Josh’s 25th birthday is tomorrow and I’m throwing him a party. Of course, it’s Jays birthday too, and I was going to throw it for the both of them seeing as they’re so close, but Jay told me not to worry, that he has something up his sleeve for himself. I’ve learned not to question him. I made sure it was a surprise because I know he would object to me doing all this work. Since I hit 38 weeks he literally doesn’t let me do anything. The second I try to get my ass off the couch, he’s in front of me practically throwing me back down, doing whatever I need just short of peeing. But god do I wish sometimes he could do that for me too.
I blame the kidnapping. I’ve told him I’m fine, that nothing bad happened to me, but he still blames himself for me being taken. Which is crazy. How were we supposed to know that my insane parents were going to come for me?
When I check the time on my phone, I figure everyone will be arriving in roughly two hours. Plenty of time to finish the salad, ziti, and cornbread.
The whole time I’m cooking, Zander is chasing me around the kitchen trying to do it all for me. I appreciate his help, but he is getting on my last hormonal nerve.
“ZANDER! Why don’t you go start decorating or take my bestie to the office? I’ve heard numerous times how much you love bending her over the desk. You’re driving me crazy!”
Savvy salutes me dragging a reluctant Zander through the kitchen doors. Hopefully, he opts to blow up 50 balloons with the helium tank I rented so I don’t have to worry about running behind. I laugh to myself, that’s so not the case.
When I walk out into the dining area of the bar an hour later, I’m amazed. The whole place has been transformed. It’s covered in turquoise and black, which are Josh’s fighting colors. Balloons and streamers are everywhere, as well as the center pieces Savvy helped me make.
Looking around I see Zander, Kyle and Jayden all bustling around with balloons. It makes me laugh a bit, these strong muscular men running around with bunches of balloons. I walk over and sit next to Savvy. Once my ass hits the seat I sigh, god it feels good to sit after running around all day.
“How’re you holding up? I had to flash Zander a few times to keep him out here.” Savvy winks.
“I’m tired, but it’s worth it. Josh deserves this for all he’s done for me in the past few months.”
My mind wanders to my parents and all the crazy that goes with them. When I hear the door chime, a silhouette of a girl comes into view as she walks through the door.
“We’re not open.” Savvy hollers across the place.
“I’m looking for Ashlyn Cox.”
Reluctantly I get up from my chair and head over towards the door. I freeze when I see who it is.
“Georgette?”
“I’m going by Georgie now. Georgette is too…”
She doesn’t even need to explain the reason. What she went through is horrible and I wouldn’t want any reminders of it either.
I waddle my ass over to her and pull her into a tight hug. This girl, god I’m getting emotional. Recently I was starting to think she wasn’t going to take me up on my offer to come here. Josh has used every resource he could but kept coming up with nothing. Apparently, none of the children born in the cult were documented.
“I’m so glad you came.” I choke out.
“Me too. If you’re offer still stands, I’m currently looking for a job.” She smiles at me hopefully.
“Of course, come in and meet everyone. We’re closed today for a private party, but I’ll introduce you to the gang.”
As she follows me into the chaos, she looks a little sheepish.
“Hey everyone this is Georgie!”
A round of greetings are shouted her way. We may seem like a lot to take in, but she’ll learn to love us.
I pull a chair up to where Savvy and I were sitting and tell her to park it.
“Savvy, I want to introduce you to my sister and our new employee, Georgie. Georgie, this is my BFF and bar co-owner, Savvy.”
“Nice to meet you! What will you be doing? Are you interested in bartending, waitressing or cooking?”
“Um…I haven’t thought about it. Working the bar sounds fun, but I’ve never done it before.” She sounds unsure.
“You know what, why don’t you come in tomorrow and hang with Caesar for a few hours. You’ll see what it’s all about and I bet he’ll teach you a thing or two.”
