Hourglass Squared Read online

  Hourglass Squared

  by K.S. Smith and Megan C. Smith

  published by Blue Tulip Publishing

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2014 K.S. Smith, Megan C. Smith

  All rights reserved. No parts of the book may be used or reproduced in any matter without written permission from the author, except for inclusion of brief. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, organizations, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to another person except when loaned out per Amazon's lending program. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then it was pirated illegally. Please purchase a copy of your own and respect the hard work of this author.

  HOURGLASS SQUARED

  Copyright © 2014 K.S. SMITH, MEGAN C. SMITH

  Published by Blue Tulip Publishing, LLC

  ISBN: 9781942246015

  CHAPTER ONE

  Brooke

  "JOSH!" I BELLOWED through our house in a complete and total panic at the lack of preparedness. "Josh!" I screamed once more when he hadn't magically appeared before me. I could hear his quick and rapid footfalls on the staircase as he rushed to my side.

  "What, Brooke? What's wrong?" Sheer terror took over his face as his eyes scanned me, looking for any signs of distress.

  My mouth went dry as the sight of his very naked, bronzed body came into view. Water from the shower was dripping down every inch of his long lean muscles, his body almost sparkling from the light catching on the droplets gracing his skin.

  "Umm," I stammered, trying to remember why I had called for him in the first place.

  A hearty laugh bellowed out of Josh as he stepped closer to me, pulling me in to his warm embrace, getting my dress damp. Lust filled his eyes, reading my mind so easily. "Why, Mrs. Worthington, you look like you have needs that your husband should be handling for you," he crooned into my neck as he suckled on my earlobe. "And here I was worried you would lose some of your desire with everything going on."

  His statement brought my concern and panic back to the forefront of my mind. "That's it," I said pulling away, leaving him shocked and dismayed at my removal from his arms. "Why are you not dressed? They will be here in an hour. I need help getting ready. This is their first time seeing our new home all decorated and complete, and I'm cooking dinner, and… and..."

  His lips silenced mine, as he molded his mouth to my own, his tongue dancing within as he made my mind all fuzzy again. "Josh," I pleaded, placing my hands on his pecs, "Please."

  With a nod and a quick chaste kiss, Josh trudged back up the stairs and returned before I'd even had a chance to come out of my hormone-induced coma.

  "Hey you," he teased, slapping me on the butt. "You going to get to work or what?" Laughing, I joined him in the kitchen where the smell of the fresh apple pie was cooling, and the faint aroma of our lemon and rosemary roasted chicken was cooking.

  Josh's stomach grumbled as he breathed in the smell of dinner. "Oh my God, babe, this smells delicious."

  With a proud smile, I gave him some tasks to accomplish to help me tidy up the house and make it spic and span.

  Looking around, I was pleased with how quickly our house had become a home. When we got married, Josh and Jake gave up their bachelor pads and squeezed into the condos with Savannah and me. Knowing we would want to start a family soon and needed space, I had begrudgingly given up my condo to move into something a bit more spacious that we could both live comfortably in. The house was on the outskirts of Denver but still close to both of our works, nestled into a historic part of town that was very quaint and friendly. A great school district that we could stay in for years to come and happily raise a family. I tried to blend our styles, our love for the outdoors, with the trendy and modernism of business people. Josh and I had even already made one room into an office so we could both easily work from home if we needed to, leaving two more bedrooms to fill with the sounds of soft voices and the pitter-patter of feet.

  The timer on the stove loudly blaring alerted me to the cooked chicken roasting inside; pulling it out, I quickly checked the temperature to ensure it was done and then went about turning the drippings into gravy. Josh and Jake had me quickly learn that they loved their hearty meals with all the fixings, and I had been happy to satisfy their need. Next, I whipped up the mashed potatoes and then steamed the vegetables, giving myself ten minutes to set the table before Savannah and Jake arrived. Knowing Sav, they'd be a little late, and I prayed Jake wouldn't drive like a bat out of hell to make up for lost time.

