by K. C. Crowne
She smiled. “Haggis is the perfect example. How does it sound to you right now?”
Despite throwing up only a few minutes ago, my stomach grumbled with delight at the idea of another bite of haggis.
“Honestly? I want to go up there and finish it off.”
Her grin broadened. “One last question, this one a wee more, ah, personal. Have you and the good doctor been…you know.” She made a circle with her finger and thumb, then stuck the index finger of her other hand in and out of it, her eyebrows waggling up and down.
“Ciara!” I said, trying but failing to hold back my laughter.
“Hey, I got the message across. Well, have you?”
“Um, yeah.”
She clapped her hands together. “Then you’ve got a date with a pee stick, dearie!”
“What?”
“You’re with child! Now that I know, I can see it in your eyes!”
“What?” my voice echoed down the hall just as a pair of women entered. My face turned red as they looked at me funnily before heading into the bathrooms.
“Dearie, I’ve had four boys – I know when a woman’s with child. And you’ve got it written all over you.”
I was stunned. I had no idea what to say, what to do. Ciara, sensing my worry, placed her hand on my arm.
“Here’s what we’re going to do. Head on up there and finish your meal – you’re going to need all the food you can eat for the little one. And dinner’s on the house. Tell your sister what happened, and that you’re going to stop by the pharmacy, then when you get home and confirm that you’re blessed with a babe, go tell my nephew.”
I nodded slowly, my hear thudding in my chest. Ciara’s voice was calm, and her precise instructions were just what I needed to hear.
She kept her hand on my arm. “Remember, this is a happy time. You’re going to remember this moment - and my haggis - for the rest of your days.”
I smiled and laughed a bit, already feeling better.
“And don’t worry – I’ll make damn sure the boys give you two space.”
“Thank you, Ciara,” I said.
She winked. “You can thank me by making sure the wean gets plenty of quality time with his great aunt and uncle.” With that, she pulled me in for a hug and squeezed me tight, tears in my eyes.
Ciara led me back onto the dining room floor and helped me up the stairs.
“Everything OK?” Jolene asked once I was back at the table. “Were you throwing up again?”
There was skepticism in her eyes, and I could tell exactly what she was thinking.
“We ought to go by the pharmacy on the way back.” I pushed the glass of whiskey away from me. “And I don’t think I’ll be having any of this for a while.”
She grinned like mad.
An hour later I was in the bathroom at Grandma’s place, a pregnancy test in my hands.
A positive pregnancy test.
“What does it say?” Jolene called from the hallway. “I’ve taken one of those before; I know they have the results right away!”
I didn’t know what to say. Jolene appeared in the doorway, and even out of the corner of my eye I could see that she was grinning from ear to ear.
“That’s positive!” she said. “I can see from over here!”
She rushed over to me and threw her arms around my shoulders, pulling me close. I couldn’t even think of what to say. I was in a total daze.
“How?”
“Huh?” she asked while letting me go. “Don’t tell me you need a tutorial on how pregnancy works.”
“No. What I mean is, I’m on the pill. I skipped a couple days on accident, but I was taking it the day we, um, you know.”
She grinned, as if ready to impart her medical expertise.
“OK, how many days exactly did you skip?”
“Umm…three?”
“Three? That’s a lot of days when you’re on the pill, lady! And when you finally got your re-up from Doc Sexy, did you take three pills on the day you started taking them again?”
“No. Totally slipped my mind.”
“Well, mystery solved! The pill doesn’t start working the second you take it. But none of that matters now. What does matter is that you’re pregnant!” She let out another scream, giving me another hug.
“Careful,” I said. “Unless you want this kid to come out pancake-shaped.”
I was trying to keep my cool, but I was so frazzled that I couldn’t even begin to figure out how I felt.
Ciara’s words came back to mind – I needed to talk to Ronan.
“Ronan,” I said. “He needs to know.”
Jolene nodded. “Right. You need to tell him ASAP.”
“I think I want to go to his place to do it. Is that OK?”
She nodded. “Of course, it’s OK. You’re the pregnant one, and you’re the person who needs to handle this in the way that’s right for you. Give him a text right now.”
I nodded, wordlessly leaving the bathroom and heading into the bedroom where I my phone was. With mildly shaking hands, I typed up a message to Ronan.
Hey. I know it’s late, but we need to talk. It’s important.
The response came a few moments later.
Of course. Want me to come by?
I almost typed yes but thought better of it.
I’ll come over to your place. That OK?
Perfect. Here’s the address. See you soon.
A pin to his location followed.
When I was ready, I hurried downstairs to find Jolene waiting in the living room.
“All good?”
“All good. I just talked to him and told him I was heading over.”
“You want me to drive?”
I shook my head. “Thanks, but a little quiet time in the car’s part of the reason I want to go see him.”
“Got it.” She rose and gave me another big hug. “I’m here for you, OK? I know exactly what it’s like to be in your position. But I can tell you with one-hundred-percent confidence that not only are you going to be OK, you’re going to be happier than you’ve ever been in your life.”
