Nonstop (Open Skies Book 3)

by Becca Jameson

  “Good.” Shayla smiled. “Call if you need anything.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be better in a few days.” Or nine months…

  Bracken made quick work of getting her into his car. She didn’t even bother worrying about her car getting left here. She could get it another day. She didn’t need it right now. She wasn’t going anywhere.

  He stopped at the grocery store on the way home, and by the time they arrived, she felt slightly more human.

  After settling her on the couch, he fixed her a lemon-lime soda and handed her a sheath of crackers. “Try this.” He sat next to her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. He was smiling, though it looked like he was trying hard not to.

  She chuckled. “You’re not the least bit broken up over this news are you.”

  “No. Sorry. No.” He cringed. “I’m trying to be contrite, but it’s not working.” He gave up the fight and smiled outright. “I’ve never been happier in my life. It’s tainted a bit because I’m worried about you, but I’m also confident in the grand scheme of things this is going to work out and I’m fucking excited.”

  His excitement was contagious. “Yeah? You think so?”

  “I know so.” He tugged her against his chest.

  She leaned into him, letting him take the weight of her, both physical and emotional. She needed him. She also loved him. And if she could finish processing this development, she knew she would be just as happy as he was. In a few days. Soon.

  Chapter 27

  Two months later…

  “Happy birthday, Rebekah,” Bracken said against Bex’s temple as he woke her up far too early in the morning.

  She groaned, opening one eyelid. “It’s still dark.”

  He ignored her complaint and kissed a path down her neck between her breasts and over to one nipple.

  She hissed when he sucked the tight bud into his mouth. Her damn nipples had been extremely sensitive since she’d gotten pregnant. Not in a bad way. She thoroughly enjoyed it when he touched them.

  After releasing her nipple, his lips trailed down to her belly where he lingered, kissing her everywhere until she giggled. She already had a baby bump she wasn’t going to be able to hide much longer, and Bracken loved nuzzling her there. He often spoke to the baby too.

  Today was no exception. “Be nice to your mommy today, little bean. It’s her birthday, and we have plans. Don’t make her too tired.”

  Luckily the nausea was finally fading. Bex hadn’t thrown up for about a week now. Her breath hitched when Bracken continued farther south, and she moaned when he sucked her clit between his lips. He flicked his tongue over the distended nub several times and then thrust it inside her until she moaned out loud.

  There was a reason he preferred her naked in bed, and she couldn’t complain since this was how he nearly always woke her up.

  Her libido had fully returned in the last week also, and it didn’t take long for him to bring her to orgasm. As she rode the waves of pleasure, she reached for him, tugging him up over her, needing him inside her. He’d been right. They were still going to have plenty of sex. She needn’t have feared a sudden end to her sex life just because she was pregnant.

  He was gentler with her though, and she found it endearing. He held her gaze as he eased into her. At least until her eyes rolled back and she lost the ability to focus. His lips came to her neck and then her ear. “God, you feel so good, baby.”

  She wrapped her legs around him and grabbed his waist, enjoying every moment of their lovemaking as he picked up speed. She arched into him, trying to get more friction against her clit.

  “Touch yourself, Rebekah. Make yourself come.”

  She slid a hand between them and found her clit while he continued to hold himself above her. He used to do it himself, but in the last few weeks, he decided he didn’t like to put all his weight on her. She’d explained he couldn’t possibly hurt her or the baby, but he still insisted.

  She thumbed her clit, biting into her bottom lip as she rose once again to the amazing peak she knew was coming. It didn’t take long either. Within minutes, Bracken was close, his expression taking on that faraway look that told her he was about to come. She closed her eyes and picked up the pace with her fingers, wanting to come with him.

  When his breath hitched and he stiffened, she was right behind him, her sex milking his erection with every pulse. God, it felt good. She certainly wasn’t worried about their sex life waning. If anything, it had picked up lately.

  They were both breathing heavily as Bracken eased out of her and dropped to one hip at her side, keeping his leg between hers. He cupped her breast and thumbed her nipple lazily. “These are already getting larger,” he commented.

  “I noticed. My bras are getting tight.”

  Finally, he rose onto his elbow and propped his chin on his palm. “You ready for today?”

  “Do I have a choice?” She glanced down at her baby bump. “I’m not going to be able to hide it much longer.” It was a coincidence that her birthday happened to coincide with the end of her first trimester. Twelve weeks today. Time to spread the news.

  He grinned. “Okay, so first you’ll call your parents, and then we’ll call my parents. After we get the hard part out of the way, you can sit around like a princess while I get ready for the party.”

  They were having a birthday party for her tonight, and Bracken had come up with a unique way to let everyone know the news. He was really amazing. Every day he stunned her with his excitement over the baby. It was contagious.

  “You know…” she started, trailing a finger along his forearm.

  “What do I know?” he teased.

  She was so damn excited about what she was going to say to him next that she almost couldn’t contain herself. She’d planned this for a few weeks though, so now that the moment was here, she wanted to torment him and drag it out.

  “If we’re going to call my parents and then yours, they are going to ask questions about our intentions toward each other.”

