Page 41 of Shark’s Rise

If there was any time to be justified in throwing up my guts, this was it. But I wasn’t nauseated. Not even a faint wisp of the stuff.

That glaring clarity had ushered in a bigger revelation. A purpose that split open my senses like a giant diamond had been lobbed into my chest, scattering a thousand prisms of decision through my being.

I couldn’t stay here any longer. Not in this desert. Not in this house. Not this far from my baby’s beautiful, beguiling father.

But weirdly, I knew that my pregnancy wasn’t the only pivotal factor here. As well as he wore impending fatherhood, that wasn’t the sole turning point for my determination.

I needed to be with him. Period. In my heart, in my soul, with all of my body and mind. And I refused to accept his mandates about the matter anymore. When he went back to Los Angeles, whether it was tonight, or tomorrow, or in a week, I was going with him. I wouldn’t take no for an answer. If he was still convinced I was in danger, he could surround me with five ex-football players if he pleased. But my sanity—and now the wellness of our unborn child—would no longer pay the price for his paranoia.

I needed to go home.

The resolve brought me a new surge of energy. I took a shower and even did the extra things I’d been ignoring lately. I shaved my legs, used the sugar scrub on my dry skin, and also went so far as the second lather of shampoo before conditioning.

I’d lost track of the fact that Dr. Landon was waiting to start the IV until I stepped back into the bedroom and five pairs of expectant eyes were waiting for my reentry.

“Whoa, shit,” I muttered, glancing around the crowded room. “Well, the gang’s all here.”

Not an understatement. They really were. Sebastian, Elijah, Grant, Dori, and Dr. Landon were all present. Perhaps blushing and shifting more uncomfortably than me—which was kind of funny, since they weren’t the ones wrapped only in a towel.

“Wh-What’s going on?” I blurted. “Why is everyone—”

“Nothing’s wrong, Red.” Bas rushed forward with such fervency, I got panicky all over again. “Baby,” he soothed. “Honestly; everything’s fine. The guys just wanted to give their official congratulations to us.”

“And I just finished changing out the bed, Miss Gibson,” Dori offered.

“And Dr. Landon’s ready to start the IV,” Bas finished. “So nothing’s wrong at all.”

I still side-eyed him. “All right…”

“Do you want pajamas?”

I watched, stunned, as he pawed through my nightwear drawer for the second time this evening, and came up with a set decorated in cartoon cooking utensils this time.

Once dressed, Dr. Landon instructed me to sit on the bed and get comfortable while she checked my arm for a good place to stick the needle. I wasn’t a fan of the process but knew it needed to be done for the sake of the precious bean inside my belly. The men were talking among themselves in the corner, not paying attention to my distress, so that helped as well. I hated being the center of attention when I was showing weakness. Who didn’t, really? No one liked all eyes on them when they weren’t at their best.

In a few minutes, I was all set up and lying back against a stack of pillows. Sebastian had broken away from his friends and was back to fussing over me.

“Why don’t you try to get some sleep, baby?” He bent down until we were at eye level, piercing me with his intense blue stare. “Can I do anything to help you get more comfortable?”

I reached up and flattened a palm to his strong, stubbled jaw. Holy God. The man was normally beyond beautiful, but in this moment of our connection, he’d never taken my breath away more. “Can you…will you…lie down with me for a while?” I whispered.

“Of course,” he husked. “But I want you to try to sleep.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.” I forced a smile, and that was enough to have Bas turning toward the small crowd in the room. Our guest count had grown by a few, as the other staff members came in to start up their own conversation with Dori.

“All right.” His voice was back to its commanding boardroom best. “Everybody out.”

He herded our company into the hall. That included the kind doctor. He followed Dr. Landon out and paused to speak with her for a few minutes. They’d cut their tones to considerate murmurs, so I was unable to hear their exchange.

When Bas came back into the room, he removed his shoes and shirt and then stretched out beside me. Taking care not to strain my IV line, I snuggled against him. His broad pecs rose and fell beneath my cheek. I focused on pulling in a matching breath, gratefully filling my senses with his familiar scent. As the crisp blend of cedar and my man calmed my nerves, I murmured into his skin, “Congratulations, Papa.”

He lifted a hand to my hair and started stroking his fingers through it. “I love you, Mama.”

I hummed in bliss. I think. His rhythmic motion, along with his strong and warm proximity, was lulling me to the land of the sleep comas. “I…love you…too…”

When I opened my eyes again, the room was dark. And quiet. And empty.

I told myself not to panic. He wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye. Not this time.