Friends to Lovers: A Secret Pregnancy Romance (Heart of Hope Book 6)

by Ajme Williams

  I kissed her, taking my time with it. I planned to spend all night reacquainting myself with her body. Touching and kissing her, giving her all the pleasure that she deserved.

  Petal, on the other hand, was more impatient. “I need you in me, Cy.” She gasped. My goal in life now was to ensure her happiness, so I settled my hips between her thighs. My dick was as eager as she was, but I hoped I could keep him under control just a little longer.

  I slid inside her slow and controlled. She was right, we needed to be joined, because as I became one with her, it was like the final piece of my heart healed. I was now whole.

  38

  Petal

  I was terrified that I was dreaming. I had to remind myself that my dreams had never been this vivid, this lovely, this perfect. I held on to Cy, touching him everywhere to reassure myself that he was really here.

  He loved me. Oh my God, he loved me. Never before had three words made my heart feel so full. Until the moment he slid inside me, there was a niggle of fear that this wasn’t real. But now he was inside me, a part of me, and I finally felt like everything was going to be okay. No, not just okay, but perfect.

  I wrapped my legs around him, holding him inside me. “I love you, Cy.”

  He groaned, slipping his arm underneath me and holding me as his lips trailed kisses along my neck to my ear. “I love you too Petal. I wanted to say it first and you took that from me,” he lightly bit my ear lobe.

  I gasped as a zap of electricity sizzled along my skin. “Sorry. How can I make it up to you?”

  He adjusted his body, holding himself up by his arms as he looked down on me. He ground his hips into mine, making me groan as my pussy began to convulse.

  “Come on my dick and take me over with you.” He withdrew and slid in again, slow, so torturously slow.

  “More. Faster.” I gripped his ass with my hands urging him on.

  “Like this?” He withdrew, pumped in, and withdrew again.

  “Yes. More.” I was aware that he was watching me, which was a little embarrassing, but also, erotic.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful when you’re turned on, Petal.” He moved in and out. “And when you come, that’s so fucking beautiful too.”

  “Cy.” It was all I could say as the tension coiled tighter and tighter in my center.

  “That’s right baby…enjoy it. Enjoy me making love to you.” He thrust in harder. “I feel your pussy, Petal…you’re burning my dick up.” He growled. “Fuck…I’m there…”

  He started thrusting harder and faster and I held on to him as I neared the edge, teetered and then with his final plunge, he sent me soaring into the stratosphere.

  “Cy! Yes…oh God…so good.”

  He groaned, pumping and pumping and then he cried out and warmth filled my body. After the peak, we continued to move, slower and slower until finally, he collapsed on me.

  He rolled me and pulled me to his side and kissed my temple. “Santa was so fucking good to me this year.”

  I laughed. But as I lay there, I realized there was still so much unknown. Cy was in Chicago now. How was this going to work?

  “Ah Petal…Your worry crease is between your brows. What’s wrong baby?”

  I nestled close to him, pressing my hand on his chest feeling the beat of his heart. “I’m just wondering how this is going to work. I could move to Chicago—”

  “We’re coming to Bismarck. Me and my mom.”

  I looked up at him.

  He kissed my forehead. “It will be a few months. Mom has her second phase of treatment until February or March, but then if all is okay, she’ll move here and do her maintenance phase here. At least that’s what we’re hoping. It could be she flies back for that. But the plan now is to move here.”

  His words stole my breath. He and his mom were moving her so we could all be a family. “I can’t believe she’s doing that.”

  “As Lora said, my mom would move to Timbuktu to be with her grandchild.”

  “She said that?” I didn’t feel like Lora was a mean person, but I hadn’t gotten the vibe that she was supportive of me and Cy either.

  “She did. When she told me that you loved me.”

  I arched a brow.

  “According to my mother, who said the same thing, it was as plain as the nose on your face.” He grinned.

  “It was obvious to everyone but you?”

