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I had my back to Reid’s chest, and his legs on either side of mine as the hot water lapped around us in the large claw-foot tub. After my admission last night, Reid had been more attentive, taking care of me as if I was fragile. I didn’t feel fragile, but I was having difficulty shaking the uneasiness that had been weighing me down over the last few days. Admitting it to Reid lightened it, if only slightly, and he did small things to reassure me that I had nothing to really worry about.

Our move was easier than I’d expected – not that Reid allowed me to do more than unpack a few boxes – and we were finally able to start preparing for our baby girl’s arrival. Reid was back at school, along with our friends, and after two weeks of being bored, I was excited to finally have something to do with all my spare time.

I twisted my head, and looked up at Reid. “I’ve been thinking about baby names,” I told him. “I thought we could choose one together.”

“I’m all ears, baby.” Reid kissed my neck, and started washing my arms with a soft washcloth.

“My favorite so far is Daniela. What do you think?”

I watched as Reid’s hands moved from my arms to my neck, and then down my torso.

“I like it,” he replied. “What else?”

“I also like Zoe, and Amelia.”

“Can’t we choose a more unattractive name?”

I gaped at Reid, expecting him to tell me he was joking, but he looked serious.

“We are not giving our baby an ugly name! Why would we do that?”

“To keep the horny little fuckers who want in her panties away,” he stated matter-of-factly, like it should have been obvious to me.

I snorted. “We have at least fifteen or so years before we have to worry about that.”

“I highly doubt it,” he rebuked, “With my luck she’ll look just like you, and then I’ll have to keep her locked inside until she’s at least thirty.”

“Oh God,” I laughed, “You aren’t going to be one of
those
dads are you?”

“The hell I’m not,” – the steely determination in Reid’s voice made me grin – “No one is getting his dick near my daughter. Ever.”

I shook my head, already feeling sympathy for what our daughter would have to endure when she started dating.

“You’re a hypocrite,” I snickered. “What will you tell her when she asks how she was made? That daddy got his dick too close to mommy?”

Reid scowled, and my grin grew broader. “No. I’ll just tell her the stork dropped her off or something,” he said.

“And what about when we decide to give her a brother or a sister? What will you tell our little angel then?”

Reid pursed his lips, and thought it over as his hands traveled over my body.

“I’ll tell her I kissed you, and then...”

“And then?” I pressed.

“Can’t you have that talk with her?” He asked, changing tack. “You’re the mom.”

“And miss you telling her how daddy put another baby in mommy’s tummy? I don’t think so.”

Reid sighed, and twisted my chin so that he could look me in the eyes. “You can’t leave me to fend for myself,” – his lips twitched as he struggled to keep his puppy-dog expression – “I have no idea how to raise a little girl.”

My smile turned gentle, and I reached my hand up to cup his jaw. “You’re going to be an amazing dad, Reid. We’ll just figure it all out as we go.”

He rubbed my nose with his, and then kissed me long and hard until I was rubbing my things together.

“So tell me,” he said, pulling away slightly, “How
does
daddy put another baby in mommy’s tummy?”

Laughter burst free from my mouth, and Reid smiled indulgently at me. He was so silly sometimes, and so very
mine
that squelching the enormity of what I felt for him – the way he wholly owned me – wasn’t possible.

“You’re impossible,” I giggled, lifting my head for another kiss. Reid held the back of my head, and deepened our kiss until my lungs were left bereft of oxygen.

He pulled away, and stared at me, his green eyes alight with wonder, and love, and unadulterated devotion.

“What about Daniela Sofia?” He asked in a whisper, throwing me off for a second. I recovered, and realized with wide eyes what he was suggesting.

“Sofia, as in - ”

“Your grandmother.”

Just like that my heart stuttered, and my throat tightened.

“You wouldn’t mind?” I asked quietly.

Reid shook his head. “Not at all. It’s the least we could do to honor the blessing our baby girl is. Besides, it’s a beautiful name for a beautiful baby.”

