Hope Awakened by Charlene Hartnady

Chapter 40

A week later…

Reece knocked on the door.

“I need a little longer,” Hope shouted.

“We should be doing this together,” he shouted back.

“What? Pee on a stick?” Her stomach was in knots.

“I’d be happy to pee on a stick,” Reece said. “But I doubt it would do much good.”

Hope laughed, even though she was feeling sick to her stomach. She opened the door. Reece took her hand. “Have you done it yet?”

She nodded, pointing at the neatly folded toilet paper. “It’s under there.” She gestured at the vanity. “It takes a few minutes. I didn’t want to look too soon.” She was chewing on her bottom lip so hard she was sure it might bleed.

Reece took both her hands and led them to the side of the tub, sitting on the edge. With a tug, he pulled her onto his lap, closing his arms around her. “Are you okay?”

Hope shook her head. “I’m feeling sad.”

“Why would you be sad?” He tucked some hair behind her ear.

“I’m sad because I don’t think I’m pregnant.” On the same day she’d ended her marriage to Emmet – finally – she’d had some spotting, which had carried on for a few days. It was a little more than just spotting if she was honest with herself. Her menstruation had been almost nonexistent on birth control and it was probably as a direct result of coming off said birth control. Sometimes women bled when they were pregnant; it was possible. “I know deep down inside that it didn’t happen. This test is just to confirm that, and I’m a little sad.” She wiped away a tear that slipped out the corner of her eye. “My whole life, that’s all I’ve wanted…to be a mom. To hold a baby in my arms. To have a family. I love kids. I love babies. You’ve noticed how often I go to visit Claire so that I can cuddle.” She smiled just thinking about the triplets. Cute as buttons.

“I’ve noticed.”

“It’s why I became an Ob-Gyn.” She had to blink hard to stop herself from crying more.

“You do know that if there is only one line on that test we can start trying again immediately?”

“You mean that?” She lifted her brow.

“I do.” He nodded.

“That would be hilarious, considering we’ve been using condoms since I stopped my birth control.” They’d done that on the off chance she was pregnant and used condoms on the greater chance that she wasn’t.

“We can start trying whenever you are ready.”

She huffed out a breath. “We should probably tie the knot first.”

“I know that particular human saying very well. Are you asking me to marry you, Hope? I thought it was a human tradition for the male to ask the female.”

Her eyes widened up, and her mouth fell open for a second. “No! I wasn’t…I was just saying. I…um…”

He chuckled. “I know you weren’t asking me. I know it’s too soon for that.”

“Yet we’re sitting here waiting on a pregnancy test. I’m praying like hell that it’s positive and yet I’m about to break out in hives at the prospect of marriage again. I’m a crazy person.”

“Not at all. I think that we’ve both learned that just because we can’t control something, doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Just because things happen the wrong way around sometimes, doesn’t mean that’s a bad thing either. I know that you probably don’t want to hear this. You haven’t been out of your relationship for very long, and you were badly hurt…” He pushed out a breath through his nose. “I’m not just falling for you anymore. I’m in love with you. Totally and deeply. You are the female for me…for always. I know you probably can’t say any of that back to me—”

“No. I can’t.” She felt her stomach churn. “I’m sorry…I’m nervous.” She swallowed thickly. “We were supposed to be a rebound thing when we’re so much more. I’m going to need time. Even if I do have some eggs growing in here, I need time.”

“Take as much time as you need.”

“You’re amazing. Thank you.” She smiled at him. “We can probably check that test.” Hope got up off of his lap. “You really don’t mind either way?”

“If you are with clutch, it would make me the happiest male on the planet. But if you are not, then it doesn’t matter because I know deep down in here,” he touched his chest, “that we are meant to be together. That there will be children in our future. That we will be a family. It will happen. Whether it happens now or in a few months…um…if you make me wait years, I might start to get cranky.”

She swallowed hard. “That’s sweet. I know you mean it, because you don’t say things you don’t mean. Okay.” She licked her lips. “I feel better about this.” She walked over to the vanity and lifted the toilet paper, looking at the test.

“And?” Reece asked, sounding animated.

She turned and shook her head. “One line. I’m not pregnant. I’m so sorry.” She slowly looked up, locking eyes with him.

“That’s okay.” Reece gave her a half-smile. “We weren’t even trying, and the trying part is half the fun.” He stood, walking over to her. Reece wore a pair of sweatpants. He was so sexy. So sweet. So caring.

He was so hers.It was strange because at that moment, knowing she wasn’t pregnant – having that pressure, that uncertainty lifted – she realized just how strong her feelings for him really were. “I know I’m only just out of a shitty marriage. I know that I shouldn’t have fallen so hard for another guy quite so soon, particularly when I was supposed to be having a rebound relationship, but I have.”

“You love me?” Reece grinned.

“That might be taking it a bit far. I— Yes, dammit! Yes, I love you.”

Reece put his arms around her. “Does that mean you’ll mate me?” He nuzzled her neck.

“Now you’re pushing it. The thought of marriage makes me break out in hives, remember?”

He laughed. “I’ll just have to work on you…get you to agree. Can we start trying for a clutch right now?” He nipped her ear.

Hope moaned. “No, no, no!” She put a hand on his chest. “Not yet. Let’s just have fun. Enjoy us…this for a while. I don’t want to rush into anything.”

“Deal.” Reece picked her up. “We’re going to start practicing right now. I’m not taking no for an answer.” He hoisted her over his shoulder.

Hope squealed.

Reece tossed her onto the bed. Hope bounced twice on the mattress. “Take your clothes off.” His sweats were tented.

