I heard him depart in one of the side tunnels instead of the elevator.
I returned to the chair. I couldn’t move. My hand instinctively moved to my belly. Was this really happening?
***
“How long did it say?” Damon paced outside the bathroom door.
I tugged on his arm. “It’s only three minutes,” I replied.
The suspense was killing both of us, but he didn’t handle this kind of wait well.
“Did I buy enough boxes?” he asked.
“Yes. I think six is plenty. Hopefully, one will be enough.” I tried to smile, but really all I wanted to do was throw up. The enormity of this situation was starting to sink in and I didn’t have a result.
I still wasn’t sure how he had pulled off leaving the palace and buying so many pregnancy tests undetected, but he had years of experience maneuvering through the system. I still wanted a map to get to the kitchen.
“Should we look?” he pressed.
“Thirty seconds.” I held up my phone to show him the timer. “Almost time.”
“Fuck. Someone needs to invent something that works faster.”
I giggled. “That is insane. You can’t wait three minutes to find out if you’re going to be a father?”
He shot a cutting glare at me.
“Sorry.” I bit my lip. It was comical how antsy he had become. I was used to him pacing because of the cabinet or the family. But this was different. It was adorable.
He ran his fingers through his hair.
“Damon, it might not be positive.” I tried to steady him. I didn’t want him to be disappointed if there was only one line on the stick.
He finally stopped making a track in front of the bed. He tugged the tie on my silk robe, pushing the fabric off my shoulder.
“Then, we’ll make sure the next one is.”
“You’re serious?” I gulped.
“I’m serious. This morning I asked you to marry me knowing that one day we’d have a family. But as soon as you said it could start now, it’s like a switch flipped. Something turned on. Something I didn’t know I had in me.” His hand cupped my breast, exposing my sensitive flesh. If I wasn’t pregnant, then I had no idea what was going on with my hormones. Every touch sent me over the edge.
I moaned as he lowered his head to my nipple. “I want you to have my baby, Molly.”
I nodded, loving the sensations. “I want to have your baby, Damon.”
My eyes closed just as the timer on my phone beeped.
Damon jerked away and my eyes flew open. I twisted my lips together, pulling my robe back on.
No matter what, a baby was in our future. It didn’t have to be today, I tried to convince myself. There was time. We had plenty of time to plan a future together.
We walked into the bathroom. I reached for the stick.
“Well?” he asked. He was about to jump out of his skin.
I grinned. I turned it so he could see the two pink lines. “I’m pregnant.”
Epilogue
Damon
I pulled the sunglasses to the edge of my nose. I drank in the long legs on the chaise next to me. I followed her sun-kissed skin up her thighs and along the small swell of her belly, stopping at her full breasts, spilling from the pink bikini top. Damn, she was gorgeous carrying my baby.
She reached into the beach bag between us. She looked up and caught me eyeing every inch of her.
“Are you checking me out?” she teased.
“I can’t help it if my wife is hot as fuck, can I?”
“Shh,” she hushed me. “We aren’t the only people at this resort. You are a royal scandal waiting to happen.”
I climbed off my chair and straddled hers, sending her into a fit of giggles. “Damon, stop. You can’t do that.” She swatted at me, sliding under me with slippery oiled skin.
I laughed. “Does the queen object to this?” I lowered my mouth to hers. “I can show you a real scandal.”
“Mmm,” she purred, arching toward me, deepening the kiss. “No. The queen likes it.”
“I think I’m going to turn this into a completely private resort.”
She looked at me. “You can’t be serious.”
I nodded. “Oh, I’m fucking serious. I want my wife all to myself.”
Her nails dug into my back. “You have me. You’ve always had me.”
I palmed her stomach. We hadn’t announced the news to anyone yet, but I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Molly pregnant was sexier than I thought possible. And her appetite for me had exploded. Our honeymoon had been fucking phenomenal.
I returned to my chair, repositioning my sunglasses.
“Have you heard from Sutcliffe this morning?” she asked.
“He sent an addendum with the lodestar.”
She rubbed lotion along her legs. I was mesmerized by her.
“Are the details worked out?”
“You realize we could go about this my way.”
She snapped the cap back in place. “We aren’t doing that. It’s completely unfair to use your position like that.”
“Then what’s the point of being king?” I grumbled.
“We can’t deprive scholars of those texts because you don’t want me to go to London.”
“What I want is my wife.” My hand landed on her knee.
She smiled sweetly. “I know this London thing isn’t your first choice, but if Sutcliffe followed my instructions, then I’ll be home every weekend. And you will be there with me the first and last weeks of the project. It will fly by. We’ll barely spend any time apart.”
“Or we could have the texts flown to the palace and held in the royal library while you complete your work.”
“I love that you want to do that for me. But you know what I love more?”
“What is that?”
“That you let me figure out how to make this work. You didn’t just shut it down.”
When Molly first told me her proposal had been accepted by the institute, my gut reaction was to voice a forceful no. I didn’t want to let her go. I especially didn’t want her to leave the country pregnant. But this woman got me. She understood what I needed and when.
