The frame and mounting was awesome.
The cell phone wasn’t that attractive.
I adored it.
Adored it.
My eyes dropped to the sparkling band glittering on my finger that Knight slid there last night.
I smiled huge.
Then I walked out, took the elevator down to the garage, walked to my shiny Mercedes and got in. Then I buckled up, pulled out my phone, started my car and drove out.
When I hit the street, I grabbed my phone and found Knight.
Two rings then, “Babe.”
“I’m in my car on the way.”
“Right. See you soon.”
“Okay, honey.”
Disconnect.
I drove to the club and slid in behind Knight’s Aston Martin.
The sign on the wall in the alley by my car said, Space Restricted – Ms. Gage
It hit me then that Knight was never going to give me his name. But, in doing so, I’d never lose the one my mother and father gave me. All I had left of them except memories would always be with me.
And when it hit me, it hit me sweet.
I bit my smiling lip, got out and Kurt was there.
“Hey, honey,” I greeted, moving out of the door he moved toward to close.
“Yo,” he grunted.
I again bit my smiling lip.
Kurt. Seriously. He said practically nothing. Still, I found him hilariously funny.
He put a hand light on the small of my back and guided me to the backdoor.
We walked through and I headed to the door of the stairs leading to Knight’s office. I felt Kurt’s presence leave without a word. As was Kurt’s way, the job was done, he moved on. He liked me, this I knew because Knight told me not because Kurt showed me.
Hernando, the security guy at Knight’s door, smiled at me as he opened it.
“Hey, Anya.”
“Hey, Hern,” I muttered, rolled up on my toes and touched my lips to his cheek. I rolled back and caught his eye. “Is Knight up there?”
“Yup.”
Goodie.
I grinned at Hern, walked through the door and started up the steps.
The club sounds muted as the door closed behind me and my happy mood suddenly slid clean out of me.
Knight was up there. His ring was on my finger. The wide, brushed gold band I’d gone out that day to buy him was in my bag.
And I had to tell him my secret. Time was sliding by. He’d done something beautiful for me and would expect me to snap out of the quiet, reflective mood I’d been in and if I didn’t, he’d wonder. Then he’d get impatient when I didn’t share.
I needed to share.
I stood outside his door with my hand on the knob, my eyes to my hand.
I had to do this now.
Face his anger, discuss and, God, God, maybe yield.
I turned the knob and walked in.
He was standing at his window wearing a dark suit and a wine red shirt, both looked great on him as usual, and the instant I walked in, his eyes cut to me.
“Gotta do somethin’ about that bitch.”
Damn.
God, Sandrine.
I heard the door close behind me as I took a few steps in and stopped.
“What’s she doing now?” I asked.
“Pissin’ me off.”
Oh boy.
“Knight –”
“Have words with her, Anya.”
I drew in breath and nodded.
“When you go down, I’ll call Kurt. You, Viv and Kurt get her ass in a taxi. It takes her home and she goes out again, that’s on her. She comes back here, babe, she drinks easy and she doesn’t piss me off. She’s got one more shot. Then she’s not in my club again.”
“Okay,” I agreed.
He studied me.
“Been two hours, babe,” he declared, this being the amount of time we’d been apart and I knew he was not happy I was standing across the room and not close, giving him a kiss.
“Do you remember the flu I had a few of months ago?” I blurted.
His head jerked and his eyes narrowed. I understood this. What I’d blurted made no sense. Also, he wanted me close and he wanted my kiss. I never denied this. Ever. Because I wanted both too. And he also very rarely had to ask for it since I very usually just gave it to him.
“What?” he asked.
“Remember that flu that knocked me for a loop a few of months ago? You know, when I was in bed for forever and –?”
“I remember.”
I pressed my lips together and rolled them.
“Anya –”
“I was so sick, I missed taking my birth control pills,” I whispered.
His body went visibly solid.
Oh boy.
Okay, all right.
Right.
“I told you,” I kept whispering. “And we used condoms for a while. One, um… must have broken or, uh… something…”
I trailed off.
Knight didn’t move, his eyes burning into me, his face impassive.
Not a good sign.
I kept whispering, my eyes glued to him. “I’m pregnant.”
He moved not a muscle and said not a word and he did this for a long time.
Even I could barely hear my voice when I said quietly, “I want to keep it, Knight. And I want that badly.”
Knight gave me nothing.
I wanted to close my eyes, cry, beg.
I wanted this baby. His baby. I wasn’t expecting it. We’d never discussed children.
But I wanted it.
Like I said…
Badly.
“I think I’ve known for a while,” I shared quietly and carefully. “But I took a home pregnancy test um… a bit ago. Then to confirm I went to the doctor Monday. I’m ten weeks.”
Knight didn’t move.
“Honey.” My voice was shaking.
That was when he moved but not to me. Nor did he say anything. He lifted his hand, shoved it inside his jacket and pulled out his phone, all the while his eyes on me.
