Gods and Monsters (16 page)

“Mmm,” Ethan bit back his lips, “I won’t bother highlighting the accuracy of that, but you do need to remember one thing. That baby is yours. Ethan has contributed his part, and you contributed yours. It’s not some alien creature or eggs of a freakish insect, it’s a human baby made by you and the one you love.”

“Why am I the only one not happy? Even you’re happy and you barely know me.”

“That’s true, but I’m a guy.” Cori didn’t need to ask what that meant; the expression on her face cued his explanation. “Guys don’t think about the consequences or the long term effects. They just think about two things: the pride in creating a new life and a cute little kid to play with. You on the other hand are probably trying to figure out how to raise a child here.” He motioned to their surroundings. “You’re thinking about painful labor, diapers, and midnight feedings. You’ve probably even started to think about what your child’s life will be like if he or she stays at this prison. Good, bad, or indifferent you aren’t sure if you want that same life for them.”

“Why do you get this and Ethan doesn’t?”

“He’s just in too deep. I’ve only begun to fall in love with you. I still have some rational thought on my side. He on the other hand can’t stop thinking about a little girl with sloppy blond waves running to greet him when he comes home.”

Cori chose to ignore his comment about falling in love with her. She was starting to feel better about the situation. “What if it’s a boy?”

“Well,” he puffed up his chest, “I don’t think I have to tell you how happy a man like Ethan would be to have a little version of himself to teach and train.”
Cori smiled. “I guess if you just picture that image, it’s not so scary.”

“You just have to take it one step at a time. Don’t leap before you know for sure a step won’t do.”

“Thank you,” she and took his hand in hers, “for everything.” He glanced down at the familiarity, but did nothing to prevent it. “I know I’m unloading my emotional baggage on the wrong Ethan, but I really do appreciate the help.”

He nodded and pulled his hand away. “No problem. Come on let’s get inside and test your rings.” He offered her the lead pressing his hand against her back as she passed.

34

Ethan brought Cori another cookie sheet and she focused on the power she wanted to use. She was surprised it took so much concentration to do what she usually did by accident, but she supposed it was the difference between pulling a trigger haphazardly, and actually aiming to hit a target.

She honed the skill enough that she was able to sign her name in rust on the pan. She smiled and laughed at the ridiculous use of her new found skill. When she looked up at Ethan he was leaning on the opposite side of the island watching her. The small smirk he had on his face made her forget what she was going to say.

“Danato’s going to kill me, when he finds out he has to buy new pans.” Ethan broke his gaze and moved around to beside her stool to view her artistry. “You still sign your name Reiger?” He said touching the rust trail of her last name.

She shrugged. “I don’t technically exist anymore, so the legality of a name change is rather pointless. It’s not like I write a lot of checks either.”

“Mmm,” Ethan nodded in agreement. “I just got the impression that your Ethan was a little machismo about his claims on you.”

Cori giggled at listening to Ethan making judgments on himself. “I think his claims on me are more directed at my body than my signature.”

Ethan nodded and took a long lingering look over her body that made her shiver with the anticipation of possibilities. When his eyes met back with hers, he offered no apology or shyness for the libidinous examination. “I can see why,” he said not breaking the connection. Her mouth was desperately dry from hanging open, but she resisted licking her lips. “Do you want to move to the bedroom?” he asked nodding toward the stairs.

Cori finally licked her lips and looked toward the stairs. “Umm,” she stuttered wondering how Ethan in any version of reality could reduce her to a puddle of desire, incapable of hire reasoning. “I thought…I wasn’t sure that you…I mean I do, but I don’t know what Ethan would think.”

Ethan chuckled softly. “I think if you are going to try out your sleeping skill, I should at least be in my own bed.”

Cori blanched, embarrassed that she had once again misread his intentions. Part of her was also a little disappointed. “Oh, right, yeah, good idea.” She stood up and whirled around looking for something that she probably didn’t lose, but couldn’t help look for anyway. When she realized that she didn’t lose anything to begin with, she tossed her pan on the counter and headed upstairs. “Let’s get this over with. I think I’ve trespassed on everyone’s hospitality long enough.”

35

An hour later, Cori’s concern about overdosing Ethan was put to rest. She had tried nearly ten times to put him to sleep, and each time was incrementally longer, but it took a good deal of effort. The first time she only managed to get him to sleep for thirty seconds or so. The only advantage there was perhaps getting out of a really bad conversation. The last time she managed to get him to sleep for ten minutes and this time she was up to 18 minutes. That was enough time to save herself if need be.

A passing thought occurred to her as she was watching Ethan sleep. She wondered if she could get away with using this on her child. Nap time would be a lot easier with this little power.

Ethan started to stir. After he caught sight of her sitting on the edge of his bed with him he smiled and stretched. “That felt like longer.”

She nodded. “Almost twenty minutes.”

“That’s not bad. More useful than putting people to sleep for weeks at a time. You want to go again? This is the easiest work day I’ve ever had.”

“No, I think I’ve learned about as much as I can here. I should probably go…see a lamp about a genie.” She stood up and he didn’t move to intercept her, so she continued to the door.

“Are you sure?” he asked when she reached the door. “I mean, you still have time. Perhaps…” He let the statement stall out without any intention of finishing it.

She turned back to him and looked him over lying comfortably on the bed. She was surprised that he was not taking advantage of the situation more, especially considering his unfettered advances from yesterday. He may have been a good deal shier than his actions projected, especially with women that he knew more than a few hours.

“I do have time, but I don’t think I have any more patience.”

