by Tami Lund
“What the hell was he doing in the delivery room while she was giving birth anyway? I thought Camila wanted only Tommy and Maddy in there.”
“Let’s go find out,” Amelia suggested, and they followed Grandma Bryant down the hall to Camila’s room.
Elliot pushed open the door and held it for Grandma and Amelia. Grandma was immediately swept into a hug and escorted to a far corner, where several nurses were clustered around what he assumed was the newborn baby. It let out a few squawks, presumably protesting whatever they were doing to the poor kid.
As Elliot pulled his camera out of the bag, Grandma peered over someone’s shoulder and then announced, “I was right!”
“She guessed it was a girl,” Amelia murmured from where she stood, balancing on her crutches, next to Elliot. “She said she could tell by the way Camila was carrying her.”
“Not surprising she would figure it out. Come on, let’s go congratulate the new parents.”
They stepped into the group surrounding Camila’s bed. Through his lens, Elliot noted that her hair was soaked, raked away from her face, and her eyes were swollen like she’d been crying at one point, although at the moment she was smiling as radiantly as, well, a new mother.
Who hadn’t missed a night of sleep yet.
“Annabelle.”
“Julia.”
“Victoria.”
“No, Veronica.”
“Or Betty.”
“That’s dumb.”
“What’s wrong with Betty? That’s a classic name and a way to compliment a pretty girl.”
“How about Nora?”
“Yeah, that’s a cool one.”
“Is there anyone you want to name her after? Someone important in your life?”
“Yeah, call her Grandma Bryant.”
That earned a round of chuckles.
Apparently, they’d walked into a game of Name the Baby.
“Hey,” Kyle said, patting him on the back. “You missed all the excitement.” He waved at Camila. “We all accidentally got to witness the birth.”
Elliot glanced at Amelia, whose eyes had gone round. Kyle nodded but Maddy spoke. “Our first niece had no patience for that doctor, who seemed to be under the impression she wasn’t going to get here until sometime during the middle of the night.”
“Yep,” Mom confirmed, sounding proud. “Camila had a contraction and that little angel just decided it was time. She only pushed—how many times, dear?”
Camila shook her head. “I don’t know. But it was definitely quicker than I expected.”
“The doctor barely stuck out his hands in time to catch her,” Maddy said with a laugh.
“And then Phil passed out!” Kyle started cackling.
Philip—and Maecie—turned red. He dragged his hand through his hair and wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. “We should just tell them, Maecie,” he muttered.
Elliot trained his camera on the apparently embarrassed couple.
“No. This is Camila and Tommy’s day. We can wait.”
“You’re pregnant,” Amelia burst out, and then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oops.”
The blushes on the couple’s faces spread down their necks and into their necklines as Maecie smiled one of those small, secret smiles that basically said, “Yes, yes, we are.” Elliot snapped away.
“Oh my goodness,” Mom called out as she shoved everyone out of the way so that she could sweep Maecie and Philip both into her arms. “Another grand for me? Really?”
Philip chuckled weakly. “Sorry, Cam.”
She waved his concern away. “No worries. Congratulations. I’m excited that they’ll be close in age.”
Guess that was why Philip passed out. He was probably imagining Maecie in that bed, delivering his baby.
“Hey, Elliot. Would you get some pictures of the baby?”
“On it.” He focused the lens just as Tommy turned around with his newborn daughter nestled in the crook of his arm. She was swaddled in a white, pink, and blue blanket, with a pink knit cap on her head, and he had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.
Snap, snap, snap.
“Okay, everybody, ready to officially meet her?” Tommy called out.
He moved to the end of the bed, and everyone gathered around, peering down at the little bundle cradled in his arm. “Look what Camila gave me,” he whispered, staring at his infant daughter. “Hey, sweetness,” he cooed like a man already wrapped around her little finger. The baby stared back with wide, dark eyes in her ruddy, wrinkled face.
Snap, snap, snap.
“She kind of looks like Grandpa Bryant,” Elliot said as he continued to capture the moment with his camera, which earned him a few laughs.
“Did I hear you right?” Grandma Bryant wanted to know, looking at Maecie. “You finally admitted it?”
Maecie brushed her hair off her shoulder. “Well, I just took the test this morning, so I’m not sure about the whole ‘finally’ aspect.”
Grandma patted Amelia’s shoulder. “I could’ve won twenty bucks if you’d taken my bet.”
“Especially considering I’m just meeting everyone for the first time, so I have no history and no idea if I was taking a good bet or not.”
Grandma waved away her argument. “So what do you think? Are they keepers?”
“Er…”
“You still need time. Well, don’t wait too long. It’s best if all the cousins are around the same age. More fun growing up together that way. Now, pass over that baby. When you going to get around to naming this child?” She turned away from Amelia and held out her arms, and Tommy carefully rested the baby in the crook of her elbow while Elliot captured the moment.
