Still Here: A Secret Baby Romance (4 page)

T
his had
to be the fanciest restaurant in all of Billings, Montana. I wrapped the scarf that went with my borrowed dress around my shoulders. It was blustery out. The wind whipped through my hair as I stepped out onto the cold concrete.

I watched the valet as he drove away, taking Wyatt’s muscle car for what I assumed had to have been the most boring ride of its life. I grinned when I remembered the wild look in the kid’s eyes.

It was going to take all his self-control not to rev the engine. I could see it in his eyes.

I had a feeling we might get it back with an extra few miles on it.

“You do this on purpose, don’t you? Just to torture the poor valet,” I said as I walked alongside Wyatt.

“You mean I intentionally bring a muscle car to a place where someone who is barely old enough to drive has to pretend like they aren’t drooling over it?” he asked, grinning.

He must’ve seen the same thing I did.

“I’m surprised you didn’t point at him and say ‘not a scratch,’” I giggled. I actually giggled. Ugh. I needed to stop that.

“I’m not that old, yet,” he protested as he put his hand on the small of my waist and pulled me through the entrance.

I’d forgotten how easily conversation could flow between the two of us. And how sexy he looked in a suit. I spent most of the night trying to ignore it, but now that we were both walking in towards a group of unknown people I couldn’t help but notice.

Just like I couldn’t help but notice the way he was staring at me. I was caught in his sights, like an innocent doe and there was nothing I could do about it.

Except run and let him give chase.

“May I help you, sir?” the host asked as we walked in. This was easy for him. Talking to these people, acting like be belonged.

Because he did. I only thought I belonged. I only pretended. Wyatt Graves was the real deal. And it made me realize just how foreign his world was to me.

“Yes, I’m here with the Graves party,” he said as he pulled me in close.

I should’ve moved away, but my body was doing everything my brain told it not to. Every time I thought my body should inch away from him, it inched closer. Every time I wanted to tell him I needed to go home, I kept my mouth shut.

It was like I was creating my own prison and Wyatt Graves was the number one guard on duty. A sexy one I should’ve kept my hands off.

“Father, so good to see you,” Wyatt said as we approached them. His lips were thin and his expression was forced. I’d never seen him like this before.

All the ease of his speech left him, but it didn’t matter. We were there and there was a number of people looking up at us. The group turned and looked at us, smiling and giving pleasantries.

Everyone but his father.

“Wyatt. I see you decided to show after all. Unfortunately we’ve already made it through the main course. But I’m happy you caught desert.” His father shot him a glance I could only identify as irritation as we took our seats.

He’d already had his desert, I doubt he wanted seconds, but I was starving. I’d eat an entire cake in front of all of them. I didn’t care. I had no pride when it came to the hunger pains clutching at my stomach. I ordered two desserts and didn’t even look sheepish about it.

The added bonus was that it would keep me from having to interact with any of them.

“Your father was telling me that you were looking to expand the land for the business? And that you are considering soy?” One of the men asked. They got right into business.

“I’ve been systematically growing soy in the rotation over the last couple of years, but I think soy and beets are the way to go. More companies use soy and beet sugar in their products these days then they do other forms, and while corn will always be strong, some people are turning away from corn syrup,” he explained.

I tried not to let my eyes glaze over, but they did. It was not my choice of conversation and the idea that our food was mass produced in factories was something I didn’t want to think about. I just kept a pleasant smile through most of the conversation.

He was right though. It was good food and boring conversation. I almost fell asleep right at the table.

“I want to talk to you, before you leave,” his father said finally, when people started to pay their bills and make their way out of the restaurant.

He was angry, I could tell. I felt like I didn’t belong here, as if the dinner wasn’t awkward enough. Still, I tried to ignore it as I shoved the last bite of tiramisu into my mouth. Dear lord, how could anything be so sweet and perfect?

I pouted when I saw there was none left.

“Rose?” Wyatt said as he looked over at me, “You, uh, you got some on your,” he reached over and brushed the bit of whipped cream off my cheek.

His thumb lingered a second longer than it needed to.

There it was again. Those little electric shocks, the ones that ran up and down my body when he touched me.

I couldn’t control them, but I wouldn’t lie. They felt amazing.

“Wyatt, walk me to my car,” his father said as he lifted him up by his arm out of the chair.

Wyatt jerked away from him. He was stronger than the older man, and the action sent a glass flying.

“Dammit, Wyatt.” He swore as he stared at him. “You couldn’t make this a success, could you?” he asked.

I blinked at the two of them then stood up, shaking the water off of me.

