by J. P. Comeau
Leslie groaned. “Out here, now.”
Suri pointed at me. “We’re talking later.”
Rori giggled. “Oh, Trey’s in trouble.”
I sighed dramatically. “A man says one thing and all of a sudden, he’s in the doghouse.”
Rori shook her head. “Tragic.”
Suri giggled. “The two of you are much too dramatic for your own good. We’ll be right back, okay?”
I nodded. “I’ll be here with Rori. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”
Suri kissed Rori’s forehead. “You better.”
Then, the two girls disappeared out into the hallway as my curiosity piqued.
“What do you suppose they’re doing?” I asked.
Rori shrugged as her eyes turned back to the television. “I don’t know. They always sneak off and giggle about stuff.”
But I wasn’t too sure about things. “Rori?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m going to go snatch one of the nurses to come in here with you for a little bit.”
She whimpered. “But why?”
I walked toward the room door. “Don’t you want to know what your auntie and mom are up to?”
Her eyes twinkled with delight. “Are you gonna go spy on them? Can I come?”
I shook my head. “You need to rest. But, I can do the spying for us and report back, General Rori.”
She got up onto her knees and saluted me. “Godspeed, Sergeant Trey. Make us proud.”
I barked with laughter before I slipped outside and beckoned for one of the nurses to come and check up on Leslie’s little girl. I saw Leslie tugging Suri around a corner, and I made my way down the hallway, trying to silence my footsteps as much as possible. I peeked around the corner they had turned only moments ago and saw Suri’s foot disappear into a hole in the wall. As I approached, I noticed that the two of them were crammed into a waiting room restroom.
So, I perched outside the door and folded my arms over my chest.
“Are you gonna take two tests?” Suri asked.
My eyes bulged as Leslie responded in a hushed whisper, “Don’t talk so loudly. I don’t want anyone to hear.”
I drew in a quiet, sobering breath and knew I needed to back away. This was one of those moments I didn’t need to be privy to, so I eased myself backward. I turned on my feet, my mind spinning at a million miles a second as I tried to still the anxious rumbling of my gut.
But then, I heard a door rip open behind me.
“What are you—Suri! What the hell?” Leslie asked.
I whipped around, standing only a few feet from the door, and saw Suri glaring at me.
“How much did you hear?” she asked.
Leslie gasped. “Who is that? Rori? She shouldn’t be out of bed.”
Suri shook her head as her eyes narrowed. “You don’t want to know who it is.”
I cleared my throat. “Have you taken it yet, beautiful?”
And at the sound of my voice, Leslie started crying. “Close the door, dammit! Come on!”
Suri shook her head as she slipped back into the bathroom, and the sound of the closing door broke my heart. But, the sound had nothing on Leslie’s muted sobbing behind it. I wanted to rush in there, take her in my arms, and tell her it would be all right. I wanted to kiss her tears away and let her know that I wasn’t going anywhere, no matter what that test said.
But, I did as they both wanted, and I made my way back to Rori’s hospital room, where I perched on the bed and waited anxiously for them both.
Rori continued to laugh and snack while she watched her cartoons, and for once, I was glad that no one was paying attention to me. Usually, I commanded the room because I knew I could provide the very best this life had to offer if people would simply listen. But at that moment, it was a completely different story.
What if Leslie is pregnant?
We’d need a nursery and baby-proofing items for my estate. I needed to put a playground in the front yard and start researching doctors for Leslie. I needed to make sure my chef understood how to make fresh baby food, and I needed to teach the staff how to clean my house since Aurora—and probably this baby, too—was allergic to dust mites.
My mind spiraled out of control with all of the things I’d have to accomplish in the next nine months. But, Suri’s harsh voice quickly ripped me from my trance.
“You’re needed out here.”
I leaped to my feet. “Rori?”
“Hmmm?”
“Auntie Suri is going to watch you for a bit, okay?”
