The Boy Next Door (18 page)

"I find that hard to believe. You must have women chasing after you like crazy," Kember said, shocked.

"Just because they chase me, doesn't mean I want most of them catching me," he told her and then grinned as he got in the shower. He held out his hand to her and waited.

Kember removed her thong and then joined him in the shower, sliding her hand in his as he closed the glass doors behind them both.

"This is going to be interesting," Kember muttered, more to herself than to him as he washed her off, head to toe with a loofah and soap.

"What will be interesting?" Dennis asked as he finished, washing her off and starting to wash himself off.

"Us, this, the baby, everything," Kember admitted and then reached down between them and grabbed his cock. "I wanted you from the moment I saw you in that room. I didn't know who you were, or why you were there. I didn't know you were rich, and I didn't care. I thought you were one of the most attractive men I've ever seen. I did this because I like you.  I agreed to be a surrogate because you're truly a decent guy and deserve a child; anything that happens between us won't change that."

"Good, but I'm hoping you'll stick around after the baby's born and be here for both of us. Kember, I want you for the long haul," Dennis told her and backed her up against the shower stall, putting a hand on either side of her head. He pressed his body against her and she could feel his erection against her stomach.

"I don't just want a short fling with you. I want you to realize that I think I'm falling in love with you, and for me, I want it to last. I promise I won't ever lie to you, even if you don't like what I have to say, and I'll take care of you, I just need you to trust me," Dennis told her and then pressed his mouth over hers, feeling her soften against him.

Kember kissed him back, feeling the cold shower tiles against her back, the way the water fell between them, hot and wet. A startling contrast to the cold stone behind her back. She could feel the way his penis twitched in excitement where it touched her stomach and then put his hand down between them to start touching her most intimate places.

Pulling her leg up, Dennis guided his penis to her hole and rubbed himself against her pussy lips until her hips were pushing towards him. Only then did he slowly inch himself inside of her until he was buried to the hilt. He started to grind himself against her, pushing her hard against the shower wall.

He continued to fuck her in the shower, supporting her weight with his arms and the shower wall. He nibbled on her shoulder and neck as the water streamed down over both of them.

"That feels good," Kember told him and groaned as his groin rubbed against her clit, building the wanton desire, close, so close to another orgasm.

Dennis could feel her get close and dipped his head to suck on her nipples while he reached his other hand down between them and slowed the pace as he massaged his clit with his fingers. He circled the tiny nub with the pad of his thumb until she was begging him to let her cum, that she was so close. Pinching and rolling her clit between his fingers, he kept stimulating her as he fucked her until he sent her crashing over the edge, and she bucked against him, slipping with her wet body hard so she almost fell out of his arms.

"Easy there tiger," Dennis chuckled as he moved his hand to grab her hips and stabilize her so they didn't both tumble into the shower doors.

"Sorry, I lost my balance when I came, my legs started to shake." She laughed and rested her head against his shoulder as he started to fuck her hard, shaking her whole body.

A few minutes later, he stiffened, and groaned, releasing his seed all over her and having it drip down her legs. He was breathing hard when he pulled himself out of her and rewashed both of them.

Turning the water off, he opened the door and got out. He grabbed a couple of towels from the shelf next to the shower. He wrapped one around his waist and then opened it up to wrap Kember's body in it.

"We have a lot to talk about," Dennis told her. "But for tonight, I'm just going to make love to you over and over again."

"I can live with that Dennis. I'm willing to give this a real shot. I don't think I would have agreed to be your surrogate if I didn't think there was a chance that there was something more between us to begin with. I think I could love you, too," Kember said, and reached out to touch his cheek gently with her fingers.

"Life is too short, and there's not many women in this world who are worth taking risks for, but you are one of them, Kember. Thank you for taking a risk with me." he whispered before dipping his head to kiss her.

Kember closed her eyes and kissed him back. She didn't know what the future would bring, but for today, this was enough.

THE END

The Cowboy Billionaire’s Mail Order Bride

Chapter one

“I know that this is a terrible time for you, Emma, but I think you’re doing the right thing. Getting on that boat and getting some distance is exactly what you need to find a little closure. There are too many memories here. You can’t blame yourself.  It wasn’t your fault. It could’ve happened to anyone.”

My mother, Edith, was going to miss me, but I felt like this was my only option. There was no other way. I was used to a certain style of living and I wasn’t going to find it by staying here.

My world had crumbled down around me and it had happened so suddenly that it was almost like a bad dream.

I woke to the sound of coughing and I saw that my husband Jasper was on the floor gasping for air. The flames were billowing all around and I could barely see anything through the acrid smoke that was burning my lungs. I had a choice to make and if I had to do it all over again, I would have.

I left my husband, hoping that I would get back in time to save him, but my main concern was my little daughter Laura. I found the door was hot, scorching and burning my fingers, but I did not let that deter me. I pulled it open with the whoosh of the flame throwing me back against the wall. I landed heavily, but I scrambled to my feet and moved cautiously with my head down. I grabbed a shirt near the door and placed it over my mouth.

