The plane touched down just as I received a reply from the lead technician working on the fertility treatment. As I’d suspected, he had his questions, but he had little sway in my ultimate decision. I asked him a few cursory questions about the pills, and my confidence only grew when he assured me that if there was even a slight chance of dangerous side effects, he wouldn’t have allowed the project to progress as far as it had. The fertility supplement had passed all the initial clinical trials with flying colors, and I quickly wrote back with a message ordering him to leave several doses on my desk.
If he was wary, he was probably too worried about his job to say as much. I wasn’t a tyrant by any means, but I knew how to put my foot down when it became necessary.
Stepping onto the tarmac, I walked confidently to the airport parking lot where my car was waiting. As I sat in the driver’s seat, I received a message confirming that the technician had provided an ample amount of the sample drug for my needs. They were waiting for me when I returned to work that day, having sped down the back streets at least twenty miles over the speed limit. I grabbed the pills off of my desk, considering the green capsules somewhat critically.
While I was confident that they were safe, I couldn’t deny that I had doubts about doing this without telling Ashley first. It seemed a pointless thing to worry about, however, especially considering how hard we’d been trying to conceive. I would do anything to ensure she never shed a tear over this situation again, and if that meant going behind her back with these supplements, it was a risk I was willing to take.
Grabbing my cell out of my pocket again, I scrolled through my contacts until I found Ashley’s number. Composing a new message, I requested that she join me for dinner that evening. She sent a smiling emoticon in return, followed by a teasing message saying she would be in charge of dessert that night. While the words seemed innocent enough, I’d have been a fool not to catch the meaning behind them.
My hands quaked with excitement, and I went ahead and popped one of the pills. I’d been informed that the drug was fast-acting, and would likely be in my system by the time I got home that night. I was all too eager for the evening that lay ahead of me.
I was convinced that it would be the night we conceived our child.
Chapter 13
Jensen
I left the office early, wanting to be sure I got to my apartment well before Ashley was due to arrive. The night had to be absolutely perfect, and I would go to the ends of the earth to see that everything was just so.
Having searched the internet for the best home chef in the area, I sent the guy a quick message, offering double pay for booking him at such short notice. I received a reply immediately, smiling to myself as I typed out my dinner requests: a nice surf and turf meal, served with a vintage Pinot Grigio, and strawberry shortcake for dessert.
While I knew the real dessert would be a thousand times more tantalizing than any cake the chef could provide, I wanted to see that my princess received the true royal treatment. I quickly went about setting the scene, placing a single candle in the middle of the table on my balcony. Realizing that it was missing something, I quickly shuffled downstairs. The florist was a block away, a short enough distance that I could walk it quickly.
Never having been the romantic sort, it was my first time buying a woman flowers. I knew you couldn’t go wrong with red roses and purchased two dozen in a beautiful glass vase. My phone vibrated in my pocket as the florist arranged the blooms and I fumbled in my pocket for a moment before swiping the screen. Seeing that it was a picture message from Ashley, I raised an eyebrow before opening it.
In the picture, Ashley stood poised in front of a full-length mirror, clad in the most tantalizing and skimpy lingerie I’d ever seen in my life. She pouted sensually for the camera, and it was all I could do to keep my composure. The florist was taking an agonizing amount of time arranging the flowers, but when he was finally finished, I was satisfied enough. I thanked the man, leaving a generous tip before rushing back toward my penthouse.
Stepping inside, I walked to the balcony before setting the vase full of roses on the table. I paced the floor as I waited for the chef to arrive. My phone vibrated again, and I grabbed it with quivering hands. Ashley had sent a frowning emoticon, asking if I’d not liked the photo, and I realized belatedly that I’d forgotten to respond. I assured her that she simply left me speechless, which seemed to please her. Just as I was about to send another message, there was a knock at my door.
Welcoming the chef inside, I gave him ample room in my kitchen to do his job. I made sure that the man knew he would receive a very generous tip depending on how quickly and efficiently he finished preparing the meal.