“You’ll love Caesar, he’s hilarious! I normally wouldn’t ask this, but you’ll understand when I actually ask. Are you okay with gay people?” Savvy chimes in.
“That’s a valid question. In the back of my mind I always knew the cults way of thinking didn’t make sense. Race, religion, sexual orientation…everyone deserves equality.”
A smile lights up my face as I see her fitting in with us already. Georgie and Savvy have already hit it off and are talking like they’ve known each other forever.
I get up from my seat and walk around to examine all the decorations, making sure everything is in the right spot.
“Thanks guys! Everything is perfect! Now I need to go and get dressed. Let’s party!”
***
Josh
I lather up my body as I think about what I did to Ash in this very spot this morning. And now I’m hard. Most of the time I have to convince her I still find her attractive, which I sure as hell do. Ashlyn’s pregnant body is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I understand her reservations, but I don’t mind convincing her I still find her sexy, especially when I show her with my tongue.
“Fuck!” I grip my dick and start to pump.
Normally I would wait until Ash was out of work later, but I have to go out with the boys tonight and I can’t be sporting a raging hard on the whole night. Jay has enough to say when I don’t give him a reason. I’d be the brunt of his jokes all night if I was rocking a boner.
I pump my cock up and down, my mind once again wandering back to this morning. Ash had her hands up against the shower wall as I slowly slid inside her tight heat. I still hear the moan that escaped her mouth when I was fully seated inside her.
She always tells me not to worry, that my dick won’t hurt the baby, but in the back of my mind I imagine poking her eye out. So, slow and steady is the pace I’ve set lately.
My hand grips my shaft even tighter as I remember her telling me to fuck her harder, then slamming her ass backwards driving me wild and causing me to lose all control. I gripped her waist and jerked my hips in and out but the water amplifying the sound of our bodies slapping together.
“Shit…” I groan knowing I’m close.
There’s nothing better than Ashlyn’s orgasm causing her pussy to contract like a vise around my dick. Nothing. Thinking about it does me in as I shoot hot spurts of liquid all over the shower wall. I place my forehead on the cold tile and try to catch my breath.
Even when I’m not with her, I’m thinking about her.
I exit the shower and grab a towel wrapping it around my hips. After a quick shave and putting my clothes on, I grab my keys and head for my Jeep. I don’t know why the guys picked such an upscale steak joint to go to when we enjoy chilling at home with a couple of beers and a game on TV. We’re meeting at the bar beforehand and taking one car so it gives me a chance to check in on Ashlyn. The pregnancy’s at the finish line and I’m constantly worrying about her. Since I got her back into my arms after the abduction, I get a feeling of dread every time I’m not with her. I know this is something I’ll have to work through, but hell I’m only human. My woman was taken from our home and I couldn’t do anything about it.
When I arrive at the bar a short while later I notice all the cars. There must be a big game on tonight causing quite the crowd. Poor Ash, I can just imagine her in the kitchen running back and forth trying to keep up with the food orders.
When I get to the front door I see the “closed for a private event” sign. Weird, she didn’t mention any parties today. I open the door and head inside hoping I’m not interrupting anything.<
br />
“SURPRISE!”
“Fucking hell!” I yell not expecting all the fanfare.
Jay runs up and throws me into a head lock. I easily push him off and see him smiling at me. “Happy Birthday Bro!”
“Thanks man. You too.” I pull him into a hug.
“Nah, this isn’t for me. We’ll party it up tomorrow on the real day.” He claps my back and moves away.
As I walk into the party, there is only one face I want to see before I start greeting people. I see Ashlyn standing in front of the bar with a giant smile on her face and happiness in those big beautiful blue eyes. It feels like the wind gets knocked out of me seeing her standing there with her swollen belly, carrying our daughter. My feet start moving before I realize it.
When I reach Ashlyn, I grab her and crash my mouth to hers in front of everyone. I get down to business and dive my tongue in, groaning at her taste. She threads her fingers through my hair trying to pull me closer.
