by Linzi Baxter
That was an easy answer. “Asher, we always knew. We wanted you to tell us. It wasn’t our place to bring it up,” I said, giving him a hug.
Mom walked into the room and asked, “What are you guys all hugging about? What did I miss?” Mom had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. She already knew what had happened. We thought he might tell us today since CJ was coming over. It wouldn’t have been fair to CJ to keep it a secret.
“Our son finally told us he’s gay, Martha,” Dad said way too loudly. I didn’t think my father had a quiet setting. His voice was always loud, so the whole house and all the guests had heard. But it didn’t matter because most people already knew Asher was gay and were waiting for him to admit it.
“About time you told us. I was starting to think you would never tell your mother.” She walked over and hugged Asher around his waist, and there were tears in her eyes. She was trying not to cry. Hell, I was trying not to cry. This was an emotional day for all of us. I was happy he finally told us.
Sam walked into Dad’s office. Sam owned the mercenary company we were going to use for the bodyguards for Bridget’s family. He looked at all of us and said, “About time you came out of the closet. I was sick of throwing women at you when there were perfectly good men I could send your way.”
Then CJ walked in the room with the biggest smile on his face. He walked over to Asher, put his arm around his waist, and said, “There will be no women or men being thrown his way. He is officially off the market.”
Asher finally got his bearings back. “Antonio, you’re not worried about our business? And what the fuck, Sam? How do you know I’m gay?”
Antonio spoke up first. “If our clients have any issue with you being gay, we don’t need their business. Most of our friends already know, and all our military friends know. You didn’t hide it as well as you thought.”
Sam chimed in too, “Asher, I also own a BDSM club. Of course I knew. I can tell people’s sexual preferences. I don’t care what floats your boat, or your dick, as long as you’re happy. From the way you look at the guy on your arm, I can tell you’re happy. Best of luck to both of you.”
I heard the chimes at the front door and knew my little nerd and her family had arrived. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to go greet the rest of our guests.” I heard Sam complain on my way out that no one had come to the door to greet him. He had been coming over to family dinners with the twins since they were in the military. My guess was he hadn’t even rung the bell. He’d walked right into the house.
When I walked around the corner, Tabitha, the housekeeper, was letting Bridget, Cass, and their mom into the house. Bridget looked drop-dead gorgeous. I was going to have a hard time keeping my dick concealed with that outfit she was wearing.
Her black hair was down and reached the middle of her back. It was a nice contrast to the tight red dress that fitted against her luscious curves. Those black-rimmed glasses gave her the touch of nerd that threw me over the edge. I had slept with Victoria’s Secret models, and it didn’t compare to how I felt about Bridget.
She didn’t know it, but she was coming home with me tonight. I couldn’t wait to peel that dress off and see what she had on underneath.
I walked over and gave Bridget a hug then turned to her mom. She was looking better than I thought she might after having medical issues. I gave her a hug and let them know the family was in the study. I pointed the way to the study for Greta and Cassandra.
“Not so fast.” I pulled Bridget over to the side. I had not seen her in a week, and it seemed like it had been longer.
I wrapped my arms around her, dropped my head, and kissed her like it might be the last time I would see her. Her arms wrapped around my neck and pulled me in tighter. We both were panting and so turned on that if one of us didn’t stop this, we were going to have sex in my mother’s entrance way. I was pretty sure my mom wouldn’t appreciate that.
Slowly, I pulled away from her. We were both out of breath. Bridget’s pupils were dilated. I could tell she was as turned on as I was. “Hey, baby girl, you ready to go see the family?” I wasn’t. But if I were alone with her much longer, we would have an issue.
She was still dazed from the kiss as I led her toward my father’s study. I could hear the men laughing and my mom crying in the study. As we walked in, I noticed my mother and Greta embracing each other with tears running down their faces.
