Ruthless Sinner (Ashby Crime Family)

And finally, when she was pink and smiling and so sensitive, she trembled every time I touched her. I slid deep and spent the rest of the night showing her just how special she was to me.

Epilogue

Mo ~ Six Months Later

“I’m not sure this is a baby shower gift.”

Maisie’s pale skin turned strawberry red as she held the crotchless negligee in the air for all the baby shower attendants to see and ooh over.

“I mean, I love it, and I think Virgil will too, but seriously?”

Sadie sat on her grandmother’s perch beside Maisie and arched one eyebrow. “I read somewhere that it is a traditional grandmother’s gift to ensure that, when the time is right, you get started on the next grandchild.”

“Oh, that is such bullshit, Ma, and you know it.”

Kat let out a loud bark of laughter from where she sat on the sofa, legs crossed and doing her best to keep her new pregnancy a secret on Maisie’s big day.

Maisie’s baby shower took place just six weeks after my own, with many of the same women in attendance, like we were all family. I sat near the back of the room, rubbing a nonstop circle on my swollen belly while the other hand held my sore back. But I didn’t want to be anywhere else on this day when we help Maisie celebrate and prepare for another Ashby baby, set to arrive in seven weeks’ time.

Sadie shrugged off Kat’s words with a small smile. “It is my right, as the grandmother, to push my children to spend more time in the bedroom. Or the pool. Or the herb garden.”

And then there was my electronic bottle washer. It was such a stupid but practical and luxurious gift that I hadn’t been able to resist.

Retail therapy was my best friend these days. At forty weeks pregnant and still growing, I didn’t get out much, so I bought things. All kinds of things.

Things for the house like black and gold dinner plates and a brand new vacuum. Things for the baby like a miniature soccer kit with goalposts, for when he was older, and a Lamborghini bed for when he’s at that age where he loves all things cars.

I bought new jeans for Jasper because the stress he’d been under, thanks to a new threat to the family, and constantly worrying about me had caused him to lose a few pounds. The new jeans cupped his ass magnificently if I do say so myself.

And I do.

“Okay, this is just disgusting,” Maisie said as she held up the parts of a breast pump. “Who did this?”

“It’s a breast pump.”

“Pump,” Maisie pouted. “I’m just going to squeeze.”

I stood to explain what the pump was used for and why it was important, but nothing came out. Not out of my mouth, anyway.

“Sorry to steal your thunder, Maze, but my water just broke.

Maisie froze. Kat froze. Vanessa froze. Sadie stood slowly and stepped down the small dais that was set up underneath the tent beside the hot tub.

“Another baby. I really do think the universe is rewarding me for good behavior.” Sadie looped her arm through mine and spun me back toward the door. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”

I shook my head, breathing in slowly and out slowly to keep from panicking. “I’m suddenly not ready.”

“We’re never ready for this, honey. That’s why God made them so damn cute. Just keep breathing, and we’ll get you through this.”

She escorted me toward the door, the other shower guests helped me up into the car.

My heart clenched at Sadie’s words, the affection she bestowed upon me as if I was truly a part of the family. I’d been worried about how Sadie would take the news about me and Jasper as a couple, but when we told her, she only smiled and told us both that she was glad we’d gotten our heads out of our asses.

“I’m breathing. I’m breathing. Where’s Jasper?” He promised he would be at my side when the time came.

“That’s not breathing,” Sadie admonished with a smile as she slid behind the wheel and started the Range Rover. “The boys are at Kat’s, so he should be out any second now.”

A moment later, Jasper barreled out of Kat’s place and headed straight toward Hulu’s car to retrieve my pregnancy bag. It was a comical sight, Jasper’s big body carrying a colorful Coach bag that held all the things to get me through the next day or two.

“I’m driving,” he growled at Sadie.

“You’re sitting in the back and holding your woman’s hand. She needs support, and your hands are bigger than mine.”

“Then get Oliver over here. You can’t drive yet.”

“I can, and I will.”

With a sharp nod, he hopped in the back with me and wrapped an arm around me to position me between his legs, and started massaging my shoulder. “How are you feeling, babe?”