Olivia

 

I don’t know what happened. One minute Seth is mad that I’m pregnant and the next he’s bending over backwards for me. I went to the doctor and had an ultrasound done. I’m eleven weeks now and everything’s looking good. Of course, Seth asked if there’s any way he can tell if it’s a boy or a girl, but the radiologist couldn’t, obviously. When we left, Seth was more excited than I was. Then again, he wasn’t the one that had to hold their bladder while the radiologist smeared jelly on his abdomen and pushed down on it. Hard.

 

From there, he took me to the Fashion Show Mall on Las Vegas Boulevard to do some shopping. Thankfully, I managed to talk him out of buying a whole heap of ridiculous things like bassinettes and cots (yes, plural), baby monitors (yes, plural again) and even potties. I didn’t, however, protest when he wanted buy a book on pregnancy… and now I’m starting to regret it. He reads it constantly, and now that Darryl has stopped Seth’s training one week out from the fight to avoid incidental accidents and swelling, it’s all I hear about. In the back section of the book is a small recipe booklet filled with pregnancy safe meals. Following that, Seth threw out all of his bacon, all of the processed meats that I used to be able to eat, most of his fish, all of the cold roast chicken, the semi-soft cheeses—just to name a freaking few. He’s filled the fridge with even more fresh fruits and vegetables, which should impress his nutritionist. She hated looking in our fridge most weeks.

 

“O!” Seth shouts from the living room. “O! You gotta hear this!”

 

I roll my eyes and stroll from the bathroom, dragging my feet. I walk through our bedroom and lean against the door frame at the top of the stairs. I can’t help but smile when I see Seth lying on the couch, his nose glued to the book. He peers up at me from over the pages and sweet mother of God he looks good with his nose in a book. If I watched porn, this would be it. This image right here would be at the top of my bookmarks list.

 

“What can’t I do now?” I tease, folding my arms.

 

“You can’t sit on hard surfaces because—”

 

“Seth,” I exhale, cutting him off. “Can you do me a favor?”

 

Forgetting his tip, he nods.

 

“Close the book and come here.”

 

With a stupidly adorable and extremely suspicious kink in his eyebrow, he closes the book and drops it on the floor. I tap my fingers along my arm as he makes his way over to me, causing the bottom of my feet to vibrate as he carries his large body up the stairs. He waits, his body inches from mine. The body heat that pours from him makes my breast swell harder and my nipple squeeze against my confining bra. I step forward and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling his face closer to mine.

 

“Do you remember what you told Selena last week?”

 

His body tenses slightly, like it always does when I mention Selena these days. I know they have a bit of a rocky relationship… but lately it seems like there’s no hope for them to become friends. Seth shakes his head.

 

“You told her that I’m pregnant, not dying.”

 

He visibly relaxes. “That was different. I can take care of you and I can fret over you, she can’t.”

 

Of course only Seth would be jealous of his wife’s best friend—not that he’ll ever admit it. He doesn’t like it when someone else takes care of me or asks me if I’m okay. As far as he’s concerned, he’s the only one capable of taking care of me and I love him for it, but there are other important people in my life, too.

 

“It’s not different. You’re weighing in tomorrow, so don’t worry about me. Worry about what you’ve got going on.”

 

He wraps his arms around my waist, holding me close. “I just want to make sure everything goes okay.” He kisses my nose then bites back a nervous smile. “I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my life than to have this child with you.”

 

And just like that my heart melts from the sudden blaze that rips through my veins. I look at him from under my brow and his eyes flare.

 

“Careful, Mr. Marc, your words are making my hormones want to do naughty things.”

 

His hands slide from around my waist to my breasts and he strokes a heavy thumb over the nipple. My breath hitches in my throat as I let my head fall against his shoulder.

 

“And my hands?” he murmurs in a low, gravelly voice, right by my ear.

 

“They’re not changing anyone’s mind, that’s for sure,” I tell him, suddenly breathless.

 

“Good.” He kisses my lips and my eyes flutter shut. “Are you hungry?”

 

I nod, urgently. I want him so badly.

 

“I’ll make you something,” he says with a cocky smile, then he pulls away and heads down the stairs. Slowly, my wits start coming back to me.

 

“Seth! That’s not what I meant,” I call as he reaches the bottom. He smirks back at me from over his shoulder before disappearing into the kitchen. I get the feeling he knows that’s not what I meant. “Does your book say anything about teasing a pregnant woman?” I shout after him. “Have a look in the glossary. I’m sure you’ll find it under the parental headings, ‘not cool’ and ‘absolute must not’s for potential fathers if they want to live.’”

 

His beautiful laugh echoes around the hotel and I slump against the wall, waiting for my knees to stop wobbling and my blood to slow down. What. An. Ass.

 

I smile to myself as I push off the wall and head down the stairs. I guess I could go with a sandwich…

 

In the kitchen, Seth is piling spinach, lettuce, freshly cut roast beef, and tomatoes onto a slice of rye bread. I’m not a big fan of rye bread, but Seth read that it was the best kind of bread to eat… which means that’s the only bread I’m allowed to eat. I slip onto the stool and rest my elbows as I watch Seth make my lunch.

