Bad Boy's Kiss (Firemen in Love Book 2)

by Amy Starling

  “She's gone into labor,” the guy said. “Maybe the stress of the wreck did it. We need to get her into delivery, stat.”

  What followed was such a blur of activity, of doctors running everywhere, people yelling, bright hospital lights, the odors of blood and antiseptic, that I barely remembered much of it.

  They wheeled Anna into the emergency room. After a quick look-over, they determined she had no serious injuries from the accident, but that baby had to come out now. Doctor Ferris, the one who was supposed to deliver the kid, couldn't be summoned in time.

  “We'll need to do this via C-section rather than vaginally,” he informed me as I held her hand. “The latter could take time we don't have. The sooner we get the baby out, the better.”

  Anna cried. “But I didn't want it to be like this.”

  “You want the baby to be safe, don't you?” I kissed her head. “So do I. If anything happened to either of you, I dunno what I'd do.”

  She nodded and opened her mouth to say something, but only another yelp of pain came out.

  “We're going to sedate you now,” the doctor said, and gave her a shot of something.

  Then the nurse told me it was time for me to leave the room. I wanted to stay by her side, but I understood.

  “I'll be here when you wake up,” I promised. “Don't be scared. I love you.”

  She winced at another contraction. “I... Love you too.”

  Then she fell unconscious with a smile on her face.

  Chapter 30 - Anna

  Coming out of anesthesia was a strange thing. My eyes felt heavy, and I got the feeling I'd been asleep for a very long time although I knew I couldn't have been.

  The pain was gone, and my womb was empty.

  I pried my eyes open and felt my belly, surprised that there was nothing in it. I lifted up my gown. A long line of stitches held together the incision they made to get the baby out.

  “The baby,” I muttered. “Where's my baby?”

  Then the door to my room opened. A nurse came in, followed by Max – with a tiny bundle cradled safely in his arms. He beamed as it wriggled, and a little arm poked out of the blanket.

  “Congratulations on your baby boy,” the nurse said, smiling. “He's six pounds, four ounces. A tiny little guy, but he's perfectly healthy.”

  She left us alone, for which I was glad. Max brought my baby to me without a word. Then he gently placed the child in my arms, and I fell in love right away.

  “He's perfect,” I murmured.

  “Looks just like you, doesn't he? He's got your eyes, nose, lips... He's even sporting a full head of hair already.”

  “I guess you're right.” I gazed up at him. “Thought you said being handed a baby was your worst nightmare.”

  “Before you, it was. Now, it ain't so bad as I thought it'd be.” He chuckled. “I could do without the stinky diapers and puke, though. What are you naming him?”

  I had a long list of names prepared, but I still hadn't chosen one even now. I thought I would pick one before I went into labor, at least, but life didn't turn out how I'd planned.

  I gestured for Max to sit, so he took the chair beside my bed. When he held my hand, that “just right” feeling came back to me.

  “You saved me from that accident. If you hadn't shown up when you did...”

  “Shh. Don't get worked up over it. You two are safe now.”

  “You rescued us, so I think you deserve to pick the name.”

  His eyes widened. “Me?”

  “Let's hear what you got.”

  “Hmm... How about Luke? That was my grandpa's name and I've always had a thing for it.”

  “Luke,” I repeated. “I think that will do just fine.”

  Baby Luke gurgled his approval. Then his eyes fluttered shut and he conked out for another nap on my chest.

  Max watched him snore peacefully for a while. Then he squeezed my hand and got down on his knees.

  “Please give me another chance,” he blurted. “I need you in my life, Anna. Without you, I'm useless. You bring out the best in me, and you're the most wonderful woman I've ever known.”

  I hesitated. He had saved me, yes, but was that enough to make up for the things he'd done?

  “I know you're pissed at me, but I told you I'd make it better, didn't I? Well, I did. I got you your farm back.”

  “You... What?”

  He explained the story to me about how he gave the buyer his life savings in exchange for the house, and how he'd make payments on the rest until it was totally mine again.

  “You did this for me? But you didn't have to.”

  “Yes I did. I couldn't stand to have you living in that box of an apartment any longer, especially not with Luke. You loved that farm and everything that went with it. That's where you belong.” He looked the other way. “And I want to belong there too, if you'll have me.”

  “You'd give up your bachelor life in Waco? You would stop being a playboy, just for one woman? I'm afraid you'll get bored. You'll regret it and move on to something new. I can't handle that kind of pain again.”

