Billionaire Baby Bump

CHANCE CARTER

Chapter 1

Aurora

The light did its best to pour in through the dirty bedroom window, reminding me once again that I needed to step up my cleaning game. It was just one thought in a sea of many as I rushed to get dressed, digging through the mess of t-shirts and jeans on the floor.

"Where you going in such a hurry?" my boyfriend, Nolan asked from somewhere behind me.

I answered without turning around. "Work. I've got to open this morning, remember?"

Nolan never remembered any of my obligations. It was almost a defining trait of his. I liked to think it was because he had a bad memory for those sorts of things, but the more time went on the more I was starting to think it was just that he didn't care.

A hand slid around my waist, and he yanked me back against his chest. His erection stabbed at my back, and I had to suppress an eye roll.

"Nolan, I don't have time," I said, pulling at his arm to extricate myself from his grip. "I'm already struggling to find my shoes in this mess." I waved a demonstrative hand toward the mountain of discarded clothing on the floor which, without doubt, was all his.

Nolan didn't release me. He moved his hand down to the front of my jeans and started unbuttoning them. "But I'm horny babe. It'll only take a couple minutes."

Yeah, he would cum in a couple of minutes. Then I'd be left feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. And I'd be late for work too.

I smacked his hand away and jolted away from him, turning back to glare as I continued rooting around for my shoes. "I said I don't have time. Sorry."

I don't know why I tacked on the apology. Maybe it was because I was always apologizing for something with Nolan. We'd been together since high school, which made us the sweethearts of our small town. Bridgefield was one of those backwater upstate New York towns that prided itself on the inability of its citizens to leave. Even the kids who went off to college inevitably came back. I did.

Nolan chewed the inside of his jaw as he watched me finally unearth my shoes and sit down on the bed to put them on. He'd been a jock in high school, more so in attitude than in any real sports talent. I'd fallen over myself to go out with the handsome halfback whose eyes were like summer rain. He’d kept up his physique over the years, but always resisted my suggestion that he get back into football.

"Why are you being such a bitch?" he snarled.

Here we go.

"I'm not being a bitch." I laced up one sneaker and then moved onto the other, deliberately cinching the laces a little tighter than necessary. "I don't have time to have sex right now. I'm constantly late for this job and I know it's starting to piss Marie off."

The day before yesterday I was late because Nolan couldn't find his keys. Last week, it was because he snoozed my alarm in the morning. Evidently, it was annoying him. Sure, some of the times it was my own fault, but I was beginning to see a pattern to my tardiness.

"You're just being frigid because you can," he said. "That's why we haven't fucked in days."

We hadn't fucked in days because he'd been pissing me off lately. I couldn't even say that he was doing anything differently, either, which was why I hadn't brought it up with him. I was beginning to suspect that it was me who was changing, and that I had been for a while. But what was I supposed to do? Nolan was my first and only love. We'd promised to be together for ever. It didn't make sense for me to back out of it because of a few bad weeks.

"If I'm not in the mood, I'm not in the mood, Nolan." I rose to my feet, rounding the bed and stepping past him into the hallway.

He followed on my heels. "Yeah? Well would you be in the mood if I finally agreed to put a baby in you?"

I stilled.

"Oh, I see that got your attention. Why don't you back that ass back up and we can see about getting you knocked up?"

I couldn’t tell whether he was being cruel on purpose or whether he didn't know how deep he was cutting me right now. I didn't want to know, because if it was a case of the former then I would be even more upset.

"Nolan, don't talk to me like that." I turned to look at him. "And since when do you want a baby? I thought we were going to talk about it in a few years. We need to talk more about getting married first."

He snorted. "You can have the baby if you want it, but we're not doing the big white wedding. You're not worth the cost."

I paled. That was, without a doubt, the meanest thing he'd ever said to me. He delivered it so carelessly that I again wondered if he even knew what he was saying. He had to though, didn't he? There was no way he wouldn't see how hurtful that was.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked.

"I'm fucking pissed is what," he snapped back. "We haven't had sex in days and you keep turning me down for stupid fucking reasons. This is how guys get when they haven't fucked in a while. You should know better."

No, this was how Nolan got when he wasn't getting his way. As long as I was doing exactly what he wanted me to, he could be a pretty sweet guy. Lately, as I'd been experiencing feelings of doubt about our relationship and about my place in Bridgefield, I was less and less eager to do his bidding.

"I'm going to work," I said coldly. “If you want to finish this conversation when you get home tonight, fine, but make sure when you do you talk to me like a person and not a piece of garbage."

I grabbed my keys and headed out the door. Happy Tots Daycare was only about a twenty-minute walk away from our little townhouse, but I was going to have to hoof it if I wanted to make it there before people started dropping off their kids. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, drawing on some of my rage to push me harder.

Even though I fast-walked the whole way, the little argument I had with Nolan had taken its toll. I was sweaty and out of breath by the time I arrived, but I still didn’t managed to beat the first parent.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Badinkis," I huffed, unlocking the front door. "I hope you haven't been waiting long."

The dark-haired woman merely thrust her toddler in my direction and took off back toward the parking lot. Garth Badinkis was a sweet kid, but I knew with a mother like his he wasn't going to be sweet for long. Sweetness erodes over time when faced with a sternness like hers.

"Come on, honey," I said, ushering him into the center. He toddled in front of me, plopping down on one of the bean bag chairs and pulling a book out of his superhero knapsack. I went to work setting everything up for the day, and had only just finished when my boss, Marie Lawson, walked through the door.

"Good morning!" I said cheerfully.

Her returned greeting was less enthusiastic. My heart sank. Did she know that I was late again this morning? Could she tell since I was still putting out chairs?

"I got a call from Mrs. Badinkis this morning," Marie began. "She said she was waiting to drop off Garth for a full ten minutes before anyone showed up."

"Ten minutes?" I shook my head. "I know for a fact it wasn't that long."

"Still." Marie walked around the front desk, standing next to me at the computer. "She wasn't happy. If it was the first time, I wouldn't be so upset. But Aurora, you've been late so many times I've lost count."

Oh no, I didn't like where this was going.

"I'm so sorry, Marie. It won't happen again. I was—"

She put up a hand to stop me, shaking her gray curls. "I don't want to hear the excuse, hon. I'm sorry. You're great with the kids and I love what you've done for our marketing and rebranding, so please don't think that I'm ungrateful. Unfortunately, there's more to running a business than that. I've been thinking about this a lot recently, and it's time I let you go."

The words bounced around my brain, echoing through my ears.

Let you go.

Let you go.

Go.

My heart started racing, anxiously beating against the back of my rib cage as the adrenaline spiked me into overdrive. I couldn't lose my job. This job was everything to me. These kids were everything to me.

"Marie, please."

Her hazel eyes filled with sadness, but the sternness of her expression told me she wouldn't be changing her mind.

"I wish I didn't have to. Believe me when I say that. If you need a reference in the future, please don't hesitate to use me. I've gotta do what's best for my business. Lettie-May's opening a daycare next month and I'm already struggling to compete with all the home sitters. Not to mention the insurance nightmare it would be if something happened one of the times you were late."

The bell on the front door tinkled, and we both shifted our attention to the mother and child walking through the door. Marie plastered on a smile to greet them, and I had the distinct feeling I was being dismissed.

I grabbed my stuff from behind the desk and walked out the front door without so much as a goodbye wave. This had to be one of the worst mornings in history. Well, maybe not world history, but at least the history of Aurora Frayser. I was having serious doubts about the relationship I'd been building a life around for years, and now I was jobless to boot?

How could this day get any worse?

The moment I stepped outside, it started to rain. That was how it could get worse.

I cursed and held my arm over my head as I walked along Bridgefield's high street, staying close to the buildings so I could steal some respite under their awnings. It wasn't very cold out at least, which was to be expected considering it was going to be summer in a couple weeks. At least summer was a good time to find a job, though I had no idea what I was going to do. I didn't have enough savings to get by on, and the thought of asking Nolan for money made my skin itch.

Not how a girl's supposed to feel about her boyfriend. Then again, boyfriends weren't supposed to use everything in their power to keep their girlfriends in their debt.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Nolan’s and my days were over. They had been for some time, but this morning’s little blow out proved that to me more than anything else could. Well, almost anything else. I'd heard some rumors around town that he'd been seen with another girl here and there, but I attributed it to small town gossip. If that turned out to be true, then nothing could stop me from jetting out of our house and as far away from him as possible.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I nearly ran into a tall, willowy girl with a polka-dot umbrella. I stopped just in time, and when our eyes met I didn't recognize her immediately.

Her inky black hair was longer now than it was the last time I saw it, almost down to her waist. She wore it straight, though it was curling a little at the bottom in the humidity, a reminder of her natural bouncy curls. I couldn't even imagine how long it took her to straighten it all.

But what made me realize that I'd just run into my long lost best friend from high school were the impossibly pale blue eyes that fixed on me with surprise, and then with delight.

"Oh my god! Aurora is that really you?" Amy squealed. "It's been so freaking long! What are you up to these days? You have to let me take you for a drink."

"Amy, it's great to see you too!" I said, letting her envelope me in a huge hug.

My 5'4" and her 5'10" had always made us an odd-looking pair. Right now, I imagined it must've looked like she was taking an elf in for shelter from the rain.

"I think it's a little early for a drink though, don't you?" I said into her rain coat, words muffled by the expensive material.

"Nonsense." She released me. "It's never too early for a drink when your parents own the only bar in town." Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "Unless you're busy that is?"

I was, as of ten minutes ago, incredibly not busy. And if I were being honest, I could do with a drink. Especially since if I went home now, I'd only just be going back to Nolan which was the furthest place from where I wanted to be.

"Yes," I said. "Let's go for a drink."

Chapter 2

Aurora

Fred's Fishing Hole was an angler-themed bar only a few blocks down from where I ran into Amy. Her grandfather, a lover of fishing and beer, was the eponymous Fred. He passed away while we were in high school, and the whole town showed up to his funeral. Now Amy's parents ran the bar, and though it still featured lots of tackle and netting as decor, they'd spruced it up to give it a little more of a modern, welcoming feel.

Amy let us in and turned on the lights, sidling behind the bar like it was her own personal liquor cabinet and selecting a couple bottles from the fridge.

"I'm afraid when you sneak in after-hours there's nothing in the taps," she explained, passing the bottle over to me. I sat down on one of the worn barstools, and she grabbed a beer for herself but stayed behind the bar.She felt at home back there, since she'd been helping her grandfather sling drinks since she was a little kid.

"This is great, thanks." We clinked bottles and drank. I loved a good beer, and this one went down pretty damn smooth.

"So what have you been up to lately?" she asked. "I can't believe you're living here still. I thought you went off to Maine for university around the same time I moved to the city?"

I cringed internally. "I did."

"And you moved back here after you finished?" Her full lips pulled together in consternation.

Amy had always wanted out of this place. So had I, at one point. In high school, we used to dream about all the cool places we'd get to go and all the cool things we'd see.

"I didn't finish," I admitted, taking another swig of beer. "I dropped out before third year. You probably heard that my dad got sick?"

Understanding dawned on her face, and her eyes widened with sincere compassion.

"Right, dad told me. I'm so sorry, babe. I meant to come home for the funeral but I was away." She reached out and rested a hand on mine.

"It's fine," I said. "We all knew it was going to happen. And I was able to be there during his last year or so. Even my mom's doing a lot better these days. She's dating some guy named Carson."

"Carson Giles?"

I nodded. "How do you know him?"

"He used to come into the bar a lot," she said, wrinkling her nose. "I would've swiped left if I were your mom."

I laughed, picturing my technology-abhorrent mother trying to use Tinder. Not so much.

"Well, he's making her happy for now. That's all I care about. When she's happy, she doesn't whine so much to me about everything."

Amy laughed. "Things never really change, do they?"

I shook my head. No, they really don't.

"You've changed an awful lot though." I gestured up and down at the sleek black dress she'd exposed when she took off her rain coat. "You look amazing."

Amy flipped some of her hair over her shoulder and smiled smugly. "Thanks! I've been getting a lot of compliments. All the girls we used to hate in high school keep trying to herd their boyfriends away from me. I would've come back to visit sooner if I'd known it was going to be so satisfying."

"Why have you come back?" I asked. "Not that I mind seeing you. I actually really needed to see a friendly face today and I'm glad it's yours."

"I just figured it's been a long time." She shrugged. "It seems like my feet haven't even touched the ground recently. Last I knew I was a small town girl with big dreams heading off to school. I blinked and realized years had gone by."

I wished I could say the same. It felt like every second since I dropped out of college had passed with agonizing slowness, like I'd been trudging through waist-deep mud. Our town felt like the little place time forgot, and not in a charming way.

"What keeps you so busy? Are you still in school?"

"I'm taking my masters now," she announced proudly. "Business Administrations."

"That's amazing!" I exclaimed. I didn't understand how she could afford to take her masters on her dad's meager income, though. She was certainly a smart girl, but I couldn't see her getting accepted for a fancy scholarship either.

She must've read the question in my eyes, as she leaned conspiratorially over the bar and held my gaze.

"I have been having the most fabulous time in New York. I met this guy in my first year, this older guy who just wanted to spend money on me. I was so small town back then that I didn't even realize he was my sugar daddy until I heard someone talking about what a sugar daddy was one day."

My eyes widened. Amy had always been a little wild. We'd both had our times actually. Still, I wouldn’t have expected her to run off to New York and get a sugar daddy. That kind of news would blow the lid off our small town.

But she didn't stop there.

"Well, after doing that for a while, I met a girl who referred me to a madame she knew. From then on I started escorting, and I haven't looked back since." She took another draw of her beer and winked at me. "I go by Tatiana Ivanov when I'm on the job. I look Russian enough to convince all the guys that my family fled the Soviet Union during the Stalinist Purges."

I let out a bark of laughter. Even though I never imagined Amy as an escort, it was exactly the kind of thing she would do.

"That's brilliant," I said.

She laughed. "I wish I could say it was an original idea. Stole it from the great Mata Hari."

"Mata Hari?" I drank some more of my beer, and it settled warmly in my stomach. This drink was doing wonders for my soul. Or maybe it was the company.

"She's my icon," Amy explained. "She was a Dutch escort in the early twentieth century. Told everyone she was Hindu to add an extra element of the exotic to her performances. She was also a spy and a hella rad lady. I really recommend looking her up."

"I'm gonna have to. Does your dad know about this?"

I tried to make it sound as nonjudgmental as possible. I was a pretty liberal minded person and didn't have any qualms with sex work if it was the woman's choice and practiced safely, but I knew that I was among the minority in our town.

Amy snorted. "Like hell he knows. He thinks I've got some cushy concierge job at a high-class hotel in Manhattan. I figured I spend enough time at fancy Manhattan hotels to make it work. He'd have a conniption if he found out."

I believed it.

Amy grinned, displaying a set of pearly whites that was almost blinding in their perfection. She must've had some dental work done since I saw her last. I remembered her as having a little snaggle tooth in the front somewhere.

"Tell me about you," she pushed, already grabbing another couple of beers from the fridge.

Had we already finished our first ones? I looked down at my bottle, which had only a tiny bit left in it. Go figure.

How was I supposed to tell Amy how things had been going in my life when they were going so shit? She was so worldly and cosmopolitan now. What would she think of my pathetic small town life? My own opinion of myself was already low.

"Aurora," she said. "Tell me."

I hesitated too long and now she knew I didn't want to tell her. Oh well. Time to dive in with both feet.

"I just lost my job and I suspect that Nolan, who I now live with, by the way, is cheating on me. He's also kind of an asshole and I've been thinking about ending things more and more recently but I'm scared to be on my own."

It felt good to get it all out, like I was ten pounds lighter. It helped that Amy's expression didn't contain an ounce of judgement. She pushed the new beer toward me and frowned.

"That sucks. Is there something I can do to help?"

I shook my head. "The only one who can help me right now is me. I just need to figure out what to do."

"Well shit, girl. If I wasn't about to go off with a client for the summer I'd say you could come to New York and stay with me for a while. Unfortunately, I already sub-letted my flat."

She took a long drink, and I could see the gears turning in her head. It warmed me to see how much she still cared about me, even though we'd been apart a long time. I bore the brunt of the blame for our estrangement, too, since I'd been so jealous of her New York life that I stopped speaking to her the moment I moved back to Bridgefield. It hurt too much to see other people getting to live the life I'd always wanted, while I was moving backward.

"I still think you need to get out of here," she continued. "It's the perfect time, don't you think? Look at your unfortunate circumstances as a blessing in disguise. You've got nothing holding you back now."

It would have been easy to let myself fall into the dreamy comfort of her words. But reality's a bitch.

"I have basically nothing saved," I said. "And the moment I start making any plans to go, you know my mom and Nolan will do everything in their power to sabotage me."

She nodded. She knew my mom and Nolan almost as well as I did. We'd spent most of our time in high school hanging out at her house for a reason.

"You know what, I think I might have the solution to your problem." She pointed a finger dramatically in the air, her smile lighting the dim bar. "There's this hotel in Queens called the Fox Regent. It's a very interesting place. Most of the suites are designated for guests, but a select few rooms are set aside for the use of Madame Calypso's girls."

"You mean it's a brothel?" I interrupted.

"Yes and no," she replied. "The brothel technically runs inside of the hotel. They have a sort of symbiotic relationship going on. Because the place isn't a known brothel, it allows the clients more discretion. And because brothels make a lot more money than hotels, the hotel owners can line their pockets without even having to lift a finger."

"And what does that have to do with me?" I asked, fearing that she was going to suggest I go down the escort path too. I didn't have any problem with her doing it, but I did not have it in my own constitution. Sex had always been very emotional for me, and I couldn't see myself being able to find the enthusiasm to sleep with someone who not only was I probably not attracted to, but I also didn't know.

"Oh, relax," Amy snickered, reading my expression again. "They're always looking for more girls, yes, but Calypso also needs cleaners and that sort of thing. The hotel staff don't service the rooms Calypso uses. Since it's all under the table, you could go work for her for even just a few days while you get on your feet there. I can put in a good word for you and Calypso will have no problem giving you a room."

It was a generous offer, but it was all a little much to take in at the moment. I'd barely resigned myself to the fact that I was going to break up with my boyfriend, and now I was considering shacking up in a brothel in the big city?

It was the craziest thing I'd ever heard.

It was the craziest thing I'd ever considered.

It would be the craziest thing I'd ever done.

"I'll do it."

The words seemed to come from a deep part of myself that had never come to the surface. Until now, anyway. I clapped a hand over my mouth, feeling my lips turn up against my fingers.

Amy clapped and laughed. "Yes! This is going to be so much fun. I'm gone all summer, of course, but I'll be back to the city in a flash and then we can do all sorts of fun things together! Oh my god, Aurora, you're going to love it there. It's miles better than this shit hole."

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I wasn't sure what from. My heart was beating a million times a minute, and just as many thoughts were going through my head.

My excitement overpowered everything else, and I found myself leaping over the bar to tackle my old best friend in one of our legendary flying hugs. We both cackled all the way to the ground.

For the first time in years, I felt like I was back. And I was on the right track.

Chapter 3

Brendon

"Beep beep, get out the way!" I said in a high-pitched, comical voice as I ran the plastic dump truck over Julian's little hand.

"Hey!" he protested. "You ran me over."

"You didn't get out of the way," I retorted.

And just like that, I was having an argument with a four-year-old.

He glared. "Mommy says it's not polite to run people over."

"Well Uncle Brendon says people who don't get out of the way get tire marks." I laughed.

Julian scowled, then reached over and yanked on my hair. The sharp pain caused me to howl dramatically.

"Hey! You're not supposed to pull hair."

He sat back on the carpet, legs splayed out, and crossed his arms defiantly. "If you didn't want me to pull your hair, you should've worn a hat."

"Touché, kid."

Goddamn I adored this kid.

I could barely hear the muffled sounds of conversation drifting down the hall from the living room. We were set up in the den, which Mom and Dad had converted into a little playroom for their one and only grandson. You would've thought the kid would end up spoiled to high heaven with all the attention we gave him, but he was one of the most down to earth little brats I knew.

Jude had already forgotten our little squabble and was now happily driving cars in a half circle in front of him, and making little motoring noises.

"When I grow up, I wanna own a big truck like this one," he said, sliding the semi back and forth against the carpet.

He had a thing for trucks. He also had a thing for fairies, which no doubt confused my brother to no end. This Christmas he'd asked for a dump truck and a fairy princess wand. He spent all day after opening his presents waving his wand and making things "disappear" and "reappear" in obscure places. From what I understand, his parents were still finding odd objects in even odder places.

"How are things going in here?" I looked up to see my brother Avery leaning in the archway.

He looked awfully smug, which I suspect was a remnant of self-satisfaction from earlier, when I'd offered to go hang out with Jude for a bit while everyone had a drink after dinner. He joked that we got along so well because I was childish and like got along with like. I'd let it slide because I didn't see the point in arguing with my brother. He was a lawyer to the bone, and took each argument to its zenith to prove his point. It was infuriating at the best of times, but he was a good guy.

"Uncle Brendon ran over my hand with my dump truck."

"Jude pulled my hair."

The kid and I looked at each other and laughed. Another reason I didn't argue with my brother about my relationship with his son was because I knew it bothered him how close we were. It had never been as easy for him to connect with kids as it was for me.

"Mommy and I are getting ready to head out," Avery said. "Maybe Uncle Brendon will help you clean up your toys before we go."

"I don't wanna go yet," Jude complained. "We were just about to race trucks."

Avery's jaw ticked but he smiled. "It's late, buddy. It's already past your bedtime."

Jude let out a world-weary sigh, like the weight of the universe rested on his tiny shoulders. I exchanged a humorous look with my brother, who winked before turning to leave me to deal with his sad kid.

"We're going to have lots of time to race trucks at our next family dinner," I said in consolation. "We're here every couple of weeks."

"I guess so," he moped, absently gliding the truck up and down the stretch of floor in front of him.

"Come on." I started piling his toys back into the wicker basket beside the couch that my parents kept for that exact reason. "Let's get these put away and show your dad how good we are at listening to directions."

Julian piled up the toys in his arms and waddled over to the basket, letting them tumble inside. I helped arrange them in the basket and tidied up the rest of the space, then grabbed Julian's hand and led him out into the dining room.

Avery and his wife Morgana were just finishing their glasses of wine when we walked in. My mom spotted us and shoved herself away from the table, pulling Julian into a big hug. She acted like she hadn't seen him for months, even though it had only been an hour or so. Based on the reddish hue of her cheeks, the old Irishwoman was drunk as a skunk. I loved her like this.

"I wish I could keep you forever," she said, squishing Julian's cheek against her own. "Keilan, when are you going to have a baby for me to hold? This one's growing up so fast."

My other brother sent my mom a flat look. "I wouldn't hold your breath."

"Maybe Brendon will surprise us all and be the next to add to the family tree," Avery said with a glint in his eye.

Everyone laughed. Everyone except me, that is.

Constant teasing was the norm in my family, so I didn't sweat it. I still wasn't going to indulge my brother's irritatingly off-the-mark jokes.

"I hear we're all heading out," I said.

Mother released Julian, who went running over to his mother's side, and walked up to embrace me in a hug instead.

"It was lovely to see you, darling," she said. "Next time I'm going to cook those scalloped potatoes you like."

I laughed. "You could cook cement and I'd still show up," I said, kissing her on the top of the head.

"Don't tell her that," Dad complained. "If it's easier, you know she'll do it."

"Now, now, Patrick," Mom scolded, turning around to make sure her husband got the full brunt of her glare. "The only one I'd actually serve cement to in this house is you."

Avery and Morgana rose from the table, and my other brother followed suit.

"We've got to get this one to bed," said Avery, patting his son's head demonstratively. "Thanks for dinner, ma."

"You're very welcome, dear. Thank you for coming by."

They saw us all out to the door, and Mother made sure she gave everyone a hug and a kiss on the cheek before waving us off into the night. We walked to our respective sports cars, parked in the cobblestoned circular driveway.

"Still happy with the Benz?" Keilan asked, nodding toward my ride.

I grinned. "It’s got one of the most powerful engines on the market. No complaints here."

Avery chuckled. "But does it have that Italian oomph?" He gazed reverently at his own car, an Alfa Romeo with more pizazz than sense.

I rolled my eyes, and so did his wife.

"Enjoy it while you can, buddy." I opened my door and grinned mischievously at him. "Morgana's gonna have you in a minivan before you know it."

While the married couple started squabbling over the ever-present issue of transportation—she, rightly, wanted something more suitable for family life—I punched the starter and roared out of the driveway.

My parents didn't live too far away from the city. They'd managed to snap up a property in Long Island's prestigious Oyster Bay Cove suburb before property prices skyrocketed, so they had a decent bit of land too. I was always jealous of their place, but there was no point in me having anything more than the two-bedroom penthouse I currently occupied. No wife, no kids, no nothing. On this particular night, I was feeling rather lonely, so I called up my best friend Peter Vasiliev on the way home to see about getting into some trouble.

"Brendon," Peter answered jovially. "What a pleasant surprise. How are you?"

"Bored," I replied. "What are you doing tonight?"

It was only nine-thirty, which meant Peter probably hadn't even left his apartment for the bar yet. Friday nights were the charismatic Russian's time to shine, and for the most part I loved seeing what he'd get up to.

"Uh, well... I've got some family business to take care of tonight. Much as I'd love to, I won't be making it out."

I'd never probed to find out more about Peter's family business because I was fairly certain he had connections to the mob. The less I knew about it, the better.

I groaned dramatically. "Come on, man. It's Friday night. Can't it wait?"

Peter whispered a curse and shouted something to someone in rapid fire Russian.

"Not today, my friend," he said a moment later. "If you're up for an adventure though, I know exactly the place for you."

Probably not a good idea, I wagered. Peter's version of adventure and mine sometimes overlapped, but more often differed wildly. But hell, I was bored, I was lonely, and hanging out with Julian tonight had reignited a deep ache in me that I was working overtime to shelve and forget about.

"What kind of adventure?"

Peter laughed. "The kind I know for sure you're going to like," he said. "I tried out this new place a few weeks ago that's a great mood helper. It's a hotel in Queens called the Fox Regent. Heard of it?"

"No," I replied. "Do they have a nice bar or something?"

Why else would he be sending me to a hotel? Peter was a hard guy to figure out sometimes.

"I don't know," he said. "I've never tried it. The real fun is going to the desk, handing over an envelope with five grand in it, and seeing what happens."

"What do you mean seeing what happens?" I asked, irritation creeping into my tone. "Are you saying this place is a brothel or something?"

"No, no," he reassured. "It's a regular hotel with regular guests and all that. It just so happens that a local Madame has an arrangement with the owner. It's probably the most discreet place I've been to. Excellent service, too."

I could practically hear the lecherous grin in his voice. I should've known better than to ask Peter for tips on how to kill boredom—not that I'd really asked.

"I'm going to pass on the brothel this time," I replied. "Although it sure sounds...fun."

I'd never paid for sex before and had no intention to. I could go out to any club right now and go home with the most beautiful woman there. Between my good looks, stacked wallet, and charisma, I had my pick of women. So did Peter, which made it strange that he frequented brothels.

"You're such a stick in the mud, Brendon," he chided. "Don't you think it's about time you try something a little bit risqué? Out of your comfort zone? I promise you it will be the best five grand you'll ever spend."

"I've got a bottle of Chateau Lafite in my wine fridge that begs to differ."

He let out a bark of laughter. "Listen, do me a favor and just go try it. How bad do you really think it's going to be, eh? It's not like the money's any trouble, and I promise you'll have the experience of a lifetime. You haven't had good sex until you've fucked one of Calypso's girls."

I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. The exit for Queens was coming up on my right. I made a stupid, flash decision and took it.

"What's the address?" I asked.

Chapter 4

Aurora

The first thing that hit me was the noise. The second was the smell. I'd never been somewhere so noisy, overcrowded, and stinky. Each street corner bustled with people and vendors, yelling over the din of the traffic just to be heard. Car horns honked, people shouted, and the jarring sounds of distant construction echoed between the buildings.

I felt like Dorothy realizing I wasn't in Kansas anymore, except New York City was far from the idyllic land of Oz.

Oh god. What had I done? Why the hell was I here?

My heart hammered in my chest as I made my way up Atlantic Avenue, clutching the scrap of paper with the hotel's address in one hand, my phone and wallet held tightly in my pocket with the other. I wasn't taking any chances. The small bag of my belongings felt heavier than ever on my shoulder, and I wondered for the millionth time that day if I'd made a mistake.

I didn't belong here. The cold faces of the passersby scared the crap out of me. I didn't know whether I might be walking past a possible friend or someone who'd sooner shank me than shake my hand.

I wished Amy was with me. She'd offered to bring me along on her work "vacation", but that would've involved shacking up with one of her client's friends and that seemed like the opposite of what I needed right now.

I came to New York for space, but I was beginning to wonder where in this noxious city I was supposed to find it. I just hoped the hotel wasn't some fleabag by the hour piece of crap. Amy assured me that it wasn't, but I wouldn't have put it past her to embellish the details a little to get me down there. Even though she was resplendent in her skirts and jewelry, she seemed lonely when I saw her in Bridgefield. I was lonely too. I couldn't wait for her to get back, but for now I was going to have to figure this out on my own.

Someone ran into my shoulder, spilling coffee all over my arm. The short man and I were at the same eye height, so his glare hit me full force.

"Watch where you're going," he snarled, disappearing back into the crowd.

I don't know why, but that interaction was what broke me. I pulled over to the side and jammed my back against the brick wall of the residential complex looming over me. My eyes filled with tears. My heart tried to climb out my throat. I was a goddamn wreck and I didn't know what to do.

Shaking, I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and stared at it dejectedly. There were a couple missed call alerts from Nolan that I'd been pointedly not acknowledging. Apparently, the note I left wasn’t satisfactory. Earlier, I was high on the change and on starting anew and I resigned myself to not calling him back period. Now, with the world threatening to drop around me, I wasn't feel quite so strong.

I took a shaky breath and dialed Nolan's number, gripping at the bricks with my free hand as if they'd keep me from being dragged back into the current of bodies.

"Babe," he answered. "Where the hell are you? I've been so worried."

"New York," I said. "Just like I told you in the note. Did you read it?"

"I read enough." His gentle tone was wavering, like he'd reached his limit for kindness for the day. "When are you coming back?"

I winced. "That's the thing, Nolan. I'm not. I said that in the note."

The note you evidently skimmed, I wanted to say. I'd called seeking comfort though, and pissing him off was not the way to get it.

"Are you fucking serious?" he growled. "Why would you just leave like that? Are you stupid?"

Woah. I probably should have expected a reaction like that, but it still caught me off guard. My eyes filled with tears and I tried to explain myself. Nolan cut me off.

"Get your ass back here right now," he said. "You're not strong enough to make it on your own. Your best bet is to come home now and be grateful that I'm taking you back after this little stunt."

Okay. Nope. Something snapped in my mind and I went from scared small-town girl without a plan to a determined force of nature who wasn't taking shit from anybody–including my lazy, asshole ex. Who apparently didn't know that he was my ex yet since he had failed to read my goddamn note.

"I'm not coming back," I said firmly. "I just called to tell you personally that we're over."

"What? Stop messing around."

"I'm not messing around. From what I hear, you're the one who's been messing around, Nolan. You and I are through, that's that. Keep the stuff I left or throw it out. I don't care. But don't call me anymore."

With that, I hung up the phone, cutting Nolan off midway through a stream of expletives. I sagged against the rough brick and closed my eyes, not caring that I probably looked crazy to anybody who passed. They had crazier people here than me.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that being submerged in this many people was me getting some space. I didn't know them, they didn't know me, and there was a blanket of anonymity over the city because of its population. I could drift into nothingness right now just by following the crowd where it wanted to take me, and nobody from home would ever be able to find me. It was suddenly a very alluring prospect.

I hiked my bag up further on my shoulder and shoved my phone back in my pocket before pulling back out onto the sidewalk. According to my directions, I was close.

A few minutes later, a cream and gold sign beside a plain glass door heralded the Fox Regent. I double-checked the sign and then pulled the door open, walking into an elegantly minimalist cream-colored lobby with splashes of glass and gold accents. It was quiet inside, almost magically so. The air smelled clean and crisp, and the woman at the front counter smiled at me cheerfully.

"Welcome to the Fox," she said. "How can I assist you today?"

If she thought anything about my bedraggled, bewildered appearance, she didn't show it. I approached, taking in her short dark bob and long lashes and wondering if she was the very woman I came here to see.

"Hi, I'm Aurora Frayser," I said. "I'm here to see Calypso? I was told she'd be expecting me."

"I'll give her a call," the girl—Shereen, her name tag said—replied cheerily. She picked up the phone and exchanged a few hushed words with the person on the other line before hanging up.

"She'll be right down. In the meantime, can I offer you a refreshment?"

My mouth was almost too dry to function. I smiled with relief. "I would love a glass of water."

Shereen nodded enthusiastically and reached under the counter. A second later she produced a bottle of water, frosted with dewy condensation. It was chilled to perfection and I drank half of it down without stopping.

The door opened and a man walked in. I stepped out of the way, but he still shot me a weary look as he approached the desk.

"I'd like a room," he said in a gravelly tone, handing an envelope to Shereen.

"Absolutely." Shereen took the envelope and handed him a key. "Your usual."

Ah. This must be the brothel part of the hotel, I realized. The man slipped off to the elevator without another word, and Shereen's smile didn't falter even a little. It was an interesting thing to observe. I imagined I'd be seeing a lot of similar scenarios over the next few days. If Calypso accepted me, that is.

The smell of peaches reached me before I even realized that Calypso had entered the room. By the time I heard her clothes swishing against the tile, she was right behind me.

I turned, surprised, and smiled at the dark-haired woman standing before me. She looked to be in her mid-thirties at the very most, but there was a sense of age about the way she stood that told me she might be older. Her copper eyes were lined dark black, though she wore relatively little else in terms of make-up.

She made up for the lack of color on her face by wearing every conceivable color at once on the rest of her. Her long, swishing skirt was layered with blues and greens, and her peasant, off the shoulder top faded from pink, to purple, to a dark, navy blue. On anyone else, it would have looked awful, but Calypso wore the outfit like she was a queen and these was her ceremonial robes. She was absolutely stunning, and standing before her was a little like looking directly into the sun.

"Darling!" she cooed, taking my hands in hers. "You must be Aurora. Such a pretty name. Dear Tatiana has told me all about you."

It was still somewhat jarring to hear Amy referred to by her escort name, but I'd get used to it. I doubted this woman's real name was Calypso. Maybe I should take on a fake name, just for fun.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me," I said. "Am-Tatiana said lots of nice things about you."

Calypso smirked cheekily at my near slip. Then she wound her arms around my shoulders and began leading me to the elevator.

"Let's get you upstairs and get a drink in you, and then I want to know everything." She jammed a manicured finger into the elevator call button. I swallowed nervously.

"Everything?"

She nodded with a bright smile. "Everything. That's the thing you'll find with us working girls." She winked and nudged me in the shoulder. "We're very good listeners. That's the greatest service we provide, truth be told. Your Tatiana is one of the best out there when it comes to hearing people's stories. The number of clients she's had who've fallen in love with her is staggering."

We entered the elevator, and she hit the button for the top floor, still chatting away. "That's the thing about men, you see. Most of the time they just want someone to listen to them, and when a girl with a pretty face listens to their problems while giving them the best blow job of their life, even the hardest of hearts starts to crack. It's why my girls get to charge so much."

I still wasn't sure about all this. She was acting like I was here to be her next protégé, and I was growing more nervous by the second.

"Tatiana told you that I'm not here to...you know...right?"

Calypso tossed her head back and let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, darling. You can't even say the word and you've come to sleep in a whorehouse. I'm going to have plenty of fun with you. I can already tell."

The elevator binged and the doors slid open to reveal a short hallway. There was only one door on either side, and Calypso led me to the door on the left. She still hadn’t answered my question, but I got the feeling she wasn't the type to want to discuss business unless settled into a comfy lounger with a drink in her hand. She was breezier than the summer wind.

We stepped into a beautiful suite with an overhanging loft and vaulted ceilings. While the lobby below was decorated austerely, Calypso's room was luxuriously decadent. Fur throws were scattered over the furniture, and beautiful paintings and art pieces decorated the border of the room. High windows looked out over a deck with a stone fireplace surrounded by wicker chairs covered in cozy blankets. It was the nicest place I'd ever been inside and I was completely speechless.

"Come in before you catch a cold, darling," she said playfully, noting my obvious awe.

I followed her into the living room and she guided me down onto the love seat, tossing a blanket over my lap. It was hot as hell outside, but inside the air was crisp and the blanket was appreciated.

"Now let me guess," she murmured, tapping her bottom lip with one finger. "I'm a pro at figuring out a person's favorite drink, and I think yours is..." She scrunched up her full lips. "Beer."

I blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Like I said, it's a talent!" She swept out of the living room to the kitchen beyond, which shimmered with stainless steel appliances and a shiny granite countertop.

