28. Crown Jewel
28
CROWN JEWEL
“ I can’t believe I’m moving again,” Angel said two days later.
“I’m irresistible,” Coy said, smirking. “You know it.”
She snorted. “I’ve lived on the island for five months. Now this is my second move.”
“Don’t forget in those five months you’ve gotten an awesome boyfriend and are now pregnant with my baby.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re just happy because I caved and said I’d move in with you.”
His smile wanted to drop, but he wasn’t going to let it.
Sure, he was getting his way, but he’d like to think they were both winning.
“You wanted to anyway,” he said, squinting one eye at her. “Just admit that.”
She was pulling all her clothes out of the closet on their hangers and putting them on the bed. “I had hoped it at some point. Just didn’t know it’d be under these circumstances or this soon.”
“You’re going to upset me,” he said, pretending hurt. “Is that what you want?”
She turned and he was right behind her, forcing her to bump into him. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her, spun her around, in the process her clothes went flying.
“Did you see what you made me do?”
His lips landed on hers. “Have some fun,” he said. “They are only clothes.”
She bent to pick them up and when she put them on the bed, he noticed her eyes were glossy. Shit!
“Am I going to be one of those bitchy pregnant women? Oh my God. This is horrible. I’m never like this. I was like this on the helicopter too, but that is because I thought I was going to throw up.”
“Which I wish you’d told me about. Hey,” he said, reaching for her. “You’re not being bitchy. You’re right. In five months, there have been a lot of changes in your life. Mine too. Good things. I know maybe it doesn’t feel like that.”
“It does. I’m sorry. I do think some is hormonal. Some is relief. The other is adapting to everything happening.”
He knew what relief felt like when Dr. Overturn told them everything looked good.
Yep, they weren’t out of the woods yet. He knew that. But they were going in strong, and positive thinking would get them through.
“We are both adapting together,” he said.
She put the rest of her clothes on the bed and he’d start to carry them to his SUV while she was packing up the clothes in her drawers. He’d had movers scheduled in two weeks to bring over everything else, but for now, her clothes and personal possessions were easy enough for them to handle.
“Have you ever lived with a woman before?” she asked. “We know I haven’t with a man.”
“I have,” he said.
“Oh,” she said, spinning around. “I didn’t know that. Why didn’t I know that?”
“Are you jealous? They didn’t get me, you did.”
She frowned. “Not jealous. We know you weren’t a virgin.”
“Unlike the crown jewel I got,” he said. “I wonder if that made you more fertile. I’ve been thinking about that. Or maybe it was the day you attacked me in the office. Kinky office sex that would shock others could have put a baby in the belly.”
“Will you be serious,” she said, giggling.
She was smiling at least. “I am being serious. I did wonder if that was the day it happened.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “It doesn’t matter. Tell me about this woman you lived with. When it was and what happened.”
He sighed. He supposed there was no getting out of this. “It’s not a secret. Spencer knew.”
“But he didn’t tell me,” she said.
“I didn’t think he would. It was someone I was dating in dental school. She was a few years younger and getting her MBA. Spencer had graduated, but I had the apartment we lived in. I stayed and she ended up moving in with me after a few months.”
He’d had strong feelings for Cassie but soon realized they were not reciprocated.
“And what happened?”
“She got her MBA and moved out. I was a free place for her to live her last semester.”
“Bitch,” she said.
He laughed. “That could be a good word for it.”
“Coy, have you really had a lot of women only want you for your name and money? Even off this island or out of this state?”
“Yes,” he said. “I tried to keep quiet about my family history, but once it gets out, it travels fast.”
“That had to be hard always wondering.”
“It was,” he said. “I don’t wonder it with you. I never have.”
Her face softened and got slightly tender. “I don’t think it ever crossed my mind. Maybe I was too young to think a lot about it. We weren’t poor but not rich either.”
“I’m not one to flaunt my wealth,” he said.
“No,” she said. “Just calling up helicopters last minute for a quick trip to the doctor.”
“Don’t hold that against me,” he said. “I wouldn’t have done that in college even though I could have.”
“That would have drawn a lot of attention to you,” she said, snorting. “How soon was it that you told Spencer?”
“A few months,” he said. “We’d talked about not wanting to be caught unaware. I knew his reasons; he didn’t really know mine at first. Then little by little I’d talk about the island and he started to put things together.”
“He would have looked into you,” she said. “I know my brother.”
“He did. He asked me point blank and I didn’t deny it. From then on, we just had this stronger bond. He knew I’d always have his back and I knew he’d have mine.”
There were times he could have paid for things for the two of them but never wanted to insult Spencer. He’d bring it up the best way he could, but knew every man had their pride.
The only time he’d paid for anything was when Spencer came to visit him on the island when they were in college. His parents said that was nonnegotiable and since they loved and respected Spencer, his best friend knew not to rock the boat and argue.
“I didn’t know our parents talked that much,” she said. “I knew they did when you guys lived together. Our parents worked out the costs for your apartment.”
“They did talk,” he said. “I believe they are doing it more now.”
“There is another reason for that,” she said.
“There is,” he said. “My parents are concerned about your health as much as your parents are. My mother isn’t intrusive, but she will be here to help in any way she can. Even if it’s giving reassurances to your mother.”
“I know,” she said. “And I appreciate that. I really do.” She turned to open a box.
“I’ll start bringing these to your car and putting them in the trunk. Where are your keys?”
“In my purse,” she said. “Have fun finding the fob. I just grab my purse and put it over my neck.”
“I love you and all, but I’m not putting a purse on for any woman.”
She looked up from putting clothes in the box. “Now I’m hurt. I thought you’d said you do anything for me.”
He laughed. “There is a line.”
“I’ve got a spare key on the windowsill in the kitchen.”
He walked to the kitchen, found the fob and put it in his pocket, then grabbed as many clothes on the hangers as he could. He was thinking he could get it done in two trips easily. She didn’t have that much.
After he was done with the second trip, he grabbed the two boxes she’d already packed and put them in the back of his SUV.
“How many boxes do you think you’ll have?” he asked.
“One more of clothes, then another of shoes. The last will be bathroom things and then food. I’m not leaving food in the fridge to stink.”
“Where are your grocery bags?” he asked. “I’ll take care of what needs to go now. We’ll get the rest in the next two weeks. We don’t need it today.”
“No,” she said. “The bags are in the lower cabinet by the sink.”
He took care of the food and brought that to the backseat of her car, then got the rest of her boxes.
In two hour’s time they were back at his place and unloading it all.
He was going to argue with her not to do it, but he saw the fire leap into her eyes and told her she could grab the clothes on the hangers and he’d get the boxes.
By the time he was done with all the boxes and putting them in his room, she’d hung her clothes up in the empty closet and had gone through two of the boxes to put clothes in drawers built into the closet.
“No comment on how big your closet is?” he asked.
“It’s the same size as yours,” she said. “What comment would I make?”
“I thought for sure you’d say you should get the bigger one if they were different sizes.”
She started to laugh. “Coy. I looked in your closet. You’ve got a lot more clothes than I do. I didn’t know you were so bougie.”
He walked toward her quickly, picked her up, and pinned her to the wall, his mouth landing on hers, her legs wrapping around his waist. After a few minutes of kissing, he said, “It’s mostly scrubs and jeans.”
“What?” she asked. There was a glazed look in her eyes.
“Damn, I might have to kiss you senseless more often.”