Come What May (2 page)

When we were done, I carried the dishes to the sink. After the water was warm, I grabbed the sponge and started to scrub the plates.

Sean came to me then grabbed the sponge. “I got it, baby. Just sit down and relax.”

“I’m perfectly capable—”

“Just let me take care of it,” he said firmly. “Now go relax.”

I appreciated how sweet he was being. He worked all day then headed to the gym. It meant a lot to me that he put me first. But I was still pissed at him. I sighed then headed to our bedroom. I didn’t want to look at him or talk to him.

I lay in bed and read a book for a few hours. Sean was probably downstairs, watching a game. I didn’t have any interest in spending time with him. And he would be sleeping in another bedroom tonight.

He came in around ten. He pulled his
clothes off and started to get ready for bed.

“You aren’t sleeping here,” I said without looking at him.

“I don’t agree.” He removed all his clothes then pulled back the covers.

I yanked them back up. “I mean it, Sean.”

With his strength, he overpowered me and moved them down. “Yes, I am.”

“Fine.” I shut the book. “Then I’ll sleep in a different bedroom.”

“Are you really that mad at me?” he snapped. The anger in his voice escaped. Now he was livid. “I’m sorry for trying to be the husband of the year. Scarlet, I do everything for you. Everything. I just wanted someone to help you around the house. God, I’m such an ass.” He stayed rooted beside the bed and stared me down. “You’re going to get bigger, and it makes me feel better knowing someone is here to help you. I’m fifteen minutes away, but that’s still not close enough. I want these nine months to be wonderful for you. Maybe you don’t realize it now, but you’re going to get really uncomfortable carrying a child. You aren’t going to want to do any housework. I’m just trying to give you everything you deserve. I still feel like shit for the way I treated you in our past, and I’m doing everything I can to make up for it. And I will be for the rest of my life. Everything I do, I do it for you. I just didn’t tell you about the maid beforehand because I knew you would throw a damn fit and get upset. I need you to stay relaxed. I figured if I did it anyway, you would just let it go. I guess not.”

I didn’t look at him. I concentrated on the wall on
the other side of the room. His words went straight into my heart. Now he made me feel like a bitch.

“And I’m sleeping with my pregnant wife. If you want me out, you’ll have to hold a gun to my head and pulled the trigger.” He crawled in beside me then wrapped his arm around my waist. “Now get over it.” He leaned over and turned off the light. Darkness filled the room. His speech ended and he snuggled next to me. Sean never put pressure on my stomach, so his arm was directly under my breasts.

I stared at the ceiling. “I’m sorry…”

He leaned over me and kissed my neck. “It’s okay. I understand why you’re upset.”

“I just feel horrible having someone wait on me.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “It’s not forever. If you still feel this strongly in a year, we’ll let her go.”

“Okay.”

His hands
moved to the straps of my nightdress and he pulled them down. When my breasts were revealed, he sucked each nipple while he removed my gown. When he pulled off my underwear, he leaned over and turned on the light.

I hated it when he did that. “Turn it off.”

“No.” He leaned down and kissed my belly.

I was self-conscious about my body. My extended stomach made me feel overweight. My breasts were getting bigger and swollen too. “Sean, I don’t like it when you look at me.”

“Too bad.” He separated my legs then leaned over me. “I’ve never been hotter for you, Scarlet.”

“But I’m fat.”

“No, you aren’t,” he snapped. His hand moved to my stomach. “You don’t understand how sexy this is. I like seeing it. I have a hard-on all day because I keep thinking about your swollen belly. My baby is in there. I’m the one who knocked you up. God, it’s hot.”

“But your body is perfect.” My hands
moved up his arms. “You work hard to look good and I’m…soft.”

“I work out hard because I like pleasing you. But this is so much sexier.” He kissed my stomach again. “I don’t want you to feel unattractive. You are so gorgeous, you’ll never understand.” He grabbed my hand and wrapped it around his shaft. “If you were fat, would I be this hard?”

