19. Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Elsie
May 11 — 19 Weeks, Mango
T here are whispers throughout the club.
Everyone is wondering: is she pregnant or fat?
Well, I’m both.
So, they can all go fuck off.
The stares I’m getting from everyone bring out Marshall’s protective side, though, and every possessive touch sends warmth through my body.
Turns out, coming to The Playground for the week was an excellent idea for both of us. I needed the break more than I’m willing to admit.
The time together has been enjoyable, but right now, I’m enjoying having Marshall’s whole attention a lot more than I maybe should.
All night, he’s hovered around me.
The last time we came to the club, no one knew about my pregnancy. We were still just friends who’d slept together once.
This time, it’s clear the rumor mill has been active with how people glance at us as we sit in our normal area with friends.
“People are staring,” I whisper to Marshall over the music of the club. “I don’t like it.”
“I kind of do.” He teases back at me. “I like them knowing you’re mine.”
“I’m not yours, Marshall,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“You keep saying that.” He leans to whisper in my ear. “But I don’t believe you.”
A shiver runs down my spine at his words and the heat of his breath against my pulse.
“Marshall.” I breathe, pushing him back halfheartedly on the chest. “People are watching.”
It’s early enough in the night to where the curiosity of the crowd hasn’t broken decorum yet. But I can see them wanting to come up and ask questions.
Marshall is one of The Playground’s most infamous single members, with emphasis on the single . Seeing him with me, how he touches me like I mean more to him than one night or even one week of fun, is drawing the attention of more than one regular in the crowd. Add a suspected pregnancy, and our coupling is headline news in the lifestyle community now.
“Elsie!” A sultry voice comes to shake me from my fear.
“Zuri?” I say, turning to face the gorgeous Black woman.
Zuri is a longtime friend of both Marshall and me. She’s also the badass founder of my favorite toy brand, Onyx Obsession.
“Hey, love.” She says, her voice smooth and bright .
Zuri is a classic beauty; her deep umber skin is covered in a light layer of shimmering glitter, and her makeup is done in bright neon colors. Her locks are adorned with matching neon beads, and her lacey bodysuit is the same neon color palette.
“Any chance you could get your man to help me haul some stuff upstairs?” She asks.
“My man?” I ask, confused.
“Marshall?” She nods over to Marshall who’s standing beside me and chuckles. “Oh, please don’t tell me you’re pretending this isn’t a thing.”
I glance over my shoulder at Marshall, who’s beaming down at me annoyingly.
“Fine. Yes.” I admit. “We’re... involved.”
“Together,” Marshall interjects.
“Together or whatever, can you help me lug my stuff upstairs from my truck?” She asks. “I’m running late.”
Marshall steps around me and starts to walk toward the front lobby of the club. “Of course.”
The pair turn to go outside, leaving me alone.
Suddenly, I’m exposed.
Marshall settled us at one of the tables in a back corner, but despite being away from the center of everything, it still feels like everyone’s eyes are on me.
I sit there, slowly sipping on my tumbler of water, before I’m saved by Ivy strolling up to my table.
“Daddy left you here on your own?” She asks.
“What?” I reply, startled by her question despite watching her approach.
She plops down and wraps her arm around my shoulders. “Marshall. Your daddy. Your baby daddy. ”
My eyes grow wide. “What?”
“Oh, please don’t lie to me.” Ivy sighs. “Selene may have let it slip that you were pregnant, but it’s Marshall’s kid, isn’t it?”
I hesitate, looking at Ivy carefully. “Yeah. The baby is ours.”
“Oh good!” Ivy cheers. “I knew y’all would work out.”
“What?”
“We’ve all been cheering you both on since Selene’s engagement party. I think y’all are cute.” She continues as though she hasn’t just brought my whole world to a screeching halt.
Just then, Zuri returns through the main doors with Marshall at her heels, carting two large trunks on a trolley. As they pass, Marshall looks over at me and motions for me to follow them.
I stand by Zuri at the base of the stairs, watching Marshall pick up the first trunk and haul it up to the floor of the playroom.
“Isn’t there an elevator you could have used?” I ask her.
“Yeah, but it’s far more entertaining to watch him flex and carry shit upstairs,” Zuri says, and she turns to admire Marshall in his tight blue jeans as he carries the heavy trunk.
There’s a flare of jealousy when I witness how she watches him, the lust that appears there.
I know Marshall is attractive.
More than that, he’s fucking hot .
