Taming Eric (36 page)

He felt his anger rising again. He seriously didn’t need this shit right now. He needed to talk to Natasha and preferably not with her spitting pitbull mother standing in his way. Still she was obviously going nowhere and maybe her daughter had left out the little bit of information about being pregnant to her too so this could be quite a revelation for more than one in the room. “Fine Mrs Barrington, if that’s the way you wan
t it.”

Call me Kathryn.” She gave him a tight
smile.

“Eric I just want to go to bed. I’m exhausted. It’s been a long day. Just tell me why you’re here then go please.” Natasha spoke up suddenly from her position on the lounge. Eric could see the strain and fatigue in her eyes. Well fuck her, she had some explaining to do before she got to sleep to
night.

He bent over her on the lounge, his voice low with his suppressed anger. “You’re tired, you’ve had a long day. Well fuck you Natasha. You’re not going anywhere until you give me an explanation and it had better be a fucking good one
too.”

Kathryn got in his face again, anger in her eyes as she glared at him. “Don’t you dare use that language on my girl. She’s done nothing to you. You have hurt her and now you come here acting like the injured party?” She snapped a
t him.

Fuck if she only knew and she was standing there giving him a hard time about how he’d treated her daughter? Time to drop the bomb on both of them obviously. The humour in the situation got to him and before he could control it, he burst out laughing. “I haven’t done anything to your daughter Kathryn. Your daughter has betrayed me, lied to me. I’m the one who should be upset, not
her.”

“What is it that you think I’ve done to you Eric?” Natasha asked from her position on the l
ounge.

What had she done? She could sit there looking him straight in the eye, while her body carried his child that she had made the conscious decision not to tell him about and she could ask what he thought she’d
done?

With his anger simmering almost out of control again, his eyes fixed on hers, he reached into his pocket, pulled out the pregnancy test strip and tossed it onto her lap. He felt his lips curl up in a small semblance of satisfaction when he watched the colour drain from her face before she looked up at him, fear in her expre
ssion.

“What is it baby girl?” Kathryn’s voice cut through the tension that radiated between himself and Natasha. She must have spotted the test strip because she suddenly turned accusing eyes on her daughter. “You’re pregnant? Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been here for a couple of hours and nothing? Why keep something this big from me?” Eric could see the hurt in her eyes as she looked at her daughter. “Welcome to my world.” He thought to hi
mself.

He gave a hollow sounding laugh. “Oh don’t worry Kathryn, your daughter didn’t think that either of us should be given that piece of information.” His eyes locked on Natasha’s again. “I just want to know why you lied. You told me you did the test and it was negative. I’d still be thinking it was negative if I hadn’t found this damning piece of evidence lying in the bin when I was packing up to fly home. If you wanted to keep it from me, you shouldn’t have thrown the fucking thing in the bin.” He found himself yelling a
t her.

Kathryn turned on her daughter too, standing by Eric’s side and he suspected he’d just gained her as an unlikely ally. “Why didn’t you tell me Natasha? I’m your Mother. How could you keep that from me?” Eric watched Natasha’s eyes shift from him to her Mother and she rolled her eyes. Fuck it she rolled her eyes at
them.

“I was going to tell you Mum, just not tonight. I’m tired. I couldn’t face all the questions tonight. Mum, please, I need to speak to Eric alone. I’ll call you tomo
rrow.”

Eric stared at her surprised. He’d never expected her to willingly dismiss her mother so she was left alone with him, but that was what he wanted. He couldn’t talk to her the way he really wanted to when her mother was standing between them all the
time.

“I’m not leaving you alone with him and not before you explain to me why you chose to keep such a vital peace of information like you being pregnant fro
m me.”

Damn but this woman wasn’t going to go quietly. He turned to her. “Please Kathryn. I promise I just want to talk to your daughter. I’m not going to hurt her. I’ve never hurt a woman before and I’m not about to start on Natasha.” He tried to turn on all the charm he could to convince the older
woman.

