Rose In Bloom (34 page)

“Fuck you!” he says, laughing.

“Watch your language! I told you not near the baby.” Kylie scolds, slapping his head.

“OW! Fuck, that hurt!” he yelps, rubbing his head.

“You liked it when I hurt you earlier, baby. Don’t deny it.” She purrs and I roll my eyes. The thought of my friend being a dominatrix makes me giggle.

“Tell me you didn’t have sex in my baby’s room?” Sebastian says, holding his hand over his eyes in horror.

“Okay, I won’t tell you then.” Nik replies, grabbing Kylie around the waist and kissing her.

Walking around the room, I am mesmerized by every last detail. Tracing my fingers over the rose, I smile. Not many people know that my friend is an amazing artist. I know this was done out of love for me and I will forever treasure this.

“It represents you, you know?” she says, lacing her arm through mine. “You are the strongest person I know. And I’ve watched you shine. I’ve watched you fade and wilt. I’ve watched you die, and now I watch you blossoming. This is a new beginning for all of you, Skylar. This is the happiness you were meant to have. I love you.”

“And I love you.” I pull her into a tight embrace and kiss her on the cheek.

Looking around, I can’t imagine anything more perfect than bringing our daughter home to this room. There is the chair I will rock her to sleep in, the tiny little ballet slippers I will dress her up in. Rubbing my stomach, I look to Sebastian, who is standing across the room. I know we aren’t out of the woods yet with the baby, but somehow I know everything is going to be all right.

Lucas

“Hold your arm still, Mr. Drake.” Melissa, my hot nurse warns as she tightens her grip around my wrist.

“I told you to call me Lucas.”

“And I told you to keep your arm still,” she snaps. God, I don’t know what it is about this woman, but she drives me insane. At first, I thought she was pushing off my advances because she had a husband or boyfriend, but I’d asked around. I know she’s single. But for some reason she puts her guard up around me. Maybe she’s just being professional, but I don’t want her to be.

“Just go ahead and admit it. You’re going to miss me when they release me this afternoon.” I tease, gauging her for a reaction. I love getting her all riled up. Something about her drives me fucking insane.

“Miss you? Somehow I doubt that, but I’ll try to control myself,” she replies, throwing my IV needle in the red disposal box on the wall.

“It’s all right. You don’t have to admit it right now. But don’t worry, I’ll still take you out when you’re calling me to tell me how much you miss me.”

“Maybe you’re right,” she says, giving me a raised eyebrow. Seductively, she leans in, pressing those fucking luscious tits into my face. I’ve dreamt about those tits. My dick hardens in my lounging pants. Biting her bottom lip, she inches closer to my face. “You like that?” she asks, pushing her chest in me harder, earning a loud moan from me.

Fuck yeah! I knew if I kept at her long enough, she couldn’t resist my charms.

Her plump lips are mere inches from my mouth. Dear God, I’m dying to taste them. I can only imagine them around my dick. Just when I think she’s going to kiss me, she rips the last of the clear tape off, taking half the hair on my arm with it in the process.

“FUCK!” I yell and she giggles, backing away.

“Have a nice day, Mr. Drake. I’ll send Veronica in with your discharge papers.”

“Melissa?”

“Yes?”

“Why do you hate me so much?”

“I don’t hate you. I just know your kind.”

“Oh really? What’s my kind exactly?”

“Spoiled. Rich. Arrogant. Womanizer. Need me to name more?”

“Ouch! I’m that bad, huh?”

“People like you think the rules don’t apply to them. You think that every girl should just fall under your spell. Well, I can assure you that I’m certainly not going to be falling at your feet. I have no desire to be another notch on your bedpost. So, if that’s what you’re after, you’re wasting your time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other patients to attend to that really do need me,” she bites out angrily. I watch her fine ass walk out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Her words hit me hard, but damn, did they ever turn me the fuck on. I can only imagine what she harnesses inside. With a fiery temper like that, damn, I bet she is a wild cat in the sack.

Looking at the clock, I need to finish changing into some clothes. My family is on the way here now to get me. My mom insists that I stay with them for a while, but I’m only going to appease her for a couple of days. She thinks being at home will trigger the last three years of my memory to return. Personally, I don’t see what the big deal is. I mean, if it happens, it happens. The only thing I want is to get back home to my apartment. This dick needs some action and it’s wanting the hot red head that just walked out that door. I don’t know what it’s going to take to get her in my bed, but I’m damn sure going to make it happen.

Four months later...

Skylar

“Will you move your ass? I swear if you cause me to have to deliver this baby in this vehicle, I will end you now!” Kylie screams from the backseat at Nik as he drives us to the hospital.

“Oh God, another one’s coming!” I scream, clamping down on both Sebastian and Kylie’s hands.

“FUCK! Are you super-fucking-woman or something? You’re going to break my hand!” Kylie screams.

“Breathe, baby! Breathe! We’re almost there!” Sebastian tries to calm me.

