Page 14 of Curve Ball (The San Jose Coyotes #2)

GAEL

I woke up to the soft glow of dawn filtering through the curtains; the room was bathed in a gentle, dusty light.

Adriana’s body is curled against mine, her breath steady and calm.

I take a moment to appreciate the curve of her spine, the soft rise and fall of her chest. I slide my hand down to her belly, feeling the slight roundness that reminds me of the new life growing inside her.

My heart swells with a mixture of love and protectiveness.

I want to capture this moment, to freeze time and hold on to this feeling forever.

I pull her back into my chest, slide the pillow underneath her belly and slide inside her. Complete and total bliss, absolute heaven. If anyone were to ever ask, How do I know what heaven is like? I would just tell them because I get to experience it between Adriana’s thighs.

Tenderly I caress her hip, tracing the thin sliver lines along with the newer red ones that have formed.

Most men look at these and turn up their noses because they are superficial assholes.

But all I see is pure beauty. A woman’s body is a divine thing, a gift that men get to experience, and I’m in awe that this woman is growing our child .

“Why are you being so gentle?” She mumbles sleepily. Her eyes stay closed as I brush her hair away from her neck, peppering her with featherlight kisses.

“Because this is what you need, what I need.” I push inside her, and she lets out a small gasp.

“I need you to feel how much I care about you, how much I’ve wanted you.

All this time...” I moan as I pull back, all the way to the tip, then slowly enter her again.

“I fell in love with you that night, Adriana. That love spiraled into obsession when you disappeared, and I’m sorry if that scared you. If I scared you.”

Adriana’s hand grabs my hip and her nails claw at my skin, pulling me deeper inside her. “I’m not scared anymore, Gael.”

“Let me love you, Mama.” I wrap my arm around her protectively. “I wanna show you what being loved is really like. When you have someone who would do anything for you.” I move a little faster but not by much, just enough to keep her moaning softy. “Be mine, Adriana.”

“I’m already yours,” leaning her head back on my shoulder. “I don’t want to wake up and never not be yours, ever again.”

As the sun rises higher, casting a warm glow over our bodies, I continue to move slowly, deliberately, savoring every second of our connection.

Adriana’s breathing quickens, and her grip on my hip tightens.

I can feel her body responding to mine, and it fuels my desire to show her just how much she means to me.

“I love you, Adriana,” I whisper, my voice husky with emotion. “More than words can express. You are my world, and I want to spend every day showing you that.”

She turns her head slightly, her eyes fluttering open to meet mine. “I love you too, Gael. I fell in love with you that night.”

I lean down and capture her lips in a soft, tender kiss, pouring all my love and devotion into it.

Our bodies move in sync and I can feel the love between us growing with each passing second.

I move my fingers to her clit and I hold her close while I make her come.

Feeling her pussy tighten pulls my release from me and my head rests against hers as I fall into bliss.

I trace lazy patterns on her hip, feeling the softness of her skin, the curve of her body.

I never want this moment to end.

“We should get ready,” she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll just wear your clothes.”

I nod, a smile playing on my lips because there is nothing I want more than to see her in my clothes. Smelling like me. Possessive much? “Let’s get to it then, Mama. I wanna meet our baby.”

Our baby.

My child.

We take our time getting ready, stealing kisses and touches as we move around the room.

Adriana puts on a pair of my Coyotes sweats and a plain black shirt.

I opt for something similar, casual and comfortable.

The drive to the doctor’s office is uneventful, pretty silent.

I lost myself in thought, thinking about the life growing inside Adriana and about the future that lies ahead of us.

I reach over and take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“You nervous, Mama?” I ask, my eyes glancing over to her as I merge into the turning lane. “Real shit, I’m nervous.”

She smiles back at me. “Yeah? I’m nervous too, Papi. But we’ve got this. Together?” I pull into the parking spot right in front of the office and kill the engine. Adriana holds out her hand, palm up.

“Together.” I take it, lacing our fingers and bringing them to my lips. “Let’s go see our baby.”

Once we’ve been checked in, we wait a few minutes, and then the ultrasound tech comes out, greeting us. We’re guided back to a small room with an exam table, an ultrasound machine, a big flat screen on the wall, and two chairs.

“Alright, let’s get a look at this little one,” she says, smiling as she helps Adriana get comfortable on the exam table. “How have you been feeling?”

Adriana shares a few details about her pregnancy, things I don’t know and it makes my heart hurt, so I listen intently, my hand never leaving hers.

How the nausea is finally getting better, and she can eat; how she’s felt the baby move a few days ago.

All things that I should know. The tech applies the warm gel to Adriana’s belly, and we both watch as she moves the wand over her skin, the screen coming to life with grainy black and white images.