“I agree,” – I turned my head, and had my hands resting on my belly – “Daniela Sofia Cole.”

Reid kissed my temple and reverently placed his larger hands on either side of mine. We were both nervous about our impending parenthood, and despite the dark, heavy feeling still hovering over me, I trusted that as long as we faced it together, we’d overcome anything.

Me and Reid and our Daniela Sofia.

I slipped my white sundress over my head, and then groaned when it got stuck. I stood impishly in the center of mine and Reid’s walk in closet with my arms in the air, showing off my thong-clad ass, and my already too-big baby belly. How this baby grew so much in two weeks was beyond me.

I heard Reid snicker from the doorway, and turned in the direction of his voice. I couldn’t see him, thanks to the material covering my eyes, but I knew without a doubt that he was smirking at me.

Jackass.

“What are you doing, Jade?” He chuckled. His feet padded across the thick carpeting, and he came to a stop in front of me.

“Trying to get dressed,” I replied haughtily, rolling my eyes even though he couldn’t see them. “But I got stuck.”

“I see that,” he laughed, clearly amused. I on the other hand was not.

“Let me help you,” he said, turning me so that my back was to him. He lowered the zip – which, I admit, I’d completely forgotten about in my irritated state – and helped me slide the dress on. I patted it down over my belly as he zipped it back up, and when I turned around I saw the amusement in his eyes.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, feeling less than appreciative. After two weeks of being bored, and alone at our new house, I was more than ready to step out, and get some sun. It was already mid-June, and hotter than Hades outside, but I was starting to get cabin fever.

Reid’s playful disposition transformed with a scowl, and his eyes traveled down my body, and back up.

“What?” I asked, looking down.

“That dress is too short,” he said. “And why aren’t you wearing a bra?”

I folded my arms across my chest, which only seemed to make Reid angrier. “This is the only dress I have right now that fits me, and wearing a bra is uncomfortable.”

“Is there nothing else you can wear?” He asked dubiously with raised brows.

“No. I have to go shopping.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, and sighed while grumbling something unintelligible under his breath.

“You are not keeping me at home just because of this dress,” I told him. “Are you ashamed of how I look?”

Apparently my emotions were dialed towards snarky today, and Reid was going to have to bear the brunt of it.

“Jesus,” he muttered, throwing his hands up. “No, Jade, I’m not ashamed. It’s just...”

“It’s just what?” I glowered.

Reid stepped forward, and when he gently pushed me against the cupboard, I hastily dropped my arms. I looked up, but couldn’t quite read his face.

“I have no problem with you in that dress,” he growled. “In fact,” – he placed his hands on my exposed thighs, and slid them up until he touched my butt cheeks – “You look sexy as fuck, with your curvy ass, and round stomach, but that doesn’t mean I want anyone else to see you like this.”

When Reid’s knee parted my legs, and moved up, I sucked in a breath, and took hold of his arms for support. Sure, I was grumpy, but Reid knew how insatiable I was when it came to sex, and the ratbastard used it to his every advantage.

Not this time,
I thought.

I gave him a wicked smile, and looked up at him from beneath my lashes. “But you’re the only one who gets to take it off,” I countered. His eyes darkened infinitesimally, but the rest of his face remained stoic.

I brushed my hand over his obvious hard-on, and fought a triumphant grin when his nostrils flared with a sharp inhalation.

“So I’m not taking it off.”

“Yes you are,” he said, raising his knee higher. His thigh connected with the apex of my thighs, and he started rubbing until my eyes fluttered shut.

Fucker didn’t play fair.

“Noooo,” I sighed. “I’m not.”

His hand lifted from my butt cheek, and came down again with a resounding
smack
.

My eyes flew open, and my mouth dropped open in shock. I wasn’t sure what surprised me more, the fact that he slapped my butt, or that I enjoyed it, despite my crappy mood.

