"Okay," she said slowly, eying him warily, "but you do realize that there's no way I can't freak out after you start off like that? Now you've got me thinking you have some freaky disease or something."
"No, it's nothing that bad," he promised. "It's just that......" He hated telling her this, hated anyone knowing for that matter. "I'm dyslexic," he admitted softly, forcing himself to hold her gaze.
When her brows arched up in surprise he knew this was going to be bad. Maybe he should have just kept his mouth shut and-
"And?" she asked.
"That's it," he said, frowning when her expression didn't morph into disgust or pity.
She rolled her eyes. "I already knew that," she said, scoffing as she went back to tracing shapes on his chest.
"You knew? How the hell did you know?" he demanded, wondering which bastard in his family had ratted his ass out.
"It wasn't too hard to figure out, Trevor," she murmured, looking totally enthralled with what she was doing.
"What the hell does that mean?" He'd been careful, very careful. He'd never read anything in front of her, never wrote anything more than his name or a word or two in her presence. There was no way she could have found out without one of his interfering relatives clueing her in. "Who the hell told you?"
Zoe rolled her eyes even as she leaned over to press a quick kiss on his lips, which made him slightly happy, but not enough to forget that he needed to kill one of his relatives.
"You never read anything around me. You think you tricked me into reading for you. Then there was the time we ran out of condoms and you flipped out because you thought there was supposed to be 42 condoms in the box of 24."
"Would it have killed them to put a few extra condoms in the box so that you could have seen to my needs?" he asked, remembering that damn night and trying not to wince. Okay, so maybe he gave himself away...just a little.
"The point is," she said, pressing another sweet kiss against his mouth. "Is that I'm not going to worry about it when there are more frightening things to think about."
"Like what?" he asked, biting back a groan when she continued to kiss a path along his jaw.
"How we're going to afford to feed another Bradford. We both might have to take second jobs," she said, tracing her tongue down his neck.
He dropped his head back, allowing her more access as her words sank in. "We? Does this mean you're going to marry me?" he asked even though he already decided she was marrying him no matter what. Informing her that they were getting married was just a courtesy since he couldn't think of one single Bradford that had ever proposed.
His Uncle Jared had simply told his Aunt Megan to meet him at the courthouse for lunch and when she showed up he had the Justice of the Peace ready to go and all the exits blocked. His cousin Jason simply told Haley they were getting married and just in case she tried to change her mind or make a run for it he'd married her two days later. His uncles and cousins had done pretty much the same thing and as far as he knew that's what all the men in his family had done for generations, so really she should at least appreciate the fact that he'd at least told her beforehand.
She really should be thanking him for his consideration.
"I'm thinking about it," she said against his neck and the only reason he wasn't pulling her over his lap and spanking her was because he could tell she was just teasing him, well, she damn well better be just teasing him.
"You are," he said, trying to sound smug when she was actually making him a little nervous.
"Uh huh, we can discuss this afterwards with a few other things," she said as she kissed and licked his neck as her greedy little hands slid over his chest and stomach.
"After what?" he asked, groaning long and heaving when her little fingers teased his nipples.
"After you fulfill your end of our arrangement," she said, slightly moaning and driving him out of his goddamn mind.
"Our arrangement is over," Trevor bit out, shifting his legs apart to make room in his now too tight boxer briefs.
"It's not over until we come up with a new arrangement and I have a few ideas about that, but we'll talk about that afterwards," she said, between kissing his neck and running her sneaky little hand between them to caress one of the most painful erections he'd ever had in his life.
"Huh?" he somehow managed to ask as he pushed her hair off her neck so he could return the favor for driving him out of his mind.
"After you fuck me of course," she said, making him smile with appreciation.
God, how he loved his demanding little tenant.
Chapter 33
"I think I can manage that," Trevor said, rolling his hips into her grip and making Zoe lick her lips in appreciation. She really wasn't sure how she'd survived the last week without him. Five years without plain old sex was nothing in comparison to seven days of going without sex with Trevor and she just prayed that she never had to experience it again, because she was positive she wouldn't survive.
Of course she knew that if she truly wanted sex that all she had to do was yell his name and he would have come running, which was part of the problem. She needed a little space to make sure that this wasn't just about sex for either of them. Although she'd missed touching him and holding him she'd actually missed just being with him more.
She missed his smile, the way he glared at her when she teased him, the way he pouted when he ran out of food, and she even missed his bossiness. She just missed him and up until a few hours ago she hadn't been completely sure if he wanted her for just her or the arrangement, but after his little cute antics she knew that he loved her.
His attempts to see her were so sweet and entertaining. When her hot water suddenly stopped working, she almost called out to him, but then she heard him in his bathroom muttering to himself for her to hurry the hell up so he could turn the hot water tank back on before the pipes burst. So with a little pleased smile she sat back, curious to see what else he'd do.
