Until There Was Us

by Samantha Chase

  “That’s a lot of pressure you’re putting on yourself, you know.”

  She nodded. “The thing is, I don’t know any other way now. I’ve been doing it for so long that I can’t seem to help it.”

  “And how does your father feel about your career? Is he impressed?”

  “Not really. Not the way he gushes over Christian and Carter. Although it took him a long time to gush over Carter mainly because he opted not to be a part of the Montgomery corporate world. But Christian? Oh my gosh… It’s like he can do no wrong.”

  “That’s got to suck for your brother,” Alex commented, and Megan looked up at him like he was crazy. “Think of the pressure you put on yourself to try to get your father’s approval.”

  “Right.”

  “Now think of how much pressure your brother must be under because of how your father follows him. I know you think that because he has your dad’s approval that it should be easy, but I think it makes things so much harder. Your brother’s always looking over his shoulder to make sure he’s doing things the way your father wants him to or trying to keep up the image your father wants him to have.” Alex shuddered. “I’m telling you, I wouldn’t wish that kind of pressure on anyone.”

  Megan relaxed against his shoulder. “I never thought of it like that. I automatically assumed that out of the three of us, he had it the easiest.”

  “Nope. I’d say he has it the hardest. You’re in the middle, and Carter’s the lucky one.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the only one he’s concerned with pleasing is himself. He was brave enough to break the cycle and do something he was passionate about.”

  “Hey,” she said, leaning up. “I’m passionate about what I do!”

  “I don’t doubt it. But you’re making it harder on yourself than it has to be because you think you have to. Because of pressure you put on yourself, you’re not getting the enjoyment out of it that you could.”

  She pouted. “I enjoy it.”

  Alex leveled her with a look. “Really?”

  “Okay, not always, but…I enjoy reading up on new technologies and new systems and programs and—”

  “And you could still do all that while putting in regular hours that allow you to have a life after you walk out the office doors.”

  “I’m working on it,” she mumbled.

  Reaching up, Alex guided her head to his shoulder. “I know you are, and I’m proud of you for it.”

  Snuggling closer, Megan placed a light kiss on his chest, and it made Alex smile. This was what he’d been thinking about and hoping for—to have this time with her where they could be intimate and talk and know the clock wasn’t working against them. Everything about that weekend had been rushed because they knew Megan was leaving town at the end of it.

  “I wish sometimes he’d tell me that,” she said, and Alex realized they were still in the middle of talking about her life.

  “I’m sure he is,” Alex said because he didn’t know what else he could say.

  “It’s not like he’s mean about it or anything,” she went on. “He’s supportive in his own way, but…he doesn’t gush like he does over Christian. Or Carter. I don’t think he knows what to do with me.”

  “Have you ever tried to talk to him about it?”

  “I wouldn’t even know what to say. I’m always sharing what I’m doing and the cool stuff I’ve learned about, and he just sort of smiles and nods and asks if I need anything.”

  “Need anything? Like…what?”

  Laughing softly, Megan pushed up so she could look at him. “You’re obviously familiar with my family. You know we’re fairly…um—”

  “You’re rich, Megan,” Alex said with amusement. “It’s okay to admit to that.”

  She laughed again as she shook her head. “Growing up, I never wanted for anything. We had the best of everything, we traveled, and there was never any pressure to get a job while we were in school.” She paused. “Of course, it didn’t mean we didn’t all intern at Dad’s office.”

  “Naturally.”

  “I don’t think my father knew what to do with me.”

  “Well…now he does,” he pointed out. “He saw what you were capable of and was smart enough to hire you.”

  “Maybe. But that just happened, it wasn’t like it was planned.”

  “No, but…I would imagine this whole thing makes him happy.”

  “I guess.”

  Alex could tell she wasn’t convinced, and he had so many questions he wanted to ask her—like why was she being so hard on herself or what difference did it make if her father said he was happy or not?—but something else sort of niggled at the back of his mind. He hesitated to ask because he didn’t want to upset her, but…

  “I have one more question, and then we are changing the subject,” he said. “Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  “You said yourself that your family is rich.”

  “Technically, you said it,” she teased, resting her head on his shoulder.

  He chuckled. “Fair enough. But…you moved here, and you’re staying with Summer, and you were agonizing over things like rent and car payments, and…I don’t know…it would seem to me that you wouldn’t have to worry about that sort of thing—even saying how your parents ask if you need anything. Why not let them help you?”

  “I’ve always made my own way since I finished school. I never wanted anyone to look at me and think I was relying on the family name or for it to look like I couldn’t make it on my own.” She paused. “I know a lot of people wouldn’t do what I’m doing, especially when they could have it easy and live off their parents. That’s not what I wanted or who I wanted to be.”

  He was finding more and more to respect about her, but at the same time, she seemed to make life harder on herself no matter what she did.

  “You must think I’m crazy,” she murmured.

  Yes, he wanted to say.

  But he didn’t.

