Chapter 9
Zahara wasn’t surprised about how fast Carter moved. He had everything all set up before they even touched ground back in New York. She stared around at the new place they would be calling home for a little while as she finished her studies, which would take another year. They would become parents before she received her diploma.
He had found a two-story—a three-bedroom home with a large den for him and her to work in, with a small back yard that had a patio for BBQs and for them to have breakfast outside in the summer.
What she had been surprised by was that instead of renting a home, he had bought this one. He said he needed another place here anyway, as he was about to break ground on building his new hotel here. He had just received the permits to go ahead and had hired a developer, a team of engineers, and interior designers.
Zahara gazed around at the fully furnished home and felt Carter’s presence right behind her. He didn’t touch her but stood close. His presence was already affecting her; she craved his touch. She frowned in frustration because after that day in the forest, he had withdrawn emotionally and physically from her. He had put distance between them, starting when they had gone to spend the latter half of the holidays with her family.
Her parents had been a little cold to Carter at first because they didn’t meet him at the ranch when they flew to Parshall, staying in a hotel instead and calling her to come to them. At the time, she thought it was best to go back with them, as Carter had made it clear he didn’t want anything to do with her after that day between them, and she had left to lick her wounds.
When she found out about the pregnancy, she had told them, but kept his name a secret because she didn’t want them to go to him and tell him she was pregnant until she was able too. She knew her parents would try and force a marriage between them, especially when they found out he was a Brooks.
Her parents had let their walls down and warmed up to him when they found out that he had been there to protect her and had helped to diffuse the situation at the ranch with the gunmen and the deranged trafficker who had been in love with Carter’s half-brother’s wife, Deana.
They had loosened up after hearing the details of the incident and thawed completely when Carter turned on the charm and let them know that he had the means and the wealth to take care of their daughter and his child. He planned on marrying their daughter and them being a family. He was even very attentive to her, but that was it. No kisses or touches to her body, just his caressing and talking to her belly.
She had enjoyed that part. He had been awkward at first, as if he didn’t know what to say to his child, but then it all changed, and he began to express his hopes and dreams for their child. She could see he had already fallen in love with the baby she was carrying.
Zahara had been happy for the distraction of seeing her family again after the hurt and anger they had expressed over her switching schools without notifying them. They had already been pissed that she’d almost gotten herself hurt with the incident at her sister’s ranch and going there without their knowledge. And now, on top of everything else, there was her pregnancy.
They were especially livid when they found out that Carter had proposed and she had turned him down. She told them that she just needed time to adjust to everything and right now wasn’t a good time. Her parents had not been happy, but they knew that when she didn’t want to do something they couldn’t force her. Besides, they had already stopped helping her with rent and school, so there wasn’t anything else to try and hold over her.
Carter asked to have a private conversation with them, and whatever he said seemed to have mollified them for the moment. She asked him about it, but he said that until she was his wife, his private discussions were not for her ears. She had pouted and then shrugged. As long as they weren’t going to gang up on her, he could keep his secrets for now. She just wanted to enjoy the rest of her time with her family and him before having to start school again.
Her mind then turned to the memory of her mother bringing up the fact again that she’d not being pleased that Zahara had gone to her half-sister Selena. But she had wanted to get to know her older sibling whom she had never been allowed to meet. Even now, her mother did not like talking about her older daughter, but from what Zahara had gathered from hearing her parents’ conversations when they thought no one was around, it really was not about Selena, but about her father. Her mother detested her ex-husband and he felt the same. They had both taken it out on the only child that resulted from the marriage.
Zahara was relieved and happy to see that her sister was doing well. She was married, loved, and adored by her husband, living on a beautiful ranch, and even started a new career as a reality-TV pastry chef along with her partner, Maddie. Zahara had been worried that her sister would not want to see her, but instead, Selena welcomed her with open arms and did not hold any grudges toward her.
Since leaving the ranch, the sisters continued building their relationship, and Selena expressed a wish to meet her other younger siblings, Ari and Trent, who were young teens.
Zahara felt lucky to have an older sister to talk to and hoped that their children would be close as well. She was determined to get her mother to let go of the past and work it out with Selena before it was too late.
She began to frown, wondering how she was going to make that happen, especially now that she had a child on the way and needed to focus her time and attention on the little one growing inside her.
“You can change anything that you do not like. This place belongs to both of us now. You have the credit card I gave you, and I will text you a list of interior designers,” Carter said distractedly as he stood beside her and gazed down at his phone.
He had been glued to his phone since they left her parents’ place. The only time his eyes hadn’t been locked on the screen was when he closed it for a second on the plane ride, but as soon as they landed and retrieved the luggage, he was on it like a fix.
“Thanks, I think I will repaint everything purple and pink and put a stripper pole in the den.”
He just nodded.
“Or set up my chemistry set you gave me for Christmas in the den. I have some ideas for a new experiment I—”
She finally had his attention. “I would prefer your first idea with the purple-pink montage and a stripper pole in my office,” he said, deadpan.
“Our office,” she corrected him and then moved towards the kitchen to see if he had the time to stock it. She was suddenly hungry and needed a sandwich.
