by Tami Lund
BABY, I’M HOME
By
Tami Lund
Cover Designer: Taria Reed
Editor: Julie Sturgeon
Published by: Tami Lund
Copyright: 2018 by Tami Lund
License Notes
Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to purchase their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer.
Thank you for your support.
All entities, locations, businesses, etc. in this book are strictly figments of the author’s overactive imagination and are not to be construed as real.
Questions, comments, or desires to seek permission to use any part of this book for your own purposes should be directed to [email protected].
Acknowledgments:
Nikki Harrison, thanks for naming Chad and Jenna’s baby!
Baby, I’m Home!
Chad Wessex and his girlfriend, Jenna Mackery, got into a huge fight the day he left and flew halfway around the world to take care of his dying grandfather.
Eight months later, he’s back and ready to make up.
When she said she had a “big surprise” for him, the last thing he expected was…
a baby!
Chapter One
What a long-ass flight.
Eleven hours on a plane from Inverness, Scotland, to Detroit, Michigan. But, hey, he was home now.
Chad Wessex stabbed his fingers through his mop of dark hair and blew out a sigh, stepping out of the drafty, noisy tunnel and into the building. Ignoring the hopeful look the admittedly hot blonde standing near the flight attendant’s kiosk gave him as he passed, he hung a right at the main aisle and followed the signs toward baggage claim.
He had two things on his mind.
First, a fat, juicy, medium-rare burger and an icy-cold pint of a local craft beer from his favorite brewery. Not that the beer in Scotland was anything to sneeze at. But there was something about being away from home for an extended period of time that made one wish for, well, a local brew.
Second, he wanted to get laid.
But not by the hot blonde with the come-hither gaze. Nope.
He wanted Jenna Mackery.
Damn, did he ever. He wanted to strip them both naked and just hold her for a minute, skin on skin, every inch of him touching every inch of her. And then he wanted to slow dance her into the bedroom, scoop her up, and dive under the covers and get reacquainted with what he’d missed so freaking much while he was away.
That whole “absence made the heart grow fonder” shit was real. He could attest to it. Probably didn’t help that he’d left under less-than-ideal conditions. Hell, he’d left under downright shitty conditions. They’d gotten into a knock-down-drag-out screaming match, and he’d stormed out of her apartment and hadn’t contacted her again until he’d been in Scotland for a full two weeks. And by then he hadn’t known what to say, not over the phone and three thousand miles.
But he’d texted Jenna yesterday and gave her a heads-up that he was—finally—coming home today, and she’d responded by saying she had a “big surprise” for him when she picked him up at the airport.
Hopefully the surprise was red and lacy and barely there. Or maybe she’d show up in nothing but a raincoat. He wasn’t even sure why that was such a hot fantasy, but damn, the idea had had him shifting in his seat for the better half of that long flight across the Atlantic.
Grinning, his body practically humming now, he hopped onto the escalator, tapping his foot, willing the damn gears to move faster. It was time to make up. Hopefully all damn weekend. Jenna had a way with whispered words that always drove him crazy.
Bouncing off the elevator, he adjusted his backpack on his shoulder and headed through the security gates to baggage claim. Detroit Metro Airport hadn’t changed while he’d been overseas these last few months. The overpriced shops were all the same; the people moving about around him were no different from the ones here the day he left.
A guy in army fatigues bumped his shoulder, then turned around and waved at Chad. “Sorry, man,” he called out, a dopey grin on his face, before he was literally tackled by a cluster of kids of varying ages, all with the same bright red hair as him.
Chad slowed his gait so he could watch as the returning soldier caught the eye of the woman standing among the laughing and shouting kids. Time slowed for a few seconds as they stared at each other, both blinking rapidly, until the army vet shoved the gaggle of youngsters out of the way to sweep their mother into his arms.
Considering the guy was obviously military, he’d probably been gone a long time. Maybe even longer than the eight months Chad was of the country. And the way that woman greeted him, it was pretty damn clear they were going to try to sneak in some alone time, as quickly as possible. Hopefully, Jenna would greet him with the same look in her eye.
Shaking his head to dislodge the sappy smile on his lips, Chad turned away and hurried past the other passengers greeting their family, friends, lovers, to where, hopefully, his own special lady was waiting.
He could see her clearly in his mind’s eye, even without staring at the pics he’d collected on his phone over the course of their two-and-a-half year relationship.
She was mixed heritage—her mom was white and her dad was black—so she had smooth, bronze skin, wide, dark eyes, and plump lips. Her hair was long and kinky, and she was forever bitching about it, but he loved it. He loved to twine his fingers in it, to gently tug her to him, until she rolled her eyes and fell into his arms and he could kiss her, which often led to other activities during which hair pulling was also encouraged.
If he didn’t quit with the fantasies, they weren’t going to make it out of the airport without him begging her to pull the car over so they could take the edge off. And that would probably get them arrested.
