Sexy Six
Page 31
She starts to laugh loud, bending and holding her stomach. Then she starts to snort.
Seeing her hold her stomach, full of a life she’s craved for so long, hits me hard. I tug her gently back into me, laying my chin on the top of her head. “I love you so much, Bizzy, and I’m so happy for you and Shaw.”
She hugs me back and raises her face to mine. “I love you too, Nicky.”
“So now that you’ve exposed my secret and you don’t hate me, can I ask a favor?”
“Yes.”
“Can you help me speed up brunch, so I can steal my wife back to the hotel and get started on making babies and seeing Grace waddle like a duck?”
“Ugh! Don’t be so crass. There are some things people don’t need to know.”
I wiggle my eyebrows, sending her into another round of giggles.
“Yeah, I’ll help you. Let’s go wrangle up this group, so we can have the world’s quickest brunch.”
“And that is why you’re my best friend.”
“You’ve got your own wife now. Think you can let go of mine?” Shaw’s irritated voice comes from behind me, and I purposely pick her up and step out of his reach.
Right then, a jab kicks my stomach. “What the hell was that?” I put her down gently and glare at her with fear.
“The baby kicked you.” Bizzy rubs where her stomach is visibly rolling. Shaw is at her side in an instant, his hand taking the place of hers.
“That’s right, baby girl, you have permission to beat up on Nick anytime you want.” Shaw talks to her stomach, and she gasps, her mouth dropping open.
“Shaw!”
My knees start shaking as I realize what he let slip. “Girl? Baby girl?”
“It was supposed to be a surprise!” Bizzy shrieks.
“Baby girl?” I repeat stupidly.
“Yes, we’re having a girl,” Shaw confirms proudly. His face glows as he continues to palm her stomach.
“Nick, you can’t tell anyone else. We wanted to surprise everyone,” Bizzy begs.
“So I wasn’t the only one hiding something?” I cock an eyebrow at her.
“Who’s hiding what?” Mathis comes out, takes one look at Bizzy and Shaw, then says, “Oh, the baby girl.”
“You knew, too?” Bizzy’s face starts to turn pink.
“I saw the sonogram, Bizzy. I’m a doctor.”
“Oh yeah.” She bites on her lip. “That makes sense.”
“Where’s Grace?” I scan over his shoulder and see her walking toward us. She comes to me and nuzzles into my side, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“We probably should go. Logan called and said he and Melanie are about to go crazy. Mama is in a tizzy.”
“I agree. I can’t leave Claire alone too long with your grandpa. I think he’s serious about wanting to steal her,” Mathis mumbles.
“You afraid of a little competition?” I goad him.
“It’s not the competition. It’s the fact Roy’s been known to shoot people off his property.”
Grace starts to giggle and buries her face in my shirt. “It was one time!”
“I love that story!” Bizzy starts bouncing, and Shaw grabs her in his arms, terror written on his face.
“Stop that!” he orders, holding her in place.
I’m not the only one who thinks she’s going to jiggle this baby out.
Mathis starts laughing while shaking his head.
I look at the people I love most in the world with Grace attached to my side. My heart is completely full.
I lay my lips to the top of her head and speak low enough so only she can hear. “Thank you, Sweet Peach.”
She raises her face to me, her violet eyes glowing brightly. “For what?”
“For choosing me, giving me this.”
She smiles sweetly, knowing exactly what I mean.
2 Weeks Later
“I can’t believe this!” Grace gushes, spinning in a circle with her hands spread wide. Her face is pure awe, and I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s taken months of private calls, secret emails, and tons of help, but I’ve finally been able to pull it off.
Grace now stands in her own studio, equipped with the best that money can buy. She will now be able to create her sculptures in her own space when she moves back.
“This had to cost a fortune!”
I scoop her into my arms and twirl us both. “Don’t worry about the money, Grace. When you come back from Greece, I wanted you to have a place of your own. I even had a bedroom set up in the loft, so if you’re working late nights, we’ll have somewhere to stay.”
“You’ve thought of everything.”
“I figured, since I couldn’t give you a honeymoon until spring, I could give you your wedding present now. Even though it’ll sit empty for a few months, it’s here when you come home.”
“Home,” she repeats with a smile.
“Home, with me.”
“How’d you do all this?” She braces on my shoulders, her face shining bright with excitement.
“I had lots of help, but Doni was essential in making sure I ordered the right things. Actually, I ended up handing over my credit card and telling her to handle the ordering.”
“That sneak! So the whole time she was on my case, working me to the bone, she knew about this?”
“At least since March.”
“I love it!” She leans in and lays her mouth on mine, tracing my lips with the tip of her tongue until I part them. Our tongues swirl together, slowly at first until I grip the back of her neck and angle her head to go deeper. Her hands scrape along my shoulders until she reaches my face and holds it tightly.
The kiss turns wild, and her legs lock around my stomach, forcing me to reposition so my hands are holding her ass.
Fifteen stairs. If I can get to the staircase, there are only fifteen stairs until I can lay her out on the bed. I start moving, and she tears her mouth away.
“Wait,” she says breathlessly. “I have a surprise, too.”
“The only surprise I care about is under this dress.” I nip at her throat and keep moving.
“No, wait, this is important.” She clutches at my jaw and brings my face to hers.
“I’m not leaving. Well, actually I am leaving to get our things, but then I’ll be back.”
This stops me. “Sweet Peach, you’re babbling. “
“I’m not staying in Greece. I’m coming home. There’s no way I could be there the next four months. I’d die without you for that long.”
“What about Doni and the program?”
“She’s coming with me. While you were conspiring with her to build me this studio, she knew she’d be here, too. She’s going to come to the States for a while.”
