by Maree, Kay
“Good, it’s settled then, and if our boy gives you a hard time, you just let me know Sweetheart and I’ll kick his ass,” Lou said chuckling.
“What the F--”
“Nash Jacob Steel,” Mum snapped, stopping him from finishing.
“Sorry Mum,” he mumbled, making me laugh.
“You’ll keep Little Mare,” he smirked down at me and his eyes travelled right through me, making me shiver.
“So what’s the news? how did the blood tests go?” June asked.
Cutting through the laughter and the intense moment, thank God.
Because heat had started running rampant through me like a wildfire.
“Yeah, about that,” Nash sighs, locking his fingers with mine on my good hand and squeezing.
“Oh god no. what’s wrong?”
June’s hand covered her mouth as her eyes began to glass over.
I couldn’t stand the worried look in their eyes as Lou looked to the floor.
Wrapping an arm tight around his wife's waist as if bracing for what was coming.
“I’m pregnant,” I blurted.
Breaking through the silence, but what I didn't expect was the high-pitched scream to follow.
“And I have told Cora she is to marry me,” Nash throws in, which sent June rushing to my side and wrapping me in a tight, warm hug as Lou leaned over the bed to shake Nash’s hand.
“You told her,” June asks, smiling laughter coating her words.
“That’s how we do it, son,” Lou chuckles before physically picking up June and moving her to the side to get to me.
“Brute,” she mumbled, making him laugh.
“Welcome to the family Sweetheart,” he kissed my cheek and that broke me all over again.
All I had ever wanted was to have a family, to be wanted.
At that moment, I finally got my wish.
It’s been nearly a week since that day and now I’m home feeling so much better, but Nash refuses to let me do anything. Even June went strict on my ass when she found me earlier doing the laundry.
She marched me up to my room and told me to stay put while she made me some lunch.
When I protested, saying I could do it and asking why she wasn’t at work.
She laughed and said her focus was on her family right now and Kathy, one of her other bar staff and closest friends, had it all under control.
Which again had that warm feeling rushing through me all over again.
Playing with the massive engagement ring on my finger, Nash gave me my first night home from the hospital.
I watch as the sun pours through the double French doors bouncing off the diamond making a kaleidoscope of colours bounce across the walls.
I smile, remembering how shocked I was when he told me he went into Roma the day after I turned up here and got it.
My heart squeezed in my chest, knowing he knew I was going to be his all along.
“Try to eat Sweetheart I’m gonna go finish that laundry and make some lunch for the boys. When I tell Nash you were out of bed he's gonna be up here kicking your little butt Missy,” she points a manicured finger at me making me laugh.
It’s quickly cut off on a gasp when it registers what she just said.
“You wouldn’t,” I whine like a little girl making her laugh.
“Yep, you need your rest. We have three weeks to see if the little bean is doing fine and until then consider yourself on bedrest.”
“You have got to be kidding me three more weeks of this,” I flap my good arm around the room.
“Sophie told me before she went back home that if you disobey me, she will come back and kick your butt,” she says smiling as if she just won the argument leaving the room.
“This is bullshit,” I grumble, picking up half of the yummy sandwich.
“I heard that,” she calls out.
“Damn,” I groan but quickly shut up when I hear heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.
Hushed voices come through the slightly open door and seconds later Nash stomps in like a raging bull looking ready to bust out of the chute.
Jaw ticking, nose flaring, chest expanding rapidly.
“I didn’t do it,” I spit out, eyes wide.
But with food in my mouth and the chuckle that rumbles through him, I’m guessing it sounded nothing like what I thought it did.
“Little Mare,” he sighs as if I’m pushing his patience.
“You know you shouldn’t believe everything your mother says,” I blurt.
Quickly picking up the glass of Juice and taking a big mouthful.
Hopefully, that will stop my mouth from saying more stupid shit.
“Oh really,” he quirks a brow, slowly moving to the side of the bed.
When his knees hit the edge of the mattress, the look he shoots my way has my spine-tingling.
“Yep,” I smile, winking.
“What am I going to do with you?” he blows out a rough breath.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside me, resting a warm palm on my knee.
“Keep me,” I smirk.
“Abso-fucking-lutly,” he growls.
Leaning over, he takes the cup from my hand, placing it down on the tray of food in front of me.
Picking the tray up and placing it on the floor by the bed.
“I was eating that,” I protest, but it’s weak as he begins to slowly shift up the bed.
As if I am his prey, kicking off his boots as he goes.
“Oh, I like where this is leading,” I mumble as his lips brush across mine.
“Soon Little Mare,” he gruffs out, making me pout.
Latching onto my bottom lip with his teeth and pulling, making me whimper.
Letting go, he sucks the stinging flesh into his warm mouth.
“You taste sweet.”
“Orange juice,” I whisper back, watching that smirk kick up the side of his lips again.
“You need to behave and stay in this bed,” he grips my hips in his big hands.
“The doctor said I need to walk around,” I smart back.
