King Maker (King Maker 3)

“No. I didn’t.”

His expression grew cautious. “What is it?”

There was no other way to do it except say it, so I did. “I’m pregnant.”

It wasn’t the grin he’d given me earlier, but he maintained a positive expression.

“I’m not surprised. How does Kalen feel?”

“He’s asked me to marry him.”

“I suppose you told him yes.”

“I did after a bit of a fight.”

He laughed. “That’s my girl. Don’t make it easy for him.”

“Turner—”

He waved me off. “It’s okay. I couldn’t have lost to a better man. Don’t tell him I said that.”

“He heard.”

I glanced up and saw Kalen. I waved him over.

“Congrats, man,” Turner said.

“Thanks.”

A woman came into view, sliding a hand around Turner’s neck. “Hey,” she said into the screen, obviously not shy at all.

“Hi,” I said back.

“You are?”

“Bailey.”

“Oh,” she said like she’d heard my name before. “This is the Bailey.”

She glanced at Turner who only grinned back.

“And you, handsome. Who are you?” she asked the man next to me.

“Her husband-to-be,” Kalen answered.

“Ah, the rival,” she said.

“The winner,” Kalen cheekily responded.

She laughed. “I’ll leave you to it. But Turner, we are packing up and leaving in five.”

He nodded as she walked off. I watched him watching her and found some peace. He deserved nothing short of the best.

“Looks like I have to go. When is the wedding?”

“Soon,” Kalen answered.

“I guess I won’t make it. But you take care of my girl.”

They traded glances I didn’t understand.

“Be safe,” I said.

“Always.” He gave me a wide smile.

“I love you,” I said.

“I love you too, Bails. Be happy.”

Then the call ended.

“Are you okay?” Kalen asked as he wiped an errant tear from my face.

“Yeah. You know my love for him is different than yours.”

“I do, otherwise this would be a different conversation.”

“He’ll always be my best friend.”

“Lizzy?” he asked.

“She’s my best girl friend.”

He smirked. “I like the sound of that.”

I punched his arm. “Never going to happen. Your dick belongs to me and me alone.”

He rubbed at his arm, not losing his wicked expression. “My dick belongs to my wife,” he teased and moved out of my reach. “I came up here to tell you the doctor is waiting.”

“She’s early.”

“She is. But I think we’ve left her waiting long enough. She is doing us a favor.”

It wasn’t exactly the norm to have a doctor make house calls. But Kalen wasn’t taking any chances with our child’s well-being and had persuaded the doctor to come to us.

“Yeah, fine. I’m ready.”

He brought the doctor back up. After a restless two weeks, I had serious cabin fever and wanted out of the bed. I held my breath as she performed an external and internal exam and we listened to the baby’s heartbeat.

“Everything sounds good,” she said.

“I’m free.”

She laughed. “Yes. But take it easy. No heavy lifting.”

I nodded. “Sex?”

Her smile didn’t abate. “Though I’d recommended to Mr. King to hold off on sexual intercourse, you are fine to resume sexual activities.”

I glared at him. Had this been his real reason for denying me?

“I’ll leave you two to work that out,” she said, picking up on my annoyance. “I know the way.”

After she left, I said, “You lied.”

“I didn’t.”

“You never told me the doctor recommended us not to.”

“Why,” he said, lifting his shoulders and letting them fall casually like this wasn’t a big deal. “I already told you I wouldn’t fuck you until you were my wife. This changes nothing.”

“Fine,” I lied. “Go conquer the world or whatever it is you do.”

“Lass,” he said. “You’re angry.”

“No.” I shook my head.

His eyes narrowed. “Ainsley and Gabe are going to see my father. Will you be fine alone?”

“I’m a big girl. There are lots of things I can do by myself,” I said, pointedly sliding a hand from my chest to my thigh.

“Not fair, lass. I can’t stay home with you today.”

“Life isn’t fair. And while you’re working, I’ll be taking care of my needs. Who needs a man anyway?”

“Miss Glicks.”

Damn him for calling me that. I almost broke and begged him to fuck me. Damn pregnancy hormones.

I managed to shoo him out when he tried to speak.

I had a plan.

“Lizzy,” I said into the phone once I heard him leave the penthouse.

“Yeah, babe. What do you need?”

And I told her exactly what I needed her to do.

Forty-One

A mental image of Bailey momentarily blurred the words I’d been reading. Even after so much time, I’d been struck every day by her beauty in a way no other woman had before her.

She had starred in many of a daydream of late and my resolve was growing weak against my need to have her. In fact, as that memory faded, a fantasy of her on my desk with her head thrown back as I pumped into her took its place.

My desk phone buzzed, dissolving that vision with an alert that my assistant was about to speak.