by Tia Siren
“Ready?” I asked her.
She nodded and smiled. “This is much better than that big wedding we thought we were going to have.”
“Yes, it is. I’m glad I get to share this with the people who truly matter. I feel selfish, and I don’t want to share it with anyone else.”
She giggled. “We are bad, bad people, but I love it. We don’t need anyone getting to see this part of our lives. Lord knows their imaginations are far more creative than reality.”
“You look beautiful,” I told her. “I love you.”
I reached for her and kissed her. The kiss started out innocently enough, but it didn’t take long for it to heat up. I lifted her dress. “We have time for a quickie, right?”
She giggled. “No, sir! I am not going to have sex in my wedding dress minutes before the wedding. I think that is breaking some cosmic rule.”
“Fine, but I really want you,” I said, pouting.
“Later.”
“Damn straight. I reserved the suite at the hotel. We get two whole days to make love without worrying about anybody walking in.”
We were waiting until spring to take an official honeymoon. For now we were going to drive up to Morgantown to stay the weekend. Tanner would be taking care of Jasper while we enjoyed a couple days to ourselves. It was sorely needed after the busy holidays filled with lots of family time.
Ashley kissed me, firing me up all over again. Then she sighed. “I love you. I can’t wait for tonight. I’m sorry I didn’t get to wear the dress. It just didn’t look right.”
I laughed. “No, I don’t think it would. I like this dress better. It suits you and who you are. It is perfect for our wedding.”
She smoothed down the white dress that flowed around her. It was a gauzy material that floated and gave her an ethereal appearance. It was the kind of dress a woman would wear to a barn dance and then to the beach. It was very country and very pretty. I loved it. It was so her. I liked that she was low maintenance. Even though she hadn’t spent hours primping, she was still prettier than any other woman I had ever seen. Yes, I was a little biased.
“You better get out of here before my daddy comes in here and pushes you out the window,” she teased.
“No more windows on our wedding day. I’ll make my escape in a more dignified fashion. Check and make sure the coast is clear.”
She giggled and walked to her bedroom door, pulled it open, and looked up and down the hall. “All clear,” she whispered.
I left her in the room and snuck out the back door. The tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding was being enforced by some in the family, but I’d needed to see her. I had managed to sneak in undetected while they were all busy setting up.
I smiled at Helen as I came through the front door. She looked great and, most importantly, was on her way back to good health. She gave me a scolding look, which told me she knew exactly what I had been up to. I grinned before going to hug her.
“Shh,” I whispered.
She was sitting next to Janna, who chuckled. “Too late. I think all of us know exactly where you were,” she said dryly. “Wipe the lipstick off your mouth.”
I burst out laughing and quickly wiped away the evidence of my secret rendezvous. We had moved out the furniture and put up enough folding chairs for the family to sit in. It was a private affair with only her family, Helen, and Janna in attendance. The minister was some guy we had found in the classifieds. He didn’t know us and therefore would have no interest in gossiping.
Hank stood at the front of the room with Jasper by his side. Anna and Leslie were acting as bridesmaids. Anna looked downright miserable with her swollen belly. She had been complaining that she would need a tent to wear if we didn’t hurry up and get the wedding done.
Tanner cleared his throat and one of Leslie’s daughters pushed a button on her cell phone, cuing up the bridal procession that had been downloaded to her phone.
All eyes turned to Ashley and Tanner as they made their way down the hall and into the living room. She was stunning. I carved the memory of her walking toward me into my brain. I wanted to remember the moment for the rest of my days.
After a brief ceremony, I kissed the bride.
“How are you feeling?” Ashley asked Anna as soon as the official business was out of the way.
“Fat. Swollen. Miserable. You said it got better. This isn’t better, Ashley. This is hell. How come you look so happy?”
Ashley laughed and rubbed her own growing belly. “I don’t know. Maybe the second time around is easier.”
I put my hand on her belly and smiled. “Or because this time it’s a little girl.”
Ashley winked. “You don’t know that, and I’m not going to let you find out.”
“I already know,” I said with full confidence.
“Who’s ready to eat?” Leslie asked.
There was a cacophony of shouts. We were all starving. The smells that had been coming from the kitchen all morning had made us all hungry. Leslie’s friend had started a catering company and we were the first clients. If it tasted as good as it smelled, the woman was going to be hugely successful.
We all filed into the formal dining room and sat around the table. The meal was served, and for the first fifteen minutes or so, no one spoke. The only sound that could be heard was the clattering of silverware against the plates. Even the kids were quiet as they ate.
“How’s that addition coming along?” Hank asked around a mouthful of prime rib.
“Almost done,” I answered. “Tanner has got a very nice setup out there. He picked out all the cabinetry and the flooring.” I turned to Tanner for my next comment. “I think you could have had a job as an interior designer,” I teased.
He laughed. “When you are as old as I am, you know what you like and what you don’t. I didn’t want carpet. Too much dirt. I think those floors we put in there look great.”
“They do look really good. We may have to redo the floors in the living room here with that same hardwood.”