  “I would never, ever regret you. You're the only woman who's interested me in months, I swear.” He reached into his pocket. “I'll prove it to you. I was waiting for the perfect time to give you this, and us chatting in a hospital room ain't what I had in mind, but it'll have to do.”

  He opened the tiny black box and presented me with a ring. I scooped up the white-gold band and ran my finger over the diamond in awe.

  “I couldn't afford a big rock, seeing as I spent all my money on other things,” he said. “Sorry. You deserve the best.”

  “Oh, Max. The diamond doesn't matter. If I got a ring made out of pipe cleaner from you, I'd have been happy.”

  He laughed. “No you wouldn't have.”

  I turned the ring over in my hand, barely believing what this meant. Max McLaren, once the biggest bad boy and player in town, was proposing to me.

  I knew in my heart what the right thing was to do.

  “So, how about it?” He took the ring from me, his hand shaking so much he nearly dropped it. “Anna, would you please do me the honor of marrying me?”

  “Well...” I paused a while just to mess with him. “I guess since you said 'please.'”

  “You guess?” His eyebrow lifted. “What kinda answer is that?”

  I held Luke tight in one arm and pulled Max close with the other.

  “Yes,” I whispered between kisses. “I will.”

  Was I afraid that Max would let me down, that he'd be a bad husband and father? Several months back, I would have doubted him. Commitment just wasn't in him.

  But now, I didn't doubt him for a second. I knew, the moment he gazed upon me holding Luke, that this man was going to love us forever.

  Epilogue - Anna

  “No, Luke. It's not nice to chop worms in half. They're good for the dirt.”

  Max gently took the wriggling pink earthworm from Luke's chubby hand and deposited it back in the vegetable bed. Luke, furious at being deprived of his treasure, threw himself down on the ground and started to cry.

  I smiled at the scene as I placed a freshly-baked blackberry cheesecake on the counter. Max's friends were making a trip down here to visit, so I hoped the dessert cooled in time.

  “Hey, I know! How about we go pick some tomatoes, huh?” Max hauled Luke off the ground and put him on his back. “Mommy would love that, and maybe we can sneak a few for your snack, too.”

  “Tah-may-too,” Luke howled. “Gimme.”

  About one year had passed since I said “I do.” After Max proposed, I decided I'd had more than enough of fancy weddings with hundreds of rude guests who really just came for the free food.

  So, much to my family's horror, we eloped to Las Vegas. We married in a quaint little chapel, surrounded by the handful of friends who genuinely cared about us.

  Rachael and Trey came, too. She'd had a change of heart, she said, and was sorry she had been so hard on me. Th
e two of them were doing better, too. Trey proposed to her, and they agreed to spend half the year in Bastrop, then the other half in San Diego. It looked like my sister would get the wedding she wanted at long last.

  Dad, however, never changed his ways. He wouldn't admit to bribing those women, but once story of the trial got out, people began to put two and two together.

  He lost the race for governor when his opponent dug up some dirt on him and made it public. Turned out he'd been involved in bribing more than just a few strippers. He'd been so concerned about me ruining his reputation, when in the end, he only did it to himself.

  He knew I got married to Max even after all the crap he did to keep us apart, and you know what? I hoped it pissed him off. That was a little vindictive, maybe, but I couldn't help the way I felt.

  He didn't call and ask about the baby, or about how Max bought the farm back after he'd stolen it from me. That was how I knew he simply didn't care, but that was okay by me. I didn't need his toxicity in my life. I'd given up trying to impress people who didn't deserve it.

  A shrill giggle outside caught my attention. Luke was chasing the chickens again, crawling after them through the mud with glee as they flapped wildly to get away from him.

  Max just laughed and did nothing to stop him, but how could I be mad when the two of them were so cute together?

  “You guys are like partners in crime,” I said, joining him in the yard. “Both of you, always making messes for me to clean up.”

  “And don't forget stealing cookies from the jar. The boy and I decided we like chocolate chip the best.”

  A car pulled into the driveway and an older couple got out. More customers? We just had one an hour ago. Not that I was complaining, of course. Ever since the farm reopened and people heard the story behind Max's heroic stunt to save it, customers and profits were higher than they'd ever been.

  “Hi there. We're here to pick up our online order.” The woman pulled out a paper. “Three dozen eggs and a crate of spring mix.”

  Max grinned. “I've got it all packed and ready for you, Mrs. Magdalene. If you'll step right this way.”

  Max was so awesome that he actually built a website for the business. Now people could order before they got here, and they could even buy things to have shipped from anywhere in the country. Yesterday, we mailed an order of honey to some guy in Alaska!

