Pack Plus Three (Pucking Pregnant Book 1)

17. Devon

Even when climbing into my car in a very clumsy manner, Daisy was gorgeous.

As soon as she was situated, I closed her door, jogging to my side and hopping in.

“You did that far too easily,” Daisy groused, narrowing her eyes at me.

“What can I say? I’m a graceful swan.” I beamed, throwing the car into drive.

“If you’re a swan, what on earth is Jeremy?”

“An old duck,” I said.

Daisy burst out laughing. “Oh god,” she wheezed. “That name fits. He’s been calling me Duckie because I waddle like a duck.”

“That’s a very fitting name.” I grinned at her as we pulled out of the parking lot.

“Do you think he’ll be home soon?” she asked, biting her lip.

“Probably. From the sound of it, he just got dragged into a few strategy meetings—actually, can you do me a favor?” As I spoke, I grabbed my cell phone from the center console and handed it to her. “Can you text Jeremy and let him know we are going out for dinner? I don’t want the mother hen to freak out if he comes home while we’re still out.”

Daisy took the phone, eyes wide. “Are you sure you want me to use your phone?” she asked in a small voice.

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “The passcode is 4-3-9-8-7-0.”

“Most guys aren’t willing to hand out their passcode,” Daisy said, looking down at the screen and tapping the numbers in.

“Insecure little assholes who have things to hide don’t like handing out their passcodes, but I have nothing to hide. Feel free to raid my phone, flower.”

“Oh . . . Cole always . . .” She shook her head.

“Cole, is that your ex?”

Daisy nodded, plastering on a smile. “Never mind! Should I send Jeremy a selfie of us?” She grinned at me conspiringly.

“Hell, yes,” I said, looking between her and the road as we came up on a set of traffic lights.

She raised the phone, so we were both on the screen, snapping a picture when I looked over. It was a lovely photo, and I was very glad it was saved on my phone.

As soon as I was alone, I was making that shit my screensaver. Jeremy was going to be seething with jealousy.

“Okay, sent!” Daisy chirped happily, reaching to put the phone back in the center console.

I shook my head. “Keep a hold of it, just in case Jeremy replies.”

She nodded in agreement, resting the phone on top of her bump. I chuckled at the sight. I hadn’t even considered that use for her protruding stomach.

“It makes a good shelf!” she cried.

“It’s awesome,” I agreed. “You’re going to miss it when it’s gone.”

“Part of me will. There’s no doubt about that,” she said as she gently rubbed her belly, leaning back. “But part of me will be happy to have my center of gravity back to normal—and less back pain. Oh god, I can’t wait for that!”

“Speaking of back pain.” I leaned forward, touching the button that would turn on her heated seat. “This should help.”

The car was quiet for a moment while the heat kicked in. It was obvious the moment it hit because Daisy’s face became serene, and she sagged in her seat. “Oh, my... that is magical.” She sighed, turning to look at me with a dazed look in her eyes. “Can I live in your car?”

“You’re more than welcome to,” I replied with a grin. “But I don’t think it would be very comfortable, long term.”

“I suppose.” She pouted.

“You are welcome to come and stay in my car anytime you want. I will say, my bed is far more comfortable, though.” I wagged my eyebrows at her as we pulled up to the drive-through.

“Devon! You are being very presumptuous. This is only a first date. You”re not getting me into your bed anytime soon.”

My heart beat erratically, and I couldn”t help but beam at her. “So, we are in agreement. This is a date.”

Her face flushed bright red, and her mouth opened and closed while she tried to find the words. “I . . . uh . . . I mean . . .” she stammered.

My hand that wasn”t on the steering wheel reached out to grab hers. I gently pulled it toward my mouth and kissed the back of her hand. “Oh, this is definitely a date. I”m just glad you agree with me.”

“My hair isn”t even brushed. It can”t be a date!” she cried, trying to retrieve her hand. But it was futile.

“Is hair brushing a prerequisite to a date? If so, let me know, and I”ll make sure I keep one in my car at all times.”

She burst into laughter, shaking her head. “You know what I mean.”

“I do, but I think it”s silly. You look stunning tonight, and we”re going to enjoy some good food, and it”s going to be an amazing date. And don”t go thinking I”m easy. I”m a classy guy. I require at least three dates before you go nesting in my bed.”