She looked between the two of them. “You’ve already hurt my daughter. More than I think you realise. I’m not happy about this baby girl. Are you sure you want me to go? If I leave here, you have to promise me you’ll call me as soon as he le
aves.”

Natasha nodded at her mother. “I promise Mum.” She apologised to her Mother again for not mentioning her pregnancy and Eric watched their exchange as they hugged and kissed one another. He couldn’t help the stab of pain that hit him when he saw them together. If only his mother had been like that with him, but she hadn’t loved him, not enough a
nyway.

Kathryn came over and stood right in front of him again. “Don’t you dare hurt my daughter.” She warned him, stabbing her finger into his
chest.

“I won’t.” He responded quietly, his pain over watching their loving exchange still affectin
g him.

With one final glance at them both Kathryn left shutting the door behind her. When Eric turned back to Natasha she was eyeing him off nervously. All the anger and frustration he’d felt evaporated and he simply stared at her, drinking in her beauty. He couldn’t believe he was standing in front of her. Earlier today he’d thought it was all over, he’d never see her again but fate had stepped in and given him a second chance wit
h her.

“I thought you were here to talk or yell or whatever the hell you’re here for.” She finally spoke up when he continued to remain s
ilent.

“Why did you lie to me? If I hadn’t have found that.” He pointed to the test strip. “I wouldn’t know now. Were you ever going to tel
l me?”

Natasha’s reaction to his question set him back on his heels. She gave him a bitter sounding laugh. A laugh he never thought he’d hear from her and the look she gave him cut deep. “You dare to ask me why I didn’t tell you? You made it perfectly clear you don’t want to be a father. I was so scared you’d force me to have an abortion and I’m sorry if that pisses you off, but I want this baby and I’m not destroying this child because you don’t want it. I’d never thought about becoming a Mother any time soon, but now I’m pregnant, there is no way in hell I’m giving this child up. I don’t need you in my baby’s life Eric. I will not make any financial demands on you. I have money of my own and I’m quite happy to put father unknown on the birth certifi
cate.”

Her harsh words filled with so much contempt for him ripped him open again emotionally and he struggled not to let the pain he was feeling register on his face. He couldn’t help recoiling in horror though at her low opinion of him. Despite his earlier fears he’d expressed, did she really think he would force her to have an abortion? If the look on her face was any indication, then yes sh
e did.

“You think I would force you to have an abortion? Why do you think I’m such a monster Natasha? I know I won’t make a good father. Just because I’m not cut out to be a father doesn’t mean I’d demand you get rid of the baby.” He began to pace restlessly around the room as he struggled with his emo
tions.

“Why are you so convinced you would be such a terrible Father?” Her eyes followed him as he
paced.

He stopped to face her, his expression tormented. “I just know, ok?” He knew this was his chance to open up to her about his past but although the words hovered on the tip of his tongue, he just couldn’t seem to open up and talk t
o her.

“That doesn’t answer my question Eric. You have to have a reason why you’re so convinced that you would take out Terrible Father of the Year a
ward.”

He opened up his mouth trying to finally tell her, but he couldn’t. He froze, fear of what she would say and how she would look at him if she knew the truth kept him s
ilent.

“Just go home Eric. We have nothing more to discuss.” Natasha’s voice sounded weary and resigned. He knew he’d failed her by not giving her a reason but he’d never told anyone about his past and although the truth might have given her a sense of understanding of him, he couldn’t tel
l her.

One thing he knew for sure though was she wasn’t going to just dismiss him the way she was. “Dammit Natasha, you’re not pushing me out that fucking door. Fuck it, fuck it. Why did everything have to become such a fucking mess? This was never meant to happen. It was a huge mistake. Everything was a fucking mistake.” The words tumbled from his lips as the pain of their fight, the pain of her leaving him and now the fear that he was about to lose her forever tore a
t him.

