Paddy & Lauren - Bonus Content

Photo by Gary Bendig on Unsplash

PADDY
Striding through the hallway, my footsteps loud against the hardwood floor, I poke my head into the living room, frowning at its emptiness. The lass isn’t anywhere.
            “Lauren?” I call out, moving back to the hallway, making for the kitchen at the back of the house. It’s not like the lass to go out during the day without letting me know.
          My heart thuds in my chest. We may have fulfilled the Italian’s shopping list, but Liam and our lads have been running into a lot of trouble down at the dockside warehouses. The Italian splinter cell is still a thorn in our side.
       Christ. I should have demanded Sean put a man on her. Doyle’s crew is known for being good watchmen. I’m sure he could have loaned a man or two.  My heart thuds, my breath leaving me in a whoosh as I step into the kitchen, my eyes drinking in the sight of Lauren standing on the sink, washing a pan.
      “Mo chroí, didn’t you hear me calling?” I ask, crossing the room to her and sliding my hands around her waist. Lauren tips her head back, her amber eyes pinning me into position as she looks up at me, her eyes shining.
      “Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” she breathes. My eyebrows start to rise. I wasn’t exactly being quiet. With a grin, Lauren tips her head forward, drying her hands and spinning in my arms until she can wrap her arms around me, our chests pressed together.
          “I was hoping you’d be home early.”
          “Is that so, mo chroí? And why is that?”
          Lauren grins impishly up at me. “I have a surprise for you.”
        I can’t say I’ve ever been one to enjoy surprises, but then again, I usually enjoy everything with Lauren.
          “And what would that me, lass?”
       “I’ll show you.” She slides out of my hold, ducking sideways. By the time I turn, she’s already at the kitchen door, raising a hand to gesture for me to follow her. I’ll follow the lass anywhere, so I cross to her, taking her outstretched hand and tangling our fingers together.
      Her purse is on the sideboard near the front door, and she snatches it up, reaching for the door handle. My eyebrows shoot up as my fingers close around her wrist, stopping her.
       “Uh, I thought I wasn’t on house arrest anymore.” Lauren frowns, trying to free her wrist so she can open the door.
         “You aren’t. But where are we going?”
         “To where you proposed. That’s where the surprise is.”
         “And how did it get there?” I rumble. Lauren rolls her eyes at me.
         “You’ll have to wait and see.”
       Grumbling, I lead her out of the house, helping her into the SUV and pulling out of the driveway. I have no problem going to the nature reserve where I proposed to her.
        It’s where my parents used to take me for picnics when I was a little lad. It’s how I felt they could be included in my proposal. But I want to know how the surprise got there. Did Lauren leave the house earlier without my knowing?
        She is bouncing eagerly in her seat, her eyes darting around as we drive. I bite back a smile. I’m useless at denying the lass what she wants. Of course, I was going to take her to the nature reserve if she asked.
       Parking the SUV, I take Lauren’s hand, leading her through the path in the trees until we reach the bench I first sat her on to ask her to marry me. I look around, but I can’t see anything worthy of a surprise.
      “Let’s sit,” Lauren announces, dropping onto the bench. I sink down beside her, still glancing around. “Close your eyes.”
        My eyebrows shoot up. Sure, and why would I close my eyes? Lauren glares at me.
         “If you want your surprise, close your eyes and hold out your hand.”
         Okay. My eyes flutter closed as I lift my hand, holding it out to her, palm up. It sounds like she’s rifling through her purse, and then something smooth and plastic is placed in my hand.
     “You can open your eyes now.” She sounds excited. My eyes snap open, dropping to see what I’m holding.
        It’s a pregnancy test. My breath sucks in, my heart thudding as I turn it over, looking carefully at the two clear blue lines. Pregnant. My eyes fly back up to her broadly grinning face.
          “Ye’re sure, mo chroí?” I breathe, hardly daring to hope.
         “I’m sure,” Lauren agrees, her eyes shining bright. I crush her to me, my lips crashing down on hers, my tongue licking into her mouth. I kiss her with all I have, only breaking it to breathe, my forehead still pressed against hers.
          “You’re happy then?” Lauren asks with a laugh in her voice.
          “Happy? I’m over the moon, lass.”
          “Good.”
       My lips find Lauren’s again, tasting her sweetness as the scent of vanilla swirls around us. My hand cradles her stomach. I’m going to be a daddy. I can’t wait.

LAUREN
Paddy carefully lifts me from the SUV while I roll my eyes at him.
            “I’m pregnant, Paddy. Not breakable.”
            “Ye’re breakable to me, mo chroí.”
            Ugh. This is going to be a long nine months. I have a feeling that Paddy is going to be insufferably suffocating. He’s lucky I love him and am willing to put up with that. Wicked lucky.
            As we step into the house, he’s already toying with his phone. My eyes narrow on it.
            “You’re going to call Seamus and Connor, aren’t you?”
            A guilty look flashes across his face. “Please, lass. They’ll be over the moon.”
            I huff a sigh, swallowing my smile. It’s cute that the first thing he wanted to do – after kissing me senseless – is call his best friends to tell them the news.
            “Fine, I’ll go and call Andie.”
            Paddy nods, letting me go as I make my way toward the staircase, looking over my shoulder as Paddy speaks.
            “Ye call her, lass. But then I want ye naked and waiting for me on that bed.”
            My stomach twists as I grin, hurrying my way upstairs. I’m going to have the world’s quickest phone call to Andie to let her know the news. Paddy better not linger on the phone with Seamus and Connor. I want him in bed.
            To give him some incentive, I shed my T-shirt, dropping it over the banister as I go. Below me, Paddy catches it handily, his head tipping back, his phone already at his ear. His eyes darken as a low growl rumbles out of him, his gaze dipping to my breasts, already a little bigger than they were and bulging a little in my pink bra.
            “I’ll be up in five minutes, lass,” he promises. “Ye better be ready.”
            Oh, I’ll be ready. Maybe I should let Andie know in a text.
           
THE END.

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