The Final Chapter
They moved into their new place the following day. It was small, but much nicer than the rundown apartment. There were hardwood floors and a giant kitchen. The moment Rita stepped into the house she gasped, remembering the weird dreams she had during the beginning of her pregnancy. As she looked down, she recognized the grooves and knots of the wood as the ones from her dreams. She could hardly believe it.
She nearly lost her footing as her legs turned into Jell-O. It seemed like everything was finally turning around and that her life could finally start anew. She leaned against the wall, her mind swimming, forcing her to close her eyes. The dream replayed in her mind.
She was walking around this very home. Her steps were soft and silent as she padded along the hardwood floor, avoiding the creaky areas as if she had lived there all her whole life. As she entered the living room, she found no one there. In the corner was a one-eyed bear, one she now recognized as Eliza’s. In the opposite corner was a large dog bed, covered in small tufts of fur. She looked around, under coffee tables and behind couches, but could not find anyone.
Suddenly, the sound of laughter filled her mind. Her head snapped in the direction of the kitchen. She paused, tilting her head towards the sound as if it would allow her to hear better. The laughter came again. The bubbly joy of a laughing infant. Following the sweet melody, she tip-toed her way to the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible.
As she turned the bend into her new kitchen, she froze in place, her whole body saturated with glee at the scene in front of her. Leaning against the counter was Axel, standing there shirtless. His godlike chest and stomach full of abs were on full display. His toned muscles were kissed by the sun. His face was covered in splotches of grease, but in his arms was the most breathtaking sight she had ever seen.
In his arms was a beautiful baby boy. He had dark skin and striking, blue eyes. His plump cheeks begged to be pinched and his chubby legs dared to be kissed. A smile spread across Rita’s face as she looked at her lover and child together in a picturesque scene. Her heart melted.
“Rita?” Axel’s voice broke her out of the dream-like state and she looked up at him, a dazed expression on her face. It suddenly seemed odd to see him without the baby boy in his arms. She nearly whimpered, feeling like her child had been ripped away from her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She smiled, finally moving away from the wall. “Before I knew that I was pregnant…I kept having these dreams. I would see these hardwood floors, hear laughter, and then feel someone hug my legs. Now…I know what those dreams meant,” she whispered, still a little shocked that she was experiencing her dream in real life. It was an oddly pleasant sensation of déjà vu.
“What are you talking about?”
“This is where the dream took place. This very house,” Rita explained.
“Have you been here before?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know it was here?” Axel asked in confusion.
“I can feel it.” She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“What for?” he asked, tilting his head.
“Everything.”
***
Three weeks later, Rita was in their new living room, reading a book while Eliza enjoyed the newfound luxury of cable television. They only had four channels, but luckily one of them showed cartoons and Eliza found herself enthralled by the bright colors and dopey characters.
As a commercial came on, the front door opened as Axel used his new key to enter his home. It felt good to live at a place where they weren’t worried about people breaking into their home at any moment. He felt safe and secure in their new place. Things were starting to look up.
They were still living from paycheck to paycheck, since rent drained them of most of their resources, but they at least had enough money to have a steady supply of food on the table and even some extra to get cable service. Axel smiled as he saw his two favorite girls in the living room together. He walked up to Rita and kissed her on the cheek as his fingers made their way through her soft hair.
“Afternoon,” he greeted them.
His clothes were filthy from his day at work, but Rita didn’t mind. She was just glad he was back home.
Everyday tasks were becoming more difficult for Rita as she came closer and closer to term. She was only days away from her due date, which meant that the baby could come at any time. She was always in a state of high alert.
She pulled herself out of her chair and stepped into the kitchen with her hand pressed into the small of her back, in order to stabilize her posture. In the kitchen, she turned on their electric kettle and waited for the water to boil. Walking over to the refrigerator, she took out a few pieces of bread and popped them into the toaster. Next, she grabbed some organic jam and waited patiently for the bread to pop out.