“Look, dad,” he started but his father was angry. I could tell by the way his face turned three shades of red in under a second that this was not going to get any better.

“You’re late, you bring
her
with you, and then you can’t even bother to act like you want to work with the guests we have?” he said.

“Because I don't. Where in the hell did you find these assholes anyway? In the underbelly of the agricultural world?” he asked.

“I met Samuel in Washington,” he started.

“Right, lobbying. Like I said, the underbelly. They want to make a quick buck dad. They want more chemical fertilizers, they want measures that we both know are only short-term solutions. They’ll come in, they’ll insist I use their products, and when the ground dries up and the people are left with diseases,” he started.

“Again, with the pesticides. You think organic is any better?” he asked.

“I think it’s the way of the future. Organic and naturally certified are a growing market. They are what sells.”

I can’t believe we were in the middle of the fanciest restaurant in all of Billings, Montana and the two of them were arguing about organic versus traditional commercial agriculture.

“Gentlemen, if I could please ask you to take this matter outside,” the host walked over to them, a smile on his face as he tried to guide them away.

“Damn you, Wyatt. Can’t you see I’m trying to do what’s best? I’m trying to leave you a damn empire.” His father threw his napkin on the table and stormed out.

I just sat there. Shocked.

“I’m sorry,” Wyatt said to the host who just smiled and assured him that it was alright. His father had probably spent over a grand on dinner.

I sucked in a breath. Shocked.

At least dinner came with a show.

“
W
ell
, that could’ve gone better,” he said as he pulled me out into the street.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” she asked as she looked at me. She wasn’t happy.

“What do you mean?” I asked, tongue in cheek.

“I saw the look in your eyes when he got pissed and went off the rails. Don’t think I didn’t notice it, Wyatt. You get a kick out of pissing off your old man,” she said.

She wasn’t wrong. I loved to watch him get angry. I loved the way he gave up control. It was the only way I could think to get him to understand he wasn’t wanted. I’d tried reasoning with him. I’d tried asking him to leave, but he didn’t listen.

He didn’t care at all.

Still, I hated for her to see me like that. And I was even more upset that she found it so amusing. The corners of her mouth tilted up in a smile even as she looked at me.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. Just the way you never seem to change,” she admitted.

My car came around the corner and parked. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“Sure, you took over the business, but not really. Dad still runs the place, doesn’t he? He still tells you what to do. And you still rebel with your women and your cars. Don’t you think it’s a little old?” she asked.

I’d had enough of her smart mouth. I grabbed her and pushed her against that car, forcing her to up to look at me as I swooped down onto her lips.

I’d wanted to kiss her the whole night, but I’d kept my composure up until the last minute. I couldn’t hold back any longer.

She wasn’t going to push my buttons. No.

I pressed my lips hard against hers as I threaded my hands through her hair and pinned her body up against that car. She could’ve pulled back, could’ve gone cold, but she didn’t.

Rose Shannon wrapped her arms around me and she kissed me back, a small moan escaping her mouth as I invaded it with my tongue. I was going to take what I wanted. I was tired of playing around. Tired of this game that we were both engaged in. No one was winning, and I was frustrated as hell.

The rock hard cock pressing against her dress and up against her thigh was proof of it. She had me all kinds of twisted and I wasn’t going to let it stand. Not tonight.

“You done giving me what for?” I asked as I pulled away, her lips still parted, her eyes still shut. “Because I want to take you back to my place and show you exactly what I have in mind for the rest of the night.”

“Back to your place?” she asked as she hesitated.

“What, did you think we were just going to end this here?” I asked as I snatched the keys out of the valet’s hand.

“Damn,” he said low in appreciation. I almost laughed. Damn was right, kid.

I had everything I wanted, and I was going to make sure that this night didn’t end the wrong way.

“
I
didn’t realize
you’d bought the place,” I said as he pulled into the driveway of the little house on the corner of Third Street and Route Three-Twenty-Two. It was the cutest storybook house in the entire town, one that I’d told him I adored a lifetime ago.

It felt like a lifetime.

It was where I dreamt everything was wonderful, and everything was easy. I’d imagined a small garden in the back and a little patio for entertaining.

But those were the days when I thought I might want to live in Laurel. Where I thought I might end up like everyone else who’d ever grown up here. Stuck in the small town with nowhere to go.

Denver changed all of that. School changed all of that. I didn’t have a storybook fairytale waiting for me. Except for the big bad beast I was running from.

He wasn’t the kind who would turn into a prince either.

“I bought it as soon as it came on the market. You made it seem so ideal, and it is close to the office,” he said as he opened the door and walked around his car to open mine.

