Time for Change (16 page)

“Are you excited about it?” she asked, snuggling in tight. Her hands
danced over his chest.

“Yeah, it’s a fresh start, which is what we need.”

“If you want to stay at your job, you can. I shouldn’t be jealous of all
your previous women. I’ve got you to myself at night.” She looked at him,
smiling shyly.

“This is my decision as much as it’s yours. Those women were
distractions. I don’t want to risk what we have because of my stupidity before
I got you.” He ran his hand up and down her back. Chris looked up at the
ceiling, feeling content. He’d not felt this way in a long time.

It wasn’t just about the sex. It was everything he did with Rachel. She
brought out the best in him. When he was with her, Chris wanted to be the
better man for her.

“I love this house almost as much as I love the man who bought it for
me,” she said, kissing his nipple.

“It’s good to know I rate as high as the house that you love.”

She giggled. “You know you mean more to me than anything else. You’re
all I’ve got in the world.”

Staring down into her eyes, Chris felt the same way. In fact, he wanted
to have many more little people in the world. With Rachel, he wanted to have a
big family and surround them with a future.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

Chris hesitated. She was only twenty-six, and he didn’t want to terrify
her with his thoughts. “I was thinking about how this is our first Christmas
together as a couple. This weekend we’ll go shopping for furniture and get some
decorations. It’s almost time for it. We may as well enjoy it.”

The light died a little in her eyes, which he hated to see.

“Yeah, Christmas is going to be awesome no matter what we do. We’ll have
each other. Also, this is going to be the fastest put together house in the
history of moving in together.”

He chuckled. Kissing the top of her head, he listened to her plans,
knowing this was what he wanted in his future, and he’d do everything to
protect that.

Chapter Thirteen

Two weeks later

“So you’ve still not told him you’re pregnant?” David asked. Rachel
paused
mid-pour of the coffee machine. She turned to look at
her boss and friend as he stated the obvious. For the last two weeks she’d been
able to hide the morning sickness from Chris. She wasn’t ready to tell him, but
David helped her to deal with the scents and covered for her when she ran to
the bathroom to throw up.

“I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, David, I really do, but
you shouldn’t really be discussing this with me,” she said, finishing the
movement.

When she moved the coffee to the waitress, she held her breath so she
wouldn’t inhale the scent of the coffee. Once the order was complete she gave
her attention to her boss. One of his eyebrows was raised, which she couldn’t
do herself, and his hand was on his hip.

“You struggle with certain scents. You’ve changed from coffee to tea,
Rachel. He’s a doctor and should recognize the signs. Unless he’s a shit
doctor, in which case, where does he work so I know not to go there?” David
asked.

“Will you just stop?” She held her hands up in surrender. “Our
relationship is complicated. He was with my sister for crying out loud. We’re
different from the average couple.”

“No, you’re not.” David pulled her close so no one would hear them.
“You’re like any other couple. The only difference between you and other
couples, is the fact he doesn’t already know you’re pregnant.”

She tugged her hand away from his, looking around the bar. “It’s none of
your business.”

“I know it’s none of my business, but I’m not the kind of guy who can
pretend nothing is happening. Pregnant women need to make appointments to check
everything is okay. My girlfriend told me to warn you about that.”

“You told your girlfriend?” Rachel asked. Great, now two people knew
before Chris. When he did find out he was going to be so annoyed with her.

“Yeah, of course I told her. Unlike some people I don’t keep stuff from
my honey,” David said. “You could have an accident, or something wrong could
happen with your pregnancy. He’s lost your sister. What if your secrecy means he
loses you?”

She didn’t like her boss right at that moment. David was talking sense
while what she was doing didn’t make any sense at all.

“You know I’m right.”

“Don’t get cocky.”

“You’ve got to tell him,
Rach
, you know you
do.” He was the only person to shorten down her name. Glaring at him, she
folded her arms. Everything was going so well in her life. They had furniture
and had moved all of their belongings out of his apartment into the new house.
She was already exploring the yards and making plans for them. The weekend they
spent together getting decorations had been the best time of her life with him.

She’d felt like a proper couple, going around stores and picking out
their own decorations for their house. He offered to get the new kitchen that she
wanted, but she stalled him. Rachel didn’t want to risk their first Christmas
together for a kitchen to be half finished.

“Look, it’s not Chris’s fault that he doesn’t know. I don’t let him see
the signs. By the time we’re home together, everything has calmed down. I’m
keeping it from him. I know it sounds bad, but we’re only just getting
together,” Rachel said. She folded her arms over her chest trying to offer
herself some comfort.

The look in David’s eyes made her feel nervous.

“You’re not being fair to him. He has a right to know what’s going on
with your body.”

Tears filled her eyes. Rachel couldn’t fight them, and her emotions were
all over the place just recently. She couldn’t stop herself from crying out.

“Don’t cry,” he said.

“I’m not trying to guilt you or anything. Everything is going well in
our life. Tonight he’s picking me up, and we’re decorating the tree together.
I’ve ordered his present, David. A baby is not going to be a happy event. We’re
new. We’re a new couple.” She stopped to press a hand to her chest.

“You’re afraid he’ll want the baby more than you?” David asked.

“I’ll love my baby no matter what. I’m just afraid it will be too much
with everything he’s lost. I don’t want him to look at me, hating the fact I
remind him of everything he once had.” Rachel pressed a hand to her lips.

David wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. “Chris will hate
it more if something happens to you and he didn’t know the truth straight away.
You need to tell him, and if you don’t tell him soon, I will.”