When he snuck into her apartment to entice the dogs out with his underwear it had taken every ounce of strength she had not to laugh her ass off and pretend to be asleep, especially when the dogs managed to steal the underwear out of his hand and make a mad dash for it. For about five minutes she discretely watched as Trevor did his best to chase after the dogs without making much noise. She had to admit that for a man his size he did a pretty good job of quietly running after her dogs, except for the occasional curse that is. When he finally had the two dogs and shut the door behind him she had to bury her face in her pillow as she laughed until it hurt.
He was just so damn cute.
Her favorite moment of course was when he was outside jacking up her car while his cousins and uncles all stood along the sidewalk taking pictures and laughing their asses off at him. Except for the few times he'd flipped them off, he ignored them as he struggled with frozen nuts and bolts for almost two hours straight. Of course he probably would have finished a lot faster if his family hadn't thrown snow balls at him while he worked.
They really were an entertaining family.
Still she held out, curious to see what else he would do. When that something else was shutting off her heat she gave in and came over, even more curious to see how far he would take things.
Except once he had her where he wanted her he left her alone. She couldn't even begin to describe how disappointed she'd been when he didn't join her in the bathtub. An hour later, disappointed and wrinkly, she climbed into bed waiting for him to join her there. She'd really been looking forward to falling asleep in his arms, but the jerk never showed up so she decided that maybe it was her turn to make a move.
"But we're going to do it my way," Trevor announced just before he took her mouth in a quick, too quick, passionate kiss.
"What's this now?" she asked in a daze.
"I said we're doing this my way. While I work, you'll talk," he said, grabbing the hem of her oversized tee-shirt and yanked it up and off her in a matter of seconds, leaving her completely nude. Trevor's roug
h sound of approval sent shivers of anticipation throughout her body.
"Talk?" She watched as he devoured her body with his eyes and she was thankful that the room was dim enough to make her feel comfortable.
"Uh huh," he said, pulling her forward. "You tell me all about this new arrangement while I make up for seven days, sweetheart."
She opened her mouth to answer, but the only thing that came out was a loud strangled moan as Trevor closed his lips around one of her taut nipples and sucked, hard. She had to grab onto his shoulders and hold on before she fell over.
He wanted her to talk? Now? He really couldn't be serious.
"W-we can talk later," she suggested, hoping he'd do that little thing with his teeth and tongue that she loved.
He did.
But then he pulled back and she nearly whimpered.
"I think," he said, leaning forward again and running the flat of his tongue over her nipple, "that this is the perfect time for you to tell me just what you had in mind."
"But later would be better," she said, sounding a little desperate and not really giving a damn. The man had a gifted mouth and she was more than willing to let him use that gift on her.
"I think now is perfect," he murmured, tracing a line with his tongue from one nipple to the other. He traced around the nipple that practically begged for his attention before he drew it into his mouth and sucked.
"Now?" she choked out.
"Get talking, woman," he said around her nipple.
"About?" she asked hazily.
He chuckled around her nipple before he flicked it with his tongue and pulled back. "This new arrangement of yours," he reminded her.
"Oh right, the arrangement," she said numbly.
"Get talking or I stop," he said and just to prove that he was serious he pulled away from her breast.
"Okay, okay," she said, grabbing the back of his head and yanking him back to where he belonged. With a small chuckle he took her nipple back into his mouth.
She forced herself to ignore how unbelievably good he felt or the fact that he held her hip tightly so she couldn't move against him and focused. If they were going to have any hopes for a future there were a few things they needed to clear up.
"How many children do you want?" she asked, knowing that this was by far the most important question. If he was hell bent on only having one kid it was going to become a bit awkward.
"As many as you're willing to give me," he said, pulling back and releasing her nipple with a wet plop. "Next," he said, burying his face in the crook of her neck as one hand continued to squeeze and caress her breast the other slid from her hip to her bottom where his talented hand kneaded and squeezed, forcing her cradle his erection.
"Next....okay, um," she said absently as she tried to rub herself against him and this time he allowed it. "If um, if we get married we're going to need a bigger home," she said, remembering his offer to buy them a house. She wasn't sure if he meant right away or sometime in the future, but with twins, Bradford twins, they were going to need more space soon. Not to mention a large kitchen with more storage space and maybe a larger fridge.
"I'll build you a house, sweetheart. Anything you want," he promised against her neck.
"I just want you, Trevor," she said, knowing nothing else really mattered as long as she had him.
"You have me, sweetheart," he said, pulling away just far enough so that he could look into her eyes. "I promise you will always have me."
"No more pretending," she said, feeling her chin quiver, knowing it would kill her to go one more day pretending that he wasn't everything to her. Out of everything that happened between them that was the one thing that hurt the most.
"Never. I'm going to make damn sure that everyone knows that you're all mine," he swore just before he swooped in and took her mouth in a hungry kiss.
"You promise?" she asked against his mouth, feeling her heart race.
"Promise," he swore.
