Waking Kiss (32 page)

“Maybe I’ll quit too,” he grumbled against her neck. “Maybe I’ll stop dancing. Maybe now it’s time.”

She pulled away from him in horror. “No, you can’t. Don’t even say that.”

“Pussy,” Liam muttered from behind her.

“You have years left to dance,” she said, truly alarmed. “You’re only thirty years old.”

“You’re only twenty-eight!”

“It’s different with men and women. You’re stronger than me and…” She put her hands over her belly. “I really want to have this baby right now. It’s time for me to do this. I feel it in my heart.”

“Stop begging him to understand, hon,” said Liam. “It’s Ruby, remember? He’s obnoxious and self-centered. He’ll never understand the impulse to start a family, but eventually he’ll get over it. Won’t you?” Liam shot him a dire look.

Ashleigh dropped her head onto Rubio’s shoulder. “I just feel like…this is the time. I should have told you,” she said, lifting her eyes to meet his gaze. “I should have warned you we were making these plans but I didn’t want you to be angry.”

“Well, I’m angry.”

“But Ruby—”

“I gave you so much, Ash. So whatever. Maybe I forgive you someday, but not now. No.”

At those words, tears filled her eyes. She jumped to her feet and stalked from the room.

Liam sighed, sliding down onto the couch. “Very nice. Making a pregnant woman cry. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

“What did I say?”

“What did you say? God, you’re an idiot.” Liam snatched away his beer. “I would make you go apologize to her, but that would probably upset her more. Plus the pregnancy hormones are making her really erratic and I can’t guarantee she won’t kick you in the neck.” He leaned forward and fixed Ruby in his potent amber stare. “But seriously. If you’re going to keep coming over here, if you’re going to attend the play parties on Saturdays, you’re going to have to cut her some slack. She’s pregnant and it can’t be undone.”

Ruby eyed his friend, noting the subtle tension in his voice. “You and her planned this pregnancy? Or it just happened?”

Liam rubbed his forehead. “It was kind of planned. It kind of just happened. She wants a couple kids, and…” He covered his eyes and kneaded his palms into his eye sockets. “I’m going to be okay with that.”

“You’re going to be, or you are?” Liam’s silence was deafening. Ruby sighed and took back his beer. “Ashleigh is a good girl, you know. She won’t be like your mother.”

“My mother had postpartum depression. Any woman can get it. Ashleigh too.”

“Okay. But if she does, you’ll be there to help. It won’t be the same.”

“I know.” That was all he said.
I know.
He stood and started toward the stairs. “I better go see if she’s okay.” He turned back to Ruby and gave a regretful half-shrug. “Look, I’m sorry you’re losing your partner. I don’t mean to be a bastard to you, but I’m on Team Ashleigh. I have to be. I’m asking you friend to friend, and I really hope you hear me: Let her go.”

“I will,” he sighed. “I don’t have a fucking choice, do I? But who the hell am I supposed to dance with now?”

“It doesn’t matter who. You’re the best ballet dancer in the world, Ruby. Pick someone. Don’t be a fucking pussy, for fuck’s sake.”

With those words, his friend went up the wide marble staircase to comfort his wife.

Follow Annabel’s blog (annabeljoseph.com) and Twitter (@annabeljoseph) to learn more about the upcoming release of
Fever Dream
.

Annabel Joseph is a multi-published BDSM romance author. She writes mainly contemporary romance, although she has been known to dabble in the medieval and Regency eras. She is known for writing emotionally intense BDSM storylines, and strives to create characters that seem real—even flawed—so readers are better able to relate to them. Annabel also writes vanilla (non-BDSM) erotic romance under the pen name Molly Joseph.

Annabel Joseph loves to hear from her readers at [email protected].

Other erotic romance by Annabel Joseph

Mercy

Cait and the Devil

Firebird

Deep in the Woods

Fortune

Owning Wednesday

Lily Mine

Comfort Object

Caressa’s Knees

Odalisque

Command Performance

Cirque de Minuit

Burn For You

The Edge of the Earth (as Molly Joseph)

Disciplining the Duchess

Erotica by Annabel Joseph

Club Mephisto

Molly’s Lips: Club Mephisto Retold

Coming Soon:

Fever Dream

Cirque Vivide