Ashley was vehemently nodding her head in agreement, but her mouth was too full to say anything.
We had decided to live at the farm, but Tanner had insisted he wanted his own place. He didn’t want to intrude. With the sale of my house, we had the money to build a guest house on the property. It was a one bedroom with a full kitchen. I saw it as an excellent investment that would raise the value of the property—not that we were interested in selling anytime soon.
“So, when are you going to tell us what the baby is?” one of the kids asked.
Jasper rolled his eyes. “It’s a baby.”
We all laughed at his serious answer.
“We are keeping the gender of the baby a secret,” Ashley said. “It’s going to be a surprise.”
“What she means is she knows, but none of the rest of us can know. She’ll slip up one of these days,” I said with a sly smile.
She shook her head. “Nope. My lips are sealed.”
“How’s school going for you, Jasper?” Hank asked.
“I like it. The kids are real nice. My teacher lets me bring my rocks on Fridays and we talk about them.”
We chatted for the next hour as we filled our stomachs. Hank and I quickly transformed the living room back into order before everyone started to leave.
Ashley and I sat on the couch, her legs stretched out over mine. I rubbed her feet as we relaxed together. Tanner and Jasper had gone out to the guest house to show Anna the progress and to finish painting some of the trim.
“You ready to get out of here?” I asked her.
She smiled and nodded. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
“Ash?” Anna said, coming into the room with a look of horror on her face.
Ashley bolted up. “What’s wrong? What happened? Is Jasper okay?”
She nodded, then started crying. “I peed my pants and I can’t stop.”
Ashley jumped up. “What!” She spun around to face me. “We’r
e having a baby!” she squealed.
I immediately looked down at her belly and almost choked. It was too soon. She was only six months along. I knew that was not good.
“Not me!” she said with frustration. “Anna. Go get the truck! We’re having a baby!” She clapped her hands. “Go tell Dad, then get the truck,” she ordered.
I jumped to do as I was told, first racing out the back and then running to the front to start my truck. Ashley walked out on the porch, her arm wrapped around Anna.
She was grinning like a fool. “We’re having a baby,” she repeated.
“Yes, we are. I guess our honeymoon can wait.”
Anna growled, “You already knocked her up. Yes, your honeymoon can wait. I need her.”
I obediently nodded my head. “Of course.”
“I’ll follow you guys,” Tanner said, hoisting Jasper into his truck. “In case this is going to be a long ordeal, I can leave and bring Jasper home.”
Anna growled again. “It’s not going to be a long ordeal. I’ll die or cut it out before that happens!”
We all laughed, which Anna did not appreciate. I helped her and then Ashley into the truck. I sped down the driveway, listening to Anna shout and complain about how stupid it was that women had to have babies.
I couldn’t wait until I got to make this same drive again with Ashley in labor. We planned on having lots of kids and filling up this big house. We were ready to add on if we ran out of room. It was a future I was excited for, especially the part where I got to get her pregnant. That was the best part of all. I chuckled to myself at the thought.
“Stop laughing and drive!” Anna screamed. “I need drugs!”
I laughed again and put my foot a little heavier on the pedal. By the end of this trip, I was going to need drugs. I prayed Ashley was far more pleasant when it came time for her to deliver our child.
***
END OF THE FIRST STORY
The Billionaire’s Baby
I’ve got six months to get married and get my fake wife pregnant. But I never imagined I’d actually fall in love.
I don’t want to be part of my family’s banking business.
They all call me a black sheep because I’ve got my own big dreams.
I’m counting on my inheritance to give me my freedom. But there’s a clause – I need a wife and baby.
My cousin’s birthday bash will be the perfect event to meet her.
Then I see Brea.
Curves like a goddess and a mouth made for kissing.
I was hard and she was flirting.
Over comes my best friend, checking Brea out with his hungry gaze.
Hands off, buddy. She’s mine.
I’m the one who’s gonna take her home and marry her.
Now I just have to get her to say yes.
CHAPTER 1
Ryan
“Fuck. I was supposed to be there an hour ago,” I muttered as I stared at the brake lights in front of me. Nobody was moving tonight, and I groaned as I dropped my head back against the seat of my Escalade. I saw a break ahead and switched lanes quickly, earning a loud honk as I turned left to go to the parking lot nearby. I was already tense from the argument I’d had with my parents earlier today, so I planned to have a drink before running down the street to Lucy’s party.
The public thought my family was wealthy and perfect. Mitch and Linda Hall were a power couple with their successful banking firm that had made them rich beyond belief. They had everything money could buy, and I was like a pawn in their game. Mom was certainly beautiful with her long blond hair and bright blue eyes, but she’d had so much surgical work done to keep her youthful appearance. She was in her late forties now but didn’t look a day over thirty. Dad was a savvy businessman, always in the papers and online blogs for having made billions in the business.
I wasn’t hurting for anything. I had a great penthouse in Manhattan and I drove a brand-new Escalade. Possessions weren’t an issue, but Dad was infuriated that I didn’t want to step into the family business. It had been in the family for generations now, and he was always pushing me to embrace my legacy. It was our constant argument.
