Her eyes filled with anger as she spat out, “I won't let her have your baby. That's my baby! Mine!”
Bile began to build in the back of my throat. It had been Jessica all along.
Holy fuck. It was Jessica. Not Keith.
I KEPT GLANCING at Jessica as she sat in the back of the police car. My heart hadn’t stopped pounding since I first heard that gunshot. I looked over my shoulder and saw Liza standing with my mother’s arms around her. Right after my father and I left for our walk, my mother and Liza had decided to go out to the garden. Liza had screamed when she came upon a rattlesnake. My mother had grabbed her shotgun and shot at the snake.
I closed my eyes, saying a prayer of thanks that they’d gone outside. Jessica told the police she’d overheard my father and I talking as we made our way to his truck. Jessica then watched us walk away. When she could no longer see us, she’d made her way into the house. She hadn’t seen my mother’s car, and thought Liza would be alone in the house. Jessica had been in the living room about to search the house when she heard the gunshot and ran like hell. That was when we’d seen her coming out of the house and running toward the woods.
One of the Blanco County sheriffs was finishing up with Liza and my mother. He turned and came over to me.
“I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about her anytime soon. She’s confessed to everything. From hitting the vehicle with a bat, to what she’d planned on doing when she found your fiancée in the house alone.”
My blood ran cold and every hair on my neck stood up. “What were her plans?”
He kicked the dirt. “She was going to try to make Ms. Morris…loose the baby.”
“I just don’t understand how she could do this. I just can’t grasp this. I was the one who told her I’d be out of town.” I rested my face in my hands and sighed.
“You didn’t know, son. Don’t beat yourself up,” the sheriff said. “Ms. Morris is okay. Ms. Burch will not be bothering either of you ever again.”
Peeking over to Liza, I nodded. If Jessica ever came near Liza or our child again, I’d kill her. That is promise I didn’t intend on breaking.
IT HAD BEEN two months since the incident with Jessica. Finally relaxed, I placed my hand on my baby bump. Walker had started building on the land our parents had given us. I’d been feeling the baby move since I was at about eighteen weeks. Walker had yet to feel her move, and it was killing him.
I smiled as I walked around the house. It was going to be beautiful. When Walker had told me about his plans to build, I’d cried. Then again, I’d been a crying fool this whole pregnancy.
I looked up at the wood beams and inhaled deeply. I loved the smell of fresh-cut wood. My father and Walker’s dad, Reed, were both helping with the house. Jase had helped over Christmas break while Ava and I were shopping for maternity clothes. Ava had been thrilled with the stuff we bought. Of course, she’d taken it all back to her parents’ for a few days of tweaking at her sewing machine, adding her special touch to each outfit. When I got them back, I felt like I was dressed in a special designer line. Ava was heading to Italy with Jase over the summer. She was interning with a designer she’d been hoping to work for. Jase was pretty jazzed to be heading to Italy as well for the summer.
Walker’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “Are you liking it?” he asked as he smiled his panty-melting smile. His blue eyes lit up. I knew exactly what I needed.
“I love it, but I know something I’d love more,” I said as I licked my lips. I moved closer and put my hand on his chest. Looking into his eyes, I whispered, “I want you to have your way with, me and I don’t want it gentle. I want it hard. I want to be tied up.”
Walker’s eyes filled with desire. “I still have the handcuffs in my truck.”
I moaned at the thought. “Yes, please.”
Walker turned and headed out of the house. I spun around, taking in everything. Where the hell where we going to have sex?
I heard Walker walking back in, carrying the same small bag back from the day he asked me to marry him at the Omni. He also had something huge and black. He walked right by me saying, “Follow me to the master bedroom.”
I followed him into what would be our bedroom. It was huge, and I could picture it already. I smiled as I looked over at the bay window. I’d told Walker I wanted bookshelves and a reading nook—he hadn’t let me down.
