Russell smiled at that thought as he turned off the car and exited his vehicle. “What’s up?”
“She had the baby.” Tamara was practically beaming with pleasure.
“Already?” Russell glanced down at his watch in surprise. “Aren’t these things supposed to take like hours, days even?” What he knew about childbirth wouldn’t even fill his hat.
“Sometimes, but she had a C-section. That only takes like an hour, tops.” Tamara grabbed his hand and began walking toward the entrance of the hospital. The bright lights inside the starchy white room seemed a bit like overkill to Russell, but then again, he’d been in a dark car for a couple of hours.
“What did she have?”
“Ty won’t say. He told me to come in and see for myself.” She growled in mock outrage. “This secret thing is getting beyond old.”
“Then let’s go unravel it.” Russell pulled her into the open elevator and pressed the button to the floor for maternity. On the short ride up, he watched Tamara. She looked so alive and excited, and it made him wonder how she’d look pregnant with their child. The thought stopped him cold.
Their child
? He’d never imagined a woman carrying his baby before. This was a first, as was the right feeling he had growing inside him at the thought.
When they exited the elevator they saw Ty standing outside a room, talking excitedly into the phone. He looked up and spotted them, waving them over as he finished his conversation.
The tired lines around his eyes were nothing compared to the joy radiating from his gaze and the large smile he was beaming.
“Well…?” Tamara demanded the second they neared him.
Ty closed the phone and smiled. “Why don’t you go on in and meet your goddaughter.”
“Goddaughter.” Tamara gasped, her eyes welling with tears. “It’s a girl.”
“I hope so, or the thing I cut off was definitely not the umbilical cord.”
“Oh my God.” Tamara rushed through the open doorway leaving the two men alone.
“Daughter.”
“Yep.”
“Are we stocking up on guns and ammo now?”
“Who do you think I was on the phone with?”
“Congratulations, man.” Russell pulled his friend in for a hug, slapping him on the back as he did.
“Thanks,” Ty said as he stepped back. “Good thing your house is finally done. I’m going to need help keeping those randy boys away.”
“We can do bad cop, worse cop like our dads used to do with my sister.”
“Not that it ever worked.”
“Don’t remind me.”
The two men chatted for a few moments longer, allowing their women to have some alone time together with the new arrival.
“So are you ready to meet my darling Candace?”
Ty pushed open the door to the hospital room, and Russell followed him inside. Instead of Charlotte holding the baby, though, Tamara was sitting next to her on the bed with the infant in her arms. He couldn’t see much of little Candace, but the sight of Tamara blew him away.
She looked like the quintessential earth mother. And those earlier thoughts crept back once again. What if this was him coming to visit his woman and child? As if sensing his gaze on her, Tamara looked up and smiled. “Isn’t she the most beautiful thing in the world?”
To be honest, she looks like a little old man
, Russell thought, but the woman holding her was definitely beautiful.
“Of course she is,” Ty answered. “She’s my baby, isn’t she?”
Charlotte smiled and rolled her eyes. “I did contribute a little something too.”
The baby began to fuss, and Charlotte announced it was time for Candace’s dinner. Tamara handed her back, hugging and kissing her friend before rising from the bed. She gave Ty a big bear hug as well.
Russell ran his hand through his hair, his tiredness finally catching up with him. He’d spent the entire day working before meeting Tamara at her show. Add to that the frantic two-hour drive out here, and he was ready to crash. It seemed as if Tamara was feeling the same way. Although still looking quite happy, he could see her weariness as she walked over to him.
“Lord, I’m tired.”
“I bet. Are you ready to go home?”
“No. I think I might crash at Charlotte’s tonight. That’s an awful long drive to make right now.”
“I meant to my house.”
“It’s finally all done?”
Though the construction part of the house had been finished for about two weeks now, it had taken the interior designer this long to get it painted and prepared for him. He’d planned on bringing Tamara out tomorrow to see it, but it looked as if fate was stepping in and taking over as usual. “The last of the furniture was delivered today. You can be the first person to get the grand tour.”
