13. Ronnie
Ronnie
I refresh the internet connection for the hundredth time before letting out a soft sigh.
It’s Monday morning, and the internet is spotty today.
The hotspot connection is so slow it’s barely functional, probably because everybody else in town has the idea to use their cellphone data to browse the internet too.
Finally, I roll away from the desk and walk to the tea station.
I put a hand on my aching back. I spent Sunday unpacking while Flint took the kids around the ranch.
They still haven’t stopped talking about it.
He’s like a superhero to them and sometimes, the looks they give him scare me.
They’re so completely gone for him, and they’ve barely known him for longer than two days.
“They’re five,” I say out loud, repeating the words that my grandma said when I shared these fears with her. Of course, they’re going to love him instantly. Love is easy for them because they don’t understand their dad’s abandonment. They only know that he left for Thailand.
I told them that he was at the beach, and the boat hadn’t come to take him back yet.
I still don’t know if that was the right thing to say.
How do you look your innocent sons in the eye and explain that their father never wanted to be a dad?
You don’t. You lie and you tell them a story about a beautiful beach and a father who loves them but can’t come home quite yet.
Stop thinking about this, I remind myself firmly. Just like it doesn’t do them any good to think about their father, it doesn’t do me any good either,
I finish making my tea and reach for my reader to distract myself.
Maybe the internet will be working again in an hour or two.
I swipe at the screen, selecting a cowboy romance from my Tbr list. My choice for today’s trope has nothing to do with a violet-eyed man who gives the best hugs and listens to every word I speak and encourages my sons that they can really become dinosaur hunting racecar drivers when they grow up.
I squirm in my seat as I read the filthy scenes, imagining that the hero is Flint, and I’m the shy heroine who’s underneath him.
“Hey, boss, got those reports from the vet.”
I startle at Flint’s words and glance up, surprised to see him in front of my desk. “When did you come? Come in, I mean.”
He frowns. “Just now. You okay?”
“I’m…busy,” I answer, shutting my reader with a loud clap.
“Ahh, no internet today. That boring, huh?”
“You said you had reports for me.”
“Yep, can’t scratch a cow’s nose without red tape involved.
” He passes me the notes about the cow’s health.
Most people don’t realize that being a cowboy comes with actual paperwork.
You have to track the health of your livestock, the local permits, and about a dozen other tiny things to stay legally compliant.
But apparently, Bronco doesn’t trust computer systems and wants a paper copy of everything.
It explains the large filing cabinets on the wall.
Flint hesitates for so long that I think he’s going to say something else.
I add the reports to my desk in the inbox tray then cross the room to the row of cabinets. I’ve been working on digitizing the records in between reading my smutty book.
“Can I see…it?” He finally asks so quietly that I could almost miss the question.
“See what?” I glance over my shoulder to see his ears turning red.
“The baby bump.”
“It won’t be here for a few months.”
“Not even a little bit?”
I snort. “Not when you’re my size.”
He turns to go, and I remember what he said that night at the bar. “You were an only child, and you probably weren’t around a lot of babies in the military either.”
He turns back to face me but ducks his head, staring at a spot on the floor.
“When I was about the twins’ age, I asked for a baby brother.
It made my mom cry, and my dad took me aside and told me to never mention babies in front of her again.
The next day, she took me to the animal shelter, and I got to adopt three cats. ”
My heart twists for him. “Lock the door.”
When he turns to do that, I reach for the hem of my dress, tugging it over my head until I’m only in my bra and panties. My shoes are still under the desk where I kicked them off hours ago.
Heat sparks in his gaze when he sees me undressed, filling me with a rush of satisfaction. I’ll never get enough of the way he looks at me, like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world and he’s the lucky one who gets to see me naked.
“Come here,” I say and reach for his hand when he’s in front of me. I place it on my stomach, feeling my own body instantly relax now that he’s touching me. “The baby is right around here and about the size of a pea.”
Wonder crosses his face. “That tiny?”
“That tiny. Right now, our baby looks kind of like a tadpole with a little tail. All curled up and safe.”
“It’s really hot, you carrying my baby,” he murmurs, his thumb stroking along my skin.
“You have a thing for pregnant women?” I chuckle. Flint didn’t strike me as the type but then again, I don’t know him well enough to predict his tastes.
He shakes his head. “Never cared about them one way or another. But you, everything you do is arousing.”
I run my tongue along my lower lip, my thighs growing slicker. I hope he doesn’t look down and realize I’m drenching myself. “And me being pregnant with your baby arouses you?”
“It’s pretty high on the list.” He ducks his head, pressing a soft kiss to my throat. “Can pregnant women orgasm? Is it safe for you?”
“So safe,” I mutter, turning my head to give him better access. His lips are so soft, and his hands are roaming everywhere, touching my stomach and hips.
“I like the way you smell.”
“It’s my shampoo,” I say. “It’s this special blend of…”
Before I can finish talking, he drops to his knees and buries his face in my panties, his nose against my slit. “Here. I like the way you smell here.”
I groan his name and thread my fingers through his thick hair. When he looks up at me, something I can’t define shining in his eyes, I whisper, “I don’t want to use you.”
“Roommates can do this.”
“Friends,” I repeat his word, feeling something warm in my chest.
