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AURORA
Maybe it’s pregnancy hormones,or perhaps it’s the attention of two attractive men. Whatever it is, being with them is not only electrifying, but fulfilling in a way I’ve never experienced before, as if the shattered parts of me are finally mending.
A rough palm glides up my torso to cup my breast, and I rock my hips, moaning into Jackson’s kiss. Their hard bodies and erections press against me. Fingers pinch my nipple, and a shudder runs through me.
“Are you cold?” Ethan’s hands move to caress my arms. “Let’s get you out. You have goosebumps.”
He withdraws, and I let out a whimper of disappointment.
The temperature is in the seventies, and although the sun is setting over the ocean, the water is heated. I’m not chilly.
Jax brings us closer to one of the swim-up canopy beds—and I feel it.
I gasp and clutch my stomach, which terrifies him.
He sets me on my feet and looms over me, cupping my lower belly. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Did I do something?”
“Wait. Wait. I think I felt it.”
Ethan rushes over, panic etched on his features. “What is it?”
I grab his hand to place it where mine was, and there it is! A flutter, then a distinct push or roll.
His jaw drops, and his brows shoot up. “Is that…?”
“The baby.” Tears prickle my eyelids. “He must like the water.”
Jax positions his fingers beside Ethan’s. “For real?”
We all go silent, eagerly waiting. The gentle flutter-roll happens again. My gaze meets Jackson’s, and the emotion in his glassy eyes crushes me.
A gorgeous smile spreads across Ethan’s face, revealing that dimple, and he clasps the back of my neck. “Holy fuck. We’re having a baby.”
My heart hammers and my lips tremble. “Yeah, we are.”
Jax leans down and rests his forehead on mine. “Today is one of the best days of my life. Thank you.”
His voice breaks, and I want to cry harder. Despite everything, moments like these are why I love him.
He straightens to his full height. “I need to make sure the pool temp isn’t too high.”
“It’s not,” I say with a chuckle. “It’s perfect.”
“Still, I have to feed you…and him.” He runs his fingers through his wet hair. “This is so very real now.”
“Yeah, no shit,” Ethan mutters, his tone sullen.
“You okay?” I ask.
He tilts his head skyward and releases a heavy sigh. “We need to talk.”
The mood shifts instantly, unearthing the deep-seated anxiety I had managed to bury.
Ethan
Wrapped in a towel,Aurora climbs into the outdoor canopy bed. I sit beside her, and she glances up at me with unease, searching my expression for any hint of betrayal. I know what she’s thinking—that I’ve been unfaithful, or I’m still married, or I got someone else pregnant, or some other outrageous nonsense.
Jackson places a tray of food on the mattress and grumbles, “You’re the worst buzzkill.”