Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

by Alexis Winter

  I walk in and the first thing I hear is a loud, “Damn it!” I take a few steps inside and find him fighting with the coffee maker. Aria always makes the coffee, so I’m sure he’s completely lost without her.

  I rush up to him. “Let me help with that, sir.”

  He takes a step back and watches every move I make.

  “Thank you, Ethan. I’ve never worked this damned machine before.”

  I chuckle. “It’s not a problem. What are you doing open today? When Aria said she didn’t have to work today, I figured you were closed due to weather.”

  “I called her this morning and told her not to worry about coming in. I didn’t want her driving on the roads. What are you doing out?”

  “I’m on my way to the store. I figured I’d stock up the kitchen so Aria wouldn’t need to venture out in this mess.” I finish up the coffee and it starts to brew.

  “Huh, looks like we both had the same idea.” He steps past me and I follow him to his office where we both sit down.

  “Listen, sir…”

  “No, Ethan. You listen.” He leans forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his desk. “I see the way you look at my daughter. I know you love her. But the question is, will you continue to love her? She’s brought home a lot of boys over the years—I’m used to seeing her with man after man—but none of them have ever knocked her up.”

  I nod. “Sir, I love Aria. I was stupid before. I didn’t want to look inside myself and see what I truly felt for her. But this baby has changed everything. Initially, it made me act like a complete ass and run away for fear of screwing up. But then I realized that the fear I was feeling was turning me into the exact person I didn’t want to be: a screw-up. I want Aria. I want our baby. And I want the life we’re going to build together. And I’m sorry about what I said at dinner. I didn’t mean to be so…blunt.”

  “I’m glad you were, Ethan. It showed me that you’re willing to stick up for my daughter, even against me. I like that about you. I know you’re a good guy, and I know you’ll take care of her. I just want to make sure you both know that even if you don’t work out, you’re having a baby, which will tie you two together for the rest of your lives.”

  I nod. “I know that, sir, but I wouldn’t worry about that too much. There’s no way I’m ever letting her go.”

  He holds out his hand to shake. “And here I was thinking I was only giving you a job,” he jokes.

  I shake his hand and we both stand, walking back out to the sales floor. Gary goes straight for his coffee.

  “I have one more question for you, sir.”

  He turns around to face me, coffee in hand. “What’s that?”

  I reach into my pocket and pull out a small box. Opening it, I show him the contents. “I’ve come to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”

  He smiles and pats me on the back. “If it’s okay with her, it’s okay with me,” he says, looking down at the ring in my hand.

  “Thank you.”

  After the dealership, I swing by the grocery store and pick up everything Aria has been craving this past week. I walk it all up to the apartment in one trip, nearly dropping everything in the middle of the kitchen floor. I pull off my neck brace and slowly roll my neck to loosen it up, but that action shoots more pain up the back of my head and down my back.

  I hear Aria in the bathroom, already losing the contents of her stomach.

  I grab a bottle of water and some chicken-flavored crackers and head down the hall. “I come bearing provisions,” I say, sticking my head in the doorway.

  She looks up at me, eyes watering and looking pathetic, until her eyes land on the crackers.

  “Thank God!” She stands and rinses her mouth before taking the box from my hand. “Who knew this would be the only thing to settle my stomach?” She tears into the box and walks to the living room to lie on the couch.

  I laugh. “Who knew anyone but old ladies ate those things?”

  “Shhh!” she tells me, turning on the TV. “You didn’t get any pickles, did you?”

  I nod. “Yep, and I got vanilla frosting like you wanted last night.”

  Her nose scrunches. “That doesn’t sound good anymore.”

  I laugh and bend down for a kiss. “Well, it’s in there if the craving strikes again. In the meantime, I’m going to get things put away. You relax and eat your old-lady food.”

  She smiles then turns to watch TV and enjoy her crackers.

