The Baby: A Steamy Rock Star Romance (Cruise Control Book 3)

by Sian Ceinwen

  “Oh, would you?” she asked him. “Yes, please. That would be so amazing. Just so I can listen to it sometimes.”

  “Why don’t you keep this?” He handed her the Doppler and the bottle of gel.

  “Are you serious?” she gasped.

  “Sure, it’s not like I’ve got any use for it if you’re not here anyway,” he laughed. “They do say not to do it for more than a few minutes each day, though.”

  He sent the clip of the heartbeat to her email, then shut down all of the recording equipment, and they made their way out of the studio again. Once they were back in the entryway, they could hear the voices of the others from a room near the back of the house, so they made their way back there to find the others.

  They were sitting at a custom poker table, which had the Cruise Control symbol on it. It seemed as though everyone was playing the game.

  “Hey guys,” Sebastian smiled at them.

  “We dealing you two in?” Hayden asked, holding a deck of cards.

  “Sure, why not?” Sebastian said, then looked at Lita. “You in, princess?”

  “Nah, I’ll just watch.” She smiled innocently at him; she’d had an evil idea.

  “Not as good at poker as you are at pool?” he asked. “Too scared to play me?”

  “No, just not feeling it. Want me to get you a drink, Seb?” she asked him.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re never this nice to me; something’s up.”

  “Can’t I get you a drink so you can stop holding up your friends’ game of poker?”

  She gestured to the cards, which Hayden had dealt, and to the other people clustered around the table, waiting for Sebastian to take a seat.

  “Sure, there should be a bottle of Glenfiddich there somewhere.”

  He waved over at an area where there were bottles of alcohol sitting on a table next to a refrigerator, before going to sit down.

  She poured the whisky into a tumbler and carried it back to the table where Sebastian was sitting next to an empty chair, which was presumably for her. Lita handed Sebastian his drink, and he put it in one of the cup holders on the table. Once he’d done it, she sat down on his lap.

  “What are you doing, princess?” he asked her.

  “Enjoying the game.” She smirked at the table and was rewarded with laughter from the group.

  “Now, this seems oddly familiar to me,” Harrison grinned.

  “How long until my lover owes us ten thousand dollars, honey?” Heather laughed.

  “My money is on less than thirty minutes, angel; Seb’s a horny fucker.”

  Sebastian put one hand on Lita’s stomach and used his other to check his cards and place his bet. She placed her hand over his and began stroking his skin with her thumb, the way he so often did to her. She felt him stiffen as she did it.

  “You’re evil, princess,” he said softly.

  “The worst.” She turned to look at him over her shoulder. “But here we are.”

  “I hate when you use my words against me,” he groaned.

  “Get used to it,” Lita laughed. “You can commiserate with Becky sometime. She hates it too.”

  Sebastian folded his cards after the flop and pulled Lita back against him. He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her neck softly, and rested his chin on her shoulder to watch the rest of the hand.

  Gabriel won the hand with an ace high, and Harrison dealt out the next round of cards. Sebastian got a four and an eight, off-suited, and he threw them in at once with a bitter, “Trash.”

  “Hey, no need to be salty, just because you seem to be as good at poker as you are at pool, Seb,” Hayden grinned.

  Lita ignored the poker game and turned so she was sitting sideways on Sebastian’s lap with her face turned to look at him. “Posso baciarti?”

  “I know what you’re doing, princess.” His eyes were hooded, and she could see his arousal.

  “That doesn’t answer my question. Posso baciarti?” She licked her lips to tease him as she repeated the question.

  Sebastian laughed and shook his head. “How did I manage to find a baby mama who is so cruel to me? You’re about to cost us ten thousand dollars. When our baby can’t go to college because we’re ten thousand dollars short, you’ll regret this day!”

  “I’ll take my chances,” Lita laughed. “Posso baciarti, Sebastian Fox?”

  “Sì,” he finally said, and she kissed him.