“You’re going to pay for that,” I said.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER I hopped up into Reid’s Range Rover wearing an orgasm-induced smile, and my white sundress. My mood had improved considerably – for obvious reasons – but I couldn’t say the same for Reid. Poor man was disheveled, and scrambling around like a headless chicken trying to gather his keys, and his training bag. It was a stunning Saturday afternoon, and Reid and the rest of the football team were having a football clinic at the University’s football stadium for the local high school kids.

I laughed into my hand when he stormed towards the car, his hair messy, and his grey t-shirt inside out. You think he’d look happier after our little tryst in the closet, but I suspected he was upset because we were running late.

I said nothing when he climbed in and slammed his door, but when he sped away and grimaced with narrowed eyes, I lost it. I doubled over, and laughed at how ridiculous he looked, all the while doing a victory dance on the inside.

Note to all men: Never say no to your pregnant girlfriend. She will suck you better than a Hoover and leave you for dead.

“Care to tell me what’s so funny?” Reid looked between me and the road, and back again, and I noticed the smile tugging at his lips.

“You are,” I laughed. I sat back, and leaned my head against the headrest. “You look...” I trailed off, unable to find the right word for Reid’s state of dishevelment.

“Like I was just played by my pregnant girlfriend?” He suggested.

“That will teach you,” I said with a nod.

He shook his head, and finally smiled as we made our way to the football stadium located next to the University campus.

When we pulled into the parking lot, Reid quickly jumped out, and grabbed his things before coming to my side and helping me step down from the car.

“Go,” I told him, taking his car keys. I gave him a chaste kiss, and watched him run to where Dane and the rest of the team had already assembled. I slipped my Aviator shades over my eyes, and spotted Kennedy and Grady sitting in the stands away from the harsh rays of sun. Kennedy waved me over, and as I made my way towards the stairs, I noticed Stella and the dance team practicing a routine on the edge of the field.

Except Stella wasn’t dancing.

Nope.

The Hobbit bitch was staring daggers at
me.

I felt the urge to flip her the bird, but the way her eyes lowered to my stomach made me hesitate. A chill broke out across my skin, and that God-awful worry that something was going to happen suddenly reared its head.

Something inside me told me to avoid the psycho at all costs, and I made sure I was closer to Reid than she was in case I needed him. I pushed the uneasiness from my mind, and smiled widely when Kennedy jumped up to hug me.

“Hey baby mama,” - she giggled at the new nickname my friends had bestowed on me - “We thought you weren’t coming.”

“Sorry,” I replied, taking a seat between them. “Reid and I got held up.”

Grady’s brows lifted, and then he engulfed me in a hug. “Got held up you mean had a quickie, right?”

I smirked, and lifted my shoulders in an I-have-no-idea-what-you’re-talking-about gesture.

“Is it normal for pregnant women to have so much sex?” He scoffed. “Surely that baby has an indent of Reid’s dick on her forehead by now.”

“Grady!” Admonished Kennedy. “You can’t say shit like that in public!”

Grady looked around, and pulled a face when he realized that a few of the kids’ parents were within earshot of our conversation.

“Hey,” I lifted my hands. “Don’t hate on my baby because she’s seeing more dick than you are.”

Kennedy snorted, and Grady stared, open-mouthed, over the rim of his sunglasses.

Jade 1: Grady 0.

“Well played,” said Grady. “I’ve seriously missed your fiery disposition on campus.” He pouted, and looked as handsome as ever on his striped polo shirt, white shorts, and brown sandals.

“I know,” I exhaled harshly. “I’ve been going crazy at home, and Reid won’t let me do the nursery yet. So I made him drag me out here before I dismembered his body with a hacksaw.”

I leaned back against the hard plastic seat as Kennedy and Grady tutted their tongues at me, and stretched out my legs as I watched Reid playing ball with the kids on the field. Excitement swirled in my chest because I couldn’t wait to see him with our daughter.

