“Don’t tell me to calm down! I demand to see them.”
“Listen to me. We’re not finished closing her up yet. Miss Buchannan was admitted to the emergency room less than three hours ago. We were able to stabilize her sufficiently to perform the emergency procedure. You have a son, Mr. Knight. He was in fetal distress and needed a little help too, but he’s much better now.”
Thank God. “He’s all right? I need to see him.”
“And you will. Soon.”
I realize he’s being cryptic about Cherry. “What about Miss Buchannan? Is Cherry okay?”
“The mother was suffering from an uncommon form of preeclampsia, which caused the abrupt labor and sudden onset unconsciousness.”
“What are you saying, Doctor? How is she?”
I can’t bear to find out the answer if it’s bad news. But I need to know. I fucking have to know now. God knows I’d change places with her if I could.
“We were able to stabilize her to complete the C-section. She’s still unconscious.”
“Is she going to be okay?”
“Yes, of course. She had us going for a while, but Miss Buchannan will be all right.”
She’s alive. She’s going to be fine. Thank God. I feel my knees crumpling under the weight of my relief, but Dylan rushes over to us and holds me upright.
“Jesus, why didn’t you start with that, Doctor?” Dylan asks.
“The nurse will let you know when you can see them. It’ll be soon,” he says, ignoring my buddy’s question as he returns to the room.
“That’s good news!” Dylan shouts. He guides me over to the nearest chair in the waiting area. “Congratulations, man. They’re both fine. You’re a dad!”
“Yes. Yes! They’re all right.”
My kitten.
And my son.
They’re both alive and are going to be fine.
I just need Cherry to wake up so I can tell her myself.
26
Cherry
The comforting warmth of a hand laced into mine makes me smile and squeeze back.
Jace is here. Thank goodness.
I try to open my eyes, but it feels as though they’re sealed shut with crazy glue. Then the sensation of soreness around my belly button wrenches me back to my senses.
My contractions.
My water broke.
The baby.
I drag my other hand to my belly. It’s sore as hell and wrapped in something. And it’s smaller than it was a while ago. No amount of effort lets my eyes open. I work so hard to move my arms so I can sit up. It’s no use. I can barely move. Words don’t leave my mouth as I work hard to pull my lips apart. It’s as though someone has sewn them together while I laid here unconscious in Mr. Knight’s office. But his leather sofa didn’t feel this warm, and where would Gemma have gotten covers to throw over me?
Where am I?
“Jace,” I manage to force out through my dry mouth and lips, wondering why it feels so sore at the back of my throat.
“Hi gorgeous,” he says, and gives my hand a soft squeeze. “You’re awake.”
“Hi.”
“I’m so fucking happy to hear your voice,” he says, and I feel his lips press to my forehead a moment later. I need his warmth. His touch.
“I can’t open my eyes. Where are we?”
“Mercy General. It’s okay. It’s probably the painkillers.”
My sluggish brain puts the painkillers together with the fact that we’re at the hospital. Then I panic, desperately rolling my eyes to the back of my head to open them up. Jace’s face is blurry, and the light behind his head makes him seem surreal as he leans over me, gazing down at my face with concern.
“The baby!” I shout through a tight, hoarse throat. “Oh God, is he… what happened?”
Jace gestures to my left with his chin. “Our boy’s a trooper. He’s got a real pair of lungs on him. Bawls like a Yankees fan.”
“He’s all right?” It takes me forever to get my neck to work so I can look to the left.
“Yes. Hang on.” Jace lets go of my hand and disappears out of my limited peripheral vision. The fear clamped around my chest and heart only dissipates when he comes into my field of vision again, this time with a tiny swaddled bundle resting on his upper chest and one shoulder. He turns the front of it to me, eyes overflowing with adoration. “This is our son, Cherry. Hey kiddo, say hi to your momma.”
