Chapter 45
Euan didn't come back that night, but for the first time, they sexted. She refused to send him a pic of her boobs, but Sage was flushed and giddy at the novelty of it, falling asleep with a silly smile.
The next morning, a knock at the door had her shuffling over in her fluffy robe and slippers, clutching her coffee.
Ronin had come bright and early to collect David and had not met her eyes.
Now, Euan stood at her doorstep, toolbox in hand.
Without so much as a hello, he stepped in, crowded her against the door, and pulled her off her feet like a ragdoll to kiss her senseless with her mug trapped between them.
When he finally pulled back, breathless, he said with a grin, "Time to fix that rickety back gate, aye? "
He got to work while she curled on the steps, mug in hand, watching him move with easy confidence. They didn't need words during times like these, when the pale sunlight and the steady rhythm of his hammer did all the filling.
By noon, after she had prioritised watching the play of muscles under his T-shirt over unpacking, she announced, "I'm going to make lunch."
The lasagna was barely in the oven when she sensed him behind her. She turned, catching that look she was beginning to recognize—the one that stripped her bare before he even touched her.
"You promised me shower sex," he said, already taking her hand and tugging her upstairs.
Steam curled in wispy spirals as Euan twisted the dial, the hiss of water filling the large shower cubicle. Then he was tugging at the knot of her robe with impatient fingers until it fell away.
"You're overdressed," he murmured, eyes dark and hungry.
She barely had time to laugh before he was peeling away the rest of her clothes, his mouth finding her collarbone, her shoulder, her throat in quick, greedy kisses.
He shoved his shirt over his head, jeans following, and then he crowded her against the tiled wall and nudged her backwards under the spray.
Hot water streamed down her scalp as she threaded her fingers through his soaked hair, tugging, guiding his mouth back to hers.
His hands slid lower, cupping her hips, then over the curve of her waist to pin her wrists flat against the slick tiles.
Then one broad palm trailed down her soft belly, slow at first, then purposeful, until two fingers pressed inside her raising her to tiptoes.
She gasped, head tipping back against the wall as he curled them just right, his thumb stroking her sensitive nub until her moans echoed against the shower glass.
"God, you're perfect like this," he growled in her ear.
When her legs started to tremble, he removed his fingers to catch her thigh, lift it high against his hip, and press forward with his hips.
The blunt heat of him teased and probed, then he thrust in deep, filling her with a force that stole her breath.
Water pounded against their shoulders as he drove into her, each thrust harder, faster, his body pinning hers to the wall.
Her cries rose with the slap of wet skin, her nails scraping against the tile before they dug into his shoulders for purchase. Every thrust pushed her higher until the world broke loose, pleasure ripping through her as she screamed his name, water and steam tangling with the sound.
He followed, hips jerking against hers in erratic bursts, a groan torn from his chest as he shuddered through his release. For a moment, they stayed locked together, forehead to forehead, steam curling around them like a cocoon.
When they could finally breathe again, he peeled off the condom that she didn't remember him donning, and, laughing softly, began soaping her up, rinsing her, and towelling her dry like she was something precious.
She, however, was busy musing aloud, "Do they make biodegradable condoms?
Do you think... Would they melt in the shower? How did you manage to keep it on?"
That earned her a bark of laughter and a playful swat with the towel. They were still arguing about the correct water temperature—Euan claiming her level was "just short of boiling me alive like a lobster"—while he steered her back to bed.
Sage curled against him and murmured, "So...did you have an agenda when you fixed my gate?"
"Of course," he said, utterly shameless. "To fuck your brains out."
She smirked, tugging the blanket higher. "Well. Mission accomplished."
Euan had become a fixture in their lives before Sage realised it. He was there most evenings, drifting into the house with a bag of groceries or a bottle of wine, insisting on cooking. "It's yer day off, lass. Leave it tae me."
He could effortlessly manage her bad moods with ice-cream and as he called it ‘sexy times’.
Sometimes together, sometimes not. He was the one who held he through the night when Callie passed away in her sleep at the hospice.
And somehow, not having to plan every meal down to the last detail, not always being the one who kept the house turning was amazing.
David adored him. The boy, half-geek himself, liked that Euan could discuss patch notes and boss fights with the same seriousness as team formations and free kicks. Sometimes, David even asked him to come along to his matches, and that was interesting as Ronin insisted on coming along as well.
Euan had quickly learned something about her. Sage was a grade-A procrastinator. If she didn't want to think about something, she'd laugh it off, tidy it away, or bury herself in tasks. He knew it and, unlike most, he didn't let her get away with it.
One night, they lay sprawled across her bed, the sheets already a tangle.
