by Kaylee Song
She might not see it yet, but she would eventually. I was sure of it.
The sun had long since gone down, the blanket of stars looking down on us as I kissed her. As I willed her to feel what I was feeling.
She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me even closer.
“My place?” I asked after another long moment.
“I have an apartment, it’s closer,” she answered. My place was all the way across town.
“Where?” I asked.
“Off of spruce,” she said as she kissed my neck. “Got the keys yesterday, all it has in it is a bed.”
“That’s all we need.”
Chapter Eight
His hand found the door knob as he pressed me up against the door, his body covering mine. It swung open and we tumbled inside, unwilling to let anything come in-between our bodies.
Even reason.
I didn’t care when he threw me up against the wall and gave me what I guessed would be a bruise on my elbow, or when he pulled me away from it and picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his torso and let him carry me into the bedroom.
We were a tangle of limbs and clothing and steaming hot breath as we fought like hell to pull off every piece of clothing we were wearing. They somehow ended up in a jumble on the floor as we danced across the floor onto that bed.
Well, bed was a little bit generous. It was nothing moe than a mattress on the floor, but it didn’t matter.
I didn’t care about the furnishings, I just wanted a soft place for him to take me.
He was going to take me, that much was clear. I wanted it. He wanted it. We were crazy.
It was stupid. I was making another mistake, but I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to hear reason. It would be too much to ask for right now.
My heart was doing the talking and it was telling me to take everything he was offering and then some.
It was like we were young all over again without jobs or responsibilities and it felt amazing. If I could just hold on to that feeling a little longer I wouldn’t ask for anything else.
We ended up on the bed, him on the bottom, me on his lap while we kissed and felt the warmth of our bare bodies against each other. It was easy. So easy.
I slid him into me and took control, grinning as I watched the way his lips parted. Just that little bit of relief he was looking for. I rocked up and back on him as he grabbed my hips and helped me along.
It was quick and it was hard and it was perfect. I looked him right in the eyes as I slid up and down him. I didn’t need foreplay or anything else. We’d teased each other the entire ride back to my place and I was ready to take him. All of him.
“Rose,” he said that deep gravel quality back in his voice. “Dammit, Rose. You feel so good.”
I purred at the compliment and increased my pace. I wanted him to feel good. I wanted to feel good. We’d both get exactly what we were looking for. Exactly what we needed.
I panted hard, our bodies hot and steamy, the smell of his sweat clean and sweet. It only served to increase my arousal, his body perfectly matched against mine.
“Wyatt,” whispered into his ear, trying like hell to match his husky tone. “Wyatt, I want you to come.”
Fuck, it sounded hot. I was going to cum too, I knew I was going to cum. I could barely hold it any longer. Just the feeling of him inside of me pressing against me, his body up against mine was enough to send me into a state of perfect pleasure. But I wanted to come with him. I wanted to hold out for it.
“Fuck,” he swore as he buried his mouth into my neck his teeth coming down hard against my skin.
He felt so good against me, so good. I couldn't stop, I couldn’t control myself, I couldn’t do anything.
But scream with the orgasm that hit me so hard it rocked my world.
He groaned into my throat and came with me, his body shaking hard as he thrust into me as hard as he could.
It was so good it should’ve been illegal.
He should’ve been illegal.
“Damn, I was just hoping for a goodnight kiss,” he said as he sat up, I was still on him, his cock still inside of me.
He wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me close, kissing me.
I could feel his heart beat beating against my chest. I could hear his breaths as I buried my face into his shoulder.
I held on to this moment as long as I could, but after a while we had to separate.
“Do you want me to go?” he asked as he bent down to put on his clothes.
“Why don’t you stay?” I asked. It was an innocent question, but I knew what it meant.
And I knew how Jess was going to gloat as soon as she found out.
Dammit.
Chapter Nine
“Stay away from her.” My father’s voice was so distinctive I knew it before I saw him or anyone else in the room.
“Excuse me?” I asked as I turned to see him standing in the doorway. Fucking hell. Could he keep his nose out of my shit? If not the business than at least my personal life.
“Leave her alone. I don’t want you going near Rose Shannon, do you hear me?” he asked, more like demanded.
“Well, I don’t think I care about your opinion,” I said as I grabbed my coffee and took a sip. I was still wearing the same pair of jeans from yesterday, the shirt one that I kept in my desk for these kinds of situations.
“I know the way you are, Wyatt. I know what you do. I know how to treat women. Don’t do that to Miranda’s daughter. Anyone but her.” My father shook his head pointed at me. He was angry.
I grinned and said what I’d been waiting to say for thirty years, “I learned it from watching you, dad.”
I swore he was going to haul off and smack me, but he just stood there with his hands balled into fists. It wouldn’t be the first time we’d gone to fisticuffs. Or, more than likely, the last.
“I put up with a lot of your shit, kid. But if you use her up and spit her out the way you do women-” I was done with his shit. I wasn’t listening to any more of it.