There’s a whooshing sound filling the room, and suddenly, the screen is filled with the rapid beating of a tiny heart. My eyes well up with tears as I listen to the sound, realizing that’s my child in there.

Just a few days ago, it was just me and now it’s the three of us.

The tech moves the wand around, taking measurements and notes, her brow furrowing slightly as she concentrates. She pauses, her eyes widening as she looks at the screen, a smile spreading across her face. I look at the screen overhead, trying to see what she sees.

“Well, well, well,” she says, her voice filled with surprise. “It looks like you two are having quite the surprise today.”

Adriana and I exchange a confused glance, and I squeeze her hand tighter, my heart pounding in my chest. “What is it? What do you see?”

The tech drags the wand over to the side of Adriana’s stomach so we can see it better, and she points to two distinct shapes on the screen. “You’re not just having one baby, Adriana. You’re having twins.”

Twins.

We’re having twins.

I look at Adriana, and she looks back at me, her eyes wide with shock. A laugh bubbles up from my chest, the sound filling the room with joy and disbelief.

“Twins,” she says, shaking her head in amazement. “We’re having twins, Gael.”

I lean down and kiss her forehead, my heart swelling with love and pride. “We’re having twins, Mama. Can you believe it?”

The tech continues the ultrasound, taking more measurements and notes, her voice a soothing murmur in the background as she explains what she’s doing.

“Do you want to know what you’re having?” The tech looks over, a smirk on her face.

Adriana looks up at me and at this point, I need to know. She nods and with my eyes still on the woman I’m falling even more in love with by the second, I say, “Yes.”

“Baby A is a boy.”

A son.

I’m having a son.

“Baby B is… also a boy. You see how they are in the same little bubble?” She points out how close they are. “That means they’re identical.”

Two boys. Identical twin boys. Holy fucking shit. I’m going to be a father to not one, but two incredible little humans. The responsibility of it all hits me like a freight train, but so does the overwhelming love and joy that comes with it.

We leave the office and I can’t wipe the grin off my face. I’ve got the printout of the boy’s ultrasound in one hand and Adriana’s hand in my other. I feel like the luckiest man in the world.

I am the luckiest man in the world.

“You know,” I say, pulling Adriana to my side as we walk to the car. “I knew you were something special the moment I saw you, Mama. But this... this is just incredible.”

She leans her head on my shoulder, her voice soft and dreamy. “I can’t believe we’re going to have two little boys, Gael. I know one baby was a lot to take in, but two? You sure this is what you want? I know you’ve got baseball and I wouldn’t be upset if this is all too much for you.”

Esta mujer está loca si cree que simplemente me voy a ir y los dejaré a ella y a mis hijos.

I don’t respond; instead, I open the car door for her, helping her inside before rounding the hood and getting in myself. As I start the engine, I look over at her, my heart full to bursting.

“I want you. I want our boys. Fuck baseball, Adriana. You three are the most important things in my life now. My career is an afterthought. Let’s go home and start planning for our future, Mama. Actually, do you think we can go tell my mom? She is going to freak.”

The color drains from Adriana’s face.

“In a good way, Mama. Mierda, soy un idiota. Ella va a amarte y a nuestros hijos.”

She gives me a guilty look. “Can we do it tomorrow? I kinda just want today to be about me and you.”

“Of course. Do you want to stop by your apartment to get anything?” I ask, turning the car on and pulling out of the parking lot.

“Might be a good idea if you’re gonna to keep me at your apartment.”

I chuckle. “Mama, it’s our apartment now. We’re gonna have to clear out the spare room and get the room ready for the boys.”

For our sons.

The drive home from her apartment is a blur of excitement and planning.

We talk about names, about nursery ideas, and about the challenges that we will no doubt face raising twins.

The gratitude that fills my heart for the life I’ve been given, for the woman sitting beside me, and for the two little boys growing inside her is unreal.

Now I just need to make this woman my wife.

My wife.

It’s funny to think that I was terrified and put off marrying Natalia, stalling every chance I could.

It was like something out there knew I needed to wait just a little bit longer to find Adriana. And now she’s pregnant with my children and I’m sitting here trying to figure out how to make her my wife. There is no hesitation, no waiting to push it off. No fear.

Like it was meant to be.

Pulling into my spot next to her car in the garage, I turn to her, trying to hold back the tears that want to come out.

“I love you, Adriana. Thank you for giving me this incredible gift. Thank you for trusting me. I promise you and our boys that I’m going to be the best father and hopefully someday husband I can be. ”

She leans over and kisses me softly, her eyes filled with love. “I love you too, Gael. I believe you, amor . I’m lucky I get to do this with you.”

I look down at Adriana’s belly, a sense of wonder and awe washing over me. Twins. We’re having twins.