While she waited, she felt an acute feeling in her stomach and moments later, there was a wet sensation making its way down her legs. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped as she realized what was happening. A small puddle formed under her feet as she tried to move away from the counter, but her body was frozen.
“Axel!” she called out, seeing nothing else she could do.
At the call of his name, he came bounding into the room. When he noticed the water gathered at her feet, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.
“Is the baby coming?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer.
“Yes…” Rita gasped as she clung onto the counter.
From the corner of her vision, she could see Eliza peeking into the room, trying to figure out what all the commotion was about.
Axel spotted her, too. “Quick, Liza go get the baby bag. I need to help Rita into the car,” he commanded, his voice now strict as his mind focused on the task at hand.
He gently held onto his lover with his hands resting on her elbows, helping her out of the house and toward his car. He had a new car now. After the Jaguar incident, his old car wasn’t worth salvaging. He had bought a new one on a loan and was now slowly paying it back. It wasn’t anything fancy, but anytime he could, he upgraded it with spare pieces he found at work.
“Are you okay?” he asked Rita, noticing the beads of sweat on her skin.
She nodded, but her breaths were ragged as she felt contractions roll through her body, making her breathe out in discomfort.
“Yeah…” she finally answered when she was settled into the seat.
Moments later, Eliza came back with the baby bag, handing it to her big brother who placed it in the back seat. Eliza stood there, looking at the couple. She seemed at a loss as Spot stood by her side, just as confused.
“I can’t go, can I?” Eliza asked.
“No. Sorry. We will be back soon. Don’t leave the house, okay?” Axel warned before he got in the driver’s seat and drove away.
Eliza watched them leave as her heartbeat quickened, knowing that the next time she saw them, she would meet her new nephew or niece. She was excited.
***
The hospital was chaotic as they made their way through the door. At this point, Rita was having contractions pretty frequently and she was having a hard time standing. When the nurses saw she was in labor, they quickly helped her get into a wheelchair and rolled her to one of the rooms. There, they started to prepare her, getting her onto the bed.
Axel watched, a little dazed as his skin turned pale. He didn’t know if he would be able to witness this. He felt his stomach do somersaults in his belly as he thought about meeting his child for the very first time. His heart raced and his body glistened with sweat as he tried to compose himself under the circumstances.
“Are you nervous?” Rita asked him.
Her skin was taut as she watched every move the doctors made. Her fingers twitched and she clung to the sheets as her toes curled. She tried to stay positive even as a powerful contraction made her gasp for air.
Axel’s eyes grew wide when he noticed that and rushed to her side, holding her hand. “It’s okay…I’m here for you,” he whispered softly as he leaned forward, kissing her cheek.
“Are you nervous?” she asked again.
“N…no…” he stammered after a moment.
“Are you lying?”
“Maybe…” His cheeks turned red as she exposed his bluff.
“Don’t worry, it will be all over soon,” Rita reassured as she rested her hand on his, giving it a squeeze.
***
It was indeed all over before they knew it. Axel had soaked through his shirt during the process, but it was all worth it. With his new son, Nolan, in his arms, it felt like everything was right in the world. He smiled down at his child, wrapped up in a blanket, his small head covered with a blue cap.
“I can’t believe it…” he whispered as he peered into the baby’s sleeping face. His body swelled with pride as he realized his new position as a father.
“He’s beautiful isn’t he?” Rita asked.
Her hair was soaked to her skull. Giving birth to Nolan was a hard and arduous process and she was relieved that it was now all over. She smiled as she saw Axel and Nolan together, just as she had seen them in her daydream. Everything seemed perfect.
As she thought about this, Axel walked over to the bed and sat down on its edge. He then slowly handed the baby to his mother. Nolan woke up, his bright blue eyes peering out into the world with newfound curiosity. His soft voice sounded as he whimpered hungrily.
Axel quickly grabbed his bottle and handed it to Rita who placed it to his lips, feeding him. Axel was a little disappointed when Rita was unable to produce breast milk to feed Nolan naturally, but with new advances in formula, bottled milk was almost as good as a mother’s milk. Plus, Nolan seemed to like it as he suckled onto the bottle’s nipple with ease. Nolan’s parents watched him completely mesmerized by what they had managed to bring into the world.
