by Nicole Fox
“I think … I do. It’s crazy to say it Mama, but yeah. I really like him. I think I could—”
“Fall in love with him? You say that as if you haven’t already.”
“It’s barely been a month, Mama!”
“So? Love works in mysterious ways, my dear.” I could practically see the warm smile that she would be giving me if she were speaking to me right now. “Just let things happen. Don’t stress it too much. Let me know if and when I’m going to be a grandmother, all right?”
“All right, I will. Tell the boys and daddy that I love them and I’m thinking about them.”
“I will, honey. You’ll get through all this. You’re strong. Love you.”
“Love you too, Mama.”
I drew in a breath. Boy oh boy. I sure was in for the ride of my life.
I finished up at the café and left, deciding to do some walking through San Diego before Wheeler picked me up. I was passing by a clothing store when my phone buzzed.
Wheeler: Hey, you ready?
EA: Yeah, I’m ready. You want the address? I’ll stay put so you don’t have to hunt for me.
Wheeler: You say that as if I wouldn’t love to hunt you down, pretty ;)
Wheeler: But yeah. Send over the address.
I did.
Wheeler: Fancy. I’ll be there in ten.
I decided to walk around the clothing store and wait for Wheeler that way. The clothes weren’t really my speed—high end stuff that rich people wore, really—but it didn’t hurt to look around and pretend like I had business there. I knew Wheeler was here when a deep rev sounded outside the store, and I looked out the window, seeing Wheeler sitting atop his bike. He grinned at me through the window and I trekked outside.
“You look mighty fine today, pretty lady,” he said.
“You saw me when you dropped me off.” I slid onto the back of his bike, wrapping around him instantly—a little tighter than usual, just for security.
He patted my hand.
“Yeah, and you just got prettier in the time that I was gone. Come on. I wanna take you somewhere.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. You’ve never been to the beach here, have you? It’s great. We’ll stop back by the club and we can get some more appropriate clothing on. What do you say?”
“I say amen to that.”
Chapter Fifteen
Ember
The ride back to the club didn’t take too long. I was happy to be back, happy to go out with Wheeler—but was reminded of the secret that I still held.
“So, I figured we’d go out to the beach for a little fun in the sun, yeah? There’s a beachside grill; we don’t even have to put on regular clothes to go in, sit down, and eat.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I should take the tests before we went out. Just so I knew. What if there were drinks at the grill? I couldn’t drink those if I was pregnant. Right? Was there a time limit on these things?
“Ember?”
“Sorry, a little distracted by the thought of beach and grill. I could kill for some ribs right now.”
“Well, they serve some of the best ribs this side of the country! Let’s get a move on!”
He smacked my ass playfully, and I couldn’t help but laugh with him. I kept my purse close and followed him to the room we were sharing at the San Diego chapter club. I rummaged in my drawers, looking for the perfect thing to wear. Among the clothes that Wheeler had bought me, bathing suits were a part of the mix. I had a few to choose from and settled on a one-piece—fiery red and strappy. I gathered it and my towel and moved to the bathroom.
“Why’re you changing in there? You’re not shy, are you?” Wheeler asked, teasing me further. I stuck my tongue out at him.
“I need to use the bathroom, and besides, if I change out here, we’ll never get to the beach—you’re a pervert and you can’t keep your hands to yourself!”
He laughed at me, but didn’t dispute it. All the wild sex we’d been having was enough to prove that I was right and he was wrong, and there was no if, ands, or buts about it!
But the teasing done and the bathroom door closed, I sobered up a little more.
I was in the bathroom now with that pretty strappy one-piece in one hand and my purse in the other. With a deep breath, I set the bathing suit off to the side and opened up my purse, taking out the tests. I set both of them on the counter and looked down at them.
It was like they were making fun of me.
Okay, that was silly. But it was a little intimidating having them on the counter like that, and having yet to pee on them.
“They’re just little sticks,” I told myself. “Remember what Mama said …”
I took the first one in hand, sat on the toilet, and did my business, trying not to get pee on myself. I managed that one great feat, and then moved on to the next test. Did my business. Set them on the counter to … cook or ferment or whatever.
I realized that it would do me no good to just stare at it, as though staring was going to make the tests finish processing any faster. I went ahead and got undressed and into my bathing suit. After that, I paced. Then I sat on the toilet seat. Anything and everything to occupy my time.
Good God, I was going to drive myself insane and I hadn’t even gotten a damn result back yet!
