AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He grinned because she was loud and vocal during sex, and for someone who had not been with anyone before, she knew what she liked and was a very engaged lover. If he had not been her first, he would have thought she was experienced.
He was starting to feel glad that he was her first and no one else would ever have her after him.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard, “So now you can take that concerned look off your face.”
Carter nodded and put a possessive arm around Zahara’s waist. They started to make their way back to the family. He stopped, and she looked at him questioningly.
“I did not mean what I said back at the house. I should not have said what I did to you about my gift and that you should be grateful for the proposal. I am deeply sorry about that.” She went to open her mouth.
“But I do not regret proposing to you at the chalet. You are—”
She put her finger on his lips. ‘Shush, you are about to ruin a good moment between us. I am not going to say yes to your proposal.’ She pressed harder when he opened his mouth to say something.
“How about a compromise for now, okay? We will live together and see how everything goes. Get to know each other better and build our relationship. Then we can revisit your proposal later.”
She released his mouth and looked at him solemnly as he stared down at her grimly, but he had to concede. At least now he would be around her and the baby. If they were living together, he could work on convincing her to marry him, sooner rather than later.
Zahara rolled her eyes as she watched him. “I can hear the wheels of your marriage-proposal agenda swirling around in that brain of yours.”
“Fine, we can move in together and get to know each other like you want, but no sex until then,” he said.
“Wow, savage! So I am to be punished until I agree to marry you?” She glared at him angrily.
He shrugged. “Why should we complicate things with sex as we get to know each other? I am surprised you did not suggest this yourself.”
An angry sound escaped her lips before she began to march off, and he quickened his pace to catch up with her, hooking his arm back around her to bring her tight to his side.
She elbowed him to let her go, but he held on with determination. “So, we have a deal.” He leaned down and kissed her on her nose. He knew that she would not be able to hold out much longer and would cave in and agree to his proposal. Not only did she love him as she claimed, they could also not resist being with each other.
“You would do that to a pregnant woman.” She stared at him with large, wide side eyes, and he had to contain his laughter.
She then scowled. “Don’t you know how horny a pregnant woman can get? This will be torture, but fine, you might think you have the upper hand, but you will be suffering along with me. I will be using every weapon at my disposal to make you pay.” She smirked happily, and it was his turn to scowl now.
Chapter 9
Zahara wasn’t surprised about how fast Carter moved. He had everything all set up before they even touched ground back in New York. She stared around at the new place they would be calling home for a little while as she finished her studies, which would take another year. They would become parents before she received her diploma.
He had found a two-story—a three-bedroom home with a large den for him and her to work in, with a small back yard that had a patio for BBQs and for them to have breakfast outside in the summer.
What she had been surprised by was that instead of renting a home, he had bought this one. He said he needed another place here anyway, as he was about to break ground on building his new hotel here. He had just received the permits to go ahead and had hired a developer, a team of engineers, and interior designers.
Zahara gazed around at the fully furnished home and felt Carter’s presence right behind her. He didn’t touch her but stood close. His presence was already affecting her; she craved his touch. She frowned in frustration because after that day in the forest, he had withdrawn emotionally and physically from her. He had put distance between them, starting when they had gone to spend the latter half of the holidays with her family.
Her parents had been a little cold to Carter at first because they didn’t meet him at the ranch when they flew to Parshall, staying in a hotel instead and calling her to come to them. At the time, she thought it was best to go back with them, as Carter had made it clear he didn’t want anything to do with her after that day between them, and she had left to lick her wounds.
When she found out about the pregnancy, she had told them, but kept his name a secret because she didn’t want them to go to him and tell him she was pregnant until she was able too. She knew her parents would try and force a marriage between them, especially when they found out he was a Brooks.
Her parents had let their walls down and warmed up to him when they found out that he had been there to protect her and had helped to diffuse the situation at the ranch with the gunmen and the deranged trafficker who had been in love with Carter’s half-brother’s wife, Deana.
They had loosened up after hearing the details of the incident and thawed completely when Carter turned on the charm and let them know that he had the means and the wealth to take care of their daughter and his child. He planned on marrying their daughter and them being a family. He was even very attentive to her, but that was it. No kisses or touches to her body, just his caressing and talking to her belly.
She had enjoyed that part. He had been awkward at first, as if he didn’t know what to say to his child, but then it all changed, and he began to express his hopes and dreams for their child. She could see he had already fallen in love with the baby she was carrying.
Zahara had been happy for the distraction of seeing her family again after the hurt and anger they had expressed over her switching schools without notifying them. They had already been pissed that she’d almost gotten herself hurt with the incident at her sister’s ranch and going there without their knowledge. And now, on top of everything else, there was her pregnancy.
They were especially livid when they found out that Carter had proposed and she had turned him down. She told them that she just needed time to adjust to everything and right now wasn’t a good time. Her parents had not been happy, but they knew that when she didn’t want to do something they couldn’t force her. Besides, they had already stopped helping her with rent and school, so there wasn’t anything else to try and hold over her.
Carter asked to have a private conversation with them, and whatever he said seemed to have mollified them for the moment. She asked him about it, but he said that until she was his wife, his private discussions were not for her ears. She had pouted and then shrugged. As long as they weren’t going to gang up on her, he could keep his secrets for now. She just wanted to enjoy the rest of her time with her family and him before having to start school again.
