by K. S. Smith
When I finally spotted Duke, alone in the corner, a glass of bourbon in his hand, I couldn’t help but smile. He was looking out of a window, and I nearly melted at just the back of his body in an all-black tuxedo. He was so large, and his broad shoulders and muscular arms filled the jacket. When I’d first suggested tuxedos, he’d laughed at me and asked if they made them big enough for him and the guys.
My grin grew even more wide when his voice echoed through the room. “Want to turn around bad, babe. But it’s bad luck.”
A lighthearted laugh escaped my lips. “It’s a little late for bad luck. You’re kind of stuck with me.” I crossed the room and rested my hands on his back. Then I ran them slowly up his sculpted shoulder blades before I slipped them around his waist. I gave him a tight squeeze and whispered, “Turn around.”
His body shifted in my arms, and when our stares met, my world stopped spinning. His green eyes lit up the entire room, and the smile that was plastered on his face had me seeing stars. This man, my future husband, was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen. From his head to his toes, everything about him was exceptional.
I stood there for a moment admiring him in his tuxedo while he did the same. Our eyes were all over each other, and our smiles continued growing. Before I could get another word out, Duke spoke, his voice oozing with confidence. “About to marry the most beautiful girl in the world. Fuckin’ luckiest bastard alive.”
My body flushed red, my core clenched, and I could feel the dampness beginning to build between my legs. If I hadn’t been in that damned dress, I’d have dropped to my knees and taken him into my mouth right then and there until he was begging to be inside of me. Focus, Brie.
Once I concentrated on what I was there to tell him, I was suddenly nervous all over again. I wrung my hands together and looked down at the ground. “So, umm…” I took a step back. I needed to just blurt it out, but I was freaking.
Duke’s hands slipped out and caught my hips. He pulled my body up against him. “Spit it out, Brie.”
I rested my shaky hands on his giant arms. “…so you know how I said you’re kind of stuck with me, and we didn’t have to worry about luck?” I asked, still looking down as I did my best to avoid all eye contact with Duke.
His finger lifted my chin, and he nodded his head. “Heard ya. Now what is it?”
The smile began to slowly take over my face as I mentally reassured myself that Duke loved me and would be thrilled to know I was having his baby. “Well, you’re kind of stuck with me because... I’m pregnant.”
My body relaxed as I’d finally spit it out, and a relieved sigh escaped me. I was staring at Duke, trying to figure out what was running through his head when he took a step back and held me at arm’s length. Then he ran a hand over his shaved head.
My nerves were at an all-time high when he finally said something. “You’re shitting me, Brie. A baby?”
Suddenly terrified that I’d made a mistake telling him, I followed suit and took a step back as I glanced down at the floor again. “Yes. I’m sorry. I know this wasn’t the plan. It just kind of happened.”
My hands began to tremble, but before I could calm them, Duke took one step toward me, fully closing the gap that we’d placed between each other. His arms wrapped around my midsection, and he hoisted me straight off the ground and spun our bodies in circles. “A fuckin’ baby. Becomes my wife and the mother to my child on the same day.” His eyes met mine, and my heart began to pound as fast as humanly possible.
My chest moved up and down with every beat as we held each other’s stare. I was gazing into the eyes of the man who held my whole world in the palms of his hands, and he was looking back the exact same way. I was positive I’d never be more in love with him than I was in this very moment… until his mouth found mine.
Duke took my lips like his life depended on it. Every nerve ending in my body was on high alert, begging for more, as his tongue slipped past my lips, and he explored my mouth.
When he released me from our kiss and set me back down, I clung to his arms to keep myself from toppling over. “So you’re not upset?”
His massive hands rested on my cheeks before he leaned in and kissed my forehead. He lingered there a moment before he answered my question. “Thrilled, baby. Fuckin’ thrilled beyond belief.”
The tears began to pool in my eyes as I imagined Duke as a father. My daydream held my attention for a brief moment before he spoke again.
