by Tara Raine
“Something is bothering you?” Brent asked. “How is something bothering you already on a Sunday morning? You just got up for Christ's sake! Speaking of, maybe we should start going to church and what not so fewer things bother you in the morning!”
“Seriously, Brent,” Tanya said. “I'm just not in the mood to be teased, all right?”
“Okay, tiger,” Brent said. “I'll just not talk to you because you are in a bad mood for mysterious reasons that you aren't willing to articulate.”
Tanya slammed her hand down on the table. Why did men always have to push? She just wanted to enjoy this intimate moment before it came crashing down.
“I'm pregnant, you fucking asshole,” Tanya said.
Brent's mouth dropped open.
“What?!” he said. “You're what? But how? I thought you were on birth control?”
“I was,” Tanya replied. “But maybe I forgot to take a pill or two, I don't really know. Maybe we should have used rubbers.”
“What!?” Brent cried again. “You don't really know? How the fuck do you not know if you took your birth control or not? That's a real good way to get pregnant, not knowing if you took your birth control or not.” Tanya didn't like his reaction.
“Well, I am pregnant,” she said. “So I guess I either forgot to take it or it just didn't work. One of the two. You do realize that I could have taken every single pill and still gotten pregnant, right?”
Brent stood their dumbly for a few seconds before speaking. It seemed to dawn on him that he was being an ass.
“So what about your period?” he asked.
“Yes, Brent, my body missed its period and I didn't bring it up because I didn't want to freak you out over nothing,” she said. “Then today I threw up, which almost never happens, so I decided to go get some pregnancy tests and take them.”
“Just one?” Brent asked.
“No, not just one,” Tanya said. “I ended up taking about a dozen or so. I'm not sure how many. I didn't count. All of the different kinds. 11 out of 12 says you're having a baby!”
“I believe you baby, I just wanted the details.” he said softly.
“So yeah, it's a pretty sure thing that I'm pregnant.”
“Holy shit,” Brent said, looking less dumbfounded than before. Tanya noted that his pale skin looked a little fairer still.
“I know, right?” Tanya couldn't keep back the sarcasm. “And the best part is that we don't know who the father is. It could be you, or it could be Connor.”
Brent took a step back when she said this, as if he'd been struck in the chest. Tanya realized he hadn't thought about that yet.
“What, what do you mean you don't know who the father is? You mean to tell me that it could be Connor's child?” Brent said.
Tanya realized that Brent must be in some kind of shock to ask a question so stupid. He knew full well how Connor could have ended up getting her pregnant, considering there was a chance that he watched them conceive if that was the case. Tanya really wasn't sure where to take the conversation from here. She didn't want to ask Brent right away if he wanted to keep the child or not. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Well, that wasn't entirely true; what she wanted to do was eat breakfast and crawl back into bed and go to sleep. Then she wanted to wake up in a world where she wasn't pregnant at all. But that wasn't going to happen. She was going to have to deal with the cold hard facts, and they were, at the moment, that she was carrying one of the brothers’ baby.
“Well, what do you want to do?” Brent asked.
“I don't know, all right?” Tanya said.
Then, without control, Tanya found herself sobbing. The situation she didn't picture herself in now was only made worse by Brent's actions. Tanya had to come to terms with the fact that she didn't choose a cookie cutter relationship so she couldn't expect cookie cutter results. Tanya day of acceptance would start tomorrow. Today she couldn't control herself. She put her head down on her arms as tears flowed out of her eyes and her body shook.
“Hey now,” Brent pleaded as he ran over to embrace her. “Hey, I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I'm not trying to be an asshole or anything. You just have to realize how much of surprise this is for me. And I'm sure it is for you as well. I know that it is much harder on you. Believe me I know that. I'm not trying to play like men have it harder than women at any point.”
Tanya stopped sobbing for a second and looked up at him.
“Should we tell Connor?” she asked.
“I don't know what to do about that. Let’s think about us right now, and then, when we have our heads together, we can talk about him,” Brent argued. “I know that we should probably just relax a little bit. We have plenty of options and nothing but time.”
Tanya sniffled loudly, then blew her nose in a napkin. She absorbed Brent's words with one ear.
“How about this,” Brent slowly increased the volume of his voice as he campaigned for Tanya attention. His charming nature beat away her fears. “For the rest of the day, we don't worry about it or talk about it. Sure, we know that we might need to have some kind of game plan in the future, but for right now we don't need to have everything figured out. How about I finish making breakfast and after we eat it we both take a power nap? How does that sound?”
Tanya nodded slowly as Brent transformed into a beacon of hope. His change made all the difference as they dined away. Brent home cooked breakfast filled their bellies until they were feeling lazy. It didn't take long before they both headed to the bedroom for a nap. Tanya slipped under the covers and was glad to feel Brent snuggle up close behind her. His easy slip back into their routine showed Tanya the Brent could be strong, strong enough to handle the rocky future that awaited them. Whatever it would be, they would have each other. Together with their child, they would make their own piece of paradise. As Tanya slipped off to sleep she told herself everything would be all right.
Epilogue:
8 months later....
The pain was horrendous. Tanya had never felt anything like it. Giving birth was an experience she wished she opted out of. A C-Section would have been much quicker and far less painful. She had been told that the recovery usually wasn't as bad as some women claimed. However, a stronger part of Tanya wanted to have their son naturally. Now she thought otherwise. Luckily Brent was by her side with everything she needed.
