So. Long.: Bad Boy Next Door (59 page)

He moves from his chair to the cushion next to me. Putting
his arm around my shoulders he says. “You can. And—if Danny doesn’t step up,
I’d like you to stay with me. I’ll help you.”

My hands fly to my cheeks. “I—well—I—”

He pats my knee. “Just think about it. I don’t mean it as a
romantic thing. You know where I am on that. It’s just—I like kids. And I like
you. You deserve some help.”

I catch my breath. “Wow. That’s—that’s huge, Slade. Thank
you.”

He winks again. “Besides, Danny loves you. I have no doubt
he’ll do the right thing.”

The right thing. What is the
right
thing?

I don’t want Danny to stay with me because I’m having his
baby. He might feel stuck. I also don’t want to count on him only to have him
leave because he can’t deal.

* * *

I roll over and pull the blanket around my neck. I grab my
phone and check the time. Four-fifty-six. I almost slept the entire night.

I flip on the lamp on the side table and sit up. I rub my
face and stretch a bit. When I stand, a bright stain on the sheet pulled over
the couch cushion draws my eye.

My stomach turns to lead.

Blood.

I check my sleep shorts. Oh no.

Oh, God. Please no.

I knock on Slade’s door.

“Mo?”

“Hey. I think I need to go to the emergency room.”

In only a second or two Slade stands in front of me, hair
wild, eyes wide. “What is it?”

I look down. “I’m—bleeding.”

He grabs my shoulders. “Oh, hell. I’m sorry. Okay. Let’s get
you to the emergency room.”

I get a change of clothes and stuff them into my bag.

Slade bundles me into his truck. “Are you hurting?”

I shake my head, but my heart races. “This is all my fault.
I wasn’t sure I wanted this baby and now God’s going to take her away.”

He pats my arm. “Don’t say that. You don’t know that. I read
in that book some women do something they call spotting. Maybe you’re just
spotting.”

The warm flow between my legs doesn’t feel like spotting.
But I don’t say that. I just bite my lip and grip the arm rest until we get to
the hospital.

The glaring lights of the emergency room waiting area bounce
off shiny floors and illuminate the seemingly deserted building. The too-clean
smell turns my stomach.

* * *

Once they have me settled and we’re waiting to see a doctor,
Slade holds out his hand. “Let me see your phone.”

“Why?” I pull it from my purse and hand it to him.

He swipes the screen and hands it back to me. “Code?”

I type in the four numbers. “What are you doing? Didn’t you
bring yours?”

He takes the phone and taps the screen a couple of times and
holds up his finger in a signal to wait. “Hey, man. It’s Slade. Yeah, I know
it’s early, sorry. Listen, I’m with Mo. We’re at the emergency room. No. No.
She’s okay right now. But you may want to come be with her.”

My already heavy stomach sinks further. I glare at Slade.
“What are you doing?”

He hands me the phone. “He’s on his way.”

* * *

The nurse comes in and takes my vitals. Danny jogs into the
room as she removes the blood pressure cuff.

Slade slips out around the curtain.

Danny slides to his knees next to the bed, taking my hand as
the nurse releases it. “Babe, are you okay?”

His hand is warm on my cold one, though it trembles as much
as my own.

He smoothes his other hand over my belly. “It’s going to be
okay, Mo. Whatever happens, it’ll be all right. I’m here. Whatever you need.
Whatever you want.”

Heat gathers with moisture in my eyes. I drag in a deep
breath. “But, Danny, our—baby…”

He wipes his cheek on his shoulder and sniffs. “Don’t worry.
As long as you’re—we just have to keep
you
healthy.”

Danny sits on the edge of the bed and gathers me close,
rocking. “Mo, I love you. No matter what happens, that won’t change.”

I twist his shirt in my fists as tears slip over my lashes.

Rachel pokes her head around the curtain. Her eyes are
bright with unshed tears as she looks from me to Danny and back. “Can I come
in?”

I open our embrace to include my best friend in the world.
“God I’ve missed you, Rach.”

