Promises, Love and Baby Read online

  “But you already knew that, silly.”

  He laughed. “I know, but seeing it right there with my own eyes, the reality of it really hit me.”

  “It’s really happening, Jax,” I said with an eager nod, joining him in his excitement. As his contagious joy consumed me, I realized that I’d been holding in my own excitement about my pregnancy until then. For the last week or so, it’d been so hard to keep the news from Jackson. But because I wasn’t sure how he’d respond to the news, I hadn’t allowed myself to get too excited about the pregnancy.

  “I’m going to be a mommy!”

  “I’m going to be a daddy!”

  I beamed up at him as he pulled me into his arms. “Promise me something, Jax?”

  “Anything.” He lightly kissed the tip of my nose.

  “Promise me things will never change between us.”

  He wrapped his arms tighter around me and buried his face into my neck. He inhaled the scent of my hair and whispered in my ear, “Promise. That’s the easiest promise I could ever make.”

  I sank into his arms, feeling all the stress and anxiety I’d felt this past week quickly melt away. “I heard pregnant women can get pretty demanding,” I teased.

  He chuckled. “Bring it on, babe.” Then he looked at me, his expression more serious and sincere than moments ago. “If you need someone to pick up food for you when you get a craving in the middle of the night, I’ll be that delivery man. If you need to yell at someone when you’re upset and moody, I’ll be that punching bag. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’ll be that shoulder. For the next nine months, I’ll be at your beck and call.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” I said softly as I looked up at him.

  He leaned down and kissed me passionately, taking my breath away. When we finally came up for air from the kiss, he gazed into my eyes and for a moment, I felt the world stop around us.

  “Clo, I promise you,” he said as he pulled me deep into his embrace. “No matter what happens, we’re partners for life—just you and me.”

  That night, when we made love, Jackson was passionate and sweet, making me feel like I was the epicenter of his universe. Afterwards, I laid in his arms, our bodies intertwined, and I felt something that only Jackson had ever made me feel in my entire life: to be wanted, loved, and cherished like I was the only thing that mattered in his world. It was a feeling that I could never get tired of and it made me I feel like the luckiest person alive.

  As I drifted off to sleep, a tiny thought surfaced into my consciousness. Is this too good to be true? Could we always remain this happy? Is that too much to ask?

  Even after these past few years of unbelievable bliss together, sometimes I still had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn’t all just a dream. I couldn’t help but wonder if and when the other shoe would drop.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Jackson

  Three Months Later

  “Wake up, sleepyhead,” I whispered in her ear and kissed her warm cheek. She looked so angelic and beautiful as she slept, a part of me didn’t even want to wake her.

  “Mmm.” She tossed and turned away from me, causing the comforter that’d been hugging around her waist to fall down the far side of the bed. She hadn’t seemed to notice and she let out a deep, relaxed sigh and settled into her new position.

  “Today’s the big day,” I continued softly as I watched her resistance with a smile.

  “Just a few more minutes, babe,” she mumbled, her eyes still shut.

  “I made you some breakfast,” I cajoled, trying to tempt her awake.

  “You’re the best, babe, but I’m not hungry yet.” She let out a soft groan. “Give me…five…more…minutes,” her voice trailed off and she stirred briefly before quickly falling back to sleep.

  “Okay, five more minutes.” I whispered, knowing very well she probably hadn’t heard me.

  I smiled as I looked down at her. Besides the slow and steady rise and fall of her body as she took in each breath of air, she laid there in complete stillness and peace. The small, noticeable bump on her abdomen was getting bigger with each passing day, and as I thought about our child growing inside her, I felt a pull between us that was stronger than ever—it was a bond that could never be broken.

  A euphoric wave of contentment washed through me as my eyes took in her natural beauty, drinking in every inch of her. As my gaze moved along her body, I tried to memorize every loose strand of hair that cascaded down and framed her face, every tiny summer freckle along her smooth, silky skin that were close to disappearing for the winter, and every exposed curve of her beautiful body that never ceases to drive me crazy with desire.

