Rising Up: Finding Me book 1

by J J Harper

  My head jerks up. "Hold on! Are you suggesting that we may terminate this pregnancy that Imogen may want to abort our child?" I'm furious and start pacing the floor. "Ginny, you're not going to consider that option are you?"

  "I'm going to make the appointment and speak to the specialist Mason, nothing more and nothing less. So please calm down and wait and see."

  "There is no way on fucking earth you are killing my child Imogen, you'd better understand that right now." I'm so riled up I don't even notice her flinch and back away from me.

  "Mr. Reynolds please calm down or I will have to ask security to escort from the building. Imogen, here are the vitamins for you. I would like to offer you both my congratulations but I fear that comment is not welcome at this moment. Please don't hesitate to be back in touch if you have any other questions."

  "Thank you, you have been very kind and I apologize for Mr. Reynolds outburst." Imogen turns on her heels and walks away from me.

  "You need to control that temper of yours Mason, I have known you and your family for many years I don't want to have to question your intentions towards Ms. Banks, she has been through far too much already as I understand. Please send my regards to your parents."

  As I walk away from the building I can see Imogen sat on a chair in the farthest corner of the plaza and she is on her cell, taking a deep breath I walk over to her and reach her as she finishes her call.

  Imogen

  "Don't even think about talking to me right now Mason, I am really not in the mood." I storm away from him and walk briskly towards our apartments, it's only a fifteen minute walk and even though we had driven here I needed the fresh air to clear my mind.

  "Imogen, please wait for me?"

  "No! Go and get your car and I will see you later when I've calmed down."

  I carry on striding away from him not daring to look back in case I start to shout at him and cause a scene in the middle of the street. But I don't hear anything more from him so slow my pace down and start to enjoy the walk with my head full of the thoughts of a baby growing inside me.

  My heart swells at the thought of a miniature Mason, his almost black hair and bright blue eyes, and while I appreciate the doctor mentioning that I may have other options available to me I know I could never kill any baby of mine.

  Mason's reaction was a surprise, I thought he would realize that I would want this baby, his baby, our baby. The old me would have cowered at his outburst and for a moment I wanted to but the new and improved version of me is ready to shout back if I have to.

  I explained that I will not be controlled by anyone anymore and I guess he needs to be reminded. I walk past the bar and see Lake, Lucas and Austin walk in laughing at something Maddie has just said, and on impulse I turn and walk towards them.

  "Hey guys. Wait up!" I catch up with them and see the smiles on all their faces even Maddie looks happy to see me.

  "What are you doing here Ginny?" Lake looks behind me for Mason. "Not that it's not nice to see you. Where's my cousin, have you dumped him already?"

  "No. Not quite." I laugh. "But he's being an arse so I left him to drive home while I enjoyed the sunshine."

  "Or maybe you've finally come to your senses and want to be with me?" Austin laughs and drapes his arm over my shoulder.

  "Maybe Austin, but maybe not." I duck under his arm and walk up to Tamsin and give her a hug. "You should have cut your hours back by now girl. Haven't you got your mid-terms coming up soon?"

  "Yeah this is one of my last weekday shifts I'm going down to one weekday night and a couple of shifts at the weekend, Amber is doing the same."

  "Will I still get to see you both?" I feel worried that I'm going to lose contact with the two girls who have helped me so much lately.

  "Of course Honey, you can't get rid of us that easily. How are things with Mason?"

  Her pretty face frowns when she sees my eyes flicker.

  "Oh as usual they are complicated, but in a good way I think, he's just pissed me off tonight so I'm hiding." I laugh and hug her again before heading back to the table.

  Lake is talking down his phone quietly and looks up guiltily as he sees me. "You'd better not be talking to him Lake or I'll have you balls on a plate!"

  "Yeah okay mate, bye." Lake gulps and looks at me. "He called me Ginny I promise. He was worried when you weren't home, he says can you go and see him when you get back tonight."

  "He's not coming here? Bloody hell, that's a miracle, I was expecting him in all his chest-beating alpha male glory!" Maddie laughing and looks at me hopefully.

