Chapter 16
Kennedy
I didn’t know how else I expected Nico to react. I’d turned up at the construction site on a whim.
Ever since I found out about the pregnancy…I’d been toying with the idea of whether to tell Nico or not.
When I got seriously sick the previous evening, Ava had rushed to a pharmacy and bought several pregnancy tests. Each one of them had been positive. There was no other option but to accept the fact that I was pregnant. I wasn’t ready, in no way was I prepared to be a mother. I had spent all this time rolling my eyes at our other friends and their ‘mom problems’. I hadn’t even pictured myself as a mother.
Least of all a mother to Nico’s child!
Ava and I had spent the rest of the evening talking. I’d cried a lot and she tried to console me. I was feeling lost, and angry…but mostly sad. It was painful to imagine bringing up a child alone, to know that my child would never know its father.
I knew Ava would always be there for me. So would our other friends. They would all try and help out as best as they could. But would it ever be good enough? Nobody else could help me the way Nico could. There was nobody else my child would need in this world more than its father.
Ava didn’t want me to tell Nico. She believed he’d already done enough damage to me. Not only had he gotten me pregnant, but he’d also disappeared from my life. Without a trace, without a single parting word. Ava didn’t think anything good could come from me telling him.
She’d almost convinced me. By the time she left my apartment last night, I was resolved to bringing up this child alone. Ava suggested that she might move in with me during the months of my pregnancy to lend a helping hand. She promised that everything was going to be okay. That my baby and I were going to do just fine without Nico.
But that night, I’d laid awake in bed. I couldn’t sleep. Nico needed to know. He needed to take some responsibility. I didn’t know how he would react when he found out, but I would be guilty all my life. I would end up carrying this huge burden on my shoulders forever—the burden of keeping my child away from its father.
The least I could do was tell Nico and leave it to him to decide.
Ava had reluctantly given me the addresses of the possible places I could find him. I took a taxi to the first one on the list and thankfully, that was where he was.
I hadn’t seen him in four weeks. The shock of seeing him again was a jolt to my system. Those familiar feelings of wanting him had returned. Why did he have to be without a shirt on!
His reaction was bad. It was very bad. Instead of being friendly and concerned…Nico had tried to push me away. He was about to do away with me before I even had a chance to tell him. But I’d stood my ground. I wasn’t leaving without him knowing. I wasn’t going to live a life of guilt.
Now, he’d driven us to a restaurant on the other side of town. It was like he wanted to get me away as far as possible from the construction site.
We’d taken a table in one corner of the restaurant, and Nico was sitting across from me. I could see the nervous worry on his face. He didn’t know what to say to me.
I decided to break the awkward silence. How long were we supposed to sit quietly together?!
“Nico, I just want you to know that I have no intention of trapping you,” I said.
He looked up at me sharply. Neither of us had ordered anything to eat. Neither of us had much of an appetite. This could very well be the most important conversation of my life. I watched as he clenched his jaws. What was he thinking?
“That’s not what I suggested,” he replied.
“Yes, but I’m aware of what men like you think in situations like these,” I said and he narrowed his eyes at me.
“Men like me?” he asked and I sat back in my chair, crossing my arms over my breasts.
“Yes, men like you who disappear after the sex is over,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. There was no point losing my temper now. Nico was his own person, and we were never in a relationship. He didn’t owe me anything.
A waiter appeared asking for our order, just when I was about to add something to that. I ordered a Caesar Salad without looking at the menu and Nico ordered an espresso. Finally, the waiter disappeared and Nico fixed his stormy gray eyes on me again.
“You think I’ve stopped wanting you now?” he asked and my heart began racing in my chest.
“What else am I supposed to think? You just disappeared without a word. You said it yourself, you had your fill…you were done with me!” I snapped.
Nico breathed in deeply. I saw the way his shoulders squared. His wide, strong shoulders. Even though I desperately wanted to hate him right then, I couldn’t. He was too handsome for that.
“I had my reasons for disappearing, Kennedy, and they had nothing to do with how much I want you,” he replied.
“A sick granddad again?” I asked, arching my brows.
Nico ran a hand frustratedly through his hair.
“Kennedy, we need to talk about the pregnancy first. All the rest can wait,” he said.
I gulped and nodded my head.
“You didn’t even want to talk to me, or see my face half an hour ago!”
“I didn’t know you were carrying my child!” he thundered and it silenced me.