I squeezed it then rubbed it gently.

“No.” He leaned over me then
moved through my slickness.

I gripped his back because it felt so good.

Sean rocked into me slowly. “I want to come as soon as I’m inside you.” His hand moved to the side of my stomach, touching it gently. “Because you’re so sexy.” He kissed my forehead while he made love to me.

I latched onto his back and rocked from below.  He moved far into me, hitting the right spot over and over. My climax was easier to reach now that I was pregnant. It must be the hormones. The explosion happened between my legs and I yelled out his name.

Sean let go as soon as I found my bliss. He pushed far inside me then released himself. Knowing he was filling me was always such a turn-on.

He kissed my forehead again before he pulled out. Then he cuddled beside me, his hand resting on my small belly. Sean always touched me there. It was his new favorite place.

“We’re okay?” he whispered.

“Yeah.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

2

Sean

I’m glad the issue with the housemaid had been solved. I knew Scarlet would be mad, but she was livid. I thought I was going to be thrown out of the house and into the cold. But the night ended with our lovemaking. And I was happy.

When we had breakfast the next morning, Scarlet was still uncomfortable. She glanced at Olga while she ate her food. Scarlet wasn’t used to being waited on. Even when we went to a restaurant, she still felt odd. One time, the food she ordered had a hair in it. And she still didn’t complain. I was the one who had to tell them to remake it. And Scarlet felt even worse about that.

When she walked me to the door, I gave her a gentle kiss on the lips and the forehead. “I’ll see you when I get home.”

“Okay.” The ad
oration and love in her eyes returned.

My hand moved to her stomach. “Thought of any names for our little girl?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“How about Diane?” I teased.

Her eyes lit up in flames. “That better be a joke.”

I chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. “Of course it is. You would kill me
if it weren’t.” I walked out and kept my bag over my shoulder. Scarlet stayed at the door and watched me go. I knew Scarlet wasn’t a morning person. If I didn’t get up for work in the morning, she would sleep until ten. But she woke up early every day just to have breakfast with me. And she walked me to the door. I liked the domesticated routine we made. It made me miss her all day until I was in her arms again. Somehow, I had the perfect wife and the perfect marriage.

When I got into my car and headed to work, I thought about how different my life would have been if things had been different. What if I ended up with Penelope? It was depressing just to think about. I wouldn’t have the wonderful life I had now. Scarlet wouldn’t be mine. She probably would have ended up with Cortland.

The thought made me sick.

I never felt so blessed than I did in that moment. Everything worked out for the best. I had everything I didn’t deserve to have. My beautiful wife was carrying my child, and she was my lover and my best friend. Even a lifetime with her wouldn’t be long enough. I was so damn lucky.

When I got to work, I smiled and greeted everyone. Since all our friends new about the upcoming baby, I didn’t see the point in hiding it from the staff. I passed Nina in the hall, a human resources secretary.

“Congratulations on the baby,” she said while she smiled.

‘Thank you.” I felt warm inside. “My wife and I are very excited.”

She nodded then walked away.

I headed to my office. As soon as I put my stuff down, Mike barged in.

“Dude, is Scarlet pissed about the servant?”

“She’s not a servant,” I snapped. “She’s a maid.”

“Ooh. Someone’s ticked. I guess that means Scarlet was pissed. And kept her legs closed.”

I glared at him. “Stop talking about my wife’s legs.”

“Yep. She was livid.”

Mike always tried to get a rise out of me. I was annoyed when he was successful. “She was upset but we worked through it—and I still got laid.”

“I hope you didn’t poke the baby in the eye,” he said with a laugh.

“You’re a pig.” I turned on my computer and scanned through the hundreds of emails I had.

“Yep.” He walked out and finally left me in peace. When the door opened again, I sighed in irritation. How was I supposed to get any work done around here?

Ryan walked inside, his hands in his pockets.

