Wild Bride (8 page)

“Savvy,” he groaned as her blue eyes slid open and looked up at him with want. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she pulled him closer.

When her shoulders moved off the mattress, he wrapped his arms around her, holding on until he thought he might cut off her air supply.

“Billy, hurry,” she moaned and he was a slave to her desires. Pulling back, he used his hips and watched as she threw her head back and squeezed her eyes tight.

He’d always enjoyed watching her lose herself, but this time was different. This time he knew it was the first of many. When they’d been together in the past, he'd never thought that he would get to experience it again.

He smiled at her as he felt her settle down underneath him. He was going to make sure that this was just the first in a lifetime of pleasures he would bring for her.

“Billy?” She looked up at him, shaking him from his deep thoughts, and he realized he’d yet to have his physical release. Shaking his head and chuckling lightly, he leaned down and started kissing her.

“Soon.” He deepened the kisses and felt her building up again underneath him. Her legs wrapped around his hips and her hips moved with his. “More,” he growled, feeling himself building higher.

Then she shocked him by pushing on his shoulder until she reversed their positions. She smiled down at him and pushed her hair away from her eyes.

“I think it’s time you let me take the reins.” Her smile grew as her hips started rotating. He tried to keep his eyes glued to her beauty, hovering above him, but the pleasure she was causing was so great and he felt the brightness of it consuming him.

Closing his eyes, he dug his fingers into her soft hips and cried out her name as she took everything he’d ever held for her, in one quick moment.

S
he lay there and listened to Billy’s heartbeat slow down. She’d never imaged it would be like this. Her chest actually hurt.

In all her years, she’d never allowed herself to get this close to anyone before. Not even Travis, whom she’d been with the longest. True, she’d been mad at him when he’d proposed to Alexis West, but she’d known it wouldn’t last. After all, the week after he’d gotten engaged to her, he’d crawled through her window.

Now, as she lay here and listened to Billy sleep lightly below her, she doubted Travis would ever cheat on Holly. Nor would Savannah allow him to crawl in her window anymore. He was different. She was different.

Sighing, she snuggled closer to Billy’s warm chest. She didn’t know if she wanted to be with Billy for the rest of her life, but at least he was kind to her and to Maggie, and that was the most important thing to her right now. Not to mention that she had really enjoyed the sex they’d just had.

She smiled into his chest and let her eyes close shut. She drifted off to the sound of his heart and the memory of how much pleasure she’d gotten from him.

She woke around one and heard Maggie crying from the monitor on the nightstand. She could tell from the pressure in her chest that it was feeding time again.

She was halfway across the room when she realized she was still very naked. Grabbing her robe from the hook on the back of the door, she wrapped it around herself and glanced back at the bed.

Billy sat up in the bed, smiling at her.

“I was wondering if you were going to march around the house like that. Not that I was complaining.” His smile grew.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched him get out of bed, gloriously naked. She had to blink a few times for her eyes to finally focus on his face. His smile was huge.

“I’ll go get her.” He started to pull on his boxers.

She shook her head. “No, I need to feed her.”

He frowned a little. “What about a bottle?”

She chuckled. “Trust me. This time, it’s all me.” She turned, only to be stopped by his hand on her shoulder.

“Savvy, I want to help out.” He frowned down at her.

Her eyebrows shot up. “It’s not that.” She sighed, feeling slightly embarrassed. She could feel her body reacting to the crying baby and if he didn’t let her go to her daughter soon, the front of her robe would be soaked. “I
need
to feed her.” She stretched out the word, hoping he’d get her meaning. When he just looked at her blankly, she sighed and closed her eyes. “Billy, if you don’t let me go, I’ll burst with milk.”

She felt his hands tighten briefly on her shoulders, and then they dropped away. “Sorry,” he mumbled and she quickly turned around and rushed out.

Gathering up Maggie, she settled down as the girl started sucking hungrily.

She was shocked when she heard Billy walk into the baby’s room.

“Does she wake you up every night?”

She looked up at him and nodded. His frown grew.

