From This Day Forward: A Sex & Vows Novella

by Fiona Davenport

  I collapsed on her for a minute, then gathered her close as our breathing returned to normal. I rolled onto my back, situating her on top of me, my semi-hard dick still gloved in her heat.

  Rubbing lazy circles on her back, I thought about the life we were building, the baby we’d created. I wasn’t exaggerating when I told her I was out of patience. But, I wasn’t completely unreasonable. With a finger under her chin, I gently lifted her head from where it was lying on my chest, then tenderly tucked her honey brown hair behind her ear. “How about this? We’ll make an appointment with the doctor tomorrow and confirm you’re pregnant. Then we can make a decision.”

  She beamed at me and I felt a little guilty because it may have seemed like I was compromising, but I still intended to have her at the courthouse the next night.

  I noticed her bra was still hanging haphazardly from her shoulders and my dick hardened when I pictured what she’d looked like standing in the bathroom doorway. Maybe I’d let her try and convince me a little more…

  3

  Jenna

  Walking out of the teacher’s lounge at the end of the day, I paused just past the door for a moment to squeeze my legs together lightly. The short amount of time I’d stood at the copier had been enough for me to feel stiff. Again. Not that it was the copying that caused the soreness. That was all Quinn.

  Between knowing he’d knocked me up and me trying to talk him into keeping our wedding plans intact, he’d been closer to the edge than usual and he’d taken it out on my body in the most delicious of ways. Over and over again. I’d barely gotten any sleep, I was practically bow-legged when I arrived at work, his handprint was still on my ass, and I had scratches from his scruff all over my chest and thighs. But I wouldn’t change one damn thing about last night. In fact, I wanted us to celebrate any future pregnancies the same way. Just without the pressure of a wedding standing between us.

  I leaned against the door behind me and dropped my head low as I took a deep breath. Quinn was going to be here to pick me up in about five minutes, and then we needed to head over to the OBGYN office that Xander recommended to him. I’d planned to call mine today during my lunch break, but Quinn had texted me before I’d had the chance to let me know he’d already set an appointment with the one Calista was using. Since Dr. Lennon was one of the best OBGYN’s in the Atlanta area, I kept my mouth shut instead of snapping at him for being so overbearing.

  Plus, I was still hoping to be able to convince him not to rush me to the courthouse, so I didn’t want to push my luck too much.

  Taking one last, deep breath to settle my nerves about the appointment, I straightened up to my full height and shoved my papers into my bag. Once I had everything situated, I stepped into the hallway and made my way to the front doors. As I neared them, my steps slowed. One of my students, Darren, was standing near the entrance with his mother. Classes let out more than twenty minutes ago, and the only remaining students should have been the ones in the after-school program.

  Darren’s mom was a single parent, but she always picked him up from school on time. From what she’d told me during an open house at the start of the year, she worked long hours and was always on call, but made whatever sacrifices were necessary to be there whenever her son needed her. He was a sweet boy, bright and conscientious. It was rare to find him without a smile on his face, which made his expression of fear stand out even more.

  His mom was talking to a man I didn’t recognize, but I was fairly certain I’d never seen him at the school before. He didn’t look like he belonged there. Not with his dirty jeans, greasy hair, and the faded blue tattoo of barbed wire circling his forearm. And certainly not with the menacing air he had about him as he loomed over Darren’s mom, standing close with his hand wrapped around her elbow.

  “Can I help you?”

  My question halted their argument, and three sets of eyes jerked up to look at me, each filled with a different emotion. Relief from Darren, fear from his mom, and anger from the stranger. The fingers clenched around her arm whitened, starting to turn her skin purple before the man let Darren’s mom go.

  “No,” she yelped. “Everything’s fine. We were just headed home.”

  I glanced at the man standing next to her. His gaze was locked on my face as though he was memorizing it, sending a shiver up my spine. “Are you sure?” I asked, switching my attention back to Darren’s mom.

  “Yes. My”—she paused as if she was searching for the right word—“friend thought I was still having car problems and came to help in case my battery died again.”

