Unconventional Read online

  If I think about it too much, it’ll be obvious to everyone.

  She didn’t become pregnant immediately after we stopped using birth control. Though I’d been the one to first mention children, it was she who was concerned. She even contacted her doctor. He assured us that everything was working; we just needed time. I’ll never forget her tears of joy as the small plus sign appeared.

  Heels in hand, Erika walks my direction. I can’t describe how beautiful she is. Even with the heavy makeup and her hair styled to perfection, I’m in awe. You’d think those would be the standout attributes, but they’re far down the list compared to her natural beauty.

  Her cheeks pinken as her eyelids flutter.

  Erika Cross of The Cross Report, her very own cable network news program, is kick-ass in every way. She can banter and discuss facts with the best and the brightest. Her natural wit, immense knowledge, and common sense are only surpassed by her determination. That’s the hard-core newswoman the world sees.

  She’s the one who not long after our first trip to the cabin was contacted about her dream job: her own cable news program, filming live five days a week from New York. The offer was her ambition come to pass; she deserves it for her hard work. As her biggest fan, I wouldn’t have wanted anything less. We were both elated.

  Now, as the distance between us lessens and her smile grows, her eyes move to downcast. This is the Erika that only I see: the incredibly sensual, ravishing submissive. The love of my life who’s found the balance she needs in leading her colleagues while allowing only me to dominate her.

  I won’t lie. Watching her call some politician or spokesperson on the carpet with her fiery comebacks and well-researched responses is as much of a turn-on as her naked body bound to our four-poster bed and her skin marked from my newest purchase. Currently, in her condition, I am willing to turn it down a notch or two.

  She is the one who continues to push for more, assuring me that our baby wants Mommy and Daddy satisfied.

  Yes, I’m aware she’s topping from the bottom. It’s just another excuse to punish her sexy-as-shit round ass.

  “Sir,” she whispers as she leans toward me for a kiss.

  After our lips touch, I lift her chin until her blue gaze is captured by mine. “Excellent show, Mrs. Cross.”

  Her cheeks rise. “Thank you, Sir. I’m not sure the current White House spokesperson is as pleased.”

  I chuckle. “You kicked his ass. The tape of his testimony during the judiciary committee hearing was genius.”

  “I’m glad it worked. It was a gamble.” She lets out a long sigh. “Thank goodness, it’s the weekend. I’m ready to leave The Cross Report behind for a couple of days.”

  I know that isn’t one hundred percent accurate. She will read and research and do what she does, but first I plan to remind her who her first priority is.

  I reach for her hand and give her a kiss on the forehead. “The studio always clears out quickly on Fridays. I have a surprise for you in your dressing room.”

  Her eyes sparkle in anticipation. “I’m intrigued.”

  Taking her shoes from her, we walk hand in hand down the narrow hallways until we reach the room with the nameplate Erika Cross on the door.

  She lifts her fingers and runs them over the embossed sign. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Why?”

  “I never meant to hurt you. That ridiculous notion about my name was obviously a misconception, a problem only in my head.” She sighs and leans against the wall. “I can’t even fathom all the changes since...” Her cheeks resume their signature pink as she runs her hands over our growing unborn baby. “...Dr. Kizer’s unconventional therapy.”

  I lean down and kiss her midsection. When I straighten, Erika’s expression is a glowing combination of love and respect with a sprinkling of exhaustion. “Kitten, I told you how incredible you were and are. I think maybe it took you relaxing without constantly worrying about every calorie or every inch of your skirt length to show the world what a talented firecracker of a debater you could be.”

  Her eyelids lower. “Thank you, Sir, for showing me what I need.”

  I tilt my head toward her door. “Inside, kitten, I’ve waited long enough.”

  With just a small change to my tone, the tension between us rises. Like an electric power surge, Erika’s body tingles, her arousal emanating like a cloud.

  She opens the door and looks around for my surprise. The large mirror with the chair for her makeup is exactly the same as usual. The sofa and table with fresh flowers is the same. At the far end is her desk. She has a bigger one in another office down the hall. Truth be told, as her manager—no longer one of the camera crew—I use the one in here more than she does.

  “I don’t see—”

  I stop her words, not with other words, or even a finger to her pert, luscious lips. It’s simply a stance and a glance. Seeing my feet apart, chin lifted, and eyes narrowed, Erika Cross becomes silent.

  It’s a trick I could share with her guests, but I don’t want to. She’s only mine to silence.

  Her head falls forward as she lowers herself to her knees.

  “Kitten, we have dinner plans. Remember that Jenn and Paul are in town?”

  “Yes, Sir.” She peers through her false eyelashes.

  “But first, we’re going to have some fun. Today’s show was fantastic, but you need to clear your mind.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Take me out, kitten.”

  I haven’t used that spider mask since the first night in the cabin. It feels too good to feel Erika’s lips on my hard cock.

  I groan as she makes quick work of my belt, button, and zipper. I nod as she lowers my trousers and reaches for the waist band on my boxer briefs. “I plan to sit at dinner tonight knowing that your red lipstick is decorating my dick. Suck me.”

  Her entire body trembles as she opens her lips and leans forward.

