Friends with Benefits - Nicole Blanchard Page 0,62
like heaven. The twins were on the floor with newspaper spread beneath them, playing with what looked like a science experiment from hell populating half a dozen bowls.
“Are you guys making dinner?” I asked. “It smells good.”
Tillie giggled. “No, silly.”
“We’re making slime!” Molly exclaimed and dug into a bowl with both hands, pulling out a huge pile of neon blue goop.
I dumped my bag of gear by the front door and knelt down next to them to give them a squeeze. “Looks delicious,” I said, causing them to giggle.
Ember lifted her cheek for a kiss next. I obliged her. “You look delicious, too.”
She was in a pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, and her hair was thrown up in a messy bun. “I think you’re full of it,” she whispered back.
“How about later I let you know how delicious I think you are?”
She blushed and turned back to the chicken and rice she had been stirring in a pot. “Really?”
“Really, what?” I wrapped my arms around her from behind, my hands going to her flat stomach.
“You still want to?”
“Why don’t I show you how much I still want to when the twins go to bed?”
I did just that a couple of hours later, once the twins were clean and snuggled up and Ember and I were alone in her room. I had her lay down, and I stripped her bare, starting at her toes and worshiping on my way up. She stopped me just before, even though she was slippery wet and shaking with need.
“You sure? You’re not weirded out?” she asked.
I kissed her navel. And lingered. “What about this would weird me out?”
She shrugged, and her breath hitched when she spoke. “I dunno. Some guys get freaked out about sex and pregnancy. My dad did.”
I winced. “Let’s not talk about your dad right now. All I want is you. Nothing about you could ever weird me out.”
I pushed up to kiss her and took my time there until her hands kneaded my shoulders, insistent.
She tore away and said, “You shouldn’t. You have practice in the morning, and it’s almost midnight.”
Patiently, I peeled her hands away and pressed them to the bed. I knew her mind must be going a mile a minute, trying to solve every problem before it came up. Especially now. I simply couldn’t give her time to think, or she’d rationalize to death all the good things we had.
So I pinned her hands above her head with one hand. She could have gotten away if she wanted to, but she let me do it while watching me with feverish eyes. I gripped my cock with my other hand and wet the head with her juices. Her breath caught again as I slipped inside in one long, slow stroke.
She liked it when I was relentless, when I gave her what she wanted, but slowly. Carving away at her need like a river carved a canyon.
“You think I don’t know these things? I knew when we made this arrangement what the deal was. What the risks were. I’ve never given up on anything in my life, and I’m not going to start now. No matter what, we’ll make it work. I’m showing up. I’m showing up for you and the girls. For our baby.”
She lifted her hips to meet me, her eyelids fluttering as she tried to stay focused. “Then you have to promise me you’re not going to give up on your life either. No more late nights, no more skipping studying or practices. I care about you and want you to succeed, no matter what.”
“But the baby?”
She blushed. “It’s the size of a pea. It doesn’t need anything right now.”
“And you?”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Try again,” I suggested.
“Tripp, I’m serious.”
“So am I.” I spread her legs over my forearms and fucked her deep.
“That’s not a part of the rules,” she insisted breathlessly.
“Then I’m making it a part of the rules. From now on, you won’t fight me when I try to help with you or the girls. I want to be in this with you. You just have to let me.” She nodded, and that was all I needed. “Deal.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ember
He was right. I wanted to let him in, to truly accept that he’d be there for us, no matter what. People had made promises like that to me my whole life, but no one had ever stuck to them. Tripp didn’t need to make promises. He showed how