I suspected Amy probably told her my favorite drink, either that or she guessed the same for all small-town girls. Still, it was impressive, and I already felt at ease with the strange woman, even if she was a little eccentric.

Calypso returned a moment later with a beer for me and a glass of sparkling gold wine for herself. It was probably fancy champagne, nicer than any vintage I'd ever tried. The more time I spent with her, the more escorting seemed like a good idea.

Calypso sprawled across the chaise opposite where I sat, her skirt slipping open at the side to reveal one tanned leg. She looked absolutely glamorous and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. If I had money, I would probably spend a good chunk of it just to spend time with her too. Her atmosphere was intoxicating.

"Now that we're all settled, why don't you tell me all about yourself?" she asked airily. "Tatiana has given me the basics, but don't worry about repeating anything. I prefer to get my stories from the source."

Not quite knowing where to start, and spurred on by her gentle expression, I started back in high school. I wasn't sure why I went so far back, but it seemed to make sense in the context of the story. She needed to understand why I was with Nolan, and how it had been so easy to call me back home when I was in college. Why I'd stayed, instead of going off in search of my passion like I always wanted to.

When I got up to today, Calypso was still listening intently. Her eyes had barely strayed from mine the whole time. It was almost unsettling, but she was so genuine that it felt comforting instead.

"You have had quite the journey, haven't you?" she said when I finished. "I'm so glad Tatiana sent you my way. I would be absolutely tickled to help you get on your feet, though I will say it'd be a far cry easier to do if you did want to consider taking on a few clients. You're a ravishing beauty, you know, and I know plenty of men who would pay good money to hear that honey-silk voice of yours cry their name in ecstasy."

I blushed, looking down at my beer. "Not that I have a problem with that kind of thing," I said. "I just don't think it's the life for me."

"I can definitely sense that," she said with a sympathetic nod. "If you change your mind, I'll add you to the roster in a heartbeat. For now, how do you feel about cleaning?"

"I was the only one who ever cleaned at home," I said, thinking back on Nolan's disgusting kitchen habits. He would leave dishes moldering in the sink for days if I wasn't around to clean them up for him. I wondered how he was doing now that I was gone. It probably stank in the house.

"Then you'll do just fine," Calypso said with an approving smile. "The hotel staff proper don't clean the rooms my girls use, so I have to bring in outside help. They're usually quite clean but there will be occasions where you'll have to pick up the odd dildo or two or wash chocolate out of the sheets. In return for a couple hours' work a day, I can offer you full room and board. How does that sound?"

It didn't sound like my version of heaven, but it was far from my version of hell.

I nodded, smiling politely. "That sounds wonderful. When do I start?"

"Tomorrow," she said. "For now, drink your beer and tell me more about your life. I'm always intrigued by you small town girls, having been one myself at one point. Nothing ever really changes, you know?"

Hours later, a little buzzed and smiling like an idiot, I made my way down to my room with the key Calypso gave me. She had spares of all of them, though I needed to pick up the main key from the front desk tomorrow.

It was a fairly large room, decorated much like Calypso's apartment but a little less lush. The main attraction was the king-sized bed that looked like it would be heaven to lay down on. I tried not to think about how many times it had been used for other purposes. I wasn't a prude, so I refused to act like one.

I was thirsty from the beers and knew I’d regret it if I didn’t get some water in me before I went to bed. It was also a lot hotter in my room than it was in Calypso's, so I grabbed my key and headed out with the ice bucket.

Chapter 5

Brendon

This is a bad idea.

No, this is a horrible idea.

Variations of the thought spun wildly around my brain as I drove to the hotel. I couldn't believe I was going to a brothel based on Peter's recommendation. This was normally the last thing I'd do. Was I that bored that I was willing to do something this crazy just to fill the hours.

The restlessness that had been sinking into my bones for the past couple of years seemed to have reached its peak, though I was beginning to wonder if this was only the beginning. Who knew if my foray into the underworld would lead to some sort of addiction to prostitutes. My family would love that. Just another reason they'd want to keep me from sitting at the big table with the rest of the adults.

The hotel had underground parking, at least. That was always a bonus in the city. I locked my car and headed for the elevator, surprised to find when I reached the lobby that it was actually quite a nice place. The globe ceiling of the lobby hung with a plain but pretty glass chandelier, and every surface glowed in the flickering lamplight.

I walked reluctantly toward the girl at the front desk. She had long auburn hair and big, pretty brown eyes. Her face was bright pink, and when she saw me her eyes bugged and she swallowed nervously.

"Hello, and welcome to the Fox," she said. "How may I assist you?"

I reached in my pocket for the envelope of cash, remembering Peter's instructions. All I had to do was give her the money.

Her eyes bugged even further, if that was possible, when she saw me remove the envelope and slide it toward her.

"Oh, right. Sure. One second." She ducked below the counter, and I got the distinct impression that it was this girl's first day or something.

She popped back up a second later, shakily handing me a key card. "Uh, here you go."

I went to reach for it, and she pulled it back.

"Wait...I think I might've..." She ducked down again, only to pop back up with a wincing smile. "No, it's good. Here you go."

I took the keycard from her, and she smiled with a courteous nod. "The elevator is right over there."

I saluted and headed toward the elevator, rolling my eyes. The card had only a floor and room number. Floor ten. Room 69.

Room 69? Really? Could this place be more obviously a brothel? I supposed it was probably part of the fantasy, but this was all new to me. I tucked the key in my pocket for now.

The elevator doors whooshed open a minute later, and I strode out into the hallway with a sense of purpose. Unfortunately, a beautiful woman with auburn hair holding a bucket of ice was also striding with a sense of purpose, and I crashed into her with my full weight. She went tumbling to the ground, ice spilling all over the dark carpet.

"I'm so sorry," I said, kneeling to help her up.

The girl blinked up at me with emerald green eyes, and rose to her elbows.

"Holy shit, are you made out of stone?" she asked. "I feel like I just ran into a wall."

I chuckled, offering her my hand. She shook her head and turned over to her hands and knees, picking up the ice and tossing it back into her bucket.

"I hope you're not still going to use that," I joked, grabbing a few handfuls myself. I couldn't help but stare at her perfectly formed jean-clad ass. She turned to look back at me, a blanket of corn silk falling over her face.

"No, I'll have to get new ice, obviously. I just don't want to make a mess."

"It's just ice," I said, tossing some in the bucket. "It'll melt you know."

The girl turned around and sat back on her heels to grab the rest of the ice. It wasn’t just her ass that was stunning. She was just stunning, period. She had a perfect little cupid’s bow mouth and high, diamond cut cheekbones. Her button nose and big green eyes, combined with her elegant stature, made her look a little bit like a fairy.

"Yeah and then it'll melt and make a big wet spot. And then someone will step on that wet spot with their dirty shoes and it'll become a muddy spot."

"Okay, okay," I said, scooping up a handful of ice and tossing it into her bucket. "Point taken."

We finished scooping up the ice together. Her, with a self-satisfactory little smirk that made my cock take notice. Me, trying not to be obvious about how much I was staring at her.

When she finally finished piling up the ice, the girl straightened and rose.

"What's your name?" I asked, not wanting to let her walk away.

She narrowed her eyes at me, obviously contemplating whether to tell me or not. Finally, having made up her mind, she spoke. "Aurora."

"Aurora?" I said, savoring the word like a sweet treat. "That's a pretty name. Unusual, though."

She shrugged. "My mom loved Sleeping Beauty. What's yours?"

"Brendon."

Aurora and I both had wet hands from the ice. I brushed mine over my suit and held it out for her. She followed my motion and took my hand, but instead of shaking it I pulled it to my lips and kissed her knuckles. I wasn't usually the type to participate in such old-fashioned displays, but there was something about her that made me want to charm her. Plus, it's not every day you meet a Disney princess.

"What's the ice for?" I asked. "Have you got a bottle of champagne waiting to be popped?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid it's nothing quite so exciting. I just wanted a frosty glass of water."

"Ah, I see." I winked. "You're one of those party girls."

"Oh yeah. I'm all about those parties," she said in a dry tone. "I go crazy on the H20 every Friday night."

"I knew it the second I first saw you," I teased. "I said to myself, Brendon, I don't care how beautiful that girl is, she looks like trouble."

Aurora blushed and looked down at the bucket in her hands, as if she wished she could stick her face in it. When she looked back at me, her eyes had filled with warmth and humor.

"And what about you? Is it your custom to knock over girls in hotel hallways with your rock-hard abs?"

"I'm actually wearing a lead vest under here." I tapped my chest demonstratively. "I've found it's much more effective. You get a better bounce back this way."

She laughed, and it was somewhere between a giggle and a snort. It was a laugh that put a smile on my face, and probably would every time I thought about it.

Maybe I didn't need to go to room 69 at all. Maybe I could just cut my losses with the five grand and hang out with this chick instead. Why would I want to sleep with a prostitute when I had the chance to have a drink with Aurora? Hell, possibly even more. The air between us was charged with electricity and sexual tension, and I could tell she was curious to see if my abs really were as hard as she thought.

They were, of course. I didn't spend hours at the gym each week is I could carry around a flabby belly like my brother Avery. He thought I was crazy for taking so many kickboxing and mixed martial arts classes, but there was no better way to hone your body into that of a prize fighter than fighting.

"You're a funny guy, Brendon," she said. "And you're actually the first person I've met in New York apart from the hotel staff. You're probably not from around here though, are you?"

The question in her eyes was almost pleading. She didn't want me to be from somewhere else any more than I would have wanted to find out she came from Atlanta. There was something about this girl that made my chest thump.

"Actually I am," I said. "I had some business in the hotel with a friend who's staying here."

The lie fell easily from my tongue. I couldn't very well tell her that I'd come to see an escort but had decided my time would be better spent with her. Neither she nor anyone else would ever know why I came here tonight. Except Peter, of course, but he could always be relied upon for his discretion. He wouldn't survive in his family if that weren't the case.

"How fortuitous," Aurora said with a big smile. "I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be rude and mean."

"I'm just setting you up for disappointment then," I replied. "It's a city of rough edges, though the people are good underneath it all. At least most of them are."

"I'm sure I'll figure it out," she said. "Though there's nothing more stereotypical than a small-town girl moving to the big city and realizing that she's in over her head. I had that moment earlier today in a big way. This place is insane."

"It can be," I said. "You just need to find a big strong New Yorker to help clear your path."

"Why would I want that?" she asked, grinning. "Clearing my own path is half the fun."

Who was this girl and where had she come from? I'd definitely lost all thoughts of the prostitute waiting for me in room 69. I was all about Aurora, and it seemed like she was all about me too.

"This ice is melting," Aurora said, staring down into the bucket. "I'm going to have to toss it into the sink in my room and then run out for more. Would you like to join me?" She smiled hopefully. "I'm just down the hall. Room 69."

My heart dropped like a stone into my gut. The girl at the front desk must've warned Aurora that I was coming up. Maybe they had some sort of first time special where the girl flirted and made you feel at ease with her first before any of the action started.

Fuck. How could I have been so stupid?

Of course a girl like her would be too good to be true. I mean, her name was Aurora for Christ's sake. What was I expecting?

"Room 69, huh?" I mused aloud.

This turn of events didn't have to be a bad thing. Sure, she wasn't the sweet, innocent girl I’d thought she was, but she was still beautiful and charming. I still wanted her, so much so that my cock was firm and tingling in my pants. I'd paid my money downstairs. Why not have a little fun while I was here?

Aurora was talking throughout my contemplation, something about the strange room number. "...feel like a total weirdo staying in a room that's a sex position but what can you do, right? I mean—"

I didn't let her finish. My mouth had covered hers before she even realized what had happened, and she tasted delicious. I groaned against her lips, tugging her tight against my body with my hands gripped firmly on her hips.

Aurora at least pretended to be surprised. She gasped, but was soon kissing me back with equal enthusiasm. The bucket of ice fell to the floor, spilling all over the carpet. Neither of us made a move to retrieve it.

Chapter 6

Aurora

If this was what living in the big city was like, I was going to like it.

Running into a stranger and spilling ice all over the floor isn't an ideal way to spend an evening, unless, of course, that stranger happens to be a super sexy businessman with a well-cut suit and a smile so dazzling it could kill. From there, things just went up. He was funny and charming, and when he looked at me millions of butterflies took flight in my stomach.

Then he kissed me.

I knew I shouldn't be making out with some random guy I met on my first day in New York. That only turned out well in movies, and my life was far from a movie at present. If it were a movie, I assumed it would be a tragic comedy.

Anyway, still not a good idea to kiss Brendon, not that I was given much of a choice about it at first. He held me so tight to him that I worried if I wanted to back away I wouldn't be able to.

Then, slowly, he loosened his grip on my hips and slid his arms around my waist, drawing me close in a more tender gesture. All the while, I was kissing him back but wondering if I should be.

The more the kiss went on, the more my body longed to melt into his forever. It was a mind-numbing kiss. Brendon kissed me like no other man had kissed me before, an expert application of tongue and lip and teeth. He was at times hard and at times soft. He sucked my lip into his mouth and nibbled on it, and I couldn't help but moan.

That was around the time I said fuck it. I'd already been heading off the deep end lately, so why not? Why not have sex with a stranger even though I'd just moved to a new city and left my old life, including an asshole boyfriend, behind? If Amy were here, she'd be cheering me on. Calypso probably would too.

I started responding more, exploring more. I moved my hands from where they rested against his chest to loop around his neck, standing up on my tip toes to try to reach him better. The angle sucked. He was probably six feet tall and my measly 5'3" wasn't cutting it.

As if sensing my concern, Brendon swooped down and hoisted me into his arms. My legs wrapped instinctively around his hips, and the evidence of his arousal ground into the sweet spot between my legs. I shuddered. My body filled with liquid heat, so intense that I thought I might die.

Brendon walked forward until my back ran up against the wall, where he held me and started kissing down my neck. I sighed and closed my eyes, luxuriating in the feeling of his mouth gliding over my sensitive skin.

Brendon's hot breath blasted my throat, sending tingles down my spine. He sucked and bit, working his way back up to my mouth and then taking me again in an all-consuming kiss.

At this point, I didn't think I'd be able to stand if he put me down. My legs were wobbly even where they gripped his waist. My core was equally wobbly and felt like jelly. Who was Nolan again?

"Hey, hey," I whispered against his lips. "Shouldn't we, uh, be moving this to the room?"

I didn't like thinking that a John could walk around the corner on his way to see one of Calypso's girls and be treated to a free show. I was a PG-13 lady, after all.

Brendon smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth, letting my feet gently down to the floor. "Lead the way."

His voice was a rich baritone that made my heart do a happy flip. As expected, my legs were initially unresponsive, and it took a moment before I felt confident putting one foot in front of the other in the direction of my room. We left the ice bucket behind. I was the cleaner here now, I could fix that in the morning. And hey, maybe the ice would just melt and dry without causing a mess. Either way, it hardly seemed to matter now.

I dug my key card out of my back pocket and slid it into the door. It opened with a little beep and I opened it, stepping through with Brendon close on my heels.

"It's a nice room," Brendon said. "Not quite what I was expecting."

I furrowed my brow quizzically. "It's a nice hotel. What else were you expecting?"

Brendon shook his head, a wry smile ticking the corners of his mouth. "It doesn't matter. Come here.”

I followed his command without question, my skin already craving his touch, even though he'd been touching me less than a minute ago. Who was this guy? Was it better that I didn't know? We could have one, beautiful encounter in a city of anonymity and go our separate ways and it would be kind of cool. Only thing was I didn't think I wanted to see him go.

Anyway, I was thinking too far ahead. We still had this night and our unfinished kiss to attend to.

Brendon's mouth claimed mine again. He wound his fists in my hair and held me there, probing with his tongue. I held the front of his shirt in a tight grip, but it was more like holding on for dear life than pulling him close.

Brendon led me over to the bed and sat me down on it, pushing me back with a hand on my throat. It was exhilarating. Intoxicating. I waited, curious what he was going to do next. He unzipped my pants, pulling them down over my thighs and discarding them at the foot of the bed. Then, picking up one thigh at a time, he steadily trailed kisses from my ankle to my hip. I shivered. The moment was unexpectedly sensual. This wasn't going to be a quick fuck, which was good. I needed someone to treat me with kindness and respect, which was exactly what Brendon was doing. And shit was it turning me on.

He raised my shirt over my head, leaving me in only my underwear. It hardly seemed fair that he was allowed to stay fully clothed when I was basically naked, but Brendon was methodical in his approach and I wanted to see where it went. I liked watching him work, liked the gentle caress of his lips as they explored my body while I lay panting. I was so unused to it that it was like he was from another world. Or maybe I was from another world, a world where the only guy I'd ever slept with favored any foreplay that involved his dick. Not to mention the fact that as far as I could remember, Nolan had never kissed me like this. Had never worshipped me like this. Was this what sex was supposed to be like? No wonder I'd never understood the hype.

Brendon kissed up my stomach and over the tops of my breasts, hovering just over my face. His breath tickled my lips as he studied me. His eyes were a dark, deep brown. They were like a pit into his soul. I wanted to stare in them all day.

I reached a tentative hand to the top button of his shirt and flicked it open. He didn't stop me. He bent his head to kiss me instead, rewarding me with every open button by nipping on my lip and sending another wave of heat between my thighs. When his shirt fell open, I lifted my hand to run it down his chest. His abs were rock hard. In fact, he may as well have had rocks lined up in the shape of abs and pecs under his skin. Just when I thought he couldn't get any sexier, he had to throw in a wicked body for good measure. This guy was going to be the death of me.

Brendon shrugged out of his shirt and stood from the bed, unbuckling his pants and letting them fall to the floor. His cock strained against the fabric of his tight boxer briefs, and from the outline I could tell that this was no mere trouser snake. It was a full grown anaconda. Holy Moses.

Brendon caught me staring and grinned. "Move up the bed."

I shimmied further up the giant mattress, not stopping until I reached the pillows. I could've stopped halfway but I suspected he would need the room.

Brendon crawled up toward me, grinding his bulge against my clit. My panties were sodden, and I wasn't sure why they were still there. Part of this whole taking his time thing, I suspected.

Brendon reached a deft hand behind my back and popped open my bra, then pulled it from my shoulders and tossed it across the room. My boobs were a large B on a good day, but they suited my frame well. Brendon didn't seem to mind. He growled with delight and lowered his mouth to my nipples, already peaked from my arousal.

His hot mouth felt so good on my breasts that I cried out in rapture. Everything he did felt so damn good. Maybe he was an angel sent down to reward me for finally leaving that ass backwards town and going out on my own. Though, truth be told, with the way he ground his hard body against me, I was getting the feeling he was more likely a devil.

Brendon moved over to the other breast, drawing my nipple between his teeth and sucking. I arched up against him, wishing desperately that his cock was already deep inside me. I whimpered pathetically, and I could tell he picked up on my need because he looked down at me and smiled.

I moved a hand between his legs and squeezed his impressive length. His smile dropped away as a quiver of pleasure caused his eyes to roll back in his head. The fact that little ol’ me could have an effect like that on big ol' him was indescribably erotic.

Brendon hooked his fingers under the waistband of my panties and pulled them down, tossing them into the air. His fingers, which I'd been admiring while we were talking for their length and masculinity, slowly eased into my folds and began stroking my clit. I bucked up off the bed, trying to urge him inside of me. I needed something inside of me or I was going to explode.

"Brendon," I whined. "Please."

Fire lit up his eyes. He plunged one finger into my channel and stroked my inner walls.

I arched up and rode his finger as his mouth continued to pleasure me in ways I didn't realize a kiss could. I wanted more. I wanted it all.

"Brendon, please fuck me."

It was like I was some other girl, a girl not afraid to ask for what she wanted in bed and not worried about being laughed at or scorned. Something about him made me more comfortable than I'd been in several years of a relationship with Nolan. Why had I wasted so much time on him? Now that I'd tasted the forbidden fruit, there was no way I'd be going back. This encounter had only solidified for me how incompatible Nolan and I were for each other, even if we'd both made a habit of pretending otherwise.

Brendon loved this sexy side of me, not that he knew it was a side. He had no idea that I'd never begged a guy to fuck me before. His boxers were gone in a flash, and in my lust fueled haze I directed his cock to my entrance without further delay and gripped his ass to help push him in.

He hesitated for a moment, watching me. I wasn't sure why. Then, with a wave of embarrassment, I realized that I'd just put his dick in me without a condom. It was literally just the tip so far, but that was more than there should be.

"Shit, sorry," I said apologetically. "I'm just used to it without. I completely forgot. I'm fine with it, though, if you are. I'm on birth control and clean and everything."

This puzzled him even more. I felt like an idiot but I was too caught up in the moment to really care. Nolan and I didn't use condoms because he didn't like them. I'd never thought about how I'd need to pick some up if I wanted to start having sex with people other than him.

All this happened in what seemed like a fraction of a second. Then, slowly but surely, Brendon began to slowly sink his cock into me. I gripped onto his back for dear life as the thing split me in two. At first there was a little pain, but as soon as he was sheathed to the root my body began to stretch to accommodate him.

"Oh god," I moaned. "Brendon, that's so fucking good."

His breath came hard against the shell of my ear. "I like it when you say my name."

He pulled out and slammed in again, and I cried out in surprise. The pain had now completely given away to pleasure, and as soon as he began fucking me in earnest I realized it wasn’t going to be long before I broke. I'd orgasmed with Nolan only a handful of times, and all of them had been because of effort on my side, not his. More and more my angel/devil theory was beginning to make sense.

I kissed Brendon's chest, where salty perspiration had begun to form, and up to his neck. When he was flat on top of me, I couldn’t reach much further up than that, but I liked it. I felt small beneath him, and rather than making me feel insecure it made me feel safe. Somehow, I knew that Brendon would protect me. He just had that way about him. Or maybe it was my impending orgasm making my brain go foggy.

Brendon's breaths soon became labored, his thrusts erratic. I knew he was close, and that thought was what finally sent me careening over the edge. My body shook and tingled, starbursts appearing behind my closed lids as I keened out his name over and over again. This spurred him to thrust harder, and soon he was grunting and I could feel him spurting inside of me.

Brendon collapsed over me, though he was careful not to crush me with his significant weight. He kissed my neck as he recovered, chaste, tender pecks that made my toes curl with delight.

As far as I was concerned, Brendon was perfect and could do no wrong. No doubt he had some dark secret behind those chocolate eyes. It would be my luck. Still, I was determined to enjoy this last moment of peace before reality kicked back in and I started to panic about what I'd just done.

"That was..." Brendon rolled over to the side, collapsing onto his back. "That was amazing, babe."

I curled up against him and stroked a hand over his chest. "You did pretty good yourself. I haven't cum like that ever."

There was that sassy girl again. I was starting to like her a lot, even if I had no idea where she came from.

Brendon raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

I shook my head.

"Huh." He looked back at the ceiling. "That's unexpected. This whole situation has been very unexpected."

"How so?"

I knew that he was probably just going to say some iteration of what I'd been thinking this whole time, but I wanted to hear him say it. I wanted to hear him tell me what an amazing coincidence it was running into me, and all that.

"You know, I just didn't think it would seem so natural," he said. "I've never...you know...before, and I think I was expecting something that would feel completely contrived."

Natural? What was he talking about?

Then it hit me.

Never done this before...

Expecting something that would feel completely contrived...

"Oh my god." I sat up in the bed, looking down at him in shock. I covered my breasts with the sheet, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "You think I'm a prostitute?"

Brendon’s brow furrowed. "You're not?"

"No!" I screamed.

"But ... you're in this room," he said.

"Yeah, because I'm working here as a cleaner," I illuminated. "That doesn't mean I also have to service the clients."

Brendon darted out of bed so fast I nearly missed him. He had his pants on faster than any human being ever had, and was out the door before I even got to say goodbye.

Before I even thought to stop him.

Chapter 7

Aurora

I'd just finished dressing and had finally poured that glass of water—sans ice—when there was a light knock on my door. Relief surged through me. Brendon had returned. I knew I shouldn't be longing for the guy who'd only just left my room in a hurry after he found out I was not the prostitute he'd paid for, but he was so freaking sweet. So sweet I was already addicted. I wanted to know more about him, about what happened tonight. Even if I ended up changing my mind about him in the end, I at least wanted the chance.

My hopes died when I opened the door and Calypso was standing there, a somber expression making her look much older than she normally did.

"Hey, you," she said quietly. "Erika told me what happened. Can I come in?"

I nodded and stepped aside to allow her to enter. I was embarrassed by the state of disarray the bed was in, but I supposed that was pretty much par for the course in her line of work so she probably didn't care.

She walked over to the love seat in the corner and sat down, patting the spot next to her. I was worried about her sudden change in demeanor from a sort of upbeat, cool aunt to a straight-backed mother with worry in her eyes.

I took the seat next to her. "So what exactly is it that happened? I'm still a little fuzzy on the details."

She winced. "I told Shereen to put aside a key for you when you arrived earlier, the one that I said you should pick up tomorrow. After the shift change, the hotel's new receptionists got confused about the key and thought it was meant as the next in the lineup. That gentleman you, err, met, received that key."

I opened my mouth and silently mouthed, Oh.

That made sense why he suddenly threw himself at me the second he found out what room I was from.

Calypso reached out to stroke my hair. "Are you okay? I am so sorry, honey. I never meant for that to happen."

Did she know that I'd slept with him too or did she just think we'd had some sort of, Whoops, wrong room, mix up? Either way, she was looking at me like I'd been through the ringer, and I didn't know how to tell her that I was fine.

Better than fine, really.

A guy thinking I was a high class hooker was hardly the worst thing that had ever happened to me. In fact, it was probably the most exciting. And that orgasm! Wow-ee that was something extra.

"I can't tell what you're thinking," Calypso said. "You're being very quiet."

I mentally shook myself back to the present. "Sorry," I said. "I'm okay, really. It was a bit, uh, confusing, but I'm not upset."

"You're not?" Her forehead wrinkled. "You don't have to pretend to be okay just because you think I'll kick you out or something. I won't. I know things are a little different where you're from, and I can imagine this would be a scary experience."

"No," I said wistfully, thinking back. A smile wormed its way onto my lips. "He would've stopped if I wanted him too. I got a little lost in the moment I guess."

The worry eased from Calypso's face, and was replaced by her usual half-smirk and twinkling eyes.

"I'm glad to hear it," she said. "I was so worried when I first found out. Apparently he ran out of here like the place was on fire, so I thought the worst."

"No, it's all good," I said.

I just wish it had been real.

I started work the next morning. It was just like I imagined any housekeeping job would be like in a hotel, except the rooms had exceptionally tousled beds and occasionally I had to pick up a sex toy and pop it into a bag to be cleaned and sanitized downstairs. Not a big deal.

I got to listen to music while I worked too, so the time flew by. After I'd had a quick shower and changed into my one set of clean clothes, I left the hotel in pursuit of a job. I aimed to start apartment hunting too, but it was going to be difficult to find one without a source of income. I didn't even have more than two outfits and one pair of pajamas. Calypso told me I could use their laundry for free whenever I wanted, and that she'd lend me some clothes anytime.

I realized unless I got a job today, I was probably going to have to take her up on her offer unless I wanted to play like the Mystery Inc. gang and wear the same clothes every day.

My phone vibrated intermittently all afternoon, but I ignored it. Nolan and my mother could wait. I was in the pulsing heart of New York, which felt a bit like the pulsing heart of America from where I was standing. I'd never seen anything so grand as the massive skyscrapers that seemed to touch the clouds, and the way life milled beneath them like we were ants on the floor of an ancient forest.

I was dumbstruck by the beauty of it all. Captivated. I wanted to dive in to this life, even if it meant blubbering until I learned how to swim. I knew it from the moment I met Brendon. This was where I was meant to be.

I applied at a few places, including a giant children's store on Fifth Avenue and a beauty boutique in the west village. I knew I probably wouldn't have any luck getting either of those jobs, so I made sure to spread my resume as far and wide as I could. I just needed a job, any job. It didn't matter if it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life or not.

I arrived back at the Fox in the early evening, exhausted. Calypso told me to charge anything I ate at the bar downstairs to my room and she'd take care of it, but I couldn't even gather enough strength to go down there for a bite.

I decided to lay on my bed, which still smelled faintly of Brendon's musky, intoxicating cologne. I smiled, then frowned when I remembered that I'd never see the man who wore such delicious cologne ever again. I badly wanted to talk to somebody about it, but I didn't feel all that comfortable with Calypso yet and there was definitely nobody from home I could chat to.

Amy! I grabbed my phone from my pocket and lay back against the pillows, waiting for her to pick up.

"Tatiana Ivanov speaking," came a sultry voice.

I laughed. "Hi Tatiana, I'm looking for Amy."

"Aurora! Hey girl! I heard from Calypso that you're all settled in at the Fox. How are things?"

"Well—"

"Oh, hang on one second." There was a shuffling sound from the other end of the line, and a couple seconds later Amy returned to the phone. "Sorry. I was out by the pool and the reception isn't that great. The price you pay in paradise, am I right? Now go on, you were telling me all about your fabulous New York adventure."

"It's been an adventure, that's for sure." I chuckled. "Did Calypso tell you anything else about my first night here?"

"No, not a peep. That woman is forged from iron, I tell you. She's the place secrets go to die. So what tawdry tales do you have for me?"

I laughed. "Tawdry tale, singular."

"Ooh la la! Put the small-town girl in the big city and it's like dropping a bath bomb into the tub. I bet you're just an explosion of color and drama right now! I am listening at the edge of my hammock."

I paused. "You're in a hammock?"

I didn't mean to sound so suddenly jealous but I would kill to be on a hammock in the sun right now. Well, maybe not. I wouldn't start selling myself to get there, so I probably wouldn't kill either.

"You bet your sweet betty I'm in a hammock," she replied. "Spent half the night in here. Have you ever had sex in a hammock, babe? It's not as fun as you'd think..."

I laughed and decided to change the topic back to my own sexcapades.

"You're not gonna believe this," I said. "But last night there was this big SNAFU in reception and a client got sent to my room."

"No!" she gasped.

"Yes."

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine," I assured her, twirling a piece of hair idly around my finger. "I ran into him outside the room and we talked for a while. I guess he must've assumed I was, you know, so he made the first move and... well... he was really sexy. And funny, too. So I went along with it, had the best sex of my life, and then found out he thought I was a prostitute just in time to watch him race out of the room never to be seen again."

Amy was silent for a moment, clearly absorbing the news. It was one of the craziest things I'd ever done, and certainly the craziest thing I’d done since before Amy left for college. Back in our day, we were Bridgefield's two resident bad girls. We had a penchant for underage drinking and pulling pranks, and it had landed us in trouble on more than one occasion.

So far it seemed like moving to New York on a whim had started a domino effect. It was a little early to say if it was going to continue from here, but I was looking forward to finding out.

"That sounds kind of exciting, truth be told," Amy said finally. "Did you enjoy it?"

I grinned. "Girl, you have no idea. My toes curled so hard I nearly broke them off."

"Charming imagery," she said dryly. "But what a great way to kick off your New York experience!"

"Yeah, only problem is that now I can't stop thinking about him." I pulled the blanket up to my nose and held it there, reveling in his scent. "It's like I got a hit of some fantastic new drug and then the dealer up and disappeared."

"If it's meant to be, it will be. That's the only advice I can give, I'm afraid."

That reminded me.

"I wanted to thank you for your advice, too," I said. "It was a little hard to adjust to for the first few hours, but I'm certain now that New York is where I want to be. I'll probably miss home from time to time, but I think I've found something here, or at least I'm on the cusp of finding something."

I could hear here smiling as she spoke, and her tone was softer. "You're welcome, babe. I'm glad it worked out. And I'm so excited to get home and see you! We're going to have such wonderful stories to share."

"Totally."

The line beeped and I looked at the phone, brow furrowed. There was someone calling me on the other line.

"I gotta go," I said hastily. "I think Nolan might be trying to call me or something. I'm in a pretty good mood to tell him to fuck off."

“That a girl. Talk to you later."

I switched the lines and answered, and I was glad I chose to answer with a cordial "hello" instead of an irritated "what do you want".

"Hello, I'm looking to speak to Aurora Frayser?" a female voice said.

"That's me."

"Hi, Aurora. This is Jessie, the floor manager over at Lock Knock's Children's Boutique on Fifth Avenue. I received your application and it looks like you'd make a great fit for the team. Can I get you in for an interview sometime this week?"

We arranged a time for the following morning, and ended the call. I collapsed back onto the bed, my smile brimming with hope and happiness.

Chapter 8

Brendon

The phone would not stop fucking ringing. Ring, ring, ring. Every damn minute of every hour.

Or, at least, that was what it felt like. It had probably only really rung a few times in the past hour or so, but I was highly irritable today and the fact that everyone and their dog seemed intent on crawling up my ass looking for the answers to inane questions didn't help things.

I answered the phone, trying not to let my temper leach into the receiver. I hung up a few minutes later, after passing the call back to my secretary to make arrangements for a meeting. Then I looked at the clock. I didn't clock out at the same time as everyone else, since I was the CEO and as such didn't run on anybody's schedule but my own. I usually stayed until the work was done, but today I felt like ducking out a little early. It was three, anyway. Nobody would miss me this late in the day.

I grabbed my things and left the office, making sure to let my secretary know to hold my calls until morning. I would not be available on my cell phone, nor would I be checking email. I was heading home for the day and officially cutting ties with the office until eight am.

Leaving for the day didn't provide much relief. The thoughts I had swirling through my head would antagonize me wherever I was. Office, home, out and about, it didn't matter. Everywhere I went I saw her face and my anxiety levels skyrocketed.

I couldn't stop thinking about Aurora, the beautiful girl whose pleasure-filled screams I now realized were completely genuine. They seemed genuine at the time too, but I thought she was a professional and that was how she operated. Now I knew better, and it made the whole encounter even hotter.

I hailed a cab outside the front doors of the building and gave the driver directions to my Brooklyn apartment building. He merged into the ever-present New York traffic, limping along with the rest of the growing rush hour crowd.

I was humiliated by what happened at the Fox, and far too proud to go back, but I thought about doing so every time I pictured Aurora's puffy red lips and verdant green eyes. She enjoyed the sex, but that didn't mean she enjoyed being mistaken for a hooker. She probably hated me. She probably regretted what happened.

I couldn't. Couldn't forget, couldn't regret. It was the best sex I'd had in years and the only way I could go back for more was in my own head. I'd been going there a lot recently, another reason to go home early. My agitation was in part because every time I thought of her—which was often—I got hard. I couldn't help it, and it was getting out of control. I needed to go home and release some tension the best way I knew how.

Why did the traffic have to be so goddamn slow?

When the cab finally slid up to the curb of my building, I handed the driver some cash and stepped out onto the blistering sidewalk. It was another hot one in the city. I couldn't wait to get into the luxurious air conditioning of my penthouse.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ralston," said Bernie, my doorman. He held the door open for me and I nodded politely as I passed through.

"Same to you, Bernie."

The elevator took a long time, and my dick was getting restless. Since I knew I was close to being home, the need to stroke myself was snowballing. I kept envisioning Aurora's hair splayed across the pillow like a silk curtain, her plump tits and the way they felt like velvet in my mouth. I gritted my teeth through the discomfort and strode out of the elevator with purpose when it opened to my living room.

Finally. Home.

I sighed and slid out of my suit jacket, hanging it over the back of one of the dining room chairs as I passed. My tie went next. I was in my bedroom by the time I wrestled that off, so I let it drop to the floor. Pants, shoes, boxers—all gone a second later.

I laid out atop the sheets of my bed, my meat hot and heavy in my hand. I was so sensitive that it felt good just to be free from my pants. I was so horny that I couldn't help the excited shiver that ran down my spine.

Fuck. What I wouldn't do to have Aurora there with me now. In retrospect, she'd obviously been less experienced than I gave her credit for. The way her voice had wavered when she told me what she wanted, the way every move seemed to surprise and delight her... I wish I'd known at the time. But I knew now, and that was almost as good, except she wasn’t here.

I pictured her on her hands and knees, that beautiful pussy of hers high in the air. She'd beg me to fuck her, and it would sound so sinful coming from her innocent little lips that I'd have no choice but to do just that.

I stroked my hand down my shaft, imagining thrusting into her hot, tight core. She'd purr like a cat as I filled her, telling me just how good my dick felt. Or maybe she'd just moan, using that rasping, sexy voice of hers to make me quiver with lust. I stroked harder, slamming in and out of Aurora with force. I could almost see her tits swinging with each jerk of my hips, her hair falling over her face as she lowered her head.

The pleasure was intense. Using Aurora as my fantasy was having a profound effect on me, each stroke of my hand feeling better and better. In my head, she began thrusting back against my hips, and the room filled with the sounds of skin smacking against skin.

"Fuuck," I moaned, sweat prickling my brow. I was getting close. She was getting close too, and her backward thrusts became almost feverish.

My balls tightened against my body. My legs shook. And with a final strangled cry, I hit my climax like a brick wall. I lay there, panting, still thinking about Aurora's beautiful face. Still wishing I didn't have to fantasize at all, that I could just have her. If only life were that simple.

