by Tia Siren
“This is weird,” she said, taking a drink of tea.
“What’s weird?”
“Talking to you about my work. My ex hated my store and certainly didn’t want to hear about it. The only person I talk to is Kali, and considering she works there, she doesn’t really care to talk about work outside of work.”
“Confession? I like hearing about it because I like the way you light up when you talk about it. You can talk to me anytime.”
We finished the meal, both of us full and satiated.
The drive back took a bit longer. When I looked at the passenger seat, I found out why she had been so quiet. She was sound asleep. I smiled at the sight of her slouched over, her face resting against the shoulder strap of the seatbelt.
I decided to take her back to my place.
When I parked the car, she woke up and looked around.
“We’re at my place. It’s closer. Is that okay?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
We went up to my apartment. Neither one of us was really in the mood for anything more than cuddling. I knew she was exhausted and didn’t even try to do more.
“Want a shirt to sleep in?” I asked her.
“I can sleep naked. If you don’t mind?”
That caused a surge, but I fought back the urge to strip her and plunge my body into her right there. She wanted to sleep. I wanted her to sleep.
“That works for me. I’ll keep my hands to myself,” I promised her.
The coy smile nearly did me in, but I wouldn’t give in to my basic instincts.
“Ah, not completely to yourself I hope.”
We both stripped naked. It felt strange to be naked and not wanting her. I wanted her, but I could wait. She climbed into my bed and I crawled in behind her.
“Hold me,” she murmured softly.
I wrapped my body around hers and pulled her back against my chest. The warmth of her body combined with the heavy blanket over us made me feel like I was in a cocoon. I heard the pace of her breathing slow and knew she was already drifting off to sleep. I kissed her neck and then her ear, allowing myself to relax. Holding her in my arms felt so right. I had thought laying naked in bed with her would be difficult, but it wasn’t at all. It was calming and gave me a sense of security I had never felt before.
Now I never wanted to let her go. I wanted to do this every night. Maybe sex and then cuddling, but I wanted her in my bed every night for the rest of my life. I just had to figure out if I could convince her to want me in the same way I wanted her.
No time to think about that now. Sleep was quickly pulling me under. I would worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.
Chapter 23
Lara
“Pizza? Chinese?” I asked Mason, who was lounging on the couch in nothing but his boxers.
“I’m up for anything,” he said, stretching lazily.
I laughed. “I know. You’ve proven what you’re up for more than once today already.”
He reached down and cupped his dick through his underwear. “I think we have time for a quickie before dinner is served.”
The man had proven just how virile he was today. The morning had started with a hot round of slow sex, and throughout the day, there had been more.
“I should probably put some clothes on,” I mumbled, noticing I was wearing nothing but his T-shirt.
“No need for clothes,” he said, looking at me with those serious bedroom eyes.
“I’m hungry, and I don’t think I should answer the door like this.” I gestured head to toe, demonstrating my lack of clothing.
“Looks good to me.”
“Chinese or pizza?” I asked again.
“You get cranky when you’re hungry, don’t you?” he said, sitting up.
“Yes, I do. You get cranky when you lose at Scrabble.”
“Only ’cause you cheated.”
I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t cheat. You’re a sore loser.”
He walked to where I was standing and put his hands around my waist and kissed me. “Want to play another round? Higher stakes this time.”
“Maybe after we eat. If you don’t feed me, I am going to eat you.”
The words were out before I thought about what I was saying. His smoldering look told me he would very much like me to feast on him.
“Eat me. Please.”
“Food, mister. Food. You need to get some groceries before you invite me over again,”
“I will,” he replied instantly.
It was the first mention of the future. We had been careful and kept everything in the now. No talk about tomorrow, next week, or down the road. We were enjoying our time together without any pressure about the future.
“Pizza it is,” I said, grabbing my phone and quickly ordering a large pizza from a local place. “There. Now, you said you would watch that movie with me. Do you still want to?”
He kissed me again. “I will. Can I kiss you while we watch? Or maybe do a little something else while it’s on?”
I kissed him back. “You can do anything you want.”
His arms went to the hem of the T-shirt and he pulled it up. I lifted my arms and it fell to the ground. I leaned my head back, giving him unfettered access to my neck and chest. I had a bit of whisker burn on my body, but I didn’t mind a bit.
“I could feast on you all day,” he mumbled between kisses across my collarbone.
After a day of sex, more sex, and then even more sex, I no longer had any shyness about standing in front of him completely nude in the middle of the day. He knew my body better than I did. He was insatiable and I loved it.
He took me back into his bedroom and made love to me in a slow, delicious session that was all about me. He was a generous lover, always giving and not taking his own pleasure until he was sure I was completely satisfied.
The doorbell rang, stopping him mid-stroke into my body.
“Ignore it,” I mumbled.
I was close and could feel he was ready to explode. The pizza would wait.
Mason looked down at me and pushed in deeper, bringing me to my climax a split second before he collapsed on top of me with his own.
“I better go get that pizza,” he said, rolling off me.
