Page 42 of Only for Tonight (Only For #1)

thirty-five

Ariella

“W ell,” I announce, walking out of our bathroom, “I think I’m officially pregnant.” I look down at my bare belly as I walk to the bed, wearing a sports bra and booty shorts.

“You think?” He smiles from our bed, leaning back on the pillows, watching the television.

“You were officially pregnant a while ago, baby.” He is bare chested wearing just boxers, and even though I see him like this all the time, he still makes my mouth water and certain parts of me tingle.

Parts that at this stage of the game should not be tingling at all.

I shake my head as I walk toward the bed, rubbing my hands over my belly. Gone is the small little baby bump, in its place looks like a small cantaloupe. “I just turned seventeen weeks.” I put my knee on the bed as I get on with him.

“You act like I don’t know.” He looks over at me with one hand behind his head and the other reaching out for me. “I have the calendar on the fridge.”

I lie next to him, kissing his neck. “I can’t believe we are already moved into the new house.” I look around the bedroom. “It feels like it happened in a blink of an eye.”

“It didn’t,” he deadpans. “The blink would have been faster if you had let me hire people at the beginning to pack our stuff instead of saying you could do it.”

“I could have.” I turn, propping the pillows against my back and leaning on them and reaching over for the bowl of fruit he brought up for me after he left me in the shower.

“You could have but you also work during the day, and I didn’t want you doing it at night when we could be cuddling.” He winks at me. “So it was the best of both worlds.”

I roll my eyes, popping a grape in my mouth, as I think about how crazy the last three weeks were.

After the big fight with Angela, I found out Kirby kicked her ass to the curb.

I also learned she was trying to worm her way back in, but she has since been unsuccessful.

From what Jaxon said, he was done with her for a while; this was just the push he needed to be done with her for good.

Besides, I’ve spent some time with him recently after the games and he’s come over a couple of times to hang with Jaxon, and he is better off without her.

Jaxon found a house in a matter of two days.

We went to visit and I secretly fell in love with it.

I tried not to show it, but when I stepped into what would be the nursery room, my face gave it away.

Then the kitchen was just like the one we both grew up in, and I mistakenly mentioned that to him, and he put an offer in right away on the spot.

It was accepted the day after, and three days later, we had the keys.

A week after that, he had movers at the house to move everything that was packed and ready to go. We left the formal living room set and took everything else. He’s renting it to one of the rookies who just signed his first big contract.

It’s been about two weeks since we’ve settled, and tomorrow the painters are coming to start the nursery, a gift from my parents, even though Jaxon tried to fight my father on it. “Love you, baby,” he says from beside me as I feel his fingers with mine in the fruit bowl.

I’m about to answer him when I feel it. “Oh my God,” I gasp, the tears welling in my eyes, “I think I just felt the baby kick.” The last couple of weeks, I’ve really felt movement and flutters, but this; this is one thousand percent a kick.

He sits up beside me. “No way,” he says and I move the bowl of fruit and grab his hand, putting it right where I felt it. “What did it feel like?” he asks me, his light-blue eyes lighting up even more as he places his other hand on the other side.

“It felt like someone just kicked me from inside my stomach,” I tell him.

It happens again and Jaxon shrieks, “I felt it!” He leans forward and puts his lips on my stomach. “Hey in there,” he says. The baby kicks again and his mouth and eyes both open wide. “It’s me, your dad.”

“And your mom,” I add and Jaxon rolls his eyes at me. “He knows you are here all the time. He doesn’t know I’m here all the time. What if he thinks you are doing all the work?”

I look down at my stomach. “I am doing all the work,” I huff out at him. “Also, that makes no sense whatsoever.” He shakes his head.

“Mom and Dad are both here,” he corrects. “We love you,” he adds and I just smile at him. “Also, if you’re a boy, kick once.”

“Jaxon.” I laugh at him. “We said we wanted it to be a surprise.”

“I think you getting pregnant was the surprise,” he jokes, not moving his hands off my stomach, where he stays for the next forty-five minutes, but nothing happens.

