Harmony laughed. “He won’t freak. Finn’s not the freak-out type. Everything is ready to go; all you need is your bag. I’ll start making the calls. I’ve got your mother, Jenn and Mike, and Clare down to call first. You guys focus on getting to the hospital.”
“Thanks, Harmony. You’re the best.”
“You’ve got this, Rory. Remember, just breathe through the pain! I mean, that doesn’t really work until you get the drugs, but remember to breathe….Okay, off to call the rest of the gang!”
She hung up and left me standing there with a stunned look on my face. I hadn’t been worried until her comment about the breathing not working.
“Got you!” I heard Finn yell.
I looked through the window and saw Finn tackling Flash, then the two of them rolling around in the backyard as Finn attempted to pull the cap from Flash’s mouth.
“Hey, Finn?” I called out.
“Yeah?”
I might have been scared, but damn, my husband looked sexy as he brushed the dirt and grass off himself. If I hadn’t been in labor, I would have been begging him to take me upstairs.
Wonder if we have time.
Oh geesh, Rory. Get it together.
Shaking the thought from my head, I called out, “You might want to come in with Flash.”
Stay calm. Talk calm. Be calm. Then Finn will be calm. That had been the advice of my birthing coach.
Finn and Flash walked through the door, and Finn pulled me in to his body. “Damn, you are sexy as hell, do you know that?”
The way he looked at me, like I was his everything, made it hard for me to ignore the pull in my lower stomach.
His hand trailed across my stomach and down into the comfy shorts that I’d been living in the last two weeks.
“Finn…we can’t.”
His fingers brushed against my clit, and I was stunned by how my body reacted. For Pete’s sake, I was in labor.
He slipped his finger inside of me and kissed along my neck. “Fucking hell. You’re so wet.”
“Finn.”
“I know, baby, feels so good to me too.”
The contraction was steadily growing stronger. “Oh, God!” I cried out. “It’s stronger than the last one.”
Finn stopped, then started up again. “Okay, whatever that means. As long as it’s making you feel good, baby.”
“No! Finn! Oh God!”
I gripped his arms and dug my nails into them. Anything to make the contractions stop.
“Rory, mother freaking f’er! You’re drawing blood.”
I buried my head in his chest and tried to breathe through it.
“Hee hee whoo. Hee hee whoo.”
“Yeah, feels that good, huh? Not so sure about the whole breathing-exercise thing you’re doing, but whatever floats your boat.”
Then something happened.
“Holy shit! You’re soaking wet!”
Pulling my head back, I looked into his eyes. His smile faded. “I’m having a contraction, not an orgasm, you idiot!”
“What!”
“I think my water just broke.”
A horrified look hit his face.
“Oh, gross! Yuk! Eww!” He started gagging as he pulled his arm from my shorts and ran to the sink.
“What the fuck! I was trying to get you off at the same time my daughter was trying to come out! I’m going to hell!” He scrubbed his hands, then looked up. “It’s because I told Flash he wasn’t getting any more food, isn’t it! This is karma!”
I followed his stare to the ceiling. “What are you looking at, Finn?”
“Nothing. I was praying. Come on, we need to get you to the car and then to the hospital. How far apart are they?”
“Um…” I looked at the clock. “Fifteen minutes or so.”
“What? Why did you wait? Rory, we need to be able to have time to get to the hospital.”
“It’s ten minutes away, Finn, and the last contraction was thirty minutes ago. This one came faster.”
He helped me out the front door and into the car. “We’ve got this,” he said in a reassuring voice.
“ ‘We?’ ” I asked. “Last time I checked you were trying to have sex with me while I was having a contraction.”
Finn reached in and pulled the buckle around me. “Hey, in my defense, you were making your moaning noises like you wanted me.”
“I did want you.”
He smiled. “Really?”
“Yeah, but not anymore.”
“That is totally understandable,” he said, then lifted his hands. “Wait! I need your bag and I need to lock up the beast.”
