ROMANCE: BAD BOY ROMANCE: M.V.B. - Most Valuable Baby (Sports Secret Baby Romance) (Contemporary Interracial Pregnancy Romance) (17 page)

They dated for the next few months. Though, to be fair, she counted the four times she visited him at practice as dates. Very, very casual dates, but dates nonetheless.

Her father still didn’t approve, but the longer it took for Eric to break her heart, the more and more her father tolerated the growing relationship.

“At least it gets you out of the house and doing something,” he said once.

It was as much of a blessing from her father as Tanya and Eric were ever going to get.

“How did you know you wanted to play football for a living?” she asked Eric, both of them sprawled on his couch while the end credits of the movie rolled over his HD TV’s screen.

Snorting, Eric wiggled his fingers over her bare arm. He turned and pressed his lips to her head, his body stretching a bit as his legs tangled around her own. “Who wouldn’t want to be a professional football player?”

“Yeah, but, why did you want to be one? I’m seriously asking?”

“How does a monster movie inspire such thoughts from you?”

“I am always thinking about these things, crappy movies aside.”

“Crappy?!”

Tanya smirked, snuggling into his chest. If he didn’t answer, then he didn’t answer. She made her peace that, with him, sometimes should would only get sarcasm in response. As outgoing as he was, he could be very secretive.

“I was really good at it,” he murmured, his head falling back on the couch’s arm. “And I liked it. But it wasn’t until I was recruited that I actually thought of being a professional football player. The money is fantastic, of course. I mean, look at my TV!” He motioned toward the large, thin screen. “This is like a miniature move theater in my own living room.”

She nodded, not looking at the TV. She had seen it, and she had been impressed. Her mind focused on his words, frustrating confliction twisting up her insides. Was it really that simple? You just…do what you’re good at and what you like, and then you’re happy?

Maybe she was over-thinking everything.

“You okay?” he asked, hugging her with all of his limbs. “You’re doing that weird quiet-thing.”

“You mean not talking?”

“That’s it, yeah.”

She kissed his chest. “I guess I thought people were instinctively drawn to their passions, and they found the meaning of life through them. But what if you don’t have any? What if you’re just…wandering, bored?”

“You realize that most people work as a means of survival, right? Not all of us get to be rich and famous.”

She hummed her affirmative answer, shame sinking in her. She kissed his chest again. Eric was the only thing that made her feel good anymore—like herself. And it was okay to be herself around him when it often wasn’t with other people. It was okay to be lost with him.

He kissed her head.

The TV darkened then flashed, exiting from the movie and revealing some news-gossip channel. The newscaster, in her smooth and loud voice, announced Eric Reed’s name.

Tanya’s eyebrows shot up, her attention shifting to the TV. She felt Eric stiffen beneath her.

“According to various reports,” the newscaster said, “the famous running back for the Yaks has dated with two famous porn stars at the same time, and it is rumored that he is currently dating a third one. Stay tune to find out about Eric Reed’s interesting past.”

A commercial blasted next, and Eric fumbled with the remote before he finally muted his fancy TV.

“Um,” he said. “About that…”

Tanya had been about to laugh, but his serious and awkward tone constricted her throat. She pushed herself off of him so that she could stare into his bright eyes.

He winced. “It was a long, long time ago, and both parties knew about the other one, so…” He squeezed her with his limbs again, his lips wobbling into a pained smile. “We alright?”

She blinked owlishly at him. She thought it over—thought about his reputation—and took a deep breath. “We are exclusively dating one another, right? There’s not another woman?”

“Yes, definitely. I swear. And I totally know you’re not a porn star.”

She snorted, rolling her eyes. Maybe THAT was her true calling. Troubled rich girl becomes porn star…. Good Lord, her father would die.

“Tanya? Baby?”

She grabbed the collar of his shirt and lowered her face to him, her eyes locking with his. Squeezing the collar, she said, “If you ever become interested in another woman, dump me, okay? Don’t cheat on me, don’t try to get me into some polygamy mess—just dump me. I’m crazy about you, Eric, and I would rather be alone than share you with anyone else. Fair enough?”

For the first time since she had met him, astonishment swirled in Eric’s eyes. His jaw lowered, as did his eyelids. At first, Tanya thought he was offended, and she tensed in preparation for the oncoming break-up.

But then Eric kissed her, his lips parting as he eagerly moved against her.

Tanya’s head spun. She nearly fell back on top of him, but her hand grabbed the back of the sofa to prevent her fall. Her other hand still clung to his shirt. Heat bloomed within her as the kiss became hungrier, more possessive.

He squeezed his limbs around her even tighter, finally making her fall on top of him. That broke the kiss, and she panted against his throat.

“No sharing,” he breathed against her forehead before kissing it. “Same goes for you, right?”

She chortled, twisting herself upward. “Duh.”

He grinned. “Good.”

She crawled over him to plant her lips against his again, and she reveled in the feeling of his breathing becoming more rapid. His broad chest moving like that beneath her touch, his limbs going limp while she ran her hand over him. He responded perfectly to her—felt perfectly against her. She needed this more than anything else—this moment—this human being—this peace.

His hands snaked beneath the bottom of her shirt, and she shivered with lustful delight. He snaked his fingers back out though, hesitance obvious in his movements.

