The Baby Shift- Utah

by Becca Fanning

  He schooled his features. “Okay. Go ahead.”

  “I wanted to thank you,” she said.

  He rolled his eyes. “We went over this already.”

  “And to tell you,” she went on, “that when you came to save me at the apartment…” She bit her lip.

  “…Yes?” The one word drawled on Decker’s tongue like he was stretching it. There was a hazy look in his eyes.

  Penny took a breath. “I felt something. Something that I think—”

  This time it was Penny’s phone that started ringing.

  Decker

  * * *

  So that’s how it feels, Decker thought as Penny drew her phone from her pocket and looked at the number. Her eyes grew wide.

  Decker frowned. “What?”

  “It’s…Lucius.” Penny sounded like she was receiving a call from beyond the grave. She looked nervously at Decker. “Do I answer it?”

  The idea of Penny even talking to a guy like Lucius grated against Decker’s nerves, but he nodded.

  Penny answered, putting the phone on speaker. “Hello?”

  “Pen?” The voice was deep and lazy. “Is that you?”

  Decker saw Penny’s throat swell as she swallowed. “Yeah, it’s me.”

  Lucius Manning chuckled. “God, Pen, I thought you’d never call.”

  Something cold hardened in Decker’s chest.

  Penny frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Come on, babe, I know it took three years for you to swallow your pride and admit that you need me back,” Lucius said, “but you can drop the pretense now. All you had to do was call.” Decker could hear the smile in Lucius’ voice, smug and sickening.

  Penny’s face was a storm of anger and indignance. To Decker’s surprise, when she spoke, her voice was soft and humble. “Uh… You’re right, Lucius. I…I didn’t want to admit it, but you’re right. I need you back. Me and Caroline, both of us do. I don’t know how we made it this far without you.” She made a silent gagging face at Decker.

  “I know,” Lucius crooned. “I want you back too, Pen. I’m even willing to break it off with my current enterprise. Feel special yet?”

  Penny rolled her eyes. “You’re the only one who can make me feel the way I do right now,” she said, her voice a perfect mask of repentance and adoration.

  “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that,” Lucius said.

  Decker was struggling to contain his rage. Lucius was an arrogant slime ball who didn’t even deserve to kiss the ground that Penny walked on, and here he was flaunting his supposed victory over her. But Decker couldn’t afford to speak, to make a sound. If Lucius suspected anything, the ruse would be for nothing.

  “Where are you?” Penny asked. “I need to get Caroline out of this deadbeat town. Let us come to you.”

  “That’s a little trickier than it sounds, babe,” Lucius said. “I’m kind of in a tight spot. But I’ll tell you what, since it’s you, I’ll meet you and the baby doll in Phoenix and we can, uh…go on a business trip together. How’s that sound?”

  Penny glanced at Decker, who nodded hurriedly. This was exactly what they needed, a pinpoint location where Manning could be nailed down.

  “That sounds perfect,” Penny said. Within the next few minutes, she had finalized the details of the meeting, tossing in a few groveling remarks here and there.

  Decker was impressed. Her face showed utter disgust, but her voice betrayed no hint of her true feelings. When she’d finally signed off and hung up, he said, “Wow.”

  She gave a dry smile. “Three years of acting school. I guess the student debt was worth it after all.”

  Penny

  Later that evening, Penny carried the sleeping Caroline into one of the bedrooms and tucked her into the massive bed. She wiped a smudge of hot fudge off her daughter’s cheek, hoping the little girl didn’t expect to be spoiled with ice cream sundaes every night in the future. She flicked the light off and closed the door softly.

  The living area was empty, so Penny peeked inside the second bedroom. Decker stood in the middle of the room, phone to his ear. “Yeah,” he was saying. “Just make sure he gets to Chicago in one piece. But don’t make him too comfortable.” There was dark humor in his voice. “Thanks, Cavendish… Yeah… Okay. Talk to you soon.” He snapped the phone shut, turned, and saw Penny.

  “Who was that?” Penny asked, stepping into the room.