“What about cutting back a little, you know, with the bottle.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t mind.”

“Don’t you need more sleep?” He walked over to her and watched their daughter as she ate.

Savannah shrugged her shoulder. “She’ll go back down for a few more hours.” She yawned and looked over at the frog clock on the wall. “Then she’ll be up for good around six.” She smiled. “That’s when we usually go for our morning walk. Before it gets too hot.”

His eyebrows shot up. “I’ll go with you.” He knelt down next to her. Maggie’s little hand reached up and took his as he brushed her hair away from her face.

He chuckled. “She’s got a good grip.” Then his eyes softened as he watched her eat. “And an appetite.”

Savannah laughed.

By the time they made it back to their bed, Maggie was asleep again.

“Does she eat from the bottle every now and then?” he asked, pulling off his shorts and crawling into the bed. She was so breathless at seeing him naked, she almost forgot what he’d asked her.

“Yes.” It came out as a whisper. “I pump sometimes and sometimes I give her formula.”

He nodded. “Are you going to crawl back in here? Or did you plan on sleeping standing up?” He smiled as he held the blanket open for her to crawl in.

She was standing at the side of the bed, her robe tucked tightly around her. She thought for a quick moment about grabbing a pair of her pajamas, but he shook his head when he saw her eyes dart over to the dresser.

“Savvy, come back to bed.” His voice was low and she felt a wave of heat rush through her body.

She undid the tie to her robe and his eyes traveled up and down her body when she pulled the cotton from her shoulders. She stood for a moment next to the bed, frozen under his gaze. Then he reached for her and she went down to him, knowing that she wouldn’t get the few extra hours of sleep and knowing that she didn’t care.

Billy waved to some people across the street as he pushed Maggie’s stroller down the sidewalk. The sun was already up, since they’d gotten a slower start this morning.

It had been almost a week since he’d gotten back home, and he was already settling into the new schedule. He enjoyed the daily walks that they took as a family, even though the first one was usually before the sun was up. He’d always been a late sleeper. When work demanded that he be up earlier, it usually took a few cups of coffee before he felt alive. But now all it took was hearing the giggles of his daughter first thing in the morning.

He looked down at Maggie, sitting up in her stroller. Her dark eyes, which almost matched his perfectly, traveled all over, taking in everything.

“She’s smart,” he blurted out and winced when he realized how stupid he sounded.

Savannah glanced over at him and nodded. She was wearing a light blue wind jacket with tight, dark blue yoga pants. The white top she wore underneath the jacket clung to her and he’d wished she hadn’t zipped the jacket up all the way.

“Yes, I’ve noticed it as well. She takes in everything.”

He smiled. “Exactly.” He nodded and continued to look down at his daughter. “I was watching the other kids yesterday at the park and none of the other kids looked around like she does.

“Like she’s trying to understand everything.” Savannah smiled. “I was thinking it was just me. You know, everyone says that parents think the best of their kids, but in this case…”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “What would you say to a night out with me?” he blurted out.

Savannah stopped walking and he had to quickly pull the stroller to a stop. He glanced over his shoulder at Savannah in question. Her head was tilted and she was biting her bottom lip.

“Like a date?”

He thought about it. “Well, sure. I thought we’d go into Tyler for dinner. Maybe a show.”

She blinked a few times and he was starting to feel a little strange standing on the sidewalk waiting for an answer.

“I guess my folks can watch Maggie for a few hours.”

His smile was quick. “How about Friday?”

She started walking slowly again. “I’ll call them.”

“Will you be okay? Being away from her like that.” He nodded towards her chest, causing her to frown.

“I’ll have to pump beforehand.” She frowned a little. “As long as we aren’t out too late.” She smiled.

As they walked the rest of the mile and half back to their house, his mind raced with options. He’d never really taken a girl out on a date before. There had been plenty of girls before, but he’d never taken any out on an actual date.

His steps faltered when he realized he didn’t know of a good place in Tyler to take a woman.

