Tangled Paths

by Kimi Flores

  “You know me, you can’t leave me unsupervised. I do, however, have plans for later that’ll require your attention,” he countered in a seductive tone, sending chills of anticipation down Bri’s spine.

  She began to flush, picturing what he had in mind. “Well, now I really can’t wait to get home.” Pausing for a second, she added, “I also have an answer to your question.”

  “Wait, you are talking about the question, right?” She could hear the excitement in his voice. “Can you tell me now?”

  “It’s not very romantic over the phone. Have a little patience. I’m going to let you find it all on your own.” She’d bought an item while they were shopping today but initially didn’t plan on using it so soon. After talking to the girls, she realized she was ready for this. Josh had every right to know that she wanted to become his wife. There was no reason to make him wait.

  “Sounds promising.”

  Nibbling on her lower lip, she said, “I think you’ll enjoy it.”

  “Can’t wait. Drive safely.”

  “You know me.” She started up the car, anxious to get home to him.

  He snickered. “Yes, I do know you, Speed Racer. That’s why I said to drive safely.”

  “I will. See you in a bit. I love you, Josh.”

  He breathed out, “I love you too, baby. Bye.”

  Hitting end, she decided this was a perfect time to lower the convertible top and put in her new belly ring. After pressing the knob to lower the canvas top, she popped the trunk open, got out of her seat, and dug through all of her bags until she found the dangling charm. Lifting the hem of her shirt, she pushed the metal post through the hole in her belly button.

  He’s definitely going to love searching for his answer.

  Patting her stomach, she said, “Come on. Let’s go home to daddy.” She closed the trunk and had a little bounce to her step as she made her way to the driver‘s side door, got in, and took off.

  Josh paced back and forth on the porch, looking at his cell phone again before slipping it back in his pocket. “Fuck, the way she drives Bri should’ve been here thirty minutes ago. Where is she?” He hadn’t felt this sense of panic and urgency in years. He refused to allow his thoughts to go back to the cause of his fear.

  She’s not Kai. She will be here any minute.

  Josh’s anxiety was building. He never wanted to hear that someone he loved wasn’t coming home again. Turning to face the house, he placed both hands on the wall and lowered his head. “I can’t let her see me like this. Get a grip, man. She’s okay…Let her be okay, please.” Pushing himself off the wall, he turned and grabbed the railing. His grip was tightening when headlights came into sight.

  Oh thank God.

  He’d never felt panicky over someone being a few minutes late. Then again, he’d never been in love with a woman who happened to be carrying his child before.

  The awe-inspired look on Bri’s face when she drove up the driveway was one he would never forget. That’s the exact reaction he was going for. She parked beside his truck, staring at the twinkling lights in the trees then the icicle lights and wreaths covering their house as she made her way out of the car. Her mouth was hanging open at his handiwork.

  Josh stepped closer and although he was still coming down from his panicky adrenaline rush, he was unable to hide the joy on his face that only she could bring to him.

  She placed her hand onto her quivering lips, a tear rolling down her cheek. “This is beautiful, Josh. I don’t know what to say. It looks like a house in one of those Christmas movies. I used to dream about what it would be like to go to sleep at night while watching the lights outside my bedroom window. You even have Christmas trees by the door. How did you know?”

  Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close, holding her head to his chest that was still pounding. “Don’t say anything. It’s all for you. I never want you to forget our first Christmas together. I figured we could do the inside together, but I wanted to decorate the outside to surprise you.” Breathing out in relief, he was still trying to shake his anxiety from a few moments ago. “You feel good in my arms.” He tried to control his trembling body and shaky voice, reminding himself to focus on her happiness at seeing the lights.

  Damn, I didn’t realize those old fears were still in me. I’ve never had so much to lose before.

  “Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before.” Her head pressed further into his chest. “Your heart is beating a million miles an hour.” She pulled away to see his face as she sniffed. “Were you nervous that I wouldn’t like it?”

  He took her hands in his, unable to control his shaking. Closing his eyes, he dipped his head. Man, I don’t want to ruin her moment here. When he opened his eyes, he told her, “No Babe. You’re late, and I kinda started freaking out. I thought something happened to you.”

  But nothing had happened. She and their baby were fine.

  Her hands fisted the back of his shirt as he took in the smell of her hair.

  My family is safe.

  Bri saw the worry on his face. “I’m sorry I scared you. I got stuck behind a truck and had to stop for gas. I’m only a little late. I promise to start paying more attention to the time and I’ll let you know when I’m running late.” Hugging him tight, she whispered in a defeated tone, “I warned you I was going to have a hard time adjusting to living with a boyfriend. I’m used to being on my own.” Stepping out of the embrace, she looked up at him and smiled. “But I never want to be the cause for that look on your face again.”

  Placing his hands on the side of her face, he looked into her eyes. “Bri, you and the baby are my whole world now, and…” He cleared his throat and pointed to her car. “That tiny car would be destroyed if there was an accident, and…my imagination just went. I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair and forced a smile. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be so worried.”