  He looked chagrined. “Yes. But in my defense, I was clueless that I was in love with you too.” His hand gently rubbed my back. It had a lulling effect. “We’ll be okay, Petal. Somehow we’ll make it all work out.”

  I must have fallen asleep. I woke with Cy’s hands caressing me. “Petal?”

  “Hmm?” What a wonderful way to wake up.

  “We have to get up if we’re going to make the flight.”

  Darn it. I thought he was going to make love to me again. But then I remembered he was moving her and we’d have many nights and mornings to make love.

  His lips tugged on my nipple. “There’s just enough time to make love, if you want.”

  My eyes were still closed but I smiled. “I want.”

  Sleepy sex was wonderful. Making love in the morning was the best way to wake up. Of course, it was actually still the middle of the night, I realized when we were done and he ushered me into the shower. It was still dark outside. But then he started rubbing soap on my body, and there was nothing but Cy as he made love to me again.

  Somehow we still made the six in the morning flight. I slept on the flight, occasionally feeling Cy’s lips giving me a kiss on my head. By midmorning we were at his mother’s house.

  “Mom?” he called when he opened the front door.

  “Tell me you brought me a present, Cy,” she said.

  He put his arm around me and guided me through the door.

  Jane was standing next to a decorated tree. She was thin, but her cheeks were pink and her eyes glittered. She clapped her hands over her heart and then spread them wide to embrace me.

  “Welcome home, Petal.” She kissed my cheek.

  “Thank you.” I hugged her back. “Thank you for sending him.”

  She laughed. “The two of you are about as dense as a brick wall, but you’re here now. And happy, right.”

  “Yes. The happiest.”

  “You know I knew right away that Cy loved you,” she said as she took a seat in her recliner. “When I asked him about you, his first comment was that you were like the sun.”

  I looked over at Cy who blushed.

  “He never said that about anyone else,” she finished.

  I knew she was talking about Lora. I was just petty enough to like that. I wanted to be his one and only.

  “Now, I don’t know if Cy told you, but I’m moving to Bismarck. I’m hoping to see a lot of you and that little baby you’re growing.”

  It was hard to imagine feeling any happier than I already did, but the flash of what my life would be like this time next year with a baby and Cy, and his mother filled me with joy. My mother had even made comments about moving back, at least during the warmer months to be with the baby.

  “Now. I had Cy drag our plastic tree out of the attic so we could celebrate. We do have other presents. You be Santa, Cy. You need the practice.”

  “Yes, mom.” He winked at me.

  The day was like a dream. A dream come true. I knew I’d never forget the day that I got everything I ever wanted.

  While Jane was stronger, she was still tired by eight in the evening, so she headed to bed. Cy and I sat on the floor by the tree. The only light in the room came from the lights on the tree and the fire in the fireplace.

  He leaned against a chair with me sitting between his legs and resting my head on his chest as we gazed into the flames and drank hot chocolate.

  “Are you happy Petal?”

  I tilted my head up. “Perfectly. Are you?”

  He kissed my nose. “The happiest.”

  I settled back against him feeling so co
ntent.

  “Petal?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “There’s one more present.”

  I looked over at the tree but didn’t see anything. Then I looked up at him. His expression appeared nervous.

  “Did I tell you that I’ve loved you practically since the first day I walked into your bakery after you charmed me at Jude and April’s wedding?”

  How I could smile wider I didn’t know, but I did. “You did?”

  He nodded. “I did. I didn’t realize it or acknowledge it, but I did.”

  “Then I don’t feel so silly for waiting for your daily visit like a giddy school girl because I was head over heels in love with you.”

  For a moment he simply stared at me. Finally, he said, “So…you’ve loved me and I’ve loved you for a while now.”

  I turned between his legs, wanting to get a better view of him as I tried to understand where this conversation was going. “It seems so.”

  “That means it’s not too soon for this.” He held up a ring, the diamond catching the light from the tree and the fire and throwing beautiful shades of light around the room.

