The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby(17)

Brooks pointed down at the magazines.       

   





"Oh yeah. Those." Cole shook his head.

Harrison picked one up and flipped through it. "Heh," he said. "Did you  know that only thirty-six percent of those polled think you guys will  make it past the six-month mark?"

"What?" Leah asked. "When did we become a poll?"

"One of the late-night shows started a Twitter poll when your wedding  picture hit the internet to see how long you guys will last."

"Lovely," Leah said, her head growing fuzzy again.

"Which one?" Brooks asked.

Harrison showed him the article and Brooks grimaced. "Remind me to take him off the Christmas card list."

Leah looked at him, eyes wide. "He's on your Christmas card list?" Then  she held up a hand. "Never mind. Of course he is." She dropped her head  back between her knees.

Harrison continued. "Looks like twenty-three percent think you won't  make it past three months and thirty-nine percent are betting on less  than one."

"A whole two percent think we'll make it beyond six months?"

"Well, considering the reputation of the groom … " Harrison said.

Brooks flipped him off.

"Don't blame the messenger," Harrison said.

"They're crazy," Kiersten said. "I think you guys make a wonderful couple."

Leah snorted. "Don't look at me. I'm kind of surprised we made it to the wedding."

Brooks laughed. "Come on, baby. I have total faith it will go the distance."

"I guess it depends on your definition of distance," Chris said.

"Well, hell, anyone want to put their money where their mouth is?" Cole asked.

"Cole. No," Kiersten said, shaking her head.

"Put me down for six months," Harrison said, slapping a hundred-dollar bill on the table.

Kiersten gaped at him. "Don't you start."

Cole's hundred joined it. "You guys forget, I've known him longer than you. I say three months, tops."

Brooks flipped him off too.

Chris slapped his down. "One month." He glanced at Leah. "No offense meant to you at all. It's totally him."

She raised her hand, waving off his concern. "I get it."

"Hey," Brooks said. "Okay, fine." He slapped his own bill on the table. "We make it to end game. Baby day."

Leah and Kiersten glanced at each other, both shaking their heads.

"They'll bet on anything," Leah said.

"Probably my fault," Kiersten said. "I kind of got the whole office pool  thing started before Cole and I got together. Now it's a thing. If they  can bet on it, they will."

"Lucky me."

Kiersten just grinned at her. "It's not so bad. It's amazing what you can get away with when they are trying to win a bet."

 …

Leah had never wanted to take a picture of something so badly in her  life. Brooks stood in the middle of her classroom, hands out, fingers  spread with a piece of tape dangling off of each digit, with streamers  of classroom decorations hanging from around his neck and off both arms.  He was like a little grade school Christmas tree whose eyes had glazed  over.

She went to get another piece of tape from a finger and stared up at him until he blinked and glanced down.

"Did you go to your happy place?"

His forehead crinkled in a little frown though his lips were twitching  into a smile. "My happy place is so far removed from here I can't even  find it at the moment."

She grinned up at him. "I told you that you wouldn't have fun."

"Yes, well there's being told something and then experiencing it. My apologies. Next time I promise I'll listen."

"Uh-huh." She stuck another decoration to the wall and then grabbed her  stapler, waving him over so he could follow behind her as she tacked up  the word chart. She climbed up a small step stool to position the  banner, and slapped her palm against the stapler flat against the wall  to staple it in.

A buzzing came from her pocket and she fumbled the phone out with one hand.

"Here," she said, "hold this." She thrust the stapler at him. He glanced  at her helplessly. With both hands covered in tape there wasn't much he  could do. She frowned. He opened his mouth with a sigh.       

   





She placed it carefully inside. "Don't bite down too hard."

He rolled his eyes but kept the stapler firm while she quickly texted  Kiersten back. When she turned back around it was to see Brooks staring  at her with an expression she wasn't sure she wanted to translate.

"Sorry about that," she said, removing the stapler from his mouth.

He stared at her for a moment, his eyes level with hers for once since  she was on the stool. Before she could register his intentions, he had  her against the wall, putting his mouth to much better use. Leah  mentally protested for half a second before she chucked caution to the  wind and joined him in absolute madness. She wrapped one leg around his  hip and he growled, grabbing her thigh to anchor his grip. He pressed  hard against her while his tongue delved into her mouth and she gasped,  tangling her hand in his hair to keep him imprisoned.

"Excuse me!" Mother Genevieve said with a tone caught somewhere between  astonishment, disapproval, and perhaps a bit of admiration.

Leah pushed away from Brooks, though he seemed reluctant to let her go.

"I'm so sorry," she said, climbing down from the stool. She brought a  hand up to her mouth, quickly wiping her lips and patting at her hair,  hoping she wasn't too disheveled.

"I thought I'd stop in and see how things are going," Mother Genevieve  said. "Make sure you are all ready for the beginning of the school  year."

Leah glanced around her classroom. Everywhere but at Brooks. If she met  his gaze right then she'd have probably melted into a puddle of shame  right there on the floor. "I think everything is ready to go. Just  putting up some visual aids and decorations."

The Reverend Mother also looked around, nodding her head in approval.  "Very well. Continue. With your preparations, that is," she said with a  pointed look at Brooks who grinned at her. She swept out and Leah sank  into the chair behind her desk, covering her face with her hands.

"Oh my gosh, that was so embarrassing."

Brooks shrugged and started removing the tape from his fingers. "Why? We  are married after all. I thought the whole perk of the old ball and  chain deal was the legal right, and even obligation, to grope my wife  anytime and anywhere."

Leah opened her mouth to respond and then closed it again.

"Ha. See. I actually have a valid point for once."

She gave him a slow smile. "You do."

"Who texted you?"

"Huh? Oh," she said, trying to get her brain to focus on something other  than the hard body she'd just been wrapped around. "Um, it was  Kiersten. She wants to know if I can watch Piper next week while she and  Cole go to dinner. Their nanny is out of town for a few weeks. I told  her that would be fine."

"What day?"

"Next Friday."

He thought for a moment and then nodded. "That should be fine. I don't have anything going on that night."

Leah blinked at him, trying to process what he'd said. "You want to  babysit with me? As in watching an actual baby. Taking care of one, I  mean."

"I'm not letting you go by yourself. You're supposed to be taking it  easy. In fact, it would probably be best if they brought the baby to my  place."

Leah took a deep breath. "Brooks, while I am flattered and think it is  beyond sweet that you are so concerned for me you really have got to  stop this. I am totally fine. The doctor has cleared me. I am capable of  going uptown and watching a baby for a few hours without you glued to  my side."

"I know you're capable … "

But she shook her head. "I know you're concerned and I know it was a  scary night, but it's over with. I'm fine now. And frankly you're  driving me freaking insane. You can't keep me locked up in your  apartment forever."

His concern melted away into a playfully naughty look. "Well now there's an idea I could get behind."

He took her hand and pulled her out of the chair, intertwining her  fingers with his and pinning them behind her back to press her closer.  "I can keep you locked up in my bedroom … " He kissed her. "Maybe even tie  you up." He kissed her again with a quick nip at her lip that sent a  jolt of fire straight to her core. "Keep you my prisoner and have my way  with you until you're screaming my name."       

   





She sucked in a tremulous breath and he leaned down and captured her  lips again. He let go of her hands so Leah could drag her arms around  his neck and hold on for dear mercy. When he finally let her go, her  head swam in a sea of hormones that drowned out any lingering concern.  Who cared if he followed her around like some crazed overzealous  bodyguard? As long as he took a break every now and then to do that  again.