Page 52 of Inevitably Yours

This view of him showed the fine lines that were settling into his face. Too many of them are from time instead of laughter. She vowed to change that. There was more gray in his beard than brown, but there was contentment in his beautiful blue eyes—a contentment and hope she hadn’t noticed before.

Andy’s voice broke into her thought of John, “It can only be turned on if we turn it on over there, so no stressing about accidental viewings. Not that you’d see anything other than the most beautiful baby in the world, but I know how you would feel about invading our privacy. We just want you to be able to make this transition on your own timeline.”

It was unbelievable how amazing these two people were. They really did care about her. She had no biological claim to Cephina, but they treated her as equal as Erika and themselves when it came to the baby. She had never been happier in her decision than she was right now.

“Thank you. You’ve already given me more than I could imagine, for just letting you borrow my womb. But seriously, not that I don’t appreciate it, because I do, more than you can imagine, but no more gifts, okay? Except Christmas and my birthday, I still want stuff then. Good stuff, too.”

Staring at the TV, Gus tried to identify the tune he was humming. “He really is a handsome man, isn’t he?” On the screen, John continued to hum while he folded up the ladder and slid the crib right dead center under the camera. He gave another glance straight at the lens and nodded in satisfaction. She heard, “Augusta’s going to love it,” as he reached out of frame and the screen went black.

Turning from the screen, Gus asked, “What is that song, I can’t figure it out.” She started humming it to herself, but Jan burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?”

Jan was practically doubled over. “He got it from me, I was humming it earlier.”

Gus was at a complete loss about how a song could be funny, and she started to feel a little uneasy. “Jan, why is that funny?” By the time she asked the question, she had a sneaking suspicion she knew. While she wasn’t familiar with KISS, she was familiar with her sister’s twisted sense of humor. “Oh, Jan, it isn’t, is it?”

“Yeppers, it’s ‘Domino.’” Jan barely got the words out before she devolved back into laughter and threw herself on the bed. Gus didn’t think it was funny at all. And once everyone found out about Jan’s job and the connection to the song, they wouldn’t think it’s funny either. But Gus wasn’t about to rat her out.

“Laugh it up all you want, but he’s going to be sticking around for what I hope is forever, and sooner or later, he’ll figure it out. And if you think I have a stick up my ass because I have a problem with it, then watch out, because I guarantee you he has the Redwood National Forest.”

Now, Andy and Marco joined her in their amusement. “I don’t have a clue why Domino is funny, but you just said John has a forest in his ass.” Marco laughed.

“Not just any forest either, Redwood National. You seem to be very specific on the contents—

“Oh, you are all children, I didn’t mean it like that.” But she couldn’t even defend herself, she was laughing too. It was the most ridiculous thing she could have said.

“What’s so funny?” John’s voice resonated in her soul.

As the laughter died down, they made their way to the door.

Andy was the first to exit. “I don’t have a clue, I was just laughing because they were.”

“I was laughing because Redwood is one of the most popular natural attractions.” Marco slid his eyes toward John’s butt as he passed. Gus could barely stifle a giggle while she tried to shoo Marco with a look.

When Jan passed, she tried to appear all innocent. “Smells like the jambalaya’s done. I’m starved.” Once she was in the hall she announced, “Time to get our grub on.”

Thanks to Jan, the baby was now awake. Marco announced, “My turn,” which allowed Gus to relax her there’s-a-baby-crying stance. John looked yummy with his feet crossed at the ankle and leaning casually against the door frame, causing her mouth to go dry.

Down girl, you have to wait until after your check-up before you get horizontal.

Between her desire for him and the bed looming behind them, Gus felt uncomfortable. “I’m starving, so I’m going to, just, um, go. Out there.” John caught her wrist softly when she attempted to pass.

“Give me a minute? I have something I want to show you.” His hand felt molten against her arm, as did his piercing gaze.

For some reason, Gus was flustered around John. It wasn’t just that she couldn’t wait for a repeat of the other night either. Maybe it was their whispered words of love in the heat of labor—words that she longed to hear, and repeat with a clear head. Plus, the fact that she almost lost him before she ever really had him still had her shaken.

“Oh, sorry, they already showed me your surprise. Thank you, by the way, it was extremely thoughtful.” Of course, it didn’t surprise her. John was more thoughtful than he gave himself credit for being. Guess it comes with some of that control, being observant and all. She blushed at the thought.

John’s warm breath kissed her ear, and he leaned in and spoke. “Not this, they didn’t.” The shiver that moved through her was blissful.

He released her wrist and spun her around. Using his body, he guided her back to the TV, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and nodded his head to the large rectangle that hung just above the flat screen. She’d noticed it earlier and assumed it was part of the closed circuit set up. “Watch this.”

John went around her and reached up and started fiddling at the top of the box. It illuminated red and beeped as he continued monkeying with it. Suddenly, the red lights morphed into numbers. John stepped back and the numbers continued to change. He moved in front of her, enveloped her again, and shifted their bodies sideways so she could still see the red.

Intense blue eyes studied her, waiting for her to appreciate the gift. She would, just as soon as she knew what it was. She turned back to the face she loved and raised an eyebrow. With one gentle finger, John directed her face back toward the...clock? No, not exactly. The numbers were counting down, seconds ticking by. Doing some quick estimation, something worth installing a countdown clock, in her bedroom no less, was happening in about a month and a half, give or take.

Searching for clues in the red LED light yielded nothing more, so she returned her attention to John. The sexy man just waggled his eyebrows and looked from the clock to the other side of the room and back again. Gus followed suit, still nothing. The only thing on the other side of the room was the bed and the bathroom.

Finally, John put her out of one misery…and into another. “When that reads all zeros, I plan to take you to heights of bliss you’ve never even dreamed of reaching.” His hand tangled in her short hair, using it to direct her attention. He demanded it solely on him, daring her to look away, to blink. His eyes sparkled with something she had never witnessed, couldn’t identify.

“And you, my dear, you’ll beg me to do so again and again and again.” The husk in his voice took her knees, but he held her upright with one hand at the back of her head and the other at the small of her back. “Then, you’ll thank me for every orgasm I gave you. Once I show you the real me, you’ll no longer command a single second of your pleasure or inch of your body…I will.”

Oh boy.

---