But having Zuri ogle him so openly has my hackles rising.
“What’s in the trunks?” I ask, hoping to distract her from Marshall’s ass.
“Oh! It’s my newest product. We haven’t launched them yet. This is an exclusive first look.” She says.
Marshall appears at the top of the stairs and begins jogging down. The way his muscles ripple with each step has me drooling .
He picks up the second trunk, repeating the process as we both watch him in silence.
“Yeah. You snagged a good one, girl.” Zuri says.
“Oh. He’s not mine.” I say adamantly.
When Marshall comes back downstairs, there’s a massive smile on his face, and when our gazes connect, there are stars in his eyes.
“You sure about that?” Zuri murmurs, drawing my attention away from Marshall.
“Alright,” Marshall says when he stands before us, clapping his hands together. “What’s next?”
Zuri and I look at each other briefly, her giving me a knowing look.
“Want to help me unpack everything? I’ll let you pick out something as a thank you.” She says with a smirk, never breaking eye contact with me.
“Yeah. Of course.” Marshall replies.
When I look back at him, he’s still smiling at me. There’s a look in his gaze that says there’s trouble on the horizon.
As we turn to go upstairs, Marshall puts his hand on the small of my back, sending warmth through me. Just the slightest of touches has my body heating up, and I can already feel the need building for him.
Pregnancy is a wild ride, but the constant desire and horniness I’ve been feeling recently is so over the top.
The whole way up, Marshall keeps his hands on me, making sure I don’t trip and fall.
Stairs are a bitch when you’re pregnant.
Zuri already has the trunks open when we reach the top, and there are tables set up with black tablecloths .
“So, what is all of this?” I ask, approaching the trunk and picking up one of the packages inside.
“Most of it is our most popular products, like our vibes and dildos.” She explains, beginning to pull out different products. “But the new stuff is in the other trunk. Go ahead.”
I shuffle over to the trunk and open it to find a collection of sleek black and purple packages.
“We’re finally expanding to male pleasure,” Zuri says with a smile, clearly proud of her work. “So, we’ve been spending the past year developing cock sleeves, rings, and anal toys specifically for men.”
I’ve always loved how passionate Zuri is about her work and how sex-positive and body-positive her company is. Seeing her rave about her new line makes my heart light up.
“Anything I should add to my toy bag?” Marshall jokes.
Instead of laughing along, she very seriously strides over to the trunk and pulls out a box. “Joke if you like, but toys are your friend, Marshall. Try this out, and tell me it isn’t some of the best sex you’ve ever had.”
Marshall doesn’t take the box. So, I reach over and take it from Zuri’s outstretched hand.
The packaging has the image of a sleek black cock ring on it.
“It vibrates?” I ask, reading the description.
“Yup.” She says with a smirk. “Remote controlled.”
“Oh. That’s something I could have fun with.” I smile deviously at the box in my hand.
“If only you had someone to use it with,” Zuri chuckles. “And we were conveniently at a venue where you could escape and test it out. ”
I look up at her, and there’s mischief in her eyes when our gaze connects.
“They come fully charged.” She murmurs. “And the battery lasts for two hours.”
My eyebrows raise at her insinuation, and I glance over at Marshall, who’s unpacking the other trunk.
“Even if he’s not yours , he is a fun plaything.” She says with a wink.
I look back at Marshall, and when I look back at Zuri, she gives me a look of insistence.
Marshall has his back turned to me when I walk over to him, and I wrap my arms around his waist. I let my hands travel up under his shirt to feel his firm body.
One of his hands comes to cup my own, and there’s a moment of connection between us that’s far too intimate and sweet for where we are.
I move my hand down and cup his cock through his jeans, giving it a squeeze.
“I want to try something,” I murmur to him.
He turns in my arms, pressing me against him firmly.
“Oh?” He asks, leaning down to look me in the eye. “And what would that be, princess?”
“I want you to wear one of Zuri’s cock rings while you fuck me, toy ,” I reply, emphasizing the last word.
He takes in a sharp breath, and his gaze turns smoldering.
“Whatever you want, my Queen.” He murmurs, leaning down to give me a kiss on the cheek.
I grab his hand and drag him over to where the second trunk lays open, grabbing the box from before.
“Now?” He asks, his voice lilting up in surprise .
I spin on him and narrow my eyes. “Yes. Now.”
Tugging him by the hand, I proceed to drag Marshall through.
“Have fun, you two!” Zuri calls after us with a chuckle.