“Okay, this is going to be cold,” the doctor said, as he squirted the cold gel onto my stomach. I closed my eyes for a moment, afraid to look. Then I heard it, the most beautiful sound: The heartbeat. I opened my eyes and looked at the screen. Zaine looked down at me and smiled.
“Do you hear that, baby? I love that sound so much,” he said.
“I do, too,” I responded with welled up tears in my eyes.
“Everything looks good,” the doctor said. “You’re nine weeks today. Let’s see, that will make your due date in April, sometime around the 4th.” I felt so excited! I now had a due date, and a heartbeat, which made it more real. I was going to have a family. It was really happening for me.
“I want you to get a lot of rest, Miss Steele,” the doctor continued. “It seems to me that you’ve had a lot of stress lately. You can take some Tylenol for your headache, and I want you to keep your feet up for about a week just to be sure you’re okay. Your blood pressure was a little high, but nothing to be concerned about for now. I’m guessing that the situation today is the cause of it.”
“Don’t worry about anything, sir. She’s not going to do anything for a while,” Zaine said. It was clear that he was going to be a pill to deal with through this whole thing, and I knew I should just get used to it.
On the way home Zaine told me that Aaron and Tayla were cooking us dinner. Together. It was the second thing that day that had shocked me.
“So let me get this straight,” I said in disbelief. “Tayla and Aaron are here together, making a meal? Your brother can cook, right? Because the only thing I’ve seen Tayla cook was a box of mac n’ cheese, and she burnt the water.”
Zaine laughed. “Relax. Aaron is actually pretty handy in the kitchen. I just wanted to celebrate the fact that you can get back to some kind of normalcy. Now that we know that asshole is back in jail, you can relax and take care of yourself.”
“Well thank you. That’s so sweet of you,” I said, truly touched. “And I have to say, it’s quite a surprise.”
Zaine smiled down at me and said, “I might have a few surprises on the way, too.”
I was excited, but I was also tired. The last thing on my mind was a celebration after what had happened. I just wanted to lock myself in a room and sleep for days. “I’m glad we’re going to celebrate, but is it okay if we call it an early night? I’m exhausted!”
“Sure, baby. We can cancel if you want,” Zaine said. I could see the disappointment on his face. He was trying so hard to distract me from my thoughts and make new, happy ones.
“No, no! I said I was tired but damn, I’m still hungry. Plus I’m curious to see how well Aaron can cook.”
When we got home, Tayla opened the door wearing an apron. My jaw must have hit the floor. “I never thought I would see this day: You cooking for me, and with a man by your side, too,” I said, teasing her.
“Shut it, Landrey. I’m just assisting. You know I can’t cook for shit.”
Aaron was chopping and boiling and making sauces. I was impressed; the man had some cooking skills. When he saw us, he wiped his hands and came to give me a hug. “Landrey, are you alright? I am so glad you didn’t get hurt badly. I wish you didn’t have to deal with all that shit.”
“Yeah me too, but you know what? It’s over with now and we can move on with our lives, and hopefully be happy,” I said, hoping to change the subject. Looking at Tayla, I said, “What I want to know, though, is where Tayla was today. Why didn’t she call me to tell me she wasn’t coming?”
“I can hear you, you know?” Tayla said in a snippy voice.
“Okay, I’m waiting. How come you didn’t call me?”
Tayla and Aaron exchanged a look. It was almost as if they were communicating telepathically. “I, um… Well, I guess I left my phone in Aaron’s car.”
My eyes narrowed in suspicion. “So you’re telling me the reason you left me hanging is because you didn’t have a phone? You expect me to believe that? I call bullshit!” I waved my finger at the two of them and continued on my rant. “There’s something going on with you two, and someday one of you is going to slip. You can deny it all you want, but I know. Oh, do I know.”
Zaine burst out in a laugh behind me. “Easy there, killer. Maybe you just need to come sit and relax.”
We went into the living room, away from the two love birds. “I know those two are seeing each other for more than just work, Zaine,” I griped. “They’re driving me nuts. I wish they would just admit that they liked each other.”