“I’d love to.”
They rode down together in the elevator, and he walked her out to her car. He resisted his urge to lean down and kiss her when she got in, and instead, shut the door firmly after telling her to follow him out to the ranch. When they finally arrived, he watched as she exited her car and stared up in rapt fascination.
“I can’t believe how different it looks. The last time it was just wood and brick, and now, it’s a home.”
She captured exactly how he felt about the place as well. “Come on in and I’ll show you around.”
They toured the first floor, stopping in each room to see the finished results of Russell’s labor of love. When they reached the gourmet kitchen, she looked around in question. “Why did you spend so much in here? You don’t even cook.”
“I can hire someone to cook. Besides, it’s good for resale.” Not that he ever planned to sell the place. He had a dream of making this ranch something that would be passed on from generation to generation.
“You’ve done a great job down here. Is the upstairs just as nice?”
“Why don’t you judge for yourself?”
After he finished the tour, he led her to the master bedroom, which had been painted in warm tones and outfitted with sturdy yet comfortable furniture.
“I’m exhausted.”
“I’m not surprised.” He massaged her shoulders. “It’s not every day a woman becomes an aunt and a famous photographer.”
“That’s true.” She laughed lightly.
“But since we’re on the subject of your photos…”
“What’s my chance of this not being made into a big deal?”
“Slim to none.”
“That’s what I thought.” Tamara shrugged to remove his hands from her shoulders. Russell let her go without a word and waited until she turned around and faced him before speaking. “Yell away.”
“Yell.” Russell shook his head. “I’m not going to yell. This is going to be a calm and rational discussion.”
“Really…so that means two other people are going to have it, then.”
Her comment caused him to chuckle. “No. You and I are.”
“Calm. This will be a first.”
“Of many to come.” Russell sat down on the bench in front of the bed and began to pull off his boots. “It might have taken me a while, but I finally figured out that fighting with you is like ramming my head into the wall. It’s annoying and gives me a terrible headache.”
“Fine, let’s try it your way.”
The anger Russell had felt earlier was gone. Besides, he knew that coming off like a jackass, all possessive and upset, would get him nowhere with her. He was just going to keep things simple and get straight to the point. “I just have one question.”
“Shoot.”
“Why?”
She furrowed her brow. “Why what?”
“Why you didn’t tell me you were seeing him?”
“Seeing him?”
“Yes.”
“I wasn’t seeing him.”
He removed his socks and threw them down next to his boots. “What would you call it?”
“Photographing him,” she said sharply.
“Right.” There was more to it than that, and they both knew it.
“See, this is why I didn’t tell you. I knew you would jump to conclusions and automatically assume I was fucking him behind your back.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
His words deflated her quickly, causing her to go from looking angry to confused in two seconds flat. “You don’t.”
“No.” And the sad thing was that he had to tell her that.
“Then what’s the problem?”
Russell stared at her blankly. Was she kidding him, or herself? “The fact that you kept it from me.”
“Why? I didn’t think you’d be too pleased about it.”
“I’m more displeased you hid it. That you felt the need to hide it.” And that she didn’t see it as a problem.
“I didn’t hide it. I don’t have a reason to. You’re not my father.”
It was time for some straight facts. “No, but I’m your man. Or haven’t you figured that out by now?”
“I realize that.” She squared her shoulders.
“Do you? I think we have enough working against us without you unconsciously sabotaging us as well.” From the way she gaped at him, he could tell his words caught her off guard.
“I am not.”
“I believe you’re not doing it on purpose, but I definitely think you’re testing me.”
“Testing you. For what?”
“To see if I’m going to break. To see if I’ll stand up to you, or if I’m just going to let you ride roughshod over me. But let me tell you something. I don’t play that way. I care for you, Tamara, probably more than you’re ready to hear right now, but if you’re waiting for me to fuck up to prove I’m fallible, stop,” he said bluntly. “I’m not perfect, but I’m perfect for you, and the sooner you realize it, the better we both will be.”
