Unpredictable: The Apprehensive Series, #3

By K.A. Berg

Quinn and Alex are no strangers to pain and struggle, but thankfully that's all behind them and in the past. Or is it?

What happens when life doesn't go the way they've planned? They vowed to love other through the good times and the bad, but what about through shattered dreams and harsh realities?

Is their love strong enough to endure life as it becomes unpredictable? Or will they push each other too far and lose it all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: BergBooks LLC
• Release date: Jul 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386608929

Book preview

Chapter One

Alex

Quinn saunters out from our en-suite bathroom wearing a plain white baby-doll nighty, making her look innocent when there’s not a drop of purity in her. Mischief and adventure ooze from her as she stops in the doorway and leans against the frame, one hand hidden behind her back.

What are you hiding, angel? One can honestly never guess with Quinn. She’s a fierce fire

cracker, and I absolutely love her for it. 

Pushing away from the door, she strolls to me with an extra sway to her hips, making my dick weep. Quinn is like a fine wine, only getting better with age. She’s twice the woman she was when I met her. I loved that woman, but I love this one even more. Oh, nothing. 

I canvas every inch of her exposed legs. They’re long, lean, and covered in the smoothest skin. This little show tells me you are definitely up to something. My guess is you want a good hard fucking.

Her eyes light up. Oh, I definitely want that. But first . . . how about we make it a little more fun?

This could be interesting. How so?

She tosses a foil rectangle on the bed next to me and grins. 

I know before I get a good look at it that this is her birth control. But why? Is this like a frat party fantasy? You want to pretend to take some E or Molly or whatever and have crazy uninhibited sex?

We kind of already do that. Minus the drugs.

She nods to the package as she laughs. Look at it, Alex.

Nothing looks unusual. Three rows of white pills. One row of yellow.

Do you remember when I had my last period?

Last weekend. When I called her from the away game in New England, she told me she was curled up on the couch with a heating pad because she had terrible cramps.

Now look at the package again.

Three rows of white pills. One row of yellow. 

Wait . . . None of them are missing. Not a single one. 

Does this mean?

My heart swells in my chest, and I want to grab her and kiss the living shit out of her.

She nods again, delight glimmering in her eyes.

You’re ready? I have to ask one more time. It’s as if I can’t allow myself to believe it.  

I’m ready.

Chapter Two

Quinn

 T hat’s a good girl, angel, Alex coaxes. His velvety voice washes over me like fine silk. Chills dance across my skin as his fingernails scrape down the center of my back. The last of the tremors from my orgasm dwindle. Take it and give me another one. His voice is thick with need and anticipation. I love the way it feels when your pussy squeezes my dick this tight. So good.

Some things never change. Almost ten years together and this man still makes my body shudder every time he touches me. Whether it’s a simple kiss in the morning, a slung arm over my shoulder, or a good old fucking, he never fails to make my body react to him. 

But tonight, he’s on a whole other level. 

Alex slams his hips into my ass, grinding precisely right to ensure he hits the spot guaranteed to make me squeal. Shit! 

He snakes his fingers around to my clit, pinching it. The beginning of my orgasm sparks. His hips pick up speed and the sound of slapping skin echoes all around us. My fingers dig into the soft cotton sheets of our bed as he growls behind me. 

Yes, that’s it. Milk my cock.

Alex’s grip on my hips is punishing, and I love it. The way he can never seem to get enough of me is the biggest turn-on of all. The way he gets lost in me and loses control regardless of how many times he’s had me is a high for me. Every time is just as good as the last—sometimes even better. I hope we never run out of ways to keep it this amazing. 

My arms give out as the pleasure all becomes too much, and my face slams into the bedding, my hedonistic cries now muffled by the mattress. This release powers through me in waves of euphoria. Each one is more powerful than the last. All the blood in my body rushes to my ears, and my heart pounds in my chest. My orgasm pulsates in my pussy, behind my eyes, and even in my toes.  

His hard body stills behind me, and his hold on my hips loosens as the last of this orgasm ebbs. Looking back over my shoulder, I take in the magnificence behind me. Alex Conway is downright delectable with his toned, muscular body, handsome face, and glorious hair. Not to mention the way he’s so level-headed, understanding, and gentle. My husband is damn near perfect. 

Alex’s soft lips pepper kisses down my back as I stay perched on my knees with my head laying on the mattress. 

Thinking about what we’ve just done . . . hopefully expanding our family . . . it makes me want to take you again.

There’s no denying the lust in his voice. It makes my body instantly perk up again. Good thing too, because Alex doesn’t waste any time doing exactly what he wants. Grabbing my ankles, he pulls my legs from under me and flips my body effortlessly. The muscles in his arms captivate me as he pushes my legs back against my chest and eyes my pussy hungrily before thrusting back into me.

Shit, Alex, I shout in an agonized ecstasy. My still-sensitive flesh cries out for mercy while begging for more. 