***
Two hours later, Elliot had snapped a ridiculous number of photos of his new niece and her glowing parents, as well as captured shots of her in each person’s, or couple’s, arms. Maddy had taken the camera from him at one point and made him and Amelia pose together with the baby so that he’d have at least one picture of Elliot with the newborn. He didn’t waste his breath reminding everyone that Amelia was not there in a girlfriend capacity. He could always Photoshop her out of the picture later.
Or not. Maybe he wanted to keep the photo.
Eventually, the hospital kicked out everyone except Tommy, stating that visitor’s hours were over and the new family would likely appreciate some downtime.
Philip and Maecie retired to their own home, taking Grandma Bryant and Elliot’s parents with them, as they had recently renovated their log cabin in the woods and added two bedrooms and a bathroom. Maddy and Kyle, Maddy’s parents and grandparents all went back to Tommy and Camila’s house.
Elliot and Amelia headed back to the Detroit area. They could have stayed the night, since Amelia brought her laptop, but he knew, or at least suspected, that she needed a break from all the hoopla. She wasn’t used to family chaos, and even if it was a good kind of chaos, it was still undoubtedly overwhelming.
Besides, they had a big day tomorrow. They had to convince the board to overrule her father and let her stay on as COO.
“These are really good,” Amelia said from the passenger seat. She had his camera in her hands and was flipping through all the pictures he’d taken today.
“I mean, really good,” she murmured, staring intently at each image in turn. She glanced up at him. “Professional grade.”
He shrugged. “I told you it was my hobby.”
“What are you doing working temporary, odd jobs? You should be doing this for a living.”
He grimaced. He hated talking about this subject.
“It took me a long time to figure out what I was passionate about. Tommy was five years old when he declared he wanted to be a famous motorcycle racer. Kyle’s been tinkering with engines since he was ten. Philip wanted to be an FBI agent since high school. Granted, he didn’t go that route, but he’s doing something he loves, and it’s kind of along the same vein.
“I didn’t even declare my major unt
il my senior year of college, and I had to bust my ass to graduate. And yeah, I love it, but it isn’t a practical career.”
“What in the world does that mean?”
He waved at her. “You’re a perfect example. You’re in a practical career, and you’re doing amazing at it.”
He swiftly glanced her way. She was staring at him.
“Tommy was a motocross racer,” she said. “That doesn’t sound very practical to me.”
“It’s different,” Elliot insisted.
“How so?”
“That’s been his dream ever since he was five years old.”
“And you just discovered photography in your twenties?”
He shook his head and admitted, “No. When Tommy first went pro, I did all his publicity shots, even though I was just a kid with no training.”
She didn’t say anything.
“It’s different,” he said stubbornly.
“Is it?”
After a few moments of terse silence, he blew out a breath. “When I started dating Maddy, I hadn’t declared a major yet. I’d taken a few photography classes by then, was doing odd jobs, taking pictures for the different student organization websites. Even picked up a gig shooting one of the productions the theatre department put on. I really liked it, but for some reason, it didn’t dawn on me to do it for a living.
“Maddy started harping on me about what I was going to do with the rest of my life. She always has a plan, and it drove her nuts that I didn’t seem concerned about not having one.”
He clenched the steering wheel. “Honestly, it bothered me too, but I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Not being as good as my brothers.”
He stared straight ahead, not daring to look at her. He appreciated that she didn’t speak, didn’t try to tell him he was foolish for thinking that way. He knew damn well it was foolish; but being aware didn’t make the internal anxiety go away.
“One day, I got sick of her bitching at me, so I stormed over to the career center and told them the first thing that popped into my head, which was photography. On one hand, I was lucky I said that, because any other major and I probably would have had to stay for another year. But when I called Maddy and told her what I’d done, she was still angry. She said that wasn’t a real career. She couldn’t fathom how I’d be able to make a living at it.”
“I beg to differ. Professional photographers are extremely important, and they can have very lucrative careers.”
He tossed her a fleeting smile. “Thanks.” Then he slid his arm across the console and squeezed her thigh briefly. “This wasn’t Maddy’s fault. I don’t want you to hate her or anything. She’s just a practical person, and I’m not. The other big difference between us is she’s not afraid to go after what she wants, whereas I am.”
“She fed on your fears. She probably didn’t even realize she was doing it, though.”
“I don’t think so. I think she was trying to do what she thought was best for me. So many things were wrong with our relationship, and most of them boil down to us being totally different people. We get along much better as in-laws.”
“You sure are trying hard to convince me that she’s a good person.”
He chuckled. “I could feel the tension when she first arrived.”
Amelia sighed. “I was jealous, at first. Which is weird, isn’t it? I mean, you and I, we aren’t…”
He wanted her to finish that sentence. Except he wanted her to say “are” instead of “aren’t.”
Guiding the Challenger into her garage, he pressed the button to close the door and killed the engine, then turned to face her.
“I like that you were a little jealous, although please know, you have no reason to be.”
“I know.” She sighed and leaned back against the headrest. “She’s a lovely woman. Your whole family is great. I haven’t been in that sort of situation since before my mom died. Her family used to be a lot like yours, but after she died, we all sort of closed ourselves off from them. I’m not even sure my aunts and uncles and cousins would recognize me if I showed up on their doorstep today.”