“Have to tell the guys. You okay with that?” His eyes were lit up like fireworks as he stood there waiting for my response.
The smile on my face was so big my cheeks literally hurt when I nodded. “Yes! Of course. But just the guys. No one else knows until we’re past the first trimester.”
Duke pressed a quick kiss to my lips before crossing the room and calling the guys back in. I stood there studying all of their faces as they filtered through the door. They could tell something was going on but obviously weren’t sure what it was.
Duke was back at my side as the men of Thrasher, Inc. stood in front of the two of us. He stood behind me and slipped his arms around my waist before announcing the good news. “Uncle up, motherfuckers. We’re having a baby.”
A laugh erupted from within me at the way he’d announced it, and the rest of the guys just stood there, eyes wide open as they stared back at the two of us.
They seemed to be in a momentary state of shock until Tripp let out a loud “Whooo! Fuck yeah, man. Congratulations. My first nephew.”
Upon his approval, the rest of the guys followed suit, all grunting and making noises I was sure they’d learned from their days in the marines.
Tripp slammed into Duke, hugging him as he pounded a few times on his back before he sidestepped over and lifted me up into a tight embrace. “Congrats, babe. Happy as hell for the two of you. Can’t wait to meet my nephew.” He was grinning from ear to ear as he set me back down.
I stared up at him. “And how do you know it’s a boy?”
Tripp reached over and grasped Duke’s shoulder. “That dick doesn’t shoot girls. Your man’s all male — alpha. You’re having a boy. Promise you that.”
Duke nodded in agreement before going back to celebrating with another one of the guys when Gunner walked up to me, the faintest grin on his face.
“Baby Thrash... I like it.” Five simple words. That was all I got.
Gripping his shoulders before he could walk away, I pressed up onto my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Gunner,” I whispered.
He lifted his chin at me before he went to sit down on the couch, a beer in his hands to keep him company.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Relieved that Duke was thrilled with the news, the only other thing I wanted to do was become his wife. And when the music cued, I knew I was moments away from that dream becoming a reality.
My father took my arm. “You ready for this, sweet girl?”
I nodded, tears already pooling in my eyes. “Yes,” I whispered.
We began our stroll down the aisle, all of the guests blocking my view of Duke. We may have kept the wedding small, but small within our circle of friends meant right around two-hundred-and-fifty people. I’d tried like hell to keep it right at one hundred, but as usual, my parents had had other plans.
When the sea of bodies was behind me, I stood there, still, arm linked with my father’s, and felt my breath shorten as I looked at Duke. He’d captivated me in the groom’s suite, but this… this was even better.
Our eyes were locked on each other, our gaze holding more meaning now that we both knew not only was this our wedding day, but the day we’d found out we were having a baby as well.
His mouth spread into a smile, and I couldn’t help but reciprocate one back; both of us stood there in awe of each other.
The pastor spoke directly to my father first, but I didn’t hear any of his words. Duke was the only thing I could focus on. This man was about to become my husband, and we were about t
o start a family. It was the happiest day of my life.
The ceremony played out just as the wedding planner had promised, and when the words, “You may kiss the bride,” were spoken, Duke did not hesitate.
His green eyes were on fire as his hands cupped my cheeks. The smile that was plastered on his face was ear to ear, and, for a quick moment, I thought we may actually smack teeth we were grinning so hard, but I should have known. Should have known that the minute his lips touched mine, I would be putty in his perfect hands.
My body began to tingle from head to toe as Duke’s tongue met mine for the first time as his wife, and, for a split-second, my knees went weak. Luckily, his arm wrapped around and pressed my body tightly against his as his other hand held my face in place. Our lips still devoured each other.
This kiss would go down in history. Maybe not taught in schools around the world, but definitely in the history books of our life. A life that had once seemed so perfect, until he’d come in to it, proving it was nonexistent without him. Nothing on this earth would ever compare to life with Duke Thrasher. He was mine, and I was his. Together, forever.
