Chapter 15
POPPY
Iwoke up feeling like I was on a boat rocking in choppy water, not in bed with Colter.
One second, I was dreaming about his hands on me, and the next, I was bolting upright, my hand clamped over my mouth and scrambling off the mattress so fast the sheets tangled around my ankles.
I barely made it to the bathroom before all my dinner from last night along with a good amount of bile came spewing out of my mouth.
Colter held my hair through the worst of it, his body warm against my back as I knelt on the cool tile floor.
When it was finally over, I collapsed against him in an exhausted heap. If he hadn’t been there, I would’ve sprawled on the floor with how heavy my body felt. “I’m so tired.”
Fatigue had been creeping in for days, but I’d blamed it on swapping sleep for sex too often.
“C’mon, baby. Let me help you get cleaned up and back to bed.”
Colter lifted me off the floor and set me on the counter. Feeling a little woozy, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek against his bare chest, right over his tattoo of the ace of spades.
With his help, I rinsed my mouth and brushed my teeth without gagging too much. Then he wiped my face with a damp washcloth and pulled my hair into a ponytail. “Better?”
“A little.” He set me on my feet, and I groaned when the room felt like it tilted. “Think I caught something. Stomach bug maybe.”
He cupped the back of my neck, his thumb stroking soothing circles. “When did it start?”
“Last night after dinner for the nausea, and it got worse when I woke up. But I’ve been tired all week.”
He studied me for a long beat. Then the corners of his mouth kicked up in a smirk that was smugger than usual.
I frowned. “What?”
“We met seventeen days ago.”
When I realized that was all the explanation he seemed to think I needed, I asked, “And?”
“And you’ve been here every day since then.” Satisfaction gleamed from his light-brown eyes. “But you haven’t needed any of your feminine shit that’s under the sink.”
It took me a moment to understand what stuff he was talking about, and then I realized my period was late.
It should’ve started a week ago, and I hadn’t even noticed.
Not that I’d needed to track my cycle that closely before I met Colter.
There was no risk of getting pregnant when you weren’t having sex. “Oh my gosh.”
He carefully picked me up again and carried me back to the bed.
After setting me down gently, he walked through the bathroom and disappeared into the closet.
When he came back out, he was fully dressed and carrying a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt from one of the loads of stuff he’d brought over from my apartment.
“C’mon, baby. We’re going to the clinic.”
I blinked. “The clinic? I don’t want to spend hours waiting for someone—”
“Trust me.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead, silencing my protest. “We’re going.”
Ten minutes later, we were in the SUV, after he glared at me for daring to suggest we take the motorcycle.
He drove with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on my thigh, his thumb tracing absent circles. I stared out the window, trying to ignore the low-grade nausea still roiling in my belly as he rolled through the gates of the compound.
“Can I get a ginger ale or something as long as we’re stopping here on our way to the clinic?”
“We’re not going anywhere else, baby. We have our own doctors,” he explained.
“Oh. That's a relief.” My brows drew together as I tried not to think about what kind of medical help Colter and his club brothers would need often enough to have their own medical clinic at the compound. “But are you sure they can help me? I can’t imagine they give many pregnancy tests.”
“Two years ago, you would’ve been right.
” He shook his head with a laugh as he parked at the far end of the lot in front of the clubhouse.
“You saw how many kids were at the barbecue, though. Flint and Razor have learned to keep stocked ever since Stella needed to be tested when she was pregnant with Cadell.”
“Okay, that totally makes sense,” I murmured with a soft smile as he helped me out of the SUV. “All the couples did seem to either have a baby already or one on the way. Maybe there’s something in the water if I’m pregnant, too. I know it’s just a saying, but—”
Colter pressed his lips against mine in a quick kiss. “The ‘something’ is us Hounds can’t keep our hands off the right woman when we find her.”
“Totally fair,” I agreed with a giggle.
He kept my hand in his as we walked around the side of the clubhouse and into the clinic. The only person inside—a club brother I hadn’t met yet—looked up and grinned.
“Ace. Didn’t expect to see you today.” His gaze slid to me. “And this must be Poppy.”