“God. He’s beautiful,” I say, weak and overwhelmed. Air rushes into my lungs. All the stiffness and numbness disappear, and soon my hands are stretching up to my child. Our son. “Hi, baby. I’m so happy so meet you.” It’s close to impossible to look away from that precious little package, but I pull my eyes away for a split second to look up into Jace’s eyes. “He’s gorgeous, honey.”
“Yes he is. And the doctors say he scored an eight on the Apgar scale. He’s really healthy.”
“That’s great, love.”
“Little overachiever. He got that from you,” Jace adds with a short chuckle.
“That’s our baby, Jace.”
“Yes. He’s all ours.”
“Did Jackson and Mr. Knight get to meet him yet? And my dad? And Dylan and Vanessa?”
“Yes. Erica too. And Emily. They’re all hanging out, waiting for you to wake up. By the way, don’t ever fucking scare me like that again.”
“Sorry about that. How long have I been out?”
“A few hours since they finished the C-section.”
I don’t want to wait a second longer to have my son against my skin. “Can I hold him?” I breathe out. “Just for a while.”
“Hell yes.” Jace leans forward, lowering our little man onto my chest. “Here you go.”
“Hi, baby. Oh my God, you’re so tiny, and so warm,” I whisper to him.
Pulling back the soft flannel he’s wrapped in, I study his face and neck. I can’t stop admiring him. Those slightly puffy, closed eyes. His wrinkly little nose. And he has Dad’s lips. My lips. The experience of almost losing my father hits me hard again, and the tears start to fall. But the pain is different somehow. Seeing some of Dad’s features in my son’s face, it’s as though I’ll get the chance I never had with my father. Which reminds me of a question. I look up at Jace. “Are we still going with the name we planned?”
“Definitely. Scott Gerald Russell Knight is a mouthful, but I’m sure he’ll grow into it.”
The name is significant for us both. Scott is Jace’s mother’s maiden name, Russell is my mom’s maiden name, and Gerald is for my father. It’s perfect.
“I love it. Hi Scott,” I whisper into my newborn face.
Jace leans close to me again, and rests a protective hand over his son. “Are you ready to say yes to me, kitten? To us?”
I know exactly what he’s asking, and I have no more excuses for waiting. “Yes. Of course, yes! I’ll marry you. I love you, Daddy… and our baby.”
He closes the distance between us and presses a kiss on my lips. “Good,” he says, lifting up and reaching into his pants pocket. “Because I’ve been carrying this engagement ring around for way too long.” I’ve seen the two-carat diamond solitaire engagement ring before. I feel like a fool for making him wait this long, so I tilt my left wrist up, making room for him as he slides it on.
“I love you, Cherry. This is just the beginning,” he tells me.
I have no doubt of that. And I’m beyond excited to see where life takes the three of us.
Months Later
27
Epilogue - Jace
It feels fucking good when Cherry wakes me up to the feel of her hand wrapped around my cock.
This morning, she barely got her fingers wrapped around my girth and my dick springs to life. I’m still addicted to her touch and have been craving her all week while I was away. This time it was London with Caleb, schmoozing the fuck out of a potential client from one of Europe’s royal families, two or three times removed. Caleb nailed it. I was there for moral support,
and to make sure Caleb didn’t promise them everything under the sun to get on board with us.
I also found the time to pick up something for Cherry while I was there. Which reminds me that I want to show her before Scott wakes up.
Kissing the top of her head, I climb out of bed to get her surprise. It took me enough time to scour the London jewelry stores, but I found everything. She’s going to fucking love this.
It’s a charm bracelet with seven charms I put a lot of thought into finding and getting customized for her. The first is to commemorate how much family means to us both. It’s a white gold and red berry-colored Swarovski crystals on an openwork orb. The surface is polished, with branches and leaves engraved around it, and the words ‘I love my family’ are etched onto the midline, circling the orb. The second is for Scott. It’s a dangle charm in the shape of a puzzle piece, made of white gold and blue enamel, and engraved with our son’s name.
