Authors: Lyra Daniels
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Short Stories & Anthologies, #Short Stories, #Romance, #Holidays, #Military, #New Adult & College, #Contemporary Fiction, #Single Authors
And now she was going to let him cum inside of her, unprotected. Anna hadn't been on birth control since she'd broken up with her last boyfriend several years back, and she knew her womb was fertile for him. If she let him cum the consequences could be dire, but she couldn't refuse Nate and found her wanting it just as much as he did.
"Cum deep," she pleaded, grinding her ass back against him. Jittering, addicting pleasure shot up her spine and heated her sex as she gave into him, begging him to breed her. Orgasm was so close, and if he just gave her that much more, if he just delivered on his promise and came inside of her recklessly...
"Here it is," he said through gritted teeth. The thrusts had grown shallower, but they were still forceful. Each one of them pushed the head of his cock deep inside her, seeking to invade her as thoroughly as it could. "Oh fuck, here it is. You'd better take it all."
Nate's hands gripped at her waist and pinned her down as he thrust one final time. The thick cock that had threatened to split her apart bottomed out inside of her, and Anna felt his hot seed fill her. Nate grunted and rutted, pushing what he'd already given her deeper while adding more to join it. Each pulse delivered a fresh strand of seed, and Anna felt every twitch. It brought her over the edge.
With a prolonged moan and a shudder, Anna found her release. Her sex trembled, walls tightening and fluttering against his cock as she milked him. The pleasure was outstanding, and Anna lost herself to it. She'd needed this to get over Gabriel. She'd needed this to let go of her inhibitions.
Nate lowered himself across her back and breathed in the scent of her skin deeply as she calmed. Then, after a moment's pause, he drew out from her and pulled his pants back up.
"Well," he announced, "I think I can take a quick look at what's wrong with your vehicle. Might cost you a little extra if I need to do any work on it."
Anna looked over her shoulder at him, unable to hold back a smirk.
"I think we might be able to arrange payment," she replied.
He lifted a brow, tore the white rag from his back pocket to wipe his hands, then got to work.
Chapter Four
That night Nate took her three more times, and it wasn't until early morning when he finished the car repairs. With little time to spare before work, Anna left the garage and sped home. A quick shower and a change of clothes was all she had time for, and she arrived at the studio only five minutes late. As always, it looked as though Gabriel had been working for hours. The block of marble had started to take shape, and she could make out the rough outline of a figure from amongst the stone.
"Anna," he greeted her when she entered, "you must be tired after last night. I can't say I blame you, but don't make coming in late a habit. I
am
still your boss."
Gabriel didn't know the half of it. Half of her felt guilty, but the other half felt satisfied. Anna grinned and shook off a laugh, starting to tend to the discarded marble as had become routine. And yet, as the day wore on, Gabriel started to slip under her skin again. The smooth timbre of his voice, his impressive physique, and his talent wooed her. She knew he wasn't looking for anything serious, but Anna found herself fostering feelings for him all over again.
By the time Thursday rolled around, it was as though she'd never liberated herself that night with Nate at all. Anna was caught back up in Gabriel's web, impressed by everything he did and blushing at his compliments. Where Nate was animalistic and brash, Gabriel was subtle and sweet, and he knew exactly what to say to make her laugh and smile.
When the poetry reading was over, she found herself leaving her car behind to sit beside Gabriel in the passenger seat of his ride, and in the advanced hours of the night they rose together up a flight of apartment stairs and into his small dwelling.
The place was clean and well decorated, the artwork likely of Gabriel's own make — not that she was able to see much of it. When the door closed behind them Gabriel turned to face her, and Anna found herself very close to the tall, breathtaking artist.
"Every time I'm out with you," Gabriel whispered, his words only for her once more. Anna's lungs tightened, and she struggled to catch her breath, "you glow. I've never seen a woman so beautiful."
From any other man's lips, Anna would have doubted it. From Gabriel's lips the words were embodiments of truth. Her cheeks lit and her eyes dropped. Guilt over Nate still clouded her conscious, but Gabriel hadn't asked her to stay faithful. As her gaze dropped, Gabriel lifted her chin with a curled finger and looked into her eyes. They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds, the atmosphere thickening between them, before Gabriel leaned in and kissed her again. This time Anna was able to appreciate his touch. His lips were soft and thoughtful, directing their pleasure to leave her hungry for more.
"Why don't we get more comfortable?" Gabriel asked, taking her hand in his. They walked down the short entranceway and passed through a doorway on the left. Within was a bedroom, small but cozy enough for two. One moment Anna stood before the foot of the bed, and the next she lay upon it. With gentle dominance Gabriel had pushed her down, and now he straddled her hips, his dark eyes gazing down into hers.
"Come with me to my exhibition at the end of the semester," he said. Their noses were so close they nearly brushed. Anna felt heat stir inside of her. "I want to display some of your art there. I want the world to see your brilliance like I do."
It was a lot to take in. Anna's eyes widened just slightly, but before she could reply Gabriel had claimed her lips again. The kiss was harder now, his lust transparent in it. Not only did he think she was attractive, but he also thought she was talented. One of the most talented artists in the state thought she had a chance and wanted to display her work alongside his own. Anna closed her eyes and kissed back with enthusiasm.
Gabriel's hand traced her side, savoring her curves. There was tender affection in the way he moved that Nate had never shown her. When the hand arrived near her breast, Gabriel stopped.