  "So was I, so I'm sorry he's disappointed you Mads." I smile back at her.

  "Well that's good because I made that up Imogen and he is on his way here and he is not happy!" Lake grins and takes a long pull on his beer.

  "You little shit Lake Davenport! You'd better watch out because you are now on my shit list." I look over my shoulder and see Mason storming towards me. "You had better be here to apologize Mason otherwise you can piss off." I turn back to the table and take a sip of my drink desperately wishing it had alcohol in it.

  "Imogen, I'm sorry but can you come home with me so we can talk things over." Then he leans down and whispers so that only I can hear him. "There'd better not be any alcohol in that glass or I really will be pissed."

  "I'll be back at my place soon Mason, you can either go back to your man cave and sulk or you can sit down and be sociable with your family, and what I'm drinking is not your concern." My voice lowers for the last part of my sentence. He makes the sensible decision and sits down next to me and Tamsin brings him a beer.

  "Cheer up Mase at least she hasn't promised to rip your balls off yet, she wants mine on a plate." Lake raises his bottle as a salute to me.

  An hour later my stomach starts to rumble and I get up to leave. "I'm off guys, I'm starving. I'll see you all tomorrow." I don't wait for Mason but I know he'll be right behind me.

  "Ginny, babe can we please talk." He reaches out for my hand and squeezes it lightly.

  "Can we wait until we get inside Mason please?" I reach the elevator and go to press the button for my floor when his hand reaches past mine and presses for the top floor. "Why have you decided we are going to yours?"

  "Because Ginny I want to shower and change and cook you something to eat and I don't have any of that stuff at your place. Please Imogen, come back to mine. I really want you there." His face is so honest that I give in and nod my affirmation. "Thank you." He leans down and kisses the top of my head, and with that one sweet gesture I start to fall apart.

  "C'mon babe we're here." He leads me into his lounge and sits me down taking a seat close to me but not touching. "I'm so sorry I flew off the handle back there, but the thought that you might not want this baby scared the crap out of me."

  "Mason, I would never want to get rid of this, it has not come at the right time, I mean we are only just getting back together and now it feels like we have no choice but to tough it out. I wanted us to take our time connecting again with each other. I want you to want me for me, not for the child I'm carrying."

  "Imogen, I am just as shocked as you, children have always been something I expected to have but way, way in the future. But am I happy about this? Yes I am, because since I met you I cannot imagine you not being the mother of my children. We will adjust to this and it is an exciting thing to have in our lives, don't you think?"

  "I do, I want this baby so much more than I could have imagined I would and I am excited. I just think we need to take a deep breath and slow down. I have made the appointment to see the obstetrician for tomorrow lunch time. Will you be able to come with me?"

  "Babe you'd have to tie me to a chair to keep me away. Come on let's get some food cooked, I've got a very good reason to fatten you up now sweetheart." He kisses me softly but my desire rises up and I deepen the kiss pulling my hands through his hair and holding him tight against me and moan into his mouth.

  I start to undo the buttons on his
shirt I need to feel my hands on his skin, pulling the shirt tails out of his work pants I run my hands down his chest and across his tight abs. His hands are pushing my dress up my legs as he runs his fingertips over the top of my stockings I feel my core tightening. I undo the button on his pants and slide the zip down reaching in to free his erection into my hands.

  "Fuck Ginny that feels amazing! I've missed your touch but I think we should stop."

  "What. Why? I need you Mason, I'm aching for you, please don't make me stop." My hand is pumping his dick in slow long strokes.

  "Shit!" He lifts me up and carries me to the bedroom. "If we're going to do this it's not going to be a quick fuck on the sofa. I want to make love to you in my bed."

  He places me gently in the center of his enormous bed and stares at me. "You are so damn beautiful Imogen, I really don't deserve you." His hand pulls me to sit up and he slowly lowers the zip on the back of my dress and pulls it up over my head. I sit in only my underwear while he drinks in the sight of me and it's seriously turning me on, I can feel how damp my panties are and my nipples are as hard as bullets as my breasts swell with the need for his touch. Watching him pull his pants and boxers down causes me to sigh and his eyes dart back up to my mouth.

