Forever Loved (Forever Lost Book 2) Page 18

  “I’m taking my lunch break,” she told Siobhan, who immediately offered to go with her. Cassie refused. She didn’t let on, but she needed some time alone, albeit with her bodyguard in tow. Thankfully, Roger knew when it was in his best interests to stay quiet, and that this was one of those times.

  It was a quick walk down the street to a chemist, and less than thirty minutes later, Cassie was staring at the two small blue lines that read as a positive result on the pregnancy test in her hands. “Oh, God,” she groaned, and then stashed the test in her purse. Cassie wasn’t sure how to feel, somehow both elated and terrified at the same time. She made her excuses to Siobhan, asking her to close up for her, and let Roger drive her to the casino so she could talk to Leo about her incredible discovery. There was no waiting or hiding it from him, and she needed him to be delighted with their impending parenthood before she could even begin to contemplate celebrating the news.

  Cassie bypassed the lobby and its horde of young women waiting to greet the guests. With Roger at her side she rode up to Leo’s office in silence. Usually, he’d leave her to it when she got to the casino, but this time he’d stayed, and Cassie was glad.

  “It’ll be okay,” he mumbled. Cassie felt a lump form in her throat. She wasn’t ready to talk, not yet, but she appreciated having her trusty companion and his always so ready encouragement. “Don’t be scared.”

  “But, what if…” she began, but Roger cut her off.

  “What if the woman he loves comes and tells him she’s going to give him the one thing he’s been missing his entire adult life? What if the woman he adores tells him she’s going to give him a child? I’d say he’ll be pretty bloody happy about the news, and if he isn’t quite jumping for joy, it’s just ‘cos he’s scared—like you.”

  Cassie took a deep breath and steadied herself. Roger really did need a raise, and she made a mental note to make some fuss of him very soon. He’d been a silent support no end of times, and at other times a source of fun to help take her mind off the seriousness shrouding her daily life. Then there were the moments like this, when he offered her heartfelt advice and a shoulder to cry on exactly when she needed it most.

  “Thanks,” she told him when they reached Leo’s office door.

  “Any time, boss lady,” he replied with a wink, before taking residence in a chair across the hall.

  She knocked and went inside, and found Leo and his cousin Brian browsing through some paperwork at the huge desk. They both looked up in surprise, but each grinned in welcome. Brian made his excuses and left them to it, while Cassie hovered across the desk from her gorgeous lover. She didn’t know how to say it. Her mind went blank.

  “What’s wrong, love?” Leo asked, and stood so he could walk around the desk and gather her up in his powerful arms.

  “Leo, I’m…you’re…” she stammered. “You’re going to be a daddy,” she finally managed, feeling as though she might be sick. Leo grabbed her chin and tilted her face to meet his, dazzling Cassie with the most radiant smile she’d ever seen. Tears poured from her eyes uncontrollably as she took him in. Leo wiped them away with his pocket-handkerchief without a word. He sniffed, as though fighting back the tears himself, and continued to peer down at her adoringly.

  “And you’re going to be a mommy,” he purred, his accent lilting with the American sound he’d somehow become accustomed to mixing with his British inflection. She laughed.

  “Yeah, I guess that too,” she mumbled, and then sobbed when he planted a deep and loving kiss against her lips. She wasn’t afraid, not anymore, but she was damn well shocked to imagine that this could actually be happening for real. It wasn’t a pipedream and it certainly wasn’t planned, but Cassie thanked God for sending them this baby, and knew they’d both love it more than either could ever have imagined.

  When she’d finally calmed back down, Leo took her to sit with him behind his desk. She climbed into his lap without a care and then watched as he finished his work and cleared the table.

  She dozed in his hold, and came to when she felt herself being lifted up into his strong arms. “Leo?” she asked, rubbing her bleary eyes.

  “It’s okay, love. I’ve got you,” he told her, placing her down on the sofa across the room from his desk with gentle hands. “I’ve called for a gynecologist, she’ll be here within the hour.” Panic flared within again, but this time it wasn’t to do with her nerves, but her excitement.