 

“Looks absolutely delicious,” I say, sarcasm dripping from my words.

 

“Keep talking, Olivia. You’ll beg for more after this one.” His eyes flick to mine and flame brilliantly. “You always do.”

 

My cheeks grow warm as he grins and puts on the top piece of bread. He cuts it into two triangles, plops it on a plate, and slides it across the counter.

 

“Not hungry?” I ask.

 

“I’m weighing in tomorrow and I’m a tad over the expected weight. Can’t eat or drink until it’s over.”

 

I frown. “That sucks.”

 

“It’s not so bad. I’m used to it now.”

 

I feel bad now, eating when he can’t. As I sit, contemplating a way to get out of eating his sandwich, there’s a knock at the door. Seth leans across the counter, pushing the plate closer to me.

 

“Eat,” he orders before marching from the kitchen.

 

I take a quick bite while he’s gone and I’m not going to lie—it tastes amazing! There are a lot of unbelievable things Seth can do with his hands and I’m adding sandwich making to the list. As I chew, I can hear Darryl’s low, mumbly voice in the background. A couple of minutes later, they join me in the kitchen. Darryl has a wide smile plastered on his face as he takes in my ‘SETH’ shirt and jeans.

 

“Excited for the fight?” Darryl asks, dropping himself on the stool next to me.

 

“Nope. I just figured a baggy shirt will keep Seth away long enough for me to clean the bathroom without interruption.”

 

I blush. I have no idea why I said that—to Darryl especially. Darryl chuckles at my pink cheeks and I pick at my sandwich to avoid looking directly at him.

 

“Not with that shirt. Seth loves himself too much.”

 

Seth scoffs. “You two act like wanting to make a girl come is a bad thing. That’s quality husband material right there.”

 

“Seth!” Darryl and I gasp at the same time. If I was blushing a light shade of pink before, I’m full on red now.

 

“Do you ever think before you speak?” Darryl asks Seth, and he smiles, proudly.

 

“Always.”

 

“Anyway,” he begins, ignoring Seth’s response. “I figured I’d come around and discuss a few things about the upcoming fight next week. As you both know we’re making some adjustments to avoid any incidences like last time.” He eyes Seth nervously. “One suggestion is that we put Olivia ringside with Jackson and I.”

 

“Absolutely not. Walking through a rowdy crowd? No, forget about it. Olivia can stay in my room and watch from the T.V.”

 

“I don’t think so,” I chime in. “I want to be there. I want to watch Don lose live, in the flesh, not through a damn box.”

 

There was once a time the mere thought of watching a live fight turned my stomach, but I’ve seen it all now, and although the thought of being so close to the cage—where I can feel the floor vibrate under my hands—makes me want to faint, I have to see it. No excuses.

 

“I compromised, Olivia. It’s that or you stay home.”

 

“No,” I state firmly. “I’m going to be sitting in the crowd or I’m going to be ringside. Pick one.”

 

In my front pocket my phone rings, vibrating my entire leg. Without thinking I answer it and put it to my ear. “Hello?”

 

“Olivia?”

 

I cringe as my mother’s voice rings through my ear. “Hi, Mom,” I greet her, forcing joy into my voice.

 

With that, Darryl squeezes my arm and whispers, “I’ll let you two sort out what you want to do.”

 

He leaves. I hit loudspeaker on my phone and lower it to the counter. Seth leans forward, crossing his arms and resting them on the surface. In that position, the lines and ridges in his arms are prominent, making me take notice of the throbbing between my legs.

 

“Olivia? Are you there?” Mom calls through the phone.

 

Oh. Phone call. Mom. Right.

 

“Yeah, I’m here.”

 

“Answer me. Are you pregnant?”

 

I fight the urge to roll my eyes, even thought I know she can’t see it. I don’t want to talk about this. I have to convince Seth that I’ll be fine ringside with him. “Mom, now’s not a good time to talk—”

 

“—I had to find out through Selena. You should answer your phone every once in a while.” I sag onto the counter. I’ve been avoiding my Mom’s calls for the past few weeks. I’ve been so busy and she’s getting all ‘I miss my baby’ again, like she did before Dad died. She’s suffocating me all the way from Portland. I can’t say I’m surprised she called Selena, though. It’s a typical Mom move.

 

“Yes, Mom.” I sigh. “Seth and I are having a baby.”

 

“Ask her when they were going to tell us?” I hear Seth’s mom, Vanessa, shout in the background.

 

I’m happy those two have hit it off and they’ve become really close since Dad died and Vivian got out of rehab, but man, they really know how to gang up on Seth and I.

 

“Never, Mom,” Seth says into the phone and they both gasp. I reach across and slap him on the arm, and he chuckles. He knows better than to torment them. When they’re together, phone calls can last hours. Literally hours. Not tormenting them means less time on the phone. Thank God they don’t know how to set up Skype themselves.

