New Beginnings (24 page)

“I need you,” he whispered, grinding his arousal into her stomach. He pulled back suddenly. “Wait, is this safe? I mean, we’re not going to hurt the baby, are we?” Even if he had to take a dozen cold showers every day for the next seven months, he would do anything to keep his baby safe.

She smiled and stroked his cheek. “The doctor assured me it’s perfectly safe, don’t worry.”

He picked her up and carried her across the room, setting her down gently in the middle of the king-sized bed. He leaned over her, bracing his weight on his hands. “It’s feels like I’ve been waiting for this forever, having you here, back in our bed.”

She stroked his shoulders and tried to draw him closer.

“Wait,” he said, stepping back. His fingers flew over the buttons of his shirt, anxious to shed the obstacles between them. Once he was rid of his shirt, he reached down and began to unbutton hers, slowly, reverently. He wanted to enjoy every second of their reunion. He watched her closely as her eyes drifted closed.

Her tongue peeked out, moistening her bottom lip.

He bit back a groan as he spread her shirt open. She had gorgeous breasts, even fuller now than they had been the last time. His trembling fingers worked the front closure of her black, lacy bra until it fell open, revealing a delicacy he was desperate to feast on. He lowered his head and drew a taut, rosy nipple into his mouth.

She moaned and threaded her hands in his hair. “Ah, yes, Trey.”

He squeezed her breasts together so he could give both equal attention. He laved and sucked her nipples in a lazy circle until she was thrusting her hips off the bed, begging for more.

Releasing her button and zipper, he slid her pants down her toned legs. He paused at the end of the bed, indulging in the image of her nearly naked, aroused, and begging him to make love to her.

“Trey, please,” she whispered, spreading her legs.

He slipped her black, lacy thong off and let it fall to the floor. He slid her down to the edge of the bed and wrapped his hands around her thighs, spreading her legs as he knelt down in front of her. “I need to taste you, sweetheart,” he whispered. The first touch of his breath teasing her intimate flesh set her off like a volcanic eruption of hot lava pouring over his tongue and into his mouth. He continued to stroke and probe her until she was throbbing and begging him for mercy.

He stood and quickly discarded the rest of his clothes. Easing his body over hers, he was careful to support his weight on his forearms. As he lifted her hair away from her neck, he sought the sensitive spot at the base of her throat. Drawing the sensitive flesh into his mouth gently, he caressed it with his tongue until she began torturing him by rubbing her nipples against his chest.

He devoured her mouth, intent on punishing her for stripping him of his hard-fought control, but as soon as he penetrated the warm cavern of her mouth and felt her tongue stroking his, he forgot about the need for revenge and focused solely on his need to pleasure her. He made love to her with his mouth, slowly and thoroughly as she matched him stroke for stroke. When he knew she was on the verge of coming again, he slid into her gently until he filled her to the hilt.

He pulled away to look into her eyes. “You okay, baby?”

She nodded furiously. “I’m better than okay. Make love to me, please. I need you, now.”

He smiled as he met her demands. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to get lost in her. He felt every stroke of her hand, heard every moan, sensed every thrust as her hips rotated to mimic his body’s rising need for release. His sole purpose in that moment was to give her as much pleasure as possible, to make up for all the time they’d lost.

His hands glided over her smooth skin as he tried to focus on maintaining control. He could feel her tightening around him, squeezing him deeper until he almost lost it. He pulled out, knowing she was perched precariously on the edge and desperate to go soaring over.

“Trey, please,” she begged, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Her words were his undoing as he thrust inside of her with all thoughts of retaining control gone. His only goal was to give her the pleasure she sought and take his own. He felt it building as she cried out, shuddering in his arms. Finally, he let go with a harsh groan and emptied inside of her. He waited until the throbbing subsided to pull out and haul her to his side.

“That was amazing,” she whispered, reaching up to kiss his lips.

He smiled, his eyes closed. “That’s one word for it.”

“I’d love to tempt you into another round, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to wait until tonight.”

He scowled. He had no intention of waiting to take her again, unless of course she was sore or... He leaned up on his elbow, looking down at her. “Hey, you sure you’re okay?”

