Hale Series Boxed Set

by Marie James

  She turns her head, finally noticing me as I close the trunk of the car and begin to make my way to the side entrance of the building. She startles at first when her eyes land on me but then I watch as a sly grin hits her face. She pulls Marco closer to her and kisses him almost violently. I can’t help but chuckle. That’s not exactly the Jessica I’d hooked up with a handful of times at the beginning of the year. But hey, who am I to judge?

  My grin is from ear to ear as I punch in the code to gain access to the building and it doesn’t drop a hair as I settle in at my desk. Josie and I will be saying our vows in five days, and then we will be heading to a quiet, peaceful resort in Montana for our honeymoon. I’d wanted to do something a little more extravagant but Josie said she felt more comfortable not wasting a bunch of money since we have the baby to worry about now. She’d said it would be irresponsible. I want her happy so I didn’t argue; as long as we’re together the location doesn’t concern me all that much.

  And the baby? My face should hurt from all the smiling I’ve been doing. I stare at the computer screen full of emails as I remember our trip to the doctor last week.

  I hear Josie gasp and feel her hand grip mine tighter. I inwardly register that her strength is coming back.

  “That’s…?” Josie says affectionately.

  “Yes. That’s the heartbeat,” the doctor says as he moves the jellied wand around Josie’s lower stomach that is still as flat as the day I first laid her out and kissed her on my couch two months ago.

  I hear her whimper and look down just in time to see a tear run down her cheek. I catch it on my fingertip and kiss her cheek. I close my eyes and let the sound of my child’s heart fill my soul.

  “Everything looks great,” the doctor says as he points and clicks the mouse on the screen, periodically stopping to type information. My fears around the possible consequences from her abduction will never leave me until I’m holding my healthy baby in my arms but hearing the doctor’s words help to abate some of my fears.

  Josie assures me that her continued morning sickness, which actually tends to hit at any time, is a good sign.

  I watch the doctor set aside the ultrasound wand and hands Josie a tissue to wipe the residual jelly off of her stomach. She cleans herself and straightens her clothes while the doctor presses a few more buttons on his computer.

  “I think we can start seeing you every month now that we’ve heard a strong heartbeat.” He turns from us and turns the lights back on.

  “You sure?” I hear the waiver in her voice and the doctor must too.

  He steps close to her and places a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We were only monitoring your hcg levels until we could get a good heartbeat. The baby looks great, Josie. I’ll see you in a month.” He nods at me as he hands Josie a strip of paper and then he exits the room.

  I can feel her sobs from my hand on her back. Turning my attention back to her I see her holding a black and white copy of our baby’s very first picture. I pull her into my chest and cough having to clear the lump that has just suddenly appeared in my throat, along with batting my eyelashes from the burn that is registering behind my eyes.

  “He’s beautiful,” I tell her.

  She sniffles and lets out a small laugh. “He or she looks like a gummy bear, Kaleb.”

  I tilt her chin up and grin. “Most beautiful gummy bear I’ve ever seen.”

  “Me too,” she whispers and turns her attention back to the print out in her hands.

  The memory reminds me about the pictures in my wallet. We were given several different ones and Josie allowed, and yes I mean allowed, me to have two of them after I was able to convince her to scan them into the computer so we would have other copies of each one.

  I tug my wallet free from my back pocket and open it. I plan to keep one in there always but I grabbed two so I could keep one on my desk at work. I run my thumb over the tiny black and white baby and prop it at the bottom of my computer screen so it is within eyesight whenever I’m at my desk.

  Sensing I’m no longer alone I look up and see Jessica Riley standing at the edge of my desk. She has a grin on her face that doesn’t reach her eyes. We haven’t said much to each other since I told her Josie was moving in before it was even official, a conversation we had the day before she was abducted from her school. I shake my head, hoping the memories and the pain from that day and the weeks following don’t take hold.

