grayson astor

"The only week Mr. Lee is available is June twelfth to eighteenth," my new assistant read off her iPad. I shut my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger. Since my deal with a prior investor and landowner fell through, I was forced to find another. This land was a lot more promising and it seemed a lot better than the other one—from what I've seen in pictures.

"That's in two and a half weeks," I told her and she nodded with wary eyes, almost afraid of my next words. "What happened to the dates I gave you?" I gave her specific dates and she was now telling me they're all useless.

"After the eighteenth he's fully booked for the next six months," she told me the worst news she could. I needed all these plans finalized in the next four months. There's no way I can wait six months just to see this land in person.

"I can't do that week." That's the week Kalani is expected to be having the baby. As much as my presence isn't necessary for her to deliver the baby, me being there is important to her.

"Should I inform him?" She asked and I really hated the position I was being put it in. Having to choose between the career I've worked my entire life for, or this baby and woman I'm trying to learn to love. Not flying to Shanghai is not an option for me. But I know Kalani will never forgive me if I'm not there. That's not something that would've bothered me a few months ago, but it bothers me now. I don't want to hurt her.

"Tell him I'll be there," I sighed. Kalani will understand. I'll explain it to her and she'll have no option but to understand it. She knows how important establishing Astor Incorporations in China is to me. "I need you to order Kalani a car. Preferably a SUV," I said before handing her over my credit card.

Kalani informed me she has a license, but just doesn't have a car. She's never expressed the need of a car, but when the baby comes, it'll make me feel much better if she's not walking everywhere. And I'm also hoping informing her she has a custom car on the way will help settle the blow that I won't be here the week she delivers the baby.

I stayed at the office later than I normally would. Most of it wasn't spent working, but instead dreading the conversation I'll have to have with Kalani. I already know the look she'll give me and I know it'll cause me physical pain. But I was growing exhausted and wanted to pay her a visit before I go home.

So I drove to her apartment building, stopping at the store on the way there. I grabbed skittles off the shelf and searched the store for flowers. They aren't peonies, but they'll have to do.

I truly couldn't believe I was standing here in a grocery store worried if the mother of my child would be okay with roses as opposed to peonies. When I imagined having a kid, I imagined it being done by someone I couldn't care less about. I planned she would be apart of my contractual agreement. I planned I would have little to no involvement in her pregnancy and I would be signing away all rights to the child. But I couldn't imagine doing any of those things with Kalani.

"Mr. Astor," the receptionists at Kalani's apartment building smiled at me. I'm here often enough for her to remember my name.

"I need a key," I told her as per usual.

"We've been over this. I can get in a lot of trouble for giving you the key to a resident's apartment. You need to speak with Miss. Depradine and tell her to give you the second key fob because she has two."

"Astor," I corrected her and she looked at me confused.

"What?"

"She's my wife. At least she will be soon enough. You should start referring to her as Mrs. Astor," I set the flowers on the counter while I went into my wallet for cash. I slid her the hundred dollar bill that always makes her eyes light up. "Put my name on the list," I instructed after she handed me a key fob I'll have to return on my way back down.

"What list?" She pocketed the money.

"The list that will prevent this from continuously happening. Put me on some pre-approved list allowing me to have one of these," I further explained but that didn't wipe the confused expression from her face.

"We don't have that."

"Then make one and make sure my name is the first one," I picked the flowers and walked to the elevator. She lives on quite a high floor which I'm happy about because it makes me feel she's safe.

I stepped out of the elevator, using the key fob to enter her apartment. It was clean as it usually is. I knew she was home because her keys were on the counter, but it sounded pretty quiet and her lights were off. It was only ten and I hadn't anticipated for her to be sleeping. But just as I was about to leave, I could hear soft moans coming from her bedroom. Standing closer to the door, I listened to her moans that were going straight to my cock and making my zipper want to burst.