  “Old friend of mine,” he said. “He’s helping me out with the Manning job.”

  Penny nodded, feeling a pang at the thought of Decker’s job coming to a close. She wrapped her arms around herself and glanced around the room. “So, when are you leaving?”

  Decker quirked an eyebrow. “Leaving?”

  “To get Lucius.” She met his confused gaze. “You have to go pick him up in Phoenix, don’t you?”

  Decker’s face was blank for a moment, then it softened into a smile. He ran a hand through his black hair, giving a soft chuckle. “See, that’s the thing,” he said. “My buddy Cavendish? I’m passing the job on to him.”

  Penny stared. “What? Why? Doesn’t that mean you won’t—”

  “Get the bounty,” Decker finished. “Yeah, I know.”

  Penny’s hands went to her hips. “Are you stupid? That’s a hundred thousand dollars and a bunch of effort gone down the drain.” She was surprised at her words, but she knew why she was sensitive to this matter. It was the guilt. The guilt that he was giving up that reward for her sake. “I mean,” she went on, “it could be a while before you get a job like that again.”

  Decker nodded slowly. “Yeah. A long while. Never, even.”

  A frown flickered onto Penny’s face. “What are you talking about?”

  He crossed his arms loosely over his chest. “I’m quitting.”

  Penny blinked. “What?”

  “I’m retiring as the Red Ledger. No more bounty hunting. No more fist fights. Though I will miss those,” he mused. Penny couldn’t tell whether he was being serious or not.

  She stared at him, concerned. “What are you going to do? For work, I mean.”

  Decker shrugged. “I’ve always felt called to stand-up comedy.”

  She glared. “Decker. I’m serious.”

  He chuckled, twining his hands behind his head like he was leaning back in a chair. His eyes glowed like coals in the soft lamplight. “Do you want to know what the best part of this job has been?” he asked.

  Penny wasn’t sure what to say, so she waited for him to go on.

  “It was that moment in your apartment,” he said.

  He didn’t go on to name specifics, but Penny knew the moment he meant. She remembered the way her arms had gone around him like she’d had no control over them. She remembered the warmth of his chest as she buried her face in it. She remembered him tucking his arms around her like he could shield her from all the pain in the world. She remembered feeling—for the first time in a long time—safe.

  When Penny looked up from her thoughts, Decker was watching her, his gaze steady and searching. The look brought warmth into her face. Softly, he said, “Come back to Chicago with me.”

  She stared. “What?”

  He moved toward her. “You and Caroline. Come back with me. I can give you a better life there.”

  Penny struggled to find words. “Decker… We couldn’t possibly…”

  “Why not?” He stood directly before her now, gazing down with that calm intensity. “What is there for you here?”

  “I could never ask that much of you,” Penny objected.

  He shook his head slowly. “It’s me asking it of you, really. You’re my mate, Penny. I’m asking you to come with me and be by my side for the rest of our lives. I’m asking you to come make a family with me.” His face turned impish. “Caroline likes me. Don’t you?”

  Penny’s face flushed hotter. “It’s not a matter of whether I like you.”

  He grinned sideways. “That’s a yes.”

  Fluster
ed, Penny glared. “You’re straying from the point. Focus, Decker.”

  But his eyes were already trailing down her face, lingering on her mouth. “Oh, I’m focused,” he murmured, stepping closer and lowering his voice. “I’m more focused on you than any man will ever be. No other man will ever want you the way I do. No other woman will ever tempt me. Yours will be the last bed I ever lie in, and, god willing, yours will be the eyes I gaze into when I draw my last breath.”

  When Decker said breath, all the air went out of Penny. The blush burned on her face, impossible to hide. She knew her eyes were telling him everything. Her awe at his words. Her vulnerability. Her desire.

  “I will never abandon you,” Decker whispered. His hand strayed up and touched her cheek. “You will never be alone again.”

  When Decker dipped his head down to kiss her, Penny didn’t move away. His lips were slightly chapped but full and soft. He tasted like pepper and sharp wind. The kiss was light, like silk brushing her skin, hardly there at all. She felt dazed as he pulled away from her and stared into her eyes.