“Eliza is going to love him,” Rita whispered gently, caressing her son’s plump cheek.
“She’s going to be a great aunt.” Axel chuckled, already picturing it.
***
The following day, Axel parked in front of his house. He could see the glow of the TV through the window. He smiled to himself and, moments later, Eliza’s head appeared between the window blinds as she glanced outside. When she recognized her brother’s car, she came rushing.
She ran toward the car with Spot running beside her. She stopped and eagerly waited. She was dying to meet the baby. Slowly, Axel unlatched the baby seat from the back of his car and held it in his hands as Eliza peered down at her nephew.
“He’s so cute!” she cooed. “Can I hold him?” she asked, shifting her weight from foot to foot in her excitement.
“When we get inside,” Rita assured her as she stepped out of the car. She was still tired, but was slowly recovering her energy.
“Okay!” Eliza chimed and ran back into the house.
Axel and Rita looked at each other and chuckled at her enthusiasm.
“I told you she’d like him.”
“I didn’t doubt it,” Axel replied.
Together, they walked hand in hand up the walkway and into the house. Gently, Axel set the baby seat down in the middle of the living room. Nolan had woken up during the transition from car to house and was now quietly observing his surroundings with a curious expression. Axel picked him up, making sure to stabilize his head before looking around for his sister.
She was already standing by his side, waiting for directions.
“Go sit down in the loveseat and then I’ll place him in your arms, okay? You have to be really careful with him, though. He’s just a baby,” Axel warned as he watched Eliza clamber up into the seat and sit there with open arms. Rita appeared behind her, fixing her posture and the bend of her arms, in order to facilitate things.
When the young girl was ready, Axel placed the newborn infant in her arms. Nolan looked up at her curiously but didn’t make a sound. He seemed to almost smile. Eliza looked completely elated as it happened, her smile ear-to-ear.
“What’s his name?” Eliza finally asked as she looked up.
As her head shot up, one of her long braids fell over her shoulder. Nolan noticed this and his tiny hand reached out, grabbing for it. He was about to put it in his mouth when Axel interfered.
“No, no, baby. Hair doesn’t go into your mouth. You cannot eat your auntie’s hair,” he reprimanded his son in a soft voice as Eliza giggled.
“He can’t understand you,” she explained as if she knew more about babies than her brother.
“How do you know that?” he asked.
“I just do.” She grinned.
“Smarty pants,” he teased his sister, but then Nolan started to get fussy. Axel picked him up and started to rock him. Rita was already ready with a bottle. She handed it to Axel, who worked on feeding his child. Even though he was a little awkward at first, he quickly got the hang of it.
“Rita,” Eliza called out to her, once the baby was more or less settled in his father’s arms.
Rita turned in her direction and tilted her head in question. “Hmm?” she voiced, wondering what the little girl might want.
“Something came for you in the mail,” she said before jumping off the love seat and running into the kitchen.
“Oh?” Rita followed the girl to the kitchen, where there was a pile of unopened mail. “When did this come in?” she asked.
“Yesterday.” Eliza looked through the pile until she came across a beige colored envelope. She handed it to Rita.
Rita nearly dropped it when she saw who the sender was. Poetic Foundation. Her heart skipped a beat as she pressed her fingers into the envelope. There was but one piece of paper inside. She knew this was either her rejection or approval for the manuscript she sent in weeks ago. She bit the inside of her lip as her heart began to beat a mile a minute in her chest. She couldn’t believe they had responded so quickly.
Gulping, she grabbed a knife and tore through the seal. With bated breath, she pulled out the crisp, white piece of paper. It was thick. Cardstock. She allowed herself to feel the soft material against her fingertips before she unfolded it and began to read.
