Dirty Baller: A Secret Baby Sports Romance (19 page)

"Yeah, but I still haven't found a job yet," I say defensively. "I'd feel better if I had an income, too."

Ryan smiles strangely. It looks like he has a secret, which is never a good thing. "Oh no. What did you do?"

Ryan laughs. "You need to learn to trust me, Hayley. I'm almost offended by your suspicion." He looks at me tentatively. "Okay. You weren't supposed to know for another week, but since you look like you need a little pick me up, I think I'll go ahead and show you."

He grabs the second empty pudding cup out of my hand to toss it into the bin. "Follow us," he says. I pad down the hallway after him in my thick socks.

"Is this about the water leak?" I ask, confused.

"Something like that," he says. He stops at the door to the room I've been banned from entering for the last month. "Open it."

"The door?"

"Do you see a wrapped present here? Of course I mean open the door."

I hold my breath as I turn the handle. I push open the door and I gasp.

In this extra bedroom that used to hold a double bed, there is now a plush, hot pink armchair. The walls are white and in the center of the room is a long, white desk. On it is an enormous monitor. On the floor sits a Mac Pro, the black, shiny pill-shaped encasing gleaming in the light from the window. There are bookcases on either side of the window. I see the books Ryan bought me in New York on the top shelf. A framed poster of a stylized rendition of Alderaan, Princess Leia's home planet, hangs on the wall.

"What is this?" I ask him in awe.

"It's your writing room. It's where you'll be writing your sci fi novels."

I laugh. "You're joking. You must be joking." But my stomach is fluttering with happiness that threatens to ooze out of my pores. There's a good energy in this room. It makes me excited. "I can't believe you hid this from me!"

Ryan kisses the top of my head. "I think it's great that you didn't even peek in here this whole time. I was certain you would."

I kiss him on the mouth. "As much as I hate surprises, I'm not the type of kid who peeked at her Christmas presents."

"I was," Ryan says.

I laugh and step into the room, sitting down in the plus armchair.

Ryan stays in the doorway, leaning against the frame while he plays with Lucy's soft hair, one strong finger circling the crown of her head. "I expect you to be in here at least four hours a day."

"I think I can do that," I say. I'm still in awe of this space. It's incredible. It's bigger than my entire apartment in London.

"I'll be watching Lucy while you write," he says, turning to leave.

"Wait!"

Ryan stops. "What?"

"You expect me to write
now
?" I ask, shocked.

"No time like the present, Hayley." He grins at me. "Besides that, I'm going to call the wedding planner and tell her to go ahead and make all of the decisions for both of us. You owe me."

I laugh. "I do owe you." I pause. "Ryan?"

"Yes, love?"

I take a deep breath, fighting back tears of happiness. "Thank you for doing this. This is...this is incredible. Every single inch of it is incredible. Nobody's ever done something like this for me. Ever."

Ryan smiles. "Nothing makes me happier than making my soon-to-bewife happy."

I lean back in the armchair while Ryan shuts the door. I close my eyes and pinch myself.

It hurts.

I'm not dreaming, no matter how impossibly great everything seems to be. It's real. All of it.

I’m not having a dream.

I’m living one.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

RYAN

"I've packed the diaper bag! Hurry up, Hayley!" I call up to her from the bottom of the staircase. "We're going to miss our flight."

Hayley appears at the top of the stairs looking beautiful but harried. "I feel like I'm forgetting something."

"I've got Lucy. We can buy anything we need once we get to Italy. I'm pretty sure they have shops there, last time I checked."

Hayley pounds down the stairs. "Very funny," she says with a haughty grin. She looks around the house. "The house sitter has the keys, right?"

"I took care of all of it, just like I said I would," I reply. "Do you have your laptop?"

She smiles. "I still can't believe you bought me a wedding present."

"Well, your old one was falling apart and I expect you to be writing even when we're on our honeymoon."

Hayley laughs. "I thought I'd get a little vacation." She twists her mouth.

"You can pretend that you don't love writing, but I'm not buying it. I had to pull you out of your office last night for dinner."

She laughs. "Okay, guilty as charged." She checks the time on her phone. "Oh God, you weren't kidding! It's so late!"

