcoms that were marginally funny. She leaned her head back against the back of the chair and squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that threatened to fall. What was she going to do? She couldn’t run forever. She needed long enough he couldn’t do anything about her anymore. Somewhere she must have fallen asleep, because she woke up in bed with the covers pulled up to her neck. She took inventory and realized Morgan had pulled off her shoes and her jeans, but hadn’t bothered her shirt. She risked a glance sideways and found he was sprawled out on top of the covers on the other side of the bed, sound

 

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asleep. He snored. She smiled at that. For some reason it made him a little more human to her. She turned over, and prayed that things would work out, and drifted off to sleep once again.

 

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Chapter Four The scent of vanilla teased at his nose as he rolled over. Soft hair greeted his hands when he reached out. Just what he needed, he decided as he rolled closer to the warm body, only to find that something was in the way. Morgan cursed and kicked off the covers he’d pulled over himself against the damp chill in the room sometime during the night. The soft curves of the woman called to him. He curled around the tiny body and buried his nose in the nape of her neck. She smelled like home to him. He hadn’t let himself think of that in a long time, not since it had happened. Morgan had been in the army, off on a mission, when word reached him that his wife and unborn child had been killed in a car wreck several days before. By the time they could get him home, they’d already had the funeral, and Morgan was left with only an empty house and a grave site to visit. It wasn’t something he thought he would ever get over. Time had dulled some of the pain, enough that he’d finally pulled himself out of the self-inflicted drunk stupor he’d lived in for nearly a year. He shifted and flung one leg over the legs of the woman in his arms and nuzzled her neck. She moaned in her sleep. He nipped at her earlobe. When she didn’t say anything, he did it again and was rewarded with a scrunched-up neck and another moan. He sucked the lobe into his mouth and ran a hand around to her waist. She was a tiny thing with lush curves. He could appreciate that in a woman. He didn’t like skin-and-bone rail-thin women. A man could bruise himself on a bone if he weren’t careful.

 

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He rolled over on top of her and kissed a line from her ear to her chin and down the other side of her mouth. She squirmed in his arms, but still didn’t say anything. Morgan kissed each of her closed eyelids, then gently licked along the seam of her mouth with his tongue. She rewarded him by opening hers to him. He didn’t waste time, but took possession of it and soon had her pushing against him with her pelvis, the age-old sign of sexual need. She was with him. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t do this. When he’d checked her ID in her bag, it looked legit and did say she was twenty-eight years old. She didn’t look a day over seventeen, though. He wasn’t into virginal teenagers. Something about her called to him. It was why he hadn’t been able to tell her no on the ride, and why he hadn’t left her there at the motel and risked his life to ride off in the rain without her. Morgan knew it was more than sex. Sex he could get anywhere. He’d never had to beg or buy, but there was something different about Amanda. He wanted to know what it was before they parted ways. She’d brought out feelings in him he hadn’t thought he’d ever have again. Her tongue sparred with his as he reached beneath her shirt to palm a silk-covered breast. The shirt was in his way. He leaned back and began rolling it over her head. She didn’t protest, and even raised her arms for him to remove it, but when he started to unhook her bra, she grabbed his wrists. He stilled. “Are you awake?” she asked. “Yes.” She unhooked the clasp for him and let him finish undressing her. Her nipples were a deep, dusky pink and large. He groaned and latched on to one of them with his mouth. She moaned and pushed her breast closer to him. He sucked and nipped at it while plucking at the other one with his fingers. She was so sensitive to his mouth. When he started to pull away she tried to hold his head there. He grinned.

 

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“Easy, baby. I’m going to make you feel so good.” Morgan inched his way down her body, kissing here and nipping there. He reached the junction between her legs and slowly slipped her panties down and off her feet. He spread her legs apart and blew across her bare mound. She shivered, then whimpered. Trembling legs wrapped around his back, drawing him closer to her hot center. Her scent called to him. She smelled hot and spicy. Morgan spread her pussy lips and grinned at where her clit peeked from beneath its hood. He licked from her hot cunt to her clit, but didn’t touch the little button. She tried following his tongue by moving her hips, but he put his hand on her pelvis and pressed down to keep her still. He would control this. She would come when he got ready for her to. Right now, Morgan was having too much fun teasing her. “Please,” she whimpered. “Not yet.” He tongued her pussy over and over again until she was trying to pump her hips. He grinned and delved deep within her core with one finger. Then he added another one and searched for her G-spot. When he located it, he lightly grazed it over and over until she was keening with need. **** Amanda shook her head from side to side trying to deal with the barrage of sensations Morgan was inciting inside of her. Never before had she felt so turned on and wild with need. His hands, his mouth elicited these feelings, and she didn’t know what to do or how to handle them. It was all too much. When he latched on to her clit with his teeth and tongued it while at the same time brushing that spot deep inside of her, Amanda exploded. She screamed, turning her head into the pillow to muffle as

 

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much of it as possible. Sensations careened around inside of her, driving her wild. As the feelings began to slow down, Morgan rose over her and positioned his hard cock at her entrance. He seemed to be waiting on her to say something. She had no words. All she could do was push upward against his straining erection. He took it for the invitation it was and plunged deep inside of her. Again she screamed, grabbing for the pillow as if to ground her. He was huge, but somehow he managed to lodge all of his massive girth inside of her. She could feel every inch of his cock, every vein and bump. Morgan plunged into her over and over. He fucked her hard and deep, as if needing to reach every part of her. She met him halfway with each thrust. Her hips pistoned with her need. She felt it the minute he climaxed. His seed poured into her body. He hadn’t used a condom. She was too far gone now to do more than groan. When he collapsed on top of her, she moaned and pushed at him. She couldn’t breathe with him covering her like that. He grunted and moved over. Then he froze. “Fuck!” “What?” she asked between pants. “I didn’t use a damn condom.” He rolled off her and stood up. “It’s okay, I’m covered. I’m safe,” she told him. He didn’t say anything. Instead he disappeared into the bathroom, then returned with a bath cloth. Despite her trying to stop him, he cleaned her up and then rinsed out the cloth while she got up and dressed in her sleep shirt and panties. There was no need, as far as she was concerned, to wear all of her clothes. They’d had sex now. You couldn’t get any more intimate that that, she didn’t think. “I’m safe. I always use a condom—till now.” Morgan ran a hand through his mussed hair. “You’re on the Pill?” “Um, no.” She drew in a deep breath, then let it out. “I’m already pregnant.”

 

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**** “You’re what?” Morgan yelled. “I’m pregnant.” She took a step back toward the bathroom. “You didn’t think it was a good idea to mention this earlier?” He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on. “It didn’t really come up,” she said. Morgan shoved his feet into his boots. He looked back over his shoulder and noticed she was by the bathroom now. He was scaring her. Now he was scaring her. He should never have given her a ride to begin with. Fuck! He’d fucked a pregnant woman. “Yeah, well, it has now.” “It shouldn’t matter to you one way or another,” she said. “Well, other than the fact that you can’t get me any more pregnant than I already am.” Morgan cursed and shoved his hands onto his hips. He was so angry he couldn’t think straight. Funny thing, though, was that he was angry at himself, not at her. He looked for his shirt and, once he found it, pulled it over his head. He needed some air. She was probably running away from the father of the baby. But why? He walked over to the door and unlocked it. When he opened the door, the wind blew damp air into the room. He didn’t bother looking back at Amanda. Instead, he closed the door behind him and went to check on the bike. The rain had stopped, though it was still windy. He checked his watch. It was only five in the morning, another hour till dawn. He decided to take a ride to clear his head. He didn’t bother with a helmet since he’d left it in the room. He wasn’t going to leave her there, as much as he wanted to. He’d made the decision to take her wherever she needed to go, and he would still do it, but he needed some answers from her. Whether she told him the truth or not would be up to her. After nearly fifteen minutes of riding, he could finally breathe again. Knowing she was pregnant hadn’t dampened his attraction to

 

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her. If anything, it had made it worse. It was the memories of his wife and their child that had stolen his breath. Flashes of how she’d looked when she first started showing kept flashing before his eyes. He could remember how excited she was. She had wanted to start decorating the nursery the next day. They’d fought over that. He had wanted to wait for a couple of months. Somehow he couldn’t work up guilt over that anymore. So many of his feelings concerning his wife and child’s death had grown dull now. At the time it hadn’t mattered that they had been having trouble. They could have worked things out, given time. Only they hadn’t been given any time. Now all he felt was empty when he thought about them. Why was Amanda on the run if she was pregnant, and how far along was she? He couldn’t believe he hadn’t known. She should be home decorating a damn nursery somewhere. In a perfect world, that was where she would be right now. Morgan knew there was no such thing as a perfect world. In a perfect world, his family wouldn’t have died in a car wreck while he was halfway around the world. He pulled off the highway, onto a muddy turnout, and stopped the bike. He needed to decide what he was going to do about her before he returned to the motel room. If he continued to take her where she wanted to go, he knew he would end up sleeping with her again. What he should do was find the next town with a bus stop and buy her a ticket to ride. Somehow he didn’t think she would take the ticket, though. Could he leave her there and keep going? What was he going to do with her if he let her ride with him? He was going to Oklahoma to visit an old army buddy. He couldn’t show up with her—could he? No. Nothing was going according to plan, which was why he rarely made plans. He’d spent the last several weeks helping out a couple of buddies protect their women. Now he was stuck babysitting a pregnant one. If she wouldn’t tell him where to take her, he’d choose

 

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a large enough city that she could find a job and drop her there. He’d carry her all the way to Montana and drop her there. She’d be able to get help there. He couldn’t do anything for her other than give her a ride. Shaking his head, Morgan turned the bike around and headed back to the motel. Everything would depend on how she answered his questions. If he felt like she was lying, he would send her on her way. When he parked outside the door of the room, he realized he didn’t have the key card to get back in. What would be the chances she wouldn’t let him in? “Damn.” The door opened. He climbed off the bike and waited to see what she would say. “I thought you were going to leave me, but then I noticed you hadn’t taken all your stuff.” Amanda’s face looked freshly scrubbed. “Thought about it. And remembered all my stuff was still here.” “Please don’t leave me. I won’t be any trouble,” she all but whispered. “We need to talk first,” he said. She nodded. “Are you dressed enough to ride?” he asked. “Yeah.” “Grab the key card and the helmets, and let’s get something to eat. You need something besides junk food in you.” Morgan climbed back on the bike and waited for her. Amanda grabbed the key card and helmets and closed the door behind her. She handed Morgan his and pulled the other one on before climbing on the back of the bike. “Hold on.” Morgan started the bike and pulled out. “Same place okay with you?” he called back. “Fine.” Less than five minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of the little diner. Morgan was relieved they were open. He figured they

 

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would be, but you never knew in little hole-in-the-wall towns. He steadied the bike as Amanda climbed off, then stepped off and opened the door to the diner for her. The waitress at the counter nodded at them to take a seat. Morgan followed Amanda over to a booth. She slid in one side and pulled a menu off the napkin holder and handed it to him. She avoided looking at him and concentrated on the menu she’d procured for herself. The plastic menu shook in her hands. Hell, Morgan thought. She’s a nervous wreck now. That sure as hell can’t be good for the baby. The waitress wandered over to take their order. He listened to her order scrambled eggs and toast, then added his own order to hers. “Bring her an extra order of eggs. She needs to eat more,” he said. When she opened her mouth to argue, he lifted his eyebrows and stared at her. She closed her mouth and looked back at the table. That was too easy, he thought. “How far along are you?” he finally asked. “About twelve weeks.” “Does the father know?” “Yeah, he knows.” “And?” “And, he knows. That’s all there is.” She still didn’t look at him. “Wrong answer. If you want my help, you’ve got to be honest with me.” The waitress brought them their drinks—coffee for him and juice for Amanda. Still, Amanda didn’t say anything. “Fine. I’ll take you as far as the next town with a bus station, and then you’re on your own.” He sipped his coffee and waited. “Look, this isn’t easy for me.” “I never said it was. Life isn’t easy, and now that you’re going to have a baby, it’s only going to get harder. Deal with it now before you have too much on your plate to do it later.” Morgan clamped his mouth closed. Maybe he’d said too much.

 

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She looked up at him, then away out the window. He could almost hear her thinking it all over. “He doesn’t want the baby,” she finally said. “Happens, but you don’t run away just because the father doesn’t want to be responsible.” “You do when he threatens to make you have an abortion, though.”

 

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Chapter Five “He can’t do that,” Morgan assured her. “His goons can. They almost had me strapped to a table when I got away.” “Who in the hell is the father?” Morgan asked. “Guy Winthroup,” she said. The waitress interrupted them with their food. Amanda didn’t think she was going to be able to choke any of it down, but she knew she had to try for the baby’s sake. “Name doesn’t sound familiar,” Morgan said. “He’s running for mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. He’s forty-two years old and already had a fiancée that would make the perfect wife of a mayoral candidate. I wasn’t supposed to be in the picture for long. I was a problem to be taken care of.” “Not to mention a baby on the way,” Morgan added. “Right.” “Still, he can’t make you have an abortion. Go public with the affair. Once his name is ruined, he has no reason to try and force you to have the abortion anymore.” He salted his eggs, then picked up the pepper. He looked across the table and nodded at her food. “Eat. You need to get something solid in your stomach besides that junk we ate last night.” “I’m trying,” she said. She stirred the eggs after adding salt and pepper, then decided to start with the toast. She picked up a slice and buttered it.

 

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“He made it clear that if I fuck up his chances with his fiancée or the election, he’d sue for the baby. I don’t have anything to fight him with.” She bit into the toast and chewed. “So you think he will still go after you if you mess up his chances with the society bitch?” Morgan asked around a mouthful of eggs. “Well, he said, ‘Hell will freeze over before you have that bastard you’re carrying.’” She dropped the toast back to her plate and leaned her head on her hands. She really wasn’t hungry, and remembering how Guy had looked at her stomach with such loathing only made it worse. “Do you think he’s still looking for you?” he asked. “Yeah. I caught sight of his two goons at the last truck stop, which was why I was trying to get a ride when you helped me. Then the guy you almost ran into is one of them.” She twirled her fork in the eggs. “I can’t figure out how they keep finding me.” “If they have money to spend, they can pay for information. Lots of people will sell out their own mother for a buck. You’re easy to spot, too.” “Maybe I should dye my hair.” “That would probably help. Change your clothes style, too.” “Soon as we get somewhere that I can access some money, I’ll do all that.” She finally made herself take a bite of the eggs. They weren’t too bad. “Access money? How?” “I have a savings account that I can tap for money.” “Nope, he can track you that way. Have you gotten money out of it since you ran?” “Yeah, I guess that’s how he’s found me, huh?” She sighed and dropped the fork to the plate. “I would say so. No more accessing money. Do you have a cell phone?” “Yes.” She pulled it out of her back pocket.

 

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“Turn it off, and leave it off. GPS tracking is amazing nowadays.” Morgan watched her turn the phone off and then shove it back into her pocket. “I wonder what else I’ve screwed up.” Amanda sighed. “Eat. We’ll figure this out.” “So you’re not going to kick me to the curb?” she asked. He swallowed and took a sip of coffee before answering her. His mouth worked for a few seconds as if trying to decide what to say. “No. I’ll help you get somewhere safe, but you’re going to have to do exactly what I tell you. Understood?” Amanda relaxed. “Understand. I’ll follow your directions, no problem.” “To begin with, you are going to have to start eating better. You’ve barely touched your breakfast.” “I’m not really all that hungry,” she admitted. “Doesn’t matter, you’re eating for two now. Which reminds me, you need vitamins of some kind, don’t you?” She blushed. “Yeah, prenatal vitamins. I haven’t been to a doctor yet.” “When we get you some new clothes and hair dye, we can get some from the pharmacy. I think they have some you can get over the counter.” “How come you know so much about being pregnant?” she asked. “Never mind. Eat. We have a lot to do today.” Morgan finished his meal and sat back. It made her nervous for him to watch her eat, but she was afraid to say anything to him about it, so she continued to take small bites in hopes she could finish most of it without getting sick. It wasn’t so much that it tasted bad—it was the texture that turned her stomach. If this was how it was going to be the entire time she was pregnant, she was in trouble. “I can’t possibly eat any more,” she said, letting her fork clatter to the plate.

 

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“Guess that will have to do then. Let’s get on the road. We’ll stop at the next larger town and do some shopping.” Amanda sighed in relief and stood up. For a second, she thought she might pass out. Morgan was by her side immediately, holding her up. “You okay? What’s wrong? You turned white all over.” “I just got a little dizzy there for a minute, that’s all. I’m fine now.” She shrugged his arm away and walked toward the front counter. Morgan caught up with her and took her elbow. “You probably stood up too quickly. You’re going to have to take it slower from now on.” She watched as he paid for their meal, then suffered his guiding her out to the bike. He had the helmet on her and fastened before she realized what he was doing. “Hey! I’m not an invalid. I can still take care of myself.” “You didn’t look like you were feeling well. If you don’t pay attention to what your body is telling you, then I will. You need to take it easy,” he said in a rough voice. They returned to the room and checked out. Morgan wanted to get on the road and find a store soon. He climbed on the bike and started it. Looking over his shoulder, he jerked his head, indicating she needed to climb on back. Amanda’s lips thinned in agitation, but she knew he was right, so she climbed on and fumed for the next twenty miles until they reached the next exit. By the time he’d pulled into the parking lot of a discount store, she had calmed down enough to be civil. “We should be able to find everything you need here.” Morgan led her inside and grabbed a buggy. “Hair color first,” Amanda said and headed in the direction of the hair care products. “What color do you want to try?” he asked.

 

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Amanda blew out a breath and sighed. “How about dark brown? It will cover the red without turning an odd color, I think. Oh, and we need scissors. I need to cut it, too.” “Fuck, I hate that.” Morgan shook his head. “It will grow back. It has to be done. I can’t afford for them to find me.” He took the supplies from her and dropped them in the buggy. “Where to next?” she asked. “Clothes, I’m hoping they have something a little tougherlooking. Your jeans are fine, but the blouses and girly T-shirt have to go.” Amanda fallowed him to the ladies’ apparel and searched through the various racks of clothes for something more to Morgan’s liking. Unfortunately, she didn’t find anything. Morgan, on the other hand, had a handful of things for her to try on. Taking a good look at them, she wasn’t surprised she hadn’t found anything. His taste ran along the line of trashy. “You expect me to wear these? I mean, they don’t exactly cover all of me,” she pointed out. “Not my idea of decent either, but it’s what we need in order to fit into the crowd we’ll be traveling with.” “Crowd? What crowd? You didn’t say anything about there being others.” “I figure the best way to stay under Guy’s radar is to be somewhere he won’t be looking for you. I doubt he would expect you to be riding in a biker gang.” Amanda swallowed, then swallowed again. “Um, no. He won’t expect that. I wouldn’t expect that.” “See, it will work. Plus, these guys are good friends and will help us if we need it,” he added. “Fine, let me try these on.” She took the proffered clothes and hurried to the ladies’ fitting room.

 

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Twenty minutes later, she had four new tops and a pair of riding boots. Even she wouldn’t have recognized herself if she didn’t know better. “I’ll pay you back for all of this as soon as I can access my money,” she assured him. “Don’t worry about that right now. Last stop is the pharmacy. You stick back here until I come get you. That way, if Guy happens to choose this pharmacy to stop and ask questions, you weren’t with me when I asked for prenatal vitamins.” Amanda had to agree it was a good idea, but she wasn’t real happy about standing alone waiting on him. Somewhere along the way she’d grown to trust him and feel secure around him. She needed to shake that feeling because it wouldn’t be for long, just long enough to get her somewhere safe. Five minutes later, Morgan reappeared with a white paper bag bearing the pharmacy name on it. “Okay, I think we’re set.” He took all the bags from her, but let her carry the pharmacy bag. Once they were outside, he pulled all of her clothes out of her backpack and discarded the old ones in favor of the new ones. He bundled them up in one of the bags and stuffed the bag deep in a Dumpster. “What about my hair?” she asked. “We’ll grab a room at the next stop, and you can do your thing there. Eat these peanut butter and crackers for now. Then we’ll meet up with the rest of my friends and see what their plans are. They ride in some rallies along the way to whatever town they plan on staying for a while. I think they are considering somewhere in California this time.” Amanda climbed back onto the back of the bike and held on as Morgan pulled out of the parking lot and headed back toward the interstate and another four hours on the road. By the time they reached the next town Morgan planned to stop in, Amanda could have

 

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sworn her ass was numb from the constant vibrations. Her poor baby was probably seasick, she thought. Morgan got a room in a motel, having her hide behind the line of cars until he had the room key. “No reason for him to know what you look like now. He can see what you look like after your cut-and-dye job,” Morgan explained. As soon as they got into the room, she made a beeline for the bathroom, carrying her supplies. She wanted to get this part over with, and she was dying for a shower. She felt like road grime. With the first cut of the scissors, she wondered if Morgan would like it or not. Then she wondered why that would be important to her. They didn’t even like each other really, did they? **** Morgan tugged off his boots and then pulled off his T-shirt. He was hot and sweaty and needed a shower. As soon as Amanda got out, he planned to take one. For now, he sat on the love seat and stretched his legs out in front of him. It felt good to stretch. He spent a lot of time on his bike, but it still left him stove up after long rides. Add to the fact that he’d spent several weeks in a soft bed helping to protect two of his best buds’ women, and he was a little out of shape for long rides. This would be one hell of a ride. His thoughts turned to Amanda and what she might look like when she came out. No matter what, he knew better than to laugh or stutter. Whatever the outcome, he hoped it would work for what they had in mind, which meant he hoped she wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb. After what felt like forever, the doorknob turned and the bathroom door cracked open, letting steam escape. He waited, but she didn’t appear. He got up and walked over to the bathroom and peeked inside. She stood with a towel wrapped around her and the hair dryer in her hand, fiddling with the buttons.

 

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“Having trouble?” he asked. She squealed and jumped. He caught the hair dryer in one hand and grabbed her arm with the other to be sure she didn’t fall and break her fool neck. “Don’t do that!” he thundered. “Don’t sneak up on me then,” she yelled. “I didn’t sneak up on you. You opened the door.” “I needed to let some of the steam out so I could see to dry my hair. Now I can’t get the stupid dryer to work.” He could hear the tears in her voice and knew they were just before falling. Shit, her hormones were kicking in. He fiddled with the surge protector on the wall and turned the dryer on for her. “Here you go,” he yelled over the noise of the dryer. “Thanks.” She took it and began blowing her hair. Morgan took a face full of hot air and quickly stepped out of the bathroom. He realized he hadn’t even gotten a good look at what her hair looked like. Shrugging, he decided to jump in the shower while she was drying her hair. With the door open, the steam wouldn’t be a problem. He’d get a little bit of a draft, but he could handle that. He stripped off his jeans, boxers, and socks. When he walked back into the bathroom, he saw her eyes widen in the mirror. She turned around, dropping the hair dryer to waist height. Morgan yelped and covered his cock and balls with his hands. “Damn it, Amanda. Watch where you point that thing!” “I could say the same thing to you. What are you doing in here naked?” “I’m going to take a shower. I’m hot and sweaty. No reason to wait since you’re just drying your hair now,” Morgan said. “But you’re naked,” she pointed out and shut off the dryer. “So? You’ve seen me before.” “Um, not really.” He spread his hands wide. “Then look your fill,” he said with a mischievous grin.

 

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When she did just that and turned beet red, he couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t the right thing to do. She stomped over and poked him in the chest. “Don’t laugh at me.” He grabbed her finger and brought it to his lips. He kissed it, then drew it into his mouth, where he swirled his tongue around it and sucked. He watched her eyes widen, then drop to half-mast. She responded so well to him. He nipped the end of her finger, then spread openmouthed kisses across her palm to her pulse at her wrist. He gently bit there, then licked it. “Um, you were going to take a shower?” she began. “So I was,” he said in a near whisper. Instead of letting go of her hand, he pulled her closer to him. He tugged on the towel until it released and he held it in his hand. She grabbed for it, but he threw it out of the bathroom and stepped in front of the door to block her path. “Why don’t you join me in the shower?” he asked in a low voice. He had no idea what he was doing. She was pregnant, for Christ’s sake. It should have been like a bucket of cold water thrown on him and cooled off his libido, but it didn’t seem to affect him. If anything, it made him want her more. What was wrong with him? “I…I don’t think that is a good idea. I need to dry my hair and see if I need to cut any more of it off.” She extracted her hand from his and took a step back, only to come up against the vanity. Morgan took a step forward and closed the gap. His cock rested against her belly. Her breasts stood out and touched his chest. Her elongated nipples hardened at the touch of his chest hair. He leaned in toward her and planted a hand on either side of her against the vanity. Her back bowed as she arched away from him, only to push her pelvis harder against his cock and balls. She stilled, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. He could tell she didn’t know what to do.

 

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“I want you. I shouldn’t. You’re carrying another man’s baby, but I still want you.” He ran his tongue around her lips and nearly moaned when her tongue reached out and licked her lips afterward. “It’s not me you want. It’s sex. Men don’t care who the woman is. They just want somewhere to put their dick,” she said in a bitter voice. “Believe me. It’s you I want. I love the way you whimper when you’re frustrated. I need to hear those little moans you make when you’re getting turned on. I crave the taste of your sweet pussy when you climax. It’s you I want.” He nipped at her chin, then kissed the corner of her mouth. A soft “ah” came from her mouth. Then she pushed at his chest with her hands, turning her face away from his kisses. “Stop it. I can’t do this. Not now.” Morgan stilled and drew in a shaky breath before slowly taking a step back. He didn’t force sex on anyone. She wanted him, though. He could have pressed and had her begging him to fuck her, but he didn’t want her like that. Hell, why did he want her in the first place? He needed to get her to where she was going and put it all behind him. He needed a pregnant woman like he needed a hole in the head. He stepped into the shower and turned on the water, not making a sound when the cold came out first. It helped cool him off a little, but truthfully, nothing would cool him off of needing her but a good fuck, and she’d said no. Thoughts of another woman pregnant with their child flashed before his eyes. For the first time, he could remember her without feeling as if he would suffocate. Even though many of the memories and some of the pain had dulled, he’d always felt like he was smothering when he thought about Wanda and their unborn child, gone because of a faulty brake pedal. He often wondered, if he’d been there, if he could have safely stopped the car or if he’d be dead along with them. At first, that was exactly where he had wanted to be. Time dimmed the guilt at not being there to some extent. They called it survivor’s guilt, but what

 

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he’d been doing for the last year hadn’t been surviving. He’d merely been existing in a bottle until just recently. Now, here he was with another pregnant woman depending on him to help her, and all he could think about was fucking her right then. Maybe that wasn’t all he thought about. He wondered what she was going to do when she got to wherever she was going. They needed to talk about that, too. They needed a plan, and that meant she needed to be totally honest with him this time. For some reason, around her, his bullshit meter didn’t work. He heard the dryer turn on as he soaped up and began cleaning some of the road grime off of him. He took his time so she could finish drying her hair and leave. If he opened the curtains and found her still standing there, with or without a towel, he wasn’t sure he could stop himself from seducing her. When he heard the dryer go off, he waited another five minutes before sticking his head around the curtain and making sure the coast was clear. Finding the bathroom empty, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel off the rack as he did. He made short work of drying off and wrapped the towel around his waist before opening the bathroom door to the much cooler air of the room—the empty room. Shit.

 

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Chapter Six Amanda looked at her hair one last time before sighing and walking out of the bathroom. She softly closed the door to keep the warm air inside now that she was finished. Her hair didn’t look too bad. With the weight off of it, it curled even more, and the brown wasn’t too much different from her hair’s natural auburn color. The only problem that she could see was her eye color. Very few people had bright blue eyes with brown hair. She would need a pair of sunglasses and to keep them on as much as possible. The clothes were so different from what she was used to wearing. They were much more revealing and made her even more aware of her body than before. Just being around Morgan kept her body tingling and aware of him all the time. Now she would be selfconscious about the amount of skin showing. At least she could wear the jacket when they were riding since the wind still had a bite to it even this far south. Where did she want to go? She needed to decide so Morgan could drop her off and get on with his life. She was causing him a lot of trouble, and she knew it. He had planned to go north, and she was fine with that when she wasn’t sure about where to start over, but now, she needed to make a decision. Once she had finished dressing, she decided to walk down to the little store she’d seen at the end of the block. It wouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes, and she could buy a pair of shades. She needed the exercise as well. Riding on the back of the bike was tough on her ass as well as her legs.

 

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She took the key card from off the bedside table and closed the door behind her. Then she quickly walked down the street and slipped into the store. With the jacket on, no one would remember her, she didn’t think—unless they got a glimpse of her eyes. She quickly located the sunglass case and found a pair of wraparound shades that would serve well to keep the sun from her eyes as well as keep them hidden. She found another pair just like them and, after looking around, pulled off the tag from the ones she planned to wear. Then she put the tagless pair back on and carried the pair with a tag to the cash register. “Um, I want to buy these sunglasses I have on, but they don’t have a tag. Can you use these since they are the same kind?” She kept her fingers crossed the clerk would fall for it and check her out without taking the glasses off her face. “Sure. Kids pull the tags off all the time.” She scanned the pair with the tag and then shoved them into a bag next to the cash register with similar items. “That’s six fifty-three.” Amanda paid the lady and smiled her thanks. Then she walked outside in the now less-bright sunlight to head back to the motel— right smack into Morgan. He grabbed her upper arm and marched her back the way she’d come. “Do you have any idea of how dangerous it could be for you to be out by yourself?” Morgan’s stride was too long for her, and instead of jogging to stay up with him, she dug her heels in. “I can’t walk that fast. Slow the fuck down,” she yelled. “I walked out of the shower to find the room empty. I had no idea if you left for a walk or to chance a lift from some stranger.” He slowed his pace. “I needed sunglasses to hide my blue eyes. They don’t exactly go with brown hair,” she explained. “Well, you should have let me get them for you. Instead, someone may remember you,” he argued.

 

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“I was careful that no one saw my eyes. Not even the cashier. I’m not totally dumb, you know.” He let out a breath and stopped outside the door. He held out his hand, and she realized he needed the key card to get back in. She smirked and pulled out the card from her back pocket and slapped it in his hand. He just shook his head and unlocked the door. “We need to talk,” he said as he grabbed up clothes and began folding them. “I agree,” she said. She shoved her pack closer to the end of the bed and sat down. “I need to know where you want to end up and what you plan to do once you get there.” “I think somewhere like Phoenix or Albuquerque would be good places. They are out-of-the-way places and large enough cities I can get lost in them.” She leaned back on her hands. “Okay, Phoenix would be your best bet. What are you going to do when you get there?” he asked, crossing his arms across his chest. “Find a job and a place to stay.” She wasn’t following his train of thought. “To find a job and a place to live, you will have to use your name and have money. Both of which will advertise where you are to Guy. Got another idea?” Tears began to form behind her eyes. She refused to let them fall. She swallowed hard and drew in a deep breath. She would not cry, damn it. “I’ll work for a while in one place, then move around until it’s time for the baby. Once I have the baby, I can disappear again and start over,” she finally said. “Not going to work. You aren’t going to be able to work long enough to save up any kind of money to live on once the baby is born. Then who will take care of it while you’re at work? Will you be able to trust them not to let Guy get a hold of him?” he asked.

 

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This time, Amanda couldn’t stop the tears from falling. She wrapped her hands around her belly as if to protect her unborn child. She had to figure something out. Right then, though, there didn’t seem like much hope. “I don’t know what to do. Oh God, what am I going to do?” She rocked back and forth on the bed, crying. At some point, Morgan picked her up, settled her in his lap, and held her. She buried her face in the side of his neck and let the hot tears spill as she frantically tried to hold on to her sanity. She couldn’t lose her baby. It was a part of her now. She could take care of it. She knew she could. She just needed to figure out a way around Guy. “Shhh. Don’t cry, Amanda. We’ll figure this out.” He rocked her in his arms until she finally settled down. “What am I going to do? I can’t use the money I have saved. I don’t have anywhere to live, and I need a job, but I can’t use my name.” “One thing at a time. First, let’s get you somewhere you’ll be safe until the baby is born. Then we’ll decide what to do next. I don’t trust that this Guy will leave you alone as long as you and your baby are alive. You could crawl out of the woodwork at any time and demand a paternity test to prove he’s the father. That would ruin him, and he knows it. You’re both a liability to him.” Amanda began to shake all over. “Easy, Amanda. You’ve got to trust me. I’ll keep you and the baby safe. Do you trust me?” he asked. She swallowed and slowly nodded her head. What choice did she have? He was the only one around and seemed to know more about hiding than she did. That really should have bothered her, but it didn’t. She trusted him to keep her safe. And she did feel safe with him. “Good. Let’s make our plans one step at a time.” He turned her in his lap until she was straddling his lap with her legs.

 

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“First of all, you can’t go wandering off without me for any reason, understand?” She nodded. “Second, when I tell you to do something, don’t stop and ask questions. Just do it immediately. I’ll have my reasons. I won’t tell you to do anything that isn’t absolutely necessary. Okay?” he asked. “Okay.” “Thirdly, we need to ditch your phone. Is there someone you have been keeping in contact with that will worry about you if you don’t call in?” He watched her face closely. “No. I mostly used it for safety reasons.” “Good. We’re going to drive in the opposite direction we are going and turn it on and hide it somewhere, then head back the other way. That will throw them off for a little while and buy us some time.” Amanda found she was drifting now. So many things to remember, and still she didn’t see how she was going to get out of the mess she was in. “You with me, baby?” he asked. “Where are you planning to go?” “We’ll go see my friend in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and lay low there. No one will say a word about your being there if a stranger should ask. It will give us more time to make plans.” “Why?” she finally asked. “Why what?” he asked, a perplexed look on his face. “Why are you going to so much trouble to help me? You could just drop me off at the next truck stop, and I’ll be out of your hair.” “Is that what you want me to do?” He seemed to be holding his breath. “No,” she finally whispered. He breathed out and pulled her head toward his. They touched foreheads for a second. Then he kissed her forehead, followed by the tip of her nose.

 

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“I care about you. I don’t want anything to happen to you, and since I’m a perfectionist, that means I’m taking care of you until we get this situation under control. So, whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me.” He grinned at her It must have been catching, because she grinned back despite the tears in her eyes. “Deal?” he asked, holding out his hand. “Deal.” She took his hand and shook it. “Now, we need to eat. You haven’t had anything since the peanut butter and crackers back at lunchtime. I’m supposed to be feeding you better than that.” He swung her off his lap to the floor. He kept one hand on her waist to assure she had her footing before he let go. “There’s a steak house about a block over. Do you feel like walking?” he asked as he stood up. “Yeah, I need all the exercise I can get,” she assured him. He checked the door and then led her down the street to the corner, where they turned and walked another half block to a rusticlooking building with a sign advertising the best fish and steak in the state. That had yet to be determined, she figured. The closer they walked, the less appetizing it smelt to her. Great, her stomach was going to rebel. Well, she refused to let it. She breathed through her mouth until they got inside and found the smell was less noticeable in the restaurant. “What looks good to you?” Morgan asked as he looked over the two-page menu. “I think the chicken fingers,” she said. “That’s a child’s plate,” he fussed. “I’m not really hungry. I can’t stomach a steak or fish, so chicken is the best that I can come up with.” She closed her menu and waited for him to argue. “Okay, but you’re getting the adult size, and we’ll take the rest back to the room, and you can nibble on them when you get hungry again,” he told her.

 

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“What makes you think I’m going to want something later?” He really knew too much about pregnancy. “Because most pregnant women can only eat small amounts at a time and then are hungry again in thirty minutes, meaning the husband has to go out in the middle of the night to pick up something like a Big Mac or Baskin-Robbins ice cream.” “Are you married, Morgan?” she asked, suddenly scared she’d slept with a married man. His mouth worked, and he turned and looked away for a second. “No. I’m not. I’m a widower.” “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. I…” She didn’t know what to say, so she just shut up and picked up her water to take a sip she didn’t want. **** Morgan cursed himself for handling that wrong. He should have just come out and explained to her what happened so she would understand, but he couldn’t for the life of him talk about her right then. Maybe later he would be able to. Yes, it had been over a year, and yes, he had lost some of the bitterness over it, but he wasn’t ready to share it with anyone else right then. Thankfully the waitress chose that moment to show up and take their orders. He ordered a porterhouse steak medium in deference to her, in case the blood made her sick, and a baked potato. She ordered the chicken tenders, adult size, and French fries. Once the waitress was gone, the silence stretched between them. He felt like he should fill it with something, but couldn’t think of anything to talk about. As it was, she had something on her mind. “Tell me about your friends we are going to be riding with.” “Basically, they’re good guys. Some of them are a little rough around the edges, but you’ll get used to them. Just stay close to me. Um, they’re used to sharing,” he explained.

 

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“Sharing? Like women?” she asked, wide-eyed. “Yeah.” “Have you shared women with them before?” she asked. “Yeah, I have,” he admitted. She didn’t say anything for a few seconds, then shook her head. “Well, I’m not going to be shared, so don’t even think about it.” “Hell no, you’re not. You keep well away from everyone.” Just the idea of her talking to some of those guys bothered him. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to ride with them. “So, do you trust them?” she asked, oblivious to his second thoughts. “Yeah, for the most part. I’ll introduce you as my woman. That will keep them from bothering you.” Now where had that come from? Hell. “You think we’ll be safer riding with a group than on our own, don’t you?” “Yeah. I don’t think Guy would expect to find you in a biker gang. Just because most of these guys are weekend riders, he wouldn’t know that.” “So, when do I get to meet them?” she asked. She actually sounded a little excited, he realized. His wife had never wanted to go riding with him when he went on short trips with his friends. Once again he shook off thoughts of her and concentrated instead on the steak the waitress set in front of him. He took a bite and found it was delicious despite being a little more cooked then he liked it. He glanced across the table at Amanda and found her breaking apart a couple of the chicken tenders to let them cool. Then she bit delicately into a French fry and smiled. “Good?” he asked with a smile. “Hmm, really good.” Once her chicken had cooled off some, she dipped a piece in the sauce they’d provided and made short work of about half of the

 

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chicken tenders. By the time he’d finished his steak, she was finished and watching him. “What is it? Do I have something on my face?” He took his napkin and proceeded to clean his face. She laughed a delighted laugh and shook her head. “No, silly. I’m just watching you enjoy that steak. You’d think you hadn’t had one in years.” “What can I say? I like to eat.” “You didn’t say when I could meet your friends,” she persistently asked. “You’ll meet them tomorrow sometime. We should catch up with them around two or three tomorrow afternoon.” He wasn’t as enthusiastic as before. “How many other women will there be?” “Oh, depends. Sometimes there are only two or three, and sometimes there are as many as six or seven. Why?” he asked, watching her. “Well, women know when other women are pregnant, and I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to hide it.” Morgan hadn’t thought about that possibility. Did it matter if they knew she was pregnant? “Don’t worry about it. You’re my woman, so it’s my baby. No one will care. It might even keep the other men from hitting on you.” She stared at him with wide eyes. “You don’t care if they think the baby is yours?” “Naw, we know it isn’t. That’s all that matters.” She looked down at her plate and the three leftover chicken tenders. “You’re right. That’s all that matters.”

 

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Chapter Seven As soon as they returned to the motel, Amanda climbed off the back of the bike and removed her helmet. She felt confined in it, and even her clothes were bothering her now. She waited impatiently while Morgan locked up the bike then unlocked the door using the key card. She immediately began stripping, and once she was down to her bra and panties, she stopped panting and curled up on the love seat. Morgan had enough sense to shut the door, but stood there watching her as if she’d lost her mind, and maybe she had. It was just that all of a sudden everything was closing in around her. She felt like she would suffocate if she didn’t get something off of her. “Um, you okay?” he finally asked. “Yes. I got hot. Sorry.” She looked down at her lap. She held a pillow to cover as much of her body as possible. “No problem.” He walked over to the foot of the bed and sat down, where he took off his boots. When he stood up and began undressing, she knew a moment of panic. She quickly swallowed it down. He wouldn’t force her to do anything. He was a man, but he was a gentleman. Well, as much as a biker could be, she guessed. “How about watching a movie before we hit the sack? There are a couple on that look like they might be good.” He stood in front of her in nothing but his boxers, but what could she say? She only had on her underwear as well.

 

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“Sounds good. You pick. I doubt I’ll stay awake through the entire movie anyway.” She waited while he walked over to the bedside table and retrieved the remote. When he sat down next to her on the love seat, she nearly squealed. There wasn’t enough room for both of them without touching. The feel of his hot skin next to her own sent chill bumps all along her skin. They touched from shoulder down to thighs. Then he laid his arm along the back of the seat behind her. She had no doubt before it was over with he would have it lying against her skin. She didn’t know if she could handle so much physical touch. Her body already quivered in need. What was it with Morgan that she wanted him so badly? She couldn’t even remember wanting Guy like this, and they’d been lovers for months. What did it mean about her? Was she some sort of slut? What do you think? You’re pregnant with one man’s baby and slept with another man you barely know. “Slut” might be a bit mild. “What are you frowning about over there?” Morgan asked, his brows furrowed. “Nothing, just thinking about what a mess I’ve made of everything.” “Stop second-guessing everything you’ve done. You’re on the right track now. We’ll get you and the baby taken care of. So stop worrying about it.” Amanda wished she could believe him, but he didn’t have a stake in her problems. She was just some chick he’d picked up hitching and was stuck with for the time being. He would drop her off somewhere at some point, and she’d be on her own again. Well, that was fine. She’d be safe for as long as he kept her around. When he dropped her, then she would worry about what was next. The movie proved to be an action thriller that she thoroughly enjoyed, but it wasn’t long before she began nodding off. She planned to get up and get in the bed, but didn’t make it.

 

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The next thing she knew, she woke up needing to get to the bathroom in a hurry and couldn’t get out from under something holding her down. She struggled and finally yelled, “Get off me!” “Hell, what’s wrong?” Morgan rolled over, allowing her to escape. “Bathroom. Now!” She rolled out of the bed and raced for the bathroom. “Ah, hell.” He followed her inside despite the fact she’d slammed the door shut. She retched into the toilet until she felt like her toenails would come up. A cool, wet cloth fell across the back of her neck, and another one appeared in front of her. She grabbed it and wiped her face. Once she was fairly sure she’d stopped being sick, she sat back against the wall and closed her eyes. “Better?” he asked. “I think.” She let out a shaky breath. “I need to brush my teeth.” Morgan helped her to the sink and watched as she brushed her teeth. “Let’s get you back in bed. You’ll feel better after you sleep a little longer.” Morgan reached down and picked her up. It was then that she realized he was nude except for his boxers, and she no longer had on a bra. When had he taken it off and why? “What happened to my bra?” “You feel asleep on the love seat before the movie was over with. I put you to bed so you would be more comfortable. I’ve never known a woman who was comfortable sleeping in a bra, so I took it off. It’s on the love seat if you want it.” “Um, no, thanks.” She averted her eyes when he looked down at her. Instead of laying her down on the bed, Morgan climbed into bed with her and settled her against him with her head on his chest. Oddly, she felt comfortable there. The beat of his heart settled her. She refused to think about it and drifted off again in no time.

 

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**** Morgan couldn’t say why he’d brought her to bed like this. It was what he’d done with his wife when she’d first been pregnant, before he’d gotten shipped out again. He enjoyed holding her against him knowing she felt comfortable enough with him to sleep. She trusted him, and that pleased him immensely. He dozed off and on for another forty-five minutes or so before she woke again. This time she seemed more relaxed. She buried her nose in his shoulder and sighed. “You feel good.” “I could say the same about you.” “I’m sorry I was sick earlier. I wasn’t expecting it.” She talked into his neck. “First time?” “No. I don’t much like it.” “Well, you best get used to it for a few weeks. We’ll get some crackers to put by the bed. If you chew on one as soon as you wake up, it might help stop the throwing up part.” Morgan ran a hand through her now shortened hair. It was still just as soft and bouncy in his hands. She nodded against his shoulder, then started to push herself up. He rolled them over instead. He’d startled her. Her eyes had grown large as she looked up into his. Those bright blue orbs did look shocking against the sable brown of her hair. “I’m going to kiss you,” he said. She could only nod her head before his mouth was there on hers, questing for entrance. She opened to him, and he dove inside. She tasted of the mint-flavored toothpaste she’d used earlier. He ran his tongue alongside hers, then sucked it into his mouth to tease. The more he sucked, the more she moaned. He let go and drew in her lower lip to nip and tease with his teeth and tongue. He couldn’t get enough of her mouth.

