In Blood and Worth Loving 3 Kiss Cover (30 page)

“
Just so you know, Conner. Max is your friend. He advocates for my forgiving you as fiercely as Adrian and Jay do. But then so do Sin, Seb, and Macarik. They all think you deserve yet another chance. So don
’
t be such a hater where Max is concerned.
”

“
He
’
s answering your phone in the middle of the night and you
’
re falling asleep in his arms. He implied you and he or even you and Macarik
–
”

“
Both Max and Kristopher have been here when I needed them and both men are your friend. You shouldn
’
t be so quick to think badly of them, Conner.
”

“
I probably wouldn
’
t if I didn
’
t feel so helpless and fear that I
’
ve lost you for good this time. Have I?
”

“
You
’
ll probably always own my heart, but with a baby on the way, I have to think with my head. To do that I need time away from you.
”

“
Haven
’
t we ha
d
enough time away from each other?
”

“
You
’ve
had
over six
weeks. You want me to decide in sixty minutes?
”

“
Okay. How long
do you need to decide
?
”

“
I don
’
t know.
”

“
Six weeks?
”

“
I don
’
t know. I just know I need some time to clear my head and
to
think.
”

“
How will I know your decision?
”

“
If I want to try again, I
’
ll call you.
”

“
So if I don
’
t hear from you I should assume the answer
’
s no?
”

She nodded.
“
Yes.
”

“
I see. Desiree
–
”

“
Please, Conner, I really can
’
t take much more.
”

“
Okay. I
’
m going, but please remember that even though I haven
’
t acted like it, I do love you. I won
’
t let you down again.
”
He leaned forward to kiss her cheek and then left as quietly as he
’
d entered.

She fall back against the pillow and let the tears stream down her cheeks.

* * *

Conner became obsessed with watching Max, Seb, Sin, Adrian, Jay, and Macarik take turns spending part of the night in Desi
’
s apartment. After four weeks of silence from her he knew she
’
d chosen not to forgive him. And the emptiness he felt at the knowledge seemed to eat him from the inside out.

He couldn
’
t think properly, he couldn
’
t sleep. And he didn
’
t know how he was supposed to accept her decision without trying to change her mind. He finally decided he needed to get away for a vacation alone so he could decide what his options were.

He drove to his condo determined to pack, drive to the airport and
buy a ticket on t
he first plane with an available seat
–
regardless of its destination. When he arrived, he
’
d give the ring he
’
d been carrying around since she removed it to the first sucker he met without a wedding ring.

As he put his key in the lock, his nostrils flared and he experienced a sense of excitement he hadn
’
t felt since the last time he and Desi were still friends.

He pushed open his front door and stalked inside and down the corridor to the living room.

Desi, noticeably heavier than the last time he
’
d seen her, rose from his sofa.

He wanted
to
sweep her into his arms. But for all he knew she
’
d decided to deliver her Dear John letter in person.

They stared at each other.

She spoke first.
“
Long time no see, handsome.
”
She smiled; the same sweet yet inviting smile she
’
d given him the night they met.

Finally
; his long
nightmare was over. She
’
d chosen to forgive him. Thank God. He flashed across the room and drew her into his embrace.
“
Oh sweet. I
’
m so happy and relieved to see you. You are here because you
’
ve decided to forgive me. Aren
’
t you?
”

She pushed away from him so she could look up at him.
“
I
’
ve missed you so much and I want more than anything for things to work between us.
”

“
They will. I know dating me hasn
’
t been the best time of your life, but I
’
ll do everything I can to make it up to you.
”
He looked at her stomach.
“
I promise I will be the best father I can be to him. He won
’
t know that I wanted you to
–
”

She pressed her fingers against his lips.
“
That
’
s in the past. We
’
re moving forward with a clean slate and a lot of hope.
”

“
That hope won
’
t be unrealized this time. And if you
’
re sure
–
”

“
I am.
”

“
Then please accept this again.
”
He reached in his pant pockets and removed her engagement ring.

As he slipped it on her finger, she sucked in a breath before she burst into tears and burrowed into his arms.

Holding her close he could feel the clear evidence of her pregnancy in the form of her belly. Watching it become rounder and rounder with Hartford
’
s child would be a challenge but it was one he was determined to meet.
“
I won
’
t let you down again.
”

“
Please don
’
t,
”
she whispered.

He sat on the sofa and pulled her down onto his lap.
“
The three of us will be
happy together.
”

She sighed and pressed her cheek against his neck.
“
Can I ask a favor?
”

“
Of course.
”

She lifted her head to look at him.
“
I just know the baby is male and…
”

“
And?
”

“
I
’
ve decided what I want to name him but I won
’
t do it without your approval.
”

He clenched his jaw. She was about to tell him she wanted to name the baby after Hartford.
“
You want to name him after his father?
”

“
Yes. No! Well, yes now.
”

He compressed his lips.
“
You want to name him Tyler Hartford or just Tyler?
”

“
No!
”
She frowned.
“
I want to name him after you and Max. I have Max
’
s permission and I want yours.
”

He inhaled slowly, not sure how he felt.

