I feel the wicked smile pull at my lips at my demand. She’ll marry me no matter what she says. Then all of her words hit me, and I stop.

“Wait, what did you say?”

Felicity crosses her arms in front of her chest, a defiant look on her gorgeous face. A face I’ve dreamed about every night for the past few months.

“I’m not marrying you because I’m pregnant. That’s the worst reason in the world. And it’s not fair to our child.”

I’m frozen solid and speechless. She’s pregnant? With my baby? I got her pregnant the first and only time we had sex? Is that even possible?

I’m just staring at her, and she huffs out in annoyance.

“Are you going to say something, or are you just going to stand there like a giant rock?”

My eyes go down to her belly, and I see a small bump showing through her dress. A small baby bump. Feeling overwhelmed, I fall to my knees in front of her and grab her hips. She lets out a little squeak, but I pull her to me, bringing her belly closer to my mouth. I place my lips on the rounded bump. I close my eyes and mumble my thanks to whatever is in the sky above us for giving me this gift.

“Calder?” Felicity’s voice is confused, but I hear a hint of something else there, too. Something that sounds like longing. “Calder, what are you doing?”

I give her belly one last kiss and then look up to her eyes, still holding her close.

“You’re going to marry me. Today.”

Felicity pulls back at my words, but my hands don’t let her go too far.

“You have a girlfriend!” she shouts at me, and I can’t help but let out a laugh. She’s obviously had this on her mind if this is her defense.

“That’s over now,” is my answer. She must think Sidney and I were together. I haven’t so much as looked at anyone in that way since long before I ever met her. But I certainly wouldn’t even think of another woman after laying eyes on her.

Felicity shuffles her feet a little, indecision running through her. I won’t have her trying to get out of this, and I’ll make her do it. I don’t care what kind of leverage I have to use.

“You’ll marry me, Felicity. You’ll marry me, or I’ll stop all business with your father. Immediately.”

It’s the ace of spades in my back pocket and she knows it. The gasp that she lets out, followed by the angry look on her face, lets me know she gets my drift.

“You wouldn’t,” she seethes.

“Oh, I would. There isn’t anything I wouldn't do to have you.” I squeeze her hips, pulling her back to me so all the space she’s tried to gain is gone. “I’ll make sure there’s not a company or person in New York that will hire him. I’ll even spread the word globally. You will marry me, or it’s the end of his career. The choice is yours, sweetheart.”

The use of the endearment makes her even angrier, but I don’t care. I’m not playing fair when it comes to her. Reaching down, I slide my hands up her bare thighs and feel her muscles start to tremble.

“Calder.” Her voice is soft now, but she still has her arms crossed, unwilling to let herself open up to me.

“Felicity,” I say in the exact same tone, trailing my hand a little farther up, reaching the hem of her dress.

“You can’t just show up and blackmail me into marrying you. That’s not how things work.”

Her arms uncross and fall to her sides, her hands starting to reach for me but then pulling back.

“I’ve thought about you nonstop.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” she huffs.

“You’ve thought about me, too.” My hands run under her dress until my fingers find the edge of her panties. I hear an intake of breath, and her hands finally go to my head, gripping my hair.

“Th-th-that doesn’t matter.”

Pushing her dress up, I expose her panty-covered pussy to me, and my mouth waters. I didn’t get to taste her that first night, and it’s all I’ve been dreaming of.

“It’s all that matters, sweetheart. You and I have something that can’t be so easily broken.”

Leaning forward, I press my nose and mouth between her thighs and inhale her scent. She smells like sunshine and lilies, and it’s the most perfect thing I’ve ever experienced.

“Calder. I can’t. I’m not strong enough to make it through this again.”

Her admission is soft, but I hear every word. Her grip tightens on my hair, but she doesn't even try to pull me away.

“You’re going to be mine, Felicity. You’ll never be without me again.”

With my words, I fist her panties in both hands and rip them off her. Her pussy is clean shaven and damp with her arousal. My mouth waters, and then my anger flares.

“Did you show this to that boy? Did you show him what’s mine?”

Her legs tremble as I push them open, looking at her exposed pussy.

“N-no. Never.”

“You were saving it for me, weren’t you?”

