Page 5 of Line of Fire
She rubbed her belly, loving the feel of her daughter’s little foot pressing up against her hand. She couldn’t wait to meet her little girl; she was already completely in love with her. Times like this made her miss her grandma, Bea. As the oldest of eight kids, Sunny often felt like she switched places with her mom. Both of her parents were free spirits, raising their kids to be the same. She was often faced with hard choices and knew that neither of her parents would offer her any guidance. They would tell her to walk her path or find her truth. When she needed some hardcore advice, she could turn to Bea, knowing that she would get the truth from her grandmother. She could use some of that truth right now, especially when it came to what to do about Aaron Steele.
God help her, last night she wanted to say yes to everything he asked of her, but she also knew that she couldn’t let him break her heart again. Because that is exactly what he did last April when he used her for one night and then pretended like she didn’t exist. What hurt even more was losing the friendship that she had come to depend on from him. They knew each other for years, ever since he moved to town. She was there for him when he lost most of his company in that horrific forest fire over five years ago. He never let her in like he did Tag, but she saw how that loss devastated him. He seemed to withdraw from everyone around him, only letting Tag get close, and that gutted her. She wanted to tell him that she was there for him, but he never gave her the chance.
When they started hanging out again after Tag and Piper got together, she jumped at the chance to have him in her life once more. She enjoyed the ease that they seemed to find around each other, liking the way that they could tease and play. She wasn’t expecting him to want to take things to the next leveluntil she got trapped at his house during a freak spring blizzard. The weatherman called that storm all wrong, and by the time anyone knew what hit them, they were trapped. That was the night that Torren was stranded on the top of the mountain with a group of college kids, and Tag set out with Search and Rescue and Aaron to bring everyone down safely. Before Aaron got the call that Torren was in danger, she spent the evening in the very bed that she was lying in now. That night seemed so long ago, but rubbing the baby that now resided in her body, she realized that it was just eight months prior. She showed up at Aaron’s to share a pizza and watch a movie. Tag and Piper just moved in together, and they were both feeling a little lost without their best friends to hang with, so they decided to make it a pity party for two. They commiserated about feeling like a third wheel any time they were with their couple of friends, and one thing led to another.
Before she knew it, she was lying on top of Aaron with her shirt off and her breast in his mouth. God, that man was built for sin. Just thinking about him now made her body ache with need and her panties wet. Over the past eight months, her pregnancy hormones were driving her half-crazy with lust. Now she was so big and uncomfortable that she barely thought about sex, but being in Aaron’s bed had her body in overdrive. She remembered how he stripped her bare and settled between her legs. How he licked her pussy and made her come over and over again as the local weather station droned on about the snowstorm that raged outside their windows. By the time they passed out in his bed, exhaustedly tangled up in each other’s bodies, Aaron’s cell rang with Tag frantically trying to put together a team to go after Torren. Of course, being the friend that Aaron was, he got up and dressed to help his best friend. That was one of the last times he talked to her or even looked in her direction, for that matter. She looked over at her cell phoneto check the time. Realizing that the sun probably wasn’t up yet, she decided to try to get some more sleep. If she was going to go shopping with the demanding, sexy-as-hell father of her baby, she needed a few more hours of sleep.
Her bra was digging into her back, so she unhooked it, groaning at how good it felt to have her boobs free. Everything about her felt swollen and tingly since Aaron pressed his almost naked body against hers. She rubbed her sensitive nipples and moaned in pleasure. Her breasts were much bigger now from the pregnancy, and she wondered if Aaron noticed. He seemed fascinated with her belly, but he didn’t seem to notice any of the rest of her. She was worried that he was sticking around for their daughter, and that thought scared her. She wanted him to want her too, but wasn’t sure that he felt the same. She could feel the heat between her legs, thinking about the way his erection bulged out of his sweatpants as he pulled them on. Every fiber of her being wanted to shout to him to stay with her and get his ass back in bed, but that would have been a mistake. First, they needed to work a few things out, namely, if he wanted her or just their daughter, because they were a package deal now. She wouldn’t let him play with her heart again, and there was no way she would let him toy with her daughter’s emotions.
She wished she could erase the sexy images of Aaron from her mind. The way his muscles bunched in his abs as he pulled his T-shirt down his body, and the sight of him, made her want to explode. She knew that she needed to find her release; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to sleep again. She stretched her arm around her belly and snaked her hand into her already wet panties. She knew that Aaron was sleeping just down the hall, and that thought had her trying to hold in a lusty moan. She wished that his fingers were in her pussy right now, or better yet, his lips. She plucked her nipple, wishing his mouth was covering it, warm and soft. Another moan escaped her, and she froze,worried that Aaron would hear her. How would she explain to him if he walked in to find her masturbating, eight months pregnant, in his bed? Better yet, how would she explain that she was imagining him doing all those naughty things to her that he did back in April? Her finger circled her clit, she was so close. She shut her eyes and saw Aaron’s face smiling down at her. She wanted to reach up to pull him down on top of her, but froze at the sound of the soft knock at the bedroom door.
