The Baby Bump

by Tara Wylde

  I break out in a cold sweat. I thought I’ve managed to keep my secret obsession, well, a secret – but maybe Suzie found out. It’s not like I can keep an eye on my computer twenty-four seven. It’s password protected, but passwords only go so far. If Suzie wanted to, she could crack mine. Besides, she’s nosey enough that I wouldn’t put it past her. And if she has …

  “You’re trying to find a date—” Suzie’s strident voice breaks through my thoughts, with a triumphant edge to it now, “—and you’ve resorted to online dating.”

  If I’d been drinking something, I’d have choked on it. Between Suzie’s never-ending list of demands and my actual work responsibilities, I barely have time to write, much less engage in anything as time consuming as dating.

  “And really, you need to get with the times,” Suzie continues. “Online dating sites are so yesterday. Today, everyone is logged onto Tinder.” She lifts the hand that’s permanently wrapped around her phone and wiggles the slim device back and forth. “They use their smartphones.”

  I drop my eyes to the table top and don’t say a word.

  Maybe, just maybe, if I stay silent long enough, Suzie will tell me what she needs from me and then disappear so that I can return to writing about Maxie and Dillion – whose imaginary love lives are far more exciting than mine has ever been.

  Suzie rocks back on her heels and studies me. “Though, I suppose you probably started out with Tinder and everyone in the surrounding hundred miles has already swiped left, forcing you to explore other avenues.”

  A twinge of self-consciousness stabs through me. I lift my hand, instinctively covering the starburst-shaped scar that covers my left cheek.

  Even without the scar, I’d never have been able to hold a candle next to Suzie’s blond, perfectly curvy, all-American looks. I’ve always been a realist about my appearance, pretty in a girl next door way, a little bit curvy, but apparently not the kind of girl who inspires men to fantasize about her. Normally, I’m okay with that, but each time Suzie makes a crack about my looks, it eats away at my confidence.

  I stare at my closed laptop and try to let Suzie’s words wash over me. Luckily, she has the attention span of a gnat and soon transitions back to her original tirade.

  “I don’t understand how you can be sitting here, sipping coffee and taking up space while everyone else is running around like crazy trying to make sure everything is just perfect.” Somehow, she manages to get the sentence out without taking a single breath.

  “What would you like me to do, Suzie?” I say mildly as I resign myself to spending the rest of my day off returning to Suzie’s beck and call.

  “Right.” Suzie punches a button on her smart phone and starts typing almost as soon as the screen lights up. “I want you to run over to the bakery and check on my cake, and while you’re there, would you tell her I also want to order a hundred and fifty cupcakes.”

  “A hundred and fifty?” I repeat her words, not quite believing I’ve heard correctly. “Why do you need so many?”

  As far as I know, Suzie hasn’t touched anything with sugar in it ever since she convinced Eli DeLeon to pop the question nine months ago.

  Suzie rolls her eyes. “For the reception, of course. I want them to be the same flavor as my wedding cake.”

  “Your reception is tonight,” I remind her.

  “I know.” Her eyes brighten – and I wince. The only time Suzie looks like that is when she has what she thinks is a good idea. As a rule, they turn out to be a nightmare. “In fact, I’d love it if she could make them into little miniatures of my wedding cake.”

  This gets my attention. “Your cake is five layers.”

  Suzie shrugs. “So?”

  “When was the last time you saw five-layer cupcakes?” Movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention.

  The tall lanky guy who looks vaguely familiar is getting up, probably to leave. Maybe even scared away by Suzie’s antics. A shame. When he walked into the coffee shop half an hour earlier, I immediately thought that with his good looks, he’d be a great source of inspiration for my next romance novel. Or maybe, I’d add him to the one I was currently working on, use his good looks as the inspiration for a character who’ll shake things up, maybe form one side of a love triangle with Dillion and Maxie.

  Wouldn’t that be fun to write!

  “If she doesn’t think she’s capable of making multi-layer cupcakes,” Suzie continues, completely oblivious to the fact that my attention has strayed, “then maybe she can divide the cupcakes up so that each group represents a layer.”