  "Lie back down for me babe." His soft voice washes over me and my eyes close. "Look at me babe I want to see you, I want to see inside you as you lose control." My bra is undone and slipped from me along with the remaining underwear.

  I open my legs to let him slide in between them. "Touch me Mason, I need you to touch me." I'm panting with need and when he slides down my body leaving a trail of kisses over my skin, I can feel myself arching off the bed and when his tongue slips between my legs and laps at wet folds I almost come. "Shit Mason, I'm not going to last I need you inside me."

  "Me too Imogen, me too." He leans over me and kisses me nipping my mouth and sliding his tongue across the sting of his bite. I can feel him against my hot core and I lift my hips to encourage him in. His groan as he enters me is swallowed by my kisses. "More Mason, give me more."

  "I can't just yet, if I move now it will all be over. I'm just adjusting to the feel of your tight muscles gripping me and it feels so fucking fantastic I'm afraid I'll come if I move." But he does just fractionally and soon picks up his pace and pulls my arms over my head not tight but enough to surrender myself to him.

  "Christ yes Mason that's it don't stop. Oh God Yessssss!" My orgasm claims me as my vision darkens and bright lights burst around me. I can feel my muscles clamping down hard on his dick as he slams in and out of me. The vein on his forehead is pulsing and his eyes are closed as he pours himself into me shouting out my name before burying his head in my shoulder and biting into my tender skin, he is still pounding into me setting another orgasm to ricochet through me.

  "Imogen you are just perfect, that was perfect. I love you and I love that you are pregnant with my child." His eyes are bright with unshed tears.

  "Back at you sweetie, so when we both have our breathing and heart rates under control can you please feed me and my hungry baby."

  "It will be my pleasure babe." With a tender kiss he pulls out of me and pulls on some sweats. "Is chicken and pasta good for you both?"

  "Ooh yes please." I lie back and hug my arms around my stomach and smile to myself.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Mason

  This morning is going so damn slowly. I'm sat in the dullest meeting in the world listening to two successful, wealthy people argue over who should get what in their very bitter and acrimonious divorce. I just want to tell them to shut the fuck up and sell the lot and split the money fifty/fifty.

  "Mr. Rosenthal, as you are now residing in a penthouse apartment on the lower east side of town do you really think it is important for you to retain the ride-on lawnmower?" I am beginning to lose my patience and I just want to get to the appointment with the doctor and see my baby on a screen.

  "But that's not the point Mr. Reynolds. I purchased it and she didn't so it should stay in my possession. She's got a new one and probably a new gardener to cut the damn lawn and I expect she's fucking him too! She certainly worked her way through the rest of the staff!"

  "Fine! You stingy asswipe, keep the fucking thing! But since you are the one who got your twenty four year old secretary pregnant, you really shouldn't start on who is fucking who." Mrs. Rosenthal spits back at him.

  "Okay Sir, Madam I'm afraid we are out of time today. Mr. Rosenthal I suggest you request a full inventory of all your possessions in all of your four properties, and which items you want to keep as yours, and the same goes to you Madam, when that has been compiled we will meet again and go through the lists item by item if needs be.

  But both of you could save yourselves an awful lot of time and money if you could discuss this together before our next meeting. Shall we meet again in four weeks’ time?" I get up to leave the room and see Lake grinning at me across the room.

  "What's the hurry Mase, I think you looked at your watch every couple of minutes in there."

  "I've just got a lunch time meeting starting in about ten minutes time, so see the charming couple out and I'll catch up on the paperwork this afternoon." I walk past Ginny's desk and see she has already left but April looks up and tells me she is waiting for me downstairs.

  "Hey babe, sorry I'm a bit late, the meeting went on and on. Are you excited? I know I am." I hold her hand walk quickly through the lunch time crowds, but we make it there with a few minutes to spare.