“Yes, but he didn’t say anything about doing the fucking dishes or the laundry, did he?” he quirks that damn brow at me again.
I don’t answer cause I don’t want him having the satisfaction of being right yet again.
The man is a big pain in my ass when he's right.
“Nash,” I whine like a little girl instead.
“Nope, fuck that shit babe. I got that shit. I just need you to get better, the quicker you get better, the quicker I can get back inside you,” he growls nuzzling the side of my neck.
Turning my head, so he has more room to work his magic.
Shivering when his lips slide down my neck.
“Got it? babe,” he murmurs, his teeth latching onto my earlobe.
“Hmmmmm.”
“Good. Now be a good girl, eat your lunch and mum said she will bring up some books for you to read.”
“I want kinky romance books,” I pout again, making him groan.
I try to hide the smile on my lips when he pulls back with heavy stormy eyes.
“You can’t read that shit.”
“Try and stop me, Cowboy.”
“Fuck,” he kisses my lips too quickly for my liking but I know he has to get back to work.
“When I come to bed tonight, I better have all your attention.”
“We will see,” I smart back, which earns me a squeeze to the hips and another hard possessive kiss.
“Love you.”
“Love you too, Cowboy. Now, go. I have books with hot alpha males waiting for me,” I giggle when he groans getting off the bed.
Putting his boots back on, he picks up the tray and places it back over my lap.
Then heads for the door but before he leaves he turns and points a finger at me.
“Behave,” then he's gone, leaving his seductive scent lingering aro
und the room.
My thighs squeeze together as heat curls through me.
“Damn,” I gasp.
“Argh, you piece of crap,” I growl, pulling the plastic bag off my casted arm so sick and tired of this cast already.
Staring at myself in the bathroom mirror.
I take in my pale complexion.
The numerous small cuts still scattered across my face, neck and chest.
My hair is a mess and all I want to do is wash it, but with this stupid cast, I can’t bloody do it.
A sob crawls up my throat, just staring at my reflection, quickly turning away.
I try to stop myself from breaking down.
I have done too much of that lately and I’m over it.
Looking down at Nash’s shirt I stole from him that hits just below my knees I throw on a pair of black leggings not giving a crap what I look like right now.
Knowing this is as good as it’s gonna get for now.
“Little Mare,” Nash calls out from the bedroom.
“What?” I snap, feeling guilty as shit snapping at him.
“What’s wrong?”
That deep gravel voice has me looking towards the door.
My gut twists at how good he looks.
Dirty tight blue jeans, black shirt with tiny rips here and there, the beard he has decided to keep looking a bit rough but still sexy as hell.
My thighs squeeze together thinking about how that will feel the next time he goes down on me.
“Cora?” Nash asks, snapping me out of my head.
Quickly looking away because the man looks damn near perfect and it pisses me off.
“Nothing,” I grumble, squatting to grab my discarded clothes off the floor, only wincing a little bit from the small cuts on my legs.
Ignoring them as I reach for my clothes, so I can throw them into the washing basket by the door.
“I can do that,” he says slowly crouching in front of me, so we are at eye level.
“I got it,” I nod.
Standing and heading towards the door.
“Hey what’s wrong?” He grabs my good arm, halting me in my steps.
“I’m fine,” I breathe out.
“That's bullshit Babe you and I both know that,” he snaps, I cringe at the tone of his voice.
“I’m sorry, my head’s just all over the place tonight and my arm itches like a bitch. My face is still all messed up and fuck, I still don’t have a fucking clue why this all happened to me.” I fire off each word at a rapid pace, my breaths picking up speed to the point my head begins to swirl.
“Then you walk in looking too damn perfect and it pissed me off,” I growl.
Oh yeah, I did.
It built up in my chest and rumbled through every one of my limbs, and fuck it felt good.
Nash’s eyes widen, his steps falter.
“Fuck babe, that was hot,” he rumbles right back.
“I just want answers,” I whisper, sitting on the edge of the bed dropping my face staring at my bare feet as one of my big toes starts to make patterns in the soft carpet.
Utterly deflated and if I'm being completely honest with myself, upset and disappointed that I will never get the answers I want.
Nash drops to his knees in front of me, cups my face, lifting it, so I’m looking at him.
A soft look crosses his features and that makes the tears I have been fighting off for the last half an hour spill over onto my cheeks.
Hiccuping.
I sniff being completely unladylike when I wipe my nose on the back of my good hand but not giving a crap what I look like right now.
“Shhh Beautiful,” he kisses my nose.
“Crawl into bed and I may have the answers you want. Let me just take a quick shower and I will crawl in beside you cause I wanna hold you when I tell you. Okay?”
That damn whispered voice strikes again and all I can do is nod.
Kissing my nose again.
My nose scrunches up as his beard scratches over me.
“Come on Little Mare, drink your juice and I'll be back in a minute.”
He passes me my glass, then growls at my book sitting on the bedside table.
Stifling a giggle as he picks it up with two pinched fingers at the corner as if it has cooties and quickly passes it to me.