  The customers left, happy with their purchase, and we were alone again. It didn't take long, though, for another car to come rolling down the drive. This one, we knew exactly who it was.

  “Jayce, dude!” Max hugged his friend as he got out of the car. “Elle, Ethan. So glad you guys could make it.”

  Jayce looked around and whistled. “I gotta say, I never took you as a farmer, but it seems you're cut out for it.”

  “Nah, that's Anna's thing. I handle the technical side of the business. That, and when something breaks, I fix it.”

  “At least he makes himself useful,” I joked.

  Ethan immediately bolted after Luke, who was busy stumbling about on two feet and then falling down again.

  “Hold old's your boy now?” Max asked.

  “He's almost three.” Jayce beamed. “Hard to believe it's been so long, huh, Pink?”

  Elle stuck her tongue out. “Must you call me that in front of other people?”

  “Yes.”

  They hung out for the rest of the day, had a cookout with us, went fishing for catfish in the pond, hunted for eggs in the coop, and roasted marshmallows over the grill. Then we tore into the cheesecake, and it wasn't long before both kids had blackberries smeared on their faces and clothes.

  Soon Luke got tired, and Jayce said it was time for them to make the trip home. We waved goodbye as they drove off, and I set the baby, already asleep, down in his crib.

  Max nabbed me out in the hallway and surprised me with a deep kiss – tongue and all. Immediately, my desire for him stirred. After all we'd been through, so many sleepless nights and struggles with raising a child and building a business up together, I still lusted for him like crazy.

  “What's this for?” I murmured, kissing him back.

  “I was thinking.” He unbuttoned my shorts with a devilish smile. “Maybe it's time we start working on baby number two.”

  I laughed as he pushed me into the bedroom. “You want another kid? I thought for sure you could barely handle one.”

  Off came his clothes, then mine. I certainly didn't need anymore coaxing than that.

  “I decided it'd be nice to have one that's got my genes, y'know? I adore Luke, but I want to know what that's like.”

  He spread my legs and tasted me, doing all the things he knew, all those dirty little tricks to make me moan and wear down my resolve.

  “Mm... And this is how you're going to convince me?”

  “It's never failed before.”

  He worked his cock inside me – bare this time, flesh against flesh, just the way it should have been. He groaned as he rode me and held me down, his large hand pinning my wrists behind my head, because I loved it when he did that and he damn well knew it.

  “What do you think?” He nibbled my ear and made me tremble. “Should we give it a try?”

  “This... isn't really the best time to be making important life decisions.”

  “Oh, I've already decided.” He shut his eyes; his breathing quickened. “Unless you stop me, I'm gonna come inside you.”

  Logic and reason were out the window right now, but that was okay. Like him, I already knew the answer.

  I stared into his eyes. “Give it to me, Max.”

  I came moments before he did. This felt so perfect, so right. It struck me then how badly I wanted his baby.

  We lay there in a daze afterward, much like we always did, but this time was different. He put his hand on my belly and snuggled up close.

  “Well, you're definitely pregnant again.”

  “Oh, yeah? How do you know that?”

  “Trust me, I know. And even if you're not, I'll try again every night until you're carrying my child.”

  He kissed me in the dark, and I smiled.

  “That's all right by me.”

  We went to sleep, safe and happy and content in our own little world full of love.

  The End

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  Coming next in this series:

  Bad Boy's Touch: Firemen in Love, Book Three

  Madison

  Good cops don't sleep with bad boys – so why do I keep getting naked with Brett Silver?

  I tried to arrest him. He kissed me.

  He's a super-sexy firefighter who's nothing but trouble.

  He's also the best in bed I've ever had.

  When a serial arsonist strikes the city and my world falls apart, Brett's the only one I can trust. I swore not to fall in love with him.

  Too late.

  Brett

  I'm no stranger to running from the police. Then Madison slaps the cuffs on, and stripping off her uniform's all I wanna do.

  She says we're wrong for each other. She's looking for love. I'm a playboy who can't commit.

  Soon as I get her in my arms, though, she's the only woman on my mind.

  I'm done with one-night stands.

  I want her to be mine forever.

  Available soon! Get my newsletter so you don't miss it!

  Previously in this series:

  Bad Boy's Lust: Firemen in Love Book One

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  Copyright 2016 Amy Starling

  About the Author:

  Amy wasn't born in Texas, but she got here a
s fast as she could! She wrote her first story at age five and always knew she'd be an author one day. She started writing romance while working as a waitress, where she often wrote ideas down on cocktail napkins.

  Amy loves gardening, hiking, video games, and cooking new recipes. She lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with her husband, two sons, and four cats.