  I wouldn’t say that Jessica and I were very close. I mean we had sex a few times, with both of us understanding it went no further than that. At the time I had no desire or inclination at all to look for something other than a friend-with-benefits type of arrangement. All it took was seeing Josie for the first time and I was a goner.

  I smile at the thought of Josie and watch her eyes light up. Oh shit. She must think I’m smiling at her. I drop my smile to a more professional acknowledgment.

  “So you and Hernandez, huh?” I say to remind her of her actions in the parking lot just a few minutes ago and I know it’s the wrong thing to say when her smile gets even bigger. I can tell her elation is not because of the man she had her lips all over.

  She winks at me, “jealous?”

  I’m unable to stop the huff that escapes my lips. I’m not trying to be rude but the idea that I’d be jealous over her and some other guy when I have Josie is ludicrous.

  I notice her bristle immediately. She begins to narrow her eyes in anger, but stops. “We’re not serious,” she says with a nonchalant shoulder shrug. I raise an eyebrow at her because I’m not sure Hernandez is aware of this revelation with the way he was looking at her outside.

  She leans forward on my desk. If I had any doubt about my love for Josie it is cemented the second I see the swell of her breasts in the open V of her shirt and it doesn’t even register with my body. I’m certain she could be stark naked right now and it wouldn’t even matter, and that’s saying something because I’ve seen her naked and her body is what I’d considered at the time, perfect.

  Instinctively I lean back in my chair, increasing the distance between us.

  “I mean,” she says licking her lips, which now seems rather disgusting. “I’d cancel any plans I have with him if you wanted to hang out.”

  The only thing I can do is shake my head at her audacity. I’ve not gone around and advertised mine and Josie’s relationship but everyone was well aware of how I felt about her the minute she was abducted. Hell, I was suspended for most of the time she was gone for punching out a few patrolmen who weren’t spending their time as wisely as I thought they should during the initial investigation. With how in everyone’s business she is in there’s no way she doesn’t know we’re still together.

  “Apparently you and Joselyne Bennett are still together.” The snide way she says Josie’s name gets my hackles up and is verging on seriously pissing me off.

  “Yes,” I tell her and continue just to piss her off for the nerve she has to throw herself at me and saying Josie’s name as if it’s the nastiest thing she’s had in her mouth. “And by Friday evening she will be Joselyne Perez.” I can’t help but smile at the sound of her soon to be name.

  She gasps and straightens her back suddenly at the news. “You’re marrying her?” She’s completely shocked which surprises me; usually she’s the first one with the news around the precinct. She sneers at me. “What did you do? Knock her up?”

  I’ve never wanted to clock a woman more than I do right now and I know my dad would be turning over in his grave at the thoughts running through my head. The mention of the baby has me cutting my eyes over at the picture below my computer screen.

  She follows my line of sight. I’ve always said she was an incredible detective.

  “Fuck!” She screeches. “You did knock her up! You’ll never be happy, marrying a woman just because she’s pregnant. You’ll be miserable even if it feels like it’s the right thing to do. She could never take care of your needs like I do.”

  I lean forward in m
y chair and lower my voice, my control teetering on nonexistent at this point. “I’m marrying her because I love her. I’m marrying her because she’s the only woman who has ever had a piece of my heart.” I close my eyes on an extended blink trying to do my best to reign in the urge for violence. Even though I have no need to justify myself I add, “I asked her to marry me before we even knew about the baby.”

  “The only woman?” Her voice is a low growl and if I had to bet I’d say she’s just as pissed at my revelation as I am at the way she’s speaking about Josie. “You needed me, Kaleb. I gave you what you needed and you’re throwing that away over some timid ass school teacher that’s probably too afraid to even suck your cock?”

  My laugh is low and maniacal and I inwardly smile at the trepidation in her eyes when she realizes she’s pushed me too far. “You, Jessica,” I say as I stand to tower over her, knowing the desk between us is a blessing at this point, “were an easy fuck. Don’t try to convince yourself it was anything but that.”