  She let his words sink in. It was sweet that he was so worried, but she didn’t want him to have a heart attack every time she left. This whole thing was so new to both of them. “Josh, nobody’s ever worried about me before. I mean, when things go wrong of course Stefen and Caleb were concerned, but nobody’s waited for me, worried that I might not make it.”

  His eyes widened. “From this point on, expect me to worry. Even if you’re just one minute late. Hell, I'm probably going to worry every time you step out the door. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Seeming to have relaxed, he folded his arms across his chest and gave her that sexy half-smile. “I do like the idea of you checking in with me, though. Maybe we should use a reward system. I’m sure I could come up with something that would put a smile on your face every time you remembered to call me,” he said suggestively.

  She loved how quickly and easily the tone of their conversation could turn into something flirty. Using the tip of her index finger, she traced the pattern on his shirt over his tattoo. “What would my consequence be if I forget?”

  Scratching the scruff on his chin as if he were giving it great thought, he replied, “You’ll have to put a smile on my face.”

  Bouncing on her toes, she gave an exaggerated clap of the hands. “Oh, so win-win?” She bent forward, offering her hand for him to shake. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Tucker.”

  Remembering her surprise under her shirt, she almost opened her mouth to tell him her answer right then and there, but she really wanted him to have more fun searching for it himself. This would not end up being a story they could tell their grandchildren later, but it would be one of those special little things that only the two of them would know.

  Josh followed Bri up to their bedroom. She’d promised him a few things that he definitely planned on taking his time enjoying, once they got upstairs. As soon as she reached the bed, she spun around and sat on the edge. “So I told you I have an answer for you, but you have to find it.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to give me a hint?” There was no doubt in his
mind what she was going to say, but he wasn’t about to waste this opportunity. He loved her playfulness, and he planned on playing right along with her.

  “It’s somewhere,” she ran her index finger up and down her body, “here.”

  His pulse began to spike, sending his heart into a different kind of danger zone than earlier. “I better get to work looking for it then, shouldn’t I?” He leaned over her, kissing her lips slowly, tenderly. Gathering her hair in his hand, he lifted the dark silky strands from the back of her neck and gently sucked on one ear lobe. He dipped her head forward, making his way to the other, kissing and nibbling the back of her neck. Reaching the opposite side, he moved her head up, sucking her other ear between his lips with a playful smile as she moaned her approval. “The answer isn’t back here.” Releasing her hair, he moved to face her.

  Brushing his lips against hers, he let his hands roam down her arms, bringing both of her hands up to his mouth. The tip of his tongue darted out, licking each of her fingers, and he watched her eyes begin to glaze over with love and lust. “It doesn’t appear to be here either.” He kissed the tiny scars on the palm of her hand, then her wrist before resting both of her hands on top of her thighs.

  Bri seemed lost in the sensation of his touch as she sighed, “I love you.”

  A slow smile appeared on his lips as he lowered to his knees in front of her. His knuckles brushed up and down her calf, while his lips followed the same trail, peppering her skin with small kisses and bites. Once he removed her sandals, he looked up at her smiling face. “It’s not here,” he said with a sexy drawl. “These pants might be a problem. Mind if I remove them?”

  She shook her head, encouraging him to keep going.

  Motioning for her to lay back further on the bed, he ran his fingertips up her leg as he crawled on top of her, straddling her thighs. Careful to keep his weight off of her, he kissed her neck. Edging his fingers toward her waist, he unbuttoned her jeans with ease and slowly slid the zipper down. With his thumbs inside the waistband, he pulled her hip hugging jeans down her legs, then backed off the bed and removed each of her legs one at a time. The jeans landed on the floor in a soft thud as he inched closer to her, pulling the hem of her shirt up just above her tiny panties. He placed his hands on the sides of her legs as his eyes zoomed in on the lacy material. “I don’t see the answer here either, but I really like these.” He kissed each of her hipbones, the top of one thigh, then the garter tattoo on the other while he stared at her face. “I think I’ll keep looking.”

  Bri sat up with a sexy smile, her voice breathless. “I didn’t think you’d quit there.”

  He chuckled, moving in again and running his open mouth up and down her neck. He unbuttoned her shirt, then rubbed her sides as his search continued. Ever so slowly, Josh sensually slid the shirt over her shoulders and down her arms as he kissed his way across her collarbone to the other side of her neck.

  She tilted her head to give his lips better access, panting, “This is the best pat down ever.”

  “It isn’t over yet.” He pulled her shirt away, tossing it on top of the jeans. His eye caught something near her belly, but he didn’t mind taking his time getting to it. “Am I getting warm yet?”

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really hot,” she breathed out.

  His lips made their way down her chest, in between her breasts, as he asked, “Are Thelma and Louise still off limits, or do I get to search them too?”

  In a soft whimper, she replied, “They hold no evidence tonight, but later they wouldn’t mind being questioned.”

