22. Harley

TWENTY-TWO

HARLEY

Tate's meeting had ended sooner than he said it would, but it seemed like it hadn't gone well. When he'd come to get me, he was tense and introspective. He spoke in short one-word answers when I tried to talk to him. He wasn't angry, I could see that. It seemed more like he was worried or confused about something really important.

The drive home was a little tense. He was so damned edgy. I didn't bother even trying to talk to him as we drove home. Tate stared out the windshield, silently chewing his lower lip and scowling. His free hand was patting his knee nervously.

It finally got to be too much, "Are you okay?"

He jerked as if I'd startled him. The truck swerved to the wrong lane for a half second before he righted it. Once he had the vehicle stable, he gave me an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, you scared me there."

"Did you forget I was sitting here?" I asked, only half joking.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind."

His face softened, becoming more like his usual self. Tate took my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckles. "I'm okay. I promise. Let's stop and get lunch before we head home. Good idea?"

The thought of food made my stomach rumble. The little person growing inside me had increased my appetite threefold. Ignoring the hunger would only cause me to binge on ice cream and chips later. Better to eat now and have some control over what I put into my body.

"That sounds great."

We stopped at a small restaurant. The smell of food inside didn't do anything to quell my hunger, and I patted my stomach. In my head, I said, Easy little one. Soon. Tate was closer to normal by the time we sat and had our menus.

Glancing over his own menu, he asked, "Harley, what do you want for the future?"

I nearly dropped the menu. The question caught me off guard. All I'd been thinking about was whether I wanted a cheeseburger or a salad—the cheeseburger was in the lead. The deep, somewhat existential question threw me off. Trying to maintain my mental balance, I thought quickly, and came up with what I thought was a good answer. It was the first thing to come to mind, and it made me smile.

I shrugged. "I want my daughters to be happy. To enjoy their lives, and grow up to be good women."

Tate looked at me, his smile spreading to a grin. "That's a given, Harley. You're a great mom, and you've raised some really great young women. That's not really what I was asking about. What do you want for you in the future? What do you want for yourself?"

It should have been a simple question. I almost laughed, thinking the answer was easy, but stopped when I really thought about it. All I could ever remember was being a mom. My life before that was almost totally forgotten. So distant that it was almost like another universe, in some alternate reality that barely drifted around my memory. Thinking about it, I realized what I wanted was fairly simple.

"I want to be comfortable," I said, slumping as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. "I want to wake up every day knowing that I'm safe and loved. I thought I had forever once. That my happily ever after had already happened. Things didn't work out the way I wanted, but I do still believe in happy endings. If it's in the cards, I want to grow old with someone meant for me." I shrugged a shoulder. "And at least one more kid."

Tate laughed. "One more after that little nugget?" he said, pointing to my belly. "You looking to start a basketball team?"

I raised an eyebrow and gave him a crooked grin. "I've always wanted a big family. Being an only child, the idea always seemed appealing."

The server came and took our orders and removed the menus. Tate leaned back in the booth and looked down at the table. He seemed to be thinking about something. When he didn't speak for a minute or two, I prodded him.

"What's going on in there?" I asked, pointing at his head.

Snapping out of his reverie, he smiled. "Sorry. It's just that, until all this, I'd never imagined having a family. Now? It's like it's all I can think about." He looked me in the eyes, his gaze so intense I nearly shivered. "I want to do my best every day to be what you need."

His words surprised me, not only by what they implied, but by how serious he was when he said it. "Where is this all coming from? No offense but, originally, you didn't seem to want anything to do with me."

"I've lived my whole life fighting things. Fighting my family, fighting myself, fighting the world. I think I was used to fighting against anything that felt different. I'm starting to see that some things aren't meant to be fought. Sometimes they need to be embraced. I don't want to fight what I feel is building between us. Not even a little bit."

The same idea had been bouncing through my mind for a while. Hearing him say it out loud was reassuring. For the past week, I'd been trying to ignore the fact that I liked having Tate around. The girls liked it, too. They'd been missing that male presence. If I was honest with myself, so had I. I liked Tate even more than I'd been letting on.