  The guy pulls his black windbreaker on and his car keys out of his pocket. The fact that her latest source of inspiration is leaving causes my internal muse to wail and moan.

  Oh…” Suzie is already warming to the idea. “And you can run to the mall and pick up one of those display things that caterers use, get one with five layers, and we’ll set up the cupcakes so that they look like my wedding cake.”

  The words “The Mall” have my attention snapping back to the curvy blonde.

  “It takes over an hour to get to the mall, and it’s already nearly three in the afternoon,” I protest.

  Suzie crosses her arms over her chest and glares at me. “Not my problem. You’re the one who decided to spend her time here, playing on your computer, rather than answering my calls.”

  Impotent anger twists my stomach. I’d give just about anything to stand up to her, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I’ve fought that losing battle too many times before to want to rehash it again now. “Fine,” I mutter, imagining a hundred different ways to roast Suzie’s feet over an open fire.

  “While you’re there, you’d better stop in at Delicious Diva’s. They have a new line of mascara that sounds amazing, so you should plan on picking up a tube of that as well. And you need to call that D.J. I booked for the wedding and confirm my wedding playlist. Then make sure that—”

  “Excuse me.” A deep voice cuts into Suzie’s long list of demands.

  Before I have time to react to the interruption, a pair of strong hands reach down and wrap around my upper arms, drawing me up and out of my chair.

  Startled, I tip my head back and find myself staring into a pair of the bluest eyes I’ve ever encountered. They shine warmly at me as the very man I’d just been watching a few seconds earlier draws me into his warm, hard body.

  “Hello sweetheart,” he murmurs in a deep voice that unexpectedly sends goosebumps racing along my skin. “I’ve missed you.”

  He slides one hand down my arm until he’s lightly holding my fingers. His eyes sparkle like the Caribbean Ocean on a sunny afternoon as he lifts my hand and brushes a kiss across the back of it. The touch is feather light, and should barely be enough to register, yet it sends a strange tingling sensation ricocheting up my arm.

  Startled, I yank my hand free. The corners of his mouth lift in a small, self-satisfied smile. He shifts his weight, sidling up close to me until his breath, smelling of cinnamon and coffee, fans my cheek.

  “I’ve been waiting all day to see you again,” he whispers in his dark velvet voice. “It seems like an eternity since I last tasted you.”

  Before I can tell him that he’s obviously mistaken me for someone else, he lowers his head and kisses me.

  Ryan

  This is the stupidest, most reckless thing I’ve ever done.

  The thought flashes across my mind as I tug the pretty brunette out of her chair and to her feet, but it doesn’t stop me from pressing my mouth to hers. Even as our lips connect, I fully expect to feel her knee connecting with my groin, but then I feel the softness of her lips and all rational thought flies out the window.

  She tastes like peppermint mocha, my new favorite flavor. Desperate for more, I trace the seam created by her lips as my hands slide down her arms and settle on her hips.

  I tug her even closer to me as I change my angle, silently urging her to allow me to deepen the kiss. After a moment of hesitation, she
complies and parts her lips, granting my tongue access to hers. I feel a small hand rest on my chest, just below my pounding heart. The fingers curl into my windbreaker and seem to pull me closer.

  She gasps into my mouth, and the muffled sound causes my heart to pound and my dick to swell painfully against the front of my pants.

  She drives her tongue deeper into my mouth, twirling it against mine in a move that drives me wild. My fingers press into her flesh as the kiss deepens. My world narrows until the only thing I’m aware of is this amazing woman I’m holding in my arms.

  Satisfaction mixed with delight wings through me. I’d happily spend the rest of my days right here in this coffee shop, kissing this tasty woman for ever and ever, if given half a chance.

  The sound of a throat clearing penetrates the kiss-induced fog that’s coated my mind. I reluctantly lift my head and draw a deep breath while staring down into a pair of doe-shaped hazel eyes that seem just a little dazed.