  She grabbed Darren’s hand and made her way to the parking lot, the man following closely. I stayed a few feet behind them as I walked to the curb to wait for Quinn, happy he was going to pick me up because I didn’t want to be alone with the guy when Darren and his mom left. As she settled her son into the back seat and watched while he buckled up, I heard the man tell her he’d see her at work the next night. His tone sounded off to me, almost coming across as a threat, but maybe I was reading more into it than I should if they were co-workers.

  If he’d really come to the school because he was worried about her, then I was judging him too harshly based on his appearance when it was entirely possible that he’d dragged himself out of bed to do a good deed. Thinking of it that way, I felt horrible. Quinn pulled up in a dark SUV, and I offered the guy an apologetic smile as I climbed into the passenger seat before Quinn had the chance to get out and open my door.

  “Who was that?” Quinn asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowed as he watched the guy walk to a black Mercedes parked in the lot.

  I shook my head as I buckled my seat belt. Only his over protective alpha mode would override his usual irritated grumble when I didn’t wait for him to help me into a car. “A friend of one of my student’s parents.”

  “Huh,” he mumbled, his brow furrowed.

  “Huh, what?”

  He shook his head slowly, his eyes still on the man as he climbed into his car then drove out of the lot. When Quinn glanced at me again, his expression had smoothed out and he smiled casually. “Nothing, baby. Don’t worry about it.” Looking straight again, he put the car in drive and made his way to the main road.

  “Um…okay. What’s up with the SUV?”

  His dark gaze swung my way, sweeping down to my belly as his lips tilted up in a smile. “I borrowed it from the company since it has a better safety rating than my car.”

  And so it began. Early evidence pointed towards Quinn being even more ridiculous than my brother with his macho bullcrap now that I was pregnant. Not that I was surprised since it’s what I’d expected from him. The next thing I knew, he’d be trading my beloved BMW in for a minivan. I shuddered at the possibility.

  “Of course you did,” I sighed. “Just like you set up the appointment with Dr. Lennon instead of us going to see the gynecologist who’s been my doctor for years.”

  He chuckled as he pulled away from the curb. “You can’t possibly be upset that I want you to have the best care possible. With a wait list like hers, there’s no denying she’s second to none.”

  “I’m not mad about it,” I mumbled. “It just would have been nice if you had asked me before you did it.”

  “We were lucky Calista’s already a patient of hers and was willing to pull strings to get us in today. The opportunity dropped in my lap, and there wasn’t time to talk to you, not when you were in class and unreachable.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I huffed.

  My grumpy mood didn’t seem to bother him. He flashed me a quick grin before the red light we were stopped at turned green. “Someone’s grouchy today.”

  “If I’m pregnant, you’d better get used to it. Pregnant women get to be as moody as they want.”

  “Challenge accepted, baby.”

  “Challenge?” I echoed. “What challenge?”

  He reached over and squeezed my knee with his right hand. “To do what it takes to keep you happy. I bet if I’d made you come
hard this morning before you got ready for work, you’d be in a better mood.”

  I tried to fight back my smile, but it was no use. My lips tilted up at the edges and Mr. Observant spotted it right away.

  “See, you think so, too.”

  “I think you’re forgetting something,” I laughed. “Since I definitely remember having an orgasm this morning.”

  “The one at two o’clock doesn’t count. That was part of last night, before I finally let you pass out because you needed some sleep.” He looked thoughtful as he pulled into the parking lot at the doctor’s office. “From now on, I think I’ll set the alarm five minutes early so I can squeeze in an extra one to start your day off right.”

  “Only five minutes?”

  He waited until after the SUV was parked and the engine was off before he turned to me and responded. “We both know that if I set my mind to it, I won’t even need that much time to have you squeezing my fingers with your tight little pussy. Or quivering against my mouth. Hell, maybe I’d better make that two extra each morning just so I can feel you fall apart both ways in five minutes or less.”