“Emma, you have to know that you did everything you could. Nobody blames you. If you blame yourself, then you have to learn to forgive. You might not think that you can and you might not think that you deserve it, but you do.”

I had on my nightshirt and I stumbled over the end of it a couple of times, but I managed to stay on my feet. I was losing consciousness, but I could see her door ahead,  slightly ajar, and I felt this sort of calm come over me like I had never felt before.

“This is the right time to get away. I’m not sure if I agree with what you’re doing, but this is not my decision. You’ve been through a traumatic time and you have to do what you need to do to heal. Your father would’ve been here but you know how he is with goodbyes. He knows that you won’t be back for some time and I guess he feels like you’re abandoning the family. I’m sorry that you had to go through this, but I think that you’ll come out of it stronger than ever.” She was my rock during this time, but even her love and my father’s caring arms could not take away the pain that I was feeling.

I got into my daughter’s room and I knew immediately upon seeing her on the bed that she was gone. I tried to reach for her, but the flames were too high and then my only hope vanished, as the entire ceiling came down. I was barely able to move away from the carnage. I thought that this was God’s way of punishing me for not being as religious as I should’ve been. I’d stepped away from the Catholic lifestyle and maybe I did get caught up in material things.

“The boat will be here soon. I just hope that you know what you’re doing. I know that we’ve gone over this a million times, but I still think that maybe you’re making a rash decision. The American west, even now in 1860, is not a nice place for strangers from a strange land.”

I’d given my mother most of her white hairs from being the wild and precocious child that I was. What was I doing to her now?

I made it back to the bedroom, but once again I was too late. He was lying there, dead and gone. I don’t know why I didn’t hear him scream, but maybe it was for the best. That image alone would haunt me for the rest of my life. It wasn’t like I could go back and even if I could, I’m not sure that I would’ve made any decisions differently. My life would always be with my child and I think in the end any mother would agree with me.

“You really did scare us, Emma. I know that you said that you didn’t mean to, but I’m still not sure if I believe you. Emma, if you really did stay in there and want to die, then I’m glad that they didn’t allow you to do that. Those people were a Godsend. They came to your rescue and I only wished that they could have done the same thing for Jasper and Laura. Unfortunately, it was their time and God wanted them back at His hand. We may not understand it, but God does work in mysterious ways.”

I felt the hands of someone pulling me from the house and I struggled to stop them. I wanted to die. It wasn’t like I had anything left to live for. My husband was dead, my child was dead and everything that I had was gone. In the blink of an eye a raging fire destroyed my heart and broke it into pieces that I wouldn’t be able to put it back together again.

They found me with the Bible clutched in my hands. I don’t even know how I got ahold of it. It was in the dresser. I don’t remember reaching in, but I must’ve at some point.

Standing here with my mother and watching the boat in the distance get closer; I know that this is the best for everyone. My mother and father may not say so, but they were getting a little sick and tired of hearing me mope and moan. It had been almost a month. Even after the fire, it didn’t end there. Bills began to pile up and my parents tried to help out, but it became an effort in futility. Jasper was the bread winner of the family and he wasn’t around anymore.

“Mother, I appreciate everything that you and Father have done. I just don’t have anything left here. I wasn’t sure about my decision to become a mail order bride, but Lucas is a good man. He needs help in dealing with his niece. I’m sure that there’s going to be an adjustment, but at least I won’t have the constant painful reminders all around me.” I moved my hands over my long chestnut hair. It was pulled back into a bun and I looked more matronly than I wanted to.

“Emma, you do what you have to do, but remember you still have family back here in England.”

I was the younger version of my mother. We were the same height at nearly six feet, tall for a woman, and my slender frame accentuated what God had graced me with and what every man looked at when I passed them on the street. They probably thought that they were being subtle, but their leering gaze was not lost on me. My mother might have been older, but she still had the body of a twenty year old. There were even times that people had mistaken us for sisters.

“I know that you’re here for me, Mother, and you don’t know how important family is to me. I think I proved that with trying to save mine. Do you know to this day that I really thought that I had a chance of saving both of them? How stupid is that? I actually thought that I could beat the blazing inferno that was hell bent on taking my life along with my family’s. I also forsook God, but then I realized that things happen for a reason. I still don’t know what this reason is, but I’m sure that eventually it will become clear.”

The horn of the boat told everybody that it was time to embark on a new adventure. The American west was where I was going to go. Texas was where I was going to find my next home.

I could only hope that the land that my husband had would go to a good owner. With the sale of the land, I was able to pay back the debts, but it left me very little in the coffers. Even the suitcase that I was carrying was not of my taste. I’d gotten it from a store specializing in second hand goods, of all places. I will admit that it was functional, but it was also ugly as sin.

I stepped up to the gangplank. I looked back at my mother, who was standing there with a tear in her eye. I was tempted to just stay and weather the storm of my grief. I made a deep sigh and turned around, promising myself that I would not turn back for anything. This was my destiny. Even though fate was fickle, I still had to abide by the cards that were dealt to me.