  My eyes stopped and lingered at the inviting pout of her dewy, pink lips and I felt an intense mixture of love and desire course inside me. She looked sexy as hell. Then a new thought came to me. As my lips curled into a devious smile, I quietly placed the tray of food down on the bedside table before turning back to her fast asleep in the bed.

  “Clo, it’s been five minutes,” I said in a low voice.

  She shifted lightly in her sleep but didn’t wake up.

  “Looks like I’ll have to wake you up,” I said in a low, restrained voice as need coursed in anticipation inside me.

  I slowly crawled beneath the comforter, careful not to wake her. I gently found the bare flesh of her legs and gently spread them apart. Chloe liked to sleep in the nude, which always drove me wild with desire. As soon as I parted her legs, the wet heat of her womanhood radiated down toward my face, acting as a guidepost as I made my way up her legs, closing in on my final destination. As her intoxicating scent greeted my senses, my cock immediately hardened, aching for its union with its mate. I drew in a sharp ragged breath and tried to quiet my own desires to take her right there and then. This moment is all about her, not me.

  She didn’t resist as I slowly inched up between her legs, my lips leaving a trail of kisses—each one more hungry and urgent than the one before it—as I slowly and purposefully inched toward her opening. I inhaled her deeply when I was just an inch from her wetness and I felt myself starting to lose control.

  Moans escaped her lips as I started to lick her pussy, soft and slow at first, but faster and rougher with each passing second. She tasted incredible on my tongue, like fresh, unadulterated honey that only I had the privilege of tasting. As her moans became louder and more frantic, her body writhed under my mouth. I held her thighs down with my hands and greedily lapped her up like it was my last meal, sucking every drop of her juices that flowed out of her.

  Her hands found my head, her fingers wildly combed through my hair, urging me to keep going. I smiled to myself, knowing she was definitely awake now.

  Within minutes, she was arching her pelvis up against my mouth, her delirious and unsteady hands pulled my hair. I knew need had taken over—she was losing control and begging for her release. My rock-hard cock throbbed with desire, turned on by the power I had on her body. I began to circle her clit with my tongue and flicked across it in rapid succession. At the same time, I entered her pussy with two fingers and moved in and out of her. I knew from experience, she loved this move—it’d always got her to come, and come hard.

  It took no time before her moans turned into gasps and cries. “Oh god, Jax. D—don’t stop. I’m so—so close,” she managed to say through uneven breaths.

  Knowing she was close to her release, I slowed down. I wasn’t ready for her to come just yet. I wanted her to come harder than she’d ever come in my mouth. I also couldn’t hold back the hunger of being inside of her any longer. I held down her inner thigh and spread her legs even wider apart. Before she could even register what I was about to do next, I plunged my tongue deep into her pussy. She cried out in surprise, her back arched up in pleasure. I smirked in satisfaction as I saw her fingers grip the sheets so tightly, her knuckles went pale.

  Needing no more encouragement, I moved in and out of her in deep, purposeful strokes, my thumb drumming against her
clit. Her body squirmed and quivered in my mouth as I moved more violently inside of her, tasting and feeling her wet, satin interior pulse and tighten against my tongue. As her cries of pleasure grew louder, it was getting harder for me to think through my own desires that consumed my insides.

  “Jax,” she begged, “make love to me…I want you to come inside me. I want you to come with me.”

  “Oh god, Clo. You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that. Your body drives me crazy,” I groaned. I pulled down my boxers, and my cock sprang out, fully erect and in desperate need of its release.

  As soon as I climbed on top of Chloe, she grabbed my erection eagerly, guiding it deep inside her pussy. Her touch only fueled my insatiable hunger for her, causing me to plunge deep inside her with complete abandonment.

  “Oh god, baby. You’re so fucking tight and wet.” I threw my head back, unable to control my body from spasming in sheer pleasure as I felt her pussy clutch tightly around me.