  Lita put her arms around his neck and parted her lips, unsurprised when Sebastian began to explore her mouth with his tongue. He had one arm around her back, holding her to him, and used his other hand to rub slowly back and forth on her inner thigh. After a minute, Sebastian ended their kiss.

  While breathing heavily, he told the table, “Deal me out. I’ll pay the fucking fine.”

  The rest of the table burst into laughter, and Ariana said, “Only two hands, much quicker than I expected.”

  “Hey, darling,” Heather added, “You should probably finish your drink before you leave; you seem thirsty.”

  Sebastian laughed, picked up his drink, and finished it in less than twenty seconds. He put the glass back in the drink holder, pushed Lita off his lap, then stood up and took her hand as he walked away from them without saying anything.

  As they were walking up the stairs, Lita laughed. “If you had told me back in May that there would be a day when I would be making out with Sebastian Fox in front of Cruise Control, I’d have told you you’d lost your damn mind.”

  “If I’d told you that in May, you’d already have been making out with me, princess,” he smirked at her.

  “Smartass.” She rolled her eyes at him.

  “See? Now you’re not trying to lure me into bed with you, you’ve stopped being nice to me again,” he laughed.

  “No, I’m just preparing to make you lose your second ten thousand dollars of the day,” Lita grinned at him.

  Sebastian stopped in front of the door to his room and looked down at her with a wicked grin. “Now, I’m pretty sure that ten thousand dollars is safe, but I do hope I’m wrong.”

  13

  LEVEL 12.6 – The Best Laid Plans

  Your baby is the size of a watch.

  Now you’ve reached the second trimester, you may find yourself feeling less tired. Let’s be honest, this is the best time in a pregnancy. Most people are freely announcing they’re pregnant now, so everyone knows you’re eating for two, which means you’ll get less judgment for that third chocolate bar. You also get some energy back, and you’re not lugging a watermelon around like in the third trimester.

  If you’re lucky, the morning sickness has already ended. If not, it should hopefully end soon. If you have hyperemesis, that sucks. Even if the nausea has gone, you may start experiencing heartburn and indigestion because the muscle at the top of the stomach relaxes during pregnancy, allowing digestive acids to rise into the esophagus. Don’t be surprised if you’re soon chowing down antacids like Tic Tacs!

  Sebastian was pacing around his hotel suite's living area while Lita sat on the sofa, watching him. He was in Seattle to tell her family today. She still hadn’t given them any more information about him, but they knew she was coming over today, and that she was bringing a man to meet them.

  It had turned into a family lunch. Both of her brothers were coming, as well as her older brother’s wife and their two kids. Lita had convinced her parents not to invite her grandparents; she didn’t want to subject Sebastian to their inevitable interrogation. She’d told her family she didn’t want to overwhelm their guest.

  “You’ll be fine, Seb,” Lita tried to reassure him.

  Sebastian stopped pacing and turned to her. “Easy for you to say.”

  “What are they going to do? We’re having a baby together. No matter what they think of you, nothing will change the fact that you’re the father of my baby,” she smiled.

  “Again, princess, you seem to think I don’t have any feelings. I do actually care what people think about me, es
pecially when those people are going to be the grandparents of my child. I don’t want them to think I’m a piece of shit,” he cringed.

  Lita wrinkled her nose. “Well, to be fair, you have spent a large portion of the last few years acting like a piece of shit. In public, at least.”

  “Thanks. That helps so much. I tell you I care what people think about me, and you call me a piece of shit,” he growled.

  “That’s not what I said, Seb,” Lita clarified. “I said acting like a piece of shit. Think about the image you’ve presented to the world. Always with a different woman. The world’s biggest player. Love ’em and leave ’em.

  “I understand that you aren’t entirely like that, but only because I’ve taken the time to really get to know you. There’s still a part of you that treats women like shit, if the way you spoke to me the morning the condom broke is any indication. I just hope you’re treating the other women you sleep with better than that. If you’re not, you might want to think about it, because it’s kind of gross.