“So,” I turned my head to look at Kennedy. “How’s it living with Lover Boy?”

Her face beamed and her giddiness rolled off her body in spades.

“I haven’t killed him yet,” she replied. “So I guess that’s a good sign.”

“You have to detach your mouth from his before you can kill him,” chuckled Grady. “I’m surprised you haven’t been escorted from the premises by campus security for public indecency.”

I thinned my lips to stop myself from laughing when Kennedy’s cheeks reddened.

“That’s rich,” said Kennedy. “You and
Daniel
aren’t any better.”

I raised my brows and turned my gaze to Grady. “You’re still with him?”

Grady cleared his throat, and it was his turn to blush. “He asked me to be his
boyfriend
.”

Kennedy and I both awwww’ed in unison and Grady swatted his hand at us. “It’s no big deal,” he said, trying for nonchalant.

“Of course it is,” I replied. “You must really like him, huh?”

Grady gave us a rare, shy smile. “I do, but I’m not sure if I can do the serious thing just yet.”

“Take your time,” advised Kennedy. “You’re in no rush for anything, but you never know, he might be the guy that flips your world on its head.”

I know all about that
, I thought, staring at Reid. He was laughing at something that Dane said, and just then I felt a kick under my rib.

Yeah, baby girl,
I rubbed the spot,
that’s your daddy.

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly, but I was happy to spend it with Kennedy and Grady since I didn’t see them every day like I used to. I felt relaxed, and at ease, until I saw Stella glowering at me again.

Her expression was calculating, and filled with hatred so palpable it touched my skin. Why did she make me feel so uncomfortable?

My eyes followed her movements as she walked towards the stands and up the stairs. She stopped two rows behind us to gather her bags, but didn’t leave immediately. I could feel her staring at the back of my head, but tried to shake it off. I couldn’t understand why I’d been feeling so unsettled, but I found myself grasping my belly protectively anyway.

AFTER ANOTHER HOUR I suddenly had the urge to use the bathroom. I told Grady and Kennedy as much, and headed towards the tunnel where the girls locker room was situated. I took care of business, cursing the fact that my 3.3 pound baby decided to use my bladder as a pillow, and washed my hands. When I looked up the mirror I froze.

The hair on my nape stood at attention, and my skin broke out in goosebumps. And not the good kind.

“Jade.” Stella sneered. Her arms were folded, and she was dressed in her dance uniform. Something about her eyes didn’t look right – they were too wild, and filled with vengeance.

“Stella,” I greeted back. I steeled my spine, and straightened, refusing to be the slightest bit intimidated by her.

She can’t hurt me,
I told myself, over and over again. But I was having a hard time believing she wouldn’t at least try. I turned around, and met her gaze.

Her eyes dropped to my stomach, and alarm bells started going off in my head.

“It should be me,” she murmured to herself.

I held my breath, and when she looked back up at me her face twisted, and she lunged.

“It should be me!” She screamed, throwing her arms out towards me. I managed to sidestep her, but not before she stuck her foot out and tripped me. I stretched my arms out, but not before I hit the floor. My stomach hit the ground, and I cried out when a sharp pain traveled up my side.

“I should be having his baby!” – Stella’s shriek startled me. “He loves me, not you!”

I cradled my stomach, struggling to breathe through the pain, and when I saw Stella coming towards me out of the corner of my eye, my need to protect my baby surpassed my fear and my panic. I rolled on to my back, and when she was close enough, I kicked my legs out. My feet connected with her stomach, hard enough to make her stumble backwards, and I took the chance to attempt an escape.

I clambered to my feet, wincing as I held my stomach, and managed to find the door. I flung it open, and hobbled into the tunnel. I felt warm fluid traveling down my legs, but I was too scared to look, afraid that I’d see blood.

Please,
I begged.
Please don’t take my baby.

I saw Kennedy coming up from the field, and before my knees gave out, I yelled, “HELP ME!”