I peered over my shoulder and watched her nod mindlessly. “Okay.”
Then, I switched places and slipped out into the hallway, where I found Leslie sitting on the edge of a bench. Her face was red from her crying. Her eyes were puffy from her sorrows.
I sat down and took her hand within mine as she started to speak.
“I’m so sorry, Trey. I-I-I—I’ve been on the pill for years. I still don’t know what the fuck is going on, but it has to be a false positive. There’s no fucking way I can be—”
“Stop,” I commanded. I stood to my feet and pulled her upright, taking her into my arms. “Just stop, okay?”
She sniffled. “You don’t have to do anything. I just got done taking a blood test with one of the nurses, and I swear I’m not going to come after your money or anything.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Everything’s going to be okay, I promise. We’ll get this all figured out once those test results come back.”
A door opened and closed behind me before Suri’s voice sounded. “Has the nurse come by yet?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s just been us out here.”
She sighed. “I took two tests, and both of them came back positive.”
Leslie cried against me as I held her tightly. “It’s okay, sh-sh-sh-sh.”
Suri flopped down onto the bench. “I take it the child is yours?”
Leslie scoffed. “Cut it out, Suri.”
She shrugged. “I’m just asking.”
I looked down at her. “It is, and whatever comes of this, I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere. I’m seeing this through, whatever Leslie’s choice is.”
Her eyebrows rose. “That’s—better than what I expected.”
I kissed Leslie’s forehead as she continued crying against me. “I also want you to do something for me.”
Suri snickered. “Sure, why not? What’s up?”
“I want you to tally up all of the hours you’ve spent helping Leslie and Rori out since she’s been in my employ. That would be six or so weeks of work. I want to make sure you’re getting paid for your time.”
That caught Leslie’s attention. “You don’t have to do that.”
Suri nodded. “She’s right. I don’t watch Rori for the money. She’s my goddaughter. I’d watch her anyway.”
I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. You should get paid for your time. And before you fight with me, Leslie, nothing you can say will change my mind. She’s been invaluable to you since you started working for me, and she should be paid as such.”
Leslie shook her head softly. “I can’t even pay her to take care of one child. How the hell am I going to do it with two?”
I cupped her cheeks in my hands. “First, stop talking as if you’re alone because you’re not. You’ve got Suri, and now you’ve got me. So, let’s take this one step at a time, all right?”
Tears streaked her cheeks. “Promise?”
I kissed her salty lips softly. “Promise.”
A voice wafted over from the nurses’ station. “Miss Leslie Popovich?”
We both turned and looked at the same time before the nurse held up a thin manilla folder. “I have your test results.”
I wrapped my arm around Leslie as she looked back at Suri. “Can you watch—”
Suri waved her hand in the air. “Yes, of course, I’ll stay with Rori.”
I pointed at her. “Count up those hours. Otherwis
e, I’m liable to simply throw money in your direction.”
Suri grinned. “I could get used to that.”
Leslie sighed. “Ready?”
I looked down at her and held fast to the strength her grip against my hand gave me. “Of course, I’m ready. Let’s go speak with the nurse.”
Then, the two of us set off hand in hand, readying ourselves for what might come. And as we slipped into an empty hospital room and our fingers intertwined, I knew things would be okay.
Even if Leslie were afraid now, I knew we’d find a way to work it out.
Just like we had up until that point.
20
Leslie
Alto, oscuro, y guapo.
I stared at the bottle of prenatal vitamins that now sat on my bedside table. The colors swirled together as I perched on the edge of the bed, my hand mindlessly resting against my stomach. Pregnant. My God, I was pregnant with yet another man’s child that I had hooked up with.
You know Trey is more than a hook-up.
