Page 20 of Xander (Soulless Outlaws Motorcycle Club #2)

And when I saw the top of his head, followed by the rest of his big, glorious body, come up the last step, I smiled.

His eyes were on me, and then they moved to where I was standing, and he lifted a brow, “What did you do?”

I winked, “I have a surprise for you.”

He walked over to me, stopped, bent his neck, and pressed a soft kiss on my lips, then he said, “Is that right?”

I giggled, then I said, “Close your eyes, okay?”

He eyed me but nodded.

He closed his eyes for me.

I stepped to the side and opened the door, then I took his hands in mine as I said, “Keep them closed, but come with me.”

He matched me step for step, and when I had him in the bedroom, I said, “Open.”

His eyes opened, and then he took in the room.

And I knew when he saw it, because his eyes widened, then they came to me.

I turned my head to look at the mini motorcycle in the corner of the room and the blue and pink boots sitting on the small seat.

Then I looked up at him, “Pretty sure you knocked me up on our wedding night.”

His eyes stayed glued to mine, then he inhaled a deep breath, then another one, and then, I was up in his arms, my back to the wall, my legs around his hips, and his mouth was on mine.

He kissed me so deeply, so passionately that I knew what he was saying without words.

He pulled his lips from mine and then buried his face in my neck.

... and then I felt it.

Or I should say, them.

Wetness hit my skin.

I rubbed my hands over his shoulders as they shook beneath my fingers.

My man.

My strong man.

Then he lifted his head, and his caramel-colored eyes were brimming with tears.

His eyes locked on mine, and he whispered, “Never give you reason to ever leave me.”

I nodded, “I know.”

Then he winked, “Stars are wincing.”

I grinned.

Xander

I had just finished rubbing lotion into her skin when she asked, “What is one thing you regret in life? One thing, Xander.”

I lay there as I thought about what she asked.

And knew I didn’t have any regrets... but one.

“I wish I had shot the liquified cocaine into my mother’s vein a hell of a lot sooner.”

My woman just stared at me, then a slow smile spread across her face... “Same.”

And that was my woman.

My entire world.

Having my back without even trying.

***

Her stomach was growing each day, and it was a marvel to see.

The day she told me she was pregnant was the third-best day of my life.

The first was when she said that she only wanted me as I was.

The second was when I slid my rings onto her left hand.

And at the start of each week since that day, we took a picture in the foyer with her back to my front, and my hands splayed protectively over her belly.

Right now, those protective instincts were front and center.

It was the fourth of July, and she was trying to get me to agree to go to Mardi Gras in the French Quarter.

I wasn’t having it.

She stomped her foot and snapped, “Xander Philip Kope, you promised to give me my every heart’s desire. And the baby and I want the food that will be there.”

I growled, “Another one of your heart’s desires was to never visit me behind plated glass. Has that changed?”

She snapped, “Of fucking course not.”

I lifted a brow.

She growled. “Xander.”

I shook my head, “Baby, we go there. One motherfucker gets close to you and our baby; I’ll lose my ever-loving mind. To many witnesses. Can’t afford to get locked up for killing him.”

She growled again, “I’ll be fine.”

I growled.

She smiled.

Then I relented.

And she was there six hours later as I was being bailed out of jail.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she raced toward me, all the while saying she was sorry.

I wrapped my arms around her as our baby kicked at my stomach, then I buried my face in her hair.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” I told her.

She wailed, “It’s not. It’s my fault. I should have listened to you.”

Then the sheriff who arrested me came over and said, “Charges were dropped. Thanks for knocking the shit out of him so we could finally serve him that warrant he’s been evading.”

And then she went statue still in my arms.

Then she lifted her head and glared up at me, “You knew?”

I nodded, “Course I did. Why do you think I didn’t growl when people videoed it?”

I shouldn’t have said that.

I really shouldn’t have said that.

Because she tore out of my arms and snapped, “You beat the shit out of him on purpose?”

I opened my mouth but shut it.

“You let them put you in handcuffs on purpose?”

I opened my mouth but shut it again.

“You let them put you in a police car, and allowed me to feel like shit for being the reason you got arrested?”

I opened my mouth, again, but shut it.

Then she yelled, “I dropped my turkey leg.”

And with that, she spun on her heel and stalked out of the precinct.

An hour later, I placed everything I had gotten for her on the island.

A turkey leg, a dish of crawfish fettuccine, and with Agatha’s help, Hamburger Surprise.

Then I moved through the house to find my woman.

She was curled up in our bed with her arms wrapped around my pillow.

I debated the sanity of waking my pregnant wife up.

My extremely pregnant wife, but I didn’t want to die.

Therefore, I walked backward out of our bedroom, and to the kitchen, put everything in the fridge, and then locked up the house.

I was carefully crawling into bed, curling my body around hers when she asked, “Why do you smell like food?”

I grinned, then I got back up, headed back to the kitchen, got her food, and carried it up the stairs.

She was sitting on the bed with her legs crossed.

And the moment she saw the food, she smiled.

Needless to say, I would have tried the Hamburger Surprise; however, she didn’t let me.

And that night, after she had every bite, she curled into my body, her head on my chest, and she whispered, “I love you, Xander.”

I smiled, “Love you too, baby.”

Her soft snore filled the room.

And with the presence of our baby doing somersaults against my ribs, I closed my eyes and fell straight to sleep.

***

“Who’s falling next?” Khal asked.

“My money is on Nuke,” Grey said.

“My money is on Khal,” Merlin said.

Khal looked at him, “Excuse me?”

“Just saying.” Merlin shrugged.

“What the fuck do you know that I don’t know?” Khal asked.

Merlin shrugged, tagged his beer, stood up, and walked away.

I waited and then counted it down.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two... Khal stood up and followed Merlin.

I shook my head as I chuckled.

Then I said, “My money is on Grey.”

Grey looked at me and lifted a brow, “That right?”

I nodded, “That’s right.”

Then Grey smiled, “Fucking fine with me.”

Just then, the clubhouse doors opened to reveal my woman smiling, her big belly causing her to waddle with Soraya and Ophelia coming up behind her, along with Tempie, and Agatha, they too were also smiling.

Nuke growled, “What the fuck did y’all do?”

My woman opened her mouth and said, “We need a room for the kiddos when they need nap. We’re turning one of the bedrooms into a nursery slash playroom.”

Nuke scowled, “Excuse me?”

My woman chuckled as she made it to me, bent, and kissed my lips.

I growled when she pulled away.

That wasn’t enough.

She winked.

Then she turned and headed for the steps.

The women and Soraya followed her.

Then she called out, “You told me that ole ladies don’t have to ask for permission. You already nixed the pink and purple colors, but you didn’t nix blue, yellow, black or gray.”

Nuke growled.

I smiled.

Just then, the clubhouse doors opened again to reveal three prospects carrying in cans of paint, brushes, and the works.

“Who’s doing the painting?” Saint asked.

Hamm growled, “The women.”

Lyle, the other prospect, grimaced, “We offered. But they said no.”

I locked eyes with Saint and Merlin, then I growled and stood up.

Four hours later, I was covered in paint along with Saint and Merlin.

I was in the shower with my woman, berating me for taking over.

“Baby, the paint fumes wouldn’t be good for the baby,” I told her.

She didn’t reply.

And when I got out of the shower, she wasn’t in the bathroom.

Rather, she was curled up in the bed, sound asleep.

I chuckled, then moved to it, crawled in, and wrapped my body around hers.

Even in sleep, she knew that I was near.

She nuzzled her face into my chest as she snored away.

Fucking cute.