Page 38

CHAPTER 38

MIRIAM

Dr. Jolee referred me to a really nice OBGYN here where the guys live. It’s much less inconvenient to drive two hours to see her every two weeks, plus when I eventually go into labor, there may not be time to get there.

The new doctor, Joseph Belle, came highly recommended for dealing with high-risk pregnancies, and he’s been incredibly patient with the massive list of questions the guys came to our first appointment with.

Sitting on the table, I let my feet sway side to side in agitation, my back growing sore from sitting at an awkward angle while Dr. Belle is busy writing notes. It feels as if every tick of the clock takes longer and longer to sound and I chew on my nail.

“Can we have sex yet?”

As if a record screeches, Kevin, Richard, Tatum, and I all whip our heads to Ezra, who’s staring at the doctor with the most sad puppy dog eyes I’ve ever seen.

“Ez,” I hiss, but for the first time, he doesn’t pay attention to me. I haven’t discussed any kind of sexual relationship with any of them since I moved in temporarily with Kevin. Not that I haven’t been thinking about it with all the innuendos and kisses being snuck in every day, but fuck! A heads up would have been polite.

Dr. Belle slowly lifts his head after dotting something and looks up at him. “I’m assuming you’re asking if it’s safe for Miriam to participate in sexual activities rather than an offer?”

Ezra nods his head profusely and I drop my face in my hand and groan. There are hissed words at him from Tatum, but I don’t care what he is saying.

With a soft laugh, Dr. Belle directs the answer to me. “Miriam, while your blood pressure is still concerningly high, it seems as if your meds are holding it somewhat stable and has even come down a touch. I’m going to modify your bed rest restrictions for now, but I’d like you back next week so we can ensure you aren’t pushing your limits. You can start doing light lifting, nothing over ten pounds, and short walks out of necessity. As far as intercourse,” he adds with a glance to Ezra, “I’d like you to limit that as well. We’re looking to avoid extreme stressors on your body, but light activity should be fine.”

He drops his head to write some more and I glare at Ezra. With a few more instructions, we’re sent on our way. I was supposed to ride back with Tatum and Ezra, but I march to Kevin’s car instead, yanking the door open and dropping my ass in the backseat.

“Want to talk about it?” Kevin asks as soon as he’s buckled in. Richard eyes me over his shoulder with concern, but I can’t look at either of them. I’m too embarrassed.

“I’m all good, papí .”

Considering why I’m incapable of making eye contact at the moment, I can’t help slipping his nickname in. I know it gets him riled, and that makes me happy. Thankfully, they don’t push me on the ride home and I begin to feel terrible for pouting like a four-year-old toddler.

It’s as if my patience, what little I had, slips away bit by bit every day I’m stuck in bed. As we pull up to the house and come to a stop, I exit quickly and skirt back to my room, shutting the door behind me with a relieved sigh.

Gathering my things, I figure since I’ve been given a bit more leeway, I’ll take advantage and enjoy a bath. This room holds an extra wide soaking tub and I’ve been eyeing it since the first day I got here. Vaguely, I hear knocking on the door, but I’m already slipping my foot into the tub by the time one of them has enough nerve to face the hormonal monster locked up in the middle of the house.

After half an hour, I begin to feel twinges firing down my right leg, so I get out and dress. Shuffling around the room, I straighten a few things, enjoying the excuse of being on my feet. I sit on the bed to fold some laundry one of the guys brought in, and I don’t even remember laying down.

Waking isn’t as comfortable as it normally is because this time, my legs are restless. I kick them out a few times, flexing the muscles in my thighs for a moment to ease the uncomfortable ache from them.

I sit up and wince when I try to reach for my ankle. “Fucking hell,” I murmur, unable to reach. My head is pounding, so I rub it for a moment before laying on my side. I try to reach at a different angle, but my stomach stops me, and I growl into the darkness, wanting to sob.

“Want a hand?”

I swear to God, I scream, scrambling up to flip on a light. Kevin is already standing with his hands up in defense.

“Sorry. I came in here to bring you something to eat, but you were whimpering in your sleep, so I sat down to wait until you woke and see if you needed something. Are you alright, Miriam?”

Dropping back, I throw my arm over my face and take a few deep breaths. “No.”

I feel the mattress dip and his voice is much closer when he asks, “What do you need? How can I help?”

“My ankles,” I grit out, trying to reach for them again, but it’s useless. I ignore the headache because honestly, the ache near my feet is unbearable. Kevin stands and pulls up the blankets at the foot of the bed, immediately removing the weight off my skin.

“Shit, they’re swollen. Hold on, I’ll be right back.”

When he leaves the room, the light from the house has me squeezing my eyes shut tightly from its brightness, sending a wave of pain through my head. He’s back moments later with a frozen water bottle in each hand.

Sitting near my feet, he sets them down, and, with cold hands, wraps his fingers around my ankle and squeezes gently.

“Oh, God,” I moan. The pressure and coolness from his fingers is the most perfect feeling in the world.

He hums in approval, working his hands slowly from the bottom of my feet all the way up to knees, then back down. “Better?” he murmurs. I only nod, whimpering and sinking further into my pillows.

I want to cry since it feels so good. The massage goes on for a long time, Kevin pausing in between to roll the bottles of ice between his palms to cool them down again. I’m almost back asleep, but my headache is preventing me from drifting off.

