Sheriff’s Pregnant Ex by Leslie North

2

As soon as they were in the backseat, she straddled his lap, her skirt riding up on her thighs as they kissed again. His hands cupped her butt, pulling her to him, and she could feel his erection through his jeans. God, she wanted him.

She knew she shouldn’t use him to forget that her life had gone to shit lately, but it felt so good to be with him again that she let her body overrule her common sense. Her fingers went to the snaps on the front of his shirt, popping them open so she could explore his body. His muscles were even firmer than they had been before, and a coating of hair now covered his chest. She’d thought he’d been sexy when they were in college. He was twice as hot now. That had been her first thought when she’d first seen him in the bar.

She worked her hands lower and made him moan when she undid the top button on his jeans. He shifted to help her and swore when his knee connected with the center console.

“Your car’s small, darlin’,” he said. “I don’t think this is going to work.”

He’d always called her darlin’ when they made love. Maybe he said that to all women he took to bed, but the little endearment had mattered so much to her.

“It will.” She cupped him through his jeans, determined to convince him, worried that he’d give up and leave her. “Give it a chance.” She shed her shirt, bashing her elbow into the ceiling in the process. The pain was easy to ignore when he focused on her breasts. His head dipped and he ran his tongue along the edge of her lace bra before swirling it around her nipple. “So good,” she whimpered as she rubbed against his erection. The need to get rid of their clothes and have him inside her rose to a feverish height when his clever fingers stroked the inside of her thighs. She became completely unaware of their surroundings.

“Wait.” He suddenly stilled beneath her. His hands clamped around her thighs, holding her in place. Even though her brain was foggy with need, she heard people laughing and talking nearby. The lights of a car came on in the next row, and Brian tucked her down out of sight when the headlights swept across them. “I can’t do this, darlin’,” he said when it was dark again. “I need room to love you right, and I can’t get a public indecency charge in my position.”

She liked his position, directly under her, but she heard what he was saying. Caitlin dropped her head against his shoulder, coping with the disappointment. She’d become used to that emotion lately. She told herself she’d catch her breath and try to tamp down her desire before getting in the front seat and driving away.

“There’s a motel a mile or so down the road,” he suggested, and her mood lifted immediately. “You could follow me there.” He wasn’t saying “no,” he was just saying “not here.” He found her shirt in the dark and helped her pull it over her head before lifting her off him. “If you still want to, that is.”

He was leaving it open for her to refuse him. Like she could. Not now. “I want to. So much.”

“Me, too.” His voice was soft, and he kissed her again before she slipped off him and got in the front seat.

With a wave, he jogged off and climbed into a pickup truck. She put her car in gear and followed him when he left the lot. She didn’t let herself think of why this was a bad idea. Instead, she focused on how much she needed it. Needed to feel good—and needed to remember that there were good men in the world who treated women right.

She pinched her lips together as she remembered everything that had gone wrong in her life in the past month—starting with when her dumbass boyfriend had cleaned out her savings account and taken off. It wasn’t as if she’d thought Seamus was the catch of the century, but she hadn’t thought he’d steal from her. And not just her—Maggie’s money had been in that account, too, since they’d pooled together the startup money for the tattoo business she and her friend had planned to open. Maggie was so pissed at her for trusting Seamus that she wasn’t even speaking to her at the moment. After all that, was it so wrong to want to feel good for a little while?

A turn signal and brake lights came on ahead of her, and Brian pulled into a roadside motel. He parked and waited for her to before going into the office. She followed him into the parking lot. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t smart, or that it couldn’t lead anywhere. Being with Brian would take away the lost feeling for just a little while, let her feel taken care of just for one night, and she wanted that so much.

When he emerged from the office, she got out of her car, still undecided about what she was going to do. She joined him at the motel room door. After he unlocked it, he flipped on a light, closed and locked the door behind them, then checked out the closet and bathroom.

“Security sweep?” she asked, a little amused by his actions, but also touched. He’d always been one to care for others and keep them safe.

“Just being cautious. Seems okay.” He adjusted the lighting, killing the stark overhead bulb and going for the gentler glow of the lamp on the bedside table. He turned to her then, and she felt a moment of self-consciousness. After what Seamus had done, her confidence in herself was at an all-time low. Brian had always made her feel beautiful and desirable…but that had been years ago. Maybe he didn’t see her the same way anymore.

In two strides he was in front of her, as if he’d sensed her uncertainty. “I like this.” He ran a hand through her cropped hair, his fingers massaging her scalp, and she wanted to melt against him. “Suits you.”

“Brian…”

“I reckon we both have reasons for wanting this, darlin’.” His hand moved to cradle the back of her head. “And we’re not college kids anymore. We can make a decision to be together for tonight.”

She sighed. “I sometimes make poor choices.” He had no idea how many she’d made lately.

He kissed her forehead. “I’ll make sure tonight isn’t one of those for either of us.”

She couldn’t deny how much she wanted to make love with him—or how good it felt to know that he wanted her, too. “We should get back to where we were, then.”

“I agree.” He caught the edge of her shirt and lifted it over her head. “I think you were about here, darlin’.”

He’d redone the snaps on his shirt, so she popped them open again and shoved the shirt off his shoulders. In the soft light of the room, she could see the definition of his chest muscles and the chiseled abs. “And you were here.” She kissed his chest, putting her lips over his heart and feeling the rapid beat.

He growled low in his throat before lifting her and carrying her to the bed, laying her down gently. She wanted him on top of her and held out her arms to him, but he had other ideas. He stripped off his clothing, lightning fast, then joined her to remove hers much more slowly. Torturously slow, starting with her boots and socks. First one, then the other hit the floor, and he crawled up her body, kissing her ankle, the inside of her calf, the back of her knee.

“So beautiful,” he murmured. “You always were.” He reached her denim skirt and slowly lowered the side zipper. “Lift up, darlin’.” She did and he slid the skirt down her legs, leaving her in just her panties and bra.

Other men she’d been with said almost nothing during sex, but not Brian. He’d always been a talker, and she’d loved that about him. He talked about how much he wanted her and how amazing she was as a person. The man could make love with his words so well, but his body, and what he did to hers, sent continuous thrills through her.

After he removed the rest of her clothes, he kissed her for long minutes, overriding her senses. He’d been the only man ever able to take her out of herself like that. When she was in his arms, she left a lifetime of doubts and insecurities behind. She wanted to be closer to him, cocooned in everything he seemed to offer. She wrapped her legs around him, pressing against his erection and wanting him inside her. He left her for a minute and came back with a condom in place. Before he entered her, though, he ran his hands over her body, seeming to touch her everywhere and drawing out the anticipation.

“Please.” Her voice was almost a sob.

He pushed into her then, taking it slow and filling her. “So good, darlin’, so good. I love that you’re so wet for me.” He thrust in deeper as he whispered more endearments in her ear. She was speechless, unable to respond, only able to feel, but he kept on undeterred, pouring endless praise over her. She knew it was just sex talk, but it made her feel whole again, it made her feel healed even if it was just in the moment.

He took her hands in one of his and lifted them over her head. She’d never let another lover hold her down like that, but she trusted him. His other hand cupped her cheek and then her breasts as he continued to drive into her. When she felt herself unraveling, his lips returned to hers. The kiss matched the pace of their lovemaking as it became more frenzied. She couldn’t hold on much longer.

“The things you do to me, darlin’,” he said against her lips as he thrust deep and she came, the ripple of her orgasm going through her entire body. She was breathless with it as she heard his gasp and felt the moment when he spilled in her. He released her hands and she stroked them down his back, feeling the powerful muscles quivering. She felt so…so close to him. And it would be easy to fall into the fantasy of being with him again.

She closed her eyes and tried to empty her brain of all her worries. Just for a few more minutes. Just long enough for her body to calm. And then…

He kissed her again, a soft, lingering kiss, and rolled off her. She missed him instantly, so she turned onto her side to see him. His green eyes were soft in the dim lighting, and she considered snuggling closer and going to sleep with him, waking up in his arms. But she shouldn’t. She’d already indulged in escapism enough. She should get dressed and go. Not that she wanted to. This was fantasy, and outside the motel room door reality was there to bite her in the butt. But she had to face it, so with a sigh she pushed herself up to sitting.

“You know, if you weren’t already married to Darby Crossing, I think you might be the perfect man for me.” She put a note of teasing in her voice, setting the tone for her departure.

He grinned, making her heart beat faster. He was sweet, handsome, and sexy as hell. That hadn’t changed about him. But neither had his dedication to a town she’d be happy to never see again. “If you ever revise your policy against returning to our hometown, I’ll be the first in line to buy you a drink,” he promised.

They were joking, but there was a current running between them. There always had been, and it seemed even stronger now.

“Gotta go,” she said and gave him a last kiss on the lips before forcing herself out of the bed and finding her clothes.

“You know I’m more than half serious, right?” he said as she was sticking her feet into her boots. “If you come home…”

She shook her head. That was one thing she could never do. Darby Crossing held nothing but terrible memories for her. Not to mention, her parents were still there. She controlled the shiver that went through her. While they hadn’t been physically abusive, they’d understood all too well how to make her and her brother miserable without laying a finger on either of them. She’d gotten out of that house as fast as possible, knowing she could never go back. She’d found her way once before in the city, and she’d figure it out again despite how hopeless her situation seemed right now.

“Can’t,” she said, no longer able to keep up the teasing tone. “Bye, Brian. Tonight’s meant a lot to me. I hope you know that.” She couldn’t say any more without tears coming to her eyes, so she left the room. It was late, and she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the night with him and put off the drive back to Austin until the next day. But this special night where she felt valued and beautiful was just a fantasy. It was time to get back to reality.