Chapter Twenty-Six Connor
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CONNOR
The relief of seeing Laney okay dulled the shock of learning she was pregnant—something she chose not to tell me.
An older version of me, even from a few weeks ago, would’ve been angry.
How could she keep a secret that important from me?
I wouldn’t have understood why she didn’t tell me immediately.
But I saw her now. I saw what hurt her, what worried her, and how we could be better as a couple. I knew we’d have to talk it out, but the relief about her health outweighed every other feeling.
Her doctor still needed to clear her before we headed home, but she already seemed better this morning. Color had returned to her face, and the first thing she did was smile at me.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” I repeated, leaning forward and intertwining our fingers. Her ring finger lay bare, and I ran my thumb over it. Someday, she’d wear my ring again.
“You look like you feel better.”
“I do.” She yawned and did the little wiggle stretch she always did. I loved that combination.
“You look tired.”
“I feel perfect.” I meant it too. “The nurse came in a little bit ago and told me we’ll get to leave soon. I figured, if you’re up for it, we could stop at the café for soup and tea first?”
“Oh, the cute shop near Main Street?”
I nodded. “We can enjoy something warm and talk.”
Her eyes clouded over as she swallowed. “We have a lot to discuss.”
“Sure, but none of it changes a thing about us.” I squeezed her fingers, waiting for her to meet my gaze. When she did, I spoke slower.
“We can talk about where we’re gonna raise our family, what job you want to do. I can update you on the board meeting, and you can show me photos of the event. We can chat about all of that, but nothing changes how I feel about you, us, and our future.”
I had no idea what my future career was anymore, but for the first time in my entire adult life, I didn’t give a shit.
The board meeting taught me that I really didn’t want that stress and negativity in my life.
It wasn’t worth it. I missed an emergency call from my wife because of political bullshit, and I was done.
While Laney rested, I looked into the town more and its struggling businesses.
I didn’t have a full concept yet, but I used my notes app to create a proposal.
If they wanted someone to get this place back on the map, I could be that guy.
It was wild how life worked out. A month ago, you couldn’t have paid me to leave my job. It defined me.
Now though? Maybe everything needed to break for us to rebuild and be stronger. It sucked, but I only felt hope at this moment. We’d be fine either way.
Her bottom lip trembled as she closed her eyes. “You should be mad at me.”
“Baby, I missed your calls. I wasn’t with you when I should’ve been. I missed the signs of how sick you felt. You should be mad at me.”
“No, you were fighting at the board meeting, trying to change things at your job because I needed it. That’s on me.”
“You’re wrong. I was promoting Petra and standing up for myself, for me, not just you.” I laughed and set my hand over her heart. “We’re financially okay, so no matter what happens after last night’s meeting, we’ll be safe. I promise you. I’ll take care of you and our baby.”
“I know you will.” She sighed and leaned her face closer to me. Her lips were cracked, and her eyes had a darker hue to them, but she was still beautiful.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hmm?” I fought a grin. The entire car ride here, I had thought the worst. Would I ever see her cute dimple again? Hear her sigh? Watch her eyes light up from happiness? It almost didn’t seem fair that I had gotten another chance with her.
“Can we get the soup to go? I just want to be alone with you.”
The knot in my chest loosened the final knot. “Of course.”
The next hour flew by, with us chatting about what we should buy everyone for Christmas. It was in three days—somehow the month had gone fast and slow at the same time. I knew that Laney was thoughtful with gifts, where I took the most convenient route. I didn’t love that about myself.
“What if we only purchased gifts at the rest of the festival?” I suggested as I led us outside.
“What do you mean?” She gripped my arm as we walked outside in the cold.
Petra had arranged a car for us and got a ride home with Matt.
Despite the fact that Petra’s presence in my life once hurt Laney, she had been helpful and supportive the last week.
My chest ached with the thought of the board meeting and the way Dennis had spoken about her, but the vote was in.
She’d be our new COO. That was worth the fight because she deserved it.
Me? I couldn’t be sure. I’d stormed out. Almost blackmailed a board member. Cut off my dad. And missed calls from my wife before she passed out. If it weren’t for learning I was gonna be a dad, yesterday could have been the worst day of my life.
“You spend so much time thinking of gifts to buy, and since I don’t want you to carry that burden alone anymore, we can walk the festival tonight and pick out gifts.”