“Hey, Ember, what’s taking so long? You fall into the toilet or something?” Wheeler called, making me jump a little. Goddamn. “You’re on your own if that’s the case; that’s not my area of expertise!” he joked.
Ever the kidder.
“I’m intentionally taking my sweet ass time just to make you wait,” I said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be out in a minute. I’m just making sure I look nice.”
“You always look nice. I’ll be waiting. Don’t take too long!”
I couldn’t help but smile, even though I was about to get information that would either make life harder or infinitely easier.
I was greeted by a beep.
And then another.
My heart jumped. They were ready!
I jumped up from my place on the toilet and went over to the sink where the tests were, right where I left them. I took in another deep breath and picked up the first one.
It had a tiny pink plus sign.
Oh my God.
I scrambled and grabbed for the second one.
Pregnant.
They were both positive. Both of them. I was … I was pregnant!
There was an overwhelming sensation that went through me that was simultaneously elated and shocked to high heaven. I had to hold back a whoop that threatened to escape my lips. I couldn’t believe this. My suspicions had been right.
I was going to be a mother.
Wheeler was the father of my child.
I ran a hand through my hair. Oh my God. This was really happening. I had really gotten pregnant and I was really going to have a baby. The timing was … well, it was awful. I had to be honest. It was bad, bad timing.
Yet somehow it felt so right.
I couldn’t tell Wheeler … not just yet. Not with everything going on. It would be a distraction and I needed to get my head a little more screwed on and sane but—
I was going to be a mother.
“Hey, Ember, seriously, you okay in there?”
“Yeah!” I yelled. Quickly, I tossed both of the tests and their instruction sheets back into my purse. As odd as it probably was (I had peed on both of those, after all …) I didn’t really care. Not a lot. Those were the proof that I was about to be a mother. I couldn’t be bothered with how gross it was going to end up being.
Now we just had to get through all this shit.
Composing myself, I finally left the bathroom. Wheeler was sitting on the bed, waiting for me.
“Well, it’s about time, princess,” he said. He was smiling, though. I went up to him and kissed him, deep. I think it caught him off guard.
“Oh wow, what was that for?”
“Oh, nothing. Don’t we hav
e a beach to get to?”
Chapter Sixteen
Wheeler
The beaches in San Diego were, in a few words? Some of the best in the damn world. I was convinced of that. They were even more beautiful when Ember was at them, with the yellow-pink sunset fading out behind her while she walked along the edge of the beach.
I was coming to the conclusion that I was falling for her. She had seemed like she was distracted before we came here, but watching her walk along the very edge of the water, and then playfully step back as the waves started to crash up on the shoreline, my heart melted, and I was glad to see that whatever it was that had troubled her was no more.
She’s so damn beautiful.
An angel.
I need to keep her.
The things with the MC weren’t looking … terrible. They weren’t looking good, either. We were just barely staving off the heat, from the minimal reports I’d gotten out of Leech. They were becoming less and less frequent. I wasn’t even able to get a hold of Bones or Elise properly anymore, either. I knew that Leech had something to do with it, but I couldn’t do a lot while I was here, and I wasn’t ready to leave Ember here.
I didn’t know how I was going to tell her that when I went back I wouldn’t be taking her with me, but I would be back for her.
So that counted for something.
Right?
It has to, I told myself.
I walked up to her. We had trekked down the beach a good ways from where I’d parked. I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her. She relaxed back against me. I smiled.
“You’re having a good time?” I asked.
“The best,” she said. “I’ve never been to the beach here before. It’s gorgeous.”
“You’re gorgeous.” I hadn’t realized that I had said it aloud until she smacked me on the arm.
“You hush,” she said.
I leaned around to look at her face.
Yep, there was a blush there. I had fallen in love with those.
“Now, why would I do that when it’s the truth?” I asked. “Just because you can’t take the truth.”
“I can totally take the truth,” she said. She stuck her tongue out at me. Before she could react, I wheeled her around and pulled her close. I leaned down and kissed her without hesitation. She tasted good and felt good. I couldn’t get enough of her.
I wasn’t really one for romance, but there was something about kissing this girl on the beach. We had managed to find a pretty secluded spot, which was a surprise in and of itself; it was San Diego, after all.
I counted myself lucky. Ember wrapped her arms around me, moaning a little as I continued to kiss her. Her fingers tightened in my hair.
“Mmm …”
My cock strained hard against my swim trunks. I wanted to have her. I needed to have her.