"Do you want to share this with me?" he asked. Anna knew that if she said yes that nothing would change, that Italy was still in his future. Gabriel had bigger ambitions than a cute, curvy artist who was a little more than okay. Nothing she did could change the fame that waited for him, and even had she been able to hold him back, Anna never would have wanted to. Given the chance, Gabriel would have the world eating out of his hand. She wouldn't ever take that away from him. But even though Gabriel couldn't give her a forever, she knew she'd never forgive herself if she stopped now.
"I do," she whispered back. He smiled, and then his hands were upon her. Each touch was electric, and for as much as she had lusted after Nate, now she pined for Gabriel. Thoughtful and affectionate, he roused her passion before he continued. The buildup was slow, but it was worth it. Almost an hour passed between the time he'd laid her upon the bed and the time all of their clothes lay on the floor, but by then Anna had never wanted anyone as much as she wanted Gabriel.
"Take me," she bade him. Nestled amongst his sheets, breathing in his woodsy scent, in that moment Anna could pretend that she was his. What a beautiful dream it was. When Gabriel did part her thighs and his sizable shaft plunged deep into her, the dream felt more real than ever.
Hours felt like minutes. Just like in the studio and while he performed on stage, time warped around Gabriel and left Anna without her bearings. The first time he came inside of her they were both too caught up in the other's body to care. The second time Gabriel had enough sense to ask her permission, which Anna gladly gave him. Gabriel bred her womb full of his seed until the early hours of the morning when both of them were too exhausted to stay awake, and then again when they both awoke. By the time Anna left that afternoon, she'd never felt more whole and complete.
Only the man who made her feel that way wasn't hers to keep.
The rest of the semester progressed in a similar fashion. Gabriel wouldn't commit, and at times the thought drew Anna into Nate's arms for comfort. When she was strong and Gabriel enchanted her, she would spend the night in his apartment making love. As Gabriel's exhibition loomed near, Anna distanced herself from Nate and focused on Gabriel and the art to be arranged. He'd carved a series of breathtaking sculptures for display, and it was her job to make sure transport and set up was done correctly. If only she wasn't feeling so sick.
Two weeks of nausea left Anna crippled, and it was only when the tracking app she used reminded her the night before the exhibition that her period should have started that Anna realized it hadn't. A panicked trip to the pharmacy followed by the most gut wrenching trip to the bathroom she'd had to date followed, and when the three minutes it took for the test to display results was over, Anna couldn't believe what she saw.
Two bright pink lines. Pregnant.
Neither Nate nor Gabriel had used protection, as caught up in the moment as they always were. Now Anna had no idea who had fathered the life she carried.
It was hard to sleep that night, and when Anna arrived on scene at the studio to pack the sculptures for the exhibition, she couldn't bring herself to look or speak to Gabriel. The chance that she might have ruined his life by getting pregnant weighed heavily upon her, and even when he pestered her about her unusual silence, Anna couldn't bring herself to tell him. When the time was right he would know, but that time was not now. Not right before his big show.
Almost a hundred guests had gathered at the venue. Anna, clad in a sparkling black gown, had seen each sculpture set up and had occupied a corner of the room with her own art. Influential art critics and bloggers wandered piece to piece, and Gabriel's professors were on scene to assess his progress. Every face was distinguished, either young and haughty, or old and wizened. Then, amongst a sea of refined artists, a face she'd never thought she'd see at an upscale event appeared.
Nate.
He looked uncomfortable in his suit and tie; higher class did not suit him. Black grime still stuck beneath his fingernails, and Anna remarked a streak of it near his ear. He navigated the salon with purpose, and struck Gabriel upon the back with playful affection. Gabriel turned to look at him and grinned, and the two embraced.
What was happening?
Anna watched them from across the room as they chatted, then Gabriel gestured in her direction, and both men turned to face her. Nate's eyes flashed with recognition as he took her in, and he turned sharply towards Gabriel and grabbed him by the lapel. There was no mistaking the hostility in his gesture, and the breath caught in Anna's throat. She'd been found out.
The floor was swarming with men in suits and women in beautiful gowns, but through the masses Anna could see Gabriel shove Nate away, his eyes narrowing in anger. How did someone as refined as Gabriel know someone as crass and unsophisticated as Nate? As Anna pushed her way through the crowd, determined to break them up, she tried to piece it together.
Nate swung his fist right at Gabriel's face, but Gabriel caught his hand with his palm and clenched down, drawing Nate through the crowd and towards the back doors. They were going outside. They were going to fight in earnest. Anna's heart raced, every part of her trembling as she tore through the guests she had been tasked with directing. Gabriel and Nate were fighting over her, and neither of them knew her secret.
Both men burst through the back doors, Nate shoving Gabriel from behind so that he stumbled across the pavement. Then the doors closed, and Anna could no longer track them. The stretch she ran between where she stood and the back doors took an eternity, and when she finally followed them into the deserted back space behind the venue, Nate and Gabriel were gone. Instead, Anna found herself standing not even ten feet away from two towering, snarling brown bears.
At nearly seven feet tall, they were formidable creatures. Each had risen upon his back feet. One of the bears had grappled the other, his mighty paws sunk into his opponent's back. The victim's head was locked between the aggressor's arms, but he had not given up. The throaty sounds he made were aggressive and fearful, and Anna stopped dead in her tracks. Bears? Where had bears come from? A terrified squeak escaped her lips, and she clasped her hand over her mouth to quell it. It was enough to catch the bears' attention.