Page 36

RIVER

The clink of ice cubes tumbling out of the ice machine, one of four Sinclair had installed throughout the house, welcomed me as I came out of the bathroom.

He cranked up the air conditioner that he and his friend had installed. Neither knew any dragon shifter with one, and they’d puzzled over it for days while I sweltered in the bathtub.

I was wearing swimming trunks, and my mate guided me into the room because lugging around a huge bump made me likely to tip over. With him holding my hand and putting an arm around me, he helped me step into the inflatable kiddie pool that he’d filled with ice.

“That’s so good, babe.” He and I both scooped up the cubes and put them on my belly that was burning as hot as a furnace. No one told me carrying a dragon shifter inside me would heat me more than any human and not combust.

But the ice began to melt as soon as it came in contact with my heated skin, and Sinclair added more. He handed me a cold cloth to put on my face, and I lay back, trying to imagine a snow-filled garden where I could make snow angels and cover myself in white fluffiness.

“Better?” He sat beside me and took the cloth, dabbing at the sweat that rolled over me in waves.

“Mmmm.” I grasped his hand. “I love being pampered, but I wish I wasn’t center-of-a volcano hot.”

“Looking after you makes me happy.”

I fantasized about setting up an ice bar, without the alcohol, in the basement because I’d been to one once with a former boss. And whenever I passed our huge fridge in the kitchen and pantry freezer, I longed to crawl in.

Sinclair placed ice cubes in a shower cap and plopped it on my head as the girls arrived. They giggled, and Ivy lifted the shower cap and added more ice, but her hands were hot too, though not as hot as mine, and the ice melted a little as she tried to shove it in.

Wren flapped a hand fan at my head while Poppy held a watering can over my chest and poured ice water over me.

“Thank you, my darlings.”

“Surprise.” They pulled off their clothes, revealing they were wearing wetsuits and they clambered into the pool with me. The ice melted even faster with their hot little bodies kicking and splashing.

“I don’t want to ask where they got those wetsuits.” I side-eyed my mate who said they’d convinced him it would keep them warm.

“Brrr, it’s too cold in here.” Wren’s lips were blue, and one by one they leaped out. Poppy grabbed the quilt from our bed, and the three huddled underneath.

“Daddy was right.” Wren hid her head under the quilt.

Sinclair had known the water would be too cold for our little dragon shifters because even I knew. But I was proud of how he allowed the girls to discover that rather than just telling them.

I wriggled my ass and moaned. My mate brought out an inflatable pillow, and he held me while the girls put it under my butt.

“Oh, it’s happening,” Ivy yelled.

“We can feel it.” Wren stood up.

“It’s our baby brother or sister.” Poppy flung off the quilt.

Forgetting how cold they were, the girls leaned over the pool and placed a hand on my bump.

They were my triple warning system. Being dragon shifters, they and Sinclair could sense when the baby was about to kick. It happened seconds before I felt it. That our baby had established a bond with their sisters and dragon father before birth was a memory I kept tucked away because it was unique.

“I was first this time.” Poppy held up her hand.

“No, it was me.” Wren gave her sister a hard look.

I cradled my bump and told the triplets the baby loved all three of them. “And your dad.”

“Hello, tiny one.” Sinclair leaned in close to my belly, and the baby gave a huge kick.

Placing my lips on his ear, I whispered how much I adored him, just as the baby did. He pushed the damp hair off my brow with his warm fingers and his bottom lip wobbled just as Wren’s often did.

“The baby knows who you are by your scent, your voice, and your touch.” I kissed his cheek and cradled his head. “Just as you recognized me and you held on tight and didn’t let go until I saw you for who you were.”