The third, fourth and fifth are symbols to celebrate the connection Cherry and I have. One is a shimmering pink gold charm spattered with pink diamonds, in the shape of two hearts intertwined. The next is a tiny set of pink gold handcuffs with the scripted words ‘Together’ on one, and ‘Always’ on the other, and are joined together with white gold safety chain. And the third is a simple but cute berry red cat-face charm.
Because Cherry’s my kitten.
The final two are pieces to keep her mother and father close. For her mom, I found a pink gold charm in the shape of a heart that’s embossed with the words ‘Moms are forever’. For her father, I had to get a customized set of blue crystal dangle charms to fit all the words I wanted. Each charm has one or two words on it. Together they read, ‘The love between a father and daughter looks different but runs just as deep.’
I pull the bracelet out of the velvet box and hold it behind my back as I get back into bed. “I got you something,” I tell her. “Put your hand out for me.”
Her eyebrows raise, and she lifts her left hand. “What did you get me this time?”
“Something you’ll love.”
The look on her face as I lift it to undo the clasp makes all the effort of searching for each piece worthwhile.
“Oh Jace, it’s beautiful!” she says, eyes filling with tears.
She can’t stop gazing at it. Once it’s around her wrist, she runs a finger over the charms, inspecting each one.
“You like it?”
“I adore it,” she tells me, pulling her eyes away just long enough to look over at me. “Thanks honey.”
Cherry slides her other hand down my chest, letting it come to rest on my dick again. She pulls off her oversized t-shirt and climbs on top of me, not saying a word.
“I was the first man that fucked you,” I whisper, gripping her hips. “And I’ll be the last.”
She smiles down at me and tilts her head to one side. The bright flecks of her shimmering blue-green eyes keep me mesmerized. “That’s one way to talk dirty to me. Let’s hope Scottie sleeps for a while longer.”
I pull her along my legs to my hips, then lift her up to position myself. I’ve waited long enough. And by the way she’s grinding against my groin, she has too. I want to worship this woman and mark her as mine so she can never forget her first time. Cherry leans down and kisses me. She rubs her breast against my chest, and I pass a hand through her hair. Grasping a handful, I part her lips, our tongues dueling for more contact as I tighten my grip on her hips, lift her a little, and drive into her center. She’s wet and tight as fuck. I love her all over again, like it’s the first fucking time.
Cherry digs her nails into my biceps and tightens her legs at my waist. Each time she rolls her hips, they grip me like a vice. Moving my mouth down to her breasts, I suck one nipple between my teeth, groaning as her raspy pleas and the sway of her hips drive me closer to madness. She presses her breasts into my face and feeds me more of her nipple. Jesus. The way she’s writhing on my dick, taking in inch by cock-clenching inch of me with each thrust, neither of us will last much longer in this position.
With our bodies still connected, I slide a hand up to her back, release her breast from between my teeth and roll us over. I pick up where I left off, drilling into her, with my hands under her ass cheeks for more control. Changing position was meant to stretch out the moment, but for Cherry, it does the opposite this time. She arches her back and cries out when I give her ass a rough squeeze. Her body convulses, and her core pulsates around my dick as she flies to her peak.
I’m rocking her hard now. She’s so fucking tight as her climax rolls on, gripping me like her hand jobs. I stare down at her face, now awash by the afterglow, and her body completely relaxed, except for her hands holding on to my hips. I pound into her and ride her into the sunrise. I’m surprised when she takes it to the next level.
“Fill me with your seed,” she begs, and that fucking does it. I can’t hold back. I erupt my load deep in her womb, eyes pressed shut, absently hoping one will take root as I finish.
I stretch out beside her and wait to calm my breathlessness, but I need to know if she meant what she said.
“I want another boy,” I tell her, panting hard. “Or a girl.”
“Me too,” she agrees, sliding in closer.
We relax there, watching the sun come up outside the bay window until sounds come from the baby monitor. Scott’s awake.
