Lawked Flame (23 page)

Standing, she held her hand out to assist her mom.
“No. Mom this is nothing. I’m sorry you haven’t been feeling well.
After I take this test, I want you to lie down, to try to
rest.”

Offering her a small smile, her mom held her hand
tight as they walked to the guest bedroom where her mom was
staying. “Actually, I bought a few tests. I didn’t know which were
good ones and was too embarrassed to ask. I didn’t want anyone
thinking an old woman like me might be knocked up.”

Alayna squeezed her hand as they entered the
bedroom. “That’s okay, it doesn’t matter. I’ll take any one you
chose. Just pick one. Good thing I drank that tea earlier, I have
to go the bathroom anyway.”

Her mom smiled and rummaged
through her large canvas tote. “Here they are.” She pulled out a
brown paper bag.

Alayna stood and held out her hand. “Just give me
one and I’ll go to the bathroom.” She laughed as her mom closed her
eyes, dug into the bag, pulled out a box and plopped it into her
hand.

“
Thanks, Sweetie. I know this is
hard for you, I appreciate it.”

Now that she held the familiar box in her hand, old
fears and insecurities stole her ability to speak. Since she didn’t
want to cause her mom any discomfort, she saluted her with the box
and a tepid smile. Then, she pivoted and all but ran to the
adjoining bathroom, the cardboard package crushed in her palm.

The moment she closed the door,
her hand opened. With a few shakes, she spilled its offensive
contents and leaned against the wall. The soft clatter on the
checkered tile drew her attention to the pink box. Wide-eyed, she
stared until her vision blurred, hampered by tears. Her head
whipped from side to side in a desperate attempt to look anywhere
but at the damn box.

So many tests. So many failures. A
whimper of pain escaped.

Over the years, she had taken what seemed like
hundreds of pregnancy tests, each mocking her inability to do the
one thing a woman’s body was created for—creating life.
Debilitating pain shot through her, numbing her inside at the
thought of taking another test. As she wrapped her arms tightly
around her waist, her legs buckled under the weight of her fear.
Shaking, eyes closed, she slid downward to the floor.

Strong arms pulled her up and close, the warmth of
his breath against her cheek penetrated the haze of her sorrow. She
wasn’t alone. His arms tightened around her waist as she leaned
into his strength. The beat of his heart was strong, steady, full
of life.

“
Alayna?”

Her breath hitched as she rubbed
her face against the solid wall of his chest, pulling herself
together. Once again, time was not on her side. She didn’t want her
mom to investigate, or to offer assistance.
She whispered back, her throat tight. “I’m okay, just a l’il
shook up. No biggie.” She pushed away from him.

She glanced at the blatant skepticism on his face.
Thankfully, he didn’t call her out on it as he slowly released her.
“No biggie?” He echoed her sentiments before picking up the box
from the floor. She stared at it as though it were a venomous snake
as he read the label.

He threw her a look, which she ignored, and
continued staring at the small package. “You are upset about a
pregnancy test?”

A tremor shot through her as she reached for the
box. “There’s some history behind this, I don’t want to get into it
right now.” Inwardly, she prayed he’d let it go at that, although
she doubted it. Her hand hovered over the box for a few seconds
before grabbing it.

“
Why are you afraid?” he
whispered.

She was breathing so hard and erratic, the box
trembled in her hand. “I don’t know.” He took it from her before it
fell, and opened it. Seconds passed as she simply stared at the
small piece of plastic.

“
I can tell you the answer to this
question if that will help.” The deep tenor of his words vibrated
with sincerity and pierced her veil of misery. Her gaze swung up at
him, her eyes widened to the point they hurt. She hadn't expected
his offer.

Good Lord, could he really do
that? Fear seized her throat. Suddenly the possibility of something
she’d wanted so badly, for so long, overwhelmed her.
Her questions were cut off by his mouth as his
demanding lips crushed hers, his tongue sought entry into her mouth
boldly as he tasted every inch of her moist heat.

Once she came up for air, she leaned against his
chest, breathing in his calming scent. “You can tell me, but I
still need to take the test so she can see the results,” she
whispered and pushed away.