 

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His molded her ass with his hands as he pressed his hard cock against her belly. She had to know how turned on he was. His cock was hot and rock-hard pressed between them. He rocked his pelvis to emphasize his intentions. He definitely intended to fuck her. He didn’t want her to feel it was a surprise. There would be no mistaking what he wanted from her. But he wouldn’t just take. He’d give her the ride of her life. He’d make sure that she couldn’t remember what sex outside of him felt like. He moved one hand from her ass to her breast, where he circled her large nipple with one finger, then palmed her entire breast in his hand, with enough breast for another hand as well. Pregnancy had obviously enhanced her size, based on the tight-fitting bra he’d removed from her the night before. Would she be one of those women who lost them after weaning the baby, or would she keep them? He pulled back from her delicious mouth and worked his way down her neck to her breasts. He sucked each nipple in turn, nipping and sucking until she squirmed beneath him. He wanted her ready to go before he took her. He wanted to know she was wild with need— need for him. He wanted to hear his name on her lips as she came. Later, when it was all over with, he’d think about that need. Right now, he concentrated on filling it. He rained openmouthed kisses down her torso and over her hips until he was near that hot pussy he so dearly wanted inside of. Once he had settled himself between her legs, he licked at her pussy like an ice-cream cone. Then he delved between her wet lips and fucked her with his tongue. She undulated beneath him, trying to get closer to his mouth. He chuckled and held her still with one hand on her abdomen. Morgan pushed a finger inside of her and gently explored until he found her hot spot. He added another finger and tickled that spot until she was pushing her pelvis against his hand. Hell, he was hot for her. He wanted to ram his dick all the way into her, but wanted to feel her come on his face first. He latched on to her clit with his lips and sucked while all the time using his fingers

 

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on that spot deep inside of her. When she came, he licked and sucked every bit of her sweet honey he could manage. Then he pulled away before she was completely sated and plunged his heavy cock inside of her. Morgan captured her scream in his mouth just in time. He felt her pussy walls contract around him and knew she was coming again. He plunged into her over and over again, hard and fast, then soft and shallow, until he felt cum boiling in his balls, ready to explode. When he did, he could have sworn the earth tilted out of sync. His cum filled her, and he held himself there while he caught his breath. Damn, he hadn’t come that hard since…the last time he’d come inside of her. He rolled off her and went to the bathroom to clean up. Then he brought back a warm bath cloth to clean her up as well. She didn’t protest since she was still panting and trying to regain her normal breathing pattern as well. Her eyes remained closed, but her lips moved as if she were saying a prayer. He leaned closer and heard what was coming from her mouth. She whispered “oh my God, oh my God,” over and over again. He grinned and dropped a kiss on her forehead before returning the cloth to the bathroom. “Come on, sleepyhead. Time to get up. We have a long trip ahead of us.” Morgan swatted the side of her ass with a gentle pop. “Hey. Don’t do that.” She slowly rolled over to the edge of the bed before pushing herself to a sitting position. “It’s nearly eight, and we still have to get something for breakfast before we head out,” Morgan said. “Fine. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” She disappeared into the bathroom for all of five minutes, then returned and began dressing. She repacked her clothes in her backpack and sat down on the edge of the bed to put her boots on. Morgan took them away from her and began putting them on for her. He wasn’t sure why he was doing all of this for her, but it felt good. Her murmured “thanks” made him feel even better.

 

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“What do you feel like for breakfast?” he asked. “I’m really not hungry,” she began. “Wrong answer. You’ve got to eat, so either pick something or I will.” He used his firmest voice. “I could probably manage some toast and jelly.” After breakfast, they headed out on the road to meet up with Morgan’s biker friends. He hoped there wouldn’t be any trouble with his bringing her with him. He hoped it would keep her safe, but if they caused a scene or wouldn’t take no for an answer as far as sharing went, then they would be out of there. He’d keep her safe on his own if he had to. Of course, he could trust Tyler to help him. Then there was Dodge. He would go to hell and back for you, and had. Dodge had lost part of his leg to shrapnel trying to save a kid. Dodge could be counted on. They stopped at a little town in Texas for a sandwich. He had to push Amanda to eat, but she finally ate a little over half of it. Her lack of an appetite worried him. His wife had morning sickness like most pregnant women did, but she never lost her appetite. Morgan really wanted to see about getting her to a doctor as soon as possible. If she didn’t start eating more, she was going to lose weight. That couldn’t be good for the baby or her. Around three that afternoon, they reached the outskirts of Riley, New Mexico. It was a little community on the edge of Albuquerque where the rest of the bikers would be waiting. He hadn’t talked to them in several days now. They wouldn’t know about Amanda. He only hoped it wouldn’t be an issue. Morgan pulled off the road at a little gas station to call and find out where they were all meeting. “Something wrong?” Amanda asked when he cut the engine. “No, going to call Andy and find out where everyone is meeting today.” “Oh, um, could I run to the bathroom while you’re calling him?”

 

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“Yeah, go ahead. Be careful.” He watched over his shoulder as she slid off the back of the bike and dumped the backpack on the ground next to the motorcycle. He pulled out his phone and dialed Andy’s number. “Yeah?” Andy’s voice came out muffled over the phone. “That you, Andy? It’s Morgan.” “Hey, you bastard. Where the hell are you? I expected you two days ago.” “Got tied up. Sorry. Has Tyler made it yet?” “Yeah, showed up yesterday. Said he left you at a truck stop back in Texas.” Andy’s voice grew stronger with less background noise. “Where are you?” Morgan asked. “Bar called The Ugly Duck. It’s on the south end of town, about a mile outside of the city limits,” Andy told him. “I’m bringing someone with me,” Morgan said. “She’s off-limits. Make sure everyone knows that.” “Like that, huh?” “She’s off-limits,” he repeated. “You know Rock ain’t going to like that.” “I’ll deal with Rock, or we’ll leave.” “I’ll tell him. You get your crazy ass on over here,” Andy said and hung up. Morgan pocketed his cell phone and looked back toward the service station. Amanda hadn’t reappeared yet. That bothered him. What was taking so long? She emerged from around the side of the building heading toward him. The bathroom must have been on the outside, he thought. When she grew closer, he noticed she looked as if she’d been crying. “Hell,” he said. “Did you catch up with your friends?” she asked as she picked up her backpack and put it back on. “Yeah, what’s wrong?” he asked. “Nothing, why?”

 

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“You’ve been crying,” he accused. “It’s just hormones. I can’t help it. Ignore me.” His lips thinned, but he didn’t say anything. He knew from experience if he pushed it she’d start crying again, but he didn’t buy it that she’d been crying for no reason. Something was bothering her, and he wanted to know what it was. He’d give her some time and then press her about it. “They’re at a bar called The Ugly Duck. It sounded rowdy over the phone, so stick close to me. You have any trouble, you bring it to me and let me take care of it. You can’t afford to get into a fight with anyone,” he told her. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan to get in a fight.” She smiled a tremulous smile. “Sometimes you don’t have to do anything to end up in a fight in a place like this.” She climbed on behind him and hugged up close to him. The feel of her breasts pressed against his back stirred more than his cock. He couldn’t afford to become attached to her. She would be having another man’s baby and leaving soon. All he was doing was protecting her against the baby’s father until she could get somewhere safe and have the baby, nothing more. Right, he thought to himself. That was going to happen.

 

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Chapter Eight Amanda climbed off the bike and removed her backpack. She unbuckled the helmet and handed it to Morgan as soon as he held out his hand. She couldn’t help but tremble at the sight of so many bikes surrounding them in the parking lot of the bar. She’d never been around bikers before, much less a gang of them. There had to be thirty or forty people inside that little building. She’d never be able to breathe, much less walk, without touching someone. The tiniest of fears began to build inside her gut. She couldn’t do this. There were too many people in there. “Whoa there,” Morgan said, catching her as she swayed. “What’s wrong?” “I don’t think I can go in there,” she said in a small voice. “Why not?” “It’s too small, and there are too many people inside.” “It will be okay. Just give it a try, and if you can’t handle it, we’ll leave and get a room for the night.” Morgan smoothed a lock of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. “I’ll try, but I don’t do well in tight places, and I’m already antsy,” she warned him. “Good enough. Let’s go. Remember, stay close to me.” “Don’t worry,” she murmured as they approached the building. Morgan pushed open the door and ushered her inside. He kept a hand on her waist at all times. She made sure that some part of her was touching him at all times. The inside of the building looked larger than it had on the outside. There was more room than she had first

 

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thought. Morgan pushed his way through the milling crowd to the back of the building, where several pool tables were being used. Twice, she felt a hand give her ass a quick squeeze, but she didn’t acknowledge it or say anything to Morgan. It wasn’t worth a fight. She’d been felt up before. It wouldn’t be the last time either. Instead, she concentrated on sticking close to him. “How are you doing down there?” he asked just before they got to the pool tables. “Fine.” She didn’t elaborate, as they were stopping in front of a table with two men and three women. She had a feeling they were the top dogs in the bunch—gang, whatever. “Rock, good to see you.” He bumped fists with a massive-looking man who had to weigh over three hundred pounds. “Ace, how you doing, man? Heard you were in a bad wreck last summer.” Morgan turned toward the other man at the table. He was thin and lanky, with long, stringy blond hair. He smiled, and she noticed two teeth missing, wonderful. “Doing okay. Got a couple of plates and screws in my body now, but nothing’s changed,” the man he’d called Ace said. “Who’s the bitch?” the one named Rock asked. “Mandy, meet Rock and Ace.” He put his arm around her and hugged her tight to him. “She’s mine. All mine.” “You know we don’t do exclusives, Morgan. What gives?” Ace asked. Morgan didn’t let go of her but wrapped his hands around her and placed one of them on her belly. “She’s pregnant.” No one said anything for a few minutes. Then Ace started laughing. A beat later, Rock joined in. Amanda didn’t dare say anything, but she wondered what was so funny. She didn’t have long to wait to find out. “Morgan, man. You’re supposed to wear a raincoat, man. Didn’t you learn anything in the army?” Rock asked.

 

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“Sometimes the gear springs a leak.” He shrugged. Ace shook his head. “Man, how you handling it after losing your wife and kid?” Everyone grew quiet. Amanda didn’t blink and didn’t look up at Morgan, afraid it would show that she didn’t know about there being a child. All he’d told her was that he was a widower. “I don’t dwell on it,” Morgan said quietly. Rock must have realized that it was still awkward because he changed the subject, sort of. “So, Mandy, where did you meet up with Morgan here?” “Truck stop.” She didn’t elaborate. Morgan could if he wanted to. “Tyler around?” Morgan asked. “Over in the corner with Bubblicious. You remember her, don’t you?” Ace asked. Morgan squeezed her arm slightly. She could tell he was fighting something. She didn’t have to be told twice that Bubblicious was someone he and Tyler had shared in the past. No doubt he was disappointed that there would be no sharing around her. Because she wouldn’t allow it. If he were going to fuck her, he wasn’t dipping his dick in anyone else at the same time. She’d tell him that, too. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to, though. Morgan steered her toward the back of the bar and a corner behind the pool tables. There in a booth sat the man she remembered from the truck stop with his arm around a buxom blonde bimbo who was almost sitting in his lap. “Hey Morgan. ’Bout time you showed up,” he said. Then he noticed Amanda, and his eyebrows rose. Morgan shook his head slightly, and Tyler shoved the bleached blonde off his lap. “How about getting us another round of beers?” he asked. “Yeah, sure. How long you need me to be gone?” she asked in a bored voice.

 

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Tyler looked at Morgan. Morgan smiled at her. “Give us about twenty minutes.” She shrugged and sauntered off, waving at everyone behind her with an ass that didn’t stop shaking. “Have a seat,” Tyler said, pulling his legs in so there would be room beneath the table. “Quick and dirty, Tyler,” Morgan said. “Is there any other way?” He leaned forward as they scooted into the booth across from him. Morgan pushed her in first so she was against the wall. “This is Amanda, to be known as Mandy here. She’s pregnant, and her ex-boyfriend is trying to make her have an abortion. She’s on the run, and I’m helping her. She’s my woman while we’re here,” he explained quickly. “No problem. I’m in. Want me as a second or just backup?” Amanda quickly looked up at Morgan. Morgan sighed and seemed to think long and hard about it. “Morgan?” she asked with a tremor in her voice. “Not like that, Amanda. Just for show to give you more cover,” Tyler said softly. “He’s got a good point, Amanda. With both of us, it will be harder for Guy to get to you, and it will soothe some ruffled feathers among the others,” Morgan explained. “Nothing is going to happen you don’t want to happen,” Tyler told her. “Tyler.” Morgan didn’t sound like he was okay with that. “Okay, so maybe you’ll let me watch sometime?” Tyler asked with a grin. “Is he always like this?” she asked. “Sometimes he’s worse.” Morgan squeezed her shoulder, then stretched out his arm along the back of the booth to rest across her shoulders.

 

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“Did I give you long enough?” Bubblicious was back with two drafts. “Sure did, Honey,” Tyler said. “Meet Mandy. Mandy, this is Honey.” “Hey there,” the other woman said with a suspicious look on her face. “Hi.” Amanda didn’t have a clue what to say to the other girl. In effect, she’d just taken her man away from her, and she didn’t even want him. “Um, bathroom?” she asked no one in particular. “Come on. I’ll take you. I gotta pee, too.” Honey stood up again and waited. Morgan looked at her, then nodded and scooted out to let her get out. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but she couldn’t wait around. Instead she grabbed Honey’s hand and tugged her. “Come on. I’m gonna wet my pants,” she told the other woman. Once they were away from the men, she let Honey lead her toward the bathrooms and inside, where there were three stalls—all in use. “You look like you really gotta go. I’ll let you take the first one that opens up,” Honey said. “Thanks.” Amanda wasn’t sure she was going to make it. This immediate need to pee was about to take its toll on her. She didn’t think that came until farther along in the pregnancy. The last stall opened up, and she hurried inside. Honey set herself up outside her stall and talked to her, much to her annoyance. “You’re going to take Tyler and Morgan away from me, ain’t you?” she complained. “Um, I’m with Morgan, and if he, uh, wants Tyler, then I guess I can’t say much, can I?” “Nope. They’re the boss,” she said matter-of-factly.

 

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“They won’t leave you behind, will they?” Amanda asked, feeling guilty now. “Naw, I’ll hook up with one of the other guys. I just prefer Tyler and Morgan. They know how to treat a woman. You know what I mean?” “Um, yeah. I do.” She opened the stall door and walked over to wash her hands. When she turned around, Honey was gone, and all the stalls were empty. Where had everyone gone? She checked each one to be sure, then shrugged and walked out of the bathroom to return to where Morgan was talking with Tyler. Honey was nowhere to be seen. Amanda had only made it a few steps from the restroom when a hand grabbed her upper arm and pulled her into a hard body that smelled like cigar smoke and stale beer. “Where you think you’re going there?” The owner of the voice bent down and sniffed of her neck. “You smell good enough to eat.” “Um, I belong to Morgan—and Tyler,” she added quickly, thinking two would surely dissuade him. She was wrong. “Seeing as you’re all alone over here, I don’t think so. I’m thinking you’re belonging to me now.” He bit her shoulder, and she yelped, trying to pull away from him. The man laughed and tried to shove a hand under her shirt to get to her breast. She stomped on his instep, but with boots on, it only pissed him off. He jerked her back and grabbed her jaw with his hand. “You better learn your place, bitch,” he said and leaned in to kiss her. She managed to scream out Morgan’s name before the other man’s mouth smeared across her lips. With how he had her jaw between his fingers, she couldn’t even bite him. She didn’t have to worry, though. Almost before it started, it was over with. Morgan grabbed her and pulled her away from the man as Tyler landed a blow to the man’s jaw.

 

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“Did you tell him who you belonged to?” Morgan asked her. “Yes. I told him I belonged to you and Tyler.” Morgan smiled and hugged her close to him. “She’s fair game if she’s by herself,” the other man said, holding his jaw where Tyler had hit him. “Not when she tells you she belongs to someone else,” Tyler said and popped him on the arm with his fist. “Bitch.” “Our bitch,” Morgan corrected him. “Don’t make me mad, Carl.” The other man shook out his arm and walked off toward the bar. Morgan turned her around to look at him. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, just shaken up is all.” Tyler put an arm around her and walked with them back to the booth. “Why didn’t you come back with Honey?” Morgan asked. “She left me. I figure she’s a little pissed because I took her men from her.” “Shit. Should have thought about that.” Tyler leaned back against the back of the booth. “You have a room yet?” Morgan asked Tyler. “Yeah, you ready to head back there?” Tyler asked. “When does Rock plan on heading into Cavern, New Mexico?” “He wants to ride through Albuquerque tomorrow and stop in at Lacey’s Bar, spend the night, then on to Cavern,” Tyler told him. “Yeah, let’s call it a night. Amanda is tired. I can tell.” “Amanda can talk,” she complained. “But she shouldn’t when she’s around the other bikers,” Morgan cautioned her. “Fine.” Tyler led them through the throng of bikers to the door. Once outside, Amanda felt like she could breathe again.

 

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“Amanda, I need you to ride with Tyler back to the room. We have to make it look like we really are sharing you.” Morgan gently pushed her toward Tyler. “I’ll be following right behind you.” Amanda opened her mouth to refuse, but saw the men standing outside the bar watching them. She plastered a fake smile on her face and turned and wrapped her arms around Tyler. He laid an arm around her shoulders and led her over to where his bike was parked. Just before she turned away, she thought she saw anger on Morgan’s face. Then it was gone as if it had never been there. And maybe it hadn’t. Tyler handed her a helmet and made sure she had it secure before he climbed onto the bike. He waited as she climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You okay back there?” “Yeah, just fine.” “We’ll be there before you know it,” he told her as he started the bike. “I’m not going to be shared, Tyler,” she told him as she leaned in. “I know.” He gunned the motor and pulled out of the parking lot. Amanda looked back over her shoulder and saw Morgan right behind them. She smiled and turned back around. It would be fine. He wasn’t going to leave her with Tyler.

 

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Chapter Nine Morgan had to fight to keep from jerking her back from Tyler when she wrapped her arms around his waist. She was only doing what he’d told her to do. Still, he didn’t like it. He didn’t know why he even had a right to care, but he didn’t want any other man’s hands on her. That included his best friend, Tyler. He hadn’t minded when Tyler danced with his wife before or hugged her. They’d never shared her, but it hadn’t bothered him for Tyler to touch her. Why did it bother him for Tyler to touch Amanda, who wasn’t his wife and was carrying some other man’s kid? He climbed onto his bike and made sure he was ready when Tyler pulled out. He adjusted Amanda’s backpack on his back and wondered how she was managing to ride with it pulling on her like it did. He needed to see about transferring some of her stuff to his saddlebags. She didn’t need so much pressure on her back. Tyler pulled into one of the better hotel chains and stopped outside one of the rooms. Morgan pulled up next to him and cut the engine before climbing off the bike. He immediately helped Amanda climb from behind Tyler. The other man got off the bike and pulled out a key card. He opened the door, and the three of them walked into the room with Tyler leading the way. The room had two queen-size beds, a couple of club chairs, a mini-fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker. “It’s clean and quiet. I picked the back side for that reason. As far as I can tell, we don’t have anyone on either side of us for at least three units either side,” Tyler told them.

 

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He pulled off his jacket and tossed it onto one of the chairs. He toed off his boots, then grabbed a beer out of the fridge. “So what’s the story?” he asked no one in particular. “Um, which bed is yours?” Amanda asked Tyler. “The one by the outside door,” he told her. “You need to rest?” Morgan asked, walking over to where she stood next to the other bed. “Yeah. I have a little bit of a headache. I think a nap would do me good.” “Come on, then. Let’s get you comfortable.” He sat her on the foot of the bed and pulled off her boots. When he unbuttoned her jeans, she balked. “What are you doing?” “You’ll rest better without all these clothes on,” Morgan insisted. “But he’s here?” she whispered. “He’s going to see you naked before it’s over with anyway, Amanda. We’re staying together.” He looked her in the eyes. “He isn’t going to touch you. I promise. Okay?” Amanda swallowed around a lump in her throat, but nodded her head. She was obviously uncomfortable with the idea, but Morgan wouldn’t let another man touch her if he could help it. Somewhere along the way he’d pledged to keep her safe, and he would do just that. She didn’t fight him when he removed all her clothes except her panties and pulled back the covers for her to climb into the bed. He covered her back up and kissed the top of her head. “Get some rest, baby.” She was asleep almost before he finished tucking the covers around her. The riding was wearing her out. Maybe they didn’t need to ride with Rock’s gang. Maybe they needed to ride just the three of them. He’d talk it over with Tyler and see what he thought. ****

 

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For the next hour, they tossed ideas back and forth trying to come up with the best plan to keep Amanda safe and get Guy, her ex, off her back. “I still think we need to find out if he’s still after her or not. Let him know where she is. Then move and see if he shows up.” “She saw his goons outside the truck stop where we split up.” “You’re really stuck on her, aren’t you?” Tyler asked. “She’s important to me, and I made a promise that I would keep her safe.” “I think it’s more than that. I think you’ve fallen for her,” Tyler insisted. “Bullshit,” Morgan growled and stood up to grab another beer from the fridge. “Whatever.” Tyler stood up and walked over to where Amanda lay sleeping. He stretched out on the bed and laced his fingers behind his head. Morgan saw red and was just about to grab the other man and tear him off the bed when it hit him. Tyler was playing him, showing him that he was interested in her in more than just a passing way. He growled and planted his hands on his hips, staring down at his best friend. “Okay, you’ve made your point. Now get up.” “You going to let me watch?” he asked. “That depends on her. I’m not making her do anything she doesn’t want to do.” “Fair enough.” Tyler rolled out of the bed and climbed onto the other one to stretch out. “Think I’ll take a quick nap myself.” Morgan pulled off his boots, as well as the rest of his clothes except his boxers, and climbed under the covers to pull Amanda up against him. She hummed in appreciation and cuddled against him without waking up. Would she have done that if it had been Tyler? She hadn’t opened her eyes. She couldn’t possibly know who it was, could she? Morgan thrust it all to the back of his mind and

 

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concentrated on her smell and the touch of her skin against his body. It wasn’t long before he was snoring along with Tyler. **** Amanda woke up to the sounds of snoring around her. She froze. Then she remembered that she was with Morgan and they were in Tyler’s room at the motel. She relaxed and checked her body for any signs of nausea. So far, she didn’t feel sick. That was good. She carefully extracted her body from Morgan’s arms and legs and rolled over to the edge of the bed. She needed the bathroom. She stood up and quietly picked her way across the room to the bathroom and closed and locked the door behind her. She trusted Morgan, but she didn’t know Tyler. A quick glance at her watch told her it was nearly eight at night. She’d slept a good two hours. She felt much better than she had before. She washed and dried her hands before opening the door again. She hadn’t quite made it back to the bed when Tyler propped up on his elbow and stared at her. She quickly covered her breasts and froze standing in the middle of the room. “I’m not going to bother you, Amanda,” he whispered. “I’d never hurt a woman, and I’d never cheat on a friend.” “I’m not used to strange men seeing me naked.” She bit her lower lip and eased closer to the bed where Morgan lay sleeping, seemingly oblivious to what was going on. “I can understand that. You’ve got a rocking body, though.” He smiled and lay back down, turning his back to her. Amanda sighed and briefly closed her eyes before climbing back into bed with Morgan. “You okay?” She jumped. “I thought you were asleep.” “I was until you got up.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and held it there.

 

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“Then you heard?” she asked. “Yeah. I would have stopped him if he had bothered you. But, Amanda, he won’t. He’s a good man. If anything happened to me, you could trust him to take care of you.” “Nothing is going to happen to you, though, right?” “Right.” He stretched and sat up. “Better get up and get something to eat. We did some talking after you fell asleep and need to make some decisions.” “Okay. I could probably eat,” she said with a grin. Morgan got up and dressed, then handed her clothes to her to put on. Tyler remained turned away as if sleeping, but she was sure he was aware of everything going on around him. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the man. He was an obvious flirt, but didn’t threaten her. She might actually like him despite his forwardness. Once she was fully dressed, Tyler got up and pulled on his boots. How he knew she was through dressing, she didn’t have a clue, but he hadn’t wasted time once her shirt was on. “There’s a steak house down the street that has good T-bones,” he suggested. “Sounds good to me. Amanda?” Morgan asked. “Do they have fish?” she asked. “Yep, fish, too.” Tyler winked at her. She blushed. She wasn’t used to men flirting with her. Guy had never let her around other men when they were dating. Of course now she knew why. She wasn’t who his parents had picked out for him to marry. They locked up the room, and this time Amanda rode with Morgan. She was far more comfortable holding on to him than Tyler. Besides, they felt different. Tyler was harder around his middle than Morgan, but Morgan’s chest appeared broader. She caught herself then comparing the two men and felt sick inside. She wasn’t dating either of them. She really couldn’t say that about Morgan since they had had sex, twice now.

 

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Guilt ate her up inside. She wasn’t a slut, yet she was comparing two different men, one she’d had sex with, all the time carrying another man’s baby. She leaned her face against Morgan’s back. He placed a hand on hers for a brief few seconds before returning it back to guiding the big bike. The steak house proved to be a huge place where it looked as if everyone and their grandma ate on Friday nights. Surely they would have to wait an hour or so before they would be able to get a table. She was wrong, though. In less than ten minutes, they were seated at a table near the center of the room. Both men waited while she settled at the table, then sat on either side of her. The waitress, though harried, seemed competent enough. She brought their drinks almost immediately and was back in seconds to take their orders. The men both ordered steak, and Amanda ordered fried catfish. She loved catfish, but also didn’t think she could handle a steak right now. The food turned out to be delicious, and both men got desserts and insisted on sharing with her. She had a little of Morgan’s chocolate pie and a taste of Tyler’s lemon meringue. Both were wonderful, but she was stuffed and couldn’t possibly have eaten one on her own. The men talked about mutual friends. Someone by the name of Dodge who had lost part of his leg and lived in Oklahoma seemed to be of major concern to them. “Were you headed there when you picked me up?” she asked Morgan. “Yeah.” “I feel badly that you put that off. Maybe you should just leave me here. I’ll be fine now that I’m nowhere near Memphis,” she began. Morgan cut her off. “No. Dodge is fine. We’ll be seeing him soon anyway. I’m not leaving you alone to face Guy. We’re going to figure this out and put a stop to his harassment,” Morgan insisted. “I agree with Morgan,” Tyler added. “You don’t need someone dogging your steps now, or after you have the baby.”

 

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Tears came to her eyes. She hated the fact that the least little thing could make her cry. Morgan noticed and shook his head. “Hormones,” he mouthed to Tyler as if she couldn’t see what he was doing. “Let’s get back to the room and decide what we are going to do,” Tyler suggested. They settled up the bill and left the tip on the table, then led her back outside, where she waited while they mounted the bikes before climbing on behind Morgan. The trip back to the motel took longer since they stopped off at a convenience store to load up on beer for them and milk and crackers for her. She was touched at Morgan’s thoughtfulness, but figured he really didn’t want to hear her throwing up again in the morning. God, she hoped she didn’t do that again. Once they were settled in back at the motel, Morgan set her up on the bed with pillows to support her, and they pulled the two chairs over next to the bed to talk. She wasn’t sure what they planned to do, but already she wasn’t sure she was going to be happy about it. “I’m not exactly happy with the idea of riding with Rock and his gang,” Morgan began. “Tyler agrees with me that they are going to stress you out a lot more than you already are. You don’t need any more of that right now.” “Then what are we going to do?” she asked, sitting forward. “I think we’ll ride with the gang for a few days, then break off and head to Stillwater,” Morgan told her “What do we do then?” she asked. “Lay low and hope that Dodge can dig something up to help you,” Tyler said. “What if he can’t? Then what?” she asked, beginning to panic. “Then we look at confronting him and explaining why he doesn’t want to bother you or your baby,” Morgan said. Amanda didn’t want to see Morgan, or Tyler, for that matter, get hurt. Guy would have no problem hurting them to get to her. What had she done getting them involved like this?

 

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“Easy, baby. Don’t get upset. Everything will be fine. I’m going to take care of you.” He leaned in to kiss her. The minute his mouth latched on to hers, she was lost. His kisses were lethal. She opened to him the second his tongue grazed over her lower lip. He plunged it inside and sucked hers back into his mouth. His lips and teeth devoured her. He pulled back just enough to nip at her chin, then spread kisses around her jaw, to her earlobe, where he sucked and nipped at it as well. Amanda groaned when he licked at her neck then bit her there. She’d be marked good when he finished with her, she was sure of it. His mouth took and took from her neck and shoulder as far over as her blouse would let him. Then his fingers were unbuttoning her blouse to give him more access to her body. She shivered as the cooler air touched her overheated skin. Before she knew it, her blouse was off and Morgan had the front closure on her bra undone. He reached down with his mouth and latched on to one of her nipples with his teeth. She moaned as he ran the tip of his tongue back and forth over it. His hand molded her other breast, pinching at her nipple with his fingers. He pulled back with his head and blew across her wet tip, sending shivers along her spine. She let out a shaky breath when he sucked on the other one. She’d honestly forgotten Tyler was there until she opened her eyes to stare straight into his. They were heavy-lidded. She glanced down and almost wished she hadn’t. He’d pulled out his cock and was stroking it slowly as he watched her. She wasn’t sure what to think or how to act. Morgan must have figured out what was going on because he leaned in and whispered in her ear. “He’s just going to watch. He won’t touch you, I swear. I don’t want anyone touching you but me.” He waited for her to tell him if it were okay or not. Amanda didn’t know what to do. Part of her was appalled that she would even consider it, while another part of her was already turned on even more. Was she a closet exhibitionist? She swallowed and

 

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reached up to pull his head down for another kiss. He relaxed into her arms, realizing she’d agreed in her own way. Morgan stood up and carried her back to the bed, where he laid her down, then began unfastening her jeans. He tugged them down to her ankles, then handed them to Tyler to pull the rest of the way off while she watched him. Morgan slowly slid her panties off and once again gave them to Tyler. She watched wide-eyed as he held them to his face and sniffed of them. He closed his eyes and moaned. Surely she should be scandalized, embarrassed by all of this, but she wasn’t. Instead she was hot and turned on knowing another man wanted her but couldn’t have her. Morgan climbed onto the bed, having removed his clothes while she watched Tyler stroking his long erection. Settling between her legs, he spread her pussy lips and swiped his tongue from top to bottom, causing her to raise her ass off the bed in an attempt to follow his tongue. God, it felt so damn good. He settled in to lick and suck her pussy lips until she was wild with need. He inserted two fingers into her cunt and unerringly found her G-spot, sending her riding high with just two strokes. He tongued her clit, then sucked on it, and without any warning, she screamed her orgasm. Morgan chuckled against her pussy lips, then licked his way upward until his thick cock bobbed at the entrance to her pussy. He bent over her and kissed her, and she tasted herself on his lips. “Fuck me, Morgan. Please. I need you inside me.” She couldn’t breathe evenly anymore. “I got you, baby. Just relax and let me take care of you.” He pulled her legs up over his arms and plunged inside of her. It took him two times to reach her womb, but he stopped short of bumping it. He filled her to overflowing, and she loved every bit of it. She wanted to taste him as he had tasted her, but she also wanted him to fill her full of his massive cock. Over and over again he pumped inside of her until she was bucking with him, trying to get more of him inside of her. She

 

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glanced over at where Tyler sat in the chair and found that he’d pulled his jeans and boxers off and sat with one leg over the arm of the chair with one hand pulling on his cock and the other squeezing his balls. He stared straight at where Morgan’s cock disappeared inside her pussy and pumped his own with his hand. She grew warm all over and soon felt that heat build between her legs. Her head moved from side to side as she reached for the elusive climax just beyond her reach. Morgan bent farther over her, bending her double and reached between them to find her clit. When he pinched her there, she screamed and bucked beneath him, throwing him off rhythm. She heard Tyler as if from a long ways away. “Fuck, yeah.” Morgan groaned and twisted inside of her as he came. His breath was hot and fast against her neck before he managed to pull back and out of her. He climbed further up the bed and lay against her, panting into the back of her neck. She fought to reclaim her breath as well. Dimly she was aware of Tyler walking to the bathroom. After what seemed like ages, he returned and handed Morgan a warm, wet bath cloth that he used to clean her of his seed between her legs. She should have felt dirty and ashamed for having had sex while another man watched, but she didn’t. Instead she felt empowered— sexy even. True to his word, Tyler had never physically touched her. By watching Morgan make love to her, he had shared in the emotional aspect, as well as the sexual part, without actually touching her. She felt odd, but good. Now that it was over, she even felt a little embarrassed and hid her face in the covers while Morgan cleaned her up. She fell asleep before he was even finished.

 

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Chapter Ten “Fuck, Morgan. She’s freaking hot,” Tyler said in a whisper as Morgan pulled on his boxers. “She’s special, Tyler.” He walked over and retrieved a beer from the fridge. “I can get that. I can’t help but wish you would share her, though. She got off on being watched.” “I’m not sharing her, Tyler. End of subject.” “Got it.” Tyler held up both his hands. “You’re right, though, she did enjoy you watching us.” Morgan took a long swig of his beer and turned to watch her sleep. He worried he’d been too rough on her. He’d never worried that much about his wife when she’d been pregnant, but then she told him when to back off. He wasn’t sure Amanda would. He needed to be careful of her until after she’d had the baby. He stilled. He was thinking as if he’d be around then. “What is it, man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Tyler watched him closely. “Nothing, just thinking too much.” He shook it off and dragged the chair back over in front of the TV. Tyler did the same thing, and they discussed the route to take from Cavern, New Mexico, to Stillwater, Oklahoma. “We can make it in three days,” Tyler said, “but it would be pretty hard on Amanda.” “Yeah, I think we need to divide it into four days. Once we reach Stillwater, we’ll get a hotel room.” Morgan drained the rest of his beer.

 

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“We need to wear full gear so we’ll stick out to the people as bikers,” Tyler suggested. “What color is her natural hair color?” Tyler asked. Morgan frowned, but sighed and answered, “Her hair is a fiery red, and she’s got a temper to go with it.” “Serves you right then.” He chuckled. “Why do you say that?” Morgan asked “Because you were such a headache in the army.” Tyler ducked when Morgan threw his empty beer can at him. “Shhh, man. You’re going to wake her up.” “Seriously, I don’t like her being close to the Guy fellow. I think he had her brainwashed as well.” Morgan ran a hand over his face. “You know I’ve got your back, and I’ll watch out for her just like she’s mine,” Tyler assured him. “I know. I know.” They finally called it a night around midnight and crawled into bed. Morgan eased Amanda back into his arms and prayed they were making the right decision on riding with the gang even two or three days. Once they got to Stillwater, he prayed they could come up with something to get Guy off her back. Something had to be done, though. She couldn’t run for the rest of her life. He refused to even think of it. Early the next morning, he slipped out of bed and opened up the cracker box they’d bought the night before. He gently woke Amanda up and had her chew on the crackers. She balked at first, but finally ate two of them and then went back to sleep. He hoped that would help her this morning. He couldn’t stand to see her sick. He climbed back into bed and curled up around her. An hour or so later, he heard Tyler get into the shower. Once his friend was out, they needed to get up and get ready to leave. As it turned out, Amanda woke up before Tyler had gotten out of the shower and stretched. Morgan grunted when she accidently elbowed him in the gut. “Sorry.” She smiled and leaned over and kissed his cheek.

 

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Tyler opened the bathroom door and came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was still wet, and he didn’t look all that refreshed. He wondered why his friend hadn’t slept well. “Come on, Morgan. Let’s shower together. It will save time.” Tyler laughed. “Right.” Morgan stretched and climbed out of the bed, shoving Amanda on into the bathroom. He relieved himself, and Amanda turned all shades of red as she adjusted the water and climbed into the shower. He’d have to remember she was easily embarrassed and not used to sharing everything. He got into the shower behind her and pulled her back into his arms to kiss her neck and shoulder. “None of that. We’re on a schedule here.” Amanda grabbed a cloth. “Since when?” “Since we are riding with the gang. Get soaped up.” She washed her face, then soaped her cloth and bathed. As soon as he was finished, he started to get out, but she grabbed him by the cock, and where his cock went, he went. “I’m not finished with you yet,” she complained. Before he knew what she was going to do, she went to her knees and encircled his cock with her hands and squeezed. He moaned and held her head as she leaned forward and licked over the mushroom head. She ran her tongue all around the underside of the cap and then dove inside the slit with the tip of her tongue. He came up on his tiptoes then. Suddenly, she swallowed him as far as she could take him. She swallowed around him, and he nearly came right then and there. Fuck, she was good. He held her head and began slowly pumping his cock in and out of her hot, wet mouth. She let just the edges of her teeth graze him, and he loved it. He trusted her not to hurt him, and that made it all the better.

 

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One eager hand cupped his balls and manipulated them until he felt them boiling with cum. Her other hand circled around the base of him as much as her small hand could handle. She pumped him as her mouth came down on him, and her other hand gently squeezed and cupped his balls. She brought her mouth up and licked the slit and the pre-cum, humming around him her approval. Then she shoved down his shaft with her mouth and swallowed, squeezing his balls at the same time. He shot off like a bottle rocket and filled her mouth with his cum. “Fuck! Your mouth is so hot, baby.” He leaned against the back of the shower with one hand, trying to catch his breath. Amanda stood up and rinsed off again. “I’ll just let you rest while I get dried off.” “If you’ll give me a second, baby, I’ll dry you.” “I’ve got it. You catch your breath.” She giggled and stepped out of the shower. He heard the sink and knew she was brushing her teeth. The thought of going down on her with a mouth freshly brushed with toothpaste settled in his mind. He bet that would wake her up for sure. He’d try that sometime, sometime when he wasn’t panting like an old man. There was a knock at the door. He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower just as Amanda opened the door. “Hey you two, we’ve got company. Rock, Ace, and Tater are here,” Tyler said, leaning against the doorway. “Hell, what do they want?” Morgan asked, wrapping a towel around himself. “Don’t know, but they look pretty pissed about something.” “Shit, something’s wrong then.” “What do we do?” Amanda asked, clutching the towel to her chest. “Get dressed really fast,” Morgan said.

 

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Tyler moved out of the way and stood against the outside door in case they decided to try to get in. As soon as Amanda was dressed decently, Morgan nodded at Tyler to let them in. He still didn’t have his shirt on and was barefoot, but would use it to his advantage. “Okay, she’s decent,” Tyler said and stood back as the three men walked in. “What’s going on, guys?” Morgan asked, standing in front of Amanda. “Seems we have a little information you might not know about,” Rock said. “What kind of information would we be interested in?” Morgan asked. “Seems like that little lady of yours is wanted by some important people out in Memphis,” Ace said. “And this means something to me why?” “’Cause they’re offering a good deal of money. That means trouble,” Rock told him. “How much money?” Morgan asked. “Ten thousand dollars for her whereabouts, or if she’s brought in,” Ace said. Tyler stepped closer to block Amanda from the three men’s view. Morgan knew why they had brought Tater. He was their enforcer, mostly because he was a big son of a bitch. He weighed over three hundred pounds, and a lot of it was muscle. He stood over six feet five inches as well. A lot of people would just give in at a look from him, but not him or Tyler. They knew he was usually more of a bluff than anything. “Since we just got up and still haven’t had our coffee or breakfast, maybe we can discuss this later.” Morgan crossed his arms and glared at Rock. “I don’t much appreciate being dragged out of my shower.” “Yeah, well, I don’t much like being left in the dark about something that important.”

 

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“I didn’t think it would be a problem. Half the gang’s been wanted for one problem or another. We’ve always dealt with it,” Morgan said. “Yeah, well, she isn’t officially part of the gang, now is she?” Rock asked. “She belongs to us. She’s with us, so she’s with the gang. That’s always been the rules.” “Yeah, but she’s got a bounty on her head. That brings attention to us. I’m not sure I want that kind of attention.” Rock crossed his arms and looked toward Amanda. Tyler closed in to Morgan to block his view of her. Morgan needed to get her out of there and fast. “We only plan to ride with you as far as Cavern, New Mexico, anyway. Then we’ll break off and go our own way.” Morgan was glad Tyler was with him. “Fair enough. We can handle a few days.” “We’ll meet you after breakfast,” Morgan told him. He felt Amanda’s hands begin to tremble against his back. “I’ll be waiting on you. Be sure you don’t piss me off.” Rock frowned at him, but turned and left. The other two men followed. Tyler hurried over and slammed the door, locking it with all the locks before leaning back against it and closing his eyes. “What in the hell do we do now?” Tyler demanded. “We ride with them as far as Cavern.” Morgan pulled Amanda around in front of him and held her tight against his chest. “Don’t worry, baby. They won’t turn you over. They don’t want any part of it.” “We need to keep a close watch on them anyway. If something seems fishy, we hightail it out of there,” Tyler suggested. “You’re probably right.” He ran one hand over his face. “Amanda needs something to eat, so we’ve got to eat first. Then we head out.” Morgan began packing up his things.

 

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Amanda followed suit and soon had her things stuffed back in her backpack. Tyler was ready as soon as they were. “If they found out about the bounty, someone is out there spreading the word,” Tyler pointed out. “I know. We also don’t know if it’s still those two she knows about or if he has more people out looking for her now. I’m going to even up the odds, though,” Morgan said. “How is that?” Tyler asked. “We’ve still got friends out there. I’m going to call on some help.” “Aw, hell. Not the twins.” Tyler huffed out a breath. “They’re crazy.” “Just what we need right now.” Morgan made several phone calls while Amanda sat on the edge of the bed rocking. Tyler placed a comforting hand on her shoulder a couple of times. Morgan was glad he was there. The first call he placed was to Dodge. They needed some computer information, and he was just the dude to hook them up. He wanted to know how deep Guy’s pockets were and if there was some way to jam up his finances for a while. He also wanted to be sure Dodge didn’t care if they brought trouble to his door if it came to that. “Bring it on, Morgan. Bring it on.” Next he called Jethro and Justin Wells. Jethro answered on the third ring and was instantly on board. The brothers were crazy enough to do anything that meant action. It didn’t matter that they still worked for the government on a part-time basis. They would always come to the aid of a comrade. “Reinforcements will meet us at Satarcia tomorrow afternoon,” Morgan said. “Now, let’s go eat breakfast.”

 

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Chapter Eleven Amanda trembled the entire ride to the Waffle House. She noticed there were a lot of bikers on the road and at the restaurant. She had no idea if any or all of them were Rock’s people or not, but she trusted that Morgan and Tyler would know. Once inside, she forced as much of her breakfast down as she could. Morgan kept on her about needing the energy for the upcoming days. She was afraid she would be sick again if she ate much more. “I can’t eat any more. I’m sorry. I just can’t!” “Don’t push her so hard, Morgan. She’s under a lot of stress right now,” Tyler said. “Sorry, baby. I’m just worried about you,” Morgan told her. They climbed back onto the bikes after breakfast and took a leisurely ride around the town. Amanda knew they were trying to determine if anyone was following them, but it was really beginning to get to her. She just wanted to head out of town at top speed and not stop until they got to the Mexican border or up north to the Canadian border. She was all for running at this point. Once they hooked up with Rock and the gang and took to the interstate, Amanda felt better. They were heading away from Memphis, and the goons wouldn’t know where she was, at least for a little while. The gang stopped at several small towns along the way, and Morgan urged Amanda to walk around each time. She clung to the hope that they could avoid Guy and his goons somehow, but realistically, she knew that wasn’t possible.