She caressed his cheek.
“
If you
’
d rather I didn
’
t
use your name
, I understand. I can just go with Max.
”

“
Why would you want to name him after Max?
”

“
Because he
’
s been my rock and he said he was honored that I wanted to do it. I love his full name;
Maxvillion
.
”

He struggled to control his annoyance. He had no one to blame but himself that she considered Max her rock instead of him.

“
His name
,
like the man himself
,
has a unique flare.
”

He narrowed his gaze.
“
I know I made the unfortunate mistake of calling you a bitch a few times, but h
e makes a habit of it.
”

She nodded.
“
I know, but he has a gift for making the word sound like the sweetest caress.
”

What the fuck! Why were women so blind to Max
’
s faults?
“
You
didn’t seem so fond of the word when I was stupid enough to use it.
”

“
I love you, but let
’
s face it, honey you don
’
t have the gift of making the word sound like a caress.
”

He frowned, even more annoyed.

She leaned forward to kiss him.
“
But you have other qualities that more than compensate for any such lack. I have loved you from the moment we met.
”

Hearing the conviction in her voice and seeing the sincerity in her gaze, he relaxed.
“
If Max wants someone named after him, he can get his own woman.
”

She moistened her lips.
“
Does that mean I can name him after you?
”

Oh damn. It was clearly the only way there would ever been someone named after him. He nodded.
“
Yes.
”

“
Then let
’
s make a deal.
”
She rose and removed her panties before she lifted her nightgown, placing her hand on her exposed belly.
“
Feel him grow with me, Conner.
”

Recalling the emotions he
’
d felt when he
’
d placed his hand on Brandi
’
s stomach, he readily placed his over hers.

“
It
’
s too early for you to feel him moving, but let
’
s do this properly.
”
She slipped her hand from under his, leaving his on her bare skin.

Instead of the revulsion he expected, he felt an almost immediate jolt of pleasure
and a strange connection
quickly followed by a surprising rush of desire. Keeping his hand on her stomach, he guided her back onto his lap. He brushed his teeth against her neck.
“
Can we…
”

She trembled against him.
“
Yes. Oh yes, Conner. I just need you to be gentler than you usually are.
”
She turned her head and brushed her mouth against his.

Cupping his hand on the back of her head, he savored the taste of the intimacy of a long, moist kiss before she suddenly pulled away and lifted her hips.

Surprised, he tingled when he felt her hand slipping down to unzip his pants. Moments later, she eagerly pushed her pussy against his erect shaft. He gritted his teeth to keep from thrusting his hips upward as she slowly sat down until his entire cock rested where it felt most loved and welcomed
–
deep within the confines of her wet, tight pussy.

Oh fuck yeah! There was no feeling in the world as sweet as being inside her like this.

She leaned back against him, moving her ass in a circular motion.

He wanted to grip her hips and bounce her up and down on his cock until he exploded inside her. But he
’
d fucked up enough for the foreseeable future. So he slid his hands up from her ass to cup her breasts instead. Forgoing his need to ingest her sweet, addictive blood, he touched his mouth briefly to her neck before
brushing
it
against
the corner of her lips.

Grinding her ass on him, she turned her head with her lips parted.

He kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth.

She moaned and tightened herself around his cock.

Realizing his need
for
her wouldn
’
t allow him to be as gentle as he should be, he ejaculated in her pussy, preparing it for the fucking to come.

She moaned again and half turned to clutch at him
, tearing her lips away from his
.
“Oh God, Conner. I think I need a fuck after all.”

He shifted them until she lay on her side with her back against the sofa. Then he lifted her top leg, pressed his cock back inside her and slipping his hands over her ass, he pulled her as close as possible and started to fuck her with gentle but steady movements.

After several minutes of the sweetness of feeling her pussy welcoming and massaging his cock, she shuddered and
moaned.
“
Oh God, Conner. Oh God. I
’
m al
most
there…feels so good to have you
r big cock
back inside me. O
h…fuck
. Oh fuck.
I love having you so deep inside my pussy.
”

“
My pussy,
”
he corrected her and overcome by need he could no longer control, he sought her neck, and quickly pierced the skin with his incisors.

She trembled.
“
Oh honey…oh honey. I
’
m coming…coming so hard.
”

Within seconds of her moan, he felt her
orgasm shake her body
.

He removed his teeth from her neck in
p
reparation for repositioning their bodies.
He slipped out of her long enough to
grip her hips and roll over onto his back
. Locking his arm around her, he felt her settled
with her
back pressed against his chest.
Sliding one hand down to probe for her clit, he thrust up into her.

“
Oh! Oh! Oh, fuck. Yes!
”
she reached back to grip his hips and fuck her big ass back against him.

He cupped his free hand over her breasts, pinching her nipples until they hardened.

She moaned and reached up to remove his hand from her breasts. She guided it down her body and placed the back of it on her stomach.

Knowing what she wanted, he turned his hand, placing his palm on her belly.