Carl: Caveman Instinct series 2.5 (10 page)

Carl

I couldn’t believe that I, the non-believer in the curse, now thought it was a gift. I sat next to my beautiful wife at our wedding reception, more grateful to the gypsies’ gift than ever before. I didn’t ever think I could love someone as much as I loved Annabelle and every day we learned more about each other and my love for her grew.

“I hate her.”

“What! Who?” I looked around at our guests, wondering who on earth Annabelle could be talking about.

Annabelle lifted her head and nudged it over to the side and growled, “Bailey.”

Shocked at what my usually sweet wife was saying, I gazed over at Bailey. She was a lovely girl, and had the sweet gentle temperament like Annabelle. She leaned against my nephew and instead of looking at the people who were talking in front of them, she gazed up at Richard dreamily. Richard had one arm hooked around her waist and a hand resting on her nicely round tummy rubbing it lovingly. Bailey was two weeks behind Annabelle in her pregnancy.

Turning back to my wife I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her. “Honey, you want to tell me what’s up? Why would you say that about Bailey?”

Easing out of my embrace she sat back into the chair. It was a special chair just for her. Bigger, with a lot of padding. She tried to cross her arms over her chest, but it didn’t really work. Her belly was huge and her breasts, well, let’s just say I was a happy man. If I had to die tonight and got to choose how, it would be between those two ginormous beauties.

“Argh.” She threw her hands up. “This is why.” She pointed to her stomach where our babies grew.

I didn’t get it. “You hate Bailey because of our babies?”

“Grr, no. I hate her because she never got sick like I did, and she looks friggin’ amazing.”

Okay, I had learned that pregnant women were crazy. They thought crazy thoughts and didn’t listen to reason. I did try though. “Honey you look beau—”

“Don’t even finish that. I don’t. I look like a beached whale. Lucky we had the wedding so close to the beach. You can roll me in when you’re done.”

I tried not to laugh. I knew I’d be crucified if I let it out, but I couldn’t help it, my body shook and the chuckles slipped out. The death stare I received from Annabelle would have had many shrinking in terror and running to hide. I even thought about it for a moment as my laughter came to an instant stop. I needed to tread carefully now, otherwise I wouldn’t be sleeping with my wife in a romantically decorated room on my wedding night.

“Annabelle, you don’t hate Bailey. She’s only having one baby. You, my amazing wife are carrying two and doing a fantastic job.”

She sniffled and nodded. “I am aren’t I?”

Oh thank God, I’d said the right thing. “Yes honey, you are doing a wonderful job. Our babies are growing perfectly.”

She beamed at me and right then I didn’t care how crazy we both were. “I love you Carl Silverman. Thanks for kidnapping me”

Smiling I stood out of my chair and helped my wife up. I carefully leaned down and picked her up, cradling her in my arms. Slowly I turned towards our house and made my way to our bedroom. I was done with the reception. I was ready to enjoy my life with my wife. “I love you too, Annabelle Silverman.”

Valentine short.

Jade

Silvermans have a thing for kidnapping their women.

I was enjoying a Valentine Day sleep in, when I was awakened to Stephan sitting me up and putting one of his shirts on my naked body. He then lifted me out of bed and carried me out of the house and into a waiting limo, where a still half asleep Bailey was sitting with Richard. I watched groggily as the two men grinned at each other, nodded, and then Richard told the driver to go.

Now, most people would think this was unusual, but for me, I was starting to get used to it. You see, I was married to a Silverman. These men are not your average Joe. They’re rich, entitled alpha males, who think they own the world, or more importantly, their women.

Darting my gaze to Bailey, I saw she wasn’t given the chance to get dressed. We were both wearing just a shirt, and I’d have bet my last dollar that the shirt Bailey wore was one of Richards. “Do you know what’s going on?” I asked Bailey.

She shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. “ I turned to look at Stephan. “Oh, don’t even try. I’ve been trying for the last twenty minutes to find out where we’re going.”

“Raven, it’s a surprise.” I heard Richard mutter.

Stephan stroked my cheek. “It’s a surprise, little bit.” He kissed my cheek and then tucked me against his side. Another thing I’ve learned being with a Silverman is don’t argue. Save your breath for the arguments that really matters, otherwise you’ll spend more than half your time arguing and never winning.

I dozed on and off, still half asleep until my phone rang,
Baby Got Back
., Cassie, one of my best friends, was calling to stir the pot. I didn’t even question how my phone had gotten here without me picking it up before we left. I knew Stephan would have me organized and packed. This wasn’t the first time he’d taken me.

