She would wait until she made it to her room and then she would cry. She would wail. She would mourn because he didn’t want her anymore and he might not again. She could try to get her body back, but it couldn’t be the same again. In a few weeks, she would be a mom and nothing could change that. She wouldn’t be Stef’s hot little sub ever again.
And maybe then it would just be a matter of time before he started looking around, before he started wondering what he’d given up to marry her. He was rich and gorgeous and could have any woman he wanted.
How long would she be able to keep him? How long would she even want to keep a man who didn’t want her?
She took a deep breath. All that mattered now was getting out of this with as much dignity as she could muster. “I apologize, Stef. I thought I was being cute and spontaneous. I won’t do anything like this again. I’m going to the bathroom to get dressed. Please don’t blame Max and Rye. I asked them to help me.”
“Oh, I have plans for all of them, pet.” He was on his feet now, but he didn’t bother with the robe. “It might take years, but I’ll have my revenge. I’ll be creative, and this town will never forget what I do to those four men. I’m thinking of running Max up the town flagpole suspended only by his boxers. I won’t let him down until he cries a little. And Caleb Burke is going to get a dose of his own fucking medicine. I’m going to roofie the bastard and maybe get a tramp stamp of a butterfly tattooed above his ass. Yeah, we’ll see how he fucking likes that.”
“Stef, you can’t do that.”
“I don’t see why not.” His eyes rolled slightly. “It’s not like it would be permanent. Not that I would tell Caleb that. I have to figure out what to do to the big guy. I bet Alexei’s really nasty with the revenge thing. I’ll think about it. Why are you dressed?”
She was really confused. And her heart was still aching. “Stef, this was a stupid idea. I told you I’m sorry. You can’t run around plotting revenge.”
“Oh, I’ll have it. You see, I realized something in those moments just before the tranquilizer took effect. I’ve been going about this all wrong. I’ve been thinking I needed to figure out how to be a proper father to the boy. I’ve been thinking I needed to change everything about myself so I can teach our son. But our son is going to live here. So the first lesson he’s going to need to learn is how to beat the shit out of Max Harper’s kid because that rat bastard is going to have a son one of these days and I’ll be damned if Logan doesn’t know how to handle him. They’ll be best friends. It’s very important they understand how to fight. Now, I am only going to ask one more time, why is my submissive wearing clothing in our playroom?”
She sniffled a little and stood her ground. “You made yourself plain, Stef. I said I was sorry.”
“And now you’ll accept your punishment.” He looked down. “Oh, thank god. I thought for a minute the damn drugs were going to make this difficult. That’s a plan. I’ll sneak some Viagra into Doc and Alexei’s coffee right after I’ve made sure Holly is totally unavailable to them.”
His cock was working again, thrusting up from his nest of perfectly trimmed dark hair. “Stef?”
“I’m going to be gentle because of our child, but you should understand that you’ll take the spanking I’m about to give you. And you’ll take the fucking that’s going to come afterward, and as soon as Doc clears you for sex after the baby is born, I’m going to strap you to the St. Andrew’s Cross and you won’t come off of it until I’m satisfied. You will never, never wrest control from your Dom again. Are we understood, Jennifer?”
She couldn’t help it. Tears were still right there, leaking from her eyes. “I don’t understand, Stef.”
He softened, making his way across the room toward her. He stopped in front of her, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. “You’ve been heard, love. I’m sorry, too.”
“I don’t want your pity.”
His eyes hardened. “No, but you obviously want the flat of my hand on your ass. We’re going to talk this out, but we’re going to do it my way.”
He could be deeply unfair. “I’ve tried to talk to you.”
“And it didn’t work. So we’ll do it my way. Off with the clothes. Find a comfortable position, but I want your ass in the air. You wanted your Dom back, you have him. But you know what happens when you wake sleeping bears, love.”
She shuddered a little. People who woke sleeping bears tended to get eaten.
And it had been so long since he’d made a meal of her.
She pushed the robe off her shoulders.
“Show me what you’re offering. Show me how beautiful you are.” He stared down at her, a hungry look in his eyes.
And for the first time in forever, she felt beautiful again.
* * * *
When his wife decided to get his attention, she went all out. It made a man puff up a little.
Thank god he was hard. He’d woken up, seen his wife sitting there in that gossamer gown that barely contained her breasts, and he’d gotten nothing, very likely because he was still processing whatever the fuck Caleb had dosed him with.
The minute he’d seen Jennifer’s face, he’d known what a coward he’d been and that he had to get his marriage back on the proper footing. And that included his dick.
Which was working just fine again. Not that he wouldn’t get his revenge on his asshole friends anyway. It was going to be a long-term labor of love.
Jennifer blushed slightly as she began to move the straps off her shoulders.
“I’m not getting any younger, love.” Now that he was here, he had to wonder why he’d been so stubborn. He craved her, and he’d been away for far too long.
“They’re just so big.”
