Ride with Me

by Ryan Michele

  “What the fuck?” he growls, pissed off.

  “Cruz, let me go. I’m fucking hot and need some air.” My words are frantic because, for some reason, I’m feeling a shit load of anxiety that I have never felt before.

  His arms relax, and I scurry out of them and sit on the edge of the bed, my breathing labored. I close my eyes as the coolness of the room caresses my skin. The panic recedes as my body cools down.

  My eyes drift over to Cruz who has the most puzzled look on his face.

  “Sorry,” I mumble.

  “Care to tell me what the fuck is going on here?” He sits up, resting his back on the headboard, his arms at his sides. Even angry, my man is hotter than hell.

  “I …”

  “Mommy!” Coop calls into the room just as he barrels through the door. I’m glad I wore a T-shirt to bed. I swear that little guy can sense when Cruz or I are naked. Cruz doesn’t give a shit. Me? I do.

  “Hey.” I smile just as his face finds his father’s.

  “Daddy!” he screeches and runs directly to Cruz, jumping up on the bed and into his arms.

  Watching my man hug my little man is enough to bring tears to my eyes. Fuck, what’s wrong with me? Pregnant, Princess. Fuck, I need to talk to Cruz.

  “I misseded you,” Coop tells his father.

  “I missed you, too, buddy.” The smile on Cruz’s face would bring any woman to her knees. I love seeing their interactions, love seeing how good Cruz is with Coop—gentle yet stern. It only makes me love him more.

  “Mommy and I payed games …” Coop goes on an entire tirade, giving Cruz a blow-by-blow of every single thing we did while Cruz was gone.

  I get up from the bed and head to the bathroom where I do my business and wash my face.

  In about five minutes, I’m going to rock my man’s world. The nerves kick in a bit, not in fear, but in anticipation. I’m excited to see what his reaction will be, what he will say, if his mouth will drop open, considering I was on the pill and then boom. We didn’t plan it, but I know he will be happy. I almost want to set up a video camera and tape how he reacts.

  I smile into the mirror, my face having a slight glow, but I don’t look different. I do feel a little different, yet I don’t know how to explain it. Maybe I shouldn’t know yet. Maybe I need to let all this digest before I figure it out.

  I hear Cooper still blabbing on about Hungry Hippo and Chutes and Ladders. I hate those fucking chutes. I swear I landed on every single damn one of them, but seeing Coop’s glee when I had to go back down to the beginning was worth it.

  I step from the bathroom and move to the closet, tossing on some shorts.

  “Mommy, I ’ungry,” Cooper calls from behind me as I turn to my boy.

  “Cereal or pancakes?” I ask with a smile.

  “Oot Oops.” Fuck, that F sound is still so damn difficult for him. He’s been practicing, but his teacher says it’s the way his mouth moves that makes that sound difficult. He actually still drops several of his sounds. I have been nervous, but the teacher says to give him time and gave me games to work with him at home, so that’s what I’m doing.

  “Fruit Loops, got it. Go into the living room, and we’ll be right out,” I tell him, putting my fingers in his hair and giving it a shake.

  He darts from the room, a bundle of energy, and I know my day is going to be seriously busy with him.

  I grab the pregnancy test from the top of my dresser and hide it in my hand, the tip of it pointing up my arm. Then I turn to my man, who’s still sitting the exact same way as before, except with his hands behind his head, stretching those sexy muscles of his. My pussy dampens, and I shift my legs. Not the time.

  As I climb on the bed, Cruz’s brow lifts in question.

  “So, I have something to tell you,” I start as he opens his arms, ready for me. I go into them freely. I say nothing, just hand him the test. I’m not going to lie; it’s gross that I’m handing him a stick with my piss on it, but I do. Whatever.

  Cruz’s eyes grow wide as his mouth opens into an O. “You’re shittin’ me,” he says in a deep breath then starts sucking in air like he can’t get enough of it.

  “No, babe. I’m not shitting you. I’m pregnant.”

