Frenemies With Benefits (Geek To Chic Book 2) (30 page)

Grabbing his face with
of her hands she pulled him into a passionate kiss.
 
After a few moments he pulled away, “Is that
a yes?”
 

“Yes, Alexander Jeremy
Porter, I will marry you, because I lost my heart to you when I was your fake
wife.
 
Now I get to be the real Mrs.
Porter.”
 
She kissed him again.
 
“Now would you like to explain to me whose
house this is and what we are doing here?”

She squealed when lifted her into his arms.
 
Carefully he held her and pulled a set of
keys from his pocket.
 
He opened the door
and carried through the empty house to the living room.
 
He set her down, pulling her close for a
quick kiss.
 
“Welcome home, Mrs.
Porter.”
 

“You bought the
house?”
 
Her eyes were huge with
surprise, tears rolling down her cheeks.

He cupped her cheek,
kissing her again.
 
“Yes, you said you
liked it.”
 
He shrugged.
 
“Turns out the for-sale sign went up a day
after you pointed the house out.
 
The
owners moved to Florida for retirement.”

Grabbing his hand she
spun around and headed for the stairs.
 
“Well come on show me our new home.”
 

Our
home
.
 
The words made Alex’s heart sing.
 

After a quick tour of
their new house Alex and Izzy headed over to his parent’s house to deliver the
good news of their engagement and the baby.
 
Izzy kept starring down at the ring on her finger. They stepped up to
the door. “This ring is beautiful, Alex.”

“You’re
beautiful.”
 
Kissing her nose, making her
giggle, he opened the door.
 
“Mom?
Dad?
 
Are you guys here?”
 

They walked through the
house and found not only his parents but all of their friends in the living
room.
 
Pink and blue streamers and
balloons decorated the room.
 
Izzy
gasped.
 
How did Mama Porter know?
 
“How…when…oh this is so sweet.”
 
She punched Alex in the arm.
 
“We
were going to tell them together, you ass.”
 

“Wow I think I gave you
a weapon that hurt with your ring on.”
 
He rubbed his arm.
 
“And for the
record, I did not tell.”
 
He looked at
each of their friends with suspicion.

“Good to see that just
because you’re pregnant with his demon spawn doesn’t mean you are going to stop
beating on him.”
 
Phin laughed.
  

“Oh you two, like
anyone can keep a secret from me.”
 
Mama
Porter laughed.
 
“When Roni called asking
if I knew what time your doctor’s appointment was, and she sounded excited
instead of concerned, I knew something was up.”

“She used her mother
guilt against me, sorry guys I blew your surprise.”
 
Roni looked defeated.

Alex and Izzy smiled at
each other.
 
“That’s ok Roni.
 
You didn’t get to steal all of our
thunder.”
 
Izzy replied, then held out
her left hand.
 

“I finally got her to
stop plotting my death long enough to say yes to marrying me.”
 
Alex announced.
 

The entire room erupted
into congratulations and squeals.
 
A
group hug soon ensued.
 
“Ok back off,
give my girl and her belly some room.”
 
Alex directed with a laugh.
 

“Hey, my belly isn’t
that big.”
 

“Yet.”
 
Before she could hit him again he ducked out
of her reach.
 
“And we bought a house
down the street from Derek and Roni.”
 

~*~*~*~

The girls were all
sitting on the couch around Izzy, planning the nursery.
 
Gracey was very excited to be able to
decorate an entire house.
 
Stating that
Alex would have no say since he only had leather furniture and brown walls in
his current home.
 
Alex was fine with
that.
 
He wanted Izzy to have whatever
she wanted in her new home.
 

He and the guys stepped
out of the house to enjoy a celebratory cigar his father had given each of
them.
 
“That’s one.”
 
Derek remarked out of nowhere, his hand in
his pocket as he rocked back on his heels.
 
Puffing out a ring of smoke.

“One what?”
 
Gavin growled as though he knew the
answer.
 

“One of you bastards
happily off the market.
 
Now the question
is who is next?”
 
Derek’s gaze flew over
Phin, Gavin, Rocco and Collin.
 

The guys all looked at
each other.
 
“You know it’s not going to
be Rocco.
 
To have a relationship last
longer than a few fun hours in bed, you have to say more than ten words to a
woman.”
 
Gavin chortled.
 

“All I need is ten
words, for what I want.”
 
