Homecoming: A Secret Baby Romance (3 page)

H
e can’t leave
. Yet, Max was probably making plans as of this very moment. I hated it. I didn’t want him to go.

If he truly loves me, why can’t he stay? I wondered. Do I mean that little to him?

Max said that he loved me and that our forbidden relationship meant something to him, but his actions spoke otherwise. He was determined to reenlist, which ultimately meant he'd be gone another four years. Four years. The last time he left I only had a simple crush on him and it was hard on me. This time, I’d allowed myself to truly fall for him. What the hell would I do with myself all that time?

Worry, I thought. Worry about him coming back in one piece or if he’ll meet someone out there.

There had to be a way. There had to be a way to convince Max that staying with me was the best course of action.

There is one way . . . My thought trailed off as I stood before the toilet in my bathroom, fingering my bottle of birth control pills. It was a horrible idea, I know. One that I would likely regret in the future, but my emotions were getting the better of me.

“If I do this,” I whispered to myself, my heart hammering in my chest, “there’s no turning back.” I stood there for a long moment, breathing deeply in and out, staring down into the toilet.

Screw it.

I tossed the pills into the bowl and flushed it.

* * *

M
ax
and I had gotten over our little argument. We'd talked about him leaving again, but this time, I managed to keep my emotions under control, and I had promised that I would be okay with him leaving, although that was a lie. He assured me that we'd keep in contact, and that we'd try the whole long distance thing.

I’d never been in a long distance relationship before, but then again, I’d never been in a romantic relationship with my stepbrother either.

Click. Max shoved the clip back into the handgun with his palm. “That’s how you handle a gun.”

I was in Max’s bedroom, watching him show me how he handled his weapon of choice. I'd never cared too much for guns, they were just too dangerous for my liking. But I sat there watching, pretending that I was interested. In truth, I was only interested in Max. I’d dressed in a red skirt and white cut off top that bared my midriff and sparkling diamond belly ring. My hair was pulled back into two pigtails and I had on minimal makeup.

I stared at the cold, hard steel with trepidation. “What kind of gun is that?” I asked.

Max grinned at me, his eyes straying to my body. As usual, he looked extra hot in a black tank top that showed off his cut biceps and gray sweats. I tried not to look, but his cock was imprinted against the material. He had on a sporty cologne that stirred something inside of me.

I marveled at the way the veins stood out on his biceps as he held the gun, it made him look even more sexy, dangerous. Heat rose through my neck as my internal thermostat went up.

“It’s a Glock 42,” he replied, tearing his eyes away from my body and putting them back on the weapon, admiring it. I could tell he was totally into it, which wasn’t surprising because Max always loved guns. Before he left, hunting was one of his favorite pastimes with his father. “Want to hold it?”

I shook my head, making a face. “No. I don’t like guns-“

“Oh come on, Nikki. Don’t be such a scary cat.” Before I could protest, he placed the gun in my right hand and positioned himself behind me. The cold, steel felt unforgiving in my clutch and I was surprised at how heavy the thing felt. Up close, I got even hotter with Max’s hard body pressed against mine.

Max had me raise the gun at his bedroom window, and at the same time, he kicked my feet apart to adjust my posture. It threw me slightly off balance, but put me in what he called the right stance.

Max was pressed up against my body from behind, affixing my stance, and I could feel his bulge pressing into the thin fabric of my skirt from behind. Down below, a throbbing began between my thighs, and I wanted to bend over and let him take me then and there.

"Good, that's perfect," he said. "Now pull the trigger."

“What? I’m not doing that!”

“Do it.” Max urged me.

When I didn't, taking control of my hand, Max forced me to squeeze the trigger.

C
lick
.

Nothing happened.

“There,” Max whispered in my ear, his breath hot on my neck. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Don’t you ever do that again!” I cried, tearing away from Max’s grasp, my limbs shuddering uncontrollably.

“Relax, Nikki. I'd never put a loaded weapon in your hands, what kind of person do you think I am?” He wrestled the gun from my fingers, I was still a little tense from him pulling the trigger, loaded or not. “I didn't mean to totally freak you out.”

I crossed my arms angrily across my chest, glad to be rid of the gun. “I am not totally freaked out.”

Truth be told, I was turned on by how he took control of me, and how his hard body felt behind me. I was just surprised he pulled the trigger. “I wasn’t scared.”

“Sure.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Well then maybe I’ll teach you how to really shoot some day.”

“I think I’ll pass.”’ I nodded at the gun. “Have you ever had to use it?”

Briefly, a shadow passed over Max’s face. “That particular gun no,” he said quietly. “But I have had to use my weapon on duty.”

There goes his past he doesn’t want to talk about
, I thought sourly.

“Have you ever had to kill someone?”

“Nikki . . . I’d rather not talk about that.”

“I just want you to share everything with me.”

“Maybe one day.”