 

“When we hit the safety mark,” I tell them.

 

“At fifteen weeks,” Seth adds, feeling superior knowing all of these pregnancy things.

 

“How far are you?”

 

“Eleven weeks.”

 

They gasp again. “You were going to wait four more weeks to tell us? Olivia James, that’s outrageous.”

 

Seth’s jaw ticks at Mom’s use of my old last name. I tell him it’s an old habit of hers, but he insists I correct her every. Single. Time. He gives me that look, the intense look from underneath his brow that I can’t argue with.

 

“First of all, it’s not Olivia James anymore and second of all, we don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.”

 

There’s a long, quiet pause before the Moms erupt into a fit of squeals and claps. “Oh, Olly. We can turn Chase’s bedroom into a nursery and—”

 

Seth laughs, cutting Mom off. “I don’t think so, Mrs. James.”

 

I hate it when Seth refers to my mother by her last name. She hates it too, but he won’t use her first name. What can I say? He likes getting under my mother’s skin.

 

“I’ve got it all taken care of,” he assures her.

 

“You’ve got it all taken care of?” she asks, her voice laced with skepticism.

 

“Well, I was going to save the surprise until after my last fight, but since you’re so sure I haven’t planned anything, I’m going to tell you.” A proud smile takes over his features and he circles the kitchen counter, coming to a standstill beside me. I lock eyes with his, unable to look away. “I bought another house in Portland. Olivia and I are going to live there with our new baby.”

 

My heart swells in my chest and it presses against my lungs that now squish into my ribcage. “You did?” Mom and I ask at the same time.

 

“I did.”

 

Mom is talking in the background, something about turning Chase’s room into a nursery anyway, for when she babysits, but I don’t really hear her. All I hear is the quick, uneven tempo of my swollen heart. I grab at Seth, pulling him into me and kissing him hard. I feel him smile against my mouth and I return it. I’ll admit I was a little worried about how we were going to handle the whole house situation. With Jackson, Seth’s mom, and Selena practically living in Seth’s current house, I chose to continue living with Mom until the rest find permanent housing. He fixed that. He bought a whole new house just for us… for his small little family.

 

“Olivia?” Mom calls. “Olivia, are you there?”

 

I slap the screen of my phone over and over again without breaking away from Seth’s lips, until it hangs up.

 

“I love you,” I say when I pull away.

 

My lips graze his as I trail the tips of my fingers down his torso, loving the way his lower abdominals tremble under my touch.

 

“And I think I just proved that I love you, too.”

 

I’m not going to deny that. “You did.”

 

He grabs my face, pulling me hard against him. Our lips collide and electrical currents surge form his fingertips and into my body. We’re exchanging energy, getting higher and higher as static energy flows through us. I’m ready to go—ready to do whatever he wants to do, but there’s one thing I have to take care of first. With Seth, I’m not above using sex to get what I want, so I dip my hand under the hem of his pants and grip his semi-hard length in the palm of my hand. He groans, biting down on my lower lip and making me gasp. I open my mouth and he jams his tongue inside, stealing all of the air from my lungs. I pull away from his mouth and he growls low in his chest, grips my ass, and tugs me forward. I have no choice but to wrap my legs low on his hips. My heart rate increases, sounding like ten horses beating quickly down a track.

 

“You want me, don’t you?” I tease, minutely moving my hand against him.

 

He smirks a dark kind of smirk—one that dares me to tease him. “Is it obvious?”

 

Returning his devilish look, I suck my thumb into my mouth, wetting it with my saliva before lowering it to his pants and pressing it to the very tip of his erection. He expels a heavy exhale as I swirl my thumb around and around, mixing my spit with his precum. His fingers dig into my hips, threatening to bruise if I don’t stop teasing him. There’s only one question he has to answer in order for me to stop teasing. If he answers it correctly, he can have me anyway he wants. Judging by how urgently he’s handling me, I assume fucking on the kitchen counter isn’t a far cry away. The thought thrills me to no end, making me pool between my thighs instantly.

 

“You want me ringside, don’t you?” I ask, squeezing him tightly in my hand.

 

He grits his teeth, refusing to answer, so I circle his tip and bring my mouth closer to his. He goes to kiss me, but I barely let our lips graze.

 

“Fuck, Olivia,” he mutters under his breath, his cock straining against its own flesh.

 

“Do you want me to be ringside with you, Seth?” I try again, my voice sounding awfully husky.

 

He nods, his quick, needy breath clashing with mine. “Yes,” he breathes. “Yes, I want you right there next to me.”

 

Victory! I crush my lips to his and his fingers hook under my jeans. He lifts me off of the chair, pushes my sandwich away and lowers me onto the counter. He tugs at my jeans, pulling them down my legs. My bare ass touches the surface and I can hear Selena’s voice in the back of my head, making me giggle. ‘Ew. People fucking eat here!’

 

When my jeans are free, Seth attacks me, draping his body over mine. Electricity flows again, and this time, not even an electromagnetic pulse can save us from ourselves.