I answered and put her on speaker. “Hi Cassie. How’s life on the run?”

“Ha, ha, ha. Pretty good actually. He hasn’t found me yet.” She cackled like a wicked old witch and I couldn’t resist giggling. “I’m calling to—“

I had to cut her off before she gave anything away. I was on Cassie’s side. I was helping her. Stephan just didn’t know. “Cassie he’s a Silverman. You should know by now there is no point in hiding. He’ll find you. It’s only a matter of time.” Wincing at how I sounded, I hoped Cassie wouldn’t catch it. She’d been in hiding now for weeks.

“Jade, you do realize how creepy that sounds?”

Yep, I totally did, but it was true. A Silverman could find a needle in a haystack if they put their mind, connections, and money to it. Cassie knew this too, but she also knew that her family was friends with the Silvermans and they wouldn’t make a move to take her without her family knowing. Although at the moment the bond was tenuous at best. Mainly because Cassie’s family wouldn’t tell Dustan we’re she was.

Maybe if I made it sound like I was reasoning with her it would get Stephan to think I wasn’t helping Cassie. “Come home Cassie. Today is your favorite day. Valentine’s Day.”

“Yeah right, good try. I never said Valentine’s Day was my favorite. I said the day after Valentine’s Day was my favorite, because the chocolate and flowers become half price.”

Bailey giggled. I coughed to cover my own laugh. “Well, come home tomorrow?” I knew by now she knew I wasn’t alone.

“Argh, no. I may have said once upon a time that I wanted a Silverman of my own. Then I saw them in action. Up close and personal in not one chase of a woman, but two. Nope. Silvermans may be pretty but they’re deadly.” Cassie puffed loudly into the phone. “They’re the apple that is given to Snow White: shiny, inviting, and the first taste is delicious, but once you have a bit the poison seeps in and…” Cassie made a choking noise. “Freedom is lost.” She whispered.

“Are you saying I’m poison Cassie?” Stephan’s smooth voice had the effect it always did on me. My body heated and the shirt became uncomfortable, sticky even and I was eager to get somewhere alone with Stephan so I could take it off. His fingers brushed my collar bone and I shivered, moving into his touch, needing more.

Cassie didn’t hesitate in her answer. “Yes. In the purest form.”

Bailey wasn’t giggling now, she was holding her stomach in a laughing fit. Richard didn’t look impressed by her reaction. I bit my lip to contain my own laughter.

“I bet right now you’re tracking this call.” Cassie’s voice was laced with anger.

I darted my gaze from the phone on speaker to Stephan. If I hadn’t known him so well, I would have thought he was calm and in control, and that he was innocent and not doing a thing, but I could see the determination in his eyes and the tightness in his muscles. Oh, that wanker. He’d promised he’d leave this dance between Dustan and Cassie be. Turning back to the phone I hung up on Cassie. Giving the phone to Bailey, I turned back to Stephan and whacked him across the chest.

“You promised.” He promised not to interfere, but I didn’t. Well, more like I made it seem like I was on his family’s side when I was really helping my friend and enjoying watching the Silverman men squirm.

Stephan grabbed my hands, holding them in his large ones, stopping me from hitting him again. He brought each hand up and kissed my knuckles “I did, and I kept my promise. I didn’t interfere. Richard did.”

“What!” I heard screeched from across the limo. I looked over my shoulder in time to see Bailey push herself away from Richard and damn, if looks could kill he wouldn’t have been breathing.

Stephan chuckled and hooked his finger under my chin and turned it back so I looked at him. “Happy Valentine’s Day, little bit.”

I should’ve been so mad but he didn’t break his promise, he just outsmarted me. I had learned over the last year that if there was a loophole a Silverman would find it. They were crafty. I knew no one would hurt Cassie, but it was more that she was my friend and had begged me to support her craziness in escaping, as she called it, ‘an arrogant Silverman.’ I whole heartedly agreed. Silverman men were arrogant. I knew what Dustan had said about Cassie had really hurt her, no matter how many times she told me she didn’t care. So I was helping her teach the Silverman men a lesson. I was really enjoying one of my best friends sticking it to them. I missed Cassie, but I knew she needed time.

Silverman men were crazy, but once you fell in love with one, you wouldn’t have them any other way. They may be possessive, controlling, domineering, protective, and alpha to the bone, but they were also caring, loving, and treated their women like goddesses. I knew how lucky I was to have Stephan and though he drove me insane sometimes I loved him more and more every day.

