Marianna’s eyes widened as she nodded at him. “Same guy, huh?”
Tor’s brows dipped and passing me a confused glance, he nodded. “Good to see you, I remember you.”
“Yeah,” she agreed dispassionately and then turned back to me. “Anyway, that was all I wanted to say. It’s good seeing you again, Jamie. Even though it was very”—her gaze rolled to my stomach—“shocking.”
Then, brushing her hand against my arm, she moved to whatever part of the theater Angel had disappeared off to.
“That was Angel’s sister, wasn’t it?” Tor stared at her as she walked off.
I nodded. “Yup.”
“Are you okay? What did she want?”
I grabbed his hand. My stomach growled. “I honestly don’t know, and I really don’t care right now. I’m starving.”
“Again?” he chuckled. “We just ate dinner.”
“Yes, I ate dinner for me. Now I need to eat dinner for the bottomless pit.” I patted my stomach.
“Your wish is my command.” He bowed, and then gestured for me to lead the way. Laughing, I felt the stress and tension of seeing Angel slip off of me.
For a split second the desire to save him had reared its ugly head, but as selfish as it made me, I just didn’t have it in me anymore. From here on out, Angel would have to figure out how to save himself.
Chapter Nineteen
Eight Months
Tor
Jamie’s parents had left the next day and it’d been a weepy goodbye on both sides. It made me feel good that at the very end at least they’d told Jamie they loved her. And while they were far from friendly with me, they were cordial.
I had hope for the future. Especially considering that I planned to make their daughter my wife. For the past five months I’d been saving money for a ring.
The ring I now had nestled in a little black box in my pocket.
Unlocking the apartment door, I walked in only to find Jamie padding around the apartment wearing nothing but a pair of sexy red underwear and black spandex tank top.
Wearing ear buds and holding tight to a small iPod, she was bopping her head as she swept out a section of our small dining room. Because she’d had very little furniture to begin with, I hadn’t had to do much to rearrange things so that there was now a dedicated space for the baby’s crib.
I chuckled, closing the door gently behind me before leaning back on it. “Mind telling me what you are doing, Eskelde?”
Screaming, she dropped the broom and whirled on me. The past month her breasts had grown so that they’d gone from being apple-sized to small cantaloupes. Just seeing the nipples poking against the fabric of her top made my mouth water.
Her cheeks were flushed, her blue eyes wide and startled-looking as she grabbed at her chest. “You scared me,” she said as she jerked the buds out of her ears. Chuckling and rolling her eyes, she pointed behind her. “I’m cleaning it so we can set up the crib.”
Jamie was unhappy that she was gaining water weight, as she said; her cheeks were a little fuller than before and in the mornings her fingers and toes were like swollen little sausages, and even her lips looked bee-stung. All of which only made her look more adorable to me.
I found that I was quite enjoying the sight of my woman pregnant with our child. There was something erotically sensual about her softer, curvier self.
“You do know the babyen will likely be sleeping in our room for the first few months at least. We can wait on this, love.”
Hanging her head, she wrapped her arms around her belly. “I’m so tired of being pregnant. Every inch of me aches all the time and I’m just so ready to hatch this thing.”
Pushing off the door, I walked over and grabbed her by the hand, leading her back to our room. Just last week I’d painted a sunny spring meadow against the left-hand wall, the one we’d be pushing the cradle against. There wasn’t much room in this place to dedicate an assigned baby room to, but I had plans to eventually move us into a single-family dwelling down in the suburbs.
I needed to save a little bit more to do it. Between the two of us I hoped that in another year or so we’d be able to get out of here.
“Lie down on your side and take off your top.” I pointed at the bed.
Smiling gratefully, she whisked off her top and tossed it to the floor before crawling onto the bed and flopping onto her side with a soft moan. The sun had long since set hours ago. Because I was trying to save, I’d increased my work hours. I didn’t like it, but there wasn’t any other option.
“How was your day?” she asked as she tucked a body pillow between her legs.
Whipping my jeans and shirt off, I quickly joined her on the bed. “Fine. Boring. Same old stuff.” Grabbing the eucalyptus-scented lotion off our night table, I squirted out a palm full and then I began to knead it into her flesh.
She moaned, leaning into my touch. She moved like a kitten when I did this for her. Flexing her spine and sighing when I’d hit a knot of muscle.
“Gods, you have a sexy back,” I whispered before planting a kiss on the almost heart-shaped birthmark at the base of her neck.
Wrapping her arm over my neck, her fingers drummed against my skin, making me break out in a wash of goosebumps.
“Tell me more,” she whispered in a husky, sexy drawl.
Slipping my hand over her ribcage slowly, I palmed her much heavier breasts and she trembled beneath me.
Blood rushed to my cock, that it was now nestled against the curve of her ass, pushing almost arrogantly into her. Nudging my hips forward, I nipped her shoulder with my teeth as I played with her tender nipple.
I’d learned that since being pregnant her breasts had become erogenous zones, in a way they hadn’t been before.
Her breathing grew heavy. “I’m soaking wet, Charming,” she murmured, then, grabbing my hand, she drew my thumb toward her lips.