And I had to do the same for her. To love her nerdy book habits. To support her work. To loosen my hold, even when it drove me crazy. London was going to be hell. But I knew I’d go through hell for her.
“I would do anything for you, love.”
“Even ask,” she teased.
“Yes, even ask. I love you, Molly Sauvage. I said it at our wedding, and I’ll say it again on this beach. The entire country of Bostique can hear me proclaim it.”
“Shh,” she giggled. “No one in Bostique wants to hear a crazy king.”
“You can’t stop love. And I’m in love with you. And our baby. I’ll do whatever it takes to show you that every day.”
Molly sat forward, swinging her feet into the sand. She scooted in next to me. “You have lost your mind, do you know that?”
I ran my hand along her back. Her skin was warm. I brought my palm to rest on her belly. “You know without you, I wasn’t a very good king.”
She settled into the chaise. The warm ocean winds breezed over us.
“That’s not true. You’ve always been a good king.”
I shook my head. “No. You’ve made me a better king. A better man. And soon I’ll be a father because of you.” I pressed gently at her bikini line. Our future rested beneath my hand. We were a family.
“God, I love you.”
I turned her lips to meet mine. She moaned as my tongue dipped inside her mouth. I pulled her under me. I didn’t want the honeymoon to end. The cabinet could wait. The royal council didn’t need me. This was fucking nirvana, lying with the woman I loved in my arms, baking under the island sun.
“Can we go back to the cabana?” she whispered in my ear.
“Only if you tell me why,” I taunted.
“I need you, Damon.”
“This isn’t
enough?” I kissed her again.
“No. All of you. In that honeymoon bed.”
“See why I want the resort to ourselves? I could strip this tiny bikini off your body.”
She inhaled. “You can, inside.” She leaned forward to gather her book and beach bag.
The security guards moved from the palm trees behind us. We were flanked, even on our honeymoon.
Molly started to walk toward the cabana, sashaying her curvy hips, driving me wild. I started to run full speed and whipped her up in my arms.
She yelped with laughter as I began to sprint toward the beach cabana. The officers were trying to keep up.
I darted through the door, slamming it.
My mouth found hers. “Finding you changed my life, Molly.”
She melted into my arms. “And you changed mine.”
And I knew that I meant it. I would do anything to keep her safe. To hold her. To protect her. I’d do anything to make her happy. I may not have been the man she deserved the night we met, but I had changed. I had won the love of the most incredible woman. The most incredible queen. And I would give her everything she needed for the rest of her life.
###
DIRTY PLAY
1
Wes
I was a god. And not just any god. I had an arm that could throw a lightning bolt a hundred yards, with two seconds left on the game clock, and score. They should have called me Zeus. I could run faster than any damn lineman trying to knock the shit out of me. I could read the defense faster than the whistle blew. I could call plays and execute before the defense could say their own names. I was a fucking god out on that field, and everyone knew it. The coaches. My teammates. The fans.
Hell, I had known it since I joined the pee-wee league when I was six. That’s what kids do in Texas. Kids that have dads who want them to be competitive assholes before they can read. And that was me. Born to play football. Born to dominate. Born to win. Molded and coached into the best fucking quarterback to walk the planet.
And I did win. I won state playoffs in high school, I won our conference title in college, and I was on our way to taking our team to the Super Bowl. Nothing stopped Wes Blakefield. Nothing.
I could fuck any woman I wanted. I could gamble. I could party after a game. All of it. Because I won. The American Football Association wasn’t going to stop me. And neither was my team. I brought them millions. As long as I won, they would look the other way.
They didn’t give a shit about the women or the bets. As long as I put a W in the column every Sunday, they stayed off my back. I was a walking cash machine for those bastards.
Until everything came crashing down.
***
2 months earlier
“Blakefield, you want me to pick you up tonight?”
“Like a damn date? No thanks. I’ve got a driver.” I slapped my wide receiver on the back with my towel.
Practice had been light today. We ran some drills and I worked out a new route with the receivers. I stood in front of my locker, shoving my clothes in my bag, and picked up a water bottle.
“I guess you’re not planning on going home alone?” Stubbs grinned.
“Do I ever?”
The locker room was almost clear. Most guys had showered and were headed to the Dean. It was a tradition among the Wranglers that the rookies threw a party as a gift to their teammates. We didn’t like to call it an initiation, but we all knew there was hell to pay on the practice field if the party sucked. The name stuck after the first rookie, Larry Dean, threw one hell of a party. I didn’t know what was in store for the night, but I was hoping it involved a pair of big tits and a tight ass. The guys knew my type, and I expected them to deliver.
“See you there.” Stubbs waved as he exited the locker room.
I threw my bag over my shoulder and headed out after him. I didn’t expect to run into Coach in the corridor.
“Wes.”
“Hey, Coach.”
Coach Howell was in his mid fifties, but the poor bastard looked like he was pushing seventy. That’s what coaching in the AFA did to a man. It shaved years off his life.
