TWO DAYS LATER, Pepper woke to the quiet snore of her husband. She tried to go back to sleep, but it didn’t matter what she did, she couldn’t get him to stop snoring. She rolled over and wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling his back to her front and kissing his shoulder. “Time to wake up.”
“What? Is it?” he grumbled. “It’s still dark outside. What time is it?”
She raised her head to look at the clock. “Four.”
“In the morning?” He turned to face her with a frown. “We don’t have to be up for hours.”
“Maybe, but you woke me and now I’m bored.”
He chuckled. “What am I supposed to do about that?”
“I have several ideas,” she said.
“I’m all ears.”
Connall’s mouth covered hers and she melted into him. He pushed her gently onto her back, dragging her panties down and throwing them aside, then climbing up her body, kissing as he went. He pushed her T-shirt off as he moved north. She arched as he drew a nipple into his mouth and slid a hand between her legs, thumbing her clit. “Connall,” she breathed out.
“Open, love.”
Pepper dropped her knees so he could have better access and he slid three fingers inside of her, gently biting down on her nipple. She mewed, her breath coming in pants as he sped up his hand between her legs. “Connall.”
His hand slipped out of her and she whimpered, but she needn’t have been concerned, because his mouth replaced his thumb and his fingers slid back inside of her. Pepper cried out as her orgasm hit and her knees closed against his head still between her legs.
“Oh, sorry.”
Connall chuckled, kissing her gently and pushing off the bed. He removed his clothes and even in her climax-induced haze, she was transfixed by his body. He was hard and his cock was just as impressive as his body. She licked her lips, suddenly wanting him in her mouth, so she sat up and scooted off the bed, kneeling in front of him.
Cradling his cock in her hand and kissing the tip, she took as much of him as she could in her mouth. God, he was big.
“Pepper,” he whispered.
She groaned and continued to suck as she pumped his shaft with one hand and cradled his balls with the other. She knew she was giving him what he needed when he fisted his hands into her hair and his hips began to move. She couldn’t stop a smile as he fucked her mouth, her a willing participant, holding on when he told her he was going to come. He warned her again, but she grabbed his ass and squeezed.
“Fuck!” he said with a groan as he came.
She waited until his cock stopped pulsing before giving one more suck and releasing him. Before she could relish in her newly found skill, she was lifted and dropped back on the bed; her knees bent and Connall was sliding into her slowly.
“Baby,” she whispered.
He kissed her and his tongue swept against hers as he surged into her.
She arched her hips, drawing him further in. “Yes,” she breathed out.
Guiding her hands above her head, Connall held them there with one hand, sliding his other to her breast. As he rolled her nipple between his fingers, he kissed her deeply, slamming into her over and over again.
Pepper cried out his name as she came, trying to drag her hands from their prison to touch him, but he held firm and didn’t release her until he came inside of her, eliciting yet another orgasm from her. Connall gathered her in his arms and held her for several minutes as they caught their breath.
Since Pepper’s ideas had led to no possible chance of either of them falling back to sleep, Connall suggested they leave their bed around five.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I thought we could go for an early morning ride. Catch the sunrise?”
“That sounds interesting.”
“I bet Jonesy’s dying to get out of his stall,” Connall said as he made his way to the bathroom.
Pepper sat up. “I get to ride Jonesy?”
“Only if you get your cute arse out of bed,” he called.
Pepper jumped from the mattress with lightning speed. “Where are my boots?” she asked.
Connall reentered the bedroom with a grin. “In the closet.”
“Which is?”
He pointed to the door on the far right of the bed. Pepper pulled it open. What met her eyes was something out of a movie. “Whose clothes are these?”
“Yours.”
She faced him. “Shut up. What?”
“Sam organized a little surprise for you. If there’s anything you don’t like, we’ll return it.” Connall grinned and led her farther into the closet. “You have three pairs of long boots here, along with two pairs of ankle boots. Here’s your riding gear.” He pushed open another door. “And in here are all my favorites.”
Pepper followed him inside and laughed. “I feel like I just walked into Victoria’s Secret.”
“I can’t wait to see you in everything… and am even more eager to see you out of everything.”
