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Lily
One month later...
I WALKED BY the mirror on the way to the bathroom and gasped. I had dragged my body out of bed a little later than expected, and I needed to shower and get to work. “Ohmigod, Mav!” I called.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.” I walked back into our bedroom and turned sideways. “I am officially showing.”
He finished pulling his T-shirt over his head and grinned. Kneeling in front of me, he kissed my belly. “You’re beautiful, Lil.”
“You certainly make me feel that way.”
“Just stating fact.” He kissed my belly again and then rose to his feet and kissed my lips. “Get showered, or I’m taking you back to bed.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Can you take me back to bed and I’ll skip the shower?”
“Your call, baby.”
“How about you come take a shower with me?”
“I just got out of the shower,” he said but pulled off his T-shirt.
“So that’s a no to servicing your wife?”
“I didn’t say that,” he said and guided me into the bathroom. “Get naked.”
“So sexy with the bossy talk.” I stepped out of my panties and tugged my cami over my head while Maverick turned on the water. “I love your foreplay, Möosh. It’s unmatched.”
“Don’t share my secret, hmm? All the ladies’ll want me.”
“Pretty sure they all want you now.”
He laughed. “You’re good for my ego, baby doll.”
“More foreplay, honey? Careful, I might come before you actually do anything.”
“Then my reputation would really be set. Maverick Quinn, the man who can make a woman come just by speaking.”
I giggled and stepped into the shower. “I’m definitely keeping that to myself.”
“Appreciate it, baby.” Maverick followed me in. “I’m already tired. Can’t imagine dealing with more than you.”
I faced him and wrapped my hand around his cock. “You’d better not deal with anyone other than me.”
He grinned, kissing me gently. “Love you, baby doll.”
“Love you more.”
Maverick lifted me and anchored me to the wall of the shower. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he slid into me gently. I swallowed, dropping my head forward to kiss him. “Am I too heavy?”
He frowned. “Stop.”
“It’s just a question, Maverick.”
“A stupid one.”
“I’m stupid?” I snapped.
He took a deep breath. “Lil—”
“I swear to God if you tell me not to make this a thing while your dick is buried inside me, I’m going to lose my mind.” I could see he was trying not to laugh, and I scowled. “Maverick.”
He lost his battle. “I love you,” he said once he stopped laughing.
“Really?” I challenged.
“Okay, you need to hear me... and not just because my dick is still buried inside you.” He dropped his forehead to mine and kissed me quickly. “You seem to forget just how much I can bench, but regardless of that fact, you aren’t, nor will you ever be, too heavy—”
“What if I gain two hundred pounds?”
“I will love you just the same.”
I scoffed.
“Lily,” he warned.
“You’d be happy if I gained two hundred pounds?”
“Baby doll, you are the most beautiful woman on earth, and if you gain a thousand pounds, I will still think you’re the most beautiful woman on earth.” He frowned. “I might not be able to lift you anymore—”
I slapped his arm, and he laughed again.
“I love you, Lily Quinn. You’re my woman. I chose you for a reason. I love you. Who you are. And yes, you’re beautiful, but I don’t love you just because you’re pretty. I love you because you’re you. You’re my baby doll. And now, you’re giving me the greatest gift I’ve ever been given. Our child. Do you know how much that means to me?”
I blinked back tears. “I think I do.”
“So are you gonna make this a thing?”
I shook my head. “But I reserve the right to make it a thing in the future.”
“So... since I’m still buried inside you, may I fuck you now?”
“I’d appreciate it. But you’re probably going to need to make it quicker than originally planned, or I’ll be late for work.”
He thrust into me again. “Yeah?”
“Yes,” I rasped. “Oh, God, baby, yes.”
He kissed me, holding me tight as he continued to bury himself inside me until I could no longer stop the flood. I cried out as I came, and Maverick followed seconds later, kissing me again as we caught our breath.
I dropped my forehead to his and grinned. “It’s so much better when I can make noise.”
He chuckled, setting me on my feet. “Yeah, baby, it is.”
I finished my shower and dressed quickly then Maverick drove me to work.
* * *
My shift started with a new mother arriving ready to deliver. By the time I headed to the cafeteria for lunch, I’d helped deliver two babies, and I was ready for a break.
“So my little bitch is knocked up.”
I had just paid for lunch, and I was walking toward the exit. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned to face Jenny. “Is there something I can do for you?”
I hated that I looked like her. I had one consolation, and that was if she’d taken care of herself instead of abusing drugs and tanning her body to the rawhide level, she’d be pretty. The longer she was alive, the less I looked like her, and I was grateful for that.
Jenny crossed her arms over her over-large, fake breasts. “Well, that’s a fine way to greet your mother.”
