They’d been home for hours, and Belle had gone and laid down to rest. She passed out almost instantly, and Greyson left her to work in his office. He was tempted to call Dr. Higgins, but he knew the woman would tell him he was being paranoid—again—and that Belle just needed to sleep like most pregnant women did. He wondered why that woman tolerated him after all his phone calls behind Belle’s back. If she found out how much he talked to her doctor, she’d really lose it.

He focused on work, picking up where Belle left off for the day, but his mind wandered to what the next six months would bring. How he was going to be a good dad, he hadn’t the faintest idea. Richard had not been a great example, even if Sally claimed he had loved his children. Greyson never saw it, never felt it. Would he be the same to his kid? The idea of causing Belle pain made him sick, but hurting an innocent child with a careless word? Not showing up for a school play? Berating him for failing a test?

“You’re not that man,” he told himself firmly and glared at a picture of the family on the far wall. “You’ll never be that man.”

Deciding work could wait, he stood and meandered into the kitchen, debating what to fix for dinner. Chinese takeout was off the menu, and he opened the freezer, peering in to figure out what to cook, but he didn’t see anything and finally closed the door. He was about to pour a whiskey to settle his nerves and silence the fears when he heard a harsh intake of breath from the hall. Frowning, he quietly padded barefoot through the house, following the sound of crying to the guest room Belle had used when she’d first stayed with him. When he entered the room, he found her sitting on the floor, holding a pillow to her chest, staring around the space.

“What are you doing… What’s wrong?” he asked and rushed to her side.

“A nursery,” she gasped between her cries, tears streaming down her cheeks. “We don’t even have a nursery. Or a crib or diapers or blankets… We don’t have anything for this… this baby! We’re not ready—I’m not ready!”

Greyson stared around the room. “We have six months. Plenty of time.”

“No it’s not! It won’t be. This baby’s going to come, and we’re not going to be ready,” she cried, shaking her head frantically.

He watched her, worried he’d lost his fiery Belle, but she was in there somewhere. He reached down and pulled the pillow from her arms then took her hands in his. “Come on,” he said and pulled her gently to her feet.

“Where are we going?” she asked as he picked her up in his arms.

“We are getting you away from this room for a while,” he grumbled and carried her back into their bedroom, but he didn’t stop at the bed. “You need to relax. We both do.”

“You’re not freaking out,” she accused, tugging on his shirt.

“You wanna bet?” he asked as he reached the tub and set her on her feet. “I’ve been freaking out since Mom suggested it, and when you showed me the stick you peed on, my heart fell to the floor. I’m pretty sure I’m still dragging it around somewhere.” He lifted her chin and kissed her lips, a sweet caress he wanted to explore further as the storm grew within his chest from being so near her. “I have no idea how to be a dad. No idea what’s going to happen.”

He wiped away the tears on her cheeks. “You’re really not ready either?”

He laughed and nodded. “Not even close, pet. I never thought anyone could knock the wind out of me, but here you are, doing it twice in so little time.”

“Twice?” She watched him as he turned the water on in the tub and reached for a bottle of blue bubble bath. “Why twice?”

“First, when you appeared outside my office,” he told her, pouring the bubbles into the steaming hot water and swirling them around with his hand. “Seeing you there with your ice-blue eyes watching me, so filled with excitement and a fire burning inside you even then, I knew you would be trouble. I just never realized how much trouble,” he added with a smirk.

She grinned, and he relaxed as the tension left her shoulders. “And the second?”

He set the bubbles down and stood in front of her, his fingers running down her bare arms until she shivered and her eyes slid closed. “The second when I realized I loved you, no matter how much of a pain-in-the-ass you are.” He pulled up her t-shirt, revealing her full breasts nearly spilling out of a bra she wouldn’t be able to wear for much longer. Below them was the delicate baby bump he couldn’t get enough of. Knowing his child was growing inside her did something to Greyson, ignited a primal instinct inside him he never thought he’d experience.

His hands cupped the baby bump, holding it as awe washed over him again. Part of him was still in a state of disbelief that he and Belle had created a human, a tiny little thing growing inside her. The other part swelled with pride at the idea that he would finally have a family he could love. Belle’s hands closed over his, and when his eyes met hers, he saw her smiling face glowing with her pregnancy and leaned in and kissed her. Their lips met and lightning shot through his body, stirring the storm inside his chest until his hands slipped around to bring her in closer. His tongue danced with hers, stroking it as he explored the depths of her mouth… never ending, it seemed, no matter how many times he kissed her. She moaned, and he swallowed the sound, letting it fill him as her hands gripped his arms before tugging at his shirt.