“I always knew you were a freak Ash!” I hear Jay yell out.
We pull back and smile at each other. “Thank you for this Hellcat.”
“You deserve it.” She whispers.
The next hour I walk around thanking everyone for coming and catch up with some old friends who flew in from Texas. Ashlyn went all out for this party and I just hope she didn’t overdo it. She could go into labor at any moment at this point.
The spread is all my favorites and I dive right in. When I hit the end of the table, I see something that almost makes me weep.
“Ambrosia!”
I take two heaping scoops and don’t even care the dessert is smeared all over my meatballs. I haven’t had it since I was in Texas. Ash must have decided to make it after I mentioned last week that I was craving some.
When two arms wrap around my waist from behind, I feel Ashlyn’s warmth up against my back.
“Love you.”
“Love you too Josh. We’re both so lucky to have you.”
I feel myself starting to get emotional. I stand there for an extra second and push back my emotions. When they’re under control, I grab Ashlyn’s hand bringing her through the buffet so she can pile some food on her plate too. We head over towards the table that is currently occupied by my brothers, mom, gram, Jack and Savvy. For the first time, I notice some girl off in the corner of the table sitting quietly.
“Ash who is that? Did Jay bring a date?” That would certainly be a first.
“I forgot to introduce you! Hey Georgie! This is my Josh, Josh this is Georgie.”
When her eyes meet mine, I give her a look that I hope conveys how much I appreciate her helping Ash. I’m glad she took the invitation to come here and start her life over. I’ll have to thank her later for helping out Ashlyn when she was kidnapped.
Halfway through our meal Ash excuses herself to the bathroom. Not uncommon seeing as the baby uses her bladder as a punching bag constantly. She’s going to be a fighter like her daddy.
“Any new potential fights coming up?” My brother Kyle asks me.
“I’m going against Dillon in eight months. We figure the baby will be big enough to travel by then.”
“No shit! He’s a tough dude but has a glass jaw. You should handle him no problem.”
“How’s school and your training going?” Kyle’s currently enrolled at the local college and still chasing his dreams of getting onto the roster like Zander and I.
“School isn’t really for me, the first opportunity that arises I’m out of there. I just need someone in the league to notice me and get a few fights under my belt.”
I nod my head knowing how he feels. He’ll work his way up. Sometimes I think he shows more promise than me or Zander.
After noticing Ash has been gone for a while I look around. Savvy must see the concern on my face. She excuses herself after patting my shoulder.
A few minutes later Ash and Savvy emerge from the bathroom, but I know right away that something is wrong. Ash hunches over and when Savvy makes eye contact with me she shouts out.
“IT’S GO TIME!”
Oh shit!
***
Ashlyn
I’m a couple bites into my food when a pain shoots across my stomach. I excuse myself to the bathroom unsure if I just need to take a dump. Everyone’s had those pains before, don’t be a prude.
I empty my bladder then head to the sink to wash my hands. A sharp pain hits me in my stomach again even stronger than the last causing me to grip the vanity, fuck that hurt. As I stay in the bathroom, I decide to start timing what I know now are contractions. I want to be sure I’m in labor before running out and saying anything. After the third contraction at about six minutes apart, I hear the bathroom door open.
“Ash what’s the matter?” Savvy rushes over to me.
“Okay don’t panic, but I’m in labor.”
“Why are you hanging out in the bathroom? We should be going to the hospital!” She states the obvious.
“I can’t go to the hospital until my contractions are five minutes apart or my water brea-”
And right on cue, liquid gushes down my legs onto the floor. This is all way different than I ever thought in my head. It feels like I peed my pants, so gross.
“Well, I say it’s time to head to the hospital now.” She looks panicked.
Savvy grabs my elbow trying to usher me towards the door. There is no way I’m going out there into a room full of people looking like this.
