Unforeseen Heartbeat

by Maureen Mayer

  I shot Shannon a sharp glare for telling him that, but she just laughed it off.

  “Is that really why you waited to find out?”

  I shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “It didn’t feel right without you here.”

  He leaned over and kissed the tip of my nose. “Well, I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Do you guys have any preference?”

  “No, but I’ve had a feeling this whole time that it’s a girl. I’m not really sure why, but in my dreams I always see a little blonde-haired girl with gray eyes.”

  “Looks like mommy has good intuition.” Shannon turned the screen so we could get a better look.

  “We’re having a girl?” Hunter whispered, tears slowly trickling down his cheeks. Never, in the few short months that I had known him, had I seen him so overcome with emotion, but it was exactly what I needed from him right then; to see that he wanted this just as badly as I did. He cradled my face and brought his lips down to mine, sealing the moment perfectly. His tears splashed against my face, mixing with my own, but he kissed each and every one away with such delicate reverence. “Thank you, baby. Thank you so much for this gift. You have no idea how happy you’ve made me.”

  “I can’t take all of the credit, Hunter.” The corners of my mouth slowly curved against his lips, giving him a cheeky grin. “You did help make her after all.”

  He released a soft chuckle that tickled my lips, and we both turned our attention back to our precious angel. I couldn’t wait for the day I’d finally get to hold her in my arms, kiss her sweet rosy cheeks, and tell her just how much she changed my life for the better. Here I thought Hunter was my game changer, but little did I know, he was just the beginning of a whole new world of changes my life was about to make.

  Only three more months.

  Hunter said he had a surprise waiting for me back at his apartment, and after promising me it wasn’t anything sexual, I apprehensively agreed to go with him. I thought it would feel strange coming back after being gone for so long but, to my surprise, it felt more like a long awaited homecoming. I didn’t realize just how much I missed being here until now.

  I was about to sit down on the couch and give my aching feet some much needed rest, but it was clear Hunter’s surprise couldn’t wait another second. With an eager gleam in his eyes, he entwined our fingers, and I felt anxious as he led me down the hallway, slowly walking backwards so that he could keep his eyes on me.

  “Hunter, I don’t think this is such a good idea. We probably shouldn’t be alone in your room so soon. I mean, we just started speaking to one another again, and—”

  “I’m not taking you to my room.” He cracked the door to the spare bedroom open and spun me around, wrapping his arms across my belly from behind and resting his chin on my shoulder. “I’m taking you to hers.”

  Hers? I looked around, taking in the soft, yellow walls radiating back at me like a warm summer day. They were covered in jungle animal decals, perfect for a little boy or a girl, and everything, from the bedding to the curtains and even the clothes already hanging up in the closet, matched the adorable theme of the room to a T.

  What… How… When did he do all of this?

  Hunter brushed my hair over my shoulder and pressed his lips to the back of my neck. “Do you like it?”

  “I… I don’t know what to say.” While Hunter moved further into the room, I was cemented in place between the doorframe, soaking up the view from where I stood. My eyes roamed over every little detail that he had put so much love and consideration into, and it melted my heart picturing him setting this all up on his own.

  Suddenly, my feet were moving of their own accord, drawing me straight up to the cherry wood crib that was ready and waiting for our baby girl. There were stuffed animals lined up along the far side of the crib, and I reached in, pulling out a fluffy yellow giraffe, and hugged it snug against my chest. Tears quickly pooled in my eyes as I made my way around the room, and Hunter watched with a nervous yet hopeful grin playing at his lips. I smiled back at him before stepping up to the closet and running my fingers along the row of clothes that were so tiny, they looked like they were made for a doll. Sometimes I forgot just how small babies were, and imagining our own little girl wearing these in a few short months brought on a new wave of feelings that had my heart bursting with excitement and anticipation.

  My favorite piece out of the entire room, the one that caught my eye the moment Hunter opened the door, was the matching cherry wood rocking chair. I sat down, still clutching the giraffe to my chest, and slowly began rocking while picturing our baby asleep in my arms. A single tear rolled down my cheek, wishing she were here right now.

