Quarterback's Surprise Baby (Bad Boy Ballers Book 2) (16 page)

I
continually thank
heaven everything turned out all right with the baby. Thinking back, it was touch and go for a while in the hospital, but due to all the doctors’ work and care, she was able to be stabilized, and all I had to do was to stay in bed for a few weeks to let her get settled and then I was up and at ‘em again. The stress I had been under for the weeks leading up to that moment certainly hadn’t been helping, so a few weeks of daytime TV in Gryphon’s big, comfortable bed was just what the doctor ordered for the baby and me to be healthy and happy.

Griff was sweet and caring, bringing me take out after his first attempts at cooking didn’t quite meet his standards. He’d come back from practice with Chinese, or Thai, or something fresh and serve it to me in bed, as we caught up on some old movies.

I knew my career wasn’t going to end, but it did have to change of course; my life had been jiggled and jostled into a new form. Leaving the firm was obviously something that would have happened anyway, but I might have waited around for years before I got the courage to make a real move, so getting kicked out, and getting pregnant were the lessons life handed me to learn that. And more, of course. So much more. Life brought me what I needed to take that big step. Now that Gryphon is beside me, and he knows that we are going to be a family, I can face the world. Fighting by myself, alone, it was almost too hard, but together, I think we have a chance.

Like he says, Gryphon’s football career isn’t going to last forever, and once it’s over, he can go into coaching, or he can “rest on his laurels” as he says, and start his career as a stay-at-home dad. Maybe coach high school, when our son is ready for it. He likes dreaming about what he’ll do ‘after he wins the Super Bowl.’ Immediately after, of course, we’re going to Disneyland and bringing our little guy.

Now that Little Ryan is almost one year old, he is really starting to develop his personality. He’s a beautiful baby with a big smile and giggle, and he’s hitting all the percentiles in terms of size and the stages of growth and all that. Gryphon says he’s got his body, and my mind. That could be a pretty unstoppable combination, we think. But I want to make sure he knows that he doesn’t have to be a carbon copy of us. I want to support him in being his own person and doing his own thing, whatever that might be.

My parents visited from Europe the other week to see the new house, and to see Ryan again, and they were telling me how Ryan needs to follow in his granddad’s footsteps, but I set them straight. “Look where that got me,” I say.

“Fired!” Gryphon laughs and gives me a hug.

“Well technically, I quit,” I say, squeezing him back. “But, yeah, fired pretty much.”

“Best thing that ever happened to you, babe,” he says, hugging me closer with one big arm. “Now you can do everything you ever wanted.”

“And what’s more, now I have a reason to do it,” I say. I pat my stomach slyly for Griff’s benefit, but my mom sees and catches on.

“Wait a second, Odell, you’re not—” She holds out one hand toward my stomach and the other covers her mouth.

“Actually, I guess I am,” I say looking up at Griff, who smiles as proudly as can be.

“What?” My dad asks. He’s a little clueless when it comes to “lady stuff,” as he calls it.

“She’s pregnant!” My mom cries out and launches herself into my arms. “Oh my, my! My little girl is pregnant again!”

Griff smiles humbly. “Do you want to tell her?” he asks. I can see that he’s bursting with excitement under that smile.

“Sure baby,” I smile.“This one’s a girl!” I say proudly. “A little girl!”

My mom kisses both my cheeks and I can see tears in her eyes. “Are you happy, Odell?” she asks. She’s been warmer than ever since she found out about the first baby. I guess she’s mellowed since those ballet classes when I was little. While I’m glad finally to have her approval, at the same time, I keep them both just a shade closer than arms’ length. I’m a protective mommy and want to be sure that they don’t do the same number on the grandkids as they did on me. So far so good.

“Very happy,” I answer, knowing it’s true. I loved being a lawyer, and I will practice again. But for now, I will build my family and wait until Gryphon finishes the peak of his quarterback career before I start my own firm to focus on women’s issues. Issues that little Ella Rose will hopefully never have to deal with in her professional life.

I catch my father’s eye and he looks… proud?

“Dad,” I ask. “Are you ok?”

“Yes, Odell,” he says softly. “I haven’t always done everything right. But through it all I always wanted you to be happy, and I never realized that your path could be different than mine,” he says.

“Everyone’s path is different,” Gryphon agrees. “That’s just how life is.”

“Sure, everyone else,” says my dad. “But when it’s your child, you sometimes lose sight of such things.

“Is that why you were pushing me so hard dad?” I ask, my voice cracking a bit. “Because if I didn’t act like you, you thought I would be unhappy?

“That’s how my father taught me,” he says. “Work hard, straighten up, fly right, and everything will be ok,” he says. My mother looks at him with fresh eyes, and then sidles up and kisses him on the cheek.

It’s something. It might not be the relationship I was hoping for with my parents, but it’s better than it used to be. And considering I am building my own family now, it’s not like I need their approval anymore. And it’s not as if I have it fully since Griff and I aren’t married yet. Sure, we are engaged, and we do plan to spend our lives together as evidenced by the giant, sparkling diamond ring on my finger, but I told him I wanted our marriage to be in a year or so once we are more settled and have established our relationship that much stronger. Things happened pretty quickly between us, and although I’ve never felt I had a deeper connection, I still don’t want to rush things. He says it’s the lawyer in me that is so careful, but I just think it’s a good idea for us. He’d be happy to marry tomorrow if I wanted him to, but I still feel like my independence is an important part of both our lives. Of course, I wasn’t expecting to get pregnant straight away again, but I didn’t know that breastfeeding wasn’t always a guarantee against pregnancy—it usually works, but in our case we may have counted on it a little too long. What can I say, I can’t resist Griff! We are meant to have a big family, I suppose.