  “The part of you I get now, though? You’re an entirely different person. I’ve seen it with the guys, as well, and Heather has told me a lot. You act like this arrogant prick, but you also care about the people you love, so, so much, and it’s sweet. I also know you love this baby and will be an amazing father. Just show that side of yourself to my parents, and they’ll be fine.”

  “How the hell do you manage to do that, Lolita? You say the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard said about me, and in the same breath, you say the kindest thing I’ve ever heard said about me.” He rolled his eyes at her.

  Lita gave him a chagrined smile. “I’m honest, if nothing else, I guess. I know sometimes I hurt you, but if I can’t say these things to you, who can?”

  “Nobody, princess. Nobody says these things to me.”

  “Well, maybe they should. Maybe, if someone said these things to you, you wouldn’t be pacing around this room like a madman, freaking out about what my parents will think about you because your reputation is complete shit.” Lita shrugged.

  “Remember last weekend? I gave you orgasms and sweet talk before you went to meet my parents. Why are you not returning the favor?” he grumbled.

  “Have you forgotten the sex we had less than an hour ago already?” Lita laughed. “And you also told me the world was basically going to be out to get me, plus you ambushed your parents with me. We’re probably on par. Stop pacing and come sit down with me for a few minutes before we go.”

  Sebastian sighed, then dropped onto the sofa next to her. Lita climbed onto his lap and straddled him, held his head in her hands, and looked into his eyes.

  “It’s going to be okay, Sebastian. They will probably like you. If not, it doesn’t matter, because I like you. Our baby is going to love you, and you’re going to be a father. That’s all that matters right now. Everything else is just stuff, and we’ll deal with it. Posso baciarti?”

  A small smile played across Sebastian’s lips as he said, “Sì.”

  Lita kissed him, holding his face in her hands and exploring his mouth with her tongue. He put his arms around her and began rubbing her back with them before he put one hand on the back of her head and held her there as he continued to kiss her.

  “Feeling better?” she asked him when their kiss ended.

  “Surprisingly, yes,” he laughed. “Although, now I’m tense for a whole other reason.”

  Lita could feel his erection beneath her. “Yes, I’m not sure my tactic for calming you down is all that effective.”

  “I wouldn’t say it’s calming at all, princess. It’s certainly a good distraction, though.” Sebastian’s eyes were dark with lust.

  “We have to leave in ten minutes,” Lita told him. “That’s usually how long you spend just staring at me when we’re in bed, so we probably don’t have time.”

  He laughed and then sighed. “You’re right; I’ve never been a fan of having a quickie. In that case, you should probably get off me. It’s going to take me ten minutes to get myself under control, and that’s not going to happen when my cock is aware the perfect place for it to be is only a few layers of fabric away.”

  “Do my parents really need to know I’m pregnant?” Lita asked him. “We should just stay here and have sex instead.”

  “Hey, you won’t hear me complaining about that idea.” Then his face darkened. “Yes, Lita. You said you’d already seen some rumors online about me having a baby on the way. We need to tell your parents before they read it in some shitty magazine.”

  Lita had seen a post last night on Reddit about Sebastian having a baby, and she’d told him. They even knew he was in Seattle today. That, combined with his appearance at a Seattle doctor’s office, was helping people to put two and two together. In some ways, she felt as though there was a net around her, and it was closing in. Soon she would be trapped in it with no way out.

  “Fine,” Lita said in a sulky tone. “But I was really sure I could get that ten grand today. I could just feel it.”

  Sebastian laughed. “If you say so, princess.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. Lita put her hand protectively on her stomach. She had a little bump now, and she’d worn a flowing top today so her family wouldn’t be able to tell straight away.

  “Are you ready for this?” he asked her after a minute or so.

  “Yeah, I’m a bit scared, but it’ll be okay,” she told him.