  “You feel incredible,” she gasped, her words uneven as I pounded in and out of her. She ran her fingers down my back as she moved her body in time with my thrusts. Her nails dug into my back and I knew she was seconds from coming.

  “Come for me, baby,” I groaned as I moved deeper and faster inside her.

  As soon as her gasps went an octave higher and I felt her spasms around my erection, I knew she’d just reached her peak. Within seconds, I lost all self-control and as I entered her one last time, I found my own release, deep inside of her.

  ***

  As we laid in bed, both consumed by post-coital bliss, I held her in my arms, feeling grateful for having her in my life.

  “You make me happy, Clo,” I whispered.

  “I feel the same way.” Her voice was dreamy. She gently ran her fingers up and down the length of my arms.

  “I’m really excited about today.”

  “Me too.” She turned slightly to look up at me. There was a soft smile on her face. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

  After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again. “Do you have a preference with what we find out today?”

  “No. I just want our baby to be healthy. Do you?” I kissed her hair reassuringly.

  She shook her head. “I feel the same. I’m just excited to start decorating the nursery once we know.”

  I chuckled. “I see a shopping spree in your near future.”

  “You know me too well.” She giggled.

  “Well, I am your husband,” I teased.

  “Have you given any thought to possible names?”

  “Hmm, not yet. What about you?”

  “I haven’t either actually. What would you want to call our baby if it’s a boy?”

  “Well, let’s see,” I said, thinking out loud. “Maybe Joe? No. Steven? Hunter?”

  She turned and met my gaze with a smile. “I like the sound of Hunter.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “What if it’s a girl?” she continued.

  “Hmm. What about Mary? Or Sarah? Or maybe Jill? Those sound like names for girls who won’t break a father’s heart.”

  She laughed. “As hard as it might be to imagine, for once, this isn’t about you, Jax.”

  “It’s not?” I asked, trying to sound serious. “Well someone’s gotta watch out for my health. What would you do without me if I died of a broken heart because we decided to name our daughter Destiny?”

  She giggled. “You’re too much sometimes, Jax. And you know what?”

  “What?”

  “If it’s a girl, it won’t matter what her name is, because she’s totally going to have you wrapped around her fingers. I know you’re going to spoil her rotten.”

  I smiled. “Well if she’s anything like her mother, I’d be disappointed if she didn’t have that kind of control over me.”

  She slapped me playfully and laughed. “Well we’ll still need to make sure we take turns disciplining her or him.”

  “You’re right.” I smirked. “How about this? If it’s a boy, I’ll be the bad cop and you’ll be the good cop. If it’s a girl, you’ll be the bad cop and I’ll be the good cop?”

  She giggled at my suggestion and I didn’t need to see her face to know she was probably rolling her eyes at me. “Let me think about that.”

  We spent the next half hour eating the breakfast I’d brought up for her and talking excitedly about the possible sex of our baby and our trip to the doctor’s office later today.

  “Honey …” I began when I saw the time on my watch. I paused and drew in a breath. “So I have to go into work for a few hours this morning.” I knew she wouldn’t be happy hearing this news. I’d promised last week that I’d take the day off.

  “But I thought you took today off?” I could see some of the sparkle fade in her eyes and a tinge of guilt washed over me.

  “I had taken it off. I’m really sorry, babe,” I looked away and shifted uncomfortably. “But we just got a new client this past month and the CEO put me in charge of this new project with the client. It’s a huge project and if everything goes well, the success of this project will seal my promotion to VP.”

  She looked away and nodded before meeting my gaze again. “Okay. I understand.” She flashed me a small smile, but I could tell her heart wasn’t in it.

  “I’m really sorry, babe. I tried to reschedule this meeting so I could spend the entire day with you, but the client was only available today.” I got up and leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll be back with more than enough time for the doctor’s appointment this afternoon. Please don’t be upset with me.”

  “I’m not upset. I was just looking forward to spending some downtime with you today with no distractions.”