“You didn’t want something more flashy?” I asked as I looked it over. It was modest by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still so cute.

“I don’t need anything expensive like that, Rose. I never did. I like to have pretty things though.” It was then that he grabbed me and pulled me into his arms, “you are about as pretty as they get.”

He threaded his fingers through my hair and looked into my eyes, his own filled with lust.

Damn, this man was sexy as hell. And he had me right where he wanted me. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

I knew what was coming next but to say I was prepared for it would’ve been a lie. I clung to him as he kissed me and opened the door to his home.

I wish I could say I saw the inside, but as soon as he scooped me up and pulled me up the stairs I was in the bedroom and I’d forgotten anything except his face. And the strong arms wrapped around me.

“You aren’t getting away from me again, Rose. Not tonight,” his voice was barely above a whisper, all the gravel in it sending tingles down my spine. He was so handsome, so charming. I couldn’t fight him off forever.

I didn’t want to.

He wound me up like a toy. He could use me any way he wanted to. I wasn’t going to protest. Not this. Not him.

I pulled Wyatt’s suit jacket off and kissed his neck, sinking my teeth into him, just a little bit, just barely. Enough to make him moan. I dug my nails into his back and that’s when he grabbed me, chuckling.

“Oh, you want to play it rough, do you Rose?” he asked.

Wyatt wasn’t the kind of man who backed away from a situation. No, he took it and he escalated it, which was exactly what I wanted him to do.

He wasn’t gentle as he grabbed my arm and threw me into the hallway, pinning me against the closest wall. I loved the way he made me feel when he pinned me down. I didn’t want to get away, but I couldn’t even if I tried. He was on me in an instant, his mouth grinding against mine, the feel of him against me. He was hard as hell and I couldn’t help but notice that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him.

He wasn’t the one pretending. I was. But I couldn’t keep up the illusion. Not with him so close to me, his lips on mine. Not with his body calling my body’s bluff.

I had a losing hand, and no amount of bravado would turn that around.

“I like to play to win,” I admitted as I kissed him again.

I was so bold. This was the version of me that I missed. The one I’d left in Denver with my heart. I wanted to say it was the alcohol talking, but I’d barely had any. Just a white wine with that amazing dessert.

He grabbed me and kissed me again, this time he slid his hands up under my dress, hiking it up past my hips as he ran his thumbs over my nipples. I hissed out as he stroked them and looked into my eyes. “If a game is what you want, I’m an excellent player, and I don’t bluff.”

He kissed my neck then whispered, “I never thought you would walk back into town. That I would be able to see you again. Now that I have, I have to have you. Just one more time, Rose.”

That sent tingles up my spine as I arched my back towards him. I was hanging on to his neck by a thread, but when I saw where he was pushing us I grinned. He wanted me. Hell, I could tell by the look in his eyes, by the taste of his breath that he needed me.

He was playing his cards just right, and I had nothing in my hand but a pair of twos. I was lousy at bluffing.

His bed was big and beautiful, just the like his bedroom. I turned from him and crawled on his bed, looking up at him. “I should’ve told you no, Wyatt. I should’ve got in my car and driven away, and now I can’t stop. Not until I have you.”

“You have no idea how right you are about that,” he said as he grabbed my dress and pulled it up over my head. Fuck. This was really happening. “I’m an asshole. You’ll get hurt and we both know it, but I can’t help myself.”

It was lust. Nothing more.

I knew that, but it didn’t send me running. Nothing could. A man like Wyatt Graves always got what he wanted at the expense of anyone in his way. He was the kind of man that I swore off. Hell, he was the exact man I walked away from all those years to go because he was just too reckless.

He never cared about anything, from who he slept with, to the choices he made and it was why I’d stayed away. Why I swore him off. But one night, I could do one night. It didn’t have to mean anything else. From his dark hair to his well defined musculature I was in absolute heaven. Or maybe it was temptation that would lead me to hell. I didn’t know or care. I just wanted to feel him. All of him.

I tugged at his shirt and he pulled it over his own head. I swear I let out a moan of appreciation when I saw his body.

It wasn’t the same body I remembered. It was older, firmer. It had more musculature, and less softness. Hell, it even had a tattoo right over his left chest muscle.

“What does this mean?” I asked as I ran my hands over his chest and then looked up into his eyes. I was referring to the tattoo of a dark red rose wrapped in thorns.

“Regrets,” he said as he looked into my eyes. “Things lost.”

What I saw when he stared at me shook me to my very core. It was a mixture of want and something deeper, something more… predatory. It sent chills up my spine but I could feel my arousal too. It was growing.