She giggled. “I’m sure, but we’re going to have company soon.”

“Company? Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“I’m afraid not. When I told Marisa I was pregnant, she insisted I hop on a plane so I could tell you in person that you were going to be a daddy.”

He grinned. “God, I love the sound of that.”

She kissed his lips. “Anyways, Marisa was so excited for us, she wanted to get everyone together to celebrate. I hope you don’t mind?”

He laughed. “I’m not gonna lie, honey. I’d love to spend the rest of the day in bed with you, but I suppose I can control myself for a few hours.” His hand slid to her waist. “Or maybe not.”

She laughed and slapped his chest. “I’ll make you a deal. How about you join me in the shower, handsome?”

He glanced at his diamond Rolex watch. “How much time did you say we have before they get here?”

“About an hour.”

“Perfect.”

“Okay, Marisa told us you two have big news,” Edna said. “We’re getting tired of waiting; let’s hear it already.”

Laughter erupted around the large dining table.

Trey and Sierra looked at each other. “Where do we begin?” he asked.

“Tell me you two are getting back together,” Marisa said, squeezing Sierra’s left hand.

She had slipped her engagement ring off before greeting their guests. The surprise wouldn’t remain a secret for long once they saw the evidence weighing down her finger.

“First, let’s bring everyone up to speed on what’s been happening over the past couple of days,” Trey suggested. “Some of you may not know about Megan’s pregnancy.”

“What about it?” Val asked, setting her utensils down on her plate. “Did something happen to the baby?”

“There was no baby,” Trey said quietly. “She faked the pregnancy. Apparently, she thought I would agree to marry her if I thought she was havin’ my baby.”

“Why, that little...” Lexi began.

Elaine patted her back. “We all feel that way, Lexi. Lying about something like that is inexcusable.”

Sierra picked up her glass of water and took a sip to coat her dry throat. She could only hope they would understand why she had chosen to keep her pregnancy a secret and wouldn’t lump her in the same category as Megan.

“Hey, you okay?” Trey whispered in her ear.

She forced herself to smile and nod.

“What kind of woman does a thing like that?” Jared asked. “Hell, it’s almost as bad as a woman tryin’ to keep a man’s child from him. It’s unforgiveable; that’s what it is.”

Marisa squeezed Sierra’s hand. “Hey, I think we’re getting a little off track here, aren’t we? Let’s give Trey and Sierra a chance to share their news with us.”

Sierra felt ten pairs of eyes on her and she had to resist the urge to squirm under their intense scrutiny. She looked to Trey, silently praying he would help her find the words to explain her decision to their friends and family.

He put his arm around her and drew her close. “I wanted y’all to be the first to know that Sierra has made me the happiest man in the world by agreeing to be my wife again.”

Whoops of delight and laughter rang out around the table and Sierra felt her body relax. These people loved her and Trey; they just wanted them to be happy.

Jared reached across the table to fill Sierra’s empty wineglass. “This calls for a toast.” He raised his glass while everyone at the table followed suit. “I would say welcome to the family, honey, but you were always a member of this family. I’m just glad my stubborn son finally swallowed his pride and came to his senses.”

Trey laughed and raised his water glass.

“Seriously,” Jared said, smiling. “We wish you two the long and happy life you deserve, and may yesterday’s mistakes be overshadowed by the promise of a better tomorrow. Cheers.”

The clinking of glasses and a chorus of cheers around the table fortified Sierra. She was ready to admit her mistakes and ask for forgiveness.

“There’s something else I’d like to share with all of you,” she said, looking around the table. “You know how difficult it was for Trey and me when Callie died. We began to drift apart when we should have been relying on each other for support. He blamed himself. I blamed myself, and instead of communicating about it, we just shut down.”

Trey put his hand on her leg under the table, letting her know he was there to support her.

“When Trey was on the road, I had a follow-up appointment with my doctor.” She paused as her voice trembled. She would never forget how she felt in that moment, the doctor’s words, how alone she felt. “The doctor told me the chances of me conceiving another baby naturally were slim to none. Needless to say, I was devastated.”