  It’s the day before my surgery and my neck hurts so much, I can’t even bear to move. I’m lying in bed, shades drawn, because now my head also hurts. It hurts to move. It hurts to lie still. And now that my neck has pissed off my head, it hurts to think.

  I hear the door open quietly, but don’t move to see who’s coming in. I already know it’s Aria, but I can’t afford the pain it will cause me to look. I feel the bed gently give, like she’s climbing up beside me. The next thing I know, her hands are working on unbuttoning my jeans.

  “I can’t, baby. I’m sorry. I’m just in too much pain.”

  “Shhh, this is just for you,” she whispers, freeing me from my jeans and sliding me into her mouth.

  Air hisses through my teeth when I feel my tip hit the back of her throat. Her mouth works me up and down, followed by her hand. Each time, she sucks harder. My muscles tighten, my neck cries in pain, but I no longer care. Fuck, does my girl know how to give head and make me forget about everything else.

  When her other hand comes up to cup my balls and gently massage them, my climax breaks free. I quickly push her away, but she reaches up and finishes me off with her hand. My eyes fall closed once again as I revel in the pleasure she’s caused me to feel—happy to escape the pain for a little while. She quickly cleans up, then comes to lie at my side.

  “Why’d you push me away? You don’t like to finish like that?”

  I let out a short laugh. “It normally doesn’t bother me to, but you’re carrying my baby. I don’t even want to think about what that means.” I laugh again, causing her to giggle.

  “Thank you, baby. I needed that,” I whisper into her hair as I pull her closer.

  “I thought you needed to get your mind off of tomorrow. I know how nervous you are about the surgery, not to mention all the pain you’ve been in this week.”

  “I should’ve been wearing my brace more. I just fucking hate that thing. I feel like I’m being choked. And I’m not that kind of kinky,” I joke.

  She lifts her hand, combing her fingers through my hair over and over. It’s quiet and dark. She’s warm and comforting, and the way she touches me helps me to relax. Before I know it, I’m in a deep sleep.

  We both wake in the morning to go to the hospital. I’m not allowed to have any food or liquids until after the surgery, so Aria skips making coffee. We both dress and head for the door, but I stop and grab a bottle of water and her crackers.

  “What are you doing? You can’t have that,” she points out as we’re heading for the elevator.

  “It’s for you. I can’t eat. You can, and you need to feed our baby. Not to mention, your morning sickness will kick in soon and you’ll need these crackers.”

  She smiles and pulls me in for a kiss. “I love you.”

  Just hearing her say those words makes me smile. “I love you too.”

  We get to the hospital and we’re immediately sent to the same-day surgery department where I’m given a gown and a bed.

  “I can’t believe your mom and Amy aren’t here,” Aria says, doting on me by fluffing my pillow, adjusting the blanket, and nervously picking at anything she can.

  “I didn’t tell them.” I take her hand in mine. “You’re all I need.”

  Her anxiety visibly falls away. Her shoulders are no longer held back and her muscles relax as she bends down to give me a kiss.

  “I love you,” she whispers against my lips.

  The smile that always appears when she says those words stretches across my face. “I love you too.” I lean
in for one last kiss.

  A nurse comes into the room, breaking the moment between us.

  “How are you feeling today?” she asks sweetly as she steps up to the computer to view my chart.

  “Hungry,” I reply.

  “Pain?”

  “Only when I turn my head.” I quickly look up at Aria, who’s nervously biting her lower lip.

  “Well, hopefully we’ll be able to get that fixed for you.” She pulls a vial and a needle from her pocket and scans it into the computer before shutting it off and turning toward me. “This is just a little something to help you relax. You won’t be put out completely until you get into the operating room.” She sticks the needle into the vial, then injects it into my IV.

  When she’s done, she disposes of everything and sticks her hand under the automatic hand sanitizer dispenser. “Someone will be back to get you in a few minutes.” With a smile, she turns and walks away.

  Aria sits on the edge of the bed. “How you feeling?”

