Kitchen promises 1 ed 2013 1494393735

I loved her, so I wanted to please her, butbetween the cravings, random horny moments, and crying, I didn’t know how much longer I’d lastthrough this pregnancy—and she still had 4 months

Kitchen Promises

Book 3

From Bestselling Author

Brooke Cumberland

Nothing ever comes easy for Molly Woods.

Faced with past fears, heartache, & limits…

Can she make promises to the one man she can’t get enough of? Can she promise him

forever…?

With new obstacles, Molly must make a decision.

***

Drake Stagliano always gets what he wants.

But with a new threat, how far will he go to make sure Molly is his forever?

When new secrets are revealed, Drake must take matters into his own hands.

Can they make forever happen? Or will promises be made that can’t be kept…?

***

Kitchen Promises, the final book in the Riverside Trilogy.

Copyright © 2013 Brooke Cumberland

The Riverside Trilogy

Book 3

Cover design by Steph’s Cover DesignLiterary Editor @ Rogena Mitchell-Jones

All rights reserved No parts of the book may be used or reproduced in any matter without written permission from the author, except for

inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

This book is a work of fiction Names, characters, establishments, organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is

I am dedicating this book to all the stepparents out there!

It isn’t easy co-parenting someone else’s child—

emotionally, mentally, or physically Being a stepparent means that you chose to love someone else’s child as your own, and that is the true meaning of love As a stepmother to two boys, I understand the struggles of a blended family So, this book

is for all of you out there!

* * * It's not the blood you share that makes you a mother It's the heart you share with one another.

—Patty Rase Hopson

A healthy stepmother knows that some days she's a stagehand, some days she’s the leading lady,

and some days she's the audience, and she plays each role with grace and style.

—Unknown

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROLOGUECHAPTER ONECHAPTER TWOCHAPTER THREECHAPTER FOURCHAPTER FIVECHAPTER SIXCHAPTER SEVENCHAPTER EIGHTCHAPTER NINECHAPTER TENCHAPTER ELEVENCHAPTER TWELVECHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEENCHAPTER SIXTEEN

Kitchen Promises BONUS SCENE

Books by Brooke Cumberland

About the AuthorAcknowledgementSchedule SigningsExcerpts of Always You & Behind His Lens

Molly

My mother used to tell me that there was no such thing as coincidences Rather, everythinghappens for a reason…like some set up plan already made for us from the beginning My mom wasn’toverly religious or anything, but she believed in God, and that he had a plan for each and every one of

us No matter how much you try to fight destiny, fate always comes back to bite us in the ass Always.

I never once thought much about it until it knocked me right in the face Or until he knocked

on my door

Stanley Webber.

The moment I saw Denny’s face…after seventeen years, I knew my mother was right Theso-called plan that was set up from the beginning…this could not be a coincidence Rather, a smackacross the face My past stood right in front of me, waiting for me to deal with it after all this time.But I couldn’t And I wouldn’t I wasn’t going to give him the time of day

Let’s not forget he just shoulder-patted my biological father…this was way beyond

coincidences This was someone way up somewhere having a good laugh at how unbelievably

awkward this was Fate, destiny, coincidence—whatever it was, could fuck off

Given the circumstances, I wasn’t going to give Denny the pleasure of rattling me Although,

I originally believed he was behind the notes and paying Ms Hernandez in the beginning, I wouldnever trust him

As I stood in front of them completely beside myself, I took Stella’s hand in mine and madeway to the restroom There was no way I would ever come clean to Mr Webber either My bestoption was to stay as far away as possible—from both of them

Oh god—Drake How would he handle the news? I’ve already learned what keeping secrets

between us can do, so it’s not as if I wanted to go that route again Drake meant too much to me, toomuch to Stella, and now—the father of our twins

Molly

“Travis…why? Why did you pull the trigger? Why?” I stood in front of him, pleading for answers.

“I had to, Molly.” His voice is firm, his eyes dark.

“No…no, you didn’t You were my friend.” I reach out to him, but my hand goes right through his transparent body.

“And I loved you, Molly You didn’t love me.” I reach for him again, moving closer.

“No, I didn’t But what about Jacob?” He walks backwards…reaching for the gun that’s tucked in the back of his pants.

“Travis, don’t!” I screamed, but it was too late The gun went off and everything went dark.

Dark…

“Travis! No!” I scream.