  Sometimes I fuck her mouth, but today, I’m giving her the pleasure of sucking me, allowing her to work me, leaving her red lipstick on my hard rod.

  Just before I come, I stop her. “Over to the mirror, gorgeous.”

  I give her my hand and help her stand as she obeys my directions. “Show me those growing tits.”

  With a slight grin, she reaches back and unzips the top of her dress. Next she reaches for the snaps to her bra and unfastens them. As she eases out her arms, her luscious tits fall from their binding, heavy with need and growth. After kissing each one, I fall down to my knees and reach under the skirt to remove her panties. Once she steps out, I bring them to my nose.

  “So wet. Are you a dirty slut?”

  “Only for you, Sir.”

  “Hands on the counter.”

  She turns and leans forward, spreading her legs to shoulder-width apart. With our growing baby, this is a great position to fuck her from behind. That’s what I plan to do. I’m not taking her ass right now. This is about helping her relax.

  I lift the skirt of her dress, leaving it bunched around her waist. Finding her folds, I dip two fingers that slide into place as her essence coats my fingers. It’s just as I predicted, warm and wet, clenching my digits like a vise as a moan escapes her lips and her legs stiffen.

  Smack!

  “Oh!”

  “Did I say you could come?”

  Smack!

  “No, Sir.” Her body trembles as she fights the war within her.

  Since she became pregnant, her increased hormones have her libido on overdrive. I swear she can come while across the room with just the right look from me. Making her wait, taking her to the brink, and pulling her back teaches her patience as well as obedience.

  I slap one side of her ass and then the other. “Look up, kitten. Look at the lust in your own eyes. You’re fucking entrancing.”

  Smack!

  I love watching her. The utter bliss as she slips away to that space where I’m her whole world. The day’s tensions float away and her body melts, pliable to my will
. It’s like she’s falling under a spell. Her blue eyes grow hazy as her ass grows red, decorated with my handprints.

  Smack!

  “Please, Sir,” she begs in a whimper.

  “Not yet.” Two more quick slaps and I thrust inside her cunt.

  “Oh!”

  It’s fucking heaven as she pushes back to my every thrust. In and out. Her growing tits swing in the mirror as my kitten becomes more and more lost to the sensations inside her. I wrap my arm around her, holding her upright. She’s fighting her body’s desire as her muscles grow tense. I keep moving as my other hand finds her clit.

  “P-please...”

  “Yes, kitten, come for me.”

  Her skin shimmers with a slick coating of perspiration as her head falls back, and she submits to the pleasure. Without my hold, she’d fall to the floor concentrating on nothing but her impending orgasm. I hug her tighter against my chest, peppering her neck with kisses as we both come undone.

  Still buried deep, I whisper, “If we were home, I’d have bound your hands to the ceiling.”

  She nods with a relaxed grin. “Thank you, Sir, for not letting me fall.”

  “Never, kitten. You’re always safe with me.”

  Slowly I ease out, immediately missing her warmth. When I spin her around, I kiss her cheek. “Are you ready for dinner?”

  “Or a nap.”

  I can’t stop my smile. “Let’s get you cleaned up, out of that stage makeup, and into something more comfortable.” As I speak, our baby moves, pushing against Erika’s stomach, stretching her skin that’s leaning against my abdomen. I look down and smile. “I think our little one likes it when Mommy relaxes.”

  Erika shakes her head. “I was always so worried about gaining weight, and now look at me.”

  I reach behind her for her zipper and pull it down the rest of the way. Her dress slides to the floor, leaving her standing before me as she came into the world, as I plan to keep her most of the weekend. We’re no longer in Wisconsin. The cabin is far away, but our apartment has been designed with a special room attached to our bedroom. It’s our go-to place. There are no windows, no reminders of anyone but us. It’s where the cares of the world disappear, lost to our desires.

  “Kitten, you’re stunning.”

  “If I disagree, will you punish me when we get home?”

  I move my head back and forth as I watch my wife’s lips quirk to a shy smile. “Topping from the bottom.”

  “I’m sorry, Sir. I need to be reminded.”

  I kiss her forehead. “Do you need help getting ready?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  The attached bathroom has a shower, but we don’t have time for that. Instead, I warm the water in the sink as I douse a soft washcloth. Erika uses wipes to remove the bulk of the makeup while I add soap. “Same position, kitten.”

  Still nude, she places her hands on the counter as I gently wash away the evidence of our arousals. I’d love to use my tongue, but that wouldn’t get us to dinner. Her ass is still red, though the raised skin has settled. I run the cloth over it, and she flinches. “It may be a little tender during dinner.”

  Erika’s eyes meet mine in the mirror. “Good. It’ll help me remember my priorities.”

  “I fucking love you.”

  “Thank you for loving me, for showing me what I need. I love you, too.” She looks down to her midsection. “And our baby.”

  “And our baby.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Erika

  It is great to see Jenn and Paul. It’s been nearly six months since I’ve seen my best friend, and they are only going to be in New York for a few days.

  “Look at you!” Jenn shrieks as she reaches out to my swollen midsection and then wraps me in a hug.