An hour later, growing antsy, I peeked into the kitchen just as the chef finished cooking. We worked quickly to arrange the plates on the table on the balcony, shifting them around until it looked absolutely perfect. I thanked him in a rush, offering a wad of hundred dollar bills as I all but shoved him out the door.
Exactly five minutes later, there was another knock. Inhaling a calming breath, I lit the candle and dimmed the lights before allowing Ashley inside. She smiled coyly, and I noticed that her blouse was unbuttoned just enough to show the slightest glimpse of her lace bra. Unable to help myself, I drew her into my arms and kissed her tenderly. She wrapped her arms around my neck, our lips working in perfect synchrony.
“I missed you,” she said softly, after I’d reluctantly pulled away from her. I smiled, gently caressing her cheek.
“I missed you too. Come on, let’s eat,” I said with a grin, guiding her toward the table. Her eyes widened with delight upon seeing the spread of food, as well as the exorbitantly large bouquet of roses. She reached a hand out tentatively, delicately brushing the petals with her fingertips.
“You did this for me?” she asked. I chuckled softly, pulling her chair out for her. She sat down, eyes scanning the spread of the table. She was nearly drooling at the sight of it, while I was hungry for something else.
“Of course I did it for you. Who else would there be?” I teased, taking my own seat and beginning to eat. She watched me quietly for a moment before taking a bite as well. She seemed content, an easy smile gracing her features. A slight breeze ruffled her hair, the candlelight flickering. “You’re beautiful,” I blurted out, my confidence building as she blushed prettily.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” she said with a small smile.
While I knew the chef had worked hard on the strawberry shortcake sitting in the refrigerator, I knew in that moment that I couldn’t wait any longer for the real dessert of the evening. I stood, offering Ashley my hand as she dabbed at her lips with a napkin. She met my gaze, her eyes dark with desire as she rose from the table and pressed herself against me.
Our lips met again, slowly and sensually at first. However, as I pulled her inside and toward my bedroom, the embrace intensified. She moaned against my lips, and I drew away to lower my mouth to her beautiful neck. I kissed and nipped along her porcelain skin, arousal reaching fever pitch as she moaned softly. I drew away, pulling her into my bedroom and all but tossing her on the bed. She gasped, hitting the bed and bouncing slightly.
“You’re so strong,” she cooed, curling her finger to beckon me forward. I crawled up from the bottom of the bed, pressing her back against the pillows. Our lips met tenderly, one sweet kiss after the other. While her mouth was occupied, she began to unbutton my shirt at a slow and leisurely pace. I shrugged it off, and she sat up slightly to spread her hands across my chest.
There was something different about this encounter, something softer. Our normal hurried pace was absent, and while we’d simply been having sex all the times previous, this felt more like…well, lovemaking.
She lay back, making a show of unbuttoning her blouse. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, watching my expression as she revealed inch after inch of her beautiful, unblemished skin. The bra she was wearing was even sexier in person, and I was
all too eager to see the matching set.
I drew away slightly, drawing her jeans down past her hips and tossing them over my shoulder. Her gaze was smoldering as she watched me, and I felt myself growing almost painfully hard. I lowered my head to her chest, kissing the skin that wasn’t covered by the bra.
“You’re perfect,” I said breathily, meaning it with every fiber of my being.
Ashley reddened, curving her back obligingly as I reached behind her to unclasp her bra. It fell away from her breasts, and my pants were uncomfortably tight as I considered her perfect little pink nipples. I groaned, unbuttoning my pants to relieve a bit of the pressure before continuing my tender ministrations on her chest.
Taking a nipple between my lips, I sucked lightly as I tweaked the opposite with my fingers. She moaned, her hips rolling up against me. Her clothed womanhood brushed against the crotch of my pants, and it was all I could do not to rip every shred of clothing off of us. I wouldn’t throw away this moment of tenderness, though, not for anything in the world.
