AFRICAN AMERICAN ROMANCE: A Thug to Remember (Hood Alpha Male Pregnancy Romance) (African American Urban Contemporary Short Stories) (41 page)

When he finally pulled back, his lips were humming and his eyes were heavy. "Do you still have any doubts that what we have is more than just two people who live in the same house now?"

Penelope searched his face and then smiled at him. "No, I think you are right. There is definitely something between us that has a lot of potential."

"Good, now I need to get some stuff done today. I have to go out and fix some fences that the cows have been pushing on, but I want you to start planning our wedding right now. Order a dress, write a note to the pastor of the church, whatever you want," Dave told her and put his hand on her face gently and looked at her for a moment. "This should be a special day for both of us. I'll apply for a marriage license. I want to wait until marriage, out of respect for starting this marriage as pure as possible."

"But you realize…" Penelope said, blushing, knowing she was about to ask a dumb question.

"You're still pure of heart, Penny. What he had you do because of your job and your situation, he took advantage of you. I respect you and our future marriage, so we will wait together." Dave pressed a kiss to her forehead and then left her there to figure out the details of the wedding.

Penelope sat down and put her hand over her belly and realized that she'd need to get a dress that was looser in the waist. Her corsets and dresses were no longer fitting.

Humming to herself, she started to make a list of things she'd need. She wasn't going to go too crazy. A few flowers, a pretty dress, and maybe a small after party for the town to celebrate their wedding. They could have it at the church.

She wrote a letter to the pastor to ask him what dates would work for him and was feeling happier than she had in a long time.

Chapter 5

Finished putting the last few pins in her hair, she grabbed the flowers that she was using for her bouquet and went to meet her husband-to-be down where he and the pastor were waiting for her. The entire town had showed up for the wedding. She was a little shocked, but he was well liked so maybe she shouldn't have been so surprised.

Walking down the aisle, she wished her mother was here, but at least she'd gotten a letter from her mom about the wedding before it took place. She was still small enough with her pregnancy that the dress with a princess empire cut was able to hide her growing belly.

Feeling blessed and assured that today would go without a hitch, she held her head high and went to meet her husband.

She should have realized that the family she used to work for would cause a scene, but she didn't think they'd do it at the wedding, or in front of the Sheriff.

When she got downstairs and put her hand in Dave's, he smiled big at her, happy to see her.

"You look beautiful," he whispered to her, just loud enough that only she could hear.

They turned to the pastor and when he asked if anyone had any issues with the wedding or forever hold their peace her old Master stood up and protested.

Dark storm clouds passed over Dave’s face.

"She's nothing more than a servant,” her old Master shouted. “You have no business marrying her."

"I'm free to marry who I want. If you don't like it, leave the church," Dave told him. The people sitting in the pews were whispering loudly.

"She's pregnant with our child, and won't give it to us," Mistress announced loudly, trying to humiliate her. She glared at Penelope.

Penelope was shaking in embarrassment and wished she'd realized that they might have created a scene to get back at her for denying them the baby.

Dave leaned over and spoke to one of the deputy's and asked them to escort them from the church if they wouldn't leave willingly. Nodding, Travis went to do as Dave asked.

"No, you don't understand. She is having our baby. It's mine, she has to give it to me!" the woman protested and started to cry. The sympathetic looks that were tossed her way full of pity and realizing that she was falling apart in front of the entire town.

Travis forced them to leave and then stood guard at the church entrance to make sure they couldn't come back in. The pastor was waiting for the scene to be over and then cleared his throat.

"Does anyone else want to protest, or can I get on with the wedding now?" he asked loudly and waited a moment. "Okay, good."

"Thank you," Penelope mouthed to him. The pastor gave her a gentle smile as he started his sermon.

When it was over and Dave had kissed Penelope, the crowd cheered for them. The church had a buffet style of food that was setup in the other room for the reception after the ceremony. Dave escorted Penelope there and kissed her temple, telling her he was happy she was his wife.