She dives into our hug. “I missed you too, Mo. And I’m so
sorry about—about everything. Can you ever forgive us?”

I sniff and my chest aches. My tears seep into Danny’s
shirt. “Nothing to forgive you for.”

“Aw, Mo.” Rach’s hug tightens around my shoulder. “I’m
praying for this baby. It’s going to be all right, Mo. Just wait and see.”

My heart breaks a little with each breath I take. My
shoulders shake and more tears wet my cheeks as the people I love most huddle
around me.

The people
I love
most.

People.

Oh, God. I really do love him.

I pull Rachel in tight for a second, and then I let go of
her and throw my arms around Danny. He drags me into his lap, burying his face
in my neck. The moisture on my shoulder where his cheek lays cuts me to the
bone.

I swallow hard and pull back, wiping his face with the back of
my hand. “Oh, Danny. I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head, his eyes puzzled. “For what?”

“For not telling you.”

Danny cocks his head. “Telling me what, babe?”

I pull in a shaky breath and cup his jaw in my palm. “For
not telling you that—”

A nurse swishes the curtain aside. “Okay. We’re going to
take you down for an ultrasound.”

I back out of Danny’s arms. He moves and the nurse pulls up
the bed’s side rails. He bites his bottom lip as his eyes dart from me to the
nurse and back. “Can I come too?”

The round faced lady raises her eyebrows, looking to me.
“Can he?”

I take his hand. “Yes. He’s the baby’s father.”

She smiles and shrugs. “I guess it’s a go then. So you
haven’t seen a doctor yet? Haven’t had a serum test?”

I twist the sheet between nervous fingers. “No. Just the
home pregnancy test. Why?”

“Well, it’s possible your home test may have been wrong;
maybe you just started your cycle.”

I swallow hard, trying to find the answer, but heat spreads
over my face. Oh lord, how embarrassing would that be?

Danny says, “But she’s been nauseated and throwing up,
pretty much every day.”

The woman smiles. “I’m not saying you aren’t pregnant, just
letting you know it’s a possibility. Ninety-nine percent accuracy seems like a
lot, but that leaves one out of every hundred women with the wrong results. So
don’t worry yet.”

She keeps up banal chatter as she pushes me down the
over-bright hallway, but the wheels beneath me roll too loudly and somehow
drown her out with thoughts of what we might, or might not see in a few moments.
Finally, I’m delivered into the care of the woman waiting to do the ultrasound,
an older lady with a big smile and cool hands.

The machine is intimidating with all the buttons and other
parts I don’t understand. “How on Earth will you see anything this early?”

She pats my hand. “The heartbeat is usually visible sometime
between six and seven weeks. How far along are you?”

I shrug. “I’m not sure. I just took the pregnancy test a few
days ago.”

Danny stands by the head of the bed as the woman exposes my
belly and squirts warm gel on it.

I hold tight to Danny’s hand. He stares into my eyes.

He leans down and whispers, “I love you, Mo. Baby or not,
that doesn’t change. If we never have our own kids, I’ll still love you. I’ll
still want you. Forever.”

I squeeze his hand. “I lo—”

The door opens and another woman in scrubs comes in. She
tucks a chart under her arm. “Hi. I’m Dr. Fanning. And you must be Mona Lisa.”

I nod, worrying my bottom lip between my teeth.

“All right. Let’s see what we’ve got.”

The tech continues moving the wand around while both of them
study the screen.

The sonographer rubs the hand piece over my abdomen.
Distorted images sweep across the screen. She types something and uses the
roller ball, pausing to click here and there. Then she stops and pushes deeper
into my belly, toggling the sensor.

“Ah. There it is.” Dr. Fanning smiles.

I swallow hard. “There’s what?”

Danny tightens his grip and moves his other hand to my nape,
massaging gently.

The doctor points to a dark patch on the screen. “Here’s the
sac.”

Dr. Fanning takes the hand piece from the other woman and
presses it further down. A little white blip pulses in the black spot. “And
that, my friends, is a heartbeat.”

