“Shut the fuck up!” He only laughs. We’re brothers. It’s in the code that we have to harass each other.
“How are things?” he asks. “Kailey?”
He says her name with a pause, like he’s not sure he’s pronouncing it right, or that it’s even the right name. I never expected to be a father, but I certainly never thought it would happen with a woman that’s a complete stranger to everyone in my life, most importantly my brother.
“Good,” I say. “Everything’s good.”
“That’s it?” he asks. “In the course of less than two weeks, you find out you knocked up some girl you had a one-night stand with, get slammed by the paparazzi, buy a house, move her in, find out she needs to be on bed rest, and things are good?”
“She’s not some girl.”
“Really?”
Fuck me, just opened the door for a whole new line of questioning.
“I need to meet her.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”
“You’re not coming to my wedding, are you?” Knox asks.
“If Kailey’s still on bed rest, then no.”
I hear him take a deep breath. We’re the only family we’ve got. This is a blow. And I hate it. “Mae warned me to be prepared for this.”
His fiancé, Mae, is a smart woman. “Sorry, Knox,” I say. “You know I want to be there.”
“Sucks,” he says. “But I get it. I wouldn’t leave Mae if the situation was reversed.”
“Why don’t you and Mae come for a quick visit? Before your wedding. Meet Kailey, see the house.”
He laughs. “What the hell happened to my anti-social big brother? Now he’s suggesting family get-togethers and housewarming parties.”
“I didn’t say anything about a party.”
*
I guess it’s only fair since I met Kailey’s family that she gets to meet mine. Difference is, my family consists of two people, Knox and Mae. Time to break the news to her. I find her outside on the patio, relaxing on the chaise lounge, the phone to her ear. Not wanting to disturb her, I decide to check back in a few minutes, but she turns, spotting me, and waves me outside.
We kissed last night. She didn’t invite me to share the bed with her. I went to my room, and she stayed in hers. This morning, I kissed her forehead, but that’s it. It’s not that I want to have some big conversation about what this all means. I just want it to mean what I want it to mean.
That she forgives me. That she wants to give this a go. That she wants me back in her bed as much as I want to be there.
But I’m at a distinct disadvantage. She’s supposed to avoid stress, so I can’t push things with her. Normally, I would just plow ahead, taking what I want, but this situation is different. I have to proceed with caution, and it’s against my nature.
“I’ll let you know about this weekend, Addison,” Kailey says before hanging up. Before I even have time to ask, Kailey says, “My little niece, Tinsley, wants to come visit. She misses me. I spent lots of time with her before, when I was living in their guest house.”
“That’s fitting,” I say. “Since my brother wants to come meet you.”
“Your movie star brother?!”
“Knox,” I say. “You don’t have to call him a movie star every time I bring him up.”
“You’re handsome when you’re jealous,” she teases.
I’ll let the jealous comment go since she called me handsome. “Looks like we’ve got some company coming,” I say. “Promise me you’ll take it easy.”
“I will,” she says. “Come sit with me.”
There’s hardly any room on the chaise lounge, but she leans up slightly, making some space. This isn’t what I meant when I said I wanted between her legs, but I guess this will have to do. I scoot in behind her, pulling her between my legs, so she’s resting on my chest, my arms wrapped around her.
A warm breeze floats in off the ocean, and Kailey’s blonde hair moves slightly, exposing the bare skin of her neck. I can’t help but lower my head, breathing her in. She loves to have that spot on her neck kissed. One little kiss won’t hurt anything.
Softly, I let my lips drift to her neck. Her back arches, her toes curl. “Mmm,” she moans, as if on the brink of orgasm from that one little touch.
“This isn’t fair,” she pouts.
“I know,” I say. “I’m sor . . .” Before I can get the rest of my apology out, she lets loose.
“No, you don’t know! You can go jerk off until the cows come home. I bet that’s what you do in the shower every morning. And . . .”
She continues her verbal countdown of all the places and times she thinks I’m pleasuring myself. Does she not remember all the times I’m with her? Or cooking? Or running errands? Jesus Christ, she’s making me feel like masturbating is a personal attack against her.
“Fine, I won’t do it anymore!” I cry out before realizing what I’ve just said.
Holy hell, what have I done? Is it too late to take it back?
She looks at me, pleased she got that concession from me. “It’s only fair,” she says, turning and settling back down in my arms. “And don’t think you can get away with sneaking it, either. I’ll know.”
“You’ll know if I secretly rub one out?” I ask, trying not to smile.
“Yes, I have a sixth sense about the masturbation habits of men,” she says, and I feel her whole body start trembling from laughter. “That was all slightly crazy of me, wasn’t it?”
“Totally normal,” I lie playfully. Her hormones are getting the better of her.
She turns around again, a huge grin on her face. “Still, I’m holding you to that promise.”
“You can’t be serious?”
“If I can’t, then you can’t,” she says. “You said we were in this together.”
“I might die,” I tease.
“I’ll miss you,” she teases back.
Encouraging her to lean back and rest on my chest, I squeeze her a little tighter. “I called your doctor to set up your next appointment in a few weeks. I arranged for him to come here.”
“No,” she groans. “I was looking forward to my next appointment, so I could actually leave the house, walk among the living.”
“I thought it would be better if he came here. More private.” She lets out a long, slow exhale. It’s small, but she needs this. She needs this to look forward to. “I’ll change it. We’ll go there.”
“Thank you,” she says.
“I asked the doctor if you could use a wheelchair, so I could take you out for walks or something, but he didn’t like that idea.”
Another long exhale.
“He did suggest maybe hiring a massage therapist.”
“That seems over the top,” she says.
“The doctor said it can really help with soreness, mood, keeping you limber.”
She busts out laughing. “Limber? My OB is concerned about how limber I am?”
“Yeah, he said something about keeping the hip joints flexible for child birth.”