“Hurry!” I cried as he ran back into the house.
Two minutes later Finn came running out. He tried to jump over a bush, but hit it and fell to the ground.
“Finn! Oh, my goodness, are you okay?” He stood, and my stomach turned.
Blood.
I covered my mouth and gagged.
“I’m good. Let’s go.”
Tossing the suitcase into the back of the car, he jumped in. I stared out the window, trying not to look at him.
“Let’s do this! Let’s bring a baby into the world.”
“Finn. Nose. Blood.”
I peeked over at him as he looked into the mirror. It was running down into his mouth. “I’m going to puke!” I cried out.
“No! Not in my new car. Wait! You’re still wet from peeing!”
I shook my head. “I didn’t pee! My water broke!”
“I hope that doesn’t stain.”
My eyes were closed. “Are you still bleeding, and are you really worried about that right now, Finn?”
I could hear him open the glove box.
“Nope. I’m good on both counts.”
We somehow made it to the hospital and safely up to the labor and delivery floor. Finn’s nose started to bleed again, and the nurses had to tend to it. It wasn’t lost on me that it took three of them to stop the nosebleed.
Right as I got settled into my bed and asked the nurse for the magical shot that made all the pain go away, Finn walked in with Harmony.
“I found your poor husband practically being raped by a couple of nurses.”
Finn rolled his eyes and walked to the side of the bed. Leaning down, he kissed me gently on the lips. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”
“You have, but I sure could hear it again.”
“She’s dilated ten centimeters. Page Doctor Tilly now,” the nurse said.
“What?” Finn and I said in unison.
Harmony started for the door. “So this is my cue to take it on back to the waiting room.”
“Harmony!” I yelled out. “You can’t leave. What if he passes out?”
“Hey, I’m not going to pass out.”
Just then the doctor walked in. It hardly made an impact on me. Between all the people rushing in and out of the room, Finn being hit on by nurses, and the pain from the small human trying to rip itself out of my body, I didn’t know which way was up or which way was down.
I glared at Harmony. “You owe me—you’re not leaving.” Focusing in on the doctor, I stated, “I need drugs, Doctor. They’re coming…so fast now. So. Fast.”
He glanced up and made a face that said, Oh shit, sorry but I can’t help you with that request. “Too late, Rory. Your baby wants to make her debut.”
“Or. Him,” I said between pants.
Doctor Tilly chuckled. “Or him. All right. Finn, you ready to do this?”
“I’m ready.”
“Another one is coming,” I said as I squeezed Finn’s hand.
“That’s it, Éan. I’m heeeerrrreee—holy shit, she’s trying to break my hand!”
Harmony stood behind the doctor. “I’m going to stand here. Don’t worry, Rory: I’m a nurse—I’ve seen everything. I’m here for when Finn passes out again.”
I nodded and looked at Finn. He was glaring at Harmony.
“I’m sorry about your hand,” I told him.
br /> With a wink, Finn kissed my lips. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m…ohh…ow!”
Another contraction had hit.
Harmony leaned forward. “Is that…”
“…the head. Yes, she’s crowning.”
“What!” I cried out.
“Give me another push, Rory.”
“Already?” I asked.
“Yep—you’ve got one baby in a serious rush. One more good push and I think we’ve got him or her.”
I sat up and pushed with all my might. The pain was almost too much to bear, but Finn was right there, telling me I could do it, how much he loved me, and how if I needed to break his hand he would understand.
The pressure and pain were unreal, then they were instantly gone. The sounds of our baby’s cries filled the air.
Doctor Tilly looked up and said, “You have one very demanding daughter.”
Finn fist-pumped and turned to me. Tears streamed down his face. “You did it. You were amazing. Baby, I don’t know how you did that. It was so fast!”
I couldn’t talk. The happiness felt as if it were filling my entire body and I would explode if I tried to speak.
Finn cut the cord, and they placed our daughter on my chest.