“Molly!” Drake shook me until my eyes opened I looked around and saw I was in bed—sweating and crying “Are you okay?” he asked, turning the bedside lamp on

“Yeah, just another nightmare.” I rubbed my belly, soothing myself from the trauma I seemed

to be reliving

“I’ll get you some juice, baby.” Drake pecked me on the forehead, pulling the sheets back Inodded, thankful for how attentive he had been the last four months Being that some women showfaster in their second pregnancies, and I just happen to be one of them, and the fact that I’m expectingtwins, made me look six months pregnant already

“Thanks, baby.”

As I watched him leave the room, I remembered the nightmare that I was having They

started two months ago out of nowhere At first, I pegged them as part of being pregnant, but now itwas just getting ridiculous I thought after hearing how sick Travis was, it would give me closure—that it wasn’t my fault, and that I couldn’t have saved him—but it hadn’t I still felt guilty…sad…and

that I failed him as a friend How did I not notice? How did I let him fall for me so hard that I never

saw it coming? I knew the burning questions in my head were making me insane, but add the

hormones, mood-swings, and body aches—total hot mess.

I overanalyzed everything between Travis and me over the past year We kept meeting in theoddest of places before he showed up at my internship Then, in a heated moment, I gave in and

kissed him I hated myself for doing that, but I was curious I hadn’t realized how bad I would hurt

everyone—I should’ve known, but I was dumb, nạve, and made a bad choice—that now continues tohaunt me in my sleep Part of me knows why I kissed Travis that day I was torn—I was in love withDrake, but there was chemistry between Travis and me Before Drake, I hadn’t dated, or even kissed

a man, in four years…then out of nowhere, two men fall for me I was confused…

“Here you go, sweetie I brought juice and cookies.” He smiled, handing me the glass

“Oh my god, Oreos! Are you trying to make me fatter? I can’t eat that crap!”

“Baby, I’m sorry I thought you’d like a midnight snack to help you fall back asleep.” Hejerked the bag of cookies back, looking like a scared puppy

“No, the only thing that will help me sleep is getting Travis out of my damn head!” I snappedunwillingly

I told Drake about the dreams since the first night I woke up screaming Didn’t happen veryoften in the beginning, but now they seemed to be happening every few nights It’s quite exhausting

“Oh god,” I cried “I’m so sorry I yelled like that.” I covered my face with my hands, letting

the tears fall out Ugh, I hated this part of pregnancy.

“It’s okay Whatever you want, Molly I’ll get it…or won’t get it…or whatever you need!”

“You’re going to get sick of me, I just know it.”

If I weren’t a blubbering mess, even I’d want to laugh at myself God, I couldn’t even control

my damn emotions anymore

I eventually fell back asleep in Drake’s comforting arms No matter how many outbursts Ihad, he never left my side If I thought Drake was overprotective before—I really hadn’t known how

he would be when he found out I was carrying his child

* * *You know that moment when life feels frozen in time and nothing seems real? Or rather, youhave an out of body experience, and it’s as if you were watching the moment happen from above?

That was exactly how I felt the moment my life changed It was as if I were watching thewhole thing instead of experiencing it first hand It was as if it were in slow motion—happening right

breathtaking I still wondered why a man like him chased after a girl like me.

He had no idea how happy he was making me in that moment The fact that he wanted to

marry me—for me He didn’t even know I was expecting yet, unlike the last time a man knelt in front of me I knew Liam loved me, but we were young We never would’ve been engaged had I not been pregnant with Stella.

My hand covered my mouth in shock, unable to answer him The moment brought so many memories back, so many unwanted memories of Liam and then the pain rushed in—the pain of losing him—the pain of thinking I had lost Drake when he was shot.

Perhaps it was the news of finding out I was expecting, or the hormones, but I started crying uncontrollably I was so embarrassed that I spun around so Drake wouldn’t see me.

I felt him come behind me He wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled his nose into my neck.

“Baby, I’m sorry if I rushed—” His hands stopped on my stomach, feeling the bloat that was making my stomach swell already I froze in place as his warm hands touched me, rubbing over my barely-there bump His lips softly kissed under my ear and down my neck.

“I love you,” he whispered in my ear.

I slowly spun around and faced him His expression was a mix of worry and lust I smiled

at him as I rubbed a hand on his cheek.

“Yes I want to marry you.”

His eyes lit up as they searched mine.

“Are you sure? I mean—”

I hated that I made him feel doubt with my mental breakdown “I am so sure.” And I was.

