by Alla Kar
It must work because I feel his dick move beneath my ass. “Temptress,” he says as our chat window pops up.
Kat is smiling ear to ear when the webcam focuses in. “Bella! Beau!” she yells.
Beau laughs in my ear—like he does every time we have our weekly chats—and waves at her. “Hey, Kat!”
“Hey Kat,” I smile and point to the screen when Taborie signs in. Shortly after, his smiling face is covering the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hey!” We all yell at the same time.
Taborie makes a grand show of trying to get everyone’s attention. “I’ve got some important news.”
“So do I!” Kat yells, waving to get our attention like we won’t see her. “I got a one hundred on my spelling test the other day!”
Beau hoots and holds his hand up for a virtual high-five. “I told you that you could do it!”
She beams, gives him a virtual high-five and then moves her gaze to Taborie. “Sorry, I was excited.”
He snorts. “Though that’s fantastic news—good job, Kat—my news is more monumental.”
Beau nudges me and I shrug my shoulders at him. “What is it?” I ask.
He grins, his slanted bright eyes squint even more. “I’m going to have a baby.”
“What!” Beau barks out at the same time Kat yells, “Yay, a baby!”
Taborie bursts out laughing, reaches out and pulls his wife Vickie down onto his lap. He rubs her tummy and nuzzles into her hair. “You’re glowing,” I say.
And Vickie blushes. “Thank you. Hopefully I won’t get as big as a whale.”
Beau snorts. “You’re beautiful. And you’re both going to be great parents.”
And he’s right. I can’t imagine a better Dad than Taborie. He took care of Kat like she was his own. Put his life down for her when he didn’t have to.
“When are you two going to have a baby?” Kat asks.
Beau stiffens underneath me and laughs to hide the embarrassment of that question. “Not for a while,” I say, winking at Kat. “How are your aunt and uncle doing?” I ask.
Anything to change the subject. “They’re fine. They told me that they’re adopting a six-year-old little girl. They can’t have babies like you, Taborie.”
“So you’re going to have a new little sister?” I ask.
Her head bobs up and down, the red ringlet curls that are hanging by her head bounce in an adorable way. “Yeah, but you’ll still be my sister, so you don’t have to worry or anything.”
Beau chuckles against my back and I give her a serious nod. “Of course.”
“Plus, she is probably going to want to wear my clothes and that’s going to be annoying. My friend at school, Lilly, said her little sister does that to her.” She rolls her eyes like it’s the end of the world.
A beeping starts going off and Taborie reaches for his phone to turn off an alarm. “We’ve got to cut out early today. We’re going to our first doctor’s appointment.”
“Keep us updated,” I say. “Until next time?”
They both nod. “Until next time,” Taborie says, before reaching forward and turning off his monitor.
Kat’s face goes full screen as soon as Taborie’s window closes. “Bella?”
“We’re here, Kat,” Beau says, shifting me away from the growing lump in his jeans.
“I just wanted to tell you both thank you. I know I have before, but—since my nightmares have gone away, I really understand how much you both did for me. And even though my mom, dad and sisters didn’t make it, I’m glad I did.”
God—I told myself no crying before this party. My eyes will not be red or strained when we walk in. Nope, not today.
“Kat, we love you,” Beau says. “And we’re so happy you made it too.”
Pink flushes her cheeks and she tucks a ringlet behind her ear before jerking her head toward the right. “My aunt says I have to do my homework now.”
I smile and hold back the threatening tears. “Same time next week?”
She beams. “I’ll see you then. Bye!” She waves wildly before turning off her monitor.
Beau sighs, wraps his arms around me and nuzzles my neck. “I’m happy for Taborie.”
“Me too. And Kat.”
“And Kat,” he says, nipping my shoulder. “Are you ready for this party?” he asks because we both know I’ve been on the edge of my seat all week nervous about it.
Not only are Ashley, Cody and all of their friends going to be there, but so is Jordan’s parents and Sissy. I’ve seen them plenty of times in the last year but not with Beau. Our friends know—everyone at school knows, but we haven’t been around Jordan’s parents together since the last dinner.
I relax into his lap and sigh while he trails the rough tips of his guitar playing calloused fingers against my bare legs. “Yes.”
“Me too, but hey,” he says, turning me until I’m facing him. He examines my face closely while twirling circles around my upper thigh, teasing the edge of my small boy short panties. “We’re going to be fine. We love each other, Bella. That’s all that matters. Period.”
I let him scoop me up and carry me to the bathroom where he drops me off on the seat. I swing my feet and watch as he strips his clothes and turns on the shower. His back muscles are long and coiled together tightly, dipping down to a perfect sculptured ass. When he pulls the shower curtain back halfway he turns to look at me. “You coming?”
I smile and pull my underwear off from underneath my shirt and then my shirt over my head. “I have a feeling I’m about to be,” I say.
He gives me a cocky I’ll make you come face and curls his finger for me to join him. “I believe we can make that happen, Dove.”
***
My old apartment—which is all Ashley’s now—looks like it’s been decorated by a damn expert. I swear Ashley should drop her nursing degree and go into interior design. I like how she waits until I move out to decorate.
Ashley comes running up to me, arms wide, chestnut hair perfectly curled and her dress too tight. “You’re both here. I’m so excited.” She squeals, grabs my hand and pulls me toward the group of people loitering in my old living room.
