by Dee Palmer
Grace
A Disgrace Trilogy Novel - Book 3
Copyright © 2017 Dee Palmer
Published by Dee Palmer
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in an form, including but not limited to electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase to, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
Warning: ADULT CONTENT 18+ This story is on the filthy side of smut and isn’t suitable for those who don’t enjoy graphic descriptions that are erotic in nature, but for those that do, enjoy ;)
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First In the Choices Trilogy (But no cliffy…So can be read as a standalone:))
Formatting: Champagne Formats
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Other Books by Dee
Dedication
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
Ethan's Fall
About The Author
Other Books by Dee
The Choices Trilogy
Never a Choice
Always a Choice
The Only Choice
Never 1.5 (A Valentine Novella)
Ethan’s Fall
(Can be read as a stand-alone)
Disgrace
Disgraceful
My Diva’s
You know who you are and hopefully, by now, you know how important you are to me.
You Rock My World
The nurse hesitates, only to hurriedly repeat her statement to the three dumbstruck faces gawping at her. “I…um…prenatal vitamins… Congratulations!” The perkiness in her voice disintegrates when she takes in the utter shock on all our faces. “Maybe I should get the doctor?” she mutters with a forced, tight smile.
“Yeah, maybe you should?” I snap, and Sam turns to look at me. My face must match hers for confusion, but I have too much shit swirling in my head to give her anything other than a dismissive shrug. Moments later, the doctor hurries into the room, red-faced, and looking anxious. I know that feeling.
“I’m so sorry, Ms Bonfleur. I thought someone had gone over the results with you.” The doctor keeps flicking through his folder of notes, as if by some fucking miracle that will stop this free fall.
“The results for my head injury, yes. The result that means I need to be leaving here with prenatal vitamins, no!” Her voice rises with each word and I place a calming hand on her thigh even if it does nothing to sooth either one of us, her face softens with the gesture.
“Yes, sorry…I’m really sorry that no one told you. However, you are pregnant. The baby is fine. We did tests and scans. Oh I am so, so—”
“Please don’t say you’re sorry again.” I grit out with a tight jaw. “How pregnant?” My curt tone seems to shock him and Sam. She flinches beside me, a puzzled look fixed on her face.
“Excuse me?” The doctors stutters, so I clarify for him, Sam and Will.
“Are we talking days?” Will and I could both be the father. “Weeks?” Would make it just me. “Or months?” Would be my worst fucking nightmare. My clinical cold delivery is heard loud and clear.
“Oh I see, weeks. We only picked it up on the further tests we ran. It’s very early days.” The doctor beams for a full second before his face falls blank when no one reciprocates his enthusiasm.
“All right. Everyone out.” Sam stands abruptly and pushes the doctor and nurse from the room. “And you.” She points to Will who looks to me for guidance. “I said out!” I don’t get the chance to agree with Sam, but I would’ve. We need to talk. Alone.
She shuts the door and folds her arms, closes herself off, as hostility seeps from every pore. I hold up my hands in a defenceless gesture.
“What?” I ask.
“What do you mean what?” she practically snarls, her jaw tense. If her eyes could bore holes, I would be Swiss cheese right now.
“Hey beautiful, don’t look at me like that. This has blindsided us both. We haven’t exactly had the kids conversation, not seriously. If we had, I don’t think I would’ve had to express that I’d want to know for sure the baby is mine. I wouldn’t think I’d have to.”
“So you wouldn’t want me to keep the baby if it wasn’t one hundred percent yours, is that what you’re saying?” Her voice is quiet and tinged with menace. I can see the hurt and fury fighting for dominance in her piercing eyes. This doesn’t have to be a fight. I let out a steady breath and try my best to explain and diffuse this ticking bomb in front of me.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying, honestly. You have to know that I’m a possessive son of a bitch and having another man’s kid would be a problem for me. I struggle with your relationship with Leon as it is, let alone you sharing an unbreakable bond with the father of your child who wasn’t me.” I can feel my own frustration rise with the pitch of my voice, and I drag in a steadying breath then run my hand through my hair to buy myself some much-needed, calming seconds before I continue. “I’m sorry if that makes me a selfish fucker, I make no apology for that. I’m a selfish fucker when it comes to you.” Her arms drop to her sides, and she lets out a breath she was clearly holding. I step toward her. “All I’m saying is, with you being a few weeks pregnant, we dodged a bullet.”
“Dodged a bullet? I’m pregnant, Jason.” She shakes her head, dropping it to her chest.
“Yeah, you are…with my baby.” I step up flush to her body and wrap her in my most protective embrace.