He sucked in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then opened them again, his hormones temporarily under control. His gaze locked with wide, dark eyes surrounded by thick, black lashes. Smoky liner, gold shadow on the lids. Not that he knew shit about makeup, but he’d watched her put it on enough times to be able to describe the routine.
There was a little flutter in his stomach: she hadn’t changed her makeup. Or her hair. Those spiral curls were so thick they formed a giant helmet around her head and draped over one shoulder, so long they covered one of her breasts. His hand lifted of its own accord, itching to brush that errant curl off her forehead.
“Jenna.” He whispered her name, the word tumbling from his lips like a prayer. Damn, was he glad to be home. It had been far too long; their reunion way overdue.
And then she stepped into full view and began walking toward him, and Chad’s gaze dropped to her stomach. His eyes widened.
“Holy shit. You’re so…big.”
She stopped directly in front of him and rested her arms across her massive, rounded belly. “Um, surprise.”
Chapter Two
Well, he wasn’t running away. That was a good sign, right? Even though he was her baby daddy, Chad wasn’t exactly one to face challenges head-on. He preferred to take off when the going got rough.
Then again, she probably shouldn’t have waited until he came home to tell him, either. Hell, there was no probably about it. But how in the world was she supposed to tell him something like this over the phone?
After long, long seconds, he gestured at her protruding stomach. “You’re—you’re—” He shook his head, clearly dazed. “Holy shit.”
At least he wasn’t saying, “Is it mine?” She would have decked him for that one.
“How?” he asked.
J
enna rolled her eyes. “We both know how, Chad. We’ve practiced enough damn times.”
They’d met at a mutual friend’s party a little more than three years ago. Jenna hadn’t wanted to go. But then she’d lifted her gaze and caught his eye, and when he focused those baby blues under those heavy, dark brows on her, she’d suddenly changed her mind about wanting to be at that gathering.
Those eyes and the way they crinkled at the corners when he smiled! That confident half smile, almost smirk that was practically his trademark. Oh yeah, and all that thick, wavy, dark hair that was forever in need of a cut but looked damn good that way. And that was all on top of the beautiful physique he kept toned courtesy of his rich playboy means.
Jenna had grown up solidly middle class, went to public school, and had to work hard for all she’d accomplished since. Chad was born into money, had everything handed to him his entire life, and yet had succeeded at whatever he decided to do.
And that night, he’d wanted Jenna. Her panties had been drenched before he’d strutted across the room to introduce himself, before he swept her out the front door and into the passenger seat of his black diamond Cadillac. She’d been ready to beg for it by the time he took her out on his boat, where they’d sat on deck with their legs dangling over the side and shared a bottle of wine.
Yet while he never showed any inclination to stray or leave, he’d also never expressed a single interest in moving their relationship forward. Two and a half years—well, a little over three, now—and he still lived at his parents’ mansion and she still lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment. Yeah, he spent the night pretty regularly, but there was no talk of moving in together, no conversation around spending the rest of their lives together. Every time she brought up a topic remotely connected to “the future,” he shut down, they argued, and he stormed off, not returning until the coast was clear.
The day he’d he left for Scotland had been the worst argument yet.
And now, they didn’t have a choice. This baby was their future. He couldn’t run anymore.
Okay, yeah, he could, actually, and that scared the shit out of her. Because she was tired of doing this alone. She wanted a partner.
She wanted Chad.
He matched her eye roll. “I meant how, as in we were protected. You were on the pill.”
Oh yeah, about that… “I asked the same question when I went to the doctor to confirm I was pregnant. My OB explained that antibiotics can render the pill ineffective, and remember I had that sinus infection and was taking them for, like, ten days?”
He ought to remember. He’d been the one taking care of her while she was sick.
“I didn’t know that. Why don’t they tell you this shit?”
“They did, when I first went on the pill. Which was eight years ago, so I guess it slipped my mind.”
He winced. Yeah, he could definitely hear the sarcasm in her voice. He’d better not try to blame this on her. It had been a mutual decision to have sex while relying solely on her taking that tiny pill every day.
“Holy shit.” He glanced around like the answers to his questions might replace the listing of flight numbers on the sign above the baggage claim carousel. When he shifted his focus back to her, he said, “You look like you’re about to pop.”
She hated that comment. She heard it at least seventeen times a day at this point.
“And I wasn’t gone that long…was I?” He lifted his gaze to the ceiling, like he was mentally calculating, until his peeps dropped back to her belly. “Eight months,” he finally said. “Damn, I was gone a long time.”
Yep, eight months. Two weeks of telling herself she was glad he’d left and it was time to move on, and then another couple of weeks of internal argument, trying and failing to convince herself she was better off without him. A few awkward phone calls during which they really said nothing at all, then the missed period and the subsequent five different pregnancy tests, followed by another couple of weeks of denial.
