“Yes.” I reluctantly step away and reach for the duffel bag, but he tsks and grabs it for me, shrugging it over a shoulder.
“All right. Let’s go, kitten.” Amusement shows in the crinkle of his eyes as he takes in my outfit again. “Good thing you didn’t change. Maybe you can fall asleep on the way there.” Taking me by the hand, he leads me to the front door, stopping at the kitchen counter to grab the ultrasound pictures we taped back together. “Can’t forget this.”
Down the steps and into the truck we go. By habit, I scoot to the middle again to sit next to him. Using his arm as a pillow, I rest my head and close my eyes. And as he backs up, turns out of the complex, and heads for the highway, a sense of freedom rushes through my veins.
No more Silas.
No more Springwell.
It’s time for a new life.
The hum and dips of the road along with the warmth of his arm underneath my cheek soon lull me into a light sleep. I must fall into a deeper one though, because the next sensation I have is one of being carried.
Maybe awoofmixed with ameow, and then soft sheets that caress my face as I’m deposited into a bed that’s one thousand times more comfortable and warmer than mine.
And as sleep pulls me under once again, I vaguely hear a deep voice whisper into the early morning hours, “Finally. Right where she belongs.”
Chapter eleven
Connor
Thisbedistoodamn small for all four of us.
On one side, his head resting on Rosanna’s chest, Toto waits with polite impatience for her to wake up. Every twitch she gives in her sleep makes his tail thump in hopeful little wags, only to settle down again when he realizes she’s not awake yet.
“I know, buddy.” His soulful eyes dart over to me. “She’ll wake up when she’s ready.”
Not to be left out, Bagheera kneads Rosanna’s blanket-covered stomach, his narrowed, feline eyes daring me to stop him as he purrs his contentment. I scratch the sweet spot under his chin, sending his motorbox into overdrive. “By all means, make all the biscuits you want, Baggy. Just watch your claws.”
Then I look at my other kitten. My little mama. She’s been sleeping so hard, and I don’t have the heart to wake her yet. With time on my hands, I decide to look up what to expect from a pregnancy with twins. I’ll hopefully learn more at her next appointment.
An hour and a half and many online searches later, I’m confused as fuck. All women experience different pregnancy side effects. Fatigue, mood swings, heightened sense of smell, nipple darkening, headaches, and gas, just to name a few. Sometimes just one or two, or an entire mashup of all of them.
Gas.
Hmm. Maybe the sweet potatoes weren’t to blame. Her sensitivity to smells seems to have tapered down, so that’s good. I wonder if my switching to unscented laundry detergent had anything to do with it. And her morning sickness seems to be hit or miss, but she has had a few headaches that put her down on her ass.
As far as mood swings go, I haven’t noticed many. I mean, my poor little mama has been through a lot in a short amount of time, and that’s enough to wear on anyone’s emotions and force some tears to the surface.
I bring a silky lock of her deep brown hair to my lips. As much as I needed her here with me, I never wanted it to happen like this. Albert was a good man. One gone entirely too soon. He must have been around eighty or so, but seemed in relatively good health, so it was a bit of a shock.
Although it seems cold-hearted, now I don’t have to worry about a raise tempting Rosanna to stay. But why would he offer her a raise when he’d basically just told me to be like my great-grandpa Jed? I’m no doctor, but maybe confusion was a pre-symptom of his heart attack.
And her fuckhead ex. I don’t think he’ll be a problem, but if he is, he won’t be for long. Not with the threat of child support and a nut crushing hanging over his head.
As if magnetized, my eyes lock onto her stomach as Baggy continues to make biscuits. I couldn’t see her as clearly as I wanted to last night, but my lips felt the slight curve of her fertile belly. Fuck, I can’t wait until it grows even bigger and I can feel my babies kicking.
She’s here, but now I need to work out how to claim her and lock her down into marriage.Gently,I remind myself even though she wasn’t exactly gentle when she yanked my cock. My wild kitten knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to take it.
And I fucking loved it.
“Toto?” My sleeping beauty awakens. “Hey, boy.” Rosanna’s scratchy voice is all the permission Toto needs before he slathers her face in wet doggy kisses, tail thumping a heavy beat on the bed as he yips his happiness. She squeals in surprise. “No! Stop—get down!”
Mreow!Baggy doesn’t appreciate being jostled, and he’s not afraid to voice his displeasure.
Taking pity on both my kittens, I grab Toto’s collar and force his wiggling ass to sit. “All right, bud, that’s enough. You can get some love later. Ah-ah, don’t bark at me like that.” Traitor. I look down at Rosanna’s sleep-creased face as she wipes the wetness away. “Sleep good?”
Arms stretching outward, she answers with a full-body yawn, almost knocking my cat off. Must not have seen him yet since Toto was all in her face.
