Laurann Dohner - Slade

“Tease.”

Trisha strolled toward the stairs. “You got that straight. Call me when dinner is ready. You’re the best.”

“Keep walking,” Slade growled. “Shake it a little, sweet thing.”

Trisha walked into the master bedroom still feeling highly amused. Some of her clothes had been returned to her that morning. Someone had salvaged them from the 205

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damaged cabin. She pulled out a summer dress and underthings from the dresser then moved into the bathroom.

She studied her naked body in the mirror, seeing that she’d already starting showing her pregnancy despite the early stage of it. It worried her a little, no one knew what to really expect, and it could be dangerous. She had already experienced morning sickness, which marked the pregnancy as odd right from the beginning.

Slade had sneaked her into the new medical facility earlier that morning before dawn where they had an ultrasound machine. The facility wasn’t up and running yet but the equipment had arrived. The baby measured bigger than normal. It made her wonder how large a New Species baby would be at birth. The baby seemed to be developing at an accelerated rate as well. The way Slade had grinned at the sight of his child had warmed her heart. She had no doubt he wanted the baby as much as she did.

Slade was mixed with canine and their pregnancy cycles were far shorter than a human’s. She worried that the baby might grow and develop faster with Slade’s altered DNA. She’d have to keep a very close eye on the baby’s development to figure it out and try to estimate a due date. She’d talked to Justice by phone and asked if he would order more medical equipment to do just that. He’d readily agreed to get whatever she wanted.

“What’s that look for?”

Slade entered the bathroom and walked up behind her. His hands slid around her waist to gently cup her slightly rounded belly. Their gazes met in the mirror while his hands caressed her stomach. He kissed the top of her head.

“What look?” She leaned back against him.

“You’re worried.”

She smiled. “I am a little. I don’t want anything to happen to our baby or anything to go wrong.”

“You’re alarmed because he’s bigger than he should be and you’re advancing in your pregnancy stages faster than normal.”

She nodded. They’d had this conversation when she’d noted her discoveries at the clinic. “Yes. Stop calling the baby a ‘he’. What if it’s a girl? You’ll give her a complex. I couldn’t get a clear picture of the sex yet.”

He laughed. “I will not give our baby a complex. You just get annoyed when I say we’re having a boy. It’s a shame his legs were up and together so you couldn’t get a view of his sex.”

“It should be too early to tell but the baby is measuring at almost a twelve-week gestation. I don’t really care what sex it is as long as our baby is healthy.”

“Me neither.” Slade hugged her against his chest a little tighter. “It’s going to be fine, sweet thing. You’re an amazing doctor and Justice will get you anything you request. He’s looking for a trustworthy, excellent doctor to assist you who specializes in 206

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high-risk pregnancies. You can stay on top of this. You stated the baby looks perfect and has a strong heartbeat despite the anomalies with his size.”

“I know. I just worry.”

“I know that.” Slade grinned. “I could spend the next hour up here distracting you.”

She suddenly laughed. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping Brass cut up that meat?”

“I came up here to change clothes but I didn’t hear the water running. Please allow me to distract you. Then I can tell Brass you were upset and needed me.” He winked.

“He will get stuck doing all the butchering.”

Trisha wiggled and gripped his arms around her waist. “Oh no. He’ll growl at me and burn my dinner. Let go, Slade. I’m fine. I’ll take a bath and you go change your clothes.”

He turned her inside his arms and his smile died. “Are you really all right, Trisha? I want you to always confide in me. I want to be here for you.”

“I’m fine. I’m going to worry but I’m also going to keep a close watch on our baby.

Sometimes I just fret a little too much.”

“SLADE!”

Trisha grinned. “You’re being bellowed at.”

He groaned. “Please let me stay?”

She pushed at him. “Go help him.”

“But I want to kiss you all over and keep you under me for days.”

“Tease.”

“Not if I barricade the bedroom door to prevent Brass from coming after me.”

“I love you but I’m not going to save you from cutting up all that meat. I’m hungry and I want deer steaks.”

Slade’s smile died and his beautiful eyes widened. “You love me?”

She stared at him. “You know I love you.”

“You never told me that before.”

“I haven’t? Well…” She rose up on tiptoe and her arms wound around his neck. “I love you, Slade. I love you with my whole heart.”

Slade lifted her a little higher until their faces were level. “I love you too, sweet thing. You’re everything to me. Now we have to make love. Too bad for Brass.”

“I heard that,” Brass yelled. “Make love to her later. Only an idiot wouldn’t know you two are madly in love with each other so it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Get your ass out of the bathroom and help me with this deer.”

Trisha let her face fall onto his chest when she lowered down his body and groaned against his shirt. “God, I can’t wait until we can actually have a conversation without someone overhearing it.”

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Slade laughed. “I’ll build him a dog house outside that he can sleep in.”

She grinned, lifting her head to meet his gaze. “Promise?”

“Don’t do it,” Brass yelled. “I’m not sleeping in a dog house.”

“It’s almost as though we already have a child, isn’t it?” Slade groaned while he eased away from her a few inches.

“Almost. He bellows at bad moments and he’s keeping us from making love because he wants attention.” She laughed. “Yeah. It’s almost as if we’re already parents.”

“You take your bath. I’ll go deal with the deer and Brass. We’ll eat soon.” His gaze raked down her, allowing his passion to show. “Then I’ll get him shitfaced drunk until he passes out and we’ll make sure he can’t interrupt us from having lots of sex tonight.”

Trisha’s mouth opened to agree.

“Sounds like a good plan,” Brass yelled.

Trisha backed up and blew a kiss to Slade. She turned her back on him, bent, and turned on the water. She heard a sexy growl and turned her head to peer at the man she loved over her shoulder. Slade stared at her naked ass.

Trisha pointed to the door. “Out. I’ll bend over for you later. I promise.”

“Bossy.”

“But I have a nice ass.”

“No. You have an amazing ass.”

“So do you.”

“So do I,” Brass yelled. “Now, can we cut up this deer?”

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About the Author

I’m a full time “in-house supervisor” (sounds much better than plain ol’ housewife), mother and writer. I’m addicted to caramel iced coffee, the occasional candy bar (or two) and trying to get at least five hours of sleep at night.

I love to write all kinds of stories. I think the best part about writing is the fact that real life is always uncertain, always tossing things at us that we have no control over, but when your write, you can make sure there’s always a happy ending. I love that about writing. I love it when I sit down at my computer desk and put on my headphones to listen to loud music to block out the world around me, so I can create worlds in front of me.