Fearless Bonus Scene

“Well done, Mrs. Prescott.” Alex leaned on the wall outside a classroom at Brown, lightly clapping as I stepped into the hall. “The students of this illustrious university haven’t seen a presentation like that since I was the one behind the podium.”

When the director of the Literary Arts program of my alma mater asked me to give a speech, it had taken me two days to respond. I kept expecting to wake from a dream, or get a follow up email admitting the original was a mistake. Who was I, to give a speech to upcoming writers, poets, and journalists? Just a woman who sat in front of her laptop wearing pajamas, that’s who.

I leaned on the wall next to my husband. “Even after writing three books that hit the bestsellers lists with my name on the cover, I don’t feel like I’m a big enough deal to be giving presentations.”

“Babe.” Alex grabbed my waist and pulled me close. “You were a big enough deal before the first one went to print.” His gaze traveled my face, then he kissed me, deeply, passionately, as if we weren’t standing in a hallway with plenty of opportunity to be interrupted whenever the next class let out.

After enjoying his attention for several minutes, I pressed my forehead to his. “Was that your seal of approval, then? I did okay in there?”

“You spoke with confidence, humor, and honesty. You didn’t hide one thing from those kids and if they’re not inspired as fuck about their potential writing careers after listening to you, I’ll eat my hat.”

His dark curls, his whiskey eyes, even after four years of marriage, Alex still did it for me—especially when he looked at me like I was his favorite candy.

“I hate to be the one to tell you, but you’re not wearing a hat.”

He leaned close to whisper, “Guess that means I’ll have to eat you.”

 “Alexander Prescott!” I pretended to be scandalized, even though I loved it when he talked dirty, then beckoned him closer. “If that’s what you’re offering, you better get me back to the hotel right away. Besides, I have something I need to talk to you about.”

I tried to pull off nonchalant, but I’d been fighting nerves about this particular announcement ever since I’d found out about it.

With our arms wrapped around each other, we exited the building and strolled off campus, toward the lot where we’d parked our rental. On the way in, I’d enjoyed the nostalgia of being back at my old stomping grounds and had rattled off story after story about ridiculous things that happened while I attended.

The way out was an entirely different experience.

I only had eyes for one thing: Alex.

“Mrs. Prescott!” A voice came from behind us, and we turned to find a young man jogging to close the distance. He skidded to a stop, his eyes as wide as saucers. “Oh, wow. It’s both of you.” The student’s gaze bounced between Alex and me, as he extended a hand. “I’m Jeremiah Platt and I…uh…I just wanted to thank you for your speech today. I’ve been following your career from the start and can I just say wow! You’re such an inspiration.”

Alex threw an arm around my shoulder, nodding. “She’s pretty amazing.”

“I mean, you are too, Mr. Prescott. But Eveline? She’s…well…” Jeremiah turned to me. “You’re the reason I even applied to this college. I wanted to have the best chance of learning to write like you, so I decided to follow in your footsteps, which is also the reason I ever read anything by Harlow Hutton. I heard she’s one of your favorites and that was enough for me. Which I recognize sounds a little weird, and I promise I’m a totally normal person…I just…you’re kind of my hero.”

Excitement lit the kid’s face. His voice trembled through his smile as he noticed he was wringing his hands, then shoved them in his pocket.

“Harlow’s definitely one of my favorites,” I said, trying to put the kid at ease, even though his enthusiasm unnerved me a little. I didn’t know how to handle being recognized, so I tried to shift the focus of the conversation to someone who would handle it better. “Though Alex will always be my absolute favorite author. He is Lord and Master, Sir Alexander the Glorious, after all.”

The student gave me a funny look, while Alex guffawed. “She has to say that because she’s my wife.” He took my hand and started toward the parking lot. “It was nice meeting you, Jeremiah.”

He watched us for a few seconds before jogging along to catch up. “Can I say your use of metaphor in Bright Lights just dropped my jaw. Mine always feel so clunky, they anchor down a sentence…”

Jeremiah followed us all the way to the car, machine gunning information my way. I responded as politely as I could, even though each new compliment deepened the blush to my cheeks. Finally, Alex came to my rescue by opening the car door—at least he tried to. The kid fired off two more questions until I finally put a hand on his shoulder.

“It was really nice meeting you, Jeremiah, but Alex and I have an important meeting we’re gonna be late for.”

An important meeting between me, my husband, and our hotel bed. After all, last I checked, Alex still wasn’t wearing a hat. And after we finished, I’d talk to him about my news.

Jeremiah’s eyes went even wider and embarrassment flushed his cheeks. “I am so sorry to have kept you…Oh, God.” He covered his face with his hands. “And I just kept going on and on…”

It was the look of someone scared to death but determined to say what he had to say, and I knew it well.

