Erotic Influence (15 page)

Then he brushed by her and headed home.

Annie watched him leave and stayed frozen, physically and
emotionally, until she heard the front door close. Then she burst into tears
and covered her face with both hands. She felt Tammy’s arms around her before
she realized there was a stream of questions coming from her mouth.

“What did he do to you? That rat bastard. I’ll kill him. He
might be bigger than me but I’ve got a baseball bat.”

Annie started laughing through her tears, probably confusing
her sister more. But the thought of Tammy going after Rick with a bat calmed
her minor hysteria. “H-he didn’t h-hurt me, Tammy.”

“No? Then why in the hell are you crying?”

“Watch your mouth.” Tammy rolled her eyes and made Annie
smile. “He asked me to move in with him.”

Tammy’s finely penciled brows shot up. “Really? And you’re
crying? Girl, I’d be dancing on the roof. Or at least the front porch.”

Annie laughed and hugged her back. “I was just so surprised,
you know? I mean, I had kinda hoped he would ask, but I didn’t really expect
him to.”

“He’d already offered when Dad wanted to kick you out.”

“Well yeah. But that was because he didn’t want me to be
homeless. Not because he really
wanted
me.”

Tammy rolled her eyes again and released her hold on Annie’s
shoulders. “You’re such a doofus, Annie. Of course he wants you. I’m not
stupid. I can tell he barely keeps his hands off you when I’m around. If he
doesn’t want you then he’s a damn good actor.”

Annie didn’t bother mentioning her language again, too
distracted by her observation. “You think so?”

“I know so, sis. He’s so hot for you there’s smoke coming
out of his nose. I know you’re not used to getting that from guys, but I’m
telling you. Rick wants you bad.”

Unfortunately Tammy probably knew what she was talking
about. It made Annie feel marginally better. She took a deep breath and hugged
her sister again. “Thanks, sis.”

“You’re welcome. Now, wanna hear about my sucky day at
school?”

Annie laughed. “Of course.”

A few minutes later she crossed the street with a spring in
her step, feeling more optimistic about her future than ever before in her
life. Rick answered on the first knock and immediately pulled her into his arms
for a kiss. “Hey, beautiful.”

Oh yeah. She could definitely get used to that every single
day. “Hey. I’m ready to go when you are.”

“Okay. I just need to get my shoes on.”

They entered his house and she followed him to his bedroom.
While he sat on the bed and pulled on his socks she walked to his open closet
door. She made a show of peeking inside before going to his dresser. His gaze
was like a physical weight on her back as she opened every drawer to inspect
the contents.

“I thought you said there were empty drawers,” she said,
trying to keep amusement from her voice.

“I said there was plenty of room, not empty drawers yet. I
can remedy that in a couple of minutes.”

“Good.”

Her back was still to him when she felt his warmth against
her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.
“So, is that a yes?”

She turned in his arms. “Yes. But not until I talk to my dad.”

Then he was kissing her. His hold tightened so much she
almost couldn’t breathe but she didn’t want him to ever let go.

“I love you so much, Annie.”

“I love you too.”

They kissed again briefly, both conscious of her need to get
to work. A short while later he dropped her off with the promise of dinner when
he picked her up. She blew him a kiss before walking into the store.

* * * * *

Rick and Tammy barely had time to get to the hospital before
the final visitation of the day ended. Rick took the toll road into the city
and got them there with enough time for Tammy to spend half an hour with Henry.
He sat in the waiting room and wasn’t surprised to see Peggy walk in. “Hey
there, Ms. Peggy. How’s it going?”

She smiled and took a seat next to him, patting his arm in a
motherly way. “Not bad. Much better than the first day. Henry’s eating better
and got out of bed to use the bathroom. The doctor seemed real pleased.”

“Good. I’m sure the girls will be happy to hear that.”

She nodded. “Tammy asked for a few minutes alone with him.
I’ve been here all day anyway.”

“Annie had to work tonight. I think being here so many hours
wore her out.” He noticed Peggy did look a little worn out too, but knew better
than to mention it.

“Yeah, well…hospital sitting isn’t much fun for anyone. I’m
kinda glad I could have some time with him. He said he was sorry for waiting on
me and the girls meeting each other.”

“Yeah? That’s good.”