"I'm sorry they caused a scene," Penelope whispered to him. It was a moment she'd never forget and it's not how she pictured her wedding day.

"Don't be sorry. You're not the one who chose to make a fool of yourself at someone else’s wedding. They brought this on themselves and there's a good chance that they will be shunned by many of the townsfolk after this. People don't like drama, and she's showing signs of brain sickness."

"I could almost feel bad for her, if she wasn't so aggressive about the pregnancy. I understand wanting a child. I even understand wanting her husband's child. But you can't just take someone's baby," Penelope told him quietly and slipped her hand in his as they walked into the reception room.

"She'll get over it. I plan to go have a long talk with her and her husband later about knocking this off. We deserve to have a good life, and I won't let them interfere with it anymore," Dave told her and then let the women pull Penelope away from him to socialize and visit before they headed home for their wedding night.

"Are you really pregnant?" The innkeeper asked her. She was a round lady, but she was usually sweet. Her name was Melly, and Penelope and she had chatted a few times in the past.

"Yes," Penelope admitted.

"Is that why you quit working for them and left to be with Dave?" Melly whispered to her, wanting the latest gossip firsthand from Penelope.

"It's complicated, and I really don't want to talk about it at my wedding." Penelope disengaged from the conversation as politely as she could and then searched the room to find her husband. He was standing over with two deputies that were at the wedding and she made her way to him.

"I think I've about had it. Their scene at the wedding is making everyone ask me questions that I don't want to answer," Penelope told him and gave him a pleading look to get her out of here.

"We can do that. Let me just tie up a few loose ends first and we'll go home," he told her and brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss it before doing what he promised.

Penelope made her way outside to the back where their wagon and horse waited for them. Lucille was waiting for her and had a big stick in her hand. Penelope hadn't been prepared for her to be there, and she didn't have her gun with her. Backing up slowly she ran into Marvin's chest and he grabbed her arms hard and then put his hand over her mouth before she could cry out for help.

"You broke Lucille's heart," Marvin whispered hatefully in her ear. "Now she's going to break yours."

Lucille came at her with the stick as if she was going to hit her and Penelope struggled hard in Marvin's arms, trying to get away from them. Her intention clear as Lucille stared at her belly and went to swing the stick at her.

A shot fired out, in the air and both Travis and Dave stood there. Travis had a rifle pointed directly at Lucille and Dave was glaring at Marvin.

"Let go of my wife, or I will shoot you both," Dave growled at them. The look on his face would have traumatized Penelope if she knew it was directed at her, but in her defense it had her sighing in relief. His timing couldn't have been any better.

"She deserves this," Lucille screamed and lunged at Penelope to attack her. Dave fired and shot her in the shoulder, making her drop the stick. She fell to the ground whimpering, holding her shoulder.

"Marvin, let go of my wife, or I will shoot you," Dave said threateningly.

Marvin let her go with a look of disgust on his face and stepped back from Penelope. He didn't immediately attend to his wife on the ground, he was too busy glaring at Dave and Travis.

"You are both under arrest," Dave told them and nodded to Travis who slung the rifle on his back and grabbed some rope out of his pouch on his belt. Tying both their hands up he made Lucille get to her feet.

"It's a superficial wound. I'll have the doc come around at the jail to dig out the bullet and sew you up. You're lucky Dave didn't do worse to you," Travis hissed at Lucille when she whined that it hurt.

"I'm taking my wife home now. I don't care what you have to do but make sure they stay in jail, and when you talk to the judge, I want them out of my town for good. They can't be trusted here," Dave told Travis and then wrapped his arms protectively around Penelope.

Watching Travis get his horse and force her former employers to walk behind it with tied wrists to the jail downtown, Penelope wanted to feel bad for them, but she couldn't.

"Thank you. You saved my life and most likely, our baby," Penelope whispered when he helped her up into the carriage.

