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“Will do. Oh, she did feel them move last night.”
“Well that’s a great sign. So… are you two an item now?”
I clear my throat. “No. I brought her to Island Bay so I can make sure she’s safe. But we’re not… you know… a couple. I’m not sure if that’s what she wants.”
“Oh, I think she does.”
“What do you mean?”
He gives a short laugh. “Well, I don’t want to breach patient-doctor confidentiality, but you are the dad here. Thinking you were together, I briefly touched on sex during pregnancy. Kennedy cracked a joke about breast milk leaking during orgasms. They’d obviously talked about it before, and Catie said to her something like, ‘I’ll let you know when it happens.’ She said when, not if.”
“Oh. Shit.” I hadn’t expected that. I have no preconceptions about our relationship. I’d assumed it was going to take time for the two of us to get to know one another again. To progress to being more intimate. I thought it was best to wait before I suggested dating, maybe until after the babies were born, so she wouldn’t feel obligated. But perhaps she doesn’t feel that way?
I scratch the back of my neck. “Can I ask a question?”
“Of course.” He sounds amused. Fuck, this is embarrassing—he’s a good friend. But he’s also a doctor. Who else can I ask?
“It’s okay for her to have sex, right? It’s safe? For her and the babies, I mean?”
“Yes, it’s absolutely fine, providing she’s feeling okay. The babies are protected by the amniotic fluid, and they don’t know what’s going on, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“There’s nothing I shouldn’t do?”
“Not really. Oral sex is fine. Anal’s okay as long as she’s not uncomfortable, but steer clear of going anus-to-vagina, as it can transfer bacteria to the baby.”
“Whoa. Right.”
“I’m just saying.”
“Yeah, absolutely.”
“You did ask,” he says, amused.
“I was thinking of, like, don’t do it standing up or something.”
“Yeah, right. I know what you kids are like.”
That makes me laugh. He’s only five years older than me. “I think we’ll start with kissing and see where we go from there.”
He chuckles. “All right. Good luck! You know where I am if you need anything.”
“Okay. See you Wednesday. Thanks, Mat.”
I end the call, inhale deeply, and let the breath out. Well, that was interesting.
I feel so conflicted about this. Despite what I said in her apartment, I don’t want her to feel obligated—to think she has to sleep with me because of what I’ve given her. We do need to get to know one another. It makes sense not to rush into anything, and I know I should try to hold back. I’m also still not a hundred percent sure she’s not going to disappear in the night if she has another panic attack.
Then I think about the fact that she slept in my room last night. And about what Mat said, about Kennedy and Catie’s conversation about breast milk leaking during orgasms, and I stifle a groan. Holy shit. How the fuck am I supposed to keep my distance when I’m being told things like that?
Chapter Twenty-One
Catie
After I get out of the bath, I dress in some of the clothes that Kip brought back from my apartment, then sit on the bed and look around the room. Saxon said that Eleanor, his housekeeper, doesn’t work over the weekends, but that Kennedy’s coming at ten, so I have a bit of time.
I can hear Saxon in the kitchen, putting away the groceries that Kennedy bought yesterday. I offered to help, but he said he was fine, and I should take it easy.
We haven’t discussed the fact that I stayed in his room last night. He slept on top of the duvet, but he’s not going to do that every night. I don’t know why I did it—I was very tired and wanted to be close to him. But what should I do tonight? I can’t just assume. I guess we’ll have to have a conversation about it later.
