Breathless

by Vanessa Marie

  "The creature says she's tired of living in cramped conditions and there isn't any room for anyone else. She demands for an upgrade to a suite with a walk out."

  Charlie laughed. She loved when he talked to her belly and had conversations between the three of them. She knew he was going to be a great dad. "Oh she did, did she?"

  "Yep. I think we need to lay down some ground rules now, or we're in big trouble." He smirked.

  She shook her head sat on the bed with her legs crisscrossed in front of her. "You're too much."

  Sam walked over to their bags in the corner and riffled through them. She couldn't tell what he was doing or looking for with the way he was turned. "What are you doing?"

  "You'll see."

  With her curiosity peaked, she crawled over to the edge of the bed to see around him and nearly fell off.

  "Shit." She gripped the edge of the canopy as her heart raced in her chest.

  He must have found what he was looking for, because he turned around with a decorative bag that was wrinkled and had tissue paper haphazardly coming out of the top. "You couldn't wait, could you?"

  She laughed still trying to right herself. "No."

  Sam helped her back onto the bed and sat down next to her, handing her the bag. "It looked better before I packed it. It kinda got smushed."

  "It's perfect."

  He looked like a kid in a candy store the way he bounced his foot in anticipation. "Open it."

  She hesitated for a minute, not really sure what to expect before tearing into it.

  After the 20th piece of tissue paper, she burst into laughter. "Is there even anything in here?"

  "Yes. Just keep digging."

  She reached into the bottom of the bag and felt something soft and something a little harder. Pulling them out, she unwrapped the tissue paper in her lap to find 2 pairs of pink and white converse baby socks and the tiniest pair of hot pink Chuck Taylors Charlie had ever seen.

  "Oh my God. They're so little." She held them up and instantly her eyes watered.

  "I wanted to buy the creature her first pair of shoes, and every little girl needs a pair of chucks." He gave her a proud papa smile.

  "Sam, they're perfect. She’ll love them. Thank you." Charlie set them in her lap and leaned over to kiss him, pulling his bottom lip in between her teeth.

  Sam chuckled and backed away. "No shenanigans. You heard Doctor Cage—you need to relax and take it easy. That kind of behavior will only lead to no good."

  She pouted but knew he was right. There was no way her body could handle it anyway.

  A knock on their door startled her, causing her to jump. "Who the hell is that?"

  "Your next surprise."

  "I don't deserve all this crap. You didn't have to do all of this, Sam."

  He slid off the bed and made his way to the door, turning toward her before he opened it. "I told you a long time ago…you deserve more than you believe you do and I want to be your prince charming. The only difference is your stubborn ass isn't going to let me, so I'm just going to do it anyway." He turned and opened the door.

  A massage therapist stood there holding a massage table and a duffle bag over her shoulder. "Hi, are you Sam?"

  "Yes, I am. Come on in." He grabbed the table from her hand with ease and the girl seemed kind of surprised he helped her with it.

  "I'm Carly. I think we spoke on the phone?"

  "Yes. Thank you so much for doing this. This is Charlie." He motioned toward her.

  "It’s nice to meet you," Charlie greeted her with a nod. She couldn't believe he'd arranged to have a massage therapist come to their room. Her mouth hung open partially in an awkward smile as Carly set her bag down.

  "You too. Have you had a prenatal massage before?"

  Charlie shook her head no. "I've never had a professional massage before, but my body aches so bad right now, I'm ready to strip naked and tell you to get busy."

  They all laughed and Sam just shook his head. "Where would you like me to set up?" She unlatched her table.

  He shrugged and gestured to the room. "Where ever you want."

  "Okay. Well, Charlie it'll take me about ten minutes to get set up. If you want to go strip down to whatever your comfort level is and then you can put your robe on."

  Panic rose inside Charlie as she looked around. "I don't have a robe."

  "Yes, you do," Sam said from behind her as he planted a kiss on her neck. He reached around her and placed a plush cotton robe folded in a perfect square tied with a bow in her hands.

  Tears spilled down her cheeks again as she chewed on her bottom lip in an attempt to keep it from quivering.

  Fucking hormones.

  Sam wiped away her tears and kissed both of her cheeks before pressing his lips softly against hers. "Go change and enjoy your massage. I'll be downstairs when you're finished. I love you."

  "I love you, too."

  He knelt in front of her and rubbed her belly gently. "Be a good little creature for mommy and rest so she can relax, okay? Daddy loves you too." He kissed her stomach and her lips one more time before he walked over to where Carly was tucking sheets all over the massage table.

  Charlie took that moment to slip into the bathroom before she burst into tears in front of them both. Splashing cold water on her face, she took a few deep breaths to regain her composure. Melinda was right. She needed to get her shit together before she screwed things up with Sam. How many other guys would fight for her, and keep doing the things he did after everything she'd put him through? None.

  She needed to start fighting for him the way he'd always done for her.

  "After my massage," she murmured in the mirror and stripped down to her panties. She wrapped the plush cotton robe around herself and laughed when she realized she looked like she was wearing a teddy bear. All she was missing were the feet and the ears.