  "I'm bloody terrified Mason, what if something is wrong after all the drugs and painkillers and shit I had pumped into me last month. What if it was damaged by the beating?" I can feel the panic rising in her.

  "Imogen look at me, everything will be fine. It managed to stay put through all of the trauma so it's already a tough little cookie." Just then our names are called. "It's show time babe." I grin and stand up still holding her hand.

  "Right then you two, I've gone through all the questions and details I need for now, so shall we have a look at what's going on in there?"

  Ginny is lying on the bed, her head is propped up so that she can see the screen and I'm sat by her my eyes glued on what is going on. After Dr. Markson covers Ginny's belly with gel and then runs the scanner over it and brings up a snowstorm of a picture and then we see it.

  "Oh My God! Mason that's our baby!" Tears are pouring down both of our cheeks and I'm kissing the back of her hand. The volume is turned up and we hear the heartbeat loudly through the speakers.

  "Can you tell me how far along I am?" Ginny looks hard at the screen.

  "I'm just doing all the measurements now and it looks like you are just over fourteen weeks pregnant. Does that date seem realistic to you?"

  I look at her as we try to work the weeks back and realize it must have been not long after we first got together, we both laugh at the same time.

  "Yeah those dates seem about right." Ginny laughs.

  "Would you like to see if I can see the sex of the baby, it is a bit early but I can try, if you'd like?"

  I look and Ginny and we both shake our heads. So I answer for us both. "No thanks, we seem to like surprises so we would like to keep this one too."

  "That's lovely, I like that so much more. So many people want everything so easy and mapped out I like to see the look on the parents faces when they get to see their special surprise."

  "Is it okay to tell people about this I've heard that some people wait to get to a certain stage before announcing it." Ginny looks excited at the thought of telling our friends.

  "That's true Imogen but it's normally okay after twelve weeks so at fourteen plus weeks you are most definitely good to go on the announcements. Would you like some pictures of the baby?"

  "Oh God, can we do that? Yes please." Ginny has wiped the slime off her still perfectly flat stomach and is rushing round to take them and she hugs the doctor and keeps saying thank you.

  "Come on babe, let Dr. Markson carry on with
her day, we still need to get you fed before heading back to work."

  "Yes, Imogen I understand why you have lost so much weight but when I see you back here in four weeks I would like to see a lot more meat on your bones."

  We exit the offices still clutching our pictures of our little miracle, laughing at how early on in our relationship this happened. "I told you I wasn't a crap lay babe!"

  "Who shall we tell first? I think it should be your parents. Do you want to wait till the weekend or shall we go there tonight?"

  "I think they should know first so I'll call them and arrange to go over. Have you spoken to my Mom since Sunday?"

  "No, but I keep meaning to, have you told them we are back together?" Her face frowns when she realizes she should have called her.

  "No, but Austin is still at home so I'm sure he has told them."

  *

  We are sat my parents dinner table listening to my mother gush over how pleased she is to see us back together, and how she knew everything would work out in the end, and I'm quoting her here 'a love like yours could never fail' I think Ginny choked on her food at that point trying not to laugh. In the end I decide to take matters into my own hands just to shut her up for at least a minute.

  "Mom, Mom can you please calm down for just a few minutes we've got something we need to tell you."

  But she interrupts me again. "You're engaged, it must be that, why else would you both be here tonight. Jim, Jim what do you think about that."

  "I think Nancy my dear, you should sit down and shut your mouth for thirty seconds please. I'm sure you can see by the looks on both of their faces that they are not engaged. Sorry Son, please carry on."

  "Thanks Pops, anyway as I was saying. We have some news." I pause for a couple of seconds until Ginny squeezes my hand. "Ginny and I are having a baby. We only found out yesterday and have been and had a scan today and Ginny is about fourteen and a half weeks pregnant, so Mother dearest, what do you think about being a Grandma?" I look over at Imogen who is beaming at me while my mother is stood gaping like a goldfish, unable to form a word let alone a sentence.