“I can’t wait to have some fun.” She looped her hands around his neck. “There better be a naughty nurse costume in there somewhere.”
Connall kissed her. “That was the first thing I personally purchased.”
“Well done.” She grinned and pushed him away. “But you need to stop distracting me.”
“Yes. Sorry. I’ll call Ahearn and have him saddle the horses.”
“Oh, don’t wake the poor man. I’m sure we can do that.”
“He’s typically awake by four, love. He’ll be happy to do it.”
Pepper smiled. “I’m going to be very spoiled by the time you’re finished with me, you realize that, right? You’ll create a monster you won’t be able to control.”
He laughed. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”
Pepper took a few minutes to sift through the new clothes. She found her old clothes, but sadly, those took up less than an eighth of the closet and looked highly out of place amongst the expensive fabrics so lovingly hung on the rods.
She found her favorite jodhpurs, worn yes, but perfectly acceptable for a morning ride. Her old beat-up boots had been cleaned to gleaming and it would appear, newly polished as well. They were sitting next to a brand-new pair made from the softest leather she’d ever felt. Deciding on her old standards, she forced them on and sighed with pleasure. There was nothing better than a well-worn pair of boots.
She found two vests similar to what Sam had worn the day they went riding together. She grabbed one and put it on and then left the wardrobe of fun and headed for the bathroom to braid her hair.
“Och, love, you’re adorable,” Connall said as he stepped up behind her and kissed the back of her neck.
She secured her braid and turned to face him. He wore soft jeans and a black, long-sleeved T-shirt. “Where are your boots?”
“In the mudroom.” He kissed her quickly. “Let’s eat and then we can head on over to the stables.”
“Lead the way.”
Pepper followed Connall downstairs and into the kitchen. Helen had been given a few weeks off to convalesce and her daughter had offered to fill in, however, not until the beginning of the following week, which meant Pepper could get acquainted with the kitchen.
“We could get someone from Kade’s staff to fill in, you know,” Connall said as Pepper went about making coffee.
“Totally not necessary,” she said. “I’m perfectly capable of cooking for us, and I think you should learn some basics as well.”
“I’m good, thank you.”
Pepper giggled. “You might be a prince—”
“Might be?”
“Well, you’re certainly the prince of my heart, but you need to slum it a bit.”
He leaned over the island. “Slum it? Really?”
“Yep. I’m going to teach you how to cook.”
Connall grinned. “I’m all for that, love… just not today. Let’s grab a pastry or something and chase the sunrise.”
She clapped her hands. “Okay. Let’s go.”
They found bagels in the pantry and cream cheese in the fridge—something Connall had obviously requested for her benefit—and headed out to the stables. The thermostat on the wall of the barn said eight degrees, but Pepper felt perfectly comfortable in her long-sleeved shirt and vest. Jonesy went a little crazy when she arrived, like a puppy happy to see his master, and Connall suggested they lunge him a bit to get him warmed up.
As Pepper worked her horse, Connall took a call and when he hung up, he joined her in the middle of the circle Jonesy was creating as he warmed up.
“Yer mum’s arrived and has been settled into the rehab center about ten minutes from here.”
Pepper smiled. “When can I see her?”
“Not for a couple of weeks. The doctors want to evaluate her, but don’t worry, Kade’s overseeing them.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He insisted.”
Pepper felt the prick of tears. “Thank you.”
“Hey, no crying, love. This is a good thing. Yer mum can join us for Christmas if she follows the rules. Maybe getting her out of her normal surroundings will give her the boost she needs.”
Pepper nodded. “These are tears of relief. I promise.”
“Good. Let’s go, hmm?”
“Yes.”
* * *
Two weeks later, after a surprisingly pleasant visit with her mother, Pepper left the rehab center with Connall. They were headed to the castle for a family weekend, and she was excited to see Sam first for a few hours of retail therapy. They hadn’t seen each other since Pepper and Connall had returned home.
Connall drove them to the beautiful downtown of Inverness, pulling up to one of the more popular shopping centers in the middle of town. He walked Pepper to where Sam and Kade stood outside one of the stores, Alasdair and two other equally large men not far away.
Pepper grinned and hugged Sam. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself,” Sam said.
