Taking Something (23 page)

There was no way I wasn't going to make sure she got everything she wanted. Tonight and forever, if I had any say about it.

Rocking into her a little faster—a little deeper—I watched her face as she came completely undone. Her breath was ragged. Her eyes glazed over with sheer delight. Her lips started to curl into a giddy smile. And when I knew she was completely satisfied, I let myself—and my heart—go. Completely.

The only thing that felt better than being with her was being with her in my own bed. As my head hit the pillow and she curled up against me, I couldn't imagine anything more perfect in the world.

“That was…” I tried to think of the best word to describe how much what we had just shared meant to me, but I couldn't find the words.

“Yeah. It was.” She ran her hand across my chest and sighed, understanding me completely.

“Thank you.”

“I've never been thanked for sex before, but you are welcome,” she replied, looking up at me. With the little bit of light coming through the window illuminating her face, I could barely make out the smirk tugging at her lips, but I knew it was there.

“Not for that… Well, yes,” I digressed with a chuckled. “For that and for coming home with me. It means more than you know.”

She scooted up and pressed her lips to mine, and for a split second, I really thought I just might be able to have it all. Then the nagging voice of reality reminded me that I might not get it all. Not with Sadie Sinclair still looming in the wings. Somehow I had to make things right. I had too much to lose now.

I’d always been on the take. My whole life I’d always been taking something from someone.

But Gia had changed me.

All I wanted now was to give. Give the beautiful woman in my arms everything she deserved and then some.

I
PRACTICALLY
floated through the hospital hallways to the maternity wing after Tucker had texted me. It was time for Baby Kline to make his or her appearance. Gia and I had just finished making love—yes, making love. It had definitely been more than just sex.

“The baby's coming,” I'd whispered in her ear, not wanting to leave the warmth of her body to get dressed. I curled up next to her, tucking my knees behind her and slipping my arm over her. “Within the hour.”

“You should go,” she said, rolling over to face me. “I need to take a shower and fix myself up before I meet your family.”

“You look beautiful.” Her hair was a wild mess from my fingers running through it, her skin flushed with the glow that only an orgasm can give. Her eyes and lips synced with a grin. I looked forward to seeing her like this more often.

“Beautiful for bed, not for a baby's birth,” she giggled. “Go. I'll meet you there later on.”

“I can wait,” I insisted.

“No, seriously. I can get a cab. You can't miss it,” she insisted right back. As much as I wanted to protest, I couldn't miss the arrival of the newest Kline. Tuck and Lila had asked me to be there and I’d promised I would.

“Okay,” I finally agreed, kissing her forehead and rolling from my new favorite place. “But hurry. I can't wait for you to meet them.”

“I will,” she promised, sitting up. She tugged the sheet up around her, covering her chest. Her modesty had returned. Such a welcome reprieve from the typical women who wound up in my bed and one of the things I loved most about her. I pulled on my jeans and a clean shirt from my closet before returning to her side for a goodbye kiss.

“Hurry,” I pleaded, forcing myself to take my lips from hers.

“Go,” she shooed. I was zipping up my jeans when she called out, “Nick…”

“Yeah?” I stood still, taking in the sight of her one last time—her teeth pulling at her lip in the darkness and her fingers nervously fidgeting with the sheet around her body. I wanted to tell her I was in love with her, but I wasn't about to say it and rush out the door.

“Tonight was amazing,” she finally said. “I'll never forget it.”

“Me either,” I assured her. “See you soon.”

So now, there I was, damn near skipping through the hospital. I stopped by the nurses' station to see what the status was. A middle-aged woman greeted me with a half smile that said she'd worked at least a double. Tucker hadn't text me confirming that the baby was here, and the last thing I wanted to do was shuffle through the door and see things I couldn't unsee. I'd watched that movie where the dipshit charged in when the baby was mid-crown. I loved Lila—had been
in
love with her at one point—but that was not a position I wanted burned in my brain.

“Hello, proud uncle reporting for duty” I excitedly declared.

“You must be to show up at three in the morning,” she said under her breath, her eyes never leaving her computer screen as she pointed at the sign clearly stating the visiting hours. “Visiting hours start at eight a.m.”

“My brother called and told me it would be okay to come. They are expecting me. Lila Kline. Room 7561. I promise not to be a nuisance. A quick in and out,” I promised, flashing her my most charming stare.

“All right,” she gave in.

“Would it be too much trouble for you to tell me if my niece or nephew has arrived yet, miss?” I thought manners would win her over, and I was in such a great mood that I wanted to spread it around. Judging by the angry way she'd pulled her hair back, she was fed up with her day.

“
Miss?
” She snickered. “Honey, I'm old enough to be your mama.” She finally smiled and started clicking on the keyboard in front of her. My politeness had paid off. “It looks like the baby has arrived. It's a—”

“Whoa,” I stopped her with a mischievous grin. “I wanna be surprised. And thank you for being so lovely,” I added with a wink.

“Go on back then,
proud uncle.
” She giggled and pointed to the hallway on my left. “Third door on the left.”

The door had been decorated with a collage of brightly colored zoo animals and a banner that read, “Welcome Baby Kline.”

This is surreal
.

I mean, I knew the next logical step for Lila and Tucker would be children, but it seemed like just yesterday I’d been standing beside my brother has he married the girl I thought for sure I'd end up with.

My feelings for her were so real then, but now it was different. I thought about the look on Gia's face when I said goodbye to her not even an hour ago. She was my future.