Rocco retorted
with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“That is why you will fall harder and faster than any of
us.”
 
Derek remarked.
 
He then slipped into the house, returning a
moment later with George Porter, a bottle of good Scotch and a trey of
glasses.
 
Laying the trey on the patio
table, George filled the glasses.
 
Handing a glass to each of the boys.
 

George cleared his
throat and raised his glass.
 
“Here’s to
my two sons, may they have a marriage as happy and full of love as Alice and I
have enjoyed.
 
To Derek, Alex and their
beautiful brides.”

The guys all clinked glasses and shot back their
scotch.
 
Alex look around, Derek laughed
at something George said as they talk about what married life was really
about.
 
He had never seen his friend so
happy and laid back.
 
Inside he spotted
Izzy and Roni comparing rings and laughing.
 
In a matter of months there would be two weddings and a new baby to
welcome.
 
Alex smiled at the changes to
come.
 

"When is the big day for the two couples?"
 
Gavin asked

The girls picked that moment to all join them outside.
 
"No sure yet, we have lots of planning
to do.
 
But I think we should let Alex
and Izzy get married first since they have a strict timeline."
 
Roni announced as she wrapped her arms around
Derek.
 

"No way, we got engaged first, they have to wait their
turn."
 
Derek pouted.
 

Everyone laughed at him.
 
"Well, I am think we better get married soon so I can fit into a
wedding dress and then a bridesmaid dress."
 
Izzy said.
 

"Vegas anyone?"
 
Phin joked.
 

The women all shot him a glare.
 
"No Vegas."
 
They said in unison.
 

Alex wasn't concerned with the time frame of when they would
get married, now that he was certain she was his forever, he would allow her to
plan the wedding she wanted, whenever she wanted it.
 

The last eight weeks of Izzy’s life had been a whirlwind of
activities.
 
She and Gracey wasted no
time starting in on decorating the new house.
 
Alex had done what every man should do when his fiancée and her
decorator friend are purchasing furniture, picking out paint colors and
shopping for decorative pieces, he stayed out of the entire affair.
 

Although there was one day when he came home to find her
picking out a shade of yellow for the kitchen and put his foot down, apparently
he hated the color yellow.
 
His tone and
wording lead to a fight, threats of murder and the best make up sex a girl
could ever have.
 

Sitting in the waiting room of her doctor’s office she
looked down at her left hand.
 
The rings
that lay there were beautiful. Alex had done an incredible job selecting the
two carat princess cut flawless diamond surrounded by small diamonds and sapphires
set in platinum engagement ring.
 
The
wedding ring that lay next to it was a simple platinum band with “I’ll never
leave your side” engraved on the inside.
 
Her gaze went to his left hand, a platinum band matching her own lay on
his left hand.
 

“Mrs. Porter?”
 
The
nurse called.
 

Lost in the thoughts of the small wedding they had several
weeks before came flooding through her brain, she didn’t hear the nurse. They
decided they were done waiting for her to truly be Mrs. Porter.
 
Marrying in a white tent glimmering with
lights in their new backyard with only their friends and family surrounding
them.
 
Papa porter had given her away.
 
Pictures of her parents sat in the chairs
they should have occupied.
 

“Mrs. Porter?”
 
The
nurse called again.

“That’s you, baby.
 
You would think after all the times we have pretended to be married you
would be used to being Mrs. Porter by now.”
 
Alex joked.
 

Helping her from her chair, they followed the nurse to the
back of the office.
 
The nurse had her
pee in a cup, took her weight and blood pressure, asked her how she was feeling
and finally led them back to the ultrasound room.
 

She laid on the table and squeezed Alex’s hand.
 
“You ready for this?”
 
She asked.

“So ready.”
 
He was
practically beaming.
 

The technician walked in handing her a small sheet to
protect her pants from the blue gel.
 
A
minute later and she pressed the wand onto Izzy’s stomach.
 
“Let’s see what your little one is up to
today.”
 

Alex and Izzy both turned their attention to the
screen.
 
A few movements of the wand
later and their baby appeared on the screen, stretching a hand over its
face.
 
“Ah looks like we have a shy one.”
 

The technician went about measuring the baby and pointing
out the spine, feet and tiny hands.
 
“Would
you like to know the sex of the baby?”
 
She asked.

“Yes, please.
 