I cleaned myself up, then lay back against the pillows with a great sigh.

A couple hours later, just as I was finishing the pasta I made for dinner, Peter called. I hadn't talked to him since "the incident", but I couldn't tell whether I was more pissed off at him or myself. After all, shouldn't I know better than to take Peter's advice?

I answered the phone with a curt, "Hey."

"Hey sailor," Peter drawled, obviously a little drunk. "I'm heading out to a new place tonight and since you've finally given up being the world's most boring man, I thought I'd invite you too. It should be fun."

"If the only requirement for not being the world's most boring man is occasionally attending brothels, then I'm afraid that epithet stays."

"What? Didn't you go to the Fox?"

My jaw tensed and I leaned back in my chair, gazing over the table to the cityscape beyond. "I went, alright."

I proceeded to explain to him the events of that night, making sure to berate him as much as I could during the process. He was surprised to hear that such a royal mix-up had occurred, especially since the Fox was an old favorite of his.

"I know the Madame there," he said. "I can likely get you your money back."

"I don't want my money back," I said. "You're missing the point. It was humiliating."

"But did you have a nice time?"

My eyelid twitched. "Until I found out that the poor girl I slept with had no idea that she'd just become a prostitute, yes."

Peter laughed. It bothered me how he was never fazed by anything. Peter lived fast and hard, never making excuses or apologies.

"The place I'm going to tonight is not a hybrid brothel-hotel. No chance for a mix up."

"Not gonna happen," I replied. "From now on I'm going to stick to doing things the old-fashioned way."

"You're kidding me," Peter intoned. "You've got all the money in the world, and you won't spend a little on the pleasures of the flesh? The girls love it when they get clients like us because we're just as hot as we are horny. It'll be a real party, come on."

"I said no." My tone left no room for argument. Peter drove everyone to their end eventually, but at least he knew when to back off.

"Fine, fine. Suit yourself." He chuckled. "More for me."

"Knock yourself out. I'll talk to you later."

I hung up the phone, irritation surging through my veins like quicksilver. At least I didn't tell Peter that it wasn’t just the idea of the brothel that put me off, but the idea of sex with any woman who wasn't Aurora in general. One taste and I was now an addict, with no way to get my fix.

It would pass. These kinds of things always did. Or, at least, that's what I assumed to be true, having never experienced something like this before.

Only time would tell.

Chapter 9

Aurora

I stepped back to admire the sign, rubbing my hands together to rid them of excess chalk. The squat chalkboard, standing only four feet high and with bright orange plastic legs, was now a masterpiece. I thought so, anyway.

A hand on my back startled me and I jumped, swirling to find Jessie at my elbow. She was looking at the sign, which announced a flash sale on hats, approvingly.

"I gotta say, had I known you could draw like that, I would've hired you right off the bat."

I laughed. "Thanks, Jessie. I would have told you if I realized it would come in handy."

The sweeping lines of text were interspersed with tiny drawings of different hat styles, ranging from beanies to top hats. It was a pretty basic job, and the lettering had taken far longer than any of the hats themselves.

"What can I do next?" I asked.

Jessie looked down at the clipboard in her hands. There was always something to do at Lock Knocks' flagship store, and her preferred way of keeping on top of it was a clipboard, a pen, and the determination of a drill sergeant. She was a good boss though, and I enjoyed her enthusiasm for making the store the best it could be. I wanted to do well at this, even if it was temporary. I would move on in a few months to something a little more career-oriented.

"Maybe go give some of the aisles a spruce up again," Jessie said, underlining an item on her list. "Everyone’s been giving it their all, so we're all ready for Mr. Ralston's visit. Now we should just focus on keeping the place as clean as possible." She looked up. "You could tidy up your displays, actually. I think he's really going to like them."

"I hope so."

Jessie left me with a curt wave and headed off in the direction of the back room. I took one last look at my sign and turned toward the toys.

I'd been working at Lock Knocks for two weeks now, and so far things had been going well. Jessie was happy with the fun displays I erected around the store and the chalkboard signs. I was just happy to have a job, especially since it had allowed me to put a deposit down on an apartment in the Bronx. I’d be moving in at the end of the month.

As much as I’d been enjoying spending time with Calypso at the Fox Regent, and as nice as my room and the food there was, I was getting tired of picking up butt plugs off the floor, and working two jobs was exhausting. It was time for me to go out on my own, and moving out would be the last thing I needed to get me on my feet. Then there would be no going back. Not that I wanted to in the first place.

I was still tidying a beach display I made when Jessie found me again. This time she wasn't alone.

When I turned to speak to her, I saw Jessie first and smiled. My gaze then swung to the man I presumed to be the visiting store owner and my smile slipped off my face like jelly.

Apparently, Brendon's last name was Ralston. Good to know, since he was now my boss.

"Aurora, this is Mr. Ralston. And this—" She gestured down to the little boy holding Brendon's giant hand in his own tiny one. "This is Julian."

I swallowed hard. So not only had I slept with my boss, but I'd slept with my likely married boss, and now I was getting to meet his son. Oh dear.

"It's nice to meet you." I tried to keep the tremor from my voice, but I was no professional at holding it together. I didn't stick out my hand for him to shake because I didn't want to remember how nice it felt to touch him. Plus, I didn't think I'd be able to manage it if I did.

"Look at all these toys!" Julian interrupted before Brendon could reply. He pulled out of his father's grip and rushed up to the display, eyes wide with amazement.

"Aurora has been revolutionizing our displays," Jessie chirped proudly. She clearly wasn't picking up on the mood. "We've had loads of compliments from customers, and though there hasn't been enough time to properly track the impact they've had one sales, I've definitely noticed an increase in the purchase of items featured."

I had the grim realization that I was Jessie's crowning jewel right now, and I wondered how the poor girl would react when Brendon inevitably fired me. I was within my probation period. It wouldn't be difficult to do, and it was the smart thing to do. If he didn't, who was to say I wouldn't tell someone that worked there about what happened? He couldn't afford that kind of risk.

Brendon looked over the display and nodded. "It looks good. Should we head up to the office?"

He didn't even look at me. I kept waiting for him to glance over, for our eyes to meet. I thought maybe if I could look pathetic enough, he'd think twice before firing me because of our tryst. I needed this job. Bad. I couldn't afford to move into my new place if I lose it. While staying at the Fox for longer wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, it certainly wasn’t something I would look forward to. Not to mention the fact that I'd lose my deposit.

Jessie gave a bewildered nod and gestured for him to follow her. Brendon grabbed Julian's hand again and they walked off toward the upstairs offices.

As soon as they were out of earshot, I let out a great sigh. That had to be one, if not the most, awkward situations in the history of awkward situations. It might not have been so bad if Brendon weren't so cold. It was a stark contrast to the affectionate, almost loving way he'd held me that night we spent together. It made what happened feel cheaper than I already knew it was, sucking away the only solace I had about the whole thing.

I was an idiot. I should never have let myself romanticize him so much.

Another thought struck me. What if Brendon just didn't recognize me? He'd shown no signs of recognition, and he might just be that rude to all his employees. I found myself wishing for that to be the reason, instead of what I already knew to be true. Brendon was embarrassed that he’d slept with me and would send me out of sight and out of mind as soon as he possibly could.

The day dragged on. Only an hour had passed between my car-crash meeting with Brendon, and my nerves couldn't handle the thought that he was in the building and might come around the corner at any minute. Worse, Jessie could come around the corner at any minute and fire me at his behest.

I was working on a new arts and crafts display to help promote a new brand of mess-free pens and markers that we'd just gotten in. Technically I'd been hired as a stock associate, but as soon as Jessie saw what I could do with the displays and how much people liked them, she basically gave me free rein to do as I wanted when I wasn't busy restocking the shelves. It was a quiet day, and the shelves were full to the brim. I wished they weren't though, as I would give anything to go hide in the back room for the next four hours and pretend that I was looking for a case of teddy bears.

I put all my focus into the project at hand, determined to absorb myself in it to the point of not worrying about Brendon or what he was doing. Or about whether he was going to fire me.

The store was empty enough that I could hear the footsteps approaching me from behind and I turned, thinking it was a customer who needed help finding something.

Brendon stood behind me, hands thrust casually in the pocket of his tailored charcoal suit. His hair was a little messier than when I'd seen him earlier, but those eyes were every bit as dark and smoky as they had been when he'd been pointedly avoiding looking at me. He seemed to have no problem meeting my eye now. His gaze made my stomach flutter with anticipation and anxiety. Was he going to fire me himself?

Julian wasn't with him. I figured the kid was probably playing somewhere. He didn't need to see his daddy taking out the trash.

"How long have you been working here?" he asked.

I knitted my brow. "About two weeks now."

"Do you like it?"

I rose from where I'd been crouched closer to the display and brushed my hands against my pants. "Yeah. It's been fun so far."

"Good." He rubbed a hand over his jaw, like he was relieving some tension. "The displays look great. I'm sorry for being so abrupt earlier. I guess I was just a little..." He smiled, and I'd forgotten how dazzling it was. "Surprised."

So he was acknowledging that we'd met. Good. That put me more at ease, as did the smile.

"Surprised is a good way of putting it," I agreed.

He sobered again. "I'm very sorry if I upset you on the night that we met," he said. "It was a misunderstanding, and I was too embarrassed to deal with it properly. I shouldn't have just run out on you like that."

I looked around but there was nobody near enough to hear. Our encounter was not the kind of thing that should be discussed in a children's store, but I suppose if the boss was cool with it then what harm could it do?

"It's okay." I offered up what I hoped would be a forgiving smile. "It was a shock for both of us."

Brendon stepped closer, stopping only a foot away from me. I stared up at him. My breath caught in my throat at the sheer sincerity in his eyes when he spoke, his low baritone sending a shiver down my spine.

"I can't stop think about you, Aurora."

My mouth went dry. I wanted to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming, since this was about the last thing I'd expected to happen after coming to the abrupt realization earlier today that I now worked for the man who'd rocked my universe and left without a trace.

"I know that you probably want nothing to do with me, but the fact that chance brought us into each other's orbits again means I need to try."

His scent filled my nostrils, earthy with a little spice that enticed me closer. I stayed put, anchoring my feet to the ground even though they begged me to take just one more step.

"Your...your son," was all I managed to stammer.

Brendon's thick eyebrows furrowed briefly, and then he relaxed and laughed. "Julian's not my son. He's my nephew."

A gust of relief washed over me me. "You're not married?"

"No." He shook his head. "Not married. Not engaged. Not anything."

I nodded slowly, absorbing the information as it came. So, Brendon, the guy who gave out orgasms like candy, was not married, didn't despise me, and actually wanted to spend time with me again? Yep, I was dreaming. This didn't happen to people. Not seasoned New Yorkers, and certainly not small town transplants who lived in a glorified brothel.

As much as I wanted to jump into his arms and ride off into the sunset, something was holding me back. A whole lotta somethings. If nothing else, I'd only just gotten out of a seriously long term relationship and I had no idea what I was doing with my life.

I looked up at Brendon, frowning. "Are you gonna fire me?"

He cocked a brow. "Fire you? Why would I do that?"

"Cause we..." I slammed my two fists together. "You know."

He seemed amused by my answer, and shook his head. "I'm not going to fire you. Whether you get fired or not is up to Jessie, and she thinks you're doing a great job."

A small, satisfactory smile slipped onto my mouth.

"Uncle Brendon!" a little voice called in the distance. "Where'd you go?"

Brendon turned to look behind him, then turned back to me with an apologetic smile. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card and a pen. As I watched he wrote something on the back of the card, then handed it to me.

"My personal cell," he said by way of explanation. "I hope to hear from you, Aurora."

The way he said my name should have been a crime. It sent sparks of pleasurable shivers running up and down the length of my body, and I practically swayed on the spot as I reached for the proffered card.

Julian wheeled around the corner and raced toward his uncle, his little face lit up in a giant grin. Brendon turned to leave, and I watched him go without even saying goodbye.

We had a habit of that, I supposed.

Chapter 10

Brendon

The designs littered on the desk before me were just that—litter. Nothing our designers had come up with stood out from any of our competition's branding, and I was beginning to think I'd hired a bunch of idiots. Was it that hard to revamp the image of a children's store? Kids were easy. They liked bright colors and fun. Parents liked affordability and ease of use. Surely there was some way to incorporate those two concepts into a marketing campaign that would set us above our competition without turning us into them. Surely.

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed the bridge of my nose, teeth clenched. My mind whirred and ticked, trying to decide what instructions I could give the marketing department so that the next round of samples wouldn’t be so disappointing.

The thought came to me suddenly.

Aurora.

I remembered walking around the store on my visit last week and admiring all the cutesy little displays and chalkboard signs she'd created. Julian loved them, and according to Jessie so had lots of their customers. Maybe there was some way I could incorporate the personality and charm of her imaginative designs into something that could work on a national level. I felt better about this idea than I had any of the others so far. It was worth a shot.

Only thing was, I gave Aurora my number a week ago and she still hadn't called. I didn't think she was going to. I couldn't say I blamed her, considering how awkward our last exchange was and how she probably regretted the first time we met. I didn't love the idea of having to face her again, especially as my employee, but the girl was talented. I'd be doing the brand a disservice if I didn't at least try.

I walked out of my office a moment later. "I'm heading down to the Fifth Avenue store," I informed my secretary.

"I'll hold your calls."

I nodded at her and strode down the long hallway to the elevator. Energy sizzled through my veins at the thought of getting to see her again. I still found it incredible that out of all the places in New York City, she ended up working in my store. It was the kind of coincidence that makes you sit up and take notice, like the universe was trying to relay a message. Too bad Aurora wasn't listening. I couldn't make her listen, and my balls ached at the thought that I might never get to taste her again. What she lacked in stature she made up in sex appeal. Even in the Lock Knocks uniform of khakis and a navy polo, Aurora stood out from the crowd. She was a princess, after all.

I hadn't made it five steps into Lock Knocks before Jessie was on me.

"Mr. Ralston," she said. "We weren't expecting you for another visit so soon."

I could see the panic in her pale blue eyes. She was a devoted employee, a hard worker who always wanted to prove herself. I'd heard lots of great things about her from other managers back when she was just a floor associate, and her work ethic hadn't waned since her promotion a year ago. It could be grating at times, though, because her eagerness to please often took the form of flattery.

"I came to see Aurora. Is she working today?"

Idiot. I should have called to check beforehand, but my mind had been too scrambled at the thought of gazing into those emerald eyes again. This girl would be the end of me.

Jessie swiveled her head wildly like a frantic owl. "I'm sure she's here somewhere. Want me to call her over the loudspeaker for you?"

I shook my head. "That won't be necessary. I'll find her."

I started walking off in the direction of the toy section. I could tell Jessie was stuck between leaving me be, as I’d clearly stated, and following me around to make sure I didn't stumble upon anything I wouldn't like. In the end she stayed up by the tills while I travelled deeper into the back, and I was glad for it. I wanted to talk to Aurora alone.

I found my princess shelving dolls. She was standing on an adorable little stool so she could reach the upper shelves, which was funny considering they were shorter than normal shelves to accommodate the height of our younger shoppers.

"Hi."

Aurora jumped, eyes bugging wildly out of her head. The stool slipped and she tipped dangerously to one side, one second away from losing her balance. I dove in next to her and grabbed her by the waist to steady her, balancing her torso on my shoulder.

She was warm, her hips fleshy and full. I wanted to sink my teeth into them. I shouldn't have even been touching them with my hands.

"Uh, I think I'm okay now," she said. "Thanks though. You totally saved my life there."

"No problem." I took a step back, putting my hands into my pockets so I wouldn't be tempted to reach for her again. "Sorry for scaring you."

The stool brought her to my height and then some. It was strange looking up at her, and she must've felt it too as she immediately stepped down from the stool.

"I'm easily scared. It's not your fault."

I laughed. "I'll remember that."

"Can I help you with something?" She furrowed her brow, gazing up at me expectantly.

I had a few things I could use her help with, actually, but none that were appropriate for the venue. I cleared my throat.

"I have something I wanted to talk to you about," I said.

Her lips pursed a little, but I finished my thought before she had a chance to get too worried.

"It's a work thing. A design thing, actually."

“A design thing?" Her long auburn hair was secured in a high pony, and she reached back to tighten it. The fabric of her shirt pulled against her tits as she did, and I nearly groaned. "Why do you want to talk to me? I'm just a stock associate."

"Walk with me?"

She nodded, and I started off at a meandering pace around the perimeter of the store.

"I don't know if you know this, but Lock Knocks has been a personal vision of mine from the start," I began. "I wanted to build a store that both kids and parents would enjoy coming to. Something clean and organized, but with enough fun visual interest for kids not to get bored."

"I'd say you've accomplished that," she said thoughtfully, gesturing at an excited troupe of kids as they ran past.

"But the journey's never done, is it?" I turned down the next aisle and we continued to walk. "I've been looking for ways to rebrand and remodel without having to completely strip each of the stores. I want a system that I can put in place that will help visually transform the Lock Knocks brand while still maintaining the classic charms that our customers love."

She kept pace, a frown creeping onto her pretty features. I could tell she was wondering why the hell I was sharing all this with her, so I decided to cut to the chase.

"Aurora."

I stopped and turned to face her. It was hardly the right environment for handing out a promotion, considering there was a complaining toddler and a pantsuit-wearing mother down at the other end of the aisle, but it would have to do.

"I want to bring you onto my design team. Your work around the store has been great and I think your talent would be better served designing full time, rather than doing it between stocking shelves."

I expected her face to blossom into a smile. I hoped, even, since I hadn't seen her smile since the night we met and I was desperate for it. I knew how sweet it would taste. I knew how it would make my heart soar. I craved it like a drug.

But Aurora didn't smile. Her brow creased with confusion and she shot a distressed look at the woman at the end of the aisle, then grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the set of double doors leading to the back of the store. I allowed her to drag me, uncertain why she was reacting so sketchily. Had I said something strange?

The doors swung closed behind us, blocking out much of the noise from the store. The store's sound system was tuned in to a kid's radio station that we payed extra to access, and strings of bubbly pop music permeated the air.

Aurora dropped my wrist and took a cautionary look both ways in the back room. Once she was satisfied that we were alone, she spun on me.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked in a hushed whisper. "Do you feel guilty or something?"

I still did feel guilty, in a way, though I couldn't find it in myself to regret our hot encounter. I wish it could have ended differently, but I wouldn't trade the memory of her silken pussy for anything.

That wasn't why I was offering her a promotion though, and I endeavored to make that clear. She continued talking, however, not giving me a chance to explain.

"Look, I'm sorry that I haven't called you. I don't hate you. It's just been a stressful few weeks for me and it's all been a bit much. I just got out of a relationship, moved to a new city, and got a new job working for a guy who accidentally had sex with me." She folded her arms over her chest, but the gesture wasn't defensive. It was more self-comforting. "You can stop feeling guilty, though. I swear, I'm not upset about what happened. I just want to move on with my life."

"I understand," I said. "This has nothing to do with that. I want you on the design team because you're talented and I've seen what you can do. Nobody around me right now has fresh ideas and the company badly needs some."

Her lips pursed in thought. I couldn't tell whether she'd already made up her mind, but it didn't seem positive if she had. Much as I wanted her to be happy with my proposal, I knew the situation was more complicated than that. Perhaps I was stupid to think that we could move on from our sordid start and join forces.

God, did she have to look so goddamn sexy like this though? Her lower lip jutted defiantly, eyes blazing. She either didn't believe that the offer had nothing to do with our history, or she believed me but hated me for asking anyway. Either way, it didn't look like I'd be getting the answer I wanted out of her.

"Think about it." I offered up a brief smile and then went to walk around her, heading back toward the store.

Aurora's hand shot out and gripped my bicep as I passed. I stilled, looking down into her big green eyes.

"Thank you," she said. "I'm not processing this well. I should have said thank you earlier."

I turned to face her, but she didn't release her hold on my arm. I didn't want her to.

I cocked a grin. "The thanks is appreciated but unnecessary. You’d be doing me a favor by taking the job, since I'd only have to try to find someone to emulate what you're already perfectly creating."

She laughed and her eyes dipped to her fingers on my bicep. Slowly, she let them fall away.

"Still, thank you."

I nodded. "Does that mean you'll take the job?"

"It means I'll consider it." She smiled coyly. "If I'd known I was such a valuable resource, maybe I would've played harder ball when Jessie was hiring me."

"If I'd known that you were going to be such a valuable resource, I would've given you at least two orgasms before running from your room."

I couldn't help it. I wanted to shove the words back in my mouth as soon as they left, but it was already too late. I figured this would be the part where Aurora shied away, but she didn't. She met my eyes boldly and her lips took on a mischievous tilt.

"It's never too late to make a second good first impression."

I don't know if she knew what those words, the challenge in them, did to me, but if she did she was a wilder cat than I even knew.

And she was about to be in trouble. Deep trouble.

Chapter 11

Aurora

I shouldn't have said it.

I should have ignored his comment and gone on with my day. I should have done anything other than feed into his game, since I knew it was a particularly dangerous one for me to play. I'd only just surgically removed the tumor of Nolan from my life, and it seemed crazy to me that my next move would be to hit on my boss immediately after he'd offered me a promotion.

Did that stop me? No.

Apparently, I was still actively living my new, sassier life that had me doing things I wouldn't normally do and saying things I wouldn't normally say.

Apparently, I was going out of my mind, too, because the fire that flashed in his eyes thrilled me.

"You're a mystery to me, you know that?" Brendon sidled closer, until our breath mingled in the small space between us. "I don't think I could ever figure you out."

"I hope that won't stop you from trying."

I was a mystery alright, even to myself. I almost didn't recognize this girl, but I liked her. She was the wild child I'd always wanted to be, the one that Amy had eventually grown into, leaving me in the dust.

"You're teasing me." It was halfway between an accusation and a revelation. He grinned and shoved his hands in the pockets of his slacks, giving our conversation an even more casual edge. "You like to do that, don't you?"

I nearly told him that the last thing I was known as in my hometown was a tease, but I liked the idea of him thinking it of me. The truth was that it'd been driving me crazy trying not to call him. It was literally keeping me up at night as hot lust curled in my belly and begged me to pick up the phone.

I kept thinking that sleeping with him again would be a backslide, would undermine the good work I'd done building a new life here, but I wasn't so sure. Wasn't the whole point of a new life supposed to be that it was new? Why was I still doing things the way the old Aurora would have done them?

The new Aurora was more fun. She was flirty. She had mind-blowing sex with hot strangers she met in the hallway of her hotel. More importantly, most importantly, she was fearless.

So, fuck it, I said to myself. Fuck it all. New Aurora was here to stay.

I grabbed Brendon by the tie, pulling him down to my level while I rose on my tiptoes. "I'm not that much of a tease," I whispered just before covering his mouth with mine.

It was crazy. It was reckless. It was really, really stupid. But hell, it was fun.

Who cared if I screwed up this job by screwing my boss? I'd only just begun rebuilding my life from nothing, and I could start over again if I really needed to. I wanted to be irresponsible for once and Brendon seemed like the best way.

Plus, it was getting downright impossible to resist him.

He pulled me hard against his chest the moment our lips touched, anchoring those large hands on my ass and biting on my lower lip with relish. I moaned and opened up for him, letting his tongue probe my mouth and stroke along my own. His kiss was every bit as explosive and amazing as I remembered it to be, and I soon found myself swaying as I grew drunk on it.

My core twisted, curling tight and hot in my belly as his hands roamed my back and curled into fists in my hair. He pulled my head back and stared deep down into my eyes, lips parted with lust.

He didn't say anything. I didn't say anything either. It was almost like he was searching for something in my eyes, something that he evidently found as a moment later his mouth crashed down again.

He pushed me back, back, back, until my shoulders met with the rough cement wall and his muscled torso crushed my breasts flat between us. The kiss grew in fervor, a dance of licking and sucking and biting that we both performed in perfect unison. I groaned and rolled my hips up against his, desperate for some form of release.

He pulled away, panting, and held my face in his hands. His thumbs stroked roughly over my cheeks.

"You're taking the rest of the day off." His voice was thick with lust.

"I am?"

He nodded, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the exit.

I didn't argue. He was the boss, after all.

It settled in somewhere between Lock Knocks and wherever Brendon was taking me that this was probably a bad idea. Kissing him was one thing, but shirking work to leave with him to presumably go on an all-day screw fest was another thing entirely.

I couldn't help myself. He was so sexy that it made my heart pound mercilessly in my chest. I was enthralled in the same way I had been that first night we spent together. It was a bit like having an out of body experience, except I could feel every caress on my shoulder, on my arm, my thigh, as we cabbed for his place.

The ride passed in a whirlwind. We didn't speak. Not with our mouths, anyway. Our bodies were saying all sorts of things to each other, things that we probably shouldn't say out loud. Not in front of witnesses.

When we finally arrived at his apartment, I barely had time to register how beautiful his place was before he was on me again. He guided me through the front door, his chest pressed against my back and the hard band of his arm wrapped around my torso to hold me in place.

He was so big and tall, so strong and unyielding. When he held me, it felt like I was anchored down to the earth itself. I leaned into him, offering up my neck for him to suck as we shuffled toward the bedroom. At least, I figured we were heading for the bedroom. We could have been on our way to the balcony, to the kitchen, to the stars for all I cared. I just wanted to feel Brendon inside of me again and I'd do whatever it took to get me there.

"I forgot how good your skin tasted," he murmured, sending shivers coursing down my spine. "You're so fucking sweet, Aurora. Everything about you..." He bit at the sensitive flesh of my throat at the same time as he pushed me through the door into his bedroom. "So sweet..."

I was one big bundle of nerves and I barely knew which way was up. It dimly registered that I was in over my head with him, that whatever passion was unfolding would probably be way too much for me to handle, but I didn't care. I wasn't afraid.

If it had been anyone else I might have been. I might have recognized that these feelings churning in my core weren't usual to have for somebody I barely knew. If only I had the wherewithal to resist. I was diving headlong into a dark, cavernous lake and I had no idea if there were rocks at the bottom waiting to drown me. What's the use of breathing if drowning promises such sweet absolution?

Brendon's bed was neatly made with navy and white sheets that felt luxurious against my palm as he spun me and backed me into it. His hands found my face, thumbs brushing over my cheeks as he kissed me long and deep. There it was again—that sweetness that had first tempted me the night we met. He was so passionate and driven, but there was always a hint of something warm and gentle in everything he did. It was like watching a wolf gently care for a tiny kitten, except I was the kitten and I had to trust that I wasn't about to be devoured.

Even though part of me wanted to be devoured.

Brendon's hands slid down my neck, my breasts, guiding down my hips and over my ass. He worked his way back up with agonizing slowness, unbuttoning my pants and then moving up to pull off my Lock Knocks polo shirt. The second it was gone he lowered his face to the cleft of my breasts, kissing them gently as his fingers unclasped my bra and let it fall to the floor.

Brendon rose to his full height, looking down at me through lust-drenched eyes. I flushed under his inspection. Normally this would be the part where I'd long to cross my arms over my chest and get under the covers as quickly as possible, but I felt confident and sexy under his gaze.

He bit his lower lip and leaned down to kiss me again, pushing down on my khakis until they and my underwear hit the floor. I was completely naked in my boss' bedroom. My sexy boss. My incredibly sexy, magnetically attractive boss. It was scandalous. It was amazing. I couldn't wait to tell Amy, but more than anything I couldn't wait to get him naked too.

I'd been clutching his shirt this whole time like I needed it to keep me standing, and I released my grip now long enough to shakily unbutton it until it hung loose. He shrugged his shoulders to help as I guided it to the floor, exploring me with his hands all the while. It was like there was a current flowing between us, and if either lifted their hands from the other the current would short out and the moment would be lost forever. I couldn't let that happen.

My hand dipped lower, cupping him through the soft material of his pants. My core clenched at the memory of how he stretched me wide, and I squeezed his heavy bulge with pleasure while one hand unzipped and began to tug down.

Brendon groaned and pushed me back onto the bed, crawling up and losing his pants in the process. He pushed me further and further up the bed until I reached the pillows and he was nestled between my thighs, completely naked and completely eclipsing me.

His weight and heat felt right. He felt right. Everything about this felt so right.

Brendon traced a fiery path of kisses down my neck, over my breasts, and over the flat plane of my stomach. I inhaled sharply as he continued downward, taking his first lick of the bundle of nerves between my thighs and making my body shake.

Within a minute of pleasuring me with his mouth, he proved that his bedroom skills included more than just the ability to screw a woman within an inch of her life. He licked and sucked my clit like he could hear exactly what I wanted and anticipate exactly what I needed. I wrapped my legs around the back of his neck and held onto the sheets for dear life as his probing tongue took me to heights I'd never experienced. My body shook and my eyes rolled to the back of my head. I wouldn't be surprised if I opened my eyes and saw that I was glowing. I felt goddamn radiant.

"So sweet..."

It was the first time he'd spoken since we entered the room, and the vibrations hummed through my pussy and made my toes curl. I moaned loudly, and it sounded almost like it had come from somebody else. I was floating on a cloud above the bed and the only thing that could bring me back to earth was the god between my thighs.

I came crashing back, tumbling into fire that burned and sparked with embers of pure pleasure. My orgasm hit me hard. I swirled and danced in a pit of passion.

I felt barely conscious as Brendon's hot lips seared a trail back up to my lips, kissing me hard and deep so I could taste my essence on his tongue. His hard cock poised at my entrance, he paused.

I sensed his trepidation. I remembered all too well how we hadn't used a condom when we had sex before, but that experience had been almost like a fantasy. Now that we were back to real life, it was a discussion we needed to properly have.

“I haven’t been with anyone else since…”

He shook his head. “Me neither.”

I tilted my hips up, nudging the tip inside. Brendon’s eyes filled with fire and he hissed through his teeth, pleasure washing over his features. His hips sank down and soon we were joined.

I felt whole, and not just physically. It was unnerving to have such a strong emotional reaction to somebody I barely knew like this, but it was intoxicating all the same. He drove into me and made my body tingly and warm. My body responded to him like he was its master, and I was so drowned in the pure bliss of it all that I couldn’t find it in me to be disconcerted by this fact. I just rode the waves of pleasure, letting Brendon take me on a journey that I wouldn’t soon forget.

A journey that I hoped I would always remember.

Chapter 12

Aurora

I shuffled the papers on my desk, moving the two stacks aside so I could focus on the drawing in front of my keyboard. It was the layout of one of the larger LA locations, with all the aisles and shelves marked perfectly and precisely—just as I’d asked for. I made notes on the piece of paper to the right of it, a scribbled mess that only I could decipher. Brendon made a joke once that he never expected someone who made such beautiful chalkboard signs to write in such chicken scratch, but it was the only way I knew to get my ideas on the page fast enough.

I’d been working on the design team at Lock Knocks headquarters for two weeks now, and it had been two of the best weeks of my life. Then again, it probably would have been the best two weeks of my life even if I’d been working in a greasy spoon diner. The job certainly helped, but the real reason for my satisfaction was my sexy, charming boss.

Someone knocked on the door and I jolted, a flush rising to my cheeks. It wasn’t like anyone could tell what I was thinking, but I was always so paranoid that somebody at the office was going to find out about our illicit little affair just from me thinking about it. Then the respect that I’d worked my ass off to earn would slip away just like that. People in the office were already suspicious about my abilities considering I had no formal education. Brendon had essentially scooped me out of obscurity and popped me into my own office without blinking. I felt the pressure to prove myself and I didn’t want to screw up my chances of making friends by the others thinking I was only here because I’d slept with the boss.

Luckily, the fact remained that others could not hear my thoughts.

The door whispered open a crack and a head of shaggy brown curls popped through. I smiled at Georgina.

“Hey, come in,” I welcomed, putting aside my pen. Georgina was the closest to my age and had so far been the friendliest person in the office. The curvy office manager’s unruly hair had become a focus of my fascination from the moment I met her. Her curls put my waves to shame.

Georgina stepped inside holding a paper bag, smiling. “There are butter horns in the break room,” she said. “Or at least there were.” She thrust the bag toward me. “I didn’t want you to miss out even though the accounting guys were on them like hyenas to a zebra carcass.”

The gesture touched me.

“Thank you so much, Georgina,” I said, smiling and taking the bag from her. I opened the crinkled package and took a whiff of the delicious baked good inside.

Only I didn’t find the smell so delicious.

There was something sickly about the sweetness, and the thought of how rich the pastry would be made me gag without meaning to. I looked up at Georgina in horror, worried that she’d think I was rejecting her thoughtful gift. That worry was soon eclipsed by another—that I was going to vomit all over my desk.

I charged toward the door, sending my chair skittering back and knocking over one of the piles of paperwork on my way. I spared no thought for the mess I was leaving in my wake and instead focused all my energies on making it to the bathroom before I spewed. The heady illness threatened to swallow me whole, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

People stared as I ran past, but I didn’t notice. My sights were ahead, looking for the bathroom door that I knew would be my salvation. I made it, but barely. I was barely inside of a stall before I started retching, filling the bowl with the lunch I’d consumed quite happily only an hour before. What the hell was wrong with me?

God. I hated throwing up. It wasn't a pleasant experience for anybody and I knew that, but I especially hated the feeling of helplessness that accompanied not being able to keep my lunch down. By the time I was finished, Georgina had entered the bathroom and was standing on the other side of the stall door.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, voice heavy with concern. "Do you want me to call somebody? Are you sick?"

I didn't want to answer all those questions because I wasn't sure what to say. I wasn't sick. At least, I didn't think I was. Had the pressure gotten to me or something? If I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if I was pregnant.

I paled, my face becoming as cold as the porcelain toilet in front of me.

When was the last time I got my period? It was late, wasn't it? How had I not noticed that two weeks had gone by without a period? I suppose I was busy with my new job, but it was an alarming realization to suddenly have while I was puking my guts up in a stall at work.

"I'm fine," I croaked. A lie, but a necessary one. I didn't need to pull Georgina into my dismay. I just wanted to be left alone.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Do you think it was something you ate?"

Not unless I ate a baby.

"I don't know." I flushed the toilet and rose onto shaky feet, wiping my mouth with some toilet paper and tossing that into the bowl as the water was sucked down. "Maybe. I think I better go home, just to be sure."

"Of course."

Her kind face was the first thing I saw when I emerged from the stall. I flashed her a weak smile.

"Do you mind letting Brendon and the others know for me?"

She shook her head. "Not at all." Raising her arm, she showed me the purse dangling on it. It was mine.

"I brought your stuff," she said. "I thought you might need something or might need to go in a hurry."

"You're an angel," I said, filled with gratitude for my first work friend.

The realization that I might be pregnant was a lonely one. While I couldn't (or maybe I should say wouldn't) share this information with Georgina, it was nice to know she was there for me anyway.

I grabbed my purse and headed out of the office, a few curious stares singeing into my back as I walked to the elevator. Since they all saw me run to the bathroom, I presumed they all figured I was sick. They probably didn't question it, but I was anxious to get out of there nonetheless.

I took a cab home since I didn't trust myself on the stuffy, uncomfortable subway. If it broke down or I needed to vomit again, that would ruin my day. Well, more than it had already been ruined. I was desperate to call Amy, but had to wait until I was back in the safety of my apartment. The drive felt impossibly long.

I collapsed onto the sofa of my new apartment the second I walked through the door and pulled out my phone to call my friend. I had no idea what time zone she was in or if she'd even pick up, but I desperately needed her.

"Tatiana speaking, how can I help you, lover?" she answered huskily.

I rolled my eyes. "You'd think you would have my phone number in your contacts by now."

She laughed. "I do."

Man, I missed her. It was like that day we ran into each other in Bridgefield reignited our friendship and we'd picked up right where we left off, except now she was gone and I missed her just like I did when she first went off to college.

"Do you have time to talk? I've got a bit of a situation," I said.

I heard shuffling and then a door closing. "Talk away, darling. I've got the whole villa to myself and I'm inside in the air conditioning now. You have my full attention."

I sighed. I wished I was somewhere beautiful and warm and far away from here and the revelation I was about to make for the first time in full. I hadn't allowed myself to think about it on the way home, so telling Amy would be the first time I’d really unpacked this information.

"Amy, I think I'm pregnant. I just vomited my guts up from the smell of a butter horn at work and I'm two weeks late for my period."

She shrieked. "Holy shit! Actually? Brendon's, right?"

"Has to be," I said. "My birth control must have failed. We've been having sex without condoms since that first night..."

"No condoms?" She gasped. "Girl, when did you get so raunchy? I always use condoms with clients, especially first timers. Not that I suppose you knew he was a client at the time."

I gritted my teeth. I didn't like to think of him as a client at all.

"It happened so fast and I was feeling crazy and young and free," I muttered bitterly. "As it turns out, the craziness was something I was correct to feel. And now I'm pregnant with my boss's baby. I've out-crazied myself."

I hung my head over the back of the arm of the sofa and stared at the opposite wall, letting the blood rush to my head. "I can't believe this is happening. I don't know what to do!"

