Page 29 of With A Little Luck

Chapter Twenty-Four

Quincy

T rigg strides out, and Hart comes over, taking a seat on the edge of the couch.

My chest gets tight.

It could be from worrying about whatever work Trigg is about to attend to. It also could be concern about how Hart will react to Trigg courting me.

The baby moves, and I pull a hand to chase the movements. She’s grown so much stronger over the last couple of weeks. Feeling her bouncing around and knowing that she’s safe and progressing like she’s supposed to be is a huge relief.

It’s just uncomfortable sometimes, like how she just moved into a position that makes it difficult to take a full breath.

The baby kicks me right in the diaphragm or something. I have no idea what that organ is, but it makes me jolt.

I do my best to ignore it, focusing on Hart.

“Trigg said he would delete the video of anything intimate,” I blurt out. “I’m sorry I didn’t have a conversation with you?—”

Hart frowns, bringing his hand to my stomach. “You shouldn’t have to apologize to me for building your pack.” He must feel a solid kick because his jaw falls. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “She’s getting a little vicious with those kicks and punches.”

“Listen, Quincy.” Hart’s face turns more serious. “I don’t think Trigg is all he’s cracked up to be, but I’m going to work on finding some common ground for your sake. I don’t want you to feel torn in two directions or like you have to choose between us.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, trying not to get my hopes up.

He nods. “Yeah, I’m not trying to add any additional stress to your plate, but I will be here if he ends up being not what he seems.”

I snort. “You mean if he’s not actually a stalker with major boundary issues? That would be disappointing.” His eyebrows rise, and I laugh. “I’m only kidding.”

Footsteps come our way, and Hart leans in close. “Ridge is going to try to tell you that box is from me. I’m not sure if he thinks you won’t accept it if you know it’s from him, but I think you should know the truth, and don’t be afraid to take it.”

My eyes widen.

He didn’t have to warn me about that, but I appreciate it.

I whisper a quick, “Thank you.”

Ridge makes it into the room, rubbing his hands together. “Okay, I heard there are gifts.”

Hart pulls his hand away from my stomach and stands. “I’ve got to run up and call my brother. I need to warn him about your doctor’s appointment tomorrow and let him know neither of us will be coming in.”

“I need to speak to Dr. Lindsay to see if she has a timeline of how much longer she thinks it’s safe for me to work.

” That way, I’ll be able to give them notice.

At this point, I don’t know if I’ll ever make it back to working at the restaurant after I deliver or if they would even hold my job for me, but I don’t want to leave them shorthanded now.

“I know they’ll probably fire me, but I’ll work until they find someone to replace me. ”

Ridge looks from me to Hart. “She’s not going back to work while Costa is out there somewhere. Let your family know she won’t be back until well after the baby is born.”

Dammit.

I had a feeling he was going to say that.

“I have bills to pay,” I grind out, trying not to turn into a hormone-fueled gremlin. “I can’t just take a few months off work.”

“I’m going to let the two of you discuss that,” Hartley says, sounding amused. He abandons me without another word, and I glare at his back.

“Did you plan to strap the baby into a carrier and wait tables with her on your chest?” Ridge asks, taking a seat at my side. He grins and slides his hand over my stomach. “Is she moving?”

“She’s trying to rearrange my organs at the moment,” I grumble, grabbing his hand and relocating it to just under my breasts.

“Keeping up with the doctor’s visits, saving for my hospital stay, and managing my household bills doesn’t leave a lot leftover for a lengthy maternity leave.

Not all of us live in multi-million dollar mansions.

” I bite my lip, glancing away. “I shouldn’t have said that. ”

“Nah, I probably deserved it,” Ridge says, pulling his glasses off and resting them on top of his head. “I’ll pay off the doctor tomorrow when we go in for your visit. Find me the contact information for the hospital, and I’ll handle that whenever.”

My head shakes. “I don’t mind doing my part. That’s not what I was trying to say.”

“You’ve already done your part,” Ridge says, sliding his hand over my dress as he chases the baby’s movements. “You’ve been working and trying to track me down, all while growing a human being. You get to relax now.”

That sounds amazing, but I also don’t want to take advantage of his kindness. He really should have asked for a paternity test before even bringing me here. I know the baby is his, but we spent a total of one night together.

“I don’t mind working?—”

“Then go back whenever you’re ready.” He shrugs. “I’m cool with staying home with the baby if you want the freedom of getting out of the house.”

I’m so confused.

Does he think I’m going to live here now?

I have my own house to take care of.

Not to mention, we barely know each other.

“Anyway…” He jumps up, grabbing the massive storage container and bringing it back. He drops it on the floor next to the couch. “You should open this.”

My hands flatten on the cushion, and I push myself back even farther until I’m fully sitting up. “What is it?”

“I can’t ruin the surprise,” he says, chuckling. He pops the lid off the bin, and my jaw falls. It’s difficult to see what’s under the silver and baby blue tissue paper, but the container is packed full.

There’s a card on top, and Ridge plucks it off, handing it to me.

The front says The Divine Omega. Flipping it over, it has a personalized message.

