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The post-concert congratulations were endless. Alex and Slater hugged, high-fived, and smiled their way through the backstage mayhem. After what felt like an eternity, they had finally made their way into Slater’s dressing room for some privacy.
Slater let Alex walk in ahead of him and closed the door quietly. “I don’t want to stick around for any celebrating right now, do you?”
“No,” Alex declined. “And for obvious reasons. It won’t be much fun to be the only one not drinking, so it wouldn’t feel like much of a party to me.”
He stepped close to her and kissed her. “Then let’s go have a private party of our own at the hotel.”
“Sounds good to me.” Alex’s skin was suddenly flushed, her breathing quickened, her body tightened with want.
“Patience, Allie,” Slater said as he read the gleam in her eye. “I’m going to take a shower, then let’s get out of here.”
She was torn between following him into the shower or waiting for him. She decided to wait. That way he would go faster. As much fun as the concert had been, fatigue was knocking hard, and she could go for a catnap. Alex took the time to tidy up the dressing room, packed up her merchandise to take with her and turned to take care of the vanity items when Slater reemerged.
“You don’t have to clean that up.” He stood behind her in nothing but jeans, his torso bare, his hair damp from his shower. “That’s all taken care of.”
“Does it all stay here overnight?” Alex asked.
“Yeah,” he replied as he slipped a t-shirt over his head. “Since we have another show here tomorrow night, that’ll stay. If not, it would be packed up and sent off to the next location.” Slater brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “It’s getting past your bedtime, huh?”
“It is.” Alex stifled a yawn and leaned into him when he pulled her in for a hug. “I’m so tired.”
“As soon as Ben tells us our limo is here, we’ll leave.” He knew it wasn’t the time to bring up the subject, but his mind was full of questions. There was a time and a place to plan out their future and waiting to leave a concert venue wasn’t it, but he couldn’t help himself. He kissed her softly and searched her eyes. “Allie,” he began, then clenched his jaw in frustration at the knock on the door.
“Slater!” Ben called from the other side as he knocked again. He stepped in when Slater called out permission. “The limo is here and ready to go.” He silently communicated to Slater with a nod, Alex was simply too tired to wonder about it. “Let’s meet over breakfast in the morning. I’ll order for all of us and meet in your suite.” Ben made a note of it when Slater confirmed the time and told him to add extra to the order with Alex’s recent appetite, then checked his watch at the next knock on the door. Before he opened it, he stepped to Alex and placed his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her to him for a quick hug. “Congratulations once again. We’ll discuss some details in the morning.” He sent her a careful smile and bent his head to speak quietly in her ear. “I’ll apologize in advance. What’s beyond that door wasn’t my idea.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked with confusion. More questions died on her lips when the door was opened to reveal six of the largest men she had ever seen. She turned quickly to Slater with a sudden burst of energy and narrowed her eyes, her mouth pursed in frustration. “Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.” Slater slipped into his jacket, grabbed Alex’s hand, and walked her to the door.
Alex stepped back stubbornly. “Either you tell me the half dozen beefcakes standing outside this door are here to perform a sexy show to quench my hormones, or you tell me this is just a prank!” At Slater’s insistent stare, she indulged in a little childish behavior, crossed her arms over her chest, and huffed. “Slater, this isn’t necessary!”
“In my world it is. And honey...” He slipped his arm around her shoulders and led her to their wall of safety. “You’re in my world right now.”
“This is ridiculous,” Alex muttered. Two men stood directly in front of them, two men flanked their sides, the remaining two protectively took up the back of the pack and herded them out to the limo. She reluctantly looked at Slater when he squeezed her shoulder.
“I’m not taking any chances with you and our baby.” He let out a laugh at her dirty look. “And beefcakes, Allie, really? I didn’t think muscly guys like this did it for you.” He kissed her cheek at her stony silence and saw her eyes twinkle with humor. “I thought I was the only beefcake for you.”
Ignoring his comment, she looked over the group guarding them. “You always have this many bodyguards? My, don’t we think highly of ourselves,” she said sardonically.
“No, baby.” Slater let his hand roam over her shoulders and settle protectively on her back as the group moved as one. “I use two. The other four are for you.”
“Four?” Alex’s voice raised once more. “Why the hell do you think I need four bodyguards?”
“Two for you,” Slater said simply. “And two for the heir to the throne.” He winked at her as the limo door was held open for them and let her in ahead of him.
“Heir to the throne?” Alex slid over to make room for him. “That’s too cute to be irritated by the bodyguards right now.”
“Good.” Slater settled next to her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. His grin widened.
