Page 81 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

RICK

K im was dozing with her cheek on my thigh, all curled up in the mint-green waiting-room chairs, when a disheveled dark-haired man in a hospital robe came around the corner. I knew without having to ask who he was. He was the new father.

I could see it in the brightness of his eyes but the exhausted slump of his shoulders. He was tired, worn out, and completely drained, but he had just fallen more in love in the last hour than he ever had before.

His baby was here.

I nudged Kim’s shoulder gently. “Hey, wake up. Someone is here to see you.”

Kim’s eyes fluttered open. She pushed herself up, raked her fingers through her hair, and blinked around the waiting room until she spotted the tired father. Then she was on her feet and rushing toward him. “Rhys, is everything okay? How’s Vanny? Is—”

“She’s here,” Rhys breathed.

I got out of my chair and joined them. Rhys let out a joyful laugh and grabbed Kim to pull her in for a hug. When he let her go, his eyes were glistening with tears.

“We have a beautiful baby girl,” he said. “She’s seven pounds, two ounces. Happy and healthy. Just like Momma.”

“When can I see her?” Kim asked.

“She’s getting some tests done and then the nurses will bring her back into the room to see us.”

I knew Kim was asking about her friend, not the baby. So I put a hand in the small of Kim’s back and reached out to shake Rhys’s hand. “Hey, man. I’m Rick. I know these are curious circumstances for introductions. But I wanted to say congratulations.”

Rhys shook my hand. “Nice to meet you, man. Heard a lot about you.” He turned a smile toward Kim. “It’s good to see you both here. Together.”

She waved him off. “Shut up. Let me see Vanny.”

We followed Rhys back to the room and stopped to collect the gifts from the nurses’ station. When we stepped into the room with the balloons, treats, and drinks, the new mother’s eyes lit up. Kim cracked open one of the Mountain Dews and passed it to her first.

Vanessa tilted her head back and took five greedy gulps. She smacked her lips and closed her eyes when she was done. “That is the best thing I have ever tasted. You are the best friend a girl could ask for.”

Kim rubbed her friend’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” Vanessa said. “I’m numb. So I mean, I’m sure pain is coming. But I don’t feel it right now.”

Kim smiled. “You kicked ass, Vanny. I’m so proud of you.”

Both women started to tear up until they both burst into tears and Kim wrapped her arms around Vanessa’s neck.

Rhys nudged me with his elbow. “So what’s the deal here? You two back together?”

“We have to work out the details,” I said.

“So… you are?”

I chuckled. “It’s leaning that way.”

Rhys clapped me on the shoulder. “Then it’s only fitting you were here today. I’m glad Kim didn’t have to sit out there by herself.”

Kim broke the hug with her friend. “When are your parents coming?”

“They’re on their way,” Vanessa said. “We didn’t want them to have to wait around. We had things under control. They should be here any minute.”

“We’ll clear out of here then,” Kim said. “You guys have your visit. I’ll come back tomorrow with more food.”

“And Mountain Dew,” Vanessa said.

Kim laughed. “Yes. And Mountain Dew.”

“At least stay to meet her,” Rhys said. Kim glanced up at him. “The nurses should be back with her any second. She’s perfect. And she needs to meet her auntie.”

Kim wiped away fresh tears. “Twist my arm, why don’t you?”

Five minutes later, the door opened and a nurse entered with a tiny bundle swaddled in pink blankets in her arms. She brought the baby over to her father first, who took her in his arms and handled her like he was already a pro at this.

I hung back and watched Kim peer down into the angelic face of the baby girl and promptly melt into a puddle of emotions.

My woman was real. Genuine. She felt deeply, loved fiercely, and would make a great auntie to the little girl who was just seeing the world for her very first time. I loved every piece of her soul. And later, I would show her just how much.

But first, I had to call Chessie and check in on her and Jennifer. It was already close to midnight. The baby had come much faster than I’d expected but Jennifer had probably assumed I’d be home from my date by now. So I gave her a call and asked if she could spend the night if need be.

Jennifer happily agreed and told me Chessie was already sound asleep in bed. I told her to make herself at home and use the hot tub if she wanted.

Then I sucked in the last few moments of watching Kim amongst her family.

My driver parked at the curb outside Kim’s apartment around two in the morning. We ended up staying later at the hospital and I met a handful of people at their happiest, Vanessa’s family primarily.

I could tell Kim was tired as she got out of the back of the car and I offered to walk her to the door.

“Do you want to come up?” she asked. “I don’t think I’ll be able to go to sleep. And we have some things to talk about.”

That was all the invitation I needed. I got out of the car, dismissed my driver for the night, and went into the building with Kim.

When we stepped into her unit, it was nearly pitch black.

She flicked on the light above the stove and left everything else off as she put on a pot of water to make tea.