 

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They rode through Albuquerque and on to a little town about two hours on the other side of the big city. The gang stopped for the night with the plans to go on to Lacey’s Bar. They would head on to Cavern the next day. They had gotten behind since Amanda had to stop to go to the bathroom just outside of the little town. There had been no way she would have made it till they stopped. The town only boasted one motel, and the gang already had their rooms. The little mom-and-pop motel only had a king-size bed available. Right then, she didn’t much care. The gang went on to the bar, but Tyler and Morgan planned to head to bed early. They would need all their strength and to be at the top of their game tomorrow when they headed into Cavern, where the rally ride would start. They told her there would be hundreds of people there, along with several of the larger gangs. Morgan told her they couldn’t trust they wouldn’t take the money and turn her over to them, so she had to stay close to them. “We’ll break off once they head for California and ride to Stillwater,” he told her. The men stayed up talking, but Amanda couldn’t keep her eyes open despite believing she’d never get to sleep with everything going on. Exhaustion won out, and she was asleep in mere minutes of her head touching the pillow. **** “Outside,” Morgan mouthed to Tyler when the other man walked out of the bathroom at six the next morning. Morgan finished pulling on his pants and zipped them. He joined Tyler outside, where he gently closed the door so as not to wake Amanda. The other man looked like he had slept about as much as he had, which wasn’t much. Thank goodness Amanda was sleeping. She needed all the rest she could get.

 

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“What’s the plan for today?” Tyler asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Ride with the gang as far as the California border, then head to Stillwater. We touch base with the twins around dinner and meet them at the border once we get there. I’m going to call Dodge again and see if he’s managed to get us anything,” Morgan told him. “Man, this is fucked up. You know that, don’t you? Seems like all we should have to do is go to the police and that will be that.” “Yeah, and that’s what I thought at first, but he’ll sue her for custody of the child. She has nothing, and he’s rich and has family. She’s totally by herself. If he has the judge in his pocket, he’ll get custody, and she’ll lose her baby. If he wanted the child, I would be more along the lines of her giving him some custody time, but he wants to kill the baby before it’s even born.” Morgan huffed out a breath. “Hell, I don’t know what the best course of action should be, but I do know he isn’t getting his hands on Amanda.” “I’m with you on it,” Tyler said. “I just can’t get why it has to be so damn complicated.” “Because you have money in the mix.” Morgan paced in front of the closed motel room door. “I’ll feel better once we have Jethro and Justin with us.” “I’d feel better with the entire gang with us. You know Jethro and Justin better than I do. Are they as crazy as Riley says they are?” Tyler asked. Riley was one of their old army buddies. He and Tyler had helped protect his fiancée when she’d had a stalker several weeks back. “Worse.” “Fuck. It’ll be a damn war before it’s over with if there are really more than those two goons you mentioned getting in on the money.” “Yeah, well, they don’t know what they’re getting into.” Morgan stopped outside the door and listened, but heard nothing to make him think Amanda was awake. “So, wake her up or what?” Tyler asked.

 

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Morgan could tell he was antsy to get back on the road. He was too, but he knew she needed her rest. He could remember from when his wife was pregnant “She needs her sleep, man. Give her another thirty, forty minutes, and I’ll wake her up. I know we need to get going, but she’s about had it, and that’s not good for her or the baby.” Tyler nodded his head toward the motel office. “I’m going to go find out where the nearest place will be to get something for breakfast.” “Good idea.” Morgan turned back toward the door and inserted the key card in the lock. He hoped it wouldn’t wake Amanda up. As it happened, she was still sound asleep, curled up around her stomach with her hand across her belly as if protecting the baby inside. She looked so peaceful until you looked closer and saw the dark circles under her eyes. It wasn’t right that she should be on the run for her baby’s life. It was like some sci-fi movie about the future and population control. For some reason, it mattered to him that she be happy, not just that she live and her baby live, but that she be happy. She rolled over, and the cover exposed her slightly rounded abdomen and bra-encased breasts. She didn’t look comfortable in her bra. She probably needed a larger one now. Thinking about her breasts had his cock paying attention. He groaned, then turned around when Tyler walked in. Morgan quickly strode over to the bed and pulled the cover back over her chest and caught Tyler staring at him with a grin. “Who gets the shower first? Me or you?” “Me. Keep your hands to yourself.” Tyler’s eyes turned serious. “You know I’d never poach on someone else’s property, man.” “Hell, yeah, I know. But she’s not mine either.” He grabbed his pack and quietly closed the door behind him. What the hell was happening to him? He’d snapped at his best friend over a woman. They’d shared women so often in the past, he

 

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couldn’t remember the last time they hadn’t shared, except when he’d been on his own these last few months. What was different now? The fact that he’d promised Amanda that Tyler wouldn’t touch her shocked him. It shocked him even more that he meant it. Morgan grabbed his shirt over his shoulders and dragged it off over his head. Then he stripped out of his jeans and boxers before turning on the shower. He stepped into the barely there spray even before it turned warm in hopes it would ease his erection, but no dice. He couldn’t ride with a hard-on all day. He’d have to take matters into his own hands. Morgan let the water flow over his head and down his back as he soaped up the bath cloth and made quick work of scrubbing the road grime off his body. When he was clean and relaxed as much as possible, he wrapped his hand around his hard cock and stroked slow and tightly as he thought about how it had felt to have Amanda’s hot mouth around his cock. He imagined her there now, on her knees in front of him, playing with his balls. He reached with his other hand between his legs and manipulated his balls as he pulled harder on his rigid cock. He wanted to taste her, though, and hadn’t been able to do that the last time she’d sucked him off. The way she’d swallowed him down had his balls constricting as he fought to maintain control of his strokes. He rubbed the pre-cum over the mushroom head of his cock and twisted on the downstroke as he felt the beginnings of his climax attack his balls. Amanda would stick her tongue inside the slit and then run it around the underside of his cock while he held her head still. He would stroke in and out of her hot, wet mouth as she tasted him and sucked on him. Faster and faster, he began to stroke, pulling hard as he imagined her deep-throating him as he held her by the hair. Just as his balls erupted, she would swallow him and take him all, every drop he could pump into her throat as she milked him dry. Morgan erupted with a muffled shout and shooting cum against the back of the shower stall

 

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wall. He leaned one arm against it as he slowly stroked himself down. As good as it was, it didn’t nearly come close to the real thing. Fuck. **** Amanda slowly awoke to a quiet room. She was sure she’d heard voices earlier. She listened closer without opening her eyes and realized she could hear the shower in the bathroom. Then she heard the scrape of a boot on the floor, and her eyes flew open. The morning sun streamed around the drapes where they didn’t quite meet in the middle. Light illuminated from the TV. Tyler sat with one leg over the arm of the little love seat, switching TV channels with the sound turned off. They were there. They hadn’t left her alone. She relaxed. Nausea rolled around in the pit of her stomach, but she refused to be sick. Amanda reached across the bed for the crackers Morgan had thought to leave by the bed and took one. She nibbled on it until she felt a little better. “You can turn the sound on now if you want to,” she said. He smiled and turned up the volume. “How are you feeling?” “A little sick, but I’ll be okay. What time is it?” She looked around, but didn’t see a clock. Tyler looked at his watch and grimaced. “Still early by my standards. It’s a little after eight.” “Morgan in the shower?” “Yeah, but I’m sure he’d be happy for you to join him.” Amanda’s face grew warm, and she ducked her head to rest her chin on her knees. Tyler chuckled and went back to switching channels. Amanda debated on how to get out of bed without flashing Tyler. Then she nearly laughed out loud. She’d slept with him like that last night. She’d had sex with Morgan in the same room as Tyler the other night. Why was she worried about him seeing her in her bra and panties?

 

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They were probably more decent than most of the bikinis were nowadays. She didn’t wear thongs. The sound of the shower cutting off saved her from getting out of bed. She’d wait until he came out, then run inside and close the door. She gauged the position of her pack as it lay next to the bed and the pathway to the bathroom door and figured she could make it past Tyler with the barest of shows. Nearly five minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and Morgan stepped out in jeans and socks, but bare-chested. The sprinkle of dark hair from his chest down to the waistband of his jeans, where he hadn’t bothered to button them, drew her eyes. Her face, once again, grew warm with embarrassment. She was really being silly. She’d not only slept with him, but she’d had sex with him in front of Tyler— and enjoyed it. She had to get control of her hormones. They were acting crazy. It had to be the pregnancy. “Morning. Glad to see you awake. Thought we were going to have to go get breakfast without you,” Morgan teased. Her stomach growled, and they all laughed, breaking the tension. “I’m going to grab a quick shower and be right back out.” She slipped from the bed, holding the sheets till the last possible moment, then grabbed her pack and escaped into the bathroom. It smelled of Morgan. She wasn’t sure if it were the soap he used, his aftershave, or if it were just him, but it smelled like him. She drew him deep into her lungs and smiled, then frowned. She had to get over him. Once this was all over with, he would be gone. She’d be alone again, but with a baby to take care of. A little heart-racing fear took over for a few minutes before she managed to regain control. No use in getting scared now. It was a done deal. She had to live with it. Amanda made short work of taking a shower and drying off. She had a little trouble getting into her bra. She realized her breasts were much bigger now. She needed a bigger size. When could she manage to get a bigger bra? They were running from Guy. She wiped her eyes as tears began to seep from them. She didn’t have time to cry. The

 

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boys were hungry, and she needed to eat, too. The cracker had settled her stomach. Her jeans hung on her despite her bra shrinking and her stomach having a little rounded area now. It didn’t poke out so much as feel firmer. She ran her hand over her stomach, then cupped her breasts through her bra. They felt heavier too. Yeah, she had to figure out some way to get another bra. She pulled on a T-shirt and grimaced, and maybe a couple of tops as well. This one clung to her major assets a little too tightly for her peace of mind. When she walked out of the bathroom a little while later, Tyler took one look at her and groaned. “I’m taking my shower now. If you can’t wait to go eat, go right ahead. I’ll follow when I finish.” Morgan’s eyes missed nothing about her. He walked over and ran a finger across one nipple through her clothes. “Looks like you need a size bigger,” he said. “Yeah.” She sighed and plopped down on the messy bed. “If you don’t mind, I need to stop somewhere and pick up a few things once we get to a large enough town.” “No problem. Cavern is big enough to buy a few things.” Morgan leaned in and kissed the side of her mouth. “You smell delicious. Are you hungry?” The switch in topics confused her for a second. “Um, not really. I was a little sick-feeling when I woke up. Thanks for leaving the crackers out for me. They helped.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a few seconds before letting her go and packing up his things. “Soon as you get your pack ready, we’ll head on over to the diner Tyler was talking about. He can meet us there once he’s ready.” “Are you sure? I hate to leave him like that. It seems, I don’t know…mean.” Morgan grinned at her. “Believe me, he’d be happier knowing we left him here to shower—alone.”

 

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Amanda suddenly got it and turned around fast to start stuffing things into her pack. She heard Morgan’s soft chuckle and wanted to kick him in the shins. Tyler’s problem could be from someone he was thinking about and not her. Really, it could. She wished she didn’t turn red so easily. It was her curse for being redheaded and fairskinned. “Ready?” Morgan asked. “Yeah, I’m ready.” She pasted a big smile on and turned around. Morgan stood directly behind her and had to grab her to keep her from losing her balance. “Easy there. Don’t fall.” He leaned in and kissed her. His lips sipped softly from hers. Then his tongue traced the crease of where her lips met until she opened them. He dove inside and sparred with her tongue until they both were breathless. “We’d better go if we’re going to go,” he said. She couldn’t say anything, so she nodded her head. He turned her toward the door and gently pushed her forward, but not before she noticed he had to adjust his cock in his jeans before he buttoned the top button. With a knowing grin, Amanda took the helmet from him and strapped it on while Morgan mounted the bike. She climbed on after him. He gunned the motor, but eased out of the parking lot and headed toward the diner.

 

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Chapter Twelve It wasn’t exactly a greasy spoon, she decided, but close. Still, the food smelled good if nothing else. They chose a booth in the back, and Morgan sat next to her, leaving the opposite side for Tyler when he showed up. They had barely picked up the menus when the waitress, a fiftysomething, round woman, came up with a coffeepot to fill up their cups. Amanda put her hand over her cup. “None for me. I’ll take milk and orange juice, please.” “Ready to order then, or do you need a few?” she asked. “Give us a few minutes.” “See anything appetizing?” he asked. “I’ll get toast and eggs again.” The waitress returned to take their orders. She took Amanda’s first. “Okay, what about you?” She turned to Morgan. He ordered the Rancher’s Breakfast off the menu and laughed when Amanda rolled her eyes at him. “Hey, I’m a growing boy.” “Growing hair on your ass, you mean.” Tyler walked up and slid in across the booth from them. He grinned at the waitress, who just shook her head. “What about you? Want coffee?” she asked. “Yeah, coffee and whatever he’s having sounds good.” She turned and hollered out the order as she walked back to the counter.

 

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“I checked out of the room so we can hit the road after this,” Tyler told them. “Good. We need to stop at a store before we have to meet up with the gang,” Morgan said. “What do you need?” “Amanda needs a larger bra and some tops,” Morgan told him. “Morgan!” Amanda couldn’t believe he’d said that out loud to Tyler. “Sorry, babe. I’m used to sharing everything with Tyler.” “Yeah, I know,” she groused. They discussed routes and other things that Amanda tuned out as she thought about how to get Guy off her back. Would he keep coming after her even after she was too far along to abort the baby? Would he try to kill her? Would he go that far? She was almost certain he would since he had tried to force the abortion on her. What was another life in the equation? The more she turned it around in her head, the worse she felt. Maybe there was no way out except to go to Canada or Mexico. They finished their meal. Amanda needed the bathroom again. “I’m going to the bathroom before we leave.” She waited for Morgan to get up so she could slide out. “Don’t be gone too long. We need to get on the road,” Morgan warned her. “I’m not going to be putting on makeup,” she said sarcastically. She knew they would start talking about her and the mess she’d landed them in the minute she left, but it couldn’t be helped. Her bladder was slowly getting smaller, she decided. After finishing, she hurried back to find them deep in conversation. “I’m ready,” she said. “Good, we’re going to stop at a store to pick up some clothes for you,” Morgan said. “I want to call Dodge first, though, see what he’s been able to find out.”

 

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They stood outside by the bikes while Morgan put the call in to Dodge. Amanda couldn’t hear what Morgan was saying since he walked off a ways from the bikes. Whatever he learned wasn’t good. He came back with a frown. “Okay, let’s go.” He looked pointedly at Tyler before he climbed onto the bike. Amanda climbed on behind him and looked over where Tyler was shaking his head as he mounted his bike. Something wasn’t going as planned. She felt her belly began to roll. **** Morgan led them to the edge of town where everyone was gathering. He noticed that there were several more gangs joining up with theirs. He didn’t like it. Someone might recognize Amanda and make a grab for her. He weighed the pros and the cons of sticking with the gang and decided they would risk it, but keep a close watch on her. He could easily keep her away from the other gang members. He hoped. “Looks like we have company,” Tyler said when he pulled off the road next to Morgan. “Yep. Looks that way. I don’t want Amanda near anyone we don’t know,” he said. “Not a problem. How big a chance is there that one of those gangs knows about the reward for Amanda?” Tyler asked. “Greater than I like. That’s for damn sure.” Morgan huffed out a breath. “Amanda, slide off, baby, and get on with Tyler. I want to feel out the others and see what they might know.” Morgan waited as she climbed off the bike and climbed on back of Tyler’s. “Stick close to our guys and keep someone between you and any outside gang member,” Morgan said.

 

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“Got you.” Tyler pulled off with Amanda on back to slide in between several of the other bikers in their group. Amanda leaned forward and kept her head down. Morgan smiled. She knew what to do. He concentrated on listening in to the gossip around him. Most of what he learned was that some of the gangs were doing some drug running here and there. There were some petty turf disagreements in the larger gangs, but nothing that would cause any trouble for them, he didn’t think. It wasn’t until he drove close to The Skulls that he heard anything about a woman someone was looking for. They were determined to grab her and turn her in for the money. “Word has it that the dude don’t care if we rough her up a bit either. She looks pretty good to me. I think I’d like a piece of her,” one of the gang members said. “Man, you want a piece of anything that moves,” another one said. “So, what do we do? Split up and start checking truck stops? It’s where they spotted her last time,” another one spoke up. “You’ve all seen the picture of her. She should be easy to spot with all that red hair and those blue eyes. I say after this run to the border, we turn around and head toward Memphis and check every truck stop and diner on the way. She has to have eaten somewhere, and someone had to have seen her at some point.” The first guy appeared to be the leader. Morgan moved on before they got suspicious of him. He would have to make sure they kept her away from The Skulls at all times. She’d need to wear her sunglasses all the time. Hell, things were getting even more complicated by the minute. Not only did they have Guy’s goons on their tails, they had every lowlife in the States looking to make a buck coming after her. Shit. It looked like everyone was beginning to mount up to ride out. Evidently everyone who’d indicated they were coming had arrived.

 

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He maneuvered his bike through the throng until he could ride up next to Tyler and Amanda. “Baby, stick with Tyler until the next stop. Then you can hop on over here with me,” he told her. She nodded, but didn’t look happy about it. He smiled at her, hoping to gain one in return, but she only nodded and dropped her head back down. “Baby, don’t take your sunglasses off around anyone but me and Tyler, okay?” She nodded, but didn’t look back over at him. She wasn’t happy about riding with Tyler. That’s okay. He wasn’t too happy about it either. He didn’t like her touching Tyler, much less hugging him. He knew only too well how she felt pressed up against his back. Now she was pressed against Tyler’s back. The bikes ahead of them took off two at a time, entering the road in a cloud of dust. Morgan was glad that Amanda didn’t have to breathe in the dust as long as she kept her face pressed against Tyler’s back. It should be his back, but they had to keep her safe. Tyler would do that. He’d have her back at the next stop. He needed to keep that in mind so he didn’t light into Tyler for no reason. His friend was doing what he asked him to do, nothing more. They rode for a good three hours before the lead bikes decided to stop at a truck stop for some reason. Someone probably had to take a leak. A lot of the guys in the lead group were older dudes and probably had bladder problems. He laughed. That would be him in a few years, he expected. As soon as they pulled into the parking lot, Morgan edged Tyler a little deeper into the middle of the guys they were with. He slipped off the bike and walked around to help Amanda down. Once Tyler had climbed off, he leaned in to talk to Tyler. Amanda wrapped her arms around Morgan and kept her head down. “Don’t call her by her name anymore. She’s ‘baby’ to us. I don’t think it’s a good idea to even use ‘Mandy’ around any of these guys.

 

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Most of all, we need to avoid being anywhere around The Skulls. They’re actively looking,” Morgan told them. “Fuck. That’s all we need,” Tyler fussed. “Uh, guys, I really need to use the bathroom while we’re here.” Amanda spoke up. “We’ll take you in, baby. Remember, don’t take your shades off for any reason. Even in the bathroom.” She nodded and shifted from one leg to the other. Morgan smiled. She really had to go. He felt for her. “Tyler, keep close to her.” Morgan put his arm around her waist. They walked into the truck stop and headed for the bathrooms. They both stood guard outside the women’s restroom while she went inside. After about ten minutes, Morgan started to get worried, but she finally came out. “Sorry,” she whispered. “There was a line. I had to wait for a while.” “No problem, baby. How about something to drink?” Morgan steered them toward the back of the store to where the coolers were. Amanda chose a juice and a bottled water. After they paid, they stood outside by their bikes drinking. When she finished her juice, Amanda sipped on the water until the other bikers started climbing back onto their bikes. “I’ll store the rest of your water in my saddlebag,” Tyler said and took the water from her. About the time he opened the side, a bike rode close to them, looking Amanda over good. To her credit, she managed to casually pick up her helmet and put it on, taking her time to fasten the chinstrap. Tyler jumped onto his bike. Morgan climbed on and waited for Amanda to do the same. He watched the man ride away. The back of his jacket sported a skull. “Do you think he suspects me?” Amanda asked as soon as he’d driven off.

 

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“I don’t think so, baby. He’s trolling, but you don’t look like your picture anymore, with your clothes and brown hair. As long as he doesn’t see your eyes, we’re okay.” “Maybe we can get a pair of those contacts that will change the color of my eyes,” she said as they drove off. “If we had time to look for a place, I’d say that’s a good idea, but we need to keep moving for now,” he told her. They rode for another four hours and stopped in a little town about six hours from the border of California and Nevada. He would need to call the twins and let them know when they would get to the meeting point. For now, they would lay low. Most of the gangs would hit a bar either there or in a bordering town close by. “Want me to grab the room?” Tyler asked. “Yeah, we’ll stick with the bikes until you get back,” Morgan said. Tyler strode into the office to wait in line behind several other bikers wanting rooms. Some of the gangs would set up camp in the vacant field beside the hotel. More than likely they would be doing that if they were going to follow the rally back around to Florida. Instead, they would grab hotel rooms all the way to Stillwater. Amanda wasn’t used to sleeping outdoors. She’d never rest, and the hard ground would be hell on her soft body. He groaned as her soft body pressed against his. He was more than ready for some relief after having ridden with a hard-on for the majority of the day. He suspected that she felt the same way by how she kept scratching his thighs until they drew closer to other members of their entourage. She was shy, but she was wild in bed. **** Tyler returned with a key card and a pained expression on his face. Amanda wondered what had happened to put it there. She waited for him to get to them.

 

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“What’s wrong, Tyler?” she asked. “They guys in there are animals. They’re fighting over who gets the room with the Jacuzzis.” “I take it we didn’t,” Morgan said. “Hell no. I wasn’t about to get in the middle of that dogfight,” Tyler said. “What room do we have?” Morgan asked. “We’re in 131. I tried to get on the end, so we got that, but the bad thing is that I think we have Skulls behind us.” “Fuck.” “Sorry, man. Best I could do. Most of the rooms with double beds were taken, and I didn’t want to cause a scene, since we’re supposed to be sharing her.” Tyler handed Morgan the key card. Amanda sighed in relief, double beds. As much as she liked Tyler, she didn’t want to sleep with him, if possible. Having him watch her and Morgan was one thing. Sleeping with him when they were exhausted was marginally okay in her book, but anything else was downright wrong. “Let’s go, baby.” Morgan climbed onto the bike and waited for her to get on behind him. They pulled around behind the hotel and parked outside of their room. The room looked clean enough, but had a musty smell to it. She blew out a breath and hoped it wouldn’t cause problems with her stomach in the morning. She dropped her pack on the floor by the far bed and sat down. She wanted a shower, but didn’t know if one of the men might need the bathroom first. “Tyler, you want the bathroom first tonight?” Morgan asked. “Yeah, that sounds good to me.” He gathered up his things and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. “How are you holding up?” Morgan asked her. “I’m fine. I’m getting used to the bike now. My butt doesn’t hurt near as much as it has been.”

 

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“It takes some getting used to. Remember, sunglasses stay on anytime you’re out of the room.” “Got you. Do you think that gang thinks I’m who they’re looking for?” Amanda asked, clasping and unclasping her hands. “No, I think they’re just trolling for trouble. They’re known for causing it,” Morgan told her. “I’m scared, Morgan.” Amanda’s voice shook. Morgan walked over and wrapped his arms around her. She felt so safe in his arms. She could almost believe that nothing bad could happen to her as long as he was there, but she knew better. Guy was after her. The warmth of his body crept into her pores even as his scent filled her nose. He smelt of leather, sweat, and that elusive scent that was just Morgan. She burrowed into his arms, needing to get closer. Even if she could climb into his skin, it might not be close enough. He tightened his hold on her and kissed her temple. Amanda nuzzled his neck with her nose and lips. She licked and sucked at his neck until he swung her around against the wall between the bed and the bathroom and took her mouth. He didn’t kiss her gently this time. He demanded entrance and plunged his tongue inside, seeking every nook and cranny of her mouth. His tongue slid along hers, then licked at the roof of her mouth before plunging in and out as if fucking her. She couldn’t help but respond and sought to explore his mouth as well. He wouldn’t relinquish control of the kiss, and she whimpered. It didn’t sway him. Instead, he brought both hands up to her face and held her still for his mouth. He took and took until her breath was gone. Only then did he pull away. Dark, hooded eyes bored into hers as he gasped for breath with her. Then he grabbed the hem of her blouse and ripped it open, strewing buttons all over the floor. Amanda gasped, then moaned, when he bit at her nipples through her bra.

 

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Nothing in her life had prepared her for Morgan and his lovemaking. It was fierce and strong and, at times, surprisingly gentle. She didn’t need gentle right then. She needed to feel alive and safe. He buried his face in her cleavage, then nibbled his way up her neck to her ear, where he whispered naughty things to her. “I want to fuck you on all fours. I want to cover you with my body and fuck you until you scream my name,” Morgan told her. All Amanda could do was whimper and take it. She would take all of it. Anything he could dish out, she wanted it all, all of him, all he had to offer. “Fuck me, Morgan. Fuck me until I scream your name.”

 

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Chapter Thirteen It was all Morgan needed to hear. He all but tore off her bra in his haste to free her glorious breasts for him to feast on. They sprung out and into his hands. He mounded them, then squeezed them. His mouth finally closed over one nipple and he sucked. He pinched and pulled on the long, dark nipple of the other breast, listening to Amanda’s whimpers of pleasure. He switched breasts, treating them equally. He knelt and unfastened her jeans before moving down to pull off her boots. “Hold on to my shoulders, baby. I’m going to pull these off you.” “Hurry, Morgan. I can’t stand this. I need you,” she said in a breathy voice. He tossed the boots aside and shoved her jeans and underwear off her legs all at the same time. She lifted first one foot, then the other, for him to remove them. As soon as she was free of her clothes, Morgan wrapped his arms around her and licked a long line from her cleavage down to her bare mound. Morgan nudged her legs apart and buried his face in her cunt, sipping and licking as she leaned back against the wall, rolling her head from side to side. He looked up the line of her body and focused for a few seconds on her enraptured face as he ate her sweet pussy. Nothing looked as good to him right then as her face at that moment. She panted, lost in her need for him. It burned through him, and he latched on to her clit. A soft, keening cry erupted from her mouth as he forced her closer to orgasm. “Fuck, I just got clean,” Tyler said.

 

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Morgan vaguely registered that his friend shucked his jeans in record time and lay out on the opposite bed. He redoubled his efforts at making Amanda come. He wanted her hot and loose for him. Her clit stood out from its little hood where he had stimulated it with his lips and tongue. It didn’t take more than a nip and a suck and she was screaming and holding his head to her wet heat. He licked her slowly down, then stood up and pulled her over to the bed. “On your knees, baby. I’m going to fuck that hot cunt of yours.” He positioned her with her head toward the headboard and her ass up in the air at the foot of the bed. Morgan looked over at Tyler. The other man was watching with eyes half closed. He had his cock in his hand, slowly tugging it as he watched them. His friend looked up at him and smiled. “She’s fucking beautiful when she comes, Morgan,” he said. “She’s about to come again,” Morgan boasted. He pressed down between her shoulder blades until the side of her face lay against the bedspread, facing Tyler. Her eyes widened at the sight of the other man pulling on his cock across from her. Morgan licked her from her clit to her ass and around the little rosette that winked at him. He tongued the little hole and was rewarded by her gasps. “Easy, baby. It’s all good,” he crooned to her. He fingered her slit with two fingers, then plunged them inside her even as she moaned. He fucked her with his fingers, then rotated them and found that hot spot deep inside of her and rubbed. “Oh God,” she panted. He smiled. He loved hearing her breathless and needy. He’d take care of her need in just a few seconds. First, he wanted to play. He dragged his fingers from her pussy, wet with her juices, and circled her back hole slowly, pushing inward as he did. She gasped and pulled back. Morgan slapped her ass cheek. “Be still, baby. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just playing with you. Push out for me. Push out on my finger.”

 

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She did as he’d told her, and his finger slipped inside her dark channel. He grinned, so tight and hot. She would burn him alive were he to fuck her little asshole. One day he would take that virgin orifice. Now, he had a different hole to fill. He took his cock in one hand as he continued to slowly fuck in and out of her ass. The turgid stalk felt like steel in his hand. He probed her pussy with the head of his dick, then plunged in to the sound of her keening cries. “Fuck, that’s hot,” Tyler said from the other bed. Morgan continued fucking her ass even as he moved inside her pussy. He could feel his cock inside of her with his finger through the thin membrane separating the two. He pulled his finger out of her ass and dragged another fingerful of her cum to the little back hole and pushed in two fingers. This time she pushed out without having to be told. He grinned. She was a natural. He held on to her hip with one hand as he fucked her wet pussy and finger-fucked her ass. He stroked himself through the membrane with the fingers in her ass. It felt incredible. She clasped him with her pussy muscles even as her hot ass sucked at his fingers as they pumped in and out. He was so damn close. He slowed down to draw it out. Amanda didn’t stop her movement, trying to fuck back on him even as he pushed forward. She seemed to want more, need more. He pulled his fingers out of her sweet ass and grabbed both hips with his hands and began pounding into her. Amanda screeched as he bumped her cervix, then pulled back and tunneled forward again, but stopped before hitting it again. He didn’t want to hurt the baby. He needed to remember that. Fuck, how could he forget it? She growled when he slowed down again and looked back at him. “Don’t stop. Don’t you fucking stop now.” “No way in hell, baby,” he said. She reached one hand between them and began fingering her clit as he pummeled her with his hard cock. Tyler groaned. “That’s it, Amanda. Play with your clit.”

 

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Morgan redoubled his efforts and was soon scooting her up the bed as he pounded into her. Suddenly, she began tightening up on him, squealing out, “Yes!” as she climaxed. She stiffened and screamed out his name. Morgan followed her, shooting her full of his cum. He heard Tyler yell out, “Fuck yes.” He imagined his friend was shooting cum all in his hand and on his abdomen. Morgan took two more slow pumps before he slowly pulled out of her weeping cunt. He crawled up the bed and pulled her back into his arms until her head rested on his arm. “I’ll be right back,” Tyler said. He returned a few seconds later with a warm, wet cloth. He looked at Morgan. “Amanda, baby, let Tyler clean you up. He won’t hurt you, okay?” He felt Tyler waiting, still and quiet, at the foot of the bed. She didn’t say anything, but nodded her head against his arm. Morgan nodded at his friend. Tyler carefully cleaned Amanda between her legs and back in the crevice of her ass. He finished and disappeared back in the bathroom before returning and pulling on his jeans again. “We need to get a shower, Amanda. We’re nasty, baby.” Morgan roused and nipped her ear. “Ow, just a minute. Let me rest, just a few more minutes,” she said with a yawn. “Tell you what,” he began. “I’ll go take my shower, then come back and get you.” “Um-hum, sounds good to me.” She closed her eyes. Morgan had no doubt she’d be fast asleep when he got back. He glanced over at Tyler and shook his head with a smile. “She’s exhausted from the ride, Morgan. Let her sleep a while. She can take a shower later.” Tyler was always the voice of reason.

 

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“I won’t be long.” Morgan grabbed his pack and walked to the bathroom. He turned around and took one last look at a sleeping Amanda before closing the door. One shower and twenty minutes later, Morgan felt like a new man, figuring the woman in the other room had just as much to do with it as the hot shower. She made him feel whole when he hadn’t felt that way in over a year. What was he going to do when it came time to leave her? And he would leave her. She was carrying some other man’s baby. Morgan opened the door to find Tyler sitting on his bed, flipping through the channels on the TV, and Amanda still sleeping on the bed. He smiled down at her. He couldn’t imagine leaving her, but he would. “Hey, how about I run through Mickey D’s and get us something to eat?” Tyler said. “Sounds good to me. Get her a couple of cheeseburgers and a milkshake,” Morgan said. “Be back in a few.” Tyler unlocked the door, then closed it behind him. Morgan walked over to the door and closed all the locks. He wasn’t leaving anything to chance. He took Tyler’s place on the bed, flipping channels. Nothing seemed interesting enough to leave it on. Finally, he turned it off and prowled the room. If he disturbed Amanda, she didn’t show it. Nearly thirty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Morgan unlocked the door, but left the bar on so he could crack the door and make sure it was Tyler. The other man stood outside with bags and a milkshake in his hands. He nodded and closed the door, releasing the bar, and let Tyler in. “Sorry it took so long, but there was a line. The milkshake is going to melt if she doesn’t drink it fast. I had it propped up in the saddlebag with the bag full of hamburgers.”

 

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“I’ll wake her up then.” Morgan walked over to the bed and eased his hip on it next to Amanda. “Amanda? Time to wake up, baby.” He shook her slightly. She moaned and turned her head away from him. He grinned. She wasn’t going back to sleep. He leaned over and stuck his tongue in her ear. She shrieked and jumped up, knocking into his chin in the process. “Ouch!” she yelped. “Sorry, but it got you up.” Morgan laughed. “Bastard,” she groused, rubbing her cheek. “Got you a milkshake and some cheeseburgers,” Tyler told her. “Wonderful. I’m hungry. Wish I’d had my shower first, though.” “Hey, I tried to get you up. You wanted to sleep a while. I just followed your directions,” Morgan said. They ate quietly with Morgan fussing when Amanda only ate one of the cheeseburgers. She drank all the milkshake, though, so he figured she was full. He watched her throw her stuff in the trash and take her bag into the bathroom for a shower. “Heard from the twins?” Tyler asked. “Nope. I probably need to call them. Now’s a good time, while she’s in the bathroom.” Morgan pulled out his cell and dialed Jethro’s number. “Morgan, what’s up?” Jethro answered on the fourth ring. “Checking in with you to see when you’ll be at the border.” Morgan walked over to the window and peeked out around the curtain. “Should be there around five.” “We’ll be there around the same time if nothing comes up. I’ll call if we get delayed more than an hour,” Morgan told him. “Any news from Dodge?” “Nothing good. He hasn’t come up with anything to help us yet, but he’s still looking.”

 

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“He’ll find something. Dodge can find anything, and this guy sounds too sleazy to not have some skeletons in his bed with him,” Jethro said. “That’s my thought, too.” They discussed plans for once they met up. Then Morgan told him bye and disconnected. He snapped his phone back on the holder. “They on schedule?” Tyler asked. “Yeah, they’ll be there before we are, so they’re going to get rooms for us as well,” Morgan told him. “It’s going to be interesting to meet them.” “Why do you say that?” Morgan asked. “I’ve heard all sorts of crazy things about them.” “At least half of them are probably true.” “Damn.” Tyler shook his head. The shower turned off. Morgan could imagine Amanda stepping out of the shower with water dripping from her gorgeous body to the floor. She’d grab the towel off the bar and begin rubbing it all over her body to dry off. How he’d love to lick her dry. “Man, you’re staring at that bathroom door like you want to be on the other side. Why don’t you just go on in? She’d be happy for you to, I’m sure.” Tyler grinned at him. “She needs some time to herself. We’re with her twenty-fourseven,” Morgan said. “I guess you’re right. We can’t leave her alone anywhere.” Tyler ran a hand over the top of his head. “She’s bound to be sick of it by now, too.” “I get the feeling she’s too scared to be tired of us always being around yet.” The bathroom door opened, and Amanda stepped out, along with the steam from her shower. She had on jeans and a new blouse. Her wet hair lay against her head. She looked beautiful to him. “I need to dry my hair, but I had to let the steam out first,” she explained as if they would complain.

 

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“Need some help?” Tyler asked her. She frowned at him and shook her head. “I can handle the blowdryer by myself, thank you.” As if to prove it, she flicked the switch and began drying her hair when it came to life. Morgan watched her, amused at first, then aroused as handling the hair dryer pulled her blouse tight across her breasts. Her nipples poked through the constricting material. His cock grew hard despite having been well satisfied only an hour earlier. She did that to him. He watched as she used the brush to lift her hair up so the hot air from the hair dryer could get to it. Over and over she lifted her arms above her head until he was almost panting with need for her again. This wasn’t right. He couldn’t want her again already. He stood up and nodded toward Amanda. “I’m going for a ride. Don’t let anyone in while I’m gone. Not even one of our guys.” Morgan grabbed his helmet and shoved a key card into his back pocket. “Where are you going?” Tyler asked with an odd look in his eyes. “Just riding. I’m not used to being cooped up like this for so long. Besides, I want to see if there’s anyone out looking around for her.” Morgan unlocked the door and slipped through it, closing the door firmly behind him. He didn’t even wait to hear Tyler replace all the locks. He climbed on the bike and started it. Then he pulled out of the parking lot and cruised the area, looking for any sign they had someone watching them. He wasn’t sure how long he rode around without a clear destination in his mind, but he found himself right back at the hotel a little over two hours later with nothing to show for it. He hadn’t noticed anyone following him or watching the hotel. There had been so many bikers out and about, though, there could still be someone out there. He hadn’t seen any indication of the two goons looking for Amanda. If nothing else, maybe they had lost those two for good.

 

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He pulled up outside the room and climbed off the bike. He rubbed at his eyes and locked up the bike before knocking on the door to let Tyler know he was there. “Hard to believe you’d be out riding around when you got a hot woman here waiting on you,” a voice said to his left. He slowly turned toward it. “Needed some air. Only so much fucking you can do in one night. Besides, Tyler wanted some alone time with her,” Morgan said, still unsure who he was talking to. The man stepped further into the light. It was one of The Skulls. Morgan was careful to step so that he had his back to the door and could see ahead of him. The other man chuckled. “She looks to be a hot one. All that red hair proves she’s got a temper, though.” “You’re thinking about someone else then. She’s got brown hair, but you’re right, she’s a hot one.” “Right, if you get tired of her, send her my way. I have a thing for feisty women.” He turned away and walked back around the building. Morgan knocked twice on the door. A few seconds later, Tyler opened the door to the bar, then closed it and removed it so Morgan could step inside. He noticed that Tyler had his shirt off and realized the air wasn’t on. “What’s going on?” “Air went out. Called the desk clerk, but they don’t have another room open, and their maintenance person won’t be here until tomorrow,” Tyler told him. Morgan looked over to where Amanda sat cross-legged on the bed with one of his T-shirts on, but no jeans. She smiled wanly at him, then turned back to watch TV. “I ran into a Skull outside the door. He was looking for her,” Morgan said. “He knows she’s with us?”

 

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“No, he was fishing to see if she might be who he’s looking for, though. Tried to trick me with a reference to her having red hair. I don’t like it.” “What time are we supposed to leave in the morning?” Tyler asked. “Not till around eleven. I say we leave earlier.” Morgan glanced over toward Amanda again. “We’re not going to get a lot of sleep in this heat anyway,” Tyler said. “Well, better get to bed now and sleep as much as we can.” Morgan walked over to the other bed where Amanda sat and pulled on her hair. “Ready for bed?” he asked. “It’s too hot to sleep with covers on,” she said. Her eyes said she wasn’t sure how she could sleep without them. He knew she didn’t feel comfortable being naked around Tyler despite finding it a turn-on for him to watch them have sex. He smiled and shucked his shirt before sitting on the edge of the bed to remove his boots and socks. Then he peeled off his jeans and climbed up on the bed in nothing but his boxers. He looked over where Amanda still sat at the foot of the bed and crooked his finger for her to come up to where he was. She smiled and crawled up the bed until she was sitting next to him. He pulled her down and kissed her, then wrapped his arm around her and told her to go to sleep. He prayed they didn’t have any trouble getting to the state line tomorrow. He didn’t have a good feeling about the day ahead of them.

 

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Chapter Fourteen A loud banging on the door woke Morgan from a restless sleep. He rolled out of bed to see Tyler doing the same thing. A glance at his watch made him wince. It was only seven in the morning. “Who is it?” Tyler asked. Morgan looked through the peephole. It was Rock and Ace. “Get in bed with Amanda and look like you were sleeping with her. I’m going to let them in,” Morgan told him. Amanda turned wide eyes on him. “Morgan?” “It’s going to be okay, Amanda. Remember to look sleepy and keep your eyes closed as much as possible.” Tyler crawled into bed with Amanda, and Morgan had to swallow to stop the growl that threatened to erupt. This was stupid. He’d never cared before if Tyler slept with their current woman. He watched as the other man wrapped Amanda in his arms and pulled her head against his chest to hide her eyes. At his nod, Morgan answered the door. “Yeah, hold your fucking horses,” he yelled through the door as he made a lot of noise unlocking it. He held the door open and squinted his eyes at the other guys. Ace frowned at him. Rock pushed past him to walk through the door. Ace followed. “Close the door, Morgan,” Rock said. “What’s up, Rock? It’s a little freaking early to pay a social visit.” “Seems The Skulls think you’re hiding someone and are planning on relieving you of her. Think it would be a good idea if you leave now, not later, like you’d planned. We’ll keep them here for as long

 

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as we can, but you’re going to have to get out quick. I don’t trust they don’t have someone watching you.” Rock glanced over at Amanda and Tyler and grinned. “At least you had a few hours of downtime.” He walked over to the door. He opened it and looked outside, then back at Morgan. “Roll your bikes as close to the street as you can before you start them. I’m going to get a few of our guys to crank theirs at the same time you do outside their window so they don’t realize you’re leaving. Give us fifteen minutes, then go.” As soon as Rock and Ace left, the three of them jumped up and dressed as fast as possible. Morgan noticed that Amanda didn’t bother changing tops or putting on a bra. She pulled on socks and jeans, then her boots, and crammed everything into her bag and was ready when they were. “Let’s go,” Morgan said. They piled out of the hotel room. Tyler and Morgan pushed the bikes as close to the road as they could get, then waited until they heard the other bikes crank up before they started theirs. Amanda jumped on back with Morgan, and the three of them took off. He could feel Amanda’s breasts pressed tight against his back. Without a bra, she felt so much bigger against him. He nearly moaned out loud at the need that suddenly hit him. He wanted to pull over and fuck her against the bike. He bit back a curse and concentrated on getting them out of town and out on the highway. “How are you doing back there?” Morgan asked. “I’m holding on,” she said. They rode for nearly an hour with no sign of anyone following them. Morgan began to relax a little, thinking maybe they’d gotten away without anyone knowing they were gone. “Morgan, I’m trying really hard to hold it, but I’m going to have to go to the bathroom soon.” He blew out a breath. “Okay. Next turnoff we’ll stop.”

 

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At the next exit, they pulled off and into a small mom-and-pop grocery. Amanda was off in a blur, running for the bathrooms advertised on the side of the building near the back. “I’m going with her. You see about getting us something to eat to tide us over till we hit the state line.” Morgan followed behind Amanda to be sure she would be okay. He heard her slam the bathroom door just as he rounded the corner. The men’s bathroom stood open. He waited for a good five minutes before he got worried and knocked on the women’s bathroom door. “You okay in there?” “Yeah, I’ll be out in just a second.” He sighed and leaned against the bricks next to the door. Several seconds later, she emerged from the bathroom with a freshly washed face and a relieved look on her face. “Sorry, I really had to go, or I wouldn’t have said anything,” she said. “No problem. Come on. Tyler is getting us something to eat.” Morgan led her back to the front of the building, where Tyler stood holding a couple of bags and several drinks. “They had sausage and biscuits, so I got us a bagful.” He handed a bottle of milk to her and kept the colas for them. They ate their meal over the bikes. Morgan discussed their route with Tyler and watched Amanda eat her sausage and biscuit. She seemed to be hungry, so he pulled out another one and handed it to her. She ate it slower, but finished all of it. “You about ready to go?” he asked Amanda. She finished the milk and nodded. “I’m ready.” They climbed back on and then got back on the interstate. Morgan kept watch for other bikes, but so far, they hadn’t run into any other riders on the road. That could be a mixed blessing, he supposed. Other bikers would help hide their presence, but other bikers would also mean they might have company they didn’t want.

 

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Thirty minutes out of Satarcia, the little town on the state line they were headed to, Tyler rode up next to Morgan and jerked his head backward. Morgan looked behind them, and sure enough, there were nearly twenty bikes catching up to them. Shit. He sped up until they were doing close to ninety, with Tyler right behind him. They weaved in and out of traffic, trying to put as many cars as possible between them. They managed to get a good five hundred yards between them, but it wouldn’t last if they didn’t keep it up. Sustaining that kind of speed for very long was going to be tough in the traffic they were in. He could hear honking in the back, so he knew the bikes behind them were causing havoc with the cars. They kept that up, the highway patrol would soon be in the middle of their problems. As if suddenly realizing this, the other bikers slowed down and stopped harassing the traffic ahead of them. Morgan and Tyler slowed down enough to keep ahead without causing problems. They hit the exit ramp for Satarcia doing thirty. The other bikers were soon directly behind them. He wasn’t sure what they were going to do now. They circled the town twice, looking for a way to stop without them being able to snatch Amanda. With there being so many of them, Morgan and Tyler didn’t stand a chance of keeping her safe. Amanda seemed to know this, as she kept a firm hold around Morgan’s middle. They would run out of gas if they kept circling the town without stopping. About the seventh or eighth pass around the town, several patrol cars pulled out behind The Skulls and flashed their lights. The Skulls finally pulled over, giving Morgan and Tyler time to disappear. They pulled in behind a Dumpster in an alley, where a building would hide them on one side and the Dumpster on the other. “Tyler, watch our backs.” Morgan unclipped his cell and punched in Jethro’s number. “Who are you calling?” Amanda asked with a hitch in her voice. “Our backup,” he said.