“Friends,” he agrees, reaching for my panties and tugging them down. The moment I’m bared to him, he presses the softest, lightest kiss to the inside of my thigh. I close my eyes, letting my head fall back against the wall.
He takes his time, kissing up and down my thighs until I’ve spread my legs for him, and I’m begging him to kiss me there. I feel him smile against my skin, clearly having enjoyed teasing me.
When he spreads my pussy lips with his fingers, I whimper as cool air hits my overheated body.
I’m soaked, and we both know it. My quiet noise is the only encouragement he needs as he licks my slit, lapping up all of my cream.
It doesn’t take long before I’m coming against his face and grinding against him as I seek my release.
He catches me as I collapse, my knees going weak. The smirk he gives me is filled with satisfaction that he made me come. His beard is soaked and his hair is mussed from where my fingers were in it.
He presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “You’re beautiful when you’re coming.”
He starts to set me down, but I make a noise of protest. After that amazing orgasm, I want another one. “Pregnant women can have sex.”
He goes still and searches my face. “Really?”
“If you want to,” I murmur, slipping a hand beneath his shirt and running my fingers lightly across his chest.
He shudders under my touch. “I don’t have…condoms…on me.”
“I think that ship has sailed. We’re not going to get pregnant again, and I’m healthy.”
“Same,” he murmurs and presses a kiss to my lips, tongue invading my mouth. He kisses me slowly, letting me taste my essence.
My hands go to his back, pulling him closer so I can grind against him. As soon as my pussy connects with the stiff material of his jeans, I pull back. “Get these off.”
“Yes, boss.” He yanks down his pants and briefs so I can see his cock. My hands are on it in an instant, squeezing his hot length. I pump him, listening to his groans as the fire inside of me burns hotter and hotter.
“Get inside me,” I finally gasp when I know we’re both desperately close to coming.
He doesn’t hesitate. He pins me against the wall, lifting me up until I’m impaled firmly on his cock.
He buries his head in my shoulder. His breath warm against my neck, I can feel every panting breath.
There’s nothing like having him in control, moving me where he wants me like I’m lighter than a feather.
I reach for my clit, circling the tight bundle of nerves then I’m bucking against his body as my orgasm starts. Through the haze of pleasure, I feel him coming. His hot seed fills my channel, but he doesn’t stop. He just keeps moving me, moving both of us as we find our pleasure together.
When I’m spent, he sets me on the edge of my desk and smiles down at me. The warmth in his eyes could almost convince me that this is meant to be. That what we have is real and not just an incredibly hot fling I had for three days.
“I need my panties,” I tell him and put a hand on his chest. I’m going to push away from him, grab my clothes and put myself back together again. It’s the only thing I can think to do. Otherwise, I might say or do something really dumb, like tell him I want to be more than roommates or friends.
“One minute.” He scoops me up and carries me to the attached bathroom.
He sets me on the counter and cleans me up with a warm washcloth, caring tenderly for my swollen flesh.
When he’s done, he leaves long enough to grab my panties and dress.
He helps me into them, smoothing down the material.
He gets into his clothes then reaches for my stomach.
His hand goes to the same place I showed him earlier, like he can’t help touching it again.
“You know, any questions you want to ask me are okay,” I say softly thinking of the way he seemed surprised that I could have sex. “It seemed a little like maybe you hadn’t gotten a lot of information about some things.”
“I went to an all-boys school, a religious one. The administration thought sex education would make us horny little deviants.” He chuckles, the sound rueful.
“I was lucky. My dad didn’t agree. Hell, the religious school was the best one in the area, which is the reason my mom wanted me to attend.
So yeah, I got some stuff from my old man and a few things from a couple of dirty magazines here and there. ”
“But you never learned about babies.”
He shrugs. “Whatever happened or didn’t happen, they never talked about it with me. I think sometimes the generations before us just don’t want us carrying their pain.”
I take his other hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.
I’ve always been careful talking to the boys about their father.
I’d never want them to know the truth. I’d rather carry the pain for the rest of my life than ever have them understand.
“And you never had any pregnancy scares with previous girlfriends?”
“I’ve only had one girlfriend,” he says the words so softly that I think he must still be carrying a torch for this mystery girl.
“A high school love?”
“First love.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, and I see it in his gaze.
I swallow hard and open my mouth. I don’t even know what I’m going to say.
He puts a finger to my lips. “Don’t.”
Before I can even process this, the front office door is flung open, banging against the wall. “I thought you locked it.”
“I did,” he mutters and goes to peer out the bathroom door.
“Hi, Flint!” The twins shout in unison.
I forgot I gave my grandmother a key to the office. Bronco told me I had run of the place so I made a copy of the key and gave it to her. It just made sense since she’ll be dropping off the kids here sometimes.
“Hey boys!” Flint says and gets on their level. “What are my favorite guys doing?”
“Stinky shoe shopping with mom. Can we go with you instead? Please?” Branson says.
“We could ride horses again!” Brock offers.
“Not today. You have to go pick yourselves out some good boots.”
They groan in unison. It amazes me that they were perfectly fine with the idea of going into town with me until spending time with Flint was an option.
“You can ride horses with me tomorrow,” Flint says. “If you don’t give your mom any trouble. Can you do that?”
They quietly agree and he tips his hat. “See y’all soon,” he says before giving me a wink and letting himself out the door.