“Jensen, I—” she gasped, her voice strangled as I kissed down her stomach. I dipped my tongue into her navel, smiling up at her as I made my way between her thighs.
“What is it, sweetheart?” I murmured, running my fingers along the waistband of her panties. She whimpered, raising her hips to allow me easier access.
“I missed you so much,” she gasped out as I stroked a finger along her slit. Her body quaked, and my anxiety fell away upon seeing how she was coming undone at my hands. I smiled up at her, lowering my mouth to her lower lips and flicking my tongue out to taste her. Her breath caught in her throat as I continued to explore her with my lips and tongue, parting her and enjoying every taste of her essence. “More. I need more. Jensen…please?” she implored.
I rose up on my knees, pushing my pants and briefs down my hips, then rocking back to kick them the remainder of the way off. The two of us were entirely bared to each other, and she looked at me with sheer adoration in her gaze. I stretched out above her, pressing my face against the side of her neck as I positioned myself at her entrance. A soft gasp later, I was pushing slowly inside of her. She moaned, a long and appreciative sound.
“You’re always so tight for me, baby,” I said lowly, drawing away and pushing back into her much more quickly. She bounced slightly, sensually taking her lower lip between her teeth. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she groped at her own chest as I began to establish a steady pace. “Oh, no. Bad girl,” I said as I moved her hands aside. She whined, but settled when I began to palm and caress her breasts.
It was a short reprieve before I began to pound into her in earnest, and my name repeatedly fell from her lips. I grabbed her hips, bringing them to meet mine with a lewd little slap every time I hilted myself inside of her. She was moaning incoherently at that point, and I pressed our lips together to silence her as she began to spasm almost violently as she came. Feeling her clamp down on my manhood, all it took was two shaky thrusts before I emptied myself inside of her. She sighed softly, eyes fluttering open as I stilled inside her.
There was so much I wanted to say to her. However, as she settled comfortably in my embrace and closed her eyes, I let the moment speak for itself.
The actual words could come later.
Chapter 14
Ashley
The passion-filled night I had spent with Jensen lingered at the forefront of my mind as I returned to my usual job at the office. We exchanged secretive smiles, spent our lunch breaks together, there was even the occasional bit of making out while we were locked away in his office. It was as if something was beginning to give, but I wasn’t quite sure what. Jensen had been a good measure more affectionate than usual, though after our romantic evening together, it had been back to the usual wham bam, thank you ma’am.
Even though I was certain the romance wouldn’t last, I couldn’t deny the slight pang in my heart at the thought that Jensen didn’t feel as strongly for me as I might have liked.
Still, there was something about the confident glimmer in his eye every time he swept me away to his office to smother me with kisses. Nearly a week had passed since our moment together, and he had provided me with several high-accuracy pregnancy tests to use when the mood struck me. He seemed to feel confident that things would work out for the better, though I’d not told him about my use of the fertility drug.
I could only hope that it had effects as amazing as it advertised. It was my only hope at that point, after the years I’d spent dreaming of a future where I would be a happy and dutiful mother.
Burying my face in my hands, I resolved to take a pregnancy test when I returned home that evening. I had high hopes, but I didn’t plan to act any differently around the man I’d come to love. We were still working on the basis that we would be nothing more than co-parents, raising our child without the complications of a relationship to get in the way. As much as I wanted to shout from the rooftops that I wanted to be with Jensen, I had agreed the terms going into this situation, and I intended to respect them.
What remained of the day passed in a blur. I offered Jensen a coy smile as I stepped out of my office, waving politely as I made my way toward the elevator. He looked to be on edge, though I couldn’t quite guess why. I had begun to suspect that he may have been as stressed as I was, harboring his own concerns about conceiving. As much as I wanted to reassure him or offer him some sort of out, I had to hold on to the hope that the fertility drug would work its magic.