“Because they’re getting ready to feed our child.” He’d been an ass. She’d needed him and he’d retreated because of fear. She’d needed to know how beautiful she was and all he’d told her was that she was fragile. “Let me see them. I love your breasts. I love them when they’re small and fit perfectly into my hands and I’m going to love them now that they’re ripe and overflowing.”
Her breath caught a little. “Will you like them when I take my bra off and milk shoots across the room? Because Rachel told me that can happen.”
Oh, she made him smile. “Yes, love. I will adore them.”
She pulled the gown down and those round and firm breasts were suddenly in his line of sight.
Yes, his cock was working just fine. It was twitching now. How much discipline did she need? Because all he could think about was the fact that he was letting himself off the leash and he couldn’t wait to get inside her.
He was impatient. God, it felt good to be impatient. It felt good to want something and know he could take it.
He reached out and let his fingers glide from her cheek to her neck to the round globes of her breasts. They were so much bigger, the ivory of her skin marked with blue veins. He traced them, reveling in the changes of her body.
“I was very scared, love. When you passed out and you were bleeding, I became very frightened and I haven’t quite come back from it yet.”
“Stef, babe, it happens to a lot of pregnant women.”
“All that matters is it happened to you.” He cupped her breast gently. “Are they sore?”
She shook her head, her eyes closing in pleasure. “No. It feels so good, Stef.”
It felt so good to be connected. He knew what she was saying because he felt it, too. He ran a thumb across her nipple, tweaking it lightly. This was different than rubbing her feet. He did that for her pleasure. This was mutual. This was connection. This was what they had both been missing for months.
And he’d missed talking to her. Jennifer knew him better than anyone. Jennifer had been the one to teach him it was all right to talk to her. “I had nightmares about you bleeding.”
Her hand came over his. “Babe, I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to know because in those dreams I wasn??
?t worried about our son. All I cared about was you. I don’t want you to think I don’t care about him. He just isn’t real to me yet.”
Her face softened, those innocent eyes catching his. “Of course not. It’s all right, Stef. He doesn’t kick you in the ribs twelve times a day. He’ll be real to you soon enough. I’m not worried about your fathering skills.”
“I am.” He didn’t feel like a Dom in that moment. He felt like a man who was about to have a baby, and he had no idea what would happen.
Jennifer wrapped her arms around him, drawing him close. He had no idea how she always managed it, but she made him feel safe. She made him feel loved. When he was wrapped in her arms, he was home. “You are going to be the best dad in the world, Stefan Talbot. You’re going to teach our boy everything you know, including how to take down the Harpers. You have everything you need to be a great dad.”
Yes. He did. Because he had her. He held on, doing what he’d needed to do every day since she’d fallen over in his arms and he’d carried her to Caleb. He held her, praying he never had to let go.
He wound his hands in her hair. It had thickened during her pregnancy. When he looked at his wife now, he could see how she’d bloomed. How could he have allowed one bad moment to ruin watching her glow and grow?
“God, you’re gorgeous.” He caught her mouth against his.
Stef ate along her lips, reveling in her touch and scent. He kissed her sweetly for a moment, but that was never enough for him. He plunged his tongue inside, dominating hers as he pulled her close.
Her belly was in the way, but he didn’t avoid it now. Now he kissed her and let his hand rest there. He felt the baby kick, a strong motion against his hand.
Stef stopped, looking down in wonder. “Take it off. I want to watch.”
Jen frowned at him, but her hands were already going to the stretchy waist of her gown. “Fine, but I’m serious about sex. This better not devolve into you spending hours watching my belly jump.”
Oh, she was asking for it. He twisted just slightly and was able to get a nice hard smack across her ass. Jennifer jumped a little, but the gasp that came out of her mouth was breathy and her nipples had perked up.
His little sub had missed her Master.
He laid a quick ten gentle smacks across her ass. No matter how hard she pushed him, she wasn’t going to get what she wanted. He would make her skin sting a little, but it would be nothing she would feel tomorrow. Despite Caleb’s permission, he was going to be gentle with her. Well, as gentle as a spanking could be.
“God, I missed that, Stef.”
“I missed smacking your ass, too.” He ran a hand across the globes of her ass. Like the rest of her, she’d gained a little weight there. Stef loved how she’d rounded out, how luscious she was. He’d fallen for her slender frame, but he had to admit, he also loved her like this.
He just loved her. She was the world to him.
“He’s kicking again.” Jennifer reached out and brought his hand to the swell of her stomach.
His son, the child he’d made with Jennifer, moved against his palm, something small and round. A foot or an elbow.
God, there was a baby in there, and it was a combination of him and his wife.
“Stef, it’s going to be okay.”
“I’m terrified. How can I be terrified of my own child?”
“Because you’ve seen the kids around here, babe. They’re pretty intense.” She was grinning at him.
He got to his knees and placed a kiss on her belly. They would get through it. And he wasn’t about to let Caleb shut him out of the delivery room. No matter what. He would be there for his wife.
And his kid.
But for now he would concentrate on her.
He took hold of her hand and moved them back to the bed. He adjusted the pillows so she would be comfortable. “Lay back.”
He kissed her as he helped her to the bed, settling her back so she was elevated, but he could get to that part of her he longed to taste.
