32. Ivy
THIRTY-TWO
Ivy
“Are you sure your friend is okay with doing this? I mean, doesn’t he want to come too?”
My nerves are getting the best of me, and I look myself over in the mirror for the umpteenth time. Xaden is perched on the edge of the bed; he’s been ready for at least fifteen minutes.
“Hudson is doing me a solid. We talked about it. He knows that we need this night out, and so do Bridget and Mason.”
I nod. Well, sort of. My head tips side to side as I consider changing again.
“I mean, yeah, but this is his sister we’re going out with.”
“Who he owes a big favor to because she and Mason watched his son Juniper recently.” Xaden stands up, coming up behind me and stilling my fussing by wrapping his arms around me. “You’re stalling.”
I scoff, not truly offended, and blow a breath out through my nose as I frown. “I am not.”
“Umm, dad of a four-year-old you’re talking to. I know stalling when I see it.”
Turning around in his arms, I glare, swatting him off me. “Shoo. I’ve had enough of you.”
Xaden just laughs, stepping back to give me my space but not leaving the conversation.
“Untrue. You’ll never get enough of me. And you need to stop worrying. You look amazing. As always.”
“I do not!” I spin again, still feeling sorry for myself and feeling off. “I look all bloated and frumpy.”
I know the frumpy part is my fault. I’m not showing yet. It’s way too early for that. But the bloating thing is real, and I’ve taken to wearing less than “trendy” outfits.
“I don’t know why you changed from the black dress. It was perfect.”
Eyeing Xaden in the mirror, I squint at him. “You’re only saying that because my boobs were falling out.”
“So?”
I don’t want to laugh, but I do. It’s precisely what Xaden does. He gets me to laugh and come back down when I’m running too high.
“Really?” I raise my brows. “I didn’t look like a bloated goat?”
He snorts, and I almost want to smack him for it, but I know it was a little funny.
“The only one who’s so focused on the bloat is you, babe. It’s really not that noticeable. And the doctor said it was fine to take the gas medicine.”
I sigh. “Yeah, I know. I just…didn’t want to overdo it. You know?”
He snuggles up to me again, and I melt into Xaden’s arms. “I do. But this is causing you more stress than it should.”
Letting my head fall down to his pec, which is just so damned firm that I hate him a little for it, I give up this dumb fight I’m having with myself.
Stupid hormones.
“Okay, fine. I give in. Go get the dress from the floor of the closet. We’ll go back to plan A.”
Xaden smiles. “Hey, think of it this way, babe, your pregnancy boobs will be on full display. Ain’t no one gonna be looking down.”
My laugh is a bark of emotion, and I can’t explain how I can feel so objectified and also kind of love it. Regardless, Xaden knew what to say again, and I’m feeling a bit better about going out now.
“Well, that is something.”
“This place is beautiful. Oh, this will make for such a lovely holiday spot when the time comes,” Bridget spins around slightly as she takes in the cozy lodge restaurant that Xaden had recommended.
“Yeah, that’s how I found it, actually. I was scouting locations for a company get-together out here in Red Lodge, away from the big city.”
Xaden smiles gently, and I’m happy to have him here, ready to help me whenever I need him. And right now, I need to eat. Soon .
It appears that the pregnancy hormones have flipped on me again, and I’m dealing with cravings and hunger as opposed to the standard nausea.
“Please tell me they do that classy thing with the bread starter,” I offer quietly.
Xaden pulls out my chair for me with a slight chuckle and tucks me in before sitting down next to me. Mason does the same for Bridget, and she’s directly to my right.
“They do, hun.” Xaden draws my attention back to him and away from the other tables that’ve been served. “I have to say I’m surprised you’re hungry. You’ve been nauseated like all day.”
“Why’s Ivy been—wait a minute.” Mason looks to me and then back to his best friend, a massive smile stretching across his admittedly handsome face. “You’re pregnant!”
Xaden and I both laugh. We knew we were telling them tonight, and both of us had decided to just see how long it took them to pick up what we were putting down.
Not long, clearly.
I nod, grinning as big as ever. “I am.”
Mason and Bridget erupt into a chorus of congrats, and I’m hugged from the side and from over the top of the table.
“Thank God that candle is fake, or you’d be on fire, Mason.”
We got to know each other a bit over the past few days and said plenty during the car ride to to the restaurant. Mason is a genuinely nice guy, and I can see why Xaden appreciates his friendship.
“Oh, my God! Congrats, man!” Mason pulls back and claps Xaden on the shoulder. The two of them indulge in a brief moment of total understanding and then immediately go back to being dudes.
“It’s funny timing,” Bridget whispers, her smile a touch different than mere congratulations might imply.
I cock my head, studying her. “Funny? Oh? And why’s that?”
Squinting, I wait for her to break. I know she’s hiding something, and if I’m right, this is going to be one heck of an evening.
Bridget nods.
“You are!” I hug her, pulling my new friend into my arms. “I knew it! Oh my God, we’ll be due around the same time?”
She’s all grins and I can see her doing the mental math trying to answer. “I’m about a month or so along, so…”
“Ah, me too! This is perfect!”
Xaden finally realizes what we’re talking about and his eyes snap from our conversation to Mason.
“Get the fuck out. Are you serious?”
Mason nods, his smile now mirroring Bridget’s. “Immensely. We’re expecting another baby.”
