When Two Becomes One

by E. L. Todd

“But I know you want this wedding to be over with.”

  I wasn’t following him. “Why?”

  “So you can get hitched.”

  I did want to get married—badly. “I don’t want your wedding to be over with. Skye and I are both excited. You guys are our best friends and we’re honored to share the day with you.”

  Slade cocked an eyebrow. “Are you a girl now?”

  I chuckled. “You’re the one who wanted to sleep with me.”

  He laughed. “Touché.”

  “Seriously, we’re happy for both of you. Our days will come later.”

  “Have you already planned it?” he asked.

  “No.” Unfortunately. “But I want something quick and short. I don’t think Skye wants something big either.”

  “She couldn’t be more different than Trinity,” Slade said. “That girl wants a wedding from a Disney movie.”

  “You’re a lucky guy,” I said sarcastically.

  “Whatever,” he said. “As long as she’s happy I’m happy.”

  “Good attitude.”

  He took another drink of his soda. “You know how Mike and Sean live next door to each other?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Should we do that?” he asked seriously.

  I shrugged. “You guys can buy a penthouse, I guess.”

  He laughed. “Like we could afford that.”

  “Trinity might,” I said. “It seems like her business is doing well.”

  “We’re both in debt right now.”

  “And Skye said she wants to get a house in Connecticut so she can be close to her parents. So, I’m not sure if that will work.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Like the Prestons aren’t close enough as it is. I don’t think Trinity and I will ever leave the city. Besides, my parents and Silke are here. Abby is practically my niece so I have to be around for her.”

  The idea of Slade showing affection for a child was surprising—and amusing. “She’s really cute.”

  “Yeah, she is,” he agreed. He finished his food and soda and piled it onto the tray. “What’s new with you?”

  “Nothing.” My life was pretty boring.

  “Nothing at work?”

  “Well, I’m working on a water purification system that will allow people in third world countries to have clean water. It’s an interesting apparatus. It’s small and storable. And it’s easy to use. I’m almost finished with the last model. Then I’ll start distributing them.”

  “That’s pretty cool,” he said. “How does it work?”

  “It’s pretty much the same thing as adding chlorine to a pool. It kills the bacteria and diseases so people can drink it and not get sick. A lot of those countries drink water from run off from the land and it’s seriously contaminated. With a single apparatus they can make thousands of gallons of water.”

  “That’s sick, dude,” he said. “When are those going to go out?”

  “Not sure,” I said. “But soon.”

  “Are you taking them yourself?”

  “I’m not sure yet. But I would like to.”

  “That’s so cool.” He fist-bumped me. “You’re saving the world.”

  “I don’t know about that…”

  “Skye doesn’t care about you going to Africa and stuff?”

  “Actually, I haven’t talked to her about it yet but I know she won’t mind.”

  Slade cringed. “She’ll probably be worried for your safety.”

  “But she wouldn’t stop me from going.”

  “Of course not,” he said. “I’m sure she’s proud of you.”

  “She is,” I agreed.

  Slade glanced at his watch. “I should get going. I got a shop to run.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll see you at home.”

  “Yeah.” He stood up and sighed. “Home…” He tossed his garbage then left.

  When he was gone, I sighed. I wish I were going home tonight. Apparently, Slade and I were both being tortured.

  Chapter Four

  Ward

  I took a seat and waited for Cortland to see me. His secretary said he had a phone call so it would be a while. I rested my ankle on the opposite knee and tried to remain collected. Cortland and I didn’t get off on the right foot when it came to my relationship with his daughter. I knew he liked me but he didn’t necessarily love me either. I wanted a relationship that Cayson had with Sean. There was obvious trust between them. I’d known Sean for a long time and I understood just how protective he was of his only daughter. The fact he was so easy going and laid back around Cayson told me there was a strong relationship between them. Cayson had obviously done something to earn his respect.

  I wanted that relationship with Cortland.

  His secretary turned to me. “He’ll see you now, Ward.”

  “Thanks.” I stood up and straightened my jacket before I entered his office.

  He was sitting behind his massive desk and he didn’t stand up to greet me. “Hey, Ward. What can I do for you?” He clearly thought this was going to be a work related conversation.

  “Hello, sir.” I took a seat and kept my body relaxed. “I was hoping I could have a minute of your time.”

  “You can,” he said. “Actually, I’ll give you more than a minute.”

  “How generous,” I said with a smile.

  “So, what’s up?”

  Here it goes. “I wanted to talk…about Clementine and I.”

  “Yeah?” he asked. “How’s that going?”

  “Well,” I said. He didn’t know she and I were back together, unless Sean told him. But I had a feeling he didn’t. Sean seemed to stay out of Clementine’s personal life as much as possible. “It’s really important to me that you and I have a good relationship.”

  “What gave you the impression that we didn’t?” he asked.

  A lot of things. “I just wanted to explain a few things to you…about your daughter and I.”

  “Okay. “ He leaned back and watched me.

  “When she and I were together, I wanted to be up front about our relationship. She was the one who wanted to keep it a secret. I’m not a liar or a coward.”

