Cameron holds up his hands. “I had no idea she was married. Honest-to-God truth.”
“You should consider yourself lucky I haven’t come across this bar and choked the fuck out of you for talking about my wife like that.”
“My apologies. I didn’t know.”
“Well, you know now.”
Aye, a bigger man might have walked out of here without saying a word to Cameron Stewart, but I couldn’t do it. I need him to know that Cait belongs to me. I need him to know that he can never have her again.
And now he does know.
“Glad to see you didn’t jump over the bar and beat our bartender senseless.”
I considered it. “Trust me. I wanted to.”
“I could see that.”
“You’d have done it too if it were you in my situation.”
“Maybe.”
“There’s no maybe about it. When you love a woman the way I love Cait, there is no limit to what you’ll do for her.”
“Do you want to get out of here and go to another pub?”
“I’ve said what I needed to say and I’m good. It’s over now. We can go somewhere else.”
“Drinks are still on you, motherfucker.”
“Fine.”
69
Caitriona Hutcheson
I enter our bedroom and Hutch is sound asleep. I can’t believe he beat me home. I figured my girls’ night out with Rachel would end long before his boys’ night out with Brady.
Damn, he smells like whisky. I can smell it all the way across the room.
But I’m not mad. Hutch and Brady have been best mates for many years. I’m sure neither of them will admit it, but both of them must be sad they’ll no longer see each other on a daily basis.
They won’t be colleagues anymore. They won’t live in the same town.
Hell, that makes me a little sad. And their final hoorah was well-deserved.
Hutch is Scottish. He holds his whisky well. And I usually enjoy our nights together after he’s had a few drinks, but I’m not sure about tonight. He looks like he could be smashed.
“Hutch?” I shake his arm. “Hutch?”
He opens his eyes wide enough to form narrow slits and smiles when he sees me. “Did you take the test yet?”
“No. I just got home from my girls’ night out with Rachel. I’m taking it in the morning, remember?”
“Right.”
He holds out his arm, lifting the covers. “Get into bed with me.”
I climb into bed still wearing my clothes and nestle against my drunk husband.
“I love you, Lou.”
“I love you too.”
He pulls me close and kisses my forehead. “I met Cameron Stewart tonight.”
I rise and prop on my elbows. “Whaaat?”
“He told me he wanted to shag you again, and I told him I would kill him if he ever touched you.”
“Where the hell did you see Cameron? And how did that conversation even get started?”
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow. It’s late and I’ve had a lot to drink. Let’s go to sleep.”
It’s only a minute or so before Hutch is drunk-snoring. Perfect. I get to listen to that all night.
I’m burning up so I get out of bed and take my clothes off. I’m completely naked when I crawl into bed next to my sleeping husband. He’s naked too. For some reason, he strips down completely when he’s had a lot to drink.
He rolls toward me, draping his bulky arm and heavy leg across my body. Not comfortable.
I lie beneath him wide awake as he continues to snore directly into my ear.
I’m not drunk but I wish I were because the alternative is that I’m horny. I want sex, but I’m guessing that’ll probably be impossible since my husband is tanked.
I stare at the ceiling for a while and close my eyes. Just go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep.
Hutch stirs and his hand moves to cup my breast. It doesn’t help matters at all.
I should probably feel ashamed for what I’m about to do, but I don’t. Not even a little. Because what man would be angry about being awakened for sex?
“Hutch.” He doesn’t stir, so I shake his arm. “Hutch.”
“Hmm.” It’s a groan, but not the sexy kind.
“I want you.”
“What, mo maise?” His words are slightly slurred.
I wrap my hand around his cock, and damn, he’s limp as a wet noodle. “Wake up.”
While squeezing, I pump my hand up and down, and I can feel the blood beginning to fill his cock. “I want you to fuck me.”
He jolts and his cock gets bigger and harder in my hand. “I’m up. I’m awake.”
He attempts to sit up and then falls back against the bed. “I’m fucked up. You’re going to have to get on top.”
I move over and straddle him. He grips my hips and groans when I sink down his cock. “You feel so fucking good, mo maise.”
He isn’t wrong. It feels really good, but I already know I’m not going to come like this. I need more than penetration to get off, and Hutch is too incapacitated to do what it takes to get me there.
I’ll have to do it for myself.
And I do.
Hutch barely comes before he passes out but it’s okay. I got what I needed.
Even a hungover Hutch still wakes before me. Amazing. I don’t know how he does it.
I’m lying on my stomach and the bedsheet is draped over my bottom. His warm breath hits my skin, and then the slight scrape of his facial scruff moves along my lower back, followed by the kiss of his mouth. “It’s morning, sleepyhead.”
I lift my pillow and bury my head beneath it. “How are you so cheery this morning after a whisky drunk like last night?”
“I’m actually not cheery at all. I feel like shite, but I’m up because I’m dying for you to take the test.” He crawls up my back and lies on top of me with his mouth at my ear. “Get your sweet bum into the loo and pee on that stick.”
“Do you want to look at the results together?”
“Well, hell yes. You’re not finding out before I do.”