The sound of running water dragged him away only for a second to check the tub’s water level and quickly turn off the faucets before he flooded the bathroom. Belle dragged his mouth back to hers, kissing him hotly as her hands yanked his shirt up and over his head, tossing it aside. She ran her fingers over his muscles, outlining each one with perfect precision as his skin trembled at her touch. Last night, she’d driven him to ecstasy with her mouth, and just the subtle reminder of it as she sucked his tongue had him grinding his hips against hers and kissing her fiercely, wanting to devour his Belle.

Greyson’s mouth slipped to her earlobe, sucking on it hard until she gasped while his hands reached for the clasp of her bra and unhooked it. She sighed at the release, and her bra was quickly replaced by his hands, cupping her mounds and running his thumbs over her ever-hardening nipples.

She squirmed, and when he lowered his head, his beard brushing between the swells of flesh, her hands pressed him closer as she sighed. He kissed the tender skin, leaving a trail to her nipple. His lips parted, and he clamped them around the hardened point, making her cry out instantly, and her hands tugged at his hair. It hadn’t taken him long to realize just how sensitive her nipples had become since she was pregnant, and he relished every second of it.

His tongue circled the pink skin, hardening the nipple even more in his mouth, and she cursed him as she drew him closer, her back arching until her baby bump pressed against his stomach. A thrill shot to his groin, and his mouth came free with a pop before going straight to her other nipple, loving the sweet taste of her skin and the cinnamon smell of her body. When her breathing grew raspy, he freed her nipple from the confines of his mouth and kissed each swell of her breast before moving lower to her stomach, taking time to admire her belly as he sank to his knees before her. His fingers making quick work of her jeans, he tugged them down over her full hips, shoved them to the floor, and before she had a chance to step out of them, he buried his face in her luscious garden.

“Greyson,” she gasped, and her nails dug into the bare skin of his shoulders, pushing him even closer to the edge, his jeans an irritant on his swollen erection threatening to rip free. “What… oh, Lord,” she whispered, and he chuckled.

His hands held her hips, and his tongue circled her clit before he nipped it gently with his teeth, tugging it and teasing the bundle of nerves until her whole body shook with desire. She cried for him, and as he tasted her sweet nectar, his gut clenched and the beast of a man inside of him roared to life, demanding to hear her scream his name. Carefully, he wrapped one arm around her waist while his other helped clear her jeans and panties from her ankles. He maneuvered her towards the tub and sat her on the edge. Her brow furrowed, her lips parted on an unasked question, but he simply placed his hands on her knees and poured all his desire into his gaze.

“Spread your legs for me, pet,” he growled.

Belle sucked in a breath, her eyes never leaving his, and her knees fell apart. Greyson’s hands slid against the tender skin as he shifted closer, one arm snaking up around her waist to hold her steady while his other spread her swollen lips begging for his touch. He ran his fingers along their length, teasing her until she whimpered. Lowering his mouth, he licked up the length of her and groaned with want when she cried out, begging him for more without a single word.

His tongue slipped inside her easily, gliding along her wetness. Her hand gripped his head as he penetrated her over and over again, licking and sucking on her as hard as she had on him last night. His finger moved to slip inside her, and his mouth closed on her clit, ravishing it mercilessly as his fingers stretched and twisted. They plunged into her, slow at first, torturous, searching for that one spot he knew would drive her over the edge into ecstasy. When her inner muscles clenched, he pulled back, and she growled at the loss of his touch until his fingers massaged her inner thigh, his lips leaving kisses along her hip. Then he drove his fingers back inside her, and she moaned, his thumb pressing against her clit hard until she cried out louder, her legs falling open wider and nearly driving him to come as she clenched his fingers tightly. He held her as she rode the waves of the storm he started, her beauty staggering as she let go and the orgasm rocked her from her head to her toes curling on the tile floor.

When she sagged in his arms, he found her lips with his and kissed her slowly, letting his tongue caress her lips. Her fingers fumbled for his jeans, and he helped her undo them. She tugged the zipper down and shoved at his jeans and boxers, her hunger obvious in her touch and her kisses sucking hard on his tongue.

He stood and kicked his pants to the side, revealing his engorged length. Her eyes landed on it, narrowing with want as she licked her lips. The storm intensified within his body as he picked her up and set her feet down in the steaming water. He followed, stepping in beside her, and sank to the bottom. Belle lowered herself over him, straddling his thighs in the large tub, rubbing herself along his length until he gripped her hips and ground his teeth.

“You’re not the only one who can tease,” she whispered.

Greyson shifted and pressed his tip against her sheath, wanting desperately to be buried within her depths. Just that bit of contact left him reeling with a fierce desire to possess her again. Belle leaned in, her breasts pushing into his chest, and lowered herself onto him. His burning erection parted her, and when she seated herself firmly in his lap, they both shivered, holding each other close as she adjusted to his size. He swelled within her, unable to control the passion flooding his body every time she was near, every time she touched him.

