by K. C. Crowne
She cleared her throat. “How…how do you feel about that?”
“How do I feel about the fact that I’m a father? Well, I wouldn’t have minded knowing it was going to happen before literally the hour before birth.”
“Hey!” she said with a smile. “I was going to tell you. But when I found out and looked you up, you’d flown off to Africa. I figured it could wait until you got back.”
“He’s my son, too,” I said quietly. “I had a right to know.”
Her expression fell. “I get it. Truth be told, I was being stubborn. Part of me was sure I could do it all on my own, that I didn’t need some man to help me take care of my child.”
“And how’d that work out for you?”
“It was hard. Gia helped, and so did the rest of my family. After...things went badly between you and me, I moved back in with them. But I knew, as mad as I might’ve been with you, I was doing something wrong. You were the father – you had a right to know. But I figured you had your reasons for leaving.”
“I did. But I would’ve been there for you, Annie. Regardless of how things were between us, I would’ve been there.”
She reached over and took my hand. “I know. I don’t doubt that for a second. And looking back, I should’ve told you.”
“Then I’m glad you came here,” I said. “It’s all out in the open now.”
“I just…” She stopped herself.
“You just what?”
“I just wish things didn’t have to happen the way they did. Why’d you do it, Duncan? Why’d you blow me off like that?”
I smirked. “Annie, you know one of the things I love about you is your stubbornness, how you don’t take shit from anyone.”
“It’s gotten me into trouble a few times, I’ll admit.”
“Right. Like when your boyfriend’s father has a heart attack and he have to go to the hospital with him, and he’s so focused on that he forgot his phone, and then it’s dead when he gets back and he doesn’t have a chance to tell his girlfriend what’s going on.”
She gave me a quizzical look, as if I’d just laid out some bizarre hypothetical situation. But then the realization dawned on her.
“You…that’s what happened?”
I nodded. “I wish I would’ve told you. But I was so fucking worried for my father that I couldn’t think of anything else. And when I tried to tell you the next day, I could sense that you didn’t want to hear a word of it, that no excuse would’ve been good enough. So, I took that as I sign things were done between us.”
“And then you went to Africa.”
I nodded. “I figured some time away from Colorado would do me some good. And more than that, I’d gotten so wrapped up in the business side of Pitt Medical that I’d lost sight of what was really important – the people.”
“I saw the pictures you posted on social media,” she murmured. “All those musicians…” She smiled, clearly happy about it.
“Hey, you were onto something with that. And the musicians went over so well I decided to open a music therapy department for Pitt Medical.”
Her eyes flashed. “Is that right?”
“It’s right. And I could use someone to help get it going, someone who’s a brilliant musician, someone who’s got experience…” I flicked up my eyebrows and smiled, letting her know without words it was her I had in mind. “Unless you’ve still got your journalism job to worry about, of course.”
“I don’t know,” she said, a bit flustered. “I just did it for fun back then. But I’m only doing part-time work for Classical Monthly – being pregnant doesn’t exactly lend itself to anything else.”
“How about this – you take your time with the baby. And if you want to do a little work for me here and there, a position will be waiting for you.”
“Thanks, but I don’t want you to just give me something like that.”
“There’s no giving involved. You’ll start on the bottom, and if you’re good enough to work your way up, then you’ll have that chance. No free rides with Dr. Pitt.”
“Well, certain kinds of rides,” she said with a glimmer in her eye.
I couldn’t help but laugh. But the mention of our sex life brought the idea of her and I back to the forefront.
“That’s your son in there,” she said. “And I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want. But if you want him to be a part of your life…”
“There’s nothing more I want,” I said, not hesitating for a second. “Actually, there is something more that I want.”
She was confused. “What’s that?”
“I want you both to be a part of my life. I want us to be together. I’ve been without you for too long, Annie.” I reached for her hands. “All the time I was in Africa I couldn’t stop thinking about you, wondering what could’ve been between us. And now that you’re here, both of us parents, there’s no doubt in my mind what I want.”
I took a deep breath and spoke. “I love you, more than I ever thought I could love someone. You and our boy.”
For a moment I wasn’t sure how she was going to react. But when I saw the tears her in her eyes, I knew what her answer was.
“I love you too, Duncan. And yes, I want us to be a family.”
There was nothing else to be said. I took her hand and pulled her close. We kissed. The instant our lips touched, I knew I’d made the right call.
Life without Annie was simply no life at all.
And I couldn’t wait to get started on whatever was next.
Epilogue
ANNIE
One year later…
I’d done it dozens of times before, but it never stopped making me nervous, even if only a little. It didn’t help matters that nearly all of my family was among the crowd. Not to mention Duncan’s.
There was nothing left to do but do it. I took a deep breath, positioned my violin under my chin, and began to play.