“Ahhh!” I scream. The pains are so intense that I can’t breathe.

“Jesus! Can you drive any slower?” Sebastian yells at Nik.

“We’re here!” Sophie chimes in from the passenger seat.

Going into labor at my best friend’s engagement party had not been my plan, but it’ll make a hell of a story to tell our daughter one day. It looks like this baby demands a full welcoming party because Kylie’s parents are even following us to the hospital. Everyone I love is here to meet our daughter. Except for Lucas, that is. It’s been four months now since the accident. According to his mother, he doesn’t remember anything from the past three years. I haven’t seen him since we left the hospital that day. It hurts to let that part of me go, but I know I have to.

The back door flies open and Sebastian jumps out to help me stand. I don’t make it two steps until I’m hugging him with my face in his chest, breathing through another contraction.

“Jesus! They are already two minutes apart!” Kylie screams! “Get her in there before the kid falls out onto the parking lot!”

I swear, if Kylie doesn’t stop, I’m going to kill her.

Minutes after my arrival, I’m in a gown and being examined by Dr. Lewis. Thankfully, after I’d returned home, the rest of my pregnancy had gone perfectly. The baby is actually a week overdue, and although I’m dying to meet her, I think her Daddy is more excited.

“Wow! It looks like we are already fully dilated. You ready to push, sweetie?”

Feeling the intense pressure in my lower pelvis, I quickly shake my head.

“I’m afraid we’re not going to have time for drugs,” Dr. Lewis warns while the nurse helps her into green surgical scrubs.

“Yes… I’m AGGGH!” I scream as another contraction hits me. Dr. Lewis stands in front of me, adjusting my legs.

“All right, let’s see about getting this kid out, shall we? Okay, when the next contraction comes, I want you to bear down hard and push for a count of ten.”

Before I can even blink, my next contraction is coming hard. I grip Sebastian’s hand.

“Deep breath, baby. PUSH!” Sebastian coaches.

“That’s it! Bear down hard on your bottom. Hold it! Push. Push. Push! There you go, Mommy. Look at that hair!” she says and I open my eyes to look in the mirror.

“Look! I can see her head!” Sebastian says excitedly.

“She’s coming fast, Skylar. One or two more good pushes like that one and I think we’ll have us a baby.” Dr. Lewis cheers.

“You’re doing so great, baby,” Sebastian says as he kisses my forehead and brushes back my hair away from my face.

I feel the next contraction approaching and Sebastian smiles at me. This is it.

“All right, here we go. Deep breath in, now PUSH!”

Pain rips through me, and I squeeze down hard onto Sebastian’s hand. Leaning down, his forehead presses to the side of my head as I bear down as hard as I can. And then, I hear the most glorious sound. I hear my daughter’s cry for the first time.

“Oh my God, baby! Look at her! She’s beautiful!” he shouts, kissing me.

“Dad, do we want to cut the cord?” Dr. Lewis asks and Sebastian happily agrees, hurrying to the end of the bed. Those amber eyes dance in amazement and love as the doctor places our daughter into my arms. Looking her over, I can’t drink her in fast enough. A love I never thought possible intensifies the very minute I look into her eyes. With a head full of her father’s jet-black hair, she is the perfect blend of Sebastian and myself. Tears roll down my face.

“Mommy loves you so much,” I whisper before kissing her chubby pink cheek. I feel my sweaty hair being brushed from my face and I look up to see Sebastian crying. Leaning down, he breaks my glance only for a split second, smiling as he looks from our daughter back to me.

“I love you so much,” he says before placing a tender kiss on my lips.

“And I love you, Daddy.”

He laughs through his tears.

Sebastian

“Do you want to hold your daughter?” Skylar asks me. I’m so mesmerized by the angel in her arms that I can barely breathe, let alone speak.

“You have no idea how much,” I reply, holding my breath as she eases her into my arms. Even though I’d been prepared to be nervous about holding her, I’ve never been more at ease about anything than I am right now with our daughter in my arms.

I’ve never seen anything so incredibly perfect, other than her mother, of course. She’s the spitting image of Skylar. It’s as if I dreamt her to life. Listening to her precious little funny noises, I feel my soul literally mending. She is the final promise of my forgiveness, the happiness I never thought I deserved.

“Hello, Langston Rose Thorne. I’m your Daddy.” The moment I look into my daughter’s eyes, I know my world can never be more perfect. “She’s more beautiful than I ever imagined possible. Baby, she looks just like you.”

Our daughter picks this as the perfect time to show us just how well her lungs work. Instinctively, I begin swaying her back and forth to soothe her. I seem to have the magic touch, because she calms almost instantly. I can’t help but laugh. I have a feeling that I’m going to be doing this a lot in the near future. Trust me, bring on the sleepless nights. I don’t mind a bit. Her sweet little hand clasps tightly around my finger as I stroke her soft skin. The love I feel surging through my body is so far beyond a love I ever knew existed.