  She takes a step back and I realize then that I’ve leaned further into her to get my point across. “Fuck you, Kaleb. There are any number of guys who would love a shot at me.” She turns away and disappears down the hall.

  “I’m sure more than half of the precinct has already had you,” I mutter under my breath as I settle back into my chair and scrub my face with my hands. This is not the way I had anticipated my morning beginning. I’m grateful I got here early and the office is all but empty. I turn my attention back to my emails and begin counting down the hours until I can take Josie back in my arms.

  ***

  My day passes uneventful after my run-in with Jessica this morning, which for the most part is a good thing considering my profession, but it does make for an incredibly long day. I leave the office and make a beeline for our house the minute it’s considered an acceptable time to leave.

  “Josie, I’m home,” I say with as much Puerto Rican accent as I can manage, knowing I sound just like Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy.

  I make my way through the kitchen and realize the house is much quieter than it usually is in the evenings. A wave of panic hits me in the gut and my body is immediately covered in a sheen of sweat when I make my way into the living room and see Josie sobbing uncontrollably on the floor.

  “Josie!” I slide beside her and take her in my arms. Please not the baby. Please not the baby. “Mariposa, what’s wrong?” I hope she can’t hear the tremor in my voice which would be a miracle since I can hear it myself.

  “I can’t do it.” She rests her head on my shoulder and continues to cry, my shirt quickly growing damp from her tears.

  My heart shatters. She’s had time to think about it and now she’s changed her mind. She can’t marry me.

  “We don’t have to. We can wait as long as you like,” my voice is pleading. I pray she just wants to postpone and not leave me completely. This has to be karma for the way I spoke to Jessica today. No woman deserves to be treated like a piece of ass and my words have led to this. “Please don’t leave me,” I whisper against her head as her sobs begin to settle down.

  She lifts her head from my chest and her tear streaked face and red, puffy eyes nearly gut. “Wh…what?”

  I release her long enough to wipe the tears from her cheeks and I notice the tremble in my hands. I’m seconds away from losing my shit and begging and pleading for her to stay. I swallow and try to choke back the emotion. I never once considered that she’d leave me again once I had her back in my arms after her abduction, after she said yes and more importantly after we found out about the baby.

  “You may not want to marry me, but please don’t leave,” I manage to say.

  “Baby?” She grabs my face with both hands. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  My eyes go wide because never once have I heard her speak this way. That word, as far as I know, has never crossed her lips before.

  “Why wouldn’t I marry you? Why would I leave you?” I can feel the resolve in her voice.

  “You’re upset,” I place my hand on her belly. “When I came in and saw you crying the first thing I thought was we’d lost the baby. Is the baby okay?”

  She nods and places her tiny hand over mine on her stomach. “The baby’s fine, Kaleb.”

  “Then you said you can’t do it. Are you telling me you can’t marry me?” I close my eyes, preparing myself for the worst but praying for a different conclusion.

  I hear her chuckle like it’s the most absurd question in the world. I open my eyes to see her using the back of her hand to wipe tears from her eyes.

  “Josie?” It doesn’t go unnoticed that she still hasn’t answered me.

  She turns her eyes to mine and softly kisses my lips. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy Detective Perez.”

  I pull her to my chest and just hold her there, unable to release her until my nerves calm. The baby is fine and we’re still getting married. The entire Earth could implode and I would care less because everything is right in my world.

  “What has you so upset then?” I’m able to ask after several long minutes of just embracing her.

  She shifts her weight and as much as I hate it, I let her pull away from my arms.

  “Well after that it seems silly now,” she says with shrug. “I may have overreacted.”

  “Don’t do that. Don’t try to pass this off as hormones. The way you were when I came in here was much more serious than when I found you crying at the table last week because there were no pickle slices for your sandwich.”

  She giggles and it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.