“Why do you keep smiling at me like that?” Alex asked. Slater continued to stare at her, it made her stomach flutter with the private smiles he had been giving her since he got off stage. “What?” she asked again.
“What do you mean, what? You changed my life on that stage tonight, Allie! I can’t smile at my pregnant wife?”
“Of course you can.” Alex snuggled close to him. “But when you smile at me like that, you make me nervous.”
“I like that I can rattle you still.”
“You certainly rattled me by bringing me on stage tonight,” Alex snorted with a laugh.
“I know,” he laughed with her. “I hope I’m forgiven.”
“You’re forgiven,” she murmured. “Just don’t make a habit of it.”
He could see the fatigue on her face when she stifled another yawn. “Come here.” Slater pulled her close. Alex happily obliged, stretched her legs out on the seat, and laid her head in his lap. She sighed as he ran his fingers through her hair. “It’s about twenty minutes to the hotel. Go ahead and sleep, honey.” He stroked her hair for a few moments and glanced down to see Alex looking up at him. Her features were highlighted sporadically by the street lights. “You’re not tired?” he asked, his voice so quiet.
“I am,” Alex replied. Her hand slid under his shirt and softly grazed the skin at his waistline. “But I know private moments like this are going to be a thing of the past soon. I would rather try to stay awake and enjoy the moment.”
Slater didn’t want to take his eyes off her. His green eyes glowed into her while he lifted the hem of her shirt and placed his hand gently over her stomach. “Really?” he asked with awe.
Alex put her hand over his. “Yes, really.” She reached up to him and toyed with the ends of his hair over his shoulder. Her voice was curious. “I wonder what he or she will look like?”
“With you as their mother, they have no choice but to be stunning.”
“And with you as their father,” she yawned and snuggled further into him, “they have no choice but to be trouble.”
He leaned down to kiss her. “Go to sleep, baby,” he murmured and caressed her cheek while her eyes drifted closed. He watched her for a few minutes while she slept, leaned his head against the seat as the limo navigated through Manhattan, and savored the feelings of euphoria coursing through his veins. There was so much running through his head. How long was she going to stay with him? When would they put that addition on the house so Kathleen could move in? How would they do that while being on tour? How was Alex going to decorate the baby’s room, more importantly, when? He wanted to get all those questions out into the open, but Alex’s well-being, and that of their child, was the most important thing right now. If sleep was what she needed, then sleep was what she would get. Like he felt in most situations, he was confident they would figure it out.
They made it through city traffic in good time, all the while Alex dozed in Slater’s lap. He was reluctant to wake her up and considered having the driver kill some time so she could get more rest.
Alex stirred at his gentle shake of her shoulder, cleared her throat when she sat up, and ran tired hands through her hair. She slid to the edge of the seat when the door opened, accepted a hand for assistance to stand, and leaned into Slater when he emerged behind her. She was too exhausted to argue about the wall of men who surrounded them as they were escorted to the elevator.
Aware of the stares and whispers as they walked through the lobby of the hotel, Alex took secret comfort in their protection that they wouldn’t be rushed at by overzealous fans trying to touch either one of them. There was a part of her that wished they could have attempted an inconspicuous walk to the elevator as just the two of them. The group of large men made a spectacle of themselves as it was, and in Alex’s mind, only brought more attention to them. Her blood circulated quickly throughout her body, she became more awake and alert with each step she took. She glanced at the guard to her right and blinked quickly when she recognized him. “Marcus!” She smiled then nudged Slater. “Hey look, it’s Marcus, one of the guards who escorted us to Mona’s party. What’s he doing here?”
Slater nodded at the guard. “Elliot is here, too.” He tilted his head to his left as Alex looked around him and sent Elliot a friendly wave. “Ben uses the same people a lot. They’ve been with us on and off along the tour so far.”
“How did I not notice that when we left your dressing room?” she asked, confused.
“Probably because you were pissed off about their presence.”
“Maybe,” Alex mused. She turned to Marcus and slipped her arm through his, suddenly all smiles while Slater chuckled next to her. “Marcus, how is your wife?”
––––––––
They shared a private elevator ride. Alex was thankful Slater didn’t want to squeeze the bodyguards into the car, even though she enjoyed the chit-chat with Marcus and Elliot. The two of them were quiet on the ride as they approached their floor. When they reached their suite, Slater opened the door and let Alex walk ahead of him, then pulled her into his arms. He hugged her to him while she rested her head against his chest. Still quiet, he took a step back and unzipped her jacket. Alex smiled to herself when he helped her out of the garment and laid it on a nearby chair. She knew that he would treat her with kid gloves.
“I can take my jacket off.”
