Time Stands Still (Forever and Ever #51)

by E. L. Todd

“It’s understandable,” I said. “Trinity has been a little tense lately.”

  “Having Cedric to keep her company has helped. Gets her mind off things.”

  Maybe Olympia would distract Trinity enough and help her move on.

  “Getting nervous?” He sipped his soda through the straw.

  “About?” There were a million things in my life I could be nervous about.

  “Olympia. She’s going to be here any day.”

  “Eh.” I shrugged. “I’m okay.”

  “Really?” he asked with a chuckle. “Just a few months ago you were having a meltdown.”

  “I guess I’ve calmed down. I touch Trinity’s stomach all the time and I feel her kick…how could I be afraid of something so small?” Feeling that vibration against my palm was the greatest sensation I’ve ever known. My daughter was moving. She was alive and healthy, eager to come out of her mother. “And Trinity is beautiful, smart, and sweet. I’m sure Olympia will be just like her. How could I be afraid of something like that?”

  He grinned as he continued to eat his fries. “I think you’re ready to be a father.”

  “Whoa, I never said I was ready.”

  “You talk like you are.”

  “No. I’ve just accepted the fact I’m having a girl. I overreacted when it wasn’t a boy. Maybe a girl will be more difficult, but my dad raised Silke and he did okay. So I should be able to handle this.”

  “There you go.” He patted me on the shoulder. “You finally have some confidence.”

  “Besides, my dad will always be around when I have a question.”

  “True.”

  “Has Cedric ever been difficult?”

  “Not really,” he answered. “But then again, he’s not even a year old. I’m sure he’ll have his bad moments very shortly. But it really doesn’t matter because all the good stuff weighs out the bad.”

  “True.”

  “How’s her pregnancy? Last time I saw her she was pretty big. Not nearly as big as Skye was, but still pretty round.”

  “She’s been struggling with it. I don’t know what to do to make it better. She can’t sleep. She never has an appetite. She’s irritable most of the time. The only time she’s pleasant is during sex. And she’s been wanting it a lot more lately. Helps her sleep or something.”

  “Oh yeah.” He wiped his fingers on a napkin. “I remember those months. They were the best.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “A woman’s hormones are totally out of whack toward the end of their pregnancy. Skye was horny as hell.” He grinned from ear-to-ear. “It was awesome.”

  “Really?” I asked in surprise. “She wants it 24/7?”

  “More than 24/7.”

  The cogs in my mind started to turn. I pictured Trinity wanting me every second of every day. Our sex life wasn’t something to complain about but there was always room for improvement. “Hmm…”

  “Just wait for it. It’ll happen.”

  “Can I give her extra hormones to crank it up a notch?”

  Cayson chuckled. “No. Believe me, she has enough.”

  “She did want sex in the middle of the night…” I remembered the way she asked me to fuck her and then she fell asleep immediately afterward. It brought her comfort so maybe she would want it more often. “Hmm…”

  “Dude, your life is about to get so good. Sex around the clock until the baby gets here. Take advantage of it because Trinity won’t be able to have sex for at least six weeks.”

  “Six weeks?” I almost knocked everything off the table when I heard the death sentence. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “Sorry, man.” He grabbed his fries so I wouldn’t knock them over. “It’s brutal, I know. But the woman needs time to heal. If she gives birth naturally there’s a lot of tearing—”

  “I don’t need an anatomy lesson, alright?”

  “I’m just explaining—”

  “Well, don’t.” I liked to think of Trinity’s pussy as being perfect at all times. “But six weeks? Can’t they just fix it when they’re done there?”

  “It doesn’t work like that, man. These things need time.”

  “What am I going to do for six weeks?”

  “You’ll probably be so invested in fatherhood that you won’t notice.”

  I shot him a smartass look. “You think I’ll ever go six weeks without sex and not notice?”

  “I’m just saying—”

  “No one warned me about this part. No one gave me the 4-1-1.”

  “Would that have changed anything?” he asked incredulously. “Would you never have children?”

  “We could adopt. She wouldn’t have to take six weeks off from Slade duty.”

  “You should adopt because you want to, not so you can get your dick wet.”

  I rubbed the back of my head as the sadness fell on my shoulders. No sex for six weeks. How was I going to survive?

  “You can always do other things,” Cayson reminded me. “I got a lot of blow jobs in that six weeks. Come on, who doesn’t like a blow job?”

  “No one,” I said. “But I still prefer sex.”

  “Well, we all do. But there will be other things. Just chill, man.”

  “It’s hard for me to chill when you just dropped a bomb on me.”

  “Just remember, when Olympia gets here that will be your primary focus. You aren’t going to be a sex crazed guy.”

  I guess he didn’t know me very well. “Have you seen Ro?” If I didn’t change the subject now the depression was going to swallow me whole.

  “At Sean’s place. But other than that, not really.”

  “So he’s doing good?”

  “Yeah. It doesn’t seem like they harmed him when he was a prisoner. He just seems concerned about his father. Since they had that falling out he’s been really attentive. Feels guilty about the whole thing.”

  “Well, he should. Ro was a dick about the whole thing.”