Dear Miss Green,
It is our pleasure to inform you of your acceptance into the Poetic Foundation. We are glad to have you as a member of our organization. Your heart-wrenching poems and simplistic artwork were awe inspiring to us. We value your creativity and uniqueness. We expect many great things from you, Miss Green.
One of our agents will contact you sometime next week to finalize the details of your proposed book, “Caged Bird”. We look forward to working with you and wish you the best of luck in all future endeavors.
The letter was signed by the founder himself in a scribbled signature she could barely make out. Regardless, she was completely ecstatic. Somehow, her poems had been good enough to get her into the Foundation. She couldn’t be happier. Her hands shook, the piece of paper wavering in her grasp.
“What does it say?” Eliza asked curiously.
“You remember how you told me I should write a book? Well, I did and I sent it in so these people could look at it. Now, they are going to turn it into a legitimate book,” she explained, her face painted with a bright smile.
“Does that mean I get to read your poems now?” Eliza asked innocently.
“Of course. And you get to see your own drawings in there too.”
“What do you mean?” Eliza tilted her head.
“Well, I placed your drawings in my book, so it’s like you’re my personal illustrator.” Rita’s voice took a higher pitch as she grew even more excited.
“Wow! That’s so cool!” Eliza chimed as she jumped up and down. “When do we get to see the book?”
“It might take some time; they have to make it first.”
“What’s all the commotion in here?” Axel came into the room, with Nolan fast asleep in his arms. “You two look overly happy, what did I miss?”
“Rita wrote a book!” Eliza blurted out.
Rita felt herself blush as her cheeks burned. She couldn’t believe that her dreams were turning into a reality. First, she had given birth to a beautiful baby boy and now, she was the author of a soon to be published poetry book. Life was finally looking up for her. She smiled to herself and pulled her family into a deep embrace as she felt her heart swell.
They stayed like this for quite some time as minutes turned into eons. Rita didn’t want to let go, but eventually a whiff of something foul stunk up the kitchen. Everyone backed away from Axel who was still holding the baby. He looked horrified. Rita couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“I’ll save you this one time, but only because I love you.”
*
Five years later, Rita was laying in her king-sized bed with a smile on her face. She could hear Axel brushing his teeth in the bathroom as she stared at the ceiling.
“I can’t believe it,” she whispered to herself. She sat up and looked down at her hands. On her left hand a bright, golden wedding ring decorated her finger.
She sighed in satisfaction and looked around her bedroom, decorated with pictures of their wedding and family. Her furniture was all new and matching. The walls were freshly painted. Everything looked perfect.
While she was in this dream-like state, Axel walked back into the room.
“Are the kids asleep?” he asked.
Rita nodded before pulling her husband into bed.
“Fast asleep.” She giggled before she managed to pin him down. “You know…I’ve been thinking…It might be time for baby number two.”
There was a sly grin on Rita’s lips as she looked into Axel’s impossibly rugged face. Her hands moved across his sharp jawbone as her head leaned down and kissed his powerful neck, her teeth nibbling on his flesh.
His hands rested on her hips as he pulled her away until their eyes locked. “You mean it? You want another baby?” He sounded a little hesitant.
“Why not? We’re in a pretty good place right now. With my third book about to be published and your body shop booming, we are in a good position financially to have another baby. Are you worried about something?” Rita went back to kissing his neck, trying to get him in the mood as she pressed her body into his.
Axel slowly ran his hands over her body as he peered down into her beautiful eyes. Biting his lip, he contemplated the offer. Did he want to have another child with Rita? With his heart throbbing in his chest, he leaned over, letting his love for her take control as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his hands on her hips.
“Are you sure you want another baby? I mean, Nolan is almost in pre-school,” Axel reminded her as if this would somehow change her mind.
“That’s exactly why I want another baby. I’ll be all alone soon, with him at school and Eliza is growing up so fast,” Rita whispered as she allowed her lips to move further down his neck.
“Mmm…” Axel murmured as this happened. A moment later, he felt her nimble fingers pulling at his shirt until she finally tugged it off of his body, throwing it to the side. “Let’s make a baby.” He grinned, suddenly flipping them over until he pinned Rita to the bed.
