Entice (19 page)

T
hese motherfuckers need a lesson in the word “family.” The next person who refuses to let me see Emmett or tell me any news because I’m not “family” is going the fuck down. Hard.

Looking around the waiting room, my whole family is here, less the one back there without me. So now the Crew obviously knows Emmett’s pregnant, and like I knew without a doubt they would be…they’re sitting here like soldiers, one army, praying everything’s all right with my girl.

“Which one of you is Sawyer Beckett?” Eight weary heads all pop up at once when the doctor speaks.

“I am.” I stand, rushing to him. “How’s Emmett? Can I see her?”

“She’ll be fine,” he smiles, “you can follow me.”

I trudge behind him, concentrating on my feet, making sure they remember how to walk. He smiled at me, no frown, no pity…that means she’s okay, it’s got to. Exam Room Four, that’s where he stops, stepping to the side.

“I’ll go have the discharge papers drawn up. You can tell her she can get dressed.”

Discharge as in go home? Nerves wreaking havoc, I lift a tentative hand and knock…on a fucking curtain. Seriously, I have got to pull my shit together and be strong for my girl. I shake it off and square my shoulders. “Em?” I call through the curtain.

“Come in,” her sweet voice answers. “Sawyer,” she breathes, holding out her hand to me.

“Hey, Shorty,” I make my way to her until our hands connect, “are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Her reassuring smile is genuine and the sudden rush of comfort it gives me feels like the elephant finally stepped off my chest. “I was just spotting, which they say is completely normal. Oh, and I had a bladder infection, which probably didn’t help. Apparently,” she looks down and blushes, “I should always use the ladies’ room after sex.”

“I read about spotting,” I admit, feeling like a moron for only now remembering. “Not the tinkling part though.” With one finger curled under her chin, I bring her face up to mine. “So our baby, she’s fine?”

“She?” Emmett’s brows go up as tears come down. “Ours?”

“Or he, either’s great, but I can’t say ‘it.’ And yes, ours. As in you and me and no more hiding. It’ll be hard for you to tinkle in private if I’m fucking handcuffed to you. And that will be my next step if you shut me out again.” Gripping both her hands, I pin her with the stare of all that I feel inside, of the inferno that shocked me, then consumed me. “You’re making me crazy, woman. I adore you, Emmett.” I dip my head, maneuvering her face with my own and licking the seam of her lips. “Quit fucking shutting me out. Let. Me. Love. You.”

She fights me, turning her head the other way and squeezing her eyes closed, so I let her have it and keep right on talking.

“I knew the minute I saw you that you’d be the end of me.” I nuzzle her neck, lightly kissing up it. “I was right. You’re it. You’re all I see.” I tug on her earlobe and follow with a soft kiss. “You’re all I think about.” I release one of her hands and let mine feather down her arm. “I love you, Emmett. And I love our baby.”

“Our baby?” She now looks at me, asking again on a gasp. “You love me?”

“Our baby,” I confirm, kissing the end of her button nose, “and more than anything.” Waiting a moment, it’s clear she’s not quite ready to respond to my last two, huge announcements, so I go ahead and continue. “My gene pool sucks. I’d trade it in a heartbeat, but it has nothing to do with who I really am. My family is who loves me and helps me be the best me. You are my family, the people out there praying you’re okay are my family.” I use both hands to cover her stomach. “This baby will be half you, half all the wonderful things you have to give and teach. And the other half will be me, their daddy, the man who worships their mama.”

“Y-you can’t possibly mean that. You’d take on a baby that isn’t yours? A woman who’s dirty and damaged?”

That’s it. She may be in the hospital, having just had the shit scared out of her, but I snarl and feel my lip curl. “You’re gonna want to put that shit on simmer, babe. Don’t ever say something like that again. That baby is mine, forever. I. Live. Right. Here,” I rub her stomach, “and I. Want. To. Live. Here,” I rub over her heart then lay an open-mouthed kiss there. “If you ever, ever, call yourself dirty or damaged again,” I grab her chin between my thumb and forefinger and force her face to meet mine, “I will actually be angry with you. You’re degrading the woman I love, and I won’t fucking hear it. You’re not dirty, which we’ll work on,” I wink, “and you’re far from damaged. You’re magnificent and I love you, so watch your mouth.” I pause, making sure it all sinks in. “Hear me?”

