I shut my mouth, my teeth biting into my bottom lip while I tried not to swallow the mess in my mouth. I trusted Lana. She was a good girl, with a good head on her shoulders, and in a few short weeks she was going to be eighteen, an adult. I had to trust that she knew what she was doing and would be able to handle any mistakes she might happen to make along the way.
“Okay, Lana. I trust you to know what is best for yourself. Just be careful, okay? And remember that he’s still a rocker. That isn’t going to change.”
--
After I had put Lucy on the bus, I headed into the house. The guys were already gone; I had heard them leave right after Lana had pulled away. I relaxed in the knowledge that other than Emmie, who was either still asleep or in her office working, I was alone in the house.
The first thing I did was take care of Drake’s room. His sheets weren’t as rumpled this morning, but there was still the slight smell of fear and sweat, so I changed his sheets and tossed his comforter in the washer before taking care of his bathroom.
When I was done upstairs, I straightened up the kitchen. The dishwasher was full of dirty dishes, and I turned it on before getting out a pan to fry up some bacon for Emmie. I knew she would be hungry, but if she was working she would forget about eating unless I brought her something.
I fried up the bacon nice and crispy, just the way she liked, and scrambled some eggs while the bread toasted. I was just plating up the eggs when I heard footsteps entering the kitchen behind me. “Hey, little momma. Are you hungry?” I asked without turning around.
“Starving.”
I nearly dropped the skillet at the sound of Jesse’s deep voice. I yelped and turned my head to find him standing in front of the island in nothing more than a pair of jeans that sat almost indecently low on those narrow hips. My mouth went dry as my pussy flooded with desire.
Good God! He was something from a dark fantasy. Sure, I had seen his chest when we were swimming on Saturday, but that didn’t mean I was any less affected right now. That broad, thickly muscled chest with the black heart over his left pectoral. Those abs that were all hard angles and deep ridges. The little trail of dark hair that trailed from his belly button down his flat stomach and disappeared into his jeans…
I closed my gaping mouth and tried to steady my racing heart as I turned away from the devastating sight of the sexy man behind me. “Um…I wasn’t expecting you to be here.” I got out in a voice that only slightly shook with my need.
“Em has a doctor’s appointment and I was the only one free to go.” I heard his footsteps as he came around the island. My already crazy heart rate accelerated as I sensed him stop just behind me. I could actually feel the heat radiating from his big body. “Can I join you for breakfast?”
“Of course. Just let me make some more eggs.” I reached for the carton of eggs with a hand that trembled.
His hand caught my elbow, and carefully pulled me around to face him. All the oxygen seemed to leave the room as I looked up into those eyes that changed with every emotion that crossed his endearing face. Right now, they were darker that I had ever seen them. “I was hoping for something a little sweeter than eggs, Layla,” he murmured as his head lowered toward mine.
It was stupid. It was crazy…but I had never been all that smart or sane. At least that was what I told myself as I stepped closer. He towered over me, but I thought we fit perfectly against each other. His erection pressed against my stomach, my breasts against his chest in just the right spots. I could see the pulse beating at the base of his throat, and I ached to suck on it.
“You are so fucking beautiful,” He growled, his head making a slow dive toward mine as if he were giving me time to reconsider letting him kiss me.
The first brush of his lips across mine was soft and gentle, but no less intoxicating. His lower lip was fuller than his top, and before I could think about it, I latched on to it, sucking it into my mouth to get the full taste of him. It was like a drug, that sweet addicting taste of passionate man. Large fingers gripped my pony tail, holding my head still while he explored my mouth with his tongue.
A moan escaped us both when he pulled back. I pressed closer, wanting his mouth. He turned his head away, cursing softly while he tried to suck in deep breath after deep breath. The kiss hadn’t been long, maybe twenty seconds or so, but it had stolen his breath completely. I thrilled in the knowledge that I had affected him so completely.