Max walked over to a lockbox that he kept at the foot of his bed and opened it, dropping the gun inside. Then he turned back to me, a sly grin on his face. “But enough talking about that. It belongs on the battlefield, where I left it. I’d rather talk about what I’m going to do to you.”

“Do to me?” I said, a little breathless.

Max nodded. “Yes. What I’m going to do to you.”

He walked over to me, advancing like a lion stalking its prey. I took an involuntary step back, nearly tripping and falling onto the floor. Max reached me and wrapped his powerful arms around me, pulling me in close.

It felt like heaven in his arms, wrapped up in his warmth. I felt like I was melting into his body like chocolate on a summer’s day. That’s when I remembered.

I’m not on birth control.

I should’ve told him then, let him know that we needed protection. But my tongue was tied, my lust getting the better of me. I couldn't find the strength to say the words, or to stop him.

His lips quickly found my neck, and I literally buckled in his arms at the passion that surged through my body. My lips parted in an audible sigh as Max kissed me repeatedly all over my neck, his hands roaming down my back until he reached my ass, squeezing both cheeks in his powerful hands, pressing me hard against the wall.

I let out a moan — it felt so good to be dominated by him. Max's kisses led up to my lips where he stopped once to bite my lower lip gently, pulling on it and stretching it. I gasped when he let it go. He had this way of teasing me, bringing me almost to the brink before we'd even started.

Max grinned at me. “You liked that didn’t you?”

I nodded and he moved back in. I got lost in the passion for the next several minutes as we held each other and swirled our tongues around in each other’s mouth greedily. Suddenly, I pulled away, my breasts heaving. “Max,” I gasped.

His eyes were on my body, and they were burning. “Huh?”

What was I going to tell him? That I’d flushed my birth control down the toilet so I could trap him?

“Nothing,” I said finally.

Max gave me that mischievous grin of his and grabbed me by the waist. He picked me up and tossed me on the bed, where I bounced once before lying still. He crawled into the bed, causing it to creak, and stopped in between my legs.

Like a hungry animal, he tore off my skirt, revealing my pink and white panties. Tearing them off in a frenzy, he slid his up my thighs, leaving heat and electricity behind the skin they passed, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.

He teased me with his fingers, making me silently plead for more. Then he slid a finger inside of me and began sucking on my clit as he thrust his finger in and out with a hunger I'd never seen in him. It was as if he was a man dying of thirst, sucking up every last drop of me. His aggressiveness was exhilarating, and I could feel a fire burning below.

Within seconds, I screamed, shuddering and grabbing at the bed sheets. Max grinned as he looked up at me, watching me squirm and gasp. “Now you're nice and wet for me,” he growled.

He pulled off his shirt, revealing his washboard abs. Then his sweats, his huge cock swinging out like a baseball bat. Eagerly, he crawled his muscular body atop of me and plunged himself inside of me.

I let out a gasp as he penetrated and went balls deep, filling me up completely. He started with smooth, slow strokes, plunging his cock in and out. Gradually, he picked up speed until the headboard pounded the wall, drowning out my pleasured cries.

If our parents come back,
I thought, as my eyes rolled back in my head from Max’s intense onslaught.
We’re fucked.

As he growled in my ear and pounded me like a wild animal, I could feel his dick swelling even larger inside of me, and I knew he was about to explode. Now was the time to tell him to pull out.

“Max!” I screamed. I wanted him to stop, but at the same time, wanted him to keep going.

He ignored me, pounding me so hard that we both were bouncing several inches off the bed. I grabbed onto his chiseled ass cheeks, hanging on for dear life. I stared up at him. He was at the brink now, his handsome face twisted into a feral mask, the veins standing out on his neck.

“Max,” I cried weakly, one last time, out of breath. “Please-“ Waves of powerful pleasure hit me then, taking away my ability to speak.

At the same time, he let out a howl as he expanded inside of me.

Then it was silent.

Covered in sweat, Max rolled off of me, breathing deeply, in and out. “That was crazy,” he said, wiping at the perspiration on his forehead. “I really had it in me.”

Beside him, I was feeling a whirlwind of emotions as my orgasm faded away. What had I just done?

It’s okay
, I told myself over and over.
It's not likely I'll get pregnant from a single time anyway.

“Nikki? Max was peering at me with concern.

“Yeah?”

“Is something wrong?”

I felt nauseated, but I didn't have the courage to tell him. Instead, I managed a fraudulent smile that said I’d immensely enjoyed the hot and rough sex we’d just had.

“Not at all.”

“
I
’m reenlisting
,” Max announced to the family at the dinner table the following evening. “They’re giving me a bonus for coming back.”

My mom’s mouth dropped in surprise. “Wow that’s wonderful, Max.”

Max’s father, who was sitting at the head of the table, let out a surprised sound. “That’s great son. I’m truly proud of you.”