After they realized she was pregnant, he worried about sex with Belle, if they’d still be able to do it, but Doctor Higgins assured them that until she said to stop they could continue their sex life. Greyson had breathed a sigh of relief. Six months without this incredible sensation overwhelming his body would be unbearable.

He held her hips steady, lifting her enough so he could thrust within her, slowly and sensually, filling her inch by inch. He held her gaze as he did it again and again, his control quickly disappearing with each new entry into her depths. The satin glide of her flesh against his sensitive length pushed him over the edge, and when she moaned, Greyson lost his steady rhythm and the bear emerged, driving into her. She kissed him hotly, their tongues warring as he claimed her body and soul, branding himself into her, on her, around her. He would never love another as he did Belle. It was impossible. He swelled to the point of bursting, and with one final thrust home, he groaned as she cried out against his mouth. Their bodies held each other as the storm passed over them, forcing them together as he filled her with his hot seed. He stayed within her for a long moment afterwards as their breath mingled with the steam from the tub, the water no longer hot.

“Damn,” she whispered and laughed quietly against his neck. “I think I’m relaxed now.”

“Good,” he said and kissed the top of her head. “I think we need more hot water.”

“Yeah… yeah, we do,” she said and leaned back. “And I have to pee.”

He rolled his eyes but quickly closed them on a groan when she lifted her body free of him. He wanted to drag her back down and fill her again, but he needed a rest, and from the look on her face as she quickly and carefully stepped out of the tub, she really had to pee. He laughed, watching her tiptoe to the water closet and close the door, but not before she stuck her tongue out at him.

Greyson turned the hot water back on and filled the tub up, using his arm to swirl the water around. The bubbles had mostly gone, too, so he added more, his body enjoying a few lingering moments of the orgasm. With Belle, every time was new and exciting, driving him further over the edge. Sex with her was never just sex. Hearing her cry out his name, her moaning, feeling her body quiver at his touch, drove him on harder to bring her to come and watch her face as she did so. The door opened again, and Belle slipped into the hot water with a sigh as he turned the faucet off.

“I could do this every night,” she mused as Greyson shifted her so she rested against his chest.

His hands found her belly under the water and caressed it sweetly, kissing her shoulder. “I’m sure I can arrange that if you want.”

They fell silent, letting the bubbles float around them in the water, and Greyson thought Belle had slipped back into sleep, but she shifted and leaned to the side to see him. “You really think we can do this? That we’re ready?”

“I don’t know,” he said honestly, and she frowned. “We won’t know until it happens, but I don’t think we’ll ever officially be ready for this. New territory for both of us, remember?”

“You’re failing at making me feel better,” she muttered.

“What I do know,” he went on firmly, “is that no matter what happens next, or how crazy we drive each other, we’re in this together. I’ll never leave you, Belle, and I’ll do my best to do right by you and our baby. Always.”

She leaned against him and smiled. “I believe you. I just… I just wish I had something to work with here, you know? I feel like I’m floundering, and I don’t like floundering. I don’t like not being prepared. I can’t make a plan for this.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to,” he said and hugged her closer. “We’ll make it.”

“How do you know?” she asked quietly, and he heard the fear in her voice, a strange sound he never thought he would hear from her.

“Because you survived for twenty-two years doing what you had to do to make it,” he said firmly. “You made it and you’ll keep making it, but this time, you’ll have help. You’ll have a family.” He choked on the last word and coughed, trying to clear his throat. Tell her, you idiot, before she finds out! He coughed again, and she glanced over her shoulder at him.

“What’s going on with you?” she asked and moved through the water to sit at the other end of the tub.

He shook his head, coughing one more time. “Nothing.”

“You’re so full of shit,” she said and splashed him with the bath water. “Seriously, what are you hiding from me? And don’t tell me you’re not. Your lip’s doing that thing.”

His hand shot up to his mouth. “What thing? I don’t have a thing.”

“Yeah, you do. Your lip curls at the corner when you’re lying,” she said and nibbled her lip. “Just tell me, please? Whatever you’ve got, I can take it. Nothing can be as bad as Aiden.”

Greyson cringed as guilt filled his chest for a second before his mind flashed to the last time he saw Aiden—on her ass, holding her hand to her face after Belle had punched her. The guilt faded, and he studied Belle closely, noting the bags under her eyes even though she’d slept for a few hours.

“I’ll make you a deal,” he said. She sank lower in the water with a groan, but didn’t say anything. “You tell me about the dreams keeping you up at night, and I’ll tell you what I know.”

“Know about what?” she asked perking up.

“Deal or no deal,” he stated and crossed his arms over his chest.