  I gasped and looked into his eyes. “Cy.”

  “Marry me, Petal. I want to live in your light and warmth every day for the rest of my life.”

  Tears were streaming down my face like an idiot. But I didn’t care. I thought all my dreams had already come true, but now, I knew for sure.

  “Yes. Oh Cy. Yes.” I threw my arms around him. He fell back with an oomph and laughed. I trailed kisses all over his face until I found his lips. And then I kissed him hard and deep pouring all my love into it.

  He rolled us until I was under him. He slid the ring on. “I love you Petal.”

  “I love you, Cy.”

  “Do you think you can orgasm without screaming and waking my mother because I plan to consummate this engagement right here, right now.”

  I bit my lower lip. “I don’t know. You’re so good at making me come. I can’t help but scream.”

  “I guess we’ll just take our chances.” He pressed his lips against mine sealing the dream with a kiss.

  Epilogue

  Petal – August

  Cy sped through the downtown traffic honking and barking at his mother on speaker phone. “She’s having a baby, mom. I can’t calm down.” He jerked the car to the right and laid on the horn. “Get out of the fucking way you moron.”

  “Cy, you have to calm down. You’re not the one having the baby. Petal. Are you there Petal?” his mother’s voice came over the speaker.

  “I’m here.” I was between contractions which were now every five minutes apart.

  “How are you honey?” she asked.

  “Hoping Cy doesn’t kill anyone.”

  He glared at me and then turned his attention to the entrance of the hospital.

  “This is so exciting. I’m going to meet my grandchild soon. Well…hopefully today,” Jane said, apparently ignoring the part where Cy was driving like a maniac. Then her words sank in.

  “Hopefully?” I squeaked.

  “Well, Cy took nearly thirty hours before he was born.”

  My gaze snapped to his. “Thirty hours. That’s nearly three days.”

  “You’re scaring her mom,” he said, taking my hand. “Come on. We’re here.”

  He hung up with his mom and then helped me out of the car after I finished having another contraction.

  Once I was upright, he held my face in his hands. “I love you.” Then he grinned. “Jesus fucking Christ, Petal, we’re going to be parents.”

  I wanted to share his enthusiasm, but the idea of enduring these contractions for thirty hours put a damper on it. Still I managed a smile, then I took a seat in the wheelchair an attendant brought and was rolled into labor and delivery.

  The last eight months were one perfect day after another. Well almost. Cy and his mother remained in Chicago until March, and then they sold her home and moved her here. She had a lovely little condo in the same community that August did. My parents bought one there as well, and had come home in May and planned to stay until mid-October. Luckily for Cy and me, our parents got along.

  The highlight of the year, so far, was when Cy and I got married in April. We had a small ceremony along the river behind April and Jude’s house. Afterwards, I moved into Cy’s home which he’d already childproofed. He was even starting to build a swing set even though it would be a long time before our child could swing.

  The cupcake business was doing well, and I was able to hire another staff person and this fall I planned to have an intern from the culinary department of the community college. I hoped it would allow me to take some time off when the baby came.

  If the baby ever came, I thought as I pushed yet again. It was now dark outside after being in the hospital for ten hours, and I was exhausted.

  “You’re doing great, Petal.” Cy kissed my head. I loved this man more than anything, but he was really starting to annoy me with his encouragement.

  “Another push, Petal,” my doctor said.

  How was it possible that it could take so long and be so hard to push six or seven pounds of baby out of my body?

  But I was nothing if not determined. I gathered my strength and pushed.

  “That’s right…the baby is crowning. Can you hold right for a minute?”

  What? Hold? No, I wanted to have this baby. But I was also someone who followed the rules. So I did my best to hold enough push pressure to keep the baby there.

  “Okay, this is it Petal. Let’s have this baby,” the doctor said looking up at me from between my thighs.

  “Jesus,” Cy said next to me.