  When the doctor arrived, they made quick work of discussing Cassie’s contraceptive uses before agreeing that her implant had somehow failed. The kind and warm young woman was methodical as she then ran through Cassie’s medical history with her. Cassie paled when the question, “how many surgeries have you had and where?” came up.

  Leo held her hand tightly in his, and his strength helped Cassie be honest about her reconstructive labial surgery after Jonah’s attack.

  “Okay. Well if you’ve still managed to continue with normal sexual health since then, I assume the surgery was a success?” Dr. Singh asked, and Cassie nodded. The doctor’s dark brown eyes were suddenly warmer, her gaze less business-like, and her features had noticeably changed. Cassie couldn’t be sure if she was like this with all her patients, but she certainly felt put at ease by the approach Dr. Singh continued on with. “And, is this your first pregnancy? Including miscarriages, etcetera?”

  “Yes,” Cassie answered honestly, and was glad she didn’t have anything else to discuss with the doctor about her torrid past.

  After analyzing a urine sample, the doctor was able to confirm the pregnancy. Cassie caught Leo’s broad smile. His happiness spurred her on, and while she hated needles, she stared over at him to keep her mind off of it when the doctor then took some blood.

  “How about we try listening to the heartbeat?” Dr. Singh then asked, and both parents-to-be sat a little higher in their seats. Cassie wanted to hear that sound more than anything else in the world, and hadn’t even considered they might be able to listen in so soon. She immediately followed the doctor’s instructions to lay down and lift her shirt. Dr. Singh felt around for a while, seeming pleased with what she found there, and she took out a small device she then lubricated and ran across the base of Cassie’s stomach. Within seconds, a fast thumping noise came through the handset, and the doctor grinned. “Perfect. I’d say you’re around nine weeks along. Congratulations,” she told them, and passed Cassie a tissue when she began crying again.

  ***

  Leo had never been happier. Things were falling into place for him and Cassie, and he truly felt as if their luck might’ve changed for the better. They were so in love, regardless of the ups and downs, and he knew they’d make great parents to the tiny new life miraculously growing inside of his amazing girlfriend’s womb. He watched her sleep for hours that night, his hand resting gently on her stomach, and finally drifted off in the early hours when his exhaustion overtook his excitement.

  Cassie woke him later that morning by grinding against him, her hips stretching back to find the morning hard-on he always had for her, and he was surprised to discover her still asleep when he pried open his eyes and peered down at his hot and horny girlfriend.

  Lying on her side with her back to him, Cassie was panting, trembling, and mumbling something he couldn’t hear. Leo stroked her face in an attempt to rouse her, but Cassie remained in the deep throes of her dream.

  “I want you, Leo. I want you to own me,” she whimpered, sending his mind back to their rekindled night together. The memories of her request for him to own her came crashing to the forefront of his thoughts. She was dreaming of him, she had to be, and she groaned as if she was enjoying the vision playing out inside her subconscious mind. Cassie arched back against him again, and this time the tip of his cock ended up nestled directly at the apex of her thighs.

  She needed him, Leo knew it, and he curled his hips up to meet hers while spooning around her from behind. His hardness found her heat and slid inside with ease. She was soaking already,
and moaned when he drove himself home and started rocking. Cassie gasped and grabbed his hand, bringing it to her mouth so she could kiss his palm. He could tell she was now awake, and was glad she hadn’t minded him taking what her unconscious body had offered.

  “I’ve got you, Cassie,” Leo groaned and he let out a hiss when she slid two of his fingertips into her mouth. She sucked them, swirling her tongue in the same way she’d caressed his cock countless times, and the motion sent his hips thrusting in a frenzy. He stilled, pressing himself deep inside. “I love you so damn much,” he whispered, and then slid his fingers from her mouth. Cassie groaned, but let him go, watching as he moved those same, glistening fingertips down to her clit. She whimpered as he teased it, bucking against him in her pleasure, and Leo started moving inside of her again.

  When she came, he was right there with her, and he adored watching as she unwound whatever tension had been coiling in her belly while dreaming. They then fell back into a satiated sleep, and this time Leo had no problem drifting off.

