Colliding With You

  She pulsed around his cock as the violent waves of her orgasm overtook her. The harder they were, the louder she screamed. He enjoyed the sound, the way her breath hitched, the sweet sound of his name on her lips, the way she looked at him with those big, needy eyes and those perfect luscious lips . . .

  It was as if he’d hit an electric current. His body jerked. Deep grunts left his throat, and all the heat in the world consumed his body. In one last stroke, he broke the dam holding him back. Then come erupted from his cock. Each throb shot more into her, filling her with every ounce.

  He died. He was sure of it. This had to be heaven because nothing else had ever felt this good, this right. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel like a part of him was missing. Cori had been the piece he needed to feel whole.

  Caught in the hazy state their lovemaking caused, he planted kisses on her neck and breathed her in. She was incredible—far superior to any other woman he’d been with. Never in this lifetime would he tire of her or the intense emotions she evoked in him. Cori was all he wanted. Still, the reality of what he’d done hit him.

  He came inside of her.

  Cori didn’t seem phased. Perhaps she was just as caught in the moment, or she was on the pill. He’d never asked, but he hadn’t noticed her taking any medication or carrying any in her purse. In fact, he hadn’t seen anything in her luggage, and he’d helped her empty it twice—once at the cabin and again when they arrived at the hotel.

  A pill could only do so much. It didn’t protect against diseases, even though he knew she had nothing to worry about from him. He wasn’t worried about her either. What played on his mind most went beyond any health risk. It was what might have transcended from their lovemaking, the one thing a condom could have prevented. Pregnancy.

  Damn. This plan of his seemed foolproof, but he didn’t take his and Cori’s history into consideration. She knew him better than any other woman. How long would it take her to see through him and recognize the truth? This wasn’t an accident. He wanted to knock her up.

  Millions of questions spun through his mind. How would she react? If she ended up pregnant, would she stay with him? He wanted her to be with him for more reasons than this, but he wasn’t sure she’d want the same if she knew the truth. He didn’t mean to deceive her. He just wanted to prove that he wanted her forever. Besides, he was ready for a family . . .

  After easing out of her, he fell against the bed and pulled her into his arms. Cori was still speechless. She hadn’t focused on anything else since he told her to keep her eyes open. Yet the moment he kissed the top of her head, she planted her face against his neck and relaxed.

  All he could do was hold her and steady his breathing. He executed his plan without a hitch, but now he knew it was a stupid idea. Not only was he messing with her life, but he was also fucking with her dreams. How could she instruct dance classes if she was big and pregnant with his kid?

  It was at that moment that everything crashed around him. Reality hit him again, and it saved the best punch for last. One question raced through his mind.

  What the fuck had he done?

  Cori waited until Jesse’s breathing pattern switched from short and shallow breaths to long, deep ones. He hadn’t opened his eyes in the last hour, and she sure as hell hadn’t closed hers. Too many thoughts raced through her mind.

  She’d relived every second of their time together. It wasn’t just the way he fucked her senseless that consumed her thoughts. It was the way he held her close once they’d finished, the way he covered her face and nose in tender kisses, and the way he refused to release her from his embrace, even after he fell asleep.

  The memories were amazing, and so was he, but she couldn’t help feeling that she’d fucked it up.

  Easing out of his embrace without waking him wasn’t easy. He mumbled something in his sleep but didn’t open his eyes. Instead, his cheek slid onto the pillow, and his slight movements settled.

  She gave him another minute before she snuck out of bed, grabbed her purse off the dresser, and tiptoed into the bathroom. Once the door clicked closed, she flipped the switch and glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

  How could she be so careless?

  Berating herself did nothing to help. Only one thing would.

  Digging through her purse, she found the zipper on the inside and slid it open. It was the same spot where she always kept her birth control until she had to quit taking it. No matter what type her doctor prescribed her, it all made her bleed. It took a trip to the hospital and several hours of hemorrhaging for her doctor to take her off birth control indefinitely.