She nodded and gave a weak smile. “I asked if I can help at
the house once he goes home. He didn’t seem to like the idea too much. He said
Tammy wouldn’t like it.”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “I think he might find she’s
more amenable than when you two first met.” He considered his next words for a
minute then decided to go for it. Hopefully Annie wouldn’t mind. “Annie’s
agreed to move in with me, but we haven’t set a date.”

Peggy didn’t appear as surprised as he’d expected. “That’s
good. I can tell you two really love each other. Henry said he thinks you’ll
take good care of her, and he knows it’s time to let go.”

Rick couldn’t hide his shock. “He really said that?”

“Yup. He said Tammy will be leaving at the end of the summer
too. Going to U of H. He knows he’s going to be alone soon. He wants me to wait
until then to start coming around the house.”

“Well, that’s just stupid. The girls already know about
you.”

She laughed humorlessly. “Yeah. I said that too.”

Rick shook his head at Henry’s stubbornness and they sat in
silence for a few minutes. Finally, Tammy walked into the waiting room. “Peggy,
I’m done. Annie and I probably won’t be back until Saturday morning. I’m going
to call work and tell them I can’t go in until the afternoon shift.”

Peggy nodded and got to her feet. She patted Rick’s arm
again. “Thanks, hon. You’re such a good boy.”

He stood and gave her a quick hug. “No problem. We’ll see
you Saturday. Call if you need anything.”

She nodded and walked out of the room.

Rick looked at Tammy, who appeared to be in a decent mood.
“You good to go?”

“Yeah. I’ll tell you about it in the car.”

They left without another word.

He took his time driving home. They would get back right
around the time Annie clocked out. Tammy was quiet at first, but once they were
through town she finally opened up.

“I told Dad about you and Annie…that you want her to move in.”

A flash of anger went through him. It wasn’t Tammy’s place
to talk to Henry about it. He tamped it down to hear the rest of her
confession. “Oh?”

“Yeah. He didn’t seem surprised. He was more shocked when I
told him Peggy should move in with us.”

So was Rick and he nearly rear-ended the car in front of
him. “Uh. Wow. Okay.”

“Well, I thought about what you said and it makes sense. I
mean, she’s been with him the whole day in the hospital and they didn’t seem to
want to kill each other. So, he must really like her, huh?”

Rick chuckled. “Yeah. That’s definitely a good sign. But
what about you? Do you think you can handle having her in your house?” He saw
her shrug from the corner of his eye.

“I guess. It’ll probably be a lot like having Annie there.
Peggy knows I’m old enough to take care of myself and it’ll only be for a few
months anyway. If she drives me really nuts I’ll just sleep on your couch.”

Rick groaned and she laughed. He mentally considered all the
things in his living room he’d have to hide once Annie moved in. At least until
Tammy went away to college.

They picked up Annie and went to the diner for dinner. Tammy
fixed her schedule for Saturday so they could spend the morning with Henry.
Annie had the whole weekend off since her boss was still punishing her with low
hours. Rick secretly hoped he could talk her into quitting once she moved in.
He was willing to take care of her financially if she’d let him.

They headed home and Rick spent the night with Annie in his
arms again. Knowing it would soon be the norm kept him awake long after she
fell asleep. He ran a hand through her hair and kissed her temple. She was
everything he’d ever wanted. Luckily he hadn’t spent too long figuring it out
and lost her.

It took two weeks for Henry to be released from the
hospital. In that time they moved most of Annie’s things into Rick’s house. She
had wanted to wait until after her dad returned home, but then she’d spent
about an hour alone with him. She hadn’t told Rick everything, but apparently
Henry had given her his blessing to move out. She’d walked into the waiting
room with tears streaming down her face and Rick had been ready to kick Henry’s
ass. But then she calmed down and told him the good news. Now he was driving a
rental car with more room than his two-door Camaro to pick Henry up. Peggy was
going to follow them home, her car already loaded down with some of her
possessions. Henry said it was only temporary, but everyone else had high
hopes.

Henry grumbled the entire way home as Tammy and Annie kept a
running dialogue from the backseat. Rick wanted to laugh. He could just imagine
them as children trying to talk over each other to keep their dad’s attention.
Amazingly, Henry never missed a question aimed at him and seemed to listen to
them equally. It was the first time Rick witnessed his obvious love for both
daughters. It made him feel better.