I brushed my lips over his. His mouth molded to mine and I lost myself in his taste. On a groan, he eased away and waved what looked to be tickets in front of me. I focused my gaze to see them.
Valentine’s cruise
.

Blinking, I snatched the tickets off him and read. A three night cruise in the luxury honeymoon rooms.

Bailey squealed and I didn’t need to turn to know that she had found out where we’re going.

“They’re in the room down the hall from us.” Stephan whispered.

Beaming up at him, I grabbed him and pulled him closer, pasting my mouth back to his. Easing away as the door to the limo opened, I smiled. “Thank you. I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Easter Surprise

Bailey

I held the stick that I had peed on in absolute shock. Jessica had gone to get me the test because my bodyguards would have told Richard if I set foot into a chemist or went to the doctor’s.

“This is friggin’ hilarious. You have a bun in the oven for Easter.” Jessica jumped up and down in her seat. “Oh, oh! Can I paint your stomach like an egg and tell Richard it’s his egg?” She clapped her hands. “No. I’ll paint a hot cross bun and you can say, you have a bun of your own cooking? Can you imagine his reaction?” She broke into a fit of laughter.

Groaning, I sank into Jessica’s sofa. “This is not funny Jessica. I’m eighteen. I started university this year. What am I going to do with a baby?”

Jessica stood, still laughing, but she held her stomach and took a deep breath in trying to calm herself. “Look, I’m sorry for laughing, but come on, it’s funny. It’s Easter and you have a bun in the oven.”

I knew it was funny, but as tears rolled down my cheeks I wiped them away and hugged my middle. My husband would love his Easter gift. He was twelve years older than me and would be ecstatic to start a family. “This is all because of Valentine’s weekend.” I had missed the pill thanks to the surprise weekend, and now I had a surprise of my own for Richard.

Jessica sat down and cuddled me to her. “You have nothing to worry about Bail, your husband loves you. You’re his world and this baby will make him so happy. I mean he bought you that massive house with room to have a bunch of babies.” She squeezed me. “I know you’re scared because you’re so young, but you have an amazing husband who would give you the world if you asked, and his family will always support you. Talk to him before you get too worked up.”

Jessica was right. I needed to talk to Richard, but first Jessica was right about another thing. I smiled now as I thought about how happy Richard would be. “Get up and go get your paints. Let’s paint my stomach like an egg. He’ll get that quicker than the bun I think, plus buns are less festive to paint.”

* * * *

Richard

Something was off. My wife hadn’t come near me since she came home. Bailey was affectionate. She came straight to me for a cuddle and kiss even if I only left for fifteen or so minutes. Days when she’d been at work, like today, she came home and snuggled up and kissed me for at least an hour.

I’d talked to her bodyguards and they’d told me nothing odd had happened. The only change in her routine was she’d visited her best friend Jessica.

I didn’t like Bailey not touching me. I’d gone to her, but she’d maneuvered out of my reach. It had been like that for the last hour. She came home and went straight to the kitchen and started making cupcakes. They were her favorite lately. Vanilla, with strawberry icing.

Bailey would come to me when she was ready. So I sat in our lounge room and waited. I didn’t wait long before she came out with a plate full of cupcakes. She sat next to me placing the plate on the coffee table. She got one of the cupcakes and shoved it in her mouth. Her head was turned to the side so she could see me.

“That good, little raven?”

Bailey nodded and pushed the rest of the cupcake into her mouth, moaning as she devoured it. Icing coated her lips and I zeroed in on it, eager to clean it. She brushed her hands on her shirt, then hooked her fingers onto the hem and lifted her shirt up and off.

Unable to blink as colorful patterns appeared on her belly, I watched as a picture took shape. It was a painted egg. Raising an eyebrow, I chuckled. “I see Jessica got to you with paints? Is this her weird way of giving us an Easter gift?”

“It’s more than that.” She sighed heavily. “She wanted to do a hot cross bun. I told her you’d get this better.”

What the hell? I’d get what better? What did an egg painted on Bailey have for me to get? I sat up straighter and scooted closer to Bailey. Her cheeks were rosy red and now I was closer, her eyes looked puffy too, she been crying. Frowning, I checked her body to see if she had hurt herself, but couldn’t see anything. What the fuck had Jessica done? I was going to have a talk with her when I saw her next.

Bailey groaned, picked up another cupcake and gobbled it down.

“Don’t you think it’s weird that the last couple of weeks I’ve been baking cupcakes and scoffing them down like they’re going out of fashion? Plus think about what I said. I have an egg on my stomach.”

