I crack a smile and press a kiss to her nose. “You were right. I guess I’m changing diapers for a week straight when our little princess comes along.”
And then fuckface Linc is right in my ear. “Until a villain comes along and swoops her right out of your arms.”
“Lincoln Justin Carter!” Andie bellows and smacks her brother upside the head. “Stop antagonizing my man!”
Pliers. For ripping out teeth.
And hedge trimmers. For cutting off dirty little fingers that even think about touching my daughter.
Super glue. I’ll glue all the little boys lips shut. No kissing my baby girl.
“Roman,” Andie says, her palms on my cheeks. “Focus. Take the murderous scowl off your face. Everything is going to be okay.”
I grit my teeth. “Homeschool. We’ll homeschool her. Keep her locked in the house forever. No boys. Ever.”
She giggles and presses a kiss to my lips. “You’re obnoxious. God, she’s going to hate you.” Her blue eyes twinkle.
My lips quirk up on one side, and I wink. “I know.”
“WHO’S READY FOR TEQUILA?” Dani hollers.
“I’ll get the scissors!” Linc yells back.
“Touch my man’s head, and I’ll cut your eyeballs out with those scissors,” Andie growls at her brother.
“A bet’s a bet—” Ram starts but Andie cuts him off.
“And it’ll be YOUR balls I cut off next,” she hisses.
I shrug my shoulders. You don’t argue with this hellcat. She always wins.
“Fine,” Ram grunts in concession. “You can clean my loft then. You left it a mess when you left in such a haste—”
Andie stiffens, and I shut my brother up with a glare. She jerks her head up to look at me, a frown painting her pretty features. “His loft?” Then her cheeks blaze red. “Did they kick you out of your own house?”
Fucking Ram.
“No,” I huff. “He’s just being a shit. Did Reagan tell you she made cucumber sandwiches?”
She purses her lips but lets me change the subject. The gleam in her eyes tells me we’ll be revisiting this subject later.
Fucking Ram.
Maybe I’ll go buy those hedge clippers now and practice on my brother. He can’t go blabbing all my secrets with no tongue.
“I was watching a thing on TV the other day. Statistics said that most girls nowadays lose their virginity between thirteen and sixteen,” Linc chirps, a shit-eating grin on his face. “You’re going to blink your eyes, Roman, and your little girl will be running off with some punk-ass kid with a car before she even gets her first period.”
I growl and Andie hugs me tight. “Ignore my idiot brother,” she murmurs against my chest. Then she hollers. “Jesus! Don’t we even get a ‘congratulations, it’s a girl,’ for crying out loud?”
“CONGRATULATIONS! IT’S A GIRL!”
I cringe.
Girl.
We have a few months and then this innocent little thing will be in this world. She’s going to rely on her big, bad daddy to keep her safe from fuckwits like the one Linc was as a child, no doubt.
I’m definitely going to need a gun.
A big fucking gun.
Linc taunts me with a pair of scissors from the love seat where he’s sitting across from Andie and me. “I think you’d look good with a little off the top.”
“Last warning before I stab you with those,” Andie growls at him.
I’d decided to give up alcohol in solidarity with my pregnant woman but after learning we’re having a fucking girl, I’ve lost my head a bit and have taken to drinking myself blind. Andie must sense the overwhelming terror flooding through me because she’s the one who keeps fetching me a refill.
“A bet’s a bet,” I tell her and nibble at her arm through her shirt. She lets out a squeal and smacks me upside the head.
“Well it’s a bet you just don’t get to follow through on,” she snips and crosses her arms over her chest. Goddamn those tits. If we didn’t have Linc and Reagan as an audience, I’d have already yanked her shirt off and taken a bite of her creamy flesh.
“I can’t believe Dani got so drunk,” Reagan says as she wobbles into the living room, carrying two freshly made margaritas. She hands one to Linc and plops down clumsily next to him. He stretches his arm across the back of the loveseat behind her. And normally I’d be ripping his arm right from its socket, but I’m too fucked up to care right now.