Somehow, having him with her
blocked the remnants of her dread. “No, on second thought, let me
just take the test. I think I need to do this anyway.” Never again
would she allow a small box to frighten her so badly.
Straightening, she looked at the door, and heard her mother’s
footfalls. “I’m almost done, Mom.” Her voice rose slightly as she
took the test and walked to the toilet.

“
Are you going to watch me?” she
hissed so her mother couldn’t hear. Arms crossed, his brow rose as
he returned her stare and waited quietly. She had her answer,
although she shouldn’t be surprised after her earlier meltdown. He
wouldn’t leave until she left the bathroom.

After taking the test, she waited for the results.
Tension coiled within her at the possibility of being pregnant. It
had only been what, seven days since she’d had sex for the first
time with him? He seemed so calm, as though the outcome of the test
didn’t faze him either way. That bothered her.

She placed the test on the granite counter top and
faced him. “Worried?”

“
About what?”

“
The end of days? The presidential
elections?” she snapped, her temper on a short leash. “The
pregnancy test, what else?”

“
No, I already know the results.
No matter what you discover with that…that,” he pointed to the
test, “I will be here for you. I will always be here for you,
Alayna,” he half-whispered, half-mouthed. Jutting a thumb toward
the closed door, he continued. “If your mother were not out there,
I would show you how much your distress bothers me and insure you
never endure such pain again.”

His genuine, heartfelt words
struck a chord in her heart. It fluttered for a few seconds and
then raced as he stepped closer. Breathing stopped for a few
minutes as her eyes fell into his. Her heart melted as she stared
into his cobalt blue eyes. Tears stung and threatened to
fall.

“
You make me mushy,” she
whispered, wiping the moisture from her eyes. His thumb grazed her
cheek, catching an errant tear.

“
You make me,” he whispered in
return before taking her lips into a tender kiss.

She held onto him, inhaling his
masculine scent, leaning on his strength. He had so much faith in
her, it was staggering. Placing a kiss on his chest, she pushed
away to read the test results and then snuggled back into his
chest. “Tell me. Tell me what it says.” Her voice muffled as she
waited for the news.

“
You are mine, Alayna. You will
bear me a son.” He hadn’t moved. That tiny fact resonated within
her.

Her head snapped up to look at
him. “You didn’t look at the test.” She picked up the test strip
and then stared at him. Her stomach dropped, as her emotions ran
the full gamut of happiness, then dread, and then happiness
again.

Her face heated as she stared at the positive sign
on the test strip. After all this time…the frustration of trying
and failing so miserably…seeing the disappointment in her ex’s eyes
when she failed to conceive. The humiliation of another woman
getting pregnant from her husband when she’d tried so hard… the
pain washed over her. Not for her ex, that was a dead and buried
relationship, but for all the time she had wallowed in pity and
shame.

“
Laynie? Baby, are you all right?”
The worry in her mother’s voice prompted her to push past the pain
and embrace this joyous miracle. She sent him a watery smile and
blew him a kiss.

He winked at her before disappearing. She didn’t
know if she’d ever get used to that. Inhaling, she bolstered her
courage to get through the next nine months. She groaned and hoped
the pregnancy would be nine months, she needed to ask Khayden.
Thinking of him brought a smile and a sent a surge of warmth
through her. Two weeks ago she had no idea he existed, now she
couldn’t imagine her world without him.

Opening the door to face her mom, she stepped out,
smile in place. “Those dreams are on point, I’m pregnant!” She
brandished the test in her hand.

Her mom wrapped her arms around her waist. Tears
soaked Alayna’s blouse as her mom sobbed against her. “Thank you
God, thank you,” she murmured repeatedly, shaking slightly.

Concerned, Alayna simply held her
tight, waiting to make sure there was nothing more than happiness
in her eyes. After a few moments, her mom stepped back with a large
smile that lit her face from within. Her delight was plainly
written on her face. “I’m so happy, Laynie. So very happy. The
dreams seemed so real, you were so happy. I feel so much better
now. It’s a load of my chest.” Her fingers intertwined with
Alayna’s as they moved to the sofa and sat facing each
other.

