Knoxed Up

by Mayra Statham

  “Why are you so sweet?” she asked. Her eyes shimmering, she kept sharing, “I’m late.”

  “Late for work? You said you called in.”

  “Late. Late,” she repeated as if it would make sense. I searched her eyes, confused. “My period is late,” she clarified slowly, and just as slowly, her words penetrated.

  She’s late.

  Shit.

  She had said yes to me, and she could be pregnant with my baby?

  “Only you could make me this happy,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.

  “What? Knox—”

  “You haven’t taken the test?”

  “No. I didn’t know if I should call you or just take it—”

  “Good. Come on.” I dragged her back up to her room after grabbing the bag from the coffee table and my duffle bag.

  “Knox, what are you doing?” she asked once we walked back into her room. Looking around, taking in more of her house, I realized it was sweet. Cute and cozy. Just like my girl.

  “We did this together. We are going to find out together,” I shared. Her eyes went glassy.

  “Knox.”

  “You’re not alone. Not ever. From this moment on, you’re not your own, do you understand?” I ran my fingers over her hairline.

  “You’re not mad?” she asked in a soft voice, and I shook my head.

  “Did you miss the fact my ring’s on your finger?”

  “A ring is one thing. Babies are a whole other—”

  “You freaking out, funny girl?” I asked and watched her still. Her eyes never moved away from mine as she thought and slowly licked her lips.

  “Honestly?” she asked.

  “Always.”

  She opened and then closed her mouth as if trying to figure out what to say, but I tried to help her out.

  Leading her to the bed, I sat on the edge, opening my legs so she could stand between them. “Lena, baby, a ring usually means babies will come down the road.”

  “Maybe to some men. Some don’t like kids. Some could be your age and childless for a reason.”

  “To this man, the one in front of you, my ring on your finger means babies would eventually be part of our lives. I haven’t had one because I hadn’t met the one woman I wanted to be connected to for life.”

  “But it’s not like we planned this, or we know one another all that well. I mean—”

  “You and I both know the moment our eyes connected at your sister and Chase’s wedding, it was a huge changing point.”

  “Knox.”

  “We might not have known literally, but we knew.” She softened in my arms, and her silent agreement made me stroke her back.

  “No matter what, everything will be okay.”

  “We hardly know one another,” she said, almost sounding defeated.

  “Have you been pretending to be someone you aren’t?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood while making a point.

  “No.”

  “I have never been more myself with anyone else but you,” I admitted.

  “That’s kinda scary.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because the more I have of you, the more I want, Knox,” she explained, exposing a lot more than I knew she would want to.

  “Glad that’s a two-way street, honey.”

  “Is this for real?”

  “The realest.”

  “So, if the test says positive—”

  “I would be the happiest man on earth.”

  “And if I’m not?” she asked, worry clear in her eyes.

  “We will work on getting you knocked up.” I winked playfully.

  “Aubrey calls it Knoxed up.”

  “Have I told you that I really like your best friend?” Her eyes glittered, and then she spoke, “She also called you old man Hemingway,” she shared, and we both laughed out loud.

  “You ready to take the test?”

  “You’ll be here?”

  “You won’t be able to get rid of me.”

  Chapter Eight

  Lena

  “So, it’s a digital one.” I was rambling. I did that when I was nervous.

  “Okay, baby.”

  “It’s going to just say pregnant or not pregnant.” I fought from blinking, afraid to miss a moment. I had just done my thing and let him step into the bathroom.

  “You’re shirtless,” I pointed out, looking at him now in navy blue sweatpants.

  “We’re staying in.”

  “We just got engaged.”

  “We did.”

  “Are you sure about—”

  “Positive,” he cut me off, answering so damn sincerely there was no way of not believing him.

  “How will this work? You’re all over the place, and I’m here.”

  “Do you have to be here?” he asked, not in a critical way but in a way I knew he was honestly curious.

