by Violet Paige
Probably from flying, sitting in a cabin of compressed, stale air surrounded by a bunch of potentially gross strangers who could very well be carrying viruses and contaminations. On the flight to Florida, I had flown business class, but there was still a man sitting near me who kept coughing and sneezing. It was pretty nasty.
“Oh, I bet that gross guy got me sick,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I hope I didn’t get Bruin sick.” God knew we had exchanged enough bodily fluids during our rabid fuck-fest on the yacht. If I was sick with something, surely Bruin would be sick, too.
Wait.
I sat down again, my legs suddenly feeling weak.
We had been awfully close. Really close. Close enough that I had him inside me for a big portion of the time we were together. And not just this most recent rendezvous either. Over the past few weeks we had been very intimate with each other. And I had been so busy, so overwhelmed with my usual hectic schedule on top of all the time spent with Bruin that I was losing track of the days.
I picked up my phone with a shaking hand and opened my calendar app. I used an application that helped me track my menstrual cycle. It reminded me when to expect the cramps and emotional turmoil to begin. I had been blessed, or maybe cursed, with an extremely punctual, regular cycle. Ever since I was thirteen years old, it had come every month like clockwork. And this time well, it did seem like it had been an awfully long time since I last dealt with it.
“Oh God,” I mumbled.
Sure enough, there was a day marked in red on my calendar. A day five days ago. My period was five days late. That had never, ever happened.
“No. It can’t be. There’s no fucking way,” I breathed, starting to tremble. I stood up and grabbed my purse, hurrying out the door to go pick up a pregnancy test from the drug store across the street. I bought it and nearly ran back to the hotel, chugging a bottle of water on the way.
Four minutes later, I had my answer.
In the form of a little pink cross on a baby-blue background. I nearly burst into tears at the sight of it, I was so overwhelmed. What the hell? What was I supposed to do now? I sat down on the floor of my hotel room, staring at the pink cross. This could not be happening. Not with my lifestyle. I flew all over the world. I drank wine with wealthy people. I was a jetsetter, an extremely busy workaholic who hardly had time to take care of herself, much less anyone else. And I wasn’t even technically with the father of the child.
I got a flash of Bruin with his daughter. The way he smiled, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling just a little bit as he looked at her with such adoration on his face. The way he scooped her up and kissed her all over her little pudgy face, making her scream with laughter and joy. The way he treated her with such unending patience. He was softer around her. It was blaringly apparent to everyone who saw them together that she was the center of his world. She was the most important thing to him. And after him well, I had a feeling it was me.
I looked down at my stomach. It still looked pretty flat to me. It was hard to imagine that there could be something growing inside of me there. It seemed impossible, really. And yet, I just knew it was true. It was real. My heart surged with affection. Yep. I was pregnant. With the child of the man I had loved since I was a teenage girl, infatuated at the dinner table over Thanksgiving. I had loved Bruin for so long, and now we were going to be tied together forever. And I know that no matter how frightening it seemed, it was for the best. It would be okay.
“More than okay,” I mumbled, smiling through the thin sheen of tears in my eyes. “It would be magical.”
I stood up and grabbed my purse. It was nearly midnight now, but I knew what had to be done. I needed to finally face my fears and confront Jeff about my relationship with Bruin. If there had ever been a perfect time to abandon all worry and jump feet-first into this, it was now. Because it was no longer just Bruin and me. It was three of us. Four counting Emma.
I rushed out the door and downstairs, hailing a cab. The driver took me across town to the luxury hotel where my brother was staying. It was his favorite, the one he always chose. I remembered his room number and told the receptionist I needed to see the occupant urgently. She called his room and let him know I was coming, and I tore away up the stairs, ignoring the elevator and the pounding of my heart. I burst into the room, and I must have looked totally crazy, because Jeff jumped back from me.
“Jilly? What’s the matter? What happened? You look like a wreck.”
“Jeff, I need to talk to you.” I burst out, breathless from my run upstairs.
“Okay, okay. Calm down. What is it?” he asked, walking up and putting his hands on my shoulders. I blinked up at him and took a deep breath.
“I’m going to get right to the point.” I took a heavy breath “I’ve been seeing Bruin behind your back. I’m sorry.”
“Bruin? My college friend?” he clarified, his face going pale.
“Yes. That’s the one. He and I—we’ve been together. At first it was nothing serious. But then it became serious. Fast. Jeff, I know you’re going to be pissed off about this, but you have to understand that I love him,” I rambled.
Jeff stepped away, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you did this to me,” he groaned, rubbing his temples. “Haven’t I always done everything in my power to protect you? Defend you? Keep you safe?”
“Yes. And believe me, I appreciate it. Everything you’ve done me for our entire lives, but this has nothing to do with that.”
“Clearly you don’t,” he interrupted, throwing his hands in the air. “That guy is a reckless womanizing asshole. He has a daughter from a failed relationship. The mother of that child? She was a one-night stand. He left her just like he leaves all of them. He sleeps around. He treats women like they’re disposable. Last I checked, you aren’t disposable, are you?”
Tears burned in my eyes but I stood defiantly. “The mother of his child passed away, Jeff.”