  He shrugged. “It’s none of their business. We’re grown adults. They will have to suck it up and accept that we’re setting the timeline for our lives, not them.”

  “True. But it would be easier if we gave them the answer they’ll be looking for.” She bit her lip, stifling her excitement.

  Bracken froze, his eyes going wide and then wider. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  She nodded, fighting the grin that wouldn’t stop growing.

  He rose up fully, hovering over her. “Rebekah? Are you telling me you’re ready to commit to marrying me?”

  She shrugged, pretending it was no big deal. “I mean whatever.”

  He jumped up higher, straddling her, his hands landing at the sides of her face. “Don’t fuck with me, baby. Are you serious?”

  She couldn’t torment him further. “Yes, Bracken. I’m serious. I love you more than I ever thought I could love another human being. I think we should get married.”

  He stared at her while his smile grew larger by the second. “Say it again.”

  “I love you.”

  “And the other part.”

  “I want to marry you.”

  He scrambled off her and slid off his side of the bed.

  She followed his movement, confused.

  And then he was back on the bed, and this time he was holding out a box. A small box. A ring box. His smile was so big, he was like a kid at Christmas. He opened the lid to reveal a diamond solitaire on a gold band. The diamond was a bit large but otherwise simple. Elegant. Perfect.

  “Rebekah Safire, will you marry me.”

  “Yes.” Tears started to fall, and she didn’t bother to stop them.

  His fingers were shaking as he removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. After staring at it a moment, he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I love you so much, baby. Thank you for making me the happiest man alive.” He dropped down alongside her again, pulled he
r into his arms, and kissed the sense out of her.

  When she finally leaned back to draw in a breath, she said, “Now, how do we respond to the next question they will all ask?”

  He grinned. “You can tell them whatever you want, but I’m in favor of a justice of the peace later this afternoon.”

  She giggled. “Why did I know you would say that?”

  He kissed her cheek, her lips, her chin, her neck, her shoulder, her chest. He kissed her everywhere as if he couldn’t get enough. “I can’t believe you’re finally going to be mine.”

  “I was always yours, Bracken.”

  He kept grinning.

  “How long have you had that ring?”

  “Since the morning when we got back from Maine and you went to your condo. I went to the jeweler that day, knowing it was a good opportunity while you weren’t home so that you wouldn’t get suspicious.”

  “That was before you suspected I might be pregnant.”

  “Yes.”

  For some reason that warmed her heart even more.

  “Do you think if we got married this week, we could convince our kid he or she was premature?”

  She laughed. “No. We are not lying to our kid. We’ll tell him or her that we were madly in love when he or she was conceived, and we remained so for the rest of our lives.”

  “I like that,” he whispered. “We are going to blow our friends’ minds later tonight when we tell them all the news in our life.”

  “That’s for sure.” Bex couldn’t stop smiling. She’d been through a lot. It was time for her to be happy. After months of counseling, she was confident in her decisions and shaking free of the past. She rarely woke up gasping anymore. Dr. Rawlins got some of the credit, but Bracken got most of it. Though both of them would say that it was all Bex, and she was starting to believe them when they told her she was a strong woman. She could handle anything because she’d already handled more than most humans.

  She could even deal with being a mom. She was no longer as nervous about the concept. She was getting excited.

  Bex was nearly giddy by the time everyone showed up for her birthday party. The cake Bracken had made was in the middle of the table, and it was exactly perfect. White frosting covered with tiny pastel roses in every color in the rainbow.

  As promised, they had called both sets of parents that morning. In both phone calls, they’d started with the news of the baby and then moved on to assure them they were indeed getting married. That they would do so quietly soon and have a big reception later.

  Bex was extremely relieved when those two conversations were over. She’d even been happy to pass her mother’s phone number to Joan so that the two women could talk and plot future baby gifts. Although Bex wasn’t particularly close to her parents, there wasn’t any animosity between them, and she hoped this baby would help bring her closer to them in the future.

  Bex had taken a nap in the middle of the day, something she started doing over a month ago. If she didn’t, she couldn’t seem to stay up past about nine o’clock.

  Finally, everyone was gathered. Bex was particularly glad that Raeann had joined their friend group. And it had worked out perfectly that she’d been looking for a place to live and had moved in with Shayla when Bex moved out entirely.

  Bracken hauled Bex against his side and held up his free hand, clearing his throat dramatically to get everyone’s attention.

  Once they all quieted down, he began. “Bex and I have several announcements to make on this exciting day of her birth.”

  Their friends’ faces lit up. They all had suspicions. They couldn’t possibly know the extent of what was happening in Bracken and Bex’s world though.

  “First of all, we are excited to announce that we’ve put in an offer for a retail space. In a few months, we will be opening our first bakery.”

  Gasps, claps, and cheers spread around the room.

  Bex smiled up at Bracken. The bakery had been a huge decision for them. It took a while for her to agree to the purchase and then only if Bracken was an equal partner. None of this silent partnership shit. He was at least as invested as she was. Half the recipes were his. He loved baking. And she would need him desperately after the baby was born. He’d even cut way back on his hours with Jake, remaining with Westside Programmers only as a consultant if they got in a bind. She loved working alongside him, and was excited that they were getting closer to opening.

