N E S S A

I was starting to wonder if Grayson was enjoying trying to get me pregnant more than he was going to enjoy me actually being pregnant.

Our sex life during college and before our marriage—with the exception of those ten days before—was good. Really good. Amazing. Exceptional.

But our married sex life? You'd think that Grayson had a booster shot straight to his libido when he said I do, and I knew it had to do with his mission to get me pregnant. I had no idea where he found the energy. Not with all his football practices and traveling. His busy schedule didn't stop him, though. He'd be in the front door one minute and inside me the next.

But it wasn't like it was a chore. Oh, no. His wicked grin told me he loved every minute of this process. Especially the parts when he bottomed out inside me, getting as deep as he could possibly go before coming with the wildest look of satisfaction.

When Grayson said on our wedding night that he would fuck me until I was pregnant...he hadn't been lying.

Apparently, it did work like that.

A few months later, and I was staring down at a toilet bowl, wondering why the hell I'd let him get away with this. He got to enjoy the sex without the direct side effects of the aftermath.

Oh, but nausea wasn't the only thing in my stomach. Giddiness swirled and dipped, spreading to all of my limbs. I stared at the second positive pregnancy test on the floor and resisted the urge to call Grayson. But he was across the country in Atlanta, and I didn't want to deliver the news over the phone. I needed him here, next to me. Not in a locker room with a bunch of football players.

So I just smiled wide and squealed to myself in our tiny en-suite bathroom. Grayson would be home in a few days, which gave me just the right amount of time to plan a way to tell him.

****

I was possible that I chickened out of telling Grayson.

Okay, I did. I definitely did.

A terrible thrum of anxiety overcame me during the next few days. What if it was too soon? What if the tests were false positives, or what if something happened and—

Ugh. I didn't want to think about it, but I couldn't help my brain from going places I wished it wouldn't. And all I kept replaying in my head was the devastation Grayson would go through if I told him something that just...wasn't true.

Even after my doctor confirmed that there was, in fact, a tiny little speck of a baby in there, I was still nervous.

I thought about calling Madie. She would probably have something sensible to say. But she would also probably tell Bren. And I was pretty sure that Grayson would have a breakdown if Bren found out I was pregnant before he did.

Grayson knew something was up, though, because when he came home from Atlanta ready to pounce on me, I had to tell him that sex would have to wait until I was more confident I wouldn't throw up everywhere in the middle of it. And I couldn't remember the last time that I'd turned down a good home-coming fuck.

"I don't like this."

"What? Not having sex?" I trapped in a moan, clutching my upset stomach. "Well, get used to it."

Grayson's expression was stricken. He walked from the doorway of our bedroom to my side of the bed, placing a glass of water there for me. I hadn't been able to get up all day. Wasn't morning sickness supposed to be contained to the morning? For fuck's sake, I felt lied to.

Whatever. It was what I was using to convince Grayson that it was the stomach flu, so it worked out well for me.

"No." He scoffed. "I don't like it when you're sick." A short pause. "And what do you mean get used to it?"

His brows furrowed, revealing how deeply concerned he was with the idea that he would have to get used to being celibate. Pretty sure I even saw a shudder work it's way through him.

"Well, do you think you're going to see as much action once I'm pregnant? I doubt you're going to be fucking me on the counter every time you walk in the front door."

Kitchen sex had been his favorite lately. If I had to guess, I'd say it had something to do with the perfect height of the island in the middle of the room, and I wasn't complaining. But thank God we didn't have roommates anymore.

Grayson leaned against the wall casually, his grin kicking up, his worry vanishing.

"What makes you think that?" he asked. That twinkle in his eye told me that he was existing on a different brain wavelength than I was. Typical.

"Because..." I waved a hand in the air, trying to find the words. "I don't know. Pregnancy."

Talking was hard right now, considering how nauseous I felt. And with this wave of ickiness, it washed in more fear. More worries. How was pregnancy going to affect us? It was an understatement to say that Grayson was a physical guy, and what happened when being physical wasn't possible? Or he wasn't interested? Or what if I felt this horrid for the whole nine months and then even afterward, I wasn't going to be—

"Adler."

Grayson said my name knowingly, crouching down to meet me at eye level. He brushed a hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear as I lay on the pillow.

"Did you know," he said, lowering his voice like he was telling a secret. "That I have done an incredible amount of research on this topic."

"On what topic?"

"Pregnancy sex."

