Page 123 of Taming Grumpy Dr. Beast

Reaching the office door, I stopped to studymy husband. Our wedding, only six months after we met that fateful day in the library, had sixteen people in attendance. An ordained minister performed the ceremony in the living room of our Providence penthouse. I wore a lovely silk sheath dress, and Jaxon had on my favorite suit. Simple, elegant, perfect.

His hair was a little long and wild, curling around the nape of his neck, so much like the first time we met face-to-face. His lips were turned down into a frown, much like then, too. I had a feeling he was grading research papers. Those were his least favorite things about teaching.

I rapped lightly on the door to get his attention.

“Hey, my beautiful wife.” He motioned me closer. A worried furrow tightened his brow. “It’s not like you to knock.”

He was right. Normally, I’d walk right in and throw myself at him. My husband was still the sexiest man alive in my eyes. Today, though, I was nervous about what the envelope I held in my hand might say.

With heavy feet, I made my way to his side and placed the offending piece of paper on the desk in front of him. Jaxon glanced down. “Oh babe,” he crooned. He lifted me up and onto his lap. His muscled arms wrapped around me and hugged me close. “You don’t have to open it.”

With my head tucked into the crook of his shoulder, I breathed in deep. A scent that was Jaxon, filled my nose, calming me. “It’s not about me anymore,” I whispered. I grabbed one of his hands, intertwined our fingers, and laid it on my rounded belly. “I want to find out everything I can for our baby.” All of my priorities had changed the instant I learned about my pregnancy five months ago.

My gaze moved back to rest on the inconspicuous ivory envelope with the DNA company’s logo embossed in the upper left corner. Neither Dad nor I had a lot of information about my mother. I realized after I’d gotten pregnant there was an enormous gap in my medical history. With this test, I wanted to find the answers I sought. No. I needed to find them.

When I didn’t make a move to reach for it, Jaxon kissed the top of my head and said, “What’s the worst thing that could happen if you don’t open it?”

A shaky breath left my mouth. “I stay the same. But I don’t have the medical or family information to share with our child.”

“And?” he prompted. We’d done this same exercise multiple times already.

“The positive is that I’m still me. I’m not any less for not knowing this information and we have a wonderful life that I love.”

He nuzzled my neck, placing light kisses along the column of my neck, moving up until he nipped at my earlobe.

I moaned, already feeling my body relax.

“What’s the worst thing that could happen if you do open it?”

“I learn about my mother. A person I don’t know if I ever want to see again.” I drew in a deep breath. “Or I find out about her family and make connections with people that I might want in my life.”

He rubbed my back and made his way down the other side of my neck. The slightest whisper of his lips left me trembling in his arms, wanting so much more. “I support whichever decision you make.”

My hands reached for his face to draw it level with mine. “You are everything to me. I love you so much, Jaxon.”

He rested his forehead against mine. “I love you more.”

“That’s debatable.”

His chuckle rumbled against my chest.

I turned my head and looked at the envelope again. “I want to see what it says.”

Jaxon reached around me, picked up the envelope, and slid his finger under the back flap before pulling out the papers inside.

I took them from him and scanned the first page. My eyes flew past the general information of the test, and quickly skimmed to the part that would tell me further information about my medical history.

My breath caught in my chest. I reread the last two lines five more times.

Did I read that wrong?

I let out a shaky breath before whispering, “What the fuck?” I tossed the papers at Jaxon as though they were on fire. A dull ache settled in my chest. “How could she?”

Jaxon grabbed the papers.

“Oh, fuck, babe.”

Hot, angry tears filled my eyes before spilling over. “So it was just me she didn’t want?”