“I should tell you that…” Her voice catches, and I scoop her into my arms and sit on the bed. “After Richard… after I lost the baby from what he did, I mean…. It’s just, there was a lot of internal scarring and trauma. I saw a specialist when I was twenty because I had some intermittent bleeding. Anyway, he said I could experience difficulty getting pregnant, and if I did manage it, I might never carry the baby to term. There is a really high risk I will miscarry, Jason. I just thought I should tell you, don’t get your hopes up.”
“So this little bundle of cells is a miracle then, hmm?” I place my hand on her tummy, and her breath catches for a much better reason: joy. It illuminates her face, and her smile lights my world.
“I guess.” Her hand covers mine, a
nd I lean in to steal the kiss that is yet to be offered. She smiles shyly when I release her lips.
“Now you’re pregnant, I better make an honest woman of you sooner rather than later, or my mum will definitely kill me,” I tease and kiss the tip of her nose.
“I’m not marrying you to please your mum, Jason.” She purses her lips.
“No. You will marry me to please me.” I correct.
“I will.” A slow curve tips the edges of her lips into a soft smile.
“I think you mean ‘I do’.”
I watch her bite her lip and her brow furrow with irritation when I insist on carrying her into the hotel, through the grand lobby entrance and straight to the elevators. I hear people comment as we pass, sighing and cooing, with the word newlyweds being muttered. I wish.
“You know, I can walk, Jason.” She wastes her breath with one more futile attempt to convince me she’s fine. She may be feisty fit, but she’s far from one hundred percent, and the fact that she has to stay Stateside until she gets the all clear to travel is only one reason I won’t relinquish my hold.
“And you know I’m not going to let you, so hush.” I kiss the tip of her nose that has a deep wrinkle creasing the bridge. “You know, you’re adorable when you’re being sassy.”
“And you’re a pain in the arse when you’re being stubborn,” she huffs.
“You had a serious head injury and were in a coma not so long ago, and you are now carrying my baby, so I’m not being stubborn. I’m being protective.” I step into the lift and punch the top floor button. “Get used to it, beautiful.”
“Gah, I’m not the first pregnant woman, Jason.” She rolls her eyes dramatically.
“But you are mine, Sam, and believe me, that makes all the difference. Now I’m happy to carry on having this redundant conversation, or we can talk about something else.” She purses her lips, and I can see her chewing on the inside of her cheek though her eyes are smiling.
“Fine, I guess.” I know this must be hard for her; it’s a shock for all of us, however it’s done now, and I couldn’t be happier.” I carefully lay her on our bed.
“You gonna help me get undressed since I’m clearly incapable of doing anything myself.” She raises her brow high and tips a wry and wicked smile my way. I pull the covers back as she shimmies out of her leggings.
“I’ll help you, beautiful, but that’s all I’m doing. You need to rest.” Her eyes snap to mine, wide at first then narrow as her lips thin with distaste.
“You have to be shitting me.”
“You tell me. Do I look like I’m anything other than serious?” My impassive, stony expression holds firm as her eyes search for any sign of weakness. She lets out a dramatic puff of air and crosses her arms with frustration.
“Damn it, Jason. The doctor didn’t say anything about abstinence.”
“Actually, he did. No strenuous exercise and no flying.”
“For how long?” Her voice trails off to a whimper before I even get to answer.
“Two weeks.”
“No sex for two weeks!” Her mouth drops open in a comical display of feigned outrage.
“No flying for two weeks,” I clarify and watch her exhale a deep, much relieved sigh. “I think the sex we can play by ear, but will depend on how much you rest now. So how about you be a good girl and take a nap, and I will see if I’m in a giving mood a little later?” I flash a carnal grin that only pokes her frustration further.
“You better be in a giving mood. I still have my own hands remember?” She wiggles her fingers, and I grab the hand nearest and hold it still, kissing the tips to soften the move.
“Not if I handcuff you to the bedpost, you won’t.” My intonation might be teasing, but she can’t mistake the resolution in my gaze.
“You wouldn’t!” she gasps and pulls her hand free.
“Try me, beautiful. I’m deadly serious about your recovery. Now go to sleep.”
“Why did I have to fall in love with a Dom?” She folds her arms over her chest only to scoot down the bed in readiness for a much needed, if not entirely wanted, nap.
“It doesn’t matter why. All that matters is that you do.” I lean down and search her dark eyes, so rich and deep, swirling chocolate colour with flecks of light. She holds my gaze, and I wait for only a fraction of a second for complete supplication to register. Her eyes are first, and then her whole body, subtle but sure, open and totally mine.
“I do,” she whispers. Her sweet breath warms my face as her heartfelt declaration and tender smile wrap me tight around her little finger.
