Grounded (Up in the Air, #3)(112)

Javier climbed into the car as James was still paying homage to my big belly. He smiled at the sight. “We won’t be seeing that quite so often after today,” he said.

I patted James on the head. “I’ll miss it,” I said softly.

He shifted so he could meet my eyes, his cheek still pressed softly to my belly. “We can do this as many times as you want, Mrs. Cavendish.”

We were ten minutes from the hospital, and it was a talkative car ride, so the drive went by in a flash, as did my admission into the hospital, expedited by my ungodly rich husband. They had me in a bed in what I figured had to be a record.

Dr. Lisa practically met us there, looking as though she hadn’t been dragged out of bed, though I knew that she had. She smiled at me reassuringly. “You’re going to be a mother today,” she told me, after a short examination.

It was a daunting thought.

Several harrowing hours later, more so for James than for me, I thought, and a little bundle of joy was placed in my arms.

I had been so sure that a child would open up old wounds—just rip apart the things inside of me that had never quite healed. Even after I’d been sure that I did want children, and even during the pregnancy, when I’d felt those first profound stirrings of the perfect love of a mother, I’d felt that doubt. There was no way that I could have known that seeing our son’s perfect face would have the opposite effect. It hadn’t ripped me open. It didn’t aggravate those wounds. Like my love for James, it only healed me. As James always said he had done with me, I fell in love with Duncan Stephan Cavendish at first sight.





[page]CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

More from R.K. Lilley





BOOKS BY R.K. LILLEY

IN FLIGHT(UP IN THE AIR #1)

MILE HIGH(UP IN THE AIR #2)

GROUNDED(UP IN THE AIR #3)

AND COMING SOON…

LANA

BAD THINGS





UNDER THE PSEUDONYM REBECCA K. LILLEY

BREATHING FIRE

Breathing Fire is an urban fantasy series about dragon shape-shifters, autocratic druids, arch-nemesis BFF’s, inseparable sisters, immortal baggage, and an eternal love that can’t be broken, no matter how f*cking hard you try.





Here’s a preview from the next series by R.K. Lilley.





Bad Things - The Don’t List





“On a scale of 1-10, how much do you like the last guy that you slept with?” Tristan asked me with an arched brow and a crooked smile, flashing those dimples at me. He used those things like a weapon.

“My ex? Negative five, since I’m feeling mellow today,” I said instantly.

He nodded. “Exactly. The last girl I hooked up with threw a drink at another chick for smiling at me, and the one before that started nagging me about my drinking after we’d hooked up one time. Sex turns women into nagging psychos, and it turns men into straight-up *s. Now, how much do you like me?”

I wrinkled my nose at him. “Right this second? Well, this little speech is kind of annoying but I do kind of like you most of the time. I’ll give you a solid five.”

He just grinned, not at all offended. I don’t think he would have known what to do with me if I wasn’t giving him shit. “Well, I give you a ten, which averages our friendship out to a solid seven, making you one of my favorite people of all time. I’d like to maintain our average, so I say we make a list.”

He had actually gotten a pen and paper out, and I made sure he saw me roll my eyes.

His grin just widened. “That’s what I love most about you. I never have to wonder what you’re thinking. It’s all right there on your lovely face.”

My scowl just deepened as I saw what he was writing.





‘THE FRIENDS DON’T LIST’ - Because I like you too much to sleep with you.





I sighed loudly. “What is the point of this? We don’t need to write it down.”

He straightened, giving me a look that made things low in my body clench in the most delicious way. His gaze was borderline obscene as he eyed me, top to bottom. He swallowed hard. “I need to. God, Danika, even your feet are f*cking sexy to me, and I like you too f*cking much to screw it up. I want to be around you. I’d be sad if you we didn’t see each other anymore, and I’m batting zero at the relationship thing. I’m a good friend, though, so yeah, I need a real clear ‘don’t’ list, so I don’t screw it up.”

I smirked at him. “My feet, huh? My feet are really that sexy? You crazy horn-dog.”

I didn’t want a relationship with him, either. I knew that it would mean the end of us as friends, but knowing that he found me that sexy made me warm all over. It didn’t make me feel dirty to have him look at me like that, it made me feel special. It was a novelty for me, to be sure.

He laughed and nodded, giving me really good eye contact. “Yes. It’s a problem. I’m a man-whore, and you would tempt a saint. Let’s find a way to keep our friendship safe.”

I liked that, liked that he valued my company more than my body. I nodded, finally giving him smile for smile. “Yes. That makes sense. Sex isn’t worth it anyways. It never leaves me with anything but a need for a date with my vibrator, and that’s if I’m lucky.”