Page 24 of Mr. Kelly

Seeing the kind of person she can be has soured my desire for her. A beautiful vessel can only do so much if the inside is full of shit. If she would have told me or involved me in the fertility process, I would have been more understanding. We would have started the surrogacy option with me still having a heart full of love for her. I could not and would not blame her for something she cannot control, but she didn’t come to me.

Helena has drained that full heart of love and now all I see is a liar I’m shackled to until I can get a divorce. I’m going through the motions, but I’m not happy about it. Why would I need to stay with a liar and pay to get another woman pregnant? Again, this wouldn’t be an issue three years ago, but it is now. I'm just biding time to not be the asshole who bailed the moment his wife admitted that she couldn't serve his purposes.

I’ve fallen out of love. No, that’s not accurate. I’ve been pushed out of love repeatedly. Helena has tested my love like she needed to know how far to push before it breaks. That’s the problem; she found the fissure in my love for her and added pressure until it shattered. That’s the cloud that’s been following me for the last four months. Andrea and I knew exactly where River was this entire time, but I didn’t want to seek her out in case she was a liar and thief. I couldn’t find the energy to deal with two.

My morning started off the same, kissing Helena goodbye and sending her off with an ‘I love you’ I no longer mean, then pretending to look over a list of candidates for surrogacy without truly vetting them, then randomly picking three to interview for the week. The lawyer always sends an updated list via email, so I was surprised that my phone was ringing just as Helena drove off for practice.

“Hello?” I answered absently as I stared out of the window and took a sip of coffee.

“Sorry to bother yo,u Mr. Kelly. Let me start by saying I’m aware of your requirements, but I had a persistent caller this morning.”

“What did they want?” I hated hearing unnecessary backstories when someone called. I preferred to get to the point.

“She asked if you’d consider adopting…”

“No. Not now.”

“That’s what I told her. She knew the requirements as well, but was sure you’d consider her offer. She told me to tell you that the baby wouldn’t arrive for five more months.” She rushed to speak because she probably felt how close I was to hanging up. “She said you know her. I’ll read the note I took to give you her exact words. Ask Mr. Kelly if he’d consider adopting River Dupont’s child.”

Hearing her name made the world pause. River was pregnant? I dropped down in a nearby chair because I needed to breathe. The dates were so close, but I didn’t know the last time she was intimate with Mario. Would she offer me a baby she made with Mario? Not likely.

“I do know her,” I admitted numbly. “I’ll think about it. Keep vetting surrogates, please.”

I dropped the phone on the table and took several deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating. The lawyer wasn’t allowed to hear my reaction. I didn’t want her drawing any conclusions. I needed to verify everything first.

My house felt too small, so I stepped outside, and Andrea called before I could call him.

“Your Georgia Peach is back in town. Tremont Downtown Hotel, room 305.”

“Do I need to ask?” I teased him as I grabbed my keys and locked up. He always received information quickly.

“I’ll meet you there,” he responded, ignoring my question. “Let’s get your answers.”

Now, I’m on my knees, overcome with pride and happiness, and practically asking her to be my mistress. Actually, it came out like a statement of fact. There is no fucking way I'm letting her out of my sight again. River is officially mine, and no one, not even Helena, is going to stop this. I no longer have the patience to wait for divorce.

Feeling the swell of her belly with her hands in my hair is all that I needed, but the more kisses I plant on her belly, the hotter I become.

She looks so sexy like this. Her skin glows even more now. When people used to say that about pregnant women, I thought they were full of shit. Seeing River proves that it's a real thing.

Tucking my fingers in the hem of her pants, I make space for my kisses to go lower. I kiss her just below her navel, then once more below that. I know I'm turning her on because she shifts her weight and the scent of her is calling me.

"Um…" she starts, processing what I just said to her. I give her the moment her brain needs to think it over, but I'm not good at being idle. I lick her from the space right before her underwear line to her navel. "Theodore."

My name comes out somewhere between a moan and sigh, the sound going straight to my already eager dick, eliciting a groan from me.

"Your time to deny me is expiring fast, River. Speak, woman."

"Dammit, Kelly." It amuses me that she's using my last name like it's my first. "I can't deny you." Her eyes flutter when I nip her skin and graze my teeth across part of her hip. "Saying no to you feels like an impossible task because you're already under my skin."

Her confession may as well be a declaration of love because it has the same effect.

"Is that why you freaked out when I gave you the keys to the penthouse?"

She nods tightly. "A part of me was always drawn to you. I was better at staying away."

I growl low in my throat. I may have been oblivious to her hidden desire, but knowing it was there is damn sexy.

"Welcome back," I say as I look her in the eyes.

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