She could feel him scowling behind her in righteous indignation because she was also going to use the study to work on her assignments and her experiments. The den was big enough for the two of them to work in, and she had decided that she was going to use one of the bedrooms as a nursery and the other one for a guest room, which only left the den for them both to work in. He had shown her the pictures of her new home when they were on the plane heading back to New York, so she didn’t have to go looking for the kitchen. She pushed the swinging door open and stopped abruptly, gasping in startled surprise.
A short, round man looked up from chopping vegetables and smiled at her, then at Carter when she felt him at her back again.
“Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks.”
“I’m not—” She didn’t finish because Carter put his arm around her waist, distracting her with his touch, making her feel suddenly hot.
“Good afternoon, Terry.”
He then glanced down at her. “Sorry I surprised you. I forgot to mention that I hired us a chef to prepare our main meals. Must keep mom and baby healthy and happy. I have been reading on healthy diets for pregnant mothers and have instructed Terry to prepare the meals according to the cookbook.”
Zahara smiled weakly. She could just imagine what he had told the chef to make for her and the little one. She was not always as healthy an eater as she should be. Being a student with classes, labs, and exams didn’t leave too much time to whip up something, so it was usually either something quick and easy or take-out.
She sniffed the air, smelling what she thought was a type of broth, and she guessed the colourful array of vegetables was what was going to go in the soup. She wrinkled her nose because she was not a fan of them, but then her stomach rumbled in the silence of the kitchen, and she flushed in embarrassment.
The chef didn’t even bat an eye at her loud exclamation of hunger. He just continued chopping the veggies and then put them in the pot with the boiling water.
“Have a seat at the table Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, I have some fresh fruit, jam, crackers, and cheese on a platter. I will just go and grab it while your midday meal is cooking.”
“I am not—”
“Terry, just call us Carter and Zahara for now. No need to be so formal,” Carter interrupted Zahara as he guided her to the table.
As he pulled out a chair for her, she hissed, “What are you playing at Carter? We are not even engaged yet.”
He looked down at her coldly, his gaze furious. “It’s just a formality at the moment, my dear. We will be engaged and married soon. I promise.”
“You, overconfident, pompous, unfe—”
He silenced her with a kiss. It was hard and punishing, and she refused to bend under its power. He cupped the back of her head and used the fingers of his other hand to put pressure on her chin, opening her up to his invasion. She fought the tide of the instant chemistry between them despite what he was doing, and she was slowly giving in, until it wasn’t a punishment anymore. His kiss changed and became coaxing, seeking a response from her, and just like that, she opened herself to him with a sigh. She was sinking fast into his kiss, forgetting everything around her. Then he slowly began to pull away and she gripped his shirt, making a protesting sound in her throat.
But she was going to be denied. He lifted his head away, separating them, and she saw emotion swirl in his silver gaze. She saw need, confusion, anger, and longing before he pulled down the shutters and was back to his usual distant self, but she had gotten a peek into his window, and what she saw gave her hope.
Her attention was suddenly caught by the chef standing off to the side, looking up at the ceiling and trying to whistle, but the only sound he managed to get out was a muffled wind sound. Instead of being embarrassed by the display of their passion in the kitchen, Zahara grinned. Not everyone can make a whistling sound, and his attempt sounded funny. Poor man.
Carter pulled out a seat, and when the chef finally looked at them with ruddy cheeks, he smiled and then laid the big platter on the table.
Zahara’s eyes bugged out. The platter was huge, as if the chef had made it for a dinner party they were hosting.
He must have seen her expression. “Mrs...” she glared at him, “Zahara, I don’t know your food choices yet, so I put everything on the plate so that you have a selection.”
She took a plate that he had also put on the table and began to pick her choices. “Thank you,” she said, “this all looks good and wonderful.” She patted her belly; we will sure enjoy this feast.”
She and Carter ate and spoke about the holidays, putting aside the tension that had been in the room earlier as they enjoyed Terry’s platter and then the soup he brought over after. All of it was delicious, and when Zahara was finally full, she sat back and lifted the elastic on the waist band of her jeans. Rubbing her belly, she let out a tired yawn and blinked sleepily, her eyes feeling heavy.
Being pregnant, she found that she would suddenly get tired, her energy depleted, and would need a nap during the day.
She sleepily turned her gaze to Carter to see him watching her as he wiped his lips with his napkin and pushed his chair back.
“I will take you to our room so you can get some rest,” he said as he approached her. She pushed her chair back and was about to stand when he lifted her out of the chair and strode towards the kitchen door.
She began to protest, which he ignored as they heard Terry gathering up the plates from the table. She quieted down because it felt nice to be carried this way, and she didn’t keep the protesting up for long. Zahara wrapped her arms around Carter’s neck and leaned her head on his shoulder, breathing in his woodsy scent, her lids closing.
She spoke sleepily. “Thank you Terry, everything was delicious. Sorry for being so tired, I look forward to getting to know you.”
“It’s okay ma’am, we can connect later on. I am pleased you enjoyed the spread, and I look forward to creating dishes that both you and Mr. Brooks will try. Thank you, Mr. Brooks, for this opportunity. Being your personal chef means a lot to me and my family.”