  Somewhat groggily, she said, “That was a very fancy speech.”

  He shrugged. “I was improvising.”

  “You’d better be willing to prove all those vows and stuff,” she said.

  Decker cocked an eyebrow. “And how should I do that?”

  This time, it was Penny wearing the teasing smile. “Kiss me again. Like you mean it.”

  Something animal came into Decker’s eyes. He came forward and slid his hands around her waist, pulling her against his chest. His mouth came down on hers. His lips were more demanding now, mashing into hers like she was the only source of oxygen left on the planet. Decker’s tongue slid in between her lips. His hands moved over her back, making her shirt ride up and exposing her skin to the air. The pad of his thumb brushed against the small of her back. She shuddered and moaned. Decker made a pleased sound deep in his throat. He broke away, lips hovering just over hers. “How’s this?” He asked in a low rumble.

  Penny slid her arms around his neck, breathing heavily. “It’s a start,” she rasped. She nipped his bottom lip.

  Decker grinned and growled, and then he shucked off his jacket, and their mouths were one again. Penny slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt. His muscles were hard, shifting over one another as he moved. She could feel the irregular shapes of old scars as she moved her hands up and over his chest, peeling the shirt off as she went. She broke their kiss to drag it up over his head and fling it away, and then her arms circled his neck again. He kissed her once deeply, then moved to her neck, kissing and sucking at the tender skin. Penny clung to him as her back arched with pleasure and low sounds came out of her. His hands went under her shirt and up her sides, painting stripes of heat over her skin. Decker flicked his hands, and her shirt was gone, leaving her in her sports bra.

  Decker grinned at the plain gray design. “Sexy,” he said. “But it’s gotta go.”

  “No objection here,” Penny said. She planted a hand on his chest and pushed him toward the bed. His legs hit it, and he plunked down onto the mattress, eyes never breaking away from her. Penny grabbed her bra with both hands and peeled it off.

  Decker’s eyes lit up. “Well, hello,” he said, eying each of her breasts. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.” He grabbed her hips and tugged her forward. He dragged his tongue over the taut nipple of her right breast, then sucked it into his mouth.

  Penny dug her hands into his hair, gasping. His tongue twirled her nipple around, sending heat shooting through her belly. Moisture surged in between her legs. He seemed to decide that the other breast was being neglected and so moved to it, dragging his tongue in lazy circles over her tingling skin.

  Without warning, he seized her by the waist and flipped her onto the bed. Penny shrieked a laugh as her hair tumbled over her face, blinding her. Decker’s hands were there, brushing away the wild half-dyed strands.

  “There you are,” he said, smirking. “Thought I’d lost you.”

  Penny smirked back. “You don’t have me yet, slacker.”

  He growled. “I was going to go easy on you, but now…” His head sank to her neck. Penny moaned as his hot, wet tongue slid from her collar bone to the tip of her chin, then plunged into her mouth. He was merciless now, devouring. She felt his fingers working at the button on her pants. He tugged them down from her hips, revealing her beige panties. There was nothing spectacular about them, but Decker gazed at them like they were made of gold.

  Penny reached up and ran her hands over the taut muscles of his shoulders and back, down to the hem of his jeans. With a grin, he ripped the button open with one hand and kicked the pants off. A promising bulge strained against his briefs. Decker saw her staring, and the grin widened. His knee slid up and wedged itself between her legs as he hovered over her. Penny gasped. Her cleft had never been this sensitive before, this ready. It throbbed hungrily, demanding to be filled.

  Penny clenched her thighs around his leg. “Decker,” she whimpered.

  He bent and caught her mouth with his as his fingers hooked around her panties and pulled them down. He left them hanging on one ankle. His hand curled around her wet mound, making her arch her back. A finger stroked the center of her folds, now slick and pulsing. Penny reached up and fisted her hands in the sheets, biting her lip so she wouldn’t moan too loudly. “Are you done messing around now?” she said between gasps.

  Decker rolled his eyes. “You’re no fun.”