“Babe, some things take time. Those two are not the “relationship” type. You know that,” he said.
“I know. I just wish she would settle down, and Aaron needs to realize he could be a marrying man. I just want them to be happy.”
“You know what would make me happy, Miss Steele?” he asked slyly.
“What, Mr. Brooks?” I had a feeling I knew what was coming.
“Having you naked in my arms, very soon.”
“Well, Mr. Brooks, I do hear that sex takes care of a headache but I also have a monster rug burn and bruise on my back.”
“Who says you need to be on your back?” With a smile he walked back into the kitchen. I couldn’t wait until later to relieve my tension.
After a well-made dinner by Aaron and his lovely assistant, Zaine kept his promise. He kicked them out at a decent hour, thank God, because lord knows I was waiting for my headache relief. I was heading up to the bedroom when Zaine came up behind me and picked me up, carrying me up the stairs to the room. I winced a little because he grazed the bruise on my back, but I didn’t let on that he’d hurt me because I needed him.
“God, it feels like it’s been forever since we’ve been alone,” I said, nuzzling his chest as he carried me.
“It has been a while,” he said. “There’s been so much going on the past few days. I’m going to make sure we celebrate our new-found freedom tonight.” I smiled into his shoulder, and when I leaned up to kiss his cheek he turned his head and slipped his tongue into my open mouth. I tangled my tongue with his, tasting the wine he’d had for dinner. I loved the sweetness from his mouth.
Zaine set me down gently on the bed and kept kissing me with everything he had. I could feel his love for me just from his lips, and felt his heart beat against mine. “You are the sweetest thing I’ve seen in a long time, Lan. I can’t tell you how much you mean to me. I promise you, I’ll take such good care of you.”
He remembered what I had said about my back and gently lifted my dress over my head. He kissed the swell of my breasts and started removing my bra, slowly nibbling on each nipple as he went. I moaned softly and lifted his face to mine so I could look into his eyes. Suddenly concerned, he asked, “Did I hurt you?”
“No,” I said, “just the opposite. Just having your arms around me makes me feel complete and alive again.” I was about to go on, but he stopped me with a kiss and slowly laid me back on the bed.
“How is your back?” he asked. “We don’t have to do this, babe. We can wait until it heals.”
“If you don’t get in me soon I’ll burst. My back will be okay,” I insisted.
“I still think you need to give it a break. How about this?” he asked, giving me a sexy grin. He planted soft kisses all over my body, down to my stomach, then looked up at me, smiled and gave it a tender kiss. Then he moved down to my panties and removed them. Gently, he spread my legs apart and started lapping at my sensitive nub with his tongue.
I grabbed his hair and gently tugged at it. It was all I could do not to lose it. He was so good at what he was doing, his tongue making long gentle strokes, and I loved the feeling. I started to climax, and just when I thought I was done he gently sucked on my nub and my toes curled at the feeling. I had my eyes closed and was relishing the moment.
I felt the tip of his cock at my vagina, and then he was moving so slowly, so tenderly. It was more than beautiful—it was right. Nothing compared to the feeling of him moving in and out of me
. This time there was a new emotion to our lovemaking that sealed every open wound, and removed every worry and angst I’d ever felt. I loved this man so much, and nothing—I mean nothing—could compare to it. He was mine and I was his.
After our beautiful night, we stayed in bed for the whole day. It was fantastic. We ordered food and watched movies wrapped in each other’s arms. “This feels awesome,” I said, complete in my contentment.
“What does?” Zaine asked.
“This.” It was a simple statement to illustrate a simple fact. I felt awesome when I was with him. Then I felt his cock on my leg and I started to laugh. “That does feel nice, but that’s not what I was talking about,” I said. “It’s nice to just relax not worry about anything.”
“I don’t want you to worry about anything, ever,” he said. “You’re supposed to take it easy, remember? And just to make sure that your little stubborn ass doesn’t try to leave the house for some dumb shit, I took the week off. That way I can watch you.”
