By His Vow: Chapter 80

Those two words linger in the air between us. And for a couple of seconds, I wonder if I actually said them out loud, because he doesn’t react.

But then, it’s like the words register in his head and his entire body tenses.

“Y-you’re…pregnant?” he asks as if he heard me wrong.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I pray that I haven’t just fucked everything up.

Maybe I should have kept it secret a little longer, until we’ve figured all this out at least.

But he deserves to know. I’ve already kept it a secret long enough.

“I freaked out. I didn’t⁠—”

“That’s why you ran,” he says on a breath, finally figuring it all out.

“King, I didn’t know⁠—”

“Look at me,” he demands.

I hesitate, unsure if I’m going to be able to look into his eyes without breaking down again.

“Tatum,” he warns when I don’t follow orders like a good girl.

“Kingston,” I start, but he’s not having any of it.

His fingers thread into my hair and he gently lifts my head, giving me little choice but to do as he asks.

My eyes are already full of tears by the time they find his, but what I see staring back at me forces them to spill over.

I don’t see any anger, frustration, or disbelief.

Just love and concern.

“You were worried about what I’d say?” he asks, studying me closely.

I shrug one shoulder. “Yeah.”

“Baby,” he warns.

“I had no idea how you felt, King,” I say, sitting up to put a little space between us so I can think properly.

He slips from my body as I move to sit beside him, and I instantly mourn the loss of him.

“Hell, I had no idea how I felt. Everything was spinning out of control. My feelings for you were big and scary and…” I draw in a deep breath, trying not to fall apart all over again. “Everything was such a mess. I just needed…I needed to breathe. I needed space. I needed⁠—”

My words are cut off as he suddenly sits up and kisses me.

His hand wraps around the back of my neck and the second his tongue licks mine, my tears fall faster.

All my fears are instantly washed away, replaced by relief.

He’s okay with this. Everything is going to be okay.

Time ceases to exist as he kisses me, but the second the warmth of his palm comes to a stop on my stomach, the sob that rips from my throat brings it to a swift end.

“Hey, it’s okay.”

“King, I’m pregnant,” I repeat. “We’re going to have a baby.”

He studies me for a beat before the most incredible smile pulls at his lips.

“There isn’t anyone else in the world I’d want to do that with, baby.”

“B-but it’s so fast. We’re not even really married, we⁠—”

“We are really married,” he argues, holding up his hand to show me his ring.

“No, I know it’s real. I just mean, we didn’t do it because we wanted to. We⁠—”

“Didn’t we?” he asks. “There was no point in any of this when I didn’t want to marry you, Tatum.”

“But you hated me.”

He chuckles. “Maybe. But I also knew that there was something very right about this. You felt it too; that’s why you didn’t fight harder.”

I smirk. “I just wanted this place.”

“Nice try, baby. But we both know you wanted my dick.”

I swat his shoulder. “Be serious, King. This is⁠—”

“How it’s meant to be?”

“But a baby. That’s⁠—”

“Fucking incredible.”

I sigh, shaking my head. “You’re insufferable.”

“That’s why you love me,” he quips.

“It’s going to change everything. Your apartment⁠—”

“Our apartment,” he corrects.

“It’s going to be full of baby stuff, and we’ll be up all night. There will be diapers, and bottles, and poo. Lots of poo.”

He cups my cheek and wipes away a tear I didn’t realize had dropped.

“We’ll figure it out. It’s not like you have a job to distract you.”

My heart sinks as I think about returning to Chicago unemployed.

I loved my job. I loved my team.

“That was reckless of me, wasn’t it?”

“I’m pretty sure that you could sweet talk your boss into giving you your job back.”

“Sweet talk? You mean a blow job won’t do it?” I tease.

“Well, considering I was talking about taking it up with your brother, no, probably not.”

“Oh ew, King,” I say, swatting his shoulder again. “That’s gross.”

“You don’t need to worry about your job, Tate. There will always be a place for you at Warner Group or Callahan Enterprises.”

I fall silent, unable to process everything that’s spinning through my mind.

Of all the scenarios I imagined when I told Kingston the truth, him being happy about it wasn’t one that I lingered on.

I expected him to be angry. Full of disbelief and frustration.

Pissed that I’d lied to him. That I hadn’t been more careful—not that it’s solely my responsibility, of course.

But this…this is something else.

“What are you thinking, baby?” he asks, holding my face firmly and looking deep into my eyes.

“I…I don’t know. You’ve…” I shake my head, a soft smile playing on my lips. “Who are you?” I ask, laughing.

“The man who’s in love with you,” he says simply, his voice raspy with emotion. “The man whose baby you’re carrying.”

A sob breaks free as more emotion than I can deal with erupts inside me. Without missing a beat, he pulls me into his arms and silently holds me, supports me, and gives me everything I knew I needed but was too stubborn to accept.

My tears coat his chest, but he doesn’t complain or try and stop me. Instead, he just allows me to expel everything that I’ve kept bottled up over the past two weeks.

I’ve no idea how much time has passed when I open my sore eyes, but I’m pretty sure I fell asleep again.