“You okay in there, Sunny?” he asked. She didn’t want to answer but knew that her silence would be his invitation in. He would find her almost naked and touching herself, and that wasn’t acceptable.
“Fine,” she stuttered. She cleared her throat, trying to calm her racing heart. “I’m fine, Aaron.” God dammit, she still sounded like a lusty schoolgirl. Aaron tried the doorknob, and she squealed. “Aaron, I’m naked—please,” she begged. But it was too late. He stood over the bed, looking down at her as she tried to cover herself with her hands. She kicked off the covers in her sleep and had nothing to hide under. She grabbed the pillow from his side of the bed and pulled it over her giant belly.
“Fuck,” Aaron swore. “I was going to ask what all of the moaning was, but I’m pretty sure I can guess.” He looked her up and down, almost as if he could see through the pillow, causing her to squirm. Her traitorous body didn’t get the memo that Aaron barged in on her just before she could come. It wanted a release and didn’t care about anything else.
“My pregnancy hormones are out of whack, and having an orgasm helps me to sleep, and it helps her to sleep too.” She nodded down to her belly. Aaron groaned, pulling the pillow from her body. “Why didn’t you tell me that you couldn’t sleep, honey? I’d be more than happy to help you with your little problem.” Before she could protest, Aaron slid her panties down her legs and settled between her thighs. She wanted to tell himthat this was a bad idea, but he spread her legs and sucked her clit into his warm mouth, and she lost all hope of making words. The most she could muster were moans and breathy sighs as he drove her over the edge, helping her to quickly find her release. She lay completely limp as he kissed her belly, talking to their daughter and telling her how happy he was to be her daddy. At that moment, Sunny lost another piece of her heart to Aaron, and there was nothing that she could do about it. Keeping Aaron at arm’s length was proving to be a challenge that she wasn’t sure she could win.
He couldn’t sleep on that damn sofa. It was the most uncomfortable piece of furniture that he owned. Truthfully, he didn’t want to sleep anywhere but next to Sunny, but that wasn’t happening. He just about gave up on trying to sleep when he heard Sunny’s soft moans coming down the hall from his bedroom. At first, he thought that she was dreaming until she told him that she was fine. The breathy little way that her words caught in her throat told him that she wasn’t sleeping. Her shaky, needy voice reminded him of that night they spent together in April, and dammit, he wanted to be in that room.
Since he got back to town and found Sunny pregnant with his baby, all he wanted to do was lay claim to her body, heart, and soul. But she kept pushing him away and holding him at arm’s length, so he decided to wait her out and not push. Opening the door to find Sunny finger fucking herself drove him half out of his mind with lust. He couldn’t keep his distance anymore—he wanted to touch her and taste her until she screamed out his name. She might have been hiding her sexy body behind his pillow, but the way she looked at him told him all he neededto know. Sunny wanted him, and if he had to guess, she was thinking about him while she touched herself. His next move was simple—he needed to taste her. When she didn’t protest, he took that as his sign that Sunny was his for the taking. He pulled her panties down her thighs, wanting to spend time kissing and licking his way back up, but too afraid that she would make him stop. His best bet was to dive right in before she could rub two brain cells together and tell him that this was all a bad idea. He parted her legs, and God help him, she was so wet he almost came in his pants. It didn’t take long for Sunny to find her release, shamelessly rubbing her pussy on his mouth. He couldn’t get enough of her scent, her taste. He wanted so much more, but didn’t want to push her.
While she lay in his bed, boneless from her orgasm, he decided it was time to meet his daughter. Watching Sunny talk to their baby yesterday made him long for that same connection with her. He wanted his daughter to know that both parents wanted her, no matter how fucked up their relationship was right now. He was already in love with their little girl and knew that it was only a matter of time before he fell ass over teakettle for her mama. After he had finished having a chat with his daughter, Aaron looked up to find Sunny sound asleep. He knew that she would be pissed about the whole thing when she woke up, but he wasn’t going anywhere. He was going to stay in his damn bed with the woman that he was losing his heart to, whether she liked it or not.
Sunny woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon and groaned. She threw back the covers to find herself completely naked and stilled, remembering the way Aaronfound her during the night. She moaned inwardly, not wanting to give any indication that she was awake. After her orgasm, she must have fallen asleep because the last thing she remembered was Aaron talking to the baby and feeling so safe with him. She knew that he would take care of them both physically, but that wasn’t the problem. Sunny was afraid to let him into her heart, knowing that he could treat her so coldly again or worse—walk away from them both. She wasn’t sure she could handle that again since she didn’t do well with him leaving in the fall. She spent most of the past four months as a sobbing, grouchy, bitch who basically either cried or yelled at anyone who dared to get close enough to her. She needed to get herself together before going out to face Aaron. She found the dress shirt that he was wearing the night before and slipped it on. Sunny could actually button his shirt around her bulging belly with some room to spare. She forgot how big Aaron’s body was, and physically fit didn’t even begin to describe his physique. He was constantly working out even when he was on duty since they had a gym at the station. Aaron always made her feel like a slug. When he was speaking to her, he liked to turn everything into a physical competition. The thought of trying to keep up with him now made her laugh. She brushed her teeth, ran her fingers through her short, spiky hair, and waddled into the kitchen to find him standing next to the stove in just his boxer briefs.
