“No, we met once before that, but we didn’t see each other again until the night the pregnancy was announced.” I scooped some eggs and a piece of toast onto a clean plate and set it in front of Eli, who was still frowning at me.
“And then you started dating her?” he pressed, watching me pour a few glasses of orange juice and put one next to his plate.
“Yeah… We know it’s a unique situation, but it’s not as weird as you might think.”
“You’re not some perv with a pregnancy fetish, right?”
I nearly choked on the juice I’d just tried to swallow and shook my head, coughing. A pregnancy fetish? For fuck’s sake.
“No,” I rasped, my throat burning a little even as I fought the urge to laugh. “I promise you it’s nothing like that.”
Eli regarded me skeptically for another moment before digging into his eggs, raising his eyebrows in surprise and reluctant acknowledgment of how good they were. He began to devour them in earnest. I suspected he’d been up all night without eating anything, since his food was half gone before he spoke again.
“What are your intentions with her?”
“They’re honorable,” I replied, appreciating his direct approach even if it was a little clichéd. I would’ve liked to be equally direct, but there was no way Kennedy’s brother was going to be the first to hear me say I loved her. “We’re still in the early stages, but I care about her a lot. She’s an amazing person.”
“Yes, she is. And if you hurt her, you’ll regret it. I’ll make sure of it.” Eli’s blue eyes, so similar to his sister’s, seemed to pierce right through me, but I didn’t look away.
“I’ll do anything and everything in my power to keep her from being hurt. I want to take care of her.”
“Good luck with that,” he snorted. “She’s not usually one to let herself be taken care of.”
“I’ve noticed. Any tips?”
One of the things I’d learned in the weeks since Kennedy and I had reconnected was that her independent nature frequently bordered on stubbornness. She was usually the first to offer help but the last to ask for it. Eli stared back at me for a moment as though deciding whether or not I was worthy of his advice.
“Take it in small steps,” he shrugged, relenting. “Kenn appreciates little things, small kindnesses. Grand gestures, not so much. Those tend to make her feel uncomfortable or undeserving, unless it’s a special occasion or something.”
“Even then, she gets all flustered.”
“Right. Just try not to overwhelm her.”
“Thanks,” I smiled. I filled plates for myself and for Kennedy, who appeared a few moments later and tossed me the t-shirt I’d been wearing last night. I grinned at her as I slipped it over my head. “Thanks, babe.”
“You’re welcome. Are you two getting along?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, I’ve already delivered my obligatory big brother speech,” Eli announced.
“Well, he doesn’t look too intimidated. Are you losing your touch?” He glared at her playfully, and she chuckled. “Kidding. Thanks for dialing it back.”
“You’re welcome.”
“My junior prom date ended up ditching me before the after party, and I’m still convinced it’s his fault,” she told me, taking a bite of her eggs. Eli scoffed next to her.
“That guy was a marshmallow.”
We all laughed lightly, and I smiled at how close they seemed. As awkward as it might be for Eli to be hanging around Kennedy’s apartment for a while, I was glad she had a good big brother. She seemed to tolerate him looking after her fairly well, and that gave me hope.
Maybe she wouldn’t mind me looking after her too.
Twelve
Kennedy
Mid-May
Week Twenty-Four
To everyone’s relief, it took only a couple of weeks for Eli to find an apartment that suited him. He’d also thrown himself into his work even more than usual, spending long hours in the office, so it wasn’t as awkward as it could’ve been when Donovan stayed over. Eli’s soon-to-be ex-wife was being fairly reasonable in handling the separation and the start of the divorce proceedings. June’s maturity on that score was a blessing, especially since my mother had decided to take her son’s divorce as a personal slight against her. My dad and I had both advised Eli to just leave her be until she was ready to apologize, but I knew our mother’s behavior had hurt Eli’s feelings. I could certainly sympathize.