"I would do anything to keep you safe Penelope. I hope you never doubt that." He leaned over and kissed her passionately. If there was any doubt about his feelings before, she didn't doubt it now, even if he hadn't said the words yet.

"Are you ready to start the rest of our life together?" Dave asked her quietly when they pulled into their yard and started unhitching the horses to put them away.

"I couldn't think of anything I'd like more," Penelope told him and put her hand on his arm for a moment. "I love you Dave. I'll be inside waiting for you."

Dave smiled at her and nodded, watching her walk to the house.

Penelope went inside and worked on getting out of her dress. She laid on the bed and waited for him. This wasn't exactly how she pictured the start of her marriage beginning, but with Dave at her side, she could handle anything.

THE END

The Cowboy Soldier’s Knocked Up Email Order Bride

Chapter one

“I don’t know how you do it, Avril. You’re constantly in the kitchen and you’re making these new dishes all the time. The papers rave about you, but critics can’t get enough. It doesn’t seem to matter to anybody that the menu doesn’t stay the same on any given week. I came to work with you specifically because I helped you with your success and I want to learn from the best. I try to get here early in the morning to beat you to the punch, but you’re always here. It almost makes me think that you live here.”

Timothy was my right hand man and if I didn’t have him, I probably would’ve sunk into a pit of depression.

What I didn’t want to tell him was that my work visa had expired. I was going to be shipped out next week, back to Nigeria. Not someplace that I missed or wanted to return to. I found the solution on the internet by becoming a mail order bride over the internet. The guy I got in touch with turned out to be a regular at my restaurant.

Timothy was the one that told me that I had a gift and that I should pursue it and give the world a taste of what I had to offer. It wasn’t lost on me that he had a crush and that he looked at my caramel skin and wondered what it would be like to be with me. I might’ve been a little overweight, but it was nothing, as far as most were concerned. I was 5’10, 180 pounds and most of that was up front and in back. Right where it should be.

“I’m just glad that you convinced me to do this. I never thought that you would want to join, but I’m more than happy to have you. This whole thing was mostly your doing and it would be a damn shame for you to lose out on some of the accolades. I’ve only been teaching you for the past two weeks and already I see potential to become a chef in your own right.”

I stood there and admired him from behind, trying to bring out some kind of attraction that might turn things from something friendly to something more…explosive.

If I didn’t have my chef outfit on, I might have taken matters into my own hands. There was no denying that Timothy had a body that just wouldn’t quit, but his attitude towards women didn’t exactly make him impossibly attractive. Maybe if I could gag him and stop him from making these insane remarks that put women down, I might be able to find my way to tearing his clothes off and seeing what other kind of fire we could make here in this kitchen.

“By the way, I think you know that he’s out there waiting for you. He ordered the Beef Wellington. He always gets the special and I think he might have a thing for you.”

I knew exactly who he was talking about and this guy was a bit of a mystery, wrapped up in a paradox. I saw him come in on several occasions. He wouldn’t say much, but he would constantly look at me and make me feel like he was undressing me. I had no choice, facing forcible return to Nigeria. I had to throw out a proposition of marriage.

“Holden Reynolds is a very accomplished businessman with a checkered past,” I argued. “He came back from Iraq and instead of wallowing in self-pity, he opened up his own security agency. He has his own farm right here in Texas and I think his habit for hard work and discipline comes from the Navy. I’ve done my own research on the internet and I found out that he was part of the groups who brought those terrorists to justice.”

He wore his suits impeccably and there wasn’t a crease to be seen. Any time that I went out to see him to make sure that his food was good, he would only smile and nod his head politely. I probably wouldn’t know that he was even interested, except for the fact that he kept looking at me. I saw him in the mirror, stopped cold with his fork poised in the air about to go into his mouth. I think he was drooling a little over my posterior and wondering what it would take to ask me out. He found out, when I was the one that approached him.

