“Oh, right. Good. And do you care if I can’t get you in a window seat? I know you prefer them.”
I stared out the car window as I answered, “Whatever will get me home the fastest is fine by me. I’m going to be a mess until I can see my mom for myself and give her a hug.”
“I’m sure. Can you give her one for me, too?” she requested.
“You betcha,” I agreed. “And if I see your parents while I’m in town, I’ll also give your mom one from both of us.”
“I have no doubt that you’ll see her.” Naomi laughed softly. “As soon as I tell her what happened, she’s going to want to know how she can help. She’ll probably show up on your parents’ doorstep with a casserole before you even get there.”
“Be sure to tell her about the key in the flowerpot,” I suggested. “Otherwise, she’ll be stuck waiting at the door while we’re all still at the hospital.”
“Good point. Don’t be surprised if she brings you muffins and coffee to the hospital waiting room instead.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” Since her mom was fantastic in the kitchen, I’d never turn down something she made. But I hoped that I wouldn’t be a stammering, blushing mess since I’d just rolled out of her son’s bed this morning.
6
Nixon
I knew the second I woke up that I was alone in bed because it felt like the start of every other morning. Quiet, cold, and lonely.
My eyes slowly opened, and I blinked to clear away the sleep. I glanced at the clock to see it was not quite seven. The bathroom light wasn’t on, so I assumed that Ember had gone to scrounge something in the kitchen. I dragged my ass out of bed and found my boxers from the previous night.
My eyes drifted to my bed as I pulled them on, and my cock immediately stood at attention when I spotted the pink-tinged stain on the sheets. A smug satisfaction settled in my chest at the proof that I’d taken my women’s cherry. That she belonged to me and only me. But that wasn’t the only obsession growing in my mind…and it wasn’t really what had my dick hard as a rock and raring to go. No, it was the reminder that I’d taken Ember bare. That she could even now be pregnant with our baby. And fuck if I didn’t want to do it over and over again until it was true.
Once I found her, we were going right back to bed. After I ravaged her incredibly sexy body, I wanted to sleep a little more, and I vowed that the next time I woke up, I would be wrapped around her soft, sexy body.
If necessary, I was more than willing to tire her out all over again. The thought had my lips curving into a satisfied smirk. But it quickly dropped when I found the kitchen empty.
“Ember?” I called out. Maybe she was taking a look around. “Baby?” I headed to the second bedroom, Naomi’s old room, but it too was empty.
Frowning, I swiftly walked the entire apartment, realizing that her clothes were no longer littered along the floor. By the time I returned to the master, I was approaching livid. Before letting my anger really take hold, I retrieved my phone from the pocket of my pants from last night—no messages—then did a thorough search for a note of any kind.
Nothing.
I took several deep breaths to calm down, silently planning all the ways I was going to punish Ember for sneaking out. First, I was going to spank her pretty little ass until it was bright red.
Satisfied by the mental picture that painted, I found her number on my phone and hit call.
Straight to voicemail. What the fuck?
I tried again with the same result and growled in frustration. Was she avoiding me?
Next, I fired off a text telling her to call me.
She was treating this like some kind of fling. Had I not been clear about the fact that she belonged to me now? Well, I was going to track her ass down and make sure there was no doubt. Maybe I needed to just pack up her shit and move her into my place.
I tried to call Ember again, then sent her another text when she didn’t answer.
It took me less than fifteen minutes to shower and dress, then I checked my phone again. When there still was no reply, I drove straight to Ember’s dorm and double-parked in front of the building entrance. The doorman watched me warily as I approached, but I shoved a wad of cash in his hand, and suddenly, I was invisible.
I took the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. Since it was early, and spring break had just started, the only people in the hallways were a couple of girls with smeared makeup and guilty expressions of someone doing the walk of shame.