I silently cried as I stared at her. Her blue eyes met mine, and I knew I’d never experienced such love before in my life.
“Hey, baby girl. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Reaching down, Finn kissed her forehead, then softly stroked her cheek. Turning to me, he said, “I really owe your dad an apology. He was right when he told me that one day, when I had a daughter I’d understand.”
Both of us laughing, our eyes met.
“Thank you,” I said, and he looked taken aback.
“For?”
“Pushing me into that first date. Fighting for our love.”
A tear fell from his eyes and landed on the baby’s blanket. “I’ll always fight for our love, Éan. Always.”
The nurse walked over and gazed down at our daughter. “Do we have a name for baby Ward?”
“Yes,” I whispered as I watched her little hand grasp my finger.
Finn kissed my forehead, then our daughter’s, before looking up at the nurse and answering, “Karleigh Angela Ward.”
“Beautiful name, Mom and Dad.”
Glancing around the room, I looked for Harmony. “Wait. Where’s Harmony?”
The nurse frowned. “She fainted and was removed from the room.”
“She fainted?” I asked with a stunned look on my face.
Finn broke into such a big smile I was sure it would be plastered on his face for good.
He chuckled and said, “Oh man. This is priceless. Just when I didn’t think my day could be any better.”
I couldn’t help but giggle. Glancing down at Karleigh, I let out a contented sigh.
Finn gently stroked her cheek. “Hey, do you think they’ll let Flash come in? I got him a shirt that says ‘I’m a Big Brother.’ ”
Turning to him, I gave him a blank stare before looking back at Karleigh.
“Welcome to this crazy world of ours, baby girl.”
To Darrin,
Thank you for showing me what true love is. Our journey will always be my favorite love story.
Kel
Acknowledgments
Thank you to each person who played a part in getting this book finished! I honestly couldn’t do my job without the amazing team of people I have to help me.
Darrin and Lauren, thank you for putting up with my insane schedule, for keeping me grounded, and for showing me endless love. I love you both to the moon and back and then some.
Sue Grimshaw. Thank you for taking a chance on me with Searching for Harmony. Thank you for all of your input with this story!
To my readers, I love y’all so very much. Your endless support blows my mind with each new release. I couldn’t do this without you.
Last but never least, all thanks and glory go to God. Without him, I couldn’t do any of this.
BY KELLY ELLIOTT
Boston Love
Searching for Harmony
Fighting for Love
Other Books
The Playbook
Made for You
Only with Me
PHOTO: © SHANNON CAIN PHOTOGRAPHY
KELLY ELLIOTT is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author whose novels include Fighting for Love and Searching for Harmony. She continues to spread her wings while remaining true to her roots and giving readers stories rich with hot, protective men, strong women, and beautiful surroundings. When she’s not writing, Kelly enjoys reading and spending time with her family. She lives in central Texas with her husband, daughter, and two pups.
kellyelliottauthor.com
Facebook.com/KellyElliottauthor
@author_kelly
Read on for an excerpt from
His to Seduce
A Fireside Novel
by Stacey Lynn
Available from Loveswept
Chapter 1
Camden
My back hit the metal shelf behind me and I cringed.
“David.” I gripped his shoulders tighter. His hands squeezed my backside as he moved us.
“Fuck, sorry.” In the darkness it was almost impossible to see, but our eyes slowly adjusted as he pushed aside a stack of tablecloths and placed me on a table. “Better?”
His hand gently brushed down my cheek, and goosebumps popped up on my arms.
What was I doing?
The salty Jamaican air had scrambled my senses.
Or, I was tired of being alone. Tired of being the outsider among all my friends who had recently found the loves of their lives. I was thrilled for them, especially Tyson and Blue, whose marriage we had celebrated earlier on the beach of a Jamaican resort. In the last year, I’d watched three of my closest friends fall in love and find the men of their dreams, along with their happily ever afters. I was genuinely thrilled for them, but I was also tired of being the one who always went home alone.
