Page 64 of Daigo

"I know what you're going to say, and you already know how confident I am in myself. I'm a kickass independent black woman who beat the odds, but Daigo is from another world. So-" Reaching for her glass of sparkling water, she took a sip.

"I wondered if I had made a mistake. Now, I realize that I did the right thing." She smiled at her friend. "That's my roundabout way of saying that you're doing the right thing. You're going to make a terrific mother."

"Oh!" Tammy blew out a breath. Abandoning the chair, she came to sit on the side of the bed. Reaching out, she hugged her friend. "I needed to hear that. Shel, look at us now! Who would have thought we would end up here?"

"We did," Shelby responded with a grin. "We had some very big dreams, remember?"

"Oh yes!" Flopping back, Tammy stacked her hands behind her head. "We were going to become presidents of our own Fortune 500 companies and find a cure for the common cold."

"This is much better."

"Oh, absolutely."

*****

Leaning on the jamb of the playroom door, Shelby stared at the scene in front of her. A smile touched her lips as she wondered what the hundreds of staff employed by her husband would think of him now.

He was lying propped up on several pillows, with his two daughters cradled on either side and his son on his chest. Kai was fast asleep, his little tushie in the air. The girls were cooing softly, like little doves. Her husband was fast asleep, his arms loosely wrapped around the babies to keep them from rolling away.

She took the time to absorb what was, to her, the most beautiful sight in the world: her family together. Plucking the phone from her oversized purse, she snapped several pictures.

They were a month old already and growing like weeds. She was still breastfeeding them, and whenever she had to step out to go to the store or run errands, she would express the milk. It was doing wonders. The doctor had warned her that it was time to introduce formula, since she was not producing enough milk to satisfy their growing appetites.

Daigo's eyes flickered open, zeroing in on the woman standing inside the doorway. His intense dark eyes wandered over the smooth skin of her face, to the generous bosom that kept his babies' bellies filled. The red-and-white button-down shirt suited her complexion and highlighted her bosom. It was hard to believe that a month ago, she had given birth to twins. As soon as she was able, she had started taking advantage of the gym. Now she looked as if she had never given birth.

And their sex life was back on track.

"Hi."

"Hi." Kicking off her shoes inside the doorway, she crossed the room to sink down next to him. Plucking one of the girls from his arms, she nuzzled the soft neck, inhaling the scent of baby powder and drool gratefully.

"You were sleeping on the job," she pointed out as she swung Keira backward and forward.

"They tuckered me out. How was the store?"

"Crazy," she murmured with a quick laugh. "I was cornered by Mrs. Pomeroy, who stopped in for a chat and to bring some stuff in. You're hungry, aren't you, sweetie?" Flipping buttons aside, she eased her bra down to release her nipple. Sighing softly, she guided it into the seeking mouth. "Ah, that's the way. So-" Her voice petered off at the avid look on her husband's face as he watched his daughter suckle.

"Daigo," she whispered.

Dragging his eyes from the riveting scene, he met hers. "I want you," he said thickly. "As soon as we're finished here, call the nannies. It's time for their nap anyway."

"Yes," she mumbled, her eyes on his face. The passion was stark, sending shivers all over her body. "Yes."

*****

"Did I hurt you?" Without waiting for her response, he turned her to face him, searching every inch of her body.

"No. That was intense." She huffed out a breath. As soon as she had finished feeding the girls, he had summoned the nannies. The minute the two women took over, he hustled her out of the playroom and into their bedroom. In his haste to have her, he had ripped the blouse and her bra.

He muttered an oath when he noticed the faint red mark at the side of her neck. He had used his mouth there as well as his teeth. He could see the faint bite marks.

"Christ! I behaved like an animal."

"So did I." Rolling to the side, she traced the scratch marks on his smooth chest. When she burst out laughing, he stared at her, nonplussed.

"It's not funny."

"It kinda is. Do you suppose the twins, Marva and Mabel, knew what we were about when we bolted from the room?"