  Normally, she had her own stash of condoms. Safe sex was a priority. Except for this time. Instead of being rational, she let her desire for Jesse take full control. What a stupid, stupid girl.

  As she opened the secret pouch inside her purse, she combed through the contents, hoping to find the one thing that could fix her problem. Yet the more she searched, the more she came up empty-handed.

  The morning-after pill Laura had given her was gone.

  Shit.

  Gazing back into the mirror, she recounted the last few months, doing her best to think of where she could have moved the pill. She hadn’t changed purses since her friend gave it to her for a just-in-case moment, like now . . .

  Even if she knew where the closest women’s clinic was, she couldn’t leave Jesse without him asking where she was going. No way in hell could she tell him what had happened unless he brought up the subject. Of course, this wasn’t all her fault. He could have used a condom too, and the fact that he hadn’t shocked the shit out of her. By that point, it was too late. He’d already filled her. Had he assumed she was on the pill?

  It wasn’t the fear of contracting some type of STD that had her shaken. She didn’t want to presume anything about Jesse. For all she knew, he was clean. What worried her the most was . . .

  Christ. She could get pregnant.

  This could not happen, not when she was so close to graduating and opening her own studio. Sweet sins of the South, she was fucking screwed. The worst part of it all, Jesse would hate her.

  Even if he didn’t, she was still ruining his life. He wouldn’t want kids at this point in time, not when Southern Scandal was on the verge of hitting it big. With her luck, she would never hear from him again.

  No. Jesse was an honorable guy. He would step up and take care of his child. She didn’t doubt that about him, but she feared he would resent her for what had happened.

  Drawing in a deep breath, she pushed her fears away. She was getting ahead of herself. She’d known plenty of women who’d had unprotected sex and didn’t end up pregnant. Maybe she would get lucky. If Jesse wanted to be with her, she wanted it to be for the right reasons, not because he felt obligated.

  Until she knew for sure, she wouldn’t say anything. She’d have to wait and see if she skipped her period or make an appointment with her gynecologist. Then she would know for sure.

  Her next step would depend on the outcome of her test.

  Chapter 21

  Jesse tucked his pick under his bass after Theo called a break and went upstairs to check on Cassie. It felt like old times when they used to practice in his friend’s garage. At least he’d upgraded to a soundproof room, one he created in the basement not long after he and Cassie moved into the old Victorian house.

  Allen stood from his drum set and stretched his arms and neck, popping a few of his bones in the process. Dude would have arthritis by the time he was thirty if he didn’t stop. It made Jesse cringe each time he did it.

  “What’s with the face, man?” Allen twirled his drumstick between his fingers.

  “You know you’re not going to be able to move your neck in about four more years if you don’t stop that shit.”

  Chuckling, Allen shrugged. “I’m also going to die someday, but it’s not going to stop me from living my life while I’m here.”

  “Cheers to that, bro.” Jesse slip
ped off the strap holding his bass before grabbing his phone off a nearby desk. One tap of his finger brought the home screen to life. Anticipation built in his gut. Disappointment replaced it. There was no message from Cori.

  He shouldn’t have expected one. She was still in her dance class for another hour. That meant he had thirty minutes before he had to leave. He promised to be there by eight to pick her up.

  After everything they shared on New Year’s Eve, it was hard to wake up the next day and release her from his embrace, especially when he made love to her again that morning. It wasn’t the only time. He put off packing for the trip home until the last minute by pulling Cori into his arms each time she suggested they start.

  By the time they were ready to leave, there wasn’t one room in the suite where he hadn’t fucked her. They were in the living room when she rode him on the sofa. They were cleaning up the kitchen when he bent her over the table. She couldn’t even escape him in the bathroom while packing her makeup and perfume. He would never have guessed that the vanity would be the perfect height for her to sit on the edge while he fucked her senseless. She’d come twice that time.