“Hopefully the delivery person left it at the door. I don’t want to have to chase someone down. I will do it, naked and all,” I joked.
I watched as he pulled on his underwear and a pair of sweats and headed for the door. It wasn’t long before the aroma of fresh-baked pizza wafted throughout the large apartment.
I walked naked to the living room, slid on the shirt I had been wearing, and took the plate with two slices on it that Mason handed me.
“Thank you.”
We gobbled down our pizza in silence with my movie of choice, Pitch Perfect, playing on his massive television.
“Are these people really singers?” he asked around a mouthful of pizza.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess they are.”
Snuggled into his side on the couch, I watched the rest of the movie. I had never felt so content in my life. My head lay against his naked chest, listening the steady rhythm of his heart as he casually stroked my arm and occasionally dropped kisses on the top of my head. It was the most romantic date possible. I didn’t need a fancy restaurant and lots of flowers. I only needed him.
“I should probably get going,” I said once the movie was over. It was close to seven. We had spent the entire day doing absolutely nothing except loving on each other’s bodies. It had been glorious.
“Let me get dressed and I’ll take you.”
He delivered me to the front door of my building. I firmly told him he didn’t need to walk me to my apartment door. There was no point in him going through the trouble of parking.
“Bye,” I told him with a kiss before getting out of the car and heading inside.
There were no promises of seeing him tomorrow or him calling me. I didn’t need that, and I didn’t think he did either. I loved how e
asy it was to be with him. At least for now.
I needed to call Kali. I had ignored her all day. I pulled out my phone and called her while I walked to my mailbox. Grabbing the mail, I headed for the elevator.
“Finally,” she answered. “I was beginning to think he had turned you into a sex slave.”
I groaned. “Please tell me my brother isn’t there?”
The last thing I needed was Brian hearing about my sex life.
“No. He left a while ago. Unlike the two of you, we didn’t spend all day banging.”
I had to laugh since that was exactly how Mason and I had spent our day. “Don’t be jealous.”
“I am jealous. Does this mean you two are a thing now? An official item?”
“I don’t know. It’s weird. I like being with him and I know he likes being with me, but how’s he going to feel if and when I get pregnant with another man’s sperm?”
“Awkward. What if you get pregnant with his sperm? You have been having a lot of sex,” she pointed out.
I cleared my throat, a little uncomfortable with getting into the details, but I did it anyway. “Well, I wasn’t ovulating the first few times, and this weekend he used protection. I was inseminated before I went out of town.”
“What!” she screamed. “You never told me!”
“I didn’t want anyone to know. I don’t know if Mason knows. I mean, he probably does, but I asked the nurse to set me up with a different doctor last week.”
“Oh my god. You could be pregnant right now!”
I fought back the panic those words incited. “Possibly. I go in tomorrow for a pregnancy test. It’s early, but the doctor told me if it took, we would likely know.”
“Wow. I can’t believe you actually did it,” she said, amazement in her voice.
“I know. I am a little freaked out. I mean, I wanted it, but it blows my mind to think I could actually be pregnant.”
“I’m excited for you. How do you think he’s going to react?”
“I don’t know,” I said, fighting back the sob that threatened to escape.
Deep down, I had a strong feeling that it would be too much for our relationship. I could admit it was completely bonkers to get pregnant by another man when I had a perfectly willing donor who wanted to be a part of my life. I knew that, but the irrational side of me was too afraid to think about a future with him.
“I’ll be here for you no matter what. I can be a good baby daddy,” she joked.
“I’m sure you will make an excellent baby daddy.”
There was a long pause as we both mulled over the changes that would happen if it turned out I was pregnant.
“Is everything okay?” I asked softly, sensing she wanted to tell me something.
“Everything is great. I’m really happy for you and Mason. I hope things work out for the best. I can’t say I know him well, but I bet he will stick by your side if you let him. Don’t be so quick to push him away. He isn’t Mitchel. You got a bad egg with that one, but Mason seems to be a good guy.”
“Thanks, Kali. I hope you’re right. I’m going to get busy. I need to shower and get ready for tomorrow. I have a stack of mail to go through,” I said, dropping the mail on the kitchen table.
“See you tomorrow. I can’t wait to hear the news!”
I laughed and hung up, equally terrified and nervous. I wanted a baby so badly, but I also wanted a relationship with Mason. I had put myself in a horrible position. If only I had the ability to use a little patience. I had gotten it into my head that I wanted a baby and there was no distracting me.
Picking up the mail, I started to sort through it. There was an official letter from Mitchel’s lawyer’s office. My stomach dropped. Intuitively, I knew it wouldn’t be good news. I scanned the letter and felt the color drain from my face. I pulled out a dining chair and flopped down and reread it.
No!
I grabbed my phone and dialed the number for the attorney’s office. I knew no one was there, but I was going to leave a message.
“Hello. This is Lara McCall. I’m calling regarding a letter I received on behalf of your client, Mitchel Brown. I need to speak with someone ASAP on Monday morning. Please call my lawyer and myself to arrange it. Mr. Brown will have a very serious fight on his hands. I will not change my mind. The judge has signed off on this divorce and I will not be railroaded by you or by Mitchel!”