“Dani,” Andie tells her with a chuckle, “can be quite the spitfire when plastered. Just ask Ram.”
I bite my woman on her arm again.
And she slaps me.
Again.
“Where’s your boyfriend, anyway?” I question my sister, enjoying the way Linc sends death glares my way. “He didn’t drink at all. I think he was trying to impress Mom.”
Reagan shrugs her shoulders. “He was tired. I’m sure Mom was too busy babying you to notice Chase. I thought you were going to start crying,” she teases me.
Linc snorts and I flip him off.
“Fuck you and fuck you!” I bellow, pointing at each of them. I use my palms to cover Andie’s small belly so the baby doesn’t hear this next part. “And fuck you later.” I punctuate my words with another bite to her arm that suggests I’ll make good on my promise to her.
She laughs and squirms in my lap. “On that note, I’m going to the bathroom.”
I watch her fine ass jiggle all the way down the hallway. When I return my gaze back to the only two other people here, they’re having fun poking at each other.
“Scoot over,” Reagan whines.
“You’re the one taking up half my cushion,” Linc argues with a grin. “It’s like you want in my lap. Come here, Rey.” He pats his thigh. “Sit in Santa’s lap. You look like you’ve been a good girl this year.”
Rolling my eyes, I rise to my feet and stumble off to find my baby momma. God, she’s so fucking hot. Each day, I swear her tits get bigger. I manage to find my way to the bathroom and burst inside. She’s at the sink washing her hands but jolts in surprise.
“Jesus!” she groans. “You can’t just sneak up on a pregnant lady! I could have peed myself!”
“Didn’t you just pee? Like three seconds ago?”
She flicks some water in my face. “I could pee again. All over your expensive shoes. And it would be all your fault.”
I slide my fingers into her hair and kiss her hard before pulling away to give her a smug grin. “I’m learning I’m a kinky guy. Maybe I’m into pregnant ladies peeing on me.”
She snorts and shoves me, at which point I stumble right into the shower curtain. Pole, curtain, hooks and me. We all crash into the tub with a noisy clatter.
“This is why drinking and Roman Holloway don’t mix! You turn into a clumsy oaf!” She clutches her belly as she howls with laughter and makes no move to help me up.
“Come here,” I tell her with a grin as I reach for her.
She eyes me suspiciously but gives me her hand. Gently, I tug her down into my lap. It’s not comfortable, but I’ll take her in my arms anywhere. Her blue eyes dart all over me, concerned despite her teasing.
“I love you,” I blurt out.
All softness fades away, and she shakes her head at me. “I know. Now let’s get you out of this tub and into the guest bed. I don’t think we’re going home tonight.”
I cradle her face with my palm and smile. “I think your dumbass brother is going to have to get me out of this tub.”
“You owe me a big breakfast tomorrow for this. Huge.”
Thrusting my hips, I let her feel the erection she’s giving me just by being her and so goddamned pretty all the time. “I hope you like sausage.”
She gags and swats at me, but I catch her wrist before playfully biting it.
“I hate you,” she grumbles.
I suckle the skin I just bit and wink. “I know.”
“How many different types of diapers does one baby need?” Ram questi
ons from beside me as we stare at shelves upon shelves of different sizes, brands, and types of baby diapers.
I shrug and start scanning every single bar code. “I don’t know, but I should probably register for one of each just in case.”
He nods his approval. “I agree. Where are the girls, anyway?”
“They went to look at bedding now that we know what we’re having. Do you think they sell bars for windows here?” I question as I scan some Pull-Ups, whatever the fuck those are. The blonde toddler on the front of the package is grinning and innocent, and my anxiety levels spike. “What about guns?”
“Like squirt guns?”
“Like machine guns,” I correct.
Ram chuckles. “Maybe we should go to Academy after this. I think you might need a bow and arrow set too. Spear the fuckers in the eye who decide to look at your kid wrong.”
This time, I’m nodding my approval. “Definitely.”