Walker handed me the bag and placed the black raft-looking thing on the floor. My eyes moved up and down his body. He looked hot as hell in old worn out jeans, a light blue T-shirt, an A&M cap and his cowboy boots. I couldn’t wait to feel him inside of me.
When he began to unfold the black thing, I saw that it was a blow up mattress. I giggled and rolled my eyes, wondering how long he’d had that in his truck.
Walker used an electric pump to inflate the mattress. He stood and turned to me. “Undress yourself, Liza.”
The authority in his voice had my insides melting. I set the bag down and lifted my T-shirt over my head, tossing it to the side. Walker glanced at my belly. His eyes moved up and landed on my chest. He licked his lips. I grinned, knowing what my body did to him. He always made me feel sexy. I unbuttoned my pants and pulled them down, hooking my panties with them as I pushed them off and kicked them to the side. The only thing I still had on was my bra and my not-so-sexy flip-flops. No way was I taking my shoes off on this dirty floor. Walker came over and cupped my breasts, and I sucked in a breath.
“So damn perfect,” he said.
In one movement, he had my bra off and soon had my nipples in his mouth. I tipped my head back and moaned at both the pleasure and the pain.
“Walker,” I whispered, pushing my hands through his hair, tugging slightly.
He let out a deep moan. “Get on the mattress, Liza. I’m going to taste you.”
I moved quickly as I felt the wetness grow between my legs. I lay on my back and got ready for Walker to work his magic. Walker moved in between my legs, pushing them open and exposing even more. I lifted my head and looked at him. He moved his eyes up my body until we were staring at each other.
“I love how wet you are for me, Liza. I can see your pussy glistening with arousal.”
My mouth parted slightly at his crudeness, and I felt my insides pulsing. I tipped my head back down and whispered, “Oh, God.”
He kissed and sucked all around my clit, making me thrash my head around. “Don’t play, Walker,” I panted. “Do it!” My voice was laced with need, and I didn’t care. I was so worked up that just one touch of his tongue on my clit would make me come.
He tormented me with kisses. He sucked my swollen lips and moaned. I grabbed his head, trying to move him.
“Damn it, Walker. Fuck me with your tongue.”
He chuckled and I felt his hot breath. “I like when you talk dirty to me, Liza.”
Ugh. I was going to end up getting myself off here in another minute. I moved my hand down and touched my clit, making my hips jerk. Walker got up quickly, and in my dazed state of desire and lust, I barely registered what he was doing. I rubbed my clit as I felt my build.
“Yes. Yes,” I mumbled. “Oh it feels good.” The air mattress moved and Walker grabbed my hand and stopped me, just shy of an orgasm. “Damn it! No!”
I felt cold metal against my wrist. Walker was putting the handcuffs on me.
“Put your hands above your head Liza.”
I quickly did what he asked. Walker moved up, pushing my hands together. His hard dick was right in my face, so I licked up the shaft, making it twitch. I smiled and wished I could take him in my mouth. When he clicked the other handcuff on, I tried to move my hands, but they were locked above my head.
“Don’t pull hard, baby, Walker said. “You’re cuffed around a copper pipe.”
I looked up and behind me. When I pulled, the pipe stopped the handcuffs.
“I believe that months ago you said you were bad girl. It’s time for your punishment.”
Walker
moved his dick so that it barely touched my lips. I licked it again, and Walker closed his eyes. He began stroking his long, thick, hard shaft.
Jesus I need to come. I was so turned on just watching him touch himself. I licked my lips. He moved his hand slowly at first, then picked up the pace.
“Do you like watching me do this, Liza?”
Nodding, I said, “Yes. I’m so turned on, Walker. Please. Please I need to come.”
He kept moving his hand up and down. The sounds his hand made as it glided over his dick was driving me insane. I jerked on the handcuffs and groaned in frustration.
Walker stopped playing with himself as he began sucking my nipple. I cried out as he gently bit it. My mind spun as I felt my build up. He wasn’t even touching me.