Rita giggled, her hands running up and down his bare chest. Slowly, Axel leaned down and pulled her shirt off. He then worked on her pajama bottoms, pulling them down until he was resting between her legs. He looked up at her with an innocent look on his face before giving her a dirty grin, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her panties and pulling them down bit by bit. When her pussy was exposed, he leaned down, allowing his tongue to brush up against the sensitive flesh, pulling her thighs apart.
“Axel…” Rita moaned softly as she tried to get his attention.
He looked up at her and in that moment, she took her chance and flipped them over. In an instant, she straddled him, a devious look on her face as her dark eyes sparkled with lust.
As she leaned over, Axel could see how hard her nipples were. She was obviously very excited as she slowly ground her hips into his, trying to arouse him. It worked. His dick throbbed, jumping against her thigh as he tried to restrain himself, to let her be in control for the night.
“What are you doing?” he murmured, a pleased look on his face. He loved it when she got like this. It was always so damn sexy.
“Just sit back and enjoy the ride,” she whispered before she leaned down and gently kissed his neck once again, letting her hot breath caress against his skin. She could almost feel his blood pulsating through his veins as his excitement grew. He was starting to feel light-headed by now as all of his blood rushed to his cock, which just grew harder with each passing minute.
Rita took one more moment to tease him as her crotch rubbed against him. In a flourish, she worked to undress him completely. When she finally looked down at his raging cock, she grinned.
“You know, you aren’t the only one who can go on a joy ride.” Her face broke out into a dirty grin as she started to rub her wet, soaking pussy against him.
Axel groaned in response as his hands rested on her hips. “Let’s go for a spin then,” he urged.
With that, Rita positioned herself over his cock and slowly, inch by inch, lowered herself onto him until she was completely impaled.
They moaned loudly, their sounds of pleasure mixing together in harmony. Rita ran her hands over Axel’s chest, her fingers finding their way to his nipples, giving them a slight twist as she started to bounce up and down on his dick. Her slick walls rubbed against his veiny cock until they were both moaning even louder, their bodies tense with lust as friction developed between their legs.
As their arousal grew, they picked up the pace, going faster and faster until Rita’s juices were sloshing out, nearly dripping onto the bed. The couple, however, didn’t care. She didn’t want to stop as her fingers dug into his chest. Axel’s grip on her hips tightened as he forced her to go up and down at a breakneck pace.
“Fuck!” Rita screamed, arching her back as her small breasts vigorously bounced up and down.
“Shh…you’ll wake the kids,” Axel warned as he grabbed her by the nape and pulled her down until their lips smashed together.
His tongue effortlessly forced its way into her mouth, tangling with hers. She moaned softly as she pressed her body into his, her hard nipples rubbing against his chest, driving her insane.
She moaned louder, the sound muffled by the kiss as they continued to desperately fuck each other. Soon enough, it was too much for Rita to handle. She howled in pleasure, her head tilting back and her eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head as she felt herself losing control to one of the best orgasms she had had in a very long time.
As Axel felt his wife’s body quiver on his dick, his balls tightened in response. He could feel her slick pussy walls tightened around him, feeling silky smooth. He groaned, trying to hold back his impending orgasm, but soon enough it was impossible. With a loud grunt, he released the contents of his balls, deep inside her.
Rita collapsed on top of him as it happened, her whole body going limp with excitement. She blushed deeply, her head on his chest, listening to his deafening heartbeat. A smile spread on her face as she closed her eyes, wondering if tonight had been enough to give her another baby.
***
Splash! The sound of Nolan jumping into the pool, followed by Spot and Eliza, echoed through the backyard. Nolan was already six years old. He had on little floaties on his arms as he paddled his way to Eliza, who was treading water on the deep end.
“They grow up so fast, don’t they?” A gruff voice broke the silence.
“Well, maybe that’s because you’re hardly ever around, Dad,” Rita interjected, taking a sip of her drink. She glared at her father. “If you hadn’t kicked me out six years ago, maybe you would have witnessed the birth of your grandson.”