“That’s not the way it went down,” she insisted. “It was business and nothing more.”
He rose, cutting her words off. “Fine, justify it all you want, but think on this, seriously. If the situation was reversed and you found me hanging out with, let’s say Sandra, behind your back, would you let it go? Would you trust me, like I trust you?”
When she didn’t reply right away, Russell knew he had his answer. “I’m going to hop in the shower.” And just to prove he wasn’t holding a grudge, he walked over to her and took her chin in his hand, using it to tilt her face up. “By the way, it was a beautiful picture.”
Leaning down he brushed his lips over hers while she stood there in mute shock. Then he turned and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Chapter Twelve
This wasn’t exactly the way Tamara imagined spending the night. Even though they technically didn’t go to bed mad, things hadn’t been hunky-dory, either. She could tell he was still upset with her, and it bothered her, more than she cared to admit. Damn it to hell, this having feelings for someone definitely came with low points. His feelings were important to her, and his silence weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Sighing, Tamara turned on her bedside lamp, then rolled over in bed until she was facing him. From the sounds of the gentle snoring he was making, Russell, unlike her, didn’t have a problem sleeping. Then again, he wasn’t the one with the loud conscience.
Unfortunately, she only knew one way to shut her conscience up, and that was to appease her man as well as herself. Tamara snuggled up behind Russell, and slipped her hand between his side and his arm. Closing her eyes, she leaned into him and slowly ran her hand down his chest to his flat stomach, before brushing her fingers against his flaccid cock. Even in this state, it was still an impressive piece of equipment. What impressed her more, though, was the way he quickly began to stir to life.
Opening her eyes, she raised her head up a bit and kissed his shoulder, loving the feel of his warm flesh under her lips as she began to stroke his cock in a lazy rhythm. Slowly but steadily she caressed him, moving her hand up and down his thick erection with the patience of a woman who had all the time in the world.
The sensation of him in her hand, warm and alive, made her own body respond in so many delicious ways. The feel of him growing harder and longer, his flesh hot and thick, pulsating between her fingers, fed her ego like nothing else. By the time she’d pumped him to full mast, she was no longer the only one awake.
Reaching behind him, Russell grabbed her hip and pulled her in close to him. “As a lawyer, I feel the need to let you know this is illegal in almost all fifty states.”
“Only if you press charges.”
“Good point.” His voice, though filled with humor, held traces of sleep in it still. “What time is it?”
“Time for an apology.”
Russell stilled, then chuckled. “Damn, I’m dreaming.”
Tamara smiled. “Tell me if this feels like a dream.” She released him and sat up, then scooted over to give him some room to maneuver. “Roll onto your back for me.”
“If you insist,” he said, before doing as requested.
“Oh, I do.” She leaned over him and took his cock in hand once more. “Feel free to go back to sleep, if you want.”
“As if I could.”
Without saying another word, she leaned forward and bathed the crown of his cock with her tongue. His slit trickled a bit of precum that she lapped up greedily before taking him deep into her mouth. The salty yet pleasing flavor peppered her senses. She kept going until the tip of his cock grazed the back of her throat, then slowly came back up, until only the head remained before plunging down once more. His impressive length prevented her from deep throating him like she wanted, but she wasn’t going to allow something as simple as that to keep her from having a good time.
His answering groan was the only sign of approval she needed as she began to skillfully pleasure him. She used her hand as much as she used her mouth, stroking and sucking him at the same time, and from the way he was moaning and moving, she was doing something right. Tamara wished she could watch as she sucked him. His face was so expressive when they made love, she could only imagine what he looked like now.
“Fuck, baby.”
With a guttural groan, Russell gripped the sheets and arched up toward her. His excitement fueled her own, moistening her pussy as if their positions were reversed, and it was he who was pleasuring her instead of the other way around.