“Um, hi,” she squeaked. Aaron turned to face her, gifting her with his gorgeous smile. The thought of their daughter having his blond hair and sky-blue eyes danced through her mind, causing her heart to skip a beat. She rubbed her belly, hoping that their baby would look like Aaron seemed less painful now. Sunny spent months praying that her little girl would look nothing like her father. Having a constant reminder that Aaron left her without looking back would hurt like hell. Now, seeing him here with her made her want things that she promised herheart she would never ask for again. Sunny wanted him, and God help her, she knew she was playing with fire.
“Hey, yourself, beautiful.” Sunny couldn’t help her smile, suddenly feeling shy around him. Aaron pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. She took her seat and watched as he filled a plate with eggs, bacon, hash browns, and even pancakes. Sunny couldn’t help her groan.
“This all looks so good,” she said around a mouthful of pancake, causing Aaron to laugh. “How did you do all of this?” Aaron poured her some orange juice and sat next to her to fill his plate.
“I do know how to cook, Sunny. I know that must seem shocking to you.” Aaron watched her as she shoveled food into her face, not at all ashamed of the fact that she looked like a starving man eating his last meal.
She shook her head, “Not surprising at all,” she mumbled before shoving bacon into her mouth. “I just meant, when did you have time to cook all this food? Didn’t you sleep?” Aaron ate his breakfast at a much more civilized pace, and she was starting to feel a little guilty. He probably couldn’t sleep with her taking up his bed, and now here she was eating all his food and acting as if her last meal was seven years ago. She put her fork down, pushing her plate away.
“I’m sorry, Aaron. I’m being rude. Here—I’ve moved into your home, took your bed, and now I’m sitting here making a complete pig of myself.” Aaron growled and slid her plate back in front of her.
“That’s total bullshit, baby, and you know it. I was the one who insisted that you move in with me. I was the one who agreed to take that God-awful sofa to sleep on, and I love the way you eat. You’ve always loved your food, honey. You’ve just ramped it up a notch since you’re eating for two now.” He reached over andrubbed Sunny’s belly. Her hands joined his, and she patted her tummy.
“Yeah, and I’m as big as a house now since ramping up my eating habits, as you say.” Aaron’s expression darkened, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.
“Not at all, baby. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone sexier than you right now, sitting here in my shirt, pregnant with my baby. Honestly, honey, you carrying my child is hot as fuck.” Aaron was breathing heavy, and she realized that she was too. What was it about this man that turned her completely inside out? She needed to change the subject; otherwise, they would have a repeat performance of earlier, and she couldn’t let that happen again.
“Well, tonight I can sleep on the sofa. I’m a lot shorter than you, and I’ll fit better.” Aaron stood, pulling Sunny up from her chair and into his arms. “There’s no fucking way that you will be sleeping on that sofa, honey. Tonight, we will both be sleeping in my bed just like we did this morning. We both need sleep before this little one gets here; it’s the best solution for all of us.” He was rubbing her belly again, making it hard for her to weigh her options. Aaron was right—they both needed to get some sleep in the next few weeks, otherwise, they would be zombies by the time the baby got here. Finally, she nodded, knowing that Aaron was right. She had to admit, sleeping on the sofa didn’t sound like it was going to do anything for her already-aching back. And, when the baby got here, it would be nice to have Aaron close by to help with her, especially at night.
“Thank you for that, baby.” He kissed her forehead. “Now, I want you to eat up because we are going shopping.” Sunny groaned at the thought of being on her feet all day. Aaron chuckled.
“We need to get the nursery ready, crib, and all. You can just sit and point, I’ll do the rest.” Admittedly, it did soundkind of fun to pick stuff out for their daughter. But then she remembered why she was so ill-prepared.
“I just don’t have a lot of cash right now, Aaron,” she said, shaking her head. She sat down at the table to shove another piece of bacon into her mouth. Aaron pulled his chair in to face her.
“You see, that’s where I come in, honey. I have money saved, and our daughter needs a bed.” She looked at him skeptically, not sure that she liked where he was going with all of this. “Sunny, dammit, she is half mine.” Sunny tried to choke back her giggle, but she failed miserably. Aaron’s outburst reminded her of what she would probably be facing with their daughter’s little tantrums, and she completely lost her battle. She held her belly and doubled over laughing. When she finally composed herself to properly sit in her chair, she didn’t miss the little smirk on Aaron’s face.
“I’ve missed you, my little ray of sunshine.” He pulled her hand up to his mouth to gently kiss each finger, and Sunny felt another piece of her heart melt for him. At this rate, she would be a puddle at his feet, but she didn’t care. Having Aaron back felt right, like her world was finally making sense after so many months of darkness.
CHAPTER FIVE