Fuck, I wanted him. No part of me could deny that. I knew this was a mistake, but I didn’t care. I deserved a night like this. I wanted him like I wanted nothing else. I remembered all those tears, all that anger when I walked away.

It was my own damn fault, but I knew who he was and I knew what he was bound to do to me. I just refused to let the inevitable be delayed. I put it in my own hands all those years ago.

Just like I was making my own decisions now.

I deserved to feel something more than anger and sadness and loathing. I needed some pleasure.

So I reached into his pants and found his cock hard and large and gave it a small tug. It grew even larger. Damn. I hadn’t remembered him being that big.

“I want you,” I said slowly.

“Do you, Rose?” he asked as he slipped his hand behind my back and unclipped my bra in one quick movement. He really was experienced. I didn’t want to know how experienced. I kissed him as I willed all the thoughts away and just indulged myself in him. “Or will you just walk away from me again.”

I wasn’t ready to answer that question. Not yet. This was a one time deal, and we both knew it. I couldn’t let him take over my whole world.

“Do you want me?” I asked as I looked into his eyes. They were the stunning kind of blue. Like ice. It felt like he was looking right through me as he stared into mine. “Just for tonight?’

“You have no idea.” He kissed me again and pulled off my slip, leaving me in my panties as he took me in. Then he went for them. He slipped them off like they were nothing. It was all so quick. So guttural. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be the gentle kind of lovemaking.

He slammed me down on the mattress, my body bouncing just a little. He wasn’t soft or gentle. He wasn’t the man I thought he was. No. I’d come at this hard and firm and he responded in kind.

Wyatt read my every move. He knew exactly what I wanted, and he gave it to me. He found the spots that felt so good when he pinched or dug in. He figured out how to show me so much pleasure with just a little pain.

The man was a step ahead of my own thoughts, my own desires and he never let it slow him down, not for a second. No one else had ever been so intuitive.

No one else made me feel this way.

Wyatt kissed down my body, licking and nibbling, even biting on my soft flesh, devouring me in with his mouth and his eyes and he looked up at me.

And the look in his eyes told me exactly what he was after. Pleasure. I wanted that too. So badly. I reached for his pants and unbuttoned the top button, my hands shaking as I took down his zipper.

Hot damn. I knew his cock was huge, but as I pushed down his pants and boxers I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. His cock was hard and big and I swear I thought it would split me in two. Had even that grown since I’d had him last? I couldn’t imagine ever fitting that inside of me before.

I swallowed hard and bit my lip looking up at him.
What if he breaks me?

“Fuck, Rose. I’m solid as a rock because of you.” He growled. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting to fuck you?”

He pulled me  onto him as he kissed me. His teeth smashed against my lips, his tongue parting my own as he invaded me. He wanted me and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Not now. It wasn’t the gentle kind of kiss that a good guy would execute. No, it was harsh and hard and it was strong and it filled every corner of me and left me wanting for more.

I clung to him, my chest rising and falling. Every sensation was heightened. Every touch, every feeling. The feeling of his lips against mine, the rough stubble on his chin that ground into my skin, the grip of his hands on my hips as he thrust me down onto him.

All of it overwhelmed me. He was the tidal wave, and I was just caught up in him, rag-dolling my way to pleasure. Just hoping I got the chance to breathe when it was all over.

We moved together for what felt like both an eternity and just a few moments all at once. His moans became mine as he thrust in and out of me. Hell, I was going to come before long. I could feel it.

It came in a wave, but he didn’t stop. He just kept going, rocking his body in and out of mine, his muscles doing all the work.

“Wyatt,” I purred against him as he drove into me.

I was going to come again. I could feel it. Oh god, I could feel it.

This time, though, he moaned with me. His cock inside of me as he came. Fuck. We were both finished, the height of ecstasy washing over us both.

I was lost in his eyes, his arms wrapped around me as I looked down into them. I just wanted to live there in that moment.

Until the real world came calling.

His phone buzzed and ruined it all. “I have to get this,” he said as he grabbed his phone and scrolled. I prayed it was nothing, that he could just put it down and walk away. Instead, he stood up and broke the moment.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I stared up at him, confused.

“I just got a text. I need to get down to the office. You can hang out here, or I can drive you home, but he says it is an emergency.” He huffed and pulled on a pair of jeans from his dresser.

“Yeah, okay. Just, um, take me home,” I said.  I got dressed in a state of shock. What the hell was happening?

I’d started to hope. That was what happened. I’d started to hope that he was more caring than he really was.

This was a moment of weakness. I wouldn’t let it happen again.