Chapter 24 Emily
EMILY
Donovan’s head disappeared beneath my blanket as he kissed his way down my stomach.
He stopped briefly at the barely noticeable bump under my belly button and pressed a long, lingering kiss there before descending to the apex of my thighs.
He teased the edges of my panties, driving me wild.
My pregnancy hormones made me insatiable, and he was happy to oblige.
“Donovan,” I gasped, then choked as the scent of smoke filled my lungs. Before he could press his mouth to my aching core a shrill siren went off, and he evaporated into thin air.
My eyes sprang open, and I shot up in bed. Clamping my hands over my ears to drown out the smoke alarm, I blinked away the haze. Only, it didn’t abate. That was when I realized there was smoke filling my room.
I jumped out of bed, throwing on my robe.
My apartment was on fire, and I had to get out.
Swiping my phone off the nightstand, I ran to the front door and stepped into my boots before rushing outside.
Lights flashed in the distance, and the sirens from the fire trucks echoed into the night.
My neighbors began to spill out of their apartments and looked around, just as confused as I was. Then I saw it.
Flames glowed from inside the apartment next to mine. I covered my mouth in horror and prayed everyone had gotten out. The fire trucks pulled up, and the firemen urged us all to step back.
“Is there anyone inside?” one of them barked, pointing his ax to the apartment that was ablaze.
“I-I don’t know.” Without hesitation, he disappeared into the building, and I stifled a sob as fear racked my body.
“Emily!” a familiar masculine voice barked, and I turned to find Donovan striding determinedly toward me, his dark gaze assessing.
He scanned me over from head to toe, clocking my lack of injuries in the few seconds it took for him to reach me.
Then he was pulling me into his arms, cradling my head against his broad chest.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, pulling back to look up at him.
“I got an alert on my phone,” he said in explanation.
My brows dipped in confusion, so he explained how the new, fancy smoke and carbon monoxide detectors he insisted on installing in my apartment were connected to an app on his phone.
Anytime they went off, it was supposed to send both of us an alert.
I pulled the phone from the pocket of my robe and noticed it was flashing, but I could barely register the sound of the alert over all the sirens.
When he found out about my pregnancy last week, he’d gone into overprotective baby daddy mode, and to be honest, it was freaking hot.
I hadn’t put up a fight when he insisted on installing new smoke detectors and a security system.
He wanted to make sure the baby and I were safe.
Who could argue with that? My only point of contention was him refusing to let me pay for it.
He claimed to get a steep discount because of his job at the security firm, but I was certain it still wasn’t cheap.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” he asked, holding me at arms-length to do a thorough onceover.
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
“Did you inhale any smoke?”
“I-I don’t know. I smelled it when I woke up, but I got out immediately. I don’t think I breathed very much of it in,” I said, and his face filled with worry.
“We need to get you checked out,” he insisted and started leading me to a waiting ambulance.
“Donny, I’m fine,” I said, and he whirled on me.
“Don’t call me that. That name is for everyone else. You call me Donovan. Only you.”
I momentarily forgot we were standing in front of my apartment as it burned.
The flames inside had nothing on the heat coursing through my veins at the dark, possessive look in his eyes.
I wanted him to rip my robe off and finish what the dream version of him had started before the smoke alarm rudely interrupted.
I didn’t realize I was practically panting until I replied, “Okay,” in an airy voice that revealed how breathless I felt.
His chest heaved and he snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me closer.
He held me for a long moment, seemingly trying to catch his breath as well before placing a gentle kiss to my forehead.
“Come on. We need to let the paramedics look at you.” He grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers through mine, and led me to the closest ambulance.
They assessed my nose and throat and listened to my lungs.
Even though they found no cause for concern, they still offered to take me to the hospital.
I opened my mouth to refuse, but Donovan had other plans.
“She needs to be seen by a doctor. She’s pregnant. ”
The EMTs shared a look, and the corner of the woman’s lips tipped up. Who knew Donovan would turn into an overprotective caveman when faced with fatherhood? Who knew it would be such a turn-on?
I blamed the hormones.
“Everything looks great,” the doctor said, closing out of my chart on the computer.
“Mama and baby are perfectly healthy.” Donovan’s sigh of relief was audible in the otherwise quiet room.
“We’ll get your discharge paperwork in order and cut you loose.
” Donovan and I thanked him, and he walked out of my room.
A moment later, Vance and Delilah rushed in, both of them looking haggard and worried.
It was the middle of the night, and they’d been notified I had been rushed to the ER.
“Sorry it took us a while to get here. We had to drop the girls off with Mom,” Delilah said, rushing over to give me a hug. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Donovan wanted me to get checked out, but the doctor was just in and said I could go home.”
Vance glanced over at Donovan and gave him an appreciative nod. “Thanks for taking care of her.” Donovan stared at him a moment, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes.
“Of course,” he replied, and my gaze ping ponged between them.
It was no secret Vance hadn’t taken the news of my pregnancy well, and things were tense between the two best friends.
I cleared my throat to get their attention.
Vance’s gaze immediately shot to me, but it was Donovan who rushed to my side.
He’d been hovering the entire time we were here.
It was kind of cute the way he fretted like a mother hen.
“Do you need more water?” he asked, reaching for the cup on my bedside, but I declined.
“Is it okay if I stay with you guys?” I asked, shifting my attention to Vance and Delilah. “I really don’t want to go back to Mom and Dad’s.” My parents were great, but being under their roof again was not my idea of a good time.
“No,” Donovan said, and all eyes snapped to him. “You’re mine to take care of. You’ll come home with me.” Delilah gasped, and I just stared up at him, too stunned to speak.
“It might be a while until her apartment is livable again,” Vance chimed in. “Fire restoration can take weeks or even months. You might already be gone by the time she can move back in. It’s probably best if she stays with us.”
Donovan glared at Vance, clearly pissed at him for butting in.
“My lease isn’t up for another seven months.
She can stay as long as she needs to. I can renew the lease if necessary,” he said with finality.
If I wasn’t already pregnant, my ovaries would have exploded and probably released every egg I had left.
He had that whole growly, alphahole vibe going on as he went toe to toe with my brother-in-law, and I was here for it.
Vance turned to face me. “Is that okay with you?” I nodded, still unable to form words. “Fine,” he huffed, “but if for some reason that living arrangement doesn’t work out, our door is always open.” I could practically hear Donovan’s teeth grinding in response.
In all fairness, we still hadn’t discussed what happens when he leaves.
We were both still coming to terms with becoming parents, and there was a lot up in the air regarding co-parenting, living arrangements, etc.
It wasn’t unreasonable for Vance to worry about where I would go once Donovan was gone if my apartment wasn’t ready.
“Thank you,” I said, ignoring the man seething beside me as I bid them goodbye.
The nurse popped in with my discharge paperwork. After I signed on the dotted line, Donovan handed me my boots and robe. Then he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me out the door.
“Let’s get you home.”
Home.
I tried to ignore the warm, fuzzy feeling that word gave me because I knew it was only temporary.