He knew of over two dozen bars and hole-in-the-wall dance places, but nothing came to mind that would be suitable for an evening out with the mother of his child.

When they turned the last corner and the green house came into sight, he realized he knew exactly who to ask. He was happily surprised to see her old truck parked in front of the diner at the end of the block.

“Um…” He stopped and waited for Savannah to turn to him. “I need to stop in at the diner for a moment.” He pushed Maggie’s stroller a little until Savannah took it. “I’ll be right back. Then we can have some breakfast.”

“Why don’t we go with you and have breakfast at Mama’s instead?”

He stopped. “Are you allowed back in there?” He coughed when she glared at him. “I mean, sure. That would be great.” How was he going to get Alex alone to ask her about a good place to go in Tyler?

“Maggie likes Mama’s.” Savannah chatted as they walked the block and a half to the diner.

When they walked in, he was expecting the crowded room to hush as they noticed Savannah walk in, but instead, people waved and said hello to them.

The last time he’d been in town, she’d been banned from Mama’s due to a slight misunderstanding between her and Jamella.

But as they found their way across the large room, which had recently been remodeled, he was surprised to watch the owner of the diner rush across the room and pluck Maggie right out of her stroller.

“Der’s my girl.” Jamella kissed his daughter’s chubby cheeks to Maggie’s delight. His daughter’s high squeal and laughter filled the room. Several people looked over and chuckled. “Well, it’n about time you’d show’d up again.” Jamella smiled down at him, moving Maggie to her hip.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s good to be back.” He set down his menu.

Jamella nodded. “You’re back for a while?”

He nodded. “I start my two week shift in three weeks.”

She nodded and looked down at Maggie. “I’m stealing dis child o’ yours for a while.” She chuckled when Maggie grabbed at her big necklace. “Got to show my godchild off.” She glanced at them and glared a little. “Dat is if’n you two ever get around to making it official…” She let out a humf and then walked away with their daughter.

He leaned across the booth and whispered, since everyone in town knew that Jamella had hearing like an elephant. “What was that all about?”

Savannah shrugged her shoulders. “She and the town sheriff think that they should be Maggie’s godparents.”

He smiled. “I don’t see why not. After all, aren’t they yours?”

She glanced up at him. “Sheriff Miller is my godfather, yes.”

He nodded. “And since the sheriff and Jamella are an item…”

She shrugged and looked back down at her menu, but he saw her eyes dart across the room where Jamella was showing off Maggie to everyone she could. He watched a small smile form on her lips and couldn’t help but smile himself.

“Then it’s settled.” He set his menu down.

“What?” She set her menu down and sat back as Alex walked over and set two glasses of water down in front of them.

“I can’t believe how fast she’s growing.” Alex smiled, looking off towards Jamella and Maggie.

He watched Savannah’s face for any sign of dislike, which he’d seen every time she’d dealt with Alex before. But this time, the only thing on her face was a questioning look about his earlier statement.

When Alex looked back down at them, she nodded. “I’ll give you two some time to think about what you want.”

He had a funny feeling that she understood they wanted to be left alone for a moment.

“What’s settled?” Savannah frowned.

He reached over and took her hand. “Jamella and the sheriff will be Maggie’s godparents.”

She frowned even more. “But…” She shook her head, then leaned forward and whispered. “We aren’t married.”

He chuckled. “Why not?”

She sat back, her frown growing. “Why not, what?”

“Why not get married?” he said clearly.

She jerked her hand away from him and frowned. Shaking her head, she picked up her menu again and he cursed Mama’s new bigger menus, since he couldn’t see her eyes over the top of it.

Reaching over, he pulled her menu down. “This is not the time.” She looked around and he could see that several people near them had overheard their conversation and were watching and waiting for her response. “Or the place to discuss something like this,” she hissed out quietly.

He felt like a heel all of a sudden. She was right. Looking around the diner, he realized that a room full of people that knew both of their pasts all too well wasn’t the right place. But he had no problem with the time. After all, they did have a child together and had been getting along wonderfully since he’d returned home.