  The test goes flying through the air as I gasp, watching it fall to the carpeted floor. Cruz tackles me to the bed, laying his body over every inch of mine. His weight feels like coming home. I love it—love him.

  His eyes are seriously intense as they penetrate me, but it isn’t anger. No, it’s possession. I have seen this look before, and I’m sure for what he wants to do we won’t have time, because if I don’t get my ass to the kitchen soon, Coop will be back in.

  “I want to fuck you,” he growls deeply.

  “Babe, Coop,” I remind him, but the intensity doesn’t go down.

  “Bathroom.” He jumps up, pulling me with him into the bathroom where he shuts the door and locks it.

  Before I can breathe, my shorts are down and my ass is on the countertop. His dick bounces against his abs only seconds before he pushes inside of me.

  “Stop,” I say, and he halts. I have never told him to stop before, but I can’t go to the doctor with come running down me. “Babe, wrap it. Can’t go to the doctor with you falling out of me.”

  “You’ve got to be shittin’ me,” he growls.

  “I’m not.”

  “No,” he grunts out and pushes inside me. “My pussy. I don’t fucking glove up for it.”

  “But …” I start, however, he pushes so hard he hits my sensitive spot, and my eyes flutter. Fuck. “You gotta pull out,” I try.

  “Fine.”

  As he fucks me with abandon, my ass scrapes up and down on the countertop. I take it all, clutching his shoulders.

  He wastes no time getting me there as his lips crash down to mine, lighting me on fire. His strokes become feverish as sweat begins to form on my skin. I’m there, so there. Two more ins and outs and I’m lost. I close my mouth, trying not to scream, but a muffled moan comes out anyway. He stills, pulling out of me and coating his release on my belly and his shirt. We then clutch each other as we catch our breaths.

  “Mommy!” is yelled through the door as little fists pound against it.

  “Fucking hell.”

  “I’ll be out in a second!” I call out, hopping off the counter and grabbing a washcloth before ripping the shirt from my body.

  “Is Daddy in tare?” Cooper calls out as Cruz grabs a pair of green sweatpants, putting them over his once again straining cock.

  “Be out in a minute. Go to your room and get your Legos. Bring them to the living room, and we’ll play,” Cruz calls through the door, his eyes pinned on me as I finish cleaning the remnants of him then put my shorts back on. So much for basking in the afterglow of a mind-blowing orgasm.

  “Okeydokey,” Cooper calls, his little footsteps heading down the hall.

  Cruz pulls me into him, wrapping me in those warm arms of his. Luckily, I don’t feel so damn heated this time. “You’re havin’ my baby.” His voice is soft and reverent, like he doesn’t believe it’s actually happening.

  “Yeah,” I whisper back.

  “Fuck yeah.” He smiles, making my stomach flip. His lips crash down on mine as he takes me in a deep, toe-curling kiss.

  I almost get lost in it yet pull away. “Babe, I’ve gotta go take care of Coop.”

  “You are the best fucking mother my kids could ever have,” he says, kissing the top of my head.

  I feel the heat creeping up. I don’t fucking blush, but he’s doing it to me. Shit.

  “Thanks.” My voice is quiet, trying to hide a bit.

  “We need to get married sooner rather than later. Babe, I know you don’t give a shit about it, but I do. You’re wearing my ring and have my kid inside you. I want it.”

  I smile up at him. “Then let’s do it.”

  He kisses me senseless before finally pulling away.

  She’s fucking pregnant. Holy fucking shit!
/>
  When Coop’s mom told me she was pregnant with him, I admit I was pissed at first. Mel was a fuck I repeated over the year, but I never wanted anything more with her than sex. I knew she was trying to trap me into staying with her, but a man like me can’t be trapped … unless I want to be.

  She did give me the best fucking gift in the world, though—Cooper. From the moment I held that boy in my arms, I knew I would never be the same man.

  Now Princess is carrying my kid, and there is an entirely new set of feelings there. Happiness doesn’t seem to fit the way I feel at this moment. No, I’m not sure any one word could convey the swarm floating around inside me.

  Sure, Mel wanted to trap me and tame me, but the difference with Princess and me is that I know she wants to be with me, heart and soul.