  When she backs up, she shakes her head.

  “I know,” I say. “I’m huge.”

  “No! You’re absolutely radiant.”

  I shrug as I reach for Vic’s arm. “I’ve never been happier.”

  “It shows,” she says with a smile as she and Paul say their hellos to Vic.

  Once we’re seated at a very nice table, high above the city with a spectacular view of the city’s lights, we all fall into easy conversation. That’s the way it is with good friends—as if you’ve never been apart.

  After our salads are finished, Jenn asks, “So you’re really going to eat that filet you ordered?”

  I smile as my gaze momentarily goes to my husband and then back to my best friend. “I am. The protein is good for the baby.”

  “Don’t let her fool you,” Vic says, “even before she was pregnant, she remembered her love of bacon.”

  “Bacon!” Jenn says, aghast.

  “I still eat Greek salads and yogurt.”

  “I personally think it’s great,” Jenn says. “Like I said, you’re simply radiant.”

  I notice how momentarily my friend’s gaze goes to Paul and then back to her plate. There’s something hauntingly familiar in her micro-expression.

  “Jenn, I need to step away for a moment. Would you like to join me?”

  She looks up from her plate. “Sure.”

  I give the two men my biggest smile. “We’ll be right back. Babies and bladders—not the most comfortable combination.” I turn to Vic. “Don’t eat my steak.”

  Vic reaches for my hand and kisses my knuckles. “Hurry back.”

  “Yes...” I feel the warmth on my cheeks, knowing I almost called him Sir in front of our friends. By the twinkle in his dark eyes, he heard the unspoken title too.

  Once Jenn and I are alone in the ladies’ room, I turn to my friend. We don’t have much time before our food arrives, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “Wrong?” she asks as her voice cracks and moisture fills her eyes.

  “Oh, sweetheart,” I coo as I wrap her shoulders in my arms. “Please talk to me.”

  Her head is shaking against my shoulder. “I wanted to talk to you. But every time I call, you sound so happy. I watch the show, and you look great. I don’t want to be the one who brings you down.” Her tear-filled eyes look at me. “I’m so happy for you. I remember not that long ago...”

  The scene of the two of us in an empty restaurant replays in my head. “Is that it? Is it you and Paul?”

  She nods. “I-I know I said we were good, and we were...until we weren’t. There’s been stress with his job and mine. Now...I’m afraid...”

  My neck straightens. “Same questions you asked me: has he cheated?”

  “No. I know he hasn’t. I trust him.”

  “You?”

  “No, never. I love him. It’s just that...” Her head tilts. “How did you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “How did you rekindle the spark? I can see it in your eyes and in Vic’s. You look at Vic like’s he your god.”

  “He is,” I answer truthfully. “He’s my everything. I’m not sure how much I can tell you.”

  Jenn grabs my hand. “Please. I want to save my marriage.”

  “Does Paul feel the same way?”

  “I think so. This trip is supposed to be our time alone. I’m afraid it’s too little, too late.”

  I squeeze her hand. “It’s never too late. I thought it was for Vic and me, but I was wrong. I have the name of a marriage counselor back in Wisconsin. Would you be willing to explore some unconventional therapy?”

  She shrugs. “I want to have what we had. No, I want what you have.”

  My mind momentarily goes to the remaining tingle in my ass. I’m not sure if she wants what I have or not, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

  “Then go meet with Dr. Kizer. Let her get to know you. From what I understand, the route she recommended for us isn’t her only therapy option. It may be right for you. It might not be. Be honest with her. Admit what’s missing in your life. All I can say is that she couldn’t have been more right for Vic and me.”

  “Please send me her information
.”

  “I will. If you’re honest with her, Paul, and yourself, you won’t be sorry.”

  After drying Jenn’s tears and my use of the facilities—our baby is camping out on my bladder—we go back to the table.

  Vic stands as we approach. Leaning in, he kisses my cheek. “Is everything all right?”

  “Everything is perfect, Sir.” I whisper the last word.

  Unconventional was our answer; maybe it will be for Jenn and Paul too.

  Only time will tell.

  Books by New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig

  ALEATHA’S LIGHTER ONES:

  PLUS ONE

  Stand-alone fun, sexy romance

  Released May 2017

  ONE NIGHT

  Stand-alone, sexy contemporary romance

  Released September 2017

  THE INFIDELITY SERIES:

  BETRAYAL

  Book #1

  Released October 2015

  CUNNING

  Book #2

  Released January 2016

  DECEPTION

  Book #3

  Released May 2016

  ENTRAPMENT

  Book #4

  Released September 2016

  FIDELITY

  Book #5

  Released January 2017

  RESPECT

  A stand-alone Infidelity novel

  Coming January 2018

  THE CONSEQUENCES SERIES:

  CONSEQUENCES

  (Book #1)

  Released August 2011

  TRUTH

  (Book #2)

  Released October 2012

  CONVICTED

  (Book #3)

  Released October 2013

  REVEALED

  (Book #4)

  Previously titled: Behind His Eyes Convicted: The Missing Years

  Re-released June 2014

  BEYOND THE CONSEQUENCES

  (Book #5)