"It's not necessarily happening," she said in a soothing voice. "It could just be a coincidence. You won't know for sure until you take a test. Have you done that yet?"

"No."

"Well there you go. You might not be pregnant at all, babe. Maybe you ate something weird and your period is just late. It happens. The chances of your birth control having failed are way less than the chance of it being some freak coincidence.”

“You’re probably right,” I acknowledged with a grumble. “Still, I can’t help but worry.”

“I completely understand that,” she replied. “I’d be freaking out too if I were in your position. Right now, though, try to relax a little. When you have a spare minute and you’re feeling a little more grounded, go to the drug store and get yourself a pregnancy test. You can take it while you’re on the phone with me if you want.”

I sighed. “No, that’s fine. I can do it on my own. I wish you were here with me though.”

“Me too, though I will say I don’t mind living the white sandy beach life in the meantime.” She chuckled. “Too bad you’re not still at the Fox. Calypso has tests on hand for freak outs like these. Even though the girls are always safe, you’d be surprised how often these scares happen.”

For some reason, that made me feel a little better. Being pregnant wouldn’t be the end of my world since, at the end of the day, I did want to be a mother eventually, but it would certainly add some complication to my life. I’d only just begun this little affair with Brendon and I highly doubted he’d be interested in being a dad all of a sudden. Especially since we barely knew each other.

I let out a long exhale and gathered myself up off the couch. “I should have gone to the pharmacy on the way home,” I muttered as I grabbed my purse.

“You needed some time to unpack,” Amy assured. “It happens. Want me to stay on the phone while you head down there?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you afterward and let you know what the verdict is.”

“Okay my love, I’ll be waiting for your call.” She blew a kiss into the phone. “And remember, whatever the result of that test, things are going to work out.”

I forced out some half-hearted acknowledgement and hung up the phone, already halfway to the door.

The trip down to the pharmacy didn’t take very long but it felt like forever. The way home was even longer. It was like time was stretching thinner and thinner, and by the time I’d peed on the stick it was passing so slowly that the two minutes I had to wait until the lines that dictated my fate showed up were the two longest minutes of my life.

Luckily for me, the test didn’t need two minutes for the positive pregnancy sign to show up. The test left no doubt—I, Aurora Frayser, was up the duff.

Chapter 13

Brendon

I tried to hide my smile as I strode toward Aurora’s office, but it was hard not to show my elation. I reminded myself that nobody else knew there was anything between us beyond professional courtesy and I tampered the expression down to a small quirk of my lips.

She was sitting at her desk with a pencil in hand, keyboard shoved up against her monitor as she worked on her drawing. She looked up questioningly as I entered, with the same nervous smile she’d been exhibiting for the past few days. There’d been something off about her lately, but I couldn’t tell what. I was hoping that my news would brighten her out of her funk, whatever it was.

I closed the door and began closing the blinds.

“What are you doing?” Aurora asked.

I glanced over my shoulder at her as the last set of blinds closed, effectively blocking out the rest of the office. “Closing the blinds.”

She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Why are you closing the blinds?”

I grinned and stalked toward her, pulling her up out of the chair and planting my mouth on hers. “So I can do this,” I murmured against her lips, pulling a sigh deep from her throat. Even if there was something clearly bothering Aurora, she always melted the moment I pulled her into my arms. It was one of my favorite things about her.

I wrapped my arms around her tight and pulled her closer as I deepened the kiss, unable to resist this piece of mid-morning solace. We’d been trying to stay away from each other while we were at work, but sometimes that was about as easy as stopping time.

“What’s all this about?” she asked breathlessly when we pulled a part a moment later. “You seem to be in a very good mood.” She raised an eyebrow. “A dangerous mood.”

I pecked the end of her nose and slackened my arms a little, though not enough to let her go. “I’ve got exciting news,” I replied. “We’re leaving early next week to tour some of the bigger Lock Knocks stores, starting with the west coast.”

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “What? Really?”

“Yes, really.”

She grinned. “That is exciting! I can’t wait! How long are we going for? I can’t wait to see the stores in person. I’m super visual so it’ll help if I have a picture of them in my head.”

I could already see the gears whirring in her head. She’d thrown herself into this redesign project with gusto, and I loved her enthusiasm. Hell, was there anything this woman didn’t do with gusto? Since the day I met her she’d been full steam ahead, though from what she told me about her life back in Bridgefield, that hadn’t always been the case. I wondered if it was something to do with her family that was bothering her.

I reached out and lay a gentle hand on her cheek. Her skin was warm and soft, and I brushed my thumb over the faint blush of her cheekbone.

“I’ve noticed you’ve seemed a little off lately,” I said softly. “Is there something you want to talk about?”

Her expression flitted briefly into horror before she reined herself back in.

“I’m fine,” she said, though I didn’t find it very convincing.

I was about to press further when my cell rang. I pulled it out, intending to silence it and continue our conversation, when I noticed it was my brother’s wife calling. Her and I weren’t what I would consider friends, though we liked each other well enough. If she was calling, it was probably important.

I looked up at Aurora. She read my expression and nodded. “Take it.”

I pulled her in to kiss her forehead as I answered the call. “Hello?”

There were sniffles from the other end of the line. “Oh, Brendon. Thank god. Avery’s been in an accident.”

My grip on Aurora stiffened and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. “What do you mean? Is he okay?”

“He’s stable for now,” she said hoarsely. “He was in France for work and there was a car accident. They can’t move him yet and he’s all alone over there.” Her voice broke and she took a long, ragged breath. “I need to get to him but I can’t leave Jude all alone…”

“Say no more, Morgana. I’ll look after him while you’re gone.”

“Really? I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Aurora was looking up at me with wide, questioning eyes. I held her close, drawing comfort from her warm figure in my arms.

“Of course,” I said. “Take as long as you need. I’ll come over to pick him up right now.”

She sighed. “You’re the best, Brendon, thank you. I’ll call you as soon as I have more news about Avery.”

“Anytime. That’s what family does.”

I ended the call and tossed my phone onto Aurora’s desk so I could pull her in to a giant hug. She nestled her head against my chest but didn’t speak at first. I appreciated the silence. My heart was hammering as panicked adrenaline rushed my system, and I needed a moment to calm down enough to explain that my brother was badly injured in a French hospital somewhere.

This, this was what I loved about her the most. She always seemed to know exactly what I needed, whether in bed or out of it. Right now, I needed her silent comfort, and she gave it freely. Her hand stroked up and down my back, slowly bringing down my heart rate until I felt like I could breathe again.

“Avery’s been in an accident in France,” I told her quietly. “I’m going to look after Julian while Morgana goes over there to look after him.”

She pulled back and looked up at me, forehead creased with concern. “Are you okay?” Then, quieter, “Is he going to be okay?”

I nodded. “I’ll be fine. As for Avery, he’s just as persistent as he is pretentious. He’ll make it through.”

She seemed to accept that and pressed her cheek back into my chest as I held her, swaying.

Even as I said it, I wasn’t so sure. I’d never heard Morgana so distraught before. She was normally a composed and dignified woman who favored minor displays of emotion when possible and evened out Avery’s sometimes morbid enthusiasm. Hearing her so upset shoved a knife of worry deep into my chest. What would I do without my brother? We had our differences, but I loved him and couldn’t picture my life without him in it? Oh god, had somebody told Mom yet?

Slowly but surely, the life I knew began to crack under my feet. If Avery didn’t pull through soon, I worried I’d crash through it altogether.

Chapter 14

Aurora

The last thing Brendon needed was another problem to layer on top of his brother’s tenuous condition, so I was glad I didn’t tell him about the pregnancy. I didn’t even feel guilty for withholding the information like I had for the past few days because I knew that he needed his full attention to process his brother’s accident. His family was close, so close that I knew losing his brother would be a blow he might never recover from. He was putting on a brave face, but I could see in his eyes how worried he was.

“Can I come with you to pick up Julian?” I asked.

Brendon blinked and looked down at me. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, and his shoulders relaxed a little. Knowing him, he wouldn’t want to be alone right now. “We should go now though. Morgana’s waiting.”

I grabbed my purse from the desk and returned to his side. “Let’s go.”

I hadn’t met anyone from Brendon’s family yet. Our relationship was more than just an office liaison, but I wasn’t sure how much more. It hadn’t been enough yet to score me an invite for family dinner, and I didn’t even know if he’d told any of them about me. From what I’d heard about Morgana, she was probably least likely in the clan to take a shine to me. She was the stone that kept Avery from blowing off in every passing breeze and I worried that she would find me wishy-washy and unimpressive. Not that she’d be taking my measure while I was picking up her son in a time of crisis. If she even noticed I was there I’d be surprised.

Her and Avery lived in a picturesque brownstone near the west village on an avenue shaded with oak trees. It was the kind of place I could only dream of having one day. The kind of life I could only dream of having one day. One look at her when she opened the door, however, and I knew she’d give it all up in an instant just to hear that her husband was going to be okay.

Her eyes were tear-stained and puffy. She was wearing a disheveled pant suit, strands of hair sticking out from the sides of her otherwise tight bun. She was a corporate lawyer and looked the part to the tee, minus her obvious distress.

"Thank you for coming," she sniffed. "Jude's all ready to go. He's in his room."

Brendon stepped forward and enveloped her in a tight hug. He gave the best hugs. Her arms wrapped around him and squeezed hard, fingers almost white-knuckled in their pursuit of comfort. I wanted to dive into the fray and pull her into a hug myself but it didn't seem appropriate. She just looked so sad. I could tell that her and Avery must love each other very much and it tore at me to see her upset like this, even though I didn't know her. It just wasn’t fair.

"If you tell me where his room is, I can go tell Julian we're here," I offered, sensing that the pair of them needed a moment alone together. They both loved Brendon's brother very much.

Morgana peeked over his shoulder, pink eyes narrowed on me. After a second, her features relaxed. "Upstairs," she said. "Second door on the right. You can't miss it."

I bowed my head and skirted around the embracing mourners, taking the stairs slowly and admiring the home's simple but beautiful decor. There were paintings on the walls. Real paintings. No room for prints here. I admired the brush strokes and colors of the abstract works in the hallway before turning to face the second door on the right. Julian's name was spelled out in wiggly colored letters on the white door, and I knocked quietly. When there was no reply, I gently opened the door.

It was like opening a doorway into the past. The little boy curled up in the corner of the race car bed was the spitting image of Brendon, and looked more to me like a tiny gentleman than he did a child. He was wearing a black collared shirt, and he pulled his blanket up to the collar when I entered.

"Hey Julian," I said softly. "I'm Aurora. I'm a friend of your uncle Brendon's."

He eyed me warily. "What are you doing here?"

I kept my distance from the bed, not wanting to alarm him. This kid had the same judicious gaze as his mother.

"Your mom told you that you're going to stay with your uncle for a bit, right?"

He nodded.

"I just came up to tell you that he's downstairs talking to your mom. Are you all ready to go?"

Julian let out a world-weary sigh that I could have sworn belonged to a much older boy, then slowly disentangled himself from the sheets. He rose from the bed and grabbed the backpack at the foot of it, which was shaped like a red race car.

"Do you like cars?" I asked as he slowly trudged over the carpet.

He shrugged and passed by me without even looking up. I wasn't discouraged. Any kid would be that dismissive to a stranger, but especially one who'd just gotten some horrible news. I doubted Morgana had told Julian the seriousness of the accident, but he must've picked up enough just from being around her. I felt bad for him. I felt bad for all of them. All I could do right now was try to comfort the Ralston boys and hope that Avery would make a full recovery.

I followed Julian down the stairs, where Brendon and Morgana were making hushed conversation. They stopped when they saw Julian, and Brendon forced his mouth into a wide, friendly grin.

"Hey Jude," he said. "Good to see ya buddy."

Julian hefted another sigh and walked straight into Brendon's arms, hugging him tightly just like his mother had. Brendon's smile slipped away and he exchanged a weighted look with Morgana.

She shrugged. He shrugged. The whole family was full of shruggers.

"I'll call you if there are any updates," Morgana said. "I'll be traveling for the next twelve hours though so my service will be in and out."

"No problem." Brendon smiled. "We've got this. Tell Avery I say to get his ass better and stop worrying us all."

Morgana gave a small, sad smile. "I will."

It didn't take much to tire out Julian and get him to bed. He was already emotionally exhausted, so a slice of pizza and some cartoons later, his eyelids sagged and Brendon carried him off to the spare room for bed.

Brendon came back out afterward, and it was the first time we'd been alone since before we got to Morgana's place. We hadn't talked about Avery then, and I didn't know if we would now. He looked tired, more tired than I'd ever seen him, and I figured it was probably his bedtime too.

"Do you want me to go?" I asked as Brendon walked back to the couch.

He stopped mid-step and studied me. Finally, with a small shake of his head, he said, "No."

My heart filled with warmth. I was worried that this first emotional ride in our relationship was going to force him away from me, which I would have understood. Still, it was nice to feel wanted. It was nice to know that I could be here to comfort him, which was the only place I wanted to be.

He extended a hand to me and I took it, rising to my feet without breaking eye contact.

"Thank you for everything tonight," he murmured, pulling me in close.

I wound my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. He bent down to kiss my forehead. I closed my eyes and let his scent fill my nostrils, let his heat sink under my skin.

"You don't need to thank me."

"I do," he said. "I really do. I don't know what I would have done without you here."

I pulled back and looked up at him, smiling. "Don't worry about it. I was happy to help."

Brendon studied me for a moment, eyes moving from my face to my hips, then leaned down to capture my mouth.

The kiss was soft and slow. Gentle. He brushed his lips over mine in a feather soft touch.

His hands came up to cup my cheeks as he deepened the kiss. He tasted of sadness and desire, an intoxicating mixture that stirred deep emotions in my breast. I wanted to be everything Brendon needed tonight. I wanted to be everything he needed to get through what was going to be a trying few days. And when he kissed me, I felt like I was uniquely qualified to do so.

"Let's go to bed," I murmured, taking his hand.

He nodded with dark eyes and followed me as I led him through the apartment, pulling him into his room and then closing the door softly.

Brendon was unusually quiet. A symptom of the evening, I supposed. It was an opportunity for me to take the lead, and I was more than happy to do so.

I stepped forward and kissed him again, working on the buttons of his shirt until the garment fell away from his sculpted shoulders. He ran his hands down my sides and over the curve of my ass, cupping me through the denim of my jeans as he hardened against my stomach. I ran my hands down his broad chest until I found the snap of his pants, which I opened and unzipped in one smooth motion. The pants fell to the ground, and I pushed down his underwear next, until his full naked glory was on full display. I sucked in a breath when I looked down at his cock, fully engorged and practically pulsing with need. My mouth watered.

Brendon started to tug on the hem of my shirt to lift it, but I pushed him back with two hands on his chest.

"Lie down on the bed," I said.

His eyes narrowed, and for a moment I thought he was going to fight me on it. Then, with a sigh, he stepped over to the large bed and pulled himself up on it until he was lying in the middle. I stood at the foot of the bed, and he propped up his head on a pillow to watch me.

I'd never stripped a day in my life, but Brendon needed a distraction and I knew there would be no better distraction than that. I didn't have any music. I didn't have a pole. I didn't have a freaking clue, but I was going to try. If I made a fool of myself, so be it. At least it would give him something else to think about other than the man in a hospital room at the other side of the world.

I started by swaying my hips as I worked off my shirt, letting it inch up my torso to expose one bit of skin at a time. It felt strange to move so slow, but at least I didn't think I looked awkward. After I tossed the shirt to the ground, I turned around and fixed him with a sultry stare over my shoulder as I started pulling off my jeans.

Brendon groaned, biting his lip as I bent down to pull the pants over my ankles. It was a remarkably intimate moment. I hadn't expected it would be so, but I would say it was our most intimate moment so far. Though I wished the circumstances were different, I was enjoying this new level of closeness with Brendon. I enjoyed the way his eyes ate me up as I slowly pulled down the straps of my bra, reaching behind to unclip it. I enjoyed how his cock rose high in the air for me, how long and hard he was just from looking at my half naked body. By the time the bra was on the ground and I was working on my panties, he was breathing hard and looked like he might leap off the bed to grab me at any second. I gave a little coy smile as I pulled down my panties and tossed them behind me.

"Come here," he whispered.

I strutted toward the bed, crawling up over his calves. He was mistaken, however, if he thought he was in control. Well, Brendon would always be in control ultimately. He was gigantic and I was little, it was just science. But today, tonight, I was going to set the pace for our lovemaking and he was going to deal with it. Once he saw my intentions, I doubted he would complain.

Brendon was confused that I didn't continue up his chest, but the understanding dawned on his face when I settled between his thighs on my belly and looked up at him from below. He shivered.

Slowly, so slowly that he groaned with frustration, I bent my head to the head of his cock and licked off the tiny drop of precum at the tip. Brendon's hands fisted the covers. I licked again, soon swallowing the head and sucking. He moaned and quivered, and I pressed my head down as far on his member as I could without choking.

I didn't want Brendon to forget, I wanted him to remember. I wanted him to remember who was there to take care of him, who would lavish him with kisses and orgasms until his fears and worries drifted into oblivion—if only for a little while. Most of all, I wanted him to remember me.

I swirled my tongue down to the base of his cock then back up, holding him in one tight fist as my mouth worked him to the best of my ability. He was large and I felt clumsy with so much filling my mouth, but the way he groaned and shook told me I was doing a good job. At least a passable one. I began to bob my head up and down, sucking and licking and coating him in my hot saliva. I used my free hand to massage his balls, picking a gentle rhythm to complement my mouth's work. He tasted like sex and my body thrummed with heat. I remembered all the times that he'd given me pleasure like this and my heart raced with excitement.

Time seemed to drift by at a leisurely pace. I was unhurried in my movements, sliding up and down his shaft in a slow but steady rhythm that soon drove his hands into my hair. He bunched my hair into his fists and held me tight, letting me choose how deep I wanted to go but urging me faster, deeper. I could tell he was close. The tugging on my scalp sent sparks of pleasure down my spine, and I gave in to his desires. I upped my pace until he moaned with delight, squeezing and stroking his balls in time with my bobs.

"Fuck," he muttered. "Fuck Aurora, I'm gonna cum."

I sucked harder, going down to the root until he filled my throat. It was the only answer he needed.

Brendon groaned and his fists tightened. His legs shook. I felt his cock spasm and then release into my mouth, shooting hot cum down my throat. I swallowed it all and licked him clean, spending extra time devoting attention to his sensitive shaft as his racing breathing slowed.

After a while, I began to kiss slowly up his chest, his shoulders, his neck, until I reached his ear and nibbled on the lobe.

"We can go to sleep now if you want," I murmured. "It's been a long day."

His chuckle was dark and unexpected. "Go to bed? Are you kidding me?"

He rolled over, trapping me beneath his substantial weight. His eyes were bright, not clouded by the lusty haze of the moment before.

His voice was a low, sexy growl. "After a blow job like that, I'm not going to let you leave this bed until I'm certain that I've fucked you so good you'll always come back."

My heart raced. And Brendon, as he always did, made good on that promise.

The point of the exercise had been to make Brendon forget, but somewhere in his twisted sheets I lost the memory of what I was supposed to be worrying about too.

Chapter 15

Brendon

I sipped coffee, a small smile on my lip as I watched Aurora and Julian play on the carpet. He brought his cars with him when we picked him up. In fact, his backpack contained mostly cars. He had taken out many of the clothes his mom had packed before we got there, and so I had to pick up some stuff for him to wear before we left for the trip. I didn't mind. I thought it was cute that he was more focused on what toys he got to bring than what he was going to wear. It was the kind of thing Avery would have done.

I sighed and looked down at my phone, wondering if it was too late to call. Aurora and I had been touring stores all morning, and because it took a little longer with Julian there we soon spilled over into the afternoon. We hadn't even gotten lunch until nearly two, and now it was nearing four pm and I wished I had taken twenty minutes to call Morgana earlier in the day. Not that she didn't have enough to worry about.

My brother was stable. More stable, anyway. It looked like he'd backed down from death's door, which came as a huge relief to everyone. It felt like a weight had been lifted from us, and even Julian was noticeably happier now that we weren't waiting by the phone for horrible news. It didn't hurt that the kid loved to travel, and was having the time of his life in Los Angeles. He was going to like tomorrow even better, and though I wanted to wait until dinner to tell him the news, I decided that now was as good time as any. Our dinner would undoubtedly be late too, and I had the feeling that a nap was on the horizon.

"Hey, kid," I said, tossing a stuffed platypus at him.

Julian laughed. He and I both knew that his mother would've killed me for that one. I was teaching him bad manners, but it hardly seemed to matter in this situation.

Aurora glanced up too, eyes shining with happiness. I loved watching her with Julian. She was so gentle and kind, and I knew she would make a wonderful mother someday, if that was what she wanted. I wasn't just picturing her as any mother, either. In my head, she was the mother of our children, though I was determined to keep that strange little fantasy to myself. I'd never fantasized about a particular woman mothering my babies before and I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"Aurora and I have a surprise for you," I said. "You've been so good for this trip, so we wanted to do something special for you."

Jude's eyes lit up. Aurora smiled when she realized that I was telling him now, and sat back on her heels to watch.

"What is it?" he asked excitedly. "Is it about dad?"

I winced internally. Though we were in better spirits today, our happiness only went so deep. If it weren't for Aurora and Julian, I would have already hopped a flight to France and would be at my brother's bedside in a heartbeat. They were the only things keeping me sane this far away from Avery, and I could tell that Julian felt similarly about Aurora’s and my presence. I would've been fine with Jude on my own, but he wouldn't have been nearly as carefree without Aurora. I made mental note to thank her greatly later on.

"Do you know what else they have in California other than all the movie stars?" I asked.

He cocked his head to the side. "A horrible drought?"

Aurora snorted. I merely sighed. Sometimes Julian was like his dad, but sometimes his mom popped through too. Her influence was always unmistakable.

"I was thinking more along the lines of fun things," I said. "Lighten up, kid."

He frowned, an out of place expression on his little round face. "What?"

"Well," I said. "We've got just one store to look at in the morning, but we should be finished before it opens..."

The anticipation bloomed on his face. He furrowed his brow as he tried to think. Since I could tell he wasn't going to get it, I decided to make it easy for him.

"Some say it's the most magical place in the world."

Jude somehow managed to cock an eyebrow at me, and he'd never looked more like his dad. "Hogwarts?"

I sighed. I ran a hand over my face. I smiled.

"Disneyland, kid. We're taking you to Disneyland tomorrow."

Julian exploded into movement, thrusting his arms in the air and then throwing himself at me. He hugged me, squeezing as tight as he could, while blubbering excitedly against my shirt.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so excited! Thank you, Uncle Brendon!"

I was glad that, although I expected he would have his nasty days in the future, for now Julian was a relatively unspoiled child. It didn't matter that his parents were exceedingly wealthy. He just acted like a normal kid, and like any normal kid the thought of going to Disneyland made him breathless with delight.

He pulled back from the hug and looked up at me with sparkling blue eyes. "Can we go get ice cream to celebrate?"

I chucked. Cheeky bastard. So much for that nap.

Julian wasn't the only one anxious to finish work and get over to the Magic Kingdom the next morning. Normally when I took him into Lock Knocks he acted like I had taken him to Disneyland, but today he was more sedate and clearly saving his energy for the theme park. I was tired and groggy thanks to the early start, though we wouldn't have had as much time at Disneyland if I didn't arrange this final tour so early in the morning.

Aurora took the lead easily, letting me hang back while she chatted to the store manager and brainstormed with him about what kinds of designs would work best in a store of his size with his customer base.

I was glad to let her charge ahead. It would have been worth it just to watch her at work, to see how she injected each word with passion and enthusiasm. She was amazing. A force of nature. And I realized, little by little, that the feelings I'd been trying not to notice were welling up at the surface. Everything I'd tried to suppress, or even just hadn't had time to acknowledge, became clear as day.

Her radiant smile, the swing of her hips as she walked down the aisles, the way her hair curled and shined under the fluorescent lights as beautifully as if she were in a sunbeam...

I think I love her.

The thought came fast and out of nowhere, blindsiding me so that I accidentally squeezed Jude's hand. He made a noise of protest and I released him, giving him an apologetic look.

"Sorry buddy."

He shrugged and went back to looking at the row of wands on the closest display.

I was surprised to see that the world had not changed in the wake of my revelation. I half expected to walk outside and have the sky be green or the sidewalks purple, but everything was so familiar it almost ached.

Oh, impossible of impossibles.

"Ready to go?" Aurora asked, pulling me from my reverie. We'd said goodbye to the Lock Knocks employees and were now standing in the hot, noxious LA air.

I nodded. "Ready."

Julian nodded excitedly. "Ready!"

Aurora took my free hand, and the three of us walked toward the waiting car.

Me, my little nephew, and the woman I loved.

Chapter 16

Aurora

I shrieked and ducked out of the way as a massive bug zipped past the end of my nose, nearly smacking me hard in the cheek. I had no idea what it was, had no idea if it stung or bit, and had no interest in finding out.

"Good eye there!" hollered the massive man at the back of the vessel in a southern twang. He winked and steered us to the right, sending the airboat leaning up to one side. I clutched my stomach and groaned. Morning sickness and the everglades did not a happy Aurora make.

"You okay?" asked Brendon from beside me.

Julian had asked to sit on the other side of me so he could be closest to the water. He was determined to spot every alligator in the everglades, and it was only with our stalwart guides assurance that we wouldn't get close enough for one to snap at the little boy's hand that Brendon allowed him to sit so close.

"I'm fine," I said, smiling. "Just don't have my sea legs I guess."

He smiled knowingly and patted my back. "I swear I didn't know he was going to be so crazy," he muttered in my ear.

I laughed. "This is Florida, isn't it?"

"I found me a body out here one time," Miles, our host, croaked out. He pointed to a little secluded alcove. "Right there in them reeds. Coolest damn thing I ever saw."

"Are you sure that's appropriate?" I gestured to our small companion.

Miles gave a deep belly laugh. "You're right. Sorry, miss. Coolest darn thing I ever saw."

I felt too nauseous to argue with the man and Julian clearly wasn't paying attention. He was as close as he could get to hanging over the side, eyes wide with wonder. I just hoped the next wonder he witnessed wasn't me tossing my cookies into the swampy water.

Part of the reason I felt so nauseous was undoubtedly mental. I hadn't told Brendon about being pregnant and it was killing me. I knew I should tell him, and each day that passed made the secret harder and harder to keep. Even if he didn't notice me retching up my breakfast most mornings, he would soon play witness to the amazing transformation of my belly into a giant globe.

Then there was the almost ever-present nausea of early pregnancy. My early pregnancy, anyway. Some women didn't get morning sickness at all. Lucky bitches.

We took another corner and I squeezed my eyes shut. Brendon must've mistaken the gesture for fear as he grabbed my hand and held it tight in his lap, leaning over to murmur soothing things in my ear.

As he did, a tendril of fire worked its way down my spine. I always reacted like this when he was close to me. It was like I could feel the electrical impulses jumping off his skin, and even if I couldn't see him I could always tell when he was there. I often wondered if he felt the same.

"Look!" Julian yelled, pointing excitedly. "That one's huge!"

I cracked open an eye and followed his chubby finger, scowling when I saw the giant alligator swimming in a nearby cluster of reeds. Huge indeed.

"Alligators aren't counted among your interests I take it," Brendon whispered.

I laughed. "Not really."

"Sorry about this, then. I can't imagine it's very fun."

I squeezed his hand and turned my head until I dove into the depths of those honey-brown eyes. My heart skipped.

I gave him the honest truth. "I'm glad to be here. Alligators and all."

The past few days with Brendon and Julian were like a little slice of life I always wanted but never thought I'd get. Even with Nolan I think part of my brain always knew we would never have the vital ingredient that changed an ordinary relationship into something vibrant and unyielding, something that burned so hot it made the rest of the world feel cold. I had Brendon, and I had the delightful little monkey with the alligator obsession. And I had the baby in my belly.

The realization hit me hard and fast, crushing the air from my lungs. I coughed, and Brendon patted my back as I awkwardly tried to resume breathing at a normal pace.

This fantasy was perfect. The child, the pregnancy, the Brendon, but it was only perfect for one reason, because Brendon was a part of it. Any other combination wouldn't work for me. It couldn't just be any charming, handsome, doting man at my side. It had to be him.

Because I loved him.

"You okay?" Brendon's hand rubbed comforting circles on my back and I nodded.

"Just swallowed the wrong way." I offered up a baleful smile.

He grinned. "What am I going to do with you?"

God, I wish I knew.

I told Brendon I needed some me time when we got back to New York, but the truth was I wanted to be alone about as much as I wanted to do a naked cha-cha across the Brooklyn Bridge. The only thing I wanted to be less than alone was with Brendon, since the reason my head was spinning beyond control was due to my burgeoning belly and the revelation I had yesterday afternoon in that god forsaken boat.

I needed space. More importantly, I needed someone to talk to. I called up Amy as soon as I got back into my apartment, but I got her voicemail instead.

"You've reached Tatiana Ivanov. Lucky devil. I'm currently on a yacht in the middle of the Med and I can't get to the phone right now. Leave a message and when I drift back into the real world I'll do my best to return your call."

I groaned and left her a quick message, asking her to call me when she had service next. I hung up the phone feeling deflated, since I had nobody else in New York that I could talk to. Hell, I had nobody anywhere I could talk to. What was I supposed to do? Ring up my mom and tell her how I'd fallen in love with the man who accidentally impregnated me, who also happened to be my boss? She'd have a conniption.

The sounds of the city outside my window were the only comfort I found in my dreaded, empty apartment. I'd never felt so lonely as I did then. I desperately wanted to talk to Brendon, but I couldn't. Not now. Not when I just realized he was the only person in the world uniquely equipped to shatter me into a million pieces. All it would take is a look. If I told him I loved him, or that I was pregnant, or any combination of the two, and saw anger or frustration or sadness or whatever it was he would feel on his face, I'd be through. I needed to gather some strength before I faced him like that.

Strength... Where could I go in this city to find strength?

I grinned. Maybe there was one person I could talk to.

I knocked on the door, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Calypso flung it wide open a moment later, pulling me into her arms so quickly that it felt like being absorbed into a perfumed cloud of silk.

"I'm so happy to see you," she said, giving me a squeeze. "Things have been so drab around here without you, you know."

I doubted that very much but smiled anyway. Calypso had a way of making every person in her life feel loved and wanted, and that was a feeling I wasn't going to throw away too quickly.

"It's good to see you too." I patted her back and pulled out of the hug, even though she seemed like she could've stayed there for another few hours. "Thanks for letting me up on such short notice. I know you're probably busy."

Calypso waved me off with a laugh and pulled me inside, letting the door fall closed behind us. She set me on the couch and bustled over to the kitchen to grab us a couple drinks, and I winced as she placed the beer on the table in front of me.

"What?" she asked, expression wrinkled. "New York changed you so much you're not a beer girl anymore?"

I laughed. "As if. It's more that the, uh, pregnancy has made me not a beer girl anymore."

She clapped a hand over her mouth. "No!"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Who?" Her eyes widened, and when she moved the hand away I saw she was sporting a smile bigger than Texas. It melted the shards of ice that had begun crystallizing in my veins at what I'd perceived was dismay.

When I licked my lip and raised my eyebrows as I tried to think of how best to describe everything that had happened between Brendon and I since she and I last spoke, Calypso somehow caught exactly what I was going to say. She leapt over to my couch and immediately pulled me into her arms.

"Are you okay?" she asked, suddenly serious. "This happens from time to time with my girls and I still haven't figured out the right words to say yet, I'm afraid. But I'm here for you. Whatever you need."

"I'm fine, Calypso," I said, pushing her off me. "Really. The baby is a blessing. And Brendon, well, I'm not sure what to think about him just yet."

Calypso coaxed the whole story out of me, from my first re-meeting with Brendon in Lock Knocks to yesterday's cruise around the everglades. I told her all about my feelings for him, and how I worried he wouldn't return them.

She immediately dismissed my concerns. "It's all fine, my love." She waved a hand airily. "This is clearly a mechanization of fate. You couldn't have avoided this any more than you could have avoided winding up on my doorstep with those big green eyes full of hope. There's only one thing for it."

"What's that?"

She gazed at me intently. "You have to tell him, darling."

I gulped and looked away. "About the baby? Or about the...love thing?"

"Both," she said with a light chuckle.

She didn't seem to think it was as daunting a task as I did. She swept off the couch and strode over to the window. I took that as my cue to follow her.

"Life is so short, chérie. It's barely begun before it's even over, and during the few short years we get in between the cradle and the grave we must jam in every last bit of living we can. Whether you believe that fate orchestrated your situation or not, you at least believe in living while you're alive, no?"

I stared out at the city below, wishing I could feel the breeze on my face. Even though her apartment was incredibly airy, right now I couldn't have felt more stifled.

"I guess so. But what if—"

"No what ifs." Calypso tapped the end of my nose remonstratively. "No what ifs. No buts. Just life. I'm thrilled to hear things worked out with you and Brendon, and I believe they will continue to do so."

I offered up a weak smile and continued staring out at the sprawling urban playground of concrete spires and steel beams. I wanted to trust Calypso's judgement, but she lived up here in the clouds. I lived down there with the dirt and the grime. Could it be so easy as Brendon loving me back and wanting our child? Or would taking her advice mean the end to my life as I knew it even though I'd only just begun to build it?

Chapter 17

Brendon

Julian was practically shaking with nervous energy, and I was more grateful than ever that I hadn't ceded to his demand of an ice cream cone on the way. I didn't want to see what he would be like pent up with a sugar high on top of everything else.

"Are we there yet?"

I sighed and looked back at him, smiling. "Not yet, kid. You'll know when we're there. It's your own house, after all."

He scrunched up his nose. "All the houses look the same."

"Trust me. You'll know it when you see it."

Just as I'd expected, the second we pulled up next to his parent's elegant townhouse he whipped his head up and started bouncing in his seat.

"We're here! We're here!"

I put the car in park and killed the engine, grabbing the little backpack of his things from the front seat. Julian tried to let himself out of the back seat but was foiled by the child lock. I knew that every second it took to walk around and let him out was going to feel like an eternity for him. I was pretty excited too, and had gathered up Julian and his stuff the moment I heard the news.

Avery was home.

He'd gotten in early the previous evening, though Morgana gave him the night to settle before she told me and Julian. I guess she wanted some time alone in her home with the husband that she thought she might never see there again, and I couldn't blame her. I'd do the exact same thing if it were Aurora.

Julian bounded up the front steps and jumped into the waiting arms of his mother, who had noticed me pulling up and was waiting for us at the top of the stoop.

"I missed you so much!" she cooed into his hair. "I hope you were good for Uncle Brendon."

"He was excellent. The paragon of a well-behaved little boy." I grinned and walked up, a warmth filling my heart at the touching scene. There was nothing like seeing a loving mother and her equally loving child. If I were Avery, I could spend all day just watching the two of them. He probably did, big softie that he was.

"Is he awake?" I asked as I stopped in front of her.

Morgana rose to standing, still clutching Jude's hand, and nodded. "He gets tired pretty easy, but other than that he's doing great. We've got round the clock medical care in case anything happens."

"Where's daddy?"

Morgana looked back down to her little man and ushered him inside. "He's up in the spare bedroom. Why don't you go tell him about your trip? Just remember that he's fragile, kiddo, don't jump on him."

Jude did his best boy scout salute and then toddled through the door and up the stairs. I followed Morgana inside and handed her Jude's backpack. He had a lot more stuff that I'd bought him on his trip, but I'd forgotten to pack it in the rush of getting over here. I'd have to make another trip back later on.

Morgana seemed to have regressed in age by five years. Her face shone with youthful energy and agony no longer twisted her features like it did the last time I saw her.

"Thank you again for taking him," she said. "It meant the world to Avery to have someone by his side."

"No, Morgana, thank you for making sure someone was there for him." I patted her on the arm tenderly. "He's lucky to have you."

She looked down with a small smile, obviously still high on her husband's recovery. When she looked back up, her eyes were bright.

“I won’t keep you,” she said. “I know you’re probably pretty anxious to see him.”

I laughed and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek before heading up the stairs with almost as much enthusiasm as Julian. There’d been a moment there where I thought my brother wouldn’t pull through, even though I tried to pretend the thought never crossed my mind. Avery and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but it would ruin me if something happened to him.

The roomy spare bedroom was outfitted like a comfortable hospital room, with monitors that beeped and flashed taking up the space at the far side of the bed. Other than that, things looked normal. Avery was sitting up in bed, a wide grin dominating his face as his son recounted all our adventures over the past few days. My brother had dark circles under his eyes and his skin was ashen where it wasn’t bruised, so I knew he was tired, but he held an arm around Jude and prompted him with question after question.

“Disneyland?” Avery gasped and looked up at me in mock surprise. “Uncle Brendon took you to Disneyland? You must have been being a very good boy.”

“I was!” Jude proclaimed proudly and without a hint of modesty. Just like his father.

The whole scene touched me more than I expected it would. Their reunion was joyous and pure, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was intruding on something.