“Oh. The photos. I need to call Becky.”
“I’m sure your mom took care of it already, but I’m happy to be your assistant and take all the photos you need.”
She smiled as I opened the passenger door for her. “Connor, I can buckle myself.”
“Of course you can.” I leaned in, kissed her neck, and buckled her in anyway. “Humor me. I spent forty minutes yesterday losing my fucking mind, so yeah, if I want to buckle my wife in and ensure she’s safe, I’m going to.”
“Oh lord,” she said, but humor was in her tone.
We drove to the café and ordered two homemade chicken noodle soups to go with two hot chocolates before driving back to her parents’ house. I parked in the driveway and ordered her to stay put.
“I’m opening your door for you.”
“That’s silly.”
“I don’t care. Now, stay.”
Her eyes lit up, and she giggled. “Kinda hot when you’re bossy.”
Shit. The rasp in her words had my blood going south, but it was not the time. She was healing. Pregnant. Oh God. Could I sleep with my wife? Would that be weird?
I froze halfway to her side when her door opened, snapping me into gear. “What did I say, lady?”
“You took too long.” She shut the door with her hip as she smiled at me. “Why do you look stressed?”
“We need to call your doctor.” I grabbed the food, and instead of walking into her parents’ house she marched next door.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to be alone with you.” She pursed her lips. “And that means not being at my parents’.”
“Laney. They’ll want to see you.”
“They will later. I want my husband right now, okay? Just you.” She walked up and stood on her tiptoes, kissing me softly with her pillow lips.
I melted. I was Frosty on a beach. There was so much sweetness and love and tenderness in her gesture that my heart clenched.
“I love hearing you call me your husband.”
“I know.” She winked. “Now come on, hubs.”
“That was too far.” I laughed. “I’m not a hubs.”
“You’re my hubs.”
Rolling my eyes, I let us into the house and prepared to get our food set up by the fire. We could talk through everything, fully, while Laney ate. But as I set the food down, she took my hand.
“Come.” She tugged me.
“What? You need to eat, baby.”
“I can eat later. I want to feel you against me.”
“Honey,” I groaned. “I don’t… You can’t… Can you eat first?”
“I ate breakfast at the hospital.” She pulled me into the bedroom—because let’s be real—I’d go wherever she wanted.
“I want to feel your skin on me.”
My dick hardened as she tossed her jacket and sweater onto the floor, leaving her in a red lacy bra. Her nipples hardened and poked through, but not for long. She undid the back and tossed the fabric with the others.
“Laney.”
“Please, Connor.” She pouted. That fucking bottom lip stuck out as she slid her jeans and panties off too.
“I need this. I want to feel close to you.”
“You’re not feeling well.” I tried to stay strong. I really did. But she crawled across the bed, naked and perfect, and tugged at my waistline. Her fingers dipped into my pants as she untucked my shirt. The slight touch of her cold hands had me sucking in a breath.
“I feel great. I’m hydrated. Happy. Home, since I’m with you.” She stood, the apex of her thighs almost in my face as she pulled my shirt off. I wanted to be strong, but my wife was sexy as fuck, and her pussy was right there. “I researched and we’re totally safe to still have sex.”
I cupped her ass and brought my nose to her thighs, nipping her skin as she groaned loudly.
“Fuck, you’re perfect.”
She giggled and squirmed against me.
“Naked, Connor. I want you naked.”
I teased her folds with my tongue, swirling her swollen bud a few times before gently sucking it.
“If you didn’t just get out of the hospital, I’d have you straddle my face while I got you off with my tongue.”
“I’m not fragile, you know.”
“Mm-hmm.” I sucked her again, and she let out the sexiest throaty moan.
“Let me treat you like you are.”
I carefully set her on the bed, taking my time studying my favorite parts about her. The dusting of freckles on her nose. The mole under her eye. Her full lips and sexy neck.
I cupped her face and kissed her slowly.
“I love you, so much, Laney. And I’m gonna show you every day. You and our baby. I know why you didn’t tell me right away, and it’s okay. I hope you know I’ll pick you always.”
“Connor.” Her eyes welled, and she tried to still me. “I’m so, so—”
“No apologizing.” I kissed her neck and her clavicle, her beaded nipples my next target. I bit one, playing with the other with my fingers as I teased her.
“The only words you can say are more, yes please, and okay, Connor.” I sucked her other breast before dragging my tongue up and down her stomach.