The rest of the time had been spent alternating between trying to figure out how to tell him and wishing he’d hurry the hell up and come home.
“My grandfather just died,” Chad said. “Three days ago. Funeral was yesterday. I went straight to the airport as soon as the priest said the last amen at the gravesite. Didn’t even go to the luncheon afterward. I just…needed to get back.”
She winced at the obvious pain in his voice. She ought to comfort him. Hell, she wanted to. But what sort of expression of concern was appropriate? He’d been gone so long and they hadn’t properly made up after that massive fight. Oh yeah, and now the baby.
Honestly, the first thing that popped into her head was sex, although as horny as this stupid pregnancy made her, this wasn’t the time or place. Plus, she wasn’t sure where he stood as far as being a dad, being involved, being together.
They had a whole lot to talk about before they could even consider reviving that aspect of their relationship. Which was too damn bad, because her man had changed a little while he was gone. He was leaner, sharper—not that he’d been remotely unattractive or anything before—but now he looked more…Olympic swimmer than frat boy.
“I’m sorry.” Unable to resist, she reached out and snagged his hand. His fingers laced with hers as though it was the most natural thing in the world, and then he was tugging her to him, at least until he bumped her belly and couldn’t get any closer.
He didn’t move away or adjust to hug her from the side. Instead, his other hand lifted and splayed on her abdomen, and, as if the kid knew exactly who Chad was and what was going on, it let go with a kick that made Jenna’s belly quiver.
Chad’s eyes went so round and huge he looked comical as he stared at the spot where they could actually see a faint outline of a tiny foot. “That’s—that’s—” he stuttered. “Holy shit.” And then he covered the spot with his hand again.
Jenna lifted one shoulder, trying for nonchalance while blinking rapidly at the water suddenly filling her eyes. Every stupid little thing made her cry these days. “Happens all the time.”
“That’s so damn cool.” His gaze jerked up to her face and caught her as she swiped at a wet spot under her eye.
“Why are you crying?”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
“I don’t want to argue, Jenna.”
She waited for him to turn around and storm away, like he always did—but she was his ride home.
“So am I taking you to your parents’ house or…?”
“Hell no.” He tapped her abdomen with his pointer finger.
It was weird when a woman was pregnant; complete strangers tried to palm her belly in elevators and in restaurants. And Lord help her when dealing with the elderly women in her office. She hated it, every second of it. And here she was with Chad, wishing he’d never take his hand away.
“I think we need to go back to your place. Clearly, we have a lot to discuss,” he said.
“Your parents aren’t expecting you to go home?” The first time Chad had introduced her to his hoity-toity parents, they had been on their way to golf thirty-six holes and were dressed the part. His mom had looked down her nose at Jenna’s complexion and said, “What a fascinating skin tone.” And now it was entirely possible their first grandchild would have that same “fascinating” coloring.
“First of all, they’re still in Scotland. They’re trying to figure out what to do with the estate now that Gramps is gone. And don’t you think I deserve a little time to wrap my head around this before we announce it to the rest of the world?”
Yeah, probably. Although it was too damn late for that, and yes, she’d have to suffer the guilt for that one for the rest of her life. “Considering, as you put it, I’m so big, I should probably warn you that the rest of the world already knows. At least, the part that has come into visual contact with me for the past few months.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. And besides, you�
�re the one who texted and said you had a ‘big surprise’ for me.” He cupped her belly again, as if the action was helping him come to terms with this reality. “I admit, this was not even remotely what I was thinking.”
“Oh yeah? What were you thinking?”
“Ironically, much smaller. And lacy. And red.”
She laughed. “There may still be red and lacy in my wardrobe, but I can assure you, there is nothing whatsoever small at the moment.”
“Well, you look great. Is that the wrong thing to say?”
Smiling, she shook her head. “No. And thanks.”
His gaze lifted away from her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see the empty luggage turnstile, save two lonely bags. While they’d had their awkward reunion, the rest of the passengers from his flight had cleared out.
“We should probably grab them before TSA decides to claim them,” she said.
Chad stepped around her and snagged the bags. “Let’s get out of here.”
Once they were in her car and heading away from the airport, she asked, “Are you hungry?”
“Starved.”
She glanced over and caught him staring at her. She was tempted to ask, “For food?” Talk first, Jenna. Figure out where we stand, what he plans to do. Then they could investigate the sexual side of their relationship. Hell, at this point, she wasn’t even sure how they’d go about doing it. All the books she’d read said they could all the way until she went into labor, but she could barely get her arm around her girth to masturbate. She was pretty sure anything but doggy style was out of the question.
Not that she had any problem whatsoever with doggy style.
Focus, Jenna.
“Atwater?” she asked. The brewery in downtown Detroit had been his favorite dining spot before he left.
He reached over the console and cupped her thigh through the black leggings that were pretty much a staple of her wardrobe these days. “You read my mind.”
