The Beauty Within (31 page)

“I disagree,” Gunnar said, moving his hand underneath her panties and

finding the hot, wet core of her. “Nothin’ cold about this, Tyler.”

She groaned and gripped the chair. “Gunnar…”

Gunnar moved behind her and reached over her shoulder with his free

hand to grab a biscuit. He bit into it. “So good, baby,” he said with his mouth

full, even as he shoved her panties down her legs. “Here, have some.”

He placed the biscuit to her mouth and she took a bite. She moaned, but

Gunnar knew it was more because he’d slipped two fingers inside of her than

from the buttermilk deliciousness of the bread.

“Gunn…” she sighed, rocking her hips against his fingers.

Gunnar finished the biscuit and pushed down his pajama bottoms, brush-

ing the head of his length against her swollen nether lips. “Want more?” he

asked, teasing her.

“Yes,” she said, and he was about to enter her victoriously before he spied

her grabbing another biscuit from the basket. Gunnar laughed, hiding his face

into Tyler’s back and feeling her own body shake with her muffled giggles.

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Savannah J. Frierson

They were still laughing when Gunnar pulled out his fingers surged his

manhood inside her anyway, and Tyler’s laughter gave way to a guttural moan.

“Fuck, Gunnar,” she gasped, the partially eaten biscuit falling back onto

the plate when her hand opened wide from surprise and pleasure.

“Good, isn’t it?” Gunnar asked confidently, picking up the biscuit and plac-

ing a strip of bacon on it from the paper-toweled saucer next to the biscuit

basket. He’d been stroking slowly in and out of her the entire time, his essence-

slicked fingers dragging up her shirt so he could see and tweak her bare

nipples. “You make the best breakfast,
elskling
.”

“Gunnar!”

After he finished that biscuit, Gunnar brought Tyler up and flush against

him. He pulled back the seat and sat in it, not breaking their intimate contact.

Tyler groaned at the new sensation, and Gunnar bit her shoulder.

“Eat, baby,” Gunnar said, “so your food won’t get cold.”

“
Mmm
…” Her eyes were closed and her skin was damp. She reached behind

his head and gripped the back of the chair while the other braced against the

edge of the table as she worked her hips to get the maximum stroke out of him.

Gunnar grinned, holding her hips and lifting her up and down on his

member. He bent his head and latched onto the chocolate peak of her left

breast, and she whimpered again. He began thrusting faster, and her nipple fell

out his mouth, but he just nipped and licked at the curve of her breast, moving

until he reached underneath her arm.

“Gunnar…baby…” she began to pant.

“Are you close for me,
kjære
?”

“Yes!” Gunnar brought her back against him so he could kiss her. One hand

continued to lift her while the other inserted itself between her legs and

danced over the slick bundle of nerves above where they were joined.

“Come for me,” Gunnar whispered against her lips. “Come for me, baby.”

She looked deep into his eyes and gave him a sweet smile. “You come for

me too.”

He bucked into her hard, causing her breasts to jiggle, and he erupted in-

side her at the same time she drenched his lap. They both sagged heavily in the

chair, kissing each other lazily. Gunnar’s hands moved along her torso, cupping

her breasts, her belly, her center.

“Well,” Gunnar said, nibbling Tyler’s upper lip briefly. “I certainly enjoyed

my breakfast.”

Tyler laughed heartily and gave him a large hug, her joy enveloping him.

After another quick shower (in separate bathrooms so Gunnar wouldn’t

get “seconds”), the pair came back downstairs and ate the breakfast Tyler

cooked. Gunnar told her Damon wanted them to meet for dinner at their house

at six, and Tyler smiled a slow smile.

“What’s that for,
elskling
?” Gunnar asked, becoming suspicious.

“They have an announcement to make.”

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167

Gunnar frowned. “How do you know that?”

“Something a sister knows, Gunnar,” Tyler said, biting off a piece of bacon.

“She’s either pregnant, engaged, or both.”

Gunnar’s eyes softened as they gazed upon her, remembering the events

from an hour earlier. “Do you think we’re pregnant this time?”

Tyler started at the question. “What?”

“I didn’t use protection this last time…I didn’t even use protection last

night…”

“Gunnar!”

“What?” he said with a shrug. “I’d apologize if I were sorry, but I’m not. I

want you to have my baby, Tyler.”

“Gunnar!” she said again, this time standing and clearing the table. “
Now
?”

“Not
right
now,” Gunnar said cheekily. “I can wait nine months—”

“But what if we aren’t
together
in nine months—”

“You plan on going somewhere?” Gunnar asked, his tone deceptively light.

“
No
! But Gunnar, be reasonable, okay? We just started dating; we just went

through this…incident. Take a step back and think about what you’re saying—

”

“I know what I’m saying,” Gunnar said, standing and gathering more dish-

es with him. He set them in the sink and took the ones Tyler had already rinsed

and put them in the dishwasher. “I’m saying I see a future with you, Tyler

Marie Carver, and I want everything that entails.”

She gaped at him, the dish hanging limply in her hands underneath the

faucet. “I don’t even know your middle name!”

A corner of his mouth quirked. “Sven.”

“Quit being cute,” Tyler said, rolling her eyes.

“Sorry,
elskling
,” Gunnar said, coming behind her and wrapping his arms

around her waist. “Physically impossible to do that. My parents made gorgeous

children, after all.”

She laughed, sucking her teeth when he rinsed a plate above the one she

had under the faucet. “Arrogant!”

“Why shouldn’t I be? Especially when I know I’m going to continue that

esteemed tradition with my own kids.” He set the dish he’d rinsed in the

dishwasher, then pressed his hands against her middle. “We will have the most

beautiful children,
kjære
.”

She didn’t respond, and Gunnar was okay with that. It would take her

some time to get used to the fact this was a permanent arrangement. So they

worked silently as they finished cleaning the kitchen, then they snuggled on

the couch in the living room as Gunnar showed her some of high school and

college yearbooks until it was time to take her home so she could change for

the dinner with Damon and Wendy.

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Savannah J. Frierson

The meal had been wonderful. They’d had pasta fettuccini alfredo with

baked chicken, asparagus, and garlic bread. Wendy kept shooting Tyler

knowing glances that she couldn’t ignore or deny, and Damon looked like he

was a little boy awaiting dessert.

“Someone say something,” Gunnar said, clearly as anxious and impatient as

his male counterpart.

“You’ve been using protection?” Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow at Tyler.

“Oh,
no
!” Tyler said. “What’s that got to do with anything?!”

Wendy’s shrug was lazy, but there was a gleam in her eyes. “Oh, I don’t

know. Just if you haven’t, there’s a strong possibility we could give birth to

cousins around the same time…”

It took a minute for Wendy’s words to sink in, and the moment it hap-

pened, Tyler screeched and ran around the table to hug her sister. “I knew it!”

Damon laughed and shook his head. “Right, you did!”

“I did!” Tyler said, still squeezing her sister and lifting up Wendy’s left

hand to inspect the ring, “tell them, Gunnar!”

“She did,” Gunnar affirmed, standing and approaching Damon to slap a

hand on his shoulder. “She said y’all were either engaged, pregnant or both.”

“It’s the both,” Wendy said happily, and the sisters shrieked and hugged

more. After everyone had calmed down, the party moved into the living room

where Wendy told the story. Damon had come in during her Saturday 11

o’clock news program, just as it was ending. He’d entered the control room,

though Wendy hadn’t noticed because she’d been completely focused on her

job. When the newscast ended, Wendy had turned to see Damon on one knee

and holding out a black-velvet box where an emerald-cut diamond solitaire lay

in wait. Damon hadn’t even had a chance to ask the question when Wendy had

started blubbering and nodding, “yes!” as the rest of the control room had

cheered and congratulated them.

“Man, I have you to thank, too, Gunnar,” Damon said, holding Wendy close

as they shared the easy chair. “Your stupidity made me realize I was just as

stupid for keeping Wendy as a ‘free agent’ for so long—”

“Glad I could help,” Gunnar said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. He and

Tyler were sitting side by side on the couch with her snuggled against him. She

grinned and patted his knee. Gunnar smiled in response and nuzzled her

temple.

“And the pregnancy?” Tyler asked, leaning into Gunnar’s affection.

“I’d taken a home pregnancy test this morning—”

“Several,” Damon interrupted with a scoff.

Wendy pinched his side, earning a yelp from her new fiancée. “And all of

them came back positive. I’d wanted to talk to you about it earlier, Tyler, but

things had been…you know…”

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169

“It’s all right,” Tyler said sincerely, and she laughed with joy. “I can’t be-

lieve I’m going to be an aunt soon!”

“I can’t, either!”

“Are you going to tell Mama?”

Wendy nodded. “I’m mailing her a letter and a calling card with it. I wish

she was here…”

Tyler nodded and reached across to grab her sister’s hand. “She would if

she could. She’ll be happy for you, Wen.”

“And you, Tyler. Glad you two worked through things. Damon had told me

who she was and had to keep me from snatchin’ that lil’ heffa’s weave out!

Skank-ass ho!”

Gunnar’s chuckled was cut short as Wendy whirled in on him. “What
you

laughin’ at?! You was pullin’ back
far too slow
for my likin’, Mr. Daniels!”

“Mine too,” Tyler muttered.

Gunnar reached over and clasped his hand over the sisters’ hands. “Trust

me, Wendy. Kaci Mondale is a non-issue. It will never happen again, and if it

does, I give you full rights to snatch her weave out or whatever else you wish,

okay?”

Wendy sniffed but nodded. “And don’t make me have to tell you again!”

Gunnar kissed Tyler’s shoulder before pulling back, and the couples chat-

ted a bit before Damon asked Gunnar to speak with him in the kitchen. When

the sisters were left alone, Wendy came to sit next to her sister and Tyler put a

hand on her still-flat tummy.

“When you due, Mama?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m thinking maybe November or December.”

Tyler cupped Wendy’s face and they rested their heads against each other.

“I’m so, so happy for you, Wendy. Truly…I’m
so
happy for you!”

“Ty…” Wendy said, becoming teary-eyed, and she hugged her sister tightly.

Tyler laughed a little and returned the hug just as fiercely, and they stayed that

way for a long time. When they pulled apart, Tyler wiped away some of the

tears Wendy had shed.

“You’ll be the godmother, right? And the maid-of-honor?”

“Of course! I’ve only got one older sister!” Tyler said with a smile.

Wendy returned it and took Tyler’s hands in hers. “You won’t be far be-

hind, Tyler.”

“Far behind what?”

“Gunnar.”

“Gunnar what?”

“What’s Norwegian for ‘brother’?”

Tyler gasped and ducked her head, trying to hide the blush she knew was

staining her cheeks. Wendy’s question brought back what Gunnar had said

earlier about them starting a family. Tyler thought it was entirely too soon to

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Savannah J. Frierson

be thinking and discussing it, but she couldn’t help her own thrill of anticipa-

tion when Gunnar had said he wanted a child with her.

It had been the second time he’d done so.

“You don’t think it’s too soon?”

“No,” Wendy said, cupping her sister’s face. “No. Any man who looks at

you the way Gunnar does or how Damon looks at me or how Daddy looked at

Mama…never too soon, Baby Girl. And Gunnar’s at that age where he’s starting

to think of settling down. I know, because Damon’s not much older and he was

more excited than I was about this pregnancy.”

“Really?” Tyler asked. She hadn’t been expecting that, considering Wendy

had always wanted children.

“I’m just hitting my stride professionally, you know? Having a baby means

cutting back hours, scaling back duties…things have to be put on hold. I’m

keeping this baby because it’s a blessing from God and Damon wants it so

much, but last night me, God, Daddy…even Mommy…we had a four-way

conversation.”

“And?”

Wendy shrugged and grinned a little. “We’ll make it work, Damon and I. I

want this baby, don’t get me wrong. So what I’ll have to postpone some things?

I’m still young, and you know Damon wouldn’t mind being a stay-at-home