“I’m going to marry the only girl I’ve ever loved.”
My whole body goes still as I stare at him in shock. I’m sure I heard him incorrectly, or was he messing with me?
“Don’t look so shocked, baby,” he murmurs, running his thumb over my bottom lip. “I’ve lived two lives, one full of innocence and one full of sin. The next life is going to be the only one that matters. Can you see it? Can you see us living the way we were meant to all along?”
I can.
I’ve seen it since I was just a girl. I saw it again as a woman. I’ll always see it. Some things are just meant to be no matter how many times they are tried and tested. No matter how many times they’re taken from us. So maybe we’re a little a broken. Two people who have nothing but fractures and dents from the life they were given and the circumstance that always found them. Apart, we’re nothing but broken pieces. Together, the pieces fit, they mend one another and we’re whole.
“Are you asking me to marry you?” I shriek.
“No,” he laughs, pressing another kiss to my lips. “Not yet. I promised your old man when we were fifteen I’d ask him for your hand first. Haven’t gotten around to that yet but that’s the plan. You, me and that little girl. You good with that?”
“I’m more than good with that, Jagger,” I whisper as tears slide down my cheeks. Rolling my eyes, I laugh and lift my hands to wipe my cheeks. “I’m such a sap.”
“I love you,” he murmurs, pulling my hands away from my face. The playfulness fades from his face as he stares at me with so much emotion radiating from those blue eyes.
For a long time, I tried to remember when the last time I heard those words were. Time passed quickly and as much as I wanted to hold onto every moment we ever shared, my mind failed me at certain times and I couldn’t place the last time I heard him utter those three little words.
“Loving you has been the only constant in my life, it’s survived every tragedy, every heartbreak…all the mistakes and bad choices. Loving you has been the one good thing I’ve always held onto. I think I loved you from the minute I saw you. I know I loved you that night after the football game. I loved you every time you made me smile when all I wanted to do was crawl in a hole and die. I loved you every time I walked away. I loved you when that bomb went off and I saw you standing in the middle of chaos. I love you. Period. The End.”
Reaching up, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to my waiting lips.
“I love you too,” I whisper against his mouth. It’s all I can manage to say before his mouth devours mine. Pushing his fingers through my hair, he angles my head back and his tongue slides across my lips. Parting my lips, I welcome the flick of his tongue over mine and slowly lose myself. What starts as a simple kiss sealing the declaration of love becomes a frenzy for control. Our tongues battle one another, thirsty to consume, to own and conquer.
I want him to feel all my love but I’m not sure it’s possible. I’m not sure that a kiss is enough to deliver all those feelings. Then I remember the test and how heartbroken he was when he learned of Skylar. I remember all he’s tried to accomplish in such a short time, how he’s tried to reclaim a year and half lost between him and his daughter.
“Wait,” I say against his mouth, pushing his chest back slightly.
Glancing over my head, he looks at Skylar and then back to me.
“Babe, we’re not even on her radar—”
“There’s something I need to tell you. I tried to tell you before Wolf called that night and then everything else spiraled out of control before I could.”
Concerned, he pulls back slightly and narrows his eyes.
“Remember when we were talking in bed?” I ask. “You made a comment about my chest.”
Dropping his gaze to my breasts for a moment, he looks at me perplexed.
“I said your tits were huge,” he recalls. “They still are.”
Drawing my lower lip between my teeth, I nod and reach for his hands.
“I’m two weeks late,” I whisper as I squeeze his hands and watch all the different emotions fight to break through his gaze.
Fear. Joy. Excitement. Love. So much fucking love.
“You’re pregnant?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, dropping his hand to grab my purse from the counter. Digging through all the shit I keep in there, I pull out the pregnancy test and hold it up to him. “I didn’t want to take the test without you.”
He stares blankly for a moment before taking the box from my hands. I watch as he nervously taps it against his palm and turns his gaze to me. The corners of his lips tick and he closes the distance between us, wrapping his free arm around my waist.
