Chapter 19 - Gina

Every day with Bae is nothing short of magic. It’s hard to believe that I dreamed about this for so long, and my imagination pales against the beauty of the reality I now live in. I’m so full of excitement and hope, I’m almost ready to believe that dreams really can come true.

A few days after my birthday, I’m still caught up on how thoughtful Bailey was, the effort he went to in making me feel special. I play the piano for a few hours each night, and Bae always sits right next to me, his eyes full of appreciation as he watches me play.

So why am I still scared? Why do I feel like the bomb is hovering over my head, about to drop at any second?

There is no reason to feel this way. Bailey has shown me with his every word and gesture that he wants me in his life—and his body very enthusiastically tells me how much he wants me in every other way.

Still thinking about Bailey’s efforts on my birthday, I ask Martin for an extra-long lunch break and stop at a couple of stores to get Bae’s favorite pastrami and cheese sandwiches and cream cakes. He left early this morning to open the store, and I’m pretty sure he hasn’t had lunch yet, so I want to surprise him.

When I walk into the store, it’s very busy. The gym area is packed with people doing stretches and using the machines, and it looks like all the store employees are caught up with customers.

I see Jack down an aisle and give him a shrug, silently asking him about my husband’s whereabouts. He points towards the back of the store.

I head out into the staff area and follow the hallway towards the stock room. I can hear the scraping of boxes being moved, and even if it isn’t Bae, whoever it is should be able to tell me where to look.

When I push the door open, I’m so struck by the sight that I freeze in place, staring stupidly into the room.

Bae is moving huge, heavy boxes and gym equipment from one area of the stock room to the other. He pauses every now and then to check the labels and put certain boxes aside, then goes back to the business of rearranging the stock.

He is only wearing snug sweatpants. When he crouches down to get a box off the floor, his toned, firm ass shows through the tight fabric as his thighs flex. The muscles in his upper arms bulge, and his abs and chest ripple as he stands up and stacks the box to one side.

He tosses his head, and his long, sandy hair flicks off his forehead, dripping sweat down his cheek. When the drops reach his top lip, I actually let go of the bags of food, grabbing them again immediately and making the paper and plastic crinkle.

Bae turns around, grinning broadly as soon as he sees me. “Hey, babe! What are you doing here?”

“I brought you lunch,” I squeak, holding out the bags and walking towards him. I’m trying to make a conscious effort to look up at his face, but all I can see is his smooth, broad chest, washboard abs, and flexing arms.

He puts his hands on his hips and gives me a mock glare. “We’ve spoken about this. My face is up here.”

“Is it?” I whisper, getting close enough to touch his cheek. “Oh, so it is,” I laugh. “I nearly missed it, and it’s such a pretty face.”

“Sure is.” He grins. “Did you actually bring me lunch?”

“Did I—I mean, yes. Of course I did.” With some effort, I remember the bags in my hand and hold them up.

“It can wait,” Bae says, moving even closer to me. “I can’t ignore that look in your eye, Gina.”

“What look would that be?” I grin as I move my face right up to his, almost brushing my lips against his mouth.

He kisses me, and I drop the bags of food so I can put my arms around his waist. He pushes me back until my knees hit something, and I fall backwards. I land in an office chair that’s pushed against the wall.

Bae kneels down and grabs my ankles, throwing them over his shoulders. He dives between my legs, pushing his head under my skirt and pulling my panties out of the way.

His lips gently touch my clit, and his tongue flicks out, teasing me. I moan and rock back and forth on his mouth, losing myself.

“Make all the noise you want, babe… but just a reminder that the store is kind of crowded.”

I giggle and put one hand over my mouth. That’s when I realize the door is wide open as well.

As Bae’s tongue explores deeper, sliding into my wet, throbbing pussy, I forget about the door, but I do keep my hand on my mouth. Muffled cries try to escape me as he licks and sucks deeper into my pussy and teases my clit.

He comes out from under my skirt, kneeling in front of me. When he stands up, his cock is making an impressive tent of his sweatpants. I lunge forward, grab the waistband, and yank the pants down, wrapping my lips around his cock.

Bae gasps, his body shuddering. I can hear him trying not to moan, and the soft, whispery gasps just turn me on even more.

When I pull back, he’s looking down on me, his eyes full of raw desire.

“Turn over,” he orders softly.

I roll onto my belly, bracing on my hands. Bae grabs my hips and throws my skirt up over my back. I feel his fingers running up and down my slit, then the hot, hard head of his cock sliding into my wet, throbbing pussy.

I have to bite my lip to stop myself from crying out. My hands clench on the chair in a death grip, and I brace my toes against the floor as Bae firmly grabs my hips and starts to thrust.

I cling to the chair, feeling his cock pumping in and out of me as my body opens up for him. My joints are loosening so much, it’s hard to hold my position, but Bae keeps me up with his strong arms. I’m gasping, burying my head in the cushion on the chair so I don’t scream.

Bae picks up his pace, gripping my hips even more tightly. I hold back a moan, letting my breath rush out in a harsh gasp. My pussy is clenching and throbbing around his long, hard cock, exploding with deep spasms as he strokes every single inch of me.

Just as my body starts to tingle and my orgasm crests, Bae speeds up, pounding into me with short, hard strokes. My hands clamping onto the chair, I moan into the cushions, trembling as my body shudders with a bone-shaking orgasm.

Through the explosions within my own body, I feel Bae’s huge, thick cock pumping as he comes deep inside me.

I love it when we come at the same time.

