LUCI (The Naughty Ones Book 2) Read online

  His eyes, eyes so blue and similar to my husband’s, go round and he scans the room before landing on me with what I can only call a very unflattering sneer.

  “He got married and knocked you up without getting our blessing.”

  Man, seeing this guy and his attitude just makes me love Cage more.

  My poor Cagey Wagey. Tonight I am so rewarding you for turning out just a little human after meeting this douche.

  “Uh yea. Sorry, Pops, but as you can see, we had to hitch our wagons on the double,” I drawl, stroking my belly for added effect.

  The lip curl makes my spine tingle but I hold it all in. I know how to pretend not to care, been doing it for years, and I see him mutter a little something that has Indie’s crazy eyes sparking to life before he sniffs and gives me his hallow attention again.

  “Tell the boy I want to see him and I expect him at dinner tonight. Tell him I won’t stop until he sees me.”

  And just like that, he turns and walks out like that ass he is.

  Chapter Twelve

  Family Secrets

  Luci

  The moment we drive through the gates of the Cage estate and enter their world I feel as if a pall has settled over us. Cage is even tenser, if that’s possible, and I feel myself second-guessing this trip when he pulls up to the circular drive and cuts the engine, seeming to get lost in a world of his own as he gazes at the huge, imposing house.

  My first instinct is to ask if he’s okay, but who am I kidding. It’s more than obvious he is so not okay, and his tension brings back the hour-long talk he and Woody had with me about his parents.

  Apparently Woody met them only once besides the times that Cage Sr. showed up at Cage’s office, and he’d prefer never to meet them again.

  I’m a little tense myself, to be honest.

  “Don’t let them bug you, and for God’s sake, do not try to be polite if they’re rude, Luce. If one of them says a mean word, you cut them a new one. You hear?”

  “Yes sir!” I answer, saluting him with a giggle I have to fake.

  Cage studies me a moment more before nodding and leaving the car to come around to my side. He holds on to me all the way to the door and doesn’t bother to let go when a servant opens it and waves us in, welcoming us in a civil, cold manner.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Cage are in the formal sitting room. If you’d follow me.”

  Okay. Weird.

  I’ve mentioned Daddy is a member of the peerage? Not even my grandparents, who can be snooty gits, are this pretentious. I’m gaping and craning my neck as Cage pulls me along behind him and I almost swallow my tongue when the man shows us into a room bigger than my old apartment and we’re greeted by my in-laws.

  “Ah Alfred, so glad you could make it,” the old broad says with false civility, making my hackles rise.

  I just about crawl out of my skin when her corpse-like hands touch me and she leans in to air-kiss my cheek.

  “You must be Freddie’s wife. I’m Deandra.”

  “Luci. My name’s Luci,” I say softly as she pulls away and glances down at my belly.

  I’m not in the slightest embarrassed because, let’s face it, I look hot in the baby-pink sheath I’m wearing.

  What has me wanting to shrink into the floorboards is the look she gives my belly and the way her lip curls the tiniest bit. What a bitch.

  “Mother.”

  That tone and the hard look on his face say it all, and I watch as she steps back with a nervous titter. His father steps forward and shakes his hand, completely ignoring me, which pisses Cage off more.

  “Well! I think we can adjourn to the dining room since we cannot, by any rights, have cocktails now,” she says, looking at my belly again.

  Oh, but I need one. I need a big one, I think as Cage squeezes my hand and we follow them into the dining room.

  Jesus, spare me.

  No really, spare me, I think when I notice the two other settings.

  I should know Cage better, though, because he pulls out a chair to the left of his own, seats me, and stalks to the opposite end to collect all my plates, silverware, and glasses.

  “Alfred—”

  “Save it, Deandra. My wife sits with me. Now, are we going to cut it with this polite bullshit or are we spending the next hour pretending that any of us actually want to be here?”

  That seems to perk up the fembot and I see her nostrils quiver before she tuts and starts moaning about never raising him with such appalling manners.