“Yes, all week. Uh-huh, working from home. I know it’s unusual, but some personal things have popped up and—”
Trey’s voice filtered into my bedroom from the hallway, and I swallowed hard. Suri was napping with Rori downstairs on the couch with the television on. Trey hadn’t once left my side since the nurse had announced that we were, in fact, pregnant. I closed my eyes and drew in deep breaths. I had to try to calm myself down. I mean, there was no way in hell I was lucky enough to have a guy who would stick around this time—not with my shit-ass luck.
“Hey there, beautiful.”
I smiled softly and opened my eyes as Trey sat on the bed next to me.
“How are you feeling?”
He rubbed my back, and I yawned. “You’re going to end up giving me a back massage if you keep that up.”
And without another word, he scooted behind me, threaded his legs around my body, and started rubbing my shoulders.
“Oh, yeah,” I groaned.
He chuckled. “You feeling okay?”
I sighed. “As good as I can, I guess.”
“You’re not feeling nauseous?”
I shook my head. “Not after that shot the nurse gave me. Cleared it right up.”
He chuckled. “Well, that’s good. You also have some Zofran tablets in the bag she gave to you if your nausea kicks up that badly again.”
I leaned against him, and he threaded his arms around my body. “I still don’t understand how this happened.”
He kissed the back of my head. “She did say that birth control pills, when taken right, are still only ninety-one percent effective.”
“I’ve been on them for years, though. That stuff messes women up hormonally. I’ve heard it’s damn near impossible to get pregnant after regularly taking it for so long.”
His hands cupped against my stomach. “I guess we’re just special, then.”
I almost snickered at his words, but when he kissed the shell of my ear, I melted against him. And as I closed my eyes, allowing his warmth to swallow me whole, I heard Guadalupe’s voice in my head again.
If this man is your alto, oscuro, y guapo, don’t let him pass you by. Even if it feels weird or awkward, don’t let him get away.
“I can feel you thinking,” Trey whispered.
I giggled. “You’re insane, you know that?”
I tilted my head back, and he kissed my forehead. “Insane about you.”
I furrowed my brow. “Is that… a good thing?”
He shrugged. “It sounded better in my head.”
I smiled as I curled my legs against my chest and started lying down. And just as I suspected, he followed my every movement. I snaked beneath the covers of my bed, and he tucked me in before snuggling up beside me. He brushed his fingers through my hair and held me close against him, my back falling effortlessly against the smooth rising and falling of his chest.
I felt his steady heartbeat hammering against my back, and it helped me relax. “I don’t know what to do, Trey.”
He sighed against the crook of my neck. “I don’t know, either. But, I know you won’t be doing it alone.”
I turned around in his arms and faced him. “Even if I decide not to keep the baby?”
His stare held mine for a long time before he spoke. “I would hope we’d have multiple conversations before we made a decision like that. But, if that’s what you wanted, then yes.”
My eyes fell to his lips for a split-second. “So, you want to keep this baby.”
“Even if you didn’t want to keep it, I’d take the child off your hands and raise the baby myself.”
My eyes widened. “Wow, you really want to keep this baby.”
He crooked his finger beneath my chin. “A lot of people don’t know this about me, but every day that goes by that I waste away in my office, I become more concerned that my home life is going to be just as silent and as lonely as its always been. And don’t let this sway your decision, but I have been thinking about what it might be like to have a child of my own.”
I swallowed hard. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”
His finger fell away from my chin. “I don’t know. It’s a pretty recent development. For a while there, I was content with the silence and the emptiness of my place.”
“But, not so much anymore?”
He puffed his cheeks out with a sigh. “I guess not, no.”
I stroked my hand through his hair. “You know I won’t be able to keep my job if I’m going to be a mother of two children. I can’t possibly ask Suri watch them both, not when she’s got her own career.”
He gripped my chin, causing me to focus on the sincerity of his words. “I don’t want you worrying about that now. We’ll figure it out, even if it means you working from home for a while. All right?”