“I know you can.” He took her by the hand and led her into the dining room. “I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh!” Alex gasped at the spread of food on the table and pressed a palm to her growling stomach. “Cheeseburgers, yum! French fries and chocolate cream pie for dessert.” She nodded her approval. “I’m pretty sure I can take this down. Did you have anything sent for you?”
“There’s enough for an army here. I was thinking we would share.”
“You haven’t seen me eat lately.” Alex shook her head in disbelief. “I’m starving. All the time, it’s surreal.” She sat at the table and started in on a cheeseburger with the works. “Mm...” She rolled her eyes and smiled around a mouthful of food. “So good.”
Slater sat across from her. “Our celebration meal, but no champagne for you.” He passed her a vanilla milkshake and dug into his own meal. He wanted some information. “Ok, you’ve given me a quick rundown on most of your symptoms but how do you feel? I’ve never been around a pregnant woman before, but I always hear about morning sickness and weird cravings. Are you feeling alright?”
Alex sighed over another bite of her burger and licked her fingers as she inhaled a handful of fries. “I’m craving everything, so no morning sickness yet. My doctor told me that could change at any time and out of the blue, morning or night. Or I could be very lucky and never have it. Things are heightened, like my sense of smell and areas of my body are more sensitive than usual...” She trailed off and let her words sink in as a slight blush crept up her neck.
“I think I’ve pretty much figured out those areas,” Slater replied. He reached across the table and took her hand in his, his voice serious. “Allie, how did this happen?”
She tilted her head and smiled at him. “Well, honey, when a man and a woman fall in love...” She laughed softly when he rolled his eyes at her.
Slater laughed with her, he loved her sense of humor. “You know what I mean. How did this happen? I thought we were being careful.”
“It was my fault,” Alex admitted. “I was so anxious about being without you for three months, I skipped the pill the entire week before you left. I realized it that first night you were gone.”
“We’ve spoken every day since then. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I don’t know.” She finished off her burger and focused on her fries. “I had so much going on with shooting the movie and my body kept playing tricks on me. I didn’t want to worry you if there was nothing to worry about. When the home test didn’t read strongly, I did as Mona suggested and finally went to the doctor. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you, I was all over the place with my emotions.”
“Don’t I know it,” he muttered.
“I found out right before I was leaving to come here and then Annette was over, and she and Kathleen found out.” They shared a laugh when Alex filled him in on how the two women uncovered her secret. She took a drink of her milkshake. “We have to talk to Kathleen about her moving in. We have to figure out creating that living space for her you mentioned a while ago. And...” She stood up to get the file Annette had given her before she left. “I have to figure out what, if any, jobs I want to accept.”
Slater opened the folder and scanned her proposed work. “So, L’Oréal and Louis Vuitton came crawling back to you? I knew they would.”
“Yeah,” Alex said softly. “What do you think?”
He flipped to the second page and read the compensation presented to her. “I think it’s your career and you should do what you want.” He closed the file and looked at her intently. “Regardless of what you decide, this gives me the opening I’ve been looking for.” His voice was serious as he set the folder aside. “Allie, I have a hard time even voicing my opinion because I’ve always supported your career and you’ve always supported mine. I’ll be honest when I tell you that minus the small jobs Annette wants you to do, I don’t want you to work now. I want you to be able to experience this pregnancy in its entirety. Then take time to focus on the baby.” He took a moment before he confided in her. “I know this sounds selfish, but I don’t want to miss anything. I want you to stay with me on the tour. I can’t stand the thought of being away from you during this time.”
“I’ve looked at the potential work and I like some of what I see. I think I’ll commit to the projects that will accommodate me and come to me, but I haven’t told Annette what I’ve been thinking yet.” She took a moment and looked Slater squarely in the eye. “Honestly, I want to take a few years off and be your wife.” Her eyes filled with happy tears. “I want to learn how to be a mother.”
“I like hearing that,” Slater replied, his eyes filled with emotion. “You’ll stay with me for the entire tour?” he asked hopefully.
“I’m not sure about that,” she answered honestly. “I want to take it one city at a time and see what my doctor says.”
“As soon as there’s any disapproval, I’ll cancel shows,” he decided. “I’m not missing this part of our lives for anything.”
“Slater,” Alex said, her voice serious. “The entire tour is sold out, you can’t skip shows.”
“I’m not missing the birth of our child,” he said stubbornly.
“Ok.” Alex decided to drop the subject of timing for now. “We’ll deal with that as we get closer. Let’s not stress about it tonight. God, I’ve missed you!” She leaned forward and kissed him. “For so many reasons, but I can’t put it into words to tell you I’ve never needed sex so much in my life!”