My heart started beating as my stomach clenched. I didn’t know what this meant but it terrified me.
His eyes dropped to his phone as he hit buttons but they came back and pinned me to the spot when he put the phone to his ear.
I stood still, my eyes held captive by his and I waited.
“Hey, yeah, Knight,” he said into the phone and I tried not to hyperventilate. “Got news. Anya’s pregnant. Ten weeks.”
I blinked and when I was done, his eyes were still on me.
“Fuck, Mom, I know it’s great fuckin’ news but stop screamin’.” Pause then, “Fuck, give the phone to Dad.”
My eyes filled with tears and there was no way I could control them. They spilled right over.
He didn’t take his phone from his ear when he ordered low and slow, “Babe, get… over… here.”
Tossing my clutch across the room to the couch, I flew to him, my body colliding with his, my arms wrapping around tight and his arm did the same, holding me close.
I felt his lips at the top of my hair and then, “Dad? Yeah. Yeah, she isn’t lyin’. Anya’s carrying my baby. Ten weeks.” Pause then, “No. Unexpected. She got sick a while back, flu, missed some pills.” Pause then on a squeeze of his arm in a gentle, soft voice, “No, Dad. It’s good. We’re happy.”
“It’s good.”
“We’re happy.”
He talked more but I didn’t hear much mainly because my body was bucking against his due to my sobbing.
Then he said his good-byes, shifted me so he could pry me away from his frame and put his phone back in his pocket then both his arms wound tight around me.
“Babe, eyes,” he ordered gently and I tipped back my head. His eyes moved over my face then caught mine. “You didn’t want a ring. You wanted my baby,” he whispered.
“Yes,” I whispered back.
“Mom’s fuckin’ beside herself,” he shared something I guessed.
I’d met his parents, three times.
They’d been to Denver twice. The second time for a nice visit. The first time Carl came out with Knight’s Mom to deal with Nick.
Nick now lived in Hawaii with Carl riding his ass. He was clean of blow, Carl’s first order of business. But he was still “dicking around” (Knight’s words). Though, “At least it gives Dad somethin’ to do. He doesn’t golf. He doesn’t surf. He doesn’t garden. He cracks heads. He was goin’ crazy. Now he’s got a head to crack,” (also Knight’s words).
We’d also gone out to see them. When we did, we saw Nick. To me, he’d changed. He was far less of an asshole and he’d actually found a quiet moment just him and me to apologize and, I thought, do it sincerely. Knight warned me not to be fooled. He explained Nick could get contrite then Nick could turn back into an asshole. Luckily, while we were there, he didn’t slide back into the asshole.
And, it should be noted that although Nick took the time to apologize to me, he didn't take the time to apologize to his brother. Something I didn’t like all that much. Something Knight took in stride. Therefore something that clearly had happened before, repeatedly, this an assumption I’d made that Knight had confirmed when I asked him.
I tried to smile through my tears and replied, “Good.”
“Dad’s pleased.” He kept sharing.
“Good,” I repeated on a hitched breath.
His arms left me so his hands could cup my jaw, his thumbs sliding through the wet on my cheeks and he ordered softly, “Baby, quit crying.”
I drew in a shaky breath. This didn’t work so I drew in another one.
On the fourth, I got it together.
“That’s it,” he muttered, his thumbs still moving through the wet.
I held onto him and held his eyes.
“You’re carrying my baby,” he whispered.
“Yeah,” I confirmed.
“You’re carrying my baby,” he repeated, his voice lower, gruff, thick.
I felt my nostrils quiver but I held it together and nodded.
His forehead dropped to mine, his nose slid along mine but his hands never left my face and I held my breath as he whispered with feeling, “Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me.”
Slowly, I closed my eyes.
He wanted this, my man. He wanted me to have his baby.
I opened my eyes.
“You’re happy?” I guessed, my voice quiet but the words were still pitched high with hope.
“Fuck, baby, yeah. Fuck yeah. You got my baby in you.”
“I was worried you’d be angry,” I admitted and his face went away just an inch.
“I get that. We haven’t discussed it. Though, sayin’ that, been thinkin’ for a while about talkin’ to you about it. Puttin’ that ring on your finger reminded me I needed to get to that. Fate jumped the gun. I’m not complaining.”
God, God, God.
I loved this man.
“So you want kids?” I ventured even though the answer was obvious.
Still, it was good I asked because he smiled and I loved to watch Knight smile.
“Absolutely.”
“How many?”
“Two,” he said immediately.
“Boys or girls?”
“Boys,” he said again immediately and I blinked.
“Really?”
“Babe, my life, girls?” He shook his head and kept shaking it when he went on, “Your beauty, even a little of it, you give that to our baby?” He stopped shaking his head and his fingers gave me a gentle squeeze. “Fuck no. I’ll need to buy more guns and hire more men.”
