Knocking Her Up by London Hale (13)

The parking lot at the old mall was more crowded than it’d been in years as reporters and local businesspeople hurried toward the stage. I hung back, my eyes on my girl. My soon-to-be wife. And the person currently looking like the happiest woman in the world.

Pregnancy agreed with Emery.

But she was busy working for that jackass, Huntley, so I couldn’t talk to her. Couldn’t pull her close and rub my hand over her belly like I wanted to. At least I was able to be at the event with her. She’d been so busy lately. As soon as the town council had approved the mall rehab project, her schedule had blown up. Even with my two full days off from the station every forty-eight, I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time with her because of work. I was itching to get my hands on her.

As I sidled closer to my Em, sticking to the edges of the crowd, I caught sight of someone I knew. Three someones, really. Emery’s brothers stood to one side, obviously unhappy. All staring right at me with their arms crossed and their glares firmly in place. Fuck, they simply refused to be adults about everything. Even Jackson, who still hired me for construction projects, couldn’t look at me without wearing some sort of a puss. Telling them about Em and me had gone about as well as I’d expected—stitches and all—but I’d assumed we’d have moved past the anger phase already. Apparently, that wasn’t happening.

Hopefully, they’d get over their bullshit before the baby was born. That was one bombshell we hadn’t dropped on them just yet. No sense giving them another reason to want to kick my ass. Not that they could, at least not without me letting them get in a few shots for good measure.

I mean, I was fucking their baby sister. I deserved a punch or two.

Turning away from the wall of Collinses, I headed back across the lot, spotting a much better person to talk to. My friend and coworker, Riley, stood head and shoulders above most of the crowd, making him easy to spot. I turned his way, arriving in time to hear him talking to the mayor of Temperance Falls—Kate, also known as his brand-new wife.

Their quickie wedding had thundered through the gossip mill on the island long enough that Emery and I were allowed a slow, uneventful shift from adult stepsiblings to romantic couple. I owed him even if he didn’t realize it. I would have approached to say thanks, but he was busy arguing with his wife.

“Thirty minutes and we’re going home so you can rest.”

I could almost hear Kate’s eye-roll. I might have said a few things like that to Emery in the past few weeks. Ever since we’d found out she was pregnant, I’d been a bit overbearing.

Fine, I’d been a protective asshole. She carried precious cargo with her—I had a right.

“You’re being ridiculous,” Kate said. Which was exactly how my sweet girl responded every time I went all careful-daddy on her. I tried not to listen to the conversation, but Riley wasn’t exactly quiet and I was about as curious as everyone else on the island.

“Fine. But I'm getting you some fucking crackers and a water.”

I glanced up at Emery, frowning. Maybe I should find her crackers and water. She didn’t suffer from morning sickness like some of the books I’d read on pregnancy had told me to expect, but she was hungrier than usual. For food and for me, thankfully. I was one hundred percent on board with making sure she got what she needed in both respects, but I hadn’t paid attention to her breakfast that morning. How could I when I’d been under the table with my face buried between her legs? When she’d grabbed my hair and pulled me against her pussy until she’d come twice? Perhaps I’d been too wrapped up in her larger breasts and more swollen, sensitive body to be a good partner to her. To take care of my unborn child. Maybe she was feeling sick, and I simply hadn’t noticed.

I’d fucking notice now, though.

I kept my eyes locked on my girl, watching every movement, searching for a sign she needed something. But Emery didn’t seem to be bothered by anything. She stood on the stage, a smile on her pretty face as she chatted with her boss. Practically glowing or some shit. She mesmerized me. I was the luckiest motherfucker ever to walk the earth with that woman by my side. I wanted to take her home and prove it to her over and over again, but she had work to do. This ribbon-cutting ceremony shouldn’t take too long, though—an hour at most, she’d told me. Then we could head back to our little cottage on the lake where I could strip her out of that pencil skirt she wore and worship every inch of her.

After I made sure she had a good lunch.

When Kate finally headed for the stage, I slipped in next to Riley, still watching Emery for signs she needed me. Still planning all the things I’d do to her once I got her home. “Everything okay over here?”

Riley’s shoulders stayed stiff, but his voice held no irritation. Protective mode, and I was definitely not a threat. “What are you doing here, man?”

I spared him a glance, then went back to watching Emery, shrugging in response. “Same thing you are, I suppose.”