We finally finish scanning all of the diapers on the shelves when we come across the bottle aisle.
“What the fuck?” Ram complains. “There are like a thousand damn bottles. Just make Andie breastfeed and we can skip this aisle.”
I grunt in agreement. We happily rush past this row and stroll into the next only to find more horror awaiting.
“What the fuckity fuck fuck fuck?” he demands and motions at the shelves lined with breast pumps and pads and nipple creams.
“Go back to the bottle aisle. Now,” I bark and shove him out of the way. I happily scan the bottles because those are less complicated than tit shit.
I’m just finishing scanning every bottle brush the store has to offer when I hear Dani and Andie’s giggles. When they round the corner, I stop to stare at my woman. Today she’s wearing a pink T-shirt that fits her just a bit snugly and shows off the slight swell of her stomach. Fierce pride fills my chest. My baby girl is in there. I’ve yet to feel her kick, but Andie has been positively elated each time she does.
“Sexy guys in a baby store,” Dani says dramatically and clutches her chest. “I think my ovaries just combusted!”
I snort and shove Ram her way. “Only one sexy guy around here and I’m taken.”
Andie laughs and waltzes over to me before throwing her arms around my neck. I kiss her a little too long for the bottle aisle. If we’re not careful, some people passing by will get a demonstration of exactly how babies are made.
“I want to show you the bedding I picked out,” Andie says in a gleeful tone when we finally break apart. The excitement in her eyes has me beaming back at her.
“Let’s go, beautiful.”
With our hands threaded together, we make our way across the store, stopping along the way to scan a random item or two. Andie even lets me scan a pink football onesie. When we make it over to the area with the cribs, she points inside. “Isn’t it sooooo pretty?”
I reach in and stroke the soft chenille fabric. “Soft too. I like it.”
“Me too,” she chirps. “Now help me get the bag off that shelf over there.”
Pulling out my phone, I take a picture of it before shaking my head at her. “Not today.”
She stops and turns around to look at me. “What? Why not?”
“Because.”
Her smile is gone and she frowns. “Roman, I want it before they run out. They only have one set left.”
“Not today,” I tell her and start to tug her toward me.
She twists out of my grip. “What’s your problem? You’re being weird and vague. Just buy me the damn bedding or I’ll buy it myself.”
“Jesus Christ, Andie,” I gripe. “For once in your damn life can you just listen to me?”
Her full lips part open in shock as if I’ve slapped her. Fat tears well in her eyes, which makes me feel like even more of an asshole.
“Babe—”
“No,” she hisses in a scathing tone. “You’ve made yourself perfectly clear. I’m being a spoiled brat.” Her arms cross over her chest and she stalks over to a glider to sit down. She starts tapping away on her phone—probably to Reagan to rat me out—and I let out a huff.
“I need to make a call,” I growl as I hand her my scanner. “Wrap this up. I have a headache.”
I’m sure I’m being an ass but I really need to make this call apparently.
I Should Have Known
“AND SO THEN RAM TOLD me I could have whichever cake I wanted, but he would prefer it not be taffy flavored. I mean, I love taffy, but to flavor our wedding cake with it? I’m not that… hey are you even listening to me?”
I’m staring out the car window, lost in thought. To be honest I haven’t heard a thing she’s said since she picked me up. Linc busted through my door late last night, needing a favor, which was to borrow my car. He failed to mention that he wouldn’t have it back in time for me to go to work.
“Andie, you okay?”
“Huh? Yeah, fine.” I go back to staring out at nothing.
“Are you sure? You’ve been like this for the last few days now. Did something happen? Are you and Roman okay?”
“Nope. We’re peachy as ever,” I reply, because I really don’t know how to answer that question. Ever since his mood change at the baby store, things have been off. He’s his normal Roman self, feeding me with attention, love, and orgasms. But he hasn’t mentally been there. This past week, he’s been going off-site more than normal, and when he returns, he looks almost…it pains me to admit it but, disheveled. His normally crisp shirts look wrinkled, and once, he was sporting a different tie. I asked him about it, but he said he spilled soup on it at a lunch meeting. He swore to me with kisses and sweet endearments that I was overthinking things, but even factoring in my pregnancy hormones, something still wasn’t sitting right with me.