Alex moans as he drags his cock out, pausing for a moment, leaving only his swollen head in my warmth. The thought of you, round with my baby. Our baby. Fuck, what that image does to me. Proving his point, he slams his cock back inside me with an extra edge to him—one that seems to be primal. 

All I can do is dig my nails into his forearms as he pounds into me. His eyes linger on my chest as my breasts bounces with each powerful thrust. A deep growl emanates from his throat, and one hand leaves my thigh to pinch my nipple, instantly setting me off again. 

Yes, I scream as the sensations take over. This orgasm is more intense, like a tsunami of force overtaking my body. It doesn’t last as long as the one I had only five minutes ago, but it's all-consuming. Alex stares down at me, watching me lose it again, as he chases his release. I have no clue how he does it, but after just coming mere minutes ago, his thick cock throbs inside of me as he comes again. 

He growls, the veins in his neck bulging as his body stills. His eyes lock onto mine as he comes back down from his high. Shit, angel, he pants. The things you do to me.

Me? I smirk, pulling him down so I can taste those delicious lips. That was all you.

Alex collapses beside me and pulls me flush to his side. I love you, he says, his lips at my temple. His fingers trace along the curve of my waist, and I know he’s thinking about running those fingers across a different kind of curve. Hopefully soon. 

Contentment builds in my chest. The idea of having children of our own started coming up in conversation over the last couple of months. A comment here. A mention there. To my surprise, it was me who brought it all up. 

Why now? he asks softly. I’m thrilled. I can’t even put into words how I feel, but what changed your mind?

Alex has always wanted kids, but with me, the desire for children was more gradual. Before we got married, we decided kids weren’t entirely off the table. I just wasn’t sure if I would be in a place where I’d want them for myself. Before the wedding, Alex and I sat down and had a true heart-to-heart about our future and kids. We agreed when we felt the time was right, we would open the discussion again and see where it all took us. 

Over the last couple of years, the idea of children evolved for me—from them being sticky little snot machines to something more. I shrug my shoulders. I’m not sure, really. It kind of just happened. We’ve watched everyone around us grow and expand their families. They share this immense joy with each other, a bond and connection of parenthood and creating a life. I can’t stop picturing that for us.

One thing hasn’t changed, though. The idea of being a mother still terrifies me. 

To say my parents weren’t great parents would be an understatement. If screwing up your kids was an Olympic sport, my parents would be repeated gold medalists. My dad tried to send me to jail by attempting to frame me for a ton of different fraud and embezzlement charges. And my mother . . . the way she ignored everything he was doing, to her, and me, aided in ruining my faith in love before I ever truly had the chance to experience it. It’s safe to say the parenting gene is missing from my DNA. 

For so long, I’d convinced myself that without knowing what it was like to have any kind of decent parenting growing up, I was bound to repeat the cycle. How could I possibly be a good parent if I’ve never seen an example of it? 

I may not have had parenting role models growing up, but I’m surrounded by people doing it right. Or as right as it can be done. There’s no magic to it all. Being a good parent is just having good instincts and being consistent. I can do that. My instincts have gotten me this far in life, and it hasn’t turned out so badly. Plus, thanks to my mother and father, I have plenty of examples of what not to do.

My circle of friends, which is honestly more like family than anything else, has shown me a different side of domestic life than I could’ve imagined ten years ago. I’ve watched Tanner and Ashley with their three kids. Tiffany and her wife, Candace, with their son. Jordan and Hailey with their daughter. After a while, I realized I want a family with children of our own. Just because I come from shitty parents doesn’t mean I have to be like them. Besides, with my friends, no one would ever let me turn into my mother. More importantly, Alex could never, ever, be my father. 

His voice is reverent as his fingers continue to stroke up and down the curve of my waist. But what’s changed?

I never thought I could trust someone as implicitly as I do you, I tell him. Honestly, after accepting that, it all just fell into place on its own. I went to grab the new pack to start, and I stared down at them, not really sure what I wanted to do. I figured if I got the urge to take them the next day, I’d just double up. It never came. I guess something inside me feels like we’re in the place to open the door to expanding our twosome.

He nods his understanding, still smiling.

It doesn’t hurt that our group has been popping out kids like Pez dispensers, which would give our kids friends for life. We’re both only children. Our friends’ kids would be the closest thing they’d have to cousins. Everything just felt right.

Alex’s arms band tighter around me as he laughs. I watch through our large bedroom window as the December snow falls against the New York City backdrop, and my body burrows into the warmth of Alex as I let out a content sigh and smile about thoughts of the future.

Chapter Three

Quinn

Holiday shopping in Bergen County on a Saturday is pure madness. Thanks to the Blue Law, it’s the only shopping day of the weekend, and people pack into the malls like sardines. It’s like navigating through an obstacle course of dodging hands full of shopping bags, people waiting in line for Santa, and fifty additional kiosks crammed into the corridors.

By the time the girls and I sit down for dinner at The Capital Grille, we’re all exhausted. Online shopping is so much less stressful, Tiffany comments as we settle in at the table.