“What do you mean?” he asked before she had made her move clear.

She no longer cared, whether this was her Ethan or not. The bottom line was, Ethan Xavier Pierce in any version of reality was hers, and there was no reason not to enjoy vicariously reliving her first time with him, through him.

She removed her t-shirt in one quick movement and kicked off her shoes. There was no point in making a strip tease out of jeans and a t-shirt, especially since he was already sitting up in preparation of talking her out of her decision.

“Cori, I don’t think this is a good idea,” he said despite drinking in her bare skin.

She stepped out of her pants and straddled him on his bed. She was surprised that his bedroom had not been upgraded to an apartment, but she was glad for the short distance between door and bed.

“Cori…”

She kissed him with as much passion as she had the other morning, but this time he didn’t rush the moment. When he didn’t make the next move she lifted his shirt off and directed him to stand so she could remove his pants.

When he was fully unclothed, she was happy to see that his objections did not make it below his waistline. She didn’t let herself quibble about the fine lines between making love, having sex, and a one night stand. Instead, she knelt down and drew him deep into her mouth pleasuring him with copious enthusiasm.

He shuddered and let out a panting groan that made her ego bloom along with her desire. “Cori,” he spoke breathily. “Please stop.” He was clearly enjoying himself so she didn’t stop. When he gripped her shoulders and forced himself away from her, she looked up to see if she had misinterpreted everything she had felt from him.

He drew her to stand with shaking hands and caressed her cheek. “You are amazing, but if you don’t let me stop you now, you won’t get to feel me inside you.” He slid his hand down into her underwear. “And I really don’t want you to miss that.” He slid his fingers inside of her.

“I had another appendage in mind,” she said touching his chest.

“So did I. I just wanted to make sure you were ready for me.” His fingers were out of her and fumbling with her bra. His inexperience with the challenging garment left him fumbling around the front clasp. She was about to assist him, when he ripped the brazier open freeing her breasts.

She yelped at the violent undertaking, but it quickly turned to a gasp when he reached between her legs and lifted her with his arm. Her thighs straddled his forearms bringing her up to meet him. He freely suckled her breasts without so much as bending his head. She lamented through the raw assault on her nipples, but she pulled him closer excited by the sheer animalism in his desire.

In her reality, Ethan had never been so unleashed in the bedroom, but she supposed that was her fault. Her past had hindered her comfort for aggression in the bedroom. Yet now, in the throws with a man who didn’t know to treat her prudently, she found no room for fear. Instead her visceral hunger was demanding more.

She shifted against his arm to relieve her desperate search for more, but he shifted dropping her onto the bed. “Not yet, sweetness,” he whispered before tugging her panties off. She wondered if he would find it strange that he was using the same pet name for her in this life, as in the other, but it wasn’t a topic she wanted to bring up in the heat of things.

He crawled on top and pushed her hands down to the mattress. “No,” she said instinctively, but didn’t struggle against the restraint. She wrapped her legs around him and arched, begging for more. He pressed his body down on her and looked her over either to keep control of his own rising hunger or simply to drive her mad with want. Either seemed just as possible.

Since she didn’t have the strength to force him against her, she took a breather to focus on him as well. She looked over his familiar face and opened her mouth to say what came naturally to her in proximity to her husband. “I love you.”

“What?” he asked pulling one hand off of hers to brush her hair away from her face.

“I…love you,” she said tentatively, when she realized she might have just freaked him out.

“You mean you love Ethan,” he said releasing her other hand so he could rest on his elbows over her. His lower body still pressed against her, but she realized he wasn’t going to offer her any further pleasure if she didn’t choose her words wisely.

“No, I love you. I will always love you. I don’t care what ludicrous version of reality I end up in, you are still you. Maybe the memories are a little different, but your heart is still the same.”

He looked her over somberly before kissing her gently. She expected that he might jump off her and run away, but she felt him shift and push into her. For a moment, he pressed against her, letting her body accept his presence. He slipped his hands back over hers and began a slow smooth excruciating rhythm.

She pressed against him demanding more, but he was refusing to offer it. She let him set the pace until she couldn’t stand it any longer. She pulled her hands away from him and pushed him away. He reluctantly rolled off her, but welcomed her on top of him.

Once she had control, she pushed herself over the edge again and again. She was thankful that the house offered sound proofing since she wasn’t being discreet with her culminations. When she was thoroughly exhausted, Ethan flipped her back over for one more finale that he joined her in.

36

“That was incredible,” Cori said dazed from the afterglow of cardio orgasms.

“Yes, it was.” Ethan lay beside her leaning his head on his hand and tracing his finger along her body. The delicate tickle of his finger gave her the chills, but she knew better than to disrupt his view with a blanket. “Better than with him.”

Cori smiled and turned to look at him. “Every time with
you
is incredible.”

“Very diplomatic of you. Do you think he’ll be mad about this?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure, you tell me.”

He stopped his hand over her belly like he might actually be able to sense the baby inside. It was the first time she had thought about being pregnant since she was told. She had thought about diapers, bottles, and baby proofing, but this was the first time she thought about step one, growing the baby.

“I think he’ll be angry at first. He won’t like they idea of sharing you, but then he’ll realize that I couldn’t resist you anymore than he could.”

“As I recall, I started this.”

“Yes, well, clearly he isn’t doing his job if you couldn’t make it 48 hours without my cock.”

Cori chuckled. “In his defense, I was very busy, and then I was imprisoned, and then I was kidnapped, and then I made my last wish. Although, the imprisonment didn’t really stop us.”