  “Ohmigosh,” I gasped. “Forget the orgasm. I should have shoved an extra pair of panties in my purse this morning because you just ruined the ones I’m wearing.”

  “I’ll add that to my to-do list, too,” he promised.

  Even though his dark eyes twinkled at me, I fully expected he’d have a pair tucked away somewhere the next morning.

  4

  Quinn

  “You’re definitely pregnant, Ms. Davis.”

  My jaw clenched, frustrated at the reminder that Jenna still didn’t have my last name. But, it was eclipsed by the thrill of knowing the woman I loved was having my child.

  With a pump of my fist in the air, I shot to my feet from the plastic chair next to the exam table where Jenna was seated. I clasped her face between my palms and searched her gorgeous green eyes. They shone with happiness, and I couldn’t help my small sigh of relief. Lowering my head, I brushed my lips softly over hers. “Thank you, baby. I love you.”

  When I pulled back, Jenna was beaming at me, a beautiful smile on her face. “I love you, too.” Her mouth suddenly shifted to a smirk. “I’m still not marrying you before our set wedding day.”

  A muffled chuckle from the other side of the table reminded me that the doctor was still in the room. My mouth quirked up in an answering smirk, and I whispered, “We’ll see.” Then I let her go and stepped back to help her down from her perch

  After making another appointment and collecting a prescription for prenatal vitamins, we headed out to the car. As I helped Jenna up into the passenger seat of the SUV, her phone started ringing from her bag and she began digging for it while I buckled her up.

  By the time I’d reached the driver’s side and opened the door, she’d found it and answered.

  “Well?” I heard Aspen shout through the phone.

  “I’m pregnant!” Jenna squealed, her voice rising in pitch. “Holy cow, Aspen! I’m pregnant!”

  I laughed and laid my hand gently on her thigh. “You’re going to pierce her eardrums, baby. You might want to tone it down a couple of decibels.”

  She stuck her tongue out at me, but her green eyes were dancing with happiness. Aspen was making all kinds of girly racket on the other side of the phone while Jenna laughed delightedly. Then there was quiet, and a low voice rumbled across the line. “Um, yes. He’s here,” she responded.

  Here we go. I rolled my eyes and held out my hand. Jenna snickered as she gave it over and I lifted it to my ear. “Yeah?” I answered gruffly.

  “You knocked up my sister, asshole? Before you’ve fucking married her?” Weston shouted. “Do you have a death wish, Evans?”

  “Calm the fuck down, Weston. It’s not like we aren’t engaged, not to mention that I’ve been trying to convince your stubborn sister to go to the courthouse since we found out.” Jenna gasped in outrage, but I ignored her. I was recruiting help and she knew it.

  There was a beat of silence before he spoke in an even tone. “Put Jenna back on the line.”

  I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “Not unless you promise you won’t upset her.” I wanted his help, but I wouldn’t allow him to hurt her feelings.

  “Do you want to marry her or not?” he asked impatiently.

  “Don’t ask stupid questions, Spook,” I snapped.

  “Then fucking give the phone to my sister!”

  “No yelling,” I barked before handing it over.

  Jenna put it to her ear. “Yes, brother dear?” Her tone was sugary sweet.

  “You need to get your ass to the courthouse, Jenna,” he growled. “You shouldn’t be pregnant and unmarried.”

  “Says the guy who knocked up Aspen twice before they were married.”

  “That was different,” he argued.

  “How?”

  There were some muffled sounds, then Aspen started speaking. “Never mind him. I promise to keep him on a leash if—ow! Did you just spank—ooooh,” Aspen moaned.

  “Eww!” Jenna yelled as she hung up the phone and tossed it in her purse like it was going to bite her.

  I laughed and couldn’t help teasing her. “I don’t remember you saying ‘eww’ the last time I spanked you, baby.”

  Jenna huffed and glared at me, even as she blushed furiously. It was sexy as fuck, and I was suddenly very uncomfortable in my seat. “That’s not the point. I’d rather not listen to, or even think about, what my brother does to his wife in the bedroom. Or anywhere else, for that matter.” She shuddered, and I suppressed another chuckle.