“My intentions are honest, Dad. I’m not going to do that to her.” I wasn’t going to back down either. He couldn’t forbid me anymore I wasn’t a kid.
“See that you don’t. I made a promise to her momma that I would look out for her when her dad passed. I don’t aim on breaking it.”
“You talked to her mom?” I knew the two of them had history. Hell, I knew that Jack stole her right out from under his nose. But that was before I was even born. A lifetime ago.
“Called her to give my condolences. She loved Jack Shannon better than me, but no one loved her more than I did. Doesn’t matter that there is a lifetime between us.” I saw a softness in my father that I’d never seen before in my entire life. “Haven’t talked to her since.”
“Maybe you should go see Miranda. Talk to her?” Whatever softness fell over his face quickly left it as he brushed the thought away.
“No, it’s a burnt bridge. It doesn’t matter. I have Milly,” he said.
“I thought her name was Molly?” I asked sarcastically. We both knew that we didn’t know or care what her name was.
“Shit, you’re right. Whatever. She probably found her way down to the islands without me,” he said. I knew he was right. And that he’d be finding a new one soon enough.
“Just, don’t give me a reason to have to beat your ass, son.” With that he turned and walked out of my office.
It was the closest I’d ever get to a heart to heart with my father.
But he was right about one thing. I wasn’t going to take Rose for granted. I was planning something for her. The perfect third date. I just had to made sure that it all went according to plan.
I picked up the desk phone and dialed.
“Hello, public works,” the voice on the other line said.
“Hello, Adele, how are you doing, darling?” I asked. She was a year from fifty and happily married, but even a girl like her liked a little sweet talking.
“Can I talk to Jeremy? I need a favor.” I asked.
“I’m sure he would do anything for you, hon,” she said as she put me on hold.
It was going to be a night neither of us would ever forget.
I sat at my desk and tried to make the world stop spinning. Spinning and swaying. That was what it seemed to do as of late.
No wonder I was so nauseous. I was going to have to get my eyes checked. Might be time to change my contact prescription. It had to be what was making me dizzy.
"Rose?" Bill called from inside of his office. I stood up and popped my head in. It had been slow all morning.
"What do you need, Bill?" I asked.
"It's been kind of slow today, and I'm really craving coffee and donuts. Would you mind walking down to the bakery and picking up some? Here, you can get yourself something too," he handed me a ten dollar bill.
"Sure, is there anything else you would like?" I asked. The old me would've found it insulting. Hell, I would've been downright pissed. But that was back when I was a paralegal. When I thought my life was going somewhere.
When I thought, I had some prestige.
"No, I don't believe. Just a raspberry filled donut and a french vanilla brew. Black."
Laurel wasn't the type of place that had fancy coffee shops with exquisite pastries. No, there was one bakery, and they had a handful of donut selections and two flavors of coffee. French Vanilla and "regular." Whatever that meant.
I walked across the street towards the bakery and spotted Wyatt coming out of it, a paper bag and a cup of coffee in his hand.
It looks like Bill wasn't the only one that had the idea for donuts.
"Morning," I said as I approached him. Maybe I should've tried to avoid him, but I walked right up to him.
"Morning," he said, a lopsided grin on his face.
Neither of us was sure what to say so we just stood there staring at each other, an embarrassed blush on my cheeks and a grin on his face.
"Are you heading in?" he asked finally.
"What?" I said as I walked over.
"Are you heading for the shop?" he repeated.
"Oh, yeah. I need to get something for my boss,” I answered.
Wyatt opened the door, and that was when the smell hit me. Yeast and fried dough and sugar all at once.
Normally I'd breathe it in and let it wrap around me, but the nausea was overwhelming. I reeled from it and grabbed him, clinging to him as I fought the urge to throw up.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he pulled me away from the bakery and let the door close.
I nodded but waited to let go of him. "I'm sorry, I must be coming down with something. The smell of food is making me ill."
I must've looked as green as I felt because he nodded and walked me over to a small bench near the street.
He felt my forehead with the back of his hand then said, "you don't feel warm."
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just starting to come down with it," I answered.
"Maybe you should take off work and go home," he said.
"No, I can't do that. I'll be okay in a minute, I promise." I just needed a second. "I have to get him what he wants."
"What does your boss want?" he asked.
"French Vanilla and a raspberry filled donut," I answered.
"Well, let me get them for you at least." He walked into the bakery and let me sitting there while I got my wits about me.
What was happening to me? Dizzy. Nauseous? Was I coming down with the flu? I was tired too, so incredibly tired.
I could sleep for a year and still not get enough.
All of those symptoms, they were all things my father had gone through before he was diagnosed with cancer. Could that be it? I was too young for something like that, but with a parent who has cancer you are more likely to get it.
Sweat trickled down my brow.
Nerves shot through me as I realized how serious it was. I'd have to get an appointment with the family doctor. Maybe she could see me this afternoon. She'd understand.
And Bill would too, I was sure of it.