“And it’s ok if we still do that?” Slater asked with worry. “I’m sorry, Allie. I’ve never done this before, so I need to know what we can and can’t do.”
Alex loved him more with each question as she started in on the pie. “My doctor said carrying on with our sex life as normal is perfectly healthy. We’ll just have to get creative as I progress.”
“I can do creative,” he said with confidence. “You ok?” he asked when she rubbed her eyes.
“Just a little tired.” She pushed her plate aside and stood up. “I’m going to wash up and get ready for bed, is that ok?”
“Yeah.” Slater took her hand in his and kissed her palm. “I’ll wait for you in the bedroom.”
Slater sat on the edge of the bed when Alex walked out of the bathroom wearing a simple black tank top with matching underwear. He was silent as she walked toward his waiting arms, pulled her close, and gently kissed her.
“Well, this is a change of pace,” Alex said, her voice slightly breathless. “You’re being gentle with me and I want to shove you onto the bed and attack you.”
He ran his hands up and down her back, then to the front of her body, he grazed his fingers over her stomach. “I feel like you’re fragile. I know you’re not,” he said quickly when she rolled her eyes. “I just feel like you are. You’re carrying my baby.” His voice was full of awe. “I didn’t think it was possible to feel that you’re even more special than I already thought you were, but I do. I love you so much, Allie.” He tugged at her tank top, pulled it over her head, and let it fall to the floor, then ran his hands softly over her torso. “Let me look at you.”
“I hate it when you stare at me naked,” Alex mumbled. She felt her skin turn red under his perusal. She braced her hands on his shoulders as he continued to gaze at her.
“You’re not naked, only topless,” Slater pointed out. “How is it even possible?” he wondered. “You look the same.”
“I’m going to get fat,” Alex stated.
He shook his head. “Not fat. Pregnant. There’s a difference. Pregnant,” he repeated on a whisper and placed a kiss on her stomach. “Can it hear my voice?”
“It?” Alex scrunched up her nose in distaste. “Don’t call the baby ‘it’.”
“Should we name it?” Slater asked.
“No, we don’t know if we’re having a boy or a girl.”
“No, like give it a name, something to call it.”
“Yes. Especially if that stops you from calling the baby ‘it’. How about peanut, or munchkin?” she suggested.
“How about baby?” Slater recommended matter-of-factly.
“But you call me baby,” Alex playfully pouted. “Does that mean I’m not your baby anymore?”
“You’ll always be my baby,” he assured her. “I’ll call this one little baby.”
“Ok,” Alex agreed. She wished the world could see him right now. Gone was the bad boy of rock and roll known for his temper and brooding ways. In his place was an expectant father bursting at the seams with joy. “And to answer your question, yes little baby can hear your voice.”
“Yeah?” he asked with a smile. “Little baby.” He put his mouth against her skin, his voice was dark and ominous as he mimicked Darth Vader. “I am your father!” Alex’s body shook with laughter against him as he wrapped his arms around her, held her tight, and laid her on the bed. He fluffed the pillows behind her. “Get comfortable. I’m going to have a chat with little baby.” He waited a moment while Alex settled herself on the pillows, turned to her side, and gave him access to her belly. Slater scooted down the bed and rested his head on his hand as he spoke to his child while his free hand gently rubbed Alex’s hip. “So, little baby. I’m your dad. My name is Slater, but you can call me daddy, or papa, I think that’s cute.” He smiled up at Alex as she looked down at him with a grin. “I want you to know how much I love you already and if I love you even half as much as I love your mother, then you need to know I love you so damn much. I promise to protect you and give you a happy childhood, and a pony,” he said quickly, thinking about how he could fulfill his child’s ultimate dreams. “You can have a pony.”
“Aw.” Alex stroked her hand over his hair, her heart filled with so much love as she listened to the promises he made.
“You need to know that sometimes my love may come across as smothering,” Slater continued. “But it’s just because you mean so much to me and I never want anything bad to happen to you. Also, if you’re a little girl, you can go on your first date when you’re thirty years old. If you’re a boy, I’ll give you a box of condoms for your twelfth birthday.”
“Nice double standard,” Alex muttered and linked her fingers with his when he held onto her hand. She rested her head against the pillows while Slater murmured soft promises against her skin. Slater was completely unaware of the effect he was having on Alex. His lips were warm and soft on her belly, his breath made her skin break out in chills. Her breathing became choppy as her senses heightened. Her heart raced with desire while he did something so simple as speak to little baby. “Slater,” Alex whispered. She brought his hand to her chest and rested it on her breast. “Slater,” she repeated.
“Yeah?” he asked absently and glanced up at her.
