Rose In Bloom (20 page)

I need to talk to her. I need her not to hate me, but my body won’t let me move from this vehicle. Just as I’m about to force myself out of the truck, he appears, running down the sidewalk. I can’t help but laugh. The stupid fucker doesn’t know her like I do. Just another reason I know she should be mine and not his.

Turning away, I start my truck, fighting the urge not to look back, but it’s pointless. Looking back over to the bakery, I see her in his arms. I know I only have myself to blame. Somehow and someway, I will fix this. Even if I can’t have her, she deserves to love.

Sebastian

“You better keep her fucking safe, Nik.” I warn.

“You know I will, Cuz. What the fuck is going on there anyway?” he asks. I wish so much that I could tell him, but I can’t. The less he knows, the better. The last thing I need to do is involve anyone else I care about into this mess I call my life.

“I’m just worried this guy is going to come after her. If something happens to her, I’d…” I can’t even complete the sentence. If something happens to her, I would never make it. She is every breath of air I’ll ever breathe.

“Listen to me. Nothing is going to happen to her or the baby. I promise you that. If that fucker comes near her, I’ll kill him myself. But if you need me there, I’m on the next flight out.”

“I know, Nik, but this is something I have to do on my own. You just keep my girl safe. She is my life.”

“And you know that I will.” he says, trying to hide the concern in his voice.

“I’ll talk to you in a couple of days then.”

“All right, later, Cuz,” I say, hanging up the phone and running my hands through my hair.

The house is incredibly quiet as I finally exit my office. Eyeing her suitcases beside the door only reminds me of our inevitable departure from one another in just a few days. I wish more than anything that I could prevent this, but I can’t. All day today, I’ve made calls and rescheduled meetings. I want to spend as much time with her as I possibly can.

The savory smell of her legendary lasagna fills my nose as I pass through the kitchen in search of her.

“Skylar?” I call out, but she doesn’t reply.

When I step into the large living room, I spot the lights on in the outside studio and I smile. She’s dancing.

I love to watch her dance for me, but there is something spectacular about watching her when she thinks no one is looking. Slowly, I approach the door to the studio and hang back a bit to the side, getting a good view of my beautiful girl as she moves to the music. I know this has all taken a toll on her, and dancing is a way she releases everything. It’s why I’d built this place on the back of the house for her to be able to do that anytime she needs.

Plumb’s “Don’t Deserve You” plays loudly in the studio. I study her gorgeous body as she moves. Her black Lycra shorts hug her delicious ass as she pivots on her feet. Her purple top hugs her abdomen, allowing her growing belly to show. Her long curls twist up in a knot on the top of her head, but as usual, a few spiral down around her face.

My God, she’s fucking gorgeous. How did I ever get so damn lucky?

She watches herself in the mirror with a lost expression as she continues to extend her leg up into the air. My cock throbs at memories of just how flexible that body is.

Releasing her leg, she spins across the room, guiding her body with such beautiful elegance. She grips the ballet bar in front of her and leans her head against the mirror. Watching her hurt is killing me, and there is no way I can just stand here any longer.

Coming up behind her, I wrap my hands around her and kiss her exposed neck. The tangy sweat on her skin drives me wild. She looks up and locks eyes with me in the mirror.

“You are so beautiful,” I whisper into her ear. Her trembling lips form a small smile. She laces fingers with mine, and her body eases against me. The feel of her tight ass against my front makes me mad with desire. I need her as much as I need my next breath. Pulling down the black shorts, I find her wearing nothing underneath. As my fingers find their way back up her thighs, I almost come on the spot.

Jesus Christ, she is so damn wet.

My dick is about to explode, so I frantically pull off my shirt and gym shorts. Her arms lift high as she pulls her tight purple shirt off, making my mouth drop open at how fucking glorious she looks naked. Dropping to my knees, I place my hands on her inner thighs and urge her to spread them further apart. There are no words to describe how fucking scrumptious this woman is. I could spend the rest of my life devouring the juices from between her legs and never satisfy the raging hunger inside of me.

Her hands thread through my hair, pulling me in for more. She knows how to drive me fucking wild, that’s for damn sure. Firmly, I take both of her hips and surprise her by lifting her up by her ass and carrying her back over to the mirrored wall behind her. She smiles at me and I waste no time dropping her back down onto my throbbing cock. There is no patience inside of me… not tonight. The need to be inside her is so intense I can barely keep from toppling over the edge. The minute her warm, silky folds wrap around my cock, I begin pounding inside of her. She holds on, wrapping her hands around my neck, throwing her head back against the wall as I push deeper and deeper with each thrust.