Just as things seemed like they would reach an uncomfortable level, Avery got his son's attention and said, "Mommy missed you a lot while we were gone. Why don't you go downstairs and see her while I talk to Uncle Brendon? You guys can pick out a movie and we can watch it after your uncle leaves. How about that?"

"Can't Uncle Brendon stay for the movie?" Jude asked in a high, innocent voice.

I smiled as a feeling of warmth spread through me. Even with parents as loving as his, I loved knowing that Jude would always have a little spot in his heart for me.

Avery caught it too, and looked between us with an amused turn of his lips. "I think Uncle Brendon's probably got a little work to do since he's been busy looking after you. We can have him back over soon though, okay?"

Jude nodded and jumped off the bed, already running toward his mother's embrace. When he was gone, Avery's smile dropped and he let out a painful groan.

"That kid's gonna be the death of me," he complained, only half serious. "Children and surgery do not mix."

I let out an amused snort and moved to the chair next to his bed, sitting down while I waited for him to finish adjusting. He settled back against the pillows with a sigh and turned to me.

"So? How did everything go?"

"I could ask the same of you," I remarked. "I'm not the one who was in a car accident."

"Looking after that little monster is a comparable task."

I laughed. "Not even close. He was an angel."

Even though Avery wasn't one to preen about his son, I watched the pride light up his eyes.

"Glad to hear it. Morgana said you were with a lady when you picked him up," he said in a smarmy tone.

"Is there a question you wanted to ask or are you just making comment?"

Now it was Avery's turn to laugh. It came out as a dull wheeze that ended with him groaning in pain again.

"Okay, yes. It's a question. Can you blame me for being curious? I've never met a single one of your women in the past."

It was true, but only because I'd never found a girl I liked well enough to introduce to my circus of a family and everything that went with it. The title of eternal bachelor, I supposed, would pass to Keilan now that I was off the market. Maybe they'd start taking me a little more seriously.

"Her name is Aurora," I said, unable to hold back my smile as her name passed through my lips. "You'll meet her soon, I expect."

Avery's eyebrows hit the roof. "No denials? No topic changes? You must be pretty serious about this girl."

I gulped and nodded. "I am."

Avery, sensed that I would answer his questions without needling and pressed further. "How serious? What can I expect of this lovely Aurora?"

No point denying it, I supposed. So, I didn't deny a thing. I told the exact truth.

"I'm in love with her, if you must know. And you can expect an intelligent, charming young woman that I'm sure you'll love too."

Now I'd really done it. Avery's expression quickly morphed from shocked to ecstatic, and he put his hand, with its bruised knuckles and IV tube, out for me to shake. I took it, feeling more emotional about the gesture than I expected.

"I'm proud of you, brother." Avery shook my hand surely and released, leaning back against his pillows with a sigh. "You're really getting your act together. I'm impressed by how things went with Julian and your fearlessness in the face of love is certainly something to aspire to. It looks good on you."

I cringed. "Not sure if I'd be considered fearless. You're praising me too highly."

He raised his eyebrows. "Does she love you back?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I've never asked."

Avery took a long, measured look around the room. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, and I couldn't imagine the kinds of things that might be crossing his mind. When he came back into himself, his eyes were more serious than I'd ever seen them.

"Brendon," he said. "If there's one piece of advice I am uniquely qualified to give, it's this. Life is short and disaster can strike at any moment. Love without holding back. Tell the girl. Don't live to regret it."

The air was charged with a solemn, unspoken energy. I was taken aback by the abrupt change in mood and it took a moment for me to fully process what those words meant coming from Avery's lips, how he'd nearly lost everything and then some, and how we all would have been bereft in his absence. He was right. I knew he was.

But was I brave enough to tell her?

Chapter 18

Aurora

It was hard adjusting to not spending every second of my day with Brendon. I thought that being with him so much would be stressful, that I'd always feel underfoot. I even thought it might cause some sort of stress between us, which was the last thing I wanted.

Of course, I soon realized the opposite to be true. Brendon on tap was my ideal situation, and it was the act of coming home that ended up causing me strife. All I wanted was to wake up to him in the morning and go to sleep with him every night, but I was back on my own again in my own apartment with my own thoughts.

When Brendon invited me over for dinner, saying that he wanted to cook for me since Julian was gone, I was ecstatic. Hell, I was beyond ecstatic. In fact, I forgot about the important news I had to tell him until I was about halfway through curling my hair. Then I remembered it so forcefully that I burned my finger.

I had to tell Brendon tonight. I had to tell him that I was pregnant.

Crap.

I bolted to the bathroom and started running cold water over my finger like I thought relieving the ache of the burn would help with the ache in my gut too. It didn't. Surprise surprise.

My phone buzzed from my bedroom and I hastily wiped my wet hand on my pants before running back into the room and grabbing it. My mom's face filled the screen, and I frowned even as I answered.

"Hello?"

I'd tried to call my mom a couple times since I left, but she never called me back. I couldn't say for sure if she'd been ignoring my calls or if it was simply bad timing and a bad memory on her part, but I had a suspicion it was the case of the former. So why was she calling me now?

"Hello, Aurora. It's your mother."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. I'm a little surprised to hear from you."

"Why should you be? I gave birth to you, did I not?" she asked in a snappy, irritated tone.

How was it that she was the one blatantly ignoring me and yet I was still the asshole?

"It's good to hear from you anyway," I said, glazing over her last comment. "How are things over there?"

"Oh, they're wonderful. Just wonderful."

There was no trace of sarcasm in her tone. No doubt this was some sort of tactic meant to make me homesick. She'd have to try a lot harder than that.

"You know Katy Harrison from down the street's getting married. She and that Tom Benninger fellow. Lots of good, eligible men still here though. And they're all hungry for brides now that they're getting older."

So she wanted to try to lure me home with the prospect of a husband? Fat chance. I already had an amazing boyfriend, even if I might lose him tonight because of my little secret. She would have better luck if she called after our dinner and things hadn’t gone well.

"That's great," I said. "It sounds like nothing's changed."

She didn't miss my dry tone. I heard her sigh, but instead of commenting on it she said, "I miss you, you know."

Silence for a second. Finally, I spoke.

"I miss you too."

"I called because I want to send you a care package and don't have your address there."

Something tugged on my heart, and I clutched a hand to my chest without thinking. Mom and I weren't what I would consider close and never had been, so a gesture as tender as a care package was almost too sweet for me to take. It filled me with conflicting emotions about my life in the city and about what I'd left behind. More than anything, I started to feel a bit guilty.

I gave Mom the address and then got off the phone soon afterward, saying I'd call her soon but that I was just on my way out the door. It wasn't the truth, but I didn't think I could stay on the phone with her any longer without bursting into tears. No matter how close we got, I never wanted to be caught crying in front of her. Especially when I needed her to think that I was strong and in control of my decisions.

After I got off the phone, I took a break from getting ready and poured myself a glass of ice cold water from the fridge. It was only after I'd gotten halfway through it that I realized there was no point in being upset about leaving Bridgefield when I knew I'd done the right thing. I wasn't happy there. More than that, I doubted it would ever be possible for me to be happy there. I was right where I needed to be, and I was doing what I needed to do to be happy. Sort of. The unplanned pregnancy threw a bit of a wrench into the mix but I was going to love my baby and even losing Brendon wouldn't stop me from doing that.

I just had to tell him.

I finished getting ready and grabbed a cab over to Brendon's place. I'd been there a few times since our first clandestine mid-day tryst, but I got overwhelmed by the beauty of it every single time. Everything about the building, built during the peak of New York's art-deco period, reminded me of old world regality. It was timeless, and I could see Brendon living in a place like this well into his eighties, still rocking the bachelor lifestyle he seemed to love.

I couldn't, however, see where we'd fit a baby in this building.

Even with all its many thousands of square feet, I couldn't picture where we could put a crib, a diaper bin, or even a stroller. Or maybe that was just me projecting my worst fears. Who knew.

I reflected on my ride up that I wished I could have told my mom about the pregnancy. I'd been desperate to talk to anybody about it, especially since Amy still hadn't gotten back into service range and I needed someone to tell me everything was going to be okay. Calypso had helped. My mother wouldn't, which was why I didn't tell her in the end.

Brendon greeted me at the door with a huge, shit-eating grin that knocked the breath from my lungs. He pulled me into his arms and laid a wet kiss on my lips.

"Hey, beautiful." He patted my butt and ushered me further into the apartment, closing the door behind me. The smell of tomato and garlic hung in the air, and I inhaled it greedily. My stomach, often conflicted these days, instantly began grumbling and begging for food. At least I wouldn't be throwing up Brendon's home cooked meal tonight. Huzzah.

"It smells delicious in here. What are you making?"

Brendon strode over to the kitchen and stirred a pot on the stove.

He looked up and smiled bashfully. "The only thing I'm any good at making is my mom's famous spaghetti marinara."

I raised my eyebrows. "Your mom has a famous pasta recipe? Aren't you guys Irish?"

He laughed. "Even the Irish love spaghetti."

He was in an exceptionally good mood, which made me nervous as far as my plan for the evening went. Was it better for him to be in a good mood when I told him, or was it just going to make him plummet into anger?

I didn't get much time to think, however, because soon Brendon was pouring me a glass of wine and my heart was racing like crazy in my chest. One glass of wine might not hurt the baby, but I wasn't willing to take the chance.

"Oh, I'm okay," I said.

"You sure?" He furrowed his brow. "Everything okay?"

Maybe this would be a good time to tell him.

My resolve was not so strong. I offered up a weak smile and just said, "I might have one later. My stomach's been a bit unsettled today."

It was a lame excuse but Brendon didn't question it. He went back to stirring his sauce and I went back to quietly castigating myself for my cowardice.

It was one of the nicest dinners we'd ever had together. Maybe the nicest. Although he claimed otherwise, Brendon was a good cook and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Afterward, he offered me another glass of wine and I declined again. This time my excuse was that I was too full.

We moved to the couch to watch as the city lights slowly flared on, one by one, and I cuddled up against Brendon's side like I might never get another chance. This was it. I had to tell him now.

Brendon turned his face toward me, lips curved and eyes dreamy and full of light. He looked so handsome. I was always awestruck by his pure, masculine beauty, and he'd already begun kissing me before I had the wherewithal to realize there was something I still needed to tell him.

Brendon's mouth was hot, flavored with the spicy aftertaste of the scotch he'd been enjoying as a digestif. His hands traveled down my back and hauled me up against him until I was practically straddling him, and he held me there as his tongue explored my mouth. I moaned as the familiar sensation of my nerves waking up like brilliant streaks of starlight in the sky washed over me. It was only ever with Brendon that I'd experienced such powerful sexual need awakening, and I suspected it would only ever be with Brendon.

His mouth carved a wicked path down my neck, settling in at the base of my throat to lick and suck as he fell back against the cushions. I couldn't think but to grind against him, lost in the pleasurable haze that descended around us and blocked out the rest of the world. Here, on this sacred couch, there were no obligations.

No fears.

No responsibilities.

There was just us and the passion unfurling between our bodies, and where that passion burned peace followed. His kiss intoxicated me and dragged me down into the furthest depths of my primal mind, reducing my wants and needs to a place beyond words.

Brendon flipped us, guiding himself between my thighs and crushing my chest against his. He was already hard, something I'd come to expect of him in the time we'd spent together, and he ground his length against me with each fervent press of his lips.

My core responded, sizzling with fire and need. I wrapped my legs around his hips and threw my head back. It seemed impossible to feel this erotically charged while we were both fully clothed, but I was turned on to one hundred with no signs of coming down soon. It was probably something to do with hormones, but I wasn't thinking about that. I wasn't thinking about anything.

Brendon's kiss grew hungrier, his movements more frantic. I was glad for it because I soon found that same hunger eating away at my own insides, and when it came, it came so fast and so hard that I considered ripping through his shirt with my teeth just to get to him as quickly as possible.

Brendon sensed my need and pulled back enough to rid both of us of our shirts, not stopping until he sprung my breasts free from their cotton and wire prison. He moaned with delight as he looked over my naked torso, squeezing my breasts and kissing me so hard I felt like my lips would be a big purple bruise in the morning.

"You're so sexy, Aurora."

The hair on my arms and scalp stood up with his whispered hiss in my ear. He moved down to my earlobe and nibbled on it as his hands continued to knead my sensitive flesh, then down to work on the zipper of his pants.

We were going so fast, but our need was fiery and demanded satisfaction. If he was feeling even half as horny as I was, there simply wasn't time to get to the bed. There wasn't time for anything. By the time his cock was out and in his hand, I knew that if I didn't get my pants off and him inside of me in the next thirty seconds, I might collapse in on myself, like a gaping black hole of want.

The removal of the rest of our clothes was a flurry of motion. A somewhat awkward flurry of motion, but we made it in the end and barely had to stop kissing.

"I want you now," I said. "I need you now." I grabbed the base of his cock and directed him toward my slick entrance.

Brendon slammed into the hilt without even giving me a second to breathe.

The mix of pleasure and that sweet, intoxicating pain was exactly what I needed to soothe the overwhelming lust burning under my skin. He gave me everything he had and I gave it back, clawing at his shoulders and crying out with wild abandon. It was the most uninhibited we'd ever been. He thrust, I thrust back. He bit my lip, I bit his neck. And when he said filthy, dirty things in my ear, I did my best to return them.

"You're so fucking tight," he growled. "I could fuck you all day."

"I could be fucked by you all day," I parried. "I love it when you stretch me wide like this."

He groaned and drove deeper, harder. The couch squeaked in protest with each dive of his hips but neither of us were listening. We were lost in each other and in our own pursuit of pleasure, and nothing short of gale force winds or some other natural disaster could heave us off course now.

Brendon devoured my mouth but my kisses became weaker as my pleasure rose. I was unable to focus on returning the kiss, unable to focus on anything but the blooming knot of heat in my core that grew and tightened with each roll of my hips. The angle of his body meant his pubic bone ground against my clit, and the little bud was swollen and full of need and wouldn't last much longer.

I barely had time to register that I was climbing my peak when it hit me. The blast would have been enough to knock me down if I'd been standing. My whole body slackened with the release, falling back in exhaustion against the couch cushions as undulating waves of ecstasy pulsed through me. It took me a few seconds to realize that I'd forgotten to breathe, and when I started again it was with a great gulp.

Brendon's stubbled cheek scratched against my neck as he buried his face in his shoulder and drove in one final time. He bit down on the cleft of my shoulder as he did, and it felt so primal and sexy that another orgasm snapped in my belly and sent me reeling all over again. I screamed, but it sounded like it was coming from someone else and not from me. I could almost hear my impassioned cry echoing around the apartment as I came back to earth. I kissed his neck as he breathed, still, licking up some of the salt like it was my favorite treat.

Brendon slowly untangled his body from mine, sliding over into the crevice at the back of the couch and pulling me over on top of him. Once I was settled with my head over his heart, we lay there in silence together. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, not at first. And even when it became one, I was the only one who was uncomfortable. And the reason I was uncomfortable was because I knew that I had to tell him now. If he kicked me out, so be it.

"Hey, Brendon." I tipped my head up to look at him.

Brendon's smile was so warm that I immediately looked away. "Yes?"

"I..." I didn't know how to say it. Did I just come out with it? Did I sugar coat it? How did people make announcements like this?

"Can I say something first?" Brendon asked.

His voice was soft, softer I think than I'd ever heard it. I returned my gaze to his, curious to see what had him so sweet.

"Go for it."

He lifted a hand to my face, drawing a strand of my hair behind my ear. Goosebumps ran down my spine and I closed my eyes to lean into his touch.

"I love you, Aurora Frayser."

My eyes snapped open and I stared at him in dismay. Not in dismay at hearing him say that he loved me—that was wonderful. It was a dream come true. I was dismayed because I knew now that I was more terrified than ever of losing him. How could I tell him when it would completely ruin this perfect moment?

Brendon must have misinterpreted my expression to mean that I didn't feel the same way. I saw the disappointment wash over his features for less than a second, but by the time I opened my mouth to say something—anything so that he'd know I held deep feelings for him too—his expression was back to warm and loving. He stopped my words with a finger to my lips.

"Hush," he urged. "Don't say anything. I don't need you to say anything. I just wanted you to know how I feel, and that I've never felt that way about anyone. You're very special to me, Aurora."

He moved his finger, and I bent my head to kiss his chest so he wouldn't see the tears welling in my eyes.

"You're very special to me too," I whispered against his skin.

Chapter 19

Brendon

The report was crisply bound, with a plastic cover and title page that had my diligent secretary's name all over it. Not literally, of course. The literal title was a boring string of words that basically accounted to, "the result of Aurora's brilliance." Only a few stores had implemented her suggestions so far, but it was early days. This was the first collection of data from the campaign, and I couldn't wait to see the results. I figured it was going to be positive, but anxiety fluttered in my gut all the same.

It wouldn't be a big problem if Aurora's suggestions hadn't worked out. Marketing teams could take years coming up with a campaign, only to have it flop in the first few weeks. That didn't mean that the people involved were inherently under-qualified or bad at their jobs. It just meant that the next move was going to have to be in a different direction. No reason to stop trying.

I opened the report and started to read.

Aurora arrived at my office door looking slightly bewildered. She knew I'd gotten the report, so no doubt my summoning of her without so much of a hint as to why was troubling to say the least.

"You wanted to see me?"

I smiled broadly and nodded, eyes eating her up from head to toe. Her curves were packed perfectly into a black, scoop necked dress that stretched wide over her hips. Her breasts were looking particularly plump and I considered closing the blinds so I could get my mouth on them.

I cleared my throat. Not the time.

"Yeah, I wanted to discuss the details of the report with you." I gestured to the chair across from me. "Come in."

Aurora closed the door behind her and sat down. I passed the bound notes over, and she raised a brow.

"Do I want to know?"

I laughed. "I think you do." I tapped on the cover with my index finger. "The results of the program have been so positive that the other stores are clamoring to be the next to be made over a la Aurora Frayser. The Beverly Hills store alone has reported a traffic increase of 15%. You should be proud."

She beamed, her smile lighting up my room like a flash of sunlight.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she said. "You've been so supportive this whole time and—"

I waved at her to stop. "No, don't do that." I tapped on the report again. "This is you, Aurora. This is your project. You've been slaving your ass off over this and I know at times it must have felt like you were in way over your head, but you came out on the other end with a win and I couldn't be more proud of you."

She looked down at the hands clasped in her lap, and when she looked back to me it was with a wide grin but tearful eyes.

"Please tell me those are happy tears." I got up and walked around to her side of the desk anyway, not able to take the sight of my woman crying sitting down. Squatting next to her, I took her hands in mine.

"I'm just a little overwhelmed, is all." She sniffed, smiling through the tears. "Things have been moving at breakneck speed ever since I moved to New York, you know?"

I brought her knuckles to my lips and kissed them. "I know," I said. "And I'm afraid it's not going to slow down just yet. I'm desperate to get you over to my parents’ house so they can meet you. Julian's been asking about you too, and I thought I could bring you over for dinner tomorrow so I can introduce everyone to the girl who snatched up my heart and injected new life into my business. What do you think?"

I wouldn't be totally heartbroken if she denied my request, but my family was important to me. Things in my life were going exceptionally well and I wasn't fool enough to think it would always be like this, but I wanted to capitalize on the good feelings while they lasted. I wanted to have all the people I loved in one room just because I could.

Aurora didn't so much as flinch. She nodded enthusiastically, her smile reaching for the corners of her face.

"I would love that. I've been looking forward to meeting your mom and seeing where all your little quirks come from."

I laughed. "I hope you don't end up regretting that."

Aurora leaned down and kissed me. It surprised me, since normally she was more proper at work. It was a good surprise though, and I kissed her back greedily, licking the salt of her perplexing tears from her lips.

Something had been off with Aurora for a while now, but I wasn't sure even she knew what it was. If she did, she would tell me, wouldn't she? She seemed happy. She was happy. She was just a little different, a little stranger. I wondered if, like my family, she naturally assumed that I wasn’t good partner material based on my history of bachelorhood...and probably also the fact that the first time I met her I was paying for sex. I wouldn't blame her, and I intended to do everything in my power to prove to her that I was serious.

I pulled back and rose to my feet, striding back around my side of the desk. "I'll have to call my mom and arrange a day, but I was thinking tomorrow. Does that work for you?"

Aurora nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Totally. Can't wait."

She got up and left without any further prompting from me. I wondered if maybe inviting her over to meet my family had overloaded her.

No—Aurora could handle anything.

Chapter 20

Aurora

It was just dinner.

I'd told myself that several times today. Hell, it was my new mantra.

Nothing crazy, just dinner.

Nothing life changing or ridiculous, just dinner.

Somehow, no matter how much I said it, it didn't help. I nearly jammed my mascara brush into my eyes a few times while I was getting ready because my hand was shaking with nerves.

Why couldn't I have told him before he invited me over to meet his whole family? It was too late now. Even if I told him before we got to his parent's place, who was to say he wouldn't just turn the car around and dump me back on my doorstep? The longer I left things, the worse he took the news in my mind. I was such a ball of anxiety about the baby in my belly that I didn't know if I'd ever be able to get the nerve to tell him.

At this rate, I would never tell him. I'd end up having to do things like they did in the olden days—disappear to a convent for several months and return with the baby of a "distant relation" who happened to look just like me. Would Brendon buy that?

I shook my head. This was going too far. I would tell hither was nothing I could do about it. If he didn't... well, I didn't want to get my hopes up too high.

There was a knock on my front door. I nearly stabbed myself with mascara. Again.

"Coming!" I called, hastily wiping the black smear under my bottom lashes.

A few seconds later I strolled over to the front door, pulse pounding. Was Brendon just early to pick me up? It wasn't like him to be early. Or to be late, for that matter. Brendon was one of those right-on-time guys and it was actually one of the things I liked about him.

I opened the door.

"Hey," Nolan said, offering up one of the easy smiles that had charmed the pants off me early in our relationship.

He looked exactly the same as when I last saw him. His hair was still short, still neat. His face was still clean-shaven and starting to show the slightest trace of a tan. He looked good.

I was numb, but somehow found one word to say back. "Hey."

Nolan moved past me into the apartment before I realized that I should have been slamming the door in his stupid face. What the hell was he doing here? How did he know where to find me?

My heart dropped like a stone into my gut. My freaking mother. I was going to kill her! How dare she give out my address to my dickhead of an ex-boyfriend!

"Nolan, you can't be here."

He grinned and sat down on the sofa, patting the spot next to him. I'd just gotten that sofa a couple weeks ago from a used furniture store a few blocks down the road, spent the last remnants of that week's paycheck on it. I was now contemplating burning it asa soon as I got him to leave.

I hung by the door, demonstrating as clearly as possible that I was not comfortable with his presence and keeping the door within his view at all times.

"I can be here. I am here," he replied saucily. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

I shook my head. "I'm not."

His smile fell away and suddenly he was the angry asshole who'd spewed those venomous words and had pushed me to my breaking point.

"I came all this fucking way to see you," he spat. "Would it kill you to be a little grateful?"

"What are you doing here, Nolan?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest.

"I came here to see you," he said, as if it were obvious. "And to let you know that it's time to come home now."

I let out a sardonic laugh. "Says who?"

"Your mom." He stood up, walking over to me. My neck prickled with cold sweat. "And me."

Nolan stopped a few feet in front of me, and suddenly my shoebox apartment seemed even tinier than usual. I felt like the air had been sucked out of the place.

"I'm not coming home," I said. "I'm finished with Bridgefield, I told you."

"We're not finished."

I puffed up my chest and tilted my chin up defiantly. "We are finished, Nolan. I've moved on. I've got a boyfriend here and we're building a life together."

After tonight's news, Brendon and I might no longer be a thing—but at least I knew that I'd never be with Nolan again.

"Come on, Aurora." His tone was gentler now, but his eyes were still like two shards of ice. "You don't belong here. You belong with me. In Bridgefield. Your mom misses you."

"She can visit any time she wants."

"You know that she won't." He reached out to place a hand on my shoulder and I jerked back. His eyes hardened. "What's the deal, then? I know you're not staying here because you like it. Being in the city was never your scene. Has this new boyfriend got you knocked up or something?"

I went rigid without meaning to. Even though Nolan had been wrong about everything else, his last statement was so surprisingly intuitive that I reacted before I even had time to think. And, since he'd known me for years, it was something Nolan picked up on easily.

"You are pregnant?" he asked with wide eyes, glancing down to my belly.

Of course, there was nothing there to see yet, though my time was running out as far as that was concerned.

"How far along?" he asked.

"None of your business," I snapped.

Nolan took another step, towering over my small frame. He looked positively menacing in that moment. "You ran away because you were pregnant. That's it, isn't it? The baby is mine."

"The baby is not yours!" I yelled, even though it clicked in at that moment that there was a possibility, however small, that the baby brewing inside of me did belong in part to Nolan. The thought made me sick, and I immediately flung myself back a few steps.

Again, Nolan picked up on my body language in a way he'd never been able to do when we were together.

"I'm going to be a dad..." He looked almost thoughtful. "I'm not raising a kid in New York. You'll have to come home."

My head was spinning. I couldn't take it anymore. I felt like I was either going to vomit or pass out or both and I knew that each second Nolan was still in my apartment would only make it worse.

I exploded, a veritable maelstrom of anger and anxiety.

"Get out!" I shrieked. "Get out right now or I'm calling the cops!"

Nolan started toward me and I slipped out of the way, pointing to the door. He turned, I pointed. I yelled again. I didn't even know what I was yelling now but it was enough for him to make a hasty retreat. I locked the door behind him and sank to the floor, heavy breaths threatening to turn into sobs, my eyes blurring with tears. I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to ruin my makeup. Brendon would be here soon.

Still, I couldn't help it. I dissolved into panicked sobs like a child.

I managed to get myself cleaned up again before Brendon came, though my makeup was more basic since I couldn't be bothered to reapply the whole look all over again.

If the baby wasn't Brendon's, how could I still tell him after dinner? Did that mean I should wait, or that I should add a disclaimer to the statement that there was only a 50% chance it was his? I wasn't even sure if those were the odds. Maybe if I'd been to university for longer than a couple semesters I could calculate the stats and provide him with a more accurate report. I was being crazy.

I decided to see how dinner went and figure out what I was going to do afterward.

If Brendon noticed my silent deliberation in the car, he didn't mention it. By the time he slung his arm over my shoulders in the expansive driveway of his parents' sprawling mansion, I was back to acting like my old self. He wouldn't have to know.

"Now, just to warn you," Brendon said as we strode across the pavement. "My family can be a little overwhelming."

I thought back to my mother's betrayal and laughed. "I think I can handle it."

The door flung open before we even knocked, revealing a slim, middle aged woman with perfect chestnut curls. She pulled Brendon into a tight hug.

"Here you are!" she cooed, pulling me in next. "I’m Eleanor. I was so excited when Brendon told me he was bringing home a girlfriend for us to meet. We all were! Come in, come in. Can I take your jacket?"

I was hustled into the hallway, and I barely had a chance to register the little steps racing toward me before Julian popped into view and tackled Brendon in a hug.

"Uncle Brendon!" he cried.

Morgana rounded the corner a second later, smiling somewhat tightly.

"Hey kiddo." Brendon ruffled Jude's hair, then looked up at his mom. "I didn't realize it was going to be a big dinner."

"Not that big," Eleanor replied airily. "Avery's still in bed of course, poor dear. But Morgana is here and Keilan's on his way. Come into the kitchen!"

She turned on her heel and we followed, Brendon dragging Julian along with each step. The kitchen was just as impressive as the rest of the house, and I stared openmouthed as I tried to process the granite and chrome splendor of it all. The pitched ceiling was threaded with timber beams that gave the place a chalet like vibe. Not that I'd ever been to one.

"You must be Aurora," an older man said, standing from the little kitchen table and coming to greet me. "I'm Keilan."

I frowned in confusion, looking over at Brendon for confirmation. I had assumed this was his dad. Was Keilan a lot older than I'd been let on to believe?

Brendon rolled his eyes just as his mother scolded, "Don't be like that, Patrick. You'll send the girl packing and then it'll be another twenty years before your son brings home a nice girl."

I laughed nervously.

"What's this I hear about a nice girl?" a smooth voice asked from the doorway.

We all turned, and Brendon's mother launched herself at the handsome newcomer. This, without a doubt, was Keilan. He shared many of the same facial characteristics as his brothers, but looked like a version of Avery who'd been stretched on a rack. His features were sharper, thinner, and he was a couple inches taller than Brendon. The smug turn of his lips sent a shiver down my spine, and for the first time I considered that I might be in over my head.

"This is Keilan," Eleanor said, pulling him over to meet me.

We shook hands, and his handshake lingered just a moment too long. I pulled back hastily.

Keilan turned to Brendon, smug smile locked and loaded. "I never thought I'd see the day when you brought a girl to meet the family," he admitted. "Are you sure you're my brother and not some sort of imposter?"

"Oh, Keilan," Eleanor chided, smacking him with a dish towel. "Don't be cruel."

"What? Would you have put him in the family man category?"

"Don't go sorting anyone into any categories just yet," piped up Patrick from by the stove, where he was stirring a big pot. "Baby steps for our little bachelor."

Everyone laughed, except Brendon and me. I felt like I must be missing out on some kind of joke, but since Brendon wasn't laughing either I realized they may have hit closer to home than it appeared.

Everyone was friendly and warm at dinner, and all in all I had an enjoyable time. They were, as Brendon warned, a lively bunch, but I found the Ralstons to be great company.

The only thing that bothered me was their surprise at Brendon bringing a girl over. I was sure they were just teasing in fun, but there had to be some truth behind it. Maybe Brendon was even less interested in having a family than I thought. My nerves were shot, and when it came time to tell him about the pregnancy, I couldn't. I asked him to drop me off at home after dinner, saying that I was tired and just wanted to get some rest. Really, I just couldn't stand facing him after I'd failed.

Again.

Chapter 21

Brendon

You might think it would be impossible for two people who worked in such close proximity not to see each other regularly, but somehow Aurora and I had barely had any alone time all week. I had a sneaking suspicion that this was by her design, since she'd been acting strange since the dinner at my parents' place.

I had no idea what was wrong with her at first, and it drove me to near madness. I wanted to ask her about it, but it was never the right time. She was always busy with something at work, and she had excuses upon excuses not to see me afterward. By Thursday, I figured it out.

Aurora was upset that our relationship was still a secret at work. Why wouldn't she be? I'd introduced her to my parents, I'd gone on a trip with her and my little nephew, and I'd told her I loved her. It didn't make sense for us to stay hush hush at work just because we didn't want anyone to mistake our relationship for anything improper. We were adults, weren't we?

Friday morning, I sat and waited at my desk. I didn't know what kind of response I was going to get to the memo I'd just sent out, and I only hoped that it wouldn't be overwhelmingly negative. I kept my office blinds open so I could watch Aurora stroll up to her desk—and the giant bouquet of flowers waiting there for her.

She cast a glance in my direction, though she couldn't see me properly through the slats. I grinned nonetheless. I could practically see the gears whirring in her head as she tried to figure out what my game plan was. The note on the flowers told her to check her email, and I saw her sit at her desk, face out of view. I wished I could see her expression when she read the office-wide memo that informed everyone of our relationship. As it was, I'd just have to hope it was the good kind of surprised.

Aurora shot up from her desk a moment later and started walking briskly toward my office. I rose and closed the blinds just as she knocked on the door.

"Come in," I called, letting the last of the blinds fall closed. I didn't care that others might see what was going on and judge. I needed a moment alone with my woman, so we could finally put all this distance under the bridge and get back to the way things were.

The door cracked open and Aurora slipped inside, closing it behind her.

"Thank you for the flowers," she said, expression unreadable.

"Did you like them?"

"They're beautiful."

"But did you like them?" I strode to her and took her face in my hands, unable to resist the urge to touch her anymore. We were all good now, right? There shouldn't have been anything else between us. So why did she still look so troubled?

"I liked them. Thank you."

"You've already said thank you."

"Well I mean it." She smiled, but it was weak and layered with something else. "You didn't have to do all that, you know."

I leaned down and brushed my lips over hers. Just a taste for now.

"I wanted to."

She studied me, green eyes flicking over my face like she was looking for something. But what? A lie? Surely she knew me better than that. I never did anything without a purpose.

"Aurora, what's wrong?"

Her eyes widened just a fraction before she covered up her dismay.

"Nothing's wrong."

I continued cupping her face, holding her in place now so my eyes could bore into hers.

"Something's wrong. I can see it in your eyes. You've been avoiding me all week, Aurora."

She shook her head. "It's not you, I swear. I'm just a bit off-kilter at the moment, okay?" She stepped back, pulling out of my grip. "Can we not do this right now? I have a lot of work to do."

She didn't even wait for my answer. Aurora turned and marched right back out the door, closing it so gently behind her that it barely even made a whisper.

What the fuck?

I ran a hand through my hair and turned back to my desk, scowling at the polished wood. What just happened? What was that supposed to mean? Was her problem that I hadn't acknowledged our relationship or not?

My phone rang and I sighed. Back to reality, I supposed.

I ambled over to answer the phone, leaning against the desk as I did.

Peter was on the other end of the line, as enthusiastic as ever. "Hey there, Lock. How are things?"

The familiar tone and the recent nature of my interaction with Aurora made me a little more open than usual. Rather than giving some trite and meaningless response, I actually told him.

"I'm a bit stressed out right now, if I'm being honest. Aurora has been distant with me all week and I can't for the life of me figure out why. Everything was perfect up until it wasn't."

If Peter was thrown off by my candid reply he didn't show it.

"That's the bricks, man. The bricks. What kind of distant?"

I sighed and began to unload, desperately needing someone to lay all this out for me before I went crazy. I told him about the dinner with my parents, and about how she hadn't been making time for me outside of work. I told him that I'd officially "come out" about our relationship and everything, only to have her essentially close the door in my face. All the while, Peter listened better than I would have ever given him credit for. In fact, he was a model friend.

Until he put in his two cents, that is.

"You know, I've seen this before, actually," he said. "A buddy of mine was dating this chick, and everything seemed totally perfect. Then, bam, out of the blue she started ghosting him."

"Why?"

"Ah, turns out she was screwing a buddy of his on the side. I guess she felt bad for it."

I shouldn't have asked.

Peter picked up on my silence and hastily added, "But that's not gonna happen to you, man. Aurora's different."

I thanked Peter for his "advice" and got off the phone as soon as I could. I didn't feel like talking to anybody anymore, especially not my decidedly unhelpful best friend. I didn't want to think ill of Aurora. I didn't think I even had it in me to do so. So why was I tossing around this idea that she might be cheating on me?

She wasn't like that, was she?

Chapter 22

Aurora

Just when I was about to reach peak stress in my life, pack all my belongings into a duffel bag, and catch the last train out of town, Amy came home. She didn't call to tell me that she was returning, nor did she send a quick text to let me know she was on her way over. Instead, in true Amy fashion, she showed up at my doorstep in a flutter of colored silk with a glowing bronze tan and a smile so white it nearly blinded me.

"Hello, darling," she announced, flouncing into my apartment. "Did you miss me?"

I sighed, but it was a happy sigh. "I did," I replied honestly. "A ton."

She turned and walked back over to me, crouching down until she was eye level with my stomach. "So, how is the little bun in the oven?"

I swatted her away and went to the kitchen to grab her a drink. It was only noon on a Saturday, but I knew she had no problem drinking at any time of day. More and more she reminded me of Calypso, and I found the comparison to be quite endearing truth be told.

"Still touchy about it, I see?" she called from the living room.

It was a small apartment and even my neighbors probably heard her, but I pretended like I hadn't and returned a moment later with a big glass of fresh squeezed fruit juice for me and a beer for her.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the beverage. "I'm dying of thirst."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but smile at her over dramatic tone.

"Tell me about your trip," I instructed, sinking down onto the couch.

It was the opposite side to where Nolan had sat last week. I knew it was stupid, but it felt like the other side of the couch was tainted now. Amy sat down on it without issue, obviously unaware of its past. I just hoped her presence would be enough to wipe away the thought of Nolan there.

Amy's eyes lit up, and she launched into exhilarating stories of her escapades. She'd sailed from port to port with one of her wealthier clients, trying all sorts of exotic foods, activities, and adventures. She'd supped at the finest restaurants in the Mediterranean and drank the finest wines. She’d hiked into gorgeous, scenic mountains and hills, and had discovered all manner of hidden delights—waterfalls, secret coves, beaches with nobody else around for miles.

Amy had always been a great storyteller, and I was so enthralled that I could almost taste the grapes on my tongue. I drooled despite myself when she described a lamb ragout she'd eaten in Italy, and by the time her story wrapped up I realized that she'd drank all of her beer and I hadn't even touched my juice.

"That sounds amazing," I said. "I would have never wanted to come back."

"Oh, it was wonderful." She nodded her head, smiling at some distant memory. "Still, I could never stay away from New York for too long. I start to fade if I don't come back to the beating heart of it, you know?"