I giggled.
“Make me boys,” he ordered.
I giggled again.
Then I pointed out the obvious, “Not sure I can yield on that, sweetheart. Think that’s up to destiny.”
His mouth came to mine and he continued being bossy.
“Do the best you can do.”
“Okay, Knight.”
“All right, baby.”
God, God, God.
I loved this man.
After having that joyous thought, I got serious but did it quietly.
“Honey, you need to quit smoking.”
He held my eyes and instantly agreed, “Yeah.”
I relaxed deeper into him.
“You’re forgetting something,” he whispered against my lips.
“What?” I whispered against his, looking in his beautiful eyes.
“Babe, kiss me.”
I grinned against his mouth.
Then I pressed tight in a variety of places and I kissed him.
His hands left my jaw so his arms could cage me in close, tight, safe and warm and then my Knight kissed me.
* * * * *
I stood with just my head out the door to the balcony that led from the nursery and, adjusting the telephoto lens, I took the shot. Then another. Then another.
I pulled back. Moving my thumbs over the buttons, I checked the screen at the back of the camera.
Then I smiled.
I got it.
I carefully closed the door without a sound, walked into the room, put the camera on the dresser and walked out.
Then I walked to the kitchen and retrieved my mug of herbal tea.
After that, I moved to the glass doors to the balcony, skirting the sunken living room.
Knight was out there. He was slouched in a chair, feet up on the railing, ankles crossed, mug of coffee on the table beside him.
I moved through the doors to the empty chair angled toward his and caught the glimmer of sun glinting on the gold band on his finger that was on his hand which was resting on our baby girl’s rounded, diaper-covered booty. She was curled, dimpled knees tucked under her, little fist resting beside her face, asleep on her Daddy’s Black Sabbath tee-covered chest.
I sat in my chair, holding my cup aloft as I lifted my own legs and carefully positioned them resting over my man’s thighs.
Knight trailed a finger light along the skin on the outer side of one of mine and tingles radiated out from my skin even as they went up my spine, my neck to cover my scalp. Then he rested his hand curled around the top of my thigh, close to the apex of my legs, the pads of his fingers on my inner thigh.
“Get the shot?” he muttered, eyes to the Range.
Jeez. He noticed everything.
I lifted my mug to my lips.
“Yep.”
“Babe, she’s a couple weeks old. You keep fillin’ the house with frames, we won’t be able to move through it.”
I took a sip, eyes to the Front Range and staying there, I swallowed and replied, “So, buy us a bigger house.”
“That I can do,” he murmured instantly.
Yes.
Oh yes.
God, God, God.
I loved this man.
I looked to him and got his profile, strong, aggressive, unbelievable male beauty.
I looked to my daughter, my little Ekateirna, baby Kat, and her eyes drifted open and closed then they opened and I knew she probably couldn’t but it looked like she focused on me.
I reached out, stroked her super soft, chubby cheek and grinned into her clear, pure, Prussian blue eyes that I knew in my heart would stay that way.
Then her eyes drifted closed.
I dropped my hand over Knight’s on my thigh. His twisted and curled around mine.
My eyes drifted to the Range and I sipped my tea, living a life I never expected, living a dream I never even tried to dream, living it now entirely dream free.
Except, of course, the real ones sitting in the sun, one holding my hand and one sleeping next to me.
The Unfinished Hero Series will continue with the story of Creed.
(And a final shout out to my FaceBook Posse for helping me name this series – Rock on!)
####
About the Author
Kristen Ashley lives in the beautiful West Country of England with her husband and her cat. She came to England by way of Denv
er, where she lived for twelve years, but she grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana. Her family and friends are loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen’s Mom moved her and her brother and sister in with their grandparents when she was six. Her grandparents had a daughter much younger than her Mom so they all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched). Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
Discover other Titles by Kristen Ashley at Smashwords
Rock Chick Series:
Rock Chick
Rock Chick Rescue
Rock Chick Redemption
Rock Chick Renegade
Rock Chick Revenge
Rock Chick Reckoning
Rock Chick Regret
The ‘Burg Series:
For You
At Peace
Golden Trail
Games of the Heart
The Colorado Mountain Series:
The Gamble
Sweet Dreams
Lady Luck
Dream Man Series:
Mystery Man
Wild Man
Law Man
The Fantasyland Series:
Wildest Dreams
The Golden Dynasty
Fantastical
The Three Series:
Until the Sun Falls from the Sky
Other Titles by Kristen Ashley:
Fairytale Come Alive
Heaven and Hell
Lacybourne Manor
Mathilda, SuperWitch
Penmort Castle
Play It Safe
Sommersgate House
Three Wishes
Connect with Kristen Online:
Official Website: www.kristenashley.net
Kristen’s Blog: www.kristenashley.net/menu/blog.html
Kristen’s Facebook Page
Follow Kristen on Twitter: KristenAshley68