My advances to be intimate with Kalani never work and I've chosen to just be patient considering she's pregnant. But I will admit I've been dying to fuck her, even with my baby inside of her. And I was somewhat hoping maybe now would be the time I finally get it.

Opening her door, she squirmed around in her bed as she brought the sheet up her body. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you'd start knocking or texting when you're here." She sounded out of breath and in this awful state of panic. Her eyes kept darting to the closet then back at me and I couldn't understand why.

"Are you with someone right now?" This heap of jealousy came over because whether we've talked about it or not, we are engaged which means she belongs to me. Every part of her belongs to me and it's my decision who does and does not get to touch her. Sooner or later we'll need to talk about boundaries.

"N-No. Why would you think that?" She held the sheets tighter to her chest. I walked to her closet, opening the door to see if someone was inside but it was empty. "Gray, you're being ridiculous," she protested when I opened her bathroom door and saw it was also empty. I was even crazy enough to look under her bed.

"I heard you moaning," I pointed out and saw her eyes left mine from embarrassment. That's when I realized exactly what I was missing before. "You were playing with yourself, weren't you?" I don't know why that turned me on as much as it did.

"Fine. You caught me. Now can you leave?" She demanded and I couldn't help but laugh. The way her nostrils flared and her forehead creased. She was embarrassed and it was the cutest thing ever.

"Are you naked right now?" I continued to upset her because I know how badly she wanted her privacy.

"Grayson," she whined, pleading for me to leave. But hearing her beg made my cock swell.

"Answer the question, love," I removed my blazer, resting it on the chair in her bedroom. This wouldn't be the first time I've taken care of Kalani's needs, so I couldn't understand why she was being so shy. But recently I've been a lot busier and the times I went down on her were in the middle of her pregnancy when her stomach hadn't grown as much.

"Yes," she gritted through her teeth liked admitting it irked her.

"Don't let me stop you. Continue," I shrugged before watching her eyes widened.

"You're going to watch me?"

"It's nothing I haven't seen before."

Not only have I seen her naked countless times, but it's not like we've never fucked. I was prepared to enter into just a contractual agreement, something just for the public. But our attraction to each other is no secret and after this baby arrives I don't see why we can't allow sex to be a regular thing between us.

She took her eyes away from me as she looked down. She wasn't afraid of me watching her masturbate, she was afraid of me seeing her body.

"Lani," my voice went soft, wishing I could emphasize how stunning I find her, especially because she's pregnant. Something about knowing she's growing my child inside her gives her this indescribable beauty and glow that nothing could tarnish. Through the months I've gotten to know the woman she is and I've come to realize the inside of her is just as beautiful as her outside.

"I'm not the same, Gray," she pointed out.

"You don't say? I mean, now that you mention it, I have noticed you've looked different lately. Are you pregnant by chance?" I joked and received no laughter in return. "You don't have to be insecure with me, love."

"It's not about being insecure. I just know what you like and I'm not her anymore and even after I have the baby, I don't think I'll be her again. And I'm okay with that but-"

"Stop. You are absolutely beautiful. Would I ever lie to you?" I went to sit on the side of the bed. I placed my hand on the side of her face, forcing her to look at my eyes. I'm not a nice person. I'm blunt and I say it as it is and people hate me for it. But if I don't have my word, then I don't have anything, so I take pride in being truthful.

"No, but-"

"But nothing. I'm attracted to every part of you. Even the parts you hate, I love. You're carrying my daughter. My one and only daughter because God forbid I have another child," I muttered the last part and for some reason that caused laughter from her. I've been able to swallow the pill of me having a child and actively being apart of their life. But I don't think I could ever have more than one.

"You don't even...want this baby," she pointed out.

That might have been true at the start. The idea of a baby was simply an idea. But now I see it. I see the baby that's growing in Kalani and I see this baby in my dreams. Things with my life may not be going as I planned, but I am starting to become okay with that. I was starting to become okay with allowing myself to be alone for the rest of my life. But Kalani makes me feel like I deserve more than being alone. She makes me feel like I deserve love and I think I do want to be loved and I want to love. I want more than a contractual agreement and I want more than just a random daughter wandering around in the world with my blood in her. I want to actually have a relationship with her.