As March gave way to April and then to May, the changes to my body became more noticeable. The pregnancy was evident even to strangers now, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so conspicuous. Seriously, even my middle school awkwardness hadn’t been this bad. My belly began to grow rounder, and I’d said a temporary farewell to my pre-pregnancy wardrobe just after the halfway mark.
The baby had been amazingly cooperative during the twenty-week ultrasound scan, and Gabe and Miranda had been thrilled to learn they were having a little girl. They’d been tossing names around for months, but as far as I knew, they’d yet to pick one. I had a feeling they intended to save that reveal for the end, if for no other reason than to feel they had a little more control over the whole situation.
They’d both been ecstatic to finally be able to feel their daughter’s movements, and I’d taken to spending extra time at their house so they could have more opportunities to bond. The baby could hear and perhaps even recognize voices at this stage, and I wanted her to hear the most important ones as often as possible. Miranda was constantly feeling for kicks and somersaults, and her eyes filled with happy tears every time her hand was met with a tiny nudge.
In those moments, I found it incredibly hard not to feel guilty. It almost felt like I was stealing something precious from Gabe and Miranda. No matter how many times everyone, Donovan included, assured me I had nothing to feel guilty over, I couldn’t seem to shake it. I knew from the connections I’d made with other surrogates online that my feelings were completely normal, but the overload of hormones did little for my ability to rationalize things.
“No Donny tonight?” Miranda asked when I arrived for dinner one evening.
We said hello with hugs and a belly rub before I set my purse on the kitchen counter and slipped out of my shoes. I sighed in relief and glanced down at my feet, thanking my lucky stars that it was finally warm enough for flip flops. My feet weren’t all that swollen yet, but it didn’t take much to make them ache these days.
“No, he had to work. He says ‘hi,’” I replied. “What’s for dinner?”
“Gabe’s grilling out back. Ribs, I think. I thought Donny said he was off tonight.”
“Nope.”
“Hmm,” she frowned. “I must have my days mixed up. Oh, well. More for us. How’s my little bug?”
“Feels like she’s been asleep most of the day. I think she’s got her days and nights mixed up. Good luck with that.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Miranda beamed, looking indecently excited at the prospect of a long string of sleepless nights. “Did my mom get ahold of you this week? She wanted to talk about the shower.”
“No. Is it time for that already?”
“We were thinking sometime in July, but she loves the planning part more than the actual events. We should go shop for our outfits soon.”
“Yeah, I suppose I’ll need something bigger by that point. I think I might actually like shopping for maternity clothes more than regular clothes. Maybe because I’m the only one who really has to like them. When you’re pregnant, no one even notices when you have ‘fat days,’” I laughed.
Miranda snickered along with me. I knew she had to be feeling a healthy dose of envy, but she wasn’t letting it tarnish the experience for her. She was thrilled to finally be this close to motherhood. She’d made more than one comment about what an amazing friend I was and how much more amazing I’d be as a sister-in-law. I hoped she wasn’t making those comments around Donovan. The last thing I needed was for my streak of good luck
to break and for him to start acting like a typical guy.
“How’s everything else?” Miranda asked, her thoughts apparently centering on Donovan as well. “Things still good with my brother now that you guys are finally stuffin’ the muffin?”
“My God, Miranda,” I chortled, trying to look appropriately disturbed. “Please, don’t call it that. And the answer is yes, but I’m not talking to you about the sex.” I shook my head as my laughter dissipated and another thought occurred to me. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, though… It does seem like he’s been a little irritated about work stuff lately, but he never wants to talk about it. Is that normal for him? I haven’t tried to push him on it, but I wish he’d just get it off his chest if he needs to.”
“He picked up that habit from our dad. Dad’s always tried to keep work and home separate, says it keeps one from negatively affecting the other. He doesn’t worry about it so much now that he’s just managing the rentals with Mom, but when he worked at the hospital, he almost never talked about it.”