“Yeah.” Colter gave him a chin lift. “Baby, this is Flint. He’s one of our doctors.”
Flint stood, offering me his hand. “Sorry I missed the barbecue last weekend. I had a shift at the hospital I couldn’t ditch. Heard you made quite the impression on the old ladies.”
I managed a weak smile. “They were really nice.”
He glanced at Colter. “You bring her in for the usual reason?”
Colter nodded. “She’s been throwing up. Tired. We need to know.”
“Got it.” He pulled a small box from a cabinet and handed it to me. “Bathroom’s right there. Pee on the stick. Results in three minutes.”
Colter started to follow me, but I planted a hand on his chest. “Nope. You stay here.”
He grumbled but let me slip inside the bathroom by myself. My hands shook as I opened the box. As soon as I flushed the toilet, Colter knocked on the door. “Not gonna wait out here for those three minutes, baby.”
I unlocked the door and washed my hands while he came inside. Pulling my back against his chest, we stared at the stick that held the answer to our future for three long minutes. Finally, two pink lines appeared, clear as day.
My knees went weak and would’ve fallen to the floor if he hadn’t been holding me up.
Our gazes met in the mirror. “You’re pregnant.”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
His hand cupped my lower belly. “I’ll take such good care of you two.”
“I know.”
Flint took one glance at us as we stepped out of the bathroom, barked a laugh, and clapped Colter on the shoulder. “There’s something in the water around here, man.”
I looked up at Colter. “See, I told you.”
“Nah,” he disagreed. “Just good aim.”
My cheeks flamed as he led me back to the SUV. The drive to his house was quiet.
Colter pulled into the garage, killed the engine, and turned to me. “Talk to me, baby.”
I swallowed. “I’m a little scared.”
He unbuckled and shifted to face me fully. “Of what?”
“That this is too fast. That you’ll wake up one day and realize you didn’t sign up for diapers, midnight feedings, and me being even more of a mess than I already am.” My voice cracked. “We’ve only known each other a few weeks.”
“Look at me.” He caught my chin. “I meant what I said from the beginning. I don’t do temporary. Not with anything that’s mine. Which you very much are. And so is our baby. I’m not going anywhere. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not when it gets hard. I’m here. All in.”
Tears spilled over, both from being happy and overwhelmed.
He wiped them away with his thumbs. “We’ve got this, baby.”
Then he kissed me like he was pouring every promise into it.
We made it inside somehow. The door barely closed behind us before he carried me to the bedroom and laid me down like I was made of glass.
This time was different. There was no frantic tearing at clothes. He undressed me slowly, kissing every inch of skin he uncovered. When I was naked, he shed his own clothes, then settled between my thighs, his forearms braced beside my head.
His eyes held mine. “You’re still the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.”
I laughed through tears. “I’m a mess.”
“My mess.”
His grip on me was gentle instead of hard, but still possessive.
He kissed his way down my body, gentle nibbles and licks that drove me wild.
Then he used his teeth, tongue, and fingers to bring me to the brink of orgasm even faster than ever before.
I wasn’t sure if it was because I was more sensitive than usual or if he was just determined, but it didn’t matter when I flew apart, screaming his name. “Yes, oh yes! Colter!”
He ate me through my orgasm, then settled between my thighs again. “Ready to take my cock, baby?”
“Yes, now,” I urged, wrapping my legs around his waist.
Colter slid inside me with a slow thrust that made me gasp. His hand found mine, our fingers tangling together.
“Feel that? That’s us, baby. So fucking perfect. Made for each other.”
I lifted my hips to meet his next thrust and gasped, “Colter.”
He groaned and picked up the pace. Every roll of his hips hit exactly right, building sensual pressure until I was trembling beneath him again.
“Come for me, baby,” he rasped. “Let me feel your sweet pussy milk my cock.”
That was all it took for me to fly apart, clinging to him as waves of pleasure crashed over me. He followed, burying his dick to the hilt and pressing his forehead against mine. We were both breathing hard, our eyes locked on each other. And the fear was gone.