Having a billionaire husband the last eight months had certainly come in handy. All the tasks she didn't want help for previously; she now needed. In the Arizona heat the body swelling only increased. The doctor assured Tanya that in a few weeks she would begin to feel “normal” again. She hoped so. Normal meant sex. One thing hadn't changed and that had been Tanya's appetite for sex. For months it had been worry feel sex. Brent and Tanya took full advantage. Her joy turned to frustration when they ran out of comfortable sex positions.
Tanya looked toward the silver lining of the mind-blowing screwing that would take place once they were in the clear. Tanya realized the drugs were taking effect. The number one indicator was the break in mental clarity. She had been able to think of much beyond the lower stomach pains for the last few hours. Clutching the hospital bed rail with one hand Tanya reached out her other to take Brent's hand. Soon their son Demetri would be born and their fairytale would continue.
The nurse came in the room and announced that she needed to check how far Tanya was. She tried to tell her “far enough” but the nurse just chuckled and said these things couldn't be rushed. Tanya's pelvis wanted to argue that. The nurse informed them that it wouldn't be too much longer and in thirty minutes they would return to take her for preparation. Brent and Tanya shared a look. It contained a mix of excitement and nervousness. The new parents weren't yet sure how this new addition would change things.
Connor came to visit the new family in the hospital. It was the first cordial visit since the end of their relationship. Brent and Connor spoke occasionally, but if it lasted longer than ten minutes, it generally ended in an argumen
t. It was the first time Tanya had seen him. Connor sent her a letter once; it arrived when she was four months pregnant. He apologized for everything and said he had his regrets. Tanya had to wonder at its sincerity. It had taken Connor too long to give Tanya closure. She had found it herself instead and now there was a scar in her heart where her love for him was stored. But when Tanya saw he how he held Demetri close, it was with a genuine tenderness that made her think of Connor fondly.
Connor's lifestyle worked well for him. He looked as handsome as ever. With the success of the new line locations, Connor had a lot going for him. It didn't look as though the added responsibility was a burden. Tanya thought this indicated that maybe, he too, had grown up a little over time. He was polite the whole visit playing the doting uncle. Tanya hugged him goodbye, feeling relieved at the sight of Connor exiting the room. She was tired from the last day and all the visitors. Brent being the mind reader he is, turned off the lights and laid Demetri down, after his brother left. Tanya decreased the volume of the television.
The new parents shared a kiss of tired understanding before taking to their own sleeping accommodations. She watched him lay down, absorbing the lines of her husband’s muscular form. He had never been more handsome than in the last few days. Their son was also handsome. His skin was a beautiful blend of white and mocha cream. They still did know who the father was, but that was a priority at the moment. Not that they didn't both secretly want to know whether or not they knew what to do with the information.
Two months after the hospital visit, they got the results. At first they debated on opening the large envelope. Maybe they didn't really want or need to know. Brent suggested waiting until Demetri was 18. Tanya wasn't sure if it was her being selfish; or because she knew deep down Brent needed to know, even if he couldn't admit it to himself. He wouldn't love Demetri any less and Tanya wouldn't either, but it would help resolve any leftover issues with Connor.
With a heavy breath Tanya watched Brent cut open the side of the envelope. She stood still waiting as his eyes scanned the enclosed document. Tanya couldn't read his face.
“What? What does it say?” Tanya asked a little desperate from curiosity. Brent face was a mask as he handed me he sheet. Tanya wanted to punch him. Demetri was Brent's son! How dare Brent make her think it contained opposing news.
Tanya had a feeling she never let grow past a seedling; she needed the proof because she didn't what to give herself false hope. If he had been Connor's than the explanation part alone would have been horrendous. The whole incident had scared Tanya into thinking more about her choices. Now she had their son to think about so it was even more important.
“He's mine. He's mine,” Brent kept repeating with a large smile and lifted Tanya off her feet. She was chuckling alongside him. They hugged tightly. A large swell of renewed pride swarmed through Brent.
“You know in a way the trouble Connor brought our way was a good thing,” Brent said with a grin over Tanya's head. Tanya angled her face up to look at him. She answered his humor filled face with one of curiosity.
“In what way?” she asked.
“In the way that it kind of fixed our marriage, or maybe made me jealous so I realized what a jerk I was being. Causing me to screw your brains out. In result of my devilish ways we now have a beautiful son and a loving marriage. Honey, I would call that a good thing,” Brent kissed Tanya randomly throughout his speech. His lips tickling her skin. Tanya was touched.
His words had been tender. As profound as he could be, Tanya loved him the more for it. She knew it was hard for men to open up, especially if they were admitting blame. Besides she thought he was right. Tanya might have labeled Connor trouble of a different type. Yet if Connor hadn't come along, who knows where their relationship would have ended up. Either way, Tanya couldn't ask for more than her little family of three. She was now complete.
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Table of Contents
Copyright © 2014 Tara Raine
Chapter One: The Itch
Chapter Two: The MoveTwo Months Earlier...
Chapter Three: The Job
Chapter Four: The TroublePresent Day
Chapter Five: The Temptation
Chapter Six: The Romantic
Chapter Seven: The Aftermath
Chapter Eight: The Release
Chapter Nine: The Game
Chapter Ten: The Island
Chapter Eleven: The Club
Chapter Twelve: The Steal
Chapter Thirteen: The Choice
Chapter Fourteen: The Question
Chapter Fifteen: The Break
Chapter Sixteen: The Connection
Chapter Seventeen: The Test
Chapter Eighteen: The Paradise
Epilogue:
