I wasn't ready to look at the test yet. I just wasn't. I guess it made me weak, but I don't claim to be all together in the head. That's Dr. Roswell's job, and I've given the poor woman plenty to work with over the last years. She would have a field day with this news. I'd need a third job just to pay for the extra therapy.So back to what could be. Pregnant. A baby. A child. Ethan's baby. The two of us parents... I'm quite sure that when Ethan suggested we should get mar- ried, he didn't have becoming a father in mind. He'd make a wonderful father, though. I'd seen him with Zara and the boys. He was so good with them. Playful but with some common sense. He would be the kind of father I had. The best. If that was something he even wanted. And I was terrified, because I just did not know the answer to that question.Picturing Ethan in the role of daddy is what broke me. The tears came then. and I couldn't hold them back for even one more second.I cried there on the grass lawn of a bea
My baby looked awful. I'd never say that out loud, but she did. It didn't mean she wasn't still the most beautiful woman in the world, though. To me she was.My beautiful American girl.Fred came around to the other side of the bed and pinched the skin on her arm a few times. He took her pulse from her neck and then her temperature at her ear. "She's severely dehydrated with an elevated pulse. I'd like to stick her with an IV. She needs the fluids right away or she could be in trouble. Her body mass is low and she can't afford to ""Can you do that here so she doesn't have to go into hospital?""I can but I have to run 'round to the clinic to get what I need, and someone will have to monitor her the entire time.""I'll do it." I looked back at her sleeping, hoping she was having a good dream at least. She deserved that. "I'm not leaving her." "And what's the verdict? Am I going to be an uncle or not?""I don't know, Fred. She never said. We still don't know..." I wanted to know so ver
I opened my eyes to find Ethan dozing in the comfortable chair next to the bed. He had his arms folded in tight and his long legs stretched out on the matching ottoman. He was so beautiful to me it almost hurt to look at him for very long. I was still amazed that he'd come to find me. How could he want this? How was il possible? Why wasn't he running for the hills?My left arm felt funny and I figured out why when I saw the tube taped to it. which led straight up to the IV bag hanging on one of those poles on wheels.I sat up in the bed, looking for the clock to check the time. How long had 1 been asleep? The clock read just after ten-thirty. The afternoon's events came crashing back in a blasting wave and I braced myself for more pain and suf- fering, but it never came. I guess all the running and crying and puking had sucked all of the reacting out of me. Instead. I was warm in a soft bed with Ethan watching over me with an IV in my arm. Okay, that was a little scary. I must have be
He shook his head and smiled. "Nope. I wanted to wait for you and do it together."I flung my arms around his neck and lost it. I tried to be quiet about it at least. Ethan just held me and stroked my back. He really was too good for me, and I did honestly wonder what I'd ever done to deserve someone like him."Get in bed with me," I said against his shoulder. "Are you sure that's what you want?" "Yes, I'm sure that's what I want!" I answered, blubbering through more sappy tears.Ethan must have liked my answer, because he wasted no time getting ready to join me.I worked on drying my eyes as Ethan slipped out of his jeans. He kept his boxers on, though. Not that they ever were much of a deterrent when we wanted to be naked, but I don't think either of us were capable of much more than sleep right now. We were both treading on ground that seemed entirely made of eggshells.Ethan slipped under the blankets and put his arm beneath me as he did often. I settled on my side and tucked in a
"Well, he had to go to his clinic to get all the supplies needed for your IV and while he was gone, that's when I found it had fallen on the floor." He kissed the side of my temple. "I was just staring at it on the floor when Fred walked in. He asked me if I would look at it. I told him to read it, but not to tell me. And that's what he did. He looked at the test and then put it in his shirt pocket, I think. He was really focused on getting some fluids into you, and quite frankly so was 1. You were completely out of it. You never woke up even when I undressed you. You scared me to death." He squeezed me a little. "Don't ever do that again, please.""Trust me, I don't want to feel that sick again, thank you very much. It's awful..." I trailed off, realizing we still were without an answer to a question that really needed one."Wait, the second test-" I reminded him."Yeah, I was just thinking that myself. I wonder if it's still downstairs in the powder room." Ethan sat up in bed and re
When I opened the bathroom door to come out, test in hand, Ethan was still there where I'd left him when I'd shut it on his smirking face. God love him for trying to tease me and make a stressful situation a little easier. If I had to read him. I would say he was handling the possibility of being a father very well.Actually, he almost seemed to be hopeful I was pregnant. I wondered why. and could certainly tell that he and I weren't in the same place in the head about this at all. Far from it. Ethan was a lot older. Eight years older. Years that made a significant difference when faced with the imminent possibilities of marriage and a family. Life was happening much too quickly and it terrified me. The only thing keeping me from going bat-shit crazy was his attitude about the whole situation that we could do this.I still didn't really see how it was possible for me to even be pregnant at all. I had some major questions for my doctor, I knew that much. Like how in the hell do birth c