  Unable to resist, I drop down and steal another peppermint mocha flavored kiss before snaking an arm around the brunette’s waist and half turning so I face Suzie. Just before I turn my head, I flash this mysterious dark-haired temptress a wink.

  “Suzie Collins, so nice to see you again, it’s been far too long,” I greet her. “I’m sorry for being so rude. I should have said hi to you first, but when it comes to—” my brain scrambles to fill in the blank. Improv has never been my thing. “—my sweetheart, I just couldn’t resist kissing her. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her, I just needed to touch her. You know how it is, right?”

  “Ryan Jakes.” Surprise colors Suzie’s voice, softening it.

  The woman I’m holding stiffens as she recognizes my name but she doesn’t do or say anything to indicate to Suzie that prior to me walking over to the table, we’d never met.

  “I haven’t seen you since graduation,” Suzie continues. “Well, except for when your handsome face is filling up my television screen.” She reaches over and places a hand on my arm, acting as if we’re best friends.

  I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Suzie and I may have been in the same graduating class during high school, but we were anything but friends. Socially, we were on opposite sides of the social spectrum. Suzie was the pretty, popular daughter of the local doctor. The homecoming queen, the head cheerleader, the girl everyone wanted to be. Meanwhile, I was the kid who most people liked, but never really friended. The kid who played trumpet in the band, refused to outgrow his comic book collection, and who ran away from home the same night we graduated high school.

  It was funny; I hadn’t given Suzie Collins a second thought since I’d left town, but the minute she walked into the coffee shop I recognized her – and remembered that while she hadn’t been a bad person while we’d been growing up, she’d always had a knack for using people to achieve her own goals. And that she’s always been oblivious to everyone’s needs but her own.

  From the little scene she pitched, I assumed that the only way she’s changed was to add screaming in public places to her repertoire.

  I tried to ignore her, but given the volume that was impossible, so I decided to try to sneak out of this place before Suzie noticed and recognized me.

  That was my plan. But when I looked at the pretty brunette who was the center of Suzie’s stormy attention, and saw how downtrodden and sad she looked, my heart ached for her. She just looked so damn lost, like a puppy someone’s left out in the rain.

  So, without so much as a plan, I walked over to the table and …

  “So,” Suzie reaches up and fluffs her short blond hair while she bats her lashes at me. “What brings you back to our humble little town?”

  “This and that.”

  Suzie rolls her eyes and giggles. “Sounds fun. And very mysterious. How long are you going to be in town?”

  “I’m not really sure just yet. There’s some stuff that hasn’t been nailed down yet, so at least a few more days.”

  “Perfect!” Suzie holds up her left hand. A diamond the size of my pinkie fingernail catches the overhead florescent lights. “I’m getting married tomorrow.”

  Thanks to her bridezilla routine, every single person in this coffee shop knows that her wedding is coming up…

  “If you’re going to be around,” Suzie begins, “you can come. Obviously, there’s not enough time to send you a formal invitation, but if you’ll let me know where you’re staying, Lucy can …” Her words trail off and her gaze ping pongs from me to the brunette. “Wait a minute. How do you know Lucy, and why are the two of you kissing?” The last part comes out in an aggravated, accusing whisper.

  I wondered when she’d get around to asking me that…

  Fortunately, the nice thing about Suzie’s ability to only be able to think about things that pertain directly to her own life is that I had plenty of time to think of a cover story.

  “Lucy and I are a couple.”

  I said I thought of a story, I didn’t say it was a good one.

  Beside me, the brunette stiffens. She tips her head to the side and up and stares at me, while Suzie’s eyes practically pop out of her skull.

  “You. And Lucy?” she gasps. “Dating?”

  “Yep.” Knowing just how important actions are when it comes to selling a story to an audience, I bend my head and brush a soft kiss against Lucy’s brow. I love how soft her skin is, and how her hair smells like cinnamon. It’s an intoxicating combination. And another new favorite flavor.

  “But how is that even possible? Lucy lives here. You live in …” Suzie suddenly realizes that the only things she knows about my current life is what she’s read in tabloids and celebrity blogs, and even she knows that those lie far more than they tell the truth. “You live somewhere else,” she finally says.