“Just making sure.”
I scoot toward the edge of the bed and he catches my hand. “You know it’s fine if it’s not positive, right? That just means we’ll get to keep trying, which isn’t a bad alternative at all.”
I nod. “I know.”
I go into the bathroom and my bladder feels like it’ll explode before I’m able to open the box and do the deed.
Your hopes were so high last month when you did this test, and then it was negative. You were so disappointed. Let’s not get too excited like you did last time, Cait. Everyone doesn’t get pregnant on the first try. Or second. Sometimes it takes a little while. You know this. But also don’t be afraid. You’ve made a baby with Hutch before. You can do it again. It’ll happen.
I come out of the bathroom and sit beside him on the bed. He puts his arm around me and pulls me close, saying nothing. And that’s okay. We don’t have to say anything.
My phone chimes when the time is up, and I turn off the annoying sound.
“I love you no matter what.”
“I know. Love you too.”
Missionary? Unsuccessful.
The plow? Unsuccessful.
Reverse cowgirl? Definitely fun but successful? We’re about to find out.
I inhale deeply as we walk into the bathroom and release the breath slowly as we stand over the test. It’s amazing how the presence or absence of two lines inside the windows on this plastic stick has the power to dictate our happiness.
One bright pink line. And then a lighter-colored one next to it.
Two lines.
“This isn’t what it looked like last month.”
The directions said that a second line, even if light in color, was a positive as long as it was there. This is exactly what it looked like when I was pregnant the first time. “It looked different last month because it was negative.”
�
��This is a positive result? You’re pregnant?”
“Yes. I’m pregnant.”
We reach for each other at the same time, squeezing tightly, and Hutch peppers kisses against the side of my face. “We did it, mo maise.”
“Yes, we did.” But I’m still mindful of what happened last time. “Let’s not tell anyone yet.”
“No one? Not even my parents?”
“I’d rather not until I reach twelve weeks. The chance of miscarriage becomes much lower after that point.”
“That’s a long time to wait when you’re as excited as I am.”
“Think of it this way. It can be a secret only the two of us get to share. That makes it special.”
Hutch picks me up and carries me to the bed, depositing me on top like a fragile treasure. He lies beside me, his hand over my lower stomach. “How long will it be until you look pregnant?”
“I’m not really sure.”
I’ve not been around a lot of pregnant women. Shannon was already pretty far along by the time I met her, and I avoided Heidi as much as possible.
I really know nothing about being pregnant. But I guess most women don’t until it happens to them.
Hutch moves closer and presses the side of his face to my stomach. “Our wee bairn is inside you. Right there. That’s amazing to me.”
I push my fingers into his hair, stroking them over the scattered silver strands at his temples. “The whole thing is truly amazing when you think about it. This is our love story, our fairy tale, our destiny. This was fated from the moment your eyes met mine.”
“We do have one hell of a love story, don’t we?”
“Yes. A love story with a beautiful ever after.”
Epilogue
Caitriona Hutcheson
Go Hutch, go Hutch, go Hutch.
Don’t let that bastard hook your stick again. And if he does, yank him off his fucking horse.
Hooking your opponent’s stick is perfectly acceptable in polo. I’ve seen it done a million times, but I’ve never seen an opponent try to unseat Hutch from his horse the way this asshat is attempting to do so.
Hutch lifts his stick and strikes the ball, scoring another goal for his polo team, moving them into the winning position in the last minute of the final chukka.
Our two-year-old son is sitting on my lap and I grasp his hands, clapping them together, “Yay, James. Did you see Da? He scored another goal for the team. They’re winning. Yaaay!”
Bonnie, our eight-year-old daughter, and Aleck, our five-year-old son, shoot out of their seats and celebrate their dad’s goal. “Yaaay for Da.”
Paden, our ten-year-old, is somewhere running around with his friends, so I’m sure he missed this goal and the other ones too. That one is a busy little boy.
I look over to see if Ava Rose is cheering for her dad and find that she’s gone from her usual spot where she and her friends sit. Where did she go? She was just there.
“Do you see where Ava Rose has gone?”
“I do,” Clarissa says. I wait for her to tell me where she is, but she doesn’t.
“Where?”
“I’m not sure you want to know.”
I look over the rim of my sunglasses at Clarissa. “What are you talking about?”
“She and a young man are taking a walk together.” Clarissa hesitates. “And holding hands while doing so.”
Oh God.
Hutch will die.
And I may throw up and then die.
No, no, no. Not my baby. She’s only twelve. She’s too young for that.
“I hope Hutch doesn’t see her with the boy, or he’ll have a heart attack and fall off his horse.” And then get trampled by that fool trying to unseat him.
“This is the natural order of things, Lou. You have to let go a wee bit.”
It’s only been a few weeks since Sara came home and caught Leo having sex with a girl in his bedroom. So, no, thank you. I’m not letting go.
“I can’t tell Hutch.” He will shit his white polo pants. And that will not be a good look on him.
“Ava Rose is growing up whether you tell him or not.”