In any case, it’s probably nuts of me to delay the wedding—and I know that Sandra would agree— but it’s something that I feel is the right thing to do. It’ll be nice not to be a pregnant bride. Besides, after the bad experiences he’s had with women, especially with Sabrina trying to take him for all he’s worth, I want Griff to know that I
in no way
want to trap him into a marriage about which he may not feel certain. And while he tells me he is certain and I’ve never loved anyone more, when he marries me, I want us both to feel like there is no other way we would have it.

It works for us, and that’s all that matters to me.

* * *

N
ow that my
parents are home in Switzerland, the next thing on the list is a party scheduled with some of the guys from Brooks University, where Griff went to college. It’s an unofficial reunion type of thing, where the guys can get together and relive old times, and make new memories. Sandra is going to come over and keep me company and help take care of baby man Ryan while the boys enjoy their guy time together. I also hear that one of Griff’s good friends might be getting traded up to Seattle, so it’ll be fun for me to get to know him early in case the trade goes through.

We have a few hours before everyone arrives, and Griff comes in to check on me.

“How are you doing, babe?” He asks, rubbing my belly.

As always, I get a bolt of electricity whenever he touches me, straight to my core.

“Better now,” I say, and kiss him. His hand slides up to my neck, gently caressing it as his hand reaches around to the small of my back and pulls me to him. I can feel he’s excited too, by the large bulge in his jeans.

“Hmm,” I say, pleased, my hand slipping down the front of his pants to feel his desire.

“Do we have time?” He asks, tipping my chin up with a finger.

“Always,” I purr and pull him down onto the bed with me. His eyes flash, and his kisses become fierce as he hovers above me. The muscles in his shoulders and pecs ripple as he trails his kisses down my neck to my breasts, and the feeling of him nipping at my tawny tips makes me squeal and squirm. My legs wrap around his slim hips, and I push up against his cock, meeting it with my folds.

“Fuck you’re sexy,” he growls. “I’m going to be so proud to introduce you to the boys today.”

“I can’t wait to meet them,” I answer, my breath getting harder and faster.

“Mmm,” he moans, suddenly moving us into a sitting position, facing each other. “Climb onto my cock, baby,” he says.

“My pleasure,” I breathe as I pull my thong to the side. I’m already soaking wet, and still because of his massive size, slipping him in is never easy, but it is always an incredible feeling. I rise up on my knees, and he rubs my clit with the head of his cock before moving it down my wet slit. He works it inside me as I groan, and ride him as we stare into each other’s eyes. His beautiful blues have a world in them, a world that now includes Ryan and me, and a new little one that he put inside me. It makes me shiver, thinking of what we are building together, one step at a time.

He moves inside me with complete control, and I ride his bucking hips until it happens, and I start to come. He expertly keeps me on the tip of the building tension until it all breaks and I’m filled with wave upon wave of ecstasy, before immediately coming again. Our bodies fit together perfectly, and he makes me come at least three times before he lets himself go inside me.

Even though the orgasms are incredible, when Griff comes, it’s about the greatest pleasure I have in our relationship. His sharp blue eyes soften, and his lips purse a little. He clutches me a little harder, and looks into my eyes, and then he makes a sound coming from his throat that makes me shiver inside, and sometimes tips me over the edge into coming again. Then he spasms inside me, his hot stream filling me in spurts, as we clutch each other. He’s calling my name, and I feel so happy.

* * *

“
S
andra
!” I pull my robe around me. “You’re early!

“Ha, yes, is it a problem?” She asks, looking me up and down.

“It’s ok,” I laugh. “But if you had arrived ten minutes earlier…

She smiles knowingly. “I can come back,” she says. “If you two haven’t finished.”

“No, come on in, just let me get some real clothes on.”
She looks at her watch, and then cocks her head. “Aren’t the guys supposed to be showing up very soon?”

“They’re getting here at four!”

“It’s ten to four, Odell,” she says.

“Oh no!” I pull her by the arm into the house while she makes fun of me. “I guess I lost track of time,” I say sheepishly.

“You’re making the most of this unemployment thing, aren’t you girl,” she teases.

“You mean, my hiatus?” I grin.

“Whatever you want to call it,” she laughs. “Being a kept woman. A sex slave!” We laugh. “Go get dressed. If they show up early, I’ll let them in,” she advises, pushing me into my bedroom. “You want to make a good impression!”
In not more than two minutes, I hear the bell ring and I’m thankful for her forethought. I hastily apply some lipstick, and carefully do my eyeliner. I hear Sandra’s voice, a little higher than normal, and a few giggles coming from the door. That’s not her usual game when flirting with someone, so I’m not completely sure what’s going on. When I’m finally presentable, and with Griff still in the shower, I go out to greet his guest.

I’m surprised to see Sandra flirting and stammering up a storm, talking to a guy who looks to me like the second most handsome man in the universe—second only to my Gryphon.

“Hey,” he says, his easy grin lighting up his face. “My name’s Brandon, but they call me Brando,” he says. “You must be Odell!”