Bailey had been eating a lot of cupcakes. She’d been very emotional too. I was sure she was just getting close to her time of the month, she was overdue them. What did she say before? Jessica had wanted a hot cross bun, but put an egg instead. I stared at the egg painted on her stomach, studying it this time. Jessica was a good artist. The egg was yellow with a blue and pink ribbon on top. Now I really looked, I could see all the detail she’d put into it and my heart started to pound faster and faster the more I took in. The bunnies were also blue and pink and each had a basket in their hands, but that wasn’t what had my heart rate drumming like a crazy beat. No, it was what was in the baskets, little booties, a rattle and dummy, rompers, and the very last ones at the bottom had an egg with a bean baby growing inside it, another had a bigger bean baby until it got to bunnies holding tiny babies resting in the baskets.

Holy shit! Blinking, I swallowed, my throat suddenly drying up. I let it sink in what I now knew my beautiful wife was telling me and, like the pussy she’d now turned me into, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Leaning down I kissed Bailey’s belly and rested my hands on it.

Gazing up at my wife I smiled. “I love you so much. Thank you.”

Tears rolled down her cheek and she hiccupped on a sob. “You’re not upset about our little egg?”

Easing up, but not taking my hands off where I now knew my son grew, I licked the icing off her lips first before taking her mouth in a kiss that showed her just how I felt. When I pulled away, she was panting and her tears were no more. Her eyes now flared with desire.

“I couldn’t be more happy.” Kissing both her cheeks, I rested my forehead against hers. “Want to tell me why Jessica found out before me?”

Sighing, she moved so she sat across my lap and snuggled into me. “I missed my period last month and I was due for them again two days ago. When I didn’t get it today I called Jessica. I wanted to be sure before I told you. She got the tests and I did them this afternoon.” Bailey hugged me tighter. “I have been taking my pill every morning. I have them in my bag, but the Valentine’s weekend I forgot and I was tired when we came back from all that fun.” She turned tomato red. “I forgot a couple of days after too. I only take this mini pill. The bigger dose makes me sick. So, um, I think Valentine’s weekend was when this all happened.” She started to cry and my heart sank.

“Don’t cry. It’s okay.” I tilted her head up and wiped her eyes and kissed her cheeks before brushing a quick kiss over her lips. “This is a good thing.”

She shook her head. “What will people say? I’m already eighteen and married. Now I’ll be a teen mum,” she wailed.

The chuckle slipped out, I couldn’t help it. If this was all she was worried about that was okay. I could handle this. “Little raven, do you know how much I love you?” she nodded. “I don’t think you do. I love you more than anything in the whole universe. I don’t care what anyone says. I’m ecstatic we’re going to have baby. The only person’s opinion I care about is yours. I don’t even have to worry about my family’s because I know they’ll be as happy as me and won’t give a damn if you’re going to be a teen mum.” Letting go of her stomach I reached up and stroked her cheek. “Bailey, we’re married. We live in a big house and I have plenty of money to support us.”

“Thank you. I love you. You drive me crazy, but I love you. I needed to hear all that.” Kissing her, she turned and straddled me. She broke our kiss. “I’m happy too, but I’m scared.”

“You have nothing to be scared of. Tell me what’s worrying you?”

“I’m worried about University. I don’t want to sound selfish, but I want to finish uni. If I have a baby how will I do that? I know we could pay for a nanny, but I don’t want that for our child. I want us to raise our kid, not someone else.”

This was an easy fix. “You’re not being selfish. An education is important. I want you to finish your degree. I promise you that we will be the ones raising this baby. Little raven, I have a job that is flexible and I have enough money that I don’t need to ever work again. I’ll stay at home with our son while you go to university. I’ll help you with this. I’m sure my mother and aunts will jump at the chance too.”

“You promise?”

I nodded. “I promise you. I want you happy. I love you.”

She beamed up at me and I swear the sun came out of the night sky. “So…what makes you think my little egg is a boy?” She placed her hands over the egg on her stomach.

“Well, I know
our
little egg will be a boy because that’s all us Silvermans ever have.” I placed my hands over hers. “It’s part of the gypsies’ curse, er, I mean gift.” I winked. “I’m happy to have as many children as you’re willing to test the theory.”

She whacked my chest. “Ha, ha. Not funny. Enjoy this Easter surprise. I don’t know when you’ll get another.” She kissed me, sinking into me and grinding against me. When she pulled away I was so lost in her that it took me a moment to clear the lust filled haze, and see her beautiful, happy smiling face. “Happy Easter.”

“Happy Easter. Thanks for my Easter surprise”