  “I never thought you were,” he said calmly.

  “I fell in love with her pretty much the moment we started to get to know each other. I never told her because I was afraid she would push me away. And those feelings only grew during the course of our relationship.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “I’m sure most men fall in love with my daughter immediately. I mean, look at her.” He smiled at the end.

  I smiled back. “True. But I think it’s because of everything underneath as well. She’s smart, talented, funny, and…perfect.” I couldn’t think of a better word.

  “That she is,” he agreed.

  “Anyway, I made several attempts to convince her to tell everyone about us. But she refused to budge.”

  He rubbed his chin. “That doesn’t surprise me. Unfortunately, I’ve always been a little protective of my daughter. Cayson is just as bad. I understand why she would want to hide a meaningful relationship unless she was absolutely sure she wanted to go through hell to keep it.” He chuckled. “My wife always told me I needed to relax. I should have taken her advice.”

  This was going better than I expected. “Okay. I’m glad we’ve come to an understanding about that.”

  “Whether she wanted to keep the relationship a secret or you did is irrelevant,” he said. “Clementine is a grown woman and is free to do whatever she wants. Her personal life is none of my business.”

  He’d mellowed out a lot over the past few months. When Clementine told him she was pregnant, he wasn’t happy. He didn’t speak to her for weeks. Now he seemed like a different person. “Even so, I wanted you to know that I love your daughter and I’ll always take care of her.”

  “I never doubted you wouldn’t, Ward.”

  That meant a lot to me.

  “I apologize for being rude to you before. When I t
hought you abandoned her, I got a little angry…”

  “That’s understandable.”

  “But that’s clearly not the case.”

  “No, it’s not.” I massaged my knuckles. “And there’s something else I’d like to tell you.”

  “Yes?”

  “Clementine asked me to move in with her. And she and I are back together.” Saying it out loud sent excitement through me. Being with her again was a dream. I woke up every day to her beside me, swollen with my child. Sometimes I couldn’t believe it.”

  He smiled. “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “Monnique and I were hoping you’d find your way to one another.”

  “We did,” I said. “Even though it took a lot of work.”

  He chuckled. “My daughter is complicated sometimes.”

  “That’s an understatement…”

  He laughed. “She means well.”

  “I know she does.”

  “So, it sounds like this story has a happy ending.”

  “It does.” And I was grateful it did.

  Cortland stared at me, like he thought I might say something more.

  I stared back, like I thought he might ask me something.

  All we did was stare.

  I cleared my throat then pulled the box out of my pocket. I slid it across the desk to him.

  He smiled then felt it in his fingers. Then he opened it. He stared at the ring inside for a long time, examining the large diamond in the center and the individual diamonds in the white gold band. Then he closed it and slid it back to me. “Beautiful ring.”

  “Thank you.” I stuffed it back into my pocket. “Do I have your permission?”

  He smirked. “Ward, she’s already yours.”

  Relief washed through me.

  “I admit I’m not thrilled Clementine is having this baby out of wedlock but sometimes things happen. And as long as you’re being there for her it doesn’t matter.”

  “I will always be there for her, sir.”

  “I know, Ward. You’re a good guy. My daughter is very lucky to have you.”

  When I sat outside his office, I imagined him glaring at me and saying I would never be good enough for his daughter. The fact he was being so accepting and even happy was surprising.

  “When are you going to ask?”

  “I’m not sure,” I said. “I guess when the time is right.”

  “That’s vague…”

  I knew Clementine better than anyone, but it was difficult to explain her way of thinking to other people, who were unaware of her thought process. “We just got back together so I don’t want to push her. But I’ll know when the moment is right. And when it comes, I’ll ask.”

  “Do you think that will be before the baby comes?” he asked hopefully.

  “I’m not sure. But I can tell that’s not important to Clementine. She was prepared to raise this baby on her own at one point.”

  He nodded. “She’s fiercely independent—not that it’s a bad thing.”

  “Just an annoying thing.”

  He laughed. “You do know my daughter well.”

  “Better than anyone.”

  He rose from the chair then came around the desk. “Welcome to the family, Ward.” He opened his arms to hug me.

  I smiled then stood up and returned the embrace. It felt nice to be welcomed. It was hard leaving my family behind in London. Having Clementine’s father accept me as a member of his family meant more to me than I would let on—to anyone.

  ***

  Clementine growled upstairs then released a loud humpf.

  I was reading on the couch downstairs when I noticed the sound. I wasn’t sure what she was doing but she seemed frustrated. As her belly became more swollen, it was more difficult for her to get around and do things. Maybe that’s what was irritating her. I decided to go upstairs and investigate.

  When I reached the bedroom I saw Clementine stand in front of the large closet. Dresses still attached to the hangers were thrown on the ground at her feet. She was looking through her wardrobe and sighing in irritation as she did it.

  From the back you could hardly tell she was pregnant. Her hourglass figure was still noticeable and she had petite legs. But judging her constant irritation, it was obvious to everyone and anyone she was in her second trimester.