"Any other conditions for this new arrangement I should know about?" he asked, moving his mouth back to her neck.
"Just," she said, licking her lips as he nibbled and licked his way down towards her breasts, "that the sex condition is still very much in effect."
"I suppose that will be fine," he murmured huskily, running his tongue down one breast until he could once again take her nipple into his mouth.
"A-and I get to name our kids," she said, hoping he was properly distracted, because she had some really cute names for boys that she really liked, names that were really pretty and underused.
"Not fucking happening," he said, releasing her nipple.
"But-"
"Not happening," he said as his hands returned to her hips. With a gentle grip he guided her off of his lap and onto her back. "As much as I love you, I just can't let you do that to my boys, sweetheart."
"But-"
"Not happening," he said, pushing her legs apart as he shifted on the couch until he was crouching between her bent legs.
"What about Frances or Julian? Those are both-oh my god, don't stop doing that!" she practically screamed when he lowered his head between her legs and began lapping at her slit.
"So," he said casually as if he weren't currently driving her out of her mind by leisurely running his tongue between her legs, just missing her clit, "let me see if I understand this new arrangement."
She may have whimpered when he traced her lips with the tip of his tongue and damn well knew she moaned when he teased her clit. Licking her lips hungrily, she rotated her hips desperate to force his teasing to go where she needed him, but he simply grabbed her hips and held her where he wanted her.
"You're going to be at my beck and call for sex," he mused and she moaned in agreement. "I'm going to take care of you while you worship me and we're getting married. Did I miss anything?"
"I really don't remember you proposing or more importantly, saying yes," she managed to point out when all she wanted him to do was stop talking and get back to licking her.
"I did, you just don't remember," he said, tracing her slit with the tip of his finger as he flashed her that sexy grin of his that drove her crazy.
"No, you didn't."
"I did," he said, sliding his finger between her lips to tease the entrance.
"I think I would have remembered that," she said, licking her lips as her body trembled in anticipation.
"You were overcome with joy. In fact, if memory serves me correctly you said the sooner the better, because you were looking forward to waking up at three in the morning to me licking you out and having access to my body twenty-four seven so really you should be-"
"You're right," she said, panting as she rolled her hips into his touch, closing her eyes in bliss as he took the hint and slid his finger inside her. "You did propose. It was beautiful, memorable even, so we can probably move on now to the actual sex now, right?" she asked, sounding desperate and not really caring at the moment.
He chuckled, the bastard. "I suppose we could do that," he said, pressing a kiss to her thigh as he slid his finger in and out of her at a delicious rhythm. As he fingered her he took his time trailing kisses up her leg, pausing between her legs to drive her insane by taking her clit between his lips and sucking.
She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair, encouraging him to continue and loving the way he groaned as though licking her affected him just as much as it did her. After a minute he pressed on last kiss to her wet slit and pressed a trail of kisses north, pausing at her soft stomach to press a tender kiss where their babies were.
Zoe bit her lip as she tried not to cry out as her body tightened in anticipation of the powerful orgasm she knew he was setting her up for. When he took her mouth in a hungry kiss she slid her hands down his back and between them, cupping him through his underwear and loving the way he thrust against her hand.
Without any hesitation she released the two buttons that somehow managed to restrain his long, hard erection and freed him, gu
iding him to where she needed him. With a small groan he removed his finger and slid into her and she couldn't believe how good he felt.
Without a condom she could feel the smooth velvety skin and hard veins to perfection. He felt so good, so right, she decided as she pulled his mouth down for a kiss. As he devoured her mouth, thrusting his tongue into her mouth the way he was thrusting his cock inside her, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.
"Love you.....love you, Zoe," he said, groaning as he quickened his pace.
She opened her mouth to tell him how much she loved him, but he chose that moment to do a little twist thrust with his hips that sent her flying. Digging her nails into his back, she threw her head back and let out a strangled scream that only seemed to set him off. He began pounding into her until she was forced to hold onto him or have her head slam into the arm of the couch. In seconds he had her screaming his name as he groaned out his own release.
For several minutes they lay there trying to catch their breath as they held each other tightly and would have probably stayed that way for the rest of the night if her traitorous stomach hadn't growled, startling them both.
With a pleased grin, Trevor ran his fingers through his sweaty hair as he pulled away from her, pausing again to press a tender kiss to her stomach. "I guess it's time to feed the baby," he said, looking and sounding truly happy and she couldn't help but smile.
Never in a million years would she have thought that a woman like her could make a man like Trevor happy, but he was and for the first time in her life she was truly content. She had a good job, good dogs, babies on the way and a man she knew she'd only fall in love with more with each passing day.
"I'll go make you a sandwich," he said, tucking himself back in his boxers and shooting her a wink as he sauntered towards the kitchen.
Of course, it didn't hurt that she also had a man she loved to torment, she decided.
"Better make it two, you do know we're having twins, right?" she asked innocently and tried not to laugh when he stumbled.
Epilogue