I wasn’t expecting to see him. He and I hadn’t talked since he punched me in the nose. When he came over for Christmas, he didn’t acknowledge me. I assumed he was still angry with me for sleeping with Janice. I was just thankful he was talking to
Scarlet again.

“Hey.” He approached my desk then looked at the pictures. Scarlet’s face was displayed everywhere.

“Hey.”

Silence. And more silence.

I decided to go first. “I’m sorry about everything, man. For what it’s worth, it really meant nothing with Janice. I hope we can work this out.”

He sighed then moved to the couch. I followed him. “I’m not mad.” He rested his hands on his knees and looked at them. “It bothered me for a while. The idea of Janice being with anyone but me makes me sick. It really doesn’t matter who it is. But I’ll admit it’s awkward since you’re my brother-in-law…but I won’t hold it against you. I didn’t even know Janice at the time.”

That was a relief. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to our relationship.

“And if Scarlet doesn’t act weird around
Janice, and she’s still her best friend, I shouldn’t let it affect my relationship with you. And I’ve never noticed anything between you.”

I nodded. “As soon as we were done, we never spoke of it and moved on. I just see Janice as a friend. I don’t look at her in that way,
and she doesn’t look at me in that way. And Janice apologized to Scarlet and said how sorry she was. Everything worked out.”

“Then I’m not going to be the one person to make it awkward.”

Ryan was a second brother to me. I was thankful I wouldn’t lose him. And I knew my wife wouldn’t want that either.

“So, we’re cool?”

He nodded. “I need someone to pick on Scarlet with.” His usual grin was back.

I smiled. “I’m your man.”

“Good.”

We sat together for a while. It was still a
little awkward but camaraderie would return eventually.

“How’s that brat anyway?” Ryan asked.

“She’s throwing a hissy fit because of the maid.”

He rolled his eyes. “Just ignore her. That’s what I do.”

“It’s a little difficult when she’s my wife—and she’s pregnant.”

“It’s called ear plugs.”

I laughed. “Janice is a lucky girl.”

“Oh. She is.” He winked.

“I’m glad you two are still together. That’s what Scarlet and I were more concerned about.”

He shook his head. “That girl could do anything to me and get away with it.
Although, I’ll never admit that to her. Wouldn’t want her to take advantage of me.”

“She wouldn’t.”

Ryan extended his hand. “Should we shake hands or something?”

I shrugged. “I guess.”

We embraced then pulled apart.

“Does Monnique know about Cortland and Scarlet?” I asked. “That seems to be the last dirty secret.”

“Nope,” Ryan said. “I told him to come clean.”

“Yikes,” I said. “Monnique seems to have more of an attitude than the others.”

“Cortland insists he’s into that,” Ryan said with a laugh.

“Or he’s just into her ass.”

“Same thing.”

“You doing anything later?” I asked.

“Just fucking Janice.”

“TMI, man.”

He shrugged. “I don’t care. Did you have something in mind?”

“I’m buying Scarlet a car. And I need someone to drive it back.”

A huge grin spread across his face. “She’s going to be sooo pissed, especially right after the house maid incident. Yikes.”

“I’m trying to get it over with because the hormones get really bad. So,
you coming?”

“Are you kidding? I love watching Scarlet get worked up over stupid shit.”

“Good. Sounds like you’re my man.”

“What are you getting?” Ryan asked.

“A BMW. Something safe.”

He nodded. “Those are nice.”

“Scarlet will hate anything I get her.”

“Because she’s an annoying brat.”

I smirked.

“Your parents know about the baby?”

“No.” The depression settled on my shoulders. “I’m not talking to my mom until she apologizes to Scarlet—really apologizes.”

He patted my shoulder. “I’m sorry, man.”

“I don’t understand what the problem is. My mom loves Scarlet one moment, then treats her like shit the next. It makes my head explode. Even if Scarlet was the worst woman in the world, she still wouldn’t deserve that treatment. I don’t get it.”