“Sawyer,” she touches my cheek, contemplating her next words, “I’m sorry I’ve been weird. I thought…” A soft, frustrated sigh escapes as she tries to sort her words. “God, you just deserve more than any woman could possibly give you.”

“Simple yes or no, Em. Do you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.”

CHAPTER 17

Twenty-Two Candles

—Sawyer—

T
hree days—that’s how long Emmett froze after we made love.

Another three days since Bennett, Whitley and Laney found out there’s a baby on the way.

Three glorious days booked in a suite at Hillside Manor to hide away with Emmett since the Crew girls now know there’s a baby coming.

They’ve got baby fever Bad with a capital B. Yesterday, I went to get a movie from Red Box—I was literally gone twenty minutes—I get back to see The Sanderson Sisters hovered over my woman, who’s flat on her back on the floor, and they’re twirling needles on string over her!

After I barked at them to never do voodoo on my baby again, then helped my sweet preggo off the damn floor, I sent them packing with a promise to write them an approved project list ASAP.

Then I got on the web and booked this trip.

Then I made them a list and texted it to them, with a very strict forty-eight hour delay in start time. GO CRAZY, CRAZIES—after I have my Em tucked safely in my arms four hours away.

Emmett falls asleep about twenty minutes into the trip, her head leaning up against the window, which makes me uneasy. “Babe,” I fiddle for her hand still watching the road, “Em, I need you to wake up, honey. Lean my way.”

“Uh,” she frumps in her sleep, shifting toward me, readjusting so her head is on the console between us. “Oh, this is comfortable,” she mumbles. “Why’d you move me?”

“I didn’t want you to fall out the door, grumpy.”

She sits up, giving me a skeptical smirk. “Fall out the door? It’s locked.”

“You never know.”

“I know you’re paranoid.”

“And you’re radiant.”

“And you’re forgiven.” She leans over, kissing my cheek. “How much longer?”

“A while. Why, do you need something?”

“No, no reason.”

“Short stuff?”

“Huh?”

“You need to pee, don’t you?”

She huffs, shoulders dropping. “Yes, sorry.”

—Emmett—

C
ancel the dream cottage I wanted to build—I want to live here for the rest of my life.

Tucked away off the main road and surrounded by dense woods, Hillside Manor is absolutely magnificent. Our room is beyond breathtaking, the humongous bed so high off the ground I have to take a running start or get a boost up from Sawyer. In the corner, there’s a mini-kitchenette, ensuring you don’t have to leave the room if you don’t want to, though you can go downstairs for meals in your pajamas if you feel like it.

The best part is the bathroom, hands down. A Nickleback-sized garden tub is sunk low in the floor, candles at the ready. Which is exactly where I’m reclined, lost in serenity, when I hear music.

I thought he wanted a nap?

Sitting up, I train my ears, making sure I’m right. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley is playing. What a great song; my gramma loved The King.

Sawyer appears in the doorway and turns off the lights, letting the lit candle he’s holding be his guide. He sits on the edge of the tub, putting the candle down on the countertop and dipping his right hand under the water to find mine. “I can’t help it, Emmett, I fell. I love you, birthday girl.”

Oh my gosh, that’s right. With everything going crazy in my life, I’d completely forgotten. How’s it even possible to forget your own birthday?

“Thank you,” I whisper, completely enchanted by him.

“You’re welcome.” He winks. “So what do you want for your birthday?”

“You, in this tub with me.”

“Em, we—”

“Nuh uh.” I squeeze his hand, stopping him. “I’m fine, no problems, and Dr. Greer said it was okay.”

“But what—”

I let go of his hand, letting my own disappear under the water. I slump further down in the bubbles, my head falling back against the wall, and blatantly spread my legs as wide as the sides of the tub allow. “Mmm,” I close my eyes and moan, “it’s okay, babe. I got it.”