“Oh, honey,” Elaine said quietly. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t tell anyone at the time, not even Trey.” She looked up at the man she loved and was so grateful and humbled to see the forgiveness and understanding reflected in his eyes. “I knew how much he wanted a family. It was something we both wanted. I couldn’t stay married to him knowing how much he wanted the family I would never be able to give him.”

“Are you serious?” Luc asked, looking incredulous. “Did you really think that would change the way he felt about you?”

Sierra was shocked by Luc’s outburst. His friend had never supported or approved of their marriage. It was difficult for her to believe she had misread his feelings and that he actually may have cared.

“You have no idea what it did to him when you walked away, Sierra.” He threw his napkin down on the table, looking disgusted.

Trey held up his hand. “Luc...”

“No, let’s be honest, people.” He looked around the table. “We were all there to watch him self-destruct. He was a mess when she walked out on him. Now she’s telling us that she left because of a medical condition that wouldn’t have mattered one damn bit to Trey?”

“I’m sorry,” Sierra said, lowering her head. She wouldn’t give Luc the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

“You’re sorry?” He turned to his friend. “Does that make up for the five years of hell she put you through, Trey? Does that excuse the fact that she walked out and never looked back?”

“Luc, that’s enough,” Josh said, grabbing his shoulder.

“Why does she get a free pass? You people claim to love Trey. You’re his family, for God’s sake. I never claimed to know much about family, but if there’s one thing you guys have taught me, it’s that families are supposed to have each other’s backs. Yet, you’re all sitting here with smiles on your faces, ready to welcome her back into the fold even though she almost destroyed his life once. How can you be so sure she won’t do it again?”

Sierra felt the awkward silence fill the room. It stretched on for several minutes and she knew everyone was considering Luc’s words and, as much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right.

“Excuse me,” she whispered, scraping her chair across the hardwood floor. The gilded wood chair almost toppled over in her haste to leave the table.

She heard Trey’s angry voice filtering through the glass door as she made her way to the patio.

“You just don’t know when to keep your mouth shut, do you, Luc?”

“I don’t care if you’re pissed, Trey. I know you love her, but that woman is gonna be the death of you.”

“At least he’s willing to take a chance, Luc,” Marisa said. “He’s not a coward like you are.”

“Right, and look where that’s gotten him, Marisa!” Luc shouted.

Sierra closed the door and leaned against it, trying to slow her ragged breathing. She walked over to an iron bench and looked out over the grounds. She couldn’t help but wonder if Luc was right. She loved Trey, but what if they were destined to continue down this path of pain and destruction?

She heard the faint click of the door and felt his presence beside her. He drew her into his arms.

“I’m sorry about that, sweetheart. I should have kicked his ass for callin’ you out like that.”

She shook her head. “I’m glad you didn’t.” She turned toward him. “I’m afraid he may have been right, Trey.”

“What the hell are you talkin’ about? Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts because of what Luc said?”

“I’m scared,” she whispered, brushing away the tears.

He leaned in closer. “What are you afraid of, sweetheart?”

“What if we lose this baby, Trey? I don’t know if we’re strong enough to survive that kind of loss again.” She couldn’t even stand to think about what it would do to him, to them.

“I won’t even consider that,” he said, brushing a strand of hair off her face. “We’re going to have a beautiful, healthy baby. I refuse to even consider the alternative.”

“What if we don’t?” she asked, voicing her deepest, darkest fears. “How would you handle that? Could you promise me you wouldn’t start drinking again? Could you promise me you wouldn’t go back out on the road just to put some distance between us?”

He reared back as though she slapped him. “How can you ask me that? After everything we’ve been through, I thought you finally trusted me to be there for you no matter what.”

She sighed, feeling her heart breaking all over again. “I do. At least I think I do.”

“But you’re not sure?”

She had to be honest with him and herself. “There are no guarantees in life.”

He stared at her. “I guess you’re right. I thought things had changed, maybe I was just seein’ what I wanted to see.” He got up and walked toward the door.