  “No,” I answered honestly.

  “But?” I smiled because even though the time between us wasn’t huge, he totally knew me.

  “But.” I took a deep breath and shared, “My sister is here, and her boys are here. My nephews are important to me. My family is important.”

  “Then we stay here.” He shrugged like he had just chosen an ice cream flavor instead of where we would be living.

  “Knox—”

  “I can work anywhere.”

  “But your dad? You just asked me if I would go with you—”

  “He and I talked. Babe, I told him all about you, and he was the one who suggested that maybe you wouldn’t want to move, so I should and stay here with you, and I agreed. So, I found my replacement, just in case. It’s all done and taken care of. I still had to ask what you wanted, even though I already knew.”

  “So, you quit your job?” Shit, was my maybe baby daddy unemployed?

  “I am taking a different position in my family’s business. Minimal travel. Most of the work I need to do can be done wherever I can access wi-fi.”

  “That easy?”

  “It’s what took time these last six weeks to set up. Otherwise, I would have never left for my last trip.”

  “Who’s taking over for you?” I found myself asking, and the way he grinned, I knew.

  “Casey. My assistant.” I laughed and leaned my head against his perfectly solid chest. “I’m not leaving.”

  “You’re not leaving?” I asked, the surprise in my voice clear. Holy crap, everything was changing fast.

  “Nope.” His talented fingers ran through my hair. The simple gesture was sweet and soothing and exactly what I needed so I wouldn’t freak out. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I like the sound of that,” I whispered against his lips, breathing his air.

  He loved me, and I loved him.

  We were getting married.

  My morning was leaps and bounds better than I could have dreamt up when I woke up.

  “I love how you feel next to me.” His lips moved over mine. Damn, all he had to do was breathe around me, and I was primed to go. My lips moved over his. I moved with his, pulling slightly away. “I like how you make me feel next to you.” His nose grazed mine, my body shivering. I was turned on. Kissing Knox Madison was foreplay on its own.

  The alarm on his phone went off.

  It’s time.

  “It’s time,” he mumbled against my mouth, and I nodded. “Funny girl,” he called out right as I was about to turn, and I looked back up at his dark eyes.

  “Yes?”

  “No matter what that test says, I’m here. I’m not leaving. I’m here in a way that is for you. Not because you got Knoxed up.

  “You just wanted to use your name as a verb,” I teased softly.

  “Maybe.” He shrugged, a cute smirk on his face. “But maybe I’m saying it because I don’t ever want you to question why I’m here.”

  His tone and words made my eyes sting, and a wave of relief washed over me. No matter what, everything would be okay. I knew I couldn’t see the future, but I kn
ew that Knox and I would figure life out. Together.

  “Okay.” And I knew it was a simple word to answer exactly how okay I was with that. I turned toward the counter as his body covered my back, his face on my shoulder peeking over.

  Pregnant.

  “You Knoxed me up.” I giggled. Warm, happy tears ran down my face, and I felt him squeeze me from behind.

  “Thank fuck,” he cursed in my ear, the smile sounding in his voice, and it only made me laugh harder.

  Epilogue

  I stood at the doorway and watched her, taking in the rare quiet moment to bask in the light of my wife’s beauty. The black silk dress she was wearing was fucking extraordinary. It cascaded down her body, hugging the curves of her breasts and hourglass shape. It made my body act like it was twenty years younger.

  “You sure you want to wear that tonight?” I asked, and she peeked over her shoulder, giving me a clear view of her beautiful face.

  “You don’t like it?” Her raised brow told me she knew exactly what she was doing wearing that dress.

  “You know I do.”

  “Can you help me put on my necklace?” she asked, turning away, but I didn’t miss the reflection of her smile in the mirror of her vanity. I stalked toward her and took the necklace from her fingers.