Before I could respond, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a ring attached to a thin gold chain. The ring was beautiful. A black obsidian jewel was embedded in the ring. The ring itself looked like it was platinum or white gold. It looked old but well kept. Tate didn't seem like the type of person to have such a beautiful piece of jewelry.

He held it out by the chain so I could see it better. "This is the last thing I have from my old life. It's a reminder of where I came from and who I am now." He reached under the table and pressed a hand against my stomach. "This ring is my legacy, and I want our boy to have it. Passing it down to our son would make me very happy. But for now…" he lifted the chain and put it around my neck as I fought back tears, "…I want you to have it. It represents power and strength. Two things I think you have, and I'm sure our son will have as well. This ring is important to me, and so are you. That means it's meant for you to wear."

Our food came out, and I had to turn my head so the server wouldn't see me crying. The hormones roaring through my body wanted me to break down blubbering, but the little boy growing inside me demanded food. The tears dried up, and I went to work on my burger. Tate and I continued to steal glances at each other as we ate. We ate in silence, but it wasn't awkward. It was a comfortable silence between two people who had finally opened up to each other. It was one of the best meals I'd ever had in my life.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. We'd gone home and did a few chores before the girls got home from school. Tate had impressed us by making a dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and roasted Brussel sprouts. The girls and I were pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was. Jordyn even made a comment that he was in charge of dinner from now on.

"I don't know that I'm ready for such a big responsibility," Tate had answered.

Later on, after the girls had gone to bed, I decided to take a shower. Leaving Tate to read on his phone, I went to the bathroom and stepped under the spray. I would have preferred a really hot bath or shower, but doctor's orders said that wasn't a good idea when pregnant. Instead, I settled for a very warm shower. Once I got in, I lathered my body and thought back on the talk Tate and I'd had at the restaurant. I felt much closer to him after that, especially after he gave me the ring. The last week had been a little strange and awkward having him around. After today? I couldn't think of anyone I wanted here more.

After the shower, I dried off and stood in front of the mirror, I looked at my body and saw how my belly bump had grown. My breasts were also getting bigger, like… a lot bigger. The ring hung between my swelling breasts. I leaned closer to the mirror to inspect it. The black stone caught the light and shimmered. Seeing it, I remembered his words from that afternoon. I was a little scared to believe everything he said, but he'd been so earnest. Everything he'd said had been truthful, and knowing he meant every word filled me with happiness. All I wanted was to be fully with him.

My mind drifted back to that night in New York. Tate's hands on my breasts. I lifted my hands and gently stroked my nipples. I thought of the other night, when his face had been between my legs, sliding his tongue into me. My nipples hardened and ached as I stroked them. I imagined him sucking on them, and heat flashed across my chest and between my legs. I knew exactly what I wanted.

Turning from the mirror, I stepped out of the bathroom, and into the bedroom, wearing nothing but the ring necklace. Tate glanced up from his phone as I walked out. His eyes widened, and I smiled coyly. He looked at me, sliding his eyes from my face down my body before locking on my eyes again.

His voice was deep and husky when he spoke. "You know you're playing with fire, right?"

More sexually confident than I'd ever been in my life, I replied, "I guess it's a good thing I like the heat."

Tate threw his phone aside and made a sound like a snarl as he stood and crossed the floor in two quick strides. He pulled me in close, pressing my naked body to his as our lips locked. I was almost dripping wet between my legs, and as we kissed, I ground my pelvis against his thigh, rubbing my clit across the muscles beneath his pants. I moaned into his mouth as his tongue moved between my lips. I imagined what his cock would feel like in my mouth and nearly came just thinking about it. I was as horny as a teenager, my hands already working at his belt and fly, desperate to get him undressed.

Before I could complete my work, he slid his hands under my ass and picked me up. I gasped at his strength. He lifted me like I was nothing, and his show of strength only heightened my arousal. Tate laid me down on the bed and stripped his shirt off. I gazed at the rippling muscles of his chest and stomach hungrily. He was fucking hot. I'd almost forgotten how good he looked naked. Through half-lidded eyes, I watched him yank his boots and pants off. Then his underwear. His cock was already throbbing and rock hard. I looked at it and bit my lower lip. I usually thought penises looked strange, but right now, nothing looked sexier. I spread my legs and laid my head back, never taking my eyes off him.