My heart skips. “Really? So she’s okay?”

“Well, there are never any guarantees. But for now, the
heartbeat looks strong and regular.”

Danny kisses the top of my head.

I ask, “But what about the blood? Doesn’t that mean
something’s wrong?”

“It’s very hard to say this early. Some women spot. Others
have been known to have what seems like a normal period during early pregnancy.
Take it easy and see an OB to monitor things. Get regular prenatal care. But,
for now, you’re still pregnant. Congratulations.”

I press my knuckles to my mouth, tears threatening again.
Happy tears.

Back in the curtained space, Danny and I wait for the
discharge papers. Rachel and Slade left a few minutes ago. I change into my
clean clothes and sit next to Danny on the side of the bed.

He slides his arm around me. “So. We’re having a baby.”

His eyes hold my gaze as I nod. He lays his mouth against
mine, kissing me fiercely.

When we break, I pull away. “I have to tell you something.”

His expression falls. “Okay. Go ahead.”

I run my fingers over his chest. “I’m scared, more than I’ve
ever been in my life.”

Danny takes my hands and kisses them. “Me too. But I’m happy
as fuck, Mo.”

“You have to know, I’m not trying to trap you. Or to make
you stay with me. I don’t want you to feel that way.”

He shakes his head. “Aw, Babe. No. I don’t feel like that.
I’ve wanted this. From the moment I thought it was a possibility, I’ve wanted
it.”

The ache in my chest intensifies, but this has to be said.
“You can still be this baby’s daddy, but you don’t have to be with
me
,
if you don’t want to. I—I don’t want us to be together because of a baby.”

He rolls his eyes and chuckles. “Are you shitting me? Mo,
I’ve loved you for so long. You have no idea. There’s nothing in the world I
want more than
you
. Nothing.”

The pressure in my lungs eases a fraction and I let out the
breath I’ve been holding. “Only if you’re sure.”

Danny slides to his knee in front of me. He lays his head in
my lap and wraps his arms around my lower back. Then he looks up, his dimples
showing, eyes shining. “I don’t have a ring yet, but Mona Lisa Clark, will you
do me the honor of—”

Shit! My hand darts out and covers his mouth. “No. Don’t.
Don’t do that. Not now.”

He pulls away and stands. “What? Why? You don’t want to
marry me?”

I chew my thumbnail. How do I make him understand?

His shoulders droop and he plops down next to me. “I’m
sorry. I hoped…”

“I’m not saying I won’t marry you. Or even that I don’t want
to, Danny. I just...let’s make sure, you know? I want to be certain you and I
will work. Right now, I’m scared. Let me be less scared when I make this decision.
Okay?”

He nods and his eyes brighten once more. “Okay. But I’m not
going to stop asking. I’m going to ask every day until you agree to be my
wife.”

I bump his arm with my shoulder. “Every day? I doubt that.
But whatever.”

He gives me one of his devilish grins. “You’ll see.”

FIFTEEN

I stretch and push the covers off.

Danny drags a hand over my thigh. With his face still buried
in his pillow, his voice is muffled. “Why are you up so early?”

“I don’t know. Just woke up.” I hop out of the bed and go to
the kitchen to start the coffee for him.

I pass Danny coming out of the bathroom on my way in to take
care of my morning routine. When I get back to the bed, Danny’s propped up on
his pillows, his hair wild, his scruffy jaw sexy as hell.

He holds a hand out. “Come here.”

I take his hand and walk across the bed on my knees.
“Coffee’ll be ready for you in a few seconds.”

I straddle his hips. He slides his hands under my short robe
and cups my ass cheeks in his big palms.

I kiss the top of his head. “Rach and I are going to look at
houses today. Want to come?”

“Sure.”

I close my eyes. Thank you, Mom, for not forgetting to plan
for my future after all. It shocked the crap out of me when the attorney called
to let me know I had a trust fund and would get it on my twenty-first birthday,
apparently two years earlier than planned because Dave signed some papers
releasing it. At least one good thing came out of his being a disgusting perv.
And the money couldn’t have come at a better time, considering the baby and all.