Uhh, shit. We have to go through this with four more kids? No, scratch that. Five more kids.
The game ends and Hutch’s team wins. I’m thrilled about that. He’s always in a good mood after a win.
I watch Hutch approaching and a thought occurs. My husband is forty-five years old and not a single one of these twenty-something-year-olds out here can fill out those pants like he does. Not a one of them is as sexy as he is.
To whomever decided polo players should wear fitted white pants… well played, madam. Well played. That in itself is a good enough reason to come watch men sit atop horses and hit a ball with a stick.
“Congratulations, sir. Great game.”
“Thank you, mo maise.” He leans forward and kisses my mouth. “There was a time or two I thought you might get to see me knocked on to my arse.”
So I wasn’t imagining it. “Who was that man trying to unseat you?”
“I believe that was Blair’s most recent husband.”
Really? She found a third fool to marry her? “Well, it looks like she married the right man this time. Because he’s obviously…” I lower my voice. “…as big a bitch as she is.”
Hutch shrugs. “Don’t give a—” He looks at James, Aleck, and Bonnie. “We don’t give a duck, do we?”
“Nope. No ducks given,” Aleck says.
Oh God. One of these days they’re going to figure out what duck really means.
“Are we ready to go, lads and lasses? Your da is tired and hungry.”
Hutch usually eats an enormous meal and crashes after a game. But not tonight.
I lift my brows. “Clarissa and Gus are taking the kids home with them.”
And I’m so grateful. I need this alone time with Hutch.
“Then I need hugs from my Hutcheson clan.” He holds out his arms and is swarmed by ten little arms. “Is this a spend-the-night thing or are they coming home later?”
“Let them stay the night with us,” Gus says.
Knowing the kids are out of the house and not within earshot would be so helpful. I’m not sure how Hutch is going to take this news.
He squats so he’s on their level. Well, most of their levels. Ava Rose is already taller than I am. “Listen up, wee Hutcheson clan. You have to be good for Gussie and Nana.”
Our five children sing, “Weee… willll.”
“I love all of you and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Five I-love-yous. It’s so precious to hear coming from their sweet mouths.
And it’ll soon be six.
Oh God. I may throw up.
The kids are taken care of. Now to move on to the scary, beautiful thing I must tell my husband. He’s going to be a father again at forty-five. Maybe forty-six, depending on my due date.
He’s going to… I don’t know what he’s going to do. But I have to make sure he takes off those white pants before I tell him.
maxwell hutcheson
We spend every minute of every day being Mum and Da. And while I love it, I crave our special husband-and-wife alone time.
I get to have my wife to myself all night long without distractions or interruptions by the kids. I’ve been waiting for a moment like this for too long. We should send the kids to my parents’ house more often.
We’re barely through the front door when I pull Lou into my arms and kiss her. It begins slow and romantic but quickly escalates to heated and urgent. For once, the urgency isn’t because we have to hurry and finish before we’re interrupted by one of the kids.
“Tell me what you want, mo maise.”
She touches my bottom lip with her finger. “I want to slow down. We’re always in a rush and I’d like to take our time and enjoy each other.”
I used to tease Lou by taking my time with her. I’d hold back and delay my orgasm for as long as possible. Sex went on and on. But that was before five ki
ds.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve taken things slowly.”
We copulate on jackrabbit speed.
But not tonight.
She splays her hands on my chest and rubs my pecs. “I bought something new to wear for you.”
Lou hasn’t worn lingerie for me in a long time. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen her in something hot and sexy.
I grip the backs of her thighs and hike her up. She wraps her legs around my waist and I walk toward our bedroom. “You haven’t carried me to bed in a long time.”
“I’m going to be doing a lot of things tonight that I haven’t done in a long time.”
I lower her feet to the floor when we’re in the bedroom and grip her bum. Pulling her against me, I move my mouth over her ear. “Go put on the lingerie. And don’t keep me waiting too long. I’m ready to be inside you.”
“Will you light the candles while I change?”
“I will do anything you tell me to.”
She grabs my face and pulls me in for a quick kiss. “I won’t be long.”
The candles give the room the perfect romantic ambience. It’s a good reminder for taking things slowly.
I’m undressing when Lou comes out of the bathroom. She’s wearing a pink lace slip and she looks hot as hell in it. Her tits look fantastic, even after nursing four of our kids. She’s wearing a mischievous grin, and I know why when she turns around and shimmies, showing me the ruffles over her bum. “Like it?”
My cock immediately swells inside of my Y-fronts. “You look so fucking hot, babe. Come here.”
The way she walks toward me is beguiling. Each step she takes seduces my mind and body. I must remind myself of what I’m to do—take my time and enjoy Lou. My wife. My lover. My NOLA girl and partner in life. The mother of my children.
I place one hand at her lower back and cradle her face with my other. She covers my hand with her own and closes her eyes, appearing as though she’s completely savoring the feel of my skin against hers. “Twelve years later and the simple touch of your hand still feels like pure seduction.”
Beautiful Illusions Duet Bundle: Eighty-One Nights and Beautiful Ever After Page 44