“What?” My brother gasped.
“Yeah. That’s why he’s raising Emma alone. Besides, he’s not that guy anymore. His daughter, the one you just mentioned so cruelly, she is an angel. She’s adorable and smart and she’s just like him. And she likes me.”
“You met his daughter?” he asked, confused.
“Yes. I met her in California. He’s an amazing dad.”
“Sure he is.”
“And that’s a good thing,” I cut him off, taking another deep breath. “Because I’m pregnant, and Bruin is the father.”
Jeff stared at me, his mouth falling open. “What?” he asked quietly.
“So, you can call me a slut or an idiot or whatever you want, but the truth is, I’m happy. Bruin is the one for me, Jeff. I love him,” I announced.
He looked as if he was mulling the news over in his mind. I worried what conclusion he would reach. Finally, he walked up to me and hugged me tightly.
“Jillian, after Mom and Dad died, you were my responsibility. Mine to protect,” he said softly. “It was just the two of us against the world.”
“I know. I remember,” I answered.
“But you’re twenty-five now. Not a kid.”
“Yes.”
“So you can make your own choices. You’ve always been a good judge of character. It’s part of why you’re so good at your job. You can read people. And if you think Bruin is worthy of your love, then I have to believe you,” he concluded, kissing the top of my head.
I pushed back and grinned. “Really? You’re not mad?” I couldn’t believe it.
He rolled his eyes and smiled. “I mean, it’s not exactly the kind of news I expected to receive at nearly one in the morning, but it’s your life, Jilly. If you love him, that’s enough. Does he love you, too?”
I nodded and blushed. “He does.”
He patted me on the shoulder. “Well then, that’s that. And you’re sure you’re pregnant?”
“I can show you the test,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “I brought it with me.”
He blanch
ed. “No. No, thank you. I believe you on that,” he laughed. “So, I’m going to be an uncle? Uncle Jeff?”
I beamed happily. “Yep. Looks like it.”
“Does Bruin know yet?” Jeff asked.
“Oh shit. No. I haven’t told him yet.”
“Well, he definitely needs to know. Go to him. Tell him about the baby and tell him you both have my blessing. Not that you need it. But you have it, either way.”
Twenty-Nine
Bruin
I paced back and forth on the marina, occasionally stopping to stare into the water and watch the occasional fish dart by. I was completely restless. There was no way I could settle down long enough to clear my thoughts while I waited for Jillian to get back.
Part of my worry, of course, was whatever she was going to be going through in that conversation. Jeff had always been the more even-tempered one between us, but I knew that when he was upset about something, he could raise hell like nobody else I knew. I was more likely to just get it all out as I felt it.
But there was more to what I was feeling. I had something big weighing on my heart. Something not even Jillian knew about. I was more sure about it than anything else in the world, regardless of what Jeff said, but so much of it hinged on Jillian.
And if Jeff did anything to hurt her spirit, there would be all kinds of hell to pay. I would make sure of that.
So when I heard the sounds of footsteps running down the dock, I turned and felt my heart soar at the sight of Jillian and the shining look on her face.
Watching her run toward me was like something out of a dream. The most beautiful woman in the world, racing toward me, her smile more valuable than any yacht my money could buy.
Already grinning ear-to-ear by the time she got to me, I caught her in my arms and swung her around, peppering her face with kisses as she laughed mirthfully, a sound that was like a golden harp to my ears.
“Bruin, oh my God, Bruin,” she gushed, and I finally set her down on her feet in front of me. “I talked to Jeff about everything, about us, about the cruise, about everything we had together and everything we want.”
“And?” I asked.
She held my face, and I helped push her up on her toes to kiss me deeply, our hearts thumping against our chests as my cock grew and I felt her warm palms on my face. It must have lasted ten seconds, but it meant a lifetime of bliss.
“Glad to hear it,” I said with a playful grin when we broke the kiss.
“There’s more though,” she said, her face growing anxious.
“What do you mean? He’s not making you quit or something, is he? Because my company—”
“No, not that, he’s fine with everything,” she said. “But I... we… ” She took a deep breath and looked up at me, her face glowing with beauty even as she looked nervous. “On the way over, I realized I was late.”
“Late? What do you?” I paused, and my heart stopped in my chest for a moment. My eyes grew.
Is she saying what I think she’s saying?
She paused, biting her lip, waiting for me to react. I grabbed her hips.
“Bruin, I’m pregnant.”
Those three words sent me crashing, and I lifted the love of my life into the air as she giggled and kicked her feet, my face a stupid, sloppy grin as I gushed, “Jill, are you serious? Oh my God, Jill. Jill.”
I was a dizzy mess, bringing her back down into a warm hug and showering her with kisses as I said her name over and over again, listening to the sound of her warm laughter with every kiss.
I was going to be the father of Jillian Hargrove’s child.
In the rush of everything, it almost made me forget that one last thing on my mind. And if I’d had any doubt about it before that moment, it was gone. I set Jill down and smiled at her, watching her gorgeous face.
“That makes this a lot easier, then,” I said. Her face looked puzzled.
Then I got down on one knee.
