Claimed: A For Her Novel

by Alexa Riley

  As we near the lake, I turn and look at Jay. She’s worrying her lip, and I can see a little color has left her cheeks.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, concerned she’s not having a good time.

  “Jordan—”

  “And here we are,” says the driver of the carriage as we stop by the lake. He grabs the picnic basket and stands there, waiting on us.

  Jay stands up, and I help her down, taking the basket and walking to the spot we sat at last time.

  “See, already better than the last ride. Now just don’t kick me in the balls and we’ll ace this.”

  I’m able to get a smile out of her on that, but something is bugging her. There’s something she’s not telling me.

  I spread the blanket out, thinking that maybe if we sit down for a little bit she’ll be okay and can tell me what’s bothering her. Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t proposed yet. She made a few small comments this week about getting married, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise, so I just played them off and talked about something else. Maybe she thinks I’ve changed my mind, which is absolutely insane.

  We sit down, and I open up the picnic basket. “I’ve brought a few things I think you might like,” I say, trying to entice her with food.

  She gives me a sideways glance and then nods. It’s unlike her not to get excited about sharing a meal with me. Usually she can’t wait to eat. It’s one of the things I love most about her. But her mind is somewhere far from here.

  I open the food containers and set them down. The smell of her favorite dried meats and cheeses floats between us as I take her hands in mine.

  I’m just going to get it out in the open. I’ve been stressing about it for two weeks now, and I know she must be thinking the same thing. She didn’t want to do this carriage ride today, and I’ve forced it, so I’m going to propose to her and tell her what an idiot I am for going through this charade. I don’t want confusion to be the reason she’s worried. I want to set her mind at ease.

  “Jay, since the day you walked into my life—”

  At that moment, Jay inhales the smell of the food, and instantly her face turns green. Before I can finish my sentence, she leans over and throws up on the blanket.

  ‘I’m pregnant,” she says and then looks up at me and bursts into tears.

  “Marry me,” I blurt out, totally overwhelmed by what just happened.

  There’s a pause, and we both begin to laugh. God, this would only happen to us.

  “Are you saying that because I’m pregnant?” she asks, laughing through the tears in her eyes.

  “Damn it, woman, you know me better than that.” I pull the ring out of my pocket and slide it on her finger. I grab a bottle of water and lean down, picking her up. I carry her over to the bench nearby and sit down with her in my lap. I cradle her in my arms, feeling the warmth of her body against mine.

  “Jay, my sweet little bird. Why didn’t you tell me?” I kiss the top of her head as my heart grows. “We’re going to have a baby?”

  “I was trying to find the right time. I just found out this morning. You had this whole thing planned, and I was feeling sick. I didn’t want to tell you yet, but I didn’t know how to say I wasn’t feeling good without you going crazy.”

  “I’ve been planning this as a proposal. I had to wait on the damn carriage to come back to the city.”

  “Stupid carriage,” Jay mumbles. “I thought you changed your mind.” She looks up at me, and I can see the worry that was there fade. “You were just playing me.”

  “How could you possibly think I could ever change my mind? You’re the love of my life.”

  “Hormones?” she says, and shrugs like it’s the answer to everything. Maybe it is.

  “So, is that a yes?” I ask, looking into her chocolate-brown eyes.

  “Yes!” she squeals, and throws her arms around me. “Oh God, Jordan. It’s all happening so fast.”

  “We’re not on a timeline. We do things our way and at our own pace. I’ve known you for a long time. And I knew from the moment we met we’d get to this point.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’ve been mine since the beginning. I laid claim to you long ago.”

  “You did.” She nods in agreement.

  “Do you want to go back home so I can get you some ginger ale and rub your feet?”

  She smiles at me and nods, then looks over at the picnic. “I’m sorry this was ruined again.”

  I shake my head. “It just gives me another chance to try again. Third time’s a charm, right?”

  “Oh God.” The worry is back, but it’s playful this time.

  “Home,” I say, and tuck her into my arms as I carry her out of the park.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Jay

  “Five more minutes,” I moan, as I wrap myself around Jordan. I cling to him, not letting him get up from the bed. I don’t want to let go of his warmth. Nothing feels better than being in bed with him.

  “Little bird, I’ll give you all the minutes if you really want to stay here.”

  I sigh, knowing he would, but I told Miles I’d be back today. Even if I choose to quit and keep writing while being a stay-at-home mom, I know I still need to transition. I have to find him someone to take my place. Miles has been good to me, and I won’t leave him high and dry. I have months before the baby comes. I need to get everything lined up and taken care of.

  “Shower,” I murmur.

  He stands up with my body still wrapped tightly around his. He goes into the bathroom and turns on the shower, stepping in. I still don’t let go of him as the warm water washes over us.

  “You feeling okay?” he asks me.

  It’s the same question he asks most mornings. My morning sickness doesn’t normally come until later afternoon, but he still worries.

  “Yeah,” I tell him, still not letting go of him. I want to stay latched on as long as possible.

  “Come on, little bird. Get down and I’ll take care of you.”