  Fuck, she was soft everywhere, even the tips of her fingers. It had been a year and a half since I first laid eyes on my woman and staking my claim on her, but she still took my breath away. Not only with her quick tongue and wit but with the size of her heart. Watching her grow and swell with my child had made me fall deeper in love. Deeper than I had ever realized was possible.

  I didn’t falter being there every step of the way, and when our son was born, looking into his eyes, the same ones that graced his mother, I once again was in awe with how much love a man could feel. Like with his mom, I fell in love at first sight.

  “You’re playing with fire, funny girl,” I warned, taking my time with her necklace. Bringing the jewelry to her neck and closing the clasp, making sure to skim her skin with a feather-light touch. Not missing the way her skin was covered in gooseflesh.

  “Hmm, good thing we are going to the Firemen’s New Year’s Ball then, huh?”

  “Did you get a hold of Aubrey?” I asked, and she nodded.

  “Yeah. She and Ash are okay. She was feeding him dinner when I called.” Her best friend was watching our son, so I could take my wife on a well-deserved date night.

  “Did she sound any better?”

  “You know she’s been kind of quiet since Halloween.”

  “I do.” Aubrey Rey had been uncharacteristically quiet, and it was weighing heavily on my wife’s mind. “It will all be okay. She will be okay.”

  “You promise?” she smiled softly, turning her angelic face to look up at me.

  “You doubt me?”

  “Never.” She turned fully, placing her hands on my chest. I like this tux on you.”

  “Mmm.” My chest vibrated.

  “I can’t wait to see it on the floor next to the bed tonight,” she huskily whispered, and my hands tightened on her hips.

  “Fuck. I want you,” I growled.

  “Tonight.” She winked and sashayed out of our bedroom as I stared at my shoes, trying to hold back a bark of laughter. Turning, I caught sight of her luscious ass, and it was obvious she was bare beneath the black silk.

  Oh yeah. My wife was going to get Knoxed up again.

  And soon.

  The End

  Want to find out what happened Halloween Night with Aubrey Rey?

  More than a Knight

  Prologue

  Aubrey Rey

  The sky was dark now, the sun had just set behind the hills, taking with it all the oranges and pink hues in the sky. Making it match my mood.

  “Shit.” I heard her. I knew she would come. She would give up her night of snuggling up to her man to be here for me. I wanted to say thank you. I wanted to bawl my eyes out.

  But that wasn’t me. Instead, I chugged back the Tequila Sunrise I had made myself and looked up at her with as much of a charming smile as I could muster.

  “You sound funny when you curse.” I giggled, and I saw the smile my best friend in the whole wide world gave me. It was one I knew I would eventually get.

  Fuck, there was no pretending. It was a pity smile. The one you give your best friend in the whole wide world when their heart breaks and you have tried to warn them a million and a half times before.

  “Oh, Bee.” Worry was etched on her pretty face. Both of them.

  “Don’t Bee me, you!” I slurred, my head swimming. “Haha. I said don’t Bee me, but it sounds like be you,” I rambled, highly amused with myself. “Oh, Lee… There are two of you. You would have been an awesome twin.” I giggled again, trying fruitlessly to ignore the pain.

  “I’m pretty sure Kenzie would disagree with you.”

  “She prob-probably would.” I nodded, my head heavy. Her older sister was a cool chick. Serious, but a cool chick.

  “What happened?” she asked gently, breaking the silence. I didn’t turn to look at her.

  I was sitting on the loveseat I had saved meticulously for. The delivery guys had looked at me like I was crazy when I had them set it out on the balcony of my apartment, but after everything was said and done, they had even mentioned how perfectly it fit. The small sitting area was cozy and colorful, but with the darkness now draping over us as the day had turned into night, everything was dark, like my heart.

  “She came in,” I said and felt Lee shift on the seat next to me.

  “And she is?”

  “I heard her talking on her stupid bedazzled cell phone.”

  “Aubrey, you’re not making sense.”

  “Who even bedazzles anymore, you know? Apart from twelve-year-olds.”