“Walker. Oh, God. I think I’m going to…”
Walker sat up and the feeling vanished in an instant.
“No!” I cried. I pulled on the cuffs again. I needed to touch myself. “I need to touch you, Walker.”
He smiled as he placed soft kisses around my breast. He moved to my stomach and placed his hands on it, kissing it gently.
“Don’t you dare talk to her and ruin my moment of desire,” I cried out.
Walker chuckled and made his way down. His tongue ran down the inside of my thigh and I about jumped off the blow-up mattress. He was killing me slowly.
“If you don’t make me come, no sex for a month!” I yelled attempting to pull my hands free again. The metal pipe clanged in response.
“Is that so, Liza?” He quickly licked my clit and I screamed. Then he blew on it, and I could feel the buildup in my toes.
“So…close…Walker…please,” I whispered, shaking my head back and forth.
When he slipped his fingers inside me, I cried out in relief. The movement back and forth felt like heaven.
“Yes, finally.” I whimpered
I had never been brought to orgasm so many times only to have it taken away. I knew that the moment my orgasm hit I was going to come hard.
“What do you want, Liza? Do you want me to make you come and then make love to you? Or do you want to be fucked?”
I swallowed hard. My insides were quivering with desire. Walker talking dirty to me only heightened my need. “Fucked,” I panted. “I want…to…be…”
Then his mouth attacked my clit. His tongue moved swiftly as his fingers fucked me. When he took his fingers out and moved his tongue, I lost it. My orgasm hit so fast and hard that I screamed incoherently. I could feel my insides pulse over and over while Walker never let up. I’d never had an orgasm last this long. Again, he pushed his fingers in and another wave hit. Soon, I was pretty sure I’d left my body.
My core pulsed as I felt Walker doing something with my hands as they fell free of the handcuffs. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him as I sat on his lap and he held me. I could feel his dick jumping against me. I was breathing like I’d just run a marathon. I loved that we’d just had this moment in our new house. Nothing could make it better. Then the baby began moving like crazy.
“She’s moving around…a lot,” I panted out.
Walker slowly laid me back down as he moved next to me. My breathing had calmed, but I swore my insides were still pulsing. Walker placed his hand on my stomach and talked to our baby.
“Hey buddy, when are you going to move so I…”
I felt the baby kick. Walker pulled his hand away, then quickly put it back on my belly. He felt her. He finally felt her. I giggled as the tears built up in my eyes. The baby moved again, this time stronger. The tear rolling down Walker’s cheek made my heart soar.
This moment was now a thousand times better.
Walker kept his hand on my stomach, talking to her as she moved. When she finally settled, he kissed me. His kiss was filled with so much love that I could feel it flowing from his body into mine. He shifted his body and began to make love to me.
These were the moments that I lived for. Walker and I together as one. When he whispered in my ear that he was about to come, I whispered his name back and we both reached heaven together.
I WATCHED AS our baby moved all over the place on the screen.
“She sure is active,” Dr. Monroe said with a chuckle.
“She really is,” Liza said. I honestly didn’t care what we had. Boy or girl, as long as it was a healthy child.
Dr. Monroe moved the wand on Liza’s stomach as we watched the baby move. “Are you ready to find out the sex?” he asked.
Nodding, I looked down at Liza who was staring at the screen, smiling.
“Yep,” I said. “I’m ready. Bring it on, Dr. Monroe.”
Reaching for Liza’s hand, I held onto it as Dr. Monroe started typing on the screen. It’s a healthy baby boy.
Liza let out a sob and squeezed my hand. I didn’t care that I was being a pussy. I cried. I cried like a damn fool.
Liza wiped her tears away and looked into my eyes as she whispered. “Michael Jacob Moore.” We had picked our fathers’ middle names for our son’s name.