I looked away from him, and I could sense his eyes on me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you, Kennedy. Neither did I mean to push you away when you came to see me. I didn’t know,” I heard him say.
When I looked at him again, his eyes had softened. He genuinely looked sorry…but I didn’t know whether to believe him. I didn’t want my emotions to take a hold of me.
“So, now you know…what do you have to say to me?” I asked.
Nico reached for my hand over the table. I wanted to pull my hand away. That would have been the wise thing to do, but I didn’t have the strength. I was under Nico Rossi’s spell again.
He was peering into my eyes. He had complete control over me and he knew it.
“Kennedy, I want you to know and I hope you believe how sorry I am. For my behavior these past four weeks and also for my behavior today. The last thing I wanted was to hurt you. I hope you can see that,” he continued.
I was staring at him with quivering lips. I wanted to be strong and hold my dignity, but the truth was that I was melting. He had me wrapped around his thumb.
I tugged my hand away from him, after much effort.
“And I hope you believe me when I say that I wasn’t trying to trap you, Nico. I would never do that to someone. I’m here today only because I wanted you to know. I wanted to give you a chance to be a part of this baby’s life,” I replied. I knew my voice was a whimper. I was trying to not break into a fit of tears and embarrass myself.
Nico nodded his head.
“Yes, I know that…I didn’t think that for a second. I know you’re not that kind of a woman. I need you to stop blaming yourself for this, Kennedy. We are both involved in this.”
I stared at Nico. This wasn’t what I was expecting him to say. I thought he would want to wash his hands off me.
He leaned over the table instead, keeping his gaze fixed on me.
“Thank you for telling me, Kennedy. For giving me the choice to be a part of this baby’s life. I know I reacted badly to the news…but the truth is that I’m happy,” he said.
He was actually smiling now! That handsome smile on his face made my heart quake. I was going to smile too!
“You’re happy?” I asked.
“Of course, I am! I didn’t know I wanted to be a father, but now I do. I just needed some time to absorb the news. I’m excited, Kennedy…you’ve made me very happy,” he continued.
I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was dreaming. How was it possible that Nico Rossi was actually happy that we were going to have a baby together?
He stood up and walked over to my side, crouching down beside me. This time I let him take my hand, while he peered into my eyes.
“Thank you, Kennedy,” he whispered.
I thought Nico was going to kiss me. He was sitting right there, our faces were so close to each other’s. I was drowning in his eyes again. But the waiter interrupted us. He’d brought our food and was laying it on the table. Nico stood up and went back to his chair.
Everything felt like a dream to me now. This couldn’t really be happening, could it? Nico actually smiled? He thanked me for making him happy?
He must have seen the shocked expression on my face. After the waiter left, Nico smiled at me again.
“I can see this is all very hard for you,” he commented. I pushed the salad around with my fork, but I didn’t really want to eat. I shook my head.
“I think I’m still in shock. A pregnancy was not in my plans,” I told him. I forced myself to eat a little. I didn’t want to get sick again, while Nico sipped on his espresso.
“Yeah, I think I’m still in shock too. I didn’t think we were ever going to see each other again,” he said.
His voice was dreamy and drowsy. Suddenly, I felt like everything I was worried about had vanished into thin air. Like I didn’t have to sweat over anything. There were still so many unanswered questions between us, but none of those mattered. Not today.
I looked up at Nico and caught him staring. He couldn’t get enough of looking at me, it seemed!
“Nico, can I ask what happened? Why did you suddenly cut off all contact?”
He looked down at his cup of coffee. He didn’t want to meet my eyes as he spoke.
“I told you already, I thought we’d run our course and I didn’t want to keep leading you on anymore. I thought that was what you wanted too,” he replied.
I gulped. It wasn’t the ideal answer, but for now, it would have to do.
“And now? What happens to us now?” I asked.
Nico sighed and looked away, out of the windows of the restaurant. I could see him thinking. Turning over plans and ideas in his head.
“And now we work out our next steps from here, together,” he said and looked at me abruptly. “Kennedy, I am not going to let you do this alone. This child is as much mine as it is yours. I’m not going to ignore my responsibilities,” he added.
That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear. I wished that he would tell me had feelings for me too. That he didn’t just want to work things out between us because of the baby. I wished I had something to do with that decision as well.
But I couldn’t ask him that. We hardly even knew each other.
I nodded my head and smiled weakly at him.