Alex’s hips arched against him. A sigh escaped her lips when he kissed her tummy again. “While you’re down there...” Her voice trailed off with suggestion.
Slater smiled at her, kissed her belly once more, and slipped his hands beneath her underwear then slid them down her legs. “We’ll chat later, little baby. Right now, your mama needs sex.”
––––––––
“Good morning, Ben!” Slater said brightly when he answered the door to their suite the next morning.
“Don’t you look satisfied,” Ben mumbled. He stepped aside and let the hotel attendant wheel in two room service carts.
“The wife wants what the wife wants.” Slater grinned with a shrug, winked at the hotel employee, and shocked her with a cheerful greeting. “How ya doing?”
“Fi-fine... Th... thank you,” she stuttered as she handed a receipt to Ben.
“Ben.” Slater looked at the abundance of food on the trays. “I know I told you Allie is hungry, but you didn’t have to order this much food.”
Ben signed the slip and left the employee a generous tip. “I didn’t know what she would want, so I ordered one of everything. Also, I decided to double it when Mona and Chris said they would join us for breakfast.”
“Oh, that’s nice.” Alex smiled as she breezed into the room. She looked brisk for the morning with her face freshly washed. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she wore a royal blue silk chemise with a white floral design, topped with a long silk robe in a matching shade of blue. “I love having breakfast with Mona!” She stepped to Slater and slid her arms around his neck for a kiss.
“Good morning!” Mona greeted them cheerfully as she walked into the suite with Chris at her side. She rushed to Alex for a hug. “You’re glowing this morning and I have a feeling it has something to do with one of your pregnancy side effects.”
Alex turned to accept a hug and a kiss from Chris when he asked her, “How’s Slater’s horny little monkey?”
Mona’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Have you two seen the headlines yet this morning?”
“Wait.” Alex shook her head to clear it as she looked at Chris. “What did you just call me?”
“Look at this.” Mona reached for the morning paper next to a carafe of coffee and opened it at its fold.
“Did you call me a horny little monkey?” Alex asked Chris, while she accepted the paper from Mona.
“Yeah.” Chris poured himself a cup of coffee. “That’s what Slater called you last night.”
“Slater!” Alex admonished. While Slater grinned at her, she noticed Ben suppressed a laugh with a discreet cough.
“You’re cute.” Slater poured a cup of coffee and pointed at the paper in Alex’s hands. “What’s it say?”
In all caps, the New York Times read, “HEART & SOUL BADDY IS GOING TO BE A DADDY!!”
“Oh, that’s adorable.” Alex smiled at the front page and read the subtitle beneath the announcement. “Alexandra Heart, the rock star’s wife, reveals pregnancy on stage at Madison Square Garden to a sold-out house.” She turned the paper for Slater to see the title. It showed a picture of the two of them on stage. Alex with her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide open in surprise as Slater stared at her in shock. Slater took the paper from her and his eyes skimmed the story while Alex helped herself to coffee.
“I’m starving,” she sighed. She grabbed a plate and filled up on a croissant, a slice of French toast, three pieces of bacon, a serving of Eggs Benedict, and a large scoop of hash browns. She filled a second plate with a blueberry muffin and pancakes.
“Turn on The Today Show, please?” Mona asked Ben. Her eyes widened in shock at Alex’s personal buffet.
“What’s on The Today Show?” Alex eyed Mona’s Huevos Rancheros, grabbed a knife and fork, and helped herself to a portion of that as well.
“The replay,” Chris informed her. He cut into a steaming omelet and shared a look of surprise with Mona at the amount of food on Alex’s plates.
“Damn,” Slater whispered as Alex started in on her breakfast. “You weren’t kidding about that appetite were you, Allie?”
“Nope.” She poured syrup over her pancakes then glanced at Ben. “The Today Show has a clip of last night?”
“Yes.” Ben turned the volume up. The show’s introduction music played as they returned from commercial. “We were filming last night for video footage. Instead of a formal statement, I decided to make Matt Lauer’s day and give him the moment to show this morning.” He glanced at Slater. “Hope you don’t mind.”
“Nah.” Slater shook his head, still in a good mood from the announcement and a night full of sex. “I want to see it again.” He stood behind Alex, rubbed her shoulders, and accepted a bite of bacon she held up to share with him while they all listened to the broadcast.
––––––––
“Well,” Matt began his segment with a smile and excitement in his voice. “If you were one of the lucky ones to see Heart & Soul last night, you saw Alexandra Heart deliver some important news on stage to her husband, Slater Heart. What started as Slater having fun and pulling her on stage with him, ended with the surprise of his life. While we can’t show you the entire clip of the song Heart & Soul performed, due to the content of the lyrics, we can show you this candid moment between husband and wife. Let’s watch.”
