Page 94 of Prince of Tides
“If I thought punching you would do anything, I would hit you so hard in the arm right now,” I grumbled.
Eb chuckled. “Go on in, then,” he said. “Rip is waiting for you.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of what I’m afraid of,” I mumbled. “What the heck has he been planning? Why are all of his cars out here?”
There was no response from Eb, just an increasing crinkle of his face as he smiled wider.
“Very well. You’re an excellent secret keeper, Eb,” I said.
“Thank you,” he replied, then got in the car to move it.
Warily, I approached the front steps. The doors were closed, preventing me from seeing what was inside. When I pushed it open, Rip’s broad frame greeted me. He stood in the hallway, hands clasped behind his back, looking like a puppy dog who’d just done something it knew was really bad.
“You’re up to something,” I said wryly, shaking my head. “I can see it on your face!”
“Am not,” he denied, coming to me and extending a hand as I removed my coat.
“Are too!” I countered, handing it over to him to be hung. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He swiftly hung it in the nearby closet, then hurried back and dropped to his knees to take off my boots before I could.
“I can do that myself, you know,” I said. But I didn’t try to stop him.
“Yeah, but I like to help. You’re doing the hard work of carrying our child. The least I can do is make the other parts of your life easier.”
“You makeeverythingeasier,” I told him, getting up on my tiptoes for a kiss, arms around his neck, my belly forcing him to curve overtop of me.
“Even you,” he teased, reaching down to grab my butt.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, following it with a light whistle proclaiming my innocence.
Pregnancy hormones had left me … well,raginghornywas a phrase that came to mind. Rip was the beneficiary of that desire.
“Okay, come on, let’s go,” he said, pulling away before I could initiate things right then and there.
“What? Why?” I pouted, wanting him inside meso very badly, to the point I started stroking his cock through his pants while fondling my breasts over my shirt.
Yeah, pregnancy was making meveryeasy. But it was sofun!
“There’s something I want to show you,” he said, tugging me along.
“Is it in your pants?” I joked.
“No, but I’ll make sure you get that later, don’t worry.”
“I like the sounds of that,” I said as he led me to the study. “Your coc—”
“Surprise!” shouted the assembled room as Rip flung the door open.
“—coughing fits are getting annoying,” I finished in a stammer, drawing some strange looks from the nearby guests. “What isthis?”
“A baby shower,” Rip said proudly. “A surprise one.”
“You certainly surprisedme,” I said as my mom and dad, sister, brother, and friends rushed forward to give me a hug, ask about the baby, and generally distract me.
It was a whirlwind of a time, and I knew my cheeks would be sore from smiling, but I couldn’t help it. Everything about it was so unexpected. All the important people to me were there. Even Gisele had come all the way from the Bastion to hang out among the mostly human crowd! My mother got to gush all about her upcoming granddaughter, and my father beamed with pride as he talked to Rip.
There were food and drinks, balloons, streamers, and signs. Cupcakes in blue and pink, and a board where guests filled out their names and guessed what we were going to have. I’d never been big on a baby party of any sort, although I’d never voiced my thoughts to Rip. While I would have beenjustfine not doing it, the excuse to get my family and friends together was welcome.