“I’m so sorry Eric that everything in your life has gone to shit. I’m sorry that our time away was a huge fucking mistake to you and I’m really sorry that I’m now carrying your child which you don’t want but I’m tired. I want to go to bed, so go home!” Suddenly Natasha was yelling at him and Eric stared at her in conf
usion.

Why on earth was she tearing into him now? Fuck it, no, she was twisting his words, that wasn’t what he’d meant at all. He was so fucked up right now, everything was so fucked up and he didn’t know how to fix it. They were spiralling out of control and he’d never been in this situation with a woman before, he didn’t know what to do to make it
right.

“Dammit Natasha, you’re twisting this all around. I never said that.” He walked over to her. “Our time away was amazing, you were amazing. I couldn’t get enough of you. I still can’t. I still want you so damned much.” He groaned and reached for her, but she pulled away fro
m him.

Eric’s arms fell back to his side and he closed his eyes tight for a moment as the pain of her rejection lanced through him. At her next words, he flinched, unable to protect himself anymore against the hurt she could inflict on him. “Don’t you dare touch me Eric. It’s over between us and you know it. Everything has changed. I’m not here for your amusement. I’m pregnant with a baby you don’t want and since this baby and I are a package deal there is no one without the other. Plus that wasn’t some fucking attempt to trap you or something. I don’t need you, your baby doesn’t need you, so go home!” She spat at him vehem
ently.

Fuck it no. He had to give it one more try to get her back. Sex, the sex was always amazing between them. If he could just kiss her and touch her she’d have to remember what it was like, she’d have to want him back then. He reached out and pulled her against him. “Don’t just dismiss me like I’m nothing. Maybe I need to remind you what it can be like betwee
n us.”

His lips closed over hers, crushing her lips against her teeth as arousal surged through his body. He forced his tongue past her lips, his assault on her mouth rough until he tasted her blood and with a groan he eased off, gently nibbling along her bottom lip. Natasha didn’t respond and Eric’s frustration grew. He had to make her feel again. Their desire was normally explosive, if he tried harder, pushed more, she would respond, he was sure
of it.

He moved his hands to her breasts cupping them and squeezing them until he heard her gasp. His cock pushed urgently against his jeans and he ground his erection into her stomach, suddenly desperate for her. Still she stood there unresponsive and he groaned grinding himself more forcefully against her, his hands crushing her breasts. He knew he was being rough, but he couldn’t make himself calm down. His need for her was too
great.

Natasha started to struggle and her struggles only excited him more. He backed her up until she hit the wall and he began to thrust against her, his cock hard and pressing painfully against his fly. He reached down to rip the button open on her jeans, hastily opened the zip on them and slipped his hand inside to touch his fingers to her clit. She twitched slightly but still she wouldn’t respond to his caress. Fuck her she was being so damned stubborn. He was going to make her feel again, he knew he could, he just had to keep working on her until he broke down the walls she’d er
ected.

His lips closed over hers again and she responded by biting down hard on his lip drawing blood. He grunted with the pain but all it did was excite him even more. He pulled her jeans down over her hips, sliding them down her legs and ripped them the rest of the way off. He was in too much of a hurry to worry with her panties and simply tore the fabric until they fell apart and he tossed them
aside.

He pushed a leg between hers forcing hers apart and bent his knees enough to lower himself to her height and with one hard thrust he drove his cock deep into her body. It was a shock to meet some slight resistance when he discovered she wasn’t as wet as she normally was, but all coherent thought had left Eric, he had no time for gentleness, he was controlled by basic animal instincts and began to thrust into her over and over again, desperate for his re
lease.

Vaguely he heard Natasha cry out but he was too consumed by his own need to slow down and he slammed into her completely out of control, grunting from his exertions, his mouth pressed against her neck, his breathing rasping hot and heavy dampening her
skin.

He felt her starting to get wet and her hands came up to his shoulders but he was too far gone to take the time to make things good for her now. With a couple more hard thrusts, he came, pumping his hot seed into her, over and over again, his cock jerking with every spurt. When he was finally finished, his legs were shaking and he sagged against her breathing
hard.