Page 16 of Rushing Her: Seattle, Westerners
“So, obviously, you’ve invaded my privacy by following me.” I want to be angry with him, but a part of me is turned on by the fact that he is like this.
I take a deep breath, open the door, and find a place to sit down. My bed is still messy from where we slept and made love repeatedly through the night. His words about baby batter rocket through my mind.
“Are you sick? Do we need to get you a specialist?” He wraps around me, and I try to push him away, but he sits down on the bed with me on his lap.
“I’m not sick.” I shake my head. “I never thought we would get a second chance. I never thought I would find someone I’d want to have children with.” He tries to interrupt, but I cover his mouth with my finger. “Let me finish.” He nods, and I pull my hand back. I start fidgeting with my fingers, and he wraps one of his large hands around them, calming me.
“I’m not trying to trap you, Brayden. That wasn’t my intent. I didn’t even think I’d sleep with you on Saturday until the moment I saw you. I just couldn’t leave without feeling alive like that again.” I swallow the spit collecting in my mouth. I almost got sick when I first ran into that bathroom, but now, it’s just nausea that’s the problem. “I never thought I would have a chance to have children the traditional way, so I’ve been preparing to have my eggs harvested.”
Again, he tries to interrupt, but I shush him. “Almost done. If I don’t get this all out before you talk, I more than likely won’t,and you deserve the truth. In preparation, I’ve been taking hormones, and last Thursday, I was given a booster shot that’s supposed to help me produce more eggs. I thought that until a trigger shot was administered, I would be okay. It seems I’m wrong. The doctor wants to see me right away—as soon as I can get to Portland. I’m so sorry; I might already be pregnant. I can take care of this baby, and you can have visit?—.”
I’m pushed to my bed before finishing that thought, while Brayden looms over me, pressing us together until we’re nearly one person. His lips slam against mine, shutting me up, and our instincts take over just as they always do—the fire exploding between us. Yanking him closer, my nails dig into his shoulders while he slips me out of my leggings, and when he slides deep inside me, I arch up and moan.
“This is my pussy. This is my body.” He presses his hand to my chest. “This heart is mine.” Tracing his fingertips to my stomach, he says, “This baby is mine, if it’s in there, if not, there will be one soon enough. I’m not letting you go this time.”
My breath catches, and not because he’s so deep inside me. My emotions are too strong right now, so I allow my feelings to shine through my eyes and respond with a single word. “Okay.” He makes slow, meaningful love to me after that, then we shower and make love again.
A while later, I stand in front of the mirror, dressed in a pair of ripped-up jeans and a slouchy off-the-shoulder sweater, applying makeup and fixing my hair. Brayden comes up behind me and says, “Call me after the doctor’s appointment. I’ll be on the jet. Our game is in Chicago this weekend before we head to Salt Lake to play against the Saints. I’ll be away for several days, but when I return, we’ll get this figured out.”
“Okay. I can’t take the jet because it’s already in use, so I’ll drive to Portland.”
“Have Warner take you to the appointment today.”
I turn around and look up at him. My heels are not on yet, so even being relatively tall, I still have to tilt my head to speak with him. “Who is Warner?”
“She’s the head of your security. She’ll be here in a bit to introduce herself.”
“No, that’s okay.”
“Alexandra, don’t make me prove to you again that I take care of what’s mine. You and this baby”—his hand rests on my belly—“are mine.”
“We don’t even know if I’m pregnant.” I shift away from him; the emotions are too much. Being pregnant with Brayden’s baby would be wonderful, but I also don’t know if we’rereally readyfor that. It’s barely been a week.
“Please, Alexandra.”
When he says it softly like that in his deep, throaty voice, it does things to my body, causes my heart to pump harder, and my breath to catch. I look over to him. When he says my full name, it sounds like a caress.
“Okay,” I sigh while walking to my closet and slipping on that pair of heels.
I’ve called out of work for the day, and they understand and know how to reach me if they need to.
Chapter 8
Alexandra
Warner is friendly but, for the most part, silent. She barely speaks to me but is always on alert. Another guy drives the SUV we are in, which I’m sure is bulletproof with how darkly tinted the windows are and how heavy the door felt when I tried to shut it myself.
Throughout the entire drive to Portland, I’ve been silently stressing about what the doctor could want to talk about. What if they decided I’m allergic to the shots and must reverse everything we’ve already done? What if I lose the baby that I suspect I’m carrying? What if I’m not pregnant?
I’m a basket case when we pull up at the curb.
Warner opens my door and follows me inside. She remains in the lobby as I’m immediately called back. Instead of being shown to an exam room, I’m led to Dr. Jarvis’ office. A gentleman sits there with her, and I glance between both of them.
“Uhm, I think I’m interrupting.” Turning to walk out, I bang into the nurse.
“No, Alexandra, this is my attorney.”
I slowly turn back around, utterly confused now. The befuddlement contorts my face as my lips pinch, and my eyebrow raises. “I don’t understand.”