Max grinned at both of our parents and nodded. Fresh from a shower, he was dressed in his usual sweats and a white t-shirt. He’d taken a shower before dinner because we’d had quiet sex up in his room and he’d worked up quite a sweat. Since it took me longer to take showers, I’d simply washed up before coming down for dinner. “Yep. I should have a good savings built up by the time my enlistment is over.”

I tried my best not to frown, but it was hard not to. To make matters worse, our dogs, Teddy and Roxy, we’re sitting under the table, licking at my feet, begging for scraps and making me even more irritated.

My mom glanced over at me. “Nikki?”

“What?” My voice came out sounding sullen, even though I tried to hold it back.

“Don’t you have anything to say for Max’s good fortune?”

I would hardly call Max being sent back in harms way, for any amount, good fortune.

“Well?”

I looked over at Max, who was looking at me expectantly. I felt like I was dying inside. “He told me already mother, but yes, that’s wonderful Max,” I said in what I hope sounded cheery but in reality it came out sounding like I was pissed off.

“You could at least put in a little effort to sound happy for him,” my mom scolded me.

“It’s okay,” Max said, his eyes on me. “Nikki is just upset that I’m leaving again.”

My mom snorted. “Aren’t we all? That doesn’t change the fact that we should support you in your decision, especially an honorable one such as this.”

The dinner continued on with my parents talking to Max all about his plans and me saying as little as possible. I could hardly stomach or listen to what they were saying. Max, my stepbrother, and the man I loved, was leaving me. Again. And there was nothing I could do about it.

After dinner was over, and I helped my mom clean up the dishes, I decided that it was time for another talk with Max. Hopefully this time he would listen to me.

* * *

“I don’t want you to go,” I pleaded.

Max and I were walking Roxy and Teddy at a nearby park on the corner. It was night out and no one was around, but there were lampposts lining the concrete path we were walking on. Green grass surrounded the walkway and provided Roxy and Teddy plenty of places to sniff and distract themselves. I had Roxy on a leash and Max had Teddy.

“You know what? I don’t want to either,” Max replied, surprising me. “Especially since we’ve gotten ourselves into . . . a bit of a bind. But I kinda have to.”

“Why?” I demanded. “It’s not like you’re going to make a fortune.”

“I won’t be rich, but it’s better than nothing. Much better than before, I'll be an Officer.”

“So?”

“What do you mean so? I didn't go to college Nikki. The military is all I know, and I need to take advantage of it while I can.”

I shook my head angrily, holding back tears. I didn’t know why I wanted to talk to Max, as if I was going to get him to change his mind. It really pissed me off, though. I know our relationship had pretty much come out of the blue, but we’d carried around feelings for each for a long time, so to me, it wasn't new. We’d just never gotten a chance to express it, and now that we had, I was desperately afraid of losing it.

I was especially angry because I felt like Max was choosing the stupid military over me, even though I knew what he said made sense. I was just being selfish. Besides, there's plenty of couples with spouses in the military that made it work.

“I mean come on, Nikki. I was never as smart as you are. What kind of job do you think I could get?”

I couldn't respond. Max stopped and halted near a tree and let Teddy scramble up to it. The little dog hiked his leg up and began going about his business. As soon as he was done, Roxy scurried over and marked where Teddy had just done his thing. Despite my anger and hurt, I almost laughed at the sight. Roxy always loved to prove that she was the top dog.

“Besides,” Max said as we continued walking, “me going away gives you time to finish your master’s without having me in the way as a distraction.”

“I don’t care about that.”

“Yeah you do. It's always been your dream.”

I took a deep breath. “Look, Max, even if we hadn’t found ourselves in this situation, I still wouldn’t want you to go back out there. Do you know how worried I was about you when you were gone?”

Max stared at me. “And I told you, I understand your concern and worry, even though you shouldn’t. But I do want this thing between us to work.”

Hope flowed through my limbs.

“But . . .”

Just as quickly, the hope evaporated.

“But you have to wait for me to come back.”

He’s never going to budge, I thought. He loves the military so damn much.

Suddenly, when we neared a lamppost, Max walked over to me and pulled me in close, ignoring the dogs that played at our feet. He planted a soft kiss on my lips and then looked at me under the lamppost’s orange glow. “Can you do that for me?” He asked softly. “With you working on your master’s, the time will fly by so fast, you won’t even know I left. And . . .” Max grinned. “You can get a vibrator while I’m gone, just make sure it’s extra wide and at least eight inches long. You want it to remind you of me, know what I’m saying?”

I punched him lightly in the arm and said in protest, “Max!”

He smiled at me, displaying his perfect, white teeth. “What? I want you to be satisfied while I’m gone.” His expression turned serious. “But seriously, what do you say?”

We stood there for the longest underneath the glow of the lamp, holding each other before I finally let out one huge sigh.

“I suppose,” I muttered. “I don't really have a choice.”