One big hand rubbed over my jeans clad hips and pulled me into his hard body. His erection throbbed against my stomach, making me burn for him. I laid my head on his chest, loving the sound of his out of control heartbeat. It matched my own and let me know that I wasn’t the only one fighting for control over this thing that was between us.
After a few minutes of him holding me like that, he stepped back enough so there was a few inches of space between us. His hand was still on my hip, though, and I looked up at him through my lashes. “I knew you were going to blow my mind, Layla,” he murmured in a passion filled voice, “but I had no idea that you would bring me close to blowing my load with just a kiss.” He brushed a soft kiss across my forehead. “I’ve never been that affected by a kiss. Not even when I was fifteen and experimenting for the first time.”
“I’m pretty affected myself,” I assured him in a quiet voice.
Those eyes darkened even more, and I longed to chart them, to watch while he experienced every emotion known to man and witness how many colors they could actually turn. “Have dinner with me tonight.” He lowered his head to brush a tender kiss across my cheek. “I promise not to seduce you unless you ask me too.”
That could be a problem; because I was sure that I wanted him to seduce me. I licked my lips. “I…I can’t tonight.” I whispered, regret clouding my voice. “Lucy has school in the morning and I…I want to, but…”
“Shh... Sh.” He kissed my other cheek, just the barest touch of warm damp lips to my soft skin. “Okay, not tonight. Saturday then. Dinner. Maybe a few drinks at this bar that has live bands?”
Slowly I nodded. “I can do Saturday.”
Another kiss, this one to the tip of my nose. “I can’t wait.” Then he stepped back, his hand moving to his crotch to adjust himself. I watched unashamedly as he tucked it into a more comfortable position. Fuck me!
Just as he stepped back Emmie’s voice came from the direction of the office. She was on the phone but walking toward the kitchen. “If that’s what it takes, that’s what you have to do. No, that’s not acceptable. Make sure it gets done!”
She was muttering to herself as she entered the kitchen. Either she didn’t feel the sexual tension in the room or was ignoring it as she went to the stove and lifted a strip of crispy bacon from the paper towel lined plate that I had placed the bacon on to drain. “Do you know how hard it is to get stupid people to do smart things?” she asked no one in particular.
“How hard is it, Em?” Jesse asked casually as he moved around the island and sat down.
“Near fucking impossible.” She rubbed her hand over her distended stomach while she shoved another strip of bacon into her mouth. “But that’s just my luck today.”
I cleared my throat of the remaining desire and turned back to the eggs. “Can I fix you something, Jesse?”
“That would be great, Layla.” He was watching me, and I had to fight my desire to turn around and look at him while I scrambled his eggs. When I started to place some bacon on his plate he stopped me. “No, please no. I can’t stomach bacon.”
Emmie laughed. “Poor baby.”
“It’s all your fault, too!” he accused as I placed his plate in front of him. “I hate the very smell of bacon now. How can you stand to eat it on everything, Em?”
She shrugged, shoving yet another strip into her mouth. “The baby wants it, so the baby is going to get it.”
Jesse
I woke the way I had the last several mornings. With an erection that was on the verge of painful and my hand working it as the
remnants of my dream flashed behind my closed lids.
Layla on her knees as she sucked my cock. Her hair wrapped around my hands as I thrust into her hot, fuck-able mouth. She swallowed half of me, I could feel the back of her throat as I slid down—damn the girl had no gag reflex! I squeezed my dick harder and pulled down on the sac beneath, trying to make the pleasure last as I jacked at a speed that should have caught my dick on fire.
With a muffled shout, I erupted into my hand, my breathing ragged, my heart racing. I had to have that little goddess. I had to have her soon!
A shave and a shower, and then I pulled on my jeans before going in search of some breakfast. The fact that I had heard Layla moving around in Drake’s room a little while ago had made me take my time shaving. The thought of seeing her made me hard again despite the release I had brought myself just a short while ago.
When I found her making breakfast I couldn’t resist having a taste of her sweet lips. I needed to know if they tasted as good as they had seemed to in my dreams. Fuck, I hadn’t expected her kiss to make me practically blow my wad then and there. A simple kiss, innocent enough, but it had packed the force of a hurricane I was so blown away from it.
