Chapter 32 #2
“We’ll be out in just a minute!” Briggs shouts, his pace not faltering in the slightest. I stare at him like he’s lost his mind, but a devilish grin spreads across his too-handsome face, causing a rush of wetness to flood his fingers.
“We’re not leaving here until you come, Angel.
So whatever you need to do to get your head back in the game, I suggest you do it.
” My lips part soundlessly when he presses his thumb against my clit, white-hot pleasure igniting my nerve endings as he sinks his teeth into the tender skin of my neck.
I scramble for purchase, needing something to ground me before I’m lost to the pull of my release.
“Hold on to me, baby.” Briggs takes my flailing hand and secures it to his shoulder, my nails creating indents in his flesh, dragging a tortured groan from him.
“Harder, Angel. I’m yours to mark.” The thrust of his fingers grows punishing, and just when I think I can’t take a second more, pleasure washes over me.
Briggs’ mouth covers mine, the scream clawing its way up my throat cut short.
His tongue strokes mine languidly, matching the pace he sets with his fingers as he brings me back down.
When we finally break apart, and he eases out of me, we’re both breathing heavily. We simply stare at each other for several painfully long seconds, trying to wrap our minds around how this escalated so quickly. And then reality slams its way in with the brutal force of a wrecking ball.
“Hudson!” I panic, struggling to get my leggings back on.
“Calm down, Angel,” Briggs demands, licking my release from his fingers as if he has nothing better to do than savor the taste of me.
I do not find that attractive. And I’m absolutely not lying to myself.
“How the hell am I supposed to calm down?” I whisper-yell, though I’m not sure why. “What did we just do, Briggs?” Tears fill my eyes, knowing we just obliterated that line I promised myself I wouldn’t cross.
“Look at me,” Briggs insists, cupping my cheeks with both of his hands, forcing me to meet his eye.
“You’re looking for a reason to panic, but I’m begging you not to ruin the moment we just shared.
” His quiet plea takes the wind from my sails.
I clutch his wrists with trembling fingers, hoping we didn’t just make a huge mistake that causes my fragile new life to implode.
“Hudson’s speech therapy lasts forty-five minutes.
He’s only been back there for thirty-five.
” He gestures to the clock on the wall. “I’d never risk him thinking that we abandoned him.
As for what the two of us just shared, we can discuss it later.
But I promise you, Angel, that was only the beginning.
” He cements his declaration with a hard and quick kiss, then helps me situate my clothing so it isn’t obvious what we’ve been doing.
After cleaning up as best we can, we exit the bathroom, my cheeks heating when I catch sight of the knocker still waiting.
“Sorry about that,” Briggs placates, the annoyed woman glaring at both of us as she rushes past. “You know what they say about morning sickness…it’s not just for mornings!” His idiotic explanation only makes the situation worse when several people turn their attention in our direction.
“We can never come back here,” I state with conviction, mortification causing my shoulders to curl inward. “Hudson’s going to need new therapists, because there’s not a chance in hell I’m showing my face here ever again.”
“Don’t be dramatic, Angel.” Briggs’ ability to be unbothered by absolutely everything, including embarrassment, deserves its own case study.
I swear social anxiety fears him. “There he is. See? I told ya, right on time.” I turn to find Mrs. Caldwell, Hudson’s speech pathologist, escorting him down the long corridor that leads to the waiting area.
“Hi!” I greet enthusiastically, causing Briggs to snort in amusement. “Any progress today?” The optimism in my voice is unmistakable, but I’m so desperate for there to be tangible proof that we’re on the right track.
“Nothing new to report, I’m afraid,” Mrs. Caldwell responds, her sweet smile belying the harsh truth of her words.
“I know you’re eager for Hudson to have a major turning point, but he is improving.
It might be slow going, but I promise we’ll get there.
Just stay the course, and before you know it, he’ll be talking your ear off. ”
“You hear that, Huddy Buddy?” Briggs asks, exaggerating his excitement, then lifts him off his feet and starts spinning around in circles.
Hudson grins, but that’s all the reaction we get.
After a few seconds, Hudson begins to squirm, his arms outstretched in my direction.
I happily take him, but the scolding look Briggs gives me doesn’t go unnoticed.
Hudson’s been extra clingy these past few days, but with everything he’s been through, it feels like a small concession to hold him for as long or as often as he wants me to.
The guys, however, are worried I’m overdoing it.
I’m still not showing as much as one would expect for being in my third trimester, but I’ve definitely grown since my first prenatal appointment, which is making everyday activities a bit more difficult.
I’m out of breath from simply walking up the front steps, and chasing after Hudson feels akin to running a marathon.
Briggs would much rather I let him carry the extra weight, temper tantrum be damned, but I can’t bring myself to stand there while Hudson’s actively crying and reaching for me.
We say goodbye to Mrs. Caldwell, and Briggs takes over securing Hudson in his car seat once we’ve made it outside.
I yawn, leaning my head against the window as we begin our drive back to Chaplain.
I guess being on the receiving end of an orgasm that nearly causes you to black out depletes your body of energy.
My thoughts become a flurry of activity, pinging from one thing to the next.
I have no idea how I went from questioning where and how I fit in with the people in that waiting room to undressing Briggs with my eyes in the next breath.
I’d like to say it was my hormone-riddled body that took the reins, and rational thought fled the building.
But truthfully, I was feeling vulnerable, so I wanted him to replace that feeling with something else.
And if there’s one thing that Briggs excels at, it’s making me feel seen and understood.
I can’t pretend this didn’t change things between us, though.
And when the guys find out–because subtlety is not a trait that Briggs possesses–then what?
Am I going to lose the others? And why, even after being thoroughly wrecked in a public bathroom just moments ago, surrounded by unsuspecting strangers, do I still want to know what Raiden’s stubble would feel like between my thighs?
Why am I curious to see what the night sky would look like while Dayton fucks me from behind on their rooftop terrace?
To experience the devotion that would wash over me when Colsen reverently kisses every inch of my body?
“You’re thinking awfully hard over there,” Briggs comments, sparing me a quick glance before focusing on the road. My sigh is heavy, but I know we need to address the elephant in the room.
“How do we come back from this?” My question is spoken quietly, barely audible over the sound of Hudson lightly snoring in the backseat.
“Why the fuck would we?” Briggs growls, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel.
“I’ve had moments with all of you, Briggs,” I state bluntly, watching him closely for any sign that my words have hurt or angered him.
But he’s completely stoic, his emotions unreadable to the naked eye.
“What’s going to happen when the others find out?
I can’t lose them, or you. I don’t want to hurt anyone.
” My voice turns watery, but I force my tears back, knowing I have no one to blame but myself for my current predicament.
“We’ll figure it out, Angel,” Briggs promises.
He twines our fingers together and brings them to his lips, placing gentle kisses on our joined hands.
“I won’t let you lose anyone else.” I believe that he believes that, but life has taught me that things seldom go in my favor.
Their personalities clash on the best of days, so I can’t imagine that news of Briggs and me hooking up will go over very well.
I keep those thoughts to myself, though, knowing there’s a storm coming, but not a single thing I can do to alter its course. Not when I’m the one who caused it.