My mother finally let Greta go. “You will never do that to our family again. I don’t care what your lowlife husband did. You were like family to me, and you left us. I understand why, but we would have helped you. I know you don’t need help now because of your daughter. But we are here for you, and I expect you at our house every Sunday for dinner. Anytime you want to come over and talk, you’re welcome to.” My father had a hand wrapped around my mother’s waist. He handed Mom his handkerchief. “I’m not sure why I’m crying. Today is one of the best days of my life. My son is letting his true self show, and our friends have been found.”
I felt Bridget tense beside me. She wasn’t here for the earlier talk about Ash. I leaned down and whispered in her ear, telling her Ash had come out to the family. I could see her relax and snuggle in closer to me. This felt so right.
My mom finally got her emotions under control when the staff walked in to say dinner was ready. We all went to the formal dining room. It was so full of joy and laughter. I couldn’t remember the last time it was like this.
I could tell my mom wasn’t going to let Greta get away this time. They were sitting next to each other, talking and laughing like no time had passed. Cassandra was talking with CJ and Asher, and there was joy on their faces. I wish our younger sister had been here. She would have enjoyed seeing the family this happy.
Greta tapped Sam on the sleeve to get his attention.
“I was informed you are supplying bodyguards to Cass and me?” She had a look of determination in her eyes. I hope she didn’t give us too hard of a time about the bodyguards. They were needed.
“Yes, I have two of my best men for your bodyguards.” I could see Sam was bracing for a fight. He would do anything for our family, which now included Bridget’s.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bridget shaking her head at her mom. I wondered how their conversation about the bodyguards had gone.
Greta looked over at Bridget with a twinkle in her eye then turned back to Sam and said, “Bridget informed me about this earlier. I told her I wanted to know what they looked like and if they were hot enough. She told me to make a list of my requirements. Do you want that list now, or should I send it to you tomorrow?”
“Mom, I wasn’t serious about the list. Take what you are given.”
“Greta has a good point,” my mom piped in. “She should have a say in what they look like. She is going to have to be around them all day, every day. At least she could have some eye candy.”
Shocked, I looked over at Sam. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He recovered quickly, though.
“Well, Ms. Greta, I care more about your safety than arm candy. So you are going to take what I give you. I will also let you know they are all trained masters at my BDSM club. If you misbehave, you will be punished,” Sam said with a straight face. I wasn’t sure if he was stating the truth or pulling her leg.
Everyone laughed and went back to normal conversation about sports and what the ladies had been up to.
We hadn’t seen Allison, the doctor, in a while. It seemed she stayed away longer and longer with each additional deployment she took on. I needed to check on her soon to see if she was doing okay.
Aaron, the movie star, had bags under his eyes. Aaron wasn’t normally upset or stressed. He was usually happy and fun loving. I needed to pull him aside later to see what was wrong. If he didn’t admit to anything, I would have someone look into it.
I was enjoying all the people around me and was deep in thought, so I didn’t hear Antonio at first. He repeated, “Are you going to go
to the trial for Mr. Davis?”
I didn’t want to think about that. Bridget and CJ had been able to get the money back. I just wanted to make sure Mr. Davis would rot in jail. “I don’t want to see that piece of shit. I’ll send one of the lawyers to keep tabs on the trial. As long as he goes to jail for a long time, I don’t care about anything else.”
After dinner, I asked Cass if she would drive her mom home in Bridget’s car. I wanted Bridget to spend the night with me. That way, she would have no excuse.
Chapter Thirteen
Bridget
The sexual tension in Alex’s car was so strong, I didn’t know how we were going to make it all the way back to the city. Six days away from Alex was too long. That was what scared me the most. The more I talked to him and the more I was around him, the deeper and deeper in love with him I fell.
Alex turned off the main road and headed down a dirt path I recognized. It was a back road to the guest lake cabin. We would spend hours up at the lake playing when we were kids.
“I can’t wait any longer. I need you now,” Alex said while climbing out of the Tesla.
