Page 16 of Baby Daddy Protector

After removing my pants and boxer briefs, I knelt between her legs and flipped Es over onto her stomach, sliding a pillow beneath her hips then holding her steady with one hand while positioning myself at her wet entrance with the other.

At first Es objected, rising up on her elbows to glance back at me over her shoulder. “What are you—”

“Trust me,” I said, giving one of her firm, round butt cheeks a gentle caress. “I’ve done my research, princess. This is supposed to be one of the best positions to get pregnant.” It happened to be one of my personal favorite ways to take a woman, too. I leaned forward to press a kiss to her spine. “I’ll make it good for you, I promise.”

With those words, I slid into her hilt deep, then held still, allowing her to adjust to this new angle of penetration. She wiggled against me as I slipped a hand between her legs to stroke her clit. Soon, she was meeting me thrust for thrust, her cheeks flushed and her breath panting.

“I had no idea it could be like this,” she said, her words rough with need. “This feels amazing.”

“Youfeel amazing,” I said, doing my best to make this last as long as possible but knowing it would all be over far too soon. The tightness inside me coiled closer to the breaking point, my balls drawing up closer to my body as my orgasm neared. I teased her clit and she bucked, slamming back against me and driving me even deeper inside her. I growled, my thrusts growing faster. “Are you close, princess?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “So close.”

“Good.” I pressed my thumb against her clit and drove into her, angling my penetration to hit the bundle of nerves just inside her slick channel, and she cried out as she climaxed for a second time. Her body milked my aching cock, urging me nearer to the edge as well.

I didn’t last long. One, two more thrusts, then I grunted low and came hard inside her, my fist clenched in the sheet and my toes curled tight. Finally, I collapsed atop her, my front to her back. “I’m sorry,” I murmured, kissing the back of her neck before attempting to slide off of her, afraid I was too heavy, but she stopped me.

“No. Stay. Please, for a minute.” Es sighed against the pillow beneath her head. “The joining helps, remember?”

“Right.” I inhaled, my lungs filling with much-needed oxygen and the sweet smell of her hair. I could stay here forever and die a happy man. Which made this the most dangerous place in the world, even more than the deadliest battlefield. Because if I felt that way after just two nights together, I was in for a world of pain and rejection when she tossed me aside as soon as our contract was fulfilled. Not that I wanted to stay. I wanted to get back to my SEAL team, get back to my old life…didn’t I?

We stayed connected intimately for about twenty minutes until the air cooled and things became uncomfortable—in more ways than one.

“So, I guess I should start ring shopping, huh?” I said, staring at the wall opposite the bed. The fact we needed to be legally wed to make this binding according to the Prylean laws had kind of fallen by the wayside in favor of our more…carnal pursuits, but we still needed to discuss it and now seemed as good a time as any. “For our engagement.” I’d been told that it was fine if the baby was conceived before we were married, but we had to be husband and wife before the birth in order for the child to be a legitimate heir.

“Hmm.” Es sighed, the movement causing her back to rub against my chest. “Yes. We’ll need a ring.” At last, she shifted slightly to look back at me. “That should be long enough.”

I nodded and climbed off of her, pulling on my boxer briefs without meeting her gaze. She had that right. Long enough for me to make an ass out of myself by allowing my emotions to spill over into my work. In the SEALs, behavior like that could get a man killed. In this bedroom, opening my heart to a woman who had been clear from the start that all she wanted from me was my sperm would only end with my already-battered heart destroyed.

And that might be the worst death of all.

“I’m, uh, going to go have a shower then go to bed. Long day tomorrow. Good night.” I gathered up the rest of my clothes then opened the door a crack, checking the hallway before slipping out without a backward glance in Es’s direction.

It was rude, I knew, and made me feel like even more of an idiot than I already did, but I had to get out of there before I did something even stupider, like ask to spend the night with her. I needed some time and space to myself to get my head screwed on straight again before I blew this whole deal sky-high.

TEN

Iwalked into Georgetown Hospital the next morning feeling more confused than ever. I’d gone for a run early that morning to clear my head and prepare for the day. While I’d been jogging through the picturesque, peaceful streets of the area, with lush trees lining the cobblestone streets and the historic buildings and taverns, I’d gotten an unexpected call from another SEAL buddy of mine, Justin. Justin had phoned to share the exciting news that he and his long-time girlfriend were having a kid. Seemed everyone and their brother was having babies, including me—or trying to anyway. Justin had been so thrilled that I couldn’t bring myself to rain on my buddy’s parade. The road to conception with Es wasn’t what I’d expected at all. The sex? Sure, that was great—even better than I’d imagined. The rest of it—the closeness, the connection, the conflicting feelings of accomplishment and apprehension—all mingled together had me in a bad way.

Of course, I’d not mentioned that. Both because of the agreement I had with Es and also because our situation was different from Justin’s. It was a transaction, a business deal, no matter how incredible the sex was. It was all for show, all to reach the goal.

So why, then, were my doubts about it all growing exponentially each day?

As I strode through the brightly lit hospital lobby and over to the bank of elevators, I barked orders to my team into my Bluetooth headset. I was being unusually short today, I knew, but insomnia did that to a guy. I hadn’t slept well since Es and I had started this whole baby-making process.

The elevator to my left dinged and I stepped onboard, holding the doors for an elderly couple who followed me inside, then pushed the button for their floor as well as the one for the private area of the hospital that was housing the king.

The damndest thing had happened in the wee hours. After days in a coma, the king had awakened. According to the hospital staff, he’d had a burst of energy. Was talking and laughing and even working, making and receiving phone calls from his trusted advisors and staff back in Prylea. Es had been cautiously optimistic when I’d left her at her stylist’s salon again this morning, with a full security entourage in tow.

Normally, I would have stayed myself to guard her, but the king had requested my presence at the hospital—alone. Swallowing hard around the gathering lump of dread in my throat, I forced a smile and held the doors open for the elderly couple again once the elevator stopped on their floor and the doors swished open.

Alone with my stress, I rode the rest of the way up to the king’s area. I had no idea what the man wanted to speak with me about, only that it was extremely important—according to the aide who’d called me during my run.

I’d sprinted back to the townhouse and hurried through a shower before pulling on my usual black suit and tie, then rushed up here. From the somber tone of the aide’s voice, it didn’t sound good, whatever it was.

Now, as the elevator jerked to a stop and the doors slid open, I felt like a naughty schoolboy on the way to the principal’s office. Which was ridiculous. I’d done nothing wrong. The king probably wanted to talk about how security was going here in Washington. Still, I couldn’t seem to shake the weird feeling that everything was about to change.

The aide who’d called me earlier was waiting by the elevators to walk me to the king’s rooms.

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