She raised her head and stared at Carter questioningly.
“First job, and he came recommended from a friend.” He shrugged with her in his arms before responding to Terry.
“You’re welcome. From what you have done so far, I am sure this will be good for all of us. Just make sure that Zahara comes first, and we will always be good,” Carter said before his stride took him out of the kitchen and down the hall. He made short work up the stairs leading to the upper floor and the primary bedroom, where he set her down on top of a massive king-size bed.
She sat up, her gaze taking everything in. She would have to change the colours in the room because they were dull and monochromatic, and she liked a splash of colour. She could picture a blue, black, and gold theme in the room to match the dark wood furniture. She had yet to see the other rooms in person, but she planned on doing some tweaks here and there, especially the baby’s room. She needed to get going on it because before she knew it, she would be bringing home her daughter or son. She caught her breath. She had to pinch herself sometimes because she couldn’t believe she was going to be a mother soon and felt blessed to have been able to conceive.
She was due for her detailed, anatomical ultrasound soon, and then a follow-up visitation with her OB/GYN, Erick Scott Peterson III. He was an amazing doctor, who looked to be around forty years old, with warm brown-gold eyes and blond hair that was cropped short but was a bit long in the front and swept over his forehead. He was in great physical shape and was slightly taller than her. She placed him at five foot eleven, shorter than Carter. He was also drop-dead gorgeous and had all the mothers in the waiting room and his nurses eyeing him with adoration. She loved going to see him because he always answered all her questions and took any concerns she had seriously. Plus he wasn’t hard on the eyes. He was one of the top OB/GYNS in New York, and Zahara was lucky to have been able to get him as her doctor.
She was so absorbed in her perusal of the room and her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed Carter lingering in front of the bed. He began to help her out of her shoes and socks as he regarded her belly. She rubbed it because just in the last week alone, she had gotten bigger. She wondered what Carter was thinking when he saw her in this condition.
As if reading her thoughts, he said, “You are so beautiful with my child in your belly.” He got up and kissed her belly and then her lips before heading towards one of the dressers and opening it up to get her night wear.
“Do you want to put on some sleep wear or rest in your clothes but loosen up the top and pants?”
“Neither.” She smirked at his confused frown. When she began to unbutton her loose blouse, he froze, his eyes tracking her fingers as it released one button after the other.
He suddenly stood over her, his eyes fixated, his jaw clenching and unclenching as she slipped the last button out and then shrugged out of the blouse, exposing her breasts, almost spilling out of the bra she was wearing.
“Take it off and caress my beautiful tits for me.” His voice sounded hoarse.
And just like that, Zahara was instantly wet. Her ploy to drive him crazy and make him bend to her will was working earlier than she had expected. She thrust out her breasts for his viewing pleasure and slowly reached for the middle clasp. Her globes sprang free from their constriction, and she slipped her hands over the engorged flesh, squeezing and then running her palms over the plump nipples, making them hard. She ran her fingers over them, making them peek in and out between her fingers. Carter’s breathing had become heavy, and as if he couldn’t help himself, he reached out with his finger and gently ran it over her hand and across her nipple before pulling back.
“More. Pinch and lick them, like I would.”
She let out a groan of pleasure as she began to pinch and rub them, imagining his dark head bent over attending to her. She reached out with her tongue while he gently helped to lift her heavy globe so that she could touch her nipple with the edge of her tongue. Feeling the soft and hard points on her tongue, her pussy began to throb with need and heat.
“Are you wet for me yet, baby?”
She nodded.
“Let me see my wet pussy. No, don’t move, keep playing with your breasts, I will take care of your pants and underwear.”
He bent down again, his hands on her hips and his eyes flicking back up to watch her. He slipped her pants and underwear off her legs at the same time before flinging them into a corner of the room.
Carter spread her legs and gazed at the swollen flesh that was waiting for him to taste or fuck, whatever he chose, as long as he relieved the heat building inside of her. She felt so warm all over, and tremors down below had her shivering. She was moaning out loud as she continued to pleasure herself under his watchful gaze. Him just watching her was making her close to coming.
“Such a pretty pussy too. Look at this moisture needing my mouth and cock, hmm,” he said before he licked her slit, taking some of the moisture and her swollen outer lips into his mouth. He suckled for a second, then he leaned back and rose up, standing over her. Pulling the comforter and the top sheet down before moving her legs off the floor and onto the bed, he stood there taking her in as she arched up, trying to entice him down to her.
She began to beg him to take care of her and could have screamed the house down. But instead of satiating both their needs, he said coldly, the huskiness gone from his voice, “As your husband, it’s my duty to make sure you are well taken care of.” He looked at the moisture glistening on her outer lips. “I will do all that as soon as you have my ring and band on your finger.” He leaned down toward her parted lips and then kissed her cheek before throwing the comforter over her exposed naked body. She quickly removed her hands from her breasts as he began tucking her in, the blanket and comforter surrounding her instead of his body.
She narrowed her eyes at him, wishing that it would shoot fire at him and burn him to a crisp.
He chuckled as he gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, her string of curses escorting him out the door.