  “Mariposa?” I prompt her again. We need to get to the bottom of this so I can get her in my bed; my need to be inside her proving she’s still mine is becoming almost unbearable.

  “My contract from the school was forwarded here today.” She points toward a stack of white papers sitting on top of a manila envelope that I didn’t even notice until she pointed it out. “I can’t go back, Kaleb.”

  I watch her eyes begin to fill with tears again and the tiny quiver of her chin nearly guts me.

  “You don’t want to go back to work?” My voice is soft and comforting.

  She shakes her head no. “Just the thought of stepping foot back on a school campus makes me sick to my stomach.”

  I smile at her. “Then don’t go, Mariposa. It’s that simple.”

  “It’s not that simple, Kaleb. I have to work.” She’s adorable when she’s indignant. I love watching her stand up for herself or something she believes in and it’s a relief from her demeanor a few minutes ago.

  “You don’t have to work, Josie.” I rub her belly. “Stay home and have my babies.” I grin at her because, honestly, it’s the best idea ever.

  “I’m not going to sit around the house and live off of you. I need to contribute.” She pulls my hand from her stomach and stands up. I can tell she’s gearing herself up for a fight.

  “You’re going to be my wife in five days Josie. You’re the mother of my unborn child. You wouldn’t be living off of me.” I watch her as she paces back and forth gnawing on her thumb nail.

  Why is she making a big deal about this? A thought slams in my gut. Lorali has Ian who is loaded and Alexa has Garrett who is doing very well for himself and I’m a cop working for the city. It angers me to think she doesn’t have faith in me.

  I stand as well, walk towards her and hold on to her forearms to stop her pacing. I stare into her eyes.

  “I may not be rich like Ian and Garrett, but I can provide for my family.”

  She raises her eyes to mine and I wonder how she’ll read my determination.

  “Baby,” she runs her fingers over my cheek. “I know you can provide for us. That has never been a doubt.” She kisses my lips and pulls away too quickly. “I’m saying I need to have something to do. I want to feel productive.”

  I can’t really fault her for that. I know she loves teaching and has pride in her profes
sion. I place my hands on her hips and lift her up so she can wrap her legs around my waist.

  “I’ll take care of you, Mariposa,” I say against her lips.

  We’re both breathless by the time we finally come up for air.

  “Can you take care of me in our bed now?” She pants against my mouth.

  My shit day just got a whole lot better.

  Chapter 14

  Alexa

  This is the life. I know I should feel ashamed for sitting in this chair being pampered by the spa staff of the Ritz, but I don’t even feel a twinge.

  I grin over at Josie and Lorali as they, too, are having what I’m sure is the best pedicure they’ve ever had. I’m the top manager at Elite Spa so one would think I should use them, but this is a girl’s day; a gift to Josie to help relax and prepare her for her wedding the day after tomorrow. This hotel also holds a certain sentiment for me as well. Not counting it’s the same place the ‘threesome that shall not be named’ took place; it’s the hotel where I realized I had more feelings for Garrett other than the fuck buddy agreement we had. The beginning of the beginning if you will.

  I’m sure, as all other girls days have gone, there will be gossip and story sharing. The last thing I need is for my staff to run the knowledge that I like to be tied up and have my ass whipped with a riding crop, or cane depending on how frisky Garrett is feeling, around the rumor mill at work. I’m not ashamed of what I do in my bedroom, but some things should be kept separate from work.

  “So,” I begin. “Garrett caught me masturbating the other day.” I watch for a response from the lady massaging my calves. She doesn’t even register my words; utmost professional. I’m sure she hears it all.

  I turn my eyes to the girls and see the pink blush that has come over Josie’s cheeks. There’s a story there; I just know it. Lorali just shakes her head, not surprised at all. Why should she be? She was the queen of bean flicking before she met Ian.

  I focus my attention on Josie mainly because she’s so easy to toy with but also because she’s just now able to participate actively in our sex talks and I have a feeling she actually wants to talk about it.