  "Hey man, how is it going?" I heard Josh's deep voice carry as he greeted our guests. Finished cooking I wiped my hands on the cotton kitchen towel, and slipped my nude heels on before making my way to the foyer.

  Coming into sight, I smiled graciously at Jake, who, despite being my husband's twin, looked distinctly different. Jake was so much more rugged, suiting his personality and the dynamic of their company, Worthington Squared, perfectly. He was the outdoorsman, testing gear and ensuring it was up to par; whereas Josh was the office man, handling the numbers and business aspect of things.

  Suddenly a flash of color shoved passed him followed by a squeal I knew so well it made my smile grow.

  "Brooke," Savannah excitedly called, bursting into the house and enveloping me in a huge hug. "Can I just say I hate that you are not an elevator ride away, but," she paused surveying the house and décor before her bright eyes met mine again, "this is beautiful. It's so homey and cute. I just love it."

  "Oh really?" Jake questioned as he stepped up to receive a hug. "Hey, little sis," he whispered as I leaned up on tiptoes, being tickled by his trimmed beard and surrounded by the smell of his woodsy cologne. "It's been too long; you shouldn't listen to the bad stuff Josh says about me." Teasing, he gave Josh a shove that had them both laughing out loud.

  Happily sighing, I stood a moment just appreciating all we had been blessed with as my amazing family filled my home. The sound of two male stomachs growling had me giggling as Savannah and I looked to one another. "I suppose we should feed them," I joked, receiving over-enthusiastic nods from both men.

  After sitting down at our dining room table, I handed Jake a knife, allowing him to carve the bird, as Jake began digging into the sides and tossing a few dinner rolls onto his plate. "My goodness, Jake, you won't have room left for apple pie if you keep that up," I jokingly scolded.

  His eyes flashed to mine, excitement making them glow an even brighter green than normal. "God, I love you, sis! Savannah is getting better at cooking, but she still hates it." The table overflowed with laughter as we all caught up on missed time, so busy in our own lives. Before long, the food had vanished, and all that remained were empty bowls and a few scraps of chicken. Both men reclined back as much as possible in their chairs.

  Kicking Josh under the table, I watched as he sat up and locked his eyes on mine, his anxiousness apparent as the smile on his face stretched from ear to ear.

  "So," I began, suddenly nervous as my hands got all clammy. "We invited you guys over for a reason, actually."

  Josh walked over and took my hand and nestled me into his side. Savannah and Jake looked to one another, the looks on their faces a mixture of concern and curiosity.

  "What is it, Brooke? Is everything okay?" Savannah's wavering voice asked when our pause went on longer than she was comfortable with.

  Squirming, I met her eyes hopeful they would be as supportiv
e as we needed them to be. With a gentle squeeze from Josh, I opened my mouth again, "Well, Jake, Savannah, it seems you two will be an aunt and uncle in oh, say… nine months."

  Enormous smiles took over both their faces as they rushed around the table to congratulate us both.

  "Oh my God! Brooke, that is wonderful news!" Savannah squealed as she pulled me in for another smothering hug before passing me off to Jake.

  "Congrats, guys, that is awesome," Jake wistfully said.

  As I began to dish out the apple pie, they all took our seats again, excitedly going over the details of our newest addition to the Worthington family.

  "Well, we just found out, so we really aren't telling anyone, but of course, we had to tell the two of you," I said, shoving a mouthful of sweet flaky crust and warm cinnamon apples into my mouth.

  "This is amazing, Brooke. I am so happy for you. I can't wait to start buying the little princess all kinds of cute frilly outfits and plan your baby shower. I will so be the cool aunt."

  Giggling at Savannah, I turned my gaze to a distracted Jake as he looked around our home and then to Savannah.

  "Hey, babe, I'm ready."

  Savannah turned to look at him, a confused expression on her face. "To leave? But Jake, we just finished eating, and I haven't seen Brooke besides in passing at work for like a month."

