7. Chapter Seven
Grinning like a fool, I flash my card for the Penthouse levels in the elevators.
We ride in silence. She’s fidgeting next to me. Maybe I’m coming on too strong. I know that what my parents have is rare, maybe that was too much for her, to admit I felt like she was my soulmate. Oh well. I can’t take it back now. Not that I’m one to take back anything I say.
Walking through the lobby toward the kitchen, she sits at the island quietly taking in the space probably from a different perspective this time.
“Where are you from in Norway?” she asks, turning to look at me.
“Stavanger.”
“Oh wow, how did you end up in Texas?”
“Hockey. I was drafted by San Francisco when I turned eighteen. Then got traded to Houston. ”
“What? You played for San Francisco? I don’t even follow hockey and I know the two teams are rivals. Is it hard to play against your former teammates?” She follows me into the kitchen.
“No. There’s a reason I’m not with the Ice Men anymore. We didn’t mesh well. The players, or the coaches. It’s a different world here in Houston, and I wouldn’t want to be traded again. Houston is like a second family.”
I hand her a bottle of water, and pop the cap on my own, guzzling down half the bottle in one go.
We move to the living room, and I grab her a blanket for the couch. “Would you like anything to eat?”
“Absolutely not. I’m still feeling a little nauseous from the concussion. Just sit with me.” She pats the couch next to her and lifts the edge of the blanket like I’ll fit under it with her.
“Is your family still in Norway?”
“They are. My parents still live in our hometown. I’m an only child though. So it’s just the three of us. Both of my parents work at the university.”
She cuddles into my side, taking the TV control from my hand.
“Me too. Just me and my parents. But I have a lot of aunts and uncles. And cousins. They all live in Dallas, so we don’t see them too often.”
Her phone blares from her bag on the counter in the kitchen. Her eyes widen at the sound. “Oh no. That’s my parents.”
She attempts to get up but I stop her, striding over to the counter to grab it for her. Once she takes the call I walk to the bedroom to give her the space to talk. My thoughts wander to the fact that I’m still dressed in the suit I had to put on after the game. My sweatpants are calling my name. Then they wander to the fact she has nothing here but the clothes on her body.
Once I’m changed, I grab an old tee from the closet for her. I don’t hear any more talking so I head back out to find her searching the refrigerator.
“Are you hungry now?”
She jumps at the sound of my voice, turning to face me while gripping each door of the refrigerator. “Jesus. You aren’t supposed to be scaring me.”
“And you’re not supposed to be up without me.” I level her with a stare.
“I’m a little hungry.” She holds up her thumb and forefinger.
“How about pizza?”
“You eat pizza?” Her cute little nose scrunches up as she scrutinizes my shirtless chest.
“Of course I do. I’m a big boy.”
A giggle escapes her. “That you are.” She walks back to the couch, taking the tee from my hand for her to change into .
“What kind?” I pull up my favorite pizza place that’s right around the corner and will deliver here. Trying to keep my mind focused as she strips out of her clothes and slips the tee over her head.
“Cheese.” She snuggles back under the blanket on the couch in the corner and gets comfortable.
“That’s it? Cheese?” Who is this woman? Maybe I should run now before anything gets deeper. Oh wait.
She shrugs. “I’m a purist. What can I say?”
“A purist? That’s what you want to go with?” I type in the order for two pizzas. One cheese, one supreme. And french fries for good measure.
She picks up the remote again, scrolling through her choices. I take note of all the options she stops on. She seems to like romantic comedies, true crime, and some dramas.
Buzzing comes from the couch next to her. She looks at her phone and places it back down on the couch. It buzzes again, and she ignores it once more. On the third buzz, she huffs out a sigh, and I watch her place her phone on do not disturb.
“Everything alright?” I don’t want to pry into her business, but whoever is calling her is clearly not someone she wants to hear from.
“Yeah. Just my ex. The one who's tickets I had tonight. He saw me while he was watching the game. He’s a big fan.”
“Oh. I guess that’s nice he’s concerned about you.”
She laughs. “Concerned? No. Not so much. He wants me to send him the money for his ticket since they were a birthday gift.”
A deep laugh rumbles out of me. “What the hell kind of boys were you dating before me?”