I snorted. "Of course you have."

He smiled, his eyes tracing my smile, happy to see it.

Deciding to give him what he wanted, I asked, "And what did you learn?"

"Ohhh, let me tell you." Grayson clapped his hands together, the picture of a ridiculous and giddy man. He sank all the way down on the floor, which I thought was adorable since he could have sat in bed. Or in the armchair on the other side of the room. But that would have required me moving so I could keep talking to him, and he knew I didn't have it in me to even turn over at the moment.

"Tell me," I said, irritated—but not really—about how much he was drawing this out.

"Well, first of all," he said, settling in, "everything I've read, and I've read a lot, has said that's safe to have sex during pregnancy. If you want to, of course."

Oh, I wanted to. I just wanted to do it without throwing up.

"I've also read that it's possible you'll be—" Grayson lifted his hands and began ticking things off on his fingers. "Hornier, wetter, and more sensitive." When he was done with his list, he wiggled his fingers with a grin. "I'm thoroughly looking forward to finding out which ones of those are true."

I couldn't help it—I laughed. I knew he was acting over the top to make me smile, and it was working. For the most part.

"That's if you still want to have sex with me. I'll be all...you know."

"Oh, I know. And it's definitely not gonna be a problem," Grayson said gruffly. "Literally getting a boner just thinking about it, darling."

I sighed, ignoring the slight twitch of desire that blossomed in me.

And then was quickly sucked away.

"Grayson?"

"Yeah, baby?"

His voice was sexy, turned-on. And I hated that I was about to ruin it for him.

"I'm going to throw up."

I've never seen him move so fast, not even in a football game, to get a garbage can in front of me. And luckily, it was just in time.

Rubbing my back with one hand and holding my hair with the other, Grayson transported me back to college. At least I'd graduated from vomiting in bushes.

****

"Are you sure you're feeling up for having people over?" Grayson stood in the patio doorway, watching as I rearranged the flower pots outside. "I'm fine with just ordering take-out and watching TV, Adler."

"It's your birthday, Grayson."

"I know. And that sounds more than perfect to me. We can watch Sherlock. Eat burgers. Drink whiskey."

I sighed, more in frustration that he was trying to ruin my plans than anything else. He was being sweet, and I knew that. But it was not the right time for him to go all Grayson-y on me. Because I was about to burst.

I was still worried, anxious, and downright terrified about being pregnant, but once I worked through some of my initial feelings, and with having Grayson home again, it was impossible not to let it slip to him. And if something did happen with the baby, I'd need him. Maybe it was selfish, but it was true. He'd shown me, reminded me, over the last week, how much I leaned on him to feel better. How much he knew how to make me feel better.

But once I realized I needed to tell him, and I needed to tell him now, his birthday was right around the corner.

And I had the perfect present.

"You don't even drink," I said, rearranging the chairs so that we could fit everyone around the patio table.

"You do, though."

Not anymore, handsome.

"It's not my birthday, Mr. Everett."

"I know, Mrs. Everett." Grayson sighed and crossed the distance between us. He pulled me into a hug from behind, his palms settling over my stomach. It was like those hands of his just knew. "But I just don't care what we do as long as we're together."

God, he was driving me wild in so many ways. Partly because of his cuteness and partly on his insistence to change my plans. My very perfect and important plans.

"Sit down," I said, pointing at one of the chairs under the patio umbrella.

"Bossing me around on my birthday, huh?" His classic smirk kicked up as he detached from around me and sank into the seat. I couldn't help but notice how he spread his legs wider than necessary. "I dig it."

It's not that kind of present, Grayson.

"Wait there while I get your gift," I said, and Grayson cocked his head. There might have been slight disappointment there, too, but I was pretty sure that would disappear soon.

"I'd wait forever for you, darling."

Someone was laying on the sweet stuff thick tonight. And I was okay with it.

I was out of breath by the time I came back with the wrapped package, and it had nothing to do with the bit of a sprint I'd just done through the house to grab the small box. No, it had everything to do with what was in the box.

"Here you go."

Grayson's eyebrows raised as he took the present from me. He studied my face carefully for a moment, knowing within an instant that something was...different. He patted his leg. "Come here, Wednesday baby."

Trying to push away my jitteriness, I smoothed down my skirt and sat on his lap. Grayson wrapped a large palm around my thigh and hoisted me up higher. He left his hand there, rubbing his thumb across my bare skin, flirting with the hem of my skirt. With my arm around his neck, I pulled him in close, kissing his cheek.