I took his hands in mine and gave them a pat. “You’re fine. And before you spend the next five years reliving this moment, thinking you stalked me to my car, I want you to know I really enjoyed this conversation. Your enthusiasm is contagious and I genuinely appreciate how much you enjoy my work.”

Alex grinned. “She did the exact same thing to me when she was a student here. That fearlessness turned into a good thing for her. I’m positive it’ll be a good thing for you too.”

We said our goodbyes and Jeremiah quickly shook our hands before taking off at a quick pace. I couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed, excited…or a little of both.

“So tell me,” Alex said as we hit the road, “how did that kid come off to you?”

I stared out the window as pedestrians zoomed by. “He seemed driven. Eager. He’s passionate and chomping at the bit to get his career started.”

“And how do you think you seemed to me, when you did the same thing all those years ago?”

I peered at my husband. “Will it surprise you to know I still look back on that day and see myself as a crazy person?”

“Evie. Darling. It doesn’t surprise me at all, but it’s time you rewrote that memory. All that eagerness and passion you see in Jeremiah? I saw three times that in you. Still do. You’re the bravest person I know.” He squeezed my knee, then let his hand wander up my thigh and under my skirt. “And the sexiest person I know. Have I ever mentioned how much I love it up here. It’s so warm and toasty.” His fingers caressed my inner thighs, sending a shiver of desire up my spine.

I leaned my head back against the seat. “Maybe once or twice,” I said, my breath catching as he caressed me. “There was that time you compared my vagina to a sock.”

A slow smile warmed my husband’s face and his finger slipped past the hem of my panties. How we ever made it back to the hotel, I’d never know because I was lost to pleasure. Lost to him.

We tumbled into our hotel room, tugging at clothing, gasping for breath…for each other. After our clothes unceremoniously hit the floor, Alex lowered me slowly to the bed, then stood back and stared down at me. My hair fanned across the pillow, my hands were thrown over my head like I thought I was the sexiest pinup model, and my eyes filled with love for the man who brought me back to myself.

“You are still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Every day, I look at you and wonder, how…how…did I get so lucky?” Alex crawled onto the bed, kissing his way up my ankle, my shin, my thigh, hip, stomach. He worshipped my breasts, then nuzzled into my throat. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, nipping at my ear.

I arched my back, angling my neck as his lips teased pleasure into my body. “About what?”

“Maybe it’s time.”

“Time for what?”

“To start a family.”

I pulled back to meet his face. “A family?”

“I can’t get the idea of seeing a little me or you wandering around our house. She’d have your eyes and my hair. Or he’d be trying to climb onto Morgan’s back and take him for a ride.” Alex cupped my cheek. “I want to make babies with you.”

“But what about writing? You know how we are when we’re working on a book. We’re not exactly available and kids need parents to, you know, feed them and keep them from licking light sockets and stuff.”

“I’ve been thinking about that too. Fearless is the best thing I’ve ever written and now that it’s out there, I just don’t feel called to the keyboard like I used to be. I do, however, feel called to you. To us.” He placed a hand on my belly. “To our future.”

He went on to remind me that we had plenty of money, even if neither of us ever wrote again. “But you, Evie? You have more words in you. More stories. You write books. I’ll take care of the kids.”

“Oh, so now it’s kids? Plural?”

“Definitely plural. Have I ever been able to stop with you?”

I cupped his face, staring into the eyes of the man I adored more than anything, imagining chubby arms and legs, a cherub’s face with Alex’s eyes and my hair. “Only because I’ve never wanted you to stop.”

“Is that a yes?”

I nodded, dragged my nails down his back, and gripped his ass, rolling my hips into his. “See, there’s something I need to tell you on that topic.”

Alex kissed the corner of my mouth, then swallowed hard when he saw my serious expression. “Have mercy, woman.”

“Mercy it is.” I took a deep breath and met his gaze. “I’m already pregnant.”

He stilled, his eyebrows drawing together as he processed the news. “Already…? But how?”

The truth was, I didn’t know. I’d been careful with my birth control pills to the point that when I’d missed my period, the thought of a baby hadn’t even crossed my mind. I said as much to Alex. “I’ve been so nervous to tell you.”

“Nervous? You’ve had news like this and you’ve been nervous? Why?”

“I was afraid you’d be mad at me.”

“I could never be mad at you for something like this. I’m…I’m…are you sure?”

“I took the test twice.”

His eyes misted over as he sat back, staring down at my belly before he covered it with kisses. “A baby.” He peeked up at me. “My baby.”

“Your baby.”

“I haven’t been this happy since I stood across from you, holding your delicate hands in mine, and said ‘I do.’ Wait. No. I just had a thought that makes me happier. This?” He caressed my stomach. “This is our baby.”

I nodded, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. “And that makes you happy?”

“Ecstatic.” He kissed my lips, my throat, my pebbled nipples, then slipped a hand between my thighs. “And I intend to use the rest of the night showing you just how fucking joyful I am.”

And damn if he didn’t do just that.