EPILOGUE
The sound of laughter filled the living room as I stepped through the front door. Slipping the grocery bags off my arms before I rounded the corner, I couldn’t help but admire the sight before me.
Duke was lying down on the floor in nothing but a pair of jeans, throwing our daughter up in the air as she filled the entire house with her infectious giggle. I stood there for a moment, my hip pressed up against the couch, and just gazed at the loves of my life. Duke, my incredibly sexy husband and our beautiful daughter, Alexia.
When Duke took his attention from our little Lexi, he sat up and cradled her in his arms. “Mommy’s home,” he whispered into her ear and then set her on her two feet as we both watched her wobble across the house toward me.
I squatted down and held my arms out, “Come here, baby girl.”
Her round cheeks were rosy from laughing so hard and her smile, which consisted of only a few baby teeth, had me grinning from ear to ear. When she finally made it to me, I scooped her up and squeezed her tightly. “Oh, Mommy missed you so much. I love you, baby,” I said before covering her face with kisses as she began to giggle all over again.
Duke was up and at my side, placing a kiss on my cheek. “Only been an hour, babe,” he said before leaving the two of us to pick up the grocery bags that I’d discarded on the floor behind me.
I turned with Lexi in my arms and followed him into the kitchen. “An hour away from her seems like a lifetime. I know she’s already over a year old, but I hate leaving her, even if it’s just for a short period of time.”
I watched my husband smirk as he began taking the groceries from the bag and unloading them onto the island in our kitchen. When he got to the bag that I’d been waiting for, my heart began to beat faster than normal, and I could feel the nerves building inside of me. I inhaled deeply and held my breath as Duke’s eyes widened.
He looked over to me, his hand still in the bag, and when the smile hit his face, I could breathe again.
“You’re pregnant?” he asked, making his way to me and wrapping his arms around Lexi and me.
“I’m not sure. I’m late, and I’m never late, so I think I might be.”
Duke’s lips pressed to mine, and he lingered there longer than usual, exploring my mouth. Every kiss with Duke made me weak in the knees, but there were some kisses that were better than the rest — and this was one of them. My hand gripped his muscular arm as I held our daughter with the other, and when he released my lips, I couldn’t help but hold on tighter, trying not to lose my balance.
“Take it. I want to know,” he demanded as he grabbed Lexi from my arms.
After swiping the test from the bag, I ran off to the downstairs restroom. Halfway through my two-minute wait, the doorbell rang, and I darted out to answer it, leaving the test on the ledge of the sink.
We hadn’t seen Megan and Tripp for three weeks while they were on their honeymoon in Barbados, and I was dying to be reunited with my best friend. The door was open before I could even get there, and when I saw her, we both raced toward one another. My arms flew around her, and I pulled her into a tight embrace. “I missed you so much! You can never stay away that long, ever again. Next time I go with you.”
Tripp chimed in from behind Megan, “Next time? There better not be a next time. She only needs one honeymoon.”
Megan and I began to laugh, and when I finally let her go, I pulled Tripp into a hug. “Don’t you know that you marry the first time for money and the second time for love?”
He released me and looked over at Duke. “You hear that, man? Money — then love. Wonder if she’ll leave you for Gunner?”
Duked flipped him off as I slapped his arm. “Speaking of my favorite bad boy, will he be joining us for dinner tonight?”
Tripp shook his head, “Not tonight. He’s got a date.”
My eyebrow lifted, and Duke and Megan had a similar reaction. “A date? With whom?” I asked.
Gunner may have been a man of few words, but he was family, and I wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily for not telling me that he’d finally had a date.
“Doc Elliott,” Tripp said nonchalantly as he took Lexi from Megan’s arms.
A low chuckle rumbled from Duke’s lips as I crossed the room toward him to help with our dinner preparations.
