Chapter 14
Sexy Glasses & Sinful Smirks
That night, I walk into the bedroom and stop short when I find Heath reclined against the headboard, casually flipping through a cattle chute manual with reading glasses perched on the end of his nose.
Lord help me.
My ovaries nearly combust from the lethal combination of those glasses and his gray sweatpants sinfully low on his hips. His bare chest is illuminated by the bedside lamp, highlighting every defined ridge of his stomach, earned from long days on the ranch.
Thankfully, I recover before he notices me staring… again. The last thing I need is to feed his already oversized ego. It’s not my fault my baby daddy is ridiculously sexy, and my self-control seems to disappear when he’s around.
My predicament was made worse by our earlier trip to Meadowbrook.
He effortlessly won Florence and Grams over, despite their initial reservations.
The story about falling for me while watching me dance on the bar at Blue Moon Tavern was a stroke of genius—he even had me believing he’d choose me even if I wasn’t pregnant with his kid.
It’s a cold dose of reality that this picture-perfect facade is still an illusion.
No matter how much I’m starting to wish all the romantic gestures and declarations were real, they’re not.
I might have discovered Heath’s thoughtful side, but it’s reserved for the little peanut growing inside me.
I’m just the unavoidable part of the equation he has to placate until the baby is born.
“Didn’t realize you needed glasses to read, cowboy,” I taunt as I climb into bed beside him.
Heath lifts his gaze. “You’re clearly enjoying the view, given how you can’t stop gawking. For someone so insistent on keeping things strictly platonic, you’re not exactly making a convincing case. I’m pretty sure you’re drooling.”
I scoff, fluffing the pillows behind me. “Am not.”
He leans closer, squinting playfully. “Yup, there’s definitely some hanging from the corner of your mouth. Must be one hell of a view to leave you this flustered.”
I frown and swipe the back of my hand across my lips on reflex. “If I were drooling, it’d be from boredom. Who reads a manual before bed? Unless you’re using it as a substitute for counting sheep.”
He curls his fingers around the manual. “Let me guess, you prefer smutty novels as bedtime stories?”
I tilt my head. “Oh, you’re well-versed in romance books, are you?”
He shrugs. “Ma loves historical romances and won’t stop going on about her novels. The ones where the dukes are always declaring their love during rainstorms or chasing women across manicured gardens at midnight.”
A small chuckle slips out of me. “Yeah, that tracks. I prefer shows over books, but I’ve learned a thing or two from Walker and Birdie’s dad when they read to her mom.”
Birdie’s mom has Parkinson’s and the severe tremor in her hands makes it impossible for her to hold a book or use an e-reader. She prefers a deep male voice when listening, so it’s been sweet watching the guys step up.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to your riveting reading material,” I say with a teasing smile.
I grab my tablet from my nightstand and slip my earbuds in.
There’s a popular college hockey series I’ve been dying to binge, and I’ve been waiting for the third season.
The second ended on a cliffhanger with everyone still guessing whether Chase, the star player, and Lauren, the coach’s daughter, finally hooked up after she showed up at his place unannounced, right after he told the team she was off-limits and admitted he didn’t want her to date anyone else because he wanted her.
I settle against the pillows, propping my tablet on my knees and pressing play.
The episode starts with Chase standing in his doorway, his chest heaving as he stares at Lauren. The fragile control between them snaps when he closes the distance and kisses her hard.
“Fuck me,” he growls. “I’m not waiting another second to claim you, baby, but first we’ve got to get you out of these clothes.”
I subtly angle the tablet away from Heath, sneaking a peek to see that thankfully his attention is back on his manual.
“Oh god, yes,” Lauren cries as Chase’s tongue traces along her throat.
A shudder snakes down my spine, and I inhale sharply, the sexual tension on screen hitting me like a spark to dry tinder.
Chase slowly drags down Lauren’s zipper, peeling the dress from her body.
A soft groan escapes her as he grinds his rigid cock against her ass.
He lets the fabric drop to the floor, then lifts her into his arms and carries her across the apartment to his bedroom.
They make out the entire way, their kisses deep and desperate, hands roaming greedily over bare skin.
It takes every bit of focus to keep my eyes on the screen, but pleasure blooms low in my core as I recall the way Heath’s hands felt on me, tracing along my own curves. My breathing quickens while the couple on screen kiss passionately, him lying down on the bed with her straddling him.