  I sigh again, reluctantly easing my feet to the tile floor. More than anything, I’ve been tired. Every now and then I feel sick, but most of the time I want sleep. I want to lie in bed cuddled next to Jordan and do nothing else.

  He puts some soap in his hands and begins washing me. I love how much he enjoys taking care of me. I moan as his hands massage my hair, and I close my eyes. “Use your body wash on me,” I tell him. I want to smell like him today. I know it will help with being away from him.

  He chuckles but still does what I say.

  “We have dinner with Pop today,” he reminds me. We had to cancel our usual Sunday dinner yesterday. Well, Jordan canceled because he refused to wake me from my nap to go. I woke up and the sun was already setting. I was disappointed.

  My eyes fly open. “I’m so excited.” We haven’t told anyone I’m pregnant yet because we wanted Pop to be the first to know. I was going to tell him yesterday, but I guess that didn’t happen.

  “God, I love how happy you get with my dad.” He cups my face sweetly. “I swear you’re the light of our family now.”

  I blink back tears and smack his chest playfully. “Don’t say stuff like that. I’ll cry forever.”

  I seem to cry about anything right now. Him telling me I’m the center of their family is really going to do me in. I’ve always stood on the outside of things in life, never really fitting in. Not with them, though. I fit in. It’s like I’ve always been there.

  He kisses my cheeks. “I’ll make sure you don’t cry.” He drops to his knees in front of me. I lean back, knowing what he’s going to do. Jordan always knows how to make me get lost in him and how to make everything else melt away to where it’s only him and me.

  I run my fingers into his wet hair. He grips my thighs and parts them. His mouth lands on my core, making me moan out as he licks and sucks m
e.

  I jerk against him. My body tingles. I love that there’s no tease with him. He’s giving me what I need and making my body pulse with pleasure.

  “Never thought I’d see this, you naked with my ring on your finger, my baby inside you.”

  He slides one hand up to rest on my stomach. I look down at him, my hands still tangled in his hair. I never thought I’d see this either, the man I’ve wanted for so long on his knees in front of me, worshipping my body, giving me everything and more than I could have asked for. I didn’t know life could be this perfect.

  His mouth lands back on me, his tongue going straight for my clit and making me come undone. Pleasure shoots through my body, forcing me to cry out his name over and over. He holds me tight, making sure I stay on my feet. All too soon he’s pulling me from the shower and sitting me on the bathroom counter. I feel warm and fuzzy, and I never want to move again. Although I know I have to.

  I go to get up, but he stops me. “Let me,” he insists, and brushes my hair before blow-drying it. I didn’t know a man could be so attentive and that I could be the center of his world.

  “You going to dress me, too?” I tease, loving how he’s doting on me.

  “If you let me.”

  I smile up at him. How am I supposed to go back to being an assistant when I now have someone taking care of me all the time?

  “You’d probably dress me in your clothes.” Whenever I ask him to grab me a shirt, he always brings me one of his. “I bet you’d layer me in them.”

  “You love wearing my clothes.” He gives me a little grumpy smile.

  I laugh. I do love wearing them. I love smelling like him, feeling like he’s always around me. “I do, but I’m not sure it’s really work attire.”

  He shrugs like he doesn’t care.

  “Kiss me.” I barely get the words out and he’s got his lips on mine. I’m going to miss being able to demand kisses all day. Though I’m sure if I send a text he’ll be at my desk giving me more than I asked for.

  “Get ready, little bird. I’ll get you breakfast,” Jordan says, giving me one last kiss and pulling me off the bathroom counter. I watch his tight ass as he walks out of the room and wish I could drag him back to bed.

  I turn and look at myself in the mirror. All the bruises on my face are gone, and my wrist doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m back to my old self, but somehow I think I look different. People say pregnant women glow, but I thought it was a silly old wives’ tale. But looking at myself now, I think they might be right. I feel like I’m glowing. I’m not sure if it’s from the pregnancy or the love I feel.

  I hurry up and get ready, putting on light makeup and a simple blue dress. I pause when I see new flats embroidered with little blue jays sitting in the closet. My last pair got ruined when Summer and I were taken. It had broken my heart to see them trashed. I hadn’t said anything about it, but it seems Jordan noticed.

  Smiling, I slide them on. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have a man like him. He seems to notice everything.

  When I get to the living room, Jordan is walking toward me, handing me a to-go cup and a bacon-and-egg sandwich.

  “I think you might be the most perfect man in the world,” I tell him, taking a bite of my breakfast.

  “I better be the only man in your world.” He smirks as he picks up my purse. I move to take it from him.

  “Eat. I got it,” he tells me.

  “You’re going to carry my purse around?” I ask. I know the security people he works with will likely give him crap if they see this.

  “I don’t give a shit. My woman needs to focus on eating her breakfast and keeping it down, not on her purse that I can carry for her.”

  I lift up on my tippy-toes and plant a kiss on his mouth, thinking all those years of feeling like men never noticed me were now worth it. I didn’t have to go through the mess of dating. I got my perfect man from day one.

  Jordan opens the door, and we head out. The traffic to work is light for once, and I’m at my desk before I know it. Jordan looms over me, and I can tell he doesn’t want to leave.