  Cayson didn’t comment, probably because it was a conflict of interest. “They seem to be back to normal and that’s all that matters.”

  “I’m just glad this bullshit is over. Abe said no one should bother us again. The Shot brothers are dead so there’s no reason someone should bother us.”

  “Unless they have a third brother.”

  I glared at him.

  Cayson chuckled. “They don’t. Sean checked.”

  Thank god. “If they did I would hunt him down and kill him first. Just to eliminate the element of surprise.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  “You want to do anything tonight? Go bowling?”

  “Nah,” Cayson answered. “I should be home. Skye hasn’t said anything but I know she’s afraid to be home alone.”

  Trinity was the same way. Abe was there when I wasn’t. “Yeah, I guess I should be home too.”

  “I’m telling you, she’s going to be jumping your bones every second of the day.”

  “Well, that hasn’t happened yet.”

  “Just be sexy.”

  Both of my eyebrows rose. “Be sexy?”

  “Yeah. You know, get in the shower and walk around without a shirt on. Skye falls for that every time.” He snapped his fingers and winked.

  “I don’t have any moves. I’m just sexy all the time.”

  “Well, be more sexy.”

  I was maxed out. “Too bad they don’t have lingerie for dudes.”

  Cayson gave me a strange look.

  “I don’t mean a bra and thong or something. Like, sexy briefs or whatever. Anytime a woman wants to get laid she just has to throw on a teddy and stockings. We need something like that.”

  “Or we could just tell them.”

  “Nah. It’s a lot sexier when you don’t have to say what you want.”

  “Well, I don’t usually wait for Skye to make the move. If I want something I just go for it. She usually responds. In fact, I can’t think of a time when I wanted to get frisky and she didn’t.”

  The
only time Trinity turned me down was when she was pregnant. She had a ridiculous notion in her head that she was hideous and fat. No matter how many times I told her otherwise she didn’t believe me.

  Cayson glanced at his wristwatch. “I should get back to work. I have a lot going on today.”

  “Boring stuff I’ll never understand?”

  “Pretty much.”

  ***

  “Are you ready for the big day?” Don spoke into my ear over the phone.

  “Uh, what big day?” Did I have plans tomorrow but forgot? Was I supposed to make an appearance somewhere? All the events of the past week made me forget about my job. It took a backseat.

  “Your record drops tomorrow,” he said in a dumbfounded voice. “Seriously, how could you forget?”

  I slapped my forehead. “I didn’t forget. I just…you’re right. I forgot.”

  “Well, at least you aren’t full of yourself. The preorder numbers were really strong so I think the release day will be huge. Watch the top one hundred on iTunes.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out.” The front door opened and Trinity walked inside with Abe behind her. Her enormous belly contrasted against her limber stature. She hadn’t gained a pound anywhere except in her stomach. She wore a loose dress with her hair pulled back in a loose updo. My eyes immediately went to the steep curve in her back.

  “I’ll give you a call tomorrow and let you know how things go.”

  “Will do.” My eyes were still on Trinity.

  “See ya.”

  “Bye.” I hung up and tossed the phone on the couch. “How was work, baby?”

  “Good.” She rubbed her belly and made a sigh. “It’s getting hard to walk around. I might go on maternity leave soon.”

  “Not a bad idea.” I walked to the door and greeted Abe. He still had some bruises on his face but most of the discoloration had disappeared. “Nice to be back at work?”

  “Definitely,” he said. “Lying in a hospital bed for nearly a week was unbearable.” He set Trinity’s bags on the counter. “It feels good to be back at work. So, would you like me to stay for the evening?”

  “Yeah, sure—”

  “No,” Trinity said. “I think we can handle it. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Abe didn’t question her decision. He obeyed immediately. “You know where to find me. Have a good evening.” He nodded to both of us before he walked out.

  I was surprised by her decision. I assumed she’d want him here through the night. “Are you sure you—”

  “I want sex. Now.”

  My eyes popped open and almost fell out of my head.

  “Come on.” She strut to the bedroom and removed her clothes along the way. She pulled off her dress and tossed it on the ground. Then she reached her hands behind her back and unclasped her bra.

  I walked behind her, my ass glued to her gorgeous figure. I was practically salivating at the demand in her voice. She pushed me around like a servant, demanding things from me like I was hers to do whatever she wanted.

  And that was true.

  When she entered the bedroom she pulled off her thong then lay back on the bed.

  I got my clothes off at the speed of light then moved on top of her. “Bossy today, huh?”

  “I’ve been so miserable all day and I just want sex. So stop talking.”

  Her bossiness was a huge turn on. “Alright. Whatever you want.”

  She grabbed my hips and pulled me toward her entrance. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve been so horny lately. All day at work, it was all I could think about.”

  “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I didn’t want to bother you.”

  “Baby, you can always call me for that.” I was always down for a booty call.

  She grabbed my shaft and pointed it at her entrance. Then she dragged me into her, pulling my dick between her lips and stretching her channel wide apart. She automatically bit her bottom lip.

  She was so wet that it made my spine tense. It was warm and slick like always, but somehow it felt better. I loved the way she commanded me like I was hers to do whatever she wanted. The aggression and authority she showed turned me on. I usually preferred to be in control, but I liked the turn of events.