Reece reached for the side table and pulled out a string of condoms.

“Okey dokey.” She tugged her shirt over her head and pulled off her shorts, making quick work of her underwear. When she looked up, he was rolling a condom onto his erection.

Reece growled. “You’re so beautiful.” His eyes blazed as they took her in. “I don’t know where to even start.”

“Here.” She palmed her breasts.

Reece groaned.

“Or here.” She touched herself between her legs.

His groan was louder and deeper this time. “All of the above. As much as I want to taste you, I need to mount you even more.”

His eyes were glowing. His features were more angular. She recognized that he was barely in control. It made her heart beat faster.

“Don’t be alarmed. It’s mating behavior. I can’t help it. My beast recognizes you as my mate. I can control it, though. I just might be a bit edgier during sex until you agree to mate me.”

Reece looked terrifying and absolutely gorgeous. Her heart hammered in her chest. “In that case, I might never agree.”

He threw her a feral smile. “Oh, you will. I can be persuasive.”

“Oh, really now?”

“Yes, really. I need you on all fours.” He gripped her around the waist and turned her onto her knees. Reece crouched over her, completely caging her in with his big body. His cock was hard and thick between her legs. “These mating instincts are riding me hard. You probably shouldn’t have told me that you loved me.” His voice was husky.

She giggled. “On the contrary, I should have told you sooner.”

Reece kissed her neck. “I love the way you smell.” He made a growling noise that was more animal than man. His whole body quivered. “I need you to brace yourself on your elbows. I might make loud noises.”

“I’m used to those by now.”

“Louder than normal, Hope. I…want to mate you. I’m going to mount you hard. Make you scream. I might pin you down. You can’t fight me. You need to go with it.” He spoke so softly she had to strain to hear him. Hope was already panting with need.

“Are you going to bite me?” She could hear the excitement in her voice. She wanted him to…so badly.

“Biting is reserved for mates. It will take serious willpower, but no, I can’t bite you.”

Hope wanted to argue, but Reece nudged inside her, and she whimpered. A couple of nudges later, and he was fully seated inside her.

Oh, god but he was big. Even after having sex quite a few times now with Reece, she thought it was funny that she still felt shock at his size. Her eyes still widened, and her breath sucked back in whenever he entered her for the first time. It was funny. But she couldn’t laugh, she could only moan.

He circled his hips, his cock barely moving but hitting all the right spots, anyway. “I will never tire of this…of you.” His voice was thick with need. Reece pushed her down on the bed using his body. “We fit perfectly together.” He pushed his hand between them, his finger solidly on her clit. Hope moaned.

His thrusts became more insistent, and she gasped.

“So fucking good,” he growled, leaving her clit so that he could pull her hands above her head, holding them in place with one of his.

She couldn’t move.

Not an inch.

His thick cock punched in and out of her. Reece grunted hard with every thrust.

She was crying out. “Yes,” she groaned. Hope was convinced she must be the biggest pervert, because not being able to move, being caged and held down like this, was one of the most erotic moments of her life. She could feel her orgasm building inside her.

She could hear the slapping of his balls. The thudding of his hips against her ass. The wet suction noises. Her pussy fluttered with the start of her orgasm.

She was still well and truly pinned down, unable to budge. She was panting and moaning. Her channel fluttered again. The coiling sensation taking hold.

Using his free hand, Reece gripped her hair and pulled her head back ever so slightly. It didn’t hurt her at all. What it did was tip her over the edge. Hope grabbed at the sheets as her pussy spasmed around him. She made this garbled noise.

Reece moaned her name and clamped his teeth on the sensitive skin at the base of her throat. Nowhere near hard enough to break her skin. Hope screamed as her orgasm tore back through her. Her whole body convulsed with the sheer enormity of it. Her eyes rolled back. Thankfully, he held her in place. Her sex was spasming so hard that her eyes actually watered. Swift strokes turned to hard jerks. Reece buried his face in her neck and roared.

Hope must have passed out, because she woke up later in the crook of Reece’s arm. “Um…what happened?” Her voice was croaky.

“Oh…hi, Sleeping Beauty.” He kissed her on the top of her head.

“How long was I out for?” She swiped the hair out of her face.

“A few minutes.”

“Oh, my god! What the hell was that, and when can we do it again?” Her body was still buzzing.

“That was a taste.”

“A taste of what, exactly?” She pulled herself up so that she could look him in the eyes.

“A taste of what the mated life would be like.”

“Just a taste?” She lifted her brows. “Because if that was a taste, I might not survive mated life.”

He chuckled, his chest vibrated. “Oh, you’ll survive just fine. I’m afraid I can’t bite you again until we’re actually mated.”

She gasped. “You’re terrible. How can you give me an orgasm like that and then take… Oh, I see, this is what you meant by convincing me?” She laughed. “You suck so bad. You do know that a relationship based on sex isn’t much of a relationship? And if I agree to mate with you so that I can have mind-blowing orgasms, it would be wrong on all levels? You do realize that?”

“I do, and that’s why I plan on giving you plenty of reason to agree to mate me. This was the first of many.” He repositioned her on the bed and got up.

“Where are you going?” Hope frowned.

“I’m going to make you flat food. I’m a good cook. I will make sure your stomach is happy. That every part of you is happy. You will agree in no time.”

Hope watched as he strode away. She mainly looked at his meaty ass as he walked. Off to go make her pancakes for breakfast after giving her mind-blowing sex. Agreeing to wait as long as she needed before they took the next step. He was perfect. How long would she hold out? She suspected that it wouldn’t be long before she crumbled.