I didn't know but I smiled and nodded nonetheless.

"But what about you?" Amy prodded, setting her beer bottle down on the coffee table. "You've been having a much more exciting time. Pregnant, a handsome CEO boyfriend, and an exciting new career. I'm positively aching to hear all about it. I know how long you've been wanting to have kids."

My spirit, which had been slowly buoyed by her effervescence and charm, began to sink again. I'd forgotten my problems momentarily, her stories sending me adrift in a distant sea. Reality crunched under my shoes again and I didn't like it one bit.

Amy caught my sour face. She leaned in and placed a hand on my arm, giving me the full force of her compassionate gaze. Hell, I could see why men would pay her for her company. Even though she loved talking about herself, Amy was an exceptional listener.

"I haven't told Brendon yet."

I figured ripping the bandaid off would be easier than drawing it out. Amy's eyes widened with shock and then she frowned, looking at my belly. I covered it with a hand subconsciously. I was probably the only one who could tell that there was a slight bump there, but I still felt like everyone and their dog could see it.

"I can't believe you haven't told him! He's going to find out for himself soon enough."

"I know, I know." I sighed, a deep, world-weary sigh that I felt whistle through my bones. "I was going to, and then Nolan totally ambushed me here and tried to get me to come home. When he did, I realized that Brendon might not be the father."

Now Amy looked horrified. "What? How?"

"I slept with Brendon and Nolan within a pretty small time period," I explained. "I don't know when I really got pregnant. I have this huge fear that I'm going to tell Brendon about the baby and then when it comes out it's going to have Nolan's disgusting watery blue eyes, you know?"

"That's scary," she agreed.

"You understand my problem." I sank back into the cushions, somewhat hoping they would swallow me completely and I could live out the rest of my days amongst the ancient hard candies and bits of change that were standard issue in old couches.

"I haven't been letting him anywhere near me since Nolan showed up. I'm worried that he's going to figure it out. I know I'm hardly showing, but he's seen me naked a lot." I cracked open one eye. "Can you tell?"

"That he's seen you naked a lot?"

I groaned. "No, that I'm showing."

Amy nodded right away. "All I can see is just that you're not as flat as you normally are," she said. "I doubt he would even notice. I wouldn't if I didn't know what to look for."

I pressed harder into the cushions. I still didn't fall through into an alternate couch dimension. Damn.

"What do I do?" I asked with beseeching look. "I feel utterly and completely lost. If you hadn't come home, I probably would have spent the next few months hovering between self-despair and anxiety in my apartment, hoping that people would forget I ever existed in the first place."

Amy rolled her eyes and scooted closer. Her flowery scent wafted over me, and I found it oddly comforting. I let her shift me until I was leaning on her shoulder with her arm tossed around me, her chin resting on the crown of my head.

"Everything's going to be fine," she soothed. "Let's look at it this way—at the end of the day, Brendon or no Brendon, you're going to have a beautiful baby who you can love and cherish and nobody can take that away from you."

This was something I'd been avoiding thinking about and, until now, that avoidance had come easily. How could I think about the baby—who wouldn't be arriving for several months yet—when the prospect of who its father was was far more pressing and urgent?

Now, the sickness curled in my belly. I screwed my eyes closed.

"I'm not ready for a baby, Amy! Look at my apartment! Look at me! I'm a mess. I can't bring a child into this."

Amy pulled back and tipped my chin up to look at her. Her stare was intense, and I tried to pull away but she held my chin firm.

"Aurora Frayser," she intoned. "You are going to be a wonderful mother and you know it. We will figure it out, even if that means that we get a place and raise your baby together. I know how much this means to you and I'm not going to let you go into motherhood alone, okay? In an ideal world, the father would step up, but in this case we don't know what's going to happen and so I'm making a promise, right now, that I will help support you and your child for as long as you need. Understand?"

I nodded slowly, though I wanted to fight her on it. Only thing was I knew I wouldn't win. Amy had the will of a particularly cantankerous donkey and I knew better than to try to sway her opinion once she'd set her mind on something. Plus, it was nice to know that she'd be there for me if I needed her. It took a little bit of stress off my chest, even though I didn't love having to rely on someone else when it was my child in question.

"Now," she said, releasing my chin and smiling. "Let's fix your next problem. Have you thought about doing a paternity test?"

"Don't I have to wait until the baby's born to do that?"

"Not necessarily. I've got a couple connections at the hospital if you wanted to go down there and do one on the sly. Nobody has to know."

She reminded me more and more of Calypso by the second, but I still couldn't find any fault in that. In fact, it made me miss the fabulous older woman.

"Let's do it," I agreed. "That way it will be over."

"Exactly. It should only take a couple days for you to get results, too, and if you've already been avoiding Brendon like the plague, what's another couple of days?"

The more she spoke, the more the fog of doubt and anxiety lifted from my mind. Everything was going to be okay. We'd get the test done, and then in a few days I would know for sure who the father was. From there who knew. I'd have to see the results of the test first. I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself.

"There's only one problem," Amy said, wincing. "We're going to need DNA from one of the potential fathers to test. There are only two, right?"

I smacked her on the arm indignantly. "Yes there are only two!"

Amy barked with laughed. "Okay, shit, sorry." She wiped a tear from under her eye. "In my experience it never hurts to ask."

I couldn't help but laugh too, as I remembered that when I'd gotten pregnant (hopefully) I'd been living in a brothel. My life was certainly nowhere near as uncomplicated as it had been back in Bridgefield, but at least there was laughter.

"I guess I could find a way to steal Brendon's toothbrush or something." I wrinkled my nose. "But I don't know how I'd get access to it unless I saw him, and I still don't think it's a good idea for him to see me right now."

"There is another option," Amy suggested in a leading tone.

I scowled and shot up off the couch. "No way in hell! Nolan is the last person I want to see right now."

Amy thrust her hands onto her hips and gave me her best unimpressed look. "It's either that or find a way to sneak some DNA from Brendon. And I'm sorry, but if Nolan does turn out to be the father, you're going to have to see him at some point anyway."

She had a point. Still, the thought of admitting to Nolan that he might be the dad made me sick to my stomach.

"Just call him," Amy continued. "It's a quick swab. I'm sure he'll have no problem acquiescing if he knows it will help determine for sure if the baby is his."

I couldn't fight her logic any more. I was too tired to fight any battle at all. I just wanted this all to be over and, like she said, Nolan was the most direct route to the answers.

He picked up his phone within the first two rings in a gruff, tired tone. "Didn't expect to hear from you."

I scowled, holding Amy's hand for strength. "I didn't expect to call. I need your help."

"Of course you do." He laughed bitterly. "Already hitting me up for money. Typical."

"I don't want your money," I said angrily. "All I want is your DNA. I'm going to do a paternity test so we can figure out whose baby this is and end this nonsense for once and for all."

Nolan was silent for a moment, deliberating. When he answered, he did so in the slimy self-assured tone of voice he always used when he felt like he'd won.

"Luckily for you I'm still in the city," he replied. "I'm staying nearby. I'll come over and give you a sample, but only on one condition."

The muscle in my jaw ticked. I was already wondering if I'd made the right decision in calling him. Amy squeezed my hand and I took a deep breath.

"What is it?" I asked.

"If I am the father," Nolan said dryly, "you have to come home with me."

Chapter 23

Brendon

My mom was an excellent cook, so when my appetite failed even her delicious food, I knew I was truly fucked. Getting so worked up over Aurora was pointless, since it wouldn't fix the problem nor would it make me feel better, but I couldn't shake it. The longer I went without talking to her, the worse I felt. People were starting to notice.

"You've barely eaten," Mom noted as she rose to clear the plates.

Like I always did, I sprung up ahead of her and started piling up the dishes before she even reached the first one. Keilan followed suit, and we carried the plates into the kitchen together. I thought that would be the end of it, but Mom followed me.

"You know, we think Aurora's just wonderful," she said. "Are you going to have her over again soon?"

I turned on the tap and started rinsing. Keilan snuck out, presumably uninterested in the mother-son chat we were about to have.

"Brendon..." Mother said in a warning tone. "I know you better than you know yourself, so I know when you're avoiding a question."

"I'm not avoiding the question," I muttered, aiming the tap at a particularly sticky piece of rice. "I'm avoiding the answer."

She let out an exasperated sigh and reached over my arm to turn the faucet off. When I glanced down at her, she had her arms folded over her chest and was decidedly unimpressed with my answer.

"I don't know if I'm going to have her over again, Mom," I replied. "I don't know what's going on with that girl."

"Have you tried asking?"

She was only trying to help, but suggesting the most obvious answer was more annoying than anything else.

"Yes, I've tried talking to her. We haven't had a good time outside of work to talk though, and it wouldn't be right for me to corner her while she's on my dime. I've been trying to give her the space she needs. She's obviously going through something."

Mom crooked a brow. "Is she? And she doesn't think this thing she's obviously going through is worth discussing with you?"

"I guess not." I turned and rested my back against the edge of the counter, trying not to grind my teeth. "It's probably about me. I must've done something without realizing."

"Maybe, maybe not." Mom reached a hand to my shirt and absently smoothed the sleeve. "It could be something you didn't do. You clearly care a great deal for her, but have you told her that?"

I thought back to the night I told her I loved her, and how she didn't say it back. I hated that memory. It had felt so good to let it out, to tell her how I felt, but the sting of her rejection had stuck with me. I knew that it wasn't a full rejection, that even if she didn't love me yet there was no saying she wouldn't with time, but now I was beginning to think I wasn't going to get that time.

"I'm worried she might be cheating on me."

I said it so quietly that Mom wouldn't have even heard it if the tap was still running. It was still too loud. I wanted to pull back those words and the accusation that went with them but it was too late. Peter had planted the seed, and the more time went on and her behavior continued I couldn't help but notice things.

Mom wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. She was much smaller than I, but even one of her little hugs was more powerful than any other person's. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged back, sucking in that positive energy while I could.

"I'm guessing that since you could barely admit your suspicion to me, you haven't told Aurora yet either," Mom posed.

"Yeah." I worked my jaw back and forth. “I hate myself for even thinking such a thing but Peter mentioned something and now I can’t stop wondering. She wouldn’t do that. I know she wouldn’t do that. But then why is she acting like this?”

"And it's driving you crazy?"

I sighed. "Yeah."

"Then go over there and figure it out, Brendon." She backed away from the hug, her face now stern. “Wondering what she's thinking won't help you. The solution is very simple. Just go over there, tell her how you feel and what you want, then leave the rest in her court. If she feels the same, great. If something has her worried, then at least you can finally get it all out in the open."

I nodded. She was right.

Mom put her hand on my arm and smiled gently. "You're strong. You've always been the strongest one. Where Keilan has your father and Avery has his family, you've always relied on yourself. Don't think that nobody else in this family has never noticed that."

I thanked my mom, shelving those words to think on later. For now I had one objective and one objective alone. I was going to figure out what was up with Aurora.

It always surprised me how lax apartment security could be in the lower price brackets. As convenient as it was to be able to get up to her front door without having to go through the process of being properly buzzed in, I shuddered to think of all the awful things that could happen to Aurora in a place like this. I decided right then that I was going to get her out of this crappy apartment building. Maybe I could even insist that she move in with me, the thought sending a shiver down my spine. I could have Aurora anytime and anyway I wanted her. Day and night. In the kitchen, on the couch, in the shower. The possibilities were as delectable as they were plentiful.

My pants were tight by the time I knocked on Aurora's front door. How could she have this affect on me even when I was coming over to confront her? I could only hope that whatever was about to happen would lead into some sort of makeup sex. I was an addict who’d been languishing without my fix, and only she would satisfy me.

This thought process made an abrupt, screeching halt when a man I didn't recognize opened the door. He had short, pale brown hair and steely blue eyes that narrowed on me with barely disguised malice.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

I stood up straighter. Try all he might, this stranger wouldn't intimidate me. I was bigger, stronger, and altogether more motivated where Aurora was concerned.

"I could ask the same question of you," I snapped back. "What are you doing in my girlfriend's apartment?"

The man's expression fell flat, then his lips curved and he let out a mad, barking laugh. I suppressed the urge to clock him in the jaw and instead waited, rather patiently, for him to answer my question. It would have been easier and more desirable for me to barge past him to find the person I really wanted to speak to, but I respected Aurora's right for privacy. If she wanted this guy in her place right now and not me, that was her business. She would need to explain that to me directly though, and soon. My blood pressure was on the rise.

"You must be Brendon," the man sneered. He turned his head over his shoulder and called out, "This is the guy? Really, Aurora?" like there was something inherently shameful about me.

A million thoughts raced through my head. I wanted to hit this guy. I wanted to roar with anger and charge into Aurora's apartment. I wanted to crawl into the corner and pretend my world hadn't just fallen around me.

I took secret option D, which involved me turning on my heel and making an abrupt departure out of the building. I was just at the elevator when Aurora's voice called down after me.

"Wait! Brendon, wait!"

I jammed my finger on the button, watching the chrome doors slide closed just before she made it to the elevator. I saw her distressed expression deepen through the final inch of clearance and the elevator began to descend.

Chapter 24

Aurora

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I turned and screamed back toward my front door. It was still open, and Nolan was still standing in the doorway like he owned the damn place.

I was going to throttle him.

"Why did you do that?" I started stalking back toward him, fists curled into tight balls at my side.

Nolan watched me with his arms crossed casually and a light smirk on his thin lips.

"You should be thanking me," he replied sweetly. "I just made things so much easier when the results come back that I'm the father. At least this way he'll have a little warning."

I was seeing red and about to launch myself at him in rage when Amy shot out and wrapped her arms around me, effectively pinning my arms to my side.Sometimes I hated being the short friend. She easily kept me restrained as she led me back into the apartment, whispering reassurances in my ear.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay. This is is a little hiccup, but at the end of the day Brendon loves you and he trusts you. Don't worry."

No amount of telling me not to worry could make me not worry. Brendon wasn't normally the type to storm away in a huff, so he must've been pretty goddamn pissed to do so tonight.

Amy set me down on the sofa and Nolan followed us inside, closing the door and locking it for good measure.

"You had no right!" I snapped. "Just because you're in my apartment doesn't mean you get to answer my door or speak to my guests like that. The only reason you're here in the first place is because I need your DNA."

"Oh, baby, you already have my DNA." He reached out and I divined his intent before he was actually able to put a hand on my belly. I slapped his hand away and glowered at him.

Amy forced her way between us. Her expression read pure fury. She and I had been in the bathroom, re-reading the directions of the test to make sure we'd collected Nolan's sample correctly, when Brendon showed up. I’d asked Nolan to wait after giving his sample so that I could be sure we'd done it right, not wanting to risk having to calling him back, and now I regretted not kicking him out the second we'd swabbed him. I read in Amy's expression that she regretted it too.

I knew she was rooting for Brendon and would have rather seen me marry a big pile of dirt than go home with Nolan.

"You listen right here, mister," Amy said, waving a finger in Nolan's face. "You are not the father of this baby until we have proven you are. Even if we prove you are, you are not allowed to touch Aurora or her adorable baby belly unless she gives you explicit permission to do so. If I hear you've been touching her without her consent you best believe I'm going to make you wish you didn't even have hands. Understand?"

Nolan had never taken Amy seriously and he wasn't going to change now. Still, something about her tone must've gotten to him on some level as he nodded.

"Good." Amy pointed to the door. "Now get out. You've caused enough trouble."

"I'll go freely," he said, sauntering toward the exit. "I'll be close though, Aurora. I'm not leaving New York until we get the results of the test, and if it turns out that baby is mine, I won't be leaving without you."

My eyes stung with unshed tears. Going home with Nolan now seemed a greater threat than it ever was before. There were only so many layers that separated me and the life I'd left behind in Bridgefield, and one of those layers had stormed off only a few minutes before. Brendon would never forgive me if it turned out that the baby wasn't his. Who was to say he'd forgive me if it turned out that it was?

The door slammed closed behind Nolan and I started. Amy wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me tight, burying her face in the top of my head.

"I've got to call Brendon," I said, pulling free.

"Wait!" she grabbed my arm and stopped me. "How are you going to explain what happened?"

"I don't know." I pulled away from her. "I just have to talk to him. I have to tell him I'm sorry."

I'd been treating Brendon horribly for weeks and was already plagued with guilt over that. Now he thought I was cheating on him too, and that was a burden I couldn't bear. I grabbed my phone from the coffee table and unlocked it, selecting his name from my contacts and waiting for him to answer the call.

He didn't.

I got Brendon's voicemail and hung up, calling him back. When it went to voicemail a second time, I hung up without leaving one. What was I supposed to say? The realization that I had no plan for how I was going to handle the outfall flooded me with bitterness.

I turned to Amy, heart thudding dully in my chest. "What am I going to do?"

"We only have to wait a few days," she said. "Just a few days and then you'll know for sure. Brendon will understand."

"But what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" I asked.

She pulled back and looked at me, brushing a strand of hair from my eyes. "What are you supposed to do? You can't explain what just happened without telling him you're pregnant, and I thought that was something you wanted to avoid until you knew for sure?"

"It is." I sighed. "Or at least it was, until that idiot had to ruin everything. I should have never asked Nolan. I should have just taken my chances and smuggled something out of Brendon's apartment."

Amy's crystal orbs rolled to her forehead. "As much fun as it would have been, I'm firmly of the opinion that we were best to avoid any and all spy games."

I pulled myself free from her hold, grabbed my phone, and walked over to the wall, leaning against it while I hugged my arms to my chest. The situation had gone from bad to worse, and was so complicated that I wasn't' sure which thread I could pull without sending the whole thing falling apart at the seams. I wanted to explain to Brendon who the man in my apartment was and why he was there, but couldn't do so without telling him I was pregnant. I didn't want to tell him I was pregnant when I didn't even know if he was the father, and I especially didn't want him to know that the other potential father was my ex-boyfriend Nolan.

Unfortunately, I had limited options. If I didn't tell him, I could lose him forever. If I did tell him, I could still lose him forever, but at least I'd know I tried my best.

"I have to go over there," I said finally.

I tried to read Amy's expression to see if she thought this was a good idea or if she thought I'd gone mad, but her features didn't have a wrinkle out of place. She gazed at me serenely and then, with only the slightest movement, gave me a short nod.

"I get it," she said. "Want me to come along?"

I shook my head. "No, I should do this alone."

Amy stepped toward me, eyes filled with concern. "I don't want you to have to do this on your own," she said. "What if he's an asshole about it?"

I shrugged and pushed off from the wall, stepping around her and grabbing my keys from the coffee table. I clutched them tightly in my hand. As simple as the little pieces of cut metal were, they were also my only concrete anchor to New York City. If I didn't have these keys, I wouldn't have a place to live. Of all the things holding me here, these were the only ones that I could touch and feel, and sometimes it felt like all my dreams for myself and this city hung on the same metal ring.

"If he's an asshole, he's an asshole," I said, already putting on my shoes. "I love him though, Amy. I don't know what he must think of me right now but it's making me sick not knowing. Good or bad, today I'm going to tell him everything."

Brendon had ignored my phone calls, so it wasn't like I was expecting a warm welcome at his apartment or anything. Still, it irked me when his doorman initially told me he wasn't taking visitors. I told the doorman that he was either going to have to physically drag me off the property or let me up to see Brendon, and after a few words with Brendon, the doorman let me through.

I wasn't sure what I was walking into. I'd never seen Brendon so mad as he was when I caught a glimpse of him in the elevator on the way down from my apartment, and as such didn't know how he handled anger. Was he a yeller? Maybe he was the quiet type. Maybe he was perfectly calm and reasonable.

He answered his door with a sullen look and a biting question. "What do you want?"

"Brendon Ralston, that is no way to treat the woman you claim to love," I snapped.

Being pregnant was not fun, nor was it easy. I wasn't going to take any more flack than I had to today, and I suspected his mom would be disappointed if she saw him speaking to me like that.

Brendon knew it wasn't right either, so he let me inside with a bitter sigh. I didn't even get two steps into the apartment before he started flinging accusations on me.

"I should have known," he said. "I should have known the second you started acting so cagey and distant that there was someone else. So who was that guy, huh? He seems like a dick so I assume it was Nolan, but I guess it could be someone new."

He closed the door and walked over to stand in front of me, eyes hard and unwavering. I felt the full brunt of his gaze but held my ground. I hadn't done anything wrong today, and Brendon would be begging me for forgiveness as soon as he saw how ridiculous he was being.

"It was Nolan," I replied, working to keep the tremor from my voice. "But it isn't what you think. I'm not cheating on you."

"Then why was he there? Because he stopped in to catch up? After everything you've told me about him, I'm so disappointed to see you fall for his shit all over again."

That one stung, more so because he thought spending time with Nolan was something I wanted to do.

I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get the secret out before it exploded in my chest.

"I'm pregnant, Brendon."

His expression immediately slackened, and I watched as the corner of his mouth lifted with the slightest twitch. For a second, my heart soared and I really thought we did have a chance together. Brendon and I could be something. We could get through this. We could have a baby together and start a family, all we needed to do was learn to trust one another.

But then reality settled back in like a poisonous fog and forced me to admit the true reason for Nolan's visit.

"Nolan came to provide a sample of his DNA for a paternity test." I shifted my gaze to the floor, but forced it back up again a moment later. "The baby might be yours. It might be his."

Brendon's gaze widened and he staggered back, his hands bunching into fists at his sides. "So you were cheating on me but you aren't anymore?" he accused coldly.

"No! It's not like that!" I cried. "I haven't touched that asshole since before I left for New York. Unfortunately, our first encounter was around the same time. I honestly believe the baby is yours but there's no way of knowing for sure until we get the results."

Brendon stilled for a moment, breathing while his facial features reorganized themselves into their original spots. I hated to see him mad, but I had to admit the expression suited him. His dark hair and eyes lent him a wild, primal ferocity. He looked almost the same when we were in bed sometimes, and it never failed to send shivers of electric pleasure down to the tips of my toes.

When Brendon spoke again, his voice came cold and sharp like shattered ice. "When were you planning on telling me about this?"

I gulped. "I was waiting until I knew for sure who the baby's father was."

His jaw tightened. "Don't you think I deserved to know the second you did? Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to," I said, striding toward him. Panic swelled in my throat, growing hotter as he stepped back to keep the distance between us.

"Things kept coming up," I said, sounding pathetic even to myself. "And I...I was scared, Brendon."

"Of what? Of me?"

My mouth fell open as I failed to think of what to say. Brendon read my hesitance loud and clear.

"So what? You thought I was going to throw you out on the street, is that it?" he snarled. "Fuck, Aurora, what must you think of me? Even if it wasn't my kid, I would have been thrilled. I own a chain of children's stores, for Christ's sake. I would have wanted this."

Would have.

Those two words said more to me than anything else I'd heard tonight. Brendon would have been excited to hear about my pregnancy, but not anymore. Not now that I'd fucked it up.

Not now that I'd fucked us up.

The realization cut so deep that I fell into the chasm it made. I retreated, forcing the pink, delicate side of myself inside while the harder, sharper side of me took to the fray.

"You have no idea what I've been dealing with these past few months!" I yelled. "How dare you accuse me of cheating on you! And how dare you speak to me like this when you don't know the half of how fucking hard it has been doing this and making these decisions on my own."

"You didn't have to be alone! You had me!"

Silence stretched in the air between us, broken only by the sounds of our heavy breathing. My skin buzzed with electric energy, and even though I was so mad that tears gathered in the corners of my eyes, I still felt the urge to wrap myself around him and let him take out his frustrations on my body, instead of my heart.

But we weren't a we anymore. We spoke in the past tense and made no attempt to understand each other.

The conversation was over. I left Brendon without another word.

Chapter 25

Brendon

Watching Aurora leave my apartment without running after her was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. There was a sense of finality to it, even though our bitter words hadn't resolved anything. Finality with no closure.

My shredded heart begged me to run after her, to apologize for the things I'd said and try to make things right, but I knew it wasn't a good idea. She lied to me. She deliberately held a piece of information from me that had major implications for my future. Worst of all, she didn't trust me.

From the moment I realized I loved Aurora, hell, maybe even before that, I put all my trust into her. What was there to fear from a woman so good and pure? How could she hurt me?

Little did I know at the time, she would turn out to be the only one who could hurt me. And deep.

I rolled over in bed, glaring at the illuminated numbers on the alarm clock. It was five am. I barely slept at all last night, and I doubted I'd be getting any more rest this morning. With a sigh, I rose from bed and padded out into the kitchen to make myself a strong mug of black coffee.

I'd been rolling over the situation with Aurora in my mind all night. I was still angry and hurt, but part of me ached for what I'd said to her to. Nevertheless, I wasn't ready to see her again so soon after our fight. So soon after what seemed to be our break up.

I emailed my secretary and told her I'd be working from home today, and since I had a fully equipped home office, there wasn't anything I could accomplish there that I couldn't accomplish at home anyway.

It was probably a cowardly move. No, it definitely was. Avery would have given me shit for it, but then again there wasn't much he didn't give me shit for these days. Mom probably would have understood, but she was always a bit soft. It didn't matter what either of them thought. All that mattered was the twist in my gut when I thought about seeing Aurora, especially since seeing her at work meant I couldn't actually talk to her. I would never get anything done in that kind of environment.

I powered through a day's worth of work before noon, finding solace in the impartiality of the numbers and legal jargon. It was quiet up in my penthouse, and I wondered if I should work from home more often. Once the baby came, it would be beneficial for me to be able to stay home and look after the little guy or girl a few days a week. That single bright thought pulled me far enough out of my funk to grab a sweater and hit the streets.

I walked the fourteen blocks to my bank, rather than taking a cab. It was nice to decompress after spending the morning hunched over my laptop, and even though it gave me time to think, I gave myself a new topic to think of instead of the soul-wrenching one that had occupied me all night. I'd thought about that one enough for one day.

I always received speedy service at my bank, and less than a half hour after arriving I'd set up a college trust. The only thing missing was the name of the beneficiary, though it would be easy to slot in the name when the baby was born.

Even if the child wasn't mine, I wanted the best for him or her. Whatever had gone on between Aurora and I, I still loved her and would never let her child want for anything, especially a good education. It seemed like the least I could do. Others might not understand it. Aurora might not understand it, but this small action had at least set me on the road to feeling a little better.

Avery called while I was on the walk back to my apartment. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, especially the one person I knew would be least sympathetic to my plight, but I picked up anyway. After his accident in France, I always wanted him to be able to get in touch with me if he needed.

"Hey," I answered.

"Hey bro," he said. "I need a tiny favor from you."

"Shoot."

I passed a hot dog cart and stopped, drawn in by the savory smell. I realized I hadn't eaten all morning and hastily dropped a couple notes into the vendor's hand while Avery explained his problem.

"It might turn out that I'm not in good enough shape anyhow, but the doctors say I should be good to start moving around out in the real world now. Morgana and I wanted to celebrate by going out on a date tonight."

"Of course I'll look after Julian." I took a bite of the hotdog. "You don't even have to ask."

"To be fair, I didn't ask."

"Like I said, you don't have to. Besides, I figured it was unlikely that you'd call just to tell me all about your big date."

He chuckled. "You're right. That means a lot and I'm sure Julian will be excited. We'll drop him off around seven."

"No problem."

I hung up the phone and continued on my way home. The hot dog was gone before I'd even made it halfway. Back in my office, I scrolled through my inbox and tried to decide what to do next. Now that I'd cleared most of the important stuff up, my mind was a little more free to wander.

Wander it did.

I started thinking about Aurora, wondering what she wore to work today. Was it the tight pencil skirt that framed her ass like a priceless piece of art? Was it the high-waisted slacks that I'd been skeptical of at first but had soon grown to love? That girl looked good in everything she wore.

Before I could go any further, I disconnected my mind and flung myself back into work mode. I stayed home today so I wouldn't have to see her, wouldn't have to think about her.

If only it were that simple.

The microwave droned on and on, each second ticking down with incredible slowness. I stared at the glowing rectangle, bored, while Jude channel surfed in the living room.

"You've got to pick something at some point, bud," I called over to him without turning around. "The popcorn's going to be finished soon."

"I don't know what to pick," he whined. "There are so many good shows on."

The microwave beeped and I took out the scalding hot bag of popcorn, shaking it with gusto as I rooted for a bowl in the cupboard. It smelled a little burnt. Whoops.

"Don't forget the extra butter!" Julian piped.

I sighed, even as my amusement grew. "Of course, sir."

Julian didn't get the joke. He was just a little too young to realize how much of a pain in the ass he could be. I couldn't tell whether the demanding side of him came more from his mother or his father. Though they were polar opposites in many ways, that was one personality trait Avery and Morgana had in common.

When I moved back over to the sofa, arms laden with a big bowl of buttery popcorn and two glasses of water, Julian was settled into the furthest corner of the couch with his knees up to his chin. His eyes were the size of saucers and I followed his gaze to the TV, where sharks and tropical fish slowly waved their way through an endless sea of turquoise.

"What'd you pick?" I smacked his legs until he lowered them and then handed him his cup of water.

He scooted closer to me and the popcorn, grabbing his first handful. "Something on sharks."

I could tell I'd lost his attention now. He didn't look at me when he spoke and he shoved the popcorn into his mouth without so much as glancing down at his hand. Little kernels toppled into his lap.

I was glad he'd picked a nature program instead of some kid's show, but I found the topic to be a bit hard to get into. There was something about the underwater environment that didn't jive with me, and the naturally slow pace of the show had my eyes feeling heavier by the second.

My thoughts drifted to Aurora. What was she doing now? It was Friday night, but that didn’t mean anything. She was pregnant, so it wasn't like she'd be going out and getting wasted at the bar. Also, she was Aurora, and that was an unlikely scenario in the first place.

I couldn't stop thinking about her and it was driving me mad. I knew that if Julian wasn't there the temptation to call her might override my better judgement. I was still too emotional about what had happened between us, and I didn't trust myself to behave properly. When I am like this, it is easy for me to make mistakes. I'd already made so many in life.

"Uncle Brendon?" Jude's small voice piped up during one of the commercial breaks.

"Mmm?" I had to force both my eyes open and look down at him. Sometime during the show he'd wedged himself up against my side, with the bowl resting on my knees.

"Where's Auntie Aurora? Isn’t she coming tonight?"

I should have expected him to ask but it still sent a crash of pain through my heart. I was suddenly alert, and I sat up a little in my seat to address him.

"Auntie Aurora and I are just taking some time apart right now," I said softly.

"How much time? A week?"

I laughed and ruffled his head. "That's just an expression adults use, kid. There's no definite amount of time until we see each other again."

He screwed up his mouth, but whatever thought had caused him to do so apparently wasn't worth voicing. Jude turned his face back toward the TV and let out the tiniest of sighs.

"I hope you don't take too much time," he said. "I miss her."

"I miss her too, bud." I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and squeezed.

My heart clenched—for everything we had, everything we could have had, and everything we might never have. I had no idea how to move forward. How much time was I going to need? Would it ever be enough to fix the ache in my chest? She lied to me. I wanted to trust her more than I ever wanted to trust anyone, but now thoughts of her were tainted with mistrust.

Worst of all? Here, with Jude, watching nature documentaries and eating slightly burnt popcorn, I realized that if this was going to be my life, I could think of no better person to spend it with than Aurora. I could think of no better mother for my child.

Chapter 26

Aurora

I stared at the clock on the mantle, watching the hands slowly creep around one second at a time. I was lying over the back of the couch, upside down with the blood rushing to my head. I'd gotten sick of staring at the clock from a normal position and, rather than switching up my activity to something less weird and depressing, I just went at it from a different angle.

It was the most boring Saturday I'd ever spent on this earth. I had nowhere to go, nothing to do, and the only person I wanted to spend any time with hated my guts. For a good reason, too.

Amy suggested going out shopping for baby things to keep me occupied, but I wasn't in the mood. The baby wasn't going anywhere, and I had months ahead of me to shop. Besides, I wanted to be alone if I couldn't be with Brendon. My best friend had been doing an amazing job of keeping me together these past few days, but even she could hold the sadness at bay for only so long. When Brendon didn't come into work on Friday I knew it was over, and since then I'd been holed up in my apartment with no plans to come out until Monday morning. I had all the food and entertainment I needed right here. Though apparently nothing on Netflix was more interesting than the passage of time on the clock.

I was lost, adrift in a little dinghy in the middle of a stormy sea. I even considered calling Nolan just so I could have a little of that familiar brand of comfort I'd known for so many years, the thought of him put a bad taste in my mouth. What I really wanted was Brendon's arms around me and for everything to be okay again.

Maybe it would be better if I went home. To Bridgefield. What was left here for me? A boss who now hated me, a job that would be awkward even if Brendon did work from home for the rest of his life, and a crappy apartment with paper thin walls. I'd already heard the couple next door yelling at each other a few times since I moved in, and it was bad enough to wake a baby. Would continuing to live here end up making me miserable? Was this the great adventure I'd signed myself up for? If it was, it kinda sucked. It was great at first, but now the only things I had going for me were the fact that I loved living in the city and that I adored my best friend. What else was keeping me here?

Like she had a sixth sense for emotional breakdowns, my mother's faced popped up on my phone screen and the phone began to ring insistently. Considering that the last time I talked to her ended with her passing along my private information to my asshole ex-boyfriend, I wasn't too jazzed to pick up. I considered not answering, but then I figured that at least it would give me something to do and something else to think about. And I was in the right spot to miss my mom.

"Hello?"

"Hello sweetie! How are you? Getting plenty of vitamins?" she chirped.

I sighed. "So I guess you heard."

"Of course I heard! Frankly I'm a little peeved that you didn't tell me yourself, but I suppose it was hard for you to swallow that piece of humble pie."

I frowned. What the hell was she talking about?

"Did Nolan tell you?" I figured he had but I wanted to be sure in any case.

"Yes. He's such a good boy, isn't he? I just knew sending him over there would bring you to your senses. Sometimes you just need a little space. I certainly had those times with your father, and you know I regret not spending as much time as I possibly could with him now."

Her tone was clear. I should forgive everything wrong with Nolan just because he could die young. Great advice, Mom. It irked me that she was even comparing Nolan to Dad in the first place. Dad was a good man. Nolan was...Nolan.

"I wouldn't start telling people I've seen the light yet, Mom," I said. "Nolan and I aren't getting back together."

This did nothing to dissuade her sunny mood. "Not yet! But who can say what the future will bring, hmm? I think once you're back where you belong it'll just click how much you two belong together, don't you think?"

Ah, so she assumed I was coming home. I wondered if Nolan told her about our deal or if she just came to that conclusion on her own. Either way, she was about to get a rude awakening.

"I"m not coming home mom," I said. "Or at least, I don't have any plans to right now. If Nolan turns out to be the father..."

"Of course he's the father! How could you even question that?" Her voice rose at least a few octaves, and I had to pull the phone away from my face so the sound didn't pierce my eardrums.

"Anyway, darling, let's talk about something a little more pleasant. I've had such a wonderful day and I wouldn't want to spoil it by getting into an argument with the daughter I never see. I hope you're home in time for the Harvest Festival. This year the Graysons have outdone themselves decorating the town square, and the whole place looks like it's straight out of a movie. The streamers, the lanterns... Oh, how they're going to glow at night! And the weather has just been fantastic, I must say. I've spent every night this week sipping sweet tea out on the back porch as the buzz of tractors and bugs fill the air. It's a little taste of the South. Simply wonderful."

Much as I loathed to admit it, all of that did sound pretty wonderful. I’d forgotten how dreamy the first few weeks of fall in Bridgefield could be. The smell of hay bales and the crackling of dry grass underfoot. No sirens at all hours of the day and night, just tractors and bugs like Mom said.

“You know, Aly and Dave Brighton are putting their house on the market soon. I know how much you love that place and I bet they’d work out a deal for you if you put in an offer.”

The Brightons lived down the street from my mom in a cute rancher with a white picket fence and a dreamy backyard oasis. Growing up, I always told my mom that someday I’d live there.

“I don’t have any money to be putting down a deposit,” I reminded her.

“Nolan told me he has a chunk saved up, and don’t think your old mother doesn’t have a penny or two put away. If you have enough credit for a mortgage, I’m sure it would be doable.”

For a moment, I allowed myself to be drawn away on a cloud of fanciful notion. Mom was wrong to think I'd ever live with Nolan again, but being back in Bridgefield wouldn't be so bad, would it? I could take my little boy or girl apple picking in the fall, and we'd curl up in front of the fire in the winter and watch the snow drift past outside. If the kid was Brendon's, Bridgefield wasn't so far away that he couldn't visit.

I rose from the couch with a sigh and started heading toward the kitchen for a glass of water. Meanwhile, my mom was still expounding the values of small town life.

"You should see all the kids getting excited for Halloween already," she said. "We used to have so much fun on Halloween, didn't we? It's such a quiet, safe community and you don't have to worry about what some stranger is going to put in your child's candy. Where would you even go trick or treating in New York?"

I paused with my hand on the handle of the fridge, but not because I was listening all that intently to my mother's ridiculous reasoning. The availability of Halloween trick or treating was not a factor I intended to base something as important as my future home on, though she had a fair few points.