I had no money for a stateroom. I had to slum with the locals down into the bowels of the ship. It was humid and the space was only big enough for a bed given to each passenger. I sat down heavily, put my face into my hands and I wept openly for at least an hour. This was very new for me. I had never gone out of the city of England, let alone out of the country. I was sheltered as a child until my father fell on hard times due to an injury. It was time to find a new life and I could only hope that Lucas would be able to give me one as he had promised.

Chapter two

I was used to the best of everything, but now that I was a widow. I really didn’t have much to call my own. I stayed below decks most of the time and only ventured out into the boat to find something to eat from time to time. I felt completely isolated from the rest of the world. At that moment it was exactly what I needed to find some peace of mind.

I heard the announcement that we were arriving in the port of Texas. I certainly wasn’t looking forward to this, but it was a necessary evil. I did enjoy the letter that I’d gotten from Lucas. He seemed like a good man, but anybody can say anything in a letter. After all, you are pretty much anonymous, until that final day when you meet face to face.

After we docked, I was standing at the gangplank, looking around to see if I could find him and maybe ascertain if he was truly what I was looking for or not.

“This is a new life for you, Emma,” my newfound friend Janice told me. “We talked about this at length during the trip over here, but you’ve always seemed a little distant. I can understand why. Losing your family like that must’ve taken the wind out of your sails. I may not be coming here as a mail order bride but I am coming here with virtually nothing to my name.” Janice was another English transplant that was looking for a new life. She had decided to become a maid and I just hoped that she knew what she was doing. Then again, how could I cast stones, when I was doing something equally as risky?

“It’s been very nice talking to you, Janice. I hope that we can stay in touch, but I’ll understand if we drift apart. I did notice that where you’re living is only a short ride from where I’m at. The Steele ranch is about fifty acres of prime real estate. I think that Lucas would’ve been able to take care of his niece, had it not been for the fact that he also owns several other properties that he manages. He can’t always have her under foot. I think it takes a strong woman with a background in mothering to really know what the child is going to need.”

“It helps that you and her have something in common. You both can use your loss to find common ground. I hope we do see each other again, Emma. It’s been a pleasure, but I do believe I see my ride.”

She pointed into the distance as she said that and I could see a stagecoach with a man dressed impeccably, but he didn’t look particularly nice in my opinion. The wife was dressed demurely. She had her eyes down and I could tell that she was trying to hide the fact that she had been abused in some way. I saw no visible signs of bruises, but verbal abuse can be just as bad as physical. I didn’t want that for Janice, but there wasn’t all that much that I could do to stop her from starting this new chapter in her life.

I was looking for a man and a small young girl, but apparently he had come alone. Before I knew it, he had grabbed my wrist and I looked down to see that he was holding it with such a force that I thought for sure that he was going to break it. “I really don’t have time for this, Miss White. I have things to do and my mother can’t continue to babysit for Nancy. We really do need to get going.”

I felt a little rushed. He didn’t give me time to adjust or even get to know him before dragging me off. He made me feel like I was some kind of possession that he owned and that he was going to take regardless if I said yes or no. He had taken my luggage without even asking and I thought that I was going to be dealing with a gentleman. As it was, he was crass, didn’t smell very nice…but on the other side of the coin he was pleasant to look at. If I had my choice, I would shave that ungodly beard off of his face, but maybe he was just a work in progress.

As he kept pulling me away from the crowd, I was getting winded. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that I was wearing some kind of invisible leash. I didn’t get a chance to say anything and I had my mouth open for some kind of rebuttal, but I didn’t get a chance to say it.

I did notice that his hands were calloused and that he was obviously used to manual labor and putting a lot of hard work into a farm. “I’ve got to rustle my cattle and get them ready for market. Coming here and picking you up has been a terrible inconvenience. It has put me back a least a few hours. I just can’t stand having things to do and not enough time to do them.” He was frustrated and I decided to take what he was doing to me with a grain of salt.

I did have to admit that his manly and forceful way was kind of getting to me. I’d never had a man touch me like that and it was causing an undue side effect between my legs. I didn’t expect to find him attractive, but in a rough and ready kind of way, he was exactly the opposite of what my husband Jasper used to be. Perhaps I was looking for something different. Something that was unlike me. Well I had to say that this guy was ticking all the boxes.

“Lucas, I’m really getting tired of you pulling me like this. I can walk on my own.” I finally wrenched free from his grasp, rubbing my wrist and showing him that I was uncomfortable with the way that he was manhandling me. Unfortunately, my mind was also conjuring up images of what it would be like to be manhandled in a different way. I’d never had anything like that and the very idea was quite interesting to say the least. “I know that I’m here just to look after your niece Nancy. I think we can agree that marriage is a big step…”

He didn’t give me a chance to finish my thought. He produced a ring and slipped it on to my finger without even getting down on his knees.

“I promised you a ring and here’s a ring. Now, if we are through with all of this talking can we please get going?” Even though he said please, it didn’t feel like he was being sincere about it. He was wearing a black duster, black hat and cowhide leather gloves that really made him look like he was a villain about to rob a bank. His eyes were cold, but I think that was more to do with the fact that he was in a rush to get me back to his place.