towards her, kindly coaxing as I tenderly cupped her cheek. “Hey, look at me, please?” With a languid sigh, Teddy slowly met my tender gaze. “It’ll be fine. He’s a doctor and is astutely aware that accidents tend to happen from time to time.”
She grimaced, unconvinced once more by my optimism. “Doctor Montgomery’s already warned me getting pregnant wouldn’t be the best option for me, right now anyway. His prime reason being that he’s also extremely aware I’m still not in the best place to have a child anytime soon.”
Drawing Teddy closer and encompassing her within my arms, I pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. “Let’s wait and see what he has to say before we jump to any conclusions. You never know, he might actually be thrilled for us.”
My optimism could not have been any farther from the truth.
Doctor Montgomery’s jaw hit the floor the second we shared our joyful news with him. “Well, I’m delighted to see you took my advice,” he eventually uttered caustically. “But how could you both be so bloody reckless?”
“It wasn’t intentional, Doc…” I countered calmly. “It just happened.”
“Intentional or not, adding a defensive child to the mix while these unpleasant issues remain in your lives – it’s just damned irresponsible!”
At that point, I felt his comments were unwarranted and seriously thought about putting him back in his place. But as if the good doctor sensed my irritation, he glowered, raising a pointed finger directly at me.
“Don’t bother, Ari! You both need to hear what I have to say! So I suggest you sit there quietly until then!” he growled aggressively. “Am I clear?”
“Crystal,” we replied in unison, shrinking back into our seats.
Other than that little reprimanding, life had changed and for the better, both at home and work.
In particular, my staff. They were profoundly thrilled that their morose boss had finally left the building and replaced by someone much more amenable. Discovering I was about to become a father was the principal reason behind my chuffed mood, I suppose. Something Asher kindly noticed, his rare praise catching me off guard during one of our regular lunches at Rockpool Bar and Grill, Southbank beside the Yarra River, or the upside-down river we Melbournians quaintly called it.
“Wow look at you, one minute you’re all dark and gloomy, now you’re all sunshine and roses. What’s gotten you so sappy lately?”
Shoving a piece of the deliciously juicy scotch fillet on my plate into my mouth, I glanced up and grinned. “Just life. Ultimately, Teddy and I are on the same page and in a beautiful place, and that’s all you need to know – for now,” I simpered, chewing away happily.
Asher twisted the fork in his hand and chuckled. “You normally tell me everything. Anyone would think Teddy was pregnant the way you were acting.”
Unwittingly, I began choking on my food.
His eyes widened. “Teddy’s preggers?”
“Keep your voice down,” I whispered hoarsely, lifting the water glass to my lips and taking a few tentative sips. “The answer to your ever-enquiring mind is yes; Teddy is pregnant. Nevertheless, we are only in the first trimester, meaning we aren’t telling anyone just yet. So, Asher, I implore you, please be a mate and keep it to yourself because if I receive an angry phone call from my mother, then I’ll know you shall have told yours.”
“My lips are unequivocally sealed,” he wisely replied, closing an imaginary zip across his lips.
I gave a satisfied nod. “Good.”
Asher eyed me speculatively over the lip of the wine glass in his hand. “Well as your mate, I’m curious, particularly when only days ago you were contemplating taking a break: care to fill me in?”
I shrugged apathetically. “All it took was one night of carelessness my friend. And just so you know, Teddy isn’t aware that’s what I was thinking, so for the love of God, please don’t tell her.”
He picked up his knife and fork, resuming his meal of Asian style pork belly as he scoffed. “No, I’d hate to upset a pregnant woman, specifically yours.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your discretion.”
“I’ve always got your back, Ari; you know that. Anyway, let’s discuss finding you a new engineer. When do you want to start headhunting?”
And just like that, the discussion regarding my private life was over.
“The sooner, the better.” I smiled widely sawing off another chunk of steak. “And whilst we’re on the subject, can you ask HR to advertise further afield for both the engineer as well as a grad student. Stipulate that the grad student needs to be either fresh out of university or about to graduate. But as long as they’re more than happy to work whilst learning beneath our new employee, I don’t mind either way.”
“Like an understudy?”
I concurred with a brief nod, “Something along those lines, I suppose.”
“Fresh meat, I like your thinking.” Asher grinned and dug into his pork. “This little search is going to be fun.”
I lifted my fork to lips, murmuring in agreeance, “Indeed, it shall.”
Chapter Three
Teddy
“PACK AN OVERNIGHT BAG – enough for two days,” Ari sultrily requested, gliding the tip of his tongue along my sweat laced spine whilst skimming his fingers through my swollen cleft as I lay sated on my stomach.
I tutted mockingly, “Manners, Mr Jaeger. Whatever happened to please?”
“Ms McGovern, it would please me greatly if you packed an overnight bag,” he poshly murmured against my dampened skin.
“Ooh, so formal. I like,” I playfully breathed. “Now fuck me.”
Tutting disapprovingly, he unexpectedly spanked my arse, making me groan loudly before swiftly flipping me over and pinning my wrists either side of my head. Darkened eyes playfully stared as Ari hovered above me, his warm breath whispering across my face as he scolded me, “Whatever happened to please, Ms McGovern?”
“Fuck me, please, Mr Jaeger.”
His intense gaze seared. “Much more appropriate.”
From there on in, he left me far too incoherent to bother asking him how he’d convinced Spencer to let me take yet another day off work. I didn’t care; I was too busy riding high.
The sun blazed through the tinted windows as the sleek BMW cruised along the freeway, leaving the outskirts of the city nothing more than a multicoloured blur.
Raising a dubious brow, I looked over at a whistling Ari. “So, where are we going?”
His mouth curled into a rather devilish smile as he tapped the side of his nose. “It’s a secret. But I shall
