Page 15 of Curtis & Jae (Mate Match #1)

Fifteen

Jae

By the time I’d gotten to eight weeks pregnant and my first appointment with a midwife, I had decided to make a real go of living with Curtis. It was time to sort out my place and put it up for rent, maybe even sell it.

We just worked. I felt like we’d been dating for a much longer time.

We still couldn’t keep our hands off each other to the point I worried about harming the baby.

I didn’t know all that much about pregnancy, it wasn’t talked about in my family, so I didn’t know if I was hurting the little one.

It was just that resisting Curtis was too difficult.

Our chemistry in and out of the bedroom was fire.

I loved being around him. He was my big, cuddly, protector mate.

I longed for the day he’d mark me as his, though I wanted to wait until we got married first.

Our appointment was at a new midwife led clinic highly recommended by Brady.

He’d looked into services in the area for me.

Some would see it as an overstep. I just liked how invested he was in the baby.

We’d decided not to go to the one he’d taken me to after the alpha incident.

The vibe was off with the place and I couldn’t get the memory of Brady’s face out of my mind.

No, that place was tainted. This one had good energy.

I handed the pot to the midwife, Erika. She was a tall, black woman, with her hair artfully styled in braids, and a gentle aura about her. As soon as I met her, I felt at ease, even if it was when I was handing her a pee sample.

“Nice to meet you both. I’ll be the primary midwife for your care.

I also take on call shifts at the center.

However, I can’t promise I’ll be the one for your labor.

It all depends on when that happens, okay?

” We both nodded. She took the sample and put these sticks in it. “Can I ask how long ago your heat was?”

“Eight weeks,” I answered.

“Exciting! Your hormone levels look right. Sugars are okay. I’ll have to check your iron. How long have you been together?”

“Eight weeks,” Curtis said with a laugh. “Long story.”

Erika smiled at us both. “Well, I couldn’t have guessed it was only two months. You’re cute together.” We muttered our thanks, both a little embarrassed. Our love story was irregular for sure. One day we’d tell our grandkids it with pride.

Erika took my blood pressure, pricked my finger to get my iron, then palpated my abdomen.

“All is looking good here. I want you to pick up a pregnancy vitamin—“"

“I’m taking one.”

“Alright, that’s good. Maybe up your iron intake then, since it’s lower than I’d like. Make sure you’re getting plenty of folic acid. It is important for fetal development. Do you have questions?”

“Should we be abstaining….?” I managed to get out suddenly irrationally worried I was doing everything wrong. I thought the vitamins would be enough.

“No need. Your baby is well protected in there. Now, I’m not saying I recommend sexual gymnastics,” she laughed, “but the hormones and pheromones are great for both you and the baby, as well as regular sex, keeping you bonded as a couple.” Erika paused.

“Curtis, do you mind stepping out to get Jae some water? I think the heat in the room is getting to him.”

I was feeling slightly warm. With a squeeze of my hand, Curtis left the room.

“Sorry, I hate to lie. I just need to check your mental state. Are you doing this of your free will? How is Curtis at home? I see you live together.”

“Oh, um…” I felt completely flabbergasted. “Everything’s fine. Curtis is amazing.”

“Perfect,” Erika said, leaning forward to take my hands. “Thought so, but it’s part of my checks. If anything changes, just give me a sign and I’ll get you whatever help you need.”

“Thanks for checking.”

“My iron…”

“Isn’t bad. Could be better and growing a baby is hard. Have you had a lot of sickness?”

“Yeah, it’s getting better. I just thought the vitamins would be enough.”

“If you eat a varied diet and take the vitamins, you should be fine. I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s my job to ensure your health while carrying this baby.”

Her words made me feel better. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m just going to type up my notes while we wait for your man.”

The room was warm. I was grateful that it wasn’t long before Curtis knocked and returned with a cup of water for me. I practically gulped it down. “Thank you,” I whispered to him.

He kissed the top of my head. “Anything for you.”

“Well, congratulations to you both,” Erika said when she finished typing on her computer. “Everything looks okay, so we’ll see you for your scan at twelve weeks, okay?”

I couldn’t wait to see our baby.

Nerves filled me, waking me much earlier than usual.

Far worse than before I met his employees.

Not that I had anything to worry about. The house was clean and ready for our visitors without me lifting a finger.

Curtis had made me sit and watch him clean because the stress made my sickness flare up.

Most days I was fine as long as I ate little and often.

If I was worried, I was sure to throw up.

“Hey, don’t worry. It’ll be fine. They’ll love you,” Curtis reassured me. “Come on, let’s shower together before they come.”

As a larger man, he had a pretty roomy shower. There was even a bench to rest on, which he sometimes did after a long, tiring day at work.

We undressed and got under the hot water together. Curtis immediately started washing me, massaging my scalp and then shoulders. I wriggled under his hold, feeling the surge of our pheromones wrapping around us.

“Want you,” I whispered, the words almost drowned out by the spray. I leaned back into him, wriggling against his hardening cock.