I slammed the phone down on the table, my hands shaking with anger. Mitchel wanted the condo. How dare he! He was pissed because of a little paint on the walls and now wanted to renegotiate our entire divorce settlement. He actually thought he could scare me off. The man obviously didn’t know me well at all.
I would fight and make him pay through the nose. I had been generous in the first settlement, but I wouldn’t be if he tried to drag me back to court. The man would be paying alimony. I knew his income exceeded mine. I had sat at home and played the doting, supportive wife for years while he climbed the corporate ladder. He owed me. I would make him pay for this.
Stomping down the hall, I stripped off the clothes I had worn last night. I needed a shower. Mitchel was a thorn in my side. Why couldn’t he just let me be happy? I hated that I had been so stupid and naïve all those years ago. I never should have married him. I had nothing to show for it except a condo, and now he was apparently going to try to take that from me too.
I crawled into bed, exhausted from the stress of everything, and hoped tomorrow would be better. Fate couldn’t be that much of a bitch that she would deny me a baby, could she?
Chapter 24
Mason
I walked into the office and saw Junie watching me. I could tell by the look on her face that something was up.
“What? Is there shaving cream on my face?” I quickly reached up and wiped my face. The way she was looking at me was making me uncomfortable and self-conscious.
“No. Um, I wanted to talk to you for a minute. In your office,” she added.
Slowly, I nodded my head, wondering what was on her mind. I prayed she wasn’t about to quit. I relied on her too much for her to leave. I was prepared to offer her a raise if need be.
I walked in and set my coffee on the desk and waited. She shuffled in behind me and closed the door.
“Lara McCall is coming in today,” she blurted out.
“Oh. Okay. Did she call? Is there something wrong? She didn’t mention anything to me ye—”
I stopped talking. I didn’t want to reveal just how close we were.
She rolled her eyes and swatted her hand in my direction. “You’re fooling no one. She’s coming in for a pregnancy test.”
My eyes widened and my stomach did a somersault. That could only mean one thing. She suspected she was pregnant and hadn’t told me. Was she mad? I knew it had to have been mine. She hadn’t been with anyone else—that I was sure of.
“Oh, uh, oh,” I stammered.
Junie narrowed her eyes and then she suddenly blushed. “Oh, Dr. Chambers! No. Not because of you.” She gestured at me.
“Not because of me?”
“She was inseminated last week.”
I stared at Junie, blinking and not speaking. “What?”
When Junie didn’t immediately answer me, I walked around to my desk and flipped on my computer. I pulled up her chart and felt my heart sink into my stomach. Her appointment last week hadn’t been to check her levels. She had gone through the first insemination.
“She did it,” I whispered.
Junie looked as if she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. “I’m sorry. She spoke with me about it and asked that I not share her request with you. I had to respect her wishes.”
I stared at the screen, processing the information. She hadn’t told me. No one had told me! Clearly, she had requested another doctor. While I understood her reasons considering our personal relationship, it still stung a little.
“I understand,” I said in a thick voice. “Thank you for taking care of her.”
&nb
sp; “I’m so sorry, Mason. I’m not sure where you guys are in your relationship and I did try to talk to her about possibly waiting, but she was adamant she go through with the procedure,” Junie said in a soft voice filled with regret.
“Don’t worry about it, Junie. Really, this is her choice, and I support her decision. What time is she coming in?”
“About thirty minutes.”
“Oh. Okay, well, I will do what I can to stay out of her way. If she asks to see me, please bring her in and come and find me.”
“I will. I’m sorry,” she repeated.
“It’s fine. I expected it. Please, don’t be sorry. Thank you for the heads up, though. It would have been very awkward had I seen her here and asked her to her face. This probably saved us from an awkward public situation.”
She nodded and left my office.
I sat down and processed the information. Today she was getting a pregnancy test. She hadn’t trusted me enough to tell me she had decided to move forward with the insemination. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. I was a little hurt. I had thought we had something special and that there was slim chance she would want to wait and possibly have a baby with me.
I looked at her chart and grimaced. I knew the odds, and they were not in her favor. As her doctor, I would have advised her to wait another month. Knowing Lara, she probably wouldn’t allow herself to be talked out of it. I had a feeling today would be rough on her. A pregnancy test six days after the procedure was a bit earlier than I liked.
Despite my reservations, I knew from experience that patients could stress themselves out wondering if an implantation or insemination had taken. Maybe by some miracle, hers would be positive. I wouldn’t get in her way. If she wanted to tell me, she would. I had to keep it professional. This was her business, and I wouldn’t cross that line and violate her right to privacy.
“She’s here,” Junie said, stopping by my office.
“Thanks, but if she needs to see me, let me know. I’d rather not interfere.”
She nodded her head. “Okay, but maybe she could use your support.”
I shook my head. “No. She must not want it. I’m not going to intrude. This is her decision.”