“Can you take it now? How long will it take before we know?”
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I laugh and breathe in the scent of leather.
“A few minutes,” I reply as Skylar waddles into the room. She heads straight for Cobra and hugs his leg.
“Hugs, Dada, Mama.”
Laughing, he bends down and lifts her up.
“You want some lovin’ too? Yeah, you do,” he says, nuzzling her neck. “Love you, Skylar.”
Hugging us both to his side, he presses a kiss on top of my head and hands me the test.
“Let’s do it.”
The last time I took a pregnancy test I was in the bathroom of a diner. Like this time, I had bought the test after I realized I was late. It sat in my purse for weeks before I finally got the nerve to do it. After I threw up my entire lunch, I sat in the tiny stall and found out I was having a baby. It was both the saddest and happiest moment of my life.
Missing him, wishing he was with me, I stared at those two pink lines and cried until Gina came into the bathroom and found me. She picked me up off that floor, pieced me back together and didn’t ask any questions. She didn’t judge me or tell me I was about to make a mistake. Instead, she made me promise that I’d choose her to be my baby’s godmother. Twelve months later she stood beside me and baptized my little girl.
Now, the man I love sits on my bed, bouncing our little girl on his knee as I sit on the edge of the tub and stare at my watch. The first time I did this I wasn’t sure how I would feel if those two lines appeared. Half of me wished they wouldn’t while the other half hoped they would. This time there is no doubt, there is no question. I want those lines. I want another baby. I want to do it all again with Cobra by my side. I want to give him a chance to experience all he’s missed with Skylar.
The second hand ticks and the time is up. Standing from the tub, I walk over to the counter and grab the pregnancy test.
“Well?” he asks from the doorway.
Not looking, I turn and hand it to him.
“You read it,” I say, drawing in a deep breath. “Two lines means I’m pregnant, one means I’m not.”
With Skylar in one arm, he reaches for the test and glances down. Curiously, Skylar grabs for the test in his hand but he moves it out of her reach and looks up at me.
“Tell me,” I whisper, trying to read his expression.
Nothing.
Then his lips twitch.
“Two lines,” he murmurs hoarsely before his lips spread into a grin.
“Really?” I cry, reaching for the stick. He laughs as he wraps his arm around my shoulders and brings me against him. Turning the test over, I stare at the two lines through blurred vision.
Once alone.
I’m now surrounded by love.
Tragedy took a lot from us but it can’t take this.
It’ll never take this.
-Thirty-five-
Cobra
“That’s it, baby, ride me,” I growl as I grip her hips and arch mine. You all think heaven is where you go after you drop dead. But this right here, this is the only fucking heaven that exists for me.
She moves her hands up her stomach and crosses her arms, squeezing her tits together as she rotates her hips and grinds herself down on my cock. Fucking bliss.
“Play with your tits,” I order as she opens her eyes. Her thumbs barely touch her sensitive nipples that have already changed a little since we found out she’s pregnant. Knowing how she likes it, I lift my head and take one into my mouth. I suck gently before flicking my tongue over it, soothing it. Her moan excites me and I move to the other one as she bounces up and down on my cock.
She might not have an appetite for anything other than my dick these days but you won’t hear me complaining. The mornings have been rough on her, and with everything going on with the club right now I make sure I’m there to hold her hair back as she kneels over the toilet. We both know that when the call comes down the pipe I will have to ride.
For now, every second counts.
Every fucking minute is another memory.
For now, I’m going to take, take, and take.
Rising up, she slides off my cock, presses her palms against my chest and pushes me back. Leaning forward, her tits hang in my face as she slowly sinks down, taking every inch in until she’s fully seated and rubbing her clit against me.
“Suck on them some more,” she cries as she braces one hand against the headboard. I lift my head from the pillow and oblige her request, enjoying having her pretty tits in my face.
