Page 59 of As The Shifter World Turns

59

CHANGES

Ivor

I turned over, stuffing the pillow under my head. I loved Ryder’s bed though I didn’t mention that to him because he was stuck sleeping on the sofa. But as I wriggled my ass trying to get comfortable and put a hand on my belly, my knee nudged a warm body.

Thinking I was dreaming of the night I first slept with Ryder when he mumbled Kellan’s name, my eyes shot open, wanting to be out of the nightmare.

Ryder! It was real. I blinked, trying to focus on how we got here. Oh, right the shower, getting naked, and my cock. My emotions were so tangled it would take forever to unravel them. But it was early and the alarm wouldn’t ring for another hour.

Much as I didn’t want to, I had to deal with the asswipe first. I’d given him too much power. Every phone call, message and knock at the door, my mind went to him. And sure Ryder had to take responsibility for his actions of being there for Kellan and giving in to Kellan’s demands, but the guy had loomed larger in my imagination than he was in reality.

Kellan was gone, and I needed to banish him from my thoughts and my life.

While it wasn’t as easy as ticking Kellan off my list, it was a start.

Now for Ryder. I loved him. That was a given and my wolf longed for us to mate. But I wasn’t giving in to my beast’s whims. I had to be certain. Breaking up with Ryder had been right. I needed the space because all I could hear were Kellan’s lies. No matter what Ryder said, it made no difference.

Getting pregnant wasn’t part of my life’s plan, but it had brought Ryder and I together and shown me why I’d fallen for him. Living in the same apartment had us doing things that couples do, without the sex, and while watching movies, making dinner and cleaning the apartment, I’d fallen in love with him again. But that wasn’t true. I’d never fallen out of love. Not really.

And then there was the kiss, and days later we were in the shower, naked, and with his hand on my dick, I’d come.

My tummy was all jumbly and I probably needed to eat but as I lay on my back and rubbed my belly, I froze. What was that? Could it be?—?

Baby . My wolf knew.

“Ryder!” I yelled and he shot up, eyes blurred with sleep and hair sticking up.

“What? Are you hungry? I can go to the store.”

“Give me your hand?”

He closed one eye and rubbed his chest. “You want me to jerk you off again, love?”

I ignored the last word. “No! Just do it, please? The hand, not the jerking off part.”

He did and I placed it on my belly. “You’re hungry.”

“Shush and wait.”

Seconds passed and I wondered if I’d imagined it. But no, there it was. A tiny kick. “Did you feel it?”

Ryder was crying. His eyes were leaking huge tears. “Is that our baby?”

“Mmmm.”

He rested his head on me, his ear against my mid-section. “Oh my gods, our baby’s going to play football.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

When the kicking stopped, Ryder got up and made tea for us both. Our little one’s first kicks had put off the awkward conversation of what happened in the shower.

“About last night,” we both burst out.

“You go first,” I told him.

“No, you.”

I gathered my thoughts—or tried to. “I don’t know what to think. It was nice, beyond nice, and I felt so close to you.”

“I sense a but coming.”

“Not really. Maybe. Inside my head must be similar to scrambled eggs.”

Ryder put down his cup and took mine from me, setting it on the bedside table. He took my hands in his. “I’m not going anywhere. Take all the time you need. The baby’s healthy and we’re getting along great.” I opened my mouth but he put his finger to my lips. “No more sex unless you give the okay.”

“And if that doesn’t happen?”

His face registered pain but he said what I needed him to say. “Then we’ll co-parent and sort out our living situation after the baby arrives.”

Co-parenting would be complicated if we didn’t work out, but in the meantime, I felt the baby again, and Ryder got into bed and we snuggled, hands on my belly until the alarm rang.

Neil

“Ivor, I love your little baby bump. It’s so cute.”

“Wanna feel?” he asked. “The baby’s awake.”

“Awww.” I rested a hand on his belly. “I can’t wait to hold your little one.”

“Me neither, but first food. I’m starving.”

“Sorry, I’m late,” Archer announced as he walked in. “I was visiting my parents.”

“How are they doing?” Ivor asked as he munched on a slice of pizza while holding garlic bread in the other hand.

“So so,” Archer said as he helped himself to fried noodles.

“I’m going to see them tomorrow and taking them chocolate cake from their favorite bakery,” I told Archer.

“Thanks. You’re a sweetheart.”

“Time to go around the circle and say what’s new in our life,” Ivor announced as he polished off his second slice of pizza.

“You’ve heard mine already,” Archer said. “When I’m not working or with Elune, I’m with my parents. “Your turn, Ivor.”

“Ummm.” He was stalling.

“Is that a good ummm or a bad one?” I asked.

“Okay, fine.” He told us about Ryder giving him a hand job in the shower and the aftermath the following morning.

I clapped my hands and bounced up and down on my chair. “I’m crossing my fingers and toes for you and Ryder.”

“I hope so.”

“What about you, Neil? Any big changes in your life?” Archer asked.

“Actually, yes.”

“What?” Both my friends sat forward and Ivor stopped chewing.

“It’s about my job.”

The pizza fell from Ivor’s mouth onto his plate and I handed him a napkin. “Tell us.”

Martin and I had been discussing the issue of my work for a while. He didn’t like what I did but hated when I got naked on camera. But those clients were my biggest money makers and while I didn’t love it, I resisted thinking about it because I didn’t want Martin telling me what to do.

My heart said if I wanted to move forward with our relationship, I had to compromise, but my head understood I had to keep earning money. I was good at what I did and I made my clients happy. And then there was Toby. He was a smart kid. One day, sooner rather than later, he’d figure it out. Both Martin and I wanted to avoid that.

“I decided no more naked stuff and I’ve already implemented it.”

“That’s huge,” Ivor mumbled.

Archer giggled. “That’s what his clients said when they saw?—“

“Archer!” Ivor said in a shocked voice but then he caught my eye and we burst into hysterical giggles.

When we calmed down, I explained my plan. “I studied my client list and most of them are regulars who want specific things. One likes to watch me do my makeup, one tells me how to put on makeup. Another likes to discuss fashion and I parade around in different outfits for him. Some just want me to listen to their problems and others need to hear how much I like them.”

“And what about the clients who wanted to see your dick?” Ivor said.

“I’ve recommended a friend who does similar work.”

“Don’t hate me for saying this, but is Martin helping to pay your rent?” That was Archer.

“He offered but there was no need. My income did drop, but I’ve gotten new clients, ones who veered away from me in the past after reading the description of the services I offered. I’m not earning as much, but I’m hopeful it’ll pick up.”

“Sounds as though it could have been worse in terms of you losing income,” Archer noted.

“But how do you feel after stopping the…” Ivor paused and then continued with, “the dick moves?” He snorted and the water he was holding sprayed over his lap. “Dick moves. Sorry, that was rude. Not sure what’s gotten into me.”

Archer jumped in before I could reply. “Based on what you told us about you and Ryder in the shower, I’d say nothing yet. But sounds like it might be soon.”

“Archer!” Ivor tossed a cushion at our friend as the three of us dissolved into laughter.