I was right on his heels, feeling the same way. We headed up to the house. Alex unlocked the door in record time and led me toward the main bedroom. We were in such a hurry to get to the room, I wasn’t even sure if we shut the front door.
“Let me see you,” Alex purred in my ear as he ran his fingers down the side of my dress. “All I could think about all night was peeling this dress off your body, bending you over, and fucking you.”
Alex sat on the bed, facing me, and asked me to strip for him. I ran my hands along the bottom of my dress. Very slowly, I worked it up to show him I wasn’t wearing any underwear. He immediately dropped to his knees in front of me and started licking my already-wet pussy.
“Alex, I’m not going to last.” I was wound up from not seeing him in a week. It only took a couple of pumps from Alex’s fingers for me to come all over his hand and mouth. Alex continued to lick me until I came out of my orgasm-induced haze. Then he stood to pull my dress over my head and sucked on my tight nipples.
I dropped to my knees and unbuckled Alex’s dress pants. Gently, I pulled out his dick and licked the underside while looking up at him. His head fell back as I continued to take him in my mouth. I enjoyed the power I had over Alex while sucking on him.
“Damn, you are good at that,” Alex said. Then he pulled me to my feet and threw me on the bed.
“I wasn’t done,” I said, pouting.
“I don’t want to come in your mouth. I want to come inside you.”
Alex finished undressing, climbed on top of me, and made love to me. It was slow and meaningful. He hit me in all the right spots, and it didn’t take long before I was ready to orgasm again.
“Alex, I’m about to come,” I said breathily.
“Fuck, you’re so good,” Alex said in the crook of my neck.
I fell asleep with Alex still inside me. He woke me a couple times during the night. The next time was fast and rough, and after that, slow and sweet.
Too soon, the annoying Greek god in my bed said, “Time to get up.”
“Really?” I grumbled.
“Yes. We are going out on the boat with CJ and Asher.”
“When?” I was only asking one-word questions. It took less energy.
“Now,” Alex said. Then he picked me up and carried me to the bathroom.
We spent the next hour in the shower. I didn’t realize CJ and Asher were in the living room, waiting for us. When I walked out of the bedroom, CJ gave me a knowing look, and I turned red.
“You could have told me they were in the cabin,” I grumbled at Alex. To CJ, I asked, “Wait, how did you know we were here?”
CJ’s face turned as red as mine. I thought I knew why, but I wanted to hear it come out of their mouths.
“We didn’t want to head back to the city, so we came to the cabin and slept in the other wing,” Asher said.
This fucking cabin has wings? Since the cabin was so large, we didn’t hear each other last night. I was okay with that. I walked over and gave CJ a hug and told him I was happy he was here.
We spent the rest of the day out on the Ross family’s yacht. I thought I could really get used to this life. I just hoped Alex felt the same way.
Headed back to shore, I was sitting on Alex’s lap with his arms wrapped around me, enjoying the setting sun. “I want to tell you something, but I’m worried I will scare you away,” Alex said in a nervous voice.
I tried to turn around so I could reassure him, but he tightened his arms to keep me in place. “You’re not going to scare me away, Alex.”
“I’m falling in love with you,” he said.
“That’s good because I’m already in love with—”
Before I could finish the sentence, Alex flipped me around and kissed me passionately.
Chapter Fourteen
Bridget
Three Months Later
“Are you going to spend the whole day in there, or are you going to come out and work?” Patty asked. I really wanted to punch my assistant in the face. All I had done the whole week was hug the porcelain toilet, and it was starting to suck.
Alex kept calling me every five minutes to see if I was feeling better. I just have the flu. Why can’t these people leave me alone?
“I will come out when I stop puking,” I said through a vomit-filled mouth.
“If you weren’t in denial, I would say you were pregnant. But we can keep playing like you have the flu if you want.”
It hadn’t even crossed my mind that I might be pregnant. I threw open the door and pulled Patty into the small bathroom. It didn’t really fit two people very well. Patty’s hair was colored pink and blue, and it made me smile.