All these points fell by the wayside as I took in the photo tacked to my fridge. It was of Jude, Brendon and I on our first day in Disneyland. Brendon was carrying Jude on his shoulders, and I was tucked against Brendon's side like I belonged there. The sun was bright in our eyes, but our smiles were brighter.

"Aurora, are you listening?"

Startled, I wondered how long I'd been zoning out.

"Uh, no," I replied. I grabbed the photo from the fridge and held it to my heart, closing my eyes and letting a tiny smile draw up the corners of my mouth. "I'm sorry mom, but it doesn't matter what you say. I'm staying here."

"What?"

How could I explain to her everything going through my head and my heart right now? I wanted Brendon so badly it hurt, and the idea of having a child with him was the single most amazing future I could think of. Maybe things were complicated right now, and maybe they'd never resolve themselves, but I wasn't going to abandon ship and crawl back home to Bridgefield just because of one little rough patch. I was going to weather this storm—for better or for worse.

"I'm not coming home. New York is my home now, and I'm committed to seeing this through."

Mom's voice grew into a near shriek. "You're just going to throw your life away because of this Sex in the City fantasy of yours? Don't you care about anyone other than yourself?"

She didn't know me at all if she thought this had anything to do with some fanciful New York lifestyle that I was hoping to achieve. It was about more than that. It was about independence. Freedom. Carving my own way in the world with my sweat and my toil.

Instead of telling her that, because I doubted she would listen, I simply said, "I do care about someone other than myself. More than you could possibly know."

She was still yowling when I hung up the phone. Mom hated when people hung up on her, and called back immediately afterward. I ignored it. If she didn't want to get hung up on, she should know better than to start screaming at me.

And if she wanted to continue our relationship, she should know better than to doubt my ability to find my own way.

Chapter 27

Aurora

Sunday evening, I was filled with anxiety about the day to come. I had a whole week in the office ahead of me, and I thought it highly unlikely that Brendon would occupy himself outside of the office the whole time just to avoid me. I hoped he wouldn't, anyway. I was desperate to see him, if only in passing. If he didn't want to talk to me, that was fine. Well, it wasn't fine, but I would forgive him for being a bit of a jerk.

After all, it's not every day your girlfriend announces she's pregnant with maybe-your-baby.

I was curled up on my sofa, a steaming mug of caffeine-free green tea in one hand and my phone in the other as I attempted to select a program on Netflix. Pregnancy was providing me with a host of strange cravings, and they didn't stop at pickles and ice cream. I was on the hunt for the perfect museum documentary to fulfill my desire for a quiet, calm ambience, but so far wasn't having much luck. Pregnancy had also made me indecisive. At least, that's what I was blaming it on.

Someone knocked on the front door and it startled me. I nearly spilled my tea, but managed to catch myself in the nick of time. I set the mug down on the side table and hiked the woolen blanket over my shoulders, staring over at the door like I thought I might be able to see through it.

Best case scenario, it was Brendon. That thought sent a cascade of happy shivers down my spine, and I nearly vaulted off the couch to let him in.

Worst case scenario though, it was Nolan. That thought was enough to stick my butt to this couch until the end of time. I figured he was also the more likely option, given my recent rabble-rousing chat with my mother and all. It would be like her to send her lap dog to do her bidding and put me in my place, and I wasn't much in the mood to be put in my place by anyone. I just wanted a nice relaxing evening where I didn't have to listen to anybody else's wants or demands.

Was that too much to ask?

I sighed and dropped my phone to the couch but kept the blanket around my shoulders as I stood to get the door. If it was Nolan, I had every intention of slamming it back in his face. Though I had told him I would go back with him if he was the baby's father, my most recent chat with my mother had more or less brought me to the decision that I was staying in New York. Bridgefield wasn't my home anymore and it never would be. Call me disingenuous, but I didn't feel bad for shirking our deal. As far as I was concerned, the scales were still heavily weighted in my favor when it came to being the better person in the relationship.

I steeled myself to deal with Nolan, and cautiously hoped to see Brendon, but I opened the door to mysterious option C.

"Uh, hello," I said, taking in the handsome stranger in my doorway.

He was tall, though not quite as tall as Brendon. He had sandy hair that fell to the tops of his cheekbones, and it was styled to look like messy bedhead. His eyes were a steel gray, and they almost appeared lit from the inside. His full mouth was set above a pronounced dimpled chin, lips turned into a cocky smirk that I immediately wanted to smack off him—which was a strange urge considering I'd never met him before in my life. Based on his expensive looking suit and air of confidence, I surmised that if this person knew me, the connection was through Brendon.

"You're Aurora, correct?" he asked in a smooth, rich voice.

I frowned and pulled the blanket tighter. "It depends who's asking."

The stranger laughed, creasing the lines beside his eyes. Then he gave a short, courteous bow. "I'm Peter Vasiliev," he said. "I don't know if Brendon's mentioned me..."

"Once or twice in passing," I said, brow creasing with puzzlement. "You're his best friend, right? I've been petitioning to meet you but for some reason Brendon's been putting it off." I opened the door wider and waved him in.

Peter gamely slid his shoes off at the front door and I noticed he was wearing mismatched socks. One was a plain turquoise, while the other was white with little pineapples all over it. Strange.

Peter loped over to the couch and I followed, hovering uncertainly by the coffee table.

"Can I get you a drink?" I asked.

His eyes flashed. "That would be delightful. Got any tequila?"

"Tequila?" I grimaced. "Why on earth would you want tequila?"

Peter didn't answer, just smiled in a friendly way and stared. I guess he wasn't much a fan of answering a question with a question.

"No, I don't have any tequila," I said. "I've got beer."

"Beer will do just fine."

I nodded and went into the kitchen to grab my unexpected guest his beverage. I wasn't sure what to make of him or his visit, but I was suspicious. Was he here to tell me to stay away from Brendon? Was he here to offer me some sort of deal to get out of town and disappear forever? Maybe that was just something they did in movies, but visceral anxiety clawed through my stomach and made my hands shake as I uncapped a bottle of beer and carried it back out to him.

Peter took it, staring at my face instead of my outstretched hand. It was weird but I was glad because it meant he didn't see my hand quiver. I couldn't help it. My adrenaline was pumping like I was hosting a cougar in my apartment and not my potential baby-daddy's best friend, and I wondered if I had made a mistake in letting him in.

"If you wouldn't mind cutting to the chase..." I offered a weak smile and slid down opposite him. "You're making me kind of nervous."

Peter blinked lazily and took a draw of the beer. "You've got nothing to be nervous about."

"That's what they all say."

He laughed. "I mean it. I'm the one who orchestrated the beginning of your relationship, after all. I’m on your side." He finished with a flourish of his hands, like he'd just performed a magic trick.

Those words sent a rush of relief through me, even though I didn't know exactly what it meant to be on "my side" and why he would be on it in the first place. We'd never met and he was Brendon's friend, not mine.

I cleared my throat and tried for a friendly smile. "What do you mean by that?"

And how much did he know about Brendon’s and my first night together? Embarrassment sent a wave of heat to my face and chest, one that I knew would be clear as day.

"I was the one who nagged Brendon all the way to the whorehouse," Peter clarified. "If it weren't for me, you two would have never met, and wouldn't that be a shame?"

I let out a small laugh, but didn't correct him. If it weren't for me getting a job at Lock Knocks, Brendon and I would have never crossed paths again and the only thing that night would have achieved was setting me up for a lifetime of wondering what if. Still, I supposed I could see his part in the whole thing, not that I was thrilled he'd peer-pressured my boyfriend into visiting a brothel.

"You must be a great friend," I replied sardonically. "What are you doing here, though?"

Peter took a long drink from the bottle, emptying half of it. I might've thought it was nerves if he didn't seem to enjoy it so much. This man had probably never been nervous about a thing in his life. He reminded me of the human equivalent of a mischievous feline. I wouldn’t be surprised if his next move was to knock the flower pot on my coffee table to the floor.

"I wondered if I could give you some advice." Peter wiped his lips on the back of his sleeve and waited for my answer.

I sighed.

“I have a feeling I don’t have much of a choice in the matter. You're here. You're comfy."

Peter laughed and his eyes filled with delight. He put the beer down on the table next to him and rubbed his hands together, eyeing me with amusement.

"I figured there had to be a reason that Brendon was so smitten with you. I'm glad to see for myself."

"Peter..."

"Fine, fine," he said. "I'll get on with it." He settled further into his seat, shifting his back to and fro to get the perfect position. "Brendon is more in love with you than I've ever seen him. I don't think I've ever seen him in love before period, and if I had to be sure about one thing in life it would be that Brendon wants you and he wants the baby you've created together."

My heart swelled with a burst of positive emotions. I hadn't felt so good in days, but I was preparing myself for a steep drop. I doubted Peter had come all this way just to tell me that Brendon loved me. And hey, why couldn't Brendon tell me that his goddamn self?

Peter read the questions in my eyes and held up his hand to stop me.

"Now, now, I'm not finished. He does love you and he does want you, but you have also hurt him. He's never been hurt so badly or so deeply and he is not handling it well. I can tell you from firsthand experience that the man is a mess right now, and if it weren't for his apparent inability to get his shit together and figure it out for himself, I wouldn’t be here."

I laughed. I couldn’t picture Brendon not having his shit together. It was too paradoxical. "I'm not sure I believe you."

"Believe me." Peter leveled his gaze with mine. "He's being a bit of a baby if I do say so myself, and though I haven't been around here, I'd say you're not doing much better."

"Hey!" I protested. "I'm doing just fine."

Peter raised his eyebrows and stared at me pointedly. "Have you left your apartment this weekend?"

I only glared, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of answering his question. He laughed and rose to his feet, already strolling toward the door.

"Is that it?" I called after him. "You drop in to offer some sage advice and then head back out into the night?"

"Are you inviting me to stay?" he purred.

I gulped and shook my head. "Uh, thanks, I guess."

Peter stopped at the door and looked back at me. "Anytime."

He winked and was gone, like the Ghost of Relationships Present.

I thought about Peter's visit the whole way to work. I'd considered calling Brendon the moment Peter left, but I decided it was too late and that I could talk to him in the morning.

While I wasn't filled with dread at seeing him anymore, I wasn't exactly buoyed up by hope. I kept rewinding our conversation in my head to see if I'd missed something, if Peter was trying to mislead me somehow. It seemed too good to be true that Brendon and I were just going to go back to the way things were because of an observation his friend had passed along, but I had to try.

My original plan had been to wait until I got the results of the DNA test back, but if Brendon really loved me that much, would it matter? I certainly hoped not. And if it did, maybe he wasn't the kind of guy I wanted around in the first place. This baby was my priority.

I strode into the office with all the confidence and pep of someone with a man and a mission on their mind. Too bad Brendon wasn't there.

I stopped in front his receptionist's desk and waited for the slight girl to notice me. She looked up with a big smile.

"Hello, Ms. Frayser. How can I be of assistance?"

"I was just wondering if Brendon's working from home again today?" I asked, praying to every god there was for her to say no. I didn't think I could wait until the end of the work day to talk to him.

"He's at the Fifth Avenue Store until after lunch," she replied. "I can get a message to him, if you'd like?"

I shook my head. "No, that's okay. Thank you!"

I was already off, racing back toward the elevator like a marathon sprinter with gold in my sights.

It took far longer than I would have preferred to reach Lock Knocks, but soon I stood in front of the large glass doors, short of breath, already searching through the glass for Brendon's silhouette. I pushed my way inside, trying to skirt carefully around the customers milling around one of the new displays at the front of the store.

Should I do an announcement for him like he was a lost child? Should I run around screaming his name until he heard me?

Luckily, I was saved from having to do anything of the sort. I stumbled into the baby section and there he was, standing amongst the cribs with Jessie at his side. Their heads were bent in conversation, and Brendon was pointing animatedly at the cribs around him. As I got closer, I could pick up their conversation.

"....most important, don't you think? Comfort, yes, but safety is really the name of the game here. That being said, is there a different option for side sleepers versus back sleepers? Is there a distinction among infants?"

I couldn't help but laugh, and doing so caught the attention of the store manager and the man of my dreams.

Chapter 28

Brendon

Never was there a more humbling moment in my life than having to enter Lock Knocks as a customer while I tried to navigate the ins and outs of baby supplies.

I owned a whole chain of children's stores—how had I not realized how much there was to know about babies? I could tell I was making Jessie nervous with my ceaseless questioning. She clearly thought I was grilling her because it was some sort of test, and she was anxious to pass.

"Babies sleep on their backs," she said. "It's where you want them to sleep and naturally where they want to sleep."

"I see." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "If I want the best crib, should I just get the most expensive one or are there options you would recommend that are better than the best?"

Jessie opened her mouth to speak and then looked behind me, her mouth widening into a smile. Because her mouth was open it came out more like a grimace, but I didn't miss the relief in her expression all the same.

"Aurora," she chirped. "It's great to see you."

My heart started beating double time but I kept it together externally, even though every hair on my body was standing to attention. I turned to look at Aurora and a bolt of lust dove straight between my thighs. She looked positively radiant, her hair tucked back in a loose bun and her expression bright and clear. The world ground to a halt around me and it wasn't until her and Jessie started speaking that I remembered where I was.

"Jessie," I said, interrupting her just as she was about to go into her vacation plans for the following week. "Could I have a moment alone with Aurora?"

Jessie nodded enthusiastically. "Holler if you need me!"

She practically sprinted down the nearest aisle, desperate to get away from me and all of my questions. I knew how nervous I made her so it probably wasn't fair to be asking her everything, but I also knew she was the most knowledgeable and I didn't want to take a chance on any second-rate advice.

Aurora stepped closer, wringing her hands in front of her as she gazed up at me through her lashes.

"Hey," she said in a small voice.

"Hey."

"I'm sorry," she said. "For not telling you sooner. And for everything else. At first I was scared that telling you about the baby would ruin everything, and then I was scared that it would ruin everything if the baby wasn't yours. It seemed so much simpler to wait until I got the results to tell you, but it wasn't the right call."

I took a step closer and rested my hand on her cheek. Her skin was soft against my palm, and she leaned into my touch with a tiny contented sigh.

"I'm sorry too," he said. "I never learned how to take curveballs well because I've never really had any. I've always been able to plan within an inch of my life until you came along." A small smile flitted over my lips. "I understand why you didn't want to tell me. I know we both could have handled it better, but we're here now, aren't we?"

She nodded, covering my hand with her own. "Where is here?"

I dropped my hand to her waist and tugged her into my side, smiling down at her. "Here is where you belong," I murmured, tapping my chest just above my ribs. "You and our baby."

She closed her eyes so I wouldn't have to see the flicker of pain that crossed them. I knew what it was from.

"Hey." I tilted her chin up until our gazes were locked. "This baby is our baby. I don't care if I'm the father or not, I will love this baby just like it's my own. All that matters is that we're together, and that we're going to be a family together." I held her stare to drive home my point, so there could never be any confusion about how much she meant to me. "All I want is to be with you, Aurora."

I felt her melt into me, like she was finally releasing a knot of tension that had been holding her rigid for days. It was the same knot I'd only released myself yesterday afternoon, when Peter came around to try to knock some sense into me. I was still moping when he left, but soon afterward I realized just how goddamn stupid I was being.

Aurora let out a breath and then smiled up at me, eyes wide and dark. "That's good to hear," she said, breath tickling against my lips, "because these pregnancy hormones are making me incredibly horny."

The front door slammed back on its hinges and I had to put out a hand to stop it from careening into Aurora's face as I pushed her through the doorway. She laughed, facing me, and continued pulling at the buttons of my shirt.

"Just rip them off," I growled, lips against her throat. "Let's not fuck around here."

Aurora didn't need telling twice. She ripped open the shirt and the errant buttons skittered over the hardwood. Some sort of primal satisfaction rippled through me and I slammed the door closed, pushing her deeper into the depths of my apartment.

I kissed back up to her mouth again and lifted her into my arms until she wrapped her legs around my hips. I held her ass in my hands and carried her toward the bedroom, so swollen with need that I wanted to cry out in pain. Our intermission may have been brief, but I felt it like it was a lifetime prison sentence. How many hours had I spent lying awake in bed, dreaming of her plump lips and the look of pure ecstasy that washed over her features as she came? How many times had I masturbated to the thought of her, only to finish feeling unsatisfied and frustrated? No more. Never again. Aurora was mine and I wouldn't ever let her go.

I walked into the bedroom and let Aurora drop onto the bed, my shirt hanging open at my sides.

She bounced where I dropped her and giggled, but her expression soon fell away when I slid the arms of my shirt down and away. Her gaze raked hungrily over my chest, and she threw off her clothes with a kind of urgency I’d never seen before.

My pulse sang in my ears, urging me forward. I unzipped my pants and slid them down my thighs as I crawled up the bed.

"I'm going to treat you like a princess for the rest of your life," I told her, kissing up her calf to her knee. I continued up, feathering my lips over her thighs. "No, not a princess." I hovered just over the cleft between her thighs, letting my warm breaths fall over it. "A queen."

Aurora's breath hitched and she made a soft moan. It was more than I could handle. I dove into her sweetness, parting her folds with my tongue and finding her sensitive nub with my lips. It was an open-mouthed, passionate kiss. Her taste was exquisite and I devoured her.

"Oh my god," she breathed. "Oh my god!"

Her chest rose and fell erratically and she gripped the sheets. I tossed her thighs over my shoulders and groaned as her soft flesh opened for me. My tongue swirled and stroked, pulling her closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy. I wanted her to know how much she meant to me. I wanted her to feel it. So I gave her my all, and was soon rewarded with a high, keening wail and a few curses to accompany her shaking thighs.

I didn't let up, determined to squeeze as much pleasure from her as possible. Her fingers tangled in my hair and tugged, the sensations beginning to overwhelm her. I ignored the pull and sucked on her clit hard while I thrust two fingers inside of her.

She exploded again, half jumping off the bed with the force of it. Her inner walls squeezed on my fingers as waves of pleasure washed over her, and only when they subsided did I finally draw back to look at her face.

Aurora had never looked more at peace. I wasn't even sure she was in the room with me. Her expression was so dazed and distant. She looked like she was going to drift away at any moment, and I covered her with my body just to keep her flat to the mattress.

"Kiss me," she managed to murmur. "Kiss me hard."

My cock throbbed insistently, reminding me just how much I'd been neglecting it this whole time. I slammed my mouth over Aurora's at the same time as I slammed my cock into her tight pussy, bottoming out with a loud, fleshy smack. She cried out against my mouth and I slammed in again, picking up the pace until the beast inside of me was satisfied.

We were so close to each other. Our chests were mashed together, hips interlocked and legs interwoven. I didn't want a single hair's breadth between us and pushed down hard, kissing her with brutal, uncompromising lust. She whimpered and moaned into my lips, scratching a passionate map onto my back. We were lost in the moment, lost in each other. My short, hard thrusts built my climax slowly. So. Slowly. It was exquisite torture. Part of me yearned to pull back, to toss her legs over my shoulders and jackhammer into her for all I was worth, but I needed this proximity. From the sounds she was making, she needed it too.

"God, I love your cock," Aurora moaned.

My balls tightened and the base of my spine tingled with the weight of my release. I went mad when she talked to me like that, when she exposed the delicious little minx hiding just beneath the surface. It was a side of her only I got to see, and just knowing that was enough to make me close to shooting.

I growled and kissed down to her neck, burying my nose and lips against the base of her throat.

She was my everything. She was my salvation. And, in this way, she would always be my undoing.

Pleasure of the purest form rocketed through my body. I groaned and tensed, and something about that action sent Aurora careening. Her pussy gripped my cock in an iron vice and I lost it, cumming hard. Our sweat-soaked bodies stayed glued to each other as we both shook and breathed. I was sure that I'd fucked a hollow in the bed that we'd have to climb out of, but when I rolled to the side I found everything was exactly as I'd left it.

"That felt like someone pulling off duct tape," Aurora mused. "I half expected us to be fused together at the end."

I laughed and turned my head to look over at her, noting the perfectly messed up hair and the big, dreamy eyes. She looked perfect. She was perfect.

"Not this time," I replied. "No saying we can't try for it again though."

Her lips curled into a grin. "Promises, promises, my king."

"Your king?" I grinned incredulously.

She shrugged. "Every queen needs a king. And you said..."

"I know what I said. And I meant it, too. I just didn't expect for it to feel so good to hear you say that."

"Don't get used to it," she said with a sly wink. "The last thing I need is for someone at the office to hear me calling you that."

I folded an arm behind my head and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Wouldn't be so bad. In fact, I think I quite like it."

I didn't see the eye roll that elicited but I knew her well enough to know it was there.

"I've created a monster."

"No, baby," I said, hauling her onto my chest and banding my arms around her waist, "you've only set one free."

Chapter 29

Aurora

I felt like I was floating on air.

Everywhere I went, everything I did, was tinged with a feeling of happiness and certainty. Certain in my love for Brendon, certain in his love for me, and certain in the future we were going to have together. I didn't have to hide the pregnancy anymore and it felt like there was nothing more between us to cause problems. I felt free.

This new openness about the pregnancy couldn't have come at a better time, as I started to show soon afterward. Brendon was delighted. Anytime we were alone he'd find some reason to rub my belly, or to put his face to it and talk to the perfect miracle growing inside. His behavior filled me with warmth and hope for our future, and I should have known that so much light and hope could only mean I was due for a little trouble.

I was on a mission. Even though I'd only lived in my apartment for a few months, I'd somehow accumulated year’s worth of clutter and grime. I had no idea how. Maybe it was some combination of the age of the building and the size of the apartment, but one weekend I decided to tackle it before I got too big to take care of it. I tied a bandana around my head to get me in the right frame of mind, then dove into the fray. Two hours in, I was covered in dust, sweat, and other grime that I chose not to think about.

Just as I was wondering how on earth I had let it get so bad, a knock on the door brought me from my reverie. My heart leapt at the thought of Brendon dropping in on me, even though I was disgusting right now. I walked over to the door with dreamy thoughts of a shower for two, but was immediately doused by the cold, bitter spray of reality.

Nolan looked rough. I wasn't sure what he'd been up to since I last saw him, but by the looks of him it didn't involve much sleep. I struggled to feel pity for him, which was odd since all I used to do was make excuses for him. Funny how things change.

"What do you want?" I asked, skipping straight to business. I still had two sets of blinds to clean and I wasn't in the mood to waste precious cleaning time on my lousy ex-boyfriend.

Nolan's neutral expression deepened into irritation. "New York has made you cold."

I laughed bitterly, which probably only made me seem colder. Good thing I'd stopped caring about what Nolan thought of me a long time ago.

"New York hasn't made me colder, sweetie," I drawled. "A fresh dose of reality has just made me wiser."

"I disagree."

"We could debate this all day, or you could just tell me what you are here for. If you're here for the results of the test, I haven't gotten them yet. I told you I would let you know when I did."

Nolan screwed up his mouth in a classic sign of repressed anger and nodded toward the apartment. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

"No." I folded my arms over my chest. “Why are you here?"

"Well, I thought I'd check if the results had come back in person," he said. "I don't want to find out that I'm a father over a text."

I snorted. He hadn't ever wanted to be a father before, so I didn't know why he was taking it so seriously now. Well, I did know. It was about control for Nolan, always had been. It was the same reason he'd helped persuade me to drop out of college as soon as I started having problems, instead of encouraging me to keep going like a good boyfriend would.

"No results yet," I repeated, and started to swing the door closed.

Nolan stuck out a hand to stop it. My pulse jumped and I tried to push the door closed regardless. He was much stronger.

"I'm not finished." His voice was harder now. Colder. There was something in his eyes that made me wish I wasn't alone, and that scared the crap out of me.

"What is it, Nolan?" My voice shook a little but I tried to keep it together as much as I could. If I showed fear, that would only push him further. He was like a predator in that way.

"I just want to make sure you remember our deal," he said.

"I remember it."

"And you're going to remember to honor it?"

I swallowed hard, unable to form a response right away. I wanted to tell him to go screw himself. I wanted to scream at him for daring to intimidate me in my own goddamn apartment about my own goddamn baby. I channeled that rage to pull me out of my fear, to help bolster my confidence enough to say the words I needed to say.

"Even if the baby is yours, I'm not going back to Bridgefield with you. I'm sorry, Nolan."

And I was. Despite all evidence to the contrary, I knew he wasn't a psychopath. In his own twisted way, he cared about me. If the baby was his, I knew that he would care about it too. Refusing to go home with Nolan was bound to hurt, but there was nothing I could do. How could I go back to a place that had made me so miserable for so long? Back to people who didn't understand me? Didn't try to understand me?

Nolan was silent, though his hand on the door was just as firm as ever. The fist at his side tightened, and I clamored to fill the silence.

"I was in a bad place when I made that deal. I need to do what's right for me and my baby, and I don't think Bridgefield is that." I tried on the most compassionate expression I had and continued. "I'll make sure if the baby is yours that you spend lots of time together. I would never keep your child from you, I just can't do it—I can't go back."

Nolan was quiet still, and the unease that settled in my bones soon paired with panic. He wouldn't hurt me, right? So why did he look outright murderous right now?

With a hard push, Nolan sent me stumbling back from the door. He stalked toward me, and I scuttled out of the way and toward the phone I'd left next to the couch. Nolan didn't follow me. He wasn't heading for me. I saw a moment too late that he was going for the standing lamp in the corner.

"What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly.

Nolan said nothing. He grabbed the lamp by the base, ripped it out from the wall, and tossed it to the other side of the room. I covered my mouth in shock and let out a yelp.

"You lied to me!" he roared. "You told me you would come home and you fucking lied!"

The panic in my veins was soon pushed out by rage, and I found I couldn't resist the urge to yell back. "You lied to yourself! I left you, Nolan. I left you and I left everything that backwater shit hole stands for. If you had any sense you would let it be and respect my wishes, but instead you keep crawling back for more punishment!"

I squared up to him, ignoring the instincts that warned me to back away from the threat. I was the threat now.

"You had hundreds of opportunities over the years to be a better boyfriend, but all you've ever done is hold me back and keep me down. I'm done with it, Nolan. I'm done with all of it, and the sooner you get that through that impossibly thick skull of yours, the sooner you and I can start mending the bridge that you ripped from its foundations the second you chased me to New York and tried to emotionally blackmail me into going home with you!"

I panted. My face was hot and my fingers ached from how tight I was clenching them. Nolan may have stood taller than me, he may have been wider than me, but there was no way in hell I would back down from this fight. I wasn't going to let him push me around anymore. I had to be strong enough to raise my baby, and how could I do that if I couldn't even be strong enough to stand up for myself?

"You were mean and cruel and sadistic when we were together, and it only got worse when we broke up. I only hope that this serves as a lesson to you for the next time you somehow manage to earn some poor girl's affections," I said. "Because as far as you and I go? That's it. We're through. You're all out of chances and I'm all out of shits to give, so why don't you get the fuck out of my apartment and I'll call you when I have the results of the test?"

Nolan was silent the whole time, but his expression spoke volumes. The rage had lessened, and if I wasn't mistaken there was now a trace of vulnerability in his gaze. Those crystalline eyes that had once been my whole world were soaked in sadness, but I couldn't find it in me to feel bad for him. Not after everything he'd put me through. The next tear I cried for Nolan Richter would be once hell froze over and an army of flying pigs descended to skate on it.

Nolan gritted his teeth and walked over to where he'd thrown the lamp. The lightbulb had shattered, and the pieces crunched as he lifted the base and set it back upright. It was a long shot from fixing things between us, but I appreciated the gesture.

"Aurora..." Nolan said, turning to me. All traces of anger were gone now, which just went to show that he could dish it out but he couldn't take it.

"No." I shook my head and pointed to the door. "Out. And I better not see you back here unless this baby is yours."

I hoped more than ever that the baby wasn't his. I didn't think I could handle having him in my life permanently, but that was a bridge I was going to have to cross when I got to it.

Nolan hung his head and left without further ado. I closed the door behind him and collapsed against it, taking a moment to compose myself before I forced my shaky legs to carry me over to the couch. I picked up my phone and dialed Brendon's number, fingers trembling as the adrenaline caught up with me.

"Hey baby," he said. "What's up?"

I explained everything that happened, and before I was even finished I heard the rustling of Brendon grabbing his keys and heading out the door.

"I'm coming over there now," he said. "Lock the door and pack a bag."

"Pack a bag?"

"You're coming to stay with me," he explained. "At least until you get the results and Nolan goes back home for good. I don't trust him and I won't allow you to stay in a situation that could be dangerous."

Something about the possessive tone of his voice stirred a potent mixture of lust and gratitude inside of me. I didn't have the energy to try to fight him on it, and I didn't want to. Twenty-four hours a day with the man of my dreams? Yes, please.

I fell asleep in Brendon's arms that evening, like I'd done many times before. This time, however, I was acutely aware of how much things were changing. How much we were changing. Our relationship had evolved from a sexy encounter of the accidental variety in a brothel, to a standard workplace romance, to this.

Safety. Security.

And, most of all, the kind of love that I knew would burn like molten lava for as long as we both lived.

Chapter 30

Aurora

As I approached the little bistro, I couldn't help but reflect on how similar Calypso and Amy looked as they chatted together on the patio. Amy's long raven hair was braided over one shoulder, and little gems sparkled in the afternoon sun. Calypso's hair was in loose dark waves, and she was the first to see me. She waved.

"There's our girl!"

Amy turned to look behind her and grinned when she caught sight of me. "Well, don't you look positively radiant!"

I chuckled, not feeling altogether radiant. It had been a rough morning as far as morning sickness was concerned, but I was looking forward to getting some food in me.

I took the seat between them and ordered a water from the waitress who zoomed over. Once she was gone, I let out a long sigh and took in the sight of my two friends.

"I'm glad to see you guys," I said. "It's been awhile. I've got a lot to share."

"Is that so?" said Calypso. "Would this be a conversation better served over a couple mimosas?"

"You think any conversation is best served over a couple mimosas," Amy drawled.

I laughed. "Like you're any better."

"Of course not." Amy grinned evilly. "I'm worse."

Calypso blew air through her teeth. "Not even close, girly. Nice try, though."

I grinned at the exchange and took a sip of the water that appeared in front of me while I waited for them to finish. A couple minutes of ego touting later, there was a big enough break in the conversation for me to speak.

"I told Nolan that I'm not going home with him," I announced.

Amy's eyes widened. "And how did he take that?"

"Not the greatest at first.” My mind flew back to the broken glass on the floor in my apartment. Brendon hadn't even given me time to clean it up before he swept me out of there. The place had been sitting untouched since.

"He came around in the end, though?" Calypso inquired.

Amy shook her head. "Nolan doesn't 'come around' to anything. He either backs down or forces his will. He thinks a compromise is when you give in without complaining too much."

"You stood up for yourself though." Calypso smiled approvingly. "That's the most we could ask, really."

"It was the most I could do," I said with a shrug. "I wasn't willing to go back so it was either stand up for myself or disappear off the face of the earth and hope that he'd never find me. I mean, this could all be a moot point. I still don't know whose baby it is."

"It's yours and Brendon's," Calypso said, resting her hand over mine. "No matter what that silly DNA test says."

I appreciated the tender gesture but was only able to offer a weak smile in return. Thankfully, the waitress came back around to take our orders, though I still hadn't had a chance to look at the menu. Amy was getting a chicken club with salad so I just sided with her. Despite our differences, we'd always had similar tastes.

The waitress disappeared back inside, and Amy asked how things were going with Brendon. It was like somebody had lit a torch in my ribcage, and I found myself smiling like a maniac as I tried to sum up the amazingness that was the current state of my relationship.

"I feel like we're finally on the same page. All the things that had gotten so wound up and complicated are ironed out now, and I can honestly say I've never been happier in my life."

Calypso's eyes brightened and she pulled her lips back into a dazzling smile. "I must say, I am absolutely delighted at just how spectacularly this whole situation has turned out. It had the potential to be quite the disaster." She chuckled lowly. "In fact, I was sure at first that it was going to be bad. I would have never guessed that you two would get along quite so well."

"Right?" I laughed lightly. "What are the chances? Brendon only went to the Fox in the first place on the recommendation of his...uh...eccentric friend Peter. I was only there because I had the good fortune to run into Amy back in Bridgefield. I've never seen a stronger argument for fate."

"Peter?" Amy's eyebrows rose. "Peter Vasiliev?"

I frowned. "Yeah? You know him?"

Her and Calypso exchanged a look, then both burst out laughing.

"Oh, we know him," Calypso said.

"In the biblical sense," added Amy.

They both descended into giggles again.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

Calypso recovered first and answered. "Nothing, darling. Just that I always knew that man was going to be trouble."

"With a capital T," added Amy, a far-off expression on her face.

I didn't particularly care to know what it was exactly that had them in stitches, so I didn't probe further.

My phone binged in my purse and my hand shot out for it before I even had time to think.

"Sorry," I said, glancing down at the screen. "It's a work email that I should probably get."

Calypso and Amy exchanged an amused glance.

"Aren't we just the little workaholic now?" Amy teased.

"Give her a break," said Calypso. "She's always been a workaholic. I've never had a more efficient cleaner. Do consider coming back, darling, won't you?"

I was still looking down at the screen, thumbs already tapping out a response. "Give up my amazing office job to pick up didoes and anal beads all day? No thanks."

Calypso sighed theatrically. "Ah, well. A woman can try. Maybe we should try you out on cleaning duty, Tatiana."

"Not a chance," Amy scoffed. "This ass is much too valuable for manual labor."

"Hmm. I think I'd like that on a t-shirt," Calypso said thoughtfully.

I glanced up from my email just so I could capture the moment in my mind. I loved watching the two of them banter like this, especially when it involved casual references to the fact that they both worked in a brothel.

"And how's your job going, Aurora?" Amy asked. "Still enjoying it?"

I settled into chair and laid a hand on my belly. As it always did, the feel of the little bump under my palm made me smile.

"I can honestly say I've found my passion," I told them.

"It's gotta help that the man of your dreams is your boss though, right?"

There wasn't any malicious intent in Amy's question, just curiosity. And hell, it was something I'd thought about a few times. It seemed too good to be true that I'd basically stumbled into the career that I'd always wanted, and I kept expecting the honeymoon period to wear off and for it to start feeling like work. It never did. Day in, day out, I always enjoyed going into work. I liked the people, I liked the stuff I did, the responsibilities I had. I felt like I was making an impact both in the company and in the stores.

"It fulfills me," I said after a measured, contemplative silence. "Brendon being there certainly helps, but mostly just because he's a great boss. I can't imagine working for anyone better, and I know most of the people there feel the same."

"Shame." Calypso grinned. "You would've made a great whore."

I raised my eyebrows and stared at her, then we all burst into laughter.

"I think my one-time appearance on the menu is enough for me, thanks," I said, wiping the tears from under my eyes.

"Yeah," agreed Amy. "Besides, look at her." She gestured to me demonstratively. "The rest of us would never get any work if she started going at it full-time."

"It's the pregnancy," Calypso agreed. "You look radiant darling, simply radiant. I wish I could bottle up whatever it is that's shimmering under your skin and keep it for myself."

The waitress came back with our food and all attention diverted to that. I was absolutely starving, and Calypso and Amy weren't holding back either. I practically dove into my sandwich face first, and when I heard my phone chime with another email I let out a groan.

"Just don't get it," said Amy. "You're at lunch with your ladies."

"You know me though. I at least have to look at it."

Her mouth tipped up into a knowing smile. "Yeah, yeah. Go on then, Miss Congeniality."

I stuck my tongue out at her and fished the phone from my purse. "I'll turn it onto silent, how about that? If I don't know that the emails are coming in, I can't stress about what they might say."

I flicked the silent button on my phone before I even looked at the email. It wasn't from work.

"Oh my god." I dropped my phone onto the table in front of me and clapped my hands over my mouth.

"What is it?" Both Amy and Calypso swung their gazes to me, curiosity written all over their faces. "Is it Brendon? Is he okay?"

I shook my head. "It's not that. It's...it's the test."

"The test?" Amy questioned. Then her eyes widened with comprehension. "The DNA test?"

I nodded, gulping down a chunk of sandwich in a throat drier than the desert. "The DNA test," I confirmed. "The results are in."

Chapter 31

Brendon

Knowing I had a baby on the way had given me new zest for my work. No longer was I just working to support myself, nor was my vision of the future clouded. Everything I had I would one day pass on to my son or daughter, and the idea of a legacy spurred me to work harder than I ever had before. It felt like each stroke of my pen or tap of my fingers on the keys added another tiny block to what I hoped would one day be a megalithic monument to my success that would support my family for generations to come. I had new purpose in life. It took being found to realized I was lost before, and it took Aurora to realize that I'd never be lost again.

The love of my life had gone for lunch with her girls nearly an hour ago, and would be back soon. Working with her had become a challenge since she'd moved in, but not because I was tired of her. On the contrary, I was now accustomed to spending so much of my time with Aurora that I always wanted to be around her. Thoughts of her strayed into my mind even during moments of laser focus. I spent idle moments planning things I would do for her, things I would do to her, and everything else in between.