Tate knelt on the floor in front of the bed, kissing my legs. Working his lips up from my knees, closer and closer with each kiss. I was breathing heavily when the warmth of his breath breezed across my pussy. I moaned and looked up at the ceiling. My clit was throbbing, engorged, and pulsing. I'd never experienced anything like this. I was so hot for him, and he was teasing me. I shivered, except I was the opposite of cold; it was like my skin was on fire, and only he could put out the flames.

Instead of stroking me with his tongue, he lifted his head and kissed up my stomach toward my breasts. I whimpered when he didn't slide his tongue into me.

"I need you to fuck me," I panted.

Glancing up at me, he murmured, "Oh, I will."

Without another word, he took my breast into his mouth. I cried out, "Oh shit," and nearly came from the warm, wet touch of his tongue on my nipple.

While his lips played with me, I reached between his legs and wrapped my fingers around his dick. I stroked it twice, and he pulled his mouth away, grunting in pleasure. The tip of his cock was already wet, cum already starting to seep out. I slipped my finger around the slippery head. Tate's face was a mask of ecstasy as I touched him. I felt empowered, knowing what I wanted to do. I pushed him back and knelt between his legs. I locked eyes with him and slowly slid his dick into my mouth. He groaned as I took every inch of him.

His cock was thick, warm, and hard as steel between my lips. Nothing had ever felt as erotic as staring into his eyes while I moved my head up and down, fucking him with my mouth. His hips started to thrust unconsciously as I worked him. My wetness was dripping down my leg. I wouldn't be able to hold out much longer, but I was enjoying the power I had over him. The fact that I could bring this big, strong man down into a puddle, the same way he'd done to me, was fucking hot. I didn't want it to end.

"If you don't stop, I'm gonna come," Tate gasped.

For a moment, I almost did it. Almost sped up the movement of my tongue and lips. The mental image of his back arching, fingers digging into the sheets, spurting cum into my mouth, was almost tempting enough, but I wanted to come with him. I pulled my mouth away, sucking the head as I did. He breathed a deep sigh and looked at me with a fiery hunger, which, at any other moment, would have terrified me. Instead, I returned it with the same fire.

Tate rolled over and grabbed my hips, lifting me so that I flopped onto my back on the bed. I laughed as he straddled me. Instead of entering me, he kissed me deeply. I moaned, stroking the muscles of his back. Then, without warning, he slammed the full length of himself into me. I let out a low throaty moan. It was loud, but I couldn't worry about it.

He chuckled against my mouth. "Quiet now."

I looked at him and gasped, "Shut up and fuck me."

"Oh, is that what you want?" he whispered.

"Uh huh." I nodded.

Without answering, he moved his hips against mine, slipping in and out of me. My moaning and gasping grew more insistent with each thrust. Each time his cock filled me, the wave of pleasure grew higher, closer to cresting. Tate's breathing grew heavier, and I could tell he was close. Warmth started to build in my pelvis, the first waves of pleasure beginning to pulse from my clit. I wrapped my arms around Tate and thrust my hips against his, increasing the speed. Desperate for a climax. There was nothing else in the world except for Tate and me.

Three more quick thrusts, and Tate's body went rigid. He grunted, almost screamed as he came. As he buried himself in me, the wave finally crashed over me. I bit into Tate's shoulder to stifle my scream. Wave after wave slammed into me. The world spun, and electricity seemed to sizzle across my skin. My body jerked spasmodically, causing his dick to slide into me again and again, the pleasure almost too much to take. It was truly almost too much—I'd never come so hard in my life. I was on the verge of blacking out when he finally pulled free of me and collapsed beside me.

I lay there, my body jerking every few seconds. My breath vibrated out of me in uneven gasps and sighs. Tate lay beside me, taking huge, shuddering breaths. After a few seconds, his arm snaked around me and pulled me close. He kissed my shoulder, then my collar bone, then my nipple, which sent me into a fresh set of shivers, and finally kissed my lips. I was only awake for another two or three seconds before I slipped into the deepest sleep I'd ever experienced.