 

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“Hey, you’re up and about mighty early.” Jethro’s voice sounded tired. “You sound like you haven’t been to bed.” “Yeah, well, we decided to drive all night and set up in Satarcia for when you get here,” Jethro said. “Fuck, you’re kidding. You’re already here?” Morgan blew out a breath. “Here? Does that mean you’re here? What happened?” Morgan gave him a condensed version and asked if they had any ideas on how to get them out of the alley. “Hang tight and let me talk with Justin. I’ll call you right back.” Jethro hung up. “What did he say?” Tyler asked as he watched behind them. “They’re already here. Rode all night and are staying at that first hotel we passed coming into town. He said there are already several bikes there, so it won’t look out of place for us to have ours there.” “Except they’re going to recognize our bikes,” Tyler pointed out. “Yeah, I think so, too. Let’s see how they plan to get us out of here first. Then we’ll worry about the hotel.” A few minutes later, the phone buzzed on his hip. So far they hadn’t seen the other bikers ride through the area. “Yeah.” Morgan answered on the second ring. “Best thing is for us to pick you up behind us and leave, heading to Oklahoma. If they don’t see us exit, they won’t know we’ve left. We’re in the truck now, heading your direction. Be ready. When we stop outside the alley and honk twice, pull out behind us and keep up.” Jethro laughed. “Those assholes are busy right now talking to the cops outside the police station. That will give us enough time to get out of town without them knowing it.” “We’ll be ready.” He hung up the phone and told Tyler to be ready to pull out when they honked twice.

 

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“The cops have the others holed up at the police station doing something.” “Perfect,” Tyler said with a smile. After nearly five minutes, they heard the two honks and pulled out of the alley behind a solid black Dodge Ram. They had no trouble keeping up in town, but were surprised when the twins cranked it up on the highway to nearly eighty. They drove like this for a solid hour before slowing down to seventy for another two hours. They took several exits and seemed to be heading toward Nevada and not Oklahoma, but Morgan would leave the navigation to them for the time being. When they finally pulled off the interstate to a truck stop, he heard Amanda sigh. Poor thing was probably starved and in need of the bathroom again. It wouldn’t be long till the sun set as well. He wasn’t too sure how long they planned to drive, but he knew Amanda wouldn’t be able to hold on for an all-night ride. They pulled into the truck stop. Morgan and Tyler rode around the building several times before finally parking next to the black Dodge Ram. He had Amanda wait until Tyler was off so he the other man could help her off and stand by her while Morgan climbed off. “Baby, they’re going to help us. Don’t let them scare you. Remember, if anything happens to me, you go to Tyler. Anything happens to both of us, you go with them. They’ll take care of you.” “But nothing is going to happen to you, right?” she asked. “Nothing is going to happen to any of us. Let’s go inside and get something to eat.” He watched Amanda and knew she didn’t believe him. **** The twins had long black hair pulled back at the nape of their necks and gray eyes. They looked tougher than even Morgan did. When they saw them walking toward them, both men stood up and

 

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reached across the table to shake Morgan and Tyler’s hands. They had to be pushing six feet seven inches. “Jethro, Justin, thanks for the help,” Morgan said. He pulled out a chair opposite the twins for her to sit in, and he took the other. Tyler took the end seat on the other side of her. “Hey, if it means action, you know we’re there,” one of them said. Amanda couldn’t tell them apart. “This is Amanda,” Morgan said. She smiled the best she could considering she was terrified of them already. “The one on the left is Jethro, and his brother on the right is Justin.” “Um, hi.” She turned to Morgan. “How do you tell them apart?” Everyone at the table laughed except for her. The twins shook their heads, and Tyler winked at her. “I’ll tell you how later,” he said. “Hell no, you’re not,” Morgan told him. “Spoilsport,” Tyler said. “Jethro is just crazier than Justin. I can tell them apart ’cause I’ve known them a long time.” Morgan placed an arm around her shoulders. Jethro grinned at Morgan. “I take it she’s not into foursomes.” Tyler rolled his eyes. Amanda gasped and burrowed closer to Morgan. “Don’t scare her, Jethro. You know damn well she’s off-limits.” “He just had to see for himself that you were serious,” Justin told him. “So, what is the deal with this Guy?” Jethro asked. “He wants Amanda to have an abortion and has already tried to force one on her. He’s still after her, and I figure he isn’t going to back off. She’s a liability to him since he’s running for mayor in Memphis and is engaged to some socialite.” Morgan squeezed Amanda’s shoulder when she started squirming in her seat.

 

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“And now you have The Skulls on your back wanting some of that reward money,” Justin continued. “That’s about it in a nutshell,” Morgan said. The waitress walked up and asked about ordering. “So, what did Dodge find out?” Justin asked. “The man has money and is connected. He has fingers in several different pies around the southern states. Thing is, he appears squeaky clean, but since he was…seeing Amanda, I figure he’s got someone else out there he had seen in the past with a story to tell. Dodge is digging deeper. No one is that clean.” Tyler frowned. “So we have a heart-to-heart with him and convince him that it’s for his own good that he leaves Amanda alone?” “I wish it were that simple, but it seems he’s sticking close to home. It’s his goons we have to worry about right now. Well, them and anyone interested in the damn reward.” “How much is it?” Jethro asked. “Ten grand,” Morgan said. “That puts a lot of people into play.” Jethro leaned back in his chair. “That’s what has me worried,” Morgan said. “So basically, we’re surrounded.” Tyler took a sip of his coffee. “Man, when you get into something, you jump right on it,” Justin said. “So, any ideas?” Morgan asked. “We need to buy some time for Dodge to come up with something because if he’s serious enough to offer money for her, he’s serious enough to want her dead even after the baby is born. She’s a liability to him even without being pregnant,” Jethro told them. “He’s threatened to take the baby from her if she has it, so he’ll sue for custody and take her baby that way if he can’t get her to abort it,” Morgan added. “So, what, we hole up somewhere and wait it out?” Tyler asked.

 

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“No, they can outwait us. I say stick to public places and move around. We’ll ride another two or three hours and find a good hotel for the night, then keep moving.” Justin leaned back in his chair. “We can eliminate the goons, but he’ll probably just send more. Someone like him probably has mafia and police connections,” Jethro added. “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Morgan agreed. “So, we’re in agreement?” Justin asked. Morgan and Tyler nodded. Morgan squeezed her hand. She wasn’t sure what they were going to be doing, but she trusted Morgan to try to keep her safe. She just wasn’t so sure he could do it with everything going wrong. **** “You three ready to roll?” Justin asked. “Amanda?” Morgan asked. “Yeah, I’ll be right back.” She stood up to go, and Morgan grabbed her hand. “Tyler, go with her. I don’t want her walking around alone.” “Got you.” Tyler took Amanda’s hand and walked with her toward the back of the building, where the bathrooms were. “Man, you’re serious about her, aren’t you?” Justin asked. “Yeah, she’s important to me. I want to make sure she doesn’t have to worry about Guy the rest of her life.” “No, he means you’re serious romantically about her,” Jethro clarified. “Am I fucking her? Is that what you’re asking?” Morgan growled. “Actually, we already figured that out. We mean that you’re in love with her,” Justin said. “I’m not in love with her. I care deeply about her, though.” “Okay,” Justin said.

 

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The twins looked at each other. Jethro said, “We’ll see about protecting her for you then.” Morgan’s cell rang. He checked the number and frowned. “Speaking of trouble, this is Rock.” Morgan answered the phone. “Hello, Rock.” “They figured out you left about two hours after you did,” Rock said. “Yeah, we already had a run-in with them.” “Well, I have two of my guys riding with them. They got stopped in Satarcia with the police, but are on their way again. They know you took the truck stop exit, but are waiting on you to come out.” Shit, they were already there. Morgan looked over at the twins and mouthed, “They’re here.” The twins immediately split up, with one of them heading toward the back of the truck stop and the other slipping toward the front. “They don’t know who they’re messing with, Rock. I’ve got friends, and they are just as serious about keeping her safe as I am.” Morgan hung up and dialed Dodge’s number. The line was busy. He’d have to try again later. He paid their tickets and headed for the front to wait on everyone. He trusted Tyler to bring Amanda back safely to him. He didn’t have long to wait. Tyler, with Amanda in tow, walked up, a serious look on his face. “They’re here, Morgan.” Amanda latched on to his hand. “Rock and his gang?” Morgan asked. “No, his men are here. They were outside the bathroom when I got out. Tyler was guarding the door when they walked up.” “How did you get by them?” He looked at Tyler. “Jethro walked up and pointed a seriously monster gun at them. They nodded their heads and backed up. They’re going to be on us, though.” Then, as if realizing what Morgan had said, he continued, “The Skulls are here, too?” “I don’t know where yet,” Morgan said.

 

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Jethro and Justin were outside waiting on them. They climbed up into the Dodge truck and waited on them to get ready. Then they all left the truck stop together. Tyler led the way, with Jethro and Justin in the back. “You okay back there, baby?” Morgan asked. “Doing okay for now,” she said. “We’re going to head to the next big town and find a place there for the night.” “How are we going to stay away from all of them, Morgan? I’m scared.” “I know, Amanda. Hold on tight. We’re going to take care of you.” Morgan just prayed he wasn’t telling her a lie. It would be over his dead body that they got her, though. He was sure Tyler was in with him on that as well. His friend loved the ladies, but he was a stand-up guy. Jethro and Justin were just in it for the action, but he knew they’d go down fighting. He just prayed he wasn’t getting them all killed.

 

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Chapter Fifteen Amanda hung on for dear life as they entered traffic after turning off the highway. Tyler and Morgan drove like idiots through the traffic. She couldn’t help but wonder how the twins were keeping up. All in all, her belly wasn’t faring too well with all the twists and turns. She didn’t want to ask Morgan to stop, though. She was more afraid of the men chasing them than she was sick at her stomach right then. “Tyler signaled he found us a place to stay up there, so we’ll be stopping in a few minutes.” Morgan squeezed her hand where it was holding on to his waist. “Okay, I’ll be happy to stop,” she said. He chuckled and followed Tyler as he took an exit then circled back around the way they’d come on the frontage road. She could only hope that the twins saw them exit and would be right behind them. They pulled into a Holiday Inn Express off of a busy road. She saw Tyler get off his bike and walk over to where the twins had pulled in next to them. He talked to them for a minute, then nodded and disappeared inside the office. “Tyler will get us all rooms. He’ll stay with us, okay, baby? I feel better with two of us watching you in the room.” “Yeah, okay.” She just wanted to get in a room so she could get to a bathroom in case her stomach rebelled. Fifteen minutes later, Tyler returned with several key cards. He handed Morgan one, then walked over to the twins’ truck and handed them theirs. They drove around to the back side of the building and

 

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parked close to the building’s outer door. Their rooms were inside on the first floor, Tyler told them when they got off the bikes. “First floor is easier to defend,” Morgan explained. “We’ve got connecting rooms, too,” Tyler told them. “Great,” Morgan said with a nod. They grabbed their packs and followed Jethro and Justin into the hotel and located their rooms. As soon as they were inside with the doors locked, they unlocked and opened their side of the connecting doors. Justin was opening theirs at the same time. “We’ll leave them open so we can get to you if we need to,” Jethro said. Amanda sat on the bed next to the bathroom and eyed it closely. She still wasn’t sure if she was going to be sick or not. Evidently Morgan noticed she wasn’t feeling so well. “Do you need to lie down?” he asked. “I think I might be sick,” she answered. Morgan immediately found a bath cloth and wet it with cold water. He laid it along the back of her neck and had her bend over some. “Breath through your nose, baby, and relax.” “She okay?” Tyler asked. “She feels sick. I think the ride over was a little too much for her.” “Maybe we need to rethink the moving around then,” Tyler suggested. “Not a good idea,” Jethro said from the connecting doorway. “They’re going to find us eventually.” “I’ll be okay. I need to rest for a while, is all.” Amanda didn’t want them to change their plans if they were the best ones. “Get a good night’s sleep.” Justin and Jethro left the doorway. She heard them murmuring in the other room and figured they were exasperated with her. She couldn’t help it. She sat up again and handed the wet cloth back to Morgan. “I’m going to take a nap. I should feel better when I wake up.”

 

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“First you need to at least eat a few crackers. It will help settle your stomach.” Morgan handed her the package of crackers. She forced two down with a bottle of water, then curled up on her side to sleep. Only sleep wouldn’t come. She could hear the men in the other room talking. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she knew it would be about the mess she was in. How had she gotten into the mess in the first place? She never dreamed Guy was playing her. He’d been so nice to her and taken her places, but now that she thought about it, he’d never taken her anywhere local. She’d been excited to go somewhere different, but in truth, it had all been an elaborate plan to keep anyone of importance from knowing about her. She was ashamed and humiliated when he’d laughed at her. The very idea of someone like her thinking someone like him would be serious about her. She wasn’t supposed to get pregnant. She’d been shocked as well. Still, she had never thought Guy would have threatened her, much less an unborn baby. He preached pro-life in his bid to become mayor. If they only knew that he was trying to force an abortion on her. What if that was the key? Prove that he wasn’t living up to his promises and threaten him if he didn’t leave her alone? How could she prove it, though? She searched back through her mind to anything that would be useful, but couldn’t think of anything. Maybe Morgan’s friend in Oklahoma would come up with something. Blackmail seemed like the only way to ensure her baby was safe. **** “She okay?” Justin asked. “Yeah, she’s a little sick from the ride here,” Morgan told them. “I’m worried about her. She needs to see a doctor. She’s three months and hasn’t been to one yet.”

 

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“Until she and the baby are safe, I think the doctor needs to wait,” Jethro commented. Morgan drew in a deep breath and let it out. He knew they were right. First she needed to be safe. Tyler walked over to the desk and pulled out the chair to sit down. Morgan noticed he hadn’t said anything. “Right now, all we can do is keep one step ahead of them and hope that Dodge comes up with something we can use against him,” Justin said. “Are we sure that if she goes public he will sue her for custody?” Tyler finally spoke up. “Nothing is for sure other than Guy is definitely after her and has offered a rather large reward to get her. That’s why The Skulls got involved, for the money.” Morgan ran a hand over his face. “When’s the last time you spoke to Dodge?” Jethro asked. “Yesterday. I haven’t had much time today to call. I just tried and didn’t get an answer. I figure he’s working on it and didn’t want to waste time talking. He’s like that,” Morgan said. “Always was weird when he was working on the computer,” Jethro agreed. “I’ll try him again in a little while.” Morgan walked over to the door and checked on Amanda. She hadn’t moved and still had her back to him. He watched her for a few seconds thinking about how tired she was and that things were only going to get worse. “Earth to Morgan. Come in, Morgan,” Tyler was saying. “What?” he asked. “She’s going to be hungry when she wakes up. What do you want to do about food?” “Best thing is to grab takeout and eat here,” Jethro said. “What is she going to want?” Justin asked. “I don’t know. It will depend on how her stomach is when she wakes up as to what she might be able to eat.” “Then I guess we better wait to decide on food.”

 

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“Are we going to change hotels tomorrow or go for two days in one hotel?” Morgan asked Jethro. “I think we’ll be okay for two days. Next time, though, the hotels are in our names. That gang doesn’t know anything about us, so they can’t search for our names. Some underpaid desk clerk is going to eventually sell you out. Won’t matter if you do use an assumed name.” Jethro leaned back on the headboard of the bed. “Okay, that’s a good idea,” Morgan said. He checked his watch. She’d been asleep for a little over an hour. He hoped she would sleep another hour. He hoped they could come up with some way to free her from Guy before she woke up, but there wasn’t much chance of that. He pulled out his phone and dialed Dodge’s number again. It rang four times, and he was about to hang up when Dodge answered. “Yeah.” “Got anything yet?” “Nothing concrete, but I’m working on a couple of angles. Give me another day, and I should have something we can use. If I come up with anything before that, I’ll call you.” “Doesn’t matter what time it is, call. We’re having to dodge a biker gang as well as Guy’s goons.” “Shit, Morgan. How do you get yourself in these messes?” Dodge asked. “Last one wasn’t me. That was Riley, and Logan before that. Don’t blame me for their problems,” Morgan said. “Regardless, you were in the middle of all of it. I’ll call you as soon as I have something,” he said and hung up. “Hey, I think she’s up. I heard the bathroom door close.” Tyler stood up and walked toward the door. Morgan stopped him. “Hey, give me a few minutes with her. I want to see how she’s doing without everyone hanging over her.” Tyler shrugged and went back to sit in the chair. Justin turned on the TV, and they started switching channels to see what was on.

 

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Morgan waited until he heard the bathroom door open again before he walked into the other room. She was sitting up against the headboard with her legs crossed Indian style. She looked up when he walked in. “How are you feeling?” he asked. “Much better. I must have needed a nap. I’m hungry, too. I hate to ask, but can we get something to eat?” she asked. “Baby, whatever you want to eat, we’ll get it. What sounds good to you?” He sat on the edge of the bed and closed a hand over her knee. She smiled at him shyly. She looked so innocent to be in so much trouble. Morgan couldn’t get past the idea that she was pregnant with someone else’s child. He was attracted to her, cared deeply about her, but that was all. He wasn’t getting in too deep with her. As soon as they found a way to get Guy off her back, he’d be sure she was set up somewhere safe and in good hands to help her with the baby. “I don’t know. I sort of wanted pizza.” She looked at him with raised eyebrows and a shrug. “Then pizza it is. What do you want on it?” he asked. “Everything except olives and anchovies.” She licked her lips. “Let me go tell the guys, and we’ll get it delivered,” Morgan said. He started to get up when she grabbed his wrist. She smiled at him and reached up with her other hand to draw his head down to where she could kiss him. It was just a brush of lips at first, but turned into a deeper kiss when she opened her mouth to his. He savored her taste and explored with his tongue until she pulled away to breathe. “Sorry, I got carried away,” she said. “I just wanted to touch you for a few seconds.” “You can touch me anytime, baby.” He stood up and patted her on the knee before walking to the other room. “Guys, she wants pizza. Let’s get five large pizzas delivered,” he suggested.

 

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They argued good-naturedly about what to get on them. Jethro vetoed having them delivered. “Too big a chance they’ll check to see if anyone has ordered a big order like that for delivery. Justin and I will go pick them up. Like I said before, they don’t know us yet,” Jethro said. “You’re the boss on this. I’m trusting you to know what’s best.” Morgan turned to Justin. “You call it in. They won’t have your cell phone number. They’ve got mine and probably Tyler’s,” Morgan said. Justin nodded and grabbed a phone book to look through the Yellow Pages for the closest pizza place. “What did Dodge have to say earlier?” Tyler asked when Jethro and Justin were busy arguing about pizza. “He says he has a couple of things he’s working on, to give him one more day and he should have something.” “Man, this could all be over in the next thirty-six to forty-eight hours. Hard to believe. It feels like we’ve been on the road for weeks instead of a few days,” Tyler said. “Yeah, it does.” Morgan and Tyler walked back next door to where Amanda was watching TV. She looked much better than she had earlier. It was odd how fast things changed with her. Tyler grabbed the bed by the outside door and sat down to watch TV. Morgan slipped behind Amanda so that she could lean back against him. Her scent teased at his nose. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. She felt good there. For a fleeting moment, he thought about how good it would feel to hold her when her belly was round with the baby. Then he shook his head and dropped his arms for a minute at the idea. “Hmm? What is it?” Amanda asked, leaning her head back so she could see him. “Nothing. Just thinking” “You know, I’ve been thinking.”

 

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“Uh-oh,” he said. She popped his hand. “Hey! Really, what if I let him catch me and you guys follow so you can get proof that he’s trying to hurt me?” “Are you crazy?” He hugged her tighter. “There is no way we’re going to risk you like that. Something could go wrong, and we wouldn’t be there to help you. Hell no.” “Well, it was an idea,” she sighed. “I’m tired of not doing anything but running. I know your friends aren’t going to want to hide me for another six months, Morgan.” “It’s not going to come to that, Amanda. Just relax, and don’t worry. It’s not good for the baby. Let us worry about keeping you safe.” He heard her sigh. She was right, though. They couldn’t keep running for the next six months, and what happened when she had the baby if Guy was still after her? If it came to that, the twins could help him get a false ID and set her up somewhere safe. He’d stick around long enough to be sure she was settled and able to take care of herself and the baby. He realized he had his hand over her belly. It wasn’t his child, but he felt protective of it just the same. It had to be an extension of how he felt for her. He cared about her, so he naturally would care about the baby, as well. That was all there was to it. He carefully removed his hand and settled it on her arm instead. If she noticed, she didn’t let on. Justin stuck his head in the door. “We’re going to pick up the pizza. Going to stop by a convenience store to pick up drinks. What are your faves?” Tyler and Morgan both said beer. Amanda shook her head and told him she wanted milk and juice of some sort. He nodded and said they’d be back in about thirty minutes. “Lock your side of the door in case someone comes in over here for some reason,” Justin cautioned them.

 

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Tyler nodded and jumped up to lock the door. He stretched, then walked into the bathroom and closed the door. “Morgan?” Amanda asked. “Yeah, baby?” “I’m sorry I dragged you into my mess.” “You didn’t drag me. I walked in of my own free will. Now stop worrying about it. Everyone here is here because they want to be.” Morgan nuzzled her neck. “Tyler and the twins are only here because of you.” “They are here to help. They didn’t have to come.” He kissed her neck and then drew in her earlobe to try to distract her. She was quiet for a long time, and Morgan thought at first she’d fallen asleep. Then she turned in his arms and looked up at him. Her eyes were the bluest of blue, and he looked deep into them for some sign of what she was thinking. Then he realized that she was searching his eyes, maybe to see if he was telling her the truth about wanting to be there. Whatever she saw, it settled her, and she smiled and turned around to watch TV again. Tyler walked back out and climbed back onto the bed again and resumed watching TV. Amanda wiggled free of Morgan’s hold and disappeared into the bathroom. “She thinks that she’s gotten you into something you didn’t want to be a part of,” Morgan told Tyler. Tyler’s brow furrowed. “If I didn’t want to help, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “That’s what I told her.” “So are you doubting me now?” “Nope. Just thought you should know that she’s worried you’re only here because of me.” “That may have been why at first, but not now. Now I’m here because she deserves her freedom. She’ll never be free as long as Guy is looking for her.”

 

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Morgan nodded and looked over at the bathroom door. He didn’t know if she would have that luxury anytime soon. If Dodge came through, then maybe she could. If he couldn’t come up with anything…well, he’d help her disappear. Maybe, he’d disappear with her.

 

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Chapter Sixteen The twins were back in thirty-five minutes and divided the pizzas up between them. Amanda ate three pieces and declared herself stuffed. She loved the pizza and hoped there would be some left over for breakfast, but didn’t dare mention it, or someone would do without to make sure that happened. She watched Morgan eat. He managed to cram five pieces down, and she couldn’t figure out where he put it. He was lean, with washboard abs and a narrow waist. She just shook her head and laughed. “What?” “How can you eat so much and look like you do? I eat three pieces and will gain five pounds overnight,” Amanda complained. “No, you won’t. The baby ends up with most of it,” Morgan said. “I rest my case.” She got up and washed her hands. “Hey, guys,” Jethro said. “Yeah,” Morgan answered. “We’re going to close the door so we don’t wake you up in the morning, but it’s not going to be locked. Yell, and we’ll hear you,” Jethro said before closing the door. Amanda climbed into bed on her side. She still had her clothes on and had been wondering how to get undressed and into bed with everyone still in the room. Now she could take a shower and wear one of Morgan’s T-shirts to bed. Tyler had already seen every part of her, so if she flashed a little thigh, it wouldn’t be too bad, she decided. Still, she hesitated.

 

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Morgan must have figured out she was ready for bed. He smiled and stood up. “Tyler, we’re going to take a shower. Be back in a little while.” Tyler just nodded and continued watching some action thriller on the TV. Amanda hadn’t been able to get into it. She climbed back off the bed and followed Morgan into the bathroom. She remembered the T-shirt and grabbed his pack, bringing it in with them. “What do you need with my pack?” he asked. “I want to sleep in one of your T-shirts.” “Baby, you don’t have to wear anything to bed. Tyler has already seen you.” He smiled. “Yeah, but Jethro and Justin haven’t, and I don’t want them to.” “Okay. You can wear one of my T-shirts.” He began undressing her. Amanda helped him by stepping out of her jeans once she had her boots off. She took her time with her blouse, choosing to watch Morgan peel off his jeans and T-shirt. She enjoyed watching the way his muscles played across his abdomen. She knew it would feel tight if she was to lay her hand across it, and she nearly did. “Hurry it up, Amanda. Water’s going to get cold before you get naked.” “Sorry, just thinking.” She finished unbuttoning her blouse and pulled it off. Morgan flicked the clasp holding her bra in place and peeled the cups back, then down off her shoulders. He bent over and licked her nipple before sucking it into his mouth. She moaned. The feel of his tongue circling it as he gently sucked sent shivers down her spine. When he pulled away, she nearly followed him. Instead of stopping there, he took the other nipple into his mouth and subjected it to the same treatment. This time when he pulled away, he looked deep into her eyes and, grabbing her hand, helped her step into the shower.

 

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He handed her a washcloth and the soap. His eyes never left hers as she soaped up the cloth and began to bathe. He watched her the entire time with one hand stroking his engorged cock and the other holding him up against the side of the shower. Amanda made her movements slow and seductive, paying special attention to her breasts, then moving slowly down her abdomen to bathe her pussy. It wept with need, and she swirled her fingers around in the dewy juice before turning around and bathing her back. “Here, give me the cloth. You can’t reach everywhere.” His voice had lowered an octave, strumming something deep inside her. She handed over the cloth and braced herself with both hands against the cool tiles in the back of the shower. Morgan started at the top of her shoulder blades and made tight circles as he moved down her back. He placed one hand on her back and pushed, letting her know he wanted her to bend over. She inched her hands down the back of the stall until her back lay perfectly flat for him. The roughness of the cloth rasped over the cheeks of her ass as he bathed them with it. When her ran it down her crack to pause at her sensitive back hole, she groaned at the raspy feel of it there. He circled it, then pressed lightly against it before helping her stand again. He pulled her back into his arms. His mouth sucked in her earlobe, teasing it with his tongue before he moved around her and carefully edged her back into the spray of the shower to rinse off. The warmth of the water relaxed her despite the war her hormones were waging against her good sense. Fire burned in her belly even as little shivers of pleasure played out against her skin. She wanted him. She wanted him so much right then she almost made a play for him— almost. “I’ll get out and let you finish your shower,” she said. “I don’t think so.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up against him again. His mouth came down on hers in a fierce move to capture her. Not just her mouth, but her entire being, it felt like. He plundered and

 

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prodded and cajoled until she wrapped her arms around him and ran her fingers through his hair. Digging at his scalp, she dug at his hair as he ate her from the inside out. Morgan’s tongue licked and teased and slid along hers. Then it was his teeth nipping at her lower lip. He laved it with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth to tease. The feel of those teeth nipping a long line from her mouth, along her jaw, to her neck sent chills chasing down her spine to her pussy. He sucked her earlobe into his mouth and nipped it before soothing it with a lick of his tongue. His hands held her ass, forcing her pelvis tight against his groin. She could feel his hard cock pressed between them, pulsing at her belly. She moved against him. He hissed out a breath and squeezed her ass cheeks, spreading them impossibly wide. “Wrap your legs around me when I pick you up.” She whimpered when he picked her up and ground the stalk of his dick against her clit. She wrapped her legs around him, and he leaned her back against the cool tile. It did little to cool off the heat within her body. Morgan reached between them and guided his stiff cock to her dripping wet cunt. He pushed and slid inside of her almost all the way. Another thrust, and he seated himself balls deep. She groaned at the glorious feel of him stretching her vagina to its limits. Had she not been as wet, it would have stung to be so full. It wouldn’t have mattered, his cock took her over the edge. He adjusted her in his hands and began to slowly pump in and out of her. He varied the strokes, some deep, others shallow, until she wanted to scream for him to just fuck her. It didn’t matter that it built her orgasm so much higher—she wanted it now. God, did she want it now. She wiggled, trying to force him to move faster, earning a slap on her ass. “Be still before we both land on our asses.” He laughed. “Move. Harder. Faster. I don’t care how—just move!”

 

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He nipped her chin and began to tunnel in and out of her over and over until she felt the quick, hot sliver of her orgasm spiraling upward from her toes. “Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted as it grew ever closer. Just when she didn’t think it would ever happen, Morgan reached between them and pressed a finger tightly against her clit in a pulsing rhythm, flinging her headfirst into a maelstrom of light and heat. “Oh God, oh God, oh God.” “Fuck, you’re squeezing the cum out of me. It feels fucking amazing.” Morgan held still inside her, then rested his forehead against hers as they both gasped for breath. “Let me down. I need to stand up,” Amanda said. Morgan gently released her, only to have to grab her again as she nearly sank to the floor of the tub. “I don’t think you have your land legs yet,” he teased. She slapped him on the ass and then giggled. It had been a long time since she had felt this relaxed. It felt good. Then the worry of Guy and what she still had to face came crashing down on her again. “Hey, what’s with the sad face all of a sudden?” Morgan asked. “I remembered that I still have Guy to worry about.” “Baby, don’t worry. We’ll take care of you and make sure you don’t have to worry about him. Dodge thinks he has something, but is still working on it. Give him a little time.” “You’re all putting your lives on hold trying to help me. I can’t do anything to help you.” “Just be you and take care of you and the baby. That’s your only job,” Morgan assured her. He ruffled her hair and leaned in to kiss her on the nose. “Now, let’s get out of here and dry off before we both end up looking like raisins.” Amanda sighed and climbed out of the tub. They toweled off, then dressed. She pulled on a pair of panties and one of Morgan’s T-shirts. It covered her to midthigh, which was as long as she would get. It would have to do.

 

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On opening the door, Amanda noticed the room to be empty. She turned and looked at Morgan. “Where is Tyler?” “Not sure. Get back in the bathroom and stay there till I come get you. He may have stepped next door to talk about something.” “Be careful, Morgan,” she said as he closed the door behind her. She flicked the lock and sat on the toilet, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort. The idea of something happening to Morgan, or any of the men, took her breath. **** Morgan walked over to the connecting door and knocked. It didn’t take long for Jethro to answer the door. “Do you know where Tyler is?” “Yeah, he heard someone outside the window. Said when he looked out, there were two guys checking out all the cars. He decided to go check around and see what they were up to. Justin went with him.” “Shit, I’d hoped they wouldn’t find us here. Someone is bound to be following us and reporting back to them,” Morgan said. “If they are, they aren’t giving them much information. They should know what room you’re in just by the bikes. I don’t think they told him all the facts. They might not even know she’s with someone,” Jethro suggested. “If there is someone following us, then they have to be in a car or truck. We would have noticed any other bikes on the road. Why would someone play games like this?” Morgan asked. “I don’t know unless they plan to grab her after these guys do all the hard work.” “Just what we need, three groups of people after her,” Morgan said with a growl. “Guy’s goons, The Skulls, and some unnamed person playing games. Makes for an interesting case,” Jethro said.

 

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“I’m going back next door to let Amanda out of the bathroom. I had her lock herself in there until I found out what was going on.” “I’ll come over with you. Two in the room is safer than just one.” Morgan knocked on the bathroom door. “It’s okay to come out, Amanda.” He heard the locks click on the door. Then she opened it a crack. “Where’s Tyler?” she asked as she peeked through the slit in the door. “Come on out, and I’ll tell you all about it.” She frowned, but opened the door, then quickly jumped behind Morgan when she saw Jethro. Morgan bit his upper lip to keep from smiling. She was so cute when she was embarrassed. “Come on. Let’s get you settled in bed.” Morgan led her to the bed and pulled back the covers. She slid in and immediately pulled them up to her chin. She avoided looking toward Jethro, but centered her attention on Morgan. He found that he liked being the center of her attention. “Tyler thought he heard someone outside messing around the cars and bikes. He and Justin went out to look around some. They’ll be back in a little while,” Morgan assured her. “Don’t we need to move? They’ve found us, haven’t they?” “I don’t know, baby. We’ll have to wait and see what they found out when they get back. It could be nothing more than someone out for a walk or even someone just looking for a car to steal. Happens.” Morgan reached out and smoothed a stray lock of hair near her eye. Jethro positioned himself at the side of the window, peeking around the drapes occasionally. Morgan was glad he’d called them in. They knew more about subterfuge than he ever had. They still worked for the government on occasion. “Here they come now. They’re coming in the other room. I’ll be right back.” Jethro disappeared into the other room.

 

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Morgan heard the other door open, then close, a few seconds later. There were muffled voices, and then the three men walked back into the room. “What did you find out?” Morgan asked. He reached out and clasped Amanda’s hand when he noticed she was shaking. “Well, we definitely have someone snooping around, but they don’t know what they are looking for,” Justin told them. “Yeah, two men checked every car and truck and bike in the place. Hotel clerk said they asked about a redheaded woman, about twenty-eight, with bright blue eyes. Didn’t mention anyone else with her. The clerk told him she hadn’t seen anyone that looked like that and the only women they had there were with husbands. Since she hasn’t seen Amanda, she was telling the truth,” Tyler said. “Okay, we move again tomorrow,” Jethro said. “We’ll hang back behind you and watch for cars or trucks that seem to be following. Let’s map out our route so we know where you will stop for the night in case we get separated.” “Sounds like a good plan to me,” Morgan agreed. Jethro walked back to the other room and came back with a map. They spread it out on the little desk and plotted out the roads they would take and the little town outside Oklahoma they would stop in for the night. Convinced that it was the best they could do, he called it a night and said they should get some sleep. They needed to be up and out of the hotel by eight the next morning. The twins nodded and said good night again before closing their side of the connecting doors. Tyler headed to the bathroom for a shower, and Morgan peeled off his jeans to climb into the bed with Amanda. He could tell by the way she lay staring up at the ceiling that she was spooked. He didn’t blame her. She had a shitload of people after her and all for one purpose, to turn her over to Guy. “Amanda, honey, come here.” He pulled her against him until her head rested on his shoulder. Her hand snaked over to wrap around his waist.

 

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“I’m scared, Morgan. I thought I could do this, you know, outrun him, but he’s not giving up.” “He has a lot to lose. Until we have something we can hold over him, he stands to lose not only the bid for mayor, but also the fiancée he tried to compare you to. He just doesn’t know that he abandoned the wrong woman. You’re ten times more important than any socialite bitch with a cold heart and an even colder bed.” “You’re just saying that. I’m not elegant or thin like she is. She’s poised and sophisticated. I can never be that way.” Amanda sighed. He could hear the tears in her voice. “Amanda, why would you want to? Do you want Guy to want you back?” He stilled, waiting for her answer. “God no. I never want to see that bastard again,” she said vehemently. “Then don’t belittle yourself for not measuring up to the woman he’s engaged to. You’re worth far more than she ever could be.” “I’ll try not to. I’ve been a no-one all my life. Always on the outside, in the drab middle. I thought when he showed interest in me that maybe I really could be someone. I’d belong somewhere and be important to them. How could I have been so stupid and not seen it? I mean, I knew he was seen with other women by the newspaper, but I just saw them as people he knew and traveled around with for his campaign. I was so naive.” “You were young and vulnerable. You’re not to blame. He is for taking advantage of you. You were vulnerable, and he used that to string you along. If you hadn’t gotten pregnant, he would have tried to set you up as his mistress, and by then, you might have been so needy that you would have settled for that.” “God, I’d like to think I wouldn’t have stooped that low, but maybe you’re right.” She swallowed and shook her head. “Stop thinking about it and go to sleep, baby. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. You need your rest.” Morgan squeezed her and settled her more firmly against his side.

 

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A few minutes later, he heard the bathroom door open, then Tyler pad across the room toward the other bed. He heard the bed squeak and the covers rustle, then a soft sigh. He knew his friend was worried. He’d seen it in his eyes earlier. They were in over their heads, but with the twins, he hoped they’d evened up the odds a bit. That was what he was counting on, anyway.

 

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Chapter Seventeen After breakfast the next morning, Amanda climbed on back of the bike once again. She couldn’t even remember how many days it had been since they’d first met, but she acknowledged the fact that she was falling for Morgan hard and fast. She had little doubt that once she was safe and the problem of Guy was out of the way, he would make sure she was set up, then leave. He wasn’t looking for anything permanent, especially someone with a baby by another man. She could only imagine how much her pregnancy reminded him of his own wife and child he’d lost. “You doing okay back there?” Morgan called over his shoulder. “Fine.” “We’ll be going slower today than yesterday and stop a little more often so Justin and Jethro can watch for someone following us.” “Okay. I’ll be glad for any chance there is to walk around and use the bathroom,” she admitted. Their first stop was at a truck stop. The twins didn’t stop with them this time. Amanda climbed off the bike and waited for Morgan to do the same. Tyler walked up to them, looking around as he did. “Anything?” he asked Morgan. “Nope, haven’t seen anything. I’ll call the twins and see if they’ve picked up anything yet,” Morgan said. “Why don’t you take Amanda inside to the bathroom and get some water for us?” Tyler nodded and took Amanda’s elbow. She felt much more comfortable around him than she had at first, but still preferred to stick close to Morgan. She looked back at him as Tyler led her inside the truck stop.

 

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“Bathroom first?” he asked. “Yeah, thanks.” They walked back to the restrooms. He stood outside the women’s bathroom until she came out. It felt good to know there was someone making sure she would be okay. As soon as she walked out, Tyler put an arm around her waist and walked her toward the cooler. “Water and juice or just water this time?” he asked. “Water is fine.” She took one of the bottles from him and followed him to the front to check out. “Do you think he’s found anything out?” she whispered up to Tyler. “Don’t know. We’ll find out when we get back outside.” They caught up with Morgan pacing in the parking lot talking to someone. Amanda couldn’t tell if it were to the twins or to his friend Dodge. He looked grim. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his mouth was pressed together in a straight line. Her heart sank. This couldn’t be good. “Okay, we’ll keep going and see what happens next then. If something’s wrong, call several times in a row. I’ll feel the buzz and know to look for an exit.” Tyler and Amanda exchanged worried glances. If Morgan was worried and Tyler looked the same way, Amanda was downright scared. She hesitated to latch on to Morgan while he was on the phone, but she wanted to. Tyler seemed to sense her unease because he wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. “It’s okay. Everything is under control, or we’d be on the bikes already,” he said. Morgan snapped his phone back on his belt and frowned at Tyler. His friend immediately released Amanda. She wasn’t sure what was going on. “She’s scared, Morgan. What did you find out?” “Three cars and one truck took the same ramp we did. Jethro and Justin didn’t follow, so they don’t know if they actually came here or

 

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not. Look around and try to remember the cars and trucks you see so we can check the next time we stop.” Morgan spoke while, the entire time, he was looking around them. “Did you have any trouble inside?” “Nope, none.” Tyler handed Morgan the water. “Have you talked to your friend Dodge yet?” Amanda asked. “Not yet. I figure I’ll give him till this afternoon before I call.” Morgan turned up the water and drank half of it before stopping for a breath. “Okay, as soon as you finish your water, baby, we need to get on the road again. The twins are waiting on us about ten miles up the road.” “I’m almost finished. I was thirsty.” Amanda quickly finished her water and dropped it in the trash. Tyler finished his and tossed it from several feet away. Morgan did the same thing. Amanda wanted to laugh and tease them about acting like kids, but something sent a chill down her spine. It felt almost like someone was watching her. “What is it, baby?” Morgan asked, dropping his hand to her shoulder. “Nothing, I’m sure. I just felt like someone was watching me.” She shook her head and walked over to Morgan’s bike. “Let’s go, Tyler. I don’t like that.” Morgan got on the bike and waited while Amanda climbed on behind him. Tyler pulled up next to them, and the three of them headed back toward the interstate. Amanda couldn’t shake the feeling. She tried looking behind her to see which cars followed, but couldn’t do it and hang on to Morgan, too. “Be still back there. You’re going to fall off.” Morgan’s voice sounded stern. She stopped trying to see behind them and concentrated on watching for the twins’ truck instead. She never saw them pull back into traffic, so she wasn’t sure if she’d just missed them or if they were that good that she missed them.

 

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Nearly four hours passed before they pulled over again. Amanda’s butt was getting numb again. She thought for sure that, after several days’ riding, she’d have a bike butt by now. Better than the wide butt you’re going to have in a few months. They pulled off the interstate at a small town that boasted two service stations, a Burger King, and a McD’s. They pulled into one of the gas stations to fuel up. “Amanda, if you can wait to go to the bathroom, I figured we’d eat while we’re here. They’ll probably have cleaner bathrooms, too,” Morgan told her. “Sounds fine to me. I’m hungry.” She watched as they topped off their tanks, then climbed back on with Morgan. They chose Burger King for a change and made a meal out of Whoppers and a Whopper Jr. Morgan’s phone rang. He pulled it off his belt and held it to his ear. “Yeah.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and sat back in the booth. “Okay, we’ll check and see. Interesting. Yeah, I’ll talk to you again in a little while to let you know.” He hung up and snapped the phone back on his belt. “Okay, two of the same cars got off this time. Both of them had female drivers,” Morgan informed them. “Why would a woman be following me? How does she even know me? I don’t look like myself anymore.” “I don’t know, babe, but we’ll find out. Let’s look for the two cars. One is a fancy sports car, red. The other is a blue four-door Ford of some kind,” Morgan said. They finished their meals and headed out the door. Parked right next to their bike sat a red sports car. There wasn’t a soul in it, so whoever it was had been inside with them the entire time. “Fuck,” Morgan said. “I’ll go back in and look for someone who might fit this car. You two go mount up and ride up to the service station again. I’ll join you

 

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when I figure something out.” Tyler nodded at them and walked back inside the Burger King. “Come on. Let’s get going.” Amanda climbed on behind Morgan. Why would a woman be looking for her? Unless, could it be Guy’s fiancée? Why would she follow her? Maybe she wanted her out of the picture for good. As soon as they stopped at the service station again, Amanda tapped Morgan on the shoulder. He turned sideways on the bike to look at her. “What if it’s Guy’s girlfriend? I mean the real one.” “Why would she be following you? What possible motive would she have?” Morgan asked. “I don’t know, but I can’t imagine another woman looking for me. I didn’t have any close friends who would look for me. Guy kept me pretty isolated back then. I know why now, but before it was to protect me from the media. He didn’t want them to bother me.” “Maybe that’s it,” Morgan said. “What?” “Maybe it’s a reporter wanting to use you to do an exposé of him.” “Wouldn’t that work in my favor?” Amanda began to get a little excited. “Not really. Guy still has the money to win custody of the baby if it came down to it,” Morgan reminded her. “If it is some reporter, what are we going to do? We can’t hurt her.” “Right now, we stay as far away as we can get until she makes her move. No matter what, don’t speak to anyone, no matter how nice they act, especially in the bathroom. If she’s a reporter, she’ll probably try to catch you in there.” Morgan leaned in and kissed her on the nose. “I won’t. I don’t want anything to get out in the news in case Guy uses it to find me or sue me for my baby,” Amanda said.

 

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“Good girl.” Tyler pulled up about that time. “Okay. The car probably belongs to a short blonde-haired woman of about thirty-five with a dark green pantsuit on. She was hovering around the door when I went back in pretending to go to the bathroom. When I came back out, she was sitting in her car looking a little distracted. She didn’t look my way, but had the car on.” “She didn’t follow you over here,” Amanda pointed out. “She can see us from here and will probably pull out when we do,” Tyler said. “Okay. Let me call the twins and let them know what we’ve noticed.” Morgan pulled off his phone and punched in the twins’ number. “Hey, think we’ve spotted her. She’s the one in a red Mustang with blonde hair. She’s just sitting across the street with her motor running. I figure when we pull out, she’ll be right behind us.” Morgan listened to the other end of the conversation and nodded. “Yeah, I agree.” He listened a few more seconds, then hung up. “Let’s go. Tyler, fiddle with your bike a second after we leave, then catch up with us. Just see if she follows or waits on you,” Morgan said. Tyler nodded and waved them on for show. Amanda turned around and waved at Tyler, then grabbed hold of Morgan’s waist and held on as they pulled out. She wanted to turn and see if the red sports car followed, but knew better than to look interested. “Morgan, can you see in your side mirrors if she’s following or not?” “Can’t tell. There are several other cars behind us right now. Tyler will catch up and let me know,” Morgan called back to her. Amanda waited for what seemed like forever before Tyler pulled up next to them. He nodded at Morgan, then hung back to ride behind them. “Yep, she’s following us,” Morgan said.