It seems that all I needed to help me fully relax was to have Kingston wrapped around me like a snake.

I don’t think I’ve ever had two naps in a day.

Is this what I have to look forward to in the next eight months?

“Hey, sleepy head,” he whispers as I begin to stir.

I remember him lying back and taking me with him, but I don’t remember us ending up on our sides, him spooning me.

“S-sorry,” I rasp, my voice rough with sleep.

“Nothing to apologize for.”

“I haven’t slept well since I’ve been here,” I confess.

“Well, I’m glad I could help.”

I groan, stretching my legs out and rubbing my ass back against him.

“Again?” I ask when I feel him hard against me.

“You’re naked,” he points out. “And sexy as hell,” he muses, sliding his hand from my ribs all the way to my thigh. “And all fucking mine.”

“I don’t think I can go again. Not yet at least.”

He chuckles, and I don’t need to look back to know that he’s smirking.

“I’m sure I can be talked into giving you a rest,” he teases.

“King,” I half-warn, half-moan.

I might be feeling a little sore, but that doesn’t mean my muscles aren’t tightening down with my need to feel him inside me again. And it certainly doesn’t mean that I’m not slick and ready for him.

“Does this place have a bathtub?”

“Uh-huh,” I mumble. “It has the best tub.”

“Oh god,” he groans. “What color is it?”

I laugh, knowing exactly what he’s thinking.

This place is literally the opposite of his taste. Everything is patterned, colorful, cluttered, and a little gaudy. It’s a lot to take. Aunt Lena loved it, though. And while it might not be my taste, I appreciate all the reasons why she did.

“Come on,” I say, rolling out of bed. My muscles pull and twist, reminding me that I haven’t had the full Kingston Callahan experience for way too long.

I’m at the door when I hear him moving behind me.

“Turn around,” he demands, his deep voice bouncing off the walls and making my skin erupt in goosebumps.

Doing as I’m told, I twist to face him, finding him sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows resting on his knees.

His hair is a mess, his eyes are hooded and dark, his lips are swollen from my kisses, and there are unmistakable scratches across his shoulder.

I did that.

My heart swells as I take in my man in his most open and vulnerable state. I get this. Only me. Possibly only ever me.

“What?” I ask, my brow furrowing as he stares at me.

Or more specifically, my stomach.

“I’m just trying to imagine how you’re going to look in a few months with our baby growing inside you.”

Without thought, my hand lifts, resting just above my belly button as a similar image fills my head.

“You mean, other than like a whale who’s about to pop?” I tease, although honestly, I’m kinda scared. I’m rather fond of my stomach as it is right now.

“Never. You’ll be hot as fuck,” he says, pushing to his feet and stalking over.

Heat surges through my body as he closes in on me.

He’s still hard, and the sight of him bared for me makes my mouth water and my thighs clench.

“Dirty girl,” he muses, able to read my filthy thoughts. But before I get to act on any of them, he grabs my hand and tows me out of the room and toward the only door up here that we haven’t looked inside.

I hold my breath as he reaches for the handle and then throws it open.

He takes a step forward and then gasps. “Oh, holy fuck, this is⁠—”

“It’s got the best bathtub in the world.”

“It has carpet. In a bathroom. And…” He squints and moves closer to the wall. “Is that furry wallpaper?”

I chuckle as he strokes it, confirming that it is, in fact, furry wallpaper.

“Jesus. You’re going to get this place remodeled, right?”

Fighting to keep a straight face, I look him dead in the eyes. “No, why would I want to do that?”

He studies me, desperate to see my lie, but thankfully, every now and then, my poker face is just good enough to pull things off.

“You’re not serious, are you? I feel drunk just standing here.”

I glance at the wild pattern of both the wallpaper and the carpet. It’s…trippy.

“Oh, I don’t know. I quite like it. And Aunt Lena loved it, and I promised her that I’d never redecorate.”

“Right,” he muses, finally looking away from me and turning the faucet on. It’s a huge gold thing that fills the massive tub in only minutes.

“You said it’s mine, right? My name is on the deed?”

“Yeah,” he mutters as if he’s already regretting that decision. “Your cottage, you can do—or not do—whatever it is you like.”

“Perfect,” I say, finding some bubble bath in the cupboard and pouring it into the running water. The tub instantly fills with inviting white foam. “What are you waiting for?”

I climb in, leaving plenty of space behind me for him to join.

The second he does, I let out a contented sigh as I lean back into his chest and his arms wrap around me.

Home.

“I missed you, King,” I whisper. “Thank you for coming for me.”

His hands spread over my stomach protectively. The move makes my eyes burn. But no tears come. I’ve shed them all. Everything from here on out is going to be happy.

“That was never in question. Have you seen a doctor yet?”

I still in his arms, silently answering his question.

“Tatum,” he warns.

“I know. And I will.”

“You’re damn right you will. I will have nothing but the best for my girl and my baby.”

Tingles race through me.

I want to tease him and defy him, try to convince him that a normal doctor will do us just fine, but I don’t. Instead, I just snuggle deeper into his body and indulge in being in his arms again.