  Hunter kneeled down in front of me and cautiously pushed my shirt up over my belly. His hands ghosted across the flesh stretched taut over my stomach, tracing the subtle stretch marks that had begun to show over the last week. Personally, I couldn’t stand the sight of them. Every morning I looked in the mirror after getting out of the shower and cringed, discovering a new jagged, red line coursing up the length of stomach. But now, with Hunter tenderly embracing each and every stripe that I had earned thus far in my pregnancy, I knew they were all worth it, because I was getting something so much better in return for these measly scars.

  When he pressed his warm lips to my lower abdomen, I immediately felt the baby turn, giving me a good, hard kick that had Hunter’s eyes lighting up. “Well, hello to you too, my little angel.” He smiled, kissing the same spot again.

  I smiled, wiping away another tear as it fell. “Hunter, when did you do all of this?” I glanced around the room again and was surprised to find that I recognized several of the items, because they were the very same ones I had picked out at the store the day of the accident. “And how… how did you know…”

  Hunter smiled sadly. “We were able to salvage a few things from the accident, but most of it was donated by Babies R Us. Except for this,” he said as he ran his hand along the armrest of the rocking chair. “Someone named Beth donated this.” His eyebrows drew together, same as mine, but soon I remembered the woman who had been so kind to me that day in the store, and I couldn’t help but choke back a sob at the generosity these complete strangers had shown me.

  “That was very nice of them.”

  “It was.” He looked up at me lovingly and continued stroking my stomach. His touch had such a calming effect on me, but then again, it always had.

  “Who chose the jungle theme?”

  “That would be me.” He rested his chin on my leg and grinned proudly. “Since I wasn’t sure whether we were having a boy or girl, I thought it was a pretty neutral theme, but if you don’t like it, we can change it.”

  “No.” I threaded my fingers through his hair. “I love it. All of it. I think she does, too.” I placed my hand over the one he was still gently caressing my stomach with. “Daddy did good, huh?”

  He shook his head, smiling as he pulled my shirt back down. “I still can’t believe it. I’m gonna be a dad.”

  “Hey, I’ve been carrying her around for six months, and it still hasn’t completely sunk in that I’m going to be a mom.” I laughed, looking down at myself. “I don’t think it will until she’s finally here.”

  Hunter’s smile fell, and seeing the pain still lingering in his eyes tugged at my heart in the worst way imaginable. “I feel terrible that I’ve already missed so much, Maddie. I should’ve been here for you every step of the way. The morning sickness, the doctor appointments, watching you grow week after week… you shouldn’t have had to go through that all on your own.”

  I nodded, and the guilt I had been harboring since the day he left came flooding back with a vengeance. “I’m so sorry, Hunter. I should have told you the second I found out.”

  “I’m not upset that you didn’t tell me, sweetheart. Please don’t think that.” He carefully pulled me to my feet, closing the gap between us as he cupped my cheeks in his rough, calloused hands. “I’m upset
with myself. I never should have taken that internship, and I sure as hell never should have left you. Every day that passed just reminded me how much I love you and need you in my life—”

  I pressed my fingers to his lips, silencing him. “I understand why you left. You were doing what was best for you… for your future… and I clearly wasn’t a part of that. I don’t blame you for leaving.” I had to close my eyes, because admitting the truth was what hurt the most. “How could you possibly want to be with someone who has a history of sleeping her way through the Greek alphabet?”

  Hunter jerked back, anger quickly replacing the pain in his eyes. “God, please tell me you don’t honestly believe that? That…” He took a deep breath in, exhaling through his nose. “That’s why you think I left? Because of your history? Maddie, if your so called history had any effect whatsoever on my feelings for you, don’t you think I would have jumped ship long before we got this involved?”

  “I-I just assumed that it was too much for you to handle. It’s not like the rumors going around campus weren’t true!”

