I blinked. “You want me to be the sane one?”
“Yes. You are brilliant and caring and can usually help anybody in your circle without them even asking. So, help yourself. Help me. I’m freaking out, and I need you.”
“What do you need me for?”
“To be here. To help me. You’re right. My parents will probably disown me or do whatever the hell they want when they realize that I’m pregnant at my age. We’re not married. I need you to protect me if your mother calls me a whore and throws things at me.”
I snorted. “My mother would never do that.”
“I don’t know that, do I? You never speak about her.”
“I don’t know what to say. We weren’t dating before, Natalie. And I don’t talk about my family. We’re doing this ass-backwards.”
“We are. So, let’s try to make it frontwards.”
“That makes no sense.”
“I know that. Which is why you need to deal with my crazy hormones.”
“Do women get crazy hormones this early in a pregnancy?” I asked, blinking.
“I don’t know. But we need to stop fighting. We can’t fight and be parents.”
Parents. Jesus. We were going to be parents. I wasn’t even sure how to take care of myself. How were we supposed to take care of a baby?
“Maybe I shouldn’t be a dad,” I mumbled.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have fucked me.” She raised her chin, pressing those pouty little lips together, and I held back a groan.
“You know, I kind of like that word coming out of your mouth.” If I could distract her, maybe we wouldn’t have to deal with the seriousness. That seemed to be all we had been doing since we found out. We were trying to make plans for a future that was already more than uneasy.
“You like that word coming out of my mouth, yet you’re not going to do anything about it?” she asked, surprising me.
I threw back my head and laughed. “I think I can. But didn’t we both say it would complicate things?”
“You claimed me in front of your friends. You’re not going to claim me here?”
“When the hell did you get so brazen?”
“I always have been. Just because I was a virgin doesn’t mean I hid behind that status. I’m no longer a virgin. Clearly.”
“I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
She pushed at my chest again with that cute little finger.
“You’re not taking advantage if I’m willing to give.”
“So, what does this mean?”
“It means I want you to kiss me. I want you to let me forget about everything for just an instant, and then we’ll continue our plans for our careers, lives, and figure out what we’re going to do when we can’t hide this pregnancy anymore.”
“So, you’re going to panic with me?”
“If panicking means you’re going to kiss me? Yes.”
Knowing it was a bad idea, I stood still for just an instant. But then I couldn’t wait any longer. I liked her. I had for a very long time. And that was the problem. I liked her enough that I wouldn’t be able to hold back if she asked me to kiss her. Like now. I would do anything for her. I was just now realizing that was true and had been the case since I first met her.
And that was a problem.
For later.
For now, I leaned down and brushed my lips against hers.
She moaned, and I wrapped my arms around her body.
“Is sex still okay this early in the pregnancy?”
She sighed against my lips and raked her nails down my chest. My cock hardened at the touch. “Did you not read that book?”
“It was a little too graphic for me.”
“Poor Tanner. Afraid of seeing a vagina?”
“Please, don’t ever say that again. Those images were not something I was used to.”
“Same here. And I’m scared. But I don’t want to think about it right now. We’ll talk about where we’ll live and how we’re going to support ourselves later. For now, let’s just pretend.”
“I can do that,” I whispered and kissed her harder. Her hands moved down my chest and then up under my shirt to touch skin. I moaned and deepened the kiss before backing her to the bed.
She was wearing another dress today, and I couldn’t help but groan at the sight.
“I swear you wear these just to tease me.”
“Maybe I do.”
My gaze shot to hers. “Are you serious?”
“I’ve wanted you for a long time, Tanner. That’s not going to change.”
“Okay, then.”
I knew it might change. Once she figured out exactly who I was and where I came from, she’d probably walk away. She’d say that we would do this together, but that wouldn’t be the case. She had so many more resources than I did. She didn’t need me.
For right now, she said that she did. So, maybe I’d be the asshole and give in. Take advantage of the moment.
I slowly lifted her dress over her hips and looked up at her from the edge of the bed. “Pull your straps down and cup your breasts. I want to see you play with your nipples.”
Her mouth parted, and she nodded, doing as I instructed. She looked so fucking sexy. Her breasts were far too big for her tiny hands, and it made me moan, my dick pressing hard into my zipper.
She slid her hands over her breasts and arched her back.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.”
She didn’t say anything, just moaned, and I grinned before leaning forward to slowly slide her panties to the side, exposing her.
“Already so wet for me, baby.”
“I feel like I’m always wet around you.”
“Good, because I’m always hard around you.”
She looked up, pausing in her attention on her breasts. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I always have a fucking hard-on when you’re around. That’s part of the problem.”
“So, why didn’t you kiss me before?”
I sighed and kissed the inside of her thigh. “Before, you were off-limits. And I was dating people, remember?”
She nodded. “I remember.”
“Plus, I don’t share unless it’s willingly and part of the relationship. I’m not sharing you, Natalie. Whatever happens with us, I don’t share.”
I met her gaze, willing her to understand. She nodded and parted her lips again. I leaned forward and licked her. She groaned, her head falling back. I spread her, licking her clit, flicking my tongue against the nub. Her whole body shuddered, and I pressed my hands against her thighs, spreading her wide.
I continued to lick and suck, to tease, and when I slowly probed her entrance with a finger, she shook, her pussy clamping around me.
I pressed my thumb against her clit, spearing her with another finger, and she came, her pussy gripping me like a vise. I grinned, lapping at her, and then I stood as she slowly lay back, her dress around her waist, her panties still pushed to the side, and her eyes wide.
“Whoa.”
“I like that.”
“But you’re still clothed.”
“I can fix that.”
I toed off my shoes and stripped off my shirt before shucking my pants.