“Fuck, baby,” I whisper, pressing my head down into her chest. Pulling my hand back to her front, I begin rapidly circling her clit with my thumb.

“Yes! Oh my God! Sebastian! YES!” she screams, digging her nails into me. Her insides clamp down around my cock, strangling it for dear life. The warmth of her release drenches my cock and I fight to keep it together. I don’t want to hurt her, but I can’t get deep enough inside of her.

“Can’t. Hold. On. Feels. Too… Good! FUCK!” I scream as I cum hard into her pussy. The way my cock pulsates, I know I have filled her up with my cum. I love claiming her body with my mark. Still holding her up against the mirrored wall, I bury myself against her chest as I struggle to catch my breath. Carefully, I lower her down to the wooden floor, waiting until she has her balance before I let her go.

Pulling her up against me, I turn us to where we are facing the long mirrored wall. The perfect impression of her ass cheeks remains on the glass, but the image in the middle pulls at my attention. Standing here are two bodies perfectly united as one just moments earlier. The reflection of her growing stomach is evidence of the promise of happier times that lay ahead for us. I won’t let anyone destroy this. Reflected in the mirror is my life, my family… my forever. No one will take that away from me.

Lucas

My phone vibrates, waking me up from my drunken state. Whiskey is the only way I can make it through this pain that lives inside me.

Shielding my eyes from the bright sunlight pouring into my living room, I realize that I’ve passed out again on my couch. Shoving aside the empty bottle, I pick up my phone and read my incoming text.

MAVERICK: I’m about to make my next move on Thorne. I’m going to need you to be my eyes and ears.

ME: We need to talk about this. I want you to call this off before someone gets hurt.

MAVERICK: It’s too late for that now.

ME: I need you to make sure you don’t hurt the girl.

MAVERICK: You need to make sure she stays out of the way then.

ME: I will handle it.

Fear erupts me. I don’t know what to do. Panicked, I grab for my keys and run out the door. I’ve got to warn her.

Skylar

Dinner had been quiet tonight. I think we both had been too scared to speak much. Time ticks away, only reminding us that I will be leaving soon. We both try so hard to not ruin what little bit of time we have left before I leave in a few days. I never know what to say; I never know what to do. The only thing I want to do is hold on to him and never ever let go. I stayed here at home yesterday and today. I am preparing the final details of my trip and packing up the things I will need. There is still so much to be done on a project at work, but hopefully I can bring it along with me and work abroad from LA with the team here. Distractions are the only things keeping me sane nowadays. I don’t want to be reminded of all of the terrible scenarios that can happen at any given hour.

I can barely sleep for fear I’ll wake up and he will be gone. I can’t answer the door for fear that it’s the police coming to arrest him. And I’m learning that hating people you love is a lot harder than you think. Lucas holds so much power over us and I hate that. I hate the fact he’s done this to me and how everywhere I turn I’m reminded that I may be spending my last time with my husband. All because I don’t return the same feelings he has for me. I really hate that I hurt him, but I don’t deserve this. As we head to bed, we cling to one another. Our bodies feed on each other in hopes of calming the other one down.

Waking up in the middle of the night, I find myself alone in the bed. As I sit up, I see movement in the chair beside me, and it scares the shit out of me. Sebastian turns on the lamp beside him and scoots to the edge of the chair.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, baby.”

“What are you doing?” I ask sleepily.

“I was watching you sleep.”

I smile at his sweet confession.

“Come back to bed,” I beg, pulling back the covers.

“I’m fine. I can’t sleep.”

Getting out of bed, I walk over to him and climb into his lap.

“Talk to me,” I beg him. Brushing back my curls from my face, he gives me a loving smile before tracing my bottom lip with his fingertip.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do when you leave. I don’t ever want to forget how you feel in my arms or how you taste on my lips.”

“You know I don’t want to leave you. I want to stay right here with you. We can fight this together.”

“I know, Sweetheart, but you can’t be here. We have to protect this,” he says, placing his hand on my stomach.

“You know, I pray every day that she is just like you. A perfect little you that I can love from the beginning. Free from all the hurt and despair, just a wonderful, perfect tiny Skylar that I can give everything to. I promise to be for her what my father wasn’t for me. I won’t let her down. I won’t let either of you down.”

His words are beautiful, but I still believe this is a boy. “Son or daughter, this baby will be loved like no other. I can’t wait for that. I can’t wait for our perfect new beginning. It will happen. It just has to,” I say, trying to convince myself of my own words while comforting my husband.