  Chapter Sixteen

  After another busy night on the casino floor, Leo swung past his office on his way home, feeling more than ready to head off and wrap his arms around his stunning girlfriend. All he could think about was Cassie, and the baby growing inside of her—his baby. Could this really be happening? Was he, the big, bad gangster, finally going to be a father? All evidence pointed to yes, and Leo couldn’t be happier with where their lives were headed.

  He took a seat at his desk and checked the casino’s security feed. All good. He then tapped into the feed for his office, finding the image of himself sat at the desk in real time, and hit rewind. There’d been a whole lot of nothing going on in his empty office, which was just how he liked it, and Leo reactivated the camera recording before shutting down and grabbing his jacket.

  “Hey, boss,” a sweet, sassy voice welcomed him in the hallway, and Leo forced himself to smile even though the last thing he needed was to be dragged back into work.

  “Evening, Suzie,” he replied, locking the door behind him and stashing his keys. Leo walked away, but she was hot on his heels, so he turned back to her, hoping to get whatever it was she wanted out of the way so he could get home. “What’s up?”

  “Oh, nothing much, I just wanted to see if you fancied having a drink with me?” she asked. Leo had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He looked Suzie up and down, and pitied her. She’d kept her dark hair and now seemed to be dressed in the exact same outfit Cassie had been wearing a few days previously. He figured perhaps Stuart had been right to warn him about her after all, and maybe she was actually a little unhinged. Suzie was clearly emulating Cassie in a bid to catch his eye, but Leo couldn’t be less interested in playing games or indulging her foolish crush.

  “I’m in a relationship, Suzie. And even if I weren’t, I’m afraid it’d still be a no,” he told her coolly, trying not to hurt her feelings, but at the same time wanting to make it perfectly clear where he stood.

  She didn’t listen to his attempt at letting her down gently. Suzie burst into tears, screaming and wailing into her hands. When she pulled them away, her panda eyes were out of control, and Leo handed her a tissue from his pocket. He wasn’t a complete bastard, but didn’t much feel like taking care of a clearly insane woman, so rather than comfort Suzie, he did nothing but stand there while she dabbed at her eyes.

  “What more can I do to get you to notice me?” she cried, sobbing harder. She was a mess, anyone could see it, but Leo didn’t really give a shit. He guessed he really was a sociopath after all, because he couldn’t care less how she felt or if he’d hurt her. All he was bothered about was getting home to his girl.

  He stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder, and Suzie peered up at him with a smile, clearly hoping he was going to say something gentle and romantic.

  “You’re a fucking state and I’d never look at you no matter what. I’m not interested in being your sugar daddy, and I’m certainly not fooled by this ‘poor me’ routine you’ve got going on. I know psycho bitches when I see them, and you’re right up there with the best of them, sweetheart. Go home, sort yourself out, and stop copying my girlfriend in an attempt to catch my eye, otherwise you can kiss your job goodbye,” he told her, and then walked away without another word.

  In the elevator, Leo grabbed his cell and dialed his cousin. “Bri, looks like Suzie’s going to be a problem. Full-blown-crazy-bitch-mode,” he said.

  “Damn, I thought she seemed a little bit too interested in you,” Brian answered, and Leo heard him wince. He knew that tone. His dear cousin had clearly gotten too close to Suzie and it was going to be a problem Leo didn’t want to have to deal with.

  “You got something to tell me?”

  Brian cursed. “Yeah, I’ve been fucking her. She was asking me questions about you and Cassie, what she likes and dislikes. I thought she wanted to be her friend, but then things started seeming a bit less like she was merely interested and a bit more like she was obsessed. I told her to back off and haven’t seen her since.” Now it was Leo’s turn to curse.

  “You sort her the fuck out, man, otherwise you’ll both become problems I’ll have to deal with myself, and you don’t wanna push me. Got it?”