***

Italy appears outside the plane window like a patchwork blanket made up of vineyard vine stitches and long grass fabric swatches. I give Hayley the window seat. Lucy is asleep in her arms while Hayley watches the country unfold beneath us.

"This is incredible," she mouths, looking at the red-tile-roof buildings made of stone and stucco.

"Just wait until you try the food," I whisper in her ear.

She laughs. "I have been starving recently. I might end up eating the entire country before this trip is all over."

I squeeze the fat at her sides and bend my head down to her ear once again. "I like you fattening up."

She blushes and bites her lip.

"I can't wait to get you into bed tonight," I say.

"We're supposed to spend the night separately!" she says. "It's bad luck to sleep in the same bed the night before the wedding."

"Who said anything about sleeping?" I lick her earlobe and feel her shiver under my touch.

The plane lands and we take a taxi out of the city into the Tuscan countryside. The mid-spring air is cool, fluffy white clouds trailing through the blue sky above us.

We make it to the fairly rural resort, a porter taking our bags for us.

I hear a feminine shriek and suddenly Alison is upon us, reaching out to Hayley and grabbing Lucy.

"And how is my niece?" Alison asks, kissing Lucy's head. Lucy yawns and stretches her little hands up toward her aunt.

"Nice to see you, too, Ali," Hayley says sarcastically. "I almost think you're more interested in the baby than the two of us."

"What makes you say that?" Alison counters with a smile on her face. She squeezes a now-laughing Lucy. "Hey, Ryan."

"Hey yourself. Let's head inside before the valet guy charges us for standing here too long."

We push inside the marble-covered hotel lobby. A chandelier that would take up all the square footage of my living room in London sparkles from the ceiling. I leave Alison, Lucy, and Hayley to catch up in the lush leather armchairs next to a roaring fireplace and check in at the hotel front desk.

I walk back to them holding our room keys.

"Alison," I say. "Do you think you could take Lucy for-"

"Yes!" she yells before I can finish. She reaches down for the diaper bag. "Call me when you want to meet up for dinner." She's walking away with a babbling Lucy before I can say anything else.

Hayley smiles at me. "Well, that was easy. I wish she'd move to London. Free childcare."

I put my arm around Hayley's lower back and lead her to the elevator. It opens at the touch of a button and soon we're alone.

I push Hayley against the wall, pinning her wrists to the panels. I kiss her lips, snaking my tongue into her mouth. I reach under her shirt to squeeze the sides of her back.

She moans underneath me.

My cock is already awake and waiting for her hot wetness. "Remember when we met and took the elevator upstairs?" I ask her as I leave kisses on her neck.

"Yes," she whispers.

"That was the best elevator ride I've ever taken," I confess.

She laughs. The door dings open and I lift her off her feet and into my arms to carry her down the hallway. I open the door by sliding the keycard in and out of it swiftly.

I set Hayley on top of the dresser and pull her legs apart. Her tight jeans are driving me mad. I pull off my shirt and she gets to work getting naked for me.

In the space of a minute, she's naked and I pull her to the edge of the dresser. I trace my fingers along the inner space of her thighs before I slip into her.

I shudder as her hot wetness wraps around me, her muscles working along my length.

We come together and then fall into bed for round two.

We finish up and get dressed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I whisper to her. "I'll sleep next door with Lucy."

"See you then," Hayley says, pulling on her sweater. "At the altar."

I grin at her, already thinking of fucking her in her wedding dress.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

HAYLEY

“Are you nervous?” Alison asks me, Lucy on her hip. She dressed Lucy in a purple ruffled onesie to match her own bridesmaid dress.

I look at myself in the mirror, the floor-length, body-hugging sequined dress sparkling back at me. “I’m not nervous. I think I’m just really, really excited.” I smile at her and take a deep breath.

Alison blinks back tears. “I hate that you live in London now. But I’m so happy that you’re there because it makes you happy. That’s all I ever want for you, sis.”

I hug her. “I always wanted to be like you.”

Alison laughs. “I like how you are just the
way
you are, Hayley. I think you’re doing pretty damn well being yourself.”

