Page 29 of Abra's Acquisition
She chuckles and shows me what to do. I massage her scalp as I follow her instructions. Then I do the same with the conditioner. Once I finish, I bop her on the nose with my finger. “Tell me what made you so sad.”
Rey sighs heavily before locking eyes with me. “It’s foolish.”
“Tell me,” I push.
“Seeing you use a condom made me feel dirty,” she says.
Frowning, I study her face. “I don’t understand.”
“Most guys wear condoms to protect against pregnancy. Since I’m already pregnant, I figured you used one because you didn’t know if I was carrying a disease. I’m not, by the way. After Dontel and I broke up, I got tested. We never had sex without a condom, which is why I was surprised I got pregnant. I thought maybe we slipped one time, even though I don’t remember atime when we went bareback. I was also on the pill, but a month and a half ago, I was on antibiotics.”
She’s nervous and rambling. I let her finish before speaking again.
“I didn’t put on a condom because I was trying to protect myself. I put it on for you. For your peace of mind. I’m a biker. While I don’t fuck a new woman every night, I’m not celibate. I never fuck without a condom, but I know you don’t know me well enough to know that. I wanted you to feel protected.”
Rey closes her eyes and shakes her head. “I really know how to fuck things up, don’t I?”
“Not in the least,” I assure her. “I want you to feel comfortable asking me anything or saying whatever is on your mind.”
“Doesn’t my being pregnant bother you?”
Rather than answer her right away, I maneuver her under the stream of water to wash away the conditioner and soap. Once done, I draw her back to me and wait for her to open her eyes. I want her to see the truth in mine.
“Your being pregnant doesn’t change my attraction to you. You are a strong, beautiful woman. It was your strength that originally drew me to you the day we rescued you from those assholes. The way you protected those other women caught my attention. Then I learned you were smart, funny, and confident. You’re also incredibly sexy. I definitely want a repeat of last night and this morning,” I tell her with a grin. She doesn’t return my smile, and I can see the guarded expression in her eyes. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know I’ve never met anyone who made me think about a future. I want to see where this goes,” I say, waving my finger between the two of us.
“I want to see where we go, too, but that doesn’t answer my question. What happens if I decide to keep the baby? Would that change how you feel?”
“In all honesty. Yes, but only because it is a big decision. Not just for me, but for you, too. From what you said last night, I know you aren’t ready to make a decision about the baby. I agree that it is something you don’t want to rush. I don’t get a say in that decision. Regardless of what you decide, I want to explore whether our attraction to each other can develop into something more. If being with you also includes a beautiful baby girl or boy who looks just like you, then that’s going to be a bonus I never expected.”
Rey closes her eyes as a tear escapes. I wipe it away with my thumb before kissing her forehead. “You don’t have to make the decision today. Let’s get dressed and have some breakfast.”
Rey seems lighter as I wrap her in a towel and give her a gentle push toward the bedroom. I finish my shower and then join her. She’s already dressed and waiting for me. I pull on my jeans, boots, and a t-shirt before shrugging on my kutte.
“Breakfast?”
“Yes, please. I’m starving.”
“Any thoughts on how you want to spend the day?”
“I was thinking of spending the day at your warehouse and working on finding the original owners of the items you liberated,” Rey says.
“Really?”
She nods. “I need the distraction, and work is always the best distraction. I thought you could tell me more about what you know about the pieces, and I’ll put together a plan for identifying the original owners.”
“I think that’s a great idea. I keep a journal where I’ve written down what I’ve learned about each piece. I also included the reason why I stole it. You can start with that. There is a desk on the third floor that you can use. How does that sound?”
“Brilliant!”
When we head downstairs, we find everyone sitting at the table waiting for breakfast. I pull out a chair for Rey before taking the seat next to her. As soon as I’m seated, the door to the kitchen opens for Conor and Danny to exit. Each carries two plates of food. Danny places his in front of Cleo and Hex while Danny serves Dixie and Delphine. They repeat the process until each of us has plates piled high with French Toast, scrambled eggs, and several slices of bacon.
“What are you two up to?” Hex asks me.
“Rey has agreed to help me restore the items I collected to their rightful owners,” I tell him. “I’m going to take her back to the warehouse so she can do research there.”
Hex nods as he chews his food. “How are you going to return the items without putting the authorities on Abra’s tail?”
“I have a few ideas. I need to know more about the pieces and the owners before I can put together a plan. We may want to create a foundation that focuses on returning stolen items to their rightful owners. I could position the foundation in such a way that it offers immunity to those relinquishing the artwork. It would offer some anonymity. No one has to know that just one person is doing the relinquishing.”