I see Cody in his gamer chair playing with some guy I’ve never seen and then I see Sissy sitting on the loveseat, hands wrapped around her crossed knees just like Emily. She looks more and more like her every day.
Her blonde hair matches her sister’s perfectly too. I try to steady my breathing but before I know it Jordan’s dad is walking straight toward me.
Oh, God.
I can feel Beau’s breath hitting the back of my neck, and I squirm at his closeness. “Breathe, Bella,” he whispers so lightly that no one hears.
Mr. Finch reaches me and pulls me into a huge bear hug, smashing me against his growing belly. “Bella it’s so good to see you.” He turns to look at Beau. “You too, son. How are things?”
The words I had planned vanish and I stand there shakily nervous like a Chihuahua but with my mouth parted. Beau steps forward, places his hand on my lower back. “We’ve been good. Keeping busy.”
He said we. Does he know yet? Can he tell?
Ashley gives me a calm down look from across the room and holds her hands out palms down. “School going well, Bella?”
“What?”
Mr. Finch’s wide brown eyes widen and he gives Beau a look I can’t pinpoint. “School. Is it going okay?”
“Oh, yeah. Only a semester until I graduate.” I let out the weakest woohoo I can muster.
Mrs. Finch is talking to someone but I see her keeping an eye on the three of us. Tugging on Beau’s shirt sleeve, I avert my eyes toward Sissy. “I’ll be back. Excuse me.”
It’s a lie. I’m not going to talk to Sissy right now. She’s on my avoid for the longest you can list. I make a beeline for the bathroom and press my palms against the cool marble countertop, and take a few easy breaths once I’m in. If I’ve learned anything from Dr. Johns it’s to keep calm and take deep
breaths. What I’m freaking out about probably isn’t as bad as I think.
Which is so not true in this situation.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
God. I rake my hands through my hair and try to touch up my makeup before I open the door. Beau leans against the doorframe and gives me his patient smile that I wish I had. “You’re freaking out.”
“I am not.”
He lifts a dark brow and gives me that who are you kidding smile. “Come on, you’re talking to me. I know when you’re freaking and you’re definitely freaking, Dove. Calm down.” He reaches out and touches the side of my face.
“I’m trying. I just—what if they freak? What will we do?”
“We’ll let them be mad and they’ll realize—in time—that we’re meant for one another.”
I frown. “That doesn’t sound like a beneficial plan for us.”
“It can be—but they’re not going to act like that anyway.” He grabs me and pulls me to his chest, where I place my sweaty palms. “They’re going to be fine with it because it’s not wrong to love each other, Bella.”
I nod and place my ear against his chest and listen to the steady beating of his heart. “You ready to go back out there yet?”
I slowly nod, calming myself with concentrating on his heartbeat. “Yes, let’s go.”
Beau interlaces our fingers and we slowly emerge from the bathroom. I try to focus on Beau’s upright hair or how his scruffy jaw makes him look rugged but my head is too focused on what everyone is thinking.
It doesn’t take long before someone notices us returning, and then another. And when my gaze lands on Mrs. Finch—she’s smiling. Both hands are interlaced in her lap but she’s smiling directly at me. At us. At both of us holding hands.
I quickly look the other way embarrassed by the attention. Beau reassures me by squeezing my hand and gently rocking into my shoulder. I pretend not to notice and take a seat beside him at the bar where Ashley is playing bartender. Not that she has any inkling of what to do, but I always think it’s funny to see her act like she’s got it under control.
Sissy makes her way up to Ashley and puts her hand out for a drink. Ashley frowns and tosses her a water from the fridge. “No fair,” she wines before glancing over at me. Her green eyes widen when she sees Beau’s hand caressing my kneecap.
Her mouth makes a perfect O and then she gives me two thumbs up while mouthing, “oh yeah.”
I snort, keeping the happy tears form ruining my makeup. The overwhelming urge to run away evaporates. I turn back to my bottle of Bacardi Silver and wash the nasty aftertaste of fear down my throat. Beau’s breath hits my neck and I know he’s smelling me. I keep still as he traces his nose against the curve of my neck and over the tattoo on my shoulder. “Remember on the mountain when you asked me what my biggest fear was?” he whispers.
“Yes.”
He swallows, dips his head lower and whispers, “I didn’t answer because I didn’t know how. But now I know the answer.” I wait patiently, his mouth still inches away from my ear. “I was afraid that you wouldn’t return the love I had for you. That you wouldn’t love me.”
I smile and touch his cheek. “But I do love you. Always.”
He groans underneath his breath. “I’ve never seen anything so prefect, Bella. You’re perfect.”
My I lift a brow and lock eyes with him over my shoulder. “So you say.”
Another smile. “You are. You’re my reason, Dove. Always have been.”
I take a deep breath, the rest of my fears dissolving at the rough touch of his lips against my shoulder. “Two wrecked souls …” I whisper toward him.
“And two reasons to live,” he breathed before pressing his lips to mine.
THE END
Other Books from Alla Kar
Ranch Hand
Covert Ops: Shifting Pleasures
Make Me Yours (Forever #1)
You Are Mine (Forever #2)
Forever Yours (Forever #3)
Teach Me (Love Me #1)
Play Me (Love Me #2)
Stroke Of Fear
Where You Are Coming July 2014 by Swoon Romance
Rock Me Coming May 2014
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