“Have you noticed Roman acting strange lately?” I turn to ask Dani. Maybe she’s noticed something when Roman’s been at the apartment. Or during her visits to the office.
“I don’t think so. Besides being a little freaked out about having a girl.” She giggles. I lamely smile, because as cute as it’s been watching Roman freak out, it’s not that. I can feel it.
“How’s he been at the apartment? Does he talk to you guys? Did he say anything last night?” He has to have slipped and said something. He confides in his brother. And since Dani and him are attached at the hip, she had to have heard something.
Dani looks caught off guard. “Well, I would tell you, but he’s not really there anymore. I can’t remember the last time he stopped by.”
The pain in my chest tightens to an unhealthy degree. He told me he couldn’t spend the night because he was hanging out with Ram and would just crash at their loft.
“Fuck,” I mumble, biting on my lower lip.
He lied to me. He’s been lying to me.
“Honey, why are you crying? Did I say something wrong? I assumed Roman had been at your place.” She reaches over the center console and grips my hand. “Hey, whatever it is, I’m sure it’s fine. Roman loves you.”
“Maybe not enough,” I reply, jerking my gaze over the passing scenery.
I shouldn’t have turned my back to the signs. The other day, Roman told me he had to go to his place for a few hours but would meet me at mine around dinner. When he finally showed up, he looked tired and chose to order in, instead of us going out.
The secret phone calls haven’t stopped.
The out-of-nowhere meetings he flees to.
I should have known.
We pull up to Holloway Advertising and my mind is drowning in doubt. I want to be the naïve girl who says that everything is okay and rests assured that my man is not hiding something big from me, but I can’t, no matter how hard I dig, I just can’t bury the doubt.
He is doing something.
I just don’t know how I’m going to find out.
I climb out of the car and shut the door, leaning into the open window. “Hey, thanks for the ride. Are you coming up?”
“No, I have to get to work
too. There’s new inventory coming in today, so I want to get there early before Mary does. She’s a real towel villain and tries to mess with my section. She clearly has no idea what she’s doing either.”
That comment earns a smile from me. Poor Dani is having a turf war with another employee. No one messes with her towels.
“All right. Well, thanks again. Lunch this week?”
“And dinner. It’s a date…and Andie? Cheer up. It’s going to be okay. More than okay.”
I offer her another short smile and head into work.
Because I’m not sure it is. Oh, Andie, what are you going to do? Do I just come out and ask him? He can deny it and just change the subject or try to distract me with his mouth and his hands. Do I flip out? Give him my mean side, until he cracks and admits he’s cheating on me? I slump in the elevator, feeling at a loss. I don’t want to be that person anymore. The off-the-handle bitch. I promised myself and this little girl I was going to be better. I need to keep that promise for her.
If he is doing something, then so be it. I will have this baby and raise her with all the love in the world.
I walk into the office, and Roman isn’t there yet. Disappointment topped with sadness strike as I stare at his empty chair. I love watching him all day, the dominant business man at work. I could tell you exactly how his eyebrows crinkle when someone disagrees with him or the way one side of his mouth perks into a grin, when he knows he’s about to lock a deal. The tapping of his large fingertips on his mahogany desk is reserved for high-profile clients who are discussing a bidding war. And the best part? When his eyes catch mine gazing at him and the smiles that breach his face, melting my heart.
Today I look at an empty chair.
Maybe he has a good excuse. Don’t jump to conclusions.
Yeah, right. I said that when he came over earlier this week with paint on him, and he told me he was at a site visit. But he’s not a construction worker—he’s in advertising and marketing.
I toss my purse on my desk and remove my jacket. I settle into my spot and start up my computer. I go through my normal morning routine, which is to check Roman’s daily calendar for meetings. He doesn’t have one scheduled for this morning.
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