He moaned as he moved his hand down to her head and gripped a fistful of hair. He gave a sharp tug that did little more than get her attention, before murmuring hoarsely, “Stop.”
Following his lead, Tamara reluctantly came up and off his cock. She had been so into it that it felt weird to suddenly quit, especially since she didn’t want to stop. There was nothing she wanted more than to have him come undone in her mouth. “What if I don’t want to?”
“This is makeup sex right?”
“Something like that.” Even though she wasn’t sucking him, she kept her hand moving up and down his shaft. She wanted him on the edge, ready to come at any second.
“Then we’re going to have to get to the actual sex before we can make up.”
“Oral sex doesn’t count?”
“Not to me.” Russell took hold of her arm and pulled her up to him until she was staring deep into his eyes. “Your mouth could never compare to your pussy, as delightful as it is.”
“Ahh, baby, you’re such a sweet talker.”
“I try.”
Smiling, Tamara leaned forward and playfully nipped at his bottom lip. “So, does this mean you forgive me?”
“I still haven’t decided.” His twinkling eyes said otherwise, though.
“Is there anything I can do that might help you decide?” If he wanted to play, she was more than willing.
“Yes. Get on all fours.”
She liked the sound of that. “Am I going to need a saddle, cowboy?”
“No, but I might need a riding crop.”
Even better. “Kinky.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
If that was the case, she was going to have to make him mad more often.
He reached over to the nightstand and withdrew a condom from the top drawer. He knew that once things got started, he wouldn’t want to stop and get it out. Better now than later, when he’d be too far gone to care about protection.
Running his hand over her upturned cheeks, Russell wondered why they’d skipped this position. Her full, sexy ass beckoned him to do all sorts of naughty things to it. From spanking, to fucking, to flogging, there was a wealth of possibilities he couldn’t wait to explore one day.
Then again, there was no time like the present.
Leaning forward, he nipped at her rounded bottom and laughed to himself when she cried out in mock pain. He planned that her cries would soon be those of pleasure. Placing his hands on her full ass, Russell slipped his thumbs between the crease of her buttocks and separated her cheeks. The sexy sight of her brown, puckered hole had his mouth watering.
“Wha—”
Russell leaned forward and swiped his tongue across her rosette, dragging a hiss from Tamara. “Russell.”
He wanted to tell her to just sit back and enjoy, but that would require him moving away, and he wasn’t ready to do that just yet. Instead, he continued on his oral exploration of her bottom, kissing and frenching as she writhed in what he could only describe as pure enjoyment.
But as content as he was to pleasure her this way, it wasn’t the only thing he wanted to do. Russell moved one of his hands between her legs to search out her other treasure. When his fingers found the puddle of moisture covering her nether lips, he grinned. No doubt about it, his girl definitely liked his tongue on her. “Is this for me, baby?” he asked, as he dipped two fingers into her wet pussy.
“Hmmm,” she moaned, instead of replying, much to his delight. The needy little noises she emitted made him want to fuck her all the more, but first he was going to explore her body a bit further.
Rising up once again, Russell withdrew his juice-slicked fingers from her wet pussy and pressed one against her rosette carefully. Tamara stiffened and moved forward a bit, but he followed her with his hand, refusing to allow her to escape that easily. “Where are you going?”
Tamara glanced over her shoulder at him. “Shouldn’t I be asking
you
that?”
“I think it’s pretty obvious where I’m going.” Without removing his finger from her ass, he placed his other hand between her legs and brushed his fingers against her hardened bud. His new movements brought forth a welcoming sound of pleasure from her lips, and when she didn’t move away from him again, he increased the pressure against her rosette.
“Russell,” she said breathlessly. “I don’t think I’m this sorry.”
“Are you sure?” He pushed harder until his finger popped through the resistant ring and sank knuckle-deep inside her.
“Hmm…”
“Thought so.” He chuckled as he moved his finger slowly in and out. “I’m not going to fuck you here tonight. But it will happen, sweetheart, and you’ll love it as much as I will.”
“I’ve never done that before.”