“That’s assuming he doesn’t turn tail and run screaming in the opposite direction when I tell him.”
She only smiled. “Somehow, he doesn’t strike me as the type.”
One more hug and I was off. His place was in downtown Sandy Cove, only fifteen or so minutes from my place. I spent the drive thinking, wondering what the hell was going to happen when I told him. There was a chance, maybe not a good chance but a chance nonetheless, that he wouldn’t want to be a father. If that happened, I had to be ready. No way was I going to be blindsided, showing up with a big, dopey smile on my face and stars in my eyes only to leave in tears.
My stomach was in knots by the time I reached his place. He lived in a charming, five-story flat downtown, a building of gray stone that seemed pre-war. I parked and got out, taking a deep breath once I was in front of his building. Then I took my phone out and prepared to text.
I didn’t even get a chance to pull up his name before someone approached from the corner of my eye.
“You done any more thinking, sister?”
I turned, gasping and nearly dropping my phone when I saw who it was.
Chapter 40
RONAN
Something was wrong. I’d been standing at the living room window of my living room, glass of whiskey in hand as I waited for Joann. As much as I wanted to speak with her, I hated the idea of her coming this late at night. A quick check of my watch revealed that it was a little after nine. Sandy Cove was one of the safest little towns in Ireland, but all the same, I didn’t like her being out alone.
Relief washed over me as spotted her rental car. She parked, and moments later was out and making her way toward the front of my building.
I sipped my whiskey, having a feeling I was going to need a hell of a lot more of it before the night was over. Right in the middle of my drink, I spotted something – someone. A man in a ratty
coat approached Joann from the sidewalk. Even from my distance up I could see that she was startled, and when he took off his hat, I saw exactly who it was.
Connor.
I didn’t hesitate for a second. I set down my drink and ran to the door, grabbing my coat and keys on the way out. My heart slammed over and over in my chest as I feared that Connor had come to do something, and I’d be too late to stop it.
When I reached the front door two stories below and laid eyes on Joann, I knew that I’d come in time. I threw the door opened and called out.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Connor locked his beady little eyes onto me, his brow knitted in anger.
“None of your fecking business, Doc.”
“I’m making it my business.”
Joann stood firm and strong. I couldn’t tell what she was feeling inside, of course, but there was nothing but bravery in the way she carried herself.
“You want to talk to me,” she said. “He’s going to be here, too.”
Connor grumbled. The rain that had stopped picked up once more, a light drizzle that came down in a hush.
“I just heard that our sister was in town,” he said. “Wanted to see her.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Joann said. “First of all, I don’t know that we’re even related.”
“What about the DNA test?” he asked. “We could take one of those. That’d prove it to you.”
I had a feeling…one that I couldn’t be certain about –that he was bluffing.
“You want to take a DNA test?” I asked. “We can do it in the morning. I’ve got all the equipment at my office. We can have the results by lunch.”
His eyes flashed. “I can’t do tomorrow. Maybe some other time.”
I kept my expression steely, but his reaction was all the proof I needed to know that he was talking shite. After all, why would he not rush to prove himself as telling the truth if given the chance?
“Why would you not want to take a test?” Joann asked, as if reading my mind. “You afraid that it’s not going to show the results you want? Or is it that you don’t want to have your DNA on record anywhere?”
“I told you!” he growled. “I just can’t do it tomorrow.”
“Then the day after,” I said. “Whatever ends this conversation now and moves it to a time that’s not the dark of night.”
“I can’t wait for any of that,” he said. “Because I need money and I need it now. And you’re my sister, damnit! You’ve got obligations to your family.”
“I see,” Joann said. “You don’t care about actually proving who you are or backing up your claims that you’re related to me. You just want money.”
“Listen, right now I’m in serious trouble. Some really bad people are after me and I need to get them off my back before I can think about DNA tests or anything like that. They might even kill me if they don’t get it!”
“It’s not my job to bail you out when I don’t even know who you are. And if you’re that fearful of your safety, go to the police.”
“Day after tomorrow,” I said. “We can have this conversation then, and we can do the DNA test.”
“Shut your bleeding mouth, Doc!” he shouted. “This isn’t any of your business.”
There was real anger in his voice, and I found myself wondering if he and I were about to come to blows.
I prepared myself for a fight that seemed on the verge of happening.
Connor’s eyes flashed with panic, and it seemed like he realized that he’d made a wrong step.
“I’m sorry!” he said. “I’m just on edge – I’m all nerves right now. You’re all I’ve got in the world, Joann. If you don’t help me out with this, I don’t know what I’ll do!”
She stayed firm, unafraid. “Then I’ve got two words – DNA test. Until you come through with that, I’ve got nothing to say to you.” With that, she broke her gaze from Connor and came over to me. I didn’t waste any time putting myself between the two of them and leading her into the house.
“Wait!” he shouted. “You’re just going to leave? We’re family!”