Daisy laughed. “I”m sorry I assumed differently.”

Who was I kidding? If she asked right now, I would drive her straight to the packhouse, put her in my bed, and let her nest to her heart”s content.

Jeremy probably wouldn”t like that, but I was willing to fight the grumpy old bastard to get Daisy nesting in my bedroom instead of his.

Yes, he was much bigger than me. Yes, he was much stronger than me. Yes, he would undoubtedly win. But I would still have Daisy in my bedroom, making a nest, for a few minutes, and those would be the best few minutes ever.

“I don”t recognize this place,” Daisy said with a frown, looking at the diner.

We had taken several side roads to get there, and it was off the beaten path. “It”s something of a hidden gem. Nate and I got far too drunk in college and got lost trying to find our way home, and instead, we found this place and discovered possibly some of the best burgers in the city.”

“It”s adorable. I can”t believe something this cute is hiding behind all these back alleys.”

The diner had a 50s vibe to it and was definitely well loved, but she was right in the fact that it had a certain charm.

“What would you like to do? Do you want to go in and eat or eat in the car as we discussed? You are in charge here.”

Daisy bit her lip. “Are you sure you don”t mind eating in the car? It”s such a nice car. I”m scared I”m going to get it dirty.”

“Like I care about a little bit of grease. Dirty this car up all you want. I”ll just get it detailed next week.” A car was for living in, not for keeping, like a monument that belonged in a museum. “The heated seat is helping your back, isn”t it? Surely, it would be nicer to stay in the car where you can keep it on and relax,” I reasoned.

She thought for a moment, chewing on that lip, and I resisted the urge to lean forward and free it. “If you’re sure, I think I would rather stay in the car.” Her voice was quiet.

“We can do that! How do you like your burger?”

Twenty minutes later, we were sitting in the parking lot, food spread out on the dashboard in front of us.

I may have gone overboard, but I wanted Daisy to have more options than just the cheeseburger, fries, and strawberry shake she had ordered. There were onion rings, mozzarella sticks, some sort of peanut butter burger that fascinated me, and sweet potato fries.

“Who’s going to try the peanut butter one first?” I laughed, taking in the spread.

“Whoever invented that burger had to be pregnant. While peanut butter and raspberry jelly is an amazing combination, only a pregnant woman could have come up with the idea of adding it to a burger.”

“What’s been your weirdest craving?” I asked, grabbing the onion rings and offering her one before taking one for myself.

Daisy thought for a moment, slowing chewing on the fried onion. “The weirdest one is, hands down, my hand soap,” she said casually.

“Wait, hand soap?”

“Yep. I have one that smells delicious, like floral and sweet. I know I can’t eat soap, but my body seems to want that soap and only that!”

“Dear god, is that normal?”

“It is.” She nodded. “Women have weird cravings all the time. There are some who have serious cravings for coal, like actual for-a-fireplace coal. Pregnancy hormones are no joke.”

“I need to make sure I’m feeding you more often. I don’t want you giving in to any insane craving...and we are buying you a new hand soap. One that smells like something disgusting!” She was a smart woman, but I wasn’t going to risk letting the little one send her bonkers before we even had a chance to really date.

Having a fry, she opened the milkshake and dipped it in before taking a bite with a happy hum. “I never used to like this combination,” she admitted.

“Milkshake and fries is one of the best combinations out there. You don”t need to be pregnant to appreciate a good milkshake and fry,” I insisted, grabbing a fry of my own and dipping it. “I will say, chocolate is the superior flavor for dipping fries, though.”

“We can get chocolate shakes next time.”

“Deal.” I smiled to myself. That meant there was going to be a next time.

Between the two of us, the food didn”t last ten minutes.

“Oh my God, I”m so full.” Daisy moaned as she leaned back in the chair, rubbing her stomach and closing her eyes.

“I would say that”s a job well done, then.” I was also pretty full, having ordered a small mountain of food.

“I think I”m going to have to accept your offer of letting me live in your car because I don’t think I’ll be moving anytime soon.”

“Well, I am a gentleman. I can”t let you live in my car on your own. I”ll have to join you. I”ll bring some blankets.”