“At least your dad is cool.”

“My dad loves her more than his own kids.”

“Well, I don’t blame him,” he teased.

I rubbed my face with my hands. “I love my mom. I do. And it kills me that she doesn’t accept my wife. But I don’t know what to do. I feel like I have to choose. And of course, I’ll always choose Scarlet. But why should I have to?”

“Scarlet would be willing to work on it—over and over,” Ryan said. “She doesn’t want you to lose your family. She understands how important they are to you.”

“But she shouldn’t have to,” I said firmly. “That’s what irritates me. Scarlet is always the one making the effort. And I’m sick of it. If my mom wants to be in our lives, she’ll have to do some serious ass-kissing. And I don’t want to get Scarlet worked up while she’s pregnant. She needs to relax.”

“Which is why you’re getting her a housemaid and a car in two days?” he asked with a laugh.

I chuckled. “I guess that wasn’t smart, huh?”

“Nope.”

I got Scarlet a BMW SUV. The large size would keep her safe, and she could put the kids in the back. Since I had a sports car, I couldn’t take more than one passenger. I paid for it in cash then signed the papers.

“How about you drive the BMW and make sure it works right?” He headed to the Ferrari then winked at me.

I knew it was a ploy to drive my
car. But I did want to test out the BMW before my wife drove it. “Fine.” I tossed him the keys.

He practically clicked his heels. “I’ll wait for you at the house.”

“You’ll wait?”

“Yeah. Because I’m going to get there before you even pull out of the parking lot.” He got
inside then started the engine.

That
jackass. I got into my wife’s car and checked everything. Then I headed home.

Scarlet spoke to her brother in the driveway. Judging by the confused look on her face, she was wondering where her beloved husband was—me. And I knew Ryan wouldn’t say anything.

I parked the BMW in the driveway then got out. Scarlet’s eyes were wide and her mouth was open. She knew it was for her.

I reached her then held up a finger. “For once, just say thank you.”

She shut her mouth then eyed the car again.

“I mean it,” I said firmly.

“You could have gotten a cheaper car.”

Ryan shook his head. “You’re the worst person to shop for—ever.”

“That’s not true,” she said defensively. “I loved the blender you got
us for our wedding.”

“Because you knew it was twenty bucks,” he said with a laugh.

I grabbed her hand and dropped the keys on her palm. “That’s my last big gift. I promise. Unless you want an upgrade on your ring.”

She immediately pulled her hand to her chest. “I love my ring. I don’t want another one.”

“Then that’s the last big thing I’ll buy you.”

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now thank your husband and show him how much you love him.” I moved close to her.

She took a deep breath and forced the words from her mouth. “Thank you.”

I smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“But I don’t know how to drive…”

“I’ll teach you.”

“Don’t go near a school
,” Ryan teased. “Because she’ll decimate the school population.”

She glared at him.

“And maybe we’ll pull over and have sex in the backseat,” I said into her ear.

“What is it with you and fucking in public places?” she asked incredulously.

“Well, we can’t do it on planes anymore. Let’s change the tradition to cars.”

“Let’s just make love in bed like normal couples.”

“Nah,” I said. “That’s boring.”

She rolled her eyes then examined the car. It was pearl white. I knew she would like the color. “It’s very nice.”

“And you have plenty of room in the back for groceries.”

“Not that I’ll need it,” she said bitterly.

I ignored the jab. “And room for the kiddos.”

“Kiddos, as in plural?” she asked in surprise.

“You thought we were just going to have one?”

“No. I just think we should concentrate on this one right now.” Her hand went to her stomach.

I decided to let it go. “Okay.”

“Alright,” Ryan said. “I’m headed out.” He took my keys to the Ferrari and opened the door.

“How dumb do you think I am?” I snapped.

“Damn.” He got out and handed me the keys.

“Stay for dinner,” Scarlet insisted.

Ryan put his arm around her shoulder. “Okay, fatty.”

“Fatty?”