“Ready to spend some money?”
“I’m always ready to spend some money,” Sam retorted.
They said their good-byes to Kade and Connall and headed toward Marks and Spencer. When they were out of earshot, Pepper glanced at Sam. “Did you bring it?”
“I did,” Sam said. “Let’s go.”
Sam led Pepper to the restrooms inside the store. She handed Pepper the pregnancy test and Pepper slipped into a stall. “If you’d told me I’d be taking a pregnancy test in the middle of a public bathroom, I’d call you crazy,” Pepper said.
Sam giggled. “Just hurry. I want to know if I’m going to be an aunty.”
Pepper finished up and set the wand on a paper towel while she washed her hands.
Sam opened her purse, pulled out a Zip-loc bag, and handed it to her. “So you can save the test.”
“Good thinking. Thanks!” Pepper dropped the test into the bag and zipped it closed. “I can’t believe this is even a possibility. It feels too fast.”
“Does it? I think it’s par for the course with you two.”
Pepper grinned. “Maybe you’re right.”
Sam’s alarm went off on her phone. “Okay, what does it say?”
Pepper stared at the test. “Two lines.”
Sam let out a squeal of excitement and hugged her. “You’re going to be a mom!”
Pepper felt the tears slip down her cheeks. “This is surreal. But I know exactly what I want to do right now.”
“Okay. Lead the way, best friend.”
Are you okay, sweetheart?
I’m great, baby, but can you please stay out of my head for a while? I have a surprise.
As you wish.
Thanks, Wesley. Your Princess Buttercup appreciates it.
Pepper spent the rest of their time shopping in somewhat of a blissful haze. She couldn’t wait to get home and present her surprise to Connall, but she was also a little nervous about his reaction. They hadn’t revisited the conversation of where the children would sleep, and she hoped they would find their way onto the same page.
Connall picked her up and they headed home to gather a few things in preparation for the family dinner later. Once in their bedroom, Connall set the bags on the bed, all but one. Pepper had hidden that one in her purse. “I have your surprise.”
He grinned. “Does it involve showering together?”
“Later,” she promised. “Sit down.”
He raised an eyebrow but did as she asked. Pepper handed him the gift bag and then sat next to him. He pulled the tissue paper out and then a pair of white baby shoes. He nestled them in the palm of his hand. “Baby shoes?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
His eyes widened. “Because we need baby shoes?”
She nodded. “We will. In about nine months.”
“Six.”
“What?”
“Gestation period for Cauld Anes is six months.”
Pepper clapped. “Ooh, even better!”
He dropped the shoes on the bed and stood, pulling her up with him. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her. She was surprised to feel wetness on his cheeks.
“Are those happy tears?” she asked.
“Absolutely. I can’t believe you’d think otherwise.”
“It’s just all happened so fast.”
He kissed her again. “I am amazed by you, Persephone Ester Gunnach. Daily. I love you.” He laid his hand on her belly. “And I know I’ll be amazed by our wee one as well.”
She laid her hand over his. “I cannot believe this is my life. Honestly. I couldn’t have imagined a more blessed one.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve been nauseous since we got home, but I thought you might have been dealing with some residual stress. I didn’t think of a baby,” he admitted.
“You noticed that?”
“I notice everything about you, love.”
“That is true.”
“Do you want to wait to tell the family, or let them know tonight?”
“I’m happy to tell them,” she said. “What would you like to do?”
“I want to shout it from the rooftops.”
“As you wish,” she said with a grin.
“Let’s take that shower, Wesley, and then we can head over to the castle.”
* * *
Pepper sat in the great hall of the Gunnach castle and smiled as her new family celebrated the future arrival of their baby. Connall linked his fingers with hers and leaned over to kiss her forehead. I love you, sweetheart.
I love you too.
As the family talked around her, she took stock of the past few weeks. With Jet and Kinnon both on their way to exile in Micronesia, the fear was now replaced with joy. Her mother was getting better and, with the new baby, her life was full and worry-free. Something she’d never experienced before.
She settled her hand on her belly and whispered to her baby as Connall pulled her closer. Life was just as it should be and she couldn’t have been happier.