“Son of a bitch, you’re kidding.”
“No! She’s going to rent an apartment and continue to help me. While she’s here, she’s going to travel, too. It’s going to be great.”
“So you’re going back for how long?”
“A week or two. I’ll close out some projects and pack my things. I should be here for the last preseason game.”
“When did you decide this?”
“That’s the irony. I was trying to decide how to tell Doni I couldn’t fulfill my time in Greece. The thought of missing everything happening in Miami was tearing me up inside. Doni actually suggested we come here together. I was worried about where we’d work, but the whole time, she knew you were doing this for me! She’s been playing us both.”
“Sneaky little woman.”
“I was going to tell you this morning, but you distracted me. Then you insisted we come here.”
I start moving, making it to the staircase in three long strides. Grace squeals loudly when I get us up the stairs, to the bed, and drop back, bringing her with me.
“So you’re coming home?” I ask, needing to hear the confirmation again.
“Yes.”
“Fucking great. Now, we can get started on my next plan.”
I roc
k up to a sitting position and strip her dress over her head easily, my eyes going to her naked chest.
“Next plan? What is that?”
A low rumble escapes as rational thoughts fly out of my head. The only word I can form is ‘waddling’.
Grace sucks in a deep breath as understanding hits her. “Waddling?”
I nod, still focused on her sitting astride me in nothing but bright blue lace panties and strappy sandals.
“I can get on board with waddling, but let’s make a deal.”
“Anything.”
She smiles seductively, arching her chest into mine and bringing her mouth to my ear. When she whispers what she wants, I break into a wide grin.
“You got it, Sweet Peach.”
I’m confident down to my bones, this is one promise I can deliver.
Grace
6 months later
Confetti falls in the air as the field is swarmed with people. Shaw holds on to both my and Bizzy’s arms protectively as he maneuvers us through the crowd. Mathis and Claire follow closely, cheering loudly.
When we finally reach the stairs to the stage, my eyes find Nick instantly. He’s surrounded by players, all of them screaming and a few crying openly.
“Go to him,” Shaw tells me, urging me forward.
“Aren’t you coming?” I glimpse at them over my shoulder.
“Not this time. This is for you. We’ll be right here.”
I open my mouth to argue, but Claire and Bizzy both push me away, waving me to go.
I climb the steps, my stomach in knots of excitement. Nick spots me and leaves the huddle of men, racing to pick me up.
“We did it!” he screams, kissing everywhere he can.
“Y’all did it!” I shout back over the noise.
He looks over my head and jerks his chin at our crew before stalking across the stage to where the reporters are firing questions. It’s all a blur as the commissioner gives his speech and the coach and owner accept the trophy, and then all eyes fall on Nick. He’s still holding me close as he accepts the MVP award again then immediately hands it off to his team.
It’s wild, loud, and crazy, but none of it compares to the excitement I’m feeling.
“I held up my end of the deal, Sweet Peach,” Nick says so only I can hear.
“As did I.”
His eyes grow wide with shock, and I take the opportunity to dig the piece of paper out of my pocket. He turns to shield us and takes it from me.
“Congratulations! Should I call you MVP or Daddy?”
He doesn’t answer, staring at the sonogram. When he raises his eyes to mine, they’re shining with unshed tears.
“I’ve haven’t cried since I was fourteen years old, but you’ve brought me to my knees. When I didn’t think I could love you anymore, you prove me wrong. Three years, eleven months, and five days. ”
A lump forms in my throat and I fight back my own tears.
The crowds start roaring again, and then the chanting starts.
“SEXY! SEXY! SEXY!” gets louder and louder until he’s forced to hand me back the picture, kissing me quickly and turning to the fans. We’re swept to the front, and a microphone is shoved in his face.
He can’t hide his emotions this time, his voice cracking as he praises the teamwork that made it possible to win this game.
The entire time he speaks, he never lets me go.
And I know, he never will.
Acknowledgements
First of all, to my readers—A huge, overwhelming, and enormous THANK YOU for your support of Sexy Six. There was so much excitement leading up to this release that I felt it every day as I worked on this story. You have so many options for your reading pleasure, and I hope this leaves you with a satisfied smile.
To my family—There was a time we didn’t know how this would go, but you drove me with endless encouragement and support. Hopefully running away from home in order to get organized won’t become a habit. I love you!
My Team—Lisa, Melissa, Nita, Kendra, Becky, and all my beta readers… you should be awarded for your patience and talents. I hope you know how much I appreciate you.
There’s a group of women who help guide me every day with smiles, laughter, and advice. You know who you are, and I’m a very lucky person. Thank you for inviting me into your groups, your pages, your hearts and giving me courage when needed. It is my hope that I do the same. I look forward to many more releases with you by my side.
Bloggers—Our Indie community is driven by readers who rely on your promotions, recommendations, and knowledge of authors and their books. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this.
FTN Girls—Always keeping it real.
CATB— I love #grouptherapy
For anyone I missed, I say this every book… I suck, but I love ya!
Meet the Author
Ahren spent her formative years living in an active volcano, where her family made collectible lava art. She studied rock collecting at the Sorbonne in France, which is where she met the love of her life—her pet pig Sybil. She returned to the States and started writing. She is happily married to a guy who used to live under a bridge whom she met while pole-dancing.
Now, meet the real me. I’m a wife, mother, and full-time Human Resource Specialist. Living on the Florida coast, my family spends a lot of time at the beach, which is my favorite place to get lost in books. I started writing my Surrender Series in the spring of 2013 and have received incredible support from the Indie community.
For more information, including all Ahren Sanders books, please click here: Ahren Sanders
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