“Your skin tastes so good. This feel okay?”
She nodded, her eyes bright and filled with lust as she watched me. “Can I say how hot you are?”
“Yes. Definitely.” I winked at her before pushing one leg up and kissing it from her ankle to her inner thigh. “You are stunning. Perfect. Mine.”
She shuddered. “Closer. I want you pressed against me.”
I spread her open with my fingers and licked her hard before meeting her gaze. She bucked and sweat coated her skin as I touched her the way I knew she liked. The tremble of her thighs, the heat of her skin. My wife was divine. “Perfect.”
“Make love to me, Connor.”
“I am, baby. I always am.” I crawled up her again, kissing every part of her as I brought my mouth to hers. “I. Love. You.”
She sniffed as I shifted behind her, placed her back to my chest and pressed my cock to her. I cupped her lower stomach as I thrusted into her, bare. There was no room between us as I slowly fucked her.
“Yes, Connor, this was what I wanted. I can feel your heartbeat against me.”
I kissed her jaw, and under her ear, and held her tighter against me. She rocked slowly against my cock, and we lay side by side, my gentle thrusts unhurried. The subtle scent of her vanilla shampoo combined with sweat, and it was intoxicating.
“You’re fucking beautiful,” I whispered, running my free hand down her body. Her smooth skin was so damn soft as I tugged her nipples. She mewed, and I sucked the spot where her shoulder met her neck.
“God, you feel so good. I love this, you, us,” she whispered.
I found her clit and matched the rhythm to my thrusts, and Laney’s entire body shook.
“You’re close,” I whispered. “Fall apart on me. I got you.”
She cried out, her throaty moans filling the guest room as I held her through the orgasm. Her legs trembled and her pussy tightened as she came, and I focused on breathing. I didn’t want this to end. I never once stopped my pace and continued touching and kissing her everywhere.
She sniffed, the watery sound making me pause.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurting?”
“No, no. Don’t you dare stop.” She reached behind and gripped my thigh. “I just love this, and you, and I’m overwhelmed.”
I smiled against her skin.
“You feel how good we are together. How we’re meant to be together.” I went back to slowly grinding into her, gripping her waist to change the angle slightly, and her breathing picked up. This wouldn’t last long. She felt too good.
“I need you to come again, baby. Touch yourself for me.”
She did what I asked, the wet sound of me going in and out of her joining our heavy breathing. She bucked a few times, her moans growing. I took over for her, desperate to bring her to the edge.
“Fuck, look at you,” I gasped right as she cried out my name.
Her legs straightened, her eyes slammed closed, and her hands gripped the sheets around us as her orgasm ripped through her.
I couldn’t take it. I came too, holding on to my wife as wave after wave of pleasure hit me.
I saw stars behind my eyes, and my ears roared so fiercely that I couldn’t hear a thing after.
I gave myself two seconds to take in every feeling, catch my breath, before sliding out and cupping my wife’s face.
“Are you okay? Do you hurt?”
Laney beamed at me. Her cheeks were red, and her pulse raced at the bottom of her neck, but her eyes gave her away. They were so clear, so beautiful.
“That was incredible.”
I kissed her forehead. “Now that you’re satisfied, wife, may I ask you to eat some damn soup?”
She snorted and tickled my sides.
“Don’t ruin my post-sex vibe, Connor. I was dehydrated, not losing a limb.”
“Don’t care.” I slid off the bed, helping her up with me. I grabbed one of my sweatshirts, slid it over her head, and rolled up the sleeves on her wrist.
“So cute,” I teased, admiring the way my clothes hung on her. “You should only wear my clothes at home.”
“I’m sure we could arrange it.” She wiggled her brows as she looked me up and down.
“Have I told you I love your calves?”
“It’s been a while.” I smiled.
“Enough.” I slid on some sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt. “Soup and talking time.”
“Old you would’ve been just fine cuddling naked and watching a show. This version of you really likes talking, huh?”
“I know you’re teasing, but yes, I do. I’m not letting anything come between us, not even your distractions.” I swatted her butt, and she yelped.
“Go turn the fire on, hon. I’ll be right there.”
We split, with one of us going into the living room and the other the kitchen, where I was preparing the food when my phone pinged with a message.
I expected it to be her parents, Petra, or our friends. Not Ryan… and just like that, my stomach dropped.