"I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't. Believe me," I promised her as I stroked her cheek, feeling her lean into my touch.

That's when she laid down. She laid down and let the covers fall from her gorgeous body previously hidden from me. On display was her full breasts that have grown since the last time I saw them. Then there was her stomach that my hands still took a majority of the space of. They had faint marks, only noticeable because of the light—stretch marks.

I bit my lip when she took her vibrator from her nightstand and hid it between her legs. She let me listen to her moans and even kept her eyes on me the entire time. I wanted to throw the machine away and bury myself in her because I could only imagine how good she would feel.

I'm selfish and couldn't help but take the vibrator from her when I felt she was getting close. "Grayson," she protested while I shifted her to the edge of the bed. I got onto my knees, bringing my tongue between her legs. I'm not one to ever get on my knees or go down on a woman. I'm also not one to be enticed by the idea of a woman being stuck with me forever. But here I was doing all those things for a woman I can't seem to get enough of.

Her fingers went into my hair, pulling my head closer to work my mouth for her pleasure until she finally reached her climax. Her grip on my hair loosened as I kissed along her thighs. Every part of her was soft and smooth and I wanted to run my hands along every inch of her body.

Instead, my hands gravitated to her stomach which I softly kissed. "I think you should move in with me."

"What?" Her voice was faint from her high she was coming down from.

"You can decide to make it before or after the baby is born. But I think you should," I stood to my feet to get a better look at her. Seeing her laid out naked like this for me made it hard for me to not imagine my cock deep inside of her pussy I knew would feel like heaven.

Sooner or later, Kalani and I will have to announce our engagement. Speculations have already been made and we'll need to further indulge in each other's lives as other couples usually do. This includes her moving in with me and playing the part of my wife.

"I'll think about it," she answered. "Speaking of when the baby is born, the people at the maternity hospital said I get to choose my room. What do you prefer?" She got out of the bed to go to her closet.

I took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Look, sweetheart, I have to travel to Shanghai that week," I ripped it off like a bandaid. She came out of her closet in an oversized hoodie and shorts. Her face resembled confusion more than anything.

"What do you mean?" She asked as she crossed her arms. "You're missing her birth?" The sound of her voice in itself made me regret my decision, but I knew I had to do it. There's going to be times when I have to separate work and family and this is one of those times.

"I wouldn't be much help to you either way. It'll be better this way. You'll have privacy and-" I stopped talking when she just started laughing. "What's funny?"

She walked away from me to look outside the window. She stared outside of it for a while. "Nothing. I just...I am just really fucking stupid."

"What do you mean?"

"I was just stupid to think you'd put me and this baby before your work, but that was my mistake. You've always made it clear work is your number one priority," she mumbled as she shook her head. I opened my mouth to defend myself but nothing came out. There was nothing I could say to her. But I hated that my actions were not a surprise to her. Like she's always expected I would somehow find a way to disappoint her. It felt like all the faith she previously had in me to do better and give more had now gone away. "Whatever. It's okay."

"This is the only week he's available. I don't have a choice, Lani. You know I would be there if I could. You of all people should know how important this is. I have to meet my deadline," I continued to defend myself which was proving to be useless in her eyes.

"Everyone has a choice and you made yours. At least own up to it," she turned her head to look at me and I couldn't even apologize because she's right. I did make my choice and I can't blame it on anyone but myself. I can come up with every excuse in the book, but at the end of the day, this is my choice. "I'm tired. You can leave now."

"I left flowers and skittles on the counter. I also bought-"

"Please just go, Grayson," she continued to look outside her window and I wanted to hug and beg her to please understand why things have to be this way. But that would be selfish of me. So I left.