I was disappointed when she turned me down for dinner, but I understood her reasons. I could also see that she really wanted to go out with me. It scared the fuck out of me, because I had never been on a date before. Being a rocker didn’t require me to wine and dine a chic before I fucked her brains out. But I still asked her out. Layla deserved the wine and dine treatment, even if all we were doing was grabbing dinner and seeing a local band at a bar…
“I hate this,” Emmie muttered as she scooted back on the exam table. She was naked from the waist down with a sheet over her legs. When the nurse had asked her how she was feeling, Emmie had admitted to feeling some pressure low in her hips. The next thing I knew she was telling Em to strip.
I had turned my back to give her some privacy. It felt wrong to see Emmie naked now when it hadn’t in the past. Hell, I had seen that girl naked more than any other female that had ever been in my life, but there had never been even a twinge from my dick at the sight of her nakedness. Sure, I had appreciated the view; the girl was smoking hot. When it came to my other head, he was completely lifeless when presented with her naked body.
Now that she was pregnant, with my best friend’s kid no less, I felt a little perverted seeing her female parts.
“What are they going to do?” I asked, unsure what to expect.
Emmie made a sour face. “Oh, nothing really. They are just going to put their fingers in there and see if I’m dilated or something.”
I blanched at the thought of watching someone putting their hands on and in my Emmie. Suddenly, I wished that I had gone into the studio and insisted that Nik take her to this thing. There was a knock on the door and a man in his late forties walked in with a frown on his face and his glasses half way down his long nose.
“Good afternoon, Miss Jameson.” The doctor greeted in a professional tone as he looked down at her files.
“Doctor Chesterfield.”
The doctor raised his head and gave me a once over before offering me his hand. “You must be one of Emmie’s ‘guys’.” He gave me a half smile.
I shook his hand. “Jesse.”
“Good to meet you.” He dropped down onto his chair with the chart in his hand, his attention fully focused on Emmie now. “So, you have been having some pressure. How long has it been going on?”
Emmie shrugged. “A day or so. Nothing to horrible. Just really uncomfortable,” she explained.
Dr. Chesterfield nodded. “Well your urine was clear. No infection. Let’s take a look to see how the baby is positioned.” He pulled on some gloves and then positioned Emmie so that she was lying on her back with her feet in some scary contraption called stirrups. He raised the paper blanket to her knees, and she spread her legs wide.
Emmie reached for my hand and I was quick to let her grab on. She clenched it tight while the doctor moved around down there. A small whimper escaped her mouth and I was about to punch the doctor when he pulled back and tossed the gloves in the trash. He was frowning, and I felt dread fill my stomach.
“Well?” Emmie muttered as she sat up, holding the paper blanket to her waist.
The doctor was washing his hands now, but he turned around to face her while he dried them. “The baby’s head is already large. That’s going to be a big baby, Emmie. And you aren’t exactly made to deliver a child like that.”
“What does that mean?” she whispered.
He gave her a reassuring smile. “It just means that I think you should have a C-section. It will be best for both you and the baby. You are a small little thing, and after seeing the baby’s father on your last appointment, I can assume that she is going to take after him.”
Tears came on so suddenly I didn’t have time to prepare for their impact as she rubbed her hands over her belly. “I had just gotten used to the thought of pushing her out. Now you’re saying I have to be cut open?” She scrubbed a hand over her face. “I hate this,” she whispered, and I pulled her against my chest.
“I know it’s scary to think about, Emmie. Let me explain what will happen so that you will be a little more prepared, okay?” The doctor told us exactly how he would perform the C-section, or cesarean section, or whatever it was! I felt the blood drain from my face as he described how he would cut Emmie open and move her insides around before pulling the baby out. Emmie would be awake during the whole thing…
Fuck, I really wished Nik had come!