  It turned out to be exactly the right choice to insist he join her. The man had more energy than anyone she knew, and he spent long hours working on their business plan. Now, he would need to add the hard work of physically getting the space ready. She was pretty sure he was more excited about the bakery than she was.

  “But wait, there’s more,” Bracken stated dramatically. He looked down at Bex, took her left hand, and lifted it so everyone could see the ring she’d been carefully hiding since their arrival. “This amazing woman has agreed to be my wife,” he shouted over the already noisy room as everyone rushed forward to hug them and congratulate them.

  It took a while before the excitement once again subsided so that Bracken could continue. “But wait, there’s still more.” He laughed. “Eh, never mind. Let’s sing happy birthday and cut the cake. It can wait.”

  A strange hush filled the room, everyone glancing at each other while Bracken started singing. “Happy birthday to you…”

  They all chimed in, but their confusion was evident.

  When the singing ended, Bracken pulled the cake toward him and cut into it. He lifted the first slice out and held it up for everyone to see. “Who wants cake?”

  A collective gasp once again filled the room as everyone stared at the pink and blue marbled cake that had been hidden under the frosting. And then someone screamed excitedly. Bex thought it was Libby.

  Destiny was the one to shout, “Oh my God. You’re pregnant.”

  God only knows who said what after that. Bex was surrounded by her posse in less than a second. More hugs. More laughter. More screaming.

  The men were all congratulating Bracken at the same time, but Bex eventually managed to catch his gaze over the crowd. He was smiling at her in that way that told her everything she needed to know.

  Choosing him was exactly the right thing to do. He was her rock. Her man. The father of her child. He would love her forever, and she was overflowing with the same love.

  Somehow he managed to break free of his friends and squeeze through hers to reach her side. When he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, she felt…home.

  I hope you’ve enjoyed Nonstop. Please enjoy the following excerpt from Standby, the fourth book in the Open Skies series.

  “Is something going on with Shayla?”

  Hatch looked up from his computer as Jake wandered into his office and took a seat. “You noticed it too?”

  “Who could miss it? I mean we were at Kraft and Christa’s house for an engagement party. You can’t get more exciting than that. And yet Shayla looked anything but happy. Granted, I don’t know her as well as most of the rest of you do, but every time I’ve seen her, she’s been laughing and flirty and fun. At the party, she was withdrawn and quiet. Not her usual self.”

  “Believe me, the women are all aware. Bex has been talking to Christa and Raeann about her. They’re planning to confront her and see if they can figure out what’s up.”

  Jake frowned. There was no denying he was sticking his nose into someone else’s business. Nor was it any secret that he had the hots for Shayla. He had for a long time. Everyone knew it. Including Shayla. “Is she still dating that pilot?” He cringed just asking the question.

  Six months ago, he’d had her phone number in his hand, ready to ask her out, when he found out she’d started dating a damn pilot. He’d missed his chance and he’d been biding his time ever since.

  Hatch smirked. “I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure they broke up a while back.”

  If Jake had known that, he would have swooped
in and picked up the pieces the moment she was available. The woman was sexy as all get-out. Elegant and mysterious. Her gorgeous looks were a gift from her Thai mother. Long straight dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin. She got her height from her Caucasian father. The combination was fucking perfect. She could have been a model if she’d had the interest with her lithe body. Granted, she was only about five-eight but she was by far the tallest of all the other women in her posse.

  Hatch chuckled. “Sorry. If I’d realized you were that interested, I would have given you a heads up the moment she broke up with the pilot. I’m pretty sure she’s single now though. I’d give you her number, but I’m betting you have it memorized already,” he joked.

  Jake shot him a glare and rolled his eyes. “I have her number.”

  “What’s going on?” Kraft asked as he rounded the corner and entered the office. Deacon was right behind them. Great. Now everyone in the office would know Jake was asking about Shayla. Not that it mattered. They didn’t have secrets. Besides, if he called her, everyone in their entire circle would know all about it before he even finished asking her out.

  Hatch waved them in. “Important meeting. Tank here is gearing up to make his move on Shayla finally.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. Good grief.

  Kraft slapped him on the back. “About time.”

  Jake groaned. “Let’s not get carried away. I was simply asking if anyone noticed she seemed out-of-sorts the other night. Quiet. Reserved. Not herself.”

  Kraft’s brows drew together. “Yes. Everyone noticed. Christa, Libby, Bex, and Raeann are going to confront her.”

  Hatch nodded. “That’s what I basically told him. If she won’t talk to her friends, what else can anyone do?”

  Jake grumbled as he rose from his seat. If Shayla didn’t spill the beans to her girlfriends, she was going to find him standing on her doorstep dragging information out of her by the end of the week. That’s what someone could do.

  He wouldn’t ordinarily get up in a woman’s business, but he didn’t like the vibe he got from her. Maybe it was because he’d always paid closer attention to her than anyone else in the room. After all, he’d been eyeing her since he met her at Trent and Destiny’s wedding.