“You doing okay, sweetheart? You look flushed.”
The tablet nearly drops from my hands as Heath’s question jolts me out of my haze.
“I’m fine,” I squeak.
He scoots closer until his knee grazes mine. “Don’t be shy. Let me see what’s got you so worked up.”
My pulse stutters as he steals an earbud and slips it into his left ear. His eyes widen the moment Lauren’s breathy moans flood through our shared audio feed, and he tilts the tablet so we both can see.
The camera pans to their locked gazes as Lauren slowly sinks down onto Chase’s cock, her mouth falling open on a gasp. His eyes darken while he brushes a strand of hair from her face.
I swallow hard, sneaking another glance at Heath.
His jaw is clenched tight, and my gaze drifts lower, drawn to the obvious outline of his erection straining against his sweatpants.
I’m tempted to slide closer and slip my hand under the fabric to relieve the tension, but I force down the urge and quickly divert my attention back to the tablet.
“You’re so damn beautiful riding my dick, baby,” Chase murmurs.
Lauren slips her tongue into his mouth as she rocks against him. He lets out a low groan, gripping her hips and guiding her as she slides up and down his shaft, arching back with every thrust.
“Fuck, you’re doing so good,” he praises, bucking his hips in time with hers.
“More. I want more,” Lauren pleads.
Chase reaches between her legs, and seconds later, she’s crying out, fingernails digging into his shoulders.
I grip the tablet so tight that my knuckles turn white. Lauren’s cries of ecstasy fill my earbud, and the sound shoots straight to my core. Normally, I’d grab Betty, my trusty vibrator, and get myself off, but I don’t want to risk Heath seeing how turned on I am.
“Let go for me, sunshine,” Chase commands.
Lauren throws her head back, careening over the edge. Chase follows right behind with a guttural groan. As they come down from their high, Lauren collapses forward, resting her head on his chest while he presses a tender kiss to her forehead.
“Fuck, you’re perfect, Renny.”
She giggles, nuzzling into his neck. “You’re biased, but I’ll allow it.”
The show abruptly pauses when Heath removes his earbud. He watches me with a smoldering gaze, his hand settling on my leg, sending goose bumps racing across my skin.
The silence stretches between us, the tension tight as a drawn wire. My heartbeat pounds in my ears, loud enough that I’m almost certain he can hear it too.
My breath comes out in shallow bursts as he dips his head, grazing the shell of my ear. “If you get that worked up watching a fictional couple, imagine how much better it would feel riding my cock.”
I drag my tongue along my bottom lip. “Is this your way of trying to seduce me?”
Heath slowly glides his finger up my thigh. “There’s nothing I want more than to fuck you again, hellcat. It’s all I think about when I watch you prance around in these.” He tugs on the hem of my sleep shorts.
I shift closer, batting my lashes. “Then what’s stopping you?”
I’m not sure what’s gotten into me. I’ve been the one determined to set boundaries, and here I am tempting him to cross a line I swore I’d never blur.
I knew pregnancy hormones were intense, but I didn’t expect them to completely hijack my common sense, especially where Heath is concerned. I’ve never been this horny, and I fear the only thing that’ll take the edge off is his giant cock.
“The next time I’m inside you, it’ll be because you’re ready to admit you have feelings for me that go beyond a marriage certificate and wanting to raise a baby together.
That you’re ready to give this thing between us a real chance.
” He moves his calloused hand to my jaw, tilting my face up.
“When that day comes, I’m not just going to fuck you.
I’m going to worship every inch of what’s mine.
” With his free hand, he hooks a finger into the waistband of my sleep shorts, tugging me a fraction closer.
“I’ll make you so damn addicted you’ll never want another man’s hands on you again. ”
God, why do I like the sound of that so much?
Disappointment washes over me when Heath pulls his hand away and drops the earbud into my palm. Without another word, he turns away and slides under the covers. My mouth falls open as he switches off his bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness except for the soft glow of the tablet.
I set it on the nightstand and roll to my side, facing away from Heath.
Sleep feels impossibly out of reach, especially with the insistent desire still humming through my veins.
I squeeze my thighs together, trying to ignore the lingering warmth of his touch.
It’s not easy when he’s lying beside me, refusing to give me what I crave until I admit feelings I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to face.
I let out a soft sigh as I settle under the covers, bracing for the long, restless night ahead.