Stepping through the front door of my apartment, it was all I could do not to collapse face first on the couch. I felt exhausted, even though the day had been rather undemanding as far as my assigned tasks went. I just found myself getting tired more easily with each passing day, and while I could have easily dismissed it as a cold, I still held onto the hope that it might have a deeper, more beautiful meaning.
As much as I wanted to slump on the couch for a few hours, I forced myself to walk to my bathroom, checking under the sink and grabbing one of the pregnancy tests Jensen had purchased for me. I read the directions to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes, but there was only so much you could do to screw up a pregnancy test. Pee in a cup, pop the stick in, and wait.
Which was what I spent the next few minutes doing. I sat on the edge of the tub once I’d finished prepping the test, closing my eyes and allowing myself to drift off as I waited for my phone’s timer to go off. The time seemed to go by painfully slowly, and I nearly fell off of my perch as a loud half-snore jolted me to attention. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I glanced at my phone to see that the timer was counting down the final seconds.
When the timer began to jingle pleasantly, I swiped the phone to silence it and glanced toward the cup which held the test that would determine my future. Maybe it wasn’t all that dramatic, but it certainly felt as if it was.
Inhaling a calming breath, I grabbed the test, only to find that I couldn’t bring myself to look at the damn thing. I was too anxious, too terrified by the possibilities.
Finally, the thought that this could be what bound Jensen and I for the rest of our lives forced my eyes open.
“Pregnant,” I repeated under my breath, like a mantra. Turning the test over in my hands, I expected to see some indecipherable bars. However, the results were as clear as day.
“Oh my God,” I gasped, clutching the positive test in my hand. My first instinct was to call Jensen, but I wanted to be absolutely sure before I contacted him.
Three pregnancy tests and a completely empty bladder later, I sat with quaking hands, beaming. I yanked my cellphone out of my pocket, dialing Jensen’s number and waiting impatiently for him to answer.
“Ashley? Is something wrong?” he asked upon answering. I shook my head, but realized immediately that he couldn’t see me.
“No, no… Jensen! I just took a pregnancy test. Well, I actually took three to be sure, but, oh my God, Jensen. I’m pregnant! We’re going to have a baby,” I announced joyfully.
“It worked? We’re having a baby?” Jensen asked softly, awe tinging his voice.
“Yes. I have no doubt in my mind,” I assured him, and he laughed, a warm sound in spite of how sudden it was. I joined him in his joyous laughter, leaning against the side of the bathtub with the tests in my hand. “So, listen—” I began, only for him to cut me off.
“I have to go, hold that thought,” he said rather abruptly, and before I could get another word out, he hung up. I drew my phone away from my ear, staring at it incredulously. What could have been so important that he couldn’t discuss his future child? I found myself growing irate, rising to my feet and storming out of the bathroom.
“The nerve,” I muttered, glancing up as my doorbell chimed. I approached the door with trepidation, looking out the peephole only to see what appeared to be a big blob of red. Startled, I yanked the door open to see what lay on the other side, and before I could react, I was pulled into a pair of strong arms. A floral scent wafted beneath my nostrils, and I looked up to see Jensen staring at me with tears in his eyes. He clutched me tightly against his chest, but I could feel something prickly tickling the back of my neck.
“I came as soon as I could. These are for you,” he managed to get out, drawing away just long enough to press a bouquet of flowers into my hand. It was roses again, more roses than I’d ever seen in my entire life. I guided him inside, and he remained close to my side, resting a hand on the small of my back.
“These are beautiful, Jensen. Thank you,” I smiled, putting the flowers into a vase. He stared at me for a moment before rushing forward to gather me in his arms again. Our lips met in a soft, sweet kiss, and I gasped in surprise against him, closing my eyes and losing myself in his embrace. For a moment, it felt almost as if there was chance he loved me too. When he drew away, there was a tenderness in his gaze that I could scarcely keep from melting under.
Protect Me - A Steamy Bodyguard Romance (You Can't Resist a Bad Boy Book 5) Page 33