––––––––
The five of them were silent as they watched the moment again. They all laughed when Alex realized what she had done. They laughed harder when Slater’s reaction was bleeped for content. The videographer had captured the moment up close and clear.
“I want a copy of that,” Slater told Ben.
“Oh, that was so great!” Mona clapped her hands with glee. “Alex you said you wanted to tell him in a creative, memorable way. Mission accomplished!” She quieted down when Alex pointed to the television as Matt continued to speak.
––––––––
“I had the pleasure of interviewing Alexandra about six months ago. I have to say, this is definitely a happy ending for her. And Alexandra, if you’re watching, I would like to personally tell you and Slater congratulations on this news.”
––––––––
“Aw.” Alex leaned her head against Slater. “That was sweet of him.”
“Ok, Ben.” Slater clapped his hands together. “Let’s get to it.”
“Alex,” Chris interrupted Slater as he reached for Alex’s coffee. “Should you be drinking coffee? I heard somewhere you shouldn’t have it when you’re pregnant.”
“Yeah.” Ben nodded with Chris. “I’ve heard that, too.” He filled a plate with fresh fruit from the room service tray and traded it for one of her other food-laden plates. “Maybe a healthier breakfast is a better choice?”
“Yeah, Allie. Ben and Chris could be right,” Slater said, suddenly full of worry. “I understand you’re hungry, but maybe little baby needs healthier choices.”
Alex shared a bewildered look with Mona at the sudden protection factor in the room and tried to speak her opinion when Slater readdressed Ben.
“I want the best doctors for her-”
“I have a doctor,” Alex interrupted.
“Not here you don’t,” he pointed out. He barely spared her a glance as he turned to Ben.
“Then I’ll go home for my appointments and rejoin you after them. I want my doctor,” Alex stated, her voice stern.
Finally giving her his full attention, Slater turned to look at her, his voice was just as stern. “Allie, it’s not realistic to have you flying back and forth, especially when we’re overseas. And you’re not flying home then,” he said quickly, as he anticipated her next argument. “It’s too much traveling for a doctor appointment. We’ll have one on tour with us.”
Alex exhaled slowly and prayed for patience. She understood this was his baby as well, and he wanted what was best for them, but she was curious who this sudden control freak was. He looked exactly like her husband but his demeanor was a complete about-face from the kind father-to-be from last night speaking sweetly to little baby. “Then I’ll decide on the doctor.”
“We’ll decide,” Slater said decisively.
“Uh-oh,” Mona mumbled under her breath next to Alex. “Here comes the bubble wrap.”
“Yeah, well, I’m about to pop it,” Alex grumbled. She stood up, reached across the table to Chris, and snatched her coffee mug out of his grasp. “My doctor told me that one cup of coffee a day is fine. If I want more than that, she advised I switch to decaf. I’ll have my coffee, thank you very much.” She walked to Ben and yanked her plate out of his hand. Her eyes flashed with a clear warning. “Don’t take my food. Ever.” She shoved the plate of fresh fruit at him and caused him to stumble back a step.
Ben had seen Alex’s temper before but not directed at him, and he didn’t want to experience it at full throttle. He calmly set the fruit aside and kept his mouth shut.
Alex turned to Slater. “And most importantly.” She faced him across the spread of breakfast, placed her hands on the table in front of her, and leaned forward to get her point across. “There are parts of my body that are going to be frequently poked, prodded, and exposed throughout this pregnancy. I’m not going to let just anyone go there, major credentials, or no. Therefore, I’ll pick the doctor,” she said conclusively as she sat down and took a large bite of pancakes.
“We’ll get back to that.” Slater looked at Ben once more. “I want a nutritionist brought in to discuss, in detail, what kind of diet Allie should be eating.”
“My doctor, whom I choose,” she stressed, her voice raised with irritation, “will go over a proper diet with me-”
“A private chef to prepare her meals,” Slater interrupted.
“What?” Alex cried around a mouthful of muffin. “Where the hell is a private chef going to cook, at whatever hotel we’re staying?”
“Yes,” Slater said simply. “And for your safety, you’re not shopping today.”
“Oh, no.” Alex shook her head heatedly as she dug into her eggs. “You’re not going to stop me from shopping with Mona today. I’ve been looking forward to some Manhattan retail therapy for months. Plus, there’s a cashmere robe at Neiman’s that has my name on it.”
“Then you’re taking the bodyguards,” Slater decided.
“Nope,” Alex said quickly and continued to shake her head. She met his gaze head-on, the two of them stared at each other obstinately.