This…whatever it was with David…gave me a break, if only for a moment.
“Please,” I whispered, and leaned into the palm now cupping my cheek. His hands were strong, with long, tanned fingers that had been making me think of naughty things like this for months.
In the darkness, I saw a flash of his white teeth. “I like it when you beg. When you need me.”
Tonight’s need was selfish. A moment to forget the loneliness. A moment to take what I’d been too chicken to go after for months even though it was right in front of me.
He’d been right before my eyes, flirting relentlessly and trying to break me down. Tonight, I was tired of fighting the pull I’d felt for him despite how wrong I knew he was for me. This was one night. A moment of wildness I didn’t usually indulge in, but who didn’t enjoy getting laid at a friend’s wedding? It was almost a requirement.
His hands dropped to my knees, spreading them wide so he could step in between them.
His fingers teased my thighs, running up and down my bare flesh until I shivered from the softness of his touch.
My eyes were half-lidded when I forced myself to look at him. I saw only his lust for me, and my heart rioted against my rib cage.
Damn…he wanted me. It was as thrilling as it was terrifying.
One of his hands left my leg and cupped the back of my neck. He pulled me to him until our foreheads touched.
“I want this,” he said, his voice thick and gruff. “Tell me you want this.”
“I want it.”
“Tell me you want me.”
I couldn’t. A long time ago I’d sworn to myself I’d never be vulnerable again. I certainly wasn’t about to make that admission when all I wanted now was a night of pretending and forgetting.
“Camden, I want you to know that when I sink into you, when I push your panties to the side and run my fingers through your wetness, this isn’t a onetime thing for us. This
is the beginning.”
I shivered again. From his words, his promise—something I so desperately craved but was too terrified to take hold of.
I shifted my hips, pulling him to me until his erection brushed against my center.
“Tonight,” I gasped as he rubbed against me in the perfect spot. “It’s all I can promise.”
He chuckled, moving his mouth against my cheek, down to my jaw and my throat. “We’ll see about that.”
—
My breathing was still erratic as I pushed down my gray silk dress, the same dress everyone in the bridal party had worn for the wedding.
“You okay?” David asked.
I couldn’t look at him. My pulse pounded and my fingers were trembling when they went to my hair to smooth it back. It was no use.
“I look like a mess,” I said, unable to see myself in the darkened closet where we’d just had sex. But I knew I did, based on the hair that had escaped my clips and pins. God. I’d just let David, a man I’d avoided for months despite my physical attraction to him, sweep me into a darkened supply closet and screw me senseless during a wedding.
A wedding! My friend’s wedding!
Panic rolled through me, and I flashed my eyes to David.
He was calm as a cucumber, tucking his white linen shirt back into the waistband of his gray dress pants.
“What did we do?” I asked. I pressed my hand to my chest to calm my heart rate, but it was useless. “They’re going to know. And—”
He curved his arms around my shoulders and slid his lips against mine. It did nothing to quell the stampede I felt inside me. Instead, everything increased—the heat that was flooding my veins, the pounding in my ears.
“We did what we’ve been wanting to do ever since I first saw you. That’s what happened.” He pulled back to whisper in my ear, “It was incredible, and I want more of you. On my bed, in the light so I can see you.”
I shook my head. “We can’t.”
“Oh. We can.”
I squeezed my eyes closed before forcing myself to look at him. David was gorgeous. Lean and handsome, with short sandy-blond hair that was cropped in a professionally styled cut. His blue eyes were beautiful, even though I couldn’t see them clearly at the moment. When he’d first showed up at Fireside Grill months ago, I’d barely been able to pull my eyes off him. It was still difficult, but months of practice had helped me at least act like I wasn’t affected by him. He wasn’t only sexy, but calm and laid-back. He laughed easily and often. He’d shown up in Latham Hills after his friend Aidan’s son died in a skateboarding accident and then had made himself at home behind the bar at our friend Declan’s restaurant, Fireside Grill.