The piece was one of my favorites – Beethoven’s Concerto in D Major, the sheet music on the beautiful rosewood stand Duncan had bought me for Christmas. I loved it like crazy, the lilting, uplifting melody never failing to brighten my spirits. And there at the hospital, playing for the patients in the recovery wing, I knew that was exactly what they needed.
I played, closing my eyes and letting the melody flow through me, muscle memory doing its work and coaxing the notes out in perfect time. No one said a word as I played, and all eyes were on me. When I was done, I let the final D note hang in the air, the vibrato giving it a gentle, wavy effect. Then I lowered the instrument and smiled, signaling that I was done.
The applause was like nothing I’d heard before. I wasn’t in it for laudations, but there was no sense in pretending I didn’t love it when my performances went over well.
The applause continued, and I took a little bow. Duncan was in the back of the room, Oliver, our baby boy, in his arms, a warm smile on his face. He wasn’t applauding, but he didn’t need to. I knew exactly how he felt about my music.
“That was so, so freaking good,” Gia squealed, coming over to me and giving me a hug. Andrew was close behind, his hand on her shoulder.
And, like always, my eyes dropped to the ring on her finger. It caught the sunlight that poured into the room, making me just a tinge jealous. Hated to admit it, put part of me wished I was getting married too.
“Well done,” Andrew complimented, stepping in and giving me a hug.
“Thanks,” I said, pride flowing through me.
I stepped through the crowd, the patients in attendance shaking my hand and telling me how much they enjoyed my performance. Mom and Dad were beaming, as always. Bethany was there with Parker and Dean, a tiny bump on her stomach where her next pregnancy was finally starting to show. Even Sarah, Duncan’s biological mother who he’d finally met, was there.
“Oh, I can’t believe my little girl is so damn talented,” Mom cried, giving me a hug. “Where on Earth did you get that from?”
“Amazing, sweethear
t,” Dad beamed, giving me a hug of his own. “Couldn’t be prouder of you.”
“That was…I don’t even know what to say,” said Bethany. “I knew you were good, but I didn’t know you were that good.”
It was almost too much. Since taking over as head music director for Pitt Medical, I’d done only a little playing here and there – a few dozen performances total over the last few months. Most of my work was in overseeing the other musicians. As much as I loved to play, that took up plenty of my time.
This performance had been his idea – a way for everyone to come into town and see what I could do, what I’d been spending my time on. But I’d been nervous as hell about it. Not only because of the performance, but because there was something I needed to tell Duncan.
Something I’d been hiding.
I chatted a little more with my friends and family, Duncan making his way over with Oliver. Our little boy giggled and smiled as he laid eyes on me, his eyes still a bright blue, his chubby little arms reaching out for his Mom.
“There’s my little man,” I said, taking him into my arms and holding him close.
“Believe it not,” Duncan said, “but he was actually clapping.”
I laughed, gazing down into my beautiful boy’s sweet little face.
Being a mom was…there were no words to describe how incredible it’d been. I never thought I’d be able to love someone the way I loved little Oliver. And it didn’t hurt that he looked more and more like his handsome father with each passing day.
Oliver made the rounds, all of our friends and family doting over him as they usually did.
“Alright, guys,” I said, taking him back into my arms from Gia. “You’re all going to spoil him with attention.”
Gia grinned. “Yeah, and after that performance I think you’ve earned a little.”
I laughed. “Believe me, I didn’t get into this for attention.”
Duncan cleared his throat and spoke up. “Any chance I could steal her from you for a moment? I have something I want to talk about with my lovely girlfriend.”
Girlfriend. Sure, I loved hearing him say that. But as long as we’d been together – not to mention the fact that we were parents – I couldn’t help but wish we were something more.
I made sure never to pressure him. Pitt Medical was having its biggest year ever, opening clinics in nearly every state west of the Mississippi, with plans to open even more. I was sure the last thing he needed was his girlfriend pestering him about getting married. Not to mention with Oliver and my new job, I was pretty damn busy on my own.
But still, a girl could dream, right?
“Of course,” Andrew said, smiling. “We’ll watch the little dude. Good to get in as much practice as we can, right?”
Gia smiled at this comment, standing on her tiptoes and planting a kiss on Andrew’s cheek. Damn, was I happy they’d found each other.
Once Oliver was passed off to my doting family, Duncan took my hand and led me through the patient room to the elevator. As soon as the doors were shut, he was all over me. My eyes widened as he put his hands on my hips, pressing his lips to mine and giving me a deep, passionate kiss. I fell into it – no way could I resist Duncan when those lips were on mine.
Whatever I was thinking about before, it was blasted out of my head the second he made his move.
“Someone’s feeling frisky,” I said through the kiss.
“Couldn’t resist,” he said. “You with that violin…it’s as sexy as it gets.”