The final straw was when my father had decided to add conditions to my inheritance. I had been set to get it at the age of twenty-five, and my father waited until just before my birthday to change the terms.
I walked into a corner bar, needing to relax before I joined the party. Lucy was my favorite cousin, and I had a great time with her when we hung out, so I didn’t want to be an asshole when I arrived. She was already going to give me shit about being late in the first place.
It wasn’t like I spent days at the bank working. I avoided it as much as possible and only helped when necessary. I ordered a whiskey on the rocks and looked at it for a moment before I tossed it back in one gulp.
My mother was an alcoholic. That was her big secret from the public, but Dad and I both knew how bitter and angry she was when she was drunk at home. They fought all the time and she bossed him around, playing him like an instrument to maintain her lavish lifestyle. It was no wonder Dad worked so much.
I called out for another drink, needing a little more of the burning warmth in my throat. I wasn’t driving if I didn’t have to. I would take a cab home and get my car tomorrow. I tried to loosen up more by drinking the second one at a slower pace while running a hand through my hair.
I was not my mother. I was young, just thirty-two, and going to a social function. People drank at parties, and I was not the nasty lush Mom was. I was friendly and interested in conversations, meeting people, and getting to know them. I had a lot of friends who were involved in social work. That was what I wanted to do with my inheritance money, which Dad was going to hold.
I needed to get married or provide a child to get the half million dollars set aside for me by my grams. I was her favorite grandson. When she’d been alive, she had always told me she saw me doing good things with the money in the future. She died when I was just fifteen, breaking my heart, and Dad had decided to change the terms of the will. He was very proud of the firm and wanted it to stay in the family, no matter what. Once I explained that I wanted to go in a different direction, he altered things so I’d be forced to play by his rules.
It hadn’t bothered me so much at twenty-five. I’d been living fine then, but now I was all too aware that I needed to be hitched or expecting a child within six months. Nothing like love and romance in the Hall family. I didn’t think anyone had it, least of all my folks. They seemed to hate each other at home but always played it up for the media. If I didn’t comply with the rules, there would be no inheritance for me to change the world with, and Dad had made it clear that things weren’t going to change. I’d have to work somewhere making money, and I didn’t know what I could get. I wasn’t stupid, but I’d blown off college and it was competitive here in the city. Dad had told me he wasn’t going to help me if I didn’t choose the business or marriage and a family. I knew from growing up with him that he meant what he said. Dad was a hard-ass and Mom was a nag who made it all worse.
Why the fuck would I want to get married?
I finished my third drink and walked to Lucy’s apartment, which was just a few blocks away. As an artist, she fit in perfectly here in Brooklyn. Like most New Yorkers, she was building her career while she waitressed at a local diner. Her parents weren’t thrilled with her choices, and we bonded over that. I was pushing for her to make it, and she could afford the apartment with a roommate. I was proud of her. I headed up the stairs and tapped on the door, hoping someone would hear me over the music.
The door opened and Lucy’s wild brown curls came into view before the eyes that matched her hair. She shook her head at me. “You’re late!”
“Hey! I got stuck in traffic and parked a few blocks away to make myself less late than I was going to be. Give me a break.” I held up my hands and grinned at her as I watched her lips curl up into a smile. “Let me in.”
She moved to the
side and I saw that the small two-bedroom apartment was full of about thirty people. They were all more of Lucy’s crowd if I were to take my parents’ stance, but I liked her friends. I walked through the door and she led me toward the kitchen where the drinks were lined up on the counter. I poured another whiskey out of habit and glanced around, seeing men and women alike. A tall brunette walked over and hugged Lucy as I looked on. I found her intense green eyes alluring as Lucy squealed and hugged her back. “It’s about time, Brea.”
“I had to close at the coffee shop. Some people refused to leave.” Brea rolled her eyes as I stared at her, finding her more compelling with each passing second. Lucy looked around as someone called out her name. She ran off as I looked nervously at Brea.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Brea Taylor. I’m Lucy’s best friend.”
I reached over and shook her hand, appreciating her solid grip.
“I’m Ryan Hall, her cousin. We haven’t met before, have we?”
She shook her head and smiled weakly.
“Probably not, no. I haven’t been around until recently. I just graduated from NYU, and that kept me busy.”
I looked her over, thinking she was a bit older than most graduates I’d met.
“Want a drink?” I asked. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “You don’t drink?”
“I…I took care of my dad for a couple years while he was dying of liver failure. He was an alcoholic, and I think that whole childhood and the watching him die thing made me never want to drink. It can be so damaging,” she said as she reached for a can of soda. “I know that it’s fun for people in their twenties and it’s what we’re supposed to be doing, but I’ve been over it for a while now.” She giggled. “I went to an ice skating rink on my twenty-first birthday with some friends. We skated around, singing every song and acting like fools.” She shook her head. “I thought I’d be out of school soon at that point, but then Dad got sick. Mom’s remarried in Minnesota, and it was on me to take care of him. I took a break from school for that.”