I was still coated in lotion, but she didn’t suck on it as she normally would; instead she brushed it against her bottom lip. Grunting, I used my free hand to work my boxer briefs down my legs until I was free.
Our bodies were attuned to the other’s needs after months of pregnant sex, I knew what she liked. How she liked it. Her foot slid up my thigh so that she’d be fully exposed to me.
“I love you, my beauty. My heart. You’re so perfect for me. So perfect,” I mumbled in her ear as I palmed her soaked and heated underwear.
“Yes.” She tilted her head back, until she was cradled against my shoulder.
Slipping two fingers beneath her underwear, I dipped them into her tight channel.
“Tor. My god,” she moaned and wiggled down on me as I pumped into her.
It was the best kind of torture as I brought out her pleasure, waiting on my own. Sex was always great, but sex with someone I loved, it brought out the gentleman in me. Made me want to give first, made me want to show her that she was so special to me that I was willing to wait on her.
The scent of her musk filled my head. Jamie was sweet and sensual. Almost purring in the back of her throat. I couldn’t help but rock my cock against her. I was painfully hard and ready to explode, but I knew if I entered her now I wouldn’t last long.
I rubbed her extremely swollen clit. The pregnancy had turned Jamie into a ticking sex bomb, she craved it almost more than I did. Although that was far from a bad problem to have. It just meant I got laid every night, and what man wouldn’t want that?
Gasping, she dug her tiny nails into my forearm and then a sound between a screech and a growl tugged from her and I knew the instant she’d fractured because she was nodding and grunting, “Inside me now.”
I slipped into her tight, wet sheath and had to force back a howl as she gripped me hard. I wished I could see her face. She was jerking, spasming on me as her orgasm took her completely, and that was enough to set me off.<
br />
Dropping my head to her flowery-scented shoulder blade, I breathed her in as I pumped my seed into her.
We lay that way for a minute, and I might not have moved if I hadn’t felt something hard and powerful kick me.
Jerking, I backed out of her and she laughed. Rolling over onto her back, she covered her eyes with her hand. Her breasts bounced deliciously as she gave in to her joy.
“The baby says hi.” She peeked from between her fingers at me.
“Is that what that was?” My eyes widened and then, trying to be careful, I placed my ear against her stomach.
The mixture of Jamie’s fingers running through my hair as I felt the quickening of my daughter upon my cheek could have lulled me to sleep.
“She’s getting strong,” I breathed in awe as another little thump pressed against my brow.
Nodding, Jamie sighed. “She moves less, but when she does it’s almost uncomfortable.”
“Pappa loves you, baby.” I kissed Jamie’s bellybutton, which made her giggle again.
It amazed me how differently our relationship was now from where it’d started. My woman was always laughing, always happy. Unlike the sad, quiet little thing she’d been when we’d first begun. I didn’t know if it was the baby or me, but I hoped it was a mix of the two, because all I knew was that she was my world.
“Tor?” she said after another moment.
“Hmm?” I looked up at her, moving off the bed so I could go clean us up. Taking care of myself first in the bathroom, I returned a minute later to wash her up.
She was languid as I brushed the towel between her legs.
“What’s the matter, Eskelde?” I asked a second later, tossing the rag into the hamper and rejoining her, pulling her back into my arms, but this time so that she faced me. Never wanting to let her go.
“I don’t know what to name her,” she pouted.
Tracing my thumb over her eyebrow. “We still have time. I say we wait to name her until she arrives. Because how can we know who she is until we see her, right? We could name her Agnes but she’s a Vivienne instead.”
Her fingertips were cold when she framed my jaw with them. “I was kind of thinking we should go with something from your country.”
It warmed my heart that she would even consider that an option. “We could. But our names can sometimes be difficult to pronounce for Americans, not to mention she could be teased. I am fine if you want to go with something more—”
She scoffed. “That girl is gonna be proud of her Norwegian heritage if I have anything to say about it. Besides, her dad is so big and tough that no one would dare make fun of her.”
“That’s right,” I growled, digging my fingers into her ribs right at the spot I knew would tickle and make her laugh.
“Cut it out,” she glowered, slapping at me and wiggling out of my arms. “Or I’ll smack you.”
“I am terrified.”
Her eyes widened. “You are such a jerk.”
But she didn’t mean it. I tickled her again and she did slap me, which mostly just turned me on. Our play fighting eventually turned into more kissing and caressing and before I knew it I was going down on her, making her orgasm yet again as fingernails clawed at the back of my skull.
Once she’d come for the second time, I scooted up her body. Pressing my lips with her scent still on them to her own. She inhaled me in, and though neither one of us was ready to have sex again, we kissed and suckled and explored.
Her hands were soft and comforting and I breathed her in. Feeling more at peace and content than I had in so long.
“Jamie,” I murmured later once she’d curled back into my arms again. “I want to tell you something.”
“What?” She traced the bridge of my nose.
Pulling back, so that I could capture her gaze with my own, once I knew she was fully focused on me I said, “You healed me. I didn’t think it would be possible for me to ever feel this again, but I have. I do. Ida left such a gaping hole in my soul.”