  She pulled her long dark hair into a top knot, walked out into the suite, and stopped dead in her tracks.

  It'd been completely transformed. She couldn't believe it was the same room.

  "Wow. You work fast," Charlie said, taking in the dozens of flickering candles that now sat around the room.

  Carly pulled back the sheets and set a couple of pillows on the table. "I had some help. You've got one hell of a man there."

  "I definitely do." Soft music started playing from a speaker tube on the dresser and Charlie just shook her head. They'd thought of everything. "Is that pure moods?"

  "Something like that," Carly laughed. "Sam gave me the run down on your condition and what your doctor said was cool for you to have done. Apparently, he checked before setting all of this up, so I'm going to have to start by laying face up. I'll turn my back and then we can get the pillows situated under your knees for comfort. Let me know when you're settled and covered and we'll get started."

  As Charlie disrobed and slid beneath the blankets, she wasn't surprised Sam had found out what was allowed and made sure he'd covered all his bases. She didn't give him enough credit and that needed to change.

  The massage was a blur. All Charlie really remembered was how good it felt to have Carly's fingers, arms and hands digging into her flesh. She'd instructed her when to roll over and how, but other than that, there was no thought. It was sheer and utter bliss.

  "How are you feeling, Charlie?" Carly asked in a low voice.

  "Like jello."

  "Good. We're finished. Take your time getting up. I set a bottle of water on the table here for you. Make sure you drink plenty of water tonight and tomorrow. I'll be outside. No rush getting up."

  "Okay."

  Charlie heard her shuffling around the room and the sound of the door closing. She played possum for another few moments before she opened her eyes and willed herself to sit up. She pulled the blankets tight around her body as she noticed an envelope with her name on it with a small box on the table next to her. The candles gave off enough light for her to read. It was Sam's handwriting. Immediately her head began to fl
utter and her anxiety surfaced.

  Slowly, she opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

  To my dearest Charlotte,

  I've thought about the way I wanted to do this a thousand times, but I've come to the conclusion there is no right way. You need time to process things and putting you on the spot is not the way to do this. I want to be your fairytale…your happily ever after…your knight in shining armor. I may not have an enchanted castle like the beast, but I can build you a library. I may not be able to make you a princess, but I will always treat you like my queen. You may not think you can give me forever, but even if I only had one day with you as my wife, it would be worth it to me. Every moment I have with you is worth it. YOU are worth it. I love you. You are giving me the greatest gift in life by making me a father, so make me the happiest man in the world and marry Me? Let me be your happily ever after.

  Always Yours,

  Sam

  P.S. You don't have to answer me right away. Just promise me you'll think about it before you say no and throw my grandmothers ring in my face. XO

  Tears streamed down her face and spilled on the paper in her hands. She wiped it away quickly so she didn’t smudge the beautiful words he'd just written for her. With a shaky hand, she opened the box to reveal a breathtaking rose-gold antique engagement ring. Curiosity got the best of her and she slipped it on her ring finger.

  "Oh my God," she gasped with shaking hands. "It fits."

  She held her hand out in front of herself. It looked foreign sitting on her finger, like it wasn't worthy of something so beautiful. Carefully, she took it off and slipped it back into its box, where it would be safe.

  Charlie sat there lost in thought as her mind reeled. She picked the letter back up and read it over and over. He did know her…too well. If he'd asked her in front of a group of people, she would have freaked out. If he would have asked her in private, she probably would have done the same, but he didn't. Sam knew her on a level that only one other person had ever known her on.

  Jules.

  And that changed everything.

  ✦✧✦✧✦✧

  Sam sat on the front porch of the B&B in a rocking chair, enjoying the cool night air, while Charlie was getting her massage. He was on pins and needles worried about how his proposal was going to go. He'd gone over his instructions on how to leave the note and the box to the massage therapist five times and prayed she was an honest person. She seemed pretty genuine, but he was still on edge. His gut expected her to still tell him no, but somewhere deep down he held on to a small sliver of hope she might say yes.

  His phone pinged in his pocket from an incoming text message. He figured it was Alex wanting to know if she'd told him no yet, but it was actually from Jules.

  Hey man. If you're not busy, call me. Something's up and we need to talk when Charlie's not around.

  That had him worried and he immediately hit call.

  Jules picked up on the second ring. "Hey…sorry to interrupt your trip."

  "It's okay. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

  "Not yet. But I'm afraid something's going to." The worry in Jules tone made Sam's stomach roll.

  "What's going on, Jules?"

  "Well, I've been hanging out at Charlie's place while you guys have been gone and I noticed this strange car around. At first, I figured it was a neighbor's friend or something, but then I noticed it other places I went and then back in front of her house."

  Sam's heart thudded in his chest. "So, it's following you?"

  "I think so. I wrote the plate number down and it got me thinking, what if it's been following you and Charlie around and you guys just haven't realized it?"

  "We need to find out who the hell this asshole is," Sam stated. Already getting pissed off.

  "I'm a step ahead of you. My buddy's dad is a detective and I told him about it and gave him the plate number yesterday. He called me back a few minutes ago and said it came back to some private investigator."