Emmie was quiet the entire drive home. When her phone rang, she just turned the ringer off and tossed it in her purse. I drove with one hand on the wheel and the other holding one of her hers. She clutched at it as if it was her only life line, and I couldn’t blame her, because I was holding on just as tightly.
My phone rang just as I was pulling into the driveway at home. I glanced down to see Nik’s face on the screen and snatched it up as soon as the car was in park. “Come home,” I told him without bothering to offer a greeting. “Emmie’s okay, but just get home.”
There was a charged pause, and then Nik was muttered a string of violent curses. “I’m on my way. She’s okay, right? You swear to me she’s okay, Jesse!”
I ran a hand over my face and head. “She’s fine, Nik. She’s just upset.”
Another charged pause and then he croaked out, “The baby..?”
“She’s fine too. Just hurry the fuck up, Nik,” I told him and ended the call. I turned in my seat to find Emmie just staring out the window at the beach house. I reached for her chin and gently turned her to face me. “This isn’t that bad,” I assured her. “Women have C-sections all the time, sweetheart.”
She gave me a small smile. “I guess they do.” she sighed. “This is just really hard to take in, you know?”
“I know.” I couldn’t think about what would happen when it came time for the baby to be born. The doctor was already talking about a possible date to take the baby. Depending on how the baby was doing, he wanted to take her at least a week before November 6, Emmie’s due.
Which meant that the baby was coming earlier than expected!
I got out and helped Emmie from the car. She held onto my hand as we entered the house. She sat on the long end of the sectional and I offered to get her some iced water. She just shrugged and I rushed to do it—to do anything to feel helpful right now!
Layla was in the kitchen when I walked in. She was putting away dishes and offered me a shy smile as I entered the room. The smile evaporated when she saw my pale, drawn face.
“What’s wrong?” she demanded.
I sighed, wanting to tell her everything. She looked thoughtful as I moved around fixing Emmie a glass of iced water while I told her how the doctor’s appointment had gone. When I was done, she just smiled and left the kitchen. I found her sitting by Emmie in the living room.
Emmie was sobbing while Layla held her c
lose, gently rocking her. “I know it’s scary, Emmie. I would be terrified to, honey.”
I had never seen Emmie cling like that to another female before. It was gut wrenching to watch her crying, but I was glad that it was Layla that was holding her close, whispering soothing words to her while she got it all out of her system. Emmie had never had a friend that could help her through female things like this. Even though the guys and I would move mountains for her, we have never been able to soothe her like Layla was now.
“I bet it’s on YouTube,” Layla said once Emmie had calmed enough that she was no longer sobbing. Dammit, those little hiccup noises were just as bad if you asked me. “And if not, we could get you a tape of an actual C-section. I bet the doctor made it sound terrifying. I think seeing it will help you understand better. But Lana was born by C-section and my mom said it was much better than having me the old fashioned way.”
“I’m so scared, Layla,” she whispered.
I wanted to punch something. Emmie had had enough fear growing up. I had promised her and myself that she would never have to be scared again the day she came to live with us. There was nothing I could do about the fear she was feeling right now. There was no one that I could destroy to make her fear go away this time. I was useless right now, and it was killing me.
“Every woman is scared when she’s having a baby, Em. I swear that what you’re feeling is natural. It’s going to be okay. You and the baby are going to be just fine.” Layla was stroking her hair, moving it back from her damp face, offering gentle smiles and tender words.
“Let’s get your computer and check out some sites,” Layla said. She glanced up at me, gave me a reassuring smile, and held out her hand for the glass of water I had clutched tightly in my hand. It was a wonder I hadn’t broken the glass the way I was holding it. Her fingers lingered just a moment longer than necessary on my hand, but in that moment I felt some of my tension ease. “How about getting Emmie’s laptop for us?” she murmured.
Finally something I could do! I nodded and practically sprinted down the hall to get Emmie’s computer. When I returned she was sipping the water and her tears had mostly dried up. Layla took the computer from me with a smile and opened it. I stood there, not sure what to do, while the girls pulled up site after site on C-sections.