Flirting with Disaster (19 page)

I reassured her she was exactly who and what I wanted.
 
I admired her openly. "You are gorgeous. Do you see this? This erection is for you."

She lifted her chin, examining my eyes for the truth. I stroked her hand and held it. I pulled her forward until she was lying on top of me. I wanted to feel every bit of her skin against me. She was soft and warm. I wrapped my arms around her back, keeping her against me. We listened to each other breathing, barely saying a word. I needed to hold her, to let her feel safe. After a few moments, I felt her body give in, relaxing into me.
 

Barbara slid off of my body and sat beside me on the bed.
 

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"You said this was for me," she said with a small smile, before wrapping her hand around the shaft of my cock. She moved her hand up and down the length, and then over the head. Her other hand gently fondled my balls. I watched her play with my erection and quietly groaned as the wonderful sensations drifted through my body.
 

I stopped her before I came. Normally, I would have been happy to see it to the end, but I wanted to change course. I wanted her to have an orgasm first. I took control of the situation and guided her to lean back. It was my turn to make her feel good. I'd hold out and wait until she was taken care of.
 

My fingers drifted across her breasts and down her stomach until I circled my fingers in the small bit of hair. Barbara arched her back and sighed deeply as my fingers gently slid up and down the length of her opening. Her eyes closed and she parted her legs, giving me better access to her sweet nectar, the honey that waited for me. Only I wasn't in a hurry to get there. I wanted to bring her close to orgasm, let her body be soaked in wetness, and then take her over the edge with my lips wrapped around her clit. Just the thought pushed my desire higher. I wanted to breathe in her scent and taste the dew that escaped.
 

Her moans were music to my ears, and when she lashed her thighs tightly around me, her hips tilting higher, I held on. I wasn't letting her go. She rode the wave of the orgasm as it washed over her, only I teased and flicked her clit, forcing her to stay in place as her most sensitive nub sent her reeling once again. She yelled out my name and bucked. I finally released my lips from her clit. Her body twitched and then the pleasure flooded her softly. I kissed her inner thighs, enjoying the show. As she came back to herself, I moved beside her to stroke her face and look into her eyes. I whispered my love to her one more time.
 

My cock felt like it might explode if I didn't get my rocks off soon. I was desperate to penetrate my lover. I had her slide to the edge of the bed and drop her feet to the floor. I wanted a good long look at her ass cheeks. I'd watch them jiggle as I thrust from behind her. She moved to the position I requested and parted her legs. I held my cock in my hand and slid it against her opening and pushed into her entrance.
 
There was no stopping the loud groan coming from my belly. She felt so good. Amazing. Warm. Wet.
 

I grabbed hold of her hips and plunged into her. Barbara moaned and grunted each time I pushed farther inside. I tried to remember to be careful, tender, delicate in my touch, but I got carried away. I was dazed, watching her ass jiggle, plunging deep into her, and moment after moment, I inched toward an orgasm.
 

I felt the surge coming from my balls. I held fast, pushing one last final time. The jolt hit me as I came. A loud grunt, and then I collapsed onto her back. I caught my breath, and nudged her onto the bed. Climbing beside her, I snuggled in to my love.
 

It wasn't until I rolled on my side and faced her that I realized what had just happened. I reached down to my naked cock; there was no sheath over it, no condom protecting us. Panic washed over me for about ten seconds, before I found the words to mention it. Once the panic passed, the strangest sensation coursed through my veins. It didn't matter either way; I was going to ask her to be my wife soon enough.
 

Morning, my love," Ryder whispered in my ear as he nuzzled next to me.

"Hey, morning glory," I answered not yet awake completely but enough to feel his erection in my back. I stretched and snuggled under the cover. The window was wide open and above my light quilt, the temperature was a little chilly, just the way I liked it.
 

After the brutal heat of summer, fall was as welcome as spring would be after the bitter cold of winter. Except this year, on my Jersey shore, there would be no bitter cold. The warm glow of our passion would keep us warm. Gosh, this sounded so corny but amazingly our hunger for each other grew with each passing day.
 

"No morning glory today," Ryder chuckled. "You have to be at the attorney's office for the closing and I have to be at the shop to check on the supply delivery. I want to make sure they deliver the proper tiles this time."

"Just one more minute," I pleaded while I turned around to face him and soak in his body heat.
 

Our morning closing wouldn't be the only landmark event of the day, but he had no way of knowing that. My doctor would also fit me in between two other patients to check on me and confirm what I thought. I just wanted to make sure, but I was pretty certain of what was causing my morning sickness.
 

It was our getting careless the day after the fire. It had taken a few days to replace my pills that had roasted in my handbag and when I started again it was too late. I was anxious to find out how he would feel about it. We had never talked about kids. We'd never talked about the future except where our new business was concerned, but then Hunter was the talker in the family.
 

"Where will you be working today?" I asked. Usually I didn't keep tabs on him but if the doctor confirmed my suspicions I wanted to come and tell him face to face.

"The yellow house," he said. "I want to make sure the roof is okay before winter arrives. The summer storms have been brutal and that place has been empty for as long as I can remember."

"Your dad told me but I can't remember. I'm so happy he’s onboard with us." The old man was a living encyclopedia about the town. He knew everything about everyone and he had been great to figure out who to reach out to when we decided to get our hands on all the cottages on my street that were abandoned or simply unoccupied.

The initial plan was to flip a few to grow my initial capital and then keep others as rental property. Given the size of the town, I realized we would soon run out of houses to flip, but then Hunter moved back and his expertise allowed us to become more ambitious.
 

Today we were purchasing the factory ruins for a song. DCD was happy to get it off its hands and this would be a huge project. There was more land than I realized and we were deciding what to do with it.
 

Crazy Annabelle who had twice tried to burn down the building was safely locked away.