  My vision begins to get fuzzy, and I feel overwhelmingly happy and relaxed. “I feel sooo awesome. You think we have time for a quickie?”

  She giggles. “No.” She smiles and shakes her head.

  “Oh, come on,” I plead.

  The door opens, stealing my attention.

  “Good morning, Mr. Brighton. Are you ready to go back and get this over with?” a male nurse asks.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, grabbing Aria’s hand and pressing a kiss to the top.

  The man unlocks the brakes on the bed, and begins pushing me out the door.

  “I’ll be here when you get back!” Aria calls out.

  My heart is pounding and my stomach is in knots. It feels like the acid in my gut is bubbling. I’m nervous, but the medication I’ve been given is also keeping me calm and relaxed. My mind is ready to run, but my body is so comfortable, I don’t even want to move. The last thing I see before my eyes close are the doors to the operating room.

  Chapter 19

  Aria

  When Ethan is taken back to the operating room, I’m asked to sit in the waiting room. I grab my purse and the bag containing his clothes and head out. I stop in the cafeteria and pick up a cup of coffee and a muffin, then begin my walk to the waiting room.

  When we checked in, Ethan was assigned a number. On the wall is a big TV. It shows the progress of each number—aka patient. I find Ethan’s number on the screen and see that it says he’s in the OR. I find myself a chair that’s directly in front of the screen, so I know when he’s being moved into recovery. I sit down and sip my coffee and pick at my muffin, but the baby isn’t feeling it, and I end up pulling out the crackers that Ethan brought for me. My stomach begins to settle, and I laugh and shake my head. This kid isn’t even born yet and already he’s causing me grief.

  My phone rings and I pull it from my purse.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, sis. What are you up to?”

  “Sitting in the waiting room. They just took Ethan back for his surgery. What about you?”

  “Ethan’s surgery is today? I wonder why Amy didn’t mention it.” She sounds concerned.

  I roll my eyes. “Because Ethan didn’t tell her or his mom. He didn’t want them to worry.”

  “You’re there by yourself?”

  “Yeah, it’s not a big deal.” I don’t mention how scared I am.

  “I’ll be there soon.”

  “Ves, you don’t have to. I’m fine, really.”

  “I know you’re fine, but I’m coming anyway. I know you, and you freak out about the smallest things. I’ll come and keep your mind off it all.”

  I smile. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she says, hanging up the phone.

  It’s not long before Vesper walks in. She’s in the beginning of her second trimester now and she has a tiny little bump that looks adorable on her small frame.

  I stand and pull her in for a hug. “Thanks for coming.” We both sit down. “It’s a simple everyday surgery, but you’re right, I am freaking out.”

  She smiles sweetly. “He’ll be fine. Let’s just keep your mind off it, huh?”

  I eat a cracker. “Okay. Want some?”

  Her nose scrunches. “No way. This kid is going to kill me. He doesn’t like me to eat anything.”

  I point at my stomach as I nod. “This is the only thing my baby wants me to eat. Seriously, try it.”

  She takes a deep breath but accepts the cracker. She smells it to make sure it’s not going to turn her stomach, then pops the small cracker into her mouth and begins chewing. “Wow, that’s actually better than I thought it’d be.”

  I laugh and hand over the box. “I never liked these things until I got pregnant. Now it’s the only thing that makes the morning sickness go away.”

  “You know, I’ve been thinking, we should have a double baby shower! How cute would that be?”

  My eyes widen with excitement. “That would be so much fun. These babies are going to be like siblings.”

  “I’ve been doing some research on themes, games, and things to do at a baby shower. I even printed out a couple ideas and brought them along—thought it’d help keep your mind off Ethan.” She pulls out some papers and hands them over.

  “I haven’t even thought about the baby shower yet. You’re always so on top of everything.”

  “Are you guys planning on staying in your tiny apartment?” Vesper asks, eating another cracker.