  The moment was momentous, poignant, but I was too lost in the effort to really savor it. I was ready to be done. To meet this little person Cy and I had made. I bore down, pushing with all my might.

  “Yes, yes, yes…here it comes…” the doctor said.

  I felt like my pussy was on fire and then the baby moved through me, and was out.

  He held the baby up. “It’s a girl.”

  At that moment, all the emotion that had been kept at bay during labor washed through me. “Oh…” Tears welled in my eyes.

  “She’s so beautiful,” Cy’s voice caught.

  I looked at him, and saw tears on his cheeks, which made me cry.

  He looked at me. “We made her.”

  I laughed, loving the awe in his voice. “Trick or treat. Turns out we got a treat.”

  He laughed and kissed me. “The best treat ever.”

  The baby was wrapped up and then handed to me. “Hello sweetheart. Your daddy is right. You’re so beautiful.”

  “Daddy. I’m a daddy.” He said it like he’d only just realized it.

  I took his hand. “Cy, she’s perfect.”

  “She is. You are too. You’re fucking amazing.”

  The nurse snickered. “You should probably start practicing not saying the f-word. It’s embarrassing when your child starts repeating it.”

  “Right.” Cy looked at the baby. “Sorry honey. I’ll do better.”

  “You should call your mom.” I was sure my parents were already in the waiting area. In fact, they probably picked up Cy’s mom to go with them.

  “Are we sticking with the name?” he asked me as he pulled out his phone.

  “Yes. Jane Charlotte Blake.”

  He’d asked if we could name her after his mom. We chose Charlotte as an homage to Jane Eyre’s author.

  He kissed me. “Your mom can have the next name.”

  “Next?” My stomach dropped. At the moment, I couldn’t imagine going through all this again.

  “In a couple of years,” he said.

  April had a second child, so maybe in a couple of years I’d be ready too.

  A few minutes later, our parents were in the room oohing and ahhing over the baby. I was right in that his mother had called my parents after our crazy car conversation and they’d all driven over here together.
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br />   “Thank you, Petal,” Jane said. “I wasn’t sure I was ready to fight this cancer and then I learned you were having a baby. Cy’s baby, and I knew I had to be here. You gave me life and my son life. And this precious being life.”

  “She’s a goddess alright,” Cy said.

  “Not witch?” I arched a brow.

  He blushed and made a “shh” sound.

  The parents left and a few minutes later, April and Jude showed up with Maya.

  “Oh, Petal, your baby is so cute,” Maya said as she peered down at little Janie. “Can I help take care of her sometimes? I’m good at it. I help with Bertie all the time, huh mama.”

  “Yes, you do honey.” April smiled down at her daughter. I wondered if she was remembering the day she was born.

  “Where is Bertie?” I asked.

  “He’s a rambunctious one year old. Not a good hospital visitor, so he’s with August and Beth. I think they’re trying to decide if they want one too,” April said.

  “Congratulations, Cy,” Jude said shaking his hand and patting him on the back. “There’s nothing like having a baby to make you feel like a man.”

  “Terrified?” Cy asked.

  Jude laughed. “Exactly.”

  They stayed only a few minutes, and then it was just Cy and me and baby Janie. I made room and Cy joined me on the bed as we stared at this little being that we’d made.

  “Do you remember when we made her?” he asked.

  “Halloween? Yes.”

  “I loved you then,” he said.

  I looked up at him and smiled. I didn’t know it then, but he’d told me plenty of times since we got together that he’d loved me in secret as I had loved him. I wasn’t sure why he was bringing it up again though.

  “She was made from love,” he said and his statement became clear.

  “Yes, she was.”

  Janie’s little fingers were wrapped around my finger as she looked up at us a little dazed but content.

  “Cy?”

  “Yes, my sweet.”

  I turned to look up at him, and my heart was so full with love for this family that he gave me. His gaze moved from Janie to me.