He leaned back.

Someone cleared their throat, and she turned to see Chris standing in
the doorway. He was looking at David’s arms and then at her. “Am I interrupting
something?” he asked.

“No, man.
I’ve got a girl of my own. Your woman was getting all emotional over
her first Christmas. She was telling me how you were decorating a tree or
something. I tell you, it’s all too much for me to deal with.” David held his
arms up. “You can take her home and have fun, if you want?”

She saw the jealousy disappear in Chris’s eyes. “You’ve got a
girlfriend?”

“Yeah, I’ve got the proof.” David pulled out his cell phone showing a
picture of a sweet red-haired girl.
“My childhood sweetheart.
She put up with a lot of crap from me. I’m not going to give her a chance to
leave me.”

“Good.” Chris sat down at the bar. “I’ll wait for you here.”

Looking between the two men, Rachel shook her head. She didn’t
understand guys. They were so fucking confusing.

“Fine, I’m going.”

She left the bar and made her way to the staff room. Rachel grabbed her
clothes and headed to the bathroom. Staring at her reflection, she saw the
minor weight loss she’d experienced. She got the chance to look up on the
internet that she’d experience some weight loss, which made no sense to her.
Having a baby was supposed to make her bigger rather than thinner.

The extra weight would come in no time. She hoped Chris still wanted her
when she was swollen with extra liquid and the weight of a baby.

Once she was dressed, she made her way back to the bar. Chris and David
were talking. Putting on her coat, she approached her man. “Are you ready?” she
asked.

“I’m more ready than anything.” Chris took her hand, leading her
outside. “There’s something I want to show you,” he said.

She took her seat on his car and waited for him to climb inside. “What
is it? What did you get me?”

He handed her a bag. “I’d advise that you not pull everything out for
all to see.”

Chris started up the car as she opened the bag, looking inside. He
pulled away from curb, and she stared at what he’d bought.

“You’ve got lube and condoms.” Turning to look at him, she frowned.

“Yes.” He grabbed her hand, lifting her palm to his lips. Chris kissed
her hand, and her heart started to race. For the past few weeks he’d been exploring
her ass, getting her used to his touch.

“Tonight?” she asked.

“Yes, tonight.” He squeezed her hand, and she felt the heat start to
build inside her.

“What about the tree?” She kept her gaze on his.

“We’ll be decorating the tree, but you’re going to know while we’re
doing that, you’re going to get something I want.” He kept hold of her hand
throughout the drive.

She didn’t want to deal with the tree anymore. The thought of having him
making love to her and giving her something he’d teased her with for the past
couple of weeks was going to drive her crazy.

Chris’s sole intention was to drive her crazy. He knew what to do and to
say to give her pleasure.

“It’s all you’re thinking about now, right?” Chris asked.

“You know I am. You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Of course.
You’re thinking about it now, and
you’re wanting
it more than anything.” Chris smiled.

She sat back, loving and hating him at the same time.

“You’re going to make it hard for me to focus tonight.”

“Good, I’ll be working hard to make you desperate for my touch.”

****

Chris stared at the blank tree before him. His cock was making it
difficult to think about decorating the tree. He shouldn’t have given her the
lube and condoms. She looked so tantalizing in her jeans and shirt. Had she
removed her bra when she got home? Her tits looked so damn sexy in the shirt
she wore.

Concentrate,
Chris.

The tree was nothing compared to looking at Rachel. Her curves were
calling to him, and in comparison to his woman, the tree came second best. She
lifted the large cardboard box where he’d stored the decorations they’d bought
together the other weekend.

“We put the angel on last, I think.” Rachel pulled the angel from the
box, placing it on the sofa. She tucked her hair behind her ear.

“You’ve taken your bra off,” he said.

“I know. I wonder if we can get this tree done without tearing each
other apart.” She looked up at him with a charming smile on her lips.

“You’re a vixen.”

“No, I’m a woman intent on driving her man insane just like you’re
intent on driving me insane.”

She lifted out the first box of baubles.

“We’ll get this tree done, and then your ass is mine.” He took out the
first bauble and placed it on the tree.

Chris moaned as her hand cupped his crotch. “Count on it.”

Fuck, he wondered if he could decorate the tree fast. Taking each bauble
out of the packet, he placed them on the tree, wishing it would pretty itself
up instead.

Rachel pointed out to where each bauble needed to go, and he placed it
where she pointed. There were times he found himself looking at her chest,
wishing she’d do it topless. Staring at her hard nipples was making it hard to
think.

“We’re onto the tinsel,” Rachel said.

He stared at the tree trying to bring focus to his frazzled thoughts.
All he was seeing in his mind was Rachel naked underneath him as he waited to
fuck her.

Focus, Chris.
You can do this. Decorate a tree, make it look pretty, and your woman is all
yours.

“Here you go,” Rachel said.

He turned toward her and stopped. She wasn’t wearing a shirt, and the
tinsel was wrapped around her neck. Her pale breasts were on full display with
her glorious red tipped nipples. His mouth watered for a taste of her flesh.

“You’re not playing fair.”

“No one is around. Why can’t we enjoy what’s happening?” She stroked her
nipple catching his gaze.

“Fine.”
He dropped his pants to the floor not caring how his cock stood out
straight. Chris couldn’t recall a time he’d been this hard for a woman in his
life. She was giggling as she handed him the tinsel. Once he’d taken all of the
tinsel from her hands, he started to drape it over the tree.