“You really should go out and see him,” Timothy told me. “I don’t know how many times I’ve seen you admiring the man and not do anything about it.”

I didn’t even know how he noticed that, but it didn’t bode well, because if he did, then everybody else probably saw it written across my face in bold letters, too. “I think that I can handle things back here. When I’m done, I’ll close up and then we can compare notes tomorrow morning. I have a date and let’s just say that my hopes are up for breakfast in bed.”

I was glad to see that he wasn’t pining after me. It did make me feel a moment of jealousy, but I had no reason for it. He had every right to date whoever he wanted and besides, I wasn’t even interested in him in that way.

If I was going to approach him, then right now would be the right time and the right place. If I didn’t do it now, he would walk out and I probably wouldn’t see him until next week. I didn’t know if I could go that long without doing something about this obvious attraction and heat between us. The arrangement of marriage had been made between the two of us, but he thought that was all I wanted…silly boy.

I had a delicious cheesecake that was to die for. It wasn’t even on the menu, but I had made it in hopes that he was going to come in tonight. It was getting late and he was always the last one to leave.

I saw him dabbing his mouth with a napkin and I wondered how that would feel between my legs. I had to stop thinking like that, or at least give him a reason to see me as more than just the chef behind the scenes.

I took a deep breath, steeled myself for the approach and then I walked out there with the cake in hand.

“Excuse me, Mister Reynolds. I was wondering if you had time for something a little sweet and decadent. I promise that it will be worth getting your teeth into something like this.”

The obvious innuendo was probably lost on him, but maybe not. He motioned for me to sit down with him.

Each time that I came within spitting distance, I was almost putty in his hands. This was the kind of guy that looked like a gentleman, but you could see something forceful and demanding working just within the recesses of his mind, under the surface.

His body was like a work of art and I had to keep glancing away, because I just couldn’t stop staring at his baby blue eyes. He had this slight scruff, which only exasperated the issue and made me swoon for him in a more profound way. I constantly had to cross my legs, just so that I could scratch that itch that was getting a little bit too hard to take.

He had a buzz cut that left the shadow of hair, but he had the weight of at least 200 pounds of pure muscle and the frame to pull it off. His shoulders were huge and I wanted him to sweep me up in his arms and become my knight in shining armor. Well, he had already done that, sort of, by agreeing to marry me for convenience. His chest was massive and I could tell that years of practice in the gym had given him a regiment that was worth its weight in gold.

“I was just about to leave but I guess I have time to try something that’s not on the menu,” he said. “Especially since it’s from my wife to be.”

I wasn’t sure, but maybe he was getting the general idea that I wanted more than just this give and take flirting.

“There seems to be a bit of a storm.”

I followed his gaze out the window where leaves were now splashing against the glass and dancing in the wind. The rain had become a downpour and to emphasize his forecast there was a strike of lightning. Thunder boomed and made the entire place shake with the dishes on the table making this clanging racket. I grabbed for them before they could fall to the floor.

The cake danced across the table, but the tremor passed before it could reach the edge.

“That was pretty close,” I remarked with a shy smile. “If that had gone on the floor, it would’ve been a damn shame. I’m really looking forward to finding out what you think of this latest creation. It’s a four fruit cheesecake.”

I didn’t realize it, but he had instinctively reached out and grabbed my hand. His finger was stirring something up to the surface and I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react. What did he want from me?

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be this forward. I would take my hand away, but I really don’t want to. I’ve been attracted to you for a long time, Avril. I know that this marriage is not going to be real but maybe I want it to be.”

He was staring at my breasts, which were pressing up quite obscenely against the front of my uniform. It was probably because I’d taken off my bra and let the natural wonders speak for themselves. A girl has her ways.

“Normally, I would love the attention, but my eyes are up here.” I was only teasing and I loved that he was taking an interest in my more prominent assets. I just needed this to go slowly, because I still wasn’t sure where he wanted this encounter to lead.