  Penny was about to object that she was fun as hell, but then Decker stripped off his briefs. The sight of his swollen erection brought on a fresh wave of wetness between her legs.

  Moving forward, Decker slid his hands up her thighs until he was gripping her hips. There was feral hunger in his eyes that told Penny there was no going back. Not that she wanted to.

  The tip of his cock rubbed against her cleft. Penny gave a whimpering moan, hoisting her hips up toward his, her toes curling into the sheets. Their bodies aligned perfectly, and suddenly he was sliding into her like a sword into its sheath. Penny cried out, unable to hold back. Thank god she had given birth to a heavy sleeper.

  Decker rocked his hips into her, sliding his hands under her to cup each of her cheeks. Penny let herself be carried on his rhythm. With each swing of the pendulum, she let out another lewd moan. She felt full to the core with him, felt her climax creeping up on her. Her gasps grew deeper as the edge rushed toward her. Decker growled hungrily, and she knew his time was coming as well. His undulating movements grew more rapid until all Penny could feel was his hard length plunging into her over and over again.

  The climax crashed down, seizing her very core. Penny writhed and moaned long and loud. Decker’s head fell between her breasts as his own pleasure reached its pinnacle. He came inside of her. Penny felt it rush into her like a river. For a long moment, they remained like that, locked together, breathing steam. Then the climax drifted away, and Penny’s arms fell limply to the sheets. Decker drew out of her and collapsed half on her, head still resting on her chest. Smiling, she ran her finger through his thick black hair. “See?” she sighed. “You’re not so tough after all.”

  She felt him smile against her skin. He kissed the valley between her breasts. “Does this mean you’re coming to Chicago?”

  “I’m tempted to say no,” Penny said in a husky voice. “Then you’ll have to do more…convincing.”

  Decker lifted his head to raise an eyebrow. “I’ll only have sex with you again if you come to Chicago with me.”

  Penny rolled her eyes. “Fine. Whatever.”

  His head dropped back down. “I was kidding. I’d have sex with again no matter what.”

  Penny’s eyes lulled closed, but her smile remained. “Good to know I have options.”

  Epilogue

  Penny

  Four months later…

  * * *

  Penny yawned and pulled the percolating coffee pot off the stove. Bright morning light st
reamed through the windows of the Chicago apartment as she poured two steaming cups.

  Two big, warm hands circled her waist, making her jump. She looked over her shoulder at Decker’s tired, stubbly, smiling face. He kissed her cheek. “Morning.”

  “Morning,” she said, handing him a mug. “How did the stakeout go?”

  He let out a tired huff. “We got ‘em, those sons of—”

  Penny cleared her throat and looked meaningfully over his shoulder. He glanced back to see Caroline walking into the kitchen, dressed and ready for school. She climbed up onto one of the barstools lining the counter. “Hi Mom. Hi Decker.”

  “Hi,” Penny and Decker said together. Decker grinned. Penny elbowed him in the side.

  “What are you guys talking about?” Caroline asked, genuinely curious.

  “We’re talking about Decker’s work,” Penny said before Decker could answer.

  Caroline’s legs swung back and forth. “Can you drive me to school today, Decker?”

  “Decker can’t drive you to school every day, munchkin,” Penny said, pulling orange juice out of the fridge. “He’s very busy.”

  Decker was rummaging in the pantry. Over his shoulder, he said, “It’s no problem, babe.” He pulled out far enough to wink. “The kids dig the cop car.”

  Penny sighed, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face. She poured a glass of orange juice and slid it across the counter to Caroline, who was grinning with satisfaction. Decker joined them, a box of blueberry muffins in his hands. They each grabbed one and unwrapped it.

  “Well,” Penny said. “If it’s not too much trouble for you, Decker…”

  He leaned across the counter to kiss her, tasting of coffee and blueberries. “Never too much trouble,” he said in that low, rough voice that made the hairs stand up on Penny’s arms.

  Decker came to stand next to her and rubbed a hand over her belly, where a soft bump was beginning to show. “How are you feeling?” he murmured.