Kate beelined to Emery’s side on the stage, the two leaning closer and chatting while the town council stood off to the side. The two women were a juxtaposition of femininity—Kate all blond and fair, her business suit tailored and crisp, while Emery was darker in hair color with a more golden skin tone. She wore a tight skirt with a loose blouse over it, looking soft and huggable. Fuckable, for sure. Especially since she was carrying my baby.

There was nothing hotter than knowing that.

Riley interrupted my thoughts, leaning closer to whisper, “You and Emery?”

Yeah, apparently that news hadn’t made it all the way around the gossip mill yet. Too bad for him. “Don't know what you're talking about.” It was at that moment my Emery frowned, looking slightly paler than before. Motherfucker, she did need crackers and water. I slapped Riley on the shoulder, too focused on my woman to deal with him anymore. “See you at work.”

“Sure will. We can have a chat.”

“Fuck your chat.” I hightailed it to my truck, berating myself the entire way. I should have been better prepared, should have paid attention to what she’d eaten this morning. Or had she eaten? I’d made her breakfast, but somehow we’d ended up distracted. A great moment for sure, but I’d never actually seen her take more than a bite or two. My bad, and a mistake I wouldn’t make again.

I grabbed Emery’s bag from the floorboard of the truck and rifled through it, knowing she kept protein bars and various snacks in it.

“Jackpot.” I snagged a bottle of water and a bag of cheese-flavored crackers from the depths and tucked the purse back under the seat. The ceremony was starting, but I didn’t care. Emery might be sick—everyone else could wait.

Over the speakers, Kate’s voice rang out. “Friends and neighbors, we’re here to kick off a construction project three years in the making.”

I rushed to the back side of the stage, catching Emery’s attention as I slipped into a space behind her chair. The stage was high enough for me to hide behind. Mostly. People could probably see my head and shoulders, but I didn’t care. My girl needed me.

Girls, really. Genetic tests had already told us what we were having. A mini-Emery would be joining us in January, something I couldn’t wait for. She’d be a queen like her mommy—beautiful and smart—but with me teaching her how to be a little badass? The girl was going to rock this island from her first step. I’d already bought her a little onesie that said “Forget the Knight… I Want a Sword” to make it clear she would be no damsel in distress. Pampered? Yes. My princess? Absofuckinglutely. Helpless? Not on my watch.

Six months to go.

“What are you doing back there?” Em’s whisper carried no anger, mostly curiosity. And maybe a little mocking. I could take that.

“You looked pale. I brought you water and crackers.”

Emery turned enough to catch my eye, a smile on her face that made my heart melt. “I’m fine, but thank you. I got a little queasy. It passed.”

“Take them.” I pushed the bottle and bag across the stage floor until they rested against her foot. “I don’t want you to feel sick.”

“Everything okay over here?” Huntley glanced my way, frowning.

“Everything’s fine, Mr. Huntley. My fiancé was just—”

“Leaving.” I ran a finger along the top of Emery’s foot, unable not to touch. “I’ll be at the bottom of the stairs when you’re through.”

Huntley didn’t look too happy, but he could take a flying leap. My girls needed me. There was nothing that would ever stand in my way of taking care of them. Not him, not some job, not the local gossip mill. We were a family, and we’d stay that way until the day I died. I’d make damn sure of it.

* * *

“You realize I’m pregnant, not helpless, right?”

I lifted Emery into the passenger seat of my truck, the need to get her home strong enough to make my hands shake. “You realize I like doing things for you and am not going to stop that, right?”

“John—”

“Just one more…” I hopped up on the running board and stretched across her, reaching to secure her seat belt around her. “There. Done. Let’s go home.”

Emery didn’t look happy when I slipped into the driver’s seat. In fact, she almost looked a little pissed. I held my tongue as we headed for the parking lot exit. There was only one way out, which meant a bit of a backup. That was fine. Gave me time to figure out why Emery looked so cross.

I reached for her hand, bringing it to my lips for a kiss to her palm. “What’s going on, sweet girl?”

“You’re being excessive. The cracker delivery in the middle of Kate’s speech with my boss sitting right next to me? And now actually picking me up and lifting me into the truck? Ridiculous.”

“That’s nowhere near excessive.”

“I should be nothing but irritated with you.” She pulled her hand away, turning her face toward her window.

Well, shit. “Should be…but hopefully aren’t?”

She huffed, still with her back to me. I inched my way toward the road, thinking over my options. I could pull over and make her talk to me. That might not end well. I could ignore the elephant in the room—well, cab of my truck—but that might piss her off even more. Directness was my only choice.

“Look. I know I can be overbearing sometimes—”

“Understatement.”