  Having a child between us connects us forever. It may be hypocritical of me, but fuck it. I don’t give a shit. The three of us are already a family, but that shit is becoming official. I’m going to make it happen.

  I enter the kitchen, seeing my boy sitting at the table, eating his cereal, and Princess moves around, opening cupboards and pulling down mugs for coffee. She turns, probably feeling my presence in the room, and darts toward me.

  She leans up on her tiptoes, her lips at my ear. “I don’t want to tell Coop until we go to the doctor.”

  “Why the fuck not?”

  Cooper turns at my harsh tone, and I lift my chin at him. He digs back into his food. Fuck, his ears.

  “I just want to know a hundred percent.” She’s sheepish, not a trait I associate with my woman at all. “Babe, I think I’m around two months. How many parties have we been to since then?” She pulls back, looking up at me expectantly, but I’m not getting it.

  “Lots.”

  She sighs and comes back to my ear. “I drank at those parties. I just want to make sure the baby is okay.”

  “Okay or not, I don’t give a fuck. He will be just fine.”

  Her face turns into a sexy as fuck smile, like me saying that was everything to her.

  “I know. We’ll go to the doctor this afternoon. I called when you first left on your run.”

  My breathing stops for a moment. “You knew and didn’t tell me?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Cruz, you were on a run, and I sure as hell wasn’t telling you something like this over the damn phone. Come on.”

  While she’s right, I still can’t help the flame of anger in my gut that starts to burn. I knew something was off when I spoke with her on the phone, but pregnancy didn’t even cross my mind. I should have pieced that shit together before I got home.

  “And Ma knows.”

  And that lights my flame to an inferno.

  She must see it in my eyes because she hurries on. “It’s her weird, child voodoo thing. She knew it when I picked up Cooper. I told her to keep it to herself, and Ma will until we’re ready.”

  The fire starts to simmer down. With this kind of shit, I want to be the first to know, but I get it. I was gone. Whatever. Moving on.

  “What time is the doctor appointment?”

  “We have to drop Coop off at school, and then the appointment is at nine forty-five.”

  I pull my girl into my arms and wrap her up, leaning down to her ear. “I fucking love you, babe.”

  “Love you, too.”

  ***

  Fucking doctor’s office. I sit, looking at all the round bellies of the women and the faces of the men who look like they would love to be anywhere but here. I take that back; there are a few who look excited. Me? This is part of it, so I’ll roll with it.

  Princess finishes filling out the stack of papers just before the nurse comes out and calls her name. I follow behind, but when the nurse asks Princess to go and piss in a cup, I stay in the room. Then the nurse instructs Princess to get naked and put on this paper gown thing before leaving the room.

  Princess warned me that she might have to get an entire checkup since she hasn’t had one in a while, and when she talked to them on the phone, they said she had to.

  Even though that pussy is mine, I don’t want to see whatever the hell that doctor does down there. Of course, the good thing is the doctor is a woman, so I won’t have to beat a man’s ass for touching my woman.

  Princess said something about this being the same doctor Angel had with little Deacon. I’m sure if GT can handle this shit, I can, too.

  The door opens and a small, brown-haired woman with rimmed glasses covering her brown eyes steps into the room. Her smile is wide as she looks at Princess and then me. She holds out her hand to Princess who takes it instantly.

  “I’m Dr. Hernandez. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you, too. This is Cruz, the baby’s father.”

  Dr. Hernandez moves to me, holding that same hand out, which I take. Her hands are so small encased in mine.

  “Dr. Hernandez,” I say, lifting my chin. I already know she’s trustworthy because of baby Deke.

  “Well, congratulations. You are definitely pregnant,” she says with a smile, pulling up a chair with wheels on it. She scoots over to the counter and opens a file. “Looks here like you haven’t had a check-up in four years. Is that correct, Harlow?”

  Princess’ spine stiffens a bit, but I see her breathing regularly. It did sound a bit accusatory, but I will see how Princess plays this out.

  “Correct. I was in prison for a while, got out, and coming to the doctor hasn’t been on my list of things to do.”