 

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“Well, that’s something, I guess. At least we know for sure,” Amanda said. “Problem is, what are we going to do about it?” Morgan asked.

 

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Chapter Eighteen Morgan mulled over the knowledge that they had a blonde in a red Ford Mustang following them. What did she want? Why was she helping the others, if she was? Who was she? There were an infinite number of possibilities. Finding the right one would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Their only recourse was to ask the lady herself, but he wanted Amanda away from her for that. He’d have to talk to the twins about the best approach to the problem. They rode for another three hours before Amanda called out to him, “Morgan, I’m sorry, but I need to use the bathroom again.” He could tell she’d waited until she couldn’t wait any longer. He signaled to Tyler they would be taking the next exit. They pulled up into a nice-looking service station that belonged to a chain. The restrooms were inside, which was an added bonus. Morgan waited while Amanda slid off the back of the bike before he threw his leg over and stepped down. Tyler pulled in beside them. He pulled off his helmet, and shook his hair, then ran an arm across his forehead to wipe the sweat from his brow. “More water,” was all he said as he climbed off his bike. “Amanda, go with Tyler. I want to call the twins and watch that red car across the street,” Morgan told her. Amanda twisted in Tyler’s grip to get a look, but Morgan shook his head at her. She frowned, but turned back around and followed Tyler inside the station. Morgan dialed the twins and got Jethro. “Who’s driving?” Morgan asked. “Justin right now, why?”

 

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“Just making sure I wasn’t talking to the driver. Didn’t you know it’s not safe to talk and drive at the same time?” Morgan teased. “Stop fucking around. What do you have?” Jethro asked. “Red Ford Mustang with the blonde female is following us, no doubt.” “Figured as much. Haven’t seen either of the other cars or the truck. Did notice an SUV that is following us, but it stopped about a mile back. Haven’t seen it again. If we do, I’ll get suspicious again,” Jethro said. “I want to find out what the woman wants with Amanda, but I want to do it without Amanda being around. What are your thoughts?” “Good call. I agree. She’s not really a threat with the three of us. Tyler can guard Amanda when we approach her. A three-prong attack should hem her in so she can’t slip past us.” Morgan nodded. He agreed with that. “We’ll stay at the agreed-on hotel. We can order in, and the three of us go out to pick it up.” “She’ll either follow or stick around close to where Amanda is. We spring our trap,” Jethro finished. “We should make it to the hotel by six thirty. You already made the reservations, right?” Morgan asked. “Right, one room in my name, the other in Justin’s name. You use my name. We’ll use Justin’s name.” “I’m going to call Dodge next. If there’s anything definite, I’ll call you back.” Morgan ended the call and dialed Dodge’s number next. “Yeah,” Dodge answered on the second ring. “Got anything?” Morgan asked, praying his friend had come through for them. “Actually, yes, I do, but we can’t do anything about it till you get here. I’m going to need some information from your lady friend to put it all together.” “So I can tell her everything is going to be okay, right?”

 

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“Well, I don’t know how okay it’s going to be, but I can get Guy off her back. It will mean some blackmail and a stiff backbone,” Dodge hedged. “Hell, man. You always were a damn closed-mouthed son of a bitch,” Morgan griped. “Yeah, well, I have my reasons. Now hurry up and get here. Sitting on this is taking some work.” Dodge hung up, leaving Morgan staring at his phone. Fuck. About that time, Tyler and Amanda walked out of the convenience store with bottles of water. He smiled and held out his hand for one of them. Amanda handed one to him, then opened hers and began to drink from it. “What is the plan?” she asked. “We keep going to the hotel. We’ll check in using Jethro’s name, and they’ll check in using Justin’s name,” Morgan said. “What about her?” she asked, nodding her head slightly toward where the red car was parked down the road. “We’ll talk about that once we get to the hotel. Good news is that Dodge has something that should get Guy off your back. Don’t know what it is yet. Have to wait till we get there. He’s closed-mouthed about it right now,” Morgan told them. “’Bout damn time he got it together,” Tyler said. “Let’s get back on the road. I don’t like sitting around in case those assholes show up.” Morgan climbed back onto the bike and cranked it up. Tyler waited until Amanda had gotten on behind Morgan before climbing onto his own bike. Morgan nodded his head at Tyler, then pulled out into the street, heading for the on-ramp to get back on the interstate. They had another four or so hours of hard riding left. He hoped Amanda wouldn’t need to stop again before they got there. He wanted to confront the woman in the red car before it started to get dark.

 

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They pulled into the hotel parking lot at six forty-five. Morgan had Amanda climb on behind Tyler and wait around back while he claimed their room. Then he drove around and located the room. It just happened it was two doors down from where Tyler had parked the bike. When he would have moved it closer, Morgan shook his head and told him to leave it there. About the time they all three made it to the door of room 135, the red sports car careened round the corner and squealed to a stop behind their bikes. Morgan swiped the card and pushed Amanda into the room, yelling for her to lock the door. Tyler took a step forward and waited for Morgan to decide what to do. “What do you want, lady?” Morgan finally asked when the woman didn’t immediately say anything. “Is that Amanda Hardwick?” she asked in a strangled voice. “Who wants to know and why?” he asked. “Doesn’t matter. If that’s her, there are two guys looking for her. They aren’t nice guys either,” she said. “Why don’t you get out of the car and come up here, and let’s talk?” Tyler said. “I don’t trust you.” “Lady, we don’t trust you, either. Talking out in the open isn’t a good idea, though. Why don’t we meet you somewhere public that we can talk?” Morgan suggested. She seemed to mull it over for a few minutes, then nodded her head. “Fine. I’ll meet you at that diner we passed coming into town.” “Give us an hour to settle in,” Morgan said, hoping the twins would be there by then. “I’ll see you there.” She made a U-turn and drove away. “I don’t like it, Morgan,” Tyler said. “Neither do I.” Morgan knocked on the door. “Amanda, let us in, baby. It’s okay now.”

 

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The door cracked. Then she opened it all the way and took a step back. She didn’t look at either one of them, but stepped back toward the bathroom. “What is it, Amanda?” Morgan asked, staring at her. “You’re going to meet with her, but you’re going to leave me here.” She fisted her hands on her hips. “This is about me. I should have some say-so in all of it.” “Amanda, it’s not safe for you to go. We don’t know if she’s working with Guy’s goons or not. I just don’t want to risk it, baby.” Morgan walked over and cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. He bent down and kissed her. “You’re not going by yourself either,” she said. “No, I’m going to take Jethro and Justin with me. Tyler will stay behind with you in case this is a setup to get us away from you.” “I’ll keep you safe, Amanda. You don’t have to worry about that,” Tyler assured her. “I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about all of you getting hurt because of me.” “Not going to happen, baby. We’re going to be very careful. That’s why you’re staying here. If you were to go with us, we’d all be worried about you and miss something.” Morgan pulled her into his arms. A few seconds later, there was a knock at the connecting door. Morgan and Tyler exchanged looks. “Who is it?” Morgan asked. “Jethro. Open the fucking door.” Tyler laughed and unlocked the connecting door. Both brothers walked in scowling. “What’s bothering you two?” Morgan asked, picking up on their mood. “That damn red Mustang is parked not two doors down. I don’t like it,” Justin said.

 

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“Yeah, she cornered us as soon as we pulled in so that we couldn’t leave. She wants to talk. I told her we’d meet her at the diner in”—he looked at his watch—“forty minutes.” “Who in the hell is she?” Jethro asked. “Don’t know, but she said we have two guys looking for Amanda and they aren’t nice guys. Since we already know this, I figure it’s worth listening to see what else she knows. I want to know why she’s looking for Amanda,” Morgan said. “What’s your plan?” Jethro crossed his arms. “I figured Tyler would stay here with Amanda. The three of us will go meet her, overwhelm her with numbers to get her to talk and tell the truth.” Morgan waited to see what Jethro thought about the plan. “I don’t like it. She has too many people interested in her,” Jethro said. “I agree. At least this way we can find out what this one wants.” “Tyler, move Amanda into our room. That way they won’t know where she is. We parked the truck several cars down. We’ll divide up, though, at the diner. I’ll go in first and take a seat in the back so that I can see her and the door. Then you two go in and sit across from her. That way, if there is any trouble, I’m free to either help you or go after Amanda, depending on what looks like the best course of action at the time.” Jethro let out a breath in a huff. “Let’s get Amanda settled. We’ll just keep the rooms like that anyway,” Justin suggested. The four men moved all the luggage around, and Morgan made sure Amanda had something to drink and nibble on till they got back. He could tell she was still upset with him, but there wasn’t a damn thing he could or would do about it. He wasn’t taking her with him. At the appointed time, the three of them left, noticing the red Mustang had already gone. Morgan and Justin rode over on the bike. Jethro drove the truck and pulled into the parking lot so he could go in first and set up. A few minutes later, Justin and Morgan rode up and

 

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got off the bike. They opened the door and walked straight to the booth where the blonde was sitting. Morgan noticed two other single men in the room. One was facing the bar eating, and the other was in a booth on the opposite wall. Jethro had a seat at a table in the back, watching the room. He didn’t acknowledge them at all. They slid into the booth opposite the woman. She sat with her hands on the table, balling a napkin up in them. This put Morgan on edge. “Okay, what do you want?” Morgan asked without beating around the bush. A waitress walked up to ask what they wanted. Morgan dismissed her, saying nothing right then. “You were going to tell us what you wanted,” he began again. “I need to talk to Amanda. It’s very important that I talk to her.” “You’ll have to talk to us instead. She’s not talking to anyone but us.” “You don’t understand. He’ll kill her if he catches her. I shouldn’t even be here, but I needed to warn her about him,” she said. “Who are you?” Justin asked. “My name is Jane Porter. I’m a reporter for The Daily Journal. I was writing an exposé on Guy, her ex-boyfriend, but he found out and had me fired. I went to reason with him and overheard him plotting to kill Amanda,” she whispered. “So why didn’t you go to the police?” Morgan asked. “I can’t. I don’t know who to trust there. He has several of them in his pockets. He has friends everywhere,” she said. “Why does he want to kill Amanda?” Morgan asked. “I don’t know for sure, but it has something to do with her having something on him. The man he was talking with asked if he wanted her brought to him or what. Guy said to take care of her and make sure no one found the body. He said she wouldn’t be missed anyway.”

 

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“Why did it matter enough to you that you followed her, and how did you find her?” “Because I had an abusive boyfriend once and know how it is to be on the run. I found her by doing what I would have done. I would have cut my hair, dyed it, and hitched a ride west as far from Memphis as I could go.” She kept glancing around as if expecting someone to show up at any minute. “Who are you waiting on?” Justin asked. “No one, but those two men who Guy sent are close. They were back at the last hotel you were at. I think that was my fault. They followed me. I lost them, though, this time. I think.” “Okay, you’ve delivered your message. You can go home now,” Morgan said, starting to get up from the booth. “I can’t go home. I don’t have a home to go to. He had me evicted from my apartment besides getting me fired from my job. Everything I own is in the back of that car,” she cried. “I’m not responsible for you or what happens to you,” Morgan told her. Tears formed in her eyes and began to slide down her cheeks. “Please, I’m afraid that since I’ve helped you they will want me dead now, too.” “Why should we trust anything you have to say?” Morgan asked. She shook her head, looking down. “I guess you can’t.” “Look, do you have enough cash you can drive in the opposite direction and hole up somewhere for a few days?” Morgan asked her. “Yeah. I can do that.” “Give me your cell phone number. I’ll call you when things are taken care of so you’ll know it’s safe to come out of hiding. Then you’re on your own at putting your life back together.” “Thank you,” she whispered as she dug in her purse. She pulled out a card with her name and phone numbers. She circled one and handed it to him. “That’s my cell number. Use it. The other was my office number.”

 

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“Get going. I’ll call you as soon as we have things under control.” Morgan stood up, and he and Justin left the diner, and climbed back onto the big bike. They circled the hotel twice before parking a few spots down. Morgan knocked on Justin and Jethro’s door. He saw Tyler pull aside the curtain and look out. Then the sounds of locks clicking reached his ears. Tyler pulled open the door and stepped aside to let them in. “Jethro will be along shortly. I think he’s going to follow the red car to see where it goes,” Justin explained. Tyler nodded. Morgan could tell he was chomping at the bit to know what happened. “Amanda in the bathroom?” Morgan asked. “Yeah, taking a bath. She just went in there and the water turned on,” Tyler said. Morgan reviewed what they’d found out. About the time he finished the story, Jethro knocked, then waited for them to let him in. “She drove through a fast-food place and got burgers and a drink, then drove straight back here. I parked around the other side. She appears in for the night, ’course we don’t know about if she makes phone calls or has Internet access. She could still be playing us.” Jethro pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the bed. “Don’t get too comfy,” Morgan said. “Remember, we switched rooms. You’re in the other room for the night.” “Fuck, I forgot,” he groused. Morgan watched him pick up his shirt and unlock the door to discard his clothes in the other room. He returned in only his jeans, unbuttoned at the top. Justin followed suit, leaving Morgan and Tyler fully dressed. “So we’re going to go straight to Dodge’s house when we get to Stillwater?” Jethro asked. “Unless you think of something better,” Morgan said. He wasn’t sure what the best course of action should be considering all the curves they had been thrown.

 

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“I don’t know. I’ll sleep on it and let you know in the morning. I’m still antsy about where those two goons are that you saw. They have to be close by since they showed up at the other hotel snooping around.” Jethro stretched and started to walk through the connecting door, when Amanda walked out of the bathroom in nothing but a long T-shirt that just covered her upper thighs. “Oh, everyone’s in here. Um, I was just going to get in the bed.” She slipped into the one closest to the bathroom and turned her back to everyone. Morgan could see the pink spread from her face to the back of her neck and those delicious little ears. How he wanted to nibble on that ear and suck the lobe into his mouth. Unfortunately, they had an audience she wasn’t comfortable with, and they needed to talk about what he’d found out from Jane. He had the sneaky suspicion that things were going to get worse.

 

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Chapter Nineteen Amanda tried to calm her breathing as she lay on her side with her back to the room and the four men standing there talking. The twins scared her to death. They were both so large and, well…large. Morgan trusted them, so she felt like they were okay, but that didn’t mean she had to go out of her way to befriend them. Several minutes later, the door closed between the two rooms, and a quiet fell over the room. Then the bed sank on the other side. “Amanda? Baby, we need to talk.” Morgan placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned over to find Morgan and Tyler sitting on the bed. She shivered and scooted up so she would be lying down. Morgan fitted a pillow behind her back so she would be comfortable. “What did she want? Who is she?” Amanda asked. “Her name is Jane Porter. Does that ring a bell?” he asked. “No. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of her.” “She’s a reporter for The Daily Journal in Memphis.” “I still don’t know her. Is she just looking for a story? Can we get her not to do it?” “No, she’s here to warn you. She says that Guy got her fired from her job and evicted from her apartment because she was doing an exposé on him.” Morgan watched her face. “Then why is she following me?” “She said she overheard Guy tell someone he wants you dead and buried, that no one will miss you.” She began to tremble, and tears seeped from her eyes. “He’s right. No one would miss me.”

 

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“Amanda, do you know anything about him that might cause him problems other than the fact that you’re pregnant?” Morgan asked. “Not that I know of. I mean, if something was said around me, I wouldn’t have known if it was important or not. I didn’t understand most of what he said half the time anyway. He talked in riddles to his people. Mostly, I ignored him,” she said. “Well, she’s going to lay low. One thing we do know is that those two goons are still on your trail. I don’t know where they are right now, and that makes me antsy. They haven’t shown their faces anywhere since the hotel the other night. I have the sneaky suspicion they’re going to show up when we least expect it.” Morgan glanced at Tyler. “They give me the shakes just thinking about them. They were so rough, and when they tried to hold me down so they could strap me in the chair, I thought I’d pass out.” Amanda began to tremble again. “Hey, you didn’t, though. You got away.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “Think I’m going to get ready for bed. What time do you want to head out tomorrow, Morgan?” Tyler asked. “Let’s check out about nine and then go back to that diner for breakfast. It looked clean,” Morgan said. “Sounds good. I’ll talk to you in the morning.” Tyler stood up and crossed the room to drag his stuff toward the bathroom. “Come on, sleepyhead. Lie back and let me get you covered and tucked in. I’ll join you as soon as I shower off.” “I know what you mean. I take one in the morning, but by the end of the day, I’m ready for a hot bath just to relax.” “Are you relaxed now, Amanda, baby?” “Getting there.” She yawned. “Go to sleep, Amanda. I’ll be in with you soon.” He pulled the covers up to her chin and kissed her on the forehead. She must have fallen asleep because when she woke a little later, it was dark, and Morgan was in the bed with her. He had his arm

 

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wrapped around her waist and a leg thrown over both of hers. She wasn’t sure what woke her up, but something had. Amanda twisted slightly so she could see the other bed, and Tyler seemed fast asleep as well. She listened intently for a few minutes, but other than the faint snore from Tyler, there was no other sound. Probably someone outside going to their room. But what if it was one of Guy’s goons? What if they were outside making plans to come in? She wondered what time it was and leaned up as far as she could with Morgan’s arm around her waist. She could make out the clock. It was only 5:00 a.m. She would stay awake, and if the noise came again, she’d be awake this time to identify it. Then she could wake up Morgan and Tyler. Until then, she would let them sleep. They needed it. Unfortunately, now that she was awake, she felt nauseous and needed the bathroom, in a bad way. She lifted Morgan’s hand off her middle, which gave her some relief from needing to pee. When she attempted to slide her legs from beneath his, he wrapped himself tighter around her. Shit! “Morgan? Let me up. I need to use the bathroom,” she whispered in his ear. He grunted, but seemed to have gotten used to her early morning ritual and moved off of her. This time she hurried out from under him, then pulled the covers back over him before creeping silently to the bathroom to keep from disturbing the men’s sleep. She nibbled on the crackers she’d picked up on the way to the bathroom. Then she started her morning routine. Once she’d finished, Amanda dressed and tiptoed across the room to look outside, peeking around the drapes. She didn’t see anything strange, so she cuddled up on the couch to wait for the men to wake up. About twenty minutes later, she heard the noise again. This time a card swiped the door, and the light went from red to green. She

 

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panicked and rushed over to wake up Tyler since he was the closest. Then Tyler woke up Morgan. “Amanda, come on. You’re going next door until we find out who they are.” He eased the door open and shoved her inside without an explanation to the twins. Jethro was immediately at her back with a knife to her throat. “P–P–Please, it’s me, Amanda,” she whispered. He quickly turned her around. “What’s wrong?” She filled him in, and he had Justin take her into the bathroom with a pillow and lock the door. Justin stood guard outside with a lethal-looking gun. Amanda hated not knowing what was going on around her. Long seconds turned into even longer minutes, until she was ready to scream. Finally, the door opened, and Morgan pulled her out of the bathroom. She all but threw herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. “Easy there, Amanda. It’s okay. He’s long gone now.” Morgan squeezed her tight, then set her down to stand up on her own. “What happened?” she demanded, still shaking. “Whoever tried to get in the door was stopped by the security lock and the chain,” Morgan said. “They had to have known we would have it on, so why try and alert us they were there?” Tyler asked. “They have something up their sleeve. I don’t like this,” Jethro said. “By the time we got outside, though, he was long gone by then. He left his tool set sitting outside the door,” Tyler said. “That was a big mistake,” Morgan said. “It tells us he’s a professional. If we are lucky, there could be prints on the case. More than likely, though, he wore gloves every time he used them. Still, if he’s ever been in the system, they’ll have the prints on file. It’s worth a try anyway.” “So how are you going to explain it to the police that you want it checked for prints?” Tyler asked.

 

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“Dodge will know. Until then, it comes with us,” Morgan said. He gingerly picked it up with a bath cloth and laid it on the dresser. “You can keep it since you have a truck to transport it in,” Morgan said. “Got it handled,” Justin said as he pulled up his jeans and fastened them. Amanda nearly passed out with embarrassment when she realized the men had all been naked except for boxers or briefs and she’d only had on an oversized T-shirt and panties. She immediately crossed her arms and darted around Morgan to run to the other room. Jethro caught her with an arm around her waist, though. “Where are you going, little girl?” he asked with a chuckle. “I need to get dressed,” she said, trying to get away. “Easy, you don’t need to go anywhere without one of us with you.” “Jethro, you can let go of her now.” Morgan’s voice had dropped an octave, and he took a step forward. “I have her.” “Easy, man. I’m not moving in.” Jethro let go of her and stepped back. “Amanda, wait for Tyler to check the room,” Morgan said. Tyler slipped between Jethro and Amanda to check out the room. “All clear,” he called from next door. Amanda looked up at Morgan, and when he nodded, she hurried into the other room. She didn’t want to come between the men. She needed them to keep her safe, and they were Morgan’s friends. She wouldn’t come between them. She’d leave first. **** “Might as well get ready to go to breakfast now,” Jethro said, easing around Morgan heading toward the bathroom.

 

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Morgan heaved out a sigh. He looked over at Justin to find the other man grinning like an idiot. “What’s your problem?” he said with a growl in his voice. “Nothing. Just watching the show. Did you find anything out there other than the tools?” “Nope, not a fucking thing.” “We’ll catch them. They can’t hide forever. They need to catch her pretty quick, or their boss is going to get antsy,” Justin said. “Yeah, but we can’t hide forever either.” He walked next door to find Tyler dressed and the bathroom door closed. He looked over at Tyler, but his friend only shrugged his shoulders. Morgan walked over to the bathroom and knocked on the door. “Amanda, are you okay in there?” She opened the door and gave him a tentative smile. “I’m fine. Just finished getting dressed.” “We need to get on the road, baby. How’s the baby holding up?” He realized it was the first time he’d actually asked about it. “I think we’re both doing fine,” she said, not looking at him. “Okay, let’s go.” He looked over at Tyler. “You ready?” “Packed and ready. Let’s do it,” Tyler said. Tyler walked out first and looked around. Justin and Jethro were both standing by the bikes with their hands out by their sides, ready in case they needed to get to their guns. Morgan watched all of them get into place. Then he brought Amanda out. He climbed onto the bike, and Tyler helped her onto the back before getting on his own bike. The twins loaded up in the truck, and they all headed to the diner. Morgan didn’t think they would try anything in a public place. They filed into the little diner and took up two tables. The waitress didn’t seem worried about them and waited on them without a fuss. Morgan was glad they didn’t have to worry with nervous employees. As soon as they finished eating, they followed the same procedure going out as they had at the hotel. No one bothered them. It was a

 

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relief to Morgan, but also put him on edge. Not knowing when or where they would make their move worried him. There were too many possibilities as long as they were on the road. They had a good five hours of road time left till they made it to Stillwater. He was sure Amanda would need to stop before then. A little over three hours later, she tapped him on the shoulder. “Morgan, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.” “No problem. We’ll pull off at the next exit that has a service station or restaurant,” he said. As it was, they hit the jackpot and found a small town with several fast-food chains. They picked one that looked easy to get in and out of. Tyler and Justin both went with her inside, while Jethro and Morgan stood watch outside. “This may be it,” Jethro said. “I thought of that.” Morgan didn’t need Jethro to point it out. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Every car that drove by, either parking or going through the drivethrough, put him on edge. Each was a potential problem. Tyler opened the door and called out to them that they were coming out. He saw Amanda sandwiched between Justin and Tyler and held her helmet ready for her to put on. No sooner had she stepped out than two cars pulled up behind the truck and the bikes and four men came running up to snatch Amanda. Morgan jumped off the bike even as Jethro pulled his gun. “Don’t try it,” one of the men said. The one holding Amanda held a gun to her head as he backed up toward the car. Tyler managed to stand up from where one of the men had hit him, knocking him to the ground. Justin wasn’t moving from where he’d hit his head on the curb when he’d been hit. Morgan held his hands out by his side. “She isn’t going to cause Guy any trouble. Just let her go, and we’re going to disappear. He’ll never hear from her again.” “We’re going to make sure of that,” the first man said.

 

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The one holding Amanda continued to back them toward one of the cars. She stared at Morgan with terror in her eyes. He had to do something, but what? All he could see was the gun pointed at her head. Suddenly Amanda cried out and moaned, then slumped forward. The man was at a loss as how to grab her, and the gun faltered from her head. A loud gunshot rang through the air, and the man holding Amanda dropped her and fell backward. The other three men pulled guns, but Jethro had risen and grabbed one of the men, holding the gun to his head. “Lay your weapons down nice and easy on the ground, then put your hands on the car.” When they hesitated, he cocked the gun. Morgan used their focus on Jethro to slip the gun out of Justin’s pants and aim it at one of the men. Tyler was up and quickly walked to where Amanda lay on the ground, not moving. He covered her with his body. Morgan was grateful for that. He needed to focus on the men in front of him and not worry about her right then, but that was easier said than done, though. Sirens in the distance spurred the other men to action, and they dropped their guns to the ground and leaned against the car. “Put Justin’s gun back in his pants before the cops get here,” Jethro told him. Morgan complied, then immediately went over to where Tyler was getting off of Amanda. “I’ve got her. Check on Justin. He’s out cold,” Morgan said. Tyler nodded and raced over to where Justin lay motionless. “Baby, can you hear me? Are you hurt?” Morgan smoothed the hair from her eyes. “I’m okay, I think. I need to sit up.” “Easy, there. Do you hurt anywhere?” Morgan asked. “Just my hands and my knees, I think. I scraped them on the concrete,” she said, raising her hands to look at them.

 

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“We’ll get them cleaned up.” “What am I going to do, Morgan? It will be all over the papers now, and Guy will get pissed and try to take my baby away from me.” Tears trailed down her cheeks. “Easy, Amanda. Don’t worry. Dodge has something up his sleeve. Everything will be okay, I promise.” Morgan prayed he didn’t break that promise. The police arrived and ordered everyone on the ground facedown. Jethro laid his gun down and told them he had a permit and ID in his back pocket. “She can’t lay facedown. She’s pregnant,” Morgan told them. “You’re not. Facedown. Now!” the officer said. An ambulance drove up behind the two police cars. They waited for them to get the okay before climbing out with their stretcher and cases. They took in the scene and went straight to Tyler when the policeman told them the other man was dead. Another police car pulled up, lights flashing, but without the siren. The man who got out looked older than the other two officers. He demanded to know what was going on from one of the men. “Sir, all we know right now is that we have one dead, GSW to the head, one down with a head injury of some kind, a pregnant woman, and three guys with guns at their feet,” the young officer told him. “Who wants to talk first?” Morgan raised his hand. “I will.” “Okay, come over here and tell me what the fuck went down here,” the older man said. Morgan got up and slowly walked over to the police car, where he leaned and was carefully and thoroughly frisked. The older man turned him around. “Now start talking.” “Those men pulled up behind us and assaulted us. The dead man grabbed Amanda, the pregnant woman, and put a gun to her head. She pretended to pass out, and he lost his grip. Jethro, the man with the

 

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license to carry a gun, shot him before he could recover and shoot Amanda.” “Okay, let’s say you’re telling the truth. Why?” he asked. “She’s the ex-girlfriend of Guy Winthroup of Memphis, Tennessee. She’s carrying his baby, and the son of a bitch tried to make her have an abortion because he’s actually engaged to someone else. He’s also running for mayor of Memphis.” “Holy hell,” the man said. “Just what I need. A freaking three-ring circus. The media will eat this up.” “We don’t want the media if that’s any consolation to you. She’s scared he’ll sue her for custody of the baby when she has it. He’ll win, too. He has the money and who knows how many judges in his pocket,” Morgan said. “Can’t do a damn thing about that. Go on back over to where the others are. We’ll bring you all in for questioning. You can ride your bikes and follow us. Don’t have enough room for them and you all both, but the lady comes with us. That should assure you show up. I’ll charge her with accessory to murder if you don’t show up.” “We’ll be there,” Morgan assured him. He walked back over to where a paramedic was fighting to keep Justin on the stretcher. “I’m not going to the hospital. Just give me whatever papers you need me to sign, and I’ll sign them,” he said. “How are you feeling?” Morgan asked. “Fine. I’ve got a hell of a headache, but I’ve had worse.” Justin grabbed the clipboard and pen. He signed the paper and shoved it back into the paramedic’s hands before climbing off the stretcher. He weaved a bit, but caught his balance and walked over to where Jethro was leaning against the truck, being questioned. Morgan walked over to the police car where the other paramedic was treating Amanda’s hands. He squatted down and looked up at her. “How you doing?” he asked. “I’m okay. My hands sting, but that’s all.”

 

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“What about the baby?” He directed the question to the paramedic. “Heartbeat sounds fine. I don’t know if she’s spotting or not since we can’t strip her down here.” “Does she need to go to the hospital?” Morgan asked, worried now. “It wouldn’t hurt.” “Amanda, you go on, and I’ll come get you as soon as they finish questioning me. I’m going to make sure the police send someone with you.” “I don’t want to leave you, Morgan. I know you’ll keep me safe,” she said, wringing her hands. “I know, baby, but there’s nothing we can do. The police won’t let us leave without statements.” “Is Justin okay?” she asked. “Yeah, he’s got a hell of a bump and a headache, but he’s fine,” Morgan told her. She nodded and let the paramedic lead her to the ambulance. Morgan followed her and made sure she was comfortable, then walked back over to the apparent leader. “She’s got to go to the hospital. She needs a policeman with her at all times until we can be with her,” Morgan told him. “Hell, is she okay? I thought she just had some scrapes,” the leader fussed. “She landed on her stomach, so they want to have her checked for bleeding and all.” “Okay, I’ll send one of the officers from the office up there. He can take her statement while he’s there.” He reached into his cruiser and pulled out his mike. Morgan watched the ambulance pull away with a sick feeling in his stomach. He didn’t like her being out of his sight. He didn’t like her being anywhere but with him. That bit of knowledge worried him.

 

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Chapter Twenty Amanda trembled the entire time she sat on the stretcher in the emergency room of the local hospital. They’d checked her hands and knees and listened to her baby’s heartbeat. They’d even let her hear it. She’d been in awe. She knew she was pregnant, but until she heard her baby’s heartbeat, it hadn’t really seemed real. “We’re going to do an ultrasound as well since you haven’t been seen by an ob-gyn yet. I want to make sure everything looks okay. The best thing is that you’re not spotting. Some spotting during pregnancy can be normal, but you should always contact your doctor—which means, young lady, that you need to find a doctor soon to follow you,” the doctor told her. “I’ll give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins. I know you’re taking the over-the-counter ones, but I’d feel better if you would take these instead.” “Okay,” she said. She would do whatever he told her to take care of her baby. It was the most important thing. She hoped Morgan and the others were okay and would be there soon. She didn’t like sitting there with some stranger standing outside her door. Somehow in the short time she’d known him, Morgan had become special to her, no, more than special. She was falling in love with him. It hurt to admit because she knew he would leave once she was settled somewhere. The ultrasound technician wheeled in a machine and directed her to lie back on the stretcher. She pulled a sheet up to cover her, then pulled her gown up to expose her belly. She spread some cool gel

 

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over her abdomen, then used a wand of some kind to press around on her belly. “There we go. Let’s see if we can figure out the sex for you,” the tech said. “Can you tell already?” Amanda asked. “Sometimes, yes. This little butter bean isn’t cooperating, though. He’s turned around. How about a look at him?” the tech asked. “Can I really?” “Sure thing.” She turned the machine so that Amanda could see the picture on the monitor. “See the heart beating? There are his hands and feet. Cute little thing, isn’t it?” “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Amanda’s eyes teared up. “I’ll print out a picture for you. Now, be still while I do all the things I need to do for the doctor.” Amanda held still and waited while the tech finished the test. Then she handed her the printout of the ultrasound picture. She couldn’t stop staring at it. That was what was growing inside of her, a little person. Now it seemed so real. There was a commotion at the door. She heard Morgan’s voice threaten the officer outside the room. “Get out of my way. She’s my woman.” The officer must have said something because Morgan answered him, “Call your superior, then, and get it cleared, because I’m going in whether you like it or not.” Morgan pushed past the officer and walked into the room. Amanda still had her gown up, rubbing her belly. It felt good to touch and know she was, in essence, rubbing her baby. She watched as he stared at her now slightly rounded belly. “You’ve got a baby bump,” he said with wonder. “Look what they gave me,” she said, picking up the sonogram picture.

 

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He obviously knew what it was because he took it and looked closely at it before handing it back to her. “Can’t tell if it is a boy or a girl yet, though.” “Not yet,” she agreed. “Is everything straightened out?” “Pretty much. We’ll all have to come back and testify against the others unless they take a plea bargain.” “What about Tyler and Justin? Are they okay?” “They’re fine. Justin has a hell of a headache, but he’ll be fine.” Just then, the doctor walked in. He raised his eyebrows at Morgan. “You okay with him being in here while we talk?” He flipped through her chart. “Yes, it’s fine,” Amanda assured him. “Okay, I’ve got good news and some not-so-good news.” At this, Amanda’s stomach dropped. Morgan sought out her hand and squeezed it. She didn’t know what she was going to do without him when he was gone. He was her rock in the storm of life. “The good news is that you haven’t suffered any lasting effects from the episode you were in. I still want you to watch for spotting. It won’t mean anything bad, but it would be best to let your doctor know,” the doctor said. “I’ll do that,” Amanda assured him. “Okay, the not-so-great news. You’re not as large and haven’t gained enough weight for how far along you are. You should weigh a good eight to ten pounds more than you do for your height and gestation.” “What about my baby? Is he okay?” “The baby is doing fine. The baby will always get what it needs first. You’re the one suffering. Eventually, though, it will affect the baby. You need more rest and to gain some weight,” the doctor said. “I’ll make sure she gets what she needs,” Morgan assured the doctor. “All right then, I’m going to write that prescription and your discharge papers, and you’ll be ready to go,” he said.

 

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As soon as the doctor left the room, Morgan wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. She opened to him, and he took advantage by plunging his tongue inside to twist and roll over hers. Someone cleared her throat. Amanda hid her face in Morgan’s neck when they pulled apart. “I came to help you get dressed, but I see you have someone who can help you.” A middle-aged nurse smiled at them and shook her head. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes with your discharge papers and that prescription for you.” “Oh my God, I’m so embarrassed,” Amanda said. “Come on, let’s get you dressed before she gets back,” Morgan said with a grin. Amanda slid off the stretcher with Morgan’s help and shed the gown. He held the jeans while she stepped into them and pulled them up for her. Then he helped her with her bra and blouse. By the time the nurse arrived again, they were both standing by the stretcher waiting on her. She smiled and shook her head. “Here is your paperwork. Sign here, and this copy is yours.” She indicated where to sign and handed a pen to Amanda. “So, I can take her now?” Morgan asked. “She’s free to go.” **** Morgan hurried her outside where everyone was waiting. Tyler even hugged her. “You okay?” he asked. “What about the baby?” “I’m fine. So is the baby.” The twins nodded at her. “Okay, we need to find another hotel for the night and then get an early start in the morning,” Jethro said. “Can we go ahead and ride for a few hours tonight? I really don’t want to stay here,” Amanda said.

 

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Jethro looked over at Morgan. Morgan felt the same way, but wasn’t sure if it was a good idea for Amanda. She turned her face up to him with a begging expression that he couldn’t ignore. “Okay, we’ll ride another hour or so and find a nice place to stay up the road. First, though, we need to find a pharmacy and get something filled for her,” Morgan said. “Saw one around the corner from the hospital,” Justin said. “Amanda, I want you to ride with the twins until we get to the next town. I don’t think you should be riding the bike this soon after you fell,” Morgan told her. “I want to ride with you, Morgan. I’m fine. The doctor said I was fine.” “Regardless, if you want to ride with me tomorrow, you’re riding with the twins tonight. End of conversation.” He frowned at her when she opened her mouth again. He wasn’t a bit surprised when she pleaded with her eyes, then gave him a dirty look. He knew she wasn’t comfortable around them, but he felt like he was doing what was best for her and the baby. He could still see the picture of that little being inside of her. It made it more real to him that she was pregnant. Had he been fooling himself into forgetting that she was all this time? Jethro drove, and Justin helped Amanda up into the truck to sit between them. He looked at her through the windshield and could see the fear in her eyes. He hated seeing it, but felt like he was doing the right thing. They stopped at the pharmacy. He went in and got the prescription filled while everyone else waited. He took a package of peanut butter crackers and a candy bar to the truck for Amanda. “See that she eats something on the way.” Then he handed them each a bottled water. They drove for about three hours before stopping in a little town not too far from Stillwater. Had they driven another two to three

 

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hours, they would have been able to make it into Stillwater, but Morgan didn’t want to push it. He felt like Amanda needed the rest. They pulled off the interstate and found a hotel with vacancies. So far their luck had been holding that they could get connecting rooms with double beds. They pulled around back. Morgan was there by the truck when it was Amanda’s turn to scoot out of it. He helped her down and walked her to their room. “Did you eat anything?” he asked. “I had a package of peanut butter and crackers,” she said without looking at him. “Are you going to be mad at me for long?” he asked, amused. “I don’t know yet. I’ll let you know when I know,” She huffed and walked over to the bathroom. “At least she didn’t slam the door,” Tyler said with a grin. “She’ll get over it. She’s afraid of the twins, but I trust them with her life. I’m worried about her riding the bike right now after falling and all.” “It was a controlled fall, though, so I’m sure she and the baby are fine,” Tyler told him. “The doctor said she needs to put on some weight. She’s bordering on not being healthy. The baby is getting what it needs, but she isn’t.” Morgan sighed. “So, we’ll have to all feed her. Once we get to Dodge’s place, that will be easy. Plus she can rest all the time. His place is big enough for all of us.” “Hell, I still can’t believe that bitch left him when he came home like he did,” Morgan said with a growl. “He’d built that house for them and everything,” Tyler agreed. “No talking about her while we’re there,” Morgan reminded Tyler. “Not a problem here.” The bathroom door opened, and Amanda came out freshly showered wearing a T-shirt and panties. It was her T-shirt, so it

 

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showed more than Morgan’s would have. She climbed into bed and covered her bottom half. “I hate to always be complaining, but I’m hungry, Morgan,” she said. “You’re not the only one. How do you feel about pizza again?” he asked. “Sounds good to me.” “Her baby is going to come out looking like a pizza, Morgan. She needs some fruit too,” Tyler fussed. “I’ll get the twins to stop by the grocery store and grab some.” “Don’t go to all that trouble. When we get where we are going, I’ll get some fruit then,” Amanda said. Morgan just shook his head and knocked on the connecting door. Jethro opened it with just a pair of jeans on. He had obviously taken a shower. “How about pizza tonight?” he asked the other man. “Sounds good to me. We’ll go get it if you’ll call it in using our name. Justin is in the shower.” Jethro finished buttoning his button-fly jeans. Morgan turned and noticed that Amanda was studying the bedspread, and he grinned. “Do you mind stopping by a grocery store on the way and picking up a couple of bananas?” Morgan asked. “Naw, be glad to. I plan to get a couple of six-packs of beer. I think we could all use a drink tonight.” “Good idea.” Morgan slapped the door facing and turned to Tyler, who was already looking through the phone book. “I’m looking,” Tyler said when Morgan walked over and sat on the edge of the bed next to Amanda. “How are you holding up other than being hungry?” he asked. “I’m fine. My hands sting a little bit, but they should be fine by morning.” She looked up into Morgan’s face and smiled a sad little smile. “What is it, baby?” he asked, concerned.

 

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“It’s all going to be over soon, right? Your friend Dodge has something that could keep Guy from coming after me and the baby?” “That’s what he says. I trust him, and he always pulls through for us.” Morgan cupped her face with his hand. Amanda rubbed her cheek into the curve of his hand and sighed. “Now that it is almost finished, I’m not sure what I’m going to do.” “You still have time to think about that. You can pick a place, anywhere you want to live, and we’ll get you set up there.” Morgan felt a knot grow in his throat when he told her that. The idea of her choosing somewhere besides where he was hurt right then. But he wasn’t sticking around, so there was no reason even thinking about where she chose to live. Still, it weighed heavily on his mind over the next few hours. “Okay, I ordered five large pizzas in Jethro’s name,” Tyler said. “I hope one has everything but olives on it,” Amanda said with a teasing smile. “Of course.” He grinned at her. Morgan bit back a retort. Tyler was only being nice to her. He had no business jumping on him. Besides, Amanda wasn’t his property. When Justin and Jethro walked over, they were talking between themselves about something concerning a woman. It wasn’t about Amanda, though. He knew them. They went after a certain type of woman, one who enjoyed a threesome and a little dominance. “Pizza ready yet?” Jethro asked. “Should be by the time you get finished with the grocery shopping,” Tyler said. “Let’s go then,” Jethro said. They unlocked the door and left. Morgan relocked the safety bar and dead bolt. He figured they’d be gone about an hour. He’d watch for them. “Morgan?” Amanda asked. “Yeah, baby?”

 

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“Tell me a little about Dodge. You talk about him all the time, but I’d like to know more about him.” “Well, for a couple of years, he, Tyler, Logan, and Riley were all in the same unit I was. We worked well together. Saw a lot of action. Then we were hit with an ambush, and Dodge saw this little boy who’d been running and fallen down. He ran after him and dragged him to safety and covered him with his own body. A bomb went off near them, and Dodge took a lot of shrapnel in his body. He lost part of one leg to it.” “The little boy?” Amanda asked. “Was fine. Not a scratch on him. Dodge saved his life,” Morgan said. “Then he’s a hero,” she said. “Yep, he’s a hero. But don’t say anything to him. He’s still trying to deal with it all.” “Okay, I won’t. Is he going to be okay with all of us descending on him like a horde?” “He’ll grouse about it good-naturedly, but he will enjoy the company,” Morgan assured her. “Hey you two, I’m going to go take a shower while we wait on the pizzas,” Tyler said and disappeared into the bathroom. “Tyler is nice, but a flirt,” Amanda said with a laugh. “He is at that. He was the one always ready to party when we got back to base. Even when we’d all had a pissy detail or mission, Tyler was ready to go dance with the ladies.” Morgan laughed. “He got us in more trouble flirting with everything in a skirt.” Morgan shook his head. “Do you think he’ll ever settle down?” she asked. “I don’t know. It’s hard to imagine someone catching his attention for longer than a few nights. I suppose it’s possible, though.” “What about the twins? How did you meet them?” she asked. “Not long after we got back to base from that clusterfuck, they reassigned me to another unit. I ended up with the twins and a few

 

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other men. We all got close as well. The twins are crazy. They will do just about anything,” Morgan told her. “They took every dangerous assignment available. Jethro was a sniper and Justin his spotter. They got into places no one else had ever been able to breach. We depended on them to keep the enemy off our back when we were in the field.” “They scare me. They’re so big,” Amanda whispered. “Baby, they would never hurt you. Women to them are precious. They’ll go to their death to protect one.” About that time, Tyler emerged from the bathroom in jeans, rubbing his hair with a towel. “Better wait a little while for the water to warm back up, Morgan.” “I’ll wait till after we eat.” Amanda’s stomach growled, and they all laughed. “Jethro and Justin better hurry up, or she might start looking for something else to gnaw on,” Tyler teased. “I’m going to call and let Dodge know what’s going on,” Morgan said. He stepped into the other room and dialed the number. Dodge answered on the third ring. “Where in the hell are you?” “About two and half hours from Stillwater. We’ve had some setbacks.” “What happened?” Dodge asked. Morgan filled him in on the ambush and Amanda’s trip to the hospital. “Shit, you’ve had a rough day. Sounds like she has, too. Look, when you get here, I need to talk to you alone. The others are fine, but Amanda doesn’t need to hear all the details,” Dodge told him. “So what you dug up is bad?” Morgan asked, a sick feeling in his stomach now. “Yeah. The man is sick. She’s damn lucky she got away from him when she did.” “What about his fiancée now? Does she need to be warned?”