“I guess it’s a girl,” he pouts when he finally goes back to his side of the bed.

“Jaxon, you can’t base it off of ‘kick if you’re a boy.’” I get under the cover and turn to my side. “What if the baby is thinking, ‘my parents are annoying, so I’m not going to do anything.’” I close my eyes and then feel him get closer to me, pulling me toward him.

“My parents want to throw you a baby shower,” he states and I groan.

“Will they listen if I say no?” I look up at him and he smirks.

“If you try to say no, I think they are going to call your parents,” he informs me, “and since your mother has already been on your ass about starting a registry…”

“I don’t need a registry because we both make enough money to cover the baby’s needs,” I tell him what I told my parents. “Then throw in our families, and this kid is going to be pimped out.”

“Which is why you need the registry.” He rubs his nose on my jawline.

“So you’re telling me, I make a registry and your father or my father isn’t the first one clicking that link and buying it all out?” I ask him and he chuckles, knowing I’m right. “It’s going to be like The Hunger Games .”

“They want to do it in two months, so this is me warning you.”

“Thanks,” I deadpan. “I’ll be twenty-five weeks, so I’ll be about as big as a house.”

“From the book I’ve read, you gain the most weight the last month.” I gasp out and slap his abs. “What did I say?”

“Don’t mention all the weight I’m going to gain,” I groan.

“Baby, the only weight you’ve gained”—he pulls me to him—“is your ass and your tits, and I’m all for it.

” I roll my eyes, because so far I’ve gained seven pounds and most of that weight is in my breasts and very little in my ass.

He lifts my leg over his hip. “Why are you wearing things as a barrier to my favorite place on earth? ” I can’t help but laugh at his question. “You need to be naked at all times.”

“I’ll take that into consideration.”

“Also, there are going to be construction workers here tomorrow morning at seven,” he says and I lean back to look at him.

“My father said you wanted the baby to take swimming lessons, so he thought we should have a pool in the backyard,” he explains.

“I’m going to need our fathers not to be so fucking extra,” I grumble, making him laugh. “Making me laugh since day one, my ass,” I retort as he rolls me to my back and proceeds to peel my shorts off of me.

* * *

“How does this look?” I ask Jaxon as I walk out of the closet wearing a dress. “Does this scream future mother?” The white knit dress fits me like a glove and is tight all the way down to my ankles.

“It screams bend over and let me bang you.” He looks me up and down, coming to me and hugging me from behind while I look into the mirror, his hand on my stomach. “You have to change it.”

“Okay,” I agree, walking back to the closet and grabbing the other dress. It is one-shouldered and just as tight, but this one also has a slit in the front. I make sure I’m all tucked in before walking back out. “This one?”

“What the fuck? Where are the burlap bags?” He looks back into the closet and they are all tight.

“I have a cute bump”—I rub my stomach—“so my aunt thought we should show it off.”

“I mean, no one is going to try to come on to you, so I guess it’s okay.”

“Is that how you see things nowadays?” I gruff out as I look down at my body. “Your child is kicking me,” I throw over my shoulder.

“He doesn’t like your outfit either,” he grumbles as he comes to put his hands on me. “He thinks you should wear my T-shirts and shorts.” I laugh at him as the sound of my name is being called up the steps.

“Come on down!” my mother yells and I close my eyes.

“I would, but Jaxon won’t let me be,” I say, throwing him under the bus. “He’s got his hands all over me.”

“Wow,” my father shouts, “didn’t you do enough damage already?”

“Why would you do that knowing he is here?” he hisses at me and I burst out laughing.

“I think it’s a little late to be modest about that since I’m literally attending my baby shower.”

“Our baby shower,” he reminds me, grabbing my hand and walking down the steps.

“Wait until you see outside.” He pulls me toward the backyard, where the new pool sits with a fence around it.

The whole other part of the backyard is covered by a tent and there are white tables and chairs everywhere.

Each table has what looks like a teddy bear holding on to a bouquet of blue, brown, and light-pink balloons.