We are
dying to know!”
 
Izzy answered in an
excited tone.
 

“Let’s see if the baby will cooperate.”
 
She moved the wand a little and laughed.
 
“Just like a man to sit spread eagle so
everyone can see his junk.”
 

Izzy and Alex looked at the screen, sure enough their son
had his legs spread wide to make sure everyone knew he was a boy.
 
They all laughed.
 

“Do you have a name for this little one now that you know
you’re having a boy?”
 
The technician
asked as she cleaned the blue gel from Izzy.
 

“I haven’t mentioned it to my husband, but I have been
calling him Jeremy.”
 
Izzy replied
smiling up at Alex.
 

Alex laughed, kissing her.
 
“That is the perfect name.”

Izzy adjusted her clothes and took the pictures the
technician handed her, thanking the woman.
 
They met with doctor, where they were told everything was going
perfect.
 

Leaving hand in hand they walked to his SUV.
 
“Are you happy Mr. Porter?”
 

“Yes, Mrs. Porter.
 
I
like the name.”

“I figured it was the name that led us to this point in a roundabout
way so it was only fitting our son would have that name.”
 
Kissing him, Izzy slipped into the car.
 

They started to drive home, when her cell rang.
 
Answering it she laughed when she didn’t even
get hello out before Mama Porter was speaking.
 
“Well what are we having?”
 

“A boy.”

“Oh, just as we thought.”
 
Mama Porter exclaimed.
 

Here other line rang.
 
“Sorry Mom I have to cut this short, my other line is ringing.”
 
She said goodbye and answered the phone
again.
 

“Hello.”

“Izzy, its Roni.
 
You
and Alex need to come to the hospital.”
 
Roni cried as she spoke.
 

“Hospital?
 
What
happened?”
 
Izzy was panicked.
 
Alex sent her a look of concern and turned
the car towards the hospital, grabbing her hand to comfort her.
 

“It’s Mary.” That was all she had to say to convey the
situation.
 

“Oh, no.
 
Is Phin
there with Jemma?
 
I’ll call Mama Porter,
I just spoke with her, and she’ll want to know.”
 

“Yes, Phin hasn’t left her side.
 
He is in now talking with Mary alone.”
 
Roni barely made it through the sentence
before she broke down and cried.
 

Within minutes they were at the hospital and practically running
for Mary’s room.
 
In the small waiting
room at the end of the hall, everyone sat in plastic chairs hugging one
another.
 

“Jemma, honey, how are you doing?”
 
Izzy asked as she smothered the other woman
in a hug.
 

“I’m…I’m…I don’t know.
 
I’m not ready to say goodbye.”
 
Jemma said tearfully.
 

“I know honey.”
 
She
whispered, hugging Jemma closer.
 
The
baby picked that moment to kick, causing Izzy to jump a little.
 
“Sorry, he still surprises me when he kicks
hard.”
 
She said rubbing her growing
stomach.
 

“He?”
 
Derek
asked.
 

“Yep, we’re having a boy.”
 
Alex said in a true proud papa voice.
 

Izzy grabbed Jemma’s hand moving it to the place the baby
was kicking, right on cue Jeremy kicked Jemma’s hand causing her to giggle and
smile a little.
 

Phin entered the waiting room, looking like a man who hadn’t
slept or eaten in 24 hours.
 
Coming right
to Jemma’s side he hugged her.
 
Stepping
back, he pushed a stray hair from her face.
 
“You doing ok?
 
Can I get you
anything?”
 

Izzy took a long look at the interactions between Phin and
Jemma.
 
They stood close, embraced each
other and cried together. Tilting her head, she watched as he laced his fingers
with hers and walked her back to her mother’s room, without even a hello to
anyone.
 
His single focus being
Jemma.
 

Pulling Alex to the side so they could speak quietly she
said, “this pains me to say, but I think you were right.”
 

‘Wait say that again so I can record it.”
 
Alex joked, earning him a punch to the
arm.
 
“Ok, ok, what was I, the almighty
one, right about?”
 

“Phin and Jemma.
 
There is something between them.”
 

He nodded his agreement.
 
“Her mother dying will either bring them together once and for all or
split them apart.
 
We can only watch and
wait.”
 
He rubbed her back and settled
her into a chair.
 

“I love you, Demon Pixie.”
 

“I love you too, Super Asshole.”