Her eyes widen, and she freezes. “Before you? Are we really dating? Like boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Her question makes me smile. “If that’s what you want to call it, Skatten Min. You’re mine, so call it whatever you need to.” I pull her to me to take her lips with mine.
She pulls back. “You could have any girl you want, you’re Viktor Karlsen.”
“Good thing I’ve got the one I want.” I take her lips once more but her kisses are hesitant, not as sure as they were our first night together.
A strain in my sweatpants has me desperate for more, but the buzzer from the doorman draws our attention back.
I run over, with a raging hard-on and barely open the door to grab the pizzas. I toss a twenty off the kitchen counter in the delivery driver’s general direction for a tip and slam the door.
Calliope is over on the couch, giggling at me.
“This is funny to you?”
“I just love that I do that to you. ”
Placing the two pizza boxes on the coffee table, I go to grab a couple of waters as she watches me the whole way.
When I return, I crouch in front of her, moving the blanket and swiping my finger through her wet pussy. “And I love that I do that to you.”
Her cheeks blush pink. Fuck. We need to stop before I start something and she can’t eat. She needs her energy back.
She is not like any woman that I’ve ever dated before. They all want to be out in the public eye, want to post me on their social media to grow their followers, and just want the clout of dating me. But not her. She had no idea who I was and she left me with just a note. Now she’s here, cuddled on my couch eating pizza, with her phone tucked away and off.
“I’ll be right back,” she announces abruptly.
Taking a box of pregnancy tests off the counter, she walks off to the bathroom.
Like a lovesick puppy, I follow her. Sitting on the floor outside the bathroom. I hear the crinkle of the package. And then she’s done.
“How long?” I ask through the door.
It opens, and she slides down onto the floor next to me, just inside the door. “Three minutes.”
Opening my phone I set a timer. My palms are sweaty already. What if this doctor was wrong? He did say it was very early. What if the test just can’t detect it yet?
“Stop worrying. No matter what the test says, I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me tonight.” She rests her head on my shoulder.
“Don’t talk like this is over if that test is negative, Skatten Min. Positive or negative you aren’t leaving me again.” As I kiss her forehead the timer goes off.
“You look.” She hands me the opened package of a digital pregnancy test.
This moment is surreal. And nothing like I ever imagined it would be, but somehow my heart has always known it would be with her. I knew the moment I laid eyes on her she would change my world.
Taking a deep breath I pull the test out of the package.
Pregnant.
I turn the test to show her, and immediately pull her in for a hug. I’ve never been so fucking happy to see a positive pregnancy test in all my life.
And I’ve seen a few over the years, some from girls that I didn’t even hook up with. Most of them were falsified, and they were just gold digging.
“It’s real.” She pulls back from me, a huge smile ear to ear.
Wanting to be a dad has always been a goal of mine, but I never thought it would happen now. A little miracle that I didn’t know I was ready for, but seeing the word pregnant on that test, man that just made it real. And I’m so ready for this.
My hands instinctively go to her stomach. “Our liten b?nne.”
We sit there on the floor between the hall and the bathroom, embracing each other for what feels like minutes but is probably only seconds.
But they are the best seconds I’ve had in a long time. Second only to the moment I met her. My Treasure, my Skatten Min.
An empty bed. Again.
I swear if this woman left…
I run out to the living room and find her on the couch with a cup of coffee.
“Where ya goin’?” She smirks over the lip of her mug.
“Nowhere. I was nervous you left again.”
“Well I will be. I need to get home at some point.”
I scowl at her. The idea of her leaving my house makes me want to follow her. Especially to keep an eye on her and the baby.
“I don’t think so.”
She sits forward, placing her mug on the coffee table. “I’m sorry, you don’t think so? ”
“You are home, Calliope.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Well Viktor, it seems not, as all my belongings are at my apartment.” She mimics me with her arms crossed.
“That’s an easy fix.” I run back to the bedroom to grab my phone.
I’ll be damned if she thinks she’s going to get out of here still living separately from me. That is not fucking happening.
I return to the living room. “There are four moving companies with availability today.”
Her jaw slacks open and her eyes go wide. “You’re not fucking serious. You just want me to move everything in here and act like that’s just normal?”
“Or I’ll go to you. Or we can get our own place together. Your choice, Skatten Min.” I hand my phone to her, showcasing the list of moving companies.