I reached into my pocket.
I pulled out a little black velvet box.
With all the sudden power of a lightning strike, I saw tears appear in Jillian’s eyes, and they started flowing down a flushed face the next second. “B-Bruin, what are you doing?”
“Jillian Hargrove,” I asked, and I opened the box to reveal a golden ring with a perfect diamond shining brilliantly in the winter sun set in it. “Will you marry me?”
She gasped, and she nearly collapsed onto me before I caught the sobbing mess that she became the next moment, grinning so wide it hurt.
Behind us, I heard an applause, and I turned to see the yacht staff spying on us, all of them clapping and cheering, and I gave them a wink as I helped Jillian to her feet. She grabbed my face and kissed me deeply, and I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her up into me.
It was a feeling I’d be able to savor for the rest of my life.
And it just got sweeter every day.
Minutes later, we fell into my bed, shirts already off, hands on each other’s faces as I grinded my thick bulge against her pussy through her panties.
My fiancée was Jillian Hargrove.
That filled me with such an unstoppable energy that I could have taken on an army on my own.
I was going to make her Jillian Kincaid, and I wanted the entire world to know.
We devoured each other’s faces, her lips probably as sore as mine as we bit and sucked each other, hands practically clawing each other’s backs. The feeling of her nails raking down my rippling muscles just made me all the more eager for her.
Without letting my face leave hers, I reached down to her panties and ripped them open. She wouldn’t need them while she was with me. Not now, not ever.
I did the same with my underwear, not bothering to stop long enough to take them off like a reasonable human being. I was not that, not right then.
Her bra went next, and I tossed it to the other side of the bed. All I could focus on was my gorgeous, wonderful, unbelievable fiancée and her body.
I took her hair in my fingers and held it tight, pushing myself up and holding her head back so I could attack her neck. I didn’t even wait to position her. I didn’t have the patience.
I used my free hand to haul her leg over my hip, and I thrust my cock deep inside her. She groaned in pleasure, and with my teeth biting at her neck, wanting to devour as much as her flesh as I could, my cock started thrusting in and out of her like a piston.
My head was spinning, and I was letting my body’s desires give way to rut like an animal.
Jillian, my Jillian, who’d watched me from a distance for years, had just agreed to marry me. The thought of making her my wife made my cock swell larger and firmer than I’d ever felt before. Even though my body was so used to sex, so powerful and primed for this, it felt like a totally new experience as I bucked my hips up into her.
There was no finesse from either of us. My hands ran over her shoulders, her back, her hips, her breasts, whatever I could get a hold of, I felt her ass and grabbed it, using my hands to hold her in place as I sent my cock deep into her pussy, its ribbed girth feeling every inch of slick space, grinding against any surface it could find.
Her hands felt my strong jaw, the stubble on my face, the muscles that ran from my shoulders to my pecs to my abs, and she clawed me desperately. No matter how much I pounded into her, she wanted more, and the thought of having a lifetime to give it to her made my heart beat like a drum and my balls tighten.
I moved in and out of her, using her body like it was made for me. And we were made for each other, even if it took us so fucking long to realize it.
I was going to make up for that every single day, every morning, every night.
It didn’t take long for me to feel her pussy tightening around me, her whole body starting to get tighter. A long moan started to come from her, and I knew it was only a matter of seconds. I utterly let myself go, bucking like a wild animal. Short, low grunts came from my chest with every thrust as I felt her clenching pussy drive m
e over the edge of bliss just as she reached the peak of hers.
Our groans of release mixed in the room at the same time that we released together, and every pulse shook our bodies together with an orgasm so strong that I lost control of my body for the first time I could remember. I was in shock, paralyzed with her as we melted into each other, a slick, sweet mess of bliss.
When it was finally over, we let out long breaths, and I rolled over to let her rest on top of me, my twitching cock still inside her.
“That,” I said in a low, husky tone when I finally managed to speak. “Is what I’m going to do to you every day, from now and forever. Together.”
“Together,” she said, enjoying the sound of the word on her lips.
I smiled up at her, and for the first time in my life, I really understood what love felt like.
Epilogue
JILLIAN
“Where’s my veil?” I shouted, spinning in a wild, frantic circle.
I was standing in the back room of a very fancy event hall, surrounded by aunts and cousins and my best friend, Anna Kate. One of my cousins rushed out of the room to go searching for my veil, and Anna Kate hurried to my side. She grabbed my arm and began patting it reassuringly.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” she said, shushing me. “We’ll find it.”
I turned to her, my heart racing. “What if we don’t? What if it’s gone forever?”
Anna Kate smiled and kissed me on the cheek, then quickly wiped the lipstick mark off with her finger. “Calm down. Seriously, it’s fine. Just a veil.”
I shook my head vigorously. “No, you don’t get it, Anna kate. That’s not just any veil, that was my mother’s veil. And it was her mother’s wedding veil before that. It’s been passed down in my family.”
“For generations and generations,” she filled in. “Yeah, sweetie, I know. But you have to take a deep breath. You’re going to give yourself an aneurysm. For someone who’s used to dealing with a lot of stress from work, you sure are keyed up.”