  “True, but there’ve been some really great inventions that make long distance relationships a piece of cake,” I tell her, struggling to contain a laugh that’s twisting my insides. “You may have heard of a few. They’re called airplanes, Skype, text messaging, etc.”

  Suzie struggles to keep up. “But how did the two of you even meet?”

  Shit, I hadn’t thought about that. Lying seems like the best solution. “I was in town. Visiting my family.” I doubt Suzie knows that I’ve spent the past eighteen years refusing to set foot inside the house I grew up in. I glance around the coffee shop and inspiration hits. “We met right here. She was standing in line behind me. When I got my order, I turned around and crashed right into her. Coffee went everywhere, and completely ruined this cute little pink top she was wearing.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you’re dating Ryan Jakes?” Suzie directs the question at Lucy.

  All around us, I can feel people straining to hear the answer, attracted by both the drama Suzie created and my familiar name. There’s no doubt in my mind that this story is going to be rehashed around all the dinner tables in this little town.

  “Um,” Lucy starts, her voice squeaky.

  “We decided not to go public until after your wedding,” I say impulsively. Ideas for lies are coming quicker and getting easier to say. “Didn’t want to detract from your big day. And now we have and it’s all my fault. Please forgive me. It’s just I saw Lucy sitting here, looking so adorable, and I couldn’t resist kissing her. It must be the same way between you and your fiancé, right?”

  “Err.” The expression on Suzie’s face indicates that this might not actually be the case. Probably because she doesn’t stop talking long enough to allow herself to be properly kissed.

  “Now, if you don’t mind, Lucy and I have plans for this afternoon.”

  This gets Suzie’s attention. “Lucy’s supposed to be helping me today. With wedding things.”

  “Not today,” I tell Suzie. “Remember, it’s Lucy’s day off?”

  “But,” Suzie starts, “she’s going to pick stuff up at the mall for me. And she needs to talk to the DJ. And I want her to check out this little spot down by the creek, ma
ke sure it’s dry enough for some post wedding photos.”

  “Later.” I tighten my arm around Lucy’s waist and guide her toward the coffee shop door. “When she’s actually working. But not on her day off.”

  Before Suzie says anything else, I grab Lucy’s lightweight coat off her chair, sweep her laptop off the table, and lead Lucy out of the coffee shop and into the warm spring sunshine.

  Lucy

  “Howdy.” A heavily muscled man clad in a black, silver, and orange costume that’s tailored to showcase his … assets, lands before Maxie. A long black cape floats down around him, giving him an air of mystery. Behind his mask, a pair of intense, Caribbean blue eyes reflect the sunlight, which might explain why a hot flush envelopes Maxie.

  She swallows and wraps her hands around the back of the park bench, silently praying that he’ll assume her sudden weakness is the result of her near disaster, and not his proximity. “I’m Maxie Ramos,” she says, her voice sounding as breathless as she feels.

  “I’m Heat Flare.” Instead of looking into Maxie’s eyes, his attention is riveted to her parted lips.

  Maxie presses her thighs together and tries not to notice the rush of liquid heat. She loves Dillion Parker, the superhero who’s been saving this town forever, often leaving her wanting and alone while he goes off to battle yet another deadly foe who threatens humanity. She’s been in love with Dillion for as long as she can remember. So why is her body reacting to the very presence of another flying, spandex and leather clad man? It doesn’t make any sense.

  “Um.” A flicker of uncertainty passes through those amazing blue eyes. “I hope you don’t mind. I’ve never done anything like this before … but …” The stranger’s voice trails off and he takes a half step closer to Maxie. Behind his mask, his eyelids become heavy as the blue seems to glow even more intensely.

  Without meaning to, Maxie releases her grip on the park bench and sways closer and closer to him, until her breasts brush against his chest. She lifts her arms, winding them around his neck as his own arms lock around her waist. A split second later, he covers her mouth in a kiss that she feels all the way to the soles of her feet.