“No one is moving!” She stands quickly and sways before sitting back down.
“Okay, okay. No one is moving. Today. Jolie is coming by though. She is my buddy’s girlfriend. I have to be at the gym today for a team workout.”
“Or, hear me out on this one, you bring me home. Where my Mom is going to come spend the day with me. Because I’m a grown ass woman who can make her own plans for care and doesn’t need someone to find a babysitter for her.” She raises one brow, and her foot taps on the floor .
Why is she so much sexier when she’s sassing me?
I stride across the room in three large steps. Pushing into her until she has no choice but to wrap her arms around me.
“What are you-”
I cover her mouth, mixing my tongue with hers. My old tee is too much fabric between us, keeping her creamy expanse of skin from me.
I pull back. “Off.” I tug at the hem of her shirt.
“Off,” She repeats, tugging at my waistband. A mischievous glint in her eye sparkles.
“No,” I growl. I scoop her up into my arms and carry her into the bedroom.
Depositing her on the bed, I reach down to find the edge of the tee and pull it upwards. “You are not doing a single thing, Skatten Min. But I am hungry for a delectable breakfast.”
I lick my lips before pushing her down on the bed and kissing my way down her body. Stopping at her nipples, I suck each one into my mouth. Trailing my lips down her stomach, pausing for a few kisses to where our liten b?nne is.
“Liten b?nne, I can’t wait to meet you.”
“What does that mean?” She sits up on her elbows.
“Little bean.” I crawl back up her body, pulling her tight to me.
“And skatten min? ”
“My treasure.” I reach my hand into her panties, swirling my finger around her clit.
“But you’ve called me that since we met.”
“I told you I knew from the moment you sent me a tequila shot.”
I plunge my fingers into her, making her back arch off the bed. “You are my treasure. And so is this baby. Having you two with me is always going to be the best part of my life.”
I run my fingers back up around her clit.
“Not enough. I want to feel you, please,” she begs.
I swing my body over hers, hovering over her. “I will go slow. That is all. Do you understand, Skatten Min?”
“Yes, Sir.” A smirk spreads on her face.
I stand, stripping my sweatpants off, before returning to her body. I rub my cock through her wet pussy before sliding into her slowly. I’m rewarded with her moans, only this time it’s my name on her lips.
“Viktor.”
Her breathy moans push me to go faster before I rein myself back. I can’t. I need to go slow for her. I need to take my time, savoring every inch that I get to watch slide in and out of her pussy.
Kissing her neck, I nuzzle into her, inhaling her citrusy peppermint scent. Her hips press into my pelvis, seeking friction. I reach down between our bodies to give her what she craves. Circling her clit, while I pull out, and back in. Watching her writhe on the bed under my touch.
“You’re so close, Skatten Min. I’m going to go deeper, and you’re going to come for me.”
“Yes, Sir,” she breathes out barely audible.
This time when I pull out of her, I slam back into her, hitting her G-spot that I learned about on our night together, and have wanted to do again.
“Oh, Viktor!”
On the second thrust, I pinch the bud of her clit and her orgasm ricochets through her body. The tingle starts up my spine as I thrust one more time. My orgasm spills into her.
Collapsing next to her, I pull her close to me. “Are you sure you want to leave?”
Swatting at my chest, she looks up at me. “Did you just try to bribe me with orgasms to move in?”
“Maybe.” I place a kiss to her forehead.
“In that case, it might take a while to convince me.” She pops up and runs to the bathroom, but I catch up to her within a few strides, pulling her to me and carrying her to the shower.
I do not want to leave her .
Mrs. Miller arrived a few moments ago, and I can see where Calliope gets her personality. They are spitting images of each other.
But now I need to leave or I will be late.
Pulling her into me, I kiss her deeply before I walk out of her apartment door to go to the team workout.
“I’ll see you tonight.” I purposely don’t phrase it as a question.
“Only if you bring me a chicken caesar salad from that cute little cafe near the stadium.” She smiles at me.
“Anything for you, Skatten Min.” I place one more quick kiss to her forehead before leaving.
I look like a fool with this grin on my face. But I’ve never been happier to get home, usually it’s me trying to rush out of my house to get to hockey.
But not with my Skatten Min and Liten B?nne waiting on me.