“You’re excited,” she mumbled. There was a smirk on her lips and she tugged my bottom one between her teeth.
I flicked my tongue over her lips and pulled away, looking around. Was there … could there be …?
Yes.
I spotted it just down from where we were. A small little shack. It wasn’t a five-star hotel, but …
I took Ember’s hand and tugged her with me. She giggled and squealed like a schoolgirl and I couldn’t help but love the way that sounded against my ears. I loved her happiness. I was beginning to live for it.
“Wheeler, what are you doing?” she asked, laughing as we slipped through the loose sand and made our way to the little shack. “Someone might see us! Someone might come in.”
“Come on, where’s your sense of adventure? I was sure that you would have one with all this going on,” I teased her. She stuck her tongue out at me again, and didn’t have any protests when I jimmied the door to the shack open (admittedly, I’d done this in the past a lot, so I knew what I was doing) and tugged Ember in with me. I pressed her against the door as it shut and kissed her again.
“Mm, Wheeler.” Her thighs parted, accommodating me between them. I rubbed between her thighs, rocking against the thin material of her one-piece. It hugged her body perfectly and left little between me and her when I was in swim trunks. She bucked against me and the heat that radiated off her was too damn tantalizing to be legal.
I pushed my face into her neck and I cupped her over her bathing suit. She was already soaked.
Just for me.
I toyed with her over the material. Her lips were full under the tightly clinging spandex suit, and I toyed the slit of them before teasing more, pressing between them so I could play with her clit through the material.
“Shit.” She whined and bucked against me more, like a little cat in heat. I opened my mouth against her neck and started to suck there as I slid the first finger into her bottoms and into her folds.
Her sighs were like heaven as I slid my finger into her and out. Strumming. She was hot and wet and I slid in another finger, and then another.
I want to keep her.
The thought was like the other persistent, needlessly romantic ones that I had had all day when I thought about her. I sucked at her neck harder and slid her bottoms aside, just enough to expose her to me. I slid my trunks down enough to release my cock from their confines.
Hand on my cock, I hoisted her up with the other arm. She gasped, and her arms went around me to hold me close. She didn’t have to worry about needing to do that in the slightest, but I loved her nails in my back when she did anyway.
I eased into her. I didn’t rush. Every hot inch of her wrapped around me, velvet smooth, and I did something that I hadn’t done before.
I took her slow.
It was ironic. I had her pinned against a wall and yet I was taking my time with her. I couldn’t help it. I rocked into her smooth, and I almost expected her to be insistent, to tell me to hurry up with her. But she didn’t.
Ember clung to me, and wrapped her legs around me tight. Her soft breath came out in pants against my neck and she sighed out my name in a way that almost broke me. It almost tempted me to go harder on her, faster, but I didn’t want to do that. That wasn’t what I was here for.
I loved her.
The realization made me press against her and I almost said it aloud, but I couldn’t. Not during sex—especially not during sex.
When had I fallen for her so thoroughly?
It didn’t matter. She was liquid velvet around me and she kept moaning my name.
“Wheeler …”
Yeah … yeah …
“Wheeler …”
“Ember …”
It was as close as I could get for now, and I relished every moment of it right up until the moment that I felt her flutter and tighten up, constrict around me, drawing me over the edge with her. I spilled inside her, as I had so many times before now, and I groaned into her neck, panting.
We stayed like that for a while, until my dick had gotten too soft and I slid out of her. Cum drizzled down, but I didn’t mind the mess—we never minded the mess. I pulled back to look at her, smiling.
“This was the best beach trip I ever had.”
She chuckled softly.
“For a first … it was pretty nice.”
She looked like she was ready to say something else, but she didn’t. There was something held back in her eyes but it was there and gone in a second.
It was okay.
I understood.
I set her down on her shaking legs and slid her bottoms over to cover her. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“Let’s go home.”
Chapter Seventeen
Wheeler
There’s this thing called a honeymoon phase. It’s when everything is fine and glorious, before the inevitable fallout that happens because that’s just how things are. Coming to the San Diego club, being with Ember, getting into something of a routine? That was the honeymoon phase.
The call that I got from Leech on the start of the third week in San Diego was the shit hitting the fan.
I was still in bed. It was early. Ember and I had had another night wrapped up in each other. Since the beach, it was like we couldn’t get enough. My phone had rung once, and I had ignored it—I saw that it was Leech and I couldn’t be bothered when the sun hadn’t risen yet. Then there was a second call an hour later I ignored. The third one, I picked up on.