“Good. Now sleep.” I cover her lips with mine, and despite her protestations, her eyelids are heavy and quickly drop closed on my gentle command. I kiss her once more, pretty sure she’s actually asleep already, and leave the bedroom to check if Will has brought everything up from the car.
“How’s she doing?” Will drops her overnight bag on the floor and strides over to the mini bar.
“Oh you know, loving being told what to do.” I nod to his offer of a beer he has just taken from the cooler. The hiss and ice vapour puff of air released from the open bottle makes my mouth water. I tip it and drain the contents. Damn, I needed that.
“So what’s next? The doctor said she shouldn’t fly for at least two weeks, what are you going to do? Can you work from here? Have you let Sam’s work know about the accident?” He bombards me with questions while my lips are still around the neck of the bottle.
“Thanks for letting me draw breath,” I snark, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. He holds up his hand and gives a light nod by way of backing off without actually doing it. I walk over to the sofa and slump down. None of the questions he has peppered me with are new, and unfortunately, I hate that I not only know the answers but can do fuck all about them.
“I called Sam’s work so she is signed off sick. That’s not the problem.” I drag my hand down my face, the tension in my brow and jaw both working their way to giving me a killer headache.
“The baby?” Will blurts.
“What?” My face screws up with confusion.
“The baby. I take it the baby is the problem?”
I start to shake my head even before he speaks, when I see where his line of thinking took him. “No. No, not at all. I mean it’s a shock, but we’ll deal. I love her so that could never be a problem.” My response is emphatic, even as he raises a curious brow and lets out a dry, flat laugh.
“Yeah, right. So that’s why you gave the good doctor twenty questions about how far along she was, because you had no problem.” His tone is thick with sarcasm.
“Lose the attitude, Will,” I warn. Only he doesn’t flinch. I draw in a deep and heavy breath. “Look, I’m not going to lie. If I had thought for one moment our little Christmas scene could have led to this, I would’ve had you and Leon double bagging your junk. We hadn’t really talked about kids, but you can just take it that, sure as shit, I did not want Sam to be pregnant with another man’s baby. That really shouldn’t be a surprise, and yes, I’m fucking relieved that baby is mine. She knows this, and there is absolutely no point re-hashing that close call. That baby is mine, end of, so no, that isn’t the problem. My problem is that I have to go back to London.” I pull another cold beer from the cooler, open it, and only drain half the bottle this time.
“I’m guessing there’s a good reason you have to leave?” he asks as I offer him another. He shakes his head, waiting for me to continue.
“If it was just work, I could manage from here, but I’ve had another email.” I take a moment to let the soaring anger calm, and the recognition on Will’s face means at least I don’t have to go into further rage-inducing details. “He wants money, and I have to be there for the drop. I want to catch the bastard with my bare hands.” My fingers grip the bottle, and I wish it was bone because the pressure would surely break that fucking arsehole’s neck.
“Understandable, I would too.” Will’s voice brings me back from my wishful
thinking. “Look, I have some time off, and I’m supposed to be house-sitting for the rest of the month. It’s a great little place on the coast. I’ll take care of Sam, and if you can join us at any time, just fly back whenever.”
“What place? I don’t want her sharing with you and your horny housemates.” I hate this, but I would hate that more.
“She won’t. It’s just me. The place is quiet. The steps from the back of the house lead right onto the beach. It’s perfect for recovering. Perfect for Sam.” His voice is wistful, but he gives a light shrug, so I give it no more thought. It’s still a shitty situation.
“Hmm. I fucking hate that I have to leave,” I grumble. I know I’m making the best of a bad situation and it’s not like either of us have a choice.
“You’d hate it more if this scumbag got away.” Will just confirms my predicament.
“True.”
“So that’s settled. I’ll take care of Sam.” Will’s grin is a little too wide. I give a curt nod and no smile whatsoever, because I’m far from fucking happy.
This is so hard, and I take little comfort that, by the look in his deep brown eyes, Jason is finding it just as tough.
“Call me when you land.” My voice breaks like a lovesick teenager, and I can feel my eyes well with tears, but I don’t care. I love this man, and we’ve been through enough for me to not even try to pretend that spending any time at all apart, is too much. He cups the back of my neck and pulls me roughly against his solid frame. His lips crush mine, and my head is screaming, “Yes, mark me, devour me, make me yours.” I can’t wait to be his wife, forever and always. He breaks the kiss, and I stifle a whimper. Dropping his forehead to mine, his warm breath kisses my skin, and his eyes burn through me.
“I’ll call you when I’m in the air, Sam. I’m not waiting nine hours.” He flashes his heart-stopping smile, and I crumple against him and let out a sad sniffle-type laugh.