Euan held her steady, his rhythm deliberate, steady thrusts drawing her closer and closer until, just as she tottered at the edge of that precipice, he stopped.
He did it again, over and over, until she was clawing at him, nails digging demandingly into his backside as she rocked against him, tipping them both over the edge.
He leaned down, lips closing around her nipple, and she gasped. He lifted his head, eyes dark and curious. "Your nipples are verra sensitive."
She tensed, heart stuttering.
"And you've not had a period in four weeks."
"Have you been counting, Aunt Flo?" she snapped crankily, knowing full well what he was up to. "I'm...very irregular."
He sighed, firming his grip around her. "We're doin' this."
She squeaked as he scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom, plonking her down on the toilet seat.
Then he vanished, only to return with three different boxes in his hands. "I've never had tae pee on a stick before, so...I just chose one in each colour."
Sage looked up at him incredulously. "Alright," she said finally, pointing at the door. "Out."
"But—"
"Euan."
He huffed. "Fine. Out."
Silence stretched as he paced outside. Then, just as he leaned his head in, a roll of toilet paper smacked him square in the chest.
He ducked back out, wide-eyed. "It's positive, ain't it?"
Sage sat with her face in her hands. "Oh God, Euan, I cannot believe this. Forty-five, accidentally pregnant. Ronin cheated, David's fifteen, and now this? It's like some cruel cosmic prank."
Euan grinned, trying to calm her. "Ach, love, if the universe wanted tae prank ye, it'd gie ye triplets. Then ye'd really ken what frequent pee breaks are."
"Don't even joke! My bladder's already staging protests. I can't get through a cup of tea without planning a bathroom evacuation strategy."
"We'll just fit ye with a permanent Reserved sign on the loo. David can unveil it for ye, like a wee ceremony. Like the pun?"
She gave a watery laugh, not really listening as she continued her spiral into a full-blown panic. "And the breastfeeding. Just the thought makes my nipples twitch. They've still got PTSD from the last time. It was like a baby piranha hanging off me."
His eyes went wide. "Piranha, eh? Well at least it means the wee one'll be strong. We'll save a fortune on teething toys."
"Babies don't get teeth straight away, Euan."
"Wait—really? I thought they came oot ready tae gnaw like wee hamsters."
"No!" She laughed in spite of herself. "But trust me, when they're hungry, and the milk's not coming fast enough... Well, let's just say they've got jaws that could qualify for your Highland Games."
"So, you're tellin' me I'll be up against a gummy strongman with the grip strength of Mike Tyson?"
"Yes...and my nipples are the training equipment."
"Ach, hen, I dinnae know whether tae laugh or salute yer bravery."
She flopped onto the couch, laughter tangling with tears. "And the labour... I had a C-section last time. My insides felt like they were trying to crawl out. But hey—silver lining—my vag stayed tight."
Euan placed a hand over his heart, mock solemn. "See? Every cloud's got a silver linin'. Some folk get stretch marks; you got bragging rights."
Her laugh cracked into a sob. "Euan, it's too much. I can't do this again. I've already got David. I had enough with the IVFs...I don't know if I'm strong enough."
He sat beside her, his tone shifting. "Sage, listen tae me. If I've got a vote, aye, I'd want the baby. I'd love it. But it's no' me that has tae carry a human in a private swimmin' pool inside my belly. It's you. Your body, your choice. I'll back ye whatever way ye decide."
Her voice was small. "You really want it though?"
"Aye. Course I do. Imagine a wee lassie with your sass and my accent. The poor teachers won't stand a chance."
She sniffled, then gave a weak laugh. "Or a boy who pees every ten minutes like his mum."
He grinned. "We'll just buy shares in Andrex."
She leaned into him, her breath unsteady. "You make it sound like it's not the end of the world."
"That's 'cause it's no'. It's just the start of a messy, funny, sleepless new chapter. And whatever ye choose, I'm right here, love. Even if it means I've got tae build ye a loo beside the sofa."
He tilted his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Too early tae boast about my super sperm, then?"
Sage groaned, dropping her face into her hands. "Yeah. Way too early. Especially since everything has started to taste like metal. Welcome to eight months of hating all the food I used to love: cheese, chocolate, meat of any kind, eggs..." She sighed dramatically. "Basically, I'm doomed."
Euan winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's a tragedy, lass. What am I supposed tae cook ye now?"
"At least," she muttered, peeking up at him with a wry smile, "maybe we can have sex without a condom?"
He barked out a laugh, tugging her closer until her head rested under his chin. "Aye, if ye think I'm complainin' about that, ye dinnae know me at all."