I glanced up from my email just so I could capture the moment in my mind. I loved watching the two of them banter like this, especially when it involved casual references to the fact that they both worked in a brothel.
“And how’s your job going, Aurora?” Amy asked. “Still enjoying it?”
I settled into chair and laid a hand on my belly. As it always did, the feel of the little bump under my palm made me smile.
“I can honestly say I’ve found my passion,” I told them.
“It’s gotta help that the man of your dreams is your boss though, right?”
There wasn’t any malicious intent in Amy’s question, just curiosity. And hell, it was something I’d thought about a few times. It seemed too good to be true that I’d basically stumbled into the career that I’d always wanted, and I kept expecting the honeymoon period to wear off and for it to start feeling like work. It never did. Day in, day out, I always enjoyed going into work. I liked the people, I liked the stuff I did, the responsibilities I had. I felt like I was making an impact both in the company and in the stores.
“It fulfills me,” I said after a measured, contemplative silence. “Brendon being there certainly helps, but mostly just because he’s a great boss. I can’t imagine working for anyone better, and I know most of the people there feel the same.”
“Shame.” Calypso grinned. “You would’ve made a great whore.”
I raised my eyebrows and stared at her, then we all burst into laughter.
“I think my one-time appearance on the menu is enough for me, thanks,” I said, wiping the tears from under my eyes.
“Yeah,” agreed Amy. “Besides, look at her.” She gestured to me demonstratively. “The rest of us would never get any work if she started going at it full-time.”
“It’s the pregnancy,” Calypso agreed. “You look radiant darling, simply radiant. I wish I could bottle up whatever it is that’s shimmering under your skin and keep it for myself.”
The waitress came back with our food and all attention diverted to that. I was absolutely starving, and Calypso and Amy weren’t holding back either. I practically dove into my sandwich face first, and when I heard my phone chime with another email I let out a groan.
“Just don’t get it,” said Amy. “You’re at lunch with your ladies.”
“You know me though. I at least have to look at it.”
Her mouth tipped up into a knowing smile. “Yeah, yeah. Go on then, Miss Congeniality.”
I stuck my tongue out at her and fished the phone from my purse. “I’ll turn it onto silent, how about that? If I don’t know that the emails are coming in, I can’t stress about what they might say.”
I flicked the silent button on my phone before I even looked at the email. It wasn’t from work.
“Oh my god.” I dropped my phone onto the table in front of me and clapped my hands over my mouth.
“What is it?” Both Amy and Calypso swung their gazes to me, curiosity written all over their faces. “Is it Brendon? Is he okay?”
I shook my head. “It’s not that. It’s…it’s the test.”
“The test?” Amy questioned. Then her eyes widened with comprehension. “The DNA test?”
I nodded, gulping down a chunk of sandwich in a throat drier than the desert. “The DNA test,” I confirmed. “The results are in.”
Chapter 31
Brendon
Knowing I had a baby on the way had given me new zest for my work. No longer was I just working to support myself, nor was my vision of the future clouded. Everything I had I would one day pass on to my son or daughter, and the idea of a legacy spurred me to work harder than I ever had before. It felt like each stroke of my pen or tap of my fingers on the keys added another tiny block to what I hoped would one day be a megalithic monument to my success that would support my family for generations to come. I had new purpose in life. It took being found to realized I was lost before, and it took Aurora to realize that I’d never be lost again.
The love of my life had gone for lunch with her girls nearly an hour ago, and would be back soon. Working with her had become a challenge since she’d moved in, but not because I was tired of her. On the contrary, I was now accustomed to spending so much of my time with Aurora that I always wanted to be around her. Thoughts of her strayed into my mind even during moments of laser focus. I spent idle moments planning things I would do for her, things I would do to her, and everything else in between.
For the first time in my life, I was truly happy. I had everything I could ever possibly want, and the fragility of that perfection was not unknown to me. I worried about losing it at any moment, but all it took was a glance from Aurora to know that what we had was real, and I knew I’d always fight for that.
I nearly jumped in my seat when my door burst open with enough force to shake the leaves of my fern. I expected to see Nolan crowding the doorway. I’d been secretly hoping that he would track me down so I’d have an excuse to kick the shit out of him. It wasn’t Nolan, but I wasn’t disappointed.
“Baby,” I said, rising to my feet. “What’s—”
Aurora flung herself right over the top of my desk, slamming my laptop lid closed with her body and falling on top of me so hard the air rushed from my lungs. I pulled her in without hesitation until she was cradled in my arms, expecting the worst.
So why was she smiling?
Before I had the chance to ask, she said the four most beautiful words I’d ever heard in my life.
“The baby is yours.”
My mind emptied until there was nothing but bright light. I meant it when I said I would love this baby no matter what, no matter whose X or Y chromosome it happened to have, but knowing that the baby was mine and Aurora’s alone was a dream come true. Aurora’s ties to Nolan were broken for good, and there was nothing standing in the way of us and our perfect happiness. It was so wonderful that I wondered if I should pinch myself just to make sure I was still awake.