Of course, now most people in town understood I had just been the messenger, but others were still mad at me. With time, I was certain it would pass. The good news was that no one had tagged my car since Ryder cleaned it up.
 

I was hoping somehow we could still get Brad onboard, if not for his initial project then for about anything that would create local jobs. He’d been looking into some new age businesses and they were all about the positive energy of nature. Well, we had the energy of the ocean to offer, maybe they could bottle that up right here and find a way to sell it.
   

City hall was so happy with us investing in the town, Hunter joked we could get the building permit even if we decided to build the ugliest bunker and paint it red and green. As long as there was a possibility of reviving the economy they would play along.

We had grand plans for this property. To get the best project for our budget, I prepared a tender offer which I planned to send to the best architectural schools in the country. Whoever won, we would hire to come work with us on the project. We were offering a gifted student an opportunity to whip up with something innovative and make a name for him or herself while, in exchange, we would get an original construction for an affordable price.

The closing went smoothly. The person DCD sent couldn't have been more uninvested in the transaction, and didn’t negotiate anything; he was content to sign on all the dotted lines. Hunter and I were the only ones excited about the entire process and when we were done, he hugged me and said, “I’m so glad I came back from California. It’s a good change of pace, and who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky like my brother and meet a nice girl.”

He smirked and nudged me. This was his way of showing he approved of me. One down, one to go, I still had to win over Ryder’s father. Though to be honest he was no longer as hostile as he used to be. Seeing his son happy might have had something to do with it.

Hunter wanted to talk longer but after a short exchange, I needed to leave. I had other plans.
 

"We'll discuss it tonight," I said. "You remember, you and your father are still on for dinner at our house tonight?"
 

"How could I ever forget," he said. "It's the only time I get a decent burger. My father likes them so cooked, it's like eating cardboard."

"Then we're good 'cause I have huge rib roasts in my fridge already." There was something about Bishop men and red meat. Having three of them for a meal was like inviting three tigers to the table.
 

"We're going to rock this town!" he yelled as he drove away on Ryder's bike.

One hour later I knew. Climbing back in my car, I wondered if Ryder would be half as excited about the news as Hunter was about our new project. There was only one way to find out and that was to tell him.
 

Driving my car, I fought with my insecurities attempting to chase away all negative thoughts. He would be delighted, he had to be. He said he loved me and when my brain was functioning properly, I knew he meant it. Our future looked good. Our business was starting to grow and we were developing in Ocean Crest where Ryder's loyalties ran deep. There were no reasons for him not to want a baby.
 

I parked my car at home and passed three bungalows that were ours already. I waved at a neighbor as I walked by her house. On a chair in her front yard she was soaking up the last of the sun. She had been the one checking on my place since my mother had died. I had no idea of her age, but Marge looked about one hundred years old.
 

Unlike an old grouch down the street opposed to any type of change, Marge was delighted to see us renovate the houses. She was happy we would be getting fresh blood in town. She'd actually helped us located some of the owners. "Nothing would make me happier than having youngsters running and bicycling up and down the street again," she said when we came to tell her about our plans. And then looking at Ryder, she added, "Of course, I will probably live to regret those words when teenagers start making noise in the middle of the night, but that's another story."

Ryder blushed a little and later explained that he and Tony may have played some practical jokes on Marge's nieces when they spent the summer with her.

My practical joker was coming out of the house just as I arrived. I pushed the battered gate and walked up to him. He opened his arms and hugged me.
 

"What's up, baby?" he asked. "How did it go?"

"The closing?" I answered. "It went fine."

He frowned. "Was there something else besides the closing?"

"Yeah." I looked up to him and said, "I had a doctor's appointment."

I watched him blanch. "Are you sick?" Ryder was terrified by the very thought of anyone he cared for being sick. The memory of his mother’s slow death was still vivid in his mind.

I shook my head and watched the color return to his face.

"So, it was a routine check up?"

"Well, not exactly," I needed to stop stalling but I couldn't find the courage to say the words out loud. So I took a side approach. "You know the day after the fire when you didn't use protection?"

He first furrowed his brow as if struggling to understand what I was talking about and then he got it. The expression on his face said it all, he was truly happy. He picked me up at the waist and twirled me around him as if I was as light as a feather and then he stopped. "Oh fuck, maybe that's not good for the baby."

I laughed and cried happy tears while reassuring him. He kissed me with so much passion, old Marge who was observing us from her garden yelled, "Kids, for heaven's sake, get a room!"

Ryder broke the kiss. He had a serious look on his face.

“I need to ask you something, my world has gotten better with you in it, I can’t imagine my life without you.” He reached to his back pocket and pulled out a small box. “Barbara, will you marry me.”

I stood stunned and my eyes went wide. Here I was, so insecure that I had no clue how he would react to my news. How could have I doubted he would be happy to become a father? I shook my head, unable to get the words out.

He dropped to a knee, opened the box. “Is that a yes? Will you marry me?”

My heart skipped a beat as I watched this marvelous man awaiting anxiously for my answer. There was no doubt, it was love in his eyes. It was like an incredible dream coming true. I took a deep breath and found my voice again.
 

The words that had been trapped in my throat bubbled out of me faster than I though possible. “Oh my God ! Yes! Yes! Yes! I can’t believe it. We’re going to be a family.”

Ryder leaned forward and kissed my belly. “And you’re carrying our baby, this is the best news ever.”
 

We kissed again to the sound of old Marge's cheering and whistling.

Ava Catori
is a Jersey girl with padded hips, a touch of gray, and a house full of furry friends. Her two dogs and cat keep her company while she writes. With a positive outlook and a good sense of humor, Ava maneuvers life in the slow lane. A doting husband tells her she's funny, while her grown sons tell her she's not. Obviously, her sons are mistaken!