He pulled off his T-shirt and tossed it. My eyes soaked in the cut abdominals and solid curves of his deltoids and biceps. I could stare at him for hours, but usually didn't get nearly my fill of looking.He pushed my shirt up and over my head, leaving it bunched around my left arm. It would have to stay there, because I was still connected to the IV. Ile drew his hands down, hovering just above my skin, not touching as he swept his eyes over me. It reminded me of a pianist poised just before beginning to play a piece. It was beautiful to watch him.He bowed over me, starting at the hollow of my throat, and drew downward with his tongue as far as he could go. He dragged it achingly slow over my ster- num, down my stomach and to my navel, where he gave some special attention to the indentation. He never got near my breasts and the obvious evasion got me undulating for him, my body already on fire. craving his touch.He looked up from my navel just before reaching for the waistband of m
"From the records sent by Dr. Greymont, I'd concur with his findings that you're about seven weeks along, Miss Bennett."The doctor had age going for him, and the fact I'd been taught to respect my elders, because I sure did not like where his hands were right now. Dr. Thad- deus Burnsley had a condom-sheathed ultrasound probe up her snatch as he determinedly searched for the beating heart of our baby.Good thing he was focused on the monitor and not her quim. It was rather awkward, but hell, it was part of the process, so I'd better get used to it. I have no idea how anyone did that job, though. Pregnant females all day long with their parts out on display? Good lord, the man had to have the constitution of an ox. Fred had referred us to him, so here we were for the first appointment. Ethan Blackstone and Brynne Bennett, prospective parents of Baby Blackstone, arriving sometime early next year."So that would be the middle of May?" Brynne looked over from where I sat at her shoulder.
A Gift for the ReaderA Christmas Story-Ethan and Brynne's Very First Meeting24 December 2023LondonThe street was remarkably sparse considering it was Christmas Eve. Probably because it was so damn freezing cold outside people were smart enough to stay in. It was totally clichéd to be shopping for a gift at this late minute, but here I was pushing my way through the doors of Harrods in hopes of something really perfect for my aunt Marie. I knew I'd better get my ass in gear too, because I would be spending the day with her tomorrow and had nothing to show up with!Marie was hard to buy for because she was so unique and unconventional; it was ridiculously difficult to top her lifestyle. She also had money enough to get anything she desired. She reminded me of Auntie Mame from the movie in a lot of ways. From the exotic travels to the rich dead husbands to the fantastic dresses in her wardrobe.After three quarters of an hour I gave up and started to head outside, stop- ping for a mo
"Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them, okay?" I parked the car and went over to Brynne's side to help her out. "No peeking, Mrs. Blackstone, I want to do this right.""Eyes are closed. Mr. Blackstone," she said, standing before me. "My package. Give it to me, please."I retrieved it from the seat and placed it carefully in her hands. It was light, just a flat black box tied with a silver ribbon. "Ready?""I am." she said."Okay, keep them closed, and I'm going to pick you up and carry you.""Sounds very traditional," she said."I like to think of myself as a traditional guy, baby." I scooped her up, careful to arrange her dress so it wouldn't drag, and started walking up the gravel drive of Stonewell Court. The rocks crunched under my feet and you could hear the sound of the waves on the rocks far below us. It looked amazing and I hoped she liked it. The whole place was lit with torches in old urns and candles glowing inside glass luminaria on the ground. Even the upper
Strong arms wrapped around me from behind and familiar whiskers brushed at my neck. "Mrs. Blackstone, are you hiding in the garden at your own wedding party?" "Pretty much," I said leaning back into him in deep contentment."Awww, Christ in heaven! Not my mum too!" Ben growled at the dance floor where Simon was now doing a very lewd rumba with Mrs. Clarkson for a cheering crowd."Go get 'em. Ben." Ethan and I laughed at Ben's retreating back as he went off to rescue his mother from Simon's undulating hips.. "As insane as Simon looks right now, that crazy boy can dance," I said, still laughing. "I am not quite over the fact that you hired him to do our photos."Ethan smuggled into me a little deeper. "Don't remind me, please. He black- mailed me, you know. Said he would forgive the whole mess if he could secure the wedding photography for us. I figured that would be okay, so I agreed. Then he sent me the contract. Trust me when I say that your friend Simon has been well compensated for