We walk outside and we’re literally engulfed by all the family members on both sides. They try to pull Jaxon away from me, but he’s Jaxon and refuses to leave my side. I’m turning to walk when I spot Lexi coming down the steps in the backyard, and my mouth opens.

She looks around and then looks down and she tucks her black hair behind her ear as I start to walk to her.

“Lexi,” I call her name and she looks up, smiling at me.

Her dark-blue eyes stare at me as she smiles and then bumps into someone.

She immediately jumps back, falling to the ground, and turning her head to the side.

“I’m so sorry,” Kirby says. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

She tries to stand up, but I can see her shaking and I stop in my tracks. “No, I’m sorry.” She avoids looking at him. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.” Her voice is monotone, and I finally make it to them.

“Hey,” I greet her and she looks at me but still avoids looking at Kirby. “Lexi,” I call her name, taking her in my arms and feeling how thin she is. “This is such a nice surprise,” I say and she smiles at me. “I didn’t think you could make it.” She is usually never at any family gatherings.

“Trent was called in for emergency surgery, so I thought why not.” She smiles at me, mentioning her husband, who is a renowned neurosurgeon. He’s the head of neurosurgery in Phoenix.

“Amazing. Lexi, this is one of Jaxon’s teammates, Kirby,” I introduce them and she doesn’t extend her hand like she normally would, instead she smiles and nods her head.

“It’s nice to meet you.” She holds her purse tightly in both her hands. “I’m sorry about bumping into you.” She looks quickly away from him. “I’m going to go and say hello to my mother. She doesn’t know I’m here.”

She walks away from us and I look at Kirby. “Holy fuck,” he swears, “she’s fucking beautiful.”

“She’s very married,” I tell him.

“Oh, I know, the six-carat rock on her hand screams stay away from my wife,” he jokes.

“I put my gift at the door. If you can open it in front of Jaxon, I’ll give you twenty bucks.

” He winks at me and walks away. My eyes go back to look at Lexi, who smiles at her mother, and then stands behind her as her mother jokes with a couple of the guys from the team, making sure there is someone in between them.

“You okay?” Jaxon asks, coming to me.

“Yeah,” I reply, shaking my head, making a note to message Lexi later. “Kirby gave us a gift and left it at the door. He says we have to open it together.”

“Fun,” he says, slipping his hand in mine. “Let’s get you sitting down and off your feet.” I let him lead me to sit down , only stepping away about thirty minutes later when I escape to go to the bathroom.

I walk into the house and duck down to go upstairs to my own bathroom when I hear her voice.

“Trent, I thought you would be busy all weekend.” Her voice is almost frantic.

“I’m sorry, I’ll come back home right now.

” Then she stops. “Yes, yes, of course. I’ll leave right now.

” I look into the living room, seeing her in the corner of the room, her side turned to look at the wall.

“Of course I’ll tell them not to come.” She doesn’t say anything else because Trent must have hung up.

“Hey,” I say, my heart beating fast in my chest, “are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She smiles and it’s so fake her face almost cracks.

“Trent finished earlier than he thought and wanted to take me away for a couple of days.” I can smell the fear on her.

“I have to go and tell my parents I’m going away and they can’t visit.

” She blinks away the tears. “I’m sorry I can’t stay longer. ”

“No, of course.” I shake my head. “I’m just happy you came.” I go to hug her and I don’t know why, but I hug her even tighter. “We should”—I swallow down the lump—“definitely make a plan for you to come and visit when you get back.”

“That sounds nice,” she says, smiling. “I really have to go.” She walks away from me with her head down and then I hear her shriek. I walk out to see Kirby standing there with his hands on her arms. “I’m so sorry again.”

“You know what they say,” Kirby tries to joke with her, “never a third without a second.”

She doesn’t answer him because she’s literally shaking. “Funny,” she replies and walks away from him.

“Is she okay?” Kirby asks, worry all over his face. “She was shaking like a leaf.”

“She has to get back home to her husband,” I relay and his eyebrows go up. “I have to get to the bathroom.” I put my hand on my stomach, walking away from him, and head to the bathroom, my mind now filled with Lexi.