  “Don’t feel too bad, Deandra, since you didn’t spend a day of your life raising me. Blame the nannies and the school if it makes you feel better. Now, the point, old man? What do you want, and for God’s sake, don’t beat around the bush. I have a roast in the oven as we speak and a wife to care for.”

  Old man Cage does not like that. I see as his mouth tenses and his nose seems to flare without any other part of his face moving an inch.

  “I wanted you to come alone, boy, not drag this…this—”

  “Careful, old man,” Cage snarls in a deceptively pleasant tone that has my nape prickling. “You say one wrong word and I’m done. You got that?”

  “Oh, Alfred dear, do mind your manners. Dearest Luci is family now, after all. Aren’t you, dear?”

  “Cut the crap. What do you want? I don’t have time for this bullshit.”

  “I invested poorly last quarter,” his father says.

  Cage just shrugs as an answer and seems not to give a damn. I soon find out why.

  “You mean Deandra went a little nuts with the shopping again and you’re still paying your two mistresses to fuck your cold ass? Not my problem, old man. You’ve been here before, and after you tried to steal my trust fund I warned you that I would help you once and never again. I invested your money for a reason and warned you both to live within your means. You need cash? Sell the house and get something sustainable.”

  “But, but it’s the family seat!” Fembot yells in a tizzy, her immobile face hilarious, what with all the emotion I hear but don’t see.

  Seriously, not even a twitch.

  “Family? You call what we are a family? That’s so fucking laughable I almost pity you your delusions, Mom. The answer is no and be advised it will not change no matter what you say or do. I gave you money even after years of emotional neglect and after you tried to pillage a trust that was left to me by Grandma Cage. That was my one good deed and that’s done now. We clear? I think we’re done here, baby. Let’s go home.”

  We’re rising when Senior decides to play a card he has no chance of winning with. Talk about holding a two when my man’s showing only aces.

  “You think I won’t go to the press and tell them all about your little wife and her bastard children, boy? Would you like your peers to know that she’s knocked up with a stranger’s baby and duping you to get her hooks into your fortune?”

  Cage goes so still and hard I feel the air in the room go icy and I cringe a little. Cage smiles a nasty smile and leans over into Senior’s face.

  “These are my babies, old man, you fucking got that? Mine. You go near the press and blacken my wife’s name and I won’t only see you in court, I will personally fuck your shit up so bad, old Deandra over there will be mashing your food for you feeding tube.”

  “Freddie darling, please! Have a heart for your family.”

  My turn, I think, turning to fembot with a smile to match my husband’s.

  “A heart? Family?” I sneer, letting them both see my disgust and disdain. “You wouldn’t know what a family is if one slapped your flat ass and showed you the fucking definition. Now understand me well, lady. Cage is my family. He’s mine and our babies’ and that will never change. He doesn’t need or want you messing up his life. You so much as breathe on him again and you won’t be mashing Senior’s grub for that feeding tube, you’ll be sharing a room at a facility. You got me? Come on, baby, let’s blow this popsicle stand. Say, you wanna go visit Mummy and Daddy before we go home? I heard her
say she was baking your favorite cookies.”

  I lay it on a little thick but it’s not like I’m lying. My parents adore Cage and his straight talking, no-nonsense demeanor.

  “Oh, and by the way, Senior? I’m rich too and I have enough money to buy and sell you over and over if I wanted to. I don’t want or need Cage for his money, and why the hell should I when I love the man enough to live in a one-bedroom roach-infested hovel. Get over yourself and get a job.”

  Cage just smiles at me before pulling me out of the room and to the front door. As we leave and pull through the gates, I feel like we just came to an understanding that will sit as the foundation for our marriage. We have each other’s back.

  “Well, that went better than I thought it would, Luci baby. Thanks for not decking anyone.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dreams Aren’t For Suckers.

  Cage

  The absolute bone-melting pleasure I feel as I wake slowly is so intense, I feel my toes curl into the sheets and just barely refrain from thrusting my hips up for more.