Where’s the fun in that? Hailey asks, opening her menu. You can’t get as excited over something in pictures online as you can when you find the perfect new sweater.

Or when you try on the most exquisite pair of heels. 

Ashley shakes her head at me and chuckles. You and your shoes. You could go months without wearing the same pair twice.

Sometimes, I find myself just staring at the fabulousness of my shoe collection. There’s an entire section in my closet dedicated only to them. 

 A girl needs variety, but Tiff has a point. It feels good to sit down. Next month, I vote we do dinner and massages. After today, I don’t want to see the inside of another mall for a while.

We all take a moment to look at our choices and order our drinks and meals.

There’s a wave of calm that passes over our table as our drinks arrive and we all take a nice long sip of our much-needed alcohol. The burn of my martini as it slides down my throat is refreshing. So, did everyone finish up their shopping? Tiffany asks. 

Hailey is the first to answer. I did. Diana was the only person left on my list since I started so early this year. I was worried about learning how to juggle everything and didn’t want to taint Christmas with stress. Starting before going back to work seemed like the smartest idea. 

Jordan’s mom is so hard to shop for, I say. I have no clue what I’m getting her.

 And you were worried about how you would handle it all, Hailey. Ashley laughs. You won’t be like me, constantly worried over the next week that you’re going to forget someone.

We give a little chuckle. None of us doubted Hailey. How much do you have left to do, Ash? she asks.

Ashley takes a long sip of her beer. Not much. It’s just I keep feeling like I forgot something. Adding another kid has thrown me off, she jokes. So… I keep on buying just in case. I think the kids have officially scrambled my brain.

Our dinner arrives, and everyone resumes talking about all the shopping we did before today, which leads to Ashley telling us all about the handcrafted display case she’s having custom built for Tanner to display his memorabilia in. 

Tiffany nods at me. What’d you get Alex this year?

I’m still trying to decide. I had a great idea, but the timing didn’t work out, and now I can’t think of anything as awesome as my original idea.

Hailey frowns. Well, that sucks. What were you going to get him?

I smile slyly. A baby.

Three shocked faces stare at me before morphing into various states of enthusiasm.

That’s so exciting, Hailey grins from ear to ear.

Ashley bounces in her seat and claps her hands. Yay, more babies.

It’s about time, Tiffany grins. I was wondering when you were going to scratch that itch.

What itch? 

Honey, Ashley says in a placating manner. We’ve seen it all over your face for a while. You get this look when you look at the kids. You bring up babies randomly. The writing was on the wall…

I only just realized I’m ready. How could they have already known? Really?

Tiffany nods. Yup. I noticed it when we first brought Mikey home. Your eyes have a dreamy look in them, and you seem to get lost in your head when you hold him. I could tell you were thinking about a baby of your own. Dammit, we should have started a pool or something!

Tiffany and Candace officially adopted their son, Mikey, last month after fostering him first. Two years ago, the two of them started the paperwork to adopt. Going in, they knew traditional adoption was going to be lengthy, but I don’t think any of us thought that after over a year, they’d still be waiting for a call. Rather than continue waiting, they opted to foster. 

Children’s services placed Mikey with them within three weeks. His mom left him at a firehouse when he was only two weeks old, and that’s all we really knew about his past. None of it would have mattered, anyway. We all fell in love with him instantly. With his big brown eyes and sandy colored mop of hair, who could resist him? 

 If we were betting, I would have won, Ashley states matter-of-factly. Quinn loves Christmas as much as I do. I would have bet on this being the month. You’ve probably already been thinking about next year and how much fun it will be being Santa while bingeing on the holiday Hallmark movies.

My cheeks blush a little at how well these women know me.

Well, if you really would’ve wanted to win, all you would have had to do was tell me how great sex is while trying to get knocked up. Great might be an understatement. Alex can’t keep his hands off me. It’s like we’ve uncovered a whole new facet of our sex lives.

Hailey snorts. You two could never keep your hands to yourself. When did you guys start trying?

This is our first month.

At first, it was weird not having to take my pill. I’ve spent almost twenty years religiously taking those little tablets. It was as second nature as brushing my teeth. I still feel like I’m forgetting to do something vital every morning.

Hailey gets a wistful look in her eyes. I remember the excitement I felt when we first started trying for Jaden. You’re right, there’s a change in your sex life with trying to conceive. There’s a whole new level of intimacy.

Ashley nods, the nostalgic look on her face matching Hailey’s. I’m going to miss that feeling. I’m kind of sad I’m done having babies.

All three of our heads turn toward her. You guys are done? Tiff asks.

She nods. Yeah, three is plenty. I love my babies, but we’re outnumbered. The transition from two to three has been rough. I went from one to two with no problem. I’m pretty sure after the season’s over, Tanner’s going to go in and make it permanent.

Her voice hitches a little in sadness, but Ashley seems confident in her decision. "I’m just glad you’re going to pop out some babies. If I get the itch