Chapter 30

30

Colver

The only way to reward a bunch of loud mouth hockey players after helping you string up lights in the gallery of the woman who is having your baby is pizza and beer.

And tits. Lots of tits.

One call to Teddy and arrangements are made and fully paid for all the guys.

I'm not the type of guy who flaunts money. I didn't run off and buy an expensive vehicle or buy a mansion or anything like that. I mean, I grew up with that stuff. I saw what it did to my father. And to the women he brought around.

From the second I told myself I was going to be a pro hockey player I promised myself I would bank my money and just ease back into life.

I never thought the ease back part would mean getting the daughter of a woman my father had been married to for a minute pregnant.

I still can't bring myself to think the word ‘stepsister'… but I guess in a technical sense… yeah… sure…

Point I'm making is that I can afford to send the guys to the strip club in a fancy rented car. And have a huge tab opened and paid for, including dances from the lovely women there. And rides back to their places.

As I tell them this, I realize that, yes, it's a fuck ton of a thank you when the pizza and beer would have made them just as happy.

Turner points it out first.

"Man, we didn't, you know, drive hours to get to you or anything," he says.

"Yeah, this is a lot," Dax says, squinting his eyes.

"I'll cancel it then," I say.

"You never even said thanks ," Rhett says. "You're an asshole."

"You're like Faust," Ben says with a grin.

"You guys are fucking stupid," Faust growls. "You can't see what this is?"

They all look between Faust and me.

"Dipshits," Faust growls.

He walks out of the gallery.

"Can he get his own ride?" Dax asks.

"Only if you say that to his face," Ben says.

"Faust is invited," Dax laughs.

"What the hell does Faust know that we don't?" Rhett asks.

"He's catching some real feelings for the baby mama," Dax says. "Makes sense now. He doesn't know how to handle himself right now. He's panicking."

I lunge at Dax and grab his shirt. "Get the hell out of here right now."

"See?" Dax asks. "He didn't hit me. He's talking to me. He's a changed man!"

I bring my left hand back and Turner grabs my arm. "How about we wait outside for the ride to the gentlemen's club?"

"Go for it," I say.

Dax smiles the entire way out of the gallery.

I don't need any of them to get involved in my life when it comes to Abrielle.

Also… for the record…

No matter what I did for the guys just now…

… I never said the words ‘thank you' …

"I could have done something for them."

"Like what, kitten?" I ask.

The mischievous look in my eyes gives me away.

Abrielle sighs with disgust. "Yes, that's right. Come look at the pregnant woman. Let me get naked for you."

"Works for me," I say with a slight grin.

"Do you want to be there right now?"

"Where?" I ask.

Abrielle tilts her head. "Colver, stop it. I just need to know. Be truthful with me. Please."

"Wait, are you talking about the gentlemen's club?"

"Stop calling it that," Abrielle growls. "It's a fancy strip club. Just say it that way."

"No," I say. "Teddy runs a good business over there."

"You're defending… never mind, Colver. You know what? It's been a really long day. I should go. You did so much for me today. I can never thank you enough. I mean that. I don't want to be in the way right now."

"Do you think I have you here for pity? What is going through your damn hormonal brain right now?"

"Just go to the gentlemen's club ."

The icy sarcasm in that sentence is enough to make the heat want to turn in my apartment.

"Wow," I say. "You think I'd rather be there than here? Worse yet, you think I'm lying to you about it. If I didn't want to be, I wouldn't be here. Is this jealousy because of the pregnancy or just who you are all the time? Just wondering what I'm up against for the next… how many months…?"

"And then what?" Abrielle yells. "Then what happens with us? You think that ends things? What are you going to do? See the baby a couple times a week or something? Huh?"

Abrielle then covers her mouth.

Her cheeks turn red.

I take another step closer to her and she turns, then runs to the bathroom and slams the door hard.

I'm not sure if I'm out of line here or not, but if this is the kind of stuff pregnancy does to someone's hormones, then I'm in for a long road.

She's got a few minutes before I kick down the bathroom door and handle this myself.

How?

I will literally kick the door down if she has it locked.

And then I will pick her up, put her eye level with me, make her stare into my eyes.

Make it known that I'm here for a reason.

I'm here for her. For our unborn baby.

I want to fucking be right here.

The bathroom door slightly opens. "Colver?"

"Right here," I growl.

"Do you want me to explain what just happened?"

"No."

"I appreciate that, Colver."

"No worries, kitten," I grit my teeth.

Abrielle opens the bathroom door and steps out.

My eyes start to widen when I see that she's wearing a towel.

A very large towel. The only kind I'll use. I love a towel that's like a blanket.

Abrielle holds the towel tight against her body and she begins to sway her hips.

"Maybe I can… be here for you…" she purrs. "I don't think I should stand on a table though."

"No," I say. "No tables, Abrielle. Or ladders."

She smiles. "You should sit down and let me…"

She nervous. And she's beautiful.

"Are you naked under that towel?" I ask.

"Let's find out, Colver."

All I can picture now is Abrielle in her paint stained hoodie and jeans, sitting at an easel. Listening to some weird music, paintbrush on the canvas, working.

And now she's walking toward me, wearing a towel… my baby in her warm womb.

"Are you not going to sit down?" Abrielle asks.

I shake my head. "Not until I get my hands on that towel…"

"Even when I'm trying to be flirty and play into one of your fantasies you're still a stubborn dick."

"Fantasy?"

Abrielle walks up to me and stares up at me.

She shuts her eyes and puts her head back.

Then she groans.

That groan sends signals that reach from the depths of my brain all way down to my toes.

My jaw clenches tight for a second. My heart punches in the inside of my chest.

My cock slides down the inside of my jeans, down my right leg, filling with need.

I lower my mouth down and gently kiss Abrielle's neck.

She gasps and steps back. "No touching."

"Fuck that," I growl.

I grab the towel and pull her against me.

Her body touches mine and I feel…

I use the middle finger on my right hand to grab the folded part of the towel.

One pull and the towel opens and falls to the floor.

Abrielle is a fucking tease. A sexy tease.

She's not naked under the towel.

She's in her bra and panties.

"Fuck," I whisper. "Look at you, kitten."

My hands touch under her tits, lifting them, squeezing. My thumbs stroke across her bra as though she isn't wearing one.

"Can't give it all up that easily," Abrielle whispers.

"You think a bra and panties is a roadblock for me?"

"No."

My right hand moves around her back to the clasp of her bra.

My left hand inches down her body, along her belly.

When I stop my hand at her lower belly, Abrielle sucks in a breath.

She holds it.

Her face lights up with a red color I never saw before.

"Oh, no," she whispers.

"Abrielle," I say.

She slaps my hand away and steps back. Her right arm goes across her chest. Her left arm tries to cover the stomach.

"It's okay, kitten," I say. "You're fucking beautiful…"

She turns and takes off running. For the bathroom. Again.

As for me, I'm standing there, frozen in place for the moment.

It takes a lot to surprise me. To shock me. To have me standing like I am right now.

Fuck, I'm feeling… emotions …

I feel a smile trying to climb across my face too.

The bathroom door slams shut.

This time I'm not letting her stay by herself.

I don't know how to say this without sounding … wrong…

But Abrielle's belly.

It's… bigger …

I felt it. Bigger. Harder.

Meaning her womb is growing. Meaning our baby is growing.

My sense of protection, care, and desire to hold and love Abrielle just increased times one hundred.