Her blue eyes turned to the side. I knew speaking of Ida wasn’t easy for her. She tried to understand and in her own way, I think she did. But I needed to make her understand something.
Titling her face back to me, I smiled grimly. “I could have married her and been happy, I would have been happy—I know it.”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Tor, I’m sorry you lost her.”
“No.” I shook my head. “That is not why I tell you this. I tell you this because I’ve come to the realization that while I loved Ida, you, this child”—I palmed her stomach—“you both are truly the other half of me. I went to some dark places, but not only did you bring me back and make me whole. You’ve both made me even better and I love you with all that is inside me. I am sad that Ida died, and though I shouldn’t say this, I am grateful to have found you.”
She sobbed.
“I would have missed out on so much if I hadn’t, my Eskelde.”
“Oh, Tor.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and dragged me in for another soul shattering kiss. One that spoke more deeply than words about how she felt for me.
I didn’t often hear the words from her mouth, but from the very beat of her heart. Her touch, her actions—they told me what she truly felt.
“I made you something, and I want to show it to you.” I traced the line of her collarbone.
“You didn’t need to.” She shook her head.
“I know I didn’t need to. But I wanted to.” Getting off the bed, I walked over to the acoustic guitar in the corner and brought it back. Crossing my legs, I began strumming the opening chords, and then I sang.
“…I am an artist, breathing and creating new life.”
Her lips wobbled.
“Jamie, she thinks she is invisible. But I disagree. Her eyes full of such wonder…”
The nerves in my stomach eased as I could tell she was enjoying my song. And the longer I sang, the more her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. I wrapped it up with one final chorus.
“I feel myself falling, fast and hard. She is all I want…”
When it was over and there were no more words left, I set the guitar aside.
It seemed this was a night for making my girl cry, but so long as they were happy tears, I was okay with it.
“What’s it called?” she asked quietly.
“‘Jamie’s Song.’” I thinned my lips with the slightest amount of embarrassment, not sure whether this gesture would be considered romantic or corny.
She grinned. “I love you so much, Tor.”
Chapter Twenty
Nine Months
Jamie
I was on the phone with Zoe, sighing in between bites of scrambled eggs. It was about the only thing I wanted to eat right now. Everything else tasted disgusting and gross.
“What do you mean he’s acting weird?”
I grimaced and swallowed. “Well, I guess not weird exactly, but weird.”
“J, like, I literally have no idea what you’re talking about,” Zoe sighed. “You’re gonna have to explain that better.”
Growling, I stood and slowly made my way to the sink, dropping the empty plate into it. “Like, I know he’s hiding something. Maybe he thinks I’m ugly,” I whined, splashing some water on the plate before walking back to my couch.
I was so damn sick and tired of waiting on this baby to come. I was a week away from my due date and I was so over being pregnant. I’d begun spotting again, which the doctor told me was perfectly normal at this stage, so I wasn’t too worried about it, but I really needed to get out of the house. Doc said walking could help to naturally induce the baby.
To top it off my blood pressure had begun spiking the last few weeks. To the point that I was having horrible dizzy spells and at one point I’d even gotten a bloody nose. It was pregnancy-in
duced high blood pressure, so I wasn’t terribly worried, but Doc promised if my body didn’t get it under control soon she’d have no choice but to induce me.
Which I was one hundred percent fine with. I’d tried to get her to schedule my inducement for this week, but she insisted it was important I at least try to make it to week forty.
Every night Tor was giving me orgasm after orgasm to try and help out. Not that it wasn’t fun, but the Braxton Hicks were starting to really get on my nerves and even slightly painful. First time I’d had them I’d sworn I was going into labor. But we’d timed them and even though the suckers didn’t feel good they’d been over fifteen minutes apart, and because I was warned not to even think about going to the hospital until they were at least five minutes apart or less, I’d waited and waited until finally the little bastards had gone away on their own.
“Pah-leeze.” I could practically see her rolling her eyes. “If you think he’s tired of you, then you don’t know my man at all. That Viking is so sprung over you it’s slightly disgusting.”
I giggled, because once upon a time I’d felt the very same way about her and Alex.
“Well, he is hiding something.”
“Yeah, like maybe he’s working his ass off to save enough money to move you guys out of that broom closet. That’s probably all this is. I bet he’s got like some big news waiting to spring on you when the little meme comes. By the way, what is that poor girl’s name? I hate that I just keep calling her Miss Piggy.”
“You do not!” I glared at my phone.
Her laughter sounded teeny and full of static. I sighed. “My phone is about to die again.”
“You need to get that thing switched out.”
“I know, I know.” I plopped onto the couch. “But I’m too fat to drive anywhere. Any time I sit I feel like something is pushing up into my throat and laying down just makes me hurt and, ugh, I’m so over this.”
She laughed and again the line crackled.
I growled. “Maybe I’ll ask Tor to get me a new one. But he doesn’t get home till late tonight. I miss him so bad. What’s up with those new artists? How come they’re not picking up the slack?”
Rockers After Dark: 6 Book Bundle of Sexy Musicians Page 78