 

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“He won’t screw up his public image. He’s too intent on getting to be mayor. I think he has an eye on an eventual seat in the Senate,” Dodge said. “Okay, I’ll get her settled somewhere to take a nap, and we can talk. She’s going to want to know right away what you have. Tell her you’ll tell her once you get one more confirmation. Then we can talk and decide what she needs to know,” Morgan told him. “Sounds good to me. Be careful. Just park anywhere when you get out here. I’ll put up Juniper so he won’t scare Amanda.” Juniper was Dodge’s guard dog. He could be vicious, but knew Morgan and Tyler. He wouldn’t know the twins, though, or Amanda. “Good thinking. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Morgan hung up. There was a knock at the door in the other room. He walked in as Tyler looked outside the door. “Pizza is here.” He unlocked the door and opened it wide for the twins to walk in with their load. “Hold the door,” Justin said. “I’ve got one more load.” Morgan held the door while Justin brought in a small paper bag and handed it to Amanda. “Fruit and some milk,” he said. She looked up at him and smiled slightly. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” Justin just shrugged and headed toward the pizza. “Amanda, what do you want before they scarf it all down?” Tyler asked her. “Everything but olives,” she called out. Tyler brought her two big slices and a napkin. Morgan watched and smiled. She had warmed up to everyone fairly well over the last few days. She was still wary around the twins, but he figured that was for the best. He didn’t need anyone else competing for her. He stopped and cursed himself. He was not sticking around. He looked over at her eating the pizza. She licked some sauce from her upper lip, and he groaned. He was such a fool.

 

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Chapter Twenty-One Later that night, after everything had been cleaned up, Amanda borrowed the bathroom before Morgan took his shower. When she returned she looked like she’d washed her face, due to the healthy glow. He climbed into the shower next and hurried through it, anxious to return to the room. He wanted to hold Amanda before she drifted off to sleep. It was one of the times in the evening he loved best. He found her and Tyler laughing and talking about some of the things they’d gotten into during their days in the army. Morgan winced when he heard what they were talking about at the time. Evidently nothing was sacred with Tyler. “You’re kidding!” Amanda said with an astonished look on her face. “He really did that?” She turned to Morgan. “You actually screwed some woman in a tree?” “Um, that’s really not a good thing to be talking about right after dinner, Tyler,” he said. “I’m learning all sorts of things about you, Morgan,” Amanda said with a smirk. “Perhaps I should tell you about Tyler and how he likes to—” “That’s enough, Morgan. I didn’t share anything like that.” Tyler frowned. Morgan chuckled and ruffled Amanda’s hair. He sat next to her on the bed and wrapped her in his arms. She snuggled into him and leaned her head back against his shoulder. All he could think about looking down at her was licking her breasts, sucking on those elongated nipples.

 

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He ran a hand over her breasts through the material of her T-shirt. Her nipples poked up. He nosed aside her hair and licked at her neck. She tasted like sunshine to him. When he ran his hands beneath her Tshirt and latched on to her nipples, she moaned and thrust them further into his hands. He took his time and plucked at them before rolling them between his thumb and forefinger. His mouth watered for a taste of them. “I’ve got to have you, Amanda. I almost lost you today.” Morgan pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. He leaned her back to the bed, then kissed his way from her neck to her nipples. The sight of her breasts, large and firm, plump and entirely edible, hardened his cock to the point of pain. He bent over her and drew one long nipple into his mouth to suck. He mounded the other breast with his hand, then switched nipples to give the other one the same sucking treatment. “Fuck, you’re so hot. I could love on your breasts all night.” Morgan moved down her body to her rounded tummy and paused there. Morgan hesitated to touch her there. Finally he laid his lips across her stomach and moved further down to where her panties covered the bare mound he wanted to taste. He slid his fingers inside the waistband and drew them down her legs, leaving them dangling at her ankles. He didn’t want to leave her mound long enough to pull them off. He didn’t have to worry about it. Tyler was there and slipped them free of her feet. Amanda looked down to the end of the bed, where Tyler knelt shirtless, watching as Morgan sipped at her mound. She looked back at Morgan, holding his gaze with hers. “He doesn’t touch, Amanda. You know that,” Morgan said. “He only wants to watch.” “I know.” Morgan nodded at Tyler. The other man stood up and slipped out of his boxers and climbed up on the other side of the bed. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Amanda,” Tyler said.

 

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Morgan eased to the foot of the bed and spread her legs with his wide shoulders. One of her legs touched Tyler’s. He felt her freeze for a few seconds before she relaxed again. He eased between her legs and latched on to her pussy with the enthusiasm of a starved man. The taste of her exploded on his tongue as he licked her pussy lips, then sucked them into his mouth. There wasn’t another taste like her in the world, all spice and honey dripping from her hot cunt just for him. He looked up the long line of her body to see her moving her head back and forth, moaning and mewing as he teased her pussy with his tongue. She grasped the sheets with her hands, pulling on them as he latched on to her clit and sucked on it. Tyler was tugging on his dick, watching him pleasure her with his mouth. He could tell it spurred Amanda on because when she looked in his direction, she’d gasp and roll her eyes back, moaning with each thrust of his tongue. Once again he sucked on her clit, until this time she shoved her hand in her mouth and cried out around it. He quickly climbed up her body and positioned his cock at her opening He started to enter her, then looked over at Tyler and saw him watching intently as he slowly pumped his cock with one hand. His other hand rolled his balls. Morgan lifted her right leg over his arm and plunged forward into her hot cunt. “Fuck yeah,” Tyler groaned. Morgan had given him a better view of him taking Amanda’s sweet pussy. He slowly pushed in and pulled out, over and over, until she was bucking, trying to speed him up. He smiled and deliberately stopped moving. Amanda growled and, reaching up, grabbed his nipples and tugged. “Fuck!” He chuckled around the pain. “Okay. All you had to do was ask.” “No playing around, fuck me already,” she gasped. Morgan grinned and scooted up closer on the bed and began tunneling into her slowly, then gained speed until he was pumping in

 

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her like a piston in a machine. He knew he didn’t have long before he came. He reached between them and found her clit and gently pressed against it with each stroke of his cock. He gradually increased the pressure until she was jerking around him in her climax. He shouted and shot cum deep within her. A few seconds later, he heard Tyler curse and Morgan felt the bed shake. Morgan scooted up on the bed and kissed Amanda, murmuring how pretty she was when she came. She snuggled against him. “I’ll be right back, baby.” He rolled out of the bed and met Tyler returning with a warm bath cloth. “Thanks,” he said, taking the cloth back to clean up Amanda before they went to sleep. Tyler grinned and shook his head. “You’ve got a hell of a woman. I hope you aren’t thinking about leaving her when this is all over,” he whispered. “Mind your own business, Tyler.” “Maybe I am. Maybe if you don’t take care of her, I will.” Morgan ignored him and, after bathing her, threw the cloth into the bathroom and slid back into bed with her. He curled around her and, after a long while, fell asleep with the thought of Tyler and Amanda burning in his brain. **** They were back on the road by nine thirty the next morning. It wouldn’t be long before they made it to Stillwater, then on to Dodge’s home just outside of the city proper. Amanda was looking forward to meeting the man who would free her from Guy once and for all. “Remember, as soon as we get there, you’re taking a nap. You didn’t sleep much last night. You were up several times,” Morgan called back to her as they cruised down the interstate. “I know, but I want to know what Dodge has found out.” “I know you do. I do, too. He’ll tell us when he has it all in place.” Morgan patted her hand where it rested around his waist.

 

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Less than an hour later, they pulled into the quaint little university town of Stillwater. They rode around the area before taking a long road that led outside of town. About five miles down that road, and they turned down another road that changed to gravel and ended at the end of a beautiful yard surrounding a magnificent house with a wraparound porch. A wheelchair ramp went up one side of a set of wooden steps. Tyler helped her climb off the bike. Morgan took her hand as soon as he was off. The twins climbed out of the cab of their truck and waited on Tyler and Morgan to lead the way. Morgan kept Amanda by his side almost as if he didn’t want her near the other man. She couldn’t imagine that being the reason with how intimate they were together at night. It confused her. She quickly forgot that confusion when the door opened and the most handsome man she’d ever seen walked out onto the porch with a slight limp. “Close your mouth, Amanda. You’re going to catch flies,” Morgan laughed. Amanda’s mouth snapped closed. She couldn’t believe she’d been staring like a lovesick fool. So what if he was easy to look at? He wasn’t Morgan. No one would replace her feelings for him. Not even this heavenly hunk of a man. Pretty almost described him, but he was handsome, too. “You going to introduce us or just stand there like the asshole you are?” Dodge asked, looking down at them. “Dodge, this is Amanda. Amanda, Dodge.” Morgan turned to where the twins stood. “These are Jethro and his brother Justin.” Dodge nodded his head at each of them. He deliberately walked down the stairs as if to prove that he could. Once he was on ground level, he limped up to Amanda. He looked her up and down and smiled, then held out his hand to shake hers. “Pleased to meet you,” Dodge said, holding her hands to his lips for a soft kiss.

 

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Amanda didn’t know how to take him. Morgan hadn’t said a thing about Dodge’s flirty side. “That’s enough, Dodge,” Morgan said with a grin. The other man laughed and turned to slap Morgan on the back. “Wondered when you would ever show up here.” “Dodge, how the hell are you?” Tyler asked, shaking his hand. “Doing fine, doing fine. What about you? Still lovin’ ’em and leavin’ ’em?” Dodge asked him. “You know it.” Tyler winked at Amanda. “Come on in, everyone. I’ll let you settle in. There are plenty of rooms. Um, Justin, Jethro, I have you in a room with twin beds. May not be the most comfortable…” “We’ve slept on far worse. Don’t worry about us,” Jethro told him. Dodge limped around the house, leading them all to their rooms. The room she and Morgan would be sharing seemed huge to her. It held a king-size bed, dresser, chest of drawers, and a couple of sofa chairs. The bed looked inviting. She really hadn’t slept that well the night before, but she didn’t want to miss out on what was going on, either. “Let’s get you settled down now,” Morgan said. He picked her up and sat her on the bed. He began unlacing her boots to pull them off. “Morgan, I don’t want to take a nap right now. I want to know what Dodge has found out.” “I know, baby, but you need to rest. I promise we won’t make any decisions or start anything going until you’re up again. Just a couple of hours, baby. You’re pale and have shadows under your eyes.” He unfastened her jeans and pulled them down and off her legs. Then he did the same with her blouse and bra. “You’ll come get me if I oversleep? You promise?” She finally gave in.

 

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“I promise. I’ll come wake you up personally. Maybe even join you for a little while before we have to be down for dinner. How does that sound?” He kissed her on the lips, then on the nose. “You’re trying to distract me, Morgan.” “Is it working?” he asked, toying with her panties. “You know it is.” She yawned and hated the telltale sign that she really was sleepy. Morgan tucked her in under the covers and turned off the light before closing the door behind him. Amanda sighed. He could get her to do anything. All he had to do was ask, and kiss her. Knowing their time was almost gone put a damper on her excitement over finally getting Guy out of her life. She loved Morgan so much that it hurt sometimes just looking at him. Knowing he wouldn’t stick around once she was safe nearly tore her heart out. She wasn’t sure she would have been able to go on if it were not for the little life growing inside of her. She needed to stop dwelling on what couldn’t be and make plans for the future. She needed somewhere to live and a way to work and save for the baby. Where did she want to live, a big city or a small town? Questions circled around in her head until she finally drifted off thinking about small apartments and gingerbread houses—and Morgan hanging up a swing. **** “She’s a nice-looking woman, Morgan,” Dodge said as they all sat in the living room. “She’s been through a lot over the last week. I sure hope you have something to get this bastard off her back for good.” Morgan stretched out his long legs in front of him. “I think I do, but a lot of it working is going to depend on how strong she is emotionally.”

 

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“What does that mean?” Morgan asked. “Let me start from the beginning,” Dodge said. He stood up and limped over to the TV and popped in a disc. After returning to his chair, he pressed the remote, and the TV came on. Then a very detailed sex scene played out with a dominatrix disciplining a man with a dog collar and chain around his neck. She flogged him, leaving red welts on his back and buttocks. “This, gentlemen, is Guy Winthroup. The woman is Lady Diane, and a very much sought-after woman for her many skills.” “Shit!” Tyler leaned forward for a better look. “Fuck.” Morgan knew this wasn’t going to go over well with Amanda. “I’ve met her. She’s a solid Dom,” Jethro said. “Do we really want to know?” Tyler asked. “Smartass.” Justin shook his head. “So, we have several copies of this. I suggest she locate a lawyer and retain him, leaving a copy of this with him. Then open a safety deposit box and keep a copy there as well,” Dodge began. “Next, she sends a copy to Guy with the understanding that if anything happens to her or her child, the disc will be aired all over the Internet and news.” “She can handle it. It won’t be easy, but she can do it.” Morgan knew Amanda. For her child, she would do anything. “In addition to that, she needs to speak to him in person and get a letter with him signing over all rights to the baby. It’s the only way that the child will be safe with her. Should the disc or something similar get out without our help, he would have no reason then not to go after the child. And, with him running for mayor, someone might end up with a copy of this or something else. That would take away her hold on him, so she needs the letter.” Dodge swung his bad leg around to the desk and rifled through some papers until he came up with the one he was looking for. He handed it to Morgan.

 

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“What’s this?” Morgan asked. “These are the names of several good lawyers who specialize in child welfare issues. Any of them would be good for her to work with. I’d suggest she use one close to where she is going to settle down.” “Something we haven’t had time to discuss,” Morgan said. “She’s welcome here as long as she wants to stay,” Dodge said. “You making a play for her, Dodge?” Tyler asked in a serious voice. “Hell, what woman in their right mind would want a cripple like me?” Dodge said in a bitter voice. “Nothing wrong with you, man,” Morgan said. He didn’t like the idea of Amanda staying there, but then he didn’t like the idea of Dodge talking about himself like that either. “Yeah, tell that to Lynn.” Dodge stood up and had to steady himself on the desk before he stomped out of the room, his limp even more noticeable than before. “Shit, he’s really not that much better. When he was talking about Amanda and all, I thought he was doing better,” Tyler said. “I could throttle that woman,” Morgan said. Lynn had been Dodge’s wife until he came home missing part of his leg. She’d lasted all of one month before she had filed for divorce and walked out. Morgan had never much liked the woman, but Dodge had been crazy about her. She’d always seemed too uppity to him. Dodge had used all of their savings to build the house and furnish it like she wanted. Now it was a living monument to her, and Dodge refused to sell it. “So, what do we do now?” Justin asked. “Relax and keep our eyes and ears open for anyone snooping around. Just because we have a way out of this doesn’t mean it’s all over yet. It will take a while to put it all in place and for him to get the money off the streets so everyone will back off,” Morgan said. Jethro nodded. “I say we take turns patrolling the area. I’ll take first. Justin, you’re up next. Then Tyler and Morgan.”

 

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“Good idea,” Morgan agreed. “You better go talk to Amanda and let her know what’s going on,” Tyler said. Morgan wasn’t looking forward to that part, but it had to be done. He just hoped she would go along with it. It was a risky plan, but the best one under the circumstances, he decided. He checked his watch. She’d been asleep for a little over an hour. She should be about ready to wake up now anyway. If she wasn’t awake, he’d crawl into bed with her until she did wake up. Something about the thought of easing in close to her relaxed him in a way he hadn’t been relaxed all day. He wanted to pull her back into his arms and hold her and protect her from everything that would upset her. But he didn’t have that right. He wasn’t sticking around. One day she would find someone to love her like she deserved. So why did that just piss him off?

 

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Chapter Twenty-Two Amanda slowly became aware of a warm body pressed close to hers. She froze at first, then remembered where she was and knew it was Morgan. Although he had removed his shirt, he still had on his jeans. Still, his erection pressed hard against the crack of her ass. He wanted her. It never failed to amaze her that he wanted her even though she was growing round with Guy’s baby. How much longer did she have with him? A few days? A week? He nuzzled her neck beneath her ear with his nose and lips. “Wake up, sleepyhead. I know you can hear me.” Amanda slowly rolled over until she was staring up into his eyes. They were heavy-lidded with desire. His cock insistently throbbed against her thigh, begging for attention. She knew what sort of attention it wanted, too. “Something tells me you’re horny,” she teased. “I want you, Amanda. I want to bury my cock so deep inside of you that you’ll never forget me.” That one sentence nearly broke her heart. Already he was pulling away. She knew it would happen, but she had hoped for a little longer. It must mean that they had a plan to get Guy off her back sooner rather than later. “I want you to fuck me, Morgan. Fuck me like you mean it—like you’ve never fucked another woman before.” Morgan leaned over her and took her lips in an almost gentle kiss. It wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted hard and demanding. She parted her lips so she could stab into his mouth with her questing

 

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tongue. He picked up on her urgency and took over the kiss, taking it deeper and hotter than ever before. She encircled his neck with her arms, pulling him tighter against her. The hair on his bare chest rasped against her nipples. She moaned into his mouth and moved from side to side for more stimulation. Morgan caught on and began to pluck and pull on one of her nipples while he held himself up with his other hand. Her breast ached, swelling even as his fingers twisted and tugged on the elongated nub. He left her mouth after a few seconds and traveled down her chin and around her jawline, sucking and nipping as he moved. When he reached her earlobe, he pulled it deep into his mouth after nibbling insistently at it. She moaned and hissed at the slight pain, but didn’t mind at all. He was making her feel too good all over. As his mouth trailed kisses down her neck to her shoulder, his hand left her breast to head for her pussy. He stopped when he reached her rounded belly, hesitating for a few seconds before continuing his trek to her hot cunt. When his mouth closed over one nipple, she arched her back and grabbed at his hair to hold him there as he sucked and teased and titillated her with his tongue and teeth. The feel of his teeth pulling on her nipple sent shock waves to her already wet pussy. They traveled down her spine until she felt her toes tingle. “More, oh God. More, Morgan. Please,” she begged, digging her hands into his hair. He answered by changing nipples and dragging one finger through the juices from her pussy. He circled her clit without touching it. Amanda tried to chase his finger with her pelvis to no avail. He kept her from stimulating herself on his questing finger. Finally, she growled in frustration. “Don’t tease me. Fuck me.” “Don’t worry, baby. I’m going to fuck you. Just not right now. Right now, I’m having fun.”

 

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“Remember that two can play at that game,” she said in a breathless voice. “I’m looking forward to it,” Morgan answered. With her next breath, he plunged his finger deep within her hot pussy and fucked her with it as she keened out loud. He pulled out and added a second finger before entering her. He searched around inside her until she knew he would find that special spot that sent her flying. While his mouth ravaged her breasts, his fingers dipped in and out of her cunt until he finally located her hot spot, causing her to gasp for breath as suddenly stars exploded behind her eyes. He reached his thumb up and applied pressure to her clit, sending her flying higher than ever before. She gasped for breath, calling out his name as she came, flooding her pussy with her juices. He withdrew and slid to the bottom of the bed where he began sucking her cum up as fast as she delivered it. “You taste like heaven, Amanda. I can never get enough of your sweet honey.” He swiped his tongue over and over, scooping up her juice, humming his appreciation. His tongue began building her up again as he rasped over her clit with each pass of it. Amanda tugged on her nipples as the feeling of expectancy began to build in her womb all over again. When she felt the first tingles of climax, Morgan stopped and climbed over her. He positioned his cock at her slit and pulled her legs over his elbows before delving into her hot cunt in one deep plunge. She cried out as the pleasure/pain of his girth took her by surprise. He stopped, letting her adjust to his presence, then began slowly moving in and out of her tight pussy. She urged him on faster by raising her pelvis to meet his thrusts. He slowly increased his speed until he was powering in and out of her. Amanda reveled in the feel of his cock tunneling deep within her. His dick touched her cervix with each deep thrust. When he rolled her up higher on her shoulders and fucked her harder than ever before,

 

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she felt her climax sharpen as it built tighter inside her womb. She could tell he was getting close since he was losing his rhythm. “Fuck baby, I’m going to come.” He reached between them and applied pressure to her clit, sending her over into oblivion. The next thing Amanda knew, he was cleaning her up with a warm cloth. She moaned and turned her head in order to see him. He looked thoughtful as he finished with the cloth. She watched him discard it by the bed. When his eyes didn’t meet hers, she knew he was regretting having let go so thoroughly with her. She swallowed hard and gave him the out that he needed. “Damn, that was good. Too bad we’re going to be parting ways soon. I could get used to sex with you.” She stretched and sat up on the edge of the bed, effectively turning her back to him. “I need a shower. I bet everyone is ready to eat dinner by now.” “They’ll wait on you. Go ahead and take a shower. I’ll let them know it will be another twenty or thirty minutes,” he said. Amanda could hear the relief in his voice. It tugged on her heart. She loved him, but he couldn’t love her, not with Guy’s baby inside of her. Tears formed in her eyes, so she kept her back to him until she heard the door open, then close. Fool, you knew better than to let your heart get involved. Without turning around, she gathered her things, then walked to the bathroom and dropped everything on the floor. She slid down the closed door, crying silent tears. Right then, she couldn’t hate Guy because without the mess she’d gotten into, she would never have met Morgan. Despite his breaking her heart, she wouldn’t give anything to have missed her time with him. When the tears finally slowed down enough she could think without sobbing, Amanda stood up using the tub to regain her stance. She turned on the shower and stepped in even before the water warmed up. Slowly, she began to wash away the evidence of Morgan’s lovemaking, hoping it wouldn’t be for the last time, not yet.

 

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**** Morgan was talking with the twins about how to set up a meeting with Guy and keep Amanda safe at the same time when she walked through the door. She appeared freshly showered and, for all the world to see, happy. But Morgan saw the sadness reflected in her eyes when she smiled at him. She knew that their time was running out. He hadn’t been letting himself dwell on it, but now, with things about to heat up, he did. “Hey Morgan. You with us?” Jethro asked. “Yeah, just thinking,” he said. “Well, stop thinking with your dick and get your mind back on this,” Jethro teased. “Fuck off, man,” Morgan said. Jethro held up both hands and took a step back. “It’s cool. Everything’s cool.” “Shit, sorry, I’m just preoccupied, and you’re right. I need to get my mind back on track.” He forced his concentration back on their plans and closed thoughts of Amanda out of his mind for the time being. Subconsciously, he tracked her every movement and knew that she and Dodge were getting along just fine, which irked him. “So do we just send him a copy of the disc and let him see for himself, or do we invite him to a hotel room, show it to him, and then give him our demands?” Tyler asked. “She needs to be in on it regardless of how we do it,” Justin said. “He has to see her as a strong force to be reckoned with and know that she means business,” Jethro continued. “I don’t want her in any danger.” Morgan ran a hand through his hair. “We’ll all be around, so he’ll know he can’t try anything,” Jethro promised.

 

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“So, are we going to tell her about the plan after dinner tonight or tomorrow?” Tyler asked. “I vote for after dinner.” Jethro looked over at his brother. “Ditto,” Justin added. “Tyler? What do you think?” Morgan asked. “The sooner the better. She’s going to need some time to let it settle in so she can act forceful in front of Guy.” “Then we’ll talk to her after dinner and lay it all out for her.” Morgan ran his hands over his face. He was bone-deep tired. He didn’t want her to have to have anything to do with the scumbag. But they were all right, of course. In order to make it stick, she had to be as much a part of it all as they were, maybe even more so. Dinner was a rowdy affair. Dodge had cooked and turned out to be a fairly good one at that. Morgan hadn’t realized that about him. He guessed there were a lot of things about all of the others he didn’t know about. After dinner was over and the kitchen cleaned up, they all retired to the living room. Tyler, Morgan, and Amanda took the couch, Jethro and Justin grabbed the love seat, and Dodge got in the recliner without pushing it back. “Morgan says you have something figured out to get Guy to leave me alone,” Amanda began, leaning forward, obviously eager to know what it was. “I was able to obtain a copy of a disc of Guy in a compromising situation,” Dodge began. “We send it to him with a note that unless he follows our directions to the letter, we will put it out on the Internet and leak it to the press.” “What kind of situation is it?” Amanda asked, her brow furrowed. “Um…” Dodge looked over at Morgan for help. “It’s not pretty, Amanda. He’s being punished by a dominatrix.” “He’s what? Why would he have wanted anything to do with me if he was into that?” she demanded.

 

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“Probably to throw anyone off concerning his real kink. Men have affairs all the time, and they’re forgiven. Once he decided to run for mayor, he realized if it got out about his style of kink, he’d be sunk. So, he chose you as a distraction. If anyone found out about you, they probably wouldn’t look any further. He didn’t necessarily keep you a total secret either,” Jethro told her. “So I never really meant anything at all. Not even as a mistress,” she whispered. “Baby, he’s a sick fuck. Don’t take anything he’s done or said or will say personal,” Morgan said, squeezing her shoulder. “So, what do I need to do?” she asked in a quiet voice. “First of all,” Dodge began, “you need to choose where you want to live, then select a lawyer close by to handle your affairs.” “I don’t have a clue where to settle down.” She looked over to Morgan for support. “Um, I think I know the perfect place for now. You can live there until the baby is born and you get your feet under you,” he said. “Where is that?” she asked. “My house. I don’t live there anymore, so it’s standing empty. I’ve had someone keeping it clean and the grass mowed, but other than that, it’s pretty much move-in ready. Um, there’s even a nursery.” He swallowed, but didn’t look at her. “Man, that’s a great idea. Mrs. Pullum lives right across the street. She’d be great for babysitting, I bet,” Tyler said. “Yeah, well, I was planning on selling it in another few months, but this will work out well. Gives Amanda somewhere safe to live and keeps the house in good shape and gives it that lived-in feeling for when I do put it on the market.” “I can’t live in your house, Morgan.” Amanda’s lips thinned. “Why not?” everyone in the room asked at once. “Because I can’t pay rent or anything. I’ve got to find a job, and there’s no way I can afford a house as big as it sounds.”

 

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“You don’t have to pay rent or utilities. Everything is paid for. All you have to do is save your money for when the baby comes and afterwards, when you decide where you want to live permanently,” Morgan assured her. “I’m not a fucking charity case.” She stood up, jamming her hands onto her hips. “Then tell me what you’re going to do until your baby is born and then how in the hell you expect to take care of it? Guy can waltz in and snap him right out of your arms if you don’t have any way to care for him.” Morgan hated himself for using Guy, but she needed to accept his offer. Tears formed in her eyes, but they didn’t fall. Instead, her jaw worked as she tried to regain control of her emotions. “Fine. I will accept your more than generous offer, but I will only stay as long as it takes for me to save up enough money for moving somewhere else,” she said in a cold voice. Then she turned back to Dodge. “Okay, what next?” “You choose your lawyer and meet with him. Explain everything to him, and put him on retainer. Give him a copy of the disc to hold for you with the instructions that if anything happens to you, it goes public, and name someone to be the baby’s guardian.” Dodge nodded toward Morgan. “He has the list of good lawyers for just this type of problem.” She turned toward Morgan and held out her hand expectantly. He huffed out a breath and pulled out the list he’d folded and slipped into his pocket. He unfolded it and handed it to her. She read through the names and information about each of them. She folded it and kept it in her hand. “Okay, once I’ve done that, what next?” “We set up a meeting with Guy so you can tell him that he will stop harassing you or you will air that disc all over the Internet and leak it to the press. You want him to sign a letter relinquishing all rights to your child to you. He will have nothing to say about it, and

 

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his name won’t be on the birth certificate.” Dodge leaned back in the chair. “Amanda, if you will let me choose the lawyer, I know which one will do this for you free of charge,” Morgan said, wincing when she narrowed her eyes at him. “I have money I can use for that,” she ground out. “I know you do, baby, but you should save that for later. You still have clothes to buy for you and the baby, as well as a hospital bill.” “Um, Morgan, I think you need to quit while you’re ahead, man,” Tyler suggested. “Yeah, Morgan. Tyler’s right.” Amanda crossed her arms and drew in a deep breath. “So, do you think you can stand up to Guy with this ammunition and the five of us standing with you?” Dodge asked. Morgan realized that Dodge was planning on being a part of the plan as well. Was it because he wanted to be in on the action, or did he already feel something for Amanda? Dodge was a good man. He’d make her a fine husband. Somehow that left a bitter taste in Morgan’s mouth. Still, wouldn’t that be better than some stranger he didn’t even know? Someone he wouldn’t know well enough to trust that they would take care of her and the baby? Morgan snorted in disgust at his thoughts. He had no hold on Amanda, and he had no right trying to arrange her life. He had offered the house, and that was all he needed to do. “So, all I have to do, other than talk to the lawyer and get papers drawn up, is tell Guy to fuck off?” she asked with a determined look on her face. “Yeah, basically that’s it,” Dodge said. “When do we start?”

 

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Chapter Twenty-Three Amanda held on to Morgan as they rode south to Texas. His house sat approximately three hours northeast of Dallas, near Arkansas. It was a little town with a population of about fifteen thousand people. It sounded like a place she would like to live in permanently, but this was Morgan’s home, not hers. When the little convoy pulled up in front of a two-story house in a nice neighborhood, Amanda nearly cried. It was perfect, exactly like what she would want for her child. Too bad it was Morgan’s and he wasn’t planning on keeping either one of them. She slid off the bike and waited on Morgan to do the same. Tyler climbed off, and then the twins climbed out of their truck with Dodge easing out of his truck as well. Morgan had assured her there was room for everyone. Now she could see why. It looked to be well over twenty-four hundred square feet. “Remember, no one’s lived in it for over a year. It should be clean, but is bound to be musty.” Morgan led the way to the carport door. He unlocked the door with a key on his key chain, then stood back for Amanda to walk in ahead of him. The door opened into a mud room of sorts with a washer and dryer, then opened into an eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances. That opened into a den complete with fireplace and furniture. Morgan led her through the house from there. “There are three bedrooms besides the master bedroom and the nursery,” he said as he showed her the master bedroom downstairs with a closed door next to it.

 

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“That’s, um, the nursery.” He didn’t open the door, so Amanda didn’t either. She was sure it was hard on him even being there. Part of her thawed a little bit toward him from his outburst the other day. She had kept him at arm’s length ever since then. They slept in the same bed, but didn’t touch. They had stayed at Dodge’s house one more day to give them another day to rest. She felt like it was mostly for her, though. He led her upstairs with a hand at her elbow. She was sure it was to keep her from falling. If she had fallen, there were three big men behind her to catch her. Dodge stayed behind. He said he could manage the stairs, but once would be enough for the night. The other bedrooms were all upstairs. Two bedrooms shared a bathroom, and one had its own bath. Although the house was in good shape and had been kept clean, it still smelled musty, like a closed-up house would smell. “Once you get further along, you shouldn’t climb these stairs at all. There wouldn’t be a reason for you to. The master bedroom and nursery are all downstairs,” Morgan was telling her. “I’ll be careful when I do go up and down. Like you said, I shouldn’t have to really.” Amanda glanced around the bedrooms, then turned around to go back downstairs. Almost immediately Morgan and Tyler were by her side making sure she didn’t fall. It both annoyed her and made her feel cared for all at one time. She kept reminding herself that it was just how they were. They would have been that way with any pregnant woman. “There isn’t any food here, so we’ll need to go grocery shopping tomorrow,” Morgan said. “We can eat out tonight and in the morning.” “When am I going to meet with the lawyer?” she asked. “Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll take you to his office. It will be a long ride since he’s in Dallas. I figure the twins will go with us and Tyler and Dodge will stay behind to pick up the groceries. So if there is

 

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anything special you want or need, put it on a list for them,” Morgan told her. “I can do my own grocery shopping,” she grumbled. “See, that’s another problem. You don’t have a car to get around in. My Mustang is in the garage. We’ll see about getting it out and checking it out so you can drive it around.” Morgan didn’t look at her as he said it. Amanda wanted to scream. She was dependent on him and the others for everything. She couldn’t have made it without their help even without Guy after her. How did other people manage to have babies by themselves? They survived on the streets and lived in shelters. She wasn’t going to bring her child into the world in a homeless shelter. She would bite her tongue and be gracious about Morgan letting her stay in his house and use his car. She was proud, but she wasn’t too proud for the good of her baby. “You okay, baby?” Morgan asked in a cautious voice. “Yeah, thanks. I’m just overwhelmed, is all. I’ll be fine,” she said, adding a weak smile. “You look worn out. It’s been a long day, and tomorrow is going to be just as long. Why don’t you get ready for bed? There’s a Jacuzzi in the bathroom. It should feel good after all of the bike riding you’ve been doing this last couple of weeks.” “That sounds like heaven to me right now. Did you put my bag in there in the bedroom?” she asked. “It’s on the bed. Feel free to use anything in there you need. I don’t know how much of it’s still good, but, um, you’re welcome to it.” Amanda took a chance and stood on her toes and kissed him. He’d actually leaned over for her to do it. She gave a tentative smile, then turned around and walked into the master bedroom and closed the door. The bedroom looked immaculate and sort of sterile, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. The colors all matched, but something

 

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just didn’t feel right about the room. Shrugging, she stripped and bundled her clothes into a ball and left them by the chest of drawers to wash later. The master bath was to die for. It had a Jacuzzi big enough for two, and the shower was a walk-in glass-and-ceramic-tile wonder with multiple showerheads. That would feel great when her back bothered her. She turned on the water in the tub and adjusted it to the perfect temp. She debated on using some of the bath salts, but decided she didn’t want to remind Morgan of his dead wife by smelling like she would have. That just seemed downright creepy to her. Once the water had filled the tub, she turned on the jets and slipped slowly into the warm water, where she felt weightless. The jets helped soothe her aching body. Just being submerged in the liquid warmth eased her sore muscles that, until recently, had not been used much. All she needed now was a bath pillow and a book to read. She could spend many evenings like this. Once she managed to get on her feet, she would be sure to have one in her home. She scoffed at that idea. She would be lucky to have a onebedroom apartment with a conventional tub in it. She didn’t need to get used to this while she was here. She also needed to save her money as much as possible to get out of the house as soon as possible. As soon as the water began cooling, Amanda turned off the jets and pulled the plug to let it drain. Then she stepped out holding on to the wall and dried off. She contemplated wearing one of her T-shirts or, at the very least, panties. In the end, she crawled into the bed naked and promptly fell asleep. **** Morgan waited until the door shut behind Amanda before drawing the others further into the living room. He switched on the TV and turned it low so they could talk.

 

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“Dodge, you and Tyler make sure she has plenty of food. She’ll need fruits and vegetables, milk and juice,” Morgan said. “We’ll take care of it,” Tyler said. “Oh, and while we’re gone, take a look at the Mustang and see what it needs to be safe. The keys are in the drawer in the kitchen, under the bar. I had someone check on it and the house periodically, so it’s been run some.” Morgan drew in a deep breath trying to think what else they could do while they were gone to Dallas. “You mentioned she needed to see a doctor as soon as possible,” Tyler said. “I’ll put together a list of doctors who specialize in pregnancy so she can take care of that as soon as you get back.” “Good idea. She’s lost more weight. I know it’s not good for her or the baby,” Morgan pointed out. “Oh, and get a paper while you’re out.” He figured she could start looking for a job. She’d need it for groceries and such. Plus, she would insist on working. She would never let him pay for everything. Once they sent the disc out, they could access her savings, and she would feel more self-sufficient. Right now, she felt like a charity case no matter how much he tried to convince her she wasn’t. “I think we need to send out the disc tomorrow, too,” Tyler said. “I agree. The sooner he gets it, the sooner we can get this show on the road,” Dodge added. “It needs to be postmarked from Dallas, though,” Jethro told them. “You don’t want him knowing where she’s settling down until we can get all our ducks in a row.” “It’s all sealed up with the letter and everything ready to go,” Dodge said. “We’ll take it with us and mail it from there. She needs to get her safety deposit box here in town, though, so she’ll have easy access to it.” Morgan leaned back in the chair and stretched his feet out in front of him.

 

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“I kept a copy myself in my safe at home,” Dodge told them. “If anything at all happens, I can put the fear of God into him with it.” Morgan realized that after tomorrow, the clock would be ticking on how much longer he would need to stay. He should feel good about finally getting back on the road. He and Tyler could catch up with the others and ride the rest of the way down to Florida. It would feel like old times again. For some reason, it didn’t excite him as much as it had before he’d met Amanda. A lot of things didn’t feel the same after meeting her. “Dodge, you going to stick around until after we have the meeting with Guy?” Jethro asked. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Someone like him is bound to shit their pants when they see the five of us standing behind her.” “She needs to meet him in a public venue, like a library or coffee shop, where he won’t risk stirring up trouble,” Justin said. “Needs to be in Dallas to keep him away from here,” Tyler added. “I vote for a Starbucks somewhere close to all the law offices. That should dampen his spirits some.” Dodge laughed and rubbed at his left leg. “I’ll scout out the area when we go down tomorrow,” Jethro told them. “Bound to be something suitable close by.” “Think I’m going to call it a night.” Dodge pushed off the arm of the chair and stood up. None of the guys watched him climb the stairs. They wouldn’t disrespect him by staring. Morgan hated that they didn’t have at least a hide-a-bed couch. He should think about getting one in case he visited again, he thought. Fuck. There he was acting like he was going to be living here again. Morgan had no plans to ever live in the house again. He’d check in on Amanda from time to time until she moved out. Then he’d put it on the market and hopefully sell it. If he ever did settle back down, he didn’t need a house. All he really needed was an apartment. Any hole-

 

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in-the-wall would do for him. He wasn’t picky. As long as it was clean, he would be fine with it. They talked for another hour, and then everyone broke off to head to bed. Morgan waited until Tyler trudged up the stairs and made it to his room before turning off the living room light. For a minute, everything looked like it had that last day before he’d left for duty. He remembered doing this same thing, locking up the house and turning off the lights. He even remembered wondering if he would be welcome in his own bed or not. They’d had a terrible fight that night. She wanted to hire someone to look after the baby and go back to work as soon as the doctor would let her. He’d wanted her to stay home with the baby. He could still hear her yell at him. “It was your idea to have a baby in the first place. I never really wanted to.” It had nearly devastated him. He’d had no idea she hadn’t wanted a baby. She’d seemed just as excited as he was. Why had she wanted to decorate the nursery so early? Why had she insisted he read all the baby books she bought? He never did understand it, and thinking he had time to hash it all out with her when he got back, he had let it go. Morgan turned in a circle and shook his head to dispel the lingering ghosts of the past. There was nothing he could do about it now. There was no use wondering and dredging up old memories. He was past that now. With one last look around the dark room, he headed to the master bedroom, hoping for a hot shower to relax him. He eased the door open and was relieved to see her in the bed sound asleep. She had the covers pulled up to her neck and lay curled on her side with one hand under her cheek. She looked like an angel snuggled among the sheets. He knew that beneath her quiet demeanor lay the heart of a temptress, hot and passionate. His cock hardened at the thought of taking her when Tyler was watching them. She’d enjoyed it as much, if not more, than he had. Shaking his head, Morgan eased into the bathroom and closed the door to keep from waking her. He turned on the shower to the desired

 

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temperature and climbed in. The water beat down on tired, tense muscles, helping to relax them. He needed a good night’s rest, but with Amanda in the bed with him, he doubted he would get it. Just being close to her kept his dick on high alert. Sleeping next to her was a sweet torture, but one he wouldn’t give anything for in the world. He’d gladly suffer a steel-hard cock just to breathe in her scent. He grabbed a towel and dried off before dropping it on the floor by the door and turning off the bathroom light. He crept through the bedroom and eased into the bed next to her. When she moaned and snuggled up to him, he felt as if he’d died and gone to heaven. He wrapped an arm around her and settled her head on his chest. Soon he wouldn’t have this luxury. He wouldn’t be waking up to smell the soft scent of Amanda. Soon he would be back in his own personal hell, getting by. Sometime in the middle of the night, he woke to her lips around his cock. She had tunneled under the covers and grasped his cock with one hand and his balls in her other while she licked and sucked his dick. He moaned as her mouth played wicked games with his throbbing cock. She licked her way up and down his cock, then sucked at the little spot beneath the mushroom cap that drove him crazy. She gently rolled his balls in her hand, paying special attention to the skin between his scrotum and anus. She licked her finger and ran it back and forth along that stretch of skin as she swallowed hard around his cock. He jerked at the feel of her throat constricting around his hard cock. “Fuck, Amanda, you’ve got to stop, baby. I’m going to come.” She used her hand to keep from choking and went down on him all the way to her fist and swallowed. He erupted, spewing cum down her throat. She swallowed every drop and licked her way back up his cock once she was finished. She crawled up his body and lay on top of him. He pulled the covers up around them and held her. He could tell she didn’t want

 

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him to reciprocate. She had wanted to do it just because. It was another one of the many reasons he needed to leave as soon as she was settled. She made him want things he was better off without, things he didn’t deserve. **** Amanda woke early the next morning with that sick feeling in her stomach, but she willed herself to be okay. She needed to go to the bathroom and found she was wrapped around Morgan tighter than an octopus around a clam. She carefully eased off him and slipped out of the bed and into the bathroom. By the time she had dressed, she felt better. She tiptoed out of the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind her. She found an unopened can of coffee and went about fixing it in the coffeemaker. Everyone would be happy with caffeine singing in their veins. “You’re up early.” Amanda jumped, and only Tyler’s hand at her waist kept her from tipping backward off the barstool. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. “I went to bed early. I’m surprised you’re up so early,” she countered. “Smelled coffee and couldn’t resist getting a cup. I’m surprised there was anything decent left here.” “It was a brand-new can. Since it hadn’t been opened, it was still fresh.” “How are you feeling?” Tyler asked. “I’m okay.” She didn’t elaborate. “You know, you’re good for him.” “I remind him too much of his dead wife.” Tyler shook his head and took a sip of the coffee, leaning back against the counter across from the bar.

 

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“What?” she asked, setting her coffee cup on the bar. “He’s been more alive around you than he has been in over a year,” Tyler commented. “What are you trying to tell me?” she asked. “Nothing, really, just that I think he needs you.” “Maybe, but he doesn’t want me. I’m carrying another man’s baby.” “Doesn’t stop him from fucking you, does it?” Tyler asked. “That was crude,” Amanda said, feeling her face heat in embarrassment. “All I’m saying is that if it really mattered, he wouldn’t touch you.” She drew in a deep breath and slipped off the stool. “Yeah, well, he isn’t going to stick around once everything with Guy is settled, so all of this is moot.” She carried her cup over to the sink and rinsed it out. Tyler turned and caged her in. “I think you love him. If I’m right, and you do, fight for him. He deserves to be happy. You deserve to be happy. Why can’t you be happy together?” he asked. “Move, Tyler.” He raised his hands and backed off. She turned and ran into Morgan. His face held an angry expression. “What in the hell is going on, Tyler?” Morgan demanded.

 

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Chapter Twenty-Four “Nothing, Morgan. He was just telling me how you deserve to be happy.” Amanda stood between them. Tyler held his hands out to his sides, palms out. Amanda knew they were going to end up fighting if she didn’t defuse the situation in a hurry. “I made coffee. We were drinking a cup and talking. He thought I should stick around, that maybe you needed me as much as I needed you. That was all there was to it, Morgan. Don’t fight because of me.” She swallowed hard around the knot forming in her throat. He looked down at her, then over at Tyler. “You never could mind your own fucking business,” Morgan said, the anger slowly dissipating from his face. Amanda relaxed and realized she’d squeezed her hands until she’d carved half-moons into her palms. She couldn’t bear it if she came between Morgan and any of his friends. Tyler was just being an asshole trying to matchmake. She knew that. Morgan would know that once he calmed down. “Yeah, well, minding someone else’s business is a lot more interesting than my life is,” Tyler said. Amanda watched Morgan pour a cup of coffee then take it over to the bar to rest his elbows on it as he sipped it. He looked over to where she stood by the back door leading into the laundry room. She wasn’t sure what to make of the look on his face, but she wasn’t comfortable with it either. “Come over here, Amanda.” “What do you want, Morgan?” she asked.