The door shut and I made sure it was locked before placing my hand on the small of her back and leading her to the lift I only used when I was too tired to trek up the stiars. Once inside, Joann looked down at the wall, not saying a word. Soon we were in my living room.
Once we were alone, I wasted no time in hurrying over to the bar and making her a drink, freshening up my own. Those in hand, I came over to her and put one in front of her. She nodded and took it, bringing it to her lips, but before she took a sip, her eyes flashed, as if she’d realized something.
“Thanks,” she said, setting down the drink on the kitchen counter behind her. “But…I can’t.”
That was strange. I sipped my own whiskey and set it down. Then she shook her head and stormed off, letting out an angry growl as she stomped toward the living room. I followed her to see that she was in the midst pf pacing, her expression angry and her hands balled into little fists.
“Fucking asshole!”
She barked out the words, pumped full of adrenaline, the encounter with Connor putting her body into flight-or-fight mode.
I stepped over to her and clapped my hands down on her shoulders. She turned to me, and I looked into her eyes, those gorgeous eyes that I’d been thinking about since the woman came into my life. When she looked back, her expression softened, but it was still tinged with an aggression that was more than a little sexy.
I wanted her like mad and I could tell she felt the same way.
I put my hand on the small of her back and kissed her deep and hard. She kissed me right back and my cock went stiff, and I pressed it against her leg. Our hands moved wildly over one another’s bodies as we stripped each other down to nothing. When we were naked, I scooped her off her feet and carried her over to the couch and planted her down, her breasts shaking as she landed.
I gazed hard into her eyes as I climbed on top of her. The aggression and energy ran through us both, the encounter outside blending with the passion that had been building up since the fight. When she took hold of me, when she guided me into her, it was like nothing else.
My thrusts weren’t slow and passionate. No, they were hard and deep, and the way she looked at me, the way she wrapped her legs around my hips, made it clear they were exactly what she wanted. I drove into her again and again, each thrust pushing out new moans and bringing her closer to orgasm. When she finally clenched around me, I used all the will I had to hold back and not come with her.
Her orgasm faded and, with a smile, she moved onto her knees in front of me, guiding me to a sitting position. With a sexy little grin on her face, she wrapped her fingers around my cock and opened her mouth, planting a kiss on the tip of my shaft, my head still glistening with her orgasm. She opened her mouth and finally took my head inside, wrapping it with warm wetness.
Her mouth full of me, she grinned as she went down along my length, taking more and more of me into her. As she went back up, her hand followed, her fingers tight around me. When she reached the top, she kissed my head more and more before going down again.
It was about the sexiest sight I could imagine, but as hot as the idea of watching her swallow my load might’ve been, I wanted to give her more. I placed my hands on her arms and guided her up, the hungry expression on her face letting me know she wasn’t even close to being done.
Chapter 41
JOANN
I had no idea what came over me. All I knew was that I wanted Ronan like mad in a way I’d never wanted a man before in my life.
I stood up and moved closer to him, straddling his legs and sitting down, my knees on the couch on both sides of him. He placed his big hands on my hips and guided me down, his thick cock pointing up at my pussy.
I took one inch into me, then another, then another. Soon he was buried deeply, my head resting on his shoulder. Throbbing waves of pleasure moved through my body as I rode him, hi
s hands moving from my hips to my ass.
I rocked back and forth, working out all my aggression from the encounter with Connor into my riding. A second orgasm blasted through my body, Ronan’s hands traveling up to my nipples as he rolled them between his fingers, the pleasure like nothing else.
I kept on riding him, knowing a third climax was on the way.
“Come with me,” I moaned as I bucked back and forth. “I want to feel it.”
His eyes narrowed in a sexual intensity that was beyond anything else. There was a connection between us, something like love and lust and passion and hunger and desire all mixed into a cocktail that I wanted to drink down.
Ronan grunted and groaned, his cock throbbing inside of me as he shot deeply. The sensation of him coming inside of me was enough to bring me to my third orgasm, this one causing my body to go stiff as I arched back and let out a cry of total bliss.
Then it faded, and it was over. I leaned forward, grinning like a madwoman and he grinned back at me like a man in the throes of happiness and passion.
“That,” I said. “That was exactly what I needed.”
“It’s been what I’ve been fantasizing about since our little row the other day.”
I sighed and moved over top of him, letting his still-stiff cock fall out of me.
We kissed, his lips lingering on mine and making me think for a moment that I could go for another round, but he took his mouth away and I saw that he had a serious expression on his face.
“You wanted to talk about something,” he said. “And I have to admit, I was a bit worried that you wanted to come over here to end things. But what just happened makes me think, makes me hope, that might not be the case.”
It all came down to that moment. As if sensing I was tense, he grabbed the blanket draped over the back of the couch and wrapped me up in it. Ronan was good like that, always sensing what I needed.
I took a deep breath and spoke.
“I’m pregnant. And it’s yours.”
He was stunned. I had a good feeling what the next words out of his mouth were going to be.