Chapter 75

Rachel POV

Bella & Rachel's Apartment

Time flew by until I only had about an hour before Nathan was going to show up for his overnight stay at the apartment. I stripped the bed in a hurry, glad I wasn't too pregnant yet for household tasks to be a bother. We only had two bedrooms in the apartment, so Nathan would have to take the bed I'd been using; the least I could do would be to ensure he had clean sheets to sleep on.

I blushed thinking about how he might catch a hint of lingering arousal on my sheets if I let them remain. I had showered after getting back from Wright House, but just thinking about my time with Tyler was enough to make me weak in the knees. What had gotten into Tyler?

I didn't know where the sudden urge to please me came from though I did wonder if it had anything to do with a certain Alpha Inspector.

Come to that, I hadn't seen Art all day, but I had the feeling he was keeping close to me. I didn't know why I was comforted by thoughts of him lingering around though I would admit I trusted him all the same.

I think his bluntness made me more likely to put my faith in him. He didn't treat me as if I were an idiot or breakable or even as if I were special which made him feel more honest to me than other Alphas I'd met in my past.

"I've got the bed made. Do the towels still need to be folded?"

I carried the dirty linens to the washer and started the machine running. I would make sure the bedding was washed before running off to Moonglow territory---and before Nathan could arrive to smell me on the sheets.

Bella peaked around the corner from the kitchen to say, "Yes, I haven't had time. I'm sorry. I was working on this recipe. Do you think Nathan will mind doing a taste test for me? He doesn't have any food allergies, does he?"

"No allergies I know of and I'm sure he won't turn down homemade desserts from an actual pastry chef."

I loaded the washer then filled an empty laundry basket with the towels.

I balanced the basket on my hip as I looked into the kitchen to see if Bella had left even a corner of the table clear for me to fold clothes on. She had covered every inch of countertop with some kind of small tarts, cooking utensils, or cooking paraphernalia from her baking binge.

At least the table was clear, I thought as I took a seat there to start folding the towels.

"You're a lifesaver. You know you can't move out, right? I never fold the laundry and Jack doesn't even pretend to know how."

I laughed as I stacked towels, folding them carefully the way I'd watched my mother do when I was a girl. I wondered about what Tyler had said of her---had she been most comfortable in the kitchen because it was where she felt safest? Was her pack dangerous? What was I getting myself into?

"I know you think that now, but wait until this baby is born. You won't want me around then, I'm sure."

"You don't know that," Bella argued, waving a piping bag at me, "I happen to like babies. I'm sure I'll like your baby."

I watched her carefully pipe flowers in purple icing onto a tart. I could imagine Bella doing this same thing years later with her own child or even more years later with a grandchild. She was the kind of steady a person could trust forever. Bella would be the same in three years or thirty; I couldn't love her more.

"Maybe," I allowed, "Can you tell me I'm not crazy for going to Moonglow? I feel like I'm going to crawl out of my skin. I'm literally vibrating with nervous energy."

The word 'vibrating' made me blush a deep red and I nearly swallowed my tongue. I was a complete idiot! Why had I said that?

Bella looked over at me before bursting into laughter, "You are blushing so bad your face could start a fire! Come on, spill it! What's got you all worked up?"

"I wish you'd used a different saying," I muttered, annoyed as much at myself as her, "I swear you cannot use this against me in the future. I'm only telling you because you're my ride or die for life. You're sworn to secrecy. You got that?"

"I got it. Sworn to secrecy. Cross my heart and hope to die."

Bella made an 'x' symbol over her chest with the piping bag before coming to join me at the table. I slapped the back of her hand before she could touch a clean towel.

"Hey!"

"You've got icing on your hands. Don't touch the clean towels."

"Fine. Goddess wept. What's the big secret?"

I focused on folding towels while I admitted to myself I absolutely had to talk about what had happened with my best friend. My mother was gone -though I honestly couldn't imagine myself having a conversation with my mother about sex toys- and I had no biological sisters. Bella was the closest to a sister I'd ever get.

"Tyler bought me a present to take with me. He gave it to me last night."

Bella gave a laugh, "Oh he did, did he? I thought it was going to be something big. Let me guess: lingerie? Did he go for a teddy or a slip? Lace or satin? I've always figured he's uptight so he probably goes for satin since it's got a more classy look most of the time."

I blushed all over again as I remembered writhing on Tyler's bed with my skirt up around my hips.

"No. He didn't get me lingerie. He got me a---a toy."

I figured if I just said the word fast enough, I'd be able to move past it without it being an issue.

Bella squealed, "Oh-Em-Gee! Tyler Wright bought you a sex toy! What kind? I have to see it. Did you try it? Is that why you ran into the bathroom to shower as soon as you got home last night? I thought you just really wanted to get in bed. You sneaky bitch! I have to know all the details."

And just like that all the awkwardness was gone, replaced with laughter and girlish giggles which reminded me of the way we'd been when we had first met as young teens.

"It's a really pretty vibrator. It's purple and soft and really, really works, if you know what I mean."

Bella squealed again and clapped her hands as she bounced in her seat. I grinned so hard my face ached. I finished with the towels as I went over how amazing the night before had been with Tyler.

"He didn't want me to do anything for him though. Do you think that means something? He said it was because he'd, you know, got his plenty before, but it isn't like he's ever left me wanting, you know?"

"I think he probably meant he wanted last night to be only for you. Sometimes it's nice to just give a little, isn't it?"

Bella got a dreamy look on her face which told me she knew plenty about giving a little. I found myself asking out of curiosity when I would normally have never brought the subject up before.

"So have you and Jack ever---? With a toy?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," Bella snickered, "I have enough toys to open a store. Do not unlock the trunk under my bed. It isn't hiding love letters or old dresses. I'm a dirty girl and Jack loves it! Oh! We should buy something for Tyler!"

"I thought about it," I admitted, "I have no idea what to get though. I've never gone looking for any of those kinds of things."

"You've never used a toy before, have you?"

Bella was looking at me speculatively. I shrugged while putting the stacks of towels back into the laundry basket just to have something to do with my hands.

"Why not?"

We were best friends, but I wasn't the most blunt woman when it came to sex. Sure, we'd talked about it before, but I had never gotten overly graphic even when Bella shared more than a few details with me.

"Well, I never had a boyfriend before Nathan. I was waiting for marriage with him and a teenager. I don't think I could have bought anything when I was underage. Then I was with Tyler. He didn't really want anything much except to do it and get it over with quick. I never thought about it."

"Tyler just wanted to get it over with? That sounds weird. He's so big and steaming hot I figured he was an animal in the bedroom."

"He's definitely an animal in bed. I've never had any reason to complain about the main event."

"You just never spent much time before getting to 'the main event' is that it?"

I was going to reply, but the doorbell rang then a knock came to follow it at the door.

"Nathan!" I announced. taking the laundry basket with me as I went to let him in.

Talk about saved by the bell!