 

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“Just do it, Amanda.” She hesitated, then walked over to where he was. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into his body. “Morgan, don’t do this because of me,” Tyler said. “Do what? Take what you say I need?” He pulled her closer to him and bent over her to kiss her. He took the kiss, grinding her mouth under his. “Stop it, you fucking idiot!” Tyler pulled him off of her. “You’re hurting her.” Morgan seemed to come to himself. He loosened his hold on her hair and stepped away from her. “Fuck, I’m sorry, baby. I don’t know what’s going on.” He shook his head and took a step back. “It’s all right, Morgan. Tyler is baiting both of us. Just forget it,” she told him, hoping he would. “Do I smell coffee?” Amanda heard several sets of feet stomp down the stairs. Dodge, Justin, and Jethro all shuffled into the kitchen and grabbed cups off the counter for coffee. “What’s up, guys?” Jethro asked, seeming to be the most observant first thing in the morning. “Nothing,” Tyler said and walked off. “Morgan?” Dodge asked, seeming to sense that something wasn’t as it should be. “Just a misunderstanding, is all,” Amanda told them. “We need to eat breakfast and get on the road,” Morgan told no one in particular. “I’m ready whenever everyone else is,” she said. “We’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes,” Justin said, carrying his coffee cup toward the stairs, followed closely by Jethro. “We’ll be ready to leave when you get back down,” Morgan said. He ushered Amanda into the living room and had her sit down on the love seat. He looked to be searching for something to say. When

 

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he finally settled on what he was going to say, he planted his hands on his hips and hung his head. “I’m sorry, Amanda. There was no excuse for what I did. I saw Tyler over you, and you telling him to back off, and I got jealous. I don’t have a right to be jealous. We aren’t an item really.” “I guess I thought we were for now.” Amanda’s heart tore just a little more. “I’ve leaving, Amanda. As soon as we get you settled and there’s no danger from that scumbag, I’m leaving. I don’t stay in any one place for very long. It’s just how I am.” “I know you’re leaving. You made that very clear from the beginning. I don’t need it rubbed in my face every time I turn around, though.” “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say,” Morgan admitted. “Then don’t say anything. You’re just making it worse.” Amanda stood up and walked around him to the fireplace. She studied the weathered mantel. Morgan walked up behind her and seemed to be about to trust her when Jethro and Justin walked in at that moment. “Okay, we’re ready.” The twins bounced down the stairs and into the living room. Morgan drew in a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s go then. Where to?” They argued over possible destinations before finally settling on a diner around the corner from the interstate they would be getting on to head to Dallas. After breakfast, the four of them stopped by a service station and topped off their gas tanks before heading out. Amanda breathed a sigh of relief when they finally pulled out onto the highway. They were finally on their way to the lawyer’s office. Soon they would mail the letter with the disc, and everything would be set in motion. Once she had told her story to the lawyer and gotten the paperwork she needed drawn up, all that would be left was to

 

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confront Guy. She could do that. Then what? Then she began the rest of her life—without Morgan. It hurt to even think about it. How would it feel once it was reality? Amanda leaned against Morgan’s back, holding on tightly. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything. She prayed that the wind would dry her tears before they stopped. **** Morgan pulled up in front of the law offices of Smith, Lark, and Buchannan and parked the bike next to Jethro and Justin’s truck. All three of them gathered at the front of the Dodge Ram to go over what they were doing. Morgan felt like a total and utter ass. He’d hurt the very woman he was supposed to be protecting. What in the hell was wrong with him? “We’ll watch the door to the office to make sure no one suspicious goes in while you’re in there,” Jethro said. “I figure this will take about an hour,” Morgan told them. “We’re cool with that,” Justin told him. He nodded and turned to Amanda. She hadn’t said a word all the way there, three solid hours of silence. She’d held on for dear life, as if he’d push her off the back or something. He disgusted himself. “Are you ready?” he asked, holding out his hand. Morgan half expected her to ignore it, but she took it and let him lead her up the steps into the office building. Once inside, he looked over the directory until he found which floor their law offices took up and punched the elevator button. “You good with this?” he asked her. “I’m fine.” She sounded much calmer than he felt. “Just tell him the truth, and I’ll fill in the rest.” “Okay.” She gave him a small smile. He smiled back, and a little piece of his heart settled back in his chest.

 

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The elevator doors opened, and a dozen people pushed their way off. Morgan held the door for Amanda and then shielded her from everyone who piled in around them. He made sure she had plenty of room, much to the rest of the passengers’ annoyance. The floors passed by, with some people getting off and more getting on, till they arrived at the twelfth floor. Morgan ushered her off with a hand to her back just above the curve of her ass. He couldn’t help but notice how nice that ass was, too. They walked down a long hall, to the end, where the door was labeled with the names of the partners to the law firm. They were there to see Martin Buchannan. Morgan opened the door for her and waited until she had walked inside before closing it behind him. He walked up to the receptionist and informed her they had an eleven thirty appointment with Mr. Buchannan. “Mr. Buchannan will be with you in just a few minutes. If you’ll both have a seat, I’ll call you when he’s available.” The fiftyishlooking secretary smiled and disappeared behind a door. She was gone only a minute before she took her seat and began working on the computer. Several minutes had passed when her phone buzzed and she picked it up. She set it back down and stood up. “If you’ll follow me, Mr. Buchannan will see you now.” Morgan held out his hand for Amanda, and they followed the woman through a set of double doors, down a hall, and to a large wooden door at the end of the hall. She knocked once, then pushed the door open for them to enter. Morgan kept a hand at Amanda’s back until they were standing in front of the man himself. He stood up and reached across the desk to shake their hands. “Good to meet you. I was intrigued by the e-mail I received from Dodge. I haven’t heard from him in several years. How is he doing now that he’s home?” Martin asked.

 

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“Doing pretty good.” Morgan wasn’t going to go into Dodge’s injury with him. He didn’t know the guy from squat. “So, have a seat and tell me from the beginning what is going on.” Amanda took a deep breath and recounted her history with Guy from the beginning all the way to then. Then Morgan took over and went over everything he knew and that Dodge had found out about the man. “Okay, what exactly do you want from me?” Morgan looked at Amanda, and she nodded. “We want to retain you as her lawyer and leave a copy of the disc with you so that if anything happens to her or the baby, it will be delivered to as many different media outlets as you want to fool with.” Morgan let that sink in, then continued. “And, we want you to draw up whatever legal paperwork is needed for Guy to sign all his rights to the baby over to Amanda so he can’t try and take her child from her later.” Morgan hoped that Dodge was right about this guy being good with child welfare cases. They needed the best they could get. He ground his teeth. Amanda needed the best she could get. He had to quit thinking of them as a couple. They weren’t. “Are you going to be able to take care of your child without his support?” Martin asked. “Yes. I can take care of him. I’m a hard worker. I’ll take care of my baby.” She looked as if she were about to panic. “She’s living rent-free in my house for as long as she wants to. I’m not going to be there, so there won’t be any question of propriety. She has a means of transportation, and she has her own savings to help her get going. The rest is being provided until she is on her feet.” Morgan wasn’t about to let this man scare Amanda into thinking she wasn’t good for the baby. She was the baby’s mother, for crying out loud. “That sounds good. I’ll take your case. I’ll lock up your disc with the instructions in our business vault. I’ll make sure it’s listed in my

 

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files in case anything happens to me. It will take me a couple of days to draw up the paperwork you want in order to retain complete rights to your child. Why don’t we meet again, say next Tuesday? That will give me three workdays to get the papers ready. To make it legally binding, though, you’re going to need to get him to sign the papers in front of a notary.” “Where do we find one of those in a public place that will be safe for Amanda to be with Guy?” Morgan asked. “Banks all have them. If you make an appointment ahead of time, I’m sure they will accommodate you. Also, my secretary is a notary if you want to do it here,” Martin offered. “Thanks, but I don’t want him to know who we are using if it’s at all possible. I don’t trust him,” Morgan said. “I think the bank is our best bet for the situation.” “I understand. Choose one that will offer you a private room to handle the business. As long as the notary is there, he won’t be able to say or do anything that will get spread around. Make sure he knows the details about the paper he is signing before he gets there so he won’t be surprised,” Martin told them. “Okay, so as long as he signs the paper with a notary present, it is legal and binding?” Morgan wanted to be sure. “Yes. It doesn’t mean that someday down the road he won’t try and have it overturned, but it would be very hard to do, if it is even possible. Unless Amanda is living in filth and her child is in a dangerous situation, I can’t see any judge overturning it.” “I’ll never give him the opportunity. I’ll make sure my child has everything he needs and is always loved,” Amanda said fervently. “That sounds like everything. If you’ll give me the disc, I’ll put it away.” Morgan pulled out the envelope with the disc and the instructions in it and handed it over to Martin. He escorted them out to the receptionist’s desk, and they shook hands again. Morgan paid the bill and shushed Amanda when she would have said something.

 

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As soon as they were outside the building, she started fussing at him. “I can pay my own way. I don’t want you paying for everything. While we’re here, I want to get my money out of the bank.” “I figured you would want to do that,” Morgan said. “I think you need to choose a bank that has a branch where you will be living and set up the account here so it will be listed as your main bank, though.” “That sounds like a good idea. Let’s mail the disc, then go to the bank. We can use the same bank for the notary. It will be a good time to find out how to arrange the meeting.” Amanda seemed to be calming down again. Morgan nodded, and they joined the twins outside on the steps to the building. Neither of them had seen anything suspicious. Justin and Jethro climbed up into their truck while Morgan and Amanda got back onto the bike. They headed for the nearest post office. Amanda had the disc sent special delivery, where Guy would have to sign for it. The return address was a post-office box there that she rented for six months. Morgan felt like they’d covered all the bases, but still felt uneasy about something. He just couldn’t put his finger on it. “I vote for lunch next. Then we can do the banking last and head home.” Morgan bit his tongue. He hadn’t meant to say “home.” “Great, I’m starved,” Justin said. “You’re always starved,” Jethro fussed. Amanda rolled her eyes and climbed on back of the motorcycle with Morgan. He liked it when she acted so relaxed around them all. He especially liked it when she was relaxed around him. They grabbed burgers and fries, then located the main branch of a national chain of banks that had a branch where she would be living. She withdrew all her money from her bank with a bank draft and transferred it to the new bank. She ordered new checks and a check card, then kept out several hundred dollars. He wanted to tell her she didn’t need to delve into her savings yet, but knew it would only end up in a royal fight.

 

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“Okay, ready to head back to Cold Creek?” he asked. “More than ready. Dallas traffic is making me a nervous wreck.” He signaled the twins they were heading out and pulled out into traffic, noticing she held tighter to him once he did. He took a perverse pleasure in riding a little fast just to keep her arms planted firmly around his middle. He didn’t want the ride to end, but soon, they’d been on the road for nearly three hours, and Cold Creek was fast approaching. “You doing okay back there, baby?” he called back. “Yeah, how much longer?” “Another fifteen or twenty minutes,” he answered. “How long before you think you’ll hear from Guy?” she asked. “Probably day after tomorrow. Maybe even two days after. It will depend on if he tries to investigate first or call first.” Morgan slowed the bike and signaled the turn off the interstate into Cold Creek. They pulled into the drive of his house, and he cut the motor. Tyler was immediately outside helping Amanda off the bike. Dodge stood at the back door waiting on them to come in. The twins climbed down from the truck and stretched. “I could use a cold one. What about you, Justin?” Jethro said. “Sounds like a plan,” the other man agreed. “So how did it all go?” Dodge asked as everyone piled into the house. “Just like you said it would,” Morgan said. “Buchannan is going to take the case and is fixing up the paperwork on Guy’s rights now. Said to come back Tuesday to pick them up.” They reviewed what all they’d accomplished and their plans to use the bank as a place for Guy to meet them and sign over his rights. Morgan prayed it all went smoothly and the other man wouldn’t balk at signing the paperwork. They were all walking a very thin line using blackmail to control him. “Morgan?” Amanda asked, standing a little away from the group consuming the beer and chips Dodge had put out.

 

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“Yeah, baby?” “I need a job. Can we go get a paper so I can start looking? I need to start really soon.” Her voice sounded so small and quiet compared to how she normally sounded. Morgan realized she was overwhelmed by all the men. They’d all been in close proximity for the last few weeks. She had another few to go as well. Until the paperwork was signed and in the lawyer’s hands, they would remain around her to protect her. She’d get used to it. “Hold on. I think Tyler picked up a paper while they were out.” He grabbed Tyler by the shoulder and leaned in and asked him about the paper. Tyler nodded and pointed at the table in the living room. Morgan found the paper and brought it back to Amanda. She looked relieved and spread it out on the coffee table, sinking to her knees on the floor, using a throw pillow from the couch to cushion them. “See anything interesting yet?” Morgan asked a few seconds later. “There are several positions open for waitresses, and a couple for office help. I’ll try for all of them. Something is bound to be right for me.” She continued looking through the want ads, circling a couple more before folding the paper into quarters. “There is also word of mouth. I’m going to call a few people I know and put out the word that you are looking for a job. Do you have any special skills?” he asked. “Not really. I can cook, iron, clean house, waitress, file, type, things like that.” “We’ll find you a job before long, so don’t worry about that. All you need to worry about right now is relaxing and taking care of yourself while we wait for the paperwork to be ready.” Morgan sat behind her with his knees on either side of her body as she remained kneeling on the throw pillow in front of him. He massaged her shoulders in a soothing rhythm and hoped to relax her enough she would rest all night. After a few minutes, she

 

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yawned and stretched. Using his knees to push off with, Amanda stood up and smothered another yawn behind her hand. “Sorry, I guess I’m going to call it a night. I’m really bushed,” she said. “Want me to run you some bathwater for a nice long soak?” “No, I really just want to go to bed. I’m going to take a shower tonight.” She started to walk away, then stopped and turned back around. “Morgan?” “Yeah, baby?” “Thanks for helping me.”

 

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Chapter Twenty-Five Amanda had applied for several jobs over the last two days and finally accepted a position in an accountant’s office. There had been no word from Guy, and it was beginning to eat at her nerves. She was afraid that he wasn’t going to follow their plans and she’d end up having to go on the run again. “What are you so tense about today?” Morgan asked as she stirred the spaghetti sauce. “We haven’t heard from Guy. I’m worried he isn’t going to go for it.” “It’s only been two full days as of today. I won’t be worried until we have the paperwork in our hands. Then we might want to up the stakes for him.” Morgan leaned in and kissed her behind the ear. “How?” she asked, laying the spoon on the spoon rest. “Leak a rumor to the press that he has some skeletons in his closet that someone might want to dig for.” “Oh God, no! Someone will find the same thing Dodge found, and then we won’t have anything to bargain with.” She bit her lower lip. “Don’t worry, Amanda. He’s going to call soon. He’s panicking now trying to decide what to do.” “I hope you’re right,” she said. “When do you start work at the accountant’s office?” Morgan asked her. Amanda was excited to have found a job as a receptionist at a CPA’s office in town. The work was easy, and they understood she would be going on maternity leave in four and a half or five months.

 

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They were happy to save her job until she was allowed to come back to work. She’d just gotten back from the interview and started dinner. “I start next Monday. They are fine with my being gone Tuesday and again another day for when we meet with Guy. They didn’t even ask why, so I didn’t have to make anything up.” “I know you’re relieved to have a job that you can handle while being pregnant.” Morgan seemed preoccupied by something. “Is everything okay, Morgan?” she asked. “Yeah, baby. Why?” He squeezed her waist and turned her around to face him. “You seem worried about something.” “I’m not, just not used to sitting around.” “Oh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t thought about that you’ve been cooped up here like you have. I guess everyone is feeling that way,” Amanda said. “Not your fault. We can go for a ride anytime we want. Maybe we will tomorrow for a couple of hours. Want to go with us?” Morgan asked. “No, thanks. I’m going to use your computer to read up on accounting so I’ll know the language at least.” “Good idea.” Morgan’s cell phone rang. He answered it without checking the number and immediately motioned for her to be quiet. She knew it was Guy. He had finally called. “I wouldn’t be making demands if I were you. We do have the advantage of knowing you like to be butt-fucked and spanked by women.” Morgan laughed into the phone. Amanda bit into her fist to keep from saying anything. Morgan knew what he was doing, but she was so afraid for her baby. When he put a calming hand on her cheek and pulled her into his arms, she relaxed. “Our demands are simple, really. Amanda wants nothing to do with you. She doesn’t want it ever to be known that you were the

 

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sperm donor for her baby. All you have to do to keep your little secret is to sign a form giving up all rights to the child and leave her and the child alone for the rest of their lives.” Morgan listened for a few seconds, then deepened his voice. “Either you follow our directions to the letter or not only will we put your video all over the Internet and TV, but I will personally show you what fucked up really means.” She swallowed hard around the lump in her throat and prayed Guy would capitulate without a problem. She knew Morgan was dead serious, and she didn’t want him to get in any trouble because of her. She’d been the one to make the stupid mistake of trusting Guy, not him. “Okay, this is what you are going to do,” Morgan began. Amanda listened to him explain about meeting them at the bank and give him a time that was two hours after they picked up the paperwork from the lawyer’s office. She figured he wanted time to look over it and maybe get there early to be ready for him. She only half listened to him give Guy the directions as her heart began to beat hard in her chest. It was going to be over with soon. She would have that paperwork in her hands, and he couldn’t hurt her or the baby. And that meant that her days with Morgan were numbered as well. It was a bittersweet victory. She would cherish her time with Morgan, but had known from the beginning it would only be temporary at best. The fact that he had stuck around as long as he had and helped her was proof of his being a true hero. “Don’t be late, Guy. I love playing on the Internet.” Morgan hit “end” on the phone and snapped it back on his belt buckle. He pulled her into his arms and then kissed her soft and easy. His lips sipped from hers before licking along the seam to request entrance into her mouth. His tongue slid along hers, teasing it into his mouth, where he gently sucked on it before releasing her from the kiss. “Did he sound like he will follow the directions?” she asked.

 

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“He’ll follow them. He’s scared to death that disc will get out.” “Only two more days then,” she said. “Only two more days.” “Two more days till what?” Tyler asked. Morgan didn’t let go of Amanda when the others walked into the kitchen. She noticed they sniffed the air appreciatively. It would be the first time she’d actually cooked for them. They seemed to be looking forward to it. “What’s going on?” Dodge asked as he eased into the room between Tyler and Justin. “Guy just called. The meet up is on for Tuesday after we pick up the paperwork from Buchannan.” Morgan rested his chin on top of Amanda’s head. “Sounds like we need to make our plans to be in place when this all goes down. I don’t want him leaving without one of us watching him to see if he meets with anyone before he leaves town,” Jethro told them. “That’s a good idea,” Tyler agreed. “Well, I’m going to take a nice long bath. Someone needs to stir the sauce every few minutes to be sure it doesn’t stick until I get back.” Amanda eased from Morgan’s hold and walked toward the master bedroom. She could hear the men in the other room already making plans. She didn’t want to know about them. Right now, all she wanted to do was relax and enjoy the moment believing everything would be okay in the long run. Guy would follow their instructions and sign the papers, and she would be able to live without looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life. The only thing missing would be Morgan. Falling in love with him had been the second most stupid thing she had ever done. Still, she wouldn’t give anything for the weeks she’d had with him. He had taught her what love really was and how she should be treated. More

 

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than likely she would never find another man to even come close to the man Morgan was. She must have drifted asleep because the next thing she knew, Morgan was sliding into the tub with her. She scooted forward enough to let him sit behind her and leaned back against his chest. “You feel good,” she said. “Hmmm. You smell heavenly.” “Who’s watching the sauce?” she asked in a drowsy voice. “Dodge and Tyler. I told them we’d be along in an hour or so.” “Really? That long?” “I have plans for you, baby.” “Like what?” He kissed her cheek and began playing with her breasts. His fingers teased and squeezed each lobe. She moaned as he went from drawing lazy circles around her nipples to pinching and pulling on them. She heated up even as his dick grew hard behind her, nestled between the cheeks of her ass. “God, that feels so good.” “How about this, baby?” He ran a finger down her abdomen, over the little baby bump, and down to her mound, where he drew lazy circles with his finger. She soon found herself lifting her pussy up toward his questing finger. She wanted to feel it on her clit and deep within her womb. If he didn’t touch her somewhere soon, she was going to start begging. He continued pinching and pulling on her nipples with one hand as his other hand cupped her mound and massaged it for a few seconds. Amanda whimpered, and he chuckled behind her. Finally, he eased a finger down her slit and circled her clit before delving deeper into her cunt. She tilted her pelvis to try to give him a deeper penetration, but it wasn’t enough. “I need you,” she pleaded. He growled as she pressed backward, trapping his swollen cock between her back and his abdomen. It pulsed between them.

 

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“Get up on your hands and knees, Amanda,” he said in a growl. She quickly crawled up on her hands and knees. He fit his cock at her pussy lips and slid in with the help of her pussy juices and the slick water dripping from his dick. She moaned when he reached a tight spot. He pulled out and pushed back in over and over until he was buried balls deep inside of her. She felt him at her cervix with each push, this position giving him so much more depth with his thrusts. “Fuck, you’re tight, baby. That’s right. Squeeze me.” He began fucking her deep and slow, but soon increased his speed as she pulsed around him, squeezing him with her vaginal muscles. Amanda wanted him to lose control. She needed that to know that she meant something to him, even if nothing more than a damn good fuck. Morgan’s dick tunneled in and out of her at a faster and faster rate until he began to lose control of his rhythm. He reached around and tapped her clit with his finger in an effort to make her go first. She squeezed him with all her might and was rewarded with his grunt and spasm inside her even as she climaxed around him. She felt the hot streams of his cum inside her womb. Not for the first time she wished her baby was his. **** Morgan fought to catch his breath without drowning them both in the tub. He reached around Amanda and pulled the plug to let the water out. Then he carefully stood up and stepped out of the tub, snagging a towel as he did. He bent over and helped Amanda stand up so she wouldn’t slip. “Come on out, baby, and let me dry you off.” “Hmm, I think I want a nap before dinner. You can all eat without me,” she told him.

 

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Morgan laughed. “Not on your life. You won’t get back up and eat. You eat first. Then you can get in bed.” He continued drying her off, and when he came to her rounded abdomen, he hesitated and found himself wishing the baby were his. Then he cursed himself for being foolish. He popped her on the ass and told her to get dressed while he dried off. She frowned at him before leaving him alone in the bathroom to brood. He knew his time with Amanda was fast drawing to an end. Why did it feel like the end of his world as well? Yeah, she meant a lot to him, but it wasn’t like he was in love with her or anything, right? Besides, she was pregnant with another man’s baby, and any baby wasn’t what he needed right now. You’re an idiot, Morgan. You’ve gone and gotten hooked on a woman you could never live with. She’s not for you. He finished drying off and walked into the bedroom to find that Amanda had already dressed and left the room. Part of him was a little relieved. He needed a few minutes to get hold of his emotions. Part of him wanted a life with her in it, the part that kept conveniently forgetting she was pregnant. And it wasn’t so much that it was another man’s child, it was just that she was pregnant. If things had been different…but they weren’t. The facts were what they were, and he needed to get her settled and ride. It was past time for him to pull out. He had two more days. “Hey Morgan! Soup’s on!” Tyler called from the kitchen. Morgan drew in a deep breath and let it out before zipping up his jeans and pulling on a T-shirt. He walked out of the bedroom, a smile fixed on his face. His attention immediately went to where Tyler and Dodge were serving Amanda a plate of spaghetti. Jealousy colored his gaze a hazy red, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from telling them to get away from her. She didn’t belong to him. “Man, this is amazing, man,” Justin said. “You better get some before it’s all gone.”

 

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Morgan dished up a plate and sat across the table from her instead of next to her like he really wanted to do. She looked into his eyes with a silent question, and he felt like he’d kicked a dog. She didn’t understand why he’d suddenly changed his way of treating her. Any other time he would have been sitting next to her feeding her. Instead he was across from her feeding himself. Fuck, he was screwing this up. He needed to begin distancing himself from her so it wouldn’t be so difficult when the time came for him to leave, but he hadn’t meant to hurt her. He was no good at relationships anymore, if he ever had been to begin with. He and his wife had had plenty of trouble the five years they had been married. If he were honest, a lot of it had probably been his fault. He’d enjoyed being on the road with his friends too much. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for anything other than a casual relationship. “Dude. Where are you, man?” Jethro interrupted his thoughts. “Hum? Sorry, just thinking about how to set up Tuesday. What am I missing?” “We were talking about going for a ride tomorrow after lunch. You in?” Tyler asked. “Count me in. Need some time on the road again. Dodge? You coming?” “If my leg isn’t bothering me too much, wouldn’t miss it.” They worked out a route and talked about bikes and rallies they’d all attended in the past. Morgan noticed Amanda was silent and stared at her plate while they talked about getting out the next day. Guilt slid through him at leaving her alone. He shook it off. Damn it, he wasn’t her keeper, and she’d be completely alone once everyone left by the end of the week. That didn’t sit too well with him either. He was just about to say something to her when she got up, taking her plate with her. She raked what she hadn’t eaten into the garbage and rinsed her plate in the sink.

 

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“I’m bushed, guys. I’m going to bed. Talk to you all tomorrow morning.” She smiled and waved at them before walking back toward the bedroom. Morgan almost got up to go see about her, but made himself stay where he was. He needed to pull away now, or it would hurt worse when he suddenly left. Right now, it seemed to be hurting him just as much. He wanted to go and tuck her in bed and kiss her good night. He let the others pull him into the conversation going on, and for the next three hours, they talked bikes, hot rods, rallies, and their days together in the army. Tyler hadn’t been in the same group with him and the twins. Tyler and Dodge had been in a later group he’d ended up assigned to. Tyler was there when he lost his wife. He’d hit the road with him when he’d gotten on his bike and driven off to lose himself in an alcoholic daze for nearly a year. Tyler would let him drink for a while and wallow in misery, then pull him out of it and make him ride. He owed a lot to Tyler for keeping his ass alive during that time. He and Riley had made sure he didn’t die in some rat-infested dive. Jethro and Justin had watched his back when he’d been in the army before they’d all been split up and reassigned during some shake-up the army went through. He had missed his old buddies, but eventually learned to trust some of the new ones, like Tyler and Dodge. Finally, they all called it a night and wandered off to the different rooms. He opened another beer and sat alone in the living room, reliving some of the memories there. He could almost hear the fights he and his wife had had there. He could remember the good times, too, though. Maybe all relationships had the same ups and downs, only about different subjects. Maybe he wasn’t as bad at relationships as he thought, but then again, maybe he was. Morgan turned up the beer can and drank the last drop. Hell, it was late. He needed to get to bed. He was sure Amanda would be

 

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asleep. He could slide in and not wake her up. He wasn’t in a good place to talk with her right now. After turning off the lights and disposing of his empty beer can, Morgan checked all the locks on the doors as if he’d never been gone, then slipped into the bedroom and peeled out of his clothes. When she didn’t make a movement or sound, he figured he was home free. He carefully climbed between the covers and turned onto his side with his back to her. Almost as if she sensed his being there, she rolled over and snuggled up to his back. One arm wound around his waist. He could feel her body heat, and the soft swell of her breasts pushed against his back. He could feel the difference in them from two weeks ago. Groaning, he turned over and let her snuggle closer. He pulled her head to his shoulder and relaxed, slipping into sleep knowing he was going to pay for not keeping her at a distance before it was over with.

 

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Chapter Twenty-Six “I’m scared, Morgan,” Amanda whispered as they walked into the bank. “Nothing to be nervous about or scared of,” Morgan told her. He kept a calming hand on her lower back as they made their way to the desk in the back where they’d talked with one of the bank managers before. He introduced them and asked about the room they had reserved for conducting their business. The female manager smiled and led them to a small room. She promised the notary would be with them in just a few minutes. “This is going to work, right?” Amanda asked, her voice shaky. “Yes. It’s going to be fine. Just remember that this man is never going to bother you again. Keep in mind what a scumbag he is, and you’ll be all right.” There was a light knock at the door, and a young woman in a suit walked in with her small bag holding her notary supplies. “I take it our other party hasn’t arrived yet? Good. I was afraid I would be late.” She held out her hand and introduced herself. Someone else knocked at the door. Morgan nodded for Amanda to stand behind him as the notary opened the door and admitted a tall, husky man of about six feet, weighing a little on the hefty side. His dark brown hair was thinning on top, and he looked all of his fortytwo years. The idea that Amanda had been with this man amazed Morgan. She could do so much better than Guy Winthroup. Hell, she could do better than him. “I understood Amanda was going to be here,” he said and started to back out of the room.

 

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Amanda disobeyed him and stepped out. “I’m here. Come in, and let’s get this over with. I don’t ever want to see your face again after today.” “Who is this?” he asked her, pointing to Morgan. “I’m her bodyguard,” Morgan informed him. He felt Amanda jerk a little at that. He hadn’t told her how he would introduce himself, but maybe he should have. “Bodyguard? Why does she need one?” he asked with a smirk. “It seems someone has a good deal of money shelled out to bring her in to them, dead or alive. I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Evidently Guy hadn’t expected him to say anything that specific in front of a witness. The notary gasped, but quickly regained her composure and continued setting up her paraphernalia. “Let’s get down to business,” Morgan suggested and seated Amanda across from the slimeball. Guy let out a breath and took a seat. He crossed his arms as if he had nothing to worry about. “Here are the papers drawn up by her lawyer. You can read them if you would like, but you’re signing them before you leave this room or the deal is off,” Morgan told him. Guy took the papers and looked through them. Then he looked through them again. Sweat beaded up on his forehead. He nodded and took out a pen to sign them, but the notary stopped him. “I need you to use my pen, please. They like for you to sign in blue ink. It copies cleaner,” she said. “Fine,” he snapped and grabbed the pen. After signing the first copy, Morgan slid another copy across the table. He signed it without even looking at it. He handed the pen back to the notary. “Is that everything?” he asked. “Do you want a copy of what you signed?” Morgan asked. “I never want to see any of this again.”

 

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“Then we’re through with you. You’re free to go. Just remember what I told you over the phone the other day.” Morgan smiled at the man, making sure it was his coldest, deadliest smile. Evidently it worked since he fumbled, nearly tipping the chair over as he hurried to leave the room. “Well, he was ready to leave,” the notary said. “He had somewhere he had to be,” Morgan told her. “We’d like two copies of the papers, and then we want to access her safety deposit box.” “Of course. Here is one copy.” She handed over one signed copy. “I’ll make the copies of this one and be right back.” “It’s over, right?” Amanda asked him. Her hands were shaking as she clasped them over and over again. He hated seeing her so nervous and on edge. Well, it was almost over. Until Jethro and Justin said Guy had left and not met up with anyone before he got on his plane to leave, he wasn’t relaxing. “Just about, baby. All that’s left is to put a copy in your safety deposit box, file a copy with your lawyer, and then keep the other two copies in safe places at the house in case anything comes up and you need it right away.” “Thank you so much for helping me. I’ve screwed up your life for three weeks now, and you’ve done nothing but help me.” “Don’t. I did it because I wanted to. I care about you, Amanda. You know that, right?” he asked. “I know, Morgan. Just like I know you’re leaving now that it’s all over. I understand. But I’m going to miss you,” she said with tears in her eyes. Before he could say anything, the door opened, and the notary returned with the second original and the two copies. She handed them over to Amanda and then led them to retrieve the safety deposit box. He watched her place the paperwork in the box and lock it.

 

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“I guess next on the agenda is the lawyer’s office again. He’s going to be glad to see the last of me,” Amanda said, her smile watery. “Naw, he likes you,” Morgan assured her. They rode over to Buchannan’s office and left the other original with the secretary, who promised to file it immediately. That done, Morgan rode them home. Shit, I said it again. It’s not your home anymore. It’s Amanda’s. Tyler pulled in behind them, as did Dodge. “Any trouble?” Tyler asked. “Nope, went without a hitch. What about with you two?” Morgan asked. “Nope, he took a taxi there and another one back to the airport. No one in either one of them with him. Jethro and Justin are on airport detail. They should be calling in soon.” Dodge eased out of his truck. “Let’s all go inside. I don’t like standing outside like this.” Morgan urged them toward the carport door. “Where should I put my copies?” Amanda held them up. “I’d put one in your bedside table, the other one somewhere hidden, but easy to get to.” “I’ll keep them both in the bedside table until I think of another place,” she said. “How long before you can expect to hear from Jethro and Justin?” Dodge asked. “We should hear from them within the next hour,” Morgan said. “I’m going to sit down,” Amanda said. “Shit, Morgan. She’s going to faint.” Tyler was there before Morgan realized what was happening. Amanda would have hit the floor if Tyler hadn’t caught her. He hadn’t even noticed she was so pale. He started to take her from Tyler, but the other man shook his head. “Go pull the sheets back on the bed, and let’s get her comfortable. I guess all the stress over the last few days finally caught up with her.”

 

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“Fuck, I should have paid closer attention to her,” Morgan fumed. “You’re too busy pulling back from her to notice much right now,” Tyler accused and gently laid her on the bed. “What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” Morgan demanded. “Not in here.” Tyler covered her with the sheet, then disappeared into the bathroom before reappearing with a wet cloth. He applied it to her forehead and cheeks. She moaned, then roused. Her eyelids fluttered before finally opening. Morgan watched and knew he’d royally fucked up—again. He watched as she came to herself and realized she was lying in bed. “What happened?” “You passed out. You’ve had too much pressure on you lately. Things should even out some for you now,” Tyler said, patting her hand where it lay protectively over her abdomen. “You need to rest. We’ll let you sleep now.” Tyler jerked his head toward the door for Morgan to follow. He couldn’t help but run his hand over her hair and smile down into her pale face before he left behind Tyler. He was so fucked up. “Man, you’re so busy pulling back that you’re losing touch with how she’s feeling. It’s hurting her that you’re beginning to ignore her now. What the hell are you doing? Fucking her at night and keeping your distance during the day?” Tyler asked in a snarl. “Fuck you. It’s none of your business what I do or what our relationship is.” “Guys, I think you either need to tone it down or take it outside. She’s bound to hear you,” Dodge said. “This conversation is over with.” Morgan kicked the bar and walked out the back door. He climbed onto his bike and took off. He needed to get away from everyone for a little while. The entire situation was taking its toll on him as well. He’d only ridden about fifteen miles when his phone buzzed on his hip. He pulled over to see who it was. He’d missed Jethro. He hit redial and waited for the other man to answer.

 

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“Where are you?” Jethro demanded. “Out for a ride. What’s going on?” “He got on the plane without talking to anyone, but he got a call just before he boarded. He talked for about five minutes, then hung up. Think he’s walking away for sure?” “Yeah, he was too scared when he left to try anything. Still, we’ll be around for the rest of the week. I figure we’ll all leave Saturday. Sound good to you?” Morgan asked. There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then Jethro answered, “Um, yeah, that is as good a day as any.” “I’ll talk to you when you get back to the house.” Morgan made sure he didn’t say “home” this time. “Later,” Jethro said and hung up. Morgan replaced his phone on his belt and pulled back out onto the highway. He needed to unwind before he went back and got into an argument with his friends. He knew they were right. He just didn’t know what the right thing to do was. Maybe there was no right thing. Maybe there was only the best thing. Either way, he knew it was killing him just as surely as it was hurting Amanda. **** Amanda heard them arguing in the other room, but she couldn’t make out what it was all about. Her eyelids threatened to close on her. She needed to think, though. Why did they have to fight over her? She knew it was about her. Her stomach cramped, and she moaned holding it. Was she coming down with a stomach virus? She’d just gotten past the morning sickness. Maybe something was wrong. Nothing more happened. She lay there for a few more minutes, then got up and went to the bathroom to be sure she wasn’t spotting. Everything seemed fine.

 

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She needed to make an appointment with a doctor and start her prenatal care. Resolved to begin taking matters into her own hands, Amanda got up and walked out into the suddenly quiet kitchen and retrieved the phone book, and took it back to the bedroom. She rifled through the Yellow Pages and found the only two ob-gyn specialists in town and dialed a number. Fifteen minutes later, she had an appointment for Friday at 2:00 p.m. They were eager to see her since she hadn’t been under a doctor’s care during her first trimester. If she had any further cramping or spotting, she was supposed to call them immediately or go to the emergency room. She felt better for having made a decision on her own and going through with it. After all, she would be doing that from now on. She felt better already. Amanda began making a list of things she needed to do over the next few weeks to get ready for both her new job and the baby. Since she started work Monday, she needed to get on the computer and learn everything she could about accounting and CPAs. She needed the job security doing a good job would provide. The next thing on her list was to meet the lady across the street who Morgan said might keep her baby for her while she worked. She would ask him for an introduction when he got back. She knew he’d ridden off earlier. There was no mistaking the sound of his bike. The fact that he could hardly wait to get back on the road wasn’t lost on her. She knew he cared for her, about her, but it wasn’t enough to stick around. She wasn’t sure what exactly the problem was. She figured it was because she was pregnant, but was it because of the loss of his wife and child, or because she was carrying another man’s baby? Amanda couldn’t decide, and wasn’t it a moot point anyway? He was leaving no matter what. She heard the door open in the other room and voices in the kitchen area. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but could make out Tyler’s and Dodge’s voices along with one of the twins’. She wasn’t hearing Morgan’s, though. She listened for a few more

 

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minutes, then stood up and straightened her blouse before opening the bedroom door and walking out into the kitchen. “Hey, Amanda. How do you feel?” Tyler asked, pulling out a chair for her at the table. “I feel much better, thanks. I’m sorry I did that. I guess I was a little tired and didn’t realize it.” “You’ve been under a big strain,” Dodge reminded her. “You also need to see about setting up an appointment to see a doctor.” Tyler wouldn’t look at her when he said it. “I’ve already done that. I have an appointment Friday,” she said. “Oh, well good.” Tyler nodded a little too quickly. It was sweet how Tyler was trying to smooth things over and make sure she was okay. He was having a difficult time dealing with it, though. She needed to let him off the hook. “Dodge, Jethro, can I talk to Tyler alone for a minute?” she asked. The other two men nodded and left the room. “Tyler, I’m okay. I know Morgan isn’t going to stay. He’s trying to give me room to get back into self-relying mode. I was taking care of myself before Morgan, and I can take care of myself once he’s gone. Don’t worry about me, Tyler. I’m a big girl. I made a mistake, and I’m living with it. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice.” “I think he’s an ass.” Tyler jammed his hands into his pockets. “He loves you, damn it.” “No, he doesn’t, Tyler. He cares for me very deeply, but he doesn’t love me. I know that, and he knows that. Leave it alone, Tyler. Don’t let this screw up your relationship with him. He needs you.” “I think the others are all planning to leave Saturday. I’ll stick around and help you get settled for a few more days,” Tyler began. Amanda shook her head. “No, you leave with them. I appreciate your wanting to help me—really, I do—but I can handle it better on my own.”

 

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“You’re sure?” Tyler asked. “I’m sure.” Tyler nodded and pressed his lips together. “Guess I’ll go see what’s on TV. Morgan should be back soon. How about we order in pizza?” “Sounds good to me.” “I know, no olives,” Tyler teased. “You’ve got it.” Tyler stared at her for a few more seconds, then turned and walked into the living room, where Amanda could hear the sound of the TV. They would fuss over there being nothing worth watching, then fight over the remote. She was going to miss having them all there. It would take a little while to get used to the quiet. About that time she heard Morgan’s bike pull back into the drive. She remained where she was instead of retreating to the bedroom to hide. She needed to prove to herself that she could handle it. He walked into the kitchen with his helmet under his arm. He stopped when he saw her sitting at the table. “You feeling okay now?” he asked, setting his helmet on the bar. “Yeah, I just needed to lie down for a little while. Too much excitement for one day.” “Amanda, we need to talk.” “I know, Morgan, but let’s make it tomorrow. We’re ordering pizza in tonight. Hope you don’t mind. I told them no olives on my half.” She smiled and stood up. “What do you want to bet they’re in there arguing over movie stations?” Morgan seemed confused by her attitude, but went along with her into the living room. She was sure he didn’t know what to make of her. She’d reverted back to when he’d first met her. It was how she truly thought of herself. She just had to keep it in the front of her mind and live by it. She was tough. Being pregnant didn’t change that.

 

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Chapter Twenty-Seven Amanda woke to the feel of a calloused hand rubbing up and down her side and the outside of her breast. She smiled and hummed in delight. Without opening her eyes, she turned farther over to her back and presented Morgan with better access to her body. She had dreamed about him making love to her on a grassy hill under the stars. It had seemed so real, complete with the feel of the grass against her bare skin. “Morning, baby. How are you feeling?” “Ummm, better all the time,” she said as he circled her nipple with one finger. “Open those beautiful blue eyes for me. I want to look in them when you come for me.” She opened her eyes already heavy from sleep and now heavy with passion. He loomed over her with one elbow on the bed. His eyes glittered with mischief as he bent down and licked around her nipples, then blew on them. The slight chill had them spiking. “That’s what I like to see. You have the most amazing nipples, long and dusky rose. I love sucking on them.” He demonstrated, sending her into loud moans. He pulled one into his mouth and sucked while plucking on the other one. Then he changed sides and repeated the action. She felt her insides begin to tighten. When he nipped at one of them, she groaned and arched her back to push the offending nipple deeper into his mouth. He soothed the small sting by licking it. When he teased the other one with teeth and tongue, she thought she would explode, but something kept her from climaxing. He rolled over her, planting one

 

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knee between her legs until he was touching her naked mound. He pressed forward with it, and she knew what had been missing. “I want to watch your eyes grow dark when you come, Amanda. I want to listen to you scream my name.” Morgan mounded her breasts with his hands while applying pressure to her clit with his knee in a slow rhythm. “God, Morgan. Please, please…” she moaned. “What, baby? What do you need?” “I need you. I want you inside of me.” “Soon. First I want you to come for me.” He twisted her nipples at the same time and ground his knee against her clit. Amanda went up in flames. She’d never climaxed without some form of penetration before. She screamed his name as her eyes rolled back in her head. Even before she was finished, Morgan was at her pussy entrance, pushing his way inside of her, having little resistance with all the cream she had produced with her climax. He breached her, and kept going until he was settled snug against the entrance to her womb. He stilled. “God, you are so beautiful when you come, baby. The ecstasy on your face drives me wild with need for you.” Morgan pulled out, then slowly worked his way back into her hot pussy. Over and over he moved within her without speeding up or changing his rhythm. “I don’t want this to end,” he said in a strained voice. “I know, Morgan. I know.” He leaned over and kissed her, took her mouth in a searing attack that bruised her lips even as it satisfied her need for him. His tongue plundered her mouth, licking along the roof and dueling with her tongue, and all the while, he continued his slow, steady rhythm taking her cunt. “Please, Morgan. I need more,” she whispered, pulling from his kiss.

 

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He grunted and began to lengthen his plunges and add power to them. She wrapped her legs around his waist and tried to strengthen his pushes. He wouldn’t let her take away control, though, and popped her on the thigh. “My way, Amanda.” He lifted her legs over his shoulders and pressed down into her body, finally tunneling in and out of her at a faster pace. His cock squeezed between her folds, dividing her pussy with each plunge. Finally, his rhythm began to falter, and he lost control to his need as she squeezed her cunt, sucking at his dick until he had to struggle to pull out each time. Faster and faster he pounded into her, and she felt her climax rush down her spine to spread out into her womb. She called out his name in a strangled voice as he pounded into her over and over. With a hoarse cry, he came, filling her body with his hot cum. He stilled above her, his face a portrait of lust and need all at one time. “I…I…” he began, then collapsed next to her. “I’m done for,” he finally finished. Then he rolled over onto his back and looked up at the ceiling with a strange expression on his face. “I promised I wasn’t going to do that.” “Do what? Have sex with me? Why?” she asked, shocked. “Because I’m leaving soon, and it’s not fair to use you like this. You’re more important than somewhere to put my dick when I’m horny.” “Morgan, I know better. While you’re here, I want you in my bed—in my body—as often as you want to be there. I know you’re leaving. I’ve always known you would leave. It doesn’t stop how I feel about you or the need I have for you,” she said. Amanda fought to keep the tears from her voice. It would only make matters worse for both of them. She could do this. She was strong enough to handle this conversation. There was nothing to say

 

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that once he was gone she couldn’t break down and have a pity party, but for right now, she needed to be strong. “You deserve so much more than you’ve gotten so far in life. You certainly deserve someone better than Guy or me,” he said. She rolled over to lay her head on his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest above his heart. Its thump, thump reassured her that he felt as deeply as she did. She felt him swallow, and finally an arm wound around her to rest across her back, his hand holding her waist. Slowly, it made its way over to her abdomen and cupped the slightly rounded, firm area of her stomach where the baby rested. “We need to find you a doctor and set you up with an appointment. You’ve lost weight, and you need to get started with your visits,” he said. “I’ve already made an appointment for Friday afternoon.” He was silent for a while as if trying to decide what to say. Finally he cleared his throat. “I don’t know if you’re having a girl or a boy, but there are plenty of clothes and blankets and all that stuff in the nursery next door. I haven’t been in there since…since the accident. I know she had everything she wanted. You’re welcome to all of it. Otherwise, it’s going to rot in there. I’m sure it needs airing out and all, but maybe you could wait until, um, I’m gone,” he managed to get out. “Thank you, Morgan. You have no idea how much I appreciate that. I know it has to be hard for you. I’ll wait before I go in there.” Amanda swallowed hard at the thought of what that had to have cost him to do. “We’re all planning to leave Saturday after lunch. I programmed my phone number in your phone. I have yours. If you need anything or if something happens with Guy, you call me. I mean it, Amanda.” She nodded her head on his chest, scared to say anything in case she started crying. He seemed to realize her problem because he kissed her forehead.