  “Bre—”

  “He’s going to propose.” God, it made me sick. I really thought things had changed. I thought he was finally seeing me. I’d obviously been wrong. But it’s what you got for falling for your manwhore boss. “He’s probably already betrothed.” I sounded pathetic.

  “Betrothed. Oh boy, we’re using the big words now,” she teased, and I couldn’t muster the energy to look for a witty comeback.

  “You don’t know, Lee.”

  “Babe, talk to me, so I can know.” Her arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling my head onto hers, and I rested it there, looking out at the great sky. The air had a slight chill to it, and it made sense. Halloween was around the corner. Maybe I could get a witch costume and live in it. Forever.

  “I’m glad I got the top floor,” I tried to change the subject. The tequila had been a great idea. It made me unable to focus on the topic on hand and particularly charming.

  “It sucks when the elevator’s broken,” she pointed out. I knew she was right, but I didn’t feel like admitting it. Then again, I never liked admitting I was wrong.

  “Maybe, but look at the sky. The sky’s so big.” I sighed.

  “Talk to me, Bre.” Guess subject change wasn’t going to work.

  “He’s going to be someone else’s.” Damn. Saying it out loud hurt a lot more than just thinking it.

  “And by he we mean your—”

  “Don’t say it.” I dramatically popped my head up, which only made the balcony spin. Trying not to let the booze and balcony get the best of me, I tried hard to glare at both Lenas. “I’m a cliché!”

  “Honey, you are not making any sense.”

  “A big honking cliché! Working for the man, and the man doesn’t even see me!”

  “Oh, babe, you’re so lucky I left my cell inside. I would have loved filming this,” she teased, and I rolled my eyes, wincing at how dizzy that made me.

  “I’m not even a Dolly song,” I sourly said out loud, still looking out toward the sky.

  Beech Grove was beautiful, a small hidden gem of Southern California.

  My home.

  Now I would probably have to leave. It wou
ld hurt too much to be here.

  “What?”

  “I could just stay.” It was home, and it’s not like being around me would even matter.

  Not to him.

  “You aren’t going anywhere,” she scolded.

  Of course, she would. She couldn’t fathom the idea of not having me, her bestie, around now that Father Time had knocked her up.

  “Oh, crap. I’m so going to tell Knox you called him that.” I looked at her and started to laugh when I realized I’d said the words out loud.

  “You have Father Time and baby nugget. You’ll be okay without me around all the time. Maybe I could go to LA and just, I don’t know, blend in the crowd.”

  “Babe, you can’t go anywhere. This is home. Screw—”

  “What?” I looked at her and tilted my head, slightly confused, smiling sadly as I remembered where I was going with my tirade. “Oh no, I mean the song. She leaves because she would be in his way, but not me. Nope.” I shook my head, and this time when I sighed, all the emotions I had been holding in felt heavier. “I’d still be there, and he wouldn’t even know I was. Because other than picking up his stupid suits from the dry cleaners and reminding his stupid beautiful face about meetings, he doesn’t see me.”

  “Aubrey.”

  “Lee?” I turned to my best friend. To my sister from another mister. My soul sister. The one other person in the world who got me. “I think I gotta look for a new job.”

  “Okay, Bre. We will get you started tomorrow.” She stroked my hair. That was nice. She was the best. I really didn’t deserve her.

  “Okay. New job will fix it, right?” I mumbled, my body melting deeper into the loveseat, resting my head on my knees.

  “If he couldn’t see what was right in front of him compared to the blow-up doll. It’s so his loss.”

  “Thanks, Lee.”

  “It’s the truth,” she whispered, and I knew my usually sarcastic best friend wanted to cry. But that was normal. She was pregnant. Pregnant people cried. A lot, as I found out being around Lena and her baby daddy slash hubby, Knox.

  “No crying, Lee!” My lips tingled and felt looser than ever.