I considered her words and had to admit that it lined up with the way Donovan had been avoiding work talk lately. He’d always been happy to talk about cooking, but he’d never shared much about the restaurant politics that were apparently bothering him more than usual. I was content to give him his space, but I wanted to be supportive. His silence made that difficult.
“I guess that’s smart, but no one should have to carry their stress alone. Not when they have a partner.”
“Is that what you are?” Miranda asked, her eyes twinkling. “His partner?”
I blushed and was unable to contain my smile.
“Maybe.”
Thirteen
Donovan
Early June
Week Twenty-Eight
I twisted my fingers into Kennedy’s tousled hair as I panted and groaned through my third orgasm of the day. My heart was still pounding in my chest as I looked down at her with an incredulous smile. She grinned triumphantly and used her tongue to sweep the last bit of fluid from the head of my cock.
“I knew you had another one in you.”
“I still don’t understand how. And you. Jesus, woman, you’re insatiable. In case I haven’t said it before, I fully approve of whatever hormone it is that’s turned you into this lust-crazed sex goddess.”
“You’ve said it many times,” she giggled, allowing me to pull her up my body so she could settle into my arms. I closed my eyes and relished the contented heaviness in my bones.
“I hate to admit it, but I almost can’t keep up with you some days. And I have no idea how I’m going to make it through my shift tonight.”
“Well, I was hoping your night might go a little better if you’re nice and relaxed before you go in.”
“Let’s hope so. If it works, we may need to talk about moving you in here,” I laughed. She went silent, and when I opened my eyes to look at her, she didn’t even seem to be breathing. Shit. I backpedaled clumsily. “I mean… You know, eventually.”
“Eventually,” she echoed. She gave me a tiny smile that soothed my nerves a little.
“I’d better go get in the shower so I’m not late for work. You relax here for a bit, okay? Do you need anything? Water or something?”
“I’m good. Go shower, you smell like sex.”
“Mmm,” I grinned deviously. “I smell like you. Maybe I’ll skip the shower so I can smell you all night.”
“If you weren’t handling people’s food, I’d be completely supportive of that plan.”
“Fair point.”
I kissed her quickly and headed into the bathroom, noting the fatigue in her eyes as I went. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she was asleep when I got out of the shower. It was really too late in the day for a nap, but we’d spent the majority of the morning and early afternoon in bed. I wasn’t about to tell her she couldn’t go to sleep. The pregnancy hormones might have amped up her sex drive, but they didn’t provide extra energy to go with it.
I’d been doing my best to keep up with the many nuances of pregnancy, even going so far as to pick up a couple pregnancy books and subscribe to a few sites that sent weekly tips and information to my email. Cooking for her and rubbing her aching back and feet were the easy parts. I couldn’t remember the last time I spent so much energy worrying about another person. I felt like I was always checking on her, especially when we were apart, and I was surprised it hadn’t gotten on her nerves yet.
As I showered, I replayed our conversation in my mind, remembering the tension in her body when I’d joked about her moving in. I was certain the brief failure of my brain-to-mouth filter had made her nervous. Why else would she have locked up like that? While I knew our agreement to move slowly had been the right approach, I was beginning to wonder if we might have moved past the need for an overabundance of caution. After all, how slow did we really need to take it? We’d been dating officially for nearly four months.
My limited experience with serious relationships was proving to be a hindrance. I’d only ever said the word ‘love’ to one woman, and that relationship had ended in the worst possible way. Even in hindsight, I wasn’t sure if I’d done something wrong that might have led to my ex’s infidelity. Most people would be quick to blame the cheater, but I wasn’t so sure. It took two people to make a relationship, and in my opinion, it usually took two people to break one too.
I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Kennedy, and the prospect of screwing things up with her was nerve-racking. My mind had posited a number of scenarios in which I might inadvertently say or do the wrong thing and end up hurting her or pushing her away. My remark about her moving in with me had been thoughtless, and I chastised myself for my lapse in judgment, even as another part of me wanted to shout my love for her from the rooftops.