  I nodded. “I know. Trust me, I much prefer to do that than to go to work. I just want to try my best to get this promotion so I can make sure I can take care of you and our baby financially.” I searched her face for understanding. “I’m sorry.”

  She got up and wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. “I know you’re doing your best, babe. I can’t be upset at that. I’ll be okay. I think the hormones are making me a little more sensitive than normal. But I’ll be okay.”

  “Are you sure?” I felt guilty leaving her at that moment, but knew if I didn’t leave now, I’d be late for the meeting.

  She nodded. “It’s just a few hours. I’ll see you before the doctor’s appointment?”

  “Yeah, I should be home for lunch and we can leave after we eat.” I threw on my suit and grabbed a fresh tie from the closet.

  “Okay.”

  “You’re the best, Clo.” I kissed her one last time before heading for the front door. As I walked away from her, I felt the heaviness in my heart.

  She doesn’t need to know the whole truth, I tried to reason with myself. She’d be upset if she found out, and she shouldn’t be upset right now. That wouldn’t be good for the baby. Maybe she wouldn’t even want me to do this. But I needed to do this. These thoughts consumed me as I got into my car and drove off.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Chloe

  Nerves prickled my skin as I watched Jackson leave. I wasn't sure if it was my hormones getting the best of me, making me paranoid, and causing me to become insecure and full of doubt, but I felt unnerved. I wasn't sure why I felt this way, but I felt like he was hiding something from me. But what?

  I jumped in the shower and tried to push away these toxic thoughts. Since we got together and started dating, Jackson always loved me unconditionally. He’d never once done anything that caused me to question him during our relationship. So why am I questioning it now? Why am I trying to sabotage this amazing love I have with this man who loves me with all his heart?

  I thought back to the words Charlie told me a few years ago when Jackson and I had our first fight as boyfriend and girlfriend. “Chloe, remember that men are simple. If he tells you this is what he feels, then that’s how he feels. Don’t read into his words and overanalyze it. That�
�s when women and men’s different communication styles get them into trouble and cause fights. We didn’t mean Y when we said X. We mean X. It’s pretty simple.”

  “Jackson says he has to go into the office because of a big new client,” I said out loud. “Men are simple. I need to believe that that’s what Jackson’s doing.”

  But paranoia continued to scratch against my insides, and a crazy idea came to me.

  I stopped the shower and threw on my robe. I have to do this now or it’ll be too late. I found my cell phone on my bedside table. I unlocked it and dialed the number. I knew I was being crazy. I knew Jackson would be upset if he knew I was doing this, if he knew that I didn't trust him this much. But I need to do this to silence the noise in my head.

  I paced back and forth as I waited for someone to pick up.

  “Mr. Pierce’s office,” a middle-aged woman’s voice answered.

  “Carol?” I whispered, which I knew didn’t make sense—no one else was in the house to hear me. “It’s Chloe.”

  “Oh hi, Chloe. It’s so nice to hear from you. Congratulations on the baby! I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since Jackson mentioned it to me a few months ago. Jeez, I can’t believe it’s been this long since we’ve talked.”

  “Thanks, Carol. I’m actually in a hurry.” I felt guilty rushing her. She was a sweet lady and had always been nice to me. But this wasn’t the time to talk. I wanted to get off the phone before Jackson arrived at the office.

  “Oh? I’m sorry, hun. Here I am, running my mouth again. Now, how can I help you? Did you need to talk to Jackson? He hasn’t gotten in yet, but I suspect he should be in any minute now—his meeting’s about to start in fifteen minutes.”

  Thanking Carol silently for providing me with the segue into my question. “No, I didn’t need to talk to Jackson. I just wanted to…uh…plan a surprise for him. Yes, a surprise. And, well, that’s why I’m calling right now, because I know he’s still on his way into the office.”

  “Aww, you two lovebirds. I’m happy to help. Let me pull up his calendar. What do you need to know?”