Bridget elbows him in the ribs. “ We’re not expecting anything. I am the pregnant one, and let me tell you, this shit sucks.”
We all laugh, none so hard as me with my sympathy, and Bridget and Mason fill me in on their unlikely relationship, which is oddly similar to Xaden and mine in some ways, and I can already tell she’s going to be one of my favorite people.
“That is quite the tale! And a fire! Jesus, I’m pretty sure I would be terrible in that situation, so I’m glad I missed it.”
Bridget sobers for a moment. “It wasn’t my favorite experience, but I’ll admit that the only upside of danger is that it sets your priorities straight.” She squeezes Mason’s hand. “I am very glad that we found each other through all that.”
I look over at Xaden and think about how our conversation about my father went. “I understand what you mean.”
With a smile, I lean toward Xade, and he’s already moving toward me with his arm open. He kisses the top of my head, our little dance that we know by heart now.
“Well, look at us. Happy families all around.”
Mason rolls his eyes, but they land on Bridget, and there’s no denying how much his expression says he agrees.
“Yeah. That we are,” Mason mutters.
This evening feels all the more special, knowing that I’ve found another mom to be pregnant with and a pair of friends who’ll be sure to keep us all sane and happy.
“This has been so wonderful, and I’m so glad that I was able to eat!” I say gladly. “We’ll see how long it lasts.”
Bridget nods in understanding, and she puts a hand over her own stomach. As she looks down at it, her eyes glazing over with that sheen of emotion, I take her hand.
“It’s nice to know that we’ll be doing this together. If you ever need someone to bitch to—about anything at all—I’m right next door.”
She grins. “Ditto. I’m sure the girls would love to play while we chat, too.”
“Oh, they would.” My voice is full of sweet enthusiasm.
“We should all get together for the holidays, too. I know not many of us have family in town except for Bridget. Do you think your mom would?—”
“Mind more people celebrating with her? Absolutely not. It’s a deal.” Bridget grins again, and we all laugh, plans for the future in motion.
I’m not sure how you’re supposed to be nostalgic for a moment that’s happening, but I am. This feels like the start of something extraordinary, and I’m so very ready for some real family by my side.
The evening comes to a close, and it was a resounding success. The men managed to keep their drinking to a minimum since Bridget and I can’t—and don’t want to see it, either.
We all hug and part ways to our cars to head home, traveling in the same direction, which is just hilarious. It would be so much more efficient to ride together, but I’ll admit that I’m glad we have the car all to ourselves right now.
Sliding my hand across Xaden’s thigh as he steers, I tease the inner seam of his pants, hoping that I’ve hinted enough for him to pick up on it.
“Well, hello.” Oh, good. It worked . “And what’s gotten into you?”
“Nothing yet.” I wag my brows. “Would you like to?”
Xaden chuckles, and the sound still sings through my nerves like the first time I heard it.
“Hmm, I think that sounds mighty fine, considering we have the house to ourselves for the evening.”
I grin, slipping my hand closer to his growing erection. “We can’t let an opportunity like that pass us by, now can we?”
He reaches down, snagging my hand and planting it firmly on him. “Absolutely not.”
A tiny giggle escapes me. I never had the silly flirting and daring sexual activity in a car experiences like most teens did, and now that I’m getting the chance to, I feel downright giddy.
I’m also damned happy that I’m not pregnant enough yet to have lost much of my mobility or flexibility.
Xaden adjusts in his seat as I stroke over his pants, and his hand comes across the center console and between my legs. He’s got one hell of a reach, and Xaden is able to find my panties beneath my dress and pull them aside.
“Oh, baby,” he groans, rubbing the pad of his finger across my slit, “you’re already so wet.”
I moan, my head falling back onto the headrest. “An apparent bonus of pregnancy.”
“Well, hey,” he says deeply, “that is definitely something to count my blessings about.”
It doesn’t take us long to get to the house from the restaurant, and even less than usual because Xaden speeds us along impatiently.
Rubbing briskly across the smooth fabric of Xaden’s pants, he jerks his hips forward, seeking more attention. There’s only so much I can do in the car, though.
“Dammit, we need to get to that fucking house.”
I laugh, appreciating how hungry he is for me. There’s little that anyone can do to make me feel as beautiful and desirable as Xaden when he’s chomping at the bit like this.
He’s also been teasing my seam this entire time, and I am right there with him. I’m liable to come just from this if he keeps it up.
“We can’t be that far, right?” I’m not even looking, my eye screwed up tight as I rock myself against Xaden’s fingers.
“About three minutes,” Xaden groans, and then I’m shaken from my enjoyment when Xaden steals his hand back.
“Hey!” I complain playfully.
“I’ll be right there, gorgeous, as long as you get me out of these damn pants.”
Smiling, I chew on my lip and then lean over the console to unzip Xaden’s slacks and pull him through the opening.
His erection springs free, glistening, and now I can stroke him properly. I get right to it, and he upholds his end of the bargain by returning to my pussy.
Looking over at him, I can see him trying to concentrate on the road, and I make sure what I’m doing isn’t too much.
“Ugh, that’s so good, baby.”
And we both lose track of time at that point. Xaden gets us home and pulls into the garage, turning off the car.
“Get over here,” he demands, sliding his chair all the way back and reclining it so I have room.
I smirk. “Yes, sir.”