“You’re not my mother,” I ground out.
“Only because that whore stole my man. If Payton—”
“Stop,” I interrupted. “My mother is not a whore.” I sighed. “What do you want, Jenny?”
“You and I have unfinished business.”
“You’re high.”
“You will not speak to me that way.” My stomach roiled. I didn’t tell Flea I was heading up here and I was regretting that decision.
I rolled my eyes. “Jenny, you’re at my place of business, interrupting my work. You also tried to sell me. I’ll speak to you however I want.” I turned to walk away, but she grabbed my arm, squeezing painfully. “Let me go,” I demanded.
“My grandchild’s gonna fetch a pretty penny.”
My blood turned cold and I settled my hands protectively on my belly. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You can’t be watched all the time, Lily.”
“You’re insane.” I turned to walk away, but she grabbed my arm, squeezing painfully, pressing something into my side.
“I will kill your spawn, girlie, if you don’t come with me now.”
“How did you get a gun in here?”
She tugged on my arm without answering my question. “You owe me.”
“I don’t owe you anything,” I hissed.
“Come with me now.”
“No!” I tried to pull my arm away again. “Let me go,” I demanded.
“Bitch, get your fucking hands off her now,” a deep, angry voice seethed.
I glanced at Flea who was approaching quickly, his face contorted in rage.
Jenny removed her hands, raising them in surrender. “I was just havin’ a conversation with my daughter.”
I shook my head. “She has a gun.” I wasn’t going to waste my breath to remind her I wasn’t her daughter. I wasn’t even convinced she believed what she was saying; she was just trying to intimidate me.
Flea tackled her to the ground and divested her of her gun, sliding it into his belt. A crowd had formed in the cafeteria now, and I felt embarrassed, but more than that, I felt guilt for bringing her crazy into what was supposed to be a place of healing.
Flea lifted her off the ground and held her with her arms pinned behind her back.
Jenny hissed, “Your time’s comin’, little bitch. Hear me now. You can’t hide forever.”
“Bitch, you don’t fuckin’ walk away right now,” Flea hissed, “I will kill you.”
Jenny smirked and then turned and left the cafeteria.
“You okay?” Flea asked.
I swallowed convulsively as I nodded. “Why are you letting her go?”
“She won’t get far, babe. Got a couple of guys outside each exit watching for her. Right now, you’re my priority.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Sorry I didn’t get here sooner. You’re supposed to text me when you leave your station.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line and nodded. “Sorry. I didn’t think it would be an issue if I stayed inside the hospital.”
“Well, it is. Don’t do it again.”
I blinked back tears. “I won’t.”
“You okay?”
My heart was racing, and I shook my head. “I just need to call Mav.”
“Okay, babe, let’s get you back to the break room.”
He took my lunch from me and wrapped an arm around my waist. I let him keep me steady as we headed upstairs. Once inside the break room, I pulled my phone out of my scrubs pocket. L&D was a lot less strict than the ER was, and as long as there wasn’t anyone around who cared, I could keep my phone with me. I dialed Maverick, and he answered immediately. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey.”
“What’s wrong?”
I filled him in on my altercation with Jenny, my shaking finally subsiding as I told him everything.
“She threatened the baby?” he ground out.
“Yes.” Tears streamed down my face.
“Where the fuck was Flea?” Maverick snapped, and I jumped.
“He was there. I just didn’t think I needed to text him since I was just running downstairs to grab a sandwich.”
“You text him if you’re pissing in a different bathroom, Lily. Hear me?”
I nodded.
“Lily? Do you hear me?”
“Oh, yes, sorry.” I groaned. “She’s stalking me, Mav. This is a whole new level.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “I’ll talk to Dad. Are you okay?”
“Yes, Möosh.” I rubbed my arm where Jenny had grabbed me. It hurt... more than a little.
“How’s the baby?”
“Good, honey. We’re good.” I laid my hands on my tummy. “Just hungry.”
“Eat. I’ll check in with Flea and see you when I pick you up... unless you need me to come now?”
“If only.” I smiled. “I’m good, though.”
“Okay. Love you, Lily.”
“Love you too.”
He hung up, and I unwrapped my sandwich. Now that things were a little calmer, I didn’t know if I could actually eat. The thought of how close Jenny got to me suddenly overwhelmed me. This was getting all too real. I now knew how much Maverick had protected me. I had no idea how close she’d gotten in the past, and I was well aware I didn’t know because my man was sheltering me from her.
I took several deep breaths, covering my belly with my hands until my heartbeat leveled out. Luckily, the second I took a bite of my food, my appetite returned, so I finished everything, put the scary incident aside, and finished out my day.