  At least he’d been responsible enough to wear a condom, unlike the night before . . .

  It was hard to believe they hadn’t touched in the last few weeks, not like they had within that twenty-four-hour time frame. She wasn’t selfish with her lips. He got plenty of kisses, and her hugs, the best hugs he’d ever received, were endless. He could even count at least two occasions in her dorm room when he’d buried his face between her legs and fucked her with his mouth. Perhaps it would have resulted in more, but damn Mariah Grant and her knack for interrupting.

  He couldn’t blame everything on Mariah. In truth, Cori was stretched thin. He knew she would be, which is why he dreaded returning her to campus. Between her last semester of classes to her extensive dance instructor course, her time had become precious. At least she picked him to help her study for exams instead of going to the library and spending more time away from him.

  Fuck, he was in deep. Way too deep. It was killing him to be apart from her. And the worst part of all, he still didn’t know if he’d knocked her up. It wasn’t like he could just ask her if she’d had her, uh, monthly thing.

  She had to be on the pill. It was the only thing that made sense. It would also explain why she didn’t freak out when he didn’t use a condom the first time. She had to know by now. Even if she was on the pill, she didn’t give him hell for not using a condom and protecting her from diseases. She didn’t know his background any more than he knew hers. Did that mean she trusted him just as much?

  Okay. So Cori wasn’t pregnant. Great. He hadn’t ruined her life after all. At least they could start things off the right way. That is, if she liked the surprise he’d planned. He’d know by the end of the day.

  Rubbing his face, he set his phone back on the desk and then found Allen pacing by his drum set. His body was present today, but his mind wasn’t. He hadn’t said much since he arrived at Theo’s a few minutes late for the session they’d scheduled. Short of an interview they did a few weeks ago, Allen hadn’t talked to Jesse much.

  “You doing all right, man?”

  Allen stopped pacing but didn’t face him. “Same Ol’ shit, different day. Just curious about Jeff.”

  Jesse understood his concern. Their lead guitarist had been like a ghost since their last performance in Nashville. His son and fiancée kept him busy. Theo was getting just as bad with Cassie, but at least he was still making time for Jesse and Allen outside of significant events. Would it change when the baby arrived?

  He hoped Jeff would have something worked out before they went on tour.

  “We’ve been dealing with Jeff’s lack of availability for months. It shouldn’t surprise you that he didn’t show up today. I think something else is bothering you.”

  “Nah, man. Everything’s cool.”

  “Is it Nora?”

  Patting his palm with the tips of his sticks, Allen gazed into the distance. “Yeah. Still doesn’t mean I want to talk about it.”

  Whatever was on his mind, Jesse didn’t want to pry any further. It was enough that he overheard Cassie mention that Nora had taken time off from work. Perhaps she’d left town. If that were the case, no wonder Allen was acting off. If Cori just up and left after a fight, Jesse knew he’d be out of his mind.

  There was no need to respond to Allen’s statement. Theo entered the room. He tucked his phone into his pocket and closed the door.

  “Hey, guys. Sorry I took so long. Cassie’s still napping, but I ended up getting a conference call from Joel and Josh. We gotta talk about the band’s future.”

  That didn’t sound good. Theo didn’t seem upset, so maybe the news wasn’t as bad as Jesse feared. Whatever the case, he hoped it wasn’t a lengthy discussion. He didn’t want to be late getting Cori.

  “Lay it on us, man. We’re listening.” Allen shoved his sticks in his back pocket and joined Jesse and Theo near the desk.

  “It’s about Jeff.” Theo’s nostrils flared. “He’s out. Said he can’t handle the pressure of being on the road while his family sits at home. His boy is having some health issues too, so it’s just not a good time. He apologized and wished us luck.”

  Allen rubbed his face and shook his head. “I fucking knew this was coming. Son of a bitch. Now what?”