  Sam jumped up out of his chair. "Private investigator? Who the fuck are they investigating and why?"

  "I don't know, but I thought you should know. I didn't want to tell Charlie because she doesn't need that kind of stress."

  He knew Jules didn't like keeping things from her, but he agreed this was for the best. Well, at least until they knew more. "Have you told Joe?"

  "Not yet. I wanted to wait until I heard back from Mike's dad. I'm going to tell him as soon as I hang up with you and see if he's noticed anything. I just worry when I tell him he's gonna lose his shit and things are going to escalate fast."

  Pacing the porch, Sam ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't help but agree. "Yeah. Maybe make sure that asshole isn't out there when you do. Joe doesn't need an assault charge." The wheels in his mind started turning as he came to a stop. "Hey, your friend's dad didn't happen to say where this clown was a PI out of, did he?"

  Jules hesitated for a moments and Sam heard papers rusting around. "Um, he said he had a license in both Carolinas. Why?"

  "I don't know, I was just thinking what if her grandparents are behind it?"

  Jules scoffed. "Why would they be? They know where to find her, so why would they need to hire a PI?"

  He had a point.

  "I don't know. It was just something that came to mind. We'll be back on Sunday. If you hear anything else before then, text me."

  "All right man, I will."

  "Hey Jules?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Thanks for looking out. I owe you."

  "We're in this together, bro. I'll talk to you later."

  "See ya."

  Sam hung up and paced the porch for a while trying to make sense of the conversation he'd just had. Why would anyone want to hire a private investigator to look into them? It just didn't make any sense. He hadn't been her teacher for over a year and even then, she was well over age. He hoped to God that wasn't what it was over, because the last thing Charlie needed was to stress over that garbage.

  Melinda stuck her head outside the front door. "Hey, sugar. I just made a pot of coffee. Would you like some?"

  "Actually, I'd love a cup." He knew he needed a distraction and followed her inside.

  "Everything okay? You look upset." She handed him an empty mug

  "Yeah, just got an interesting phone call and there's not a lot I can do about it until I get home."

  She poured his cup full to the brim. "Well, just a piece of unsolicited advice from an old woman-if there's nothing you can do about it now, don't let it ruin the rest of your weekend. I know you went through a lot to make it down here and to make this special for her."

  Forcing a smile, he took a sip of his coffee. "Hey, I really appreciate you bending your rules and allowing me to do all the things you have. It means the world to me and I know it does to Charlie."

  "After everything you told me she's been through, there was no way I could say no. You're one hell of a man, Sam, and I'm not just saying that. Most guys would have run for the hills long ago with all the things she has going on."

  "Well, I'm not most guys and she's the one. So, there's no plan b. She's it for me, even if she's too damn stubborn to see it." He laughed.

  "A love like that is once in a lifetime. You hold onto it and let me know if I need to smack her for ya." She winked at him and took a sip of her own coffee.

  "Thanks. Well, I'm gonna head back out front and ponder the universe. Thanks for the coffee and the chat."

  "Anytime, sugar."

  Sam rocked in the chair on the porch and sipped his coffee. Glancing at his watch, he realized Charlie's massage would be over in a few minutes and then the real test would happen. She'd see his proposal and he'd find out her reaction one way other. He wasn't really sure if she'd come down or stay in the room. If anything, he hoped she'd been able to relax and enjoy her massage.

  Carly came down a few moments later and let him know she was finished.

  "Did you leave everything like I asked?"

/>   "Yep. I sure did. She should be reading it now."

  "Great. Thank you so much for everything." He handed her an envelope with her fee and a very generous tip she'd find later.

  "It was my pleasure. I think she really enjoyed it."

  "Good."

  Carly lingered for few seconds before she disappeared back inside. He was grateful she'd left because he didn't feel like having idle chitchat when his mind was elsewhere.

  Thirty minutes passed and there was no sign of Charlie. He'd just about given up hope when she poked her head around the front door, meeting his eyes.

  "I was beginning to wonder if I'd see you tonight or not," he said as he tried to force a smile. Her face was unreadable and that made his stomach roll again.

  "Sorry. I wasn't sure where you were and it took a while for my legs to work." She walked past him to a swing at the end of the porch and sat down, patting the space next to her.

  Sam sat down next to her and pulled her legs over his, forcing them closer together as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Did you enjoy your massage?" He kissed her forehead.

  She leaned her head into his shoulder as he rested his cheek against her hair. "Yeah. It was incredible. My body still feels like jello."

  It was killing him not to talk about it. He needed to know if she saw it and what she thought. Glancing down at her hands, it was obvious right away her fingers were bare and his heart sank. Even though he knew, he couldn't help it.

  "Do you want to talk about it?"

  "Not right now."

  "What do you want to do?"

  "Just be."

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Charlie woke up sprawled across the bed with her hair matted to her face. She searched the space next to her for Sam, but the bed was empty. As panic set in, she sat up quickly and surveyed their room. His clothes were laid out across the bottom of the bed and the bathroom door was cracked open with light shining beneath it. The sound of the shower running caught her attention and she wondered if she'd be able to sneak in with him.