“Temptress,” he hisses.

Eyes still closed, I giggle, hearing his clothes rustle off and hit the floor at lightning speed.

“That water better not be too hot,” he grumbles. “You know that, right? Speaking of which, you know not to get in the hot tub should Laney ask, don’t you?”

“Yes, Sawyer,” I agree ho-humly. He just can’t stand it when I take control of the situation.

“Sit up,” he commands, to which I gladly comply. Sliding in behind me, his long, large legs come around either side of me, sending water up and over the edge.

Big hands come under my arms and around the front to massage my breasts. “Feels good. No hotter than this, though, Em.”

“I heard you, bossy,” I hum, enjoying the feel of his hands on me.

“We gotta get one of these tubs,” he murmurs against my shoulder.

“Or we could stay in this one forever,” I mumble, purposely squirming, making sure my ass grinds back into him.

His response is to pinch both my nipples, rolling them between his thumb and finger. “Promise me something?”

“What’s that?” I get up on my knees, sending another splash to the floor, and then turn and straddle him. Very nice, he put in his nipple rings like I asked. Sexy. As. Hell.

He stops my hands from their journey up his chest. “Promise me that you won’t hide. You want my cock again? I want your heart first. Tell me,” his always deep blue eyes, now resembling a starless night sky, stare through mine, “that we’ll be forever.”

It steals my breath, his sweet, sincere plea. I’m done trying to convince him that I’m the wrong one. If he wants me, maybe I should let myself believe I’m the right one. I heard someone once say, “if you know you’re gonna get your ass kicked, walk away from the fight before wasting energy on even one punch.” Honestly, I’ve known from day one this was a fight I’d never win, so here it is—my white flag. I’m done attempting not to notice the days he wears Usher versus Obsession. I’m totally over swapping pillowcases every other day so his scent is always most potent under my cheek. And I refuse, for one more minute, to credit pregnancy hormones for what one smirk from the man does to every part of me.

“Em,” he breaks into my thoughts, “I need you to promise me.”

I nod, smiling from ear to ear. He’s taking a huge chance on me because he thinks I’m worth it. I need to do the same for him. “I promise. No running, no hiding. We belong together.”

“Mine?” He lifts a hand to my cheek, the thumb tracing my jawline. When I nod, he runs that hand down my body to my stomach. “Mine?”

I suck in a breath and tug at my lower lip, trying not to cry. Yeah, right, like that’s possible. Tears stream down my face, but again, I nod.

“I love you, Emmett.” He starts to kiss me, my tears, my eyelids, my forehead, lastly my lips. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Sawyer,” I choke out, chuckling at my pathetic blabbering. “You’ll always be my first miracle.”

Now he tilts my head, kissing me deeply. I kiss him back with all the adoration and lust I feel coursing through me; this sexy, badass, tender man wants me, and he’s always making me feel like the most precious gem in the whole world. I sneak one hand between our chests and give a tug on his nipple ring—scorching hot on him.

“Love these,” I praise into his mouth.

“Love these,” he answers instantly with a pull on my own nipple.

Ever so slowly, absorbing the feel of every muscle, my hand creeps lower until it’s exploring the head of his dick. “Want this,” I run my tongue along the inside of his upper lip, “now.”

“Yeah?” He sucks on my bottom lip and tugs, opening his eyes and finding mine. He leans back, shifting his hips, and wraps his right hand around himself. “You want this?” he taunts me, holding our locked gaze as he leisurely rubs himself.

I silently nod, giving him my best seductive look.

“Then climb on it, babe,” he encourages. “Take it.”

One hand braced on his pec, I raise my bottom half and spread my knees out further. I guide myself over him until I feel the tip of him hinting at my entrance. I try to hold his gaze while I slide down him, but he’s not looking at me right now. His orbs are DEFCON 5, locked on the exact point where we’re about to join, his tongue sliding methodically back and forth along his lower lip.