“I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“Only after I called you a million times. And when that failed, I had to send Carolyn to go knock some sense into you.”
“You could have come as well,” he pointed out.
“I knew how you were going to react. You were in your born-again Christian phase. Overly religious and whatnot. I would’ve never been able to get through to you. I’m so glad you dropped that.” Rita sighed as she laid back in her lawn chair, soaking up the sun.
“Well, when you’re a lawyer and end up defending some awful individuals, you tend to start questioning if there even is a God,” he pointed out.
“Would anyone like a burger?” Axel asked as he held out a plateful.
Rita smiled at him. She could still remember the times when they were struggling to get food, but now they never went hungry. With this thought in mind, she grabbed one, taking a big bite out of it.
“What are you two talking about? You look so serious.” Axel offered his in-law a friendly smile.
“Rita has yet to forgive me for kicking her out,” her father answered nonchalantly.
“Well…”
Rita shot Axel a glare before he could say anything. She had just patched things up with her father, the last thing she needed were more hostilities between them.
“The party has arrived!” With a loud bang, the screen door slammed shut and Carolyn seemed to materialize out of nowhere. She had a large smile on her face as she snatched her best friend’s drink from her hand.
“Hey! I was drinking that,” Rita said grumpily.
“Well, now I am.”
“You’re a doctor now, shouldn’t you be watching what you drink?” Rita asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend, who sported quite a few white hairs in her otherwise jet black hair, the aftermath of a stressful education.
“Nonsense, a little alcohol is good for you. Trust me, I’m a doctor.” She winked at Rita, who just rolled her eyes. “So, no new little one?” she asked, tilting her head and seeing Rita’s impossibly flat stomach.
Rita sighed a bit and looked down at herself. Her stomach was flat and toned, a result of plenty of time spent in the gym with Axel. They were currently training for a marathon to help the homeless.
“Nope.”
“Aren’t you trying?”
“Nah.”
“What do you mean?” Carolyn asked in confusion before she sat down, looking out at the yard where Eliza and Nolan were playing together, happy as they could be.
“We aren’t trying. We are just having sex and whatever happens, happens.” Rita shrugged.
“I don’t want to listen to this.” Rita’s father groaned as he got up and ventured into the house, where he knew all the deserts were hiding.
“You better not touch the cake, Dad!” Rita called out as she suddenly got up, following him. As she got inside, she looked at her father who stood there with a smile on his face. “What are you doing?”
“I just wanted to say that I’m proud of you honey,” he whispered.
“Huh?”
“It was hard for me to kick you out all those years ago, but I did it for your benefit. You had your life too easy and sometimes, you need to be knocked down in order to get back up again, stronger than before.”
“When did you turn into some sort of wisdom guru?” Rita asked, crossing her arms over her chest and rolling her eyes.
“Well, look where you are now. You have a beautiful son. A great house. And you are an accomplished poet. If I kept spoiling you, I don’t think things would’ve turned out the same,” he explained.
“So you put me through hell in hopes that everything would turn out okay?” Rita asked, a little irritated.
“It worked out in the end, didn’t it?”
Rita thought back to everything she had gone through from the moment she found out she was pregnant. The fear. The threat of homelessness. The courage it took her to tell Axel the truth. All the nights she went to bed hungry, only to make sure that Eliza had enough food on her plate. All of these things ran through her mind as she stood there, staring at her father, the man who had kicked her out at a time when she thought she needed him the most.
But as it turned out, she didn’t need him at all. She had managed to stand up for herself and make it through the toughest of times. Maybe her father was right. Sometimes it took fighting through hard times to reach something better.
{{**}}
Dear Bad Boy Lover,
Thanks so much for reading this novel and I really hope you are enjoying this series.
The other books in the “Bad Boys In Bed” series are listed below, go collect them all :-D
(This One!)
Stay beautiful
Kendra x x
Stay beautiful
Kendra x x