“I’ll check on him,” I say, but she holds on tight.
“Give it ten minutes. He’ll keep himself busy for a while,” she tells me, sliding one leg up around my hips again. “I’m up for doing the same with you, but we have to hurry this time.”
It’s like music to my ears. “Well said, kitten. Let’s ride.”
Cherry give me an eager smile. We couldn’t be happier.
Bonus Story!
NOTE
Your book ends around 30% because of this awesome, sexy bonus content.
Many reader fans tell me that Andrew and Abby in the Cabin Heat Complete Series are their favorite Bella Love-Wins characters.
Enjoy!
The Cabin Heat Complete Series
Book One - Cabin Heat
Prologue
ANDREW CARRINGTON stood from his seat in the waiting room when he saw the surgeon approach him.
“I’m so sorry. We did everything. We couldn’t save her.”
The doctor’s words were garbled and foreign to Andrew. How could she have uttered such a forlorn statement to him, a man desperate to hear that his wife was pretty banged up, but would be okay? The room closed in as Andrew digested the words. He reached down to his bandaged forearm. Beneath the bandages, the injured arm throbbed from his quickening heartbeat.
Behind Andrew, his father walked from the only window in the waiting room, to stand beside him. He braced his middle-aged body to support some of the weight of his six-foot-five son. With an arm stretched over his son’s shoulder, he held him steady.
“I’m so sorry,” the doctor repeated. “We tried so hard, but Emma’s gone.”
“Let’s sit down, son.” His father guided him to the nearest chair. By then, Andrew was just an empty shell. His vacant mind shut itself down from the gut-wrenching news that his Emma was dead. He could not accept it. He would not.
“What are the options?” Andrew looked up and asked the doctor.
“Look, Andrew,” the doctor started. She remembered her colleague was probably in shock, and raised her hand toward the nurses’ station to summon help. “There are no options, Dr. Carrington. She’s gone. I’m so sorry.”
“There has got to be options!” Andrew shouted so loudly that the orderly on the other end of the hall turned around to stare.
He stood up and stormed toward the operating room, intent on finding a solution if no one else would. He didn’t see the four uniformed police officers walking in his direction. He barely noticed the room go blurry, until he lost his footing. He collapsed with a thump on the bandaged arm and blacked out.
Chapter 1
&nbs
p; Two years later
ABBY WITTFIELD dismissed her father’s usual concern. He was always this way after every holiday visit from San Francisco to their family home just outside Reno-Sparks. Trying not to lengthen their goodbye, she put her small suitcase and laptop bag in the trunk of her SUV.
“Not to worry, Dad.” She caught a glimpse of him leaving his perch on the bottom step of the porch to come toward her.
“Worrying is what I do best,” he answered, kissing her hair and offering his last hug, for at least a few months. “Have a safe trip, and remember to stop at that lodge in Truckee before dark. The drive can become treacherous at night, this time of year. Those mountain roadways ice up at a moment’s notice.”
“I will, Dad. You take care of yourself, okay? See you in May,” Abby offered. She opened the driver side door and got inside. Any extra attention would extend the farewell ad infinitum. And she had a long enough drive ahead of her.
“Call me when you get there, okay?” he said, holding onto the open car window as he leaned down for a last kiss on the cheek.
“Okay, Dad,” she answered, and started the engine.
“You sure you can’t come back for spring break this year?”
“Not this year,” Abby answered for the fourth time since getting home for Christmas break. “It’ll be too hectic with clinicals. But I promise I’ll be back as soon as school’s out. Bye, Daddy.”
“Love you, honey. Be safe!” he shouted.
He waved without stopping as Abby reversed the car down the driveway of the family home. Abby saw in the rear view mirror that her father continued to watch after her, even as she turned from their country driveway onto the main road. She knew he worried too much, but it was understandable. Her mother had died of cancer eight years earlier, and with no siblings, Abby was his everything. He had not remarried or attempted to date anyone after the loss.
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