“Which makes it all the sweeter for me.” Russell added a second finger into her tight hole and twisted it as he pumped it in and out of her. Hard and aching, his cock strained from the need to come. Russell looked forward to the day when he would fuck her ass. He would fill her as no other man had before, possessing her, claiming every inch of her body and proving to her once and for all that she belonged solely to him.
As he frigged her clit, he fucked her ass with his fingers, steadily increasing the depth and the pressure until she began to pump back against him. From the way she cried out as she gyrated against his hand, Russell could tell that the day he fucked her ass would be sooner rather than later.
“You like that, don’t you, baby?”
“God…”
“You like my fingers buried deep in your ass. You wish it was my cock, though, don’t you, baby, fucking you long and deep?” Russell could tell from her heady noises and motions that she was getting close to coming. “Tell me and I’ll let you come.”
“Yes,” she groaned. “Yes. I want you to fuck my ass. Happy?”
“Almost.”
His fingers continued to play her body like a finely tuned instrument, until she stiffened, then screamed her long-awaited release. Aroused now more than ever, Russell pulled his fingers out of her body. He quickly sheathed his cock, then gripped her hip with one hand and positioned himself at her opening with the other. His mind shouted one word,
Mine
, as he thrust inside her, seating himself balls-deep on the first stroke.
Tamara cried out as he filled her, echoing the need coursing through his own blood. This would not be a slow and drawn-out fuck. He was feeling too primal for that. Russell had an almost innate need to possess her as surely as she did him, and if he had to do it one stroke at a time, he would. Succumbing to his desire to dominate her, Russell began to fuck her in earnest.
Tamara pushed back with his every thrust, her own enthusiasm more than apparent. It never ceased to amaze him that no matter how many times he took her, her pussy was still as tight and juicy as the first time. In all his life, he’d never felt anything as good as her pussy. “Fuck, baby, you make my cock so hard.”
“I can feel it. Every single inch of it. Filling me. Filling me so good.”
“That’s right, baby, filling you and only you.”
“Mine.”
“Fuck, yeah.” He grunted. “And you belong to—”
“You. Always you.” She arched into the curve of his body, thrusting back against him, forcing his cock to slam against her ass with every pump. Their lewd noises filled the room. Rough, loud, and wild. Sex just didn’t get better than this.
“Please,” she begged. “Don’t stop. Never stop.”
“I won’t, baby. I’m going to fuck you forever. You belong to me.” His voice was rough and urgent and almost unrecognizable to his own ears. The harder he fucked her, the harder he wanted to fuck her. And if the glass-shattering noises coming from Tamara were anything to go by, his method more than met with her approval.
Her breathing quickened, her body shook, and her pussy clenched around his cock like a vise. “Ohhhh…” she groaned. She reached out blindly and grabbed hold of the comforter, digging her nails into the thick material. “Good.”
“That’s right, baby, come.”
She whimpered and bucked, trembling around his cock as she came. The intensity of her savage release triggered his own. With one long, guttural groan, he dug his nails into her hips and came, flooding the condom with his seed.
Tamara’s legs gave out, and she collapsed forward on the bed. Russell reacted quickly and pulled out. He steadied himself on his knees to prevent himself from falling on top of her. Panting, he worked on catching his breath as he removed the condom, dropping it carelessly on the nightstand. It wasn’t pretty, but he’d just worry about the mess tomorrow. Exhausted, he lay down beside Tamara, a bit light-headed. His heart was pounding rapidly, and his head was spinning, but it was totally worth it.
“Your pussy is going to be the death of me.”
Chuckling, Tamara rolled over to her side so that she was facing him. “So, do you forgive me?”
“If I tell you no, can we do it again?”
“Yes.”
“Then no.”
“Liar.” She laughed softly and moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.
The contentment he felt at this moment was like no other. Finally, he understood why Ty could smile from just thinking Charlotte’s name. Russell didn’t know much about love, he only knew he’d never felt this way about a woman in his life.