  He stepped closer until we were nose to nose, sharing the same breath. “And despite those rumors, I still love you. I don’t care about the details of your past, Maddie. I care about the here and now. I care about our future. The only part of your past I care about is the fact that it shaped you into the woman you are today, and the woman I see standing before me is so beautiful inside and out. I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else.”

  “Hunter—”

  His mouth collided with mine furiously, catching me by surprise and preventing me from further arguing with him. He was determined to get his point across, and the moment his tongue dove between my lips and brushed against my own, I found myself clinging onto him as if my life depended on it. I knew deep down this was where I belonged… where we both belonged. There was no use fighting it.

  “It seems like we both made the mistake of jumping to conclusions,” he panted against my swollen, red lips. “Baby, I was ready to get down on one knee and ask you to be my wife before I left, but I didn’t want you to think I was rushing you into something you weren’t ready for.” He brushed his lips across mine, and this kiss was much gentler than the previous one. “But now, I know that I never should have questioned your feelings in the first place. I know you love me just as much as I do you.” He rested his hand on my stomach, brushing his thumb in slow, rhythmic circles, and a hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “And every day as we watch our little girl grow, so will our love, because we’ll see it reflecting in her big brown eyes and in her beautiful smile.”

  I leaned my head against Hunter’s chest and let a small laugh slip out as my unshed tears came pouring down. “But I always pictured her with your gray eyes.”

  His grin spread, and he captured my tears as they made their descent. “Nah, she’s gonna have brown eyes just like her momma. Then I’ll have not one but two brown-eyed girls.”

  Hearing him refer to us as his girls sent my heart soaring, and I buried my face in his chest, needing to be as close to him as possible. I never wanted to let him go again. Not ever. He held me tight as he ran his hand over my hair while trailing his fingers soothingly up and down my spine, and I could tell it wouldn’t take much more for me to fall asleep right there in his arms. “I love you, Hunter,” I managed to get out before releasing a long, heavy yawn.

  “I love you so much more. Always will.” He kissed the top of my head and walked me out of the nursery. “You should probably get some rest, babe. I think all of today’s excitement wore you out.”

  “I think you’re right. I can barely keep my eyes open.” I yawned again. “Do you mind if I lie down in your bed for a bit?”

  He turned, arching his eyebrow before he opened the bedroom door. “You mean our bed?”

  I smiled and leaned up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Our bed.”

  “Have at it, little momma.” He spanked me playfully before I climbed in his… our bed. God, I missed this bed. “I’ve got a few errands to run while you nap, but I’ll be back before you wake. Do you need anything before I leave?”

  “Nope. Just for you to hurry home.”

  He leaned down and kissed my forehead, brushing his fingers across my belly as he draped the blanket over me. “I won’t be gone long.”

  With the click of the door shutting behind him, I closed my eyes and let exhaustion consume me, and for the first time in months, the little blonde-haired girl who appeared in my dreams wasn’t alone.

  She had her daddy by her side, right where he belonged.

  Something hard was stirring behind me, pressing against the crease of my bottom, and when I tried to roll over to see what it was, an arm came around me, splaying a large hand protectively across my belly. Hunter must’ve slipped in next to me while I was still asleep, but he was a welcome addition to this lonely bed. Had it not been for the utter exhaustion that accompanied this pregnancy, I didn’t know how I would’ve slept these last few months without him.

  I placed my hand over his, running the tip of my finger along his ring finger and brought it up to my lips. Hunter snuggled in closer, kissing my shoulder, and now that I knew for sure he was awake, I continued to roll over until I was facing him.

  “Hi,” I whispered, just a breath away from his lips.

  “Hi, beautiful. Did you get enough sleep?”

  “Yeah. I have to say, it was nice having my human heated blanket back.”

  “Is that so?” The light trickling in through the window highlighted his crooked grin, and he inched forward until our mouths finally connected, moving synchronously as one. He sucked my bottom lip between his teeth, gently nibbling at the soft flesh, and I whimpered, feeling the heated desire pool between my legs. “Well I’m glad I could be of service.”