“I heard tonight’s the Dean.”
I nodded.
“I need you to keep the boys in check. Keep things light.” There were dark circles under his eyes.
“Light?” No one on the coaching staff attended the Dean, and they never would, but it didn’t mean they didn’t know what went on there. Players talked. And God help the man whose wife or girlfriend found out about it.
“You’re the team captain. I need you to show some leadership. Restraint. Moderation.” He eyed me like a father telling his son taking a girl to first base was okay, but rounding second was out of the question on a first date.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about, Coach. I’ll keep an eye on the team. I’ll probably have a beer and leave. These things don’t last long anyway.”
“We don’t need bad press, Wes. We’re on the verge of the playoffs, and this party couldn’t be more ill-timed. If one of my players ends up in the headlines, it jeopardizes everything we’ve worked for all season. You get that?”
I could appease the man, or I could tell him to fuck off and stop worrying like a damn grandma.
“Got it, Coach. The boys will behave. Don’t worry.”
He smiled grimly. “All right. You know the AFA rules. You know what’s at stake. They’re looking for anything that could be a potential problem. They don’t want their playoff teams crippled with scandal. It’s bad business, Wes.”
I gripped my bag, trying to inch closer to my car. “Anything else, Coach?” I couldn’t give a fuck what the AFA cared about. I won games. I collected my paycheck. That was the extent of my relationship with the American Football Association.
He shook his head. “Nah. Have a good time.” He pulled his visor snugly across his forehead and walked toward the staff offices.
I snarled as he vanished around the corner. I wasn’t a damn babysitter, and I wasn’t about to tell a bunch of grown men what they could and couldn’t do at a party. This was our present from the rookies, and if it involved women, booze, and some competitive poker, I wasn’t going to stop it. I deserved it. I had thrown the party my rookie year, and now it was time to reap the rewards.
I started my Porsche, revving the engine a few times before peeling out of the parking lot.
***
This rookie squad had spared no expense. They had rented the penthouse of the Grand Rio, overlooking the Riverwalk. I barged through the doors, smiling at my teammates.
“Wes!” Stubbs jumped over the couch with a beer in his hand.
I cracked the lid and took a sip. “These fuckers did a pretty good job.” I observed the girls in lingerie handing out drinks.
“They’ve got a special surprise for you.” He waggled his eyebrows. “But I can’t say what.”
“Really?” I finished off the beer.
One of my linemen walked over. “Dude, this is epic.” There was a brunette wearing a sheer bra and panties wrapped around him.
“I can see that.” I eyed her tits, which were basically exposed. She batted her eyelashes at me.
“So where’s my gift?” If Bruno had this girl, I could only imagine what they had lined up for me.
Sam Hickson strolled over. He was by far the best tight end I had ever played with. And he had become the unnamed spokesman for this year’s rookie class. I liked the guy. He was solid on the field and didn’t let his personal shit interfere with the game.
He tossed me my second beer. “We’ve got a space waiting for you.”
My eyebrows rose. “You do?”
“Come on, man.” He led me through the girls and the impromptu dance floor that had just started.
Sam opened the French doors to the balcony, and I grinned when I saw what he had in store.
“You like it?” he asked.
I walked toward the table and sat in one of the velvet chairs. “What’s the buy in
?”
“We thought fifty K would be a good start.”
I felt the surge of adrenaline shoot through me. I felt the chips roll through my fingers before I stacked them back in place.
“Who’s playing?” I asked.
“Me and a few of the other guys.” Sam sat next to me. Soon the table was full.
One of the guys, I didn’t even know his name, pulled out a box of Cubans and placed them on the table.”
“Nice.” I smiled, lighting one.
The doors opened, and a waitress appeared with a bottle of scotch and five glasses. She leaned in front of me, wafting her perfume in front of my nose, along with a good look at her nipples. She smiled at me while she poured my drink. I slapped her on the ass as she turned back for the suite.
I looked around the table. “You bastards have managed to not fuck up the DEAN. Good job.” I took a puff of the cigar and looked at the cards in my hand.
Sam tried to put on a poker face before we started. “And the night’s not even over.”
I laughed. “Yeah, it better not be.”
I loved poker. I loved money. I loved expensive scotch and cigars. But I also loved to fuck, and this night wasn’t going to end without me taking one of these girls to the master suite. I leaned back in my chair like a king. Yeah, this was turning out to be one hell of a night.
I didn’t check the time, but after I raked in another fifty thousand, I was ready for the second half of my gift. The girl who kept bringing me drinks eyed me like a lollipop she was ready to suck each time she came to the table.
“Well, fellas, you think you’re ready to call it?” I looked at the group.
They nodded. “Yeah, I don’t get a bonus until we win the next game so I’m out.”
“All right.” I pushed back from the table.
Sam stood up. “Why don’t you head to the master suite?”
I kicked back the scotch, and twisted the end of my cigar in the dish. “See you boys later.”
They laughed as I left the poker table. “Enjoy,” they called behind me.
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