  “I guess I’ll just keep going then.” He smiled against her skin as he continued to kiss his way down her stomach. Placing his hands on the bed, he began to give her tummy kisses, knowing he was about to find what she wanted him to see.

  Finally, he nestled himself between her legs, lifting his upper body onto his elbows. The way she showed her love in these unique ways made Josh feel like a king at times. He peeked up at her biting her bottom lip, then he read the silver charm that dangled from her belly button.

  I DO

  His lips broke out into a huge grin as he glanced up. Keeping his eyes on her, he kissed around her belly button until he’d made a full circle. “It’s about time.” He chuckled, jumping off the bed. “Come on. I wanna show you something.”

  Huffing, she sat up on her elbows. “Now?”

  His eyebrow lifted as he gave her a pointed look. “Yeah, now. Don’t you trust me?” He smirked.

  Looking at her pile of clothes on the floor, she asked, “Do I need to get dressed?”

  “I’d rather you didn’t, but by now it’s probably cold outside and I don’t want you to get sick.” He leaned over the bed, kissing her again as he handed her shirt over.

  She looked confused. “Outside?”

  “Yeah. Let’s go.” Trying to contain his excitement, he took her hand, tugging until she got up. She slipped her arms through the shirt as he followed her down the stairs. Opening the door, the cold breeze hit them. “Shit, it’s colder than I thought. Hold on.” Spinning around, he ran back upstairs, grabbed her pants, and sandals, then returned to the front door. “Put these on too.”

  It was such a small thing, but he could see from her expression that she was overwhelmed. That the little things he did meant a lot to her. Once she was dressed, he draped his arm over her shoulder, leading them toward the garage. The door rolled up easily when he pulled on it.

  Her eyes zeroed in on the Mercedes M Class SUV parked beside his Porsche. “Whose is that?”

  He picked up a key ring from the work counter. Grasping it in his hand, he dangled the keyless remote in front of her. “Our new family car.”

  Opening her hand, he placed the key ring in her palm.

  Her eyebrows lowered, a look of sadness covering her face. “You want me to get rid of my car?”

  “No, of course not.” He frowned. “The baby’s seat won’t fit in any of the other cars. Plus, it’s one of the safest SUVs out there. Remember when you told me how Stefen helped you get your car and how grateful you were?”

  She nodded and let out a breath. “Wow, you really were paying attention, even back then.” She gave him a hip bump and smiled. “Thanks, I really do despise haggling with car salesmen.” Turning to face the SUV again, she said, “That’s one nice-looking ride.”

  He eyed her hand, wanting her to see everything on the key ring as she started to walk around the car.

  “Get in. Take a look,” Josh suggested, trying to stand still while she eyed the shiny new vehicle.

  Glancing down at the remote, she pressed the button. She rotated her wrist up, finally seeing what he was waiting for her to notice. Gasping, her eyes went wide as she brought the ring up for a closer inspection. “Ohmigod. Is that what I think it is?”

  He took it from her hand, swirled the key ring around, and removed his other surprise. “Yes, it is.” Smiling, he held up the pink and white gold diamond engagement ring. Lowering down to one knee, he looked up at her. “Bri, you’ve brought so much life into my world, and I still can’t believe that you chose me. I want to prove to you every day that I’m worthy of that choice, and I promise to cherish you, always. I know you already gave me an answer, but you deserve to be asked properly.”

  Kissing her knuckles, he asked her once more, “Bri, will you spend the rest of your life with me, as my wife?”

  Teary eyed, she encouraged him to stand up. “Yes, Josh. I want to marry you. Not because we made a baby together, but because I love you and because I can’t imagine one day going by where you aren’t by my side. You make me feel safe and whole. For the first time, I can be myself and know it’s enough.”

  With a pride unknown to him before, he slid the ring on her finger and kissed her hand. Overcome with emotions, his eyes darted back and forth, looking into hers. She bounced on the balls of her feet. Her euphoria was palatable and he felt his heart spill over. Her expression said the she was having just as
much trouble containing her happiness as he was. Josh mouthed the words “Thank you” to his fiancé.

  I may have a room full of awards and trophies but nothing compares to the feeling of putting my ring on her finger.

  Josh ran his hands under her shirt, caressing the skin on her waist. “Be careful what you wish for,” he growled mischievously. Bri jerked her eyes from the diamond he had just placed on her hand to see what he was talking about. She gave him a silent shrug of confusion as he went on to say, “I’m never leaving your side now.”

  Visibly relaxing her body, she moved her hands under his shirt and let out a laugh that could infect a crowded room. “Damn right you’re not leaving my side after getting me all hot and bothered. Take me to bed now, cowboy, or we’re breaking in the backseat of our family car.” She nodded toward their new ride.

  He gave her a growl that prompted her to take off running toward the house. He could run, but he wanted to take his time capturing her. He had one more surprise, but that could wait until tomorrow. She just said yes, and tonight they were going to celebrate.