All three women fussed over Henry as soon as they got him in
the house. He was moving on his own steam, but slowly. Rick had walked up the
stairs behind him but been careful not to offer any obvious help. Henry just
ignored him. Once everyone was settled Tammy and Annie prepared a dinner of
grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. They had gone grocery shopping and
there wasn’t a piece of red meat in the house. No one had bothered to warn
Henry, but his doctor had given explicit orders. Rick sat on the sofa watching
the news with him and wondered if he should mention it.

“So,” Henry said unexpectedly. “What do you do for a living
anyway?”

Peggy looked at Rick, equally interested. He hid a grin.
“Technical support for my friend’s company. It pays really well and I’m the
only one. We’ve known each other for years.”

“You got benefits?”

“Yes sir. Full medical, dental and vision. He’s starting up
a 401-k program for us next year. His staff is really small but business has
been steadily picking up.”

That seemed to satisfy Henry as he nodded before taking a
drink from his water bottle. They had also thrown out all the beer. He hadn’t
been too happy about that but seemed to take it in stride. “Good. Annie’s job’s
not so good. She’s too smart for that place, but she needs college.”

Rick nodded his agreement, liking Henry’s confidence in his
oldest daughter. “Yes sir. I can easily support both of us while she goes back
to school, if that’s what she wants.”

Henry grunted and said nothing else. Peggy smiled at Rick
and gave a nod of approval. A few minutes later they all sat at the neatly set
table for dinner and Henry didn’t voice a single complaint. Annie and Tammy
beamed at each other.

* * * * *

When Rick closed and locked his front door that evening it
sounded unnaturally loud to Annie. This was it. Her first night in his house.
Their house. He had told her everything he owned was now hers too, as if they
were married. Her heart raced at the thought. They still hadn’t made it to the
doctor for her birth control prescription and she almost hoped they wouldn’t.
He kept condoms in the house but she wanted to have his baby. She wanted to be
his wife and keep him forever. If only he wanted that too. At least they’d made
it this far. She would fall asleep and wake up in his arms. It warmed her
inside and out just thinking about it.

“What’s that look about?” he asked.

She found him watching her. She hadn’t made it past the
living room and was absently looking at his portrait. “Hmm? Oh, uh…I was just
thinking. We never went to the doctor.”

She didn’t need to explain further. The look on his face
told her he knew exactly what she was talking about. He approached slowly,
running one hand through his hair as he seemed to think over a response.
Finally they were less than a foot apart. He locked gazes with her but still
kept his hands to himself. “That’s true. Now that you’re here, mine, I’m not so
worried about it anymore. Are you?”

“I never was. But what exactly do you mean?”

He started unbuttoning her blouse slowly. “I mean, seeing
your belly fill with our baby has been all I can think about since you put your
shoes next to mine in the closet.”

Her breath caught and she stood frozen as he pushed her
blouse off her shoulders. As soon as it dropped he reached around to unhook her
bra. That fell to the floor too and he pulled off his shirt. She placed her
hands on his chest and he placed a palm against her belly. “That’s what I want,
Annie. You and me with a baby. I want a family here in this house, starting
with you. What do you want, my love?”

“You. You and everything you just said, Rick. So much.”

She expected to be in his arms quickly but he surprised her
by stepping back. He took one hand in his and led her to their bedroom. Once he
got her to sit on the edge of the bed, he removed her shoes and socks then his
own. He pulled off his jeans and boxer briefs. Once he was gloriously naked she
wanted to touch him everywhere. But he moved her to the center of the bed and
removed the rest of her clothes. He still stood and looked from her to the
bedside table.

“Are you sure you want to have my baby, Annie? I can still
grab a condom now, if you’re not completely sure.”

She loved him so much for his consideration. He always put
her and her wants first. Always. She opened her arms to him. “Yes, I’m sure.
Come here.”

He grasped her ankles and opened her legs, then lowered his
large body between them. She wrapped herself around him and just held his
warmth against her for a moment.

“God, I love you,” he said.

“And I love you.”

