I snort with disbelief.
揧ou doubt me? If my patients wouldn抰 find it off-putting, I would literally walk around with you on my dick from dawn till dusk.?
Then I laugh.
But I admit, his words make me feel good. Desired. Wanted.
Horny.
I don抰 mind that part of the hormones so much . . . and neither does Connor.
揧ou need a demonstration? Come here.?Connor shifts back up the bed, pushing my pink cotton maternity nightie out of the way and gripping my bare hips, swinging me up and over onto his lap.
Because he抯 strong like that.
My knees dig into the bed on either side of his hips梙is thick, prominent erection wedged perfectly between my legs. I rock my hips forward and back across his hardness, a bolt of sweet pleasure spiking through me.
揝ee??he leans forward and nuzzles my neck, kissing a wet trail down my collarbone to my breasts. 揕ight as a feather, soft as silk.?
I thread my fingers through his hair.
揑 think the line you抮e looking for is stiff as a board.?
He growls against my lips.
揑抣l give you something that抯 stiff as a board.?
I start to laugh, but it turns into a gasp when he thrusts his hips up. Sliding inside where I抦 already slick and hot for him.
I cup his jaw with both hands, groaning as he fills me.
揑 love your cock.?
Connor smirks.
揑t抯 got a major thing for you too.?
And then he makes love to me梬orships me, gentle and slow梔rawing it out. Making me feel beautiful and lithe and always, wonderfully . . . his.
*
Connor
Three months later
揑 think you should take the morphine, Vi.?
My wife spins around from her trek across the hospital room, her pretty face shocked, her hands cradling her stomach over the floral hospital gown that she somehow manages to make alluring.
Her round eyes bounce between me and Effie, Vi抯 friend and one of our labor and delivery nurses.
Because it抯 go time. The babies are coming.
Eventually.
揂re you both insane? I haven抰 taken a freaking Tylenol in nine months and now the two of you want to shoot me up with morphine like it抯 no big deal??
It抯 been difficult to see Violet struggle these last few months. Everything抯 hard on her梬alking and eating, sleeping and . . . breathing. Nature抯 a douche for putting it all on the woman. The toughest part for the guy梖or me梚s having to stand here and watch her suffer, see her in pain.
Anything that makes this easier for her I抦 a hundred percent on board with.
揑t抯 perfectly safe for the babies,?I explain. 揟he only concern is if it抯 still in their system when they抮e born and it delays their ability to cry.?
揥hich it won抰， honey,?Effie adds. 揧ou抮e only two centimeters dilated梩hese little ones are not making their debut until tomorrow.?
Violet抯 water broke around 7 p.m., three hours ago, right after she got out of the shower. She抯 been having contractions ever since, but they抮e sporadic and irregular. We抮e two weeks to the day before her due date, but it抯 normal for twins to come a little early, so I抦 not worried. Their lungs are fully developed, their measurements are right on target, and their heartbeats are steady and strong.
揧ou need to rest up for when it抯 time to start pushing,?Effie tells her.
Before Violet can answer, another contraction hits. I move to her side, holding her arm as she bends at the waist, clutching her stomach and blowing out a succession of rapid hees and hoos.
When it passes, she looks up to me and Effie.
揙kay, you make a sound argument. Get me the drugs.?
After Effie administers the shot to Vi抯 ass, she turns down the lights and moves to the door.
揌oller if you need anything.?
I slip into bed beside Violet, careful of the monitor wires and IV line. Her features are relaxed and relieved as the medication takes effect. She breathes easily and gazes up at me with adorably shiny eyes.
揑 feel so much better.?
揑抦 glad.?
揑 mean, I can still feel the contractions桰 think I抦 having one right now! But ask me if I care, Connor. Ask me!?
I stroke her hair back, running my finger along her cheek, because I love her so much.
揇o you care that you抮e having a contraction, Vi??
揘o! I can feel it, but it doesn抰 bother me at all! Isn抰 that great??
揟hat抯 super great.?
揗orphine is the best,?she sighs, blinking slow.
揟hat it is.?
I rest my hand on the hard, firm hill of her stomach.
After a quiet beat, Violet puts her hand over mine and asks, 揥hat are you thinking about??
揑抦 thinking . . . how awesome it抯 going to be to have two little girls around the house.?
Violet wanted to know the babies?sex, because like she said all those months ago梥he抯 practical. And when you抳e got a double-decker on the way, it抯 easier to get everything ready when you know what you抮e having.
揑抦 thinking,?I continue softly, 揾ow I can抰 wait to meet them. See what they抣l be like, what they look like.?
Vi strokes the side of my face.
揑 hope they have your smile.?
揑 hope they have your eyes,?I tell her. 揃ut even if they come out with horns and tails they抮e still going to be amazing . . . because they抮e ours.?
揧eah,?Violet抯 mouth opens in a slow, deep yawn梩hen she sighs. 揙urs.?
And I kiss her forehead.
揋o to sleep now, baby.?
Her eyes drag closed as she snuggles in closer.
揧ou抣l be here, right??
揑抣l be right here with you the whole time. No place on earth I抎 rather be.?
Fourteen hours later, the babies want to be here too. They抳e had enough of their tight living quarters梐nd they抮e ready to get out. Quickly.
Violet opted for an epidural, that they gave her when she was seven centimeters dilated, and she抯 progressed blessedly fast from there. We抮e perfectly in sync: I know exactly what she needs before she says it. I抳e held her hand and counted her through the contractions, fed her ice chips. We抮e a kick-ass team.
We always have been.
Vi collapses back on the pillows after the latest contraction passes, breathing hard.
揑t抯 ridiculous that this is so hard!?She glances down to her lap. 揑 mean, they don抰 even have to go that far梚t抯 like a couple inches at most.?
I wipe her forehead with a cool damp cloth.
揧ou抮e doing so good, Violet. They抮e almost here.?
揙kay, Violet,?Natasha says from down between her legs. 揃ig push on this next contraction, okay? Here it comes.?
Vi nods and lifts back up, grasping one of my hands in a death grip while I use the other to hold up her leg.
And then she抯 bearing down, her face focused and pinched, using all her strength to bring our children into the world.
揟hat抯 it, Violet,?I coach her. 揟hat抯 it.?
And a moment later, a piercing cry tears through the room.
No matter how many times you hear that sound, it抯 never not incredible. Miraculous.
I look down to see the squirming, wet, beautiful bundle.
Our daughter.
揝he抯 here, Violet!?I kiss her hair, laughing as my vision blurs. 揝he抯 here and she抯 perfect.?
Natasha places her on Violet抯 stomach. We hold onto her together, my wife resting back against the pillow for just a moment, smiling down with exhausted eyes. Crying and laughing all at once.
And then another contraction builds. The nurses take the baby and I wipe the tears from Violet抯 face, helping her to sit up. Two more pushes later, our second daughter comes into the world.
And she抯 every bit as breathtaking as the first.