  “Fuck me hard, Slade.” She held onto my hips, and guided me farther inside her.

  I wanted to come then and there. “Yes, baby.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Silke

  I removed my foot from the pedal and liquid clay stopped spinning. My hands were covered in the red-brown substance and a few spots freckled my face. I looked up and saw my visitor. “Hey, Dad. What brings you here?”

  In a blue sweater with holes and old jeans he walked inside. He sat at the table across from me, his eyes nearly identical to Slade’s. Sometimes I felt like I was staring at my brother. “The shop was slow so I thought I would stop by.”

  “It’s slow?” Normally, when I went in there it was a zoo.

  “I hired two more guys so now there’s not much for me to do.”

  “Did you do that on purpose?” I hit the pedal again and spun the clay around.

  “Yeah. It was constantly busy in there. But now it’s too slow. Not sure what to do with myself.”

  “Maybe you should have only hired one guy.”

  “Too late for that.”

  “What about Slade’s shop? Who’s running that?”

  “Radio,” Dad answered. “He’s been doing a good job. I don’t want to step on his toes.”

  “You own the place so you can do whatever you want.”

  “Actually, Slade owns it.”

  “But didn’t you put up the money to front it?”

  “Yeah,” he answered. “And he paid me back a few months ago. That place is entirely his.”

  “Wow. That was fast.”

  “I think they used the money from Trinity’s business. His shop does well but it doesn’t do that well.”

  “I wish Arsen was rich,” I said with a chuckle.

  “There’s no rush to pay me back right away. Take all the time you need.” Even if Dad was hungry for money, he would never tell me. He could be going broke, and he still wouldn’t say anything.

  “You want to make some sculptures with me?”

  “Nah. It would just look like red poop.”

  “Oh, come on,” I said. “Give yourself better credit than that.”

  “I’m being serious,” he said. “I can sketch but I can’t mold. Slade is the same.”

  I tried sketching a few times, but my work always came out terrible. I didn’t have the same talent both my father and brother had. My talent seemed to stem from nowhere. “Anything new with you?”

  “Not really. Your mom has been working late so I’ve had a lot of time on my hands.”

  “Seen Sean?”

  “I usually go there for lunch. The kids are there in the evenings, and I don’t want to interrupt his family time.”

  “You would never be an intrusion.”

  “I know. But if I went through something truly horrific I’d want some alone time with my wife and kids. Sean wouldn’t be offended by that. No one would.”

  “I guess.”

  “How are things with you and Arsen? Before the shit hit the fan you two seemed to be tense when Pike made an appearance.”

  Arsen was such a pain in the ass. “He threw a hissy fit, but I straightened him out.”

  “In his defense, if your mother’s ex stopped by your apartment I wouldn’t have a good reaction either.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You better not take his side.”

  “I’m not taking his side. I’m just saying I understand the way he feels. You’re newly married. Jealousy is at an all-time high.”

  “I’ve never seen you get jealous over Mom.”

  He chuckled. “I’m not easily threatened by other men. But believe me, if some good-looking guy was flirting with your mom I’d throw a tantrum too. I wouldn’t necessarily get mad at her,
but I’d be a pain in the ass anyway.”

  I finished making the surface smooth before I pulled my foot off the pedal. “Well, you learn something new every day.”

  “So, everything has been good between you?”

  “Yeah, we’re fine. It took Abby a while to calm down after everything that happened with Roland and Sean. She didn’t know what was going on but Lydia’s mother watched her and that shook her off balance. She’s finally focused on school again.”

  “Poor girl. But she’s smart. She’ll bounce back.”

  “She always does.”

  “So…any kids anytime soon?”

  I almost laughed. “No. I’m concentrating on work right now. My gallery is a success, but I still have a long way to go. I need regular clients and retailers to sell my pieces. If we were to have a baby soon, I wouldn’t be able to do both.”

  “You remind me of your mother.”

  “In what way?”

  “She didn’t want to have kids because she was focused on her career. Then she got promoted…and got promoted again. We kept putting off having children because she just wasn’t ready for it. But then we got pregnant on accident. She wasn’t ready but she didn’t have a choice.”

  “I never knew that.”

  “The point of the story is, you’re never ready. But when they come you prepare for it and you’re fine. So don’t focus too much on your career. I’m not saying it’s not important, but it’ll never be as important as having a family. Besides, you do great with Abby.”

  “But Abby is six. Those critical years of learning and teaching have already happened. She goes to school all day and comes home after I get off work. Totally different than having a newborn baby.”

  “I see your point,” he said. “But I think you’d be able to handle it. You could take your baby here.”

  “In my gallery?” I asked incredulously.

  “Why not? How is any different than being home?”

  “Well, there’s equipment and ovens everywhere…”

  “And you don’t have dangers at home? You could put up a playpen or a gate. You could make it work.”

  The suspicion fell over my shoulders when I realized what was really going on. “You want me to have a kid because you’re bored.”

  “What?” he asked incredulously. “No, Silke. That’s not the case.”

  “I think so. Work has been slow and Mom is busy. You want another grandchild to play with.”