“Fuck, Cel, I can keep my face buried between your tits for days,” I mutter as my tongue laps the small valley of skin between them. Reaching between us, I press my thumb against her clit. “I can keep my cock buried in your pussy and play with your clit all day, every fucking day.”
“Oh God,” she cries as she frantically fucks me, chasing her orgasm.
Taking her hips, I lift mine and arch off the bed, pounding into her as she unravels before me. Her eyes squeeze shut as she throws her head back and grabs my shoulders. Holding on tight, she bounces on my cock until she’s crying out my name.
Yeah, fucking heaven.
Her pussy swallows my cock and I lose it. Another thrust and I fill her tight body with my release. Sweating, panting and exhausted she falls over me, laying her head on my chest.
“That was amazing,” she pants. “So fucking good, Cobra,” she adds, pressing a kiss to my chest before licking my nipple. “Can we do it again?”
My cock still throbbing inside her and her pussy still quivering, she wants to go again. Go on, tell me I’m not a lucky motherfucker.
I choke out a laugh and slap her ass.
“We’ll be late for the doctor,” I remind her as I swipe my forehead with the back of my hand.
“I have pull you know,” she counters. “They won’t give away our appointment if we’re a few minutes late,” she adds, pushing up.
Straddling me, she brushes her hair away from her face and rotates her hips slowly. Mischief alive in her eyes.
“You know you want to,” she taunts. “Tell me you don’t want me to bend over right now,” she dares.
Of course I want to. In a perfect world, I’d fuck her morning, noon and night. My dick twitches at the possibility and the little tease takes that moment to slide off. Rolling her eyes, she flips her hair behind her shoulder.
“Fine, you win but when we’re done at the doctor, you owe me an orgasm,” she demands, winking at me as she climbs off the bed.
“Deal,” I agree as I sit up and lean against the headboard. She walks around the room gathering what she needs for a shower and I take in the subtle changes in her body. Sitting roughly around five weeks pregnant, her full tits aren’t the only change. Her curves seem rounder, ass and hips a little fuller—I fucking love it.
“God, you’re fucking gorgeous,” I say as she bends down to pull open the bottom drawer of her dresser.
“Let’s see if you say that in a couple of months when you have to roll me out of the bed,” she teases.
“I can’t wait to see you like that,” I admit, throwing my legs over the edge of the bed. “You’ll be even more gorgeous,” I say confidently.
Spinning her around, I capture her mouth with mine and walk her backward into the bathroom. Not willing to waste any more time, and too anxious to hear that heartbeat for the first time, I run us a shower and do my damnedest not to drop to my knees and run my tongue along her pussy.
After she dresses herself, she gets Skylar ready and I go about making her breakfast. Figuring a waffle is the easiest thing to eat on the go, I pop one into the toaster and check to see if I have any missed calls.
Seems like I’ve been doing that a lot lately, staring at my phone waiting for the call that will set the ball in motion and bring us one step closer to ending Yankovich once and for all. As anxious as I am, I’m also fucking nervous. Jack sent Deuce into Albany a week ago and he hasn’t returned yet. The bastard refused a burner phone, claiming he was doing this shit his way. He didn’t want to chance the risk of getting caught, knowing the heat will fall on all of us.
So while he’s off risking his ass, we’re sitting here waiting for him to return and give us the intel on Rush and whatever the fuck he’s got going on with Vlad. I shouldn’t say we’re sitting here because none of us have been twiddling our thumbs. Wolf has been busy with Linc. The poor guy needed another surgery in the midst of all this shit. The money Wolf forked up to keep him in the hospital is running thin and Jack is scrambling around looking for a way to come up with the rest of the money we’re going to need to get him the care he needs.
To my surprise, Celeste offered to look into different facilities that might be willing to take on his treatment. She has a social worker helping her and they’re trying to get him on Medicaid, hoping they’ll get him covered for the rehab at least.