  I shrug. “Ethan wants to expand his cabin and live there. I think we’re going to stay in my apartment until the cabin is good enough for us to live in. Right now, it’s basically a one-room shack. So we have to, at least, build another room before we move in. Hopefully by the end of the summer it will be ready. That is, if he recovers well from this.”

  Vesper opens her mouth to say something, but a nurse walks up to us. “Excuse me, you’re with Ethan Brighton, correct?”

  I stand quickly, my heart now hammering away because the screen hasn’t changed to say his surgery is over. “Yes, is everything okay?”

  She holds up her hand as a way to ask me to stay calm. “There has been a slight complication, but the doctor has faith that everything will be okay.”

  I nod. “What’s going on?”

  Vesper stands at my side, placing her hand on the middle of my back for support, letting me know she’s here with me.

  “Ethan isn’t reacting to the anesthesia as well as we’d hoped. His blood pressure dropped, and he almost went into cardiac arrest. The doctor was able to get it back up with medication, and he wants to continue with the surgery. He’s being closely monitored as we speak. As long as he responds well to the medication, there’s no reason the surgery won’t be a success. However, if he crashes again, we’ll have to stop the surgery. We just wanted to let you know.”

  I nod, not fully understanding. I’m so worked up, I can’t process her words. “But he’s okay?”

  She nods. “Everything is going well. I’ll come back as soon as I know more.”

  “Thank you,” I mumble, falling into my seat. Vesper sits beside me and wraps her arm around my shoulders. “He’ll be okay. Just try to relax.”

  I nod and focus all my attention on my breathing.

  “I should probably call Amy and let her know,” Ves says as she stands. Before walking away, she stops and looks down at me. “Are you going to be okay while I’m gone?”

  I nod. “Yeah, she said he’s okay now.” I take a deep breath. “Hopefully, he stays that way. Go let Amy know what’s going on. I’ll be fine.” I wave her on.

  She turns and walks out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  I find myself praying to God that he will be okay, that the medication keeps his blood pressure up, and that the surgery will be a success. I’d hate for him to have to live with that pain for the rest of his life. Most days, he does pretty well—ignoring it and carrying on with a normal life. But some days, the pain is so intense that he can’
t get out of bed. I know he wants to be present in this life we’re building, but how can he do that if he’s always in pain? Then again, I’d rather have to deal with the pain than lose him altogether.

  It’s another hour of losing my mind, but the nurse finally comes back and tells us that Ethan’s surgery is complete and that’s he’s in recovery.

  Finally, I can breathe.

  Amy, Vesper, and I are allowed in his room. When we get there, his eyes are open, but he’s still out of it from all the medication. I rush up to his side. “How are you feeling?”

  When he sees me, he smiles. “Great.” His eyes are bloodshot and glossed over. “You’re pretty,” he tells me, cheesy smile never leaving his face.

  I giggle. “Thank you.”

  “Hey, big brother,” Amy says.

  Since he’s in a neck brace, he can’t turn his head, but his eyes move in her direction. “Who’s that?”

  Amy steps up to his side. “It’s your sister.”

  “I have a sister?”

  We all laugh, and he looks back at me. “And who are you?”

  I smile. “I’m your girlfriend.”

  “You’re my girlfriend?” His eyes get wide with excitement.

  I nod. “Yep. And we’re going to have a baby.” I rub my stomach.

  His smile explodes now. “You’re my girlfriend and we’re having a baby?”

  We all giggle and I nod.

  “This is the best day ever!”

  A nurse walks in. “The medication will wear off soon, but he really should rest. He won’t be discharged in this condition.”

  “I’ll be back in a little while. Why don’t you take a little nap before we go home?” I lean over and press a kiss to his forehead.

  His eyes are already drifting closed.

  The three of us head back to the waiting room so Ethan can sleep off his high.

  “He thought you were pretty,” Amy says, bumping her shoulder against mine as we walk.

  I laugh. “I guess that’s a good thing.” Relief washes over me. Finally, I can breathe again knowing he’s going to be just fine.