In the last three months, Patty had grown closer to us. She had started to come over to my and Alex’s condo and hang out with Sophie and me more often. I wished she would tell us about her past or let us into her life more. I hoped one day, she would feel comfortable letting us in.
“Patty, why are the bottom layers of your hair pink and the top ones blue? And why does your shirt say ‘Who’s The Daddy?’”
“Well, for the past week, all you’ve done is puke so much you’ve stopped drinking coffee. You have no other symptoms of the flu except you’re always tired and cranky. The cranky part is normal you. The other two fall under the ‘I’m Pregnant’ category.” The look she gave me said, “Don’t try to deny it.”
Then all the pieces started to fall into place. “Holy shit, I think I’m pregnant! What the fuck do I do?”
“Stop with the panic attack. I bought you three tests. I’m going to get you some water, and you are going to take the tests.” Wow. Patty’s a good assistant. I hope I never lose her.
“Patty, how did this happen?”
The look Patty gave me made me feel like an idiot. “You two fuck all the time—in your office, in your house, probably even in my office. When his thing goes into your vajayjay, little swimmy guys come out, and if you are not careful, you get a baby. Wow. Did you not go to school?” She threw her hands up and walked out the door, I guessed to get the water.
Come to think about it, that was a dumb question to ask. Who asks how a person gets pregnant? I wasn’t going to ask Patty how I should tell Alex. She would try to get me to die my hair pink and blue, and that was not going to happen.
“Here you go,” she said, coming back into the bathroom. “Now, start peeing on the stick, and let’s see if I’m going to be an aunty.” Ten minutes later, the tests read pregnant, two lines, and a plus sign. I think I might be pregnant.
“Now, get your ass up, brush your teeth, and go tell the Greek god he is going to be a daddy. Then go home and get some, because once that bundle of joy comes, your sex life is going to go out the door.”
I drove across town in a daze. Time went by so fast, I didn’t remember how I’d made it to Alex’s office. I took the long elevator ride to the top
floor. Why do the executives always have to be on the top floor? Wouldn’t it be easier to be on the second floor and make the underlings go up and up and up?
Finally, after what felt like an hour, the elevator opened. I was armed with all three tests and a brand new one in case Alex needed me to make sure. I was starting to get excited. I was making a mini Alex. The baby would be beautiful. I couldn’t wait to let Alex know.
In the last three months, we had expressed how much we meant to each other. I was living in Alex’s penthouse and would be selling my house in the next few months. Everything was moving in the right direction. I would have never thought Alex would fall for me or love me as much as he did. I felt so cherished when I was in his arms and hoped nothing ever changed that.
Walking through the executive reception area, I noticed Sarah wasn’t at her desk. So I walked toward Alex’s office and heard him talking to Asher.
“I couldn’t see myself having kids with her. It was a fling, and she should have known that going in.”
That was all I heard of the conversation because my ears started to ring. The air seemed to disappear from my lungs, and tears ran down my face. I walked back toward the stairs because I didn’t want to run into anyone on the elevator. I never wanted to see Alex again. My baby and I would make it on our own. I felt as though my heart was being ripped out of my chest. All I had wanted was someone to love and spend the rest of my life with.
Asher and Alex thought it was a joke that I didn’t understand we were having a fling. I loved Alex with every fiber of my being, and he threw us in the trash like I was another one of his conquests. Walking down the stairs, so caught up in my drama, I didn’t hear the door open or the man coming up behind me.
Everything went black. I had lost my forever man, and I might have been about to lose my life. But all I wanted now was to protect the little one growing in my belly.
Chapter Fifteen
Alex
“So when are you going to ask Bridget to get married? You guys are with each other all the time. She pretty much lives with you.” Asher had stopped over to give me an update on the Davis case. I was not happy about the update at all. I would need to let Bridget know what was going on when I got home tonight.