Rocco has been holding up his end of the deal too, keeping everything moving in regards to the harbor. Once we get confirmation on the shipment Vlad is going to move we’re going to ride to Albany where Stryker is hiding out with Gina.
That’s another thing Jack isn’t too happy about. He ordered Stryker to take Gina out of Brooklyn, told him to give her time to heal away from the drama and the reminders of what happened to her. He didn’t expect that he’d whisk her away to the town where Deuce was running around fucking with his old club. Fearing both our brothers are too far out of reach if something should go down has him teetering on the edge of insanity. Blackie’s never too far behind him though, awaiting the impending breakdown he’s sure will come. As if we’re not fucked enough, let’s add Jack’s mental illness to the mix.
“Okay, we’re ready,” Celeste says from behind me.
Grabbing the waffle from the toaster, I shove my phone back inside my pocket and turn to them.
“Well then let’s do this,” I reply, slinging the diaper bag over my shoulder as I hand Skylar the waffle.
I wonder what happens when there’s two little people, how we’ll maneuver a toddler and an infant out the door whenever we have to go somewhere. It makes me think of my parents. I imagine my father wondered the same thing. He was probably even more nervous than I am considering he was having two at the same exact time. There was no practice before the second came along. Alexandria and I shook their whole world upside down. With the few memories I have, I know my parents owned their role. They made it seem easy.
Maybe it was. Maybe they had twins because they could handle it. Maybe that’s why when there was only one they had no idea what to do.
Walking toward the door, I stop in my tracks and turn to Celeste.
“After we hear the heartbeat are we going to tell people or did you want to wait some more?” I ask.
“No, I think we can tell people,” she replies as I hold the door open for her. Holding Skylar’s hand, they walk out and I lock up behind us.
“Good, we should tell your parents first,” I add.
Again, my mind wanders back to my family. It’s so fucked up they’re missing all this. Yet some part of me thinks it’s probably better. It’s kind of uncanny how much Skylar resembles Alex. She’s a blonde version of my sister as a child. I suppose it could have gone either way. They would have either been devastated
by the reminder or healed by the little girl who wound up healing me and her mom in ways she’ll never understand.
We drop Skylar off at Nancy and Sal’s before we head to the OB-GYN office located across the street from the hospital. It’s her first visit being pregnant so she spends a good ten minutes filling out a bunch of paperwork.
After she took the test and it came back positive, the next day she had one of the sonogram techs give her an internal ultrasound to make sure everything was good. She measured about two to three weeks at the time and told us it was too soon to hear the heartbeat. The doctor scheduled her appointment around the five week mark to ensure we’d have a heartbeat when we came in.
By the time they call her into the examining room, I was ready to climb the walls. The nurse takes her weight, tests her urine sample and tells us the doctor will be with us in a minute. A minute turns to five and I’m tempted to run into the hall and ask what the hell is keeping him.
Unable to keep still, I sit beside the exam table, my knee twitching a mile per minute as she runs her fingers over the top of my head.
“Relax,” she soothes with a smile. “This is the good stuff.”
I lift my head and stare up at her. Dressed in a paper gown smiling at me, she’s everything. Everything I never thought I’d ever have again. I wasn’t there for her with Skylar. I was off fucking my life up some more and she was here, sitting by herself, probably crawling the walls like I’m doing right now. I didn’t give her my support then, and right now, though I’m here, I’m a useless lump.
Snapping out of it, I reach for her hand, thread our fingers together and bring them to my lips. I pepper her knuckles with kisses as the door swings open and the doctor walks in.
“Hello, Ms. Spinelli, good to see you again,” he says with a smile.
I don’t like him.
I know it’s ridiculous but the way he says it’s good to see you again and grins is just fucking annoying. I wonder if he’s really glad to see her or if he’s itching to see what she’s got under that ridiculous gown.
Mine.
All fucking mine.
The Nomad Series-Collectors Edition Page 55