“Savvy, no way in hell am I going out there looking like I pissed my pants! Jayden will call me wet ass Ashlyn forever!”
“You are talking crazy! Your water broke, you didn’t pee your pants!”
“I see your point. I still don’t like it, but let’s go!”
She helps me out to the dining area as I hunch over with another contraction.
“They don’t really prepare you for this!”
“Breathe Ash, breathe.”
Then I hear Savvy yell, “IT’S GO TIME!”
There’s lots of commotion and when I can finally stand upright again, I see a concerned Josh beelining for me. When he reaches me, he scoops me up in his arms and rushes for the exit. Once he gets me in the Jeep, he carefully buckles me in and runs around jumping into the driver’s side. He still hasn’t said one word to me.
“I’m fine, thanks for asking.”
“Sorry Ash, I just got so focused on getting you to the hospital. How are you, what’s going on?”
“A bad pain hit my stomach when I was eating so I went to the bathroom, turns out it was a contraction. I’ve been having them constantly about 5-6 minutes apart and my water broke in the bathroom. Do you have a towel? I’m making a mess of the seat.”
“That’s what your worried about?”
“Well, yeah. That and the fact that it looks like I peed my pants.”
Chuckling, Josh reaches over and grabs my hand bringing it to his lips. When we stop at a red light he looks over at me.
“We’re doing this! Our daughter is only a couple of hours away.” A huge smile lights up his face.
“I can’t wait! You guys might be birthday buddies!”
“I can’t think of a better birthday present Hellcat.”
From here, everything moves at warp speed. We get to the hospital and I get a room in labor and delivery within minutes. I called on the way so they were expecting me. The contractions are so close together by the time I get the epidural. Thank god for drugs, the pain is excruciating.
The nurse checks to see my progress and exclaims I am ten centimeters and we can begin pushing. Emotions take over at the thought that my daughter is almost here, I’ll get to hold her and love on her momentarily.
“What’s the matter?” Josh asks brushing my sweaty hair off of my forehead.
“She’s coming, it’s happening.” I whisper.
He bends down and kisses my forehead. That’s the last second of peace I get before I hear the cries of our beautiful daughter an hour later.
; When they plop my sweet angel on my chest, I sob. Way beyond exhaustion, my adrenaline kicks in keeping me awake.
“Hello sweet baby girl, I’m your mommy.” I place a delicate kiss to her forehead.
I look up to see Josh with tears streaking down his face.
“She’s perfect.” I choke out.
He leans over to hug the both of us and buries his head in my neck.
“You’re both everything to me. Thank you, I love you so much.” He whispers.
When we separate a moment later, I tell him he should go give everyone in the waiting room an update.
“They can wait, I’m not leaving my girls.”
I smile up at him liking the way that sounds, his girls. When I assure him we’ll be fine for two minutes, he exits to give everyone the good news. I swear he is back 30 seconds later, he must have yelled the baby was here then sprinted back. The thought makes me laugh.
After the baby has been checked over and we’re in our own room, I tell Josh to go grab Zander and Savvy. He gives the baby and me a kiss before he leaves the room.
“Welcome to the world baby girl. You are never going to wonder what love feels like because you are already surrounded by so much.”
She just missed her daddy’s birthday by a few minutes and it actually works out perfectly. I don’t want them having to share the same day, they both deserve their own special day.
I hear the door open and look over to see Josh walk in followed by Zander and Savvy. Savvy quickly rushes to my side.
“Oh my god Ash, you did it! You really did it!”
“Did you think I was going to keep her in there forever?”
“Quiet B, let me have my moment. She is so freaking cute!”
“B?” Zander questions.
“We need to cut out our swearing so I’m replacing the swear with the first letter.” She looks at us like we should already know this.
“What’s her name?” Zander asks.
Looking over towards Josh, I smile and nod my head yes at him.
Bound By Cage Box Set (Complete Series Books 1-4) : MMA Romance Page 42