“The baby!” I screech. “She just kicked.” It was a slight movement, nothing too strong, but my baby is moving. In the back of my mind, I’d like to think it’s her giving me a sign that everything will be okay. A reminder that it doesn’t matter because I have her.
He grins. “Really?”
Grabbing his hand, I place it next to mine on my stomach. My heart beats rapidly as we wait in anticipation for another kick.
We both flinch when she kicks again.
“Hi, baby,” I whisper, rubbing my stomach.
Finn beams up at me.
“We’re so ready to have you here with us.”
Finn falls to his knees and kisses my stomach. “We can’t wait to meet you.”
And just like that, my baby has already made a terrible day better.
When Finn gets into bed, I climb on top of him.
He’s killed all my insecurities for being pregnant. No man has ever made me feel as beautiful as he does.
“Mmm,” he groans, moving the sheet out of the way to make me more comfortable. “I like this.”
He lifts me off him enough to push his shorts down, exposing his thick cock. My mouth waters. I’ve never been a highly sexual person, never one to talk dirty or tell someone I want them, but I love being this way with Finn.
Reaching out, his strong hand cups the back of my neck, pulling me down to his mouth. As we kiss, his hand slides down my back to my ass, cupping it while also dragging me into his erection. I love kissing this man, and I love kissing while grinding against him even more. He slips my panties to the side, causing me to buck forward, and slides a thick finger in and out of me. As I’m rocking my hips, he digs his hand into my waist to stop me and then impales me with his hard cock. I grind into him, finding the perfect position, and Finn allows me to set the rhythm. As I grow closer, my blood pressure rising, I bounce on top of him. Bending at the waist, he cups my swollen breasts, pushes them together, and drags them to his mouth. His tongue goes from one nipple to the other, back and forth, until I’m grinding so hard against him that I know I’ll be sore tomorrow.
An intense burst of pleasure blasts through me, and I cry out his name before collapsing onto his chest.
“That’s it, baby,” Finn grunts. “I love when you come all over my cock.”
I lie limp against him as he starts fucking me—really fucking me. Anchoring his hands to my hips, he holds them down while pounding into me. I struggle to catch my breath and dig my nails into his arms until he’s the one moaning my name. His body shakes, and he cups my head as he joins me post-orgasm.
After I rode Finn until I could no longer move, he carefully helped me off him, kissed me, and rolled out of bed. Seconds later, he returns with a wet washcloth to clean me up. It’s one of my favorite things he does after sex. No one knows how to take better care of me than Finn.
After he’s finished, he tosses the washcloth into the dirty laundry, grabs me a water bottle from the kitchen, and slides back into bed with me. He’s so different than other men I’ve been with. I’m realizing now what Georgia meant all the times she said it was different when you had sex with a real man. None of the guys I was with before Finn were anything like this. They normally cared about their orgasms above mine and never made sure I was comfortable or cleaned up after. They typically rolled over and told me good night. Not that I’ve had many sexual partners since I don’t like people knowing my secret.
I move to my side, staring at him, and lightly brush my fingers along the tattooed quote on his side.
It’s his favorite Stephen King quote from The Dark Tower series. When I asked why he got it, he told me that it’s the only book series he’s read through and the realest quote he’s ever read. I never thought too much into it, but as he revealed his past to me, I understand. Finn has gone without love for most of his life. Sure, our friends are there for him, but he’s never had someone care about him more than themselves or have someone’s life be consumed with their feelings for him.
That’s me.
I want to show Finn that love can beat out the hate he had while growing up.
I want to prove to him it doesn’t have to be destructive, though.
Our love can bring us both happiness.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Finn
This Gavin motherfucker had better count his days.
Had I not been trying to be a better man for Grace—and not wanting her to get fired from her job—I’d have already been in his office, punching his face in. He texted Grace nonstop, and she wouldn’t let me reply. He said he was in love with her, would fight for their baby, and would make sure he had his parental rights.
His baby.
Fuck that motherfucker.
My throat grew thick as she read the texts to me. As much as I think Grace wouldn’t go back to that asshole, the nerves are still there.
What if I lose them?
What if Grace decides she wants her baby to have a real family and that I’m no longer needed?
I shudder, pissed at myself for having those thoughts. But now that I have Grace, I’m terrified to lose her.
When Grace falls asleep, I slide out of bed and plod into the kitchen for a drink. My plan was to get a glass of water, but I opt for whiskey instead. I expel long breaths between gulps before pouring myself another while collapsing onto a chair at the table. I’m not sure how long I sit there, playing those texts back through my mind as if it were a song stuck on repeat.
I have everything I’ve ever wanted.
Now, there’s a threat that could take it all away.
I can’t lose Grace.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Grace
I refuse to sit back and let Gavin ruin my job.
Not only do these pregnancy hormones make me break out in tears over a damn Pampers commercial, but they also bring out the anger inside me as well. Gavin needs to be the one to go. Not me. I love this job, this school, the staff—minus him—and I’m not giving it up.
Georgia texted me this morning and said Gavin took a sick day.
Thank God.
I don’t want to face him yet.
The teachers’ lounge turns dead silent when I walk in. Rachelle drops her bagel. The gym teacher spits out his water. The librarian nudges another teacher and signals toward me.
Georgia is behind me, always having my back. She even threatened to accidentally spill her iced coffee on someone if they said something rude.
I tend to be the shy girl and never get into confrontations. I’m the quiet one in our group of friends, but I’m done with being quiet. This is a situation I have to be loud about. I have to stick up for myself and tell people the truth.
I get straight to the point. “Did Principal Long tell any of you he was married before his wife moved here?”
People shake their heads.
Others look around the room as our coworkers answer.
“The first day he was here, he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring,” one girl chimes in. “Laura and I checked because we thought he was hot. When Laura asked if he was available, he smirked and never said anything else.”