  Instead he maneuvered them until she was beneath him—a position he was more than happy to keep them in—and smiled down at her. “I think you’re beautiful,” he said, kissing her cheek. “And smart.” He kissed her other cheek. “And funny.” He placed a light kiss on her forehead. “And incredibly sexy.”

  This time when he leaned down, he captured her lips with his. It wasn’t light or sweet. It was the kind of kiss that put an end to their serious conversation and started something new.

  And he took that very seriously.

  Beneath him, Megan wrapped herself around him. She was all silky limbs and soft curves and…

  “Alex?” she asked breathlessly, turning her head away from his slightly.

  “Hmm?” He couldn’t stop tasting her—her shoulder, her throat…anywhere his mouth could reach.

  “Promise me something,” she said, writhing beneath him.

  “Anything.” He had no idea where she was going with this, but right now, he’d promise her the sun, the moon, and the stars.

  “Promise me…oh, that feels so good…promise me…”

  His mouth found her breast, and he gently suckled as she tried to find her words.

  “Yes, like that,” she panted, raking her hands into his hair to hold him in place.

  Would it be wrong if he didn’t remind her that she was trying to ask him something? Because right now, with the way she was moving against him, the last thing he wanted to do was talk.

  His name was a whispered plea before she said, “Promise to not let me leave tonight.”

  Lifting his head, Alex gave her a wicked smile. “Sweetheart, that was never going to be an option,” he said before he silenced her with another kiss.

  Chapter 7

  Megan was reading over some reports when Summer knocked on her office door.

  “Got a minute?”
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br />   Smiling, Megan put the paperwork aside. “Absolutely! What’s up?”

  Summer said brightly, “Ethan and I are dying for a night out. Like a date night. Alone.”

  “Ah. Gotcha.”

  “Right, so…obviously it would mean Amber would need to sleep over someplace or…someone would have to sleep at our place and we would have to sleep out.”

  “Say no more. I would love to babysit Amber. Seriously. It’s not a problem. Just give me all the baby paraphernalia, and we’ll have a sleepover at the guesthouse. This way we’ll be close enough to you if we need to be but far enough that you can have a bit of a break. Consider it a done deal. Friday night?”

  “Oh…um…okay. I guess,” Summer said hesitantly.

  “What? Was that not what you had in mind? I’m confused.”

  “I just figured with all the time you’ve been spending at Alex’s that you wouldn’t mind babysitting there.” She paused. “If Amber’s close by, I know I’ll feel the need to check on her and then I’ll end up bringing her home and all of my efforts for a night off will be for nothing.”

  Megan’s eyes went wide for a moment and then she understood. “Okay. Got it. Not a problem. I’m sure it won’t be a problem at all.”

  Summer’s entire face lit up. “Really? You’re sure? I know it’s a lot to ask, and I feel like a horrible mom for even asking it but…oh my gosh,” she said as she collapsed in one of the chairs facing Megan’s desk. “I’m exhausted. The thought of a full-night’s sleep is even more appealing than going out with my husband!”

  “Maybe mentioning how I’m not going to get a full-night’s sleep isn’t the best way to convince me to babysit.”

  “Too late! You already agreed.” The look of pure satisfaction on her cousin’s face couldn’t be missed. “And besides, it’s not like you’ve been getting a lot of sleep lately anyway.”

  For two weeks, Megan had spent every night at Alex’s. After that first weekend, she had come to work on Monday, dragged Gabriella and Summer to lunch, and pretty much told them everything—from Alex showing up at the office, all the way through the quickie in the shower that morning.

  Who knew she would enjoy talking about her sex life so much?

  She could feel her cheeks heat even as she smiled. “And I’m not even a little bit sorry about it.”

  “Good for you! Seriously. I think Alex is great, and I love seeing you smiling so much and looking so happy!” Summer’s smile grew. “And I also have to say how much I am loving the way you are rocking your new wardrobe!”

  Yes, on top of everything else, Megan had decided to finally start wearing all of the clothes her cousin and Gabriella had convinced her to buy. While she knew it all looked good—the pencil skirts, the button-down blouses, the stilettos—she seriously missed her yoga pants and sensible shoes.

  Alex had commented on how much he was enjoying her new clothes, so she even tried to stay in them until he got home at night after working with a client. And that was really a feat because by the time she got home, all she wanted to do was strip off the shoes and the bra and the rest of it and get comfortable.

  Luckily, Alex didn’t mind helping her with that as soon as he walked in the door.

  “You’re happy, right?” Summer asked after Megan didn’t immediately respond to her.

  “I really am,” Megan said. “Like…I can’t even believe how happy I am.”

  “So, really, the two of you would be playing house this weekend.”

  Megan looked at her funny. “What do you mean?” Then she realized what Summer meant. “Whoa,” Megan said, sitting up straight in her chair. “It’s a little soon to be thinking about babies, so…just stop.”

  Summer gave her a knowing smirk. “You can’t help it. No one can. It’s the nature of the beast, so again…get yourself mentally prepared for it.”

  “I didn’t think babysitting for a five-month-old required this much mental preparedness.”

  “Believe me, it does.”

  “Is it too late to back out?”

  “Yup.”