Bae pulls out slowly, panting as he steps back. When I pick myself up, he hands me a clean towel from a nearby rack so I can clean myself up.

“Well,” he says. “Thanks for lunch.”

“My pleasure,” I reply, my voice soft. “Any time.”

He kisses me, and I go before we can get started again. I know if we stay together much longer, we definitely will. We got lucky getting away with it the first time.

Our hunger for each other only seems to be growing. The more we have of each other, the more we want.

In the evenings, we spend pretty much the whole time in bed, with a brief pause for dinner and some piano. In the mornings, we usually end up late for work, and I have to promise myself not to visit him for lunch anymore.

A few days later, my high takes a blow when I realize my period is late.

I buy a test in the morning and hide it in my bag until lunch. I don’t want to do it at home in case Bae finds out. I don’t want him to know, not yet.

I don’t even know how I feel about this!

Excited, yes. Terrified, absolutely.

On my lunch break, I hide in the staff bathroom and pee on the stick. I set it on the sink and wait, not knowing if the feeling inside me is leaning towards joy or fear.

Finally, after two agonizingly long minutes, I look at the stick.

It’s blue. I’m pregnant.

Before I can even begin to process the thought, someone bangs on the door, and I jump so high I worry I’m going to literally hit the roof.

“You in there, Gina? A friend of yours is here.”

“Yes—ah—yeah, Martin. I’m in here. I’ll be just a minute.”

My heart is hammering as I pick up the little stick and stare at it. Feeling dizzy, I realize I’m holding my breath and have to remind myself to breathe. I have no idea what to do.

After a couple of seconds, I wrap everything up in paper towel and thrust it deep into the bin. I wash up and check myself in the mirror before I leave.

I wonder who’s dropping in on me… hopefully, it’s someone I can confide in.

My heart jolts in my chest when I see it’s Jill. I can’t manage a smile, not even a fake one. Not for her.

“Gina!” she says brightly. “I thought I’d take you out for a coffee. What do you say?”

“Sure,” I answer, wishing it was Veronica, or Tara, or literally anyone else. Even if I’m not ready to talk about the pregnancy, I’m really not in the mood for a bit of fake politeness right now.

We go to the nearest coffee shop, and I attempt to be pleasant. After a few minutes of talking about random news, Jill finally leans in and narrows her eyes.

Here we go, the reason for her visit. What does the treacherous bitch want now?

“So, Gina, I’ve been thinking.”

Did it hurt? I ask mentally.

“Yes, Jill, what have you been thinking about?”

“You and Bailey, of course. You know, there was a lot of talk in the pack about those fights you had.”

Fights you caused.

“Really? That’s unfortunate.” I keep my tone even as I take a sip of tea. No more coffee for me.

“Well, it’s just so obvious that you’re unhappy,” Jill says, reaching over and patting my arm.

Touch me again, and I’ll bite your hand off.

“Really?” I say, staring at her over the rim of my cup.

“Really,” she agrees. “You never wanted to marry Bae. I know that. You just came back for a short trip, and now look, you’re trapped here, away from your friends and the life you built for yourself.”

I keep the cup in front of my face so Jill can’t see me smiling. She, of all people, should know I’m currently living my wildest fantasy, a dream world where Bae and I can’t get enough of each other to the point we never want to get out of bed.

“Look, I can help,” she says eagerly. “I can help you leave town. Quietly, so no one will try to stop you. Then you can have your life back, and you’ll never have to see this dinky little town again.”

I wonder if she knows that’s exactly what the elders threatened me with. It doesn’t escape me for a second that Carson is her father and this might be what they had planned since the very beginning.

“Look, Jill—”

“No, Gina,” she says softly, her eyes pained. “You don’t understand. This mate ceremony thing—it screwed with a lot of us, okay? Not just you. I mean, me and Bae, we had something. Everyone was happy, even you. Then this had to happen.”

“What had to happen?”

Jill gives me a mournful look. “I can’t tell you, okay? It’s up to Bae if he wants to tell you everything. But if I help you get away, then everyone could have what they want.”

And what exactly do I want, Jill?

It’s funny she’s claiming to know what I want when I don’t.

But I do know one thing. I still want Bae, and I want this baby. Jill’s words have put a deep, cold fear into me, and I wonder if this is it—the bomb I’ve been so afraid of all this time.

Finding out Bae was with Jill.

But was he? Surely, he would have told me. I believe that completely.

Maybe it’s a big secret. So big, the entire pack is hiding it from me. They would have to, since the ceremony decreed I’m his true mate.

What if he already was with Jill, and everyone believes I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? The thought makes me shudder from my skin right down to my bones.

“Well, Gina, what do you say?” Jill asks. There is a barely shielded triumph shining in her eyes. I put my tea down and shake my head.

“No, Jill.”

“What?”

“I said no. I’m not leaving town, and if I was, I wouldn’t need your help to do it.”

“But, Bae… if you care about him, you have to—”

“I don’t have to do anything. I think we’re done here, Jill.”

“We’re not!” she hisses, getting up and slamming her chair against the table. “We are not done, Gina!”

Jill storms off, and I finish my tea. Her words have put enough fear in me that I’m reluctant to tell Bae I’m pregnant. I know he’s shown me recently how much he wants me, but a baby is another matter entirely.

It would bind us together permanently—out of duty, not love. I want to know that Bae chooses me with his whole heart. Because he wants to, not because he has to.

He rejected me once before because it was what everyone else wanted him to do. He could easily do it again.