He kissed me along my neck, a big smile spreading across my face, goosebumps breaking out all over my body. One of his hands on my hip, the other took hold of my inner thigh, moving up and up until his fingers reached my panties. I was already wet, and when he started rubbing my clit through my panties, I knew there was a good chance he was going to make me come before we reached the executive floor.
And he apparently sensed this as well. He took his hand away for just long enough to press the stop button on the elevator, bringing the car to a halt.
“Just a few minutes,” he murmured.
“Oh?” I asked. “You think that’s all the time you need?”
He kept on kissing my neck, taking the collar of my blouse down just far enough to expose my cleavage. “I like to think I’ve gotten to know your body pretty well,” he said.
I wanted to teasingly dispute him, but the way he touched my clit made it certain he wasn’t all talk. The man knew how to please me. And his skills were mine, all mine.
I rubbed his cock through his slacks, a low growl escaping his lips as I stroked his length. Touching his cock was just as much a turn-on for me as it was him – rubbing his length made me crave his dick. But after a little more of his touching and kissing and rubbing, all I could do was grab onto his arms and lean my head against his shoulder.
“Come for me,” he ordered. “Right now.”
My knees buckled beneath me as the orgasm raced through my body. If I hadn’t been holding on to him, I was certain I’d have dropped into a giddy heap where I stood.
When I was finished, he hit the stop button, and the elevator continued up, the doors opening when we reached the executive floor. The offices were located in a brand new building in downtown Denver, one built specially for Pitt Medical Group. And since it was rapidly becoming the name for private health care in the United States, we needed every square inch.
“Play it cool,” he said. “And let’s go to my office.”
“Whatever you say, Doctor.”
We made our way through the executive floor, men and women in sharp suits greeting us as we passed. My heart was still racing, my pussy throbbing from the orgasm. When we reached Duncan’s office, he opened the door with his keycard and we stepped inside. The door barely had a chance to shut before we were all over each other again.
Duncan put his hands on my ass, lifting me off my feet and carrying me over to the desk, the kiss we shared passionate and thrilling.
His office was huge and spacious with a view that looked over Denver all the way to the mountains beyond. We split time between our apartment there and our home in White Pines, and I loved our dual-city life.
When he set me down on the seat, hiking my skirt up and pulling my panties down, all I could think about was him inside me.
“Please,” I moaned, stroking his cock through his slacks. “I want it so fucking badly.”
He grinned, loving when I talked like that. And thankfully, he didn’t keep me waiting. Duncan undid his belt and pants and took out his thick, solid cock, dragging it slowly over my clit before placing his head at my opening and driving into me.
He pumped into me hard, shoving his body against mine, holding fast for a moment before doing it again, then again. Each push of his cock caused another explosion of pleasure through my body, making me shake and moan and nearly fall off the damn desk.
Then he opened my shirt, taking my breasts out of my black bra and sucking on my nipples, his cock still pushing into me at a steady, powerful pace. I returned the favor, opening one button then another then another, exposing his perfect physique.
“Please,” I moaned. “Come inside me.”
As the last word left my mouth, my own orgasm, this one even more powerful than the one I’d had in the elevator, ripped through my body. Duncan’s muscles contracted and released, and I felt him come along with me, his cock throbbing and pumping as he drained himself.
When we were both done, Duncan caught his breath, my arms still wrapped around his body. We kissed again, smiling at one another.
“I love you,” he said. “So much it makes me crazy.”
“Right back at you, handsome.”
We redressed, and I looked out the window, taking in the sight of the city before us.
“Now,” I said. “As nice as this was, something tells me that wasn’t why you brought me up here.”
“It’s not,” he said. “Come outside with me.”
His tone was serious, almost like I
was in trouble or some such. We stepped onto the balcony of his office, the air mild, the last traces of summer warmth in the air. Duncan looked out over the city, collecting his thoughts.
“I never thought my life could be like this,” he said, as if in disbelief. “I never thought I’d be…this happy. What I have with you, our family, Oliver…it’s like nothing I’ve ever known before. And I have you to thank for it all. I love you like mad, Annie. And I think it’s about time we finally made it official.”
He reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and took out a small black box, opening it to reveal a gorgeous, diamond ring.
“Be my wife, Annie. Make me the happiest man on the damn planet.”
I didn’t know what to say. The sight of that ring in his hands, that loving, expectant look on his face…there was nothing else I could say but…
“Yes.”
We kissed He slipped the ring on my finger. And for a few minutes, we simply held one another, gazing deep into each other’s eyes.
“Now come on,” he said after a time. “Let’s share the good news.”
One more kiss and we went back to the elevator, and I couldn’t stop glancing down at the ring on my finger. We kissed more as the elevator went down, composing ourselves just as the doors opened.
Everyone was still there, all eyes on us as soon as they realized we’d returned.
“Got a little bit of an announcement to make,” Duncan said.
We held hands, and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
We were in love.
We were going to start a life together.
And it was all perfect.
The End
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