“I just never met a woman quite like you. You not only carry yourself with confidence, but you cook like someone that has been doing it all of her life. I just wish that I had found this place a long time ago. Since my wife passed, I’ve been eating mostly takeout and you can imagine how quickly that gets old.”

“I do hope that you don’t come here just for the food. I would hate to think that all of this flirting was for nothing. I would like some kind of payoff for paving the way for us to be together. If I’m not getting my point across, then let me be perfectly blunt. I would like to fuck you and leave you wanting more.”

He almost choked on the cheesecake, sputtering little bits onto the plate. He stared at me for some time and I wondered if he would make a move, when suddenly the lights flickered and then went out.

Chapter two

The only light was the brief flashed of lightning. For the most part, it was complete darkness and then I felt a hand touching my breasts from across the table. “If that’s not you, Holden, then whoever it is better be prepared to get a swift kick in the balls.”

“I’m just having my cake and eating it too. I love that I can touch you and eat this cheesecake at the same time. It’s almost too decadent for words. I know that you don’t normally do this with your clientele and I feel kinda special that you would even give me a moment of your time. Marrying me is like the icing on the cake”

I was going to give him more than that and the way that he was rubbing my nipple had certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities.

“I just want you to know, Avril, that I’m seriously considering investing in your restaurant. This is not sexual and I’ve seen your success and I want to be a part of it.”

I’d never even considered taking on investors, but now that he had brought up the topic, it could be something to pursue.

“I think that if you continue what you’re doing that I might consider your proposition. After all, you know that sex sells. We’ve all seen it on television, in the movies and even on the Internet. I would call my creations better than sex, but since I haven’t had a good orgasm in quite some time, I can’t really compare the two.”

Again, he started to choke and it was at that moment that a strike of lightning showed his face and the way that it was beaming with anticipation.

“I’m glad it was you that I found,” I told him, “and not some dirty old man with only one thing on his mind.”

“You really do have a mouthful…I mean, you really said a mouthful.” Now it was my turn to be embarrassed. “I’m not talking about your body, although it would be true for that, too. I just think that it’s time you consider opening up a new restaurant. I have a place in mind and I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to pull the switch on the deal. It has everything that you’ll need to make it a great success within the community. I’ll even foot the bill for advertising, although I doubt that you’re going to need all that much when they get a load of what you can do in the kitchen.”

If he was trying to heap praise on me, then I had no problem letting him.

I got up even though I couldn’t see where I was going. I followed the emergency lighting of the exit sign leading towards the kitchen. I had him in hand and his other hand was now cupping my ass and squeezing it.

“Damn, I’ve been begging for this chance with my eyes for a long time. Avril, I find you absolutely stunning, but I have to tell you that I’ve been dealing with some issues. I think you know that I’ve had some problems, er,  mentally speaking. When I came back from Iraq, I found myself lost and unable to manage on my own. I get these moments of panic, but I’m taking medication. I’m always looking for dangers and sometimes I see it where it doesn’t exist.”

I had no idea why he was telling me any of this, but maybe he needed me to know that he was not perfect.

“I know about what you did overseas,” I told him, “and I commend you on your service to your country. You were one of the best soldiers. I can only imagine what you went through.”

His hand tightened on my fingers, like he wasn’t quite sure how to react to my assessment of him. “It does my heart proud to know that my efforts were not in vain. We took down several terrorists. Most times they didn’t even know we were there until it was too late. There were times that we had to kill with our bare hands and not from the safety of our rifle’s crosshairs. I have blood on my hands and I think that you can see that I’ve been throwing myself into my work. I don’t go out in the field anymore, except to consult, but still I have those memories and sometimes they come back and bite me.”

I grabbed his hand and I bit into his palm. I licked the surface and gave him every reason to trust me with all of his hidden secrets. “You don’t have to fear me. Whatever you have to say will stay in the vault of my heart with the key thrown away.”