“Spread your legs, love.”
“I thought you were punishing me, Stef.”
“That happens later. After the baby is born and you’re completely healthy again, I intend to take it out on your backside. That little sting I just gave you is nothing compared to what I intend for you in a few months. And you should enjoy all the orgasms I give you now because you’re going to have a long dry spell.”
It was a fairly empty threat. Oh, he would spank the hell out of her. He would whip that gorgeous ass, but he struggled with denying her pleasure.
Giving her pleasure was his job.
He pulled her ankles apart and settled himself between her legs. Silky skin surrounded him. The smell of her arousal made his cock tighten.
He rubbed his nose right in her labia, loving the way her thighs tightened around him.
She was his favorite dessert. He licked her in long, loving passes, gathering the honey of her core on his tongue. He sucked and licked, laving every inch of her pussy with affection. He pulled her labia apart and fucked her with his tongue, moving into her channel with a singular purpose. Over and over he surged into her, feeling her body starting to shiver and shake. Hot little moans came out of her body.
“Please, Stef. Please.”
She was pleasing Stef. Every gasp and plea loosened something deep inside him. Keeping her at arm’s length had hurt them both. He needed her close. He needed every moment he had with her.
He found her clit and sucked it into his mouth, using his tongue to send her flying.
Jennifer shouted out as she came all over his tongue.
He flipped onto his back, the soft comforter against his skin. But he didn’t want the silk of the bed covering him. He wanted his wife. “Come on, baby. Ride me.”
He stroked his cock as she moved into position, straddling him carefully. Her belly was so round, her breasts ripe, her skin glowing. She was so fucking beautiful and she was his.
Forever.
They could have a baby and he would love her. They could go through life’s ups and downs and he would love her. The whole world could change and only one thing would remain steady—he would love her. He would love her until the day he died and long after.
“Forgive me.”
She shook her head, but he could see how emotional she was. “There’s nothing to forgive. You got scared. You came back to me.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I was drugged and dragged back.”
“And I’ll do it again, Stef, because you’re mine. You belong to me. You said I belonged to you, well, it works both ways.”
He let his hands find her hips, his cock already pressed to her pussy. “I belong to you heart and soul, love. Always.”
She lowered herself onto him. She wasn’t as graceful as she normally was, her body made unwieldy by the child growing there, but he’d never seen anything so gorgeous as his pregnant wife taking his cock into her body. She was so careful, biting that gorgeous bottom lip as she took him in inch by glorious inch.
Heat enveloped him, wrapping him up in Jennifer’s unique essence. No matter how many times he had her, it would never be enough.
He held himself still, giving her time to get comfortable, to work her way down. He watched her face, the way her eyes closed in pleasure as she worked her hips.
He was dying. His cock was going to burst, but he wouldn’t take this from her.
“You feel so good, Stef.”
“You have no idea, love. You’re killing me.”
A hint of a smile curled her lips up. She always had that smile. Julian had talked about seeing the world anew through the eyes of his child, but Jennifer was the first one to make him look at his life in a different way. She’d been the one to force him to see how much beauty there could be in the world. That smile of hers had been the doorway. “We can’t have that, now can we?”
She sighed in pleasure as he joined them fully.
Stef gritted his teeth as she stopped and then
dragged her pussy back up his cock. Tight, wet heat threatened to send him over the edge. Jennifer moved herself up and down, a slow, grinding penetration. Over and over she lifted and descended, dancing on his dick.
Stef gripped her hips, pushing up into her.
She wiggled, her head falling back as a breathy moan came out of the back of her throat and she tightened around him, her orgasm calling his own.
He lost it. He held her firmly and thrust up, his cock finding her sweet spot, and she screamed his name.
His balls pulled tight against his body and he shot off, the pleasure shooting through his body. He ground upward, giving his wife everything he had.
Sweet peace. Jennifer slid off his body, turning slightly away so her belly rested against one of the pillows. Stef turned, spooning her body, unwilling to break the connection. He might never break the connection again. He’d been so stupid. He needed to hold her when he was worried. He needed to wrap himself around her. He slid one arm under her shoulders and the other on to her belly, resting right over the fullest part.
Jennifer sighed. “Now we know how to get him to sleep. He’s been kicking like a soccer player all day. He’s finally still.”
A shock of worry shot through his system. “Did we hurt him? Is that why he’s not kicking?”
Jennifer slid a hand over his. “No, babe. Like I said, he’s sleeping. Our lovemaking rocked him to sleep.” She yawned. “It might have rocked me to sleep, too. Hmmm, we need to do that more. I feel so good.”
She snuggled back against him. She was soft and sweet in his arms and his cock was already stirring again.
“You don’t need to sleep, love.” He didn’t want to sleep. Once the baby was born, it would be a while before he had her to himself again. Jennifer wouldn’t allow her child to be raised by a series of nannies. She had already placed a crib in their bedroom so she could have baby Logan close at hand.
He wasn’t ready to share his wife yet. Sometimes it felt like he’d just found her.