Belle’s toes tickled his leg hairs under the water, and she screwed her lips to the side in thought before she nodded. “How much do you want to know?”

His hands swirled through the water, sending bubbles her way. “Everything.”

“Well, that’s too long of a story, and we don’t have enough bubbles,” she said. Her gaze lowered, and he caught her hands going to her belly, running over the bump below the water. “I keep dreaming about my time in foster care… flashbacks to when I was almost adopted… to when I searched for my parents…” She trailed off and smiled bitterly at him. “I keep waking up with the feeling that someone is out there looking for me, and I’m never going to find them. It’ll be like the last time and the time before that, and it’ll never end.”

Greyson ran a wet hand over his face and wanted to kick himself for being an ass. She was going to murder him when he told her. “There’s something I’ve been keeping from you—and before I tell you and you get all pissed at me, I’m trying to protect you… just in case.”

She sat up, her eyes glued to his. “In case of what? What’s going on?”

He blew out a breath and rambled, “Someone called the other night, said he was your older brother, Brent.”

Belle’s face went completely blank, and her mouth fell open in surprise. Greyson waited for her to yell at him, but she stayed quiet. Unusually quiet.

“Belle, I—” he started, but she held up her hand to stop him.

“He… he just called… for no reason?” she asked on a breath.

Greyson nodded stiffly, hoping she wouldn’t pry too much but that was too much to wish for.

“How long ago? How the hell did he find you?”

He wished he could be anywhere else besides under her fiery gaze as he said, “A month ago… The night you found out you were pregnant. He said he lives in California and heard about someone asking for a Belle Hall.”

“A month,” she repeated calmly. “You knew for a month someone was looking for me, and you didn’t say anything.”

“Yes,” he sighed. “I’ve been checking up on him, wanted to make sure he was legit before you met him in case he wasn’t… I didn’t want you to go through that pain, not again.”

She nodded slowly, but her calmness worried him. He found her hand in the water and pulled her towards him, holding her shoulders as he waited for her gaze to find his.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I wanted to be sure.”

“And are you?” she asked, this time with an edge to her voice, but whether anger or worry he couldn’t decide. “Is he… is he really my brother?”

“I’ve only talked to him on the phone, and from what I can find, there’s a chance he is.”

Again, she nodded, looking at the water lapping between their bodies. “I think I need a moment alone,” she said and started to rise, but he kept his hands on her shoulders.

“No. You stay and relax. I’ll get out,” he insisted and stood. He was about to step over, hating himself for thinking it was a good idea to keep it from her, when her hand reached out and snagged his. “Belle?”

“I love you,” she said earnestly as her eyes narrowed. “I love you for trying to protect me, but don’t think I’m not pissed you kept it from me.”

He smiled. “I know, and I’m sorry, really.”

“Does he sound nice?”

Greyson turned back and sat on the edge of the tub. She hadn’t released his hand. “Do you want to talk to him and see for yourself?”

She shook her head hard, sending her hair flying. “No, not yet. I don’t know,” she muttered.

“There’s no rush,” he assured her. “You don’t even have to meet him if you don’t want to.”

“How many times have you talked to him?”

He shrugged. “Just a couple… Okay, he does call me once a week, asking for you.” Her eyes widened, and he sighed. “This is why I didn’t tell you yet. You’re stressing out enough with the baby to add a long lost relative to your plate who may or may not be for real.” He clenched his jaw, still waiting for Belle’s explosion, but instead, she laughed.

“Figures, when my life is finally looking up, another bombshell gets dropped.”

“Might not be as bad as you think,” he said. “Just relax for a while and think it over. I’ll figure out what to do for dinner, and no, we’re not having Chinese again,” he said quickly when she opened her mouth. She shut it promptly and glared at him. “Glare all you want. You’re eating something semi-healthy for a change.”

“Chicken’s healthy,” she mumbled with a pout.

He laughed sharply. “Not the way you eat it, it’s not.” He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked towards the bathroom door. He should’ve been relieved she wasn’t angrier at him about it, but when he glanced back, worry knotted in his chest at the fear in her eyes—fear of finding her family and learning the truth, or fear of it being another lie, Greyson couldn’t tell. His hand gripped the doorframe hard until his knuckles turned white and he forced himself to walk away and give her space. Maybe a shopping trip this weekend with his mom and sisters would help her figure out what to do next.

Brent sounded sincere when he’d spoken with Greyson, ecstatic to finally find his little sister, but it raised so many questions—like where he’d been all these years and why he hadn’t tried looking for her, for any member of her family.

Greyson slipped into his jeans and t-shirt, tugging it down hard as his thoughts drifted. If this guy thought he could just appear in Belle’s life and everything would be perfect, he had another thing coming. He’d have to go through Greyson first.