Pull it together, I grumbled inwardly. As I wiped the condensation from the bathroom mirror, I was momentarily distracted by my own reflection. Aside from the sex-induced fatigue that always lingered around my eyes lately and my more frequent smiles, I looked pretty much the same as I always had. But I knew better. Kennedy had changed me, perhaps irrevocably. She’d brought love into my life again and renewed a sense of hope within me that I’d thought had been lost forever. It seemed impossible that such a monumental change didn’t show more on the outside.
I emerged from the bathroom to find my still-naked girlfriend fast asleep on the bed, just as I’d expected. I took advantage of the opportunity to really study her, which was something I did a lot when she slept. I knew she’d probably poke fun at me and tease me about being a creep, but I couldn’t help myself.
Her beautiful, honey-toned hair was several inches longer than it had been the day we’d met, and it was somehow a little softer and shinier as well. Kennedy had shrugged it off as a lucky side effect of the prenatal vitamins, but I was captivated by her long, wavy tresses and couldn’t seem to keep my hands out of them.
She was showing rather a lot of skin these days, thanks to the combination of third-trimester pregnancy and the oppressively humid summer heat. Miranda seemed to have a couple of new maternity sundresses for Kennedy each time we saw her, and I had to wonder if my sister had any idea just how much I appreciated them. I was almost indecently attracted to Kennedy’s skin, and the frequent massages I gave her were never entirely selfless. I was pretty sure I enjoyed them just as much as she did.
Once I was dressed and ready for work, I roused her gently, smiling as I watched her stretch like a lazy cat in the sun.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“Don’t worry about it, baby. You’d earned a nap. We wore each other out.”
“Yeah,” she sighed, taking in my attire. I never put on my uniform until I got to work, opting to wear it over a pair of black pants and a white t-shirt. The look on her face told me she appreciated the view. “Give me just a minute to get dressed, and I’ll leave with you.”
“You don’t have to. It’s fine if you’d rather jus
t hang out here. I won’t be back until pretty late, of course, but don’t feel like you have to leave just because I’m going to work.”
“Thanks, but I have some work to do tonight anyway. My laptop is at home.”
I didn’t press the matter, but as we gathered our things to leave, I sighed longingly at the thought of coming home to find her waiting in my bed. The picture in my head was a very domestic one, and I liked it more than I probably should.
“I’ll call you later,” I promised as I helped her into her car. “Happy writing.”
Fourteen
Kennedy
I’d given Donovan a lengthy goodbye kiss before I’d left, but it hadn’t soothed the pang of loss I’d immediately felt in his absence. These damn hormones had turned me into a lovesick teenager. ‘Taking things slowly’ had proven to be more difficult than I’d imagined. I was falling fast and hard for Donovan West, and it was taking every ounce of my willpower not to turn into a stage-five clinger. When we weren’t together, he was constantly on my mind as well as on my phone in one manner or another.
Donovan’s casual suggestion that I move in had elicited a tidal wave of hope that had left me breathless. But as much as I wanted to move forward with him, I’d deliberately held back from giving more than an ‘eventually’ response. I had the sense to know the pregnancy was affecting my mind as much as my body, and I knew that a period of short-term transition in one’s life was not the ideal time to make long-term decisions.
That logic didn’t seem to apply to professional decisions, however. Our relationship had inspired me to rework my new novel, and Emma’s leading man now bore a striking resemblance to my boyfriend. Although I would never admit it to my readers, anyone who knew Donovan would probably spot many of his traits in the male protagonist.
Perhaps the best of those traits was his unwavering support. Some of my past boyfriends had grown tired of the way my attention was often split between my creative work and the people in my life, but Donovan took it all in stride. He inspired and encouraged me every step of the way, and I often wondered if perhaps it was his own artistic nature that granted him the extra patience and understanding.
Chance Encounter (Fates Aligned Book 1) Page 11