  "No, Sav," he said, turning his chair to face her fully. "To start a family too. I want our kids close in age, and I love you, so let's start."

  Savannah furtively shook her head no as terror replaced the confusion. "Have you lost your mind?"

  The pained look on Jake's face made my heart ache for him.

  "Jake, no. No way. We just got married seven months ago. I have my career, and you have yours, and no. Play uncle. We can borrow the little squirt for an hour and bring her back when she starts misbehaving."

  Furious with the turn of the conversation, Savannah pushed back from the table, stood up, and walked out of the dining room to, ironically enough, the family room.

  Quickly standing, I looked to Jake. "I'll talk to her. Just give me a minute."

  I stepped into the family room. Savannah held the most recent issue of Hourglass that was about to go to print. As her eyes roamed over the golden-tanned models in neon-colored bikinis, she smiled up at me briefly before looking back to it. "This girl was a bitch. Remind me to tell them to never hire her again," she said, pointing to the blonde in a lime green swimsuit.

  "Okay," I agreed, taking a seat beside her. "Sav, talk to me."

  "What is there to discuss? I am not ready; I am thrilled that you are having a baby, Brooke, but I… I'm not ready."

  Shortly after, an awkward silence took over the house, and Jake and Savannah left to go home, still not exactly on speaking terms.

  Lying in my bed, I let out a sigh as I rolled over to snuggle into Josh. "Poor Sav. I hope Jake doesn't pressure her. I mean, they just got married, and this is Sav we are talking about. She has to come to it on her own terms."

  "Yeah, poor Savannah," Josh grumbled in a sleepy voice. "I can tell you one thing though. Jake always wanted our kids close in age, and when he sets his sights on something, he's one determined man."

  CHAPTER TWO

  Savannah

  I WOULDN'T EVEN speak to Jake the entire ride home. Sure, we'd talked about starting a family, but not this soon. I was beyond thrilled for Brooke and Josh, but I wasn't ready to give up my freedom, my husband, and especially my body. Brooke had always wanted to be a mother; she'd dreamt about it since we were children, spending her time playing house with baby dolls while I drooled over the older neighborhood boys.

  I quickly climbed out of the car before Jake could make it around to open my door. I stormed into the lobby of our condo and rushed straight past Carl, Jake hot on my heels.

  He greeted the doorman as he tried to catch up to me. "Hey, Carl, excuse my wife. She's not too thrilled with me at the moment."

  Carl chuckled as Jake grasped the elevator door just before it almost closed on his face.

  As my feet banged across the floor like a child, I darted straight to our bedroom, pulled my dress over my head, and tossed it onto the plush white carpet, then flung my heels off my feet. I listened to them crash into the wall with two loud thuds as I made my way into the bathroom. I snatched the toothpaste out of the drawer and filled it with mint-flavored paste before I vigorously began scrubbing my teeth.

  Jake quietly walked into the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe, admiring me in nothing but my matching lace bra and panty set, mid-temper tantrum. "You finished giving me the silent treatment yet?"

  I glared at him through the mirror, shaking my head no.

  He chuckled, amused with my attitude and began taking his clothes off until he was down to nothing but his boxers.

  Still brushing my teeth, I admired his perfect body. His golden skin was sun-kissed and his defined muscles perfectly sculpted as if he was a god who should have had a throne atop Mount Olympus. I may have been livid with him, but he was my husband and by far the sexiest man I'd ever seen.

  Giving my poor toothbrush a break, I rinsed my mouth and left the bathroom. Before I climbed into bed, I set the alarm on my phone and placed it down on my nightstand. Finally allowing myself to lie down onto my goose-feather pillow, I tugged the covers up to my chin and turned on my side, facing away from Jake's side of the bed. A few moments later, I felt his side sink as a warm body joined me under the covers. Wrapping an arm around me, he pulled my body tight up against his and kissed my cheek.

  "I like you better when you're talking to me."

  Rolling my eyes, I grumbled, "I like you better when you aren't trying to knock me up."