“How gallant.” She laughed before turning to look at me. “Seriously, though, it”s been a really nice evening. I”m glad you decided to come and keep me company.”

“I”ll happily come and keep you company anytime, flower. And you’ll have to come to dinner at our house sometime.”

“Maybe.” Daisy frowned. “I don”t really know much about Nate, and I get the impression that he doesn”t really want to meet me, so maybe it”s best if you come to us for dinner.”

“Nate’s a grumpy old bastard. But we love him. He”ll get over it, but if you feel more comfortable with meeting at your place, we will do that.” I shifted in my seat. “Now, we should get you back, ”cause Jeremy is probably home by now and not happy about your absence. Should we grab him a burger to take home? I know he loves to eat.”

Daisy’s face turned bright red, and she looked straight ahead. What I said that made her so embarrassed? “Wha—” I started to say, then broke off when I realized. Jeremy likes to eat. He had admitted that their relationship was developing. Had my lucky fucking packmate managed to get a taste of this sweet omega? Did she taste like she smelled? All apple pie and brown sugar?

“You’re right, it’s, uh, it’s getting late,” Daisy said, stumbling over her words.

“Yeah, we better get going. We wouldn”t want this SUV to turn into a pumpkin.” I laughed, grabbing the various food wrappers and shoving them into a paper bag to dispose of later.

Her sweet scent overpowered the smell of greasy junk food in the car. Ever since her face had turned that delightful shade of red, she had been slightly turned on.

She was going to be a lot of fun, and I was looking forward to every second of it.

We made it home in record time. I’d been tempted to draw out the drive to spend more time in her presence, but we had opted to get Jeremy a burger and fries, and they were rapidly cooling.

As we pulled into the parking lot, I turned to her.

“I don”t wanna move. These heated seats are so nice,” she admitted with a whine. Were it not for the fact that I had a handy solution for her, I would have sat in the car with her all night.

“Well, if it helps, I have a present for you that may do the same job,” I said, leaning back and grabbing the gift bag off the back seat.

Daisy’s eyes widened comically as she took in the bag. “Devon, you didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to. It’s going to be useful—here.” I handed her the bag, and she bit her lip, looking at me in excitement for a moment before opening it.

Jeremy had mentioned she had back pain, and I remembered when his sister was pregnant, her mate had bought her a little electric heating pad, and she had carried that thing around with her constantly. So, I had ordered one online that first night after meeting her.

“Is this...?” Daisy asked, her eyes raking over the box for a moment before tearing up.

Oh shit. I fucked up. How did I fuck up?

“I can return it if—” I started to say.

“Don’t you dare!” Daisy cried, clutching the box to her chest. “This is amazing. More than amazing!”

“But you’re crying?” I asked, extremely confused.

“Pregnancy hormones! They’re happy tears, I swear.”

“Okay.” I nodded slowly. “How about we get you upstairs and settled on the couch with your heating pad?”

She nodded, giving me a watery smile.

Hauling ass out of the car, I jogged over to her side before she had even managed to unclip her seat belt. “Let me help,” I said, holding my hand out. She smiled at me and didn’t even hesitate to grab onto me—did that mean she was getting more comfortable with me?

“Thank you again for tonight,” she said once both feet were safely on the ground.

“Anytime, flower, remember that.”

Daisy gently gnawed on her lip, looking up at me. I was about to open my mouth to ask what she was thinking when she leaned up on her tiptoes, her lips brushing mine ever so gently.

It was over before I registered that it had even happened, and she was looking around anxiously. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have?—”

I could have spoken with her and explained that I was more than okay with what just happened, but instead, I opted for the more direct approach. One of my hands flew to her hip while the other tangled in her hair as I drew her close to me and claimed her mouth in a much deeper kiss than the small brush she’d just given me.

She tasted like warmth and sweetness. I was far more demanding with my kiss, claiming her mouth with my own.

When we pulled apart, she was flushed and panting, and I couldn’t help but think about how she would look after a few good orgasms.

Jeremy may have already seen that, the lucky bastard.

“I plan on doing that a lot more, flower,” I admitted, tucking a wayward red curl out of her face. “Are you okay with that?”

“I think so.” Her face broke into a small, shy smile, and she didn’t quite meet my eye.

“Perfect, now let’s go get your feet up and the heating pad on your back!”