Both his hands threaded through her hair so he held her head
for his kisses. He started with her temple and worked his lips all over her
face. By the time he finally made it to her mouth she was starving for his
taste. He kissed her with equal hunger but didn’t rush. His tongue dueled with
hers for long minutes as the rest of her body heated to his touch. When he
finally left her mouth he made his way past her jaw to her neck. His lightly
stinging bites sent a shiver along her spine. She ran her hands through his
hair before teasing her nails down his neck and shoulders. It was his turn to
shiver.

“I love it when you do that,” he whispered.

His husky voice added to her excitement. The powerful
sensation of making him feel good was heady. She ran her nails over him again
and he groaned before sucking a nipple into his mouth. She gasped and arched
against him, pushing her breast farther into the warm moisture. He switched to
the other breast, then back again until both peaks were tight and red. His
hands spanned her torso, holding her in place. He felt so big and commanding,
she was completely at his mercy where she wanted to be.

“Rick…Rick.”

He hummed his approval at her begging voice and trailed his
kisses lower. Soon he was cupping her ass as his tongue explored the creases
between her thighs and body. He worked his way inward until finally burying his
tongue inside her moisture.

“Oh!”

It always surprised her when he did that, no matter how many
times. More surprising was how much he seemed to enjoy it.

“Mmm, yummy.”

He dived back in and the first waves of her orgasm rolled
over her. He suckled her clit between his strong lips and she exploded.

“Rick!”

Two of his fingers speared her, enhancing the tremors
racking her body. All she could do was whimper.

“Yeah, baby. Come on my hand for me. That’s a good girl.”

He kept his fingers in place as he kissed his way back up
her body. She tasted herself on his lips. “More.”

He grinned and kissed her again. “With pleasure.”

His fingers slipped away to be quickly replaced with the tip
of his hard cock. She pulled her knees up to his hips, opening for him. He put
both arms beneath her knees and eased into her body. “Ohhh, fuuuuuck yesss.”

The satisfaction in his voice was equally matched by the
bliss on his face. Eyes shut, head thrown back, he was a vision from her
fantasies. But he was better than a kidnapping pirate any day. Then he started
thrusting and she was lost to sensation again.

They didn’t have to worry about their sounds like they had
across the street. He grunted loudly and she moaned in ecstasy. The headboard
tapped the wall in rhythm and skin slapped against skin. Another climax built
and almost immediately shot through her. She cried out and tightened around
him. He called her name and the warmth of his seed filled her. The enormity of
what that might mean brought tears to her eyes. She threw her arms around his
neck and kissed him with every ounce of love running through her. He returned
her kiss with equal fervor.

As she relaxed he rolled over so she was lying on top of
him. His cock slowly slipped from her body and she moaned against the loss. “I
love you.”

“I love you too. You okay?”

“Yeah. Better than okay. You?”

He chuckled. “So much better it should be illegal.”

She smiled as he ran his hands over her back and down to her
ass. He cupped a cheek in each hand and squeezed. “I just can’t get enough of
you.”

“Me either. Of you. We should get pregnant in no time.”

“Mmm. I like the idea of that. Especially of all the work
we’ll be putting into it.”

She laughed and placed a kiss against the base of his
throat. “My dad might have another heart attack when I tell him I’m going to
have a baby.”

He grunted. “Well…maybe if I ask his permission to marry you
first he won’t take it so hard.”

Her heart stopped. At least that’s what it felt like as her
chest started burning. She gasped in a quick breath as soon as she realized she
had stopped.

“Annie?”

“Y-yes?’

“Will you marry me?”

She lifted her head and smiled at him through her tears.
“Yes.”

He smiled back and kissed all her tears away before making
love to her again. Later, as their hearts slowly returned to a normal rhythm,
he held her tight against his side. She rested her head on his chest and idly
played with his light covering of hair.

“Having trouble falling asleep, baby?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No. I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“My dad. He didn’t want us talking to you because he was
afraid you’d be a bad influence.”

He laughed and ran a hand over her hair. “And what do you
think? Have I been a bad influence?”

She laughed breathlessly. “Bad? I don’t know. You’ve
definitely been an erotic influence I never expected to have in my life. But I
don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

“I agree. I think I’ve been just exactly what you needed.”

“Yes. Definitely.”

He tipped her chin up with one finger so she had to look at
him. “And you’re exactly what I’ve needed, baby. Now and always.”

There was nothing else to say to that so she didn’t try.
Instead they got to work on making a baby…again.