“Here. I won’t be long,” he sulks staring at the cover.
Nodding, I laugh, looking at the sexy bare-chested firefighter plastered across the glossy cover.
“Not funny Little Mare, I should tan that hide of yours,” he gruffs out, heading into the bathroom. Making me laugh harder.
Flipping to the chapter I left off before my shower.
I take my bookmark out cause anyone that folds the corners of pages to mark their spot belongs in hell.
I start to read.
I'm so engrossed in the story and wondering if there are any firefighters around here like this that I don't hear Nash when he comes out of the bathroom.
The bed dips beside me, but I pay no attention as Ryker the Hero in Going Down In Flames - STATION 44 gets called out to a major fire with his crew.
I’m so lost in my head as the book plays out like a movie through my mind.
My body shudders, feeling his heated breath fan down my neck as the warmth of his palm slides up my leg before that deep smooth voice rumbles in my ear.
"Little Mare put that shit away and show your man some love," he purrs, nuzzling into the side of my neck, making me giggle.
"It's not shit," I get out on a breathy sigh.
"Not arguing with you about it. Fuck it off now," he growls.
Before I get a chance to put it down, he grabs it and throws it across the floor.
"Nash," I gasp.
"Shhh," his hand slides up my inner thigh, his soft lips trace an invisible line across my jawline.
"I'm telling your mum you threw her book," I moan out my body chasing his touch.
"Don't give a fuck. Now that's enough talking from you," his lips meld to mine.
I succumb to the pleasure knowing fighting him only works him up more and it always ends the same way.
His mouth on mine and me submitting to his body's silent commands.
Groaning into my mouth I whimper loving the vibration of his voice as it travels straight through me.
"Gotta stop Little Mare," he gruffs out pulling back resting his forehead against mine.
"Your little sounds rock me to my core, and I was close to blowing my load like a teenage boy in my pants."
Laughing, I push against his hard chest knowing I need a bit of distance and also I want to talk about everything that happened.
"We need to talk anyway," I manage to get out, getting my voice back.
"Yeah, I know and as much as I don't want to tell you. But I realised in the shower you need the information to get your head right," he breathes out, falling back to the bed next to me.
Sitting cross-legged, fighting off my body’s natural reaction to his touch when he starts running small circles around my knee with his thumb.
Looking down, my eyes trace every inch of his naked chest.
They widen when I notice a white bandage tape across his left pec.
“Oh god, what happened?” I reach over and run the tips of my fingers over the cotton gauze.
“Let me tell you what you want to know first, then I’ll tell you about that,” his voice is low and raspy, nodding.
I wait, watching as conflicting emotions start racing across his face.
“Fuck okay,” he swallows hard and I don’t miss the catch in his voice.
"When you first went missing, we didn't know where the fuck he took you. Lucus and I spent the night searching everywhere we could think of to find you. By the time we made it back to the bar, it was early morning. Anyway, one of the officers turned up with a thick file on everything he could find on that piece of shit and that's when we realised
how screwed up he really was." He shakes his head, eyes blank.
His body is wound tight, tension floats around the once cozy room, but I refuse to speak knowing I need to hear this.
“Patrick Jones was just an alias, his real name is Patrick Stewart,” he pauses and stares straight at me, searching my face for God only knows what.
“Okay,” I say slowly.
Confusion floods me as shock settles in at that little tidbit.
We were married. How did I not know this? I wonder as my eyes lock with Nash.
“Think Beautiful.”
“I don’t know why that should mean anything to me,” I answer truthfully.
“Beautiful that piece of shit was your foster father’s son, the one that attacked you that night and you defended yourself against.”
“And killed,” I finish for him as it all clicks into place, Nash nods slowly.
“Oh my God, no, that can’t be possible,” I rush out.
“I’m sorry Beautiful, but Jebson has the files that state that it is in fact true.”
“Wow,” I breathe, gnawing on my bottom lip.
“I don’t know what to do with that bit of information,” I say truthfully.
“You don’t have to do anything with it, babe.
He was a sick fuck.
He sought out to control you and punish you purely for revenge.
He thought if he had the upper hand with you, you would always be his prisoner.”
“After I signed the divorce papers, I thought I was finally free but I guess I was wrong,” I shrug, looking down at the bedspread, running the tip of my finger over the white stitching.
“He said I was stupid to think getting rid of him would be that easy,” my voice is so low.
I’m not sure he hears me, squeezing my knee. I lift my chin a little looking down at him through my lashes.
“None of this was your fault Little Mare.” He blows out a rough breath.
“He was a sick piece of shit that wanted to control and hurt you Cora.”
“How did he find me?”
“He tracked you here through your phone there was a program stored on his phone that tracked your every movement."
"Oh God," I gasp.
"You could spend a lifetime trying to analyze why he did what he did, but that would be just wasted time that could be used making memories with me and our family. Sometimes there is no real reason why people do the things they do,” he shrugs, squeezing my knee again.