Chris, Mona, and Ben all exchanged a look. The three of them let the bull-headed couple play the tug-of-war.
“Allie,” Slater said with warning. “I explained to you last night why I had bodyguards.”
“Yes, you did.” She nodded as she finished off her bacon and took a sip of coffee. “You also said that was because I was in your world. I get it. Leaving the concert location needed that kind of security with fans able to come at you from every angle. But this isn’t an arena I’m navigating today, this is New York City. I’ve already agreed to the limo, that will be secure enough.”
“Allie.” Slater’s voice raised while he gritted his teeth at her stubbornness. “Why can’t you understand it’s not safe?”
“Because you’re overreacting,” she said with a shrug, as she spread jam on a piece of toast and took a bite. “This is New York, Slater,” she repeated. “It’s shopping on Fifth Avenue, it’s no big deal. Celebrities are seen in New York all the time.”
“Let him have his way and take the guards, Alex,” Chris intervened with his advice. “It shouldn’t be a big deal. They’ve already been on you for twelve weeks-” He stopped speaking abruptly at the glare from Slater.
“Shit,” Slater muttered under his breath and slammed his coffee mug down on the table.
“What?” Alex gasped. Her mouth opened with surprise. She stood up and faced Slater.
“She didn’t know that?” Chris asked, shocked. “I thought you said you were going to tell her!”
“You didn’t tell her?” Ben wondered with wide eyes. He knew what a blow-up this information could cause.
“No, I didn’t tell her,” Slater stated. “There was never a good time to bring it up.”
“Never a good time,” Mona mumbled with sarcasm. “You only spoke every night.”
“You were having me followed?” Alex asked, her voice soft and quiet. Dangerously so.
“Not followed,” Slater answered. “Protected, there’s a difference.”
“Were they calling you with updates?” She wanted to know.
“No.” He lowered his eyes as hers bored into his. “They called Ben with weekly updates, and he informed me everything was ok. No news was good news.”
Alex blinked back angry tears and turned to Mona. “Did you know about this?” Her nostrils flared at Mona’s subtle nod. Alex looked at Slater, anger vibrated off of her. “I’m not a child.”
“No, you’re not,” Slater agreed, and gestured toward her stomach. “But that’s our child and I’ll do everything in my power to keep little baby safe.”
“You didn’t know about little baby when you left!” Alex snapped.
“No, I didn’t.” Slater took a step closer to her. “But I worried about you every single second I was away from you. And now that I know we have little baby to worry about, I’m going to keep the two of you safe, whether you like it or not.”
“Slater!” Alex yelled. She ground her teeth when he cut her off.
“Allie, that is our baby! That is half of me and half of you. It’s us,” he stressed. “So unless you can figure out a way to leave my half here in the hotel since you don’t seem to care about your half, the bodyguards are coming with you. End of discussion, I’m putting my foot down on this.”
“Don’t you dare imply that I don’t care about our baby,” Alex said through clenched teeth.
Slater took a step back from her as she stepped forward, her temper alive and kicking. “Don’t you dare kick me,” he warned.
“Don’t you dare imply that I don’t care about our baby,” she repeated, her voice broke, her chin quivered. “And you’re putting your foot down?” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I don’t even know how to respond to that.” Alex raised her hands in defeat then let them fall with a slap against her legs. She turned and walked out of the room, and closed the door to the bedroom quietly behind her.
Mona stepped to Slater’s side and placed her hand on his shoulder. “She didn’t slam the door. That’s a bad sign.”
Slater turned to her, worry in his eyes. “How do I get her to understand it’s just because I love her and care about her?”
“By doing the exact opposite of what you did,” Mona answered sincerely.
He turned away from her impatiently, he didn’t want the best friend’s take on things when they didn’t align with his. “Ben.” Slater communicated to him with a look.
Ben nodded. “I’ll arrange for a private shopping room at Tiffany with instructions to send you the bill.”
Slater looked at Mona. “The robe?”
“Neiman Marcus, lingerie department. I’ll tell Ben the color and size.”
“Have it waiting at the counter for her,” he instructed Ben and decided he better follow Alex to make this right.
“Slater.” Mona’s voice stopped him. “You can’t buy her agreement on this.”
“I’m not trying to. She’s been talking about Tiffany and that cashmere robe any time we spoke about her coming to New York. I was planning on doing this for her before she even got here.” He sent Chris a smile and gave him the finger at the same time. “Setting the bar high for Chris, too.”
––––––––
Alex sat on the vanity stool and forced deep breaths to calm down. Her head snapped up when she heard the door close. She glared at Slater in the mirror. “Don’t you ever imply that I don’t care about our baby!”
