Chapter 11
MARISSA
Stirring beside me, Raiden woke me before my alarm did.
The time since I’d returned to New York had passed in a blur of sleep and nausea while Raiden quietly reorganized his entire life around me without making it feel overwhelming.
I still felt tired, but not bone-deep exhausted like I had overseas, which I owed to him because he’d made sure I followed the doctor’s instructions.
His arm was slung around my waist, pinning me comfortably to the bed. Although I needed to get up soon, I didn’t feel the urge to ease out from under him. Instead, I shifted carefully until I faced him.
He was out cold. Totally relaxed with his dark lashes resting on his cheeks and looking unfairly angelic considering how sinful he’d been last night. And the night before.
I leaned in and brushed a soft kiss against his lips.
Raiden made a low sound deep in his throat. His hand slid to my hip, tightening just enough to pull me closer. His eyes opened, still warm with sleep, and his mouth curved into a smile.
“Morning, baby,” he rasped, his deep voice rough enough to melt my bones.
“Good morning.”
His hand slipped to the back of my neck, his thumb stroking lightly as he drew me in for a real kiss. Soft at first, then deeper when I sighed against his mouth.
A familiar heat began to course through my veins, the kind that made my toes curl when his tongue brushed mine.
He rolled onto his back and dragged me on top of him. His lips trailed down my jaw to the sensitive spot beneath my ear. “Didn’t hear your alarm go off yet.”
A helpless little sound escaped me before I whispered, “It’s about to.”
He shifted to look up at me. “You sure you have to go in?”
I nodded and took a shaky breath, wishing I could ignore everything except the way he made me feel. “Yeah, it’s my first day back in the office. I can’t skip out after my boss let me work from home for so long.”
A slow, wicked smile curved his mouth, and I knew him well enough now to get that he was debating whether he could talk me out of it before he murmured, “Maybe he’d understand if you were a little late.”
I shoved at his chest, though it did absolutely nothing. “Raiden.”
“Fine.” He pressed one last kiss to my forehead before letting go of my waist. “But I’m walking you out.”
I slipped out of bed and grabbed his tee from the chair to wear while I got ready. He watched me with that soft, possessive look that made me warm all over.
“Up for tea and toast?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I pressed my hand to my still-flat belly. “That’s probably a good call.”
He reached out, catching my wrist and pulling me in just far enough for his lips to graze the inside of my wrist. “I’ll make it while you’re in the shower.”
“Thanks.”
After I got ready for work, I had enough time to nibble on my toast while I sipped my tea. Then Raiden walked me down to the black cab he hired to take me to the office. “Text me when you get there. If you need anything, let me know. And if anyone gives you shit, I’ll come get you.”
“I know,” I whispered.
For the first time, the idea of going back to work while pregnant with a baby I wasn’t ready to tell anyone about didn’t feel quite so overwhelming. Because he was solidly in my corner. Something he’d proven to me in so many ways over the past two weeks.
By the time the cab pulled up to the network building, the toast I’d forced down was sitting like a tight little brick in my stomach.
I smoothed my palms down the front of my top, squared my shoulders, and tried to look like a woman who wasn’t secretly living with a star football player.
And definitely wasn’t pregnant with his baby.
No pressure.
I rode the elevator up with two interns who were buzzing about a viral gymnastics clip. Their chatter helped steady me because it was so normal.
The moment I stepped into the newsroom, my boss spotted me.
“Marissa! Office. Now.”
My stomach twisted in knots as I followed him in, every step reminding me I was keeping secrets that could damage my career before it had the chance to really get started. I gripped my tote tighter to hide the slight tremble in my hands, and he gestured for me to sit.
“You look good.” He circled his desk and dropped onto his chair. “Rested.”
I doubted that but smiled anyway. “Thank you for being so understanding about the extra time I needed.”
“It’s not as though you weren’t working.
You still got a lot done from home.” He clicked something on his keyboard, then looked up at me with a proud gleam in his eyes.
“And you earned a bit of leeway. Your coverage overseas was stellar. Views are higher on most of your videos than we’ve ever gotten for figure skating coverage before. Impressive work.”
Relief loosened the tight band around my ribs. “Thank you. I really appreciate the opportunity.”
He opened a spreadsheet. “The numbers from that Nighthawks clip with Shaffer are still climbing after six weeks. Fans loved the banter.”
“Wow.” I squirmed in my seat, a rush of nerves making my stomach queasy again. “Um, that’s good to know.”
“Like I told you before you left, management wants to test you with some higher-profile sports content. Football to start since you already have momentum there. Maybe baseball next season.”
My brain stalled. “That’s incredible.”
“We still want you on figure skating coverage when needed, but you’ll also be rotating in for local sports features and some bigger hits when the timing’s right,” he explained. “You good with that?”
I wanted to scream yes because this was exactly what I’d been hoping for. Before life threw me a plot twist in the form of a tight end with broody brown eyes.
“It sounds wonderful.” Unfortunately, it also meant I had to share part of my personal life with him before I planned. “But there’s something you need to know before I start covering football.”
“There is?” he asked, his brows drawing together.
I forced the words past the lump in my throat. “Yes, um…I’m actually dating a player.”
“Let me guess.” He leaned back in his chair with a low chuckle. “Raiden Shaffer?”
My cheeks heated. “Yeah.”
“Not a surprise, considering the chemistry between you two.”
There was a rap of knuckles against the door, making me whirl around so quickly that I got lightheaded.
Camille leaned against the frame like she was posing for a photo shoot. “Oops. Sorry. Didn’t realize you were in a meeting.”
Roger waved her off. “Give us a second, Camille.”
“Sure.” Her gaze landed on me. “Funny how some people work a decade to get on the football beat, and others just…sleep with the right tight end.”
Heat shot up my neck, and my stomach roiled.
My boss frowned. “Camille—”
She raised her hands innocently. “Just making conversation.”
Then she winked at me and sauntered away.
My throat felt tight as the door clicked shut behind her. Something I should’ve checked before I told Roger about my relationship with Raiden. Thank goodness I hadn’t mentioned the pregnancy too. The last thing I needed was Camille blabbing about that before we were ready to go public.
“Don’t mind her,” my boss muttered. “She’s competitive, but she’ll toe the company line, and your access to the players is good for the network.”
I hoped he was right about Camille, but I didn’t trust her. “Okay.”
The meeting wrapped quickly after that, but the damage was done. Camille’s jab kept echoing in my brain as I headed toward my cubicle. Then the scent of something cooking in the microwave drifted from the employee break room, and I raced toward the bathroom.
Kneeling in front of the toilet, I threw up the toast I’d managed to choke down earlier. I was pale and sweating when my stomach was finally empty. My knees shook as I stood and made my way to the sink to wash my hands and rinse out my mouth.
Digging in my pocket, I pulled out one of the ginger lollipops Raiden had tucked in there in case of an emergency right before I climbed into the cab. My throat tightened. Not from nausea, but from how much thought he put into my comfort.
As I unwrapped and stuck it in my mouth, I thought about calling him. Or texting him. Maybe warning him that someone in my world already smelled blood in the water.
But I didn’t want to drag him into something he didn’t need to worry about yet, especially with how protective he was of me. I had no doubt he’d storm in here, and that would only add fuel to Camille’s fire.
So I straightened my spine and walked out of the bathroom.
I ignored Camille’s accusing stare and held my head high, pretending her words hadn’t hit their mark.
And by the time I got back home that night, I was too tired to worry about her.
All I wanted was our big bed and my man wrapped around me while I slept.