“I just—I can’t be a single mother of two, Trey. I can’t handle that. I love Rori, but juggling her homework and her school schedule and then having to work and make sure I take off when she’s off, and now this dust-mite thing which is going to resort in a great deal more cleaning that I’ll have to take on, it’s all going to be too—”
He placed his finger against my lips, stopping my words in my tracks. “I want you to listen to me closely, Leslie. Are you paying attention?”
I nodded but didn’t say anything. So, Trey proceeded. “Good. Because I need you to hear me when I say that you won’t ever—beyond any stretch of any imagination—ever do this alone. Not anymore. Not as long as I’m around. Understood?”
Tears of relief rushed to my eyes. “Do you mean that?”
He cupped my cheek and brought my lips in for a soft kiss. “With all my heart.”
I cried tears of relief as our lips kept connecting. I rolled him over, straddling his strong body as his hands slid up my back. Our tongues collided in a familiar tango of passion and lust, the same passion and lust that had put us in this position in the first place.
But it felt different with Trey.
I wasn’t sure how to explain it, but the way he touched me sent shivers throughout my body. The way he kissed me seemed to have the calmest intent behind it, even if his hands quickly ripped my shirt over my head. He rolled me back over, and I didn’t feel used or whipped around. On the contrary, as he gazed into my eyes, there was something behind them.
Something that triggered a word to run through my head.
Love.
My God, I had fallen in love with this man.
“Trey,” I whispered.
He kissed the tip of my nose. “Am I being too rough?”
I smiled softly and snickered. “Not at all. I just—”
His eyes danced between mine. “You just what, beautiful?”
I love you. “I…”
He captured my lips softly. “Whatever it is, you can say it. You’re safe with me. Always.”
I love you, Trey. “I… would like you to stay over tonight. If that’s okay with you, of course.”
I co
uld’ve sworn I saw disappointment behind his eyes, but it quickly turned into deviousness as a cheeky grin spread across his face. “I’d love nothing more, beautiful. I just need to go home and get a change of clothes.”
I cupped his cheeks in my hands. “I’ll let you go in a few minutes. But, not right now.”
He chuckled. “Might take us more than a few minutes if we continue.”
I kissed both of his cheeks. “You think a nice, hot shower might cover things up?”
He growled. “I think seeing you naked with water running over those curves might drive me wild.”
“Then, why are we still in bed?”
After we both smiled at each other, Trey helped me stand up before making our way into the bathroom. I closed the door and locked it for good measure while he got the water running, and soon steam filled the air. I stripped off my clothes and turned around, already finding that Trey was naked behind me.
And as my eyes scanned his body, I drank him in for the first time.
His chiseled abs were something to be admired, but the lean musculature of his legs and arms lent a softer aspect to the brooding eyes he had that raked up and down my body. His engorged cock made me lick my lips, but his tousled hair made me want to grip it and shove him to his knees. His sun-kissed skin looked beautiful against the pale-blue walls of my master bathroom, and the steam that wrapped around his body somehow accented the etched lines and bulging veins of his muscles.
“Wow,” I whispered.
Trey cleared his throat. “You’re more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.”
I blushed at his words. “You flatter me.”
He walked over and cupped my cheek. “I speak nothing but the truth every single day. So, I mean it when I say that you’re more beautiful naked and in the light than I could have ever imagined on my own.”
I grinned. “Got a little practice imagining me up there?”
He winked. “I’ve had my fair share of naughty thoughts.”
“Mmmm, why don’t you tell me about some of them?”
He led me toward the shower before we both slipped inside. “Why don’t I show you instead?”
As water rushed over my skin, I felt his warm, wet lips pressing open-mouthed kisses along my shoulders. His arms snaked around my waist, pulling me tightly against him as his thickening dick seated itself in the small groove of my lower back. I bucked my ass against him, hearing Trey strain and groan as he nibbled on my earlobe. And as my nipples puckered, drenched in the rainfall of water battering us both, I felt my heart skip a beat with every kiss he gave me.