  Theo raised his hands waist high. “Chill, man. This is going to work out. Do you remember the guy who subbed for Jeff that weekend we performed at the Red, White, & Blues Club?”

  “I do,” Jesse spoke up. “He bartends there too. What was his name, Jay . . . ?”

  “JP. Yeah, that’s him.”

  “Dude had some skills.” Not only had JP been able to learn their songs in a day, but he’d also added his own little flair to a few of them. The crowd went nuts over it too.

  “Well, it seems the band he’s been playing with decided to split ways, so he’s looking for a new band.”

  Jesse nodded at Theo. “And we just so happen to need a new lead guitarist. So you’ve talked to him.”

  “Yeah. He’s on board. The crazy part is, he doesn’t even know the good news yet, and he still wants to be a part of the band.”

  “What good news?”

  Allen didn’t finish before Theo was holding up his hand, signaling him to stop. “The other reason Joel and Josh were calling was to let us know our track, Dazed by You, just hit the top one hundred chart. It’s happening, guys.”

  As Allen high-fived Theo, disbelief consumed Jesse. It wasn’t just the fact that they had a hit song. Of course that was amazing. No. It was unbelievable. What stunned him most was knowing that he was the one who wrote the song, and the girl the song was about . . .

  Was it a coincidence that he wanted to start his life with Cori at the same time a song he wrote about her hit the charts? No one knew it was about her. He did it right after the talent show when he saw her dancing. She had dazed him that day.

  Six years later, she still was.

  “Josh told me that he spoke with the label head. We’ll have those bodyguards in the next couple of days. If we thought the mobs were bad before, we haven’t seen anything yet.”

  Great. It was just what Jesse didn’t need. Someone tagging behind, watching every move he made, including his time with Cori. There would be boundaries to set.

  “In the meantime,” Theo continued, “be prepared every time you step out the door. The higher on the chart we get, the crazier our lives will become.”

  Glancing at the clock on his phone, Jesse was about to respond to Theo’s comment until he noticed the time. He was going to be late picking up Cori.

  “Bro, I gotta jet.” He made the announcement as he grabbed his case and slid his bass inside. “I’m supposed to be picking up Cori in fifteen minutes. It will take me at least twenty minutes to reach downtown.”

  “I can save you five minutes. Go ahead and leave. I’ll text you the directions.”
r />   Jesse nodded at Theo, waved goodbye to Allen, and grabbed his guitar case. Leave it to him to let time slip by. His time with Cori was limited enough. He didn’t want to lose a second of it, especially if he wanted the rest of the evening to be a success.

  Before the night was over, he hoped to make Cori an offer she couldn’t refuse.

  Cori glanced out the studio window hoping to see Jesse’s car parked in one of the spots along the street. He was late. She had a feeling he would be when he told her he was going to Theo and Cassie’s to work on stuff for the band. Whenever he and the guys got together on band business, they lost track of time.

  Leaning against the wall, she grabbed her cell phone off the top of her purse before lowering it and her duffle bag to the ground. She tapped on the screen a few times until the text message app opened. She selected the first one, rereading the message her doctor’s office had sent.

  Your personal healthcare records have been updated. Please log in to our website to view this information.

  She ignored the blue highlighted text that contained the link to the website. Her stomach knotted at the thought of clicking it. She hadn’t been able to earlier when she first received the text, right after Jesse picked her up from her last class. She ignored it before her dance class too. There was no other choice but to ignore it.

  It would have been easier to get the results from the blood work while she was at the doctor’s office. It was her luck that the lab was backed up. Now that the results were in, she didn’t dare view them.

  She could not be pregnant. She just couldn’t.

  There was too much on the line. Graduation was a few months away. Her dance instructor course would be completed even sooner. Plus Jesse made their relationship official.

  For once in her life, things were great. A baby would only complicate it. Yeah, she wanted kids. The idea of having them with Jesse seemed too good to be true, but they hadn’t been together that long.