“You don’t have to eat that if you don’t want to,” he commented, with a laugh in his voice. I pushed the salad bowl away.
“Yeah, I don’t think I can. I might just go back to my place and rest instead,” I said.
“Okay, I’ll drive you there,” Nico offered.
It was the kind of offer I couldn’t refuse.
***
Nico parked his car outside my apartment building. Neither of us made a move. I wasn’t in a hurry to get down. We were sitting in silence, we didn’t know what to say to each other. The whole afternoon had been a shock to both of us.
“So…I’ll hear from you soon?” I asked. We’d been silent for too long.
Nico turned to me. His gray eyes were soft and kind now, I was resisting the urge to throw my arms around him. To bury my face in his chest. He had no idea how happy he had made me today.
“Of course, you will. I’m sorry, Kennedy, for giving you so many reasons not to trust me. But I’m going to be there for you now, be there for our baby,” Nico said.
I couldn’t believe the words that were coming from his mouth. I was still in shock that a man like Nico Rossi could be so gentle and kind too. He was like a completely different man ever since he found out that I was pregnant with his child.
I smiled and nodded.
“Okay, I’ll see you later,” I said and I was about to step out of the car, but Nico had grabbed me by the back of my neck. He pulled me to himself and kissed me roughly.
I gasped as his tongue slid into my mouth. I breathed him in, feeling my body beginning to float. I’d been craving for him, craving for that mouth and now I finally had him.
I bunched up his shirt in my hands while he kissed me wildly. It was three-weeks’ worth of pent-up desire. Now I knew that he’d been thinking about me just as much as I was.
He kissed me like this was our first kiss, like we were just discovering each other. He held me tightly by my neck, keeping me in place so he could do what he wanted.
Panting and gasping for breath, I peeled myself away from him. Nico’s eyes were dark and heavy again. I could feel my lips throbbing and swelling up from the force of his kisses.
Nico was staring at me hungrily, like a hunter would stare at its prey.
“Do you want to come upstairs?” I asked him.
It felt like my heart stopped, while I waited for him to answer.
Then I saw him opening the car door. Nico was stepping out. He was going to come up with me.
***
The door of my apartment banged open. Nico and I had fallen right through it. We were kissing all the way up the stairs. Then he lifted me up and I was in his arms while he tried to get the lock open.
Now we were on the floor. I was on top of him, kissing his neck, while he tried to pull down my dress.
“Kennedy!” he stopped me suddenly. I looked up at him, startled. “Are you okay? Is…” his eyes drifted to my belly. I smiled and nodded.
“Yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry,” I told him.
He caught my chin and pulled my face up to him. We were kissing again. This time more ravenously.
“You have no idea how crazy you’ve made me,” he growled, as he lifted me off the floor. I was unbuttoning his shirt, just so I could get to his chiseled and smooth torso again.
I breathed in his masculine scent. The smell of a hard day’s labor. Nico was all-man. He was strong and muscular and I felt as light as a feather as he carried me to my bedroom.
He nibbled at my earlobes, while my hands traveled up and down his torso. He’d managed to pull my dress down, so that my breasts popped out.
We fell into bed together, our bodies bouncing on the mattress. In one swift motion, he’d caught my breasts in his hands and he was squeezing them. I gasped and sighed at his touch. My nipples pebbled under my bra. I could feel them…sensitive and aching.
He unhooked my bra expertly, exposing my breasts and he caught one nipple in his fingers and squeezed.
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of ruining another dress,” Nico smiled as he gently tugged it down. I threw my head back and laughed. I was at peace. I was happy…he could tear all the dresses in my wardrobe if he wanted to. I didn’t care a dime about any of them!
All that mattered was Nico being here, in my bed.
He threw my dress to the floor and I fumbled with his belt. He helped me take it off and then I unzipped his jeans too. Nico’s hands were on my panties, pulling them down hungrily till I was completely naked.
He stopped abruptly and breathed in. His eyes roamed over me. I was blushing and exposed. He was free to do what he wanted with me. I didn’t want him to be gentle. I’d been desperate for him for three weeks!
“I just want to look at you all day, Kennedy. You’re so beautiful,” I heard him say. He reached for my legs, running his hands over the smoothness of my thighs and my calves. He parted my legs gently, flicking my wet pussy folds with his fingers.
I writhed on the bed, bunching up the sheets with my hands. While he touched me, he also started pulling down his jeans.