Danny pulls me back to the here and now when he rubs his
face against my not quite as flat belly and places a kiss just below my knotted
belt. “Good morning, baby.”

I run my fingers through his hair and kiss his crown. “So,
today’s the day.”

He looks up. “What day?”

“Sixteen weeks.”

He grins. “So it is.”

I pull him close. “You know what that means, right?”

“We have five months until we have our very own poop
machine?”

I shake my head. “Well, that too, but not what I’m talking
about.”

He grabs my hips and pushes me away enough to lean back so
our eyes meet. “Then what?”

“It means you can stop treating me like I’m made of blown
glass and might shatter any second.” I pull the belt at my waist, untying it.

“Mo—maybe we should—”

“Shush.
Maybe
if I finally get laid, I’ll be more
inclined to answer you differently today.”

His eyes light. “Oh, really?”

I shrug. “Maybe.”

Danny sits up a bit straighter. “You said
no
when I
asked at that fancy schmancy restaurant and when I asked under the stars, and
when I asked at the baseball game. You said
no
at the lake and again at
the museum of modern art. And you’ve said no every other day and place I’ve
asked. Now you’re telling me all I needed to do was have sex with you?”

I look to the ceiling and lift one shoulder. “Maybe.”

The room tilts as he grabs me with both hands. Suddenly I’m
flat on my back, and he hovers over me.

He kisses me hard on the mouth. “Well, if that’s the case,
babe, let’s get it on.”

He rips open my robe and sets upon my breasts like he’s
never done before, touching, kneading, kissing, licking, sucking.

I let out a deep sigh. “Thank God, I thought you’d never
touch me again.”

Danny looks up and kisses the beaded nipple at his chin.
“There was never any doubt I’d make love to you again. I just wanted to be sure
it was safe for the baby. And you. It scared the hell out of me, knowing we
could lose this little one.”

He lays a kiss next to my navel.

“But now that we’re in the safe zone…” Danny trails hot
kisses to my inner thigh. “This isn’t off limits anymore.”

I twist a lock of his hair in my fingers. “It was never
off
limits
. That was all you, Danny Boy.”

He grunts and runs his tongue up my slit. I let my legs fall
open. He kisses my pussy with all the fervency I’ve missed so much over these
last few weeks. His magical tongue flicks my clit and slips along the edges of
my entrance until I drip with want.

His fingers join his tongue in the magnificent torture.
Pressure builds, throbbing at my center. Danny rubs and teases until I ride the
line at the precipice. I’m breathless and panting.

He stops and sits up.

What the hell? “What are you doing?”

He rolls away.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I glare.

He digs into his night table drawer.

I let out a chuckle. “Little late for a condom, Mister.”

He shakes his head. “Not looking for that.”

“Then come back over here, I’m so freaking close,” I whine
as I prop up on my elbows.

“Aha!” He grabs something from his drawer.

He slides back between my legs, pushes my calves over his
shoulders.

His tongue glides over my pussy once more. I let out an
approving moan.

Then he stops again.

I wait.

Nothing.

I look up again. He’s staring at me over my barely-there
baby-bump. He’s grinning like the cat that got the cream. But I guess he
does
have the cream.

I get to my elbows again. “Are you trying to kill me?”

He shakes his head and uses the tip of his tongue to circle
my clit once more. Then he looks up, his mouth open enough for the glint of
something to catch the light.

I frown. “What are you doing?”

He sticks out his tongue; a solitaire diamond ring is pushed
over it like it’s a finger. He drags the tip along my slit, the ring cool on my
labia, sending a little thrill over me as it trips over my clit.

I scramble away from him, and back up to the head board.
“Danny!”

He pulls the ring off his tongue. “What? You said I might
get a different answer; I just figured I’d work sex into the proposal to seal
the deal. Will you marry me, Mona Lisa Clark? Please don’t say no this time.”

I giggle and roll my eyes. “You’re—you’re just—So. Bad.”