ETHAN (Hot Small Town Alphas Book 1) Page 4

  Another shout of my name sends me into action. I jump back to my knees, haul those legs over my shoulders and plunge my cock inside her, thrusting like a mad man.

  My balls rise, my ass tightening. God, it’s right there. Eyes roll into the back of my head when the orgasm slams into me. I push as far into Ryley as I can go, filling her womb with my seed.

  Once I’m finished, I don’t retreat from her. Again, here goes everything. “Move in with me, Ryley. Marry me.”

  Ryley’s wide eyes meet mine. “What?”

  I repeat myself.

  Tears well in her eyes.

  Oh no, I didn’t mean to make her cry. Maybe she wasn’t ready. I pull free of her, sit back on my knees and wait.

  Ryley sits up, the emotion on her face undecipherable.

  I prepare myself for another round of heart-shattering when she says, “Yes.”

  Well, I’ll be damned. “Yeah?” I say, aware of the dumb smile I know I have to be wearing.

  Ryley nods her head. “Yeah.”

  I take her mouth in a kiss, leading her down to the bed where she settles into the curve of my body. I prepared myself to stay alone, knowing I let the one thing I wanted go without so much as an explanation to why I stayed quiet for all those years.

  “When do you want to get married?” Ryley asks.

  “Let’s not wait. We can elope.”

  The smile I get in response tells me all I need to know.

  How two people could live in a town as small as Buchanan, exchange obvious interest only to have it shattered in a single moment, then recover after ten years separation is beyond my understanding.

  Epilogue

  Ryley

  Three Months Later

  I sit at the breakfast table sipping my water, waiting for Ethan to finish his work out in the barn. Another bout of morning sickness puts my head in a horrid mood but the bump now covered with a pink shirt saying “Bun In the Oven,” is worth it.

  My parents didn’t understand when we came home telling them we eloped, though it didn’t stop my mom’s outburst of “I told you so, Thomas,” while she playfully punched my dad in the shoulder.

  According to rumor – thanks, mom – a few friends I made are setting up a baby shower courtesy of my friend Lilah’s flower shop. Ethan promises to hurry with taking care of the animals – since we added chickens and goats to our growing family – and take me to my parents’ place to enjoy the party.

  A subtle butterfly feeling in my stomach makes me giggle. My heart flutters in much the same way as the butterfly wings in my lower belly.

  I admit to being nervous about being a mother, still overwhelmed that somehow Ethan Ryder and I wound up together after ten years apart.

  Ethan comes back in covered in sweat. The scruff on his face makes him more attractive – yeah, if that’s even possible – combined with the thick head of hair he runs his large hand through.

  God, I love those hands. I think with a smile.

  “Give me a few minutes and we can head over,” He says in a rush of air.

  I stand, wince a bit at the sudden bout of nausea, stunned when Ethan somehow manages to fly across the room to be at my side.

  “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” The questions come daily now.

  A gentle roll of the eyes and patting of his broad shoulder comes as a reply. “I’m fine, babe. Go get ready before my mom starts blowing up the phone again.”

  It’s happened more than once.

  Anytime Ethan and I are late, my mom goes into panicked grandmother mode, calling off the wall to see if anything has happened to me or the baby.

  Ethan nods, and in few strides crosses back to the stairs, romping up two at a time like he is the luckiest guy in the world. We both are.

  Ethan comes around to my side of the truck to help boost me into the seat since it really is hard for me to get a foot on the step-side and pull myself up using the emergency handle. Why he won’t let us just walk across the street is beyond me.

  “Maybe it’s time we look into getting a car,” He says.

  “You think?” I reply, playfully slapping his arm.

  He looks wonderful in the dark red and green checkered plaid shirt, blue jeans and work boots he’s wearing.

  I take a strong whiff of his cologne before he closes the door. Smells wonderful too.

  He gets in his side and we start down the steep hill towards my parents’ house.

  Epilogue 2

  Ethan

  I stand in the living room watching the group of giggling women surrounding Ryley, my own grin beaming in pride at finally having her as my wife. When she told me she was pregnant, I couldn’t stop the joy flooding my heart.

  My friend Casey wraps an arm around me. He works at the local dairy as a milk delivery man and has been the largest pain in my ass when it came to settling down.

  “Well, look who finally decided to follow his best friend’s advice,” He says.

  “Shut up, jackass. Now it’s my turn to get you set up with someone so I can stop hearing about how horrible life is when Jennifer dumped you for that city guy.”

  I can’t wait for the opportunity to tease him the next time we have guy’s night at the bar. Casey and I have known one another since we were kids.

  The teasing about Ryley started then and carried on when I started drinking following the day she left. Hell, he was probably – still is, actually – my rock in times when I feel at my lowest.

  “Don’t think I don’t see you checking Lilah out.” It’s true. He’s been looking at the florist for some time.

  It’s no secret however that Lilah Chastain is one of the hardest women in Buchanan to get the attention of.

  “Yeah, well. Can’t blame me. She’s hot as hell.”

  I’d argue with him out of sheer territoriality until Ryley screams at the first present she’s opened, holding it up to reveal the cutest pink onesie I’ve ever seen.

  My old man always said every man wants at least one boy to carry on the family name. Boy was he wrong.

  When I heard Ryley and I were having a girl, I couldn’t wait to play the protective dad role or see how much like her mother she turned out to be.

  Another round of giggling and squeals follows, combined with Ryley’s mom wandering around the room getting pictures.

  By the end of the night, we all settled into the couch to enjoy dinner. Everyone else except Ryley, me, and Ryley’s mom and dad had left around 9pm.

  “I better get my girls home,” I say as Ryley begins to pass out against my arm.

  Thomas rises from his chair. “Ethan, a word.”

  I swallow a nervous lump wondering if he plans to scold me for eloping with his daughter.

  We go out to the porch where he proceeds to talk.

  “Children change a man. I might not know why the two of you did what you did, but know this.” He turns a steely eye towards me. “You be the best man you ever were with your girls. If you aren’t, you know what I have in my truck rack.”

  I stifle a giggle. My dad was the same way. “No worries, sir. I’ll be twice the man I ever was for my girl.”

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