“I don’t need you to babysit me, Zaine. I’ll be fine.”
“Yes, you will. I know because I’ll be here with you.” He gave me a sexy smirk and got up from the bed.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I thought I would draw you a bath. I have to make a few phone calls. If I’m going to stay home with you all week I’ll have to do some work from here.”
“A bath does sound good. Okay, Mr. Brooks. I’ll gladly accept your offer.” I climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Zaine came up behind me, kissed my neck and bit my earlobe. “Keep that up, Mr. Brooks, and I’ll have to forget the bath and take you back to bed.” He gave a low throaty growl and started my bath.
The week flew by and Zaine went back to work, which was fantastic. I loved him, but he was starting to get a little annoying, asking me if I was okay all the time. It was sweet, but holy shit! You can only answer the question so often. He did, however, let me know that one of my surprises was going to be arriving soon, and I couldn’t wait to see what it was.
I met up with Tayla for lunch and she filled me in on what was happening at the boutique. She assured me that everything was running smoothly, and I was certain it was—she had managed the whole thing without me for the most part. After lunch Max drove me to Zaine’s office. He’d said he was too busy to join us for lunch, so I thought I would bring him something to eat.
As I approached his office I heard a familiar female voice. I stopped at the door to listen. It was Stacy! I’d thought she lived in England and I was done with her, but I should have realized she would pop up again someday. “You didn’t even give me a chance! That bitch came along and, poof! I was gone. So you tell me, Zaine. Do you think we can still be friends?”
I didn’t know whether I should run or just go in, then decided that I needed to go in. She needed to know I wasn’t going to let her mess with my relationship. Twisting the door handle, I walked in. Zaine was sitting at his desk and Stacy was sitting on the corner of it, with her legs crossed in a tight-ass skirt. Tramp, I thought. Zaine jumped up when he saw me.
“Landrey! Hey baby, what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to stop by and bring you lunch,” I said, giving him a pointed look. “You said you had a really busy day today.” I glanced at Stacy, who stared at me with a fake smile on her face. Looking back at Zaine, I asked sweetly, “Am I interrupting something? I can come back, or I can just see you later.” Stacy stood and walked over to me, giving me the once-over. She was trying to make me feel small and stupid, and I wished right then that I could start a pathetic cat fight.
“Yes. Actually Zaine and I were just getting ready to go to lunch... with each other,” Stacy said haughtily. “I would ask you to join us, but I can see you don’t need any more food today.”
I was about to slap the shit out of her, but Zaine came to my side and stopped me from being a petty bitch. “That’s enough Stacy! I will not let you talk to Landrey that way. She has nothing to do with this.”
Stacy came closer to Zaine and gave him a look that could kill. “She has everything to do with this, Zaine. She’s the reason I lost you.”
Zaine stepped in front of me, protecting me from her. “No, Stacy. You lost me a long time ago. It wasn’t all about Landrey.” Stacy swung her long hair over her shoulder and pursed her red lips, grabbed her clutch and walked out the door. Zaine watched her go, then turned to me with concern.
“Lan. are you all right? I’m so sorry that happened. She stopped by here wanting me to explain everything. She just got back from London.”
“Were you going to tell me you were going out to lunch with her? Or was that going to be a secret?” I asked, upset that she was back again. “I don’t like the fact that she was all up on your desk with her legs and tits hanging out in your face. That girl does not like me, Zaine. She looked like she wanted to hurt me. Did you tell her I was pregnant?”
“I didn’t tell her, but she knows somehow. She and Ryan have some mutual friends in London, so she might have heard through them.”
“I am starting to show,” I said thoughtfully. “We need to tell our parents. I still haven’t told my mother. I wish I didn’t have to tell her over the phone,” I sighed. “And I haven’t even met your parents yet.”
“Well, that’s the good news babe. They’ll be here tomorrow,” Zaine said, looking down at his feet.