Brynne had mentioned how the whole place was eerily quiet and that she'd never seen another person at the hotel, which made no sense with the Games happening. So that pretty much confirmed there were people involved at the highest levels. U.S. Secret Service, most likely. Westman was a dead man before he ever took Brynne from the flat. The senator had protectors in high places apparently. Westman had overstepped in his attempt at blackmail, and paid the ultimate price.Disaster averted, but still, far too fucking close for my comfort. This whole mess had happened for a reason. Very strange, but true. If Westman hadn't started stalking her, we wouldn't have met, or ever gotten together, or be about to marry and have a baby. It was all just a bit much to rationalize sometimes, even if it was our reality. I tried not to think about that part. Brynne was free to live a regular life now, with nobody out there plotting to take her away, or harm her, or bother with any aspect of her, and thi
Four weeks later..."So I hear that congratulations are in order for the two of you." Dr. Burnsley looked up from between Brynne's legs, where he was using the banana probe on her again. I realized I was definitely jealous of the probe. That fucking thing was seeing more action than my cock lately. Brynne wanted to keep things chaste in the bedroom for the previous couple of weeks to make our wedding night a little more special. The most goddamn ridiculous notion I'd ever heard of, but hell, I just did what I was told. Mostly."That's right. By our next visit she'll be Miss Bennett no more. It'll be Mrs. Blackstone from here on out." I gave Brynne a slow wink.She mouthed the words Love you. I love you too, my beauty. I thought my words."Lovely news, then," Dr. Burnsley said, now looking at the monitor as he found the black blob on the white blob with the beating heart, except our blob had grown considerably and didn't look even remotely blobish anymore. My eyes were transfixed-I cou
My attempt at killing him had obviously failed, because he now had a sharp blade pressed up against my neck, shocking me with its coldness, forcing me to stop struggling. The disappointment I felt was a bitter pill to swallow, but even worse was the heartbreaking sight of Ethan's face in the twilight. He stood not less than ten yards away from me. So close, but not close enough. Ethan's flat-out run had come to a screeching halt, his arms splayed out in surrender, his head shaking back and forth in a silent plea to Karl not to cut me. This....would be Ethan's undoing. His fear of the blade would propel him into any kind of negotiation to free me. I knew it. Ethan would sacrifice himself to keep me from having my throat slashed. Karl could not have chosen a better trigger for Ethan's fear in all the world.Events and sequences had come together in near-perfect harmony, but near was not enough for my needs right now and wouldn't be until I had her safe in my hands again.My dad had know
My first instinct was to rip the lamp out of the wall and start bashing Karl on the back of the head with it. I don't know how I didn't. I wanted to hurt him, make him suffer in agony for a long, long time before he died. The evil my mind imagined for him was not fit for anyone to ever know. I'd have to keep it buried inside me forever. No problems there.It took some time, but we got there eventually. Karl got bored in our small prison and started texting someone or playing a game. I couldn't tell. That's how I knew he had his phone and where it was. I would have to get it from him at some point and use it to call the only phone number I could remember-the phone number I'd had since my move to London four years ago. I did not know any other numbers by heart but I knew that one.I thought about how I could get to Karl's iPhone. In time I realized the only way was for me to dig deep into my psyche to where I was willing to go all in, as Ethan would say. To bet everything. To carefully
He gripped my chin roughly and pinched, turning me back to him. "Don't think you can play hard to get with me, Brynne," he said in a cruel voice, before he slammed his mouth over mine, his tongue pressing in and trying to invade me.."Karl. I'm pregnant-no, please stop, please!" I begged between gasps for air."Ugh... that bastard's spawn growing inside you is not the nicest thought, my dear, especially when I'm trying to fuck you. You really know how to cock block, you know," he complained, "but fine, have it your way. I can wait."Karl heaved himself off me and leaned on the wall, his eyes roving over body with lust. He adjusted himself at the crotch and sneered at me."Are-are you going to kill me?" I tried not to think about his motives and what would happen if he succeeded. I fought to stay calm and not run. I needed Karl to trust me a little for what I hoped I could manage to do. Not running from him would be the first step."I don't know yet. Maybe I will and maybe I won't." He
I checked my watch, wishing I could leave Lord's Cricket Ground right now, but I knew I had at least another hour here. Ivan had just finished announcing the archery and the media crew was done with their telecast, but the stands were still being cleared, and I knew that would take some time. I was giving my cousin the personal treatment, the same as I did for members of the royal fam ily, and so far, so good. The men's individual elimination had proved no great surprise, and I could think of nothing I wanted more than to get home to my girl, and back into her good graces. I had some humble pie being served to me this evening and I was good with that.Ivan was making his way over to me when my mobile went off. I hoped it was Brynne. She'd never replied to my text from earlier. I smiled when I saw her name... but I read what she had typed in her message. And then my whole world collapsed.I can't do this anymore with u. Ethan, u killed us last nite. My Old life is what I want back now.