I had never wanted anything more “I—I was just not expecting that.”

He nodded as if he understood and cupped my face with both hands He leaned down and softly pecked my lips, bringing our foreheads together.

“I will do anything to make you happy, Future Mrs Stagliano.”

“Oh, I like the sound of that.”

“I’m glad.” He smiled with his hands still on my cheeks.

“I do have a confession,” I said softly Before I could continue, a loud bang sounded in the sky, jerking my attention away from Drake I glued my eyes above and saw three fireworks blasting in the air.

“Oh my god, what did you do?”

“Did you really think I’d propose to my girl without a dramatic grand finale?” Yeah, I should’ve figured.

“You never cease to amaze me.” I blushed, looking into his bright brown eyes that were

no longer dark and intense like the first time I met him.

“Now you can have a lifetime of amazing.” He grinned, lowering his lips down to kiss me

once more.

“There is something you should know, though.” I broke the kiss, chewing my bottom lip

as the nerves overcame me I planted my hand back on my stomach and looked down, hoping he’d see where I was leading the conversation.

“Getting cold feet already?” he teased nervously I shook my head at him, moving back

as I gave him a better view of what I was rubbing.

“No, never But…it looks like you’re getting a new title soon besides ‘husband.’” His eyes widened, finally getting what I was trying to tell him “I’m pregnant.”

“What? Really?” he gasped “Oh my god, that’s amazing!” His smile reached his eyes as

he engulfed me in a hug.

I was pleasantly surprised at his reaction We hadn’t talked about having kids together, and honestly, I didn’t even know if he wanted any of his own I was prepared for at least a little shock—maybe even a little anger Given that I was on the pill, I was worried he would’ve thought

I did it on purpose.

“Yes, really!” He pulled back and covered my face in his hands, burying me in his kisses.

As more fireworks blasted in the night sky, he continued kissing and worshiping my mouth.

Besides the birth of Stella, that was the best moment of my life Knowing we were becoming

a family and building our future together was something I never thought possible When Liam died, Ithought that was it—that I’d never have a family or a happily ever after, but now I was convincedotherwise

“Stella!” I yelled from my bed, already needing assistance

“Yes, mommy?” She wore a bright smile as she skipped to my side

“Can you help mommy up? I’m stuck.” I made a pouty face at her, making her laugh It hadbeen so long since I had been pregnant that I forgot what it felt like to feel like a million pounds Notonly was I carrying two babies, but it was as if the swelling showed up out of nowhere I was

bloated, swelled up like a penguin, and achy—oh, the joys of pregnancy.

She grabbed my hand with both of hers and yanked me as hard as she could and gave me justenough lift to help me off the bed

“Thanks, baby.”

“Are you going to have those babies soon, Mom?” She looked up at me in sweet innocence

We had the baby talk about two months ago when we started telling people, explaining to her that wewere having a baby, and that she and Liam would be a big brother and a big sister

“I knew it.” She folded her hands across her chest, not acting surprised at all.

“What do you mean you ‘knew it?’” I asked, stunned that my five-year-old acted like a

thirty-year-old woman.

“I told you I wished for one.”

“Yeah, me too,” Liam chimed in.

“You think I’m having a baby because you both wished for one?” I asked, humoring

myself “Well…what if I told you I’m having twins?”

Stella and Liam’s faces lit up as they slapped high fives Part of me—the curious part—actually wanted to believe it was their wishes that made this come true—but the skeptical part knewbetter No, it was just a coincidence But I don’t believe in coincidences…so, what? Was this all part

of my life plan, after all?

“Mommy, how are you getting those babies out of there?” she asked as I waddled my way tothe closet My eyes grew big, knowing that I’d have to have this talk with her soon, but I wasn’t

prepared to do it now—I hadn’t figured out how I would explain the whole birthing cycle yet

“Well…” I choked, trying to stall as long as possible I grabbed a shirt from the hanger,buying me more time as I slid it on

“Did you eat watermelon seeds? Is that how they got in there? Mackenzie said that’s how her

mommy had her brother.” Oh, yes…great and informative Mackenzie.

Not wanting to have this talk before my morning coffee, I lied “Yes, that’s exactly how theygot in there And then when they’re nice and ripe, they’ll come right out of mommy’s tummy.”

The smile on her face told me she was satisfied as she skipped out of the room and down thehall

I was only four and a half months along, but I was