Drawing the Line

A/N: I originally wrote this as a one-shot in December 2017. After numerous requests and a few ideas that wouldn't go away, I decided to continue it. Consequently, I've edited this chapter a tad to allow for the rest of the story to flow. Thanks for reading and following. I sure hope you enjoy!

I am completely jet-lagged and exhausted, but knowing Dakota is minutes away is enough to spur me on. She called me two days ago and told me she would be in New York and asked me to please join her. She is always so careful to not ask for anything, so the fact that she asked was significant. I dropped what I was doing to figure out how to get away for a few days so I could see my girl. The fact that she was adamant about seeing me in person made me smile. Secretly, I hope like hell she is pregnant. It's way too soon and bad timing, but I love the idea of her round with my child – a product of how much we love each other.

I am tip-toeing through the tulips of 50 Shades PR. Amelia and I have been separated for over a year, but we've not done anything to formally split in order to avoid the negative publicity for the moment. She knows I love Dakota and my future is with her, and I know that she and Markus are all but living together these days.

My car pulls up to the Bowery Hotel and I hop out. The doorman recognizes me and smiles, "Welcome back, sir."

I nod, "Thank you." I bypass the front desk and hit the elevator, pressing 3 to take me to the room number that Dakota texted me this morning. My smile comes to the surface, as it always does when I'm getting near her and my dick starts to twitch, knowing she is in a hotel room with a bed not more than 10 seconds away. I get to her room and smile when I see the 'Do Not Disturb' sign already posted, and I can hear the faint strains of music from within.

I give three brief knocks and she opens the door with a wide smile and open arms. I stride in and pull her up and into me, kicking the door shut behind me. Her lips latch on to mine with a sigh. "Ummmmm, I missed you, baby."

I hold her tightly to me and walk her backward toward the bedroom, "Me too, love." When we reach the bed I discard her clothes and mine in short order and tip her back onto the bed. "I'm starved for you." I start to kiss my way up her leg and she does something she's never done before – she clamps her legs shut and starts tugging at my hair.

"No, Jamie. We need to talk first. Please."

I prowl up her body, leaving heated kisses along the way. "Whatever you want, love." I reach her face and kiss her with all the longing I've been feeling. To my joy, she returns the passion and clings to me tightly. I smile against her lips, "Baby, do you have something important to tell me?"

She nods without speaking and without meeting my eyes, her hands still toying in my hair. I take pity on her, "Baby, if you're pregnant, I'm thrilled. You have to know that. I want nothing more than a baby with you. We'll work it out."

Her whole body stills and stiffens. The hands that were tenderly tugging at my hair now grips my scalp tightly and pulls me away so I can meet some seriously angry blue eyes. "Pregnant? You think I called you here to tell you I'm pregnant? On what planet would I allow myself to get knocked up by a married man?" She pushes me off of her, rolls to stand up and go to the bathroom for a robe. She returns as she is belting it and fumes at me, "You'd be happy to get me pregnant while you are still very publicly married? Do you have no respect for me, my family, or my reputation?"

Oh shit. This is not going how I expected. I roll off the bed and move to the bathroom to grab a towel to wrap around my hips. "Baby, I'm just saying that if you ARE pregnant, I'm happy. I love you. I want a future with you – and that includes at least one baby, maybe more. If our future starts sooner rather than later, I just want you to know I'm okay with that."