I don’t wait for her answer before my mouth descends on her sweet, sweet pussy. The taste of sugary desire hits my tongue, and I nearly take her to the ground. I hold her hips while my mouth sucks on her tender flesh, licking my way inside her.

I feel her lean back a little and let go of my hair to grip the desk behind her. The room is small, but I’ll make do for right now. I don’t have the patience to wait and take her to my hotel room, so this will have to do.

Pulling one of her legs over my shoulder, I growl against her wet heat. I lap up all that she gives me and feel my cock swell with every lick. Her hips start to push against my mouth, and I feel her body tense. I grab her other leg and throw that over my shoulder, too, so that both of her feet are off the floor and I’m gripping her ass to keep her from falling.

“Give it to me, Felicity. Don’t deny me.”

I suck her clit into my mouth, and she starts to shout. Her voice rings out in the small room, and I feel my cock leaking into my underwear. It’s all I can do to hold off from cumming, but I want to wait until I have more time. She doesn’t say my name, but it’s my mouth she cums on. I’ll make her scream it when my cock is buried ten inches inside her body.

Slowly and softly, I lick her as she comes down from her high. I rub her legs and pet her warm skin, being gentle with her delicate body. As if she realizes I’m being affectionate, she tenses and kicks her legs off my shoulders, putting distance between us.

“You can’t just come in here and take over, Calder. I don’t even know you.”

She angrily pushes at her dress, all of the pleasure I just gave her vanishing into thin air. Looks like I’ll have to make her cum about thirty more times before she’ll give me what I want. Fine. Challenge accepted.

“You’ll have plenty of time to do that when we’re married.” I lick my lips, getting to my feet and stepping closer to her. “I’ve apologized and told you every day what I want with you. That doesn’t seem like enough, so I thought it was time to show you.”

“What are you talking about?” She nearly spits the words at me as she turns and goes over to a dresser, taking out a pair of white cotton panties.

I pick the destroyed ones off the floor and tuck them into my pocket.

“You might as well leave those off, sweetheart. I’m not done with you yet.”

She growls and fists the underwear in her hands but doesn’t look at me. “You can’t tell me what to do,” she says, but doesn’t make a move to put them on.

“You’re going to be my wife. I think there are some rules we can make for one another, don’t you?”

“Stop saying that. I haven’t agreed to anything.”

I walk over to her, taking her hand and pulling her over to the bed. I sit down first and make her stand between my legs. In this position, we are almost eye to eye. She’s so short that even when I’m sitting, I’m still taller than her.

“Felicity. What choice do you have? I’ll ruin your father’s career. And our baby needs a father.”

Reaching down, I rub the bump growing on her belly. Our baby. I’m going to be a father. The thought makes my heart feel light. I’d never considered marriage and a baby before Felicity, but now all of that hope is in my grasp and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it a reality.

“I have plans tonight.”

I look in her eyes and see there is trepidation there. Something is off.

“You have a dinner with your father and his assistant tonight, don’t you?” I ask, knowing full well she does. I saw her father speaking to her after the ceremony.

“Yes,” she says, not looking at me.

“And you haven’t told him about the baby, have you?”

“No.” Her teeth are gritted, and she doesn’t like that I can read her so well.

“Look, Felicity. I tried to play by your rules. I tried to give you time and space. I told you all that I would offer you if you would only give me a chance. I explained everything about that night, and you continued to ignore me. I hate that it has to be like this. But it will be like this.”

My words are firm, but there is confusion on her face.

“You never explained anything to me. You were an asshole that morning, and then I never heard another word. I was in pieces, Calder, and I had to take care of myself. Thank God for Mark.”

At the mention of that boy’s name, I see red.

“Don’t you dare say his name. You’re mine. And our baby doesn't need to hear another man’s name on your lips.”

“What makes you think this baby is yours?”

It would have hurt less if she’d just stabbed me in the heart. But instead, I just look at her and her triumphant smile. She knows her words cut straight through me, but she doesn’t feel the least bit sorry about it.

“Careful, sweetheart. Your soon-to-be husband doesn’t like being disrespected.” I stand from the bed and look down at her. “And I can tell when you’re lying. You and my baby need to get ready. We’ve got a dinner to attend tonight.”