They had waited long enough for this. Tanya tugged at his shirt, then raised her head a bit. “You show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.” She winked at him, just like he always did at her.

He wheezed out a laugh, fondness flashing in his expression as he grabbed the bottom of his shirt and wiggled it off of himself. She helped him, of course, and then he helped her take off her own shirt.

Her breasts pressed against his pecks, their stomachs brushing against one another as they breathed heavily.

Tanya kissed him wherever she could—his jaw, his chin, his neck, his collarbone. She noted that his flesh was becoming a little darker, a little redder, the more she tasted him. The sight was mesmerizing, and she kissed him with more gentleness—wanting to savor him for as long as she could.

He ran his hands through her hair, over her shoulders, and then slowly down her back. When he reached her bra snaps, she arched according so that he would have better access to them. Consequently, that pressed her lower half farther against his, and Eric let out a guttural groan. His fingers stiffened for a second before returning to her bra. Once he got the garment unhooked, Tanya shouldered off the straps and tossed the bra aside.

“Tanya,” Eric breathed, eyes dark as he stared at her chest.

Arousal coursed through her, making the tender flesh between her legs moisten. Shuddering, she shakily reached for Eric’s pants and pulled at them.

Hurriedly—sloppily—awkwardly—he wiggled out of his pants and underwear, just as she wiggled out of her pants and thong. The clothing got squished between them and the couch, but they were otherwise forgotten.

Tanya fell back against him. Her eyes fluttered closed as their bodies moved together accordingly, heat and adoration flooding through her. She inhaled deeply, getting lost in his scent—in the feel of him—in everything.

Gently, then firmly, he grabbed her hips and positioned her over his hard member.

Tanya gasped as the tip of him brushed against her wet southern lips. As he pushed himself deeper, she couldn’t help but wrap herself farther around him. A whining moan jittered out of her, heat and pressure growing fervently within her.

For the next few minutes, it was nothing but them. There was no fear of the future, no doubts about her worth—nothing but the feel of Eric all around her and inside of her. It was one of the most blissful moments of her life.

She came fast, his name bursting past her lips as her body shook with pure, hot pleasure.

He came shortly afterward. His hot seed shot into her, making the aftershocks of her orgasm all the more enjoyable.

She didn’t think—didn’t worry. She just enjoyed having Eric Reed all to herself.

CHAPTER FIVE

Over one month later, she was late.

She was more perturbed than anything else. Perhaps it was denial, but the first thought that came to mind was that she was having some kind of medical issue. Something must be wrong with her uterus. When another week past, she scheduled an appointment with the doctor.

“Are congratulations in order?” the receptionist asked warily after Tanya told her everything.

Phone pressed to her ear, Tanya furrowed her brow. She sat in her father’s house, a medical journal placed on her lap. “What?”

The receptionist sighed. “Forgive me, I…just congratulations on the baby.”

“The—?” Tanya’s eyebrows shot up, her body going numb. The magazine slid off her leg and collapsed to the floor. “Oh.”

She was relieved when no paparazzi followed her into and/or out of the closest convenience store to her father’s house. Though people normally didn’t bother her because of her father’s fame, there were a couple of times when a person with a camera jumped out in front of and scared the living crap out of her.

Luckily, today was not one of those days. A bag of several different brands of pregnancy tests in her quivering hands, the last thing she needed was to have her maybe-baby news posted on the internet before she even knew for certain she was pregnant.

When she got back into her car, she put the bag beneath the passenger seat. Her heart raced, mind too overwhelmed to form a coherent thought.

Shakily, she placed her hands on the steering wheel and forced herself to take a deep breath. As she calmed a bit, she pursed her lips.

She probably wasn’t pregnant. And then all this worrying would be for nothing. Once she knew the truth, then she could react to it.

At home, in the hallway bathroom downstairs, she peed on fifteen different sticks.

They all said she was pregnant.

“Crap,” she said, stunned. She tossed the last positive test into the trash can before sliding down to the bathroom floor, her feet kicked up and pressed against the cabinets below the sinks.

It wasn’t necessarily bad news. She just…it hadn’t been planned. Though everything in her life that had been planned went south quickly.

She smirked defiantly at the thought, her gaze lowering to her belly. With a great deal of caution, she placed her palm over where she believed her child to be growing inside of her. Protectiveness and affection rose inside of her chest and tingled at the base of her throat.

Maybe…maybe being a mother was what she was meant to be all along. Not that women couldn’t focus on career and family, of course, and not that all women had some kind of instinct to be mothers, but…but she used to fantasize about raising a large family when she was younger. She used to dream of loving her little ones and preparing them for the world—for them to achieve their dreams. Maybe
she
had that maternal instinct, one she had forgotten about.

She couldn’t regret going for an education. A lot of women—women and men—prospered from those kinds of experiences and trainings, and it often helped them discovered their true callings in this life—again, not necessarily involving children. Plus, parents should be educated, anyway, regardless of whether or not they pursue a career.

Tanya smiled at her stomach. It really wasn’t so complicated, in the end. Being a mom…it felt right to her. Maybe she was a fool, maybe she wasn’t, but in that moment…it just felt right. She felt content with certainty.

Fondness in her heart, she kissed her fingers tips before placing them over her stomach once again.