I clenched my jaw and strangled the steering wheel. “Emery, I like taking care of you.”

“I know you do, but I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Just because I’m pregnant with our daughter doesn’t mean I forgot how to do so.”

I was going to break a tooth from all the clenching. “No, probably not usually. But this time—”

“This time, I was fine. You didn’t even give me the chance to take care of myself.”

This woman could frustrate me like no other. “Really? Because you looked pale up on that stage. That’s why I brought you crackers and water. I didn’t want you puking all over your boss’s shoes in front of half the town.”

“I have ginger candies tucked into my purse for exactly that reason. See? Taking care of myself. And that doesn’t excuse your picking me up. What, my legs suddenly don’t work?”

Temper. Snapped. “I like touching you, okay? Fuck, baby. I miss you when we’re not together. I’d never let you go, never take my hands off your body if staying connected was at all feasible. You’re carrying my baby in that hot little body of yours, and I want to touch you and make sure you’re real and safe all the fucking time. Is that such a bad thing?”

She finally settled back in her seat, shooting me a look that could only be described as mischievous. Something that almost had me worried. What had my girl been up to? She didn’t let me out of my misery, though. My temper simmered low and hot as I finally made it to the road and turned toward home. In fact, we were halfway there before Emery even said another word.

“Hey, John?”

“What?”

“Would you call that a fight?”

I grunted. “We were arguing a bit for sure. Baby, I know—”

“If it was just arguing and not fighting, do we still get to have make-up sex?”

Aw, fuck. I was hard in a matter of seconds, practically leaking for her before I could even get the words in my head in order. Make-up sex? Yes. Definitely. Except…

“You haven’t eaten lunch.” But the gravel in my tone and the obscene bulge in my pants gave me away. Emery had to have noticed. She leaned closer, running her fingers up my thigh. Teasing my hard cock through my jeans.

“You can feed me all you want…after.”

I grabbed her hand and pressed down on my cock, wanting more pressure. Needing to feel her skin on mine. How could I say no?

“Once we get home—”

“I don’t want to wait until we get home. I want to go to our spot.”

Our spot. The one where she’d ridden me twice after our first—and only—real fight. The one we’d gone back to for a picnic or two that had turned into rolling around on top of the picnic blanket. The one where I’d proposed to her during a full moon that had made her look like an angel. The woman knew how to press my buttons.

“You’re killing me, Em.”

She tugged my zipper down and finally wrapped that soft, hot little hand of hers around my erection. “Now, don’t go dying on me. I have plans for you right now.”

I pressed my foot harder on the gas pedal, flying down the lakefront road. Emery didn’t let up her teasing, didn’t even pause. She stroked me from root to tip, looking awfully calm and slightly proud of herself as I groaned and rocked into her hand. The little hellion. I only slowed down when we reached the turnoff for the wooded road. By then, her smile had me convinced I’d been duped in the best way possible.

“You planned this, didn’t you?”

She bit her lip, holding back a grin. “Who, me?”

When I reached the edge of the dirt road that led to the lake, I slammed on the brakes, threw the truck into park, and released my seat belt. Emery wanted to play? I was down.

“You definitely planned this.” I slid into the middle seat before pulling her onto my lap. Her giggle as I lifted her over my thighs about made my heart explode. “You wanted to ride my cock, so you staged our little argument.”

Emery rocked against me, staring down with eyes filled with lust. “Maybe. Are you mad?”

Mad for her, mad about her, madly in love…always. Mad at her…never. “I should take you home, bend you over the couch, and spank this little ass.”

“And that’s supposed to be a punishment?”

“Fuck, Emery.” I yanked her down, kissing her deep as I started searching for a zipper to her skirt. One that wasn’t there. “How do I get this thing off you?”

She grinned and tugged the tight fabric up her legs. “It stretches.”

“Well, hallelujah for that.” I brought her mouth back to mine, kissing her softer this time. Slower. I wanted to savor the moment—my angel in my arms, writhing on my lap, teasing my cock with her cloth-covered pussy. Wanting me. “Love you, sweet girl.”

Skirt up, Emery moved her panties to the side and lined us up so I could thrust inside, making us both groan. “I love you too, John.”

I gripped her hips, supporting her as she began to rock. As she started to chase that crest I knew she needed. “Ride me, baby. Make yourself come on my cock. I’ve got you.”

And I did. I always would. No matter what came barreling into our path or where we ended up, Emery was mine. We’d have our family together, and we’d cherish every moment possible, knowing how short life could be.

We were only getting started.

* * *