I kissed her then, soft and sweet and with every ounce of love I possessed. I wanted her to feel with only the brush of my lips how happy she’d made me—how committed I was to her. To us.
“I love you,” I murmured. Then, because it felt so good, I repeated it a few more times.
“I love you too,” Aurora sighed. “I’m so excited to have this baby.”
“Our baby.”
She pulled back, smiling at me. Her eyes were clear and bright, delight etched into her features so artistically that I wondered if her face would ever be able to show sadness again.
“Yes,” she said. “Our baby.”
I captured her mouth again and stood up with her in my arms, balancing her ass on the edge of the desk while I cleared off its contents with a sweep of my arm. Even my laptop went clattering to the floor, and somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I should probably care about damaging it. That little voice was weak though, and couldn’t dream of standing up against the primal side of me that needed to feel her skin against mine.
“Brendon,” Aurora panted as I began tugging her shirt loose from her pants. “What if someone walks in?”
“They won’t.” I bit her bottom lip, and she moaned softly and opened in submission.
My cock tented the front of my pants and I ground the hardening length between her legs as I laid her back onto the desk. I’d been wanting to fuck Aurora on my desk since day one, and I couldn’t think of a better occasion to fulfill my fantasy.
“You’re bad,” she whispered.
“Baby, you have no idea.” I nipped down the side of her neck while my hands deftly unbuttoned the front of her blouse, spreading the fabric open and exposing her heaving breasts and taut stomach. The little bump was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I kissed down to it, dragging my tongue through the valley of her breasts before peppering soft pecks all over the skin of her belly.
Aurora giggled. “That tickles!”
“Oh yeah?” I let my lips whisper along her skin, teasing her more.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No!” she protested, just as I began to back away.
I met her gaze and saw her eyes wide with need, pupils stretching toward the edges of her iris like a solar eclipse. God, she was beautiful. My cock twitched impatiently, drawing my focus back to the task at hand. Pants.
With a couple jerks, I pulled her pants down her thighs, tossing them over the back of my chair and looking down at the siren on my desk. She was spread out before me like a feast, matching pink panties and bra that made my heart race just to look at. Fuck.
“How did I ever get so lucky?” I asked.
Aurora reached for my tie, pulling my lips back to hers as her hand fumbled with the zipper of my pants. The first touch of her hand on my bare cock made me groan, and she pulled me in even closer as her fingers stroked over my shaft.
She knew just the way I liked to be touched, with a firm grip and long, languid movements. I was aching to touch her too, and I yanked on her panties until they came down to her knees and slid down to hang from one dangling foot. My fingers sank into her heat and she squeezed harder on my dick, sending a bolt of pleasure straight to my scalp.
She was hot and slick, just as I knew I’d always find her. Her folds parted easily and I stroked along her inner waist, testing her first with one finger and then two.
I couldn’t wait any longer.
“Wrap your legs around my waist, baby,” I instructed.
Aurora dropped her hand from my cock and did as I said, the movement lining up the head of my cock with her entrance almost perfectly. She arched up as I pressed inside, forcing more of her fleshy globes to spill over the confines of her bra. Just as I sank the rest of my meat into her, I reached around and unclipped the bra.
Aurora was spread over my desk, completely naked, looking like a wet dream come to life. Her tight pussy welcomed me home, and I took my time with the first few strokes as she adjusted to my girth. Her eyelashes fluttered open and she looked up at me, smiling coquettishly.
“What are you smiling about?” I slammed my hips into hers, leaning forward so I could squeeze a tit in each hand.
Aurora’s mouth fell open in a quiet moan. “I’m just happy.”
“I’m happy too.” I thrust again, and she slid up the desk an inch. “So. Fucking. Happy.”
Aurora’s hand found my tie again and she yanked me down so hard that I nearly head-butted her. I captured her mouth and gave her a bruising, punishing kiss. She panted against my mouth but I didn’t let up, sawing in and out with unbridled passion as my orgasm churned somewhere deep in my balls. I lost all sense of time and space as we fucked, so consumed by the brilliant goddess beneath me.
Aurora may have been named after a Disney princess, but her name suited her more in the sense that she was light. She was brightness. As she slowly peaked below me, she was all the colors of the rainbow shining through at once.
I knew I would never get tired of seeing her come apart. I knew I would never get tired of seeing her shine.
Tension pooled at the base of my spine and I went harder, faster, her pussy gripping me tight and urging me to spill inside of her. With a roar I did just that, sinking my teeth into her lower lip as the spasms rocked through me. The pleasure was intense and it sent me on a spiral down, down, down into the deepest, most primitive part of myself.
When I surfaced, Aurora was staring up at me with an amused expression.
“What’s the face for?” I asked, kissing the tip of her nose.
“Oh, nothing,” she said. “Just happy.”
I laughed. “I’m happy too. And shit, my parents are going to be as well!” I pressed another jovial kiss to her lips and sprung up, tucking myself back into my pants as I grabbed my phone from the back pocket.
“What are you doing?” she asked, eyebrows knitted with concern.
I chuckled. “Calling my parents to let them know the good news.”
She blushed, turning her body as she started to get off the desk. I held her down with my palm flat on her stomach.
“Don’t move yet,” I said. “I like seeing you like this.”
Aurora smiled serenely and lay back on the desk, staring up at me through perfect spider lashes.
Chapter 32
Aurora
“Have you seen my tie?”
I rolled my eyes at Brendon’s puzzled expression behind me in the mirror. “Which tie? You’ve got like five billion.”
“Five billion? That’s an exaggeration,” he said dryly. “I’ve got maybe three billion. Four billion at the most.”
“Which tie?”
“The forest green silk one.”
I pointed to the TV cabinet against his bedroom wall. “It’s under there. You tossed it there when you did that striptease the other night.”
“Ah. Right.” Brendon smiled ruefully. “How could I forget.”
I laughed and went back to applying my lipstick, making it as perfect as possible, not that Eleanor would care. She was so ecstatic to hear the news—that we were having a baby in general, not just that it was Brendon’s—that she insisted on throwing us a big celebration dinner. I was looking forward to it, but I could tell Brendon was even more excited than I was. He’d been waiting a long time to show his family how much he’d changed, and I sensed he finally felt part of the adult crowd among his people.
“You look absolutely delectable.” He appeared behind me, tie hanging loosely from his collar, and slid his hands around my waist to rest on my belly. It was his favorite place to hold me these days, and I wasn’t complaining. He and I and my swollen belly were a family now. I’d take any reminder of that I could get.
“You don’t look so bad yourself.”
He pecked me on the top of the head. “Now that I’ve got my tie I do. What would I do without you?”
I smiled in the reflection and Brendon gave me a pat on the ass before moving back into the bedroom to finish dressing.
What would he do without me? More like what would I do without him?
Nolan left town for good after the results of the test, but I still hadn’t left Brendon’s apartment yet and desperately hoped I wouldn’t have to. Not only was the place a marked improvement from my crappy apartment, but being with Brendon at all hours of the day was my ultimate dream come true. We worked so well together, and so far, living together had been a truly seamless experience.
“Baby, your phone’s ringing,” Brendon called.
Before I had a chance to answer, he brought the device to me and set it in my hand. I looked at the call display and groaned.
“It’s my mother.”
He raised a brow. “You’re not going to answer it?”
“So she can abuse me for sending Nolan packing and not leaving with him? I don’t think so.”
I moved to put my phone on the counter but Brendon stopped me with a light touch on my wrist.
“I think you should answer it,” he said softly. “She’s going to be a grandmother. More than that, she’s going to be a part of our lives and I don’t want to be known as the asshole that stole you away and kept you from talking to her.”
I saw his point, and I wanted all those things too. Dealing with her just sucked the big one.
I sighed and tapped on the answer button just as it was about to go to voicemail.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Aurora. It’s your mother.”
“Yes, I have call ID. I know.”
I could practically hear her sucking her lips into a pinched frown.
“I’m very disappointed in you. I don’t understand why you’re so determined to throw your life away when you belong here.”
“How about , ‘Hi Aurora, nice to talk to you. It’s been awhile. How’s the baby?’” I asked, irritation honing my words. “Aren’t you getting tired of this whole song and dance?”
At first when she didn’t reply I thought the line had dropped, but then I heard her breathing and realized I must have shocked her into silence. This s
purred me on.
“And you know what else? Nolan was an asshole. He was mean to me, and he probably would have been mean to our child too. Brendon is a good man and I love him, and if you give him a chance I think you’ll love him too. All I’ve ever wanted is to find happiness and I’ve found that here. Why can’t you just be happy for me? You’ve got a grandchild on the way and if you want a good relationship with the little monster then you’d better start getting used to the fact that my life is here now and that isn’t going to change.”
I glanced over to see Brendon watching me from the doorway, and expression of pride tugging his lips into a smile. I smiled back, embracing the comfort of his presence while my heart ticked nervously in my chest and my face flamed with heat. I’d never stood up to my mother quite like that before, and I didn’t feel bad for it. That was probably what set this time apart—I knew that, in this situation, I was right. She was wrong. There was no gray area. I’d tried things her way for years, staying in that crap town just because I was too scared to dream of something better for myself. No more.
“You’ve changed,” she said finally.
It was hardly the heartwarming, sputtering apology I’d hoped for, but it would do for now.
“Yup. Big time.”
She sighed. “I don’t want to lose my daughter. I miss having you around.”
“I miss being around sometimes, but finding what’s yours in life is about making sacrifices, Mom. If you don’t sacrifice to find what you want, then you’ll end up sacrificing what you want. Is that what you want for me? To sacrifice everything I have here just because you think you know my life better?”
She went silent again. Brendon looked practically ecstatic now. He winked and walked back into the bedroom, and I leaned against the counter to support my shaking legs.
“No.” Her voice came quiet. Weak. “No, I don’t want that. I want you to be happy.”
Hallelujah! I felt like dancing around, I was so happy. Too bad my legs were still a little too weak from the adrenaline.
“I’m glad. And thank you.”
Lieutenant Commander Stud Page 63