  It’s indescribable what I feel when I crack an eye to see Luci between my legs, her luscious pink lips wrapped around my dick as she sucks me so good, I feel my balls go cross-eyed with pleasure.

  It’s been about two months, give or take a day or two since that “visit” with my parents, and she’s at about seven months along right now. She’s huge and way too uncomfortable for us to have sex at all for the last week or two.

  Not that I’m complaining. Much. Okay, I’m going crazy in my head with need for her, but I feel so bad for her every time she winces or scrunches her face when the babies move that getting a boner at all makes me feel like a pig.

  That’s why seeing her over me, sucking me with a moan of pleasure is so fucking good.

  “Baby.”

  I really do try to pull away from her mouth, my worry for the position she’s in overruling my need, but the little sprite just clamps down harder and starts bobbing her head in a way that has her taking so much of my length that I can’t do a damn thing but groan and stiffen my legs to stay still.

  Her wet mouth is tight and warm, so slick with spit and the pre-cum I’m oozing that it feels like I’m inside her tight sex it’s so good. I’m so close, so damn close to blowing and trying to hold on to prolong the pleasure that when she flicks her tongue into my slit and moans her pleasure at my taste, I blow without meaning to.

  The orgasm is hard, intense, and so good that I come and come in hot streams of howling pleasure, going all the harder when I feel her swallow and hum her pleasure.

  When my balls are finally empty and I feel sane enough to string a thought together, I open my eyes to see Luci sitting up, her mouth swollen but smiling down at me mischievously.

  “Good morning, good sir.” She giggles, patting my dick once before groaning and trying to crawl my way.

  My poor baby is so big right now, her little arms can’t hold her weight. I rear up and sweep her into my arms to lay her against the pillows where she sinks down with a sigh and a happy smile.

  “You can’t do that again.”

  Like hell, my dick growls, settling down when I threaten to get Woody to kick me in the sack.

  “But I wanted to and it was so yummy, Cage. You know how I like to touch you.”

  “I do, baby, and believe me that was freaking awesome. But I don’t want you straining yourself right now, and kneeling over me must be really uncomfortable for you.”

  The doctor warned us at the last appointment that she could go into labor any day now, and that if that didn’t happen he was scheduling her for a C-section before the eighth month was up.

  They usually try to keep the babies in for as long as possible, but as Dr. Sparks told an irate and protesting Luci, her health is just as important as the babies’ and her body is not quite handling the strain as well as he was comfortable with.

  She’s been on full bedrest for the last two weeks, hence my enforced fourth rule. No sex with my uncomfortable wife, even if the sight of her makes me so hard I want to pass out form blood loss to my brain.

  Luci pouts but soon smiles when I kiss the tip of her nose and rub my stubble against her chest.

  “Fine. But I am so not doing the bed thing all day again, Cage. I’m bored and going out of my mind here. I need to at least move around a little, and no, that does not include you breaking your back carrying me around all day.”

  I concede grudgingly but only because as much as I love her and want to pretend that I’m all man, she is getting heavy and my back is not happy with me.

  “Deal. I’ll let you walk around a little if you hold my arm and promise not to overdo it.”

  Luci nods just as my phone chirps and I answer it with a smile that falls right off when Dr. Sparks requests an immediate appointment.

  “Why? What’s wrong?” I demand, my heart beating so hard, I feel my knees give a little.

  “Nothing to be worried about, Mr. Cage, I just need Mrs. Cage to come in because the blood tests we did and the foetal sample results are in. We need to talk.”

  “We’ll be there in an hour.”

  “Good, good. You may want to make sure she’s calm when you come in. What I have to say may shock her.”

  When he rings off I somehow manage to act the calm husband and tell her about the appointment.

  “Why? What’s wrong? Are the babies okay?”