  “Last time I left you at your desk...”

  “I know.” I hate that he feels so worried about leaving me and that we had to go through that.

  “I, ah...” He trails off, reaching into his pocket.

  “What?” I ask, reaching for the box he’s pulled out.

  “It’s a bracelet,” he says as I open it. It’s a thick, solid silver band with a giant bow on it, covered in diamonds, and a little bird sitting on it.

  He takes the bracelet from the box and slips it onto my wrist.

  “It has a tracker in it.” The words stumble out, like he thinks I’m going to be upset about it. “Also audio,” he adds.

  “So you can always hear me?” I tease. He points to his ear, and I see a clear plastic device there. I burst out laughing.

  His cheeks turn a little pink, and he shrugs.

  “I love it,” I tell him. I reach out and take his hand. “It’s us.”

  We’ve always been a little odd. I’ve forever loved that he checks my work calendar and watches me on the camera. If this bracelet makes him feel more okay, then I’ll wear it forever.

  He leans down and kisses me. It’s soft and sweet, and I know he still doesn’t want to leave.

  “Am I going to have to move your desk to this floor?” I pull back at the sound of Miles’s voice.

  “Sir,” I greet him. Normally I know when he’s coming, but this time I was distracted. Mallory’s standing next to him with a giant smile on her face.

  “Miles,” he corrects.

  “I, ah—”

  “Don’t worry about it, Jay. If anyone gets it, it’s him,” Mallory says before turning and kissing Miles. “Glad everything is okay,” she tells me, pulling me into a hug before heading to her office.

  “When you’re done...” Miles nods toward his office door and then walks away, leaving us alone.

  “I’m so getting fired,” I mumble to Jordan, who looks happy at the idea.

  I know I’m not really getting fired, but I’m not on my A-game anymore. Something in me has shifted. I used to be crazy about work, making sure everything is done and perfect, but that spark isn’t there anymore.

  “Look at me.” Jordan tilts my face up to meet his eyes. “If anyone knows life is short, it’s us. Quit. I know you want to. You don’t have to be out of here today, but you can start that path. I have more money than we’ll ever need.”

  “I’ll talk to him.” I glance over at Miles’s office doors.

  “I’m going to talk to Ryan and Paige, too. A lot of what I do can be done from home. I want to be a hands-on dad like mine was. I want to be a part of all the firsts we have.” His hand slides to my stomach. In this moment I know what I have to do. My passion for work has shifted. I know I’m a driven person, but my drive is now somewhere else, not here.

  “Kiss me.” I use his own words. He leans down and does as I ask. “Go to work,” I tell him.

  He stares down at me, and I know he doesn’t want to leave me. “I promise I won’t leave this floor until you come get me for lunch.” I lift up the bracelet. “Go listen to me quit my job.”

  He smiles and gives me another kiss. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I say instantly. He straightens and pulls out his wallet, getting his elevator card out. I snatch it from him. “Lost mine.”

  He gives a little chuckle. “Guess I’ll wait like a commoner.” He winks at me as he makes his way to the elevator.

  I smile, watching him leave. Letting out a deep sigh, I pick up my notepad and make my way to Miles’s office. I give a small knock before opening the door.

  “Come in.” He motions for me to sit in the chair in front of his desk. I take my seat, unsure of where to start. Luckily Miles goes first.
<
br />   “We’ve worked side by side for a while, and I know what’s coming,” he says, taking me by surprise. “I know we aren’t what people might call friends, but you’ve been with me making sure anything and everything Osbourne Corp. might need is handled. You’ve been my right hand a lot of times. You might not see it, but to me you have been my friend. I don’t get close to a lot of people. If anyone knows that, it’s you. But you are my friend, and that’s why I’m letting you go.” He pauses for a second. “You’re fired,” he says, tossing an envelope in front of me.

  “I...” I’m shocked. Was I given a compliment and fired at the same time?

  “Pick it up,” Miles says, gesturing to the envelope. I reach out and pick it up. “It’s your severance package.”

  I open the envelope and see there’s a check inside. I glance over the zeros, and all the air leaves my lungs. It’s for five million dollars.

  “Sir!” I scream.

  “And she’s still calling me sir,” Miles says with a laugh.

  “Well, technically I don’t work for you anymore, so I can do as I wish,” I tell him, only making him laugh more. My heart is in my throat. This is way too much money.

  “Don’t fight it. Take the check,” he says. “You know it’s a drop in the bucket for me, and you earned it. You’ve helped the company become what it is.” I look across the desk at him and feel my eyes moisten. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

  “Thank you, Miles. You’ve always taken good care of me.” I tuck the check away and put it in my lap. “I’d like to stay on to train someone new. Someone to replace me,” I tell him.

  He smiles and shakes his head slightly. “No one could ever replace you, Jay.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Jay

  “Little bird,” Jordan says to me, placing a hand on my leg. I can’t stop from bouncing it. I feel like I’m going to burst with excitement. Today has gone better than I thought it would. Between Miles being okay with me wanting to leave, to seeing Pop... I know he’s going to be just as excited as we are about my being pregnant.