  “Need some help?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and turned around. “I’m not in a good mood. Leave if you don’t want to get caught in the crossfire of my rage.” Then she turned back around.

  I came closer to her and tried not to step on her clothes. “Having a hard time finding something to wear?”

  “What does it look like?” she hissed.

  I didn’t take offense to her attitude. “And what’s the occasion?”

  “The wedding. I look hideous in everything.”

  Those were the hormones talking. “Impossible.”

  “I look like a damn cow. People are going to come up to me and feed me hay.”

  I tried not to laugh. “No. They’re going to come up to you and say you’re glowing.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Knock it off.”

  “I’m being serious,” I said calmly. “You look beautiful—all the time.”

  “Maybe to you because I’m carrying your son.”

  “No. It’s shared by many.”

  She stared at her closet, still irritated.

  I stepped forward and looked through her selections. “You’ll look good in any of these.”

  She threw her arms down and walked away. “I hate being pregnant. I waddle everywhere, my tits hurt, and I look like humpty-dumpty.” She lay on the bed and sighed.

  I was used to these tantrums from growing up with Willow. She would get upset over the dumbest things. But instead of dealing with it, I usually just left the house. But I couldn’t do that with Clementine.

  I approached the bed then lay beside her. She refused to look at me, keeping her gaze averted. My fingers found her chin and forced her gaze my way. Then I moved closer to her and rested my hand on her distended stomach. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. My sex drive has never been so high in my life. You know I’m not feeding you lines because you see how much I want you every morning, afternoon, and evening. Instead of trying on these dresses why don’t we get you something new?”

  “I’ll look ugly in that too.”

  “No, you won’t,” I argued.

  “Why couldn’t you knock me up a little bit earlier or a little bit later?”

  I shrugged. “You’re the one who stopped taking your birth control. If you want to point fingers, the blame is on you.”

  “I’m not irritated that you knocked me up. I just wish I wasn’t pregnant during a wedding. I can’t be a bridesmaid because of it.”

  “But you’re still going to the wedding,” I said. “And that’s supportive enough.”

  “In the pictures I’m going to—”

  “Look radiant.” I was tired of hearing her refer to herself as an ugly cow. “Now knock it off.” I moved her dress up and exposed her swollen stomach. “How is this not beautiful?” I placed a gentle kiss on her belly button.

  Her hand moved into my hair and fingered the strands. “Well, it’s made everything else bigger too.”

  “Like these?” I moved her dress further up and exposed her swollen breasts. They were getting bigger and firmer. I loved her body the way it was, but seeing her boobs and ass get bigger wasn’t something I would complain about. I kissed the valley between her breasts then sucked each nipple. My cock hardened in my jeans and now I wanted to be inside her, to watch her chest shake while I pounded into her. I was always fired up around her. It was an automatic response. Whenever we were in the same room together, my body immediately prepared to take her. Our previous relationship was similar but not as intense as it was now.

  Clementine pulled my clothes away, eager to feel me inside her. I pu
lled her underwear down, eager to move between her legs. Whenever we were getting hot and heated, my excitement couldn’t be contained. I never wanted another woman as much as I wanted her. I’d been with swimsuit models and they still didn’t compare to my darling Clementine.

  Once I was on top, I entered her. She’d taken me many times but her body still stretched for me. I wasn’t sure if she was tight or I was just big. It felt amazing either way. When I was on top of her, I had to be careful when I thrust. Her stomach was getting bigger and I tried not to hit it. But staring at it turned me on. I never realized making love to a pregnant woman could be so hot. It didn’t cross my mind even once. But now her pregnancy is all I had to think about to get hard.

  Her hands fisted my hair while she moaned underneath me. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. I could see it in the look of her eyes. She stared at me with longing every second of the day. There were times when I wanted to skip the gym or eat an extra slice of pizza but I stopped myself because of that look. I loved the fact she was immensely attracted to me. I got looks from women all the time but I never cared for their interest. Clementine was the only woman I cared about, the mother of my children and my future wife.

  We moved together, understanding exactly what the other liked and enjoyed. She knew how to touch me in the right way, and I knew when to move into her hard or slow. Silently, we danced together, pleasing one another and falling deeper into love.

  I wanted to release when she did. It was something I enjoyed doing. Feeling the explosive euphoria simultaneously was fulfilling and sexy. Clementine was barely holding on so I took control. “Not yet,” I said as I panted.

  Her nails dug into me. “I can’t hold on…”

  I moved into her harder. “Almost there, darling.”

  “Ward…”

  I finally hit my threshold. The pleasure felt immense. “Now, darling.” I gave her my final thrusts while I emptied myself. She practically screamed as she spiraled down, her head rolling back.

  Lovemaking with her always felt right. It was beautiful, passionate, and carnal all at the same time. Sweat collected on my chest and I felt it rub against her tits as I rested over her. Then I pressed a kiss to her temple. “You still think you’re a fat cow?”

  “I don’t know…maybe you’re just into fat cows.”