“What else is bothering you?” His voice is soft, barely above a whisper.

Croaking out, I tell him. “My head is pounding.”

Kevin leaves the bed and heads into my bathroom, shaking out what I assume are pain relievers. As soon as I start sitting up, his arm is around my back to help me, and I feel a water bottle in my hand.

“Open your mouth,” he orders. I do and he drops two pills on my tongue. Bringing the bottle to my mouth, I swallow the pills and let him lay me back.

Feeling pathetic, I apologize. “I’m sorry I’m being like this. I don’t know why I feel so terrible right now.”

“You overdid it today.” I tense, ready to argue, but he soothes me. “That wasn’t meant to be critical. It’s understandable. You’ve been cooped up for weeks on end. I don’t blame you, I’d have done the same thing. We just need to take things one step at a time.”

He’s right, and I swallow back my feelings of self-worth. “I’ll do better tomorrow.”

With a sigh, Kevin lays down next to me and tucks me into his body. “You didn’t do bad today, Miriam. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

I nod and bite my lip to fight back my desire to cry and let him ease my headache away. Slipping his fingers along my temples, he digs his fingers into my scalp as he drags them through my hair. Over and over again, he continues without either of us speaking.

Eventually I doze off, only briefly waking to his arm resting heavily on my waist and come face to face with Ezra. Sneaking into my bed while I’m asleep has become a regular thing and I don’t mind so much. Finding him in my bed has become less of a surprise, and I cup his cheek as he lays next to me.

“Are you upset with me?”

Kevin’s arm tightens, but his steady breathing tells me he’s sleeping soundly. I run my fingers over Ezra’s cheek in comfort.

“No. I was embarrassed because we hadn’t talked about it first, but I’m not mad. I’m just cranky, I think. Sorry if you’ve been worrying this whole time.”

Shifting his body closer, he nuzzles his nose against mine. “I was, but you don’t need to apologize. I need to think before I speak. It’s just hard because I want to be closer to you.”

With a sigh, I wrap an arm around his neck, and he slides his body lower to bury his face against my chest. I smile when he sighs overly loud, and Kevin lifts his head to see what’s going on. Kevin huffs out a soft laugh, then presses a kiss to the back of my head and lays back down.

Thankfully, my headache has eased, and I let my mind wander, considering what it’d look like at this moment if I weren’t pregnant and we were at this point in knowing each other.

All of them bring something special to the table and it breaks my heart thinking one or more of them may walk away when they learn they aren’t the father of Gabriel. Even with promises that they want to be here for the long haul, I can’t help feeling insecure that it will change.

What will the dynamic be if we all try this, but one feels they have more say than the other purely because of paternity? I suppose co-parenting will look like whatever we determine it to be, but the questions are still there.

My eyes crack open to soft light streaming through the window, filling the room with signs of the morning. Ezra is gone, but Kevin is still curled around me, only I’m facing him now. He’s still asleep, so I slowly roll away and pad to the bathroom. After throwing some water on my face and brushing my teeth, I turn off the light and head back to the bed.

I find Kevin awake, holding up the edge of the blanket so I can slip back in. As I do, I say, “I thought you had to go to work today?”

“I called in. I’ll work from here. How are you feeling?”

I lay on my back and lift my foot to study it. “So much better. Swelling is gone, thank God. It was awful.”

He rumbles out a laugh and wraps an arm around me. “I have a question for you.”

“Yeah?” I tilt my head back to look at him. I haven’t had the opportunity to wake up next to Kevin often, but I find I’m loving the calming effect he brings to the table. It’s a nice way to ease someone into the day gently.

His lips spread into a slow smile. “About what Ezra asked yesterday…” Trailing off, he lifts a brow in question.

My cheeks heat and I try to look away, but he grabs my chin to keep me focused on him. “That wasn’t a question.”

“I’m not asking to fuck you right now, but I’d very much like to kiss you.”

There’s something about Kevin that makes me want to melt and just nod my head yes every time he suggests something. Maybe it’s his age or presence, but I’m so here for it. I lift my chin, giving him silent permission.

I expect him to lean down and take my mouth his, but he uses the grip he has on my chin and turns my face away. He leans down and trails his nose along my bared neck from my collarbone to behind my ear. Nipping at the lobe, I gasp when he shifts and uses his tongue along the same path.

“Kev,” I moan, and with a deep groan, he tightens his hold and locks me in place.

“Hush. Let me kiss you,” he says against my thundering pulse, then sucks at the tender skin. Over and over again, he works his mouth, sending waves of shivers down my spine in a torturous pleasure.

I never knew my neck was this sensitive and I can’t help reaching for his head, tightening my fist in his short locks to pull him closer.

Freeing my face, he wraps both arms around my body and pins me to his body as he drives me insane. Kevin’s cock is pressed firmly against my ass, and he shifts his hips ever so slightly to grind against me.

Just as he builds me up enough to where I’m ready to throw him on his back and ride his dick, he slows down and pulls away with a peck on the corner of my mouth.

“Thank you. I’m going to go get you some breakfast.”

“Seriously? But?—”

For the first time, Kevin winks at me. “We’re taking it one step at a time. That was my first one. Tomorrow is a new day.” Then he leaves me with an aching pussy and straining nipples.

Instead of keeping it to myself, I shout after him, “This can’t be good for my blood pressure!”

I close my eyes, smiling at the sound of his laugh down the hall.