"There," he said, sounding satisfied. "That's better."

I took a deep breath. "Open it."

Grayson had that box unwrapped in a matter of seconds—must be something to do with those magic fingers of his—and when he lifted the lid, I sucked in.

"What's this?" he muttered softly, staring down at the folded jersey. When he picked it up out of the box, his breath faltered. "It's...little."

It was little. It was really little, the littlest jersey I could find for sale from his team.

Turning it over, Grayson froze.

EVERETT. A tiny, little Everett jersey.

"No," he said, hushed.

With fireworks in my stomach, I leaned into him. My lips brushed his ear. "No? Shush now. You know you want to be a dad."

When he lifted his head, his eyes were shining. "Say it."

His beautifully broken, desperate expression made my throat clog up, and I had to swallow past it to give him what he wanted. "You're going to be a dad, Wilder. Happy birthday."

A smiling laugh pushed out of his mouth, joyful and celebratory. "You're pregnant?"

I nodded.

His lips crashed against mine, and I moaned into the immediately deep kiss. His tongue flicked between my lips, tasting and taking. One large hand captured the back of my head, holding me there while he kissed me. I was breathless when our lips finally broke.

"Say it," he said for the second time.

I smiled, never happier. "I'm pregnant. You did it, baby. You fucked me until I was pregnant."

"Oh my fucking god," he said, laughing again. And then he let out a ridiculously loud whoop like the football player that he was. In his mind, he was in the endzone, celebrating a different kind of touchdown, and it probably scared the shit out of the neighbors. With twinkling, misting eyes, Grayson wrapped his arms around under my knees and hoisted me up out of the chair. It was clear that he meant to carry me into the house, but I shook my head.

"Bren and Madie are going to be here any second, Grayson. I thought we could celebrate you. And also the—"

"The baby?" His lips hovered over mine, widely grinning at getting the chance to say that. Regretfully, he lowered us back into the chair. "But what if I don't want to tell anyone yet? What if I don't want to share you, share this?" He rubbed his hand in a circle over my stomach. "Fuck, Adler. Is this real? This is—this is—"

"Is Grayson Everett actually speechless?"

"Everything," he finished, pinching my thigh for teasing him. "It's everything. I'm so happy it hurts, Nessa."

"It's fine if you don't want to tell them yet," I whispered, trying to ignore the butterflies he was winding up inside me. "If that's what you want, that's fine."

It really was. I just needed to tell someone. Everyone else could wait.

"I love you," he whispered, brushing his nose against mine.

"I love you, too," I mouthed before pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Mine," Grayson breathed, palming my stomach and pulling me in tight. "All mine."

My chest felt like it couldn't expand anymore. "Yours."

"It's the birthday boy!"

Bren hollered at us across the backyard, and I hurriedly turned to put the lid back on Grayson's gift. Madie trailed after him, carrying a baby bag and wearing a smile. An exhausted smile, but a smile nonetheless. It was only then that I realized where Emery, their daughter, was.

She was strapped on Bren's chest.

I pictured Grayson carrying our baby like that and immediately made a mental note to buy one of those carrier things. Right away.

Beau and Collins showed up a few minutes later, bearing a whole slew of drinks, alcoholic and nonalcoholic alike—considering the birthday boy—and I couldn't wait to toast to Grayson. He hadn't let go of me since I'd told him the news, keeping his hand possessively on my lower belly. And the moment had never been more perfect.

Whether or not he decided to share the news with everyone else and toast to that, too, was up to him. But tonight, when I lifted my glass, I would be praising the fact that I had Grayson Everett in my life. And he was going to be the very best dad, the very best husband, and the very best friend.

Baby Everett would be very loved, not only by their dad. But also by their aunts and uncles and little cousin, Emery.

And by me, of course.

God, I couldn't wait to introduce them to the world. This wild, wonderful world.

When we got in bed later that night, I sighed. "I don't know how I will ever top that birthday present."

Even though the lights were off, I heard the grin in Grayson's voice. "Maybe not. But you can match it."

Of course he would say that. "Jesus, I can't get pregnant every year."

He laughed. "We'll see."

Ridiculous man.

💗

our grayson is a happy man
a few people requested this—hope you enjoyed!

I appreciate everyone who has read this story so, so much!!

xoxo Amelie

ps love to you all