There it was again, his big throbbing cock! I was in a daze, my eyelids were heavy with desire as I stared at the treasure between his legs.
Nico slipped a finger in my folds. I hadn’t seen it coming and I gasped.
“Sorry, did I hurt you?” he asked. I bit down on my lip and smiled at him. He was suddenly so worried about hurting me! Knowing he was going to be a dad had changed everything. Nico was now a gentle thoughtful man.
“No, you’re not hurting me,” I reassured him.
He rolled over above me, making sure that his body wasn’t pressing me down. Our gazes locked as he hovered above me. Gently, he leaned forward to kiss the tip of my nose and then my lips…then my chin.
“I mean it, Kennedy, you are beautiful. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you,” he said.
He was kissing my neck, my breasts…slowly rolling my nipples in his mouth…and then moved his tongue down my belly and to the top of my pussy. I was soaring. None of this seemed real, but it made me feel the most alive I’d felt in a very long time. I could have cried with joy.
Nico thought I was beautiful! He said he couldn’t get enough of me! Those were words I didn’t think I’d hear from him. Not after he disappeared a second time.
He was kissing my clit, gently beginning to stroke my mound with his tongue and lips. I reached for his head, weaving my fingers in his hair. His mouth on my pussy was like Heaven on Earth. Nothing had ever felt like this before.
His finger continued to slide in and out of my pussy, while his tongue worked on my clit. He rubbed and sucked and stroked. I could hear the lapping sound his mouth made while he worked away between my thighs.
Nico really knew how to set my body on fire. The embers were uncontrollable. It was like my whole being was aflame!
I was quickly falling over the edge. I rolled my hips, sighing and moaning and trying my best to keep the orgasm at bay. I wanted this feeling to last forever.
But Nico was making it impossible to hold back. His finger in my pussy, his tongue lapping up the juices and teasing my clit…I was going to come.
I screamed his name, panting and writhing as I came in a rush. Nico remained stuck between my legs, using all his energy to concentrate on the most explosive orgasm of my life. I could feel my sticky juices flooding down my legs, smearing his mouth but he didn’t stop. He kept going…kept going till I was done.
Spent and in a daze, my body fell back on the bed. That was when Nico finally pulled his finger out of me. He looked up at my face. I could see my cum glistening on his lips. He was smiling at me now.
“I’ve been dreaming about that for a long time, Kennedy,” he stated. His voice was a deep sexy growl. It was like a warning. He wanted me to know the kind of control he had over me. I didn’t care.
I kept my legs parted and waiting for him. Using whatever energy I had remaining, I thrust my hips up towards him. I wanted him to know I wanted more. Nico smiled, roughly grabbing my hips again.
He pulled me down to the edge of the bed so that my legs dangled over it now. He slid down, wedging himself between my thighs, right where his face was before.
He stroked my swollen clit with his thumb again, testing me for wetness. While with his other hand, he stroked his cock. I was staring at him, admiring the sexy look of determination on his face.
With one quick thrust, Nico buried himself in me.
I breathed in deeply…it was a heavy satisfied breath. For three weeks, I’d fantasized about this moment. I didn’t think I would ever see him again, let alone have him inside me.
Nico thrust deep and hard and before he started moving, he caught me by my hips tightly. I closed my eyes in satisfaction.
“I want you to look at me, Kennedy,” I heard him say.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the darkened heavy look on his face. This time, the sex was different. Nico wasn’t just fucking me, he was making love to me. I was making love to him too…because I knew I had never felt this way before. Not with any other man.
He moved his hips strongly. They were quick powerful thrusts. I could feel his cock moving deep inside me. He traced his thumb down my belly to my clit, reawakening it.
I was going to come again! So quickly after my first one!
We moved together, keeping our eyes trained on each other. Nico looked determined as he drove himself in and out of me. His fingers on my clit was all I needed.
When I saw him clench his jaws and heard him grunt, I knew he was coming. I released at the same time.
This orgasm was a slow delightful trickle, taking over my body like a delicious experience. Almost like a dream.
Nico was moving inside me, he was emptying his seed in me again. I could feel the explosion of his cum and I exploded too. He grunted my name with every slow thrust he made as he came. I watched him, the way his gray eyes remained focused on my body.
We were coming together…just the way it was supposed to be.
Towards the end of our orgasms, I smiled at him. Nico grinned too…and I could see his eyes shining. This moment meant something to him. We were having a baby together, and now we were one.