She also put some toast in the toaster and pulled out a jar of peanut butter.

“I’ve been putting off grocery shopping, so I don’t have much, but do you want some toast?” she offered.

“Sure.”

We stood at the kitchen island and ate slightly burnt toast with peanut butter and sipped green tea. Kim told me stories about her and Vanessa and I listened in rapture.

“I’m glad you were there tonight,” she said when she put our dishes in the dishwasher. “It felt like you were supposed to be. You know?”

“I do.”

She nodded down the hallway toward her bedroom. “Want to stay the night?”

Yes. “Only if you think it’s a good idea,” I said. “I don’t want this to happen just because emotions are running high.”

“That’s not what this is.” Kim walked toward me and took my hands in hers.

“I want to be with you, Rick. I’ve felt so hollow and empty since I broke things off with you.

Even though it scares me to think what this might mean for my business, it scares me more to think of a future where I’d never know if you were supposed to be my person. ”

“You’re saying all the right things.” I cupped her cheek in one hand and she leaned into my touch, closing her eyes. “If you’re willing to try again, then so am I. I’m all in.”

Her eyes fluttered open. “Me too.”

“Tabloids be damned?”

“Tabloids be damned. I don’t care what strangers think. And I have to believe that good clients will know how distorted magazines are. This won’t ruin my business. And I refuse to let anything stand between us. You make me too happy.”

I swallowed. “Then there’s one more thing you should know, speaking of tabloids.”

Kim cocked her head to the side. “Oh?”

“Verity was the one who sold us out to the press. She gave an exclusive off the record interview to a reporter who ran with the story and worked to catch us in the act. That’s why they were at the dock that afternoon.”

Kim surprised me when she shrugged. “Honestly? I figured as much.”

“You’re not mad?”

“About what?”

“At Verity?”

Kim licked her lips and didn’t answer right away. When she had her thoughts together, she smiled. “Rick, Verity doesn’t matter. I don’t think she’s going to bother us anymore. And if she tries it won’t matter, because we’re on the same page now. A united front. All in. Right?”

“I love you.”

Her smile chased away the lingering fatigue I saw in the corners of her eyes. “I love you too.”

I pulled her in close and ran a finger along her jaw and down the side of her neck, where I followed the low cut of her dress down between her cleavage. “You’ve been driving me wild in this dress all night long, you know?”

“Oh yeah? How wild?”

A wolfish smile stretched my cheeks and I picked her up. She wrapped her strong legs around my hips and let me carry her out of the kitchen and down the hallway. “Let me show you.”

Her delighted giggle rang in my ears until we reached the bedroom.

I set her back down on her feet and turned her around so I could gently draw down the zipper of her dress.

I nudged it off her shoulders and arms and then down over her hips.

It fell from her body to the floor, where it gathered around her feet.

Underneath, she wore a sheer black-lace bra with no padding and matching panties.

She turned to me and sat down, and I went to one knee in front of her to remove her boots.

She watched me work with hunger in her eyes.

I slid the boots off her feet, set them aside, and worked on stripping out of my clothes.

The lust in her gaze deepened and she took her bottom lip between her teeth and pinched so hard, parts of her lip, which were now only stained with light red around the edges, turned white.

“Take it all off for me,” I told her.

Kim stood from the bed and stripped out of her matching lace set. Her body was a work of art. Even though I’d seen her naked countless times now, the sight never failed to take my breath away. She was all long lines and soft curves. Her breasts were full and perky as hell. The perfect handfuls.

I walked her back against the bed and forced her down on her back. Then I went back down to my knees and pushed her legs apart. She made a soft cooing sound as I settled between her thighs and tasted her.

She opened up for me and I teased her clit with my tongue and squeezed her hips with my hands.

She whimpered and writhed in my grasp as I took my time with her.

I edged her, bringing her near to her climax and then backing off and slowing down, leaving her twitching and breathless on the bed.

Finally, when she couldn’t take it anymore, she plunged her fingers into my hair and held me there until she came.

I straightened and she rolled onto her stomach and climbed across the bed on her hands and knees to grab a condom from the nightstand. She tossed it to me.

“Hurry up,” she muttered.

“Impatient?”

“Very.”

Chuckling, I rolled the condom on. She watched me and reached for me.

I followed her reaching fingers and settled on top of her.

Her hair was splayed out on the bedding and her lips were parted.

She let out a soft moan as I pressed deep inside her, and she gripped my shoulders and lifted her hips to tell me she was ready for more.

So I gave it to her.

I gave it to her deep and hard and slow. I rolled my hips and grinded against her until it was too much and she broke open for me again. I cupped her cheeks and kissed her lips and nose and chin and worshiped every part of her.

Finally, it felt like she was truly mine, and we were all tied up together in a messy but beautiful bow.