  When they went downstairs, Lita was going to be walking out of the hotel on her own. No, Sebastian, and no Daryl. She would look like any other hotel guest, and the paparazzi waiting for him wouldn’t realize until she got into the waiting limousine, where she would be safe.

  “I wish there was a better way, princess. If they got your picture with me, your parents could literally read it before we even make it to their place.”

  “I know. I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.” She smiled up at him.

  “I do worry about you, Lolita. You’re carrying my baby. I worry about you any time I’m not with you,” he said softly.

  “Well, let’s go now, then. The sooner we get downstairs, the sooner we can be safe in the limo on the way to my parents’ place,” she told him.

  “I’m not sure that’s any less scary than you walking through the paparazzi without me, though,” Sebastian laughed.

  They got the notification that the limousine was waiting for them, and Daryl escorted them downstairs. Lita kissed Sebastian quickly in the elevator on the way down. Once the doors opened, he quietly wished her good luck, and she walked across the lobby quickly, leaving them behind her. Her heart was racing. For all of her bravado, this was terrifying.

  Lita could see the group of people with cameras hanging around the entrance of the hotel. She steeled her nerves and walked through the doors outside.

  The people looked at her with mild curiosity, then one said, “I can see him! He’s inside!”

  They ignored her and even moved aside, allowing her through easily as they tried to get a view of Sebastian. Lita reached the limousine, and the driver opened the door, allowing her to get in.

  “Hey, who are you?” someone called, but the driver shut the door behind her.

  Daryl had been in contact with the limousine company, giving them very specific instructions about how to proceed this afternoon. Once the door was closed behind her, Sebastian exited the hotel, drawing the reporters’ attention away from the limousine and back to him.

  Lita sat near the front partition so she wouldn’t be in view when the door was opened again and watched Sebastian make his way through the crowd with Daryl’s assistance. It wasn’t long before the driver was opening the limousine door, and Sebastian got in. She could hear questions being called out about him having a baby and asking him about who had gotten into the limousine before him.

  Then the door was closed again, Daryl got into the front of the car with the driver, and they were on their way to her parents’ house.


  “Are you okay, princess?” he asked her.

  “Yeah, they didn’t give a shit about me until I got in the car,” she told him.

  Once they were a block away, Lita climbed over to sit next to Sebastian. He linked his hand with hers and began stroking her skin with his thumb.

  “That won’t work again, princess,” he warned her.

  “I know. Look, I just wanted for us to be the ones to tell my family, and not have them read it in some news article. I’ve accepted my time being unknown as a part of your life is swiftly coming to an end,” she grimaced.

  “I never wanted this for you, Lita,” Sebastian said softly.

  “We can’t change what’s happened, Seb. We’re having a baby. We’ll just have to take everything as it comes and figure out what to do as we go. No point stressing about all the possible outcomes which might not even happen,” Lita smiled.

  “Okay, so back to stressing about meeting your family, then?” He smiled back at her.

  “No. No point stressing about that either. I say we look out the windows and enjoy the view and completely and utterly ignore everything else,” she said.

  “Denial, I like it,” Sebastian laughed. “Top-notch coping mechanisms you’ve got there, princess.”

  After about thirty minutes, the limousine arrived at her parents’ place. Lita wrinkled her nose as they arrived, and she wished they could’ve just brought a normal rental car. Their neighborhood was nowhere near as fancy as the Fox’s place in Chicago. It wasn’t in a low socioeconomic area, but it definitely wasn’t upper-class either.

  Lita cringed as she saw her brothers’ cars parked in front of the house. One drove a Ford, and the other drove a Hyundai. It was so completely different to when they’d parked Sebastian’s Ferrari in the garage at Galena last weekend, next to the other band members’ equally fancy cars and Sebastian’s spare cars, each worth probably the same amount as her parents’ entire house.

  “This reminds me of my childhood home,” Sebastian told her. “Right down to the Ford in the driveway. Come on, let’s go face the music.”