I nodded, unable to find the words to speak. A son. We were having a son. I was going to teach him everything I knew, just like my father had taught me. Fishing, hunting, the ranching business. How to smile at girls and make their hearts melt and, more importantly, to treat girls with the upmost respect. I closed my eyes, thanking God for our blessing.
Four Months Later - May
I TOOK A step back and looked at the house. Our house.
I’d ended up hiring on some people to help out with building the place. I’d wanted to have it done by the time the baby came. We would stay in my parents’ rental in Llano for the first few months, then move here.
I looked up at the sandstone structure. Liza loved the massive front and back covered porches. We both talked about the nights we’d sit out here and watch the storms roll in. I walked up the back steps and into the house. I went into the breakfast area and smiled at the window-lined room. The views were amazing. In the kitchen I ran a hand along the granite countertop. Liza had fallen in love with cooking, so we’d put a commercial-grade oven and a prep sink in the island. I peered into the open living room and admired the massive cedar beams running across the ceiling. A massive sandstone fireplace stood in the corner. I pictured it decorated for Christmas with stockings and garland.
I turned and headed down the hallway. The three rooms on this end would be Michael’s room, a guest room, and an office for Liza. She was handling more and more of the cattle ranch business and was now doing all the books and payroll. She loved it. She loved working alongside her father, my dad, and me.
Jase had told Liza and me how excited he was to be heading into the family business at the end of the summer. He was almost finished with school and would return home after a few months in Italy. Ava was heading to Paris first and then Italy. My mother and father were fit to be tied. I smiled and shook my head. My baby sister was good at what she did—I was glad she was following her fashion dreams.
After walking through all the rooms I headed back across the house to check out the laundry room. I smiled when I saw the finished product. Liza would be happy with the size—it was big enough to have a table and storage, as well as a deep freezer.
I turned down the hall and made my way upstairs. The only room upstairs was the master bedroom. We’d added the addition above the garage at the last minute when Liza and I had decided we needed a more private master suite. I walked in and looked around. There was a separate sitting area with a huge bench that ran along massive windows at the back wall. The windows were flanked by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. My mother had moaned when she saw it. I was glad that Liza’s love for books had grown from my mother’s job as a freelance editor. I remembered Liza and Ava sitting on the floor of my parents’ room when they were little, listening as my mother read them stories.
I chuckled at the memory. In the master bedroom, the giant walk-in shower was finished and my dick jumped at the thought of taking Liza ag
ainst the stone tiles. I turned away and adjusted myself—my damn pants felt two sizes too small now. One last look around at the sunken tub and dual vanities, and I was ready to sign off on everything. Liza was going to be really happy with how it all had turned out.
Heading back downstairs, I turned off the lights. I walked into the baby’s room one more time. My mother and Whitley were surprising Liza with the room. They’d been working on it for the last week. Liza had become obsessed with Winnie the Pooh, so the entire room was decorated in a Pooh theme. She was going to cry when she saw it.
I checked my watch. Liza was three days overdue, and pretty miserable. Jessica’s trial had been last month and it had worn both of us out. Jessica lost it three times during testimony. She was ruled incompetent to stand trial and sent to a psychiatric hospital. My heart broke for her. I still had no clue what had pushed her so far over the edge.
I headed out to the front porch and locked the house. I took in the view of our property. We’d be living on part of Mimi and Frank’s old cattle ranch. Liza’s lot and mine combined gave us 2500 acres. I knew I wanted to raise horses on our place. Part of our land butted up against Liza’s dad’s place. Layton and I had already talked about it, and he thought it was a great idea, since I had a keen eye for horses. I couldn’t see doing it right now, though. I loved being a part of what my father and Layton had built. Maybe I’d start slowly buying a few horses here and there. Our parents had given us so many opportunities to do great things, anything was possible.
My phone buzzed and I smiled when I saw a text from Liza.
Liza: Can you come to my office?
Liza had an office in the main barn, just down from her parents’ house. She still went into work twice a week, even though I’d begged her to stop working.
Me: Sure. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.