  Dr. Hernandez’s looks up at Princess, her eyes peering over the top of her glasses. I wait for the accusation or belittlement of my woman being in jail.

  “Did you get routine care while there?” she asks without a bit of disgust or contempt, and I immediately like the doc.

  Princess clears her throat, no doubt thinking of being coerced repeatedly into sex while in there. “Yes.” She says nothing more.

  “Good. Do you have any concerns right now?” Dr. Hernandez goes back to her papers, writing something down on them.

  “Yes, I don’t know how far I am. I missed a couple of periods.”

  “How many?”

  “Two, I believe.” Princess twists her fingers, looking nervous.

  I reach over from the chair and rest my hand on her back, and her fidgeting stills. This is something else that isn’t like my woman.

  “We’ll do an ultrasound, which will give us a very accurate reading.”

  Princess clears her throat. “There’s something else.”

  The doctor turns to her, giving Princess her full attention.

  “I drank. Not a lot, but there were at least three times when I was sloshed.”

  “But not drinking every day?”

  “No.” Princess shakes her head. “Just at parties. Once or so a weekend. Do you think it hurt the baby?”

  I rub the area my hand rests on, feeling Princess’ tension through the fabric.

  “It happens sometimes, Harlow. I can see this is really worrying you.” The doctor rolls her stool closer to Princess. “Of course, there’s a risk. There’s a risk in everything. Chances are the baby is fine, but we’ll also run some blood work, and I’ll check to make sure nothing is wrong with those tests. It’ll take a couple of days to get the results, but the ultrasound will give us a good idea about the baby.”

  Princess nods and lets out a gush of air. I know she would never do anything to intentionally hurt the baby. She would hurt herself before she let anything happen to her kids. She’s proven that. I hate that she’s carrying this worry, but there isn’t much I can say to take it away.

  “If we have to run more tests later, I’ll have to do an amniocentesis and pull fluid from your sack for tests, but that has some serious risks to it, so we won’t do it unless it’s completely necessary.” Fuck, I don’t like the sound of that one at all. “Today, I’ll check you, and I’ll bring in my internal ultrasound so I can see how far along the baby is.”

  “Sounds good.” Princess turns to
me and smiles, and I give her one back.

  We are going to see our baby today.

  Dr. Hernandez instructs Princess to lie down then gets to work with whatever in the hell she’s doing. Metal is clanking from beneath the sheet as she uses some wire brush thing on my woman. It’s as if she’s giving her a damn lube job or something. Within ten minutes, Princess is sitting back up.

  The doctor snaps off her rubber gloves and tosses them into the trash. “I’m going to get the nurse to bring in the machine,” she says as she steps out of the door.

  “It’ll be all right, babe,” I say, trying to give Princess some reassurance.

  “It has to be.” She doesn’t make eye contact with me; instead, she looks to the ground.

  I rise from my chair and move to her, placing my index finger under her chin and lifting her gaze to mine. “Whatever happens … happens. We deal. If there is something wrong, it’s not like we’re gonna love this kid any differently. Am I right?”

  Tears pool in her eyes, but she sucks them back. “Yeah, just being the cause of it is a little too much for me to take.”

  The real fear in her eyes has me wrapping my arms around her tightly. “You didn’t know you were pregnant. You can’t be beating yourself up about it. You have too much shit going on for that. You’ve gotta be strong for the baby, Coop, and me.” I kiss the top of her hair.

  “I know.” She sucks in a deep breath just as the door opens and a large machine gets rolled into the room. I step out of the way as it’s placed next to Princess’ exam table.

  “Hello,” the petite, blonde-haired nurse says, adjusting the machine and turning some knobs. “I’m just setting things up, and then the doctor will be back in.” She does just that and leaves without another glance.

  A few moments later, Dr. Hernandez steps into the room along with another woman. This one is tall and built sturdily with light brown hair and a smile on her face.

  “All right, this is our sonographer, Jill. She’s going to be performing the ultrasound, and I’m going to be looking at the sonogram on the monitor.”