An hour later Duke, Tripp, Megan, and I were seated around the patio table, enjoying dinner and catching up. Megan was going over all of the things they’d done on their honeymoon. I stood to go check on Lexi, who was sleeping in her room.
“I’m going to check on the baby. Does anyone need another drink?” I asked before bending slightly to place a kiss on Duke’s cheek.
His hand slipped up my arm and pulled my body into his lap. “She’s fine. Check on me,” he whispered before showering my neck with kisses.
“And on that note, I think I’ll grab more beers and check on the baby.” Tripp stood up and made his way into the house.
Duke continued to make a kissing booth of my neck before he found my lips. When I remembered that we had company, I looked over at Megan and blushed, shrugging my shoulders. “I cannot wait for you to get pregnant. That man is ready for babies. And it’s so fun making them.”
She smiled at me, lifting her glass of water to her lips, and that was when it hit me. She’d been here all night and hadn’t once had a drink. My eyes widened, and I sat up straight, still in Duke’s lap.
“You aren’t?” I said, just as Tripp came back out to the patio, a pregnancy test in his hand.
“Another baby?” he asked, shocked as he looked at Duke and me.
“Is it positive?” I asked, dying to know.
Tripp’s head nodded up and down.
I twisted around to Duke and took his face between my hands. “Another baby, it is.” My lips met his as my arms slipped around his neck, and he squeezed me tightly. But our moment was short-lived as I remembered what I’d just asked Megan.
“Wait a minute.” I said, pointing at her. “You’ve been drinking water all night. Are you pregnant?”
She looked from me to Tripp and then back to me before nodding her head up and down. “Yes! We found out on the honeymoon!”
An overenthusiastic shriek escaped me as I jumped off Duke’s lap and took my best friend into my arms. “We are pregnant — together. This is the best news ever. I am so excited.”
Duke and Tripp were congratulating one another, and Megan and I were still going from jumping up and down to hugging. The four of us, best friends, pregnant together.
Life may not have been what I’d dreamed of as a little girl, but as I stood there with my husband and our two best friends, I knew that this life was better than any dream I’d ever had.
UPCOMING RELEASE
His Best Kept Secret
Chapter One
The elevator door chimed and I hastily p
ulled out my compact mirror to study my face. Make-up, perfect. Hair, perfect. I take a quick glance down at my black form fitted dress and find that it too is perfect, hugging all of my curves flawlessly. When my eyes focus back on the entryway I can feel my heartbeat begin to quicken. The door opens, he steps into the lobby and I can’t help but gaze at him in awe of his exquisiteness.
My eyes start at the bottom and work their way up. His long, muscular legs are covered by a charcoal grey pair of trousers. Tucked snugly into his pants is a crisp white button up that is pressed firmly against his broad chest and accented with a royal blue tie. I can tell by his rolled sleeves, loose top button and necktie that he must have already had one hell of a morning. But that doesn’t stop me from ogling him or the fact that he looks fantastic.
I lift to my feet, my heels capping my height at just less than six foot, but he still towers over me. “Good morning, Bec.” He comments as he stops at the front desk to grab a mint. Our eyes are locked on each other and I can’t help but thank the heavens above for his choice of that tie. It makes his piercing blue eyes stand out even that much more. I continue to admire him, noticing that his usual neatly combed crew-cut is a bit disheveled this morning, and I don’t mind at all, in fact, I also don’t mind the bristle that has taken up residence on his square jaw.
Snapping myself out of this trance that he had me under, I respond, “Good morning, Graham. Rough start today?” I ask, curiously as I follow him back to his office.
The receptionist was running late today and because I was the only one in the office who was ever on time I’d taken it upon myself to sit at her desk and answer the morning calls.
“Rough is an understatement,” He croaked, collapsing into his desk chair. “The kids are all sick and my wife’s minivan blew a tire while she was on her way to the doctor with the two of them. Piece of advice, never have kids. They’re amazing, but damn, they can turn your world upside down in a split second.”
