The Pain Of The Pleasure

TWENTY-NINE - RYTH

I WALKED out of the doctor's office with a prescription and a month's supply of birth control pills and climbed back into the Mustang, letting it all sink in. "Everything okay?" I nodded and lifted the box that was already opened, with one of the pills gone. "Yep. She said we need to use protection for the first few weeks." "Good," he nodded, then reached over and took the prescription from my hand before starting the engine.

"We don't want you getting pregnant, do we?" You're to take the pills she gives you regularly. Tobias' warning echoed from earlier. Because if you don't...I'm going to put a baby in that belly of yours. The way Tobias had spoken, I wasn't so sure about that.

I glanced over at Nick as he pulled out into the traffic, making his way further into the city. The thought of being pregnant was terrifying, especially at my age. But the thought of my belly big and round, carrying their baby, made me a little giddy. But I didn't need to worry about that. Not now. Nick drove me to some busy looking diner on the south side and pulled the car into the lot. "Ready to eat?" My belly let out a savage snarl and that dull throb in the back of my head echoed in kind.

"More than ready." He led me in, found us a booth in the back, and ordered pancakes and bacon, as well as juice and coffee. It was enough to feed a family, but the moment the waitress left, leaving us alone, he fixed those dark, molten eyes on me. "Do you want to ask me anything?" I glanced around. "Here?" He shrugged, barely caring. "Why not?" He was testing me.

That's what this was...a damn test. Would I be stupid and blurt out something without thinking, or would I be careful? I smiled as the waitress neared, carrying the coffee and juice, then waited for her to leave, grabbing my coffee and lifting it almost to my lips. "Do you share everything with your brothers?" Nick just grinned, grabbing his own. "It depends..." "Have you shared everything before?" I was intrigued now.

Was there no rivalry? "No." His eyes glinted, capturing mine as he spoke. "But then again, we hadn't had something we all wanted badly enough...until now." "Oh," I whispered. My blood felt warm, too warm as I remembered that first night Tobias cornered me in the bathroom.

"I thought Tobias said you did." "If he did, then he was scaring you." He narrowed that carnal gaze on me. "We decided in this instance we could all be winners, if that was on the table." Electricity hummed between my legs.

I clamped my knees together as the waitress neared again, carrying two plates piled high. "Here you go, you two, out for a breakfast date?" "She's my sister," Nick growled, meeting her nosy stare. "Oh," she winced, then covered it with, "How nice of you to take care of her like that. I don't see much of sibling love like this." "I bet you don't," Nick answered, and my face burned.

He glared at her until she turned and awkwardly left. "Nosy bitch," he muttered, then grabbed his cutlery and attacked the food on his plate, stopping to look over at me, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Eat, Ryth." I grabbed my fork before I knew it. How easy it was to now follow his every command. Eat, Ryth...get dressed, Ryth...that's the way, fuck him, Ryth. My hand trembled. I licked my lips and met his stare.

It wasn't food I wanted...now that I was sober and every much aware of every glance and every touch, I wanted to feel him in other ways. He just grinned and clucked his tongue. "There'll be plenty of time for that, princess. Right now, you need to eat to keep up your energy." When he said it like that... I shoved a forkful in my mouth. Pride gleamed in his eyes as Nick watched me take every bite until I leaned back and moaned. "I'm done. I can't eat another thing." His smile grew wider and God, if that small thing didn't make me feel alive.

He leaned across, grabbed my plate still piled with bacon, and scraped it onto his own, then set to demolishing the whole thing. I sat back, watching him with amusement, wondering how someone could eat like a damn horse and still look like him. Memories came back to me, the club, the fight, the way he'd charged into that back room, lunging after the men who had Caleb...and the way he'd thrown that bouncer to the floor.