Maybe in a year or so, I'd be back at the hospital welcoming another new Kline to the family. I had to laugh. I guessed the shift in my inclination back on the plane was correct. With Gia, I wanted all of it. I'd seen how amazing a mother she was and I knew she would be an equally amazing wife. It was the bright spot in giving up the career. When I ended things with Sadie, my future in the music industry was going to be questionable at best. At least I had my future with Gia to look forward to.

“Hello,” I said quietly as I entered the room. A curtain was pulled, blocking the hospital bed and whoever was on the other side of it.

“Come on over,” Tucker said as he walked to the foot of the bed. “Someone wants to meet you,” he said.

The smile on his face was damn near about to break it in half. His dark hair a disheveled mess and his shirt wrinkled by the stress and anxiety of waiting for his baby to arrive. The room was already filled with flowers from Lila's brother down in St. Louis, balloons from the guys at Kline Implements, and a giant teddy bear with a card from their college friends, Matt and Jenna. Just another reminder of how many people loved Tucker and Lila.

I reached out and shook his hand as I made my way around the room. There she was. Not a blond hair out of place on her pretty little head, wearing a smile that matched my brother's and holding a tiny little bundle wrapped in pink close to her chest. I felt my heart swell.

“It's a girl,” she proudly announced, using one hand to pull back the blanket and give me my first glimpse at my niece. “Bailey Renee.” I glanced down at her tiny little face. Light-colored hair and big blue eyes.

“We're in trouble.” I turned to my brother as I squeezed his hand in mine and patted him on the shoulder. “We thought one was bad. We're about to have two blondes telling us what to do,” I joked.

“You ain't a-kiddin',” Tucker agreed, his eyes full of love as he stared at his wife and daughter. “Might as well forget having any thoughts of my own.”

“She's beautiful, Rae.” I moved over and kissed the top of Lila's head. “Just like I knew she'd be.”

“You wanna hold her?” Lila asked. “Uncle Nick.”

“I don't know…” I felt panic start to set in, not wanting to disrupt the tranquility of that baby in her mother's arms. I'd never held a baby before. I wasn't even sure I knew how.

“Just sit down.” Tucker laughed, pointing to the chair next to Lila's bed. I did as I was told, and he carefully moved Bailey from her mother's arms to mine. Sitting there, I felt the smile on my face as I cradled the perfect, little baby in my arms. I was staring down in her innocent eyes with her whole life ahead of her. It was incredible.

“I thought you were bringing at guest.” Leave it to Lila to bounce right back from childbirth to question me about my love life.

“She's going to come by in a bit,” I said, not taking my eyes off the baby. “Bailey Renee. I'm sure your mom would be so proud,” I said, turning my attention to Tucker. He nodded in agreement.

“Quit trying to change the subject, Nick,” Lila jested. “I told you a month ago that if it was a girl her middle name was going to be Renee. And we had this exact conversation.”

“She's coming,” I insisted. “She just wanted to freshen up before she came to meet you guys.”

“Why would she need to….” she trailed off. “Aaahhh. You better not have just slept her with her and run out the door.”

“It's not like that,” I defended. “She's different.” I was unable to hide the way I felt about Gia from showing up on my face.

“Oh, this is like a serious thing,” Tucker acknowledged. “Could my aloof baby brother finally have found a girl to settle him down?” He snickered.

“Maybe,” I admitted. Hell, I'd admitted it to myself, so I might as well tell the world. “She's pretty amazing.” I tried to ignore the faces of approval coming from her parents and looked down to watch my niece fall asleep in my arms for the first time. When I looked up, Lila was wiping tears from her eyes. “Why are you crying?”

“I… I…” She tried to speak but the flood gates opened.

Tucker walked around the bed and pulled her into his arms, smoothing her hair down her back as she hid her face in his chest. “Babe,” he comforted her. “Are you okay?”

“I'm just so happy,” she finally managed to mumble out, looking up at Tucker then to me and the baby. “Everything is just working out so perfectly.”

“Well, we should have known Nicky would grow up sometime,” he joked, tightening his arms around her as we all laughed. “But I think maybe you need to get some rest,” he advised his wife, who was obviously exhausted. She nodded in agreement. Two voices called out from behind the curtain, letting us all know that Lila wasn't going to get to rest anytime soon.

“Where's my grandbaby?” Mary Garrison asked as she came around to see her daughter. Her husband, Greg, shuffled in behind, his eyes already a little misty. Lila's parents quickly hugged their daughter and Tucker before moving over to see the beautiful little girl in my arms.

“She's perfect,” Greg declared, touching her tiny little hand that she had worked free of the blanket.

“I know you're pretty comfortable there, Nick,” Mary stated, giving me a grin. “But I'm gonna need you to hand that sweet little thing over to Grandma,” she added giddily.

“Of course,” I agreed, carefully standing and handing Bailey to her proud grandma before turning to shake Greg's hand. I had made a lot of mistakes in the past, but I wouldn't change one thing about what I'd done. If I hadn't, we might not all be standing in this room losing our shit over the newest addition to the family. I was starting to think that I was turning into a big softie, and I couldn't say that I minded. I was starting to see what was really important in life. “I think I'm gonna head back to the loft and catch Gia before she heads over here. We'll let you all rest before I bring her to meet you.”

“Okay,” Lila said, watching her parents fawn over their first grandchild. “And Nick?” I turned back around before I left. “Tell that girl you love her.”

I nodded and waved goodbye. I couldn't get back to my apartment fast enough.