“Probably shouldn’t do it today anyway, since it’s midnight. But maybe one of these days, and I’d be happy to go with you, to reacquaint yourself, if you want.”
Her bottom lip wobbled, and she swallowed thickly before saying, “Thanks.”
“Okay, let’s get you inside and up to bed.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea.”
He swept her into his arms. She laced her fingers behind his neck. He could feel the weight of her stare at he carried her into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom. When he started to lower her onto the mattress, she tightened her grip on his neck.
“Stay,” she whispered.
Chapter Eighteen
She did it. She threw caution to the wind and whispered the word that had been bouncing around in her head for the entire drive home.
For right now, for tonight, she wanted to turn everything else off and simply be with this man.
Well, she wanted it to be far from simple. She wanted it to be exciting, and sweaty, and, and…orgasmic.
She giggled. He arched one dark brow. He was still leaning over the bed, in the process of depositing her, and she still had her arms around his neck, waiting for him to make a decision.
He tried to pull away, and she tightened her grip. He placed his hands over hers and tugged them apart. “I’m just going to get my bag.”
He returned and dropped his duffle next to the bed.
“What’s in the bag that’s so important?”
“Condoms.” His grin was wolfish.
Oh. My. She cleared her throat.
“Having second thoughts?”
“Nope.” She shook her head. If anything, she wanted him more right now than she had when she’d made the decision, the moment they pulled into the garage and he told her he’d go with her to see her mother’s family. The man had no idea how caring and considerate he was. It was second nature to him, and it was everything to her.
“I don’t want to be in charge,” she blurted.
He stood next to the bed and cocked that eyebrow again. “What do you mean?”
Oh God, she was half-ruining it already and they hadn’t even done anything. “it’s just…my experiences haven’t been very…stellar. I think it’s because I’m so bossy, the guys I’ve dated assumed I wanted to be in charge in bed too, and I really don’t. I want to let loose and not have to think and…I’m bungling this, aren’t I?”
He peeled off his shirt and dropped it on the floor, then knelt on the bed. “Well, I don’t want you to think about any other guys while we’re together, but other than that, no, you aren’t bungling anything. Now, lie down.”
She automatically did as he said, a little zing coursing through her bloodstream at the unexpected command in his voice.
His gaze roved over her body. “We have to figure out how to do this without hurting your knee.”
“Unfortunately, doggy style is out,” she quipped.
Both of his eyebrows shot into his hairline. “We’ll keep that one in our back pockets for when you’re fully recovered.”
She wasn’t about to ruin the mood by pointing out that this was a one-time thing. It was bad enough that it was in her own head.
He touched her temple. “Stop thinking so hard. You’re supposed to be enjoying. Period. That’s the rule of this game. My goal, until you are sated and passed out from exhaustion, is to ensure you don’t think about anything else except the pleasure I’m going to give you.”
Her inner muscles clenched. Hard. She licked her lips and squirmed. “I…okay.”
He chuckled and then caged her with his arms, slowly lowering himself until his lips pressed against hers. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, but he broke the kiss and grasped her hands, pushing them back against the comforter. “You’re just receiving for right now. Let me do all the work.”
“Oh.” She shivered. “Okay.”
Holding both of her hands over her head with one of his, he leaned down and kissed her again. Her body undulated, and she pushed against his hold, not because she wanted to be free—oh no, definitely not—but because she wanted more. More of his touch. More of his skin pressed against hers.
Her body was pulsing, low in her belly, and she kept clenching her inner muscles but wasn’t getting any relief.
She whimpered against his mouth.
“Not enough?” he asked. “Need more?”
She nodded.
“Good. Because I need more too. I need to see more of you. I need to kiss every inch of you.”
Oh God.
“Grab the headboard,” he instructed. That commanding tone, which she’d not heard come out of his mouth before, was a hell of a turn-on.
She did as she was told.
He placed his hands on her shins and slowly dragged them up her legs to the hem of her dress, and then he kept moving north, taking the material with him until he exposed her panties. He bent and kissed her hipbone.
“Breathe, sweetheart.”
She expelled the air from her lungs.
“Close your eyes,” he commanded, and she did. Something feathered across the front of her thigh, and she shivered. “It’s more intense when you’re anticipating but you aren’t sure what’s about to happen, isn’t it?”
She nodded enthusiastically. Oh yes.
He kissed her other hipbone and lightly scraped his stubbled cheek over her skin. She bit her lip, but a moan escaped anyway.
“Is there anything you don’t like?” he asked.
“You not touching me.”
He chuckled. “Okay, I can handle that.”
He placed both hands on her lower abdomen, just north of where she wanted him to touch her. She swiveled her hips, silently begging. Instead, he went higher, pushing her dress, exposing her midsection to the cool, air-conditioned atmosphere.
When he reached her breasts, he told her to let go of the headboard and he quickly tugged the dress over her head, leaving her in her bra and panties and the wrap around her knee, which wasn’t even aching at the moment.
He was really good at distracting her.