  For a minute Megan debated messing with her cousin a bit more but decided against it. It didn’t matter how much sleep she missed out on, the thought of having Amber for the night was something she was already looking forward to. Spending time with her honorary niece had become a favorite pastime since she’d arrived in Portland, and she adored her. There was something about a sweet baby snuggling in her arms that made Megan melt a little.

  “You’ve already got the look,” Summer said knowingly.

  Megan immediately looked away and busied herself straightening papers. “What look?”

  “The ‘I love babies’ look.”

  Shaking her head, she glanced at Summer. “No, it’s more of an ‘I love my niece’ look. It’s completely different.”

  “We’ll see.” Summer stopped and gasped.

  “What? What’s the matter?”

  “Do you need to talk to Alex first? I mean, sure, it’s fine for us to sit here and speculate on how cute this is all going to be, but maybe he doesn’t want to babysit. Maybe he isn’t into the whole baby thing.”

  Megan immediately waved her off. “Please, every time he’s around you guys he can’t take his eyes off Amber. He’s always talking to her and trying to make her laugh. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll text him right now and find out.”

  Summer instantly relaxed. “Yes. Please. Because as much as I want a night out, I don’t want to put you in an awkward position.”

  “You’re not. Trust me.”

  “Let’s check with Alex first.”

  Megan nodded in agreement as she quickly typed a text to Alex. She hit Send and put her phone on her desk. “I’m not sure when he’ll see the text, but I’m still confident that he’s going to be fine with this.”

  “I forgot to tell you how much I love the dress you bought for Amber last week,” Summer said while they waited for Alex’s response. “I put it on her yesterday, and…Megan, it’s just amazing how much it reminds me of great-grandma’s work! I know she isn’t the only person who ever crocheted, but the details on it just make me think of her! You have to give me the name of the website you’re ordering from because I’d love to pick out some stuff too.”

  “Oh, uh…I don’t remember it offhand, but I’ll get it to you,” she stammered and glanced at her phone. “But about Friday…you have nothing to worry about because—”

  Her words were interrupted by the sound of her phone alerting her that she had a new message. She picked up the phone, looked at the screen, and started to laugh.

  “What? What’s so funny?” Summer asked.

  Megan turned the phone around and held it up for Summer to see.

  “Wow…that’s a lot of exclamation points and smiley faces.”

  Nodding, she put the phone down. “So as you can clearly see, babysitting is not going to be an issue. Just make sure you pack everything we could possibly need and then a little bit extra. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent an entire night with a baby.”

  “When have you ever spent an entire night babysitting?” Summer asked.

  “The summer after I graduated high school I worked as a nanny for a month for our neighbors. It was exhausting, and the pay was crappy.”

  “So is the pay for this babysitting gig,” Summer deadpanned. “But if you’re lucky, I’ll bring some snacks for you and Alex to share.”

  “Double Stuf Oreos or the deal’s off,” Megan countered seriously.

  Sighing dramatically, Summer said, “Fine. But you have to supply your own milk.”

  “Done.”

  Walking around the desk, Summer leaned down and hugged her. “I really appreciate this. No one tells you how this is the downside to not having grandparents living close by. I know if my mom was here, she’d have Amber sleeping over e
very weekend.”

  “That is the truth. But it’s kind of nice how you have your brother and now me here to lend a hand, right?”

  “Absolutely. And soon, you’ll probably be getting approached by Zach to babysit for them too.”

  “And I’ll love every minute of it.”

  “Oh! Did you order one of those blankets for Gabs? I know we talked about it—and I’m not trying to pressure you or tell you what you have to buy her for the shower—but I know how much she wanted one.”

  Sheesh…Megan thought. How had her crocheting become such a big thing?

  “It’s taken care of,” she responded. “As a matter of fact, it already arrived.”

  Summer looked at her oddly. “Really? That’s odd.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, you haven’t been home much, and I’ve been bringing in your mail, and I don’t remember seeing any packages come to the house for you.”

  Dammit! Why hadn’t she thought of that? Maybe she should just come clean and admit that there was no website, that she was the one making all of the baby stuff and—

  “Summer?” Zach asked as he stepped into Megan’s office. “We have that meeting in five. You ready?”

  Saved by the proverbial bell…

  “Absolutely,” she said to Zach before turning back to Megan. “Okay, I need to get back to work, and I’m going to let Ethan know you’re okay with babysitting.”

  Megan gave her a thumbs-up and then a wave as Summer and Zach left the office.

  Her phone rang, and she saw Alex’s name on the screen. Smiling, she picked it up. “Hey, you,” she said softly.

  “So? Is it definite? Are we getting Amber for the night?”

  Unable to help herself, Megan laughed. “Are you being for real right now?”

  “What? What’s wrong with being excited?”

  “It’s not that you’re excited, it’s that you’re…super excited,” she said, still laughing.

  “First of all, some would call it adorable, but whatever,” he said seriously. “And second of all, I am great with kids. I love kids. And while I know Amber’s just a baby and can’t do much, I think it’s going to be so much fun having her over!”