“You sure?”

I turned and stroked his cock to full hardness. “Yeah.”

“Do you want to go to bed?”

“No. Here. Now.”

“Come sit on my lap, then.”

He pulled me closer, so I was straddling him. My mouth met his in a messy kiss. Our foreplay was short. I was too desperate to feel him, to get lost in the feel of him.

“Please,” I begged as he worked me open with careful fingers. Everything Curtis did with me was gentle, always aware of his larger size.

His cock lined up at my hole and eased inside slowly. I moaned at the perfect feeling of him deep inside me.

“More.”

Curtis pumped his hips, holding me steady with his big hands.

Neither of us lasted long. Curtis pulled out before his knot formed and pumped his release over the tile floor of the shower.

Our mouths met again, this time in a sweet kiss.

“Thank you,” I breathed.

“For what?”

“For everything. I feel better now.”

“Good.”

By the time there was a knock at the door, we were dry and dressed for the day. Curtis had the food well in hand, so I waited in the kitchen for his family.

“Hi!” his nephew, Milo, was the first to greet me. He looked a lot like Curtis, with the same tight curls cut close to his scalp, just with a lighter brown complexion. He was cute. “I’m Milo. Where’s your cat?”

“I’m sorry about him.” Behind Milo came a petite woman with pale rose skin darkening with a blush. Her blonde hair was long, curling halfway down her back. “I’m Jennie. This is my son, Milo, but you probably already know that. He’s been very excited to meet you and your cat, obviously.”

“Nice to meet you.” I repeated the sentiment with Lara, Curtis’ older sister, and his father, Patrick, or Ricky, as he preferred to be called.

Lara and Curtis looked so alike, there was no mistaking they were siblings, except she had her hair in a sleek chin-length bob. Same warm brown eyes and deep brown skin. Their noses and chins they obviously got from their dad.

Ricky was a balding older man with a rounded belly. His beard was short, well cared for and full of gray hairs, adding a distinguished quality to him. His wide smile while he made his greeting put me at ease.

For the occasion, we’d bought a neutralizer for the kitchen.

Curtis was worried the pheromones from all the alphas in the room would be too overwhelming for me.

Especially after the party for his crew, where I’d spent a lot of time outside or near an open window.

He had also considered that they’d be heightened depending on his family’s reactions to our news.

It was such a thoughtful gesture. A signature Curtis move. I couldn’t help but love him more.

We also didn’t want Jennie figuring out our news before we could tell everyone ourselves. Yeah, I’d been shocked when he told me Marty, Grace, and Hannah all knew. Not that I minded. They’d kept it to themselves with no issues.

I tried not to let my nerves get the better of me, though it was hard.

Meeting the family was a big deal! Plus, we had our news to share.

Once I found Percy for Milo, that was all it took for the ice to be broken, especially since Percy was in a fine mood and immediately went to Milo’s lap for cuddles.

He very rarely did that. Or maybe he just liked kids, because he’d been the same with Maddy.

It was a good omen of things to come. When I told Milo he was special, it melted everyone.

We wanted to wait until everyone was eating before making our announcement. Waiting and getting through all the small talk was so hard! I just wanted to blurt it out!

Eventually, there was a lull in the conversation.

“There’s something I wanted to tell you all,” Curtis began.

“Jae moved in permanently?” Ricky asked hopefully. He turned to me. “Are you going to rent your place out?”

“Yes. I’ve given the apartment to an agency for them to lease it for me. I love living with Curtis,” I answered honestly. Taking that leap of faith had been the best thing for our relationship. Not once had I regretted moving in.

My boyfriend squeezed my thigh gently. “Love having Jae here. Especially since he brought Percy, too.”

“I love Percy. He’s fluffy,” Milo commented from his place on the floor, where he was tempting my cat with scraps from his plate.

“That wasn’t what I wanted to tell you.” Curtis paused, looking at me. “Me and Jae are having a baby!”

The room erupted in chaos. Everyone congratulated us with hugs and lots of happy exclamations. It was so warm and welcoming; I struggled to hold back tears. Curtis had told me they’d be overjoyed, I just hadn’t expected them to be so welcoming.

“Well, that makes two new babies for the family then,” Lara spoke over the din. “Jennie’s five months pregnant! We wanted to wait to check…”

Curtis pulled his sister into a tight hug. I went to Jennie and wrapped my arms around her.

“I’m going to be a big brother!” Milo had abandoned Percy to hug his grandpa.

“And a cousin! Two babies for you to help with, Milo.” Ricky turned Milo on his lap so he could feed the child. “Grab grandpa another slice of that quiche. I’m going to need more energy for all these grandchildren.”

“Congratulations!” I said to Jennie, really meaning it. Curtis had told me about their problems. I was relieved not to be causing pain on our happy occasion.

“You, too! Curtis is so sweet. I’m glad he has you and now your little one on the way.”

I looked at the man a computer had decided was pretty much my ideal match. “I’m glad I have him.”