For the first time in my life, I was truly happy. I had everything I could ever possibly want, and the fragility of that perfection was not unknown to me. I worried about losing it at any moment, but all it took was a glance from Aurora to know that what we had was real, and I knew I'd always fight for that.

I nearly jumped in my seat when my door burst open with enough force to shake the leaves of my fern. I expected to see Nolan crowding the doorway. I'd been secretly hoping that he would track me down so I'd have an excuse to kick the shit out of him. It wasn't Nolan, but I wasn't disappointed.

"Baby," I said, rising to my feet. "What's—"

Aurora flung herself right over the top of my desk, slamming my laptop lid closed with her body and falling on top of me so hard the air rushed from my lungs. I pulled her in without hesitation until she was cradled in my arms, expecting the worst.

So why was she smiling?

Before I had the chance to ask, she said the four most beautiful words I'd ever heard in my life.

"The baby is yours."

My mind emptied until there was nothing but bright light. I meant it when I said I would love this baby no matter what, no matter whose X or Y chromosome it happened to have, but knowing that the baby was mine and Aurora's alone was a dream come true. Aurora's ties to Nolan were broken for good, and there was nothing standing in the way of us and our perfect happiness. It was so wonderful that I wondered if I should pinch myself just to make sure I was still awake.

I kissed her then, soft and sweet and with every ounce of love I possessed. I wanted her to feel with only the brush of my lips how happy she'd made me—how committed I was to her. To us.

"I love you," I murmured. Then, because it felt so good, I repeated it a few more times.

"I love you too," Aurora sighed. "I'm so excited to have this baby."

"Our baby."

She pulled back, smiling at me. Her eyes were clear and bright, delight etched into her features so artistically that I wondered if her face would ever be able to show sadness again.

"Yes," she said. "Our baby."

I captured her mouth again and stood up with her in my arms, balancing her ass on the edge of the desk while I cleared off its contents with a sweep of my arm. Even my laptop went clattering to the floor, and somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I should probably care about damaging it. That little voice was weak though, and couldn't dream of standing up against the primal side of me that needed to feel her skin against mine.

"Brendon," Aurora panted as I began tugging her shirt loose from her pants. "What if someone walks in?"

"They won't." I bit her bottom lip, and she moaned softly and opened in submission.

My cock tented the front of my pants and I ground the hardening length between her legs as I laid her back onto the desk. I'd been wanting to fuck Aurora on my desk since day one, and I couldn't think of a better occasion to fulfill my fantasy.

"You're bad," she whispered.

"Baby, you have no idea." I nipped down the side of her neck while my hands deftly unbuttoned the front of her blouse, spreading the fabric open and exposing her heaving breasts and taut stomach. The little bump was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I kissed down to it, dragging my tongue through the valley of her breasts before peppering soft pecks all over the skin of her belly.

Aurora giggled. "That tickles!"

"Oh yeah?" I let my lips whisper along her skin, teasing her more. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No!" she protested, just as I began to back away.

I met her gaze and saw her eyes wide with need, pupils stretching toward the edges of her iris like a solar eclipse. God, she was beautiful. My cock twitched impatiently, drawing my focus back to the task at hand. Pants.

With a couple jerks, I pulled her pants down her thighs, tossing them over the back of my chair and looking down at the siren on my desk. She was spread out before me like a feast, matching pink panties and bra that made my heart race just to look at. Fuck.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" I asked.

Aurora reached for my tie, pulling my lips back to hers as her hand fumbled with the zipper of my pants. The first touch of her hand on my bare cock made me groan, and she pulled me in even closer as her fingers stroked over my shaft.

She knew just the way I liked to be touched, with a firm grip and long, languid movements. I was aching to touch her too, and I yanked on her panties until they came down to her knees and slid down to hang from one dangling foot. My fingers sank into her heat and she squeezed harder on my dick, sending a bolt of pleasure straight to my scalp.

She was hot and slick, just as I knew I'd always find her. Her folds parted easily and I stroked along her inner waist, testing her first with one finger and then two.

I couldn't wait any longer.

"Wrap your legs around my waist, baby," I instructed.

Aurora dropped her hand from my cock and did as I said, the movement lining up the head of my cock with her entrance almost perfectly. She arched up as I pressed inside, forcing more of her fleshy globes to spill over the confines of her bra. Just as I sank the rest of my meat into her, I reached around and unclipped the bra.

Aurora was spread over my desk, completely naked, looking like a wet dream come to life. Her tight pussy welcomed me home, and I took my time with the first few strokes as she adjusted to my girth. Her eyelashes fluttered open and she looked up at me, smiling coquettishly.

"What are you smiling about?" I slammed my hips into hers, leaning forward so I could squeeze a tit in each hand.

Aurora's mouth fell open in a quiet moan. "I'm just happy."

"I'm happy too." I thrust again, and she slid up the desk an inch. "So. Fucking. Happy."

Aurora's hand found my tie again and she yanked me down so hard that I nearly head-butted her. I captured her mouth and gave her a bruising, punishing kiss. She panted against my mouth but I didn't let up, sawing in and out with unbridled passion as my orgasm churned somewhere deep in my balls. I lost all sense of time and space as we fucked, so consumed by the brilliant goddess beneath me.

Aurora may have been named after a Disney princess, but her name suited her more in the sense that she was light. She was brightness. As she slowly peaked below me, she was all the colors of the rainbow shining through at once.

I knew I would never get tired of seeing her come apart. I knew I would never get tired of seeing her shine.

Tension pooled at the base of my spine and I went harder, faster, her pussy gripping me tight and urging me to spill inside of her. With a roar I did just that, sinking my teeth into her lower lip as the spasms rocked through me. The pleasure was intense and it sent me on a spiral down, down, down into the deepest, most primitive part of myself.

When I surfaced, Aurora was staring up at me with an amused expression.

"What's the face for?" I asked, kissing the tip of her nose.

"Oh, nothing," she said. "Just happy."

I laughed. "I'm happy too. And shit, my parents are going to be as well!" I pressed another jovial kiss to her lips and sprung up, tucking myself back into my pants as I grabbed my phone from the back pocket.

"What are you doing?" she asked, eyebrows knitted with concern.

I chuckled. "Calling my parents to let them know the good news."

She blushed, turning her body as she started to get off the desk. I held her down with my palm flat on her stomach.

"Don't move yet," I said. "I like seeing you like this."

Aurora smiled serenely and lay back on the desk, staring up at me through perfect spider lashes.

Chapter 32

Aurora

"Have you seen my tie?"

I rolled my eyes at Brendon's puzzled expression behind me in the mirror. "Which tie? You've got like five billion."

"Five billion? That's an exaggeration," he said dryly. "I've got maybe three billion. Four billion at the most."

"Which tie?"

"The forest green silk one."

I pointed to the TV cabinet against his bedroom wall. "It's under there. You tossed it there when you did that striptease the other night."

"Ah. Right." Brendon smiled ruefully. "How could I forget."

I laughed and went back to applying my lipstick, making it as perfect as possible, not that Eleanor would care. She was so ecstatic to hear the news—that we were having a baby in general, not just that it was Brendon's—that she insisted on throwing us a big celebration dinner. I was looking forward to it, but I could tell Brendon was even more excited than I was. He'd been waiting a long time to show his family how much he'd changed, and I sensed he finally felt part of the adult crowd among his people.

"You look absolutely delectable." He appeared behind me, tie hanging loosely from his collar, and slid his hands around my waist to rest on my belly. It was his favorite place to hold me these days, and I wasn't complaining. He and I and my swollen belly were a family now. I'd take any reminder of that I could get.

"You don't look so bad yourself."

He pecked me on the top of the head. "Now that I've got my tie I do. What would I do without you?"

I smiled in the reflection and Brendon gave me a pat on the ass before moving back into the bedroom to finish dressing.

What would he do without me? More like what would I do without him?

Nolan left town for good after the results of the test, but I still hadn't left Brendon's apartment yet and desperately hoped I wouldn't have to. Not only was the place a marked improvement from my crappy apartment, but being with Brendon at all hours of the day was my ultimate dream come true. We worked so well together, and so far, living together had been a truly seamless experience.

"Baby, your phone's ringing," Brendon called.

Before I had a chance to answer, he brought the device to me and set it in my hand. I looked at the call display and groaned.

"It's my mother."

He raised a brow. "You're not going to answer it?"

"So she can abuse me for sending Nolan packing and not leaving with him? I don't think so."

I moved to put my phone on the counter but Brendon stopped me with a light touch on my wrist.

"I think you should answer it," he said softly. "She's going to be a grandmother. More than that, she's going to be a part of our lives and I don't want to be known as the asshole that stole you away and kept you from talking to her."

I saw his point, and I wanted all those things too. Dealing with her just sucked the big one.

I sighed and tapped on the answer button just as it was about to go to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Aurora. It's your mother."

"Yes, I have call ID. I know."

I could practically hear her sucking her lips into a pinched frown.

"I'm very disappointed in you. I don't understand why you're so determined to throw your life away when you belong here."

"How about , 'Hi Aurora, nice to talk to you. It's been awhile. How's the baby?'" I asked, irritation honing my words. "Aren't you getting tired of this whole song and dance?"

At first when she didn't reply I thought the line had dropped, but then I heard her breathing and realized I must have shocked her into silence. This spurred me on.

"And you know what else? Nolan was an asshole. He was mean to me, and he probably would have been mean to our child too. Brendon is a good man and I love him, and if you give him a chance I think you'll love him too. All I've ever wanted is to find happiness and I've found that here. Why can't you just be happy for me? You've got a grandchild on the way and if you want a good relationship with the little monster then you'd better start getting used to the fact that my life is here now and that isn't going to change."

I glanced over to see Brendon watching me from the doorway, and expression of pride tugging his lips into a smile. I smiled back, embracing the comfort of his presence while my heart ticked nervously in my chest and my face flamed with heat. I'd never stood up to my mother quite like that before, and I didn't feel bad for it. That was probably what set this time apart—I knew that, in this situation, I was right. She was wrong. There was no gray area. I'd tried things her way for years, staying in that crap town just because I was too scared to dream of something better for myself. No more.

"You've changed," she said finally.

It was hardly the heartwarming, sputtering apology I'd hoped for, but it would do for now.

"Yup. Big time."

She sighed. "I don't want to lose my daughter. I miss having you around."

"I miss being around sometimes, but finding what's yours in life is about making sacrifices, Mom. If you don't sacrifice to find what you want, then you'll end up sacrificing what you want. Is that what you want for me? To sacrifice everything I have here just because you think you know my life better?"

She went silent again. Brendon looked practically ecstatic now. He winked and walked back into the bedroom, and I leaned against the counter to support my shaking legs.

"No." Her voice came quiet. Weak. "No, I don't want that. I want you to be happy."

Hallelujah! I felt like dancing around, I was so happy. Too bad my legs were still a little too weak from the adrenaline.

"I'm glad. And thank you."

"I have to go," she announced, and I presumed it was so she could go cry for her loss. Now that she'd accepted it, she would finally start to move on.

"Okay," I said. "I love you."

After a beat, she replied, "I love you too."

I hung up the phone and pumped my fist in the air in triumph. Finally, finally, I was getting somewhere. The last few rough edges of my New York life would be smooth before I knew it.

 

Eleanor met us at the door and immediately pulled me into a huge hug. "Oh, thank you. Thank you!" she cooed. "I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmother again." She pulled back to look at me, brushing a stray piece of hair out of my face. "And you're so beautiful! Your children are going to be...oh they're going to be so cute!"

"Maybe they'll be ginger," said Keilan, showing up in the hallway behind her. He had a beer bottle in his hand and leaned casually against the wall.

"Don't get her too excited," Brendon replied.

I knitted my brows in confusion until I saw Eleanor’s hopeful expression.

"We've always wanted a little ginger in the family," she whispered.

Brendon laughed and pushed us forward, urging us into the main part of the house. Patrick was by the stove, peering through the oven door at the roasted chicken inside. Avery and Morgana sat at the little kitchen table, and Morgana rose to embrace me in a hug when she saw me. I saw Avery struggling to rise as well and panicked, but Brendon moved to stop him.

"Don't be stupid," Brendon chided.

Morgana merely shot Avery a look, then turned back to me. "He's a nightmare. I've never had a worse patient."

"And I've never had a doctor with such poor bedside manner," Avery shot back, but the comical grin on his face made it clear he adored being taken care of.

"Auntie Aurora!" The high-pitched squeal was my only warning before Julian collided with my backside. He wrapped his stubby arms around me, apparently not caring that he was up close and personal with my butt.

"Hey buddy," Brendon said, tugging him away.

I turned and squatted down to Jude's level, pulling him into a hug.

"How's it going, little man?"

He ignored my question. "Want to come play trucks with me?"

"You and Aurora can play later," Avery interjected before I had a chance to respond. "I'm sure she's got lots of things she wants to talk about with the others. I'll come play with you."

He groaned as he pushed himself off from the chair and Morgana raced under his arm to steady him. Together, the trio staggered off toward the playroom.

Eleanor came to stand in front of me, and she hesitantly reached for my belly but stopped before she made contact.

"Do you mind...?" she asked with nervous eyes.

I smiled. "Go for it."

I loved when people touched my bump. I loved having a belly, and every reminder of that fact was just another cherry on top.

"You look luminous," Patrick commented, coming to stand beside my wife. "You remind me of Ellie when she was pregnant. Always so stunning, full of life. Not that she isn't still an exceptionally vivacious beauty." He leaned down to kiss the top of her head and I felt my heart stir with warmth. I could picture Brendon and I being their age, surrounded by their children and grandchildren. It was all I wanted.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Eleanor said a second later. "I'll go get Jude."

"I'll come," Patrick replied.

I found it strange that both evacuated the kitchen together, and turned to ask Brendon what the sudden rush to get out of there was.

He was on one knee behind me.

My heart thumped out an erratic rhythm in my chest, growing pace as he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

"Aurora Frayser," he said. "You're everything to me. I've known you were something special since the first moment I met you, and I know I would have spent the rest of my life looking for what I felt with you if we hadn't crossed each other’s paths again."

I sucked in a breath. Was this really happening? I had to be dreaming, right? There was no way that the perfect man was on his knee in front of me providing the perfect proposal. There was just no way.

"I know we started living together because I didn't feel like you were safe, but to be honest with you..." He cocked a grin. "I've been too afraid to ask you to stay for real. I wanted to, but I guess sometimes I'm weak where you're concerned. But life is too short, and I know that I want to live with you." He flipped open the lid of the box. "I also know that I want to marry you, Aurora. If you'll have me."

I nearly went blind from the dazzle of the ring, and my mouth dropped open. It was a simple band, and a simple setting too. The only thing not simple about it was the size.

"I'm not going to be able to hold my hand up if you put that thing on it," I joked. My eyes were misting with tears, but I didn't miss the flash of concern that crossed his face.

"Isn't a husband who loves you more than the earth itself worth a few bicep curls?" he asked.

I chuckled. "A few? I'm going to have to start taking human growth hormones."

Brendon rolled his eyes and moved to shut the box. "Well, if you don't want it..."

I snapped out a hand to stop him. "No! I do! I mean, yes! I say yes!"

He scooped me into his arms and spun me in a circle around the kitchen, laughing without inhibition. I held onto him as tight as possible, feet whizzing through the air behind me.

Brendon finally put me down and plucked the ring from the box before tossing it to the side, then he slipped the ring onto my finger. It was a perfect fit.

Chapter 33

Brendon

Aurora smiled back at me from the picture next to my laptop. It was a shot taken shortly after I asked her to marry me, when my mom insisted we document the moment. I wouldn't have minded so much except she peeled Aurora off me so she could inspect the ring and gush about how happy she was to have her in the family. Well, that I didn't mind too much either. Anyway, it was a gorgeous photo of a gorgeous woman and I would stare at it all day if I could.

The man on the other end of the line was still rattling off numbers when I came back to focus. I realized that I hadn't heard a single thing he'd said for a couple minutes now.

"Uh, sorry Jorge, would you mind repeating those figures?" I asked. "I'm a bit distracted today."

"No problem. I know you've got a lot on your mind."

I snorted. "That's an understatement."

"How much longer until the little boy or girl arrives now? Not very long, right?"

A dreamy smile crossed my face. "Only another week at the most."

"It doesn't stop being exciting after the first," he replied, "but enjoy this feeling while you can. You'll need it to look back on when you're up to your chin in dirty diapers, eh?"

I laughed. "Yeah, yeah."

My cellphone vibrated on my desk with a text from Aurora, and I quickly swiped open the message. I wanted her to be able to access me every second of every day, just in case, and anybody who had a problem with that would just have to take it up with me.

My heart stalled, and when it started again it was beating in double time.

Water broke!!!

"I gotta go. Emergency. I'll have someone from my office call you to finish this discussion. Please accept my apologies."

I was off the phone and calling Aurora in two seconds flat.

"That was quick," she answered.

"I told you, I'm not taking any chances." I rose from my chair and grabbed my jacket from the coat rack. "How are you doing? I'll be there in fifteen minutes, tops. You're okay until then?"

"Oh yeah," she replied smoothly. "Just about to push a fucking watermelon out of my vagina and it looks like I peed all over the living room rug. Feelin' pretty great."

I chuckled and breezed out the door, heading for the elevator. I waved at my receptionist on the way past and she gave me an excited thumbs up, divining the nature of the phone call from the panicked expression on my face.

"Baby, just tell me you're okay."

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she said with a sigh. "Jeez. Anybody ever tell you that you worry too much?"

I jammed my finger on the button for the parking garage. "You. All the time, actually."

"It's a shame it hasn't stuck yet."

"Maybe after another twenty years and six kids it will."

"Six kids? You must be out of your fucking mind, Mr. Ralston."

"Only with my love for you, Mrs. Ralston. Have you started having contractions yet?"

My phone connected to the Bluetooth once I was in my car, and I spent the whole drive home talking to Aurora and keeping her distracted. I could tell she was trying to be relaxed about everything, but the reality of the situation was catching up quick. I didn't know how much longer I could keep her calm without being by her side. And hell, I didn't know if I could keep her calm once I was at her side either. That woman had a mind of her own and wasn't afraid to use it.

I told Aurora to wait in the apartment until I got there, but she insisted on waiting on the curb with her overnight bag, citing restlessness as her cause. I suspected she just wanted to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. She was nervous about what came next, and in truth I was too, but it was my job to make her less nervous.

She got into the car and I began to drive, letting her squeeze my hand until I was sure there would be a permanent mark.

"Hey," I said softly, glancing over at her.

She was practicing deep breathing, but it didn't look to be having any effect. Her forehead was beaded with sweat.

"Hey, Aurora look at me."

She did, eyes wide.

I tried an easy smile and looked back to the road. "Do you remember our wedding day?"

"Of course I do," she scoffed. "It was the best day of my life."

I smiled at the memory. "Me too. Though I suspect it's about to get blown out of the water by today."

Her hand squeezed a little tighter and I chastised myself for the slip. She needed distracting, not reassuring.

"I remember how beautiful you looked walking down the aisle," I told her. "Afterward, Calypso and Amy told me how frustrated you were when you looked in the mirror and saw your belly. How you wished you had a flat stomach for just this one day, but the second I saw you I knew that at that moment, there was no woman more beautiful in the world. There was no scene more perfect than you walking toward me in that snow white dress, your belly swollen with our child. You laughed as you walked toward me. What were you laughing at?"

Aurora buckled over and groaned and squeezed my hand even harder. She was starting to get contractions.

"Baby," I pressed. "What were you laughing about?"

She took a breath and answered, "I don't remember."

"Think back." I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed her knuckles. "Why were you laughing?"

She was silent for a moment, and I wondered if she was about to tell me to fuck off. Then she said, "Peter. I was laughing at Peter."

Interesting. "Why?"

She chuckled. "He was trying to catch Amy's attention, I think. He was the only person in the whole place who was looking somewhere other than me, and I just thought it was funny. It was perfect, really. It just reminded me—" She groaned, squeezed, but kept on talking. "It just reminded me how real everything was. Just when things started feeling too much like a fantasy, I looked down the end of the wedding aisle and saw your best friend trying to give the sexy eyes to my best friend, who also happens to be an escort." She chuckled lightly, and released some of the pressure on my hand. "I had the same kind of thought when Calypso changed into her third outfit for the evening."

"I remember that," I mused. "Amy was annoyed that she'd only brought two outfits."

She laughed, buckling over again. I couldn't tell whether it was from pain or mirth. When she didn't sit upright again right away, I squeezed her hand and kept talking.

"Remember the reception? How fun it was?" I reminded. "Everyone was dancing, even my ancient aunt and uncle, but they always left a ring of space around us so that we could feel like we were the only people in the room. I remember holding you in my arms and realizing that I'd waited my entire life for this moment without knowing that was what I'd been building up to. The best part was that I knew there would be plenty of other moments just like that because I would be spending the rest of my life with you."

"Uh-huh," she said in a strained voice.

I could tell she was trying to stay present, but the pain and anxiety was dragging her somewhere else. All I could do was keep talking, and I chatted up a storm the whole way to the hospital. When we got there, I got an orderly to bring us a wheelchair and made sure we were seen to immediately. Aurora barely had time for another contraction before she was in a hospital bed with a nurse taking her vitals.

"How are you feeling?" I asked the next time we had a second alone. "I know that's a dumb question, but I mean mentally, not physically. Is there anything I can do to help?"

She threaded her fingers through mine, and I was relieved to see she looked a lot less stressed than she was in the car.

"I’m scared," she said. "I know it's going to hurt, and I'm worried about if something goes wrong. But more than that, I'm excited. Happy. I don't think I could do this without you, though."

I kissed her knuckles again. "That is the nature of procreation, I'm afraid."

Aurora rolled her eyes. "It's like you were born to be a dad. The closer you get to having a baby in your arms, the worse the dad jokes get."

"By the time our kid's in high school, I intend to have fully scarred them for life with my awkward humor."

"You're on the right path." She smiled, and rays of sunbeams glowed right under her skin. "I'm happy, Brendon."

I leaned in close, brushing my lips over hers. "Hi Happy, I'm Dad."

Many hours later, I walked into the waiting room to find a small crowd waiting for me. There were enough flowers, balloons, and teddy bears to decorate a children's birthday party.

"Hey, everyone," I said, catching their attention.

Nobody looked at my face, though. They were all too distracted by the little bundle in my arms. I didn't blame them.

"I have someone I want you to meet."

Amy was the first to rush over to me, gazing thoughtfully into the face of the most beautiful little lady in the world.

"This is Fiona," I said.

"Oh, Brendon..." Amy cooed, staring with wide eyes at the gurgling little girl. "She's perfect."

I looked down at my baby, smiling. "She is, isn't she?" I chuckled. "She takes after her mother."

Chapter 34

Aurora

It wasn't a long drive, but it felt like the longest one of my life. Leaving New York and heading back to the town I grew up in felt like abandoning my safety blanket and stepping out into a lightning storm. I was more nervous than I likely should have been, but with good reason.

Though my mom had mercifully attended my wedding—I would have been crushed if she'd declined the invitation—I hadn't seen her since. And hell, I didn't see her much at the wedding, either. She'd accepted my new life, but that didn’t mean she respected it yet. I got the feeling that we still had a few repairs to make to our bridge and I hoped that this visit would help do that.

"Stop stressing," Brendon chided.

I glanced over at him, arms crossed. "I'll stress if I want."

"It won't help."

"You don't know that."

"I do know that," he said, taking his eyes from the road just long enough to trap me in his judicious gaze. "I also know you, and I know that you're prone to spiraling which I think we can all agree is not good for you."

I sighed and turned in my seat, staring into the back of the car. Fiona was sleeping soundly in her car seat. Her tiny face was all squished up and wrinkled beneath her shock of red hair, and I indulged the urge to reach back and stroke my finger over her cheek. She was as soft as cashmere.

"How's she doing back there?" Brendon asked.

"Sleeping like...well, like a baby." I turned back to the front and watched as we passed by the sign welcoming us to Bridgefield. I turned to look back at Fiona again, staring for some time before Brendon finally questioned me.

"Whatcha doin' there?"

I laughed. "I just can't stop staring at her. She's so beautiful."

"I know how you feel." The look he gave me was equal parts love and lust, and even after all this time I still blushed like a teenager.

I twisted back to front again. We were getting close to my mom's place now. She was expecting us, so I knew that turning around and heading back into the city wasn't an option. Not that Brendon would let me do that, anyway.

"What are you so worried about?" he asked. "I'm going to be there. Fiona's going to be there. Your mom's going to be way too distracted by the world's cutest baby to harp on you about your life choices. We're past all that."

"I know, I know." I sighed. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

I brushed my hands awkwardly over my jeans and looked down at them. "It's just that... you've never been here before. I haven't been back since I first left. I think I'm just worried that my perfect life is in a bubble, and something about this place is going to be the thing that pops it."

"That's ridiculous, baby." Brendon snatched my hand out of his lap and squeezed it. His warm fingers easily eclipsed mine. I loved how big his hands were.

"Our life in New York does not exist in a bubble. It's not something you can just pop like that. It's real. It's every bit as concrete as the sidewalks, and even if this place somehow managed to put a crack in it—which it won’t—cracks can be filled."

I leaned back against the headrest and watched as we turned down my mom's street. We passed the house that she suggested I buy with Nolan, and a shudder worked through me.

"You're right." I managed a smile, even though my trepidation still lingered under the surface. "Let's do this."

Brendon parked and retrieved Fiona's car seat while I checked my face in the mirror and stepped out of the car. He met me at the bottom of the driveway and grabbed my hand.

"I'm excited," he said as we walked up. "I've always wondered about where you grew up. I think this is a good thing."

His enthusiasm was almost catching. It made me feel better about my whole bubble hypothesis.

I knocked on the front door, wondering how awkward this was going to be. I'd been dreading it for days.

The door swung open to reveal my mother's smiling face. This shocked me a little because, not only was she smiling, but it was a genuine, honest-to-God smile. No trace of sourness, no hint of contempt. She looked twenty years younger.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, wrapping me in a tight hug before I could even process what was happening. "I was beginning to think you got lost on your way back home."

A few months ago, that comment would have been a dig. Now it was clearly a jest.

"We were a little late setting off," I explained, pulling back from the hug. "Fiona was being fussy."

Mom waved me off. "No worries, darling. Babies are always fussy, even when they grow into adults!" She turned to Brendon and gave him a kiss on the cheek and a much lighter hug than I'd received before dropping into a squat to Fiona's level.

"Oh, she's just so beautiful," Mom cooed. "I feel so incredibly lucky. Come on in, come on in."

She disappeared into the house and Brendon and I followed. My anxiety slowly began to lessen, leaving space for warm nostalgia as I sucked in the familiar floral smell of the house. Mom liked to have fresh flowers at all times, and her current beau was keeping her up to her neck in them, I observed as I walked into the living room.

Mom ushered us onto the couch and took our drink orders. I was just glad I could drink wine again.

The smile she gave me as she passed me my wine made me feel like all the bad blood between us had never existed. That feeling was accompanied by a glorious rush of relief as I realized that I'd been worrying myself sick for no reason. Everything was going to be okay, just like Brendon said.

For the first few minutes, Mom sat in front of Fiona and stroked her tiny hand while she asked me questions about how things went at the hospital. She told me the story of my birth, and we laughed at some of the parallels—including both the dads being completely clueless and running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

"I was not clueless," Brendon defended.

"Not about the process of birth, darling," Mom said, touching him on the arm. "About how to deal with a woman in labor."

I laughed. "At one point, he whipped out a stress ball like he thought it was the holy grail. I threw it at his head."

Brendon took on a pained expression, but I saw the amusement in his eyes nonetheless. Plus, I knew he'd gladly be flogged in the streets if it meant I improved my relationship with my mother. As somebody who came from such a large, close-knit family, it distressed him to see me so estranged from my only living parent.

Another glass of wine and the conversation changed to encompass Bridgefield life. Not much had changed since I left, but Mom wanted to make sure I didn't miss a thing. She told me about the refurbishment at Fred’s Fishing Hole, and how she recently spotted a man with a man-bun on the street.

"It's beginning to feel very cosmopolitan," she said proudly, though I knew she would hate it if it ever did get that way.

"Nolan's got a new girlfriend." There was no antagonistic edge to her voice like there usually was when she talked about my ex-boyfriend. Then again, maybe it was just that I no longer heard it that way. Maybe some of the issues we had to get over were my problem as well. Imagine that.

"Oh yeah?" I asked. "And what's she like?"

Mom rolled her eyes. "She's a piece of work. Thinks she's Kim Kardashian, or whoever the young women are idolizing these days. Nolan struts her around town like she's some sort of trophy, even though I can't think of a single person here who'd go near her with a ten-foot pole." she clucked her tongue. "He's clearly still bitter about your break up."

I expected this to make me feel some sort of malicious glee, but it didn't. I just felt kind of bad for him. Everything that was wrong with his life he obviously brought on himself, but I still considered myself to be extremely fortunate to have had things work out for me the way they had. I hoped that one day Nolan would find that kind of happiness too.

"How's the job going?" she asked.

I ignored the fact that she still referred to what I did as "the job" in a way that clearly demonstrated she did not understand it. The fact that she was asking about it in general and with a positive tone was good.

"Well I'm on maternity leave now," I told her, "but Brendon and I have some big plans for when I'm back."

Brendon's eyes lit up. "We're planning on opening a couple new stores in the new year," he said. "Aurora's designs have given the company an excellent boost in sales and exposure. Our stock is at the highest it's ever been."

"That's wonderful news," Mom said, nodding. "Simply wonderful."

There was no sarcasm.

We stayed overnight in Bridgefield's only hotel, even though my mom insisted we stay with her. I didn't want to crowd her too much, and I also wanted to leave on a positive note. I'd take these happy memories with me back to New York, and maybe next time I came for a visit I wouldn't dread it so much.

Next time we came for a visit, though, we were definitely staying at one of the nicer hotels a town or two over. The Bridgefield Inn was hardly a fleabag, but I'd apparently gotten accustomed to a much higher standard of comfort.

"It's certainly no Fox Regent," Brendon commented in a light tone as we stepped into the suite.

I dragged my eyes from the garish wall decor to the old-as-nails TV balanced on the far wall, then to the godawful drapes. I tried to imagine any of Calypso's girls agreeing to work in a room like this and couldn't.

"You were the one who wanted to stay the night." I ribbed him in the side.

Brendon laughed. "Hey, we had a good night, didn't we?"

We had, so I didn't argue any more with him. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his torso and lowered my face against his chest.

"Being back here is so strange for me," I said, voice muffled by his shirt. "I remember living here, but it was like it was another life. It feels more like I'm remembering a dream than anything else."

Brendon's arms wrapped around me and he lowered his lips to my forehead. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

I shrugged. "Neither, I suppose. Just a thing. And you know what else?"

"What?"

I pulled back to look at him, smiling when I saw the look of pure adoration on his face.

"You were right. Coming here was a good idea."

Brendon's eyebrows shot up and he grinned. "I was, was I?"

"Don't get too cocky." I made a show of rolling my eyes. "You know it looks too good on you."

He dropped his voice to a husky whisper. "Maybe that's why I do it."

"You do it because you're insufferable."

"Impossible." Brendon kissed me, just a brief but loving peck. "You're living proof that I am, indeed, very sufferable."

What could I say? He was.

Epilogue

Five Years Later…

The back of my neck prickled with sweat, and my breaths were coming heavy and fast. I panted and called out, "Stop!" Then I rested my hands on my hands on my hips and tried to look as relaxed as possible while I waited for the two troublemakers ahead of me to come to a halt.

Fiona stopped first. She was always the best at listening to directions, which was something Brendon tried to take credit for but was clearly my doing. Jude, the little shit, made a show of zigzagging around lamp posts with his arms flung out like he was an airplane before coming to a screeching halt in front of me. Fiona, seeing that her cousin had abandoned their game, came toddling over to my side.

"What did I say about running?" I asked in a stern voice.

Fiona had the good sense to look at least a little ashamed. Jude grinned, and rather than seeing his father in his features, for a second I caught a glance of his uncle. Not Brendon, either—Keilan. Lord help us all if he turned out like Keilan.

"We just wanted to go look at the ride," Jude offered.

Brendon, Avery, and Morgana finally caught up with us. I'd taken off running after the kids the second Jude grabbed Fiona's hand and made a break for it.

"Jude," Avery said, voice even more stern than mine.

Apparently just saying his name was enough to force an apology from the little brat. Then again, Jude idolized his dad so it wasn't much of a surprise.

"Sorry, Auntie Aurora," he said with mock sincerity that was almost believable.

I couldn't stay mad at him. "Don't do it again." I ruffled his hair and socked him on the ear playfully. "I'll send Brendon after you next time."

Julian didn't act like this in public normally. He and Aurora were both still dizzy with the excitement of the theme park, and I understood completely. Disneyland was an exciting place. It was my second visit too and I was nearly as jazzed up as the kids.

Brendon wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pressed a kiss into the top of my head. "Next time, let me go after them," he said, just low enough for me to hear.

I laughed. "Sorry. I went into panicked mother mode."

He chuckled, taking Fiona's hand when she reached for him.

It was a picture-perfect scene, even if I could never get Fiona's fiery hair to lie straight and Jude constantly had some sort of dirt or food on his face. I swear, Morgana spent half of her day cleaning him up. She had a never-ending supply of wet wipes in her purse and an indefatigable dedication to her child's cleanliness.

"I'm going to need to sit down soon," Morgana groaned. "Gosh, my feet are swollen."

I glanced at her pregnant belly and a twinge of jealousy hit me straight in the gut. Things had been crazy with Lock Knocks since we started expanding, and now we were the highest grossing children's store on the continent. We even opened our first store in Europe at the beginning of the year, but now things were beginning to slow down. Thankfully. I loved my job, even when it was crazy like it had been for the past couple of years, but I was ready to settle more into family life.

"I'll sit with you," I offered. "I've been feeling run down all day."

Morgana smiled and I took her arm while the men corralled our children and headed over toward the ride they'd been ogling.

"What's got you run down?" she asked.

We sat down on the bench and she let out a long sigh, rubbing the top of her belly.

"I don't know," I said. "I guess I've just been busy with work and Fiona and all that, and it's started taking a toll. I’m almost constantly sleepy."

"Huh." She nodded thoughtfully. "And when was your last period?"

I swiveled my head to look at her. She wore a smirk Mona Lisa would have been jealous of.

"I'm not pregnant," I said, muttering afterward, "Much as I'd like to be."

"I wouldn't be so sure," she said. "These Ralston babies are tiring. I don't know about your first pregnancy, but the first sign I had for both of mine was that I was too bone tried to do anything for the first month or so." She shrugged. "Just thought it was worth asking."

I stared out toward the lineup that Brendon and the kids were in. He saw me looking and gave me a jovial wave. I waved back.

"We haven't been trying," I said.

Morgana grinned. "You weren't trying the first time either."

"True, but what are the chances?"

She sighed and tilted her face up to the sunlight, eyes closed and a dreamy expression on her face.

"I could calculate the odds for you if you want, but I'm way too pregnant and grumpy to speculate without a calculator and some stats."

I accepted her answer and we lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Could I be pregnant? I was late this month, which was unusual, and I had been—as Morgana stated—bone tired. Maybe it was possible.

My heart leapt at the thought, and I couldn't keep the smile from my face. I didn't want to get my hopes up too high, but even if I wasn't pregnant at least I knew that I wanted to be.

The gang came back from the ride, chatting excitedly and raring to go to the next attraction. Morgana and I, under the guise of needing to run back to the hotel to grab something, slipped off to the pharmacy just outside the park's gates.

Hours later, the sky filled with light. Starbursts of brilliant color, red and green and blue and gold, cascaded from the heavens like thousands of shimmering diamonds. The kids were entranced, their little faces turned to the sky in wonder. Fiona held one of my hands in a tight grip, and was likely squeezing her dad’s hand just as much.

I looked over at Brendon, at the color splashing over his face. The music swelled in the background and I sensed the finale wasn’t far off. I tugged Fiona in front of me and wrapped my arms around her shoulders while I cozied up next to my husband. He wrapped his arm around my waist and held me close, pressing a brief kiss against my hair.

“Hey baby?” I asked.

I worried he might not hear me over the music and thunderous explosions, but Brendon tilted his face down to look into my eyes. His lips curled lazily and he pecked the tip of my nose.

“Yes, baby?”

A particularly vibrant firework burst into thousands of sizzling white lights that dripped like water droplets down the horizon, highlighting his face in shadow. My pulse thrummed in my throat.

“We’ve had a great life together, but there’s one moment we’ve never had that I’ve always wanted.”

“And what moment is that?”

“The moment where I tell you I’m pregnant and you lose your mind with happiness.”

He straightened. “Baby…”

I couldn’t hold back any more. The smile burst from my face like sunbeams and my eyes prickled with happy tears. “I’m pregnant.”

And, as the sky continued to explode overhead, the man of my dreams lost his damn mind. Just like I hoped he would.