Neither woman spoke.

The reality of being pregnant settled on Alayna in
degrees. Khayden said she would have a boy. His son. Her son. It
boggled her mind how he knew, but she no longer doubted him. As
each second ticked, her elation grew. She would be a mother.

A hand squeezed her shoulder. “You okay? You want
this, right?”

Slowly, she looked at the concern
in her mother’s eyes. Tears filled hers, as her heart ached with
happiness. “More than my next breath,” she whispered. Her mom
reached around her shoulders, pulled her close and held her as she
wept tears of joy.

“
I hope you have a girl,” her mom
whispered. “And I still want to meet Khayden, I need to see if he
looks as good as he sounds.”

Alayna smiled.

Chapter 18

Khayden peered through the glass shower door
as Alayna stood beneath the showerhead. His eyes heated when she
bent forward, sleek and graceful, and retrieved a bottle of soap.
Following the line of her curvy frame, his gazes lingered on her
waistline, currently flat and offering protection to his implanted
seed, the future Master Lawke.

A grin tugged his lips at the thought of
Alayna, with her strange words and feisty personality, round with
child, or feeding his son from her supple breasts. Just thinking
about it sent a rush of blood to his groin, filling him with need.
His cock hardened. He stifled a groan of discomfort behind the
tight jean fabric and shifted on the balls of his feet before
moving his erection for more comfort.

As she poured a fragrant liquid onto her
hand, he sniffed the air, rifling through various scents. With
quick precision, he identified Alayna’s new gardenia-like smell.
Another fragrance, rose and ginger, teased his nostrils. He had
already attributed that aroma to Alayna’s mom. There was nothing
new. No others roamed inside the house, his people stood guard
outside. Relaxing a fraction, he crossed his feet at the ankle and
settled against the wall, content to watch his woman bathe.

Tiny prinks of pleasure permeated his skin
as she stretched her arm over her head and brought the sponge under
her arm. Once again, he cursed the Geleet snakes and their
interference. Within the past few days, they had stepped up their
attacks, forcing him to be ever more vigilant, which meant he could
not join Alayna under the spray of water.

“Are you really going to just stand out
there?” Her voice dropped to a tantalizing purr which stroked his
rock solid erection as surely as her fingers.

The temptation to join her, to lick droplets
of water from her moist skin, and suckle her bountiful breasts
battered against his hard-won self-control. Inhaling deeply, he
licked his dry lips before swallowing hard. “I cannot. And do not
tempt me further. The Geleets are still a threat and I need to
listen carefully and be prepared for anything.”

She stopped, her face blurry through the
glass, but he sensed her concern and sought to ease her mind. “I
will protect you with my life, so do not worry.”

She offered a slow nod in his direction and
turned away. “You need to teach me the bubble thing, so I don’t get
trapped again. It would come in handy. Maybe I can take some
self-defense classes, what do you think?”

She held her face under the spray, and he
froze at the image before him. Mesmerized by her languid movements,
the pain that had sliced through him at the mention of her being
trapped and his failure to protect her, evaporated. Lust, hard and
heavy, wrenched every thought from his mind.

Head back, chest thrust outward, his throat
tightened as her body arched forward, casting her frame in perfect
symmetry. His fist clenched and unclenched as rivulets of water
flowed over her luscious limbs, dipping into places his mouth and
tongue ached to sample again. He knew the sweetness of her hidden
treasure and craved more of the intoxicating cream.

“Well?” Her voice came from a distance,
pulling him into the present.

He cupped his heavy erection, unwilling for
her to see the precum wet spot spreading across the front of his
jeans. Corralling his rampaging thoughts proved to be a challenge
as long as she remained so close and naked. Visions of bending her
over and pounding into her tight sheath kept him rigid and leaking.
Still, he tried to focus on their conversation. “I will teach you.”
He hoped the short answer would suffice, because for the life of
him he couldn’t carry on a coherent conversation right now.