  His body shook the bed with laughter, and he kissed me again. "I don't think you can get knocked up this way, but if you'd like, there are several other ways, and I'd be more than willing to show you each and every single one of them."

  Not able to contain the smirk that took over my face, I rolled over and gazed into my husband's eyes, "Not tonight, Jake, please. I'm not ready. Can we just enjoy the fact that we're going to have a niece or nephew in nine months?"

  He kissed the tip of my nose. "Fine, but this conversation is far from over. You know I've always wanted my kids to grow up with Josh's kids. This isn't news to you, Sav. I'll leave it alone for now, but I promise you, it won't be for long."

  Rolling back over, I closed my eyes, forcing myself to fall asleep.

  The next morning the buzzer of my alarm went off at exactly eight in the morning, and I reached for my phone to silence the annoying racket. I pressed the snooze button three more times before rolling out of bed and into the shower to wake myself up. Saturdays were usually my day of rest. Jake always let me sleep in until at least ten, but today I was hell bent on getting up and out of the house so I could buy Brooke and Josh their first official baby gift.

  When I knocked on Brooke's door, I was practically jumping up and down with excitement as I swung the light blue gift bag around in circles. Josh opened the door. "Hey, Sav, back so soon?"

  Pushing past him, I replied, "Yes, I was baby shopping this morning. Where's Brooke?"

  I peeked my head into every room of the house when Brooke appeared at the top of the stairs.

  "Hey, is everything okay?" Her words reflected mine from the night before.

  I stopped and looked at my best friend, my sister-in-law, and a smile took over my face. "Brooke, you are glowing, literally. I know they say that pregnant people glow, but seriously, you're really doing it. I always thought it was a bunch of crap that moms spewed to make pregnancy seem more exciting."

  A light laugh escaped her lips as her hands instinctively went to her belly, cradling the peanut-sized baby growing inside of her. I turned to Josh and admired him as he smiled up at his pregnant wife. "You two are so damn cute. I'm so excited for the both of you."

  Brooke floated down the stairs. "I see you've been shopping?" she asked.

  Grinning fr
om ear to ear, I handed over the Tiffany's gift bag, and Brooke shoved past the tissue paper, revealing a rectangular blue box that was adorned with a bright white bow out of the bag.

  Loosening the bow and removing the lid from the box, Brooke let out a loud belly laugh. "Sav, I'm going to kill you." Holding the gift up to show Josh, she revealed a silver spoon.

  "I just couldn't help myself. Whether you like it or not, your children are going to be born with silver spoons in their mouths. After all, they will be heirs to the Worthington Squared fortune."

  Josh chuckled under his breath as he looked at the call coming through to his phone. He thanked me for the gift on his way out of the living room.

  "So, how are you and Jake?" Brooke inquired as we walked into the kitchen and took the seat across from me at their breakfast nook.

  "We're fine, I suppose. I gave him the silent treatment the entire way home and hardly spoke to him before bed. He was on his usual Saturday run when I left, so we haven't spoken yet today. He's not going to let this one go easily, I can already tell."

  Brooke's eyes grew sad, and a sigh passed over her lips. "Sav, you've got to compromise. It can't be all about you. Jake is your husband. It's totally understandable that he wants his children to grow up with ours. Don't you want that too?"

  I stood and began to pace back and forth. "I do, but I had no idea you and Josh were going to start so early. We haven't even been married a year. You know I've always imagined children after I've turned thirty, never before."

  Brooke reached for my hand, pulling me into the seat next to her. "You can't plan every aspect of your life. Think about it. Two years ago you never imagined you'd be married, but now you are and Jake is the man of your dreams. Just imagine what it'll be like to have his children."

  I stood, frustrated with Jake and now my best friend. "I'm just not ready. I'm not you, Brooke. I've got to run. See you at work Monday." I placed a quick kiss on my best friend's cheek and left.

  Carl greeted me as I entered the lobby. "Mrs. Worthington, how are you this beautiful Saturday afternoon?"