  “Got it, and I’m sorry,” Brian answered. Obviously he knew Leo’s threat wasn’t half-hearted. If he had to, he was more than willing to teach his cousin a lesson using his fists. They were incredibly adept at doing the talking for him whenever Leo was truly pissed, and he was more than willing to let off a little steam if necessary. It didn’t matter that Brian was family; if his men fucked up, they had to learn their lessons. “I’ll call her, tell her to back off,” Brian added down the line.

  “You’d better. I don’t want Cassie getting upset over this,” Leo replied, and he abruptly ended the call. He cursed. Nothing ever stayed simple.

  The drive home didn’t do anything to calm him down. By the time he got back to the apartment, Leo was still a tangled mess of anger and rage, so he grabbed his sneakers and gym kit from the trunk and went for a run. It didn’t matter that it was the dead of night; he ran like he wanted to stomp holes in the sidewalk itself. Suzie and her infatuation with him was nothing but a pain in the ass. He didn’t want anything to do with her, and yet she had somehow wormed her way into his thoughts rather than letting him carry on about his business as normal. He didn’t care about her, only the trouble she might cause him. It was a problem he really didn’t need, or want.

  Leo ran harder, faster. By the time he rounded the corner back to where his car was parked, he’d already decided that she was Brian’s problem, not his. He’d have to get her in line or show her the door. Simple. Leo wasn’t getting any more involved with her, and Cassie never had to know a thing about his new stalker and her foolish crush. He’d known women like her in the past, and had done the same with them. After a period of stone-cold iciness from him, they always got the hint—even the really fucked-up ones.

  Cassie was asleep already when he finally headed inside, curled into a ball beneath their huge duvet with a book lying beside her head as if she’d drifted off reading it. Just the sight of her calmed him some more, but she also stirred his other senses, and Leo knew he was still far too wired to sleep.

  He took a shower, hoping the cool jets would help. They didn’t, and when he’d dried off, he turned out the light and climbed in behind her, kissing Cassie’s shoulder and neck in an attempt to wake her.

  ***

  Cassie stirred when she felt lips caressing her skin and hot hands that turned her over onto her back. A rush of cool air hit her skin as the duvet was lifted, but was quickly replaced with a hot body, damp from a recent shower. She groaned, but didn’t stop him when Leo wrenched her thighs apart. In fact, in her half-awake daze, she lifted her hips up, attempting to meet him halfway. However, it appeared he had other ideas. Leo pushed her back down and she felt him dip beneath the covers. Hot breath met her even hotter core, and he pounced on her like a
man possessed. His hands dug into her hips, keeping her in place, while his tongue and lips preyed on her, staking his claim. He was somehow inside, on top, and all over her body, while also inside her head and heart. He knew exactly what she needed before she even knew herself, and delivered her pleasure without a single word or command. Leo didn’t need to. Her body reacted to his touch on some primal level, and Cassie cried out as a wave of sheer ecstasy rolled over her from the inside out.

  She was suddenly full, stretching and throbbing around the hard rod that’d plunged inside her soaked opening. Leo went hard and fast, as though he was on some mission to leave her nothing but mush when he was done. When he came, he collapsed on top of her, kissing and caressing every inch of her his hands could reach.

  “Whoa,” she breathed against his temple.

  “Yeah,” Leo whispered, rolling off her. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he checked, and she quickly reassured him that she was far from hurt.

  “No, baby. I’m wonderful.” She turned so she could snuggle against him.

  “Yeah. Yeah, you are,” he agreed, holding her back tightly.

  Chapter Seventeen

  After finishing up early at the theater, Cassie decided to head straight over to the casino to surprise Leo. The new play was going really well, as were his ventures, and business was booming for them both. The past few months together had been the best of her life, and as far as she was concerned, they could keep on going strong in the coming months and years stretched out ahead of them. A few weeks had passed since they found out about the baby, and the pregnancy was still a shock, but she was dealing with the surprise well, as was Leo. The world of diapers and sleepless nights seemed far less scary than the world she’d found herself in a few years before, and she honestly felt ready to take the next step. Cassie had already told him she didn’t want to get married again, but now their child was growing inside of her, and she had to admit, she was starting to rethink things.