 

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“We’ll go see Mrs. Pullum this afternoon so you can meet her. She’s a really nice lady. Her husband died about four or five years ago from a heart attack. She’s in her fifties. I’ve already talked with her, and she’s excited about helping out.” “Thank you, Morgan. Thank you for everything.” She squeezed him tightly to her and kissed his chest. “I think we need to get up and see about food. I’m getting hungry.” With that, her stomach growled, sending her into a fit of giggles. “Man, that little tiger in there is hungry. I thought he was going to eat my hand.” Morgan hugged her, then rolled out of bed. Amanda watched him disappear into the bathroom. She drew in a deep breath and steeled herself to weather the next few days. She could feel him pull away from her little by little. Soon he would leave, and she would be on her own again. She rubbed her belly. Not on her own, she had her baby. She’d never be alone again. **** Friday afternoon, Amanda sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office waiting her turn. She couldn’t help the nervous jumping in her leg as she waited. Tyler and Dodge had each offered to come with her, but she had turned them both down. She wouldn’t have turned Morgan down if he’d asked, but she had known he wouldn’t. When they called her name, she jumped. She got to her feet and followed the nurse to the back. She’d spent the first fifteen minutes there filling out paperwork, part of which she couldn’t answer since it referred to the father of the baby. There was nothing she could do about it. She just hoped it wouldn’t turn out to be important to her baby’s health. The nurse took her vital signs and let her listen to the baby’s heartbeat. Her eyes filled with tears on hearing the tiny little beat that sounded much like a runaway train. The nurse assured her it was supposed to be that fast. She asked her some more questions about her

 

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appetite and if she were taking vitamins. Amanda answered all her questions, then waited in a room with a gown and a drape for the doctor to come in. After what seemed like forever, he arrived with the nurse in tow. He introduced himself and began to examine her, asking her questions all the time. “So, I understand the baby’s father isn’t going to be a part of this. Is that right?” he asked. “No, he doesn’t want anything to do with the baby. That’s fine, though. I can take care of him by myself,” she told him. “Everyone needs help, even when there are two parents.” “Oh, I’ll have help. The lady across the street from me is going to help me,” she assured him. He nodded and continued his exam. She hated feeling so vulnerable. The nurse held her hand and reassured her. Then when the worst was over, he had the nurse ready her for an ultrasound. “You’ll get to see what your little baby looks like,” the nurse told her. Amanda smiled. She couldn’t wait. When he started running the wand around on her belly, she could see the images on the screen. “There we go,” he said, pointing at the screen. “There’s your baby.” “Can you tell if it is a girl or a boy?” she asked. “Hmm, let me see. He moved the wand around all over, but shook his head. “Nope, the little tyke is turned the wrong way. Maybe on your next sonogram visit we can tell,” he said. “That’s okay.” She was disappointed, but all that really mattered was that her baby was healthy. “Okay, let’s get a good picture of your baby to take home with you.” She would have it to compare to the one she had gotten before.

 

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“There we go. It will print out in a few minutes. In the meantime, you can get dressed,” the doctor said. “I’ll talk to you in my office once you have.” As soon as she was dressed and had her sonogram picture firmly in her hand, the nurse carried her to the doctor’s office, where he was waiting behind his desk. “I just want to go over a few things with you. The vitamins you’re taking are perfectly good ones, so you can continue with them or I can write you a prescription for some.” “I’ll just keep on taking the ones I have then.” “The other thing is that you are underweight for your height and the baby’s age.” “Is my baby okay?” she asked. “Your baby is fine. He’ll get whatever he needs no matter what. You, on the other hand, won’t unless you eat right. Are you having trouble with excessive nausea and vomiting?” he asked. “Not anymore. I just haven’t had much of an appetite, but it’s better these last few days. I’ve been under a lot of stress concerning the baby’s father. That’s all settled now, so I’ll be fine.” “Okay, I’m going to have you back in three weeks just to weigh and check your blood pressure. It’s not up, but it’s not quite normal either. I want to be sure you don’t start having trouble with it.” “Okay. Thank you.” She stood up when he did and shook his hand. When she settled up at the receptionist’s desk and made her return appointment, she noticed that the room had emptied out. She’d been there a long time. She glanced at the clock on the wall and winced. It was nearly 5:00 p.m. Would the men by worried about her? She hoped not. She had barely made it into the drive before all five of the men burst through the door of the carport. They all looked anxious, even Morgan.

 

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Tyler made it to the car first to open her door. “Is everything okay?” he asked. “I’m fine, the baby’s fine. It just takes a long time on a first visit. Plus, they were busy.” She started to show them her sonogram picture, but noticed Morgan standing in the background looking a little unsettled. She realized that would be cruel and kept it hidden in her purse. She would share it with Mrs. Pullum when she saw her again. She wouldn’t think about how much it hurt that she couldn’t share it with Morgan. “What did the doc say about your losing weight?” Morgan finally spoke up. “Um, that I needed to gain some weight.” Amanda smiled. “He said the baby is fine, but that I needed to gain weight, so I go back in three weeks for a checkup on it and my blood pressure.” “What’s wrong with your blood pressure?” Morgan demanded. “Nothing really. He says it’s borderline high, but still safe. I told him I’d been under a lot of pressure with the baby’s father, but it was all okay now.” “Good. You be sure and keep all your appointments.” Morgan didn’t look at her. He stared off into the distance instead. “Okay, you guys, I’m hungry. Let me in the house.” Amanda walked between Tyler and Dodge as they all talked at once about what they’d been doing. She only half listened, noticing that Morgan remained where he was instead of coming in the house. She refused to let it bother her any more than it already did. She concentrated on starting dinner and chatting with the others. “So, how much do you need to gain before you go back in three weeks?” Tyler asked. “He wants me to add six pounds. Two pounds a week to begin with.”

 

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“That shouldn’t be hard if you add ice cream to your diet,” Dodge laughed. “Hmm, ice cream sounds yummy. Maybe I’ll go get some after dinner,” she said. “We’ll go get it for you,” Dodge said. “Come on, Tyler. You can drive my truck. My fucking leg is hurting today for some reason.” “What kind do you like?” Tyler asked. “You don’t have to get me any ice cream, guys. I can go after dinner if I still want it.” “Nope, we’ll get it, and you can eat it anytime you want it that way. So what kind do you like?” Tyler demanded. “Chocolate, of course,” she teased. “Chocolate what?” Morgan asked as he closed the door behind him. “We’re going to get Amanda some chocolate ice cream. Best way I know to gain weight quick,” Tyler said. “She needs to gain quality weight with fruits and vegetables,” Morgan groused. “I’ve got plenty of those around, too. I’ll follow the doctor’s orders, so don’t anyone get worried about it.” She could tell something was brewing, and she really wanted to avoid it if she could. “We’ll be back in a little while,” Tyler said as he and Dodge walked out the door. “Are you telling me everything he said?” Morgan asked, taking her arm and pulling her around to face him. “Yes, I am. He said I needed to gain some weight and my blood pressure was a little up, but that overall I was healthy. I even heard the heartbeat,” she said, looking up into his face. “Did he do a sonogram?” “Yes, he did. Everything looked fine.” She feared where this was going. “Then he probably gave you a picture of it, didn’t he?” Morgan asked.

 

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“Um, yeah, he did.” “Why aren’t you showing everyone?” “I…I…” “You didn’t want to rub it in my face. Fuck, Amanda. You don’t have to tiptoe around me. I’m a big boy. I can handle it. Show the damn sonogram to the guys. They’ll get a kick out of it.” Morgan let go of her arm and stomped off into the living room. Amanda swallowed back the tears. She wasn’t sure why she was crying, because of the way Morgan had treated her or because he’d lost his baby. Either way or both, she had to turn off the stove and run to the bathroom to wash her face before someone noticed.

 

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Chapter Twenty-Eight Friday night, Morgan maneuvered her to bed early. He seemed almost desperate to get her to bed. He ran a bath using some of the scented bath salts she had bought. Then he eased her into it and knelt by the tub, bathing her from head to toe and all parts in between. He didn’t say anything, so she didn’t either. She let him have his way with her. When the water began to cool, he helped her out and dried her off with a huge plush towel, making sure to wrap her in it before picking her up and carrying her to bed. He settled her in the bed with the covers pulled up to her chin and told her to wait for him. He wanted a quick shower. He undressed, watching her the entire time as if measuring her reaction to his nude body. She didn’t bother hiding her appreciation. He was huge all over. She often wondered how she managed to take his magnificent cock inside her. She must have dozed, because he was back climbing into bed almost as if he’d never left the room. Moisture clung to his chest. She ached to lick it. Then, because it didn’t matter what she did now, he was leaving the next day, she did. She chased a drop as it wound its way around his nipple. He shivered. She licked over the nipple with the flat of her tongue and was rewarded with a husky groan. Encouraged by his acceptance of her advances, she pushed him over onto his back and climbed on top of him. She licked from one nipple to the other and nipped at them. He hissed out a breath as she licked her way lower and delved into his belly button. “Fuck, Amanda. What are you trying to do to me?” “Take care of you like you take care of me,” she said.

 

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When she reached his bobbing erection, Amanda rubbed her cheek along the soft skin on the side. It amazed her that it felt like soft velvet over a rod of iron. She inhaled his masculine scent. It sent a curl of arousal deep in her womb. She shuddered and licked his dick from the base to the top, and around the slit. A bead of pre-cum escaped, and she quickly took it with her tongue before delving into the slit for more. He hissed again and grabbed her head. “Stop fucking around and suck my cock, Amanda.” She laughed and drew him into her mouth. She could only go so far until she had to relax her throat and breathe through her nose. She swallowed around him and was rewarded when he cursed and held her head still as he slowly pumped in and out of her mouth. He was careful, then grabbed her hand and fisted it around his cock so he wouldn’t choke her. Amanda used her other hand to lightly roll his balls and scratch gently at the sac holding them. He groaned and began to pump in and out of her mouth in earnest. She squeezed his cock at the base and hummed around his massive cock. “That’s right, baby. Suck my dick in that hot little mouth of yours.” His rough words spurred her on, and she hummed and sucked as hard as she could to make him lose control. She wanted him to be unable to help himself as he shot his cum down her throat. “God, Amanda. If you don’t stop, I’m going to come. I want to fuck that wet pussy instead. Back off, Amanda,” he said again. Amanda hummed around his cock and refused to let go. Instead, she bobbed up and down faster and squeezed his balls just a little tighter. It wasn’t long until she was rewarded with his cum streaming into her throat. She drank it all down and licked his dick from top to bottom to get it all. Before she could collapse, he pulled her up to him and kissed her. If he noticed that his semen was in her mouth, he didn’t seem to care.

 

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It was a forceful kiss that took her breath away from her. She had to pull away from him to breathe. Morgan rolled her over until he was on top of her. His eyes were heavy-lidded, and though he should have been sated, he still looked hungry to her. “You are fucking amazing, Amanda.” He dipped his head and licked her jawline from her ear to her chin and around to the other side. Then he sucked the skin between her neck and her shoulder until she knew she would have a mark there. She didn’t mind. It would be something to remind her of him for a little longer. When he continued kissing down her neck and to her breasts, she hummed her approval. She wanted his mouth on her nipples. They ached with need. He mounded one breast while running the flat of his tongue over the nipple of the other. She arched her back, trying to get him to take it into his mouth. He shook his head and pushed her back to the bed with his hand. “Lie still, baby. Let me love you like I want to.” He buried his face in her cleavage. His fingers took over her nipples, pinching and pulling on them as he licked and kissed and sucked around each breast. His mouth drew closer and closer to her nipples until she wanted to scream. Every time she moved to press one into his mouth, he backed off and pressed her back into the bed. “Uh, uh, uh. Wait for it, baby.” He started all over again, kissing and licking his way around her breasts until he reached her nipples. Finally he began sucking them, first one, then the other. His hands molded her breasts, pushing them together so he could suck both of her elongated nipples at one time. He teased and nipped at them before moving further down her torso. He laid down a line of kisses and sucks until he reached the spot where her baby lay. Here he gently kissed her rounded stomach before moving lower to her bare mound. Here he nibbled until she was on the edge between pain and pleasure. He licked and soothed the bite marks before spreading her pussy lips and diving to feast.

 

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**** Her pussy smelled delicious and tasted even better. Spicy honey exploded on his tongue as he licked her cream. He couldn’t get enough of her hot cunt and wanted more of her sweet juices. Morgan licked from her clit down to her back hole and then back up again. She responded by wiggling, and he had to press gently down on her pelvis to keep her from rearing up. “Easy, baby. Let me please you.” Using one finger, he traced her pussy lips, then circled her clit but didn’t touch it. He wanted her begging for her climax. He wanted to see her face go slack as she came. He sheathed one finger inside of her, pumping it in and out in a slow rhythm. Then he added a second finger to the first and searched for her hot spot. As soon as he brushed over it, Amanda cried out and bucked into his hand. He smiled. This was how he wanted her, needy and demanding. When she settled down, he shoved three fingers inside of her and tongued her clit until she was on the brink of coming. Her vaginal walls sucked at his fingers as if wanting to keep them prisoner. “Please, Morgan. Please, please, please. I can’t stand it anymore.” Amanda begged him as he circled her clit once again with his tongue. He smiled and nipped at it. She screamed, and for a minute, he thought he’d pushed her over, but she went back to thrashing about on the bed, her head rolling back and forth, begging him to let her come. He searched for that special spot inside her hot pussy, and while gently applying pressure to her clit, he rubbed that spot over and over until she exploded around him. He watched as her face changed expressions from needy to euphoric, her eyes rolling back and her mouth going slack. Nothing pleased him more than watching her come for him.

 

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He climbed up her body and lifted one leg so he could enter her in one smooth push. She accepted him without a word, and he feared at first she’d passed out, but when she opened her eyes and looked at him, he nearly pulled out and ran. He saw love there. For a few precious seconds, he saw it in her eyes before she closed them and lifted her pelvis to meet his thrusts. He tunneled his cock in and out of her hot cunt. It squeezed him as the aftershocks of her orgasm continued with the added stimulation of his fucking her. He drew nearly all the way out and slammed back in, over and over, until he felt that electric current spreading from his spine to his balls. His cum boiled there, waiting to erupt. With each thrust, he felt her pussy sucking on his dick, trying to keep it prisoner within its hot, wet walls. He wanted to stay there, but wanted to come more. He felt his balls tighten that little bit more, and he shot cum deep inside of her as he thrust hard three more times and held his body rigid within her. As soon as he could breathe again, Morgan rolled over to the side and gathered her up in his arms. He pulled her close enough he could bury his face in her neck and breathe her in. God, he was going to miss her. He would miss so much about her, not just the sex either. He would miss snuggling up with her like this, her sassy mouth, and the way she held on to him on the bike. But he had to leave. He couldn’t stay. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Morgan almost rolled away, but refused to give up what little time he had left with her. If he were a better man, he might be able to overlook the baby growing in her belly, but he wasn’t. He was a sorry excuse of a person. All he could think about was his own child and how he’d never had the chance to hold him. He didn’t even think of his wife as much now, and that added guilt to his already dirty soul. Amanda deserved someone who would love her no matter what and provide for her and spoil her. He didn’t even have a job. All he did was work at odd jobs to pay his way through life. The house was paid for, and his savings were paying for the utilities. He didn’t care

 

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about the money. If it would help Amanda, that was fine. He wanted her to be happy, and she would be once he was gone and she forgot about him. She would be busy getting ready for, and then taking care of, her baby. The ticking of the alarm clock next to the bed finally got to him, and he slipped into sleep, only to wake up again around three and make slow love to Amanda again. She fell asleep this time with her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He lay awake for another hour just listening to her breath. **** Lunch was a boisterous affair as the men all gathered around the table and bar talking at once. Amanda sat between Tyler and Dodge with Morgan sitting across from her. He shifted his feet occasionally to bump against hers and smiled at her. They were okay. He knew she understood, though secretly she was crying inside. She wanted more than anything for him to stay so they could be a family, but she knew better. Instead of moping, she joined in the free-for-all of joking, laughing, and enjoying the moment. They were all leaving after lunch. She would miss each and every one of them. She would even miss the twins, despite how scary they were to her. They’d proven to be good friends to Morgan and had treated her with nothing but respect. “Do you have everything ready for work on Monday?” Dodge asked her. “Yep. I’ve got a small bag to carry my lunch in and some extra fruit. I’ll probably take a book with me to read during lunch.” “Don’t forget to eat your ice cream at night,” Tyler reminded her. “I’m not likely to forget ice cream, Tyler,” she said with a smile. “If you walk for exercise around here,” Morgan began, “remember to wear light-colored clothing so cars can see you.”

 

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“Guys, I’m going to be fine. I’ve been by myself before.” Amanda wiped her mouth with her napkin. She’d eaten an entire chicken breast and helping of potato salad. “I think everyone has their number programmed in your phone, so if you need anything, one of us can come help.” Morgan stood up and took her plate, along with his, to the trash. “I’m not likely to need anything, but thanks, guys, for offering. You’re all welcome here anytime you want to crash.” She winced and looked at Morgan. “Well, it’s Morgan’s house, but if he doesn’t mind, I don’t.” “It’s your house for as long as you want to stay here,” Morgan said. “Come on, Jethro. Let’s clean up this mess and get on the road.” Justin grabbed empty plates and cups and took them to the trash. Jethro helped Tyler clear the table as Dodge put away the condiments. Amanda didn’t have to lift a finger. She sat and watched as each of the men took care of the mess, even down to wiping off the table and bar. Amanda got up and smiled at them. They were all good men. Just looking at them, you would probably have thought of them as hardcore bikers, but she’d come to know the real them beneath the tats, scars, and tough clothes. She would trust any of them with her life and that of her child, because she already had. They were the best. Morgan wrapped his arms around her from behind and gently squeezed. She leaned back into him and smiled. He was going to miss her. She was sure of it—just not enough to want to stick around. “Okay, everyone. Let’s mount up and ride,” Jethro called from the carport door. Amanda followed them all out to the driveway, where two bikes and two trucks sat one behind the other. Jethro and Justin each gave her a quick one-armed hug, while Dodge kissed her cheek and squeezed her shoulders. Tyler wrapped his arms around her and

 

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buried his nose against her neck and whispered to call him for anything. They all climbed into their trucks, with Tyler on his bike, and cranked their rides. Morgan waited until everyone had pulled out and started out before he pulled her into his arms and hugged her. “You take care of yourself and little bit in there,” he said. “I’m going to miss you, Amanda.” “I’m going to miss you too, Morgan. I can never thank you enough for—” He interrupted her. “Don’t. Just be happy. That’s all I ask.” “I’m happy, Morgan. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me and have five of the best men as friends that I could ever want. You be careful.” Amanda didn’t try to kiss him. She squeezed him hard, then stepped back and watched him climb onto his bike. She stood on the driveway and watched as he turned the big bike around and rode down the street. He never looked back. She stood there for a few more minutes as if thinking he would turn around and come back any minute now. He didn’t. Finally she walked back inside and began the rest of her life.

 

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Chapter Twenty-Nine Amanda filled her days with learning her new job, and her nights with reading and going through the nursery. She cleaned and washed everything in the room. It was obvious they had been expecting a little boy, though most of the clothes were for either sex. Everything a baby could possibly want was in that room. She wouldn’t have to do anything but buy diapers when the supply they’d bought had been used. She spent a lot of time reading up on babies and what to expect as her pregnancy progressed. She found that she had trouble with swelling in her feet and legs. She put them up on a stool at work while she was there and sat in the recliner when she was at home, but they continued to give her problems. Mrs. Pullum checked in with her constantly and worried about her swelling as well. “You be sure that doctor looks at your feet when you go back to him next time,” she reminded her. “Don’t worry. I don’t think he can miss it. My legs look like elephant’s legs.” “I can remember when my daughter had her first child, she had trouble with her legs swelling, and the doctor put her on bed rest for a few weeks.” “Let’s hope I don’t have to do that.” Amanda crossed her fingers. She did not need to lose work time. She needed all the money she could save for when she couldn’t work after the baby got there. She had some savings left over, but it wouldn’t be enough, she was sure. She still had to make her payments on the delivery and hospital charges.

 

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“Well, don’t you worry about it right now. Wait and see what the doctor says.” Amanda visited a little longer with Mrs. Pullum before walking back across the street. She’d been without Morgan for nearly a month now and missed him terribly. There were nights she lay awake until early in the morning wishing he were there to hold her. It didn’t matter how many times she told herself to get past it, she still missed him. The nights were beginning to cool off some now that summer was almost over. Soon it would be fall. That would help her a lot, she figured. Some of the swelling had to be from the heat. They kept it a little on the warm side for her at the office, but she didn’t complain. At home, she kept it just cool enough to make it easier for her to rest and used the ceiling fans to stir the air. She was afraid to run the utilities up too high. She’d managed to gain seven pounds by her second appointment, and the doctor had been very happy with that. He urged her to keep it up but to try to stay within two pounds a week. So far she was averaging three pounds a week, but she figured a pound of it had to be fluid on her ankles and legs. If she could just get rid of the fluid, she would be doing fine. Amanda pulled out her grilled chicken salad and left it on the counter to warm up to room temperature. She decided to lie down for a little while. Her head had been hurting off and on all day. Somewhere in her pregnancy books said having a headache was a sign of something. She would have to check it out when she got back up. It wasn’t long after she lay down that she fell asleep. **** Morgan pulled on his jeans and walked outside feeling disgusted with himself. Tyler could take care of Honey. He wasn’t in the mood. Hell, he hadn’t been “in the mood” in over a month. What the hell

 

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was wrong with him? He wished he smoked right then. He needed something to do besides drink. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to end right back in the shape he’d been in nearly four months ago. “Man, you okay?” Tyler asked as he zipped up his pants. “Hell, I don’t know. She leaves me cold.” “Maybe we need to ride off on our own for a few days. I’m getting kind of tired of barhopping, if you want to know the truth about it.” Tyler leaned back against the motel door. “Yeah, maybe that’s a good idea. I don’t know what in the hell is wrong with me. Maybe some wide open space will help clear my head.” Morgan scratched his chest and continued to look out over the nearly full parking lot of the little motel. The place was only a few steps up from some of the dives he’d lived in when he’d been perpetually drunk all those months. This wasn’t him. He was better than this. “Why don’t you go on to bed, Morgan? I’ll take Honey back to her place, and we’ll get up and ride tomorrow.” “Sounds like a plan.” Morgan turned and looked at Tyler. “Thanks, man.” Tyler just shrugged and opened the door. Morgan walked in and crawled into the empty bed and promptly fell asleep thinking about Amanda. In his dream, she was round with his child, and they were planning a big party for their friends. Everything he suggested, she laughed at and added to the list. He loved hearing her laugh. He loved everything about her. She brightened his world just by being in it. She turned in to his arms and reached up to hug him to her. Her belly was between them, and something kicked out at him. He laughed and rubbed her belly to soothe his son. “He’s going to be a soccer player, I tell you,” she told him. “Naw, he’s going to grow up and be a biker, like his old man.” “I want you, Morgan.”

 

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He smiled and nudged her throat with his nose. She smelled so damn good all the time, like fresh daffodils. Morgan ran his mouth up her jawline and to her ear, where he drew the lobe into his mouth and sucked. She scrunched up her neck and giggled. “That tickles.” “I know. It’s why I like to do it,” he said. “Don’t tease me, Morgan. I need you inside of me. Now.” She ran her hands beneath his shirt and fingered his nipples. She knew how that turned him on. Then she reached between them and began unbuttoning his jeans. His cock swelled in reaction to her need. He would always respond to her needs. When his cock sprung free, she wrapped her hands around it and massaged it up and down as he pulled her maternity pants down to her ankles. She wanted it now. She was burning him up as she licked at his swollen cock. “Grab hold of the couch, Amanda, and bend over.” She gave his dick one last lick and turned around to the arm of the couch and bent over, using the couch to support her. Her sweet ass called to him. He could see her honey dripping from her pussy and couldn’t wait to taste her. Morgan went to his knees and began licking her slit from clit to her back hole. He delved inside her cunt and reamed around the inside with his tongue, gathering all the juices he could manage to swallow. Using two fingers, he carefully inserted them to test her readiness and found her hot pussy more than ready for him. Ever since she’d become pregnant, she couldn’t seem to get enough sex. She’d become a one-woman sex machine, and he loved it. He knew once the baby arrived there would be a while when she couldn’t have sex, but until then, he was more than willing to accommodate her. He stood up and aligned his throbbing cock with her wet pussy and pushed his way inside. In three pushes, he was balls deep within her. She moaned and pressed back against him, signaling she wanted more. He pulled almost all the way out and tunneled in again. She groaned and met him halfway with each shove of his cock inside her

 

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vagina. Her pussy milked at him, trying to suck him back every time he pulled out. Over and over again he drove his hard cock inside her sweet pussy until he felt her began to ripple around him. He knew she was close, and he didn’t want her to wait for him. He reached around and applied pressure to her clit, sending her over in a rush of juice and squeezing cunt muscles. He groaned and, after three more shoves, shot his cum all inside her. He held himself still there, nearly on his toes until he could move again. Then he slowly withdrew and pulled her up, turning her around to face him. “I love you, Amanda.” “I love you, Morgan.” He woke up hugging his pillow and knew he was in deep shit. He loved her. Despite her carrying another man’s baby, he loved her. Could he handle the child not being his? He’d spent three nearly four weeks with her and gotten used to her rounded belly as it began to grow. It hadn’t bothered him really. Would it bother him to raise the child as his own? He needed to think about a lot of things. Breaking off from the gang would do him good. If he were really thinking about going back and being with Amanda, he needed to be sure. It wouldn’t be fair to her if he tried it for a while and decided he couldn’t go through with it. She deserved a hell of a lot better than that. Hell, she deserved better than him anyway, but she had lodged herself deep in his heart, and he couldn’t get rid of her, even if he wanted to. Morgan got up and took a shower. Tyler was still snoring in the next bed having been up late taking Honey back to her place and explaining they were leaving early in the morning. Evidently she hadn’t been too happy with them, according to Tyler when he’d gotten back. As soon as he was dressed, he kicked Tyler’s bed and told him to get his lazy ass up. “I’m ready to ride, man. Get up, and get dressed.”

 

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“Fuck, who woke you up this morning? Freaking Barney?” he groused as he rolled out of bed and scratched his head. “You’ve got twenty minutes. Then I’m rolling, with or without you.” **** Amanda stared at the doctor. He had to be kidding. There was no way she could spend the rest of her pregnancy in bed. “Amanda, we tried changing your diet and the pills to lower your blood pressure, but you’re in preeclampsia. It’s a very dangerous situation you’re in. Not just you, but your baby is at risk, too. I’ve had one patient die from eclampsia. I won’t have another one. You’re on bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy.” “How am I going to do this? I don’t have anyone to handle the stuff around the house, and if I don’t work, I don’t eat. You don’t understand,” she tried to explain. “I do understand, but if you don’t stay off your feet and remain in bed, you’re going to die. How much clearer can I be?” Amanda felt the tears begin to fall as the full weight of it all settled on her. She grabbed for the chair to sit down, and the doctor took her arm to help her sit. What was she going to do? What did people do when they had no one? “Ann! I want another blood pressure on her, now,” he called out. The nurse hurried to check it and found it even higher. The doctor swore. “That’s it. You’re going in the hospital for a few days until we get your blood pressure under control. Your stressing isn’t helping matters, Amanda.” “I can’t help it. I don’t know what to do.” She rubbed her abdomen where the baby lay. “I’m writing admission orders. You’re to go straight there. Do not go home first. Do you understand?” he asked.

 

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“Yes,” she whispered. Should she call one of the guys to help her? How could she? They wouldn’t want to stay around for another three and a half to four months waiting on her, hand and foot. Mrs. Pullum would help her, though. She wouldn’t mind coming over a couple of times a day to check on her. Amanda could call her if something happened or she really needed help. She could do it. “If I go home and promise to stay in bed, will you let me go home?” she asked, brushing away the tears. “Not this time, Amanda. Your blood pressure is too high now. We’ll get it under control, then let you go home on medication.” Amanda waited while he wrote out the orders, then drove herself over to the hospital. She would have to ask Mrs. Pullum to bring her some clothes. She’d given the woman a key to her house soon after she’d started having some problems. It was going to prove handy now. It didn’t take long for them to get her into a room and strung up with IVs in her arms. She felt like a pincushion and couldn’t help the constant flow of tears. Part of it was the baby hormones, and part of it was fear, fear of the unknown and fear of losing her baby. The nurses all clucked in sympathy and spent extra time with her. Someone checked on her every fifteen or twenty minutes until her blood pressure began to drop. Then they spread it out to every thirty minutes. Finally, after four hours, they took her off one of the medications, and she dozed off and on between nursing visits. She dreamed about Morgan. He came back and wanted to make a life with her and her baby. He wanted to be the baby’s father and professed his love for her. She woke from the dream smiling, then looked around at the hospital room and realized it had all been a dream, a good dream, but only a dream.

 

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Later that day, Mrs. Pullum visited her and brought her clothes and some books to read. She thanked her and asked her if she would be able to help her a little more when she got home. “Honey, of course I will. I don’t have a thing to do but fuss over you. My family lives so far away, I barely see my grandkids.” “I can’t thank you enough.” Amanda teared up all over again. “Now, none of that. It’s not good for you. You know that. Think good thoughts, and remember that the sooner you feel better, the sooner you can go home.” “Thanks, Mrs. Pullum. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” When her neighbor left, Amanda curled up and got comfortable. She’d shower and change into one of her gowns in the morning. Right then, she wanted to sleep and maybe dream again about Morgan. **** Three days later, Amanda was relieved to be going home at last. Her blood pressure was under control with her new medication, and her swelling had improved tremendously, but the doctor still wouldn’t let her go back to work. She was afraid she would lose her job, but her boss assured her that it would be there when she returned no matter when that was. She realized that, despite her current situation with her blood pressure, she had so much to be thankful for. She had a home that was paid for as long as she needed it and a job waiting on her and Mrs. Pullum helping her. After fixing a sandwich of whole wheat bread and thin-sliced chicken breast, Amanda grabbed some fruit to keep close at hand and climbed into bed to while away the next few weeks. She prayed that if she did well until her next doctor’s appointment, he would let her off bed rest at least. Lying around with her feet on pillows to elevate them and staring at the walls wasn’t her idea of a fun time.

 

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Her cell phone rang, and she answered on the second ring, anxious to talk to anyone, even if it was the wrong number. “Hello?” “Hey, Amanda, how are you doing?” Tyler asked. “Hey, Tyler! I’m so glad to hear from you. How are you doing?” “I asked you first,” he teased. “I’m doing okay. Growing fat and waddling like a duck.” “Why are you home in the middle of a workday?” “Oh, I took a couple of days off to do some errands and stuff.” She picked at the bed covers, hating the lie. “You’re not doing too much, are you?” He sounded worried about her. “No, I’m not doing anything right now, except talking to you,” she told him honestly. “Do you need anything? I’ll be close to you in a few days.” “Thanks, but I’m fine. Um, how is Morgan?” she managed to ask. “He’s okay, nothing really going on. We’re just riding mostly. Broke off from the gang to get a little space, you know?”’ “So everything is going okay for both of you?” she asked. She couldn’t ask what she really wanted to know. Did he miss her, even a little bit? He hadn’t called once since they’d left. It hurt. Then just being apart hurt. “Everything’s fine. I just wanted to check on you to see if you needed anything. If we get close enough, we might drop by if that’s okay,” he said. “Um, yeah, sure. That’s fine. You’re always welcome.” “Amanda, are you sure everything’s okay there?” Tyler seemed to suspect she wasn’t being truthful. “Everything is fine. Just feeling fat and tired a lot. It’s all part of being pregnant. I go to my doctor’s appointments, and he keeps me on track.” “If you’re sure. I’ll talk to you later. Better run. Bye, Amanda.”

 

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He hung up, and she got the impression it was because Morgan was walking up. She was sure he’d called and hadn’t let Morgan know. Why? Was something going on with Morgan? He was probably sleeping with some bimbo like Honey, and Tyler didn’t want her to know about it. Well, she’d already figured that out. He was a sexual man. He wouldn’t go without for months. It hurt. Sometimes it hurt so bad she thought she would die from it, but she’d worked hard at putting it behind her for the baby’s sake. She drew in deep breaths and blew them out to calm herself. She couldn’t afford to have her blood pressure go up when she’d finally gotten it back down. He would put her back in the hospital. She hated being in there. She wouldn’t get much rest there, and she hated being stuck all the time for IVs and blood samples. No, she would do anything to keep from going back to the hospital before it was time for the baby to come. Amanda sighed and picked up a book to try to get back into it. She managed to read the first few chapters, then threw the book down again. She wanted Morgan, and nothing could ease the pain of that, nothing but having him there with her.

 

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Chapter Thirty Morgan woke from the dream frantic with worry. Something was wrong with Amanda. He just knew it. She’d been dying in his dream, and he couldn’t do anything to help her. He pulled on his jeans and grabbed a shirt from his pack. “Hey man. What time is it?” Tyler asked, rubbing his face. “Early. I’m going to Cold Creek.” “What for, Morgan? Don’t play with Amanda’s feelings.” “Shut the fuck up, Tyler. Something’s wrong. I can feel it.” “Um, I talked with her a couple of weeks ago, and she sounded fine. Said everything was going fine with the baby.” Tyler swung his legs off the bed and grabbed for his jeans. “You talked to her and didn’t tell me?” Morgan yelled. “You haven’t exactly wanted to talk about her. I figured you’d just get pissy about it. Like now.” “You should have told me. I’ve been worrying about her for weeks now.” Morgan pulled on his boots. “Well, we aren’t far from there. We should be there in about four hours if we don’t stop for anything.” Tyler pulled a shirt over his head and rushed to catch up with Morgan. “I sure as hell don’t plan to stop. There’s something wrong, I’m telling you.” “Call that Mrs. Pullum lady and see what she has to say,” Tyler suggested. “It’s only 6:00 a.m.” “So, by the time we get breakfast, it will be seven. Call her then.”

 

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“I wasn’t planning on getting breakfast.” Morgan stopped with his hand on the doorknob after unlocking the door. “Yeah, well, that’s a reason to eat. Besides, you don’t want to ride up at ten to where she works and scare her to death.” “Fine, we’ll get breakfast.” Morgan opened the door and settled his pack in his saddlebags. They ate at the local diner that wasn’t far from the motel. The food was decent, but the service sucked. By the time they got out of there, it was nearly seven thirty. Morgan punched in the number for Mrs. Pullum and nearly growled when she didn’t answer right away. He was just about to hang up when she answered out of breath, as if she’d run. “Hello?” “This is Morgan from across the street. I called to check on Amanda.” He didn’t bother apologizing about the early hour. “She’s not doing so well, Morgan. She’s been put on bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy.” “Why in the hell haven’t you called me?” he fussed. “She made me promise not to. She said she had to do this on her own, but between you and me, she’s not handling it very well.” “What happened?” he asked. “Her blood pressure went up too high, and he had to put her in the hospital for a few days to get it down. Then he put her on bed rest, and she’s about to go crazy worrying about work and how to pay the bills. I’m afraid her blood pressure is going back up. She goes back to the doctor the end of the week.” “I’m on my way home. I’ll take care of her,” he promised. “See that you do. But if you’re just going to up and leave again, stay away.” “I plan to marry her.” Morgan surprised himself with that. “Well, good luck. She’s a stubborn woman,” Mrs. Pullum told him. “I know it. Good-bye, I need to get on the road.”

 

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Tyler was right there demanding to know what was going on. Morgan filled him in and then jumped onto his bike and took off. Tyler caught up with him, and they rode hard for the next four hours until they entered the city limits. Then they slowed it down and maneuvered around the small city until they reached Morgan’s street. Morgan pulled up into the driveway and hopped off the bike. He didn’t bother knocking on the door. He used his key and walked in with Tyler right behind him. He found her sleeping in the bed. Her face held strain even in sleep. It nearly killed him to see her so worried that she didn’t relax even in sleep. Tyler eased into the room next to Morgan. He shook his head and turned and left, leaving Morgan alone with her. He wasn’t sure whether to wake her up or not. As it turned out, she woke with a start, as if sensing someone was in the room with her. “Morgan? Is that really you?” She started to sit up. Morgan rushed over and stopped her from sitting up. “You’re supposed to be on bed rest. Don’t get up.” “Mrs. Pullum.” She huffed out a breath. “Did she call you?” “No, I was on my way back and figured you were at work, so I called her to check on how you were doing and let her know I was coming back.” “So she told you I was having trouble.” Amanda didn’t look at him. Instead she smoothed the covers down with both hands. “Yeah, she did. She said you had even been in the hospital. Why didn’t you call me, and if not me, one of the others?” he asked. “Because I can’t worry someone when I have to do this on my own anyway. I can’t depend on anyone but me.” “You’re not alone anymore, Amanda. I’m with you. I’m not leaving you again.” He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. “What do you mean, Morgan?” She searched his eyes. “I love you, Amanda. I planned to ask you to marry me, but not like this. I wanted it to be romantic,” he said with a sad smile. “I’m not really good with romantic.”

 

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“Say it again,” she said. “I love you. I’ve loved you since I first saw you fighting off that bastard at the truck stop, but I’ve been fooling myself into thinking I couldn’t love you. First because you were too young and then because you were pregnant.” “That doesn’t matter anymore?” “Yes, it matters a lot. I want to raise him or her as my child. I want to adopt the little thing.” “Are you sure? You weren’t so happy with me being pregnant with Guy’s baby before. What made you change your mind?” she asked, wary of his sudden change. “I realized it didn’t matter because the baby was part of you, too. I couldn’t help but love it as much as I love you.” “I love you, too, Morgan. I’ve loved you almost since I first met you. You leaving like you did nearly broke me. Please be sure, Morgan. I couldn’t handle you leaving me again.” “I’m sure. I haven’t been able to think of anyone other than you ever since I left. Tyler will probably tell you what a bastard I’ve been, these last few weeks especially. I need you, baby.” He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her to his chest. His lips brushed her temple as he thought of all the ways he wanted to love her. She deserved a more romantic declaration of love, but that would have to come later. Right now, he needed to touch her, hold her, and know for sure she felt the same way about him. “Will you marry me?” he asked anyway. He had to know. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” She laughed and grabbed him by the ears to pull him down for a kiss. Something moved between them, and he pulled back, startled. The little tyke had kicked him. “Hey, he kicked me,” Morgan complained. “He’s kicking like a soccer player, all right. Keeps me up most nights and sleeps during the day. Guess you woke him up.” “So you’re having a boy?” he asked.

 

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“No, I don’t know what I’m having. He hasn’t cooperated and let us see what he is yet. But it really doesn’t matter as long as he’s healthy.” “As long as he’s healthy,” Morgan agreed. He thought hard about it while holding her close to him. A little boy he could teach about bikes and how to ride. He’d already been thinking hard about what he could do for a living and had decided to open up a motorcycle shop. The closest one was in Dallas. He figured he would have a fairly good business if he did repairs and sold bikes. It would provide them with a living, and it was something he enjoyed. He lay with her in his arms for a long time thinking about opening the shop and her having the baby and settling down. It all felt right to him. He hadn’t felt this much at peace in more years than he could count. Finally, he extracted himself from Amanda’s arms and quietly slipped from the room. Tyler was sitting in the living room, with the TV on low, watching an old movie. “How is she?” he asked. “She’s better than she was, I think.” Morgan sat in the recliner across from Tyler and rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward. “I asked her to marry me,” Morgan told Tyler. “Well, it’s about fucking time.” Tyler grinned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “You should have asked her all those weeks ago and never left in the first place,” Tyler fussed. “Yeah, you’re right, but I needed to figure some things out first. I wouldn’t have been good for her six weeks ago.” “And you’re going to be good for her now?” Tyler asked. “I’m going to take good care of her now. She won’t have to ask for anything. Want to go with me to pick out her engagement ring?” he asked.

 

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“Hell yeah. Let me wash up some.” Tyler disappeared upstairs in a rush. Morgan walked back into the master bedroom and gently woke Amanda up. He wasn’t leaving without her knowing he was coming back. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” he said. “You’re supposed to wake me up with a kiss,” she complained. “Sorry.” He bent down and kissed her softly on her lips. “Was that better?” “It will have to do, I suppose.” “Tyler and I are going to town to get some things. I wanted to let you know we’ll be back in an hour or two. I’ll cook when I get home. Okay?” he asked, searching her face. Amanda smiled and nodded her head. She relaxed against the pillow and closed her eyes. “I’m just going to take a little nap, is all. I’ll be more awake when you get back.” “Rest, baby. I’ll be back before you know it.” Morgan settled the covers more firmly around her and tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Tyler sat at the bar waiting on him. “All set?” Tyler asked. “Ready. Let’s go find the perfect ring for her.” **** One year later “Morgan, Anna wants to ride,” Amanda said. “Oh, she does, does she?” Morgan picked up his little girl and carried her over to the little dirt bike he was repairing for someone and sat her on it and helped her “ride” around the room, going “zoom zoom.”

 

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“You realize you’re spoiling her. She’s going to want one of her own by the time she’s five or six.” “She’ll get whatever she wants—within reason,” Morgan said as he picked her up and threw her in the air, only to catch her again. Their daughter giggled over and over as he lifted her over his head and wiggled her little body. Amanda loved seeing Morgan play with her. He always made time for her and was never too busy to stop and pay attention to her. “You say that now. Wait until she turns sixteen and wants her own real bike and wants to go riding with you and the boys.” “Now that is never going to happen.” Morgan handed little Anna back to Amanda. “So, how is Tyler doing? I heard you talking to him earlier.” Amanda changed the subject. Morgan laughed. “He’s got woman troubles. I was just listening to him talk it out. I never got a word in edgewise.” “Poor thing. Sounds like you think someone has their hooks in him.” “Oh, they do, all right. And he’s going down hard.” Morgan laughed again and tweaked Anna on the nose. “What time are we heading out tomorrow? I need to get my stuff together,” Amanda asked. “I figured we’d leave out around six and join up with the others around nine. Maybe even see Tyler’s woman who’s giving him hell.” Morgan wrapped an arm around Amanda and Anna. “Mrs. Pullum ready to babysit for us?” “She can’t wait. I’m dropping her off across the street after supper tonight. She wants her to watch some TV before bed. She got one of the new Disney cartoons for her.” “Hmmm, a night without the munchkin. Could be trouble,” Morgan said, waggling his eyebrows. “Oh, I’m counting on it.” Amanda giggled. “I’m expecting great things from you tonight, Morgan.”

 

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“I’m planning great things tonight, Amanda. Maybe even a playmate for little Anna. What do you think?” he asked. “Maybe that’s already been taken care of,” she whispered.

THE END WWW.MARLAMONROE.COM

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Marla Monroe lives in the southern part of the United States. She writes sexy romance from the heart and often puts a twist of suspense in her books. She is a nurse and works in a busy hospital, but finds plenty of time to follow her two passions, reading and writing. You can find her in a book store or a library at any given time when she’s not at work or writing. Marla would love for you to visit her at her blog at themarlamonroe.blogspot.com and leave a comment or visit her webpage at www.marlamonroe.com

Also by Marla Monroe Siren Classic: Hot and Bothered Ménage Amour: Trusting Them Ménage Amour: Wild Montana Nights Siren Classic: Peyton’s Pleasure Siren Classic: Nina’s Neighbor Siren Classic: The Protectors 1: Long, Lonely Nights Siren Classic: The Protectors 2: In The Still of the Night

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

 

 

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com