Quincy,

This gift was perfected for you by your alpha. All products have been individually selected to match your scent profile. Our process targets which products should work best based on the questionnaire your alpha completed, but we all know how persnickety omegas can be.

If something isn’t up to your standards, you can return any product, at any time, for any reason. We have a one-hundred percent satisfaction guarantee.

Keep your eyes out.

The gift doesn’t end here.

You’ll receive five deluxe boxes, one every two months for the next year.

The Divine Omega

“How in the world did you get this delivered this fast?” I ask, laying the card on my thigh.

“Maybe Hartley used his star power, and they were motivated to get it here fast.” Ridge shrugs.

I’m thankful Hart warned me Ridge might try to pass off the gift as not being from him.

“Yeah, or maybe you paid a rush fee. Either way, thank you.” I stretch a hand over, patting his strong thigh.

“You haven’t even seen what’s inside,” he says, chuckling. “Save the gratitude for if you like it.”

I’m sure I will.

It’s even more unreal that he got a subscription that will be delivered five more times. I’ve checked out their catalog before, and I’m pretty sure he got the biggest package.

“Unless you want to keep hold of me while I dig in the bin, you might want to just hand me the items.” I laugh. “My center of gravity is way off, and I don’t want to take a header straight onto the floor.”

His eyes widen. “Yeah, let’s avoid that.”

He unfolds the tissue paper, and underneath is something light gray and fuzzy. He pulls it out and hands it over. There’s a ribbon tied around the middle, and I give it a quick tug.

As I shake out the fabric, a pair of slippers that must have been folded up inside go flying. It’s a super fluffy and warm robe, and I can’t help myself. I pull it to my face, rubbing it around to test the material.

“This is incredible,” I whisper, tugging it down to see Ridge has plucked something else out of the bin. “I love it.”

“You’re easy to please.” He laughs. “We haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet.” He shakes the small zip-up carrying case. “This has a bunch of shit. An eye mask, earplugs, scent-blocking soap, scent-enhancing soap, and that kind of thing.”

“I didn’t even realize they made scent-enhancing soap,” I say, my nose wrinkling. “I doubt I’ll use that. Sometimes my scent gets so thick it makes me feel like I’m about to gag. Maybe we can swap out that item?”

“Nah, it’s not for you, sweetheart. That one is for your alphas,” Ridge says, putting the carrying case down on the couch.

He reaches back into the bin. “This is the same stuff, but in a cologne. It’s supposed to help settle your system when you’re in heat.

” He shrugs and drops it next to the other items. “I don’t know, but I got it. ”

I almost want to tease him for slipping up and admitting he got it, but I’m not sure if we’re at the joking stage yet. Putting him on the spot when he’s doing something thoughtful feels like a terrible way to show my appreciation.

“I’ve never even heard of that, but it sounds like something that could come in handy.”

Ridge digs in the container and pops up again.

“These are exchangeable if you don’t like them or they don’t fit.

They didn’t really have a lot in the maternity section…

” He frowns, handing me a stack of folded clothes.

“Or that’s what Hartley said.” He shrugs.

“But I do know we have a The Divine Omega store in town, so changing them out should be easy if they don’t fit. ”

I take them, drop them onto my stomach, and grab his hand before he can pull back. “ If this gift happens to be from you, I wish you would just be truthful about it.”

His bright aqua-blue eyes meet mine, and he studies my face. “I bought it, but it’s from all of us. It doesn’t have to mean anything?—”

“And if I did want it to mean something?”

Ridge leans forward, sliding his huge, scratchy palm over my cheek. His fingers dig into the back of my skull, weaving into my hair.

I’m not sure who moves first, but I wouldn’t be shocked to learn I’m the one who dives for his mouth. His stubble scratches against my cheek, and his thick lips brush over mine. Seriously, he has incredibly plush lips that I’m a little jealous of, and they feel amazing pressed to mine.

My nostrils flare, breathing in his potent scent.

Bergamot.

Leather.

Pipe tobacco.

So perfectly Ridge.

He licks the seam of my lips, and I open, only for him to tease his tongue into my mouth. It’s slow and sensual, made even more intense by the tight grip he keeps on my skull.

I freaking whimper, which is kinda embarrassing when it’s just the beginning of the kiss.

Ridge growls, the sound vibrating out of his chest and around the room.

It’s a little muffled by our mouths, but he pulls back, giving me the chance to breathe.

I’ve barely gotten a gasp of air when he leans into the kiss once more, pushing my top half against the couch cushion.

He follows me, careful not to put any weight on the baby.

The way he cradles my skull while kissing the ever-loving hell out of me seems to steal all the air from my lungs.

God, I missed him.

My fingers dig into the back of his neck, but I’m forced to pull my mouth from his all too soon.

This baby is taking up all my breathing room.

His baby.

And that makes everything even more real.

“You are beautiful,” Ridge says, nuzzling his nose to mine.

He goes on to mark each of my cheeks with his pheromones, and my insides light up.

It’s somewhat of an intimate move shared between alphas and omegas.

“Now, I need you to finish checking out the rest of your gifts. After that, I have one more thing to show you.”

My heart races.

Shit.

I think my crush on Ridge never really disappeared, and it just came rushing back with a vengeance.