  “You should call your parents,” I suggested as I pulled out of the parking lot.

  Jenna froze for a moment, and I glanced over just as she covered her face with her hands and groaned. “Crap. My dad is going to make me a widow before I even get married.” When I stopped at a red light, I looked over to see her head had lifted and she was frowning at me. “Seriously, Quinn. He is going to kill you for sleeping with me before we’re married.”

  I laughed at her dramatics as I faced the road again and pressed on the gas. “Babe, we live together.”

  “Yeah, but now he can’t pretend you haven’t been fucking his little girl for the last five years! This will pull his head right out of the sand, and he’s going to bury you in it.”

  “Watch it, Jenna,” I barked. “We haven’t ever just been ‘fucking.’ Even when it’s rough, I’m worshiping you. You are everything to me. I know you’re freaking out right now, but don’t cheapen what we are.”

  I glanced over, and her face softened. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  Nodding in acceptance of her apology, I thought about Gordon and Coral’s reaction to the news. My parents had died when I was a freshman in college, and I was an only child. Jenna’s family had stepped in and filled the void, welcoming me as though I’d always been a part of it. I knew her parents. Gordon would give me some shit, but ultimately, they would be ecstatic over another grandchild.

  My attention was snagged away as we passed by Jenna’s school on our way home. Something about the man I’d seen when I picked her up bothered me. When she climbed into the car, it was clear he’d made her uncomfortable.

  I decided to check the guy out a little more, just to put my mind at ease. I’d caught his plate number and would run it through the system the next day at work. Until I was satisfied that she was completely safe, I didn’t want Jenna to end up alone with him after school. “I’m going to pick you up again tomorrow, baby,” I told her as I turned onto our street.

  “Um, okay,” she agreed, her tone curious.

  The SUV glided to a stop in our driveway, and I hit the button on the remote to open the garage. All the while, I stayed silent, not offering an explanation.

  Jenna’s phone rang again and she picked it up, cringing when she saw Aspen’s face flash on the screen. “Unless you’re done doing unspeakable things with my brother, I’m hanging
up,” she stated by way of greeting.

  Opening the door, I stepped out of the car but stopped when I heard Jenna’s response to whatever Aspen said. “You want to come over tonight?” Her eyes strayed in my direction and I scowled, shaking my head emphatically. I had plans for my sweet little fiancée and they most certainly didn’t include visitors, especially her brother.

  “Um, oh, you have news?” She glanced my way, but didn’t meet my stare. “Sure. I’d love to see my little niece and nephew.” My brow furrowed deeper, and my eyes narrowed to slits. She was going to pay for disobeying me. When she turned her head to look at me and smirked, I raised an eyebrow. I knew that look. My sexy temptress was baiting me, clearly looking to be punished.

  My mouth transformed from a grimace to a wicked smile as heat surged through my body. Her pupils dilated, and her breathing picked up ever so slightly. She blinked owlishly a couple of times, then seemed to snap out of it and returned to her phone call.

  I slammed my door and loped around the back to open hers, helping her down with my hands on her waist. Once she was steady on her feet, I slid my hands to her round ass and dragged her body up tight against mine. My head dropped to the crook of her neck, and I licked a path up to her ear before biting her lobe.

  She gasped and melted into me. “Okay, we’ll—um”—she stifled a moan when I pushed my erection into her belly—“see you at six!” she finished on a squeak as I brought one hand around to cup her pussy. I fucking loved that she wore skirts to work a lot. She stabbed the screen of her phone several times before tossing it behind her into the car. Then she grabbed on to my shoulders and widened her legs.

  I hefted her up by the ass and her legs circled my waist. “Thanks to your disobedience, I only have time for a quick fuck. During which I may or may not let you come, because leaving you on edge through their visit seems like an excellent start to your punishment,” I growled. “But, make no mistake, baby. Your naughty ass will be cherry red when I’m done with you tonight.”