“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. He approached her with slow footsteps. “That was an asshole comment, Allie. I was just trying to get my point across.”
She stood up and stomped to him. “You could have found a better way to get your point across!” She swiped at angry tears, her voice broke with emotion. “You didn’t have to be cruel with your words.”
“I’m sorry, Allie.” He put his hands on her shoulders and wiped away her tears as they fell harder. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, honey.”
“Don’t say things like that.” Her voice hitched with emotion. “I went through hell wondering what was going on with my body. Then when I took the home test and it was faint and the doctor told me I could be having a miscarriage, the thought of that was devastating. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to the baby.”
“Little baby,” Slater corrected.
“Little baby,” she repeated. Her shoulders jerked on a hiccup. She let him pull her close for a hug and returned his embrace for only a moment before she shoved him away and her anger surfaced once more. “And the bodyguards, Slater! Really? How could you?”
“Come here.” He held her hand in his and led her to sit on the side of the bed. He hunched down in front of her and looked her in the eye. “I don’t think I have to ask if you remember what happened at the restaurant when we were swamped with paparazzi and I broke Weasel’s nose.”
“How could I forget?” She sniffled. “I ended up on the ground giving all of them a nice shot of my panties.”
“Exactly.” His heart raced with anger at the memory. “Honey, I was worried sick something like that was going to happen while we were apart. Now that I know I had an additional person to be worried about I believe in my heart, I did the right thing. You weren’t followed,” he said quickly as she tried to argue with him again. “You weren’t followed,” he promised. He took her hands in his and kissed them with feeling. “I just made sure you got to and from work safely. When I knew you were going out with Mona, I made sure you were covered from a distance.”
“I’m mad,” she admitted. Her voice was quiet, but deep down she understood where he was coming from. “You should have told me.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” he said simply. “I dealt with it in my own way and it’s all I knew how to do. I hope you can understand that. It was my way of taking care of you. Let me take care of you, honey. I feel like I need to do something. Let me do that.”
“Don’t do that again,” she whispered fiercely.
“I won’t, I promise. But will you promise me you’ll go with the bodyguards today?”
“I don’t want to.” She stood up from the bed as he straightened to stand.
“Even if it’s Marcus and Elliot?” He smiled at her hesitation and knew that she considered saying yes simply because she was familiar with the two men.
“Fine,” Alex huffed with a roll of her eyes as she agreed. “But I’m letting them pick out something for their wives at Tiffany and you’re paying for it.”
“Ok.” He smiled at her and took a step closer to her. “If it makes my baby and little baby happy, then that’s fine with me.”
“I’m still mad at you.”
“Yeah?” He tilted her head back by her chin so she would look at him and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “You sure you’re still mad?” He kissed her again and slid his tongue against her lips so she would let him in and pressed his body close to hers as she responded.
Alex broke the kiss. “No fair,” she breathed. “You’re using my hormones against me.” Her eyes fluttered closed when he opened her robe and ran his knuckles against her breasts, her nipples tightened against the silky fabric of her chemise.
“Is it working?” Slater asked, his voice deep and husky. “The way I see it, Allie, we both win.”
“Slater,” she whispered. She tilted her head to the side when he placed soft kisses on her neck, gentle bites along her jawline, and nibbled her ears. Overcome with desire, her hormones screamed for release. Alex lunged at him, her hands fisted into his hair when she kissed him as if her life depended on it. Slater took a surprised step back when she hastily pulled his shirt over his head and with a hop, wrapped her legs around his waist. He bumped into the vanity and sent a perfume bottle clattering to the floor.
––––––––
“Oh, shit!” Mona’s head snapped to attention at the crash beyond the bedroom door. “She’s seriously pissed.”
Chris turned an ear to the door. He grinned to himself and let out a laugh at what sounded like a moan coming from the bedroom. “I’m not so sure about that.”
Ben shook his head in disbelief. “How the hell did he turn that around so quickly?”
“What?” Mona asked. Her eyes widened with knowledge when she heard a sigh from Alex. “No way!” Her shoulders started to shake with humor.
Chris winked at her. “I hope your hormones treat you the same way when you get pregnant.”
The three of them turned when the bedroom door opened halfway and Slater appeared, shirtless and slightly breathless. “Hey,” he addressed the three of them. “Why don’t you go finish breakfast in Chris’s suite? Mona, Allie will be dressed and ready to shop soon, she’ll meet you over there.” He looked over his shoulder at Alex’s voice behind him. Her hand appeared as it gripped the waistband of his jeans and tugged him back a step. Looking at Chris, he gave him a wide grin. “My monkey needs me.”