I'd just have to make the arrangements.
"Here you go," Wyatt said as he exited the bakery. One donut, one coffee, and a mint tea for you. Maybe that will help your nausea.
"Thank you," I said as I looked up at him. He was there for me when I needed him.
I wasn't used to that.
"Do you want me to walk you back?" he asked.
"It depends on. Will you count it as a date?" I asked I was only joking, but the dark look that fell over his eyes stopped me in my tracks.
"Is that what you want? Anytime to interact to be clocked and counted?" he asked.
I shook my head. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just kidding."
Our arrangement had changed the moment I'd invited him into my apartment. It had morphed into something entirely different, and I didn't know how to define it now.
Enemies, that's what we were, at least on a superficial level, but now, now it was something more.
I wasn't going to profess my love to him, but I couldn't deny that I was feeling something. That something was there.
That dark cloud that threatened passed over us and the look in his eyes changed. "I'll tell you what. I'll count it as a date if you give me a goodbye kiss."
We walked up to my boss’, and I wrapped my arms around him. "Just one kiss?" I asked.
"Unless you want more than one." He waggled his eyebrows and I fought back a giggle. I was acting too silly.
This wasn’t me.
I did want more than one kiss, but I didn't want the whole town to see either. I was sure Jess had told most of them about the arrangement by now.
I was surprised no one else had approached me to declare if they were team Wyatt or not.
"Just one," I said as I reached up on my tippy toes and planted a small his on his lips.
Or at least, it was supposed to be a little kiss. We lingered there like that for longer than I intended. When I finally pulled away, I looked around, trying to make sure no one saw us.
If anyone was watching, they were well hidden.
"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked. "When can I see you again?"
"I'm not sure. I think I might go and check in with the doctor tonight. Make sure it's just a bug."
"Okay, but I have something planned. Friday night."
I nodded. Friday night.
I could keep my hands off him until then, couldn't I?
Jess was never going to let me hear the end of it.
Chapter Ten
"Well, the good news is that I am ninety-nine percent certain you don't have cancer, Rose." My doctor said as she smiled at me. "You are young and healthy as a horse. You have a great white cell blood count. You aren't showing any definite signs of cancer."
A small wave of relief flooded through me. I’d been so worried about it that I hadn’t considered what else could be going on with me.
What was happening to my body?
"So what's wrong with me?" I asked, "the flu?" It was the only other logical explanation.
Doctor Foster hesitated. Shit, that feeling of dread came back in a wave.
"Not the flu, either. Rose, you're pregnant," she said.
Pregnant?! How could that be, no. It was wrong. It was just plain wrong. This could not be happening to me.
I wasn’t ready for a baby.
"What? That's impossible. I'm on the shot." I shook my head. There was no way in the world I was pregnant. I always had the shot on time. I was always careful.
Except I wasn't careful. Not with Wyatt. Oh god. Could it be true?
"When was the last time you had to shot? You may have lapsed on your renewal," she explained. "They are ineffective if you go too long without one. Have you noticed your periods getting longer, PMS symptoms getting stronger?" she asked.
I thought for a long moment. The last time I'd gotten one was in Denver. I'd forgotten all about scheduling an appointment for a new shot once I moved. I'd probably fallen behind by a few months.
All of the dates were spotty and ran together. I’d been so stress filled that I’d forgotten to get my shot renewed.
it was possible. I was having a baby.
It didn't take away any of the shock from the situation. Pregnant? How in the hell was I going to be able to handle it?
"I take it this baby wasn't planned?" Dr. Foster asked. She had been my doctor since I was a small child and before that her father was my doctor. Family practice.
I shook my head, "please don't tell my mom," I said.
"I would never do that. Doctor patient confidentiality, my dear." She'd always been so kind to me, and even now she wasn't looking at me with judgment.
"What happens now?" I asked. What did I do next?
"Well, you aren't far enough along yet for the first prenatal visit. I'd estimate you at five weeks.”
I nodded.
“Now, if you don’t want to keep it, we’ll set up an appointment for that as well,” she said. She was being delicate. But I didn’t need to think about it.
“A first appointment sounds good,” I said. I knew I had options, but I wanted this baby. In my gut I was sure of it. No matter how hard it was going to be.
We like to do them at eight weeks. I'll set one up for you, though."
I nodded so much I felt like a damn bobble head, my body numbed, all I could do was nod as she continued, giving me a sample box of prenatal vitamins, discussing the importance of taking them. She also handed me a small pamphlet about the first trimester.
But I couldn't take any of it in. I Just nodded and kept quiet the whole time. I felt like I'd been removed from my body. Like this couldn't be happening. It couldn't be real.
"Are you going to tell the father?' she asked.
"What?" I said, it brought me out of my stupor.
"The father? Are you going to tell him? If not, I'd recommend telling someone. It's nice to have someone there with you for the ultrasounds and the checkups. Going it alone is hard.” She said. Never once did I feel judged. Everyone woman should have a doctor like mine.