“What? Oh my God, Zaine! I haven’t even prepared myself for that yet. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know myself until this morning. They called Aaron and told him to pick them up from the airport. They’ll be here tomorrow at 10 am.” Zaine held me at arm’s length so he could look at me. “Listen, you have nothing to worry about. My parents are very easy-going people. Landrey. My mother is going to love you and she’s going to love you even more when she finds out you’re going to give her the first Brooks grandbaby.”
I was nervous, but was sure everything was going to be all right. I just wished I could get Stacy out of my head. I didn’t trust her for some reason. She had left too quietly, without putting up a fight. I had a feeling she would be around again soon.
Zaine’s parents were going to stay here with us while they visited, since he had the most room, so I started cleaning the house that afternoon. Zaine ran to the store to get a few groceries, giving me time to get ready for our surprise guests. I made a quiche and a fruit salad in case they were hungry when they arrived. After putting the quiche in the oven, I looked down at myself and realized I looked disheveled.
I pulled my hair up in a nice twist, then put on a baby-doll dress to hide my growing belly. Looking at the clock I realized it was 10:15. They would be here soon! I ran back downstairs, checked on the food and made some coffee. When the front door opened I prayed Aaron wasn’t here just yet. Zaine came around the corner and smiled at me with a knowing look. “Babe, you need to calm down. You’re driving yourself crazy.”
“I know. I can’t help it. What if your mom hates me because I took Stacy away from you? Or because I’m not as elegant as her?”
Zaine started to laugh. “My mother can’t stand Stacy. In fact, if you hadn’t come and taken me away from her, I’m sure my mother would have made sure there were no wedding bells in our future. You are a huge step up from Stacy.”
“Your mom doesn’t like her?” I asked, relieved.
“Nope. Can’t stand her. Stacy was always demanding things, things that cost money. My parents couldn’t believe half of the shit that girl wanted me to do for her.” A smile crept onto my face, and I leaned up and kissed Zaine just as the front door flew open.
“Honey, I’m home,” Aaron called.
Then I heard a soft, giggling woman’s voice. “Where is he? Zaine Matthew Brooks, where are you?”
Zaine looked at me. “Ready?” I smiled back and followed him to the front door.
“There he is!” Zaine’s mom rushed over to him and kissed him all over the face. I looked at Aaron as he stood t
here laughing his ass off.
Zaine turned around and pushed him. “Stop laughing, dickhead.”
“Hey, at least you’re at home. I had to deal with it in a crowded airport.” I stood back and let his mother have her fill of her boys.
“I wish Ryan were here. Then I would have all three of my boys all together,” she cooed.
“Hey Mom, where is Dad?” Zaine asked, looking behind his brother as if expecting another person.
“Oh, you know your father dear. He had a business meeting in New York and sent me on my merry way. He sends his best.” Suddenly noticing me in the background, she turned to me next. “Well, who do we have here?” Zaine’s mom pushed past Zaine and grabbed my hand.
“Mom, this is my girlfriend, Landrey,” Zaine said. His mother squealed like a giddy teenager.
“Oh my god she is perfect! It is about time you got rid of that stuck-up, stiff-necked girl you were prancing around with and got someone with some natural beauty.”
I blushed, then looked at Zaine and he shrugged. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Brooks. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Please dear, call me Diane. Mrs. Brooks sounds so blah.” Zaine’s mother was a short woman with a bob-style haircut and dark, graying hair, flawless skin and hazel eyes—not the blue ones like her sons had. I assumed those came from their dad. “I’m so glad Zaine finally reunited with you.” Leaning in she whispered, “For a while we didn’t know if you were real or a figment of his imagination. He kept on talking about this girl he fell for when he was in college, but never really told us what happened to you two. Oh well, you’re here now, aren’t you?”
Aaron took pity on me and distracted his mom. “Why don’t I show you to your room?” he said, then took his mom gently around the shoulders and led her up to the guest room.
Zaine took my hand and led me into the kitchen. “See, now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“You used to talk about me to your mom?” I asked.
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