I blink back tears. “I can’t ruin my mascara and here you are making me cry!”

Alison laughs and hands me a tissue. “Let’s go get you married,” she says.

I step out of the bridal parlor and hook my arm through my tux-wearing dad’s arm.

He smiles at me, tears in his eyes. “You look so beautiful, Hays.”

I look beyond him at my mother, who is already sobbing by the exit doors. “Oh, Ali,” she sniffles. “I love you so much.”

I hug both of them.

The wedding planner shuffles over. “Alison, you’re up with Lucy.”

“See you at the altar,” Alison says, stepping through the doors to the outside.

My mom takes my other arm and we march out into the perfect day. The Italian countryside stretches out around us. A hundred people perch themselves on white rental chairs. Pink peonies hang on the chairs closest to the aisle.

And up ahead of me I see him.

Ryan.

I start crying again. My mom squeezes my arm as we walk down the aisle. I see Ivan and Harry with his wife. A few of my friends from New York are here, and so is Jim. Megan sits in the front row. I can’t contain my happiness; it spills out of me in the form of tears.

We reach the altar and my parents hand me to Ryan. My mom kisses his cheek, leaving a lipstick stain there. I don’t tell him. It makes me laugh.

“Hey,” Ryan says.

“Hey yourself,” I whisper back, taking his hands in mine.

“You ready to get married?” he asks me.

I nod once. “You better believe it.”

The pastor reads from the Bible and birds circle overhead. The sun is just warm enough as it kisses my bare shoulders. Lucy coos in Alison’s arms behind me.

Soon, Ryan is no longer just Ryan.

He’s
mine
. My husband. The love of my life.

He carries me back down the aisle in a joyous celebration.

“Time for me to fuck you in that wedding dress,” he whispers in my ear.

I giggle and blush.

I’m not going to stop him from doing what he wants. How could I?

He keeps his promise to me. He fucks me in and
out
of my wedding dress.

But the night isn’t over yet.

I disentangle myself from his body and sneak into the bathroom. I wake him up a few minutes later. “Ryan,” I whisper, shaking his muscular, tattoo-covered shoulder.

He grunts and opens his eyes. He smiles when my face comes into focus. “Hey there wife.”

“Hey there husband.” I bite my lip. “It’s my turn to surprise you.”

He raises his eyebrows. “I hope it’s a naked surprise.”

I laugh. “Well, I am naked right now, so it sort of is.” I pause and then pull the plastic wand from behind my back. “I told you I was hungry all the time. I’m pregnant again.”

Ryan’s eyes light up in the glow from the bathroom fixture. “Are you bloody serious right now?”

I start crying again from pure joy. “Yes. I am.”

Ryan pulls my body into his. “I love you so much, Hayley.”

“I love you, too.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

RYAN

FIVE YEARS LATER

“Hurry up! We’re going to be late!” I call to Hayley.

I hear the pitter patter of six tiny feet down the hallway.

“I’m ready, Daddy!” Lucy says, taking the hands of her two little sisters.

I scoop up Betty, who only just started walking a few weeks ago, into my arms. I look at her face and then down to her two older sisters. “Who put lip gloss on Betty?”

Lucy and Helena giggle into their hands. “We did!”

I set Betty down. “Go wipe it off of her, you silly girls.”

They take her hands and run down the hallway, half-dragging Betty alongside them.

I yell back up the stairs. “Hays! Let’s go!”

Hayley appears a moment later, her long, red hair curled around her face. She’s wearing a baby pink dress that makes her tits look absolutely incredible. Her legs end in cherry red high heels. She looks like a real-life pinup model.

“Christ, Hayley. You trying to kill me wearing that outfit?”

She smiles and reaches me, kissing me passionately. “I wanted to tease you for later, after the book signing.”

I laugh. “I might have a heart attack before then staring at you in that outfit for the next-“ I check my watch. “Three hours.”

“You don’t look so bad yourself. I wasn’t expecting you to wear a suit.”

“I wanted to look intimidating in case any of your fan boys start to get the wrong idea and make a move on you.” I kiss her again. “And it isn’t every day your wife wins an award for outstanding science fiction writing.”