  “They’re just fine. Dr. Sparks just wants to give us all the results and check you out again, that’s all. Now up and at it, little mama. Let’s get dressed and grab some breakfast before we have to get through morning traffic in the city.”

  By the time I’ve dressed her and slid on a pair of slippers, the only thing her poor feet can fit into, I’m calm enough to get breakfast into us both and drive to the doc’s office.

  It’s the minute we sit down and the man starts sweating that I really think I’m going to have a heart attack.

  Poor Luci looks on the verge of tears, her nails digging into my palm hard enough to draw blood.

  “Doc, what the hell is going on? I thought you said it was all cool. Quit scaring my wife and spit it out, man.”

  “I-I don’t quite know how to tell you this, Luci, other than to just say it and hope you’re okay, but…well there seems to have been a mix-up with the semen donor that was selected for your IVF.”

  The man looks ready to cry and I can totally relate when he continues.

  “The sample appears to have been lost and another donor’s semen was mistakenly…”

  “Are you telling me that I’m pregnant with some random man’s sperm?” she asks calmly, quietly.

  Way too calmly and quietly.

  Dr. Sparks swallows again and nods, pulling at his tie and collar as if the heat of hell is on him. Can’t say I blame the man when Luci seems to swell up like a little ball of rage and starts yelling some of the most obscene things I have ever heard. From a man or woman. Ever.

  “Baby, calm down. Just breathe and stay calm, honey. It’s not the end of the world and our babies—”

  “But I chose him because he had the same hair and almost the same shade of blue eyes as you, and now, now our babies are going to be born looking like…I don’t even know what they’re going to look like!” she screams shrilly, her voice so high and hysterical it takes a beat for me to realize what she just said.

  Did she just admit to choosing sperm from a man who looks sorta like me?

  “Baby, hush now. All this yelling and stress can’t be good for our babies. You need to calm down and think about our little ones now, okay? There you go, baby, nice deep breaths,” I croon, shooting daggers at the doctor who will very soon be seeing the inside of a courtroom after I sue his ass for this shit.

  “I am so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Cage. I swear to you I have no idea how this happened. I was so careful with the samples and the technician swears that the labels were clear and intact when he brought them to me.”

  Icy fear and a nig
gling suspicion take root inside me, and it’s all I can do to stay seated and calm as Luci bawls her eyes out and leans into me for comfort.

  I need to call Woody. But for once in my miserable life I do what I have to do and soothe my very angry and upset wife while dread eats at my insides. By the time she’s under control and only threatening to kneecap the doc, she’s tuckered out enough that she doesn’t put up much of a protest when I swing her into my arms and carry her out and all the way to the car.

  She’s out like a light by the time I get her home and tuck her into bed before firing off a text to Woody to get his ass over here pronto before I have a nervous breakdown.

  “Yo, man. What’s up?” Woody asks with a smile thirty minutes later when I open the door to him after pacing till my legs cramped.

  “Study.” I grab a drink as he follows me in and shuts the door with a questioning look.

  I pour him one too and go back for a second before sitting down, only to jump up again.

  “Please, please tell me you did not have your guy swap out the semen after I called you.”

  That gets me a guilty look and I groan long and loud when I realize that as we speak, I am probably on the verge of divorce.

  “Woody.”

  “What? You think I was going to let you let your girl get knocked up with some random asshole’s sperm when it was clear as fucking day you two belong together?” he yells, coming up out of his seat to walk back to the drink’s cart.

  I groan again and shoot my drink, holding my glass out for another when I think about having to go out there and admit to Luci that I freaking conned her and had her impregnated with my sperm.

  Just the thought of how she’ll react has me breaking out in hives. Shit. She’s going to beat the shit out of me when she finds out, and then she’ll leave me and take my babies and…

  It hits me then like an avalanche that those four precious little babies are mine. Not just me claiming them and swearing to love them like my own blood but for real, mine. From my loins.

  The feeling is…

  I feel emotions overwhelm me and bring tears to my eyes. I’m so fucking happy right now it’s hard to breathe.