  “Hunter.” I ran my hands up his bare chest, and he was radiating so much heat, it was no wonder he always kept me extra warm at night. “It’s been a while since we’ve… you know… and—”

  “Baby,” his voiced lowered, deep and seductive, and a silly grin spread across his face, “are you trying to say you want to have sex?”

  I threw my head back against the pillow. “God, yes! You have no idea what these hormones are doing to me. I’m horny twenty-four-seven, and I can’t take it anymore!”

  Hunter chuckled and tucked away the hair that had flown in front of my face. “I’d be more than happy to help you out there, sweetheart.” He leaned forward, brushing his lips against the shell of my ear. “I’ve been dying to make love to you for months, and this raging hard on isn’t going anywhere until I bury myself so deep inside you that I have you coming for days.”

  “Oh God,” I moaned. His words alone had my body humming with a rapacious urgency to have him inside me. “I need you so bad.”

  He licked a hot, moist trail up my neck and beneath my ear, giving my lobe a gentle tug. “You’re lucky I spoke to the doctor earlier…” His words drifted off.

  I leaned up on my elbows and tilted my head, shaking it side to side as I smiled knowingly at him. “I knew that was why you pulled her aside.”

  “Aren’t you glad I did?” He slipped his hand into my yoga pants and stroked my sensitive bud through my panties.

  “Very much so,” I moaned appreciatively. “I don’t know why men are so nervous about having sex with pregnant women.”

  Hunter pulled back completely straight-faced. “Babe, do you really think I want to risk poking our daughter in the eye with my dick?”

  Of all the things for him to worry about…

  “Ohmigod, that’s what you were worried about?! Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?” I giggled. “Your dick won’t be anywhere near her. Aren’t you supposed to know that, doctor?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.” Hunter kissed my lips and shot me a teasing grin, his eyes dancing with amusement. “But in all seriousness, I wanted to make sure everything was okay with the baby, and that there weren’t any risks of causin
g more bleeding. She was very adamant that we had nothing to worry about and even gave us her blessing.”

  I giggled softly, popping the button free on his jeans and sliding the zipper down. “Well, if the doctor insists…”

  Hunter pushed his jeans off the rest of the way and took the liberty of removing my shirt and yoga pants, adding them to the growing pile on the floor. I laid there in my bra and panties, shuddering from the sudden chill that passed over me, and Hunter’s thirsty gaze drank in the transformation my body had made over the last few months. He dipped his head down, pressing his soft, warm lips to my protruding stomach before working his way up my body. My breath hitched when he pulled the cup on my bra down and swirled his tongue around my tender pink nipple, lapping at it eagerly. Teeth gently grazed over the tightly beaded tip, and the stubble on his chin scrapped the underside of my breast, causing a fire to erupt inside me that was begging for him to extinguish it.

  He carefully unhooked my bra, sliding the straps down my arms, and all that was left separating us were a few scraps of material. It was clear my panties were soaked through with my arousal, and Hunter smiled as he traced over my sex, knowing he was responsible for making me so wet. He tucked his thumbs into the lace, tearing at the delicate material ravenously, and it quickly disintegrated away from my body.

  “Did you just…” My mouth hung open in astonishment. I don’t know what shocked me more, that he ruined a perfectly good pair of panties, or that he did it with such ease.

  “You won’t be needing those, babe.” His lips curved up devilishly, and he climbed off the bed, letting his boxer briefs pool at his feet and his erection spring free. My mouth instantly watered. Oh yeah… I definitely missed him too.

  He slowly crept up the length of the bed and ran his hands up my trembling thighs before gripping the swell of my hips. “Turn around for me, baby.”

  I did as he asked and got on my knees, lifting my ass high up in the air and giving it a little shake. A deep, pleasure-filled groan reverberated through his throat, and his hot breath swept over my backside, causing a shiver to shoot straight up my spine. I could feel the fullness of his lips as he pressed them chastely against each cheek, and he slid his palms over the firm globes of my ass, filling each of his hands. “You are so fucking beautiful, Madelyn. Seeing you like this, with my child growing inside you… fuck, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful sight in my life.”