Stars formed behind his eyes as his orgasm threatened hit him full force. “Mine,” he growled as her body squeezed his cock.
She began to tremble as she called out his name.
He had planned to take his time, make things last for their first time as husband and wife, but seeing her naked before him sent that plan right out the window. He reached down and rubbed her sensitive clit again, coaxing another orgasm from Lauren before he couldn’t hold back anymore. With a grunt, he exploded, his body shaking, his cock still throbbing as it emptied inside her.
“I love you. So much,” he whispered as he held onto her body, relaxing against her.
“I love you too,” she yawned. “We’re married.”
Connor chuckled, “We are. I planned on spending all night making love to my wife.”
“Nap first,” Lauren sighed, and her eyes drifted closed.
Pulling the blanket around them, he rested his chin on the top of her head and one hand on her belly. Drifting off to sleep, memories played through Connor’s mind like a movie reel from when they were seven or eight.
He had tried to convince the girls that they were all getting too old to play dress up, but he and Riley lost. Here they were, dressed up in their Sunday best, and standing under the old oak tree in his grandparents’ back yard. Bryce stood behind him with an old sheet meshed around him to look like a robe, holding a black book in his hand. How the girls had ever convinced Bryce to play along was beyond him, but he didn’t miss out on how funny his cousin seemed to think this was.
His grandmother sat in the front row, right next to every stuffed animal the girls owned. With a nod of her head, she smiled and pressed play on an old cassette tape player. As the wedding march began, Lauren made her way down the makeshift aisle toward him.
She was dressed in a silk gown his grandmother had made from Lord knew what.
There, in front of Mr. Cuddles the bear, his grandmother, and his best friend, he pretended to marry Lauren. Riley laughed a few times, until Lauren and Connor rushed off into the sunset and Amy took her place ready to repeat the whole ceremony with Riley.
Then the wedding march began again, and Connor laughed as his best friend was forced to endure the same torture he had.
“One day, I’m going to marry you for real, Connor. You better be ready,” Lauren giggled and punched him in the arm before taking off to run through the yard, laughing as he chased after her.
“Do we have to go home?” Eliot bounced on the bed while Connor packed the suitcases. “I wanna stay at the beach.”
The sound of water running from the shower seeped into the hotel room, and Connor thought of Lauren standing under the spray. Shaking his head, he tried to clear the images that would have him sporting a hard-on in zero seconds flat. “Yeah buddy, we do. We’ve all got to get back to work, and your break from school is almost over.”
Spending two weeks on the beach was the perfect way to start their life together as a family, but now it was time to head back home and settle into their new life. Lauren would be going back to her nursing job at the hospital, and Connor needed to get the ball rolling on the consulting firm he’d decided to start after leaving his dad’s company.
“Hey, Connor,” Lauren’s voice called from behind the bathroom door.
Immediately, he sensed something was off from the sound of her voice. “Hang tight for one second, Eliot,” he instructed as he made his way to the bathroom. “Yeah, Princess. What is it?”
Her face was pale, her hands gripped the counter tightly, and she motioned downward without saying a word. A puddle of blood had pooled at her feet, her khaki shorts already stained crimson.
“Lauren,” he gasped. His stomach dropped, panic taking over. “What happened?”
Tears rolled down her face and he knew. He didn’t need her to answer. The blood, the baby. It could not be good.
“Shit. Let’s get you to the hospital.” He lifted her up and carried her into their hotel room. “Eliot, grab the bag over there, buddy, and come with me, okay? Everything is fine, but we need to get Mommy to the doctor.” His voice somehow sounded so calm, and yet, he was freaking out on the inside.
“You should have grabbed a towel. I’m going to ruin these seats,” Lauren complained as Connor buckled her into the passenger seat of the car.
Eliot climbed into the back and buckled up while Connor made his way around to the driver’s side.
“These damn seats are the least of my concerns, Lauren. I can get the car detailed,” he said as he pulled out of the parking lot and rushed toward the closest hospital.
Four hours later, they finally had some answers.
“Bleeding isn’t always uncommon during a pregnancy. I’m assuming, given the fact you were on your honeymoon, you…uh, there were some activities taking place that aggravated your cervix.” The doctor shifted uncomfortably, passing a glance toward Eliot who was watching videos on Connor’s phone. “The baby looks perfectly fine. Your cervix is closed, and I can’t see any other cause for the bleeding. I’m going to recommend you follow up with your OB back home, but I’m also recommending complete pelvic rest and bedrest for the duration of your pregnancy.”
“But the baby is okay?” Connor asked.
“The baby is fine. All of your wife’s bloodwork looks good and your son is moving around normally.” The doctor turned the screen. An image of their baby immediately filled the screen. “Bleeding can sometimes weaken the cervix which is why I advise bedrest, and certainly pelvic rest. For now though, things have calmed down. If you don’t have any other questions, I’ll go ahead and get you ready for discharge. I would try to get an appointment with your OB in the next two days. Of course, if anything changes, come back to ER immediately.”
“Are we safe to fly home?” Lauren questioned.
“I don’t see any reason why you can’t. I would recommend using a wheelchair to navigate the airport though,” the doctor suggested.
It took another hour before they were finally able to leave the hospital. Now, they had to head back to the hotel and finish packing. With a little luck, they could still make their flight home.
Connor parked the rental car outside the hotel and said, “There isn’t that much left to pack, and you really should stay off your feet. Why don’t you and Eliot sit tight while I go get our things together and check-out? I won’t be long.” He leaned over and kissed Lauren’s cheek. “Will you be all right?”
Lauren sniffled, giving him a nod.
“Princess, don’t cry. It’s okay, baby. Everything is fine. I’ve got my phone if you need me, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
When he walked in, he made his way over to the front desk. Check-out time had come and gone, and they had missed it. He was thankful that the manager understood the situation. Typically, they would have been charged an extra day, however, given the circumstances, she agreed to waive any additional charges and allowed Connor time to get everything from the room.
Stepping inside the hotel room, he took a deep breath and headed to the bathroom first. He grabbed one of their beach towels and cleaned up the blood off the floor. This was one of the reasons he did not want Eliot or Lauren coming with him.
As he wiped away the blood, tears filled his eyes. If things had turned out differently, if the baby hadn’t been okay, he wasn’t sure Lauren would have made it. He would never forget how fragile she had appeared when he showed up at the hospital the day they lost their first son.
Pulling himself from his thoughts, he rose from the floor, washed his hands, and then splashed some water on his face. He tossed the towel he used on the floor into a trash bag before he finished packing.
Taking one last look around the room to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, he grabbed their things and headed back to the car.
Tucking her feet under her, Lauren looked around the room at her friends. Bedrest was nearly driving her insane, but Connor and Amy rescued her. Somehow her husband had managed to wrangle all
of the husbands and their kids into going on a play date at the park, giving Eliot a much needed change in scenery. And while they were out, the wives all jumped at the chance to spend a few hours with Lauren sans children and husbands. It was exactly what she needed to occupy her mind for a little while.
“John Snow melts my panties!” Amy squealed, interrupting Lauren’s thoughts.
Lauren had just taken a drink of her water, and nearly choked on it when she heard her friend’s excited confession. “Eww. Uhm…NO!” She laughed between coughs.
Amy took a sip of her wine as she gave Lauren the evil eye.
“Not you too. Kimberlee doesn’t think he’s hot either, but Christopher has that ‘V’ that drives all the women crazy. She’s somewhat immune to that shit,” Daphne piped in.
Raising her eyebrows, Lauren shot Daphne a questioning glance. “Do I even want to know how you know this?”
“She asked him to strip for her one night when we were on Facetime,” Kimberlee confessed with a straight face.
“You cannot be serious?” Amy giggled.
“Oh, I did. We were busy picking accessories for her bedroom when he came home from work in his uniform. She was going to let me go, but I told him don’t mind me, just go ahead and strip. I even sang cute little stripper music for him. Not my fault he went along with it,” Daphne shrugged.
“I’m telling you, she’s trying for a threesome, but I’m not really the sharing kind,” Kimberlee teased.
“I wouldn’t share either if Lance looked like that. Wait…” Daphne paused, making all the girls erupt in laughter.
“Might be safe to say that we all hit it lucky in the husband department,” Amy blushed.
Lauren nodded in agreement.
Noise fluttered through the house as the husbands and kids came running in, back from their adventure.
“Okay, you can stop talking about us now, ladies.” Christopher entered the house, carrying grocery bags.
All four of the girls burst out laughing again. If the men only knew what their wives had been discussing.
Lauren was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down her cheeks. “Oh gosh, I’ve gotta pee,” she squealed.
In an instant, Connor swooped in out of nowhere and lifted her up into his arms, which drew even more snickers and giggles from the girls.
“Connor, I can walk you know,” Lauren scolded halfheartedly.
“I know, but this is much more fun.” He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. “Missed you while I was gone.”
Riley plopped down on the couch, while the kids started running circles around the room. “We brought food.” He nodded toward the kids. “This bunch is crazy. And exhausting.”
Amy stood and moved over to the couch to lean in closer to him. “Aww. You guys saved the day.”
“Don’t feed their egos,” Lauren chuckled as Connor carried her back into the room. “Besides, we really need to focus on what you all really came here for. Hard to plan a birthday party when I’m not allowed to leave the house.”
Everyone dished out food while Lauren explained what Eliot had in mind. Per the birthday boy’s request, they would be having a movie day. All of his friends would come over and join them for movies, popcorn, and pizza. Amy volunteered to do the decorating and help Connor clean the house beforehand.
Eliot’s only request Connor and Lauren couldn’t honor was the sleepover he wanted to have. Having a house full of kids overnight would create a major delay if Lauren had to be rushed to the hospital. At least during the actual birthday party, all of the parents would be present in the event of an emergency.
Having Eliot’s birthday party planned and dinner eaten, all the wives helped with clean up before gathering their kids to head home.
“Lauren, you stay put. I’m going to see everyone out,” Connor announced.
Lauren nodded and curled up on the couch.
Once he stepped outside, he pulled the door shut behind him. “What do you all need me to do for the shower—I mean party?” Connor chuckled.
“Your job is to keep her entertained. I’ve got it all taken care of. Send her downstairs to the movie room with the kids while we set everything up. Then you can bring her upstairs where everyone else will be waiting for her.” Amy bounced on her feet with excitement, making Riley start to laugh.
“You’re really excited about this, aren’t you, babe?” Riley teased.
“I am. I’ve been waiting forever to plan another baby shower for her!”
“Thank you, all. And thanks for keeping her company for a while today. I know she’s starting to go stir crazy…not that I blame her.”
“That’s what friends are for. You better hurry back inside before she starts to suspect something,” Kimberlee laughed, “And before she gets too rambunctious.”
“Right,” Connor chuckled and rolled his eyes. “I’ll see ya later.”
Eliot and Lauren were snuggled up on the couch watching cartoons when Connor walked back in. She glanced up at him and sighed.
“What’s up, Princess?”
“Umm, well…this little guy is going to be here sooner than later and…we’ve got nothing for him.”
If he didn’t know better, Connor would swear she was fishing for details, but he did his best to keep his game face on.
“Princess, I told you not to stress about it. We’ll go online and you can pick out whatever you want. We’ll have it delivered straight to the house, and we won’t have to worry about transporting it. Win/win.”
“That’s no fun,” she pouted. “I want to actually go to the store and look at things. Especially the baby furniture.”
“Okay. I’ll make a deal with you. Next doctor’s appointment, if he says it’s all right, then off to the baby story we’ll go. Deal?”
“Fiiiiiine.”
Connor chuckled and shook his head.
Having Lauren restricted to bedrest hadn’t been part of their plan, but she tried going back to work after being cleared by her own obstetrician, only to find that if she was on her feet or too active, she’d start bleeding again. She made it exactly two shifts at work before her doctor put her on bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Lauren wasn’t fond of the idea, but Connor loved having her home with him during the day while he worked: one of the perks of running his own business and working from home. It gave them a lot of quality time together while Eliot was at school. Being able to pamper Lauren and take care of Eliot made him happy. It would have been better if they could have sex, like any other newly wedded couple, however, they found intimacy in other ways. He also learned that Lauren gave amazing head—her idea, not his—but he wasn’t complaining either.
It may have made him a caveman, but he found he quite enjoyed having his woman barefoot and pregnant.
Lauren’s face when she walked upstairs and into her surprise baby shower, was one that would be forever etched into Connor’s mind.
“Oh gosh, you!” she exclaimed and pointed at Amy.
Amy raised her hands in mock surrender. “Hey! I had plenty of help, starting with that gorgeous man holding you.”
That was all it took for Lauren’s tears to fall. “Guess I know why you wouldn’t let me go shopping now.” She gazed lovingly at Connor who had a smirk firmly plastered on his face.
“I love you,” he whispered and kissed her forehead. “You go and enjoy this party with your girls. Let us guys worry about the kiddos. If you need something, send one of them to come get me. And stay off your feet,” he ordered as he swatted her ass gently.
“I hear you.” She kissed him back and waddled her way over to her favorite chair to get comfortable.
Amy immediately handed her a plate of food once she was settled. And after everyone ate, Lauren’s best friend shouted that the shower games were starting.
Lauren watched, laughing as her friends and family tried to guess baby names, find baby items on a crossword puzzle, and guess how big her belly was using spools of ribbo
n. She would have been completely fine without being reminded how large her stomach had gotten, but it came with the territory; and she enjoyed every second of it.
“All right! Time for gifts,” Amy announced after everyone mingled for a bit.
“Oh! I want Connor here for this part. Can someone go and grab him for me?” Lauren asked with a grin.
Kimberlee jumped up and ran down to get him. A few minutes later, Connor joined them, Kimberlee pushing him forward while he laughed at her insistence.
They opened gifts for their little bundle of joy one by one. It felt like the pile would never end, and by the end of the gifts, they knew their little one would want for nothing.
“One more thing,” Connor spoke up, “but for this one, I’m afraid I’m going to have to borrow the mom to be for a moment.”
Lauren gave her husband a questioning glance before taking his offered hand and slowly following him. “You know, I’m still not cleared for sex, and while I don’t mind pleasuring you, I’m sure our guests would prefer we wait until they leave,” Lauren whispered.
Connor chuckled as he patted her ass. “Trust me.”
He led her to the bedroom closest to theirs, the same one he’d claimed for his office. When Lauren opened the door at his insistence, an even bigger surprise than she could have anticipated awaited her.
The perfect shade of powder blue covered the walls. Eliot’s old crib stood along one wall made up with the chevron bedding that Lauren had mentioned being in love with every time she saw it. Pictures of little cars and trucks hung perfectly on the wall, along with a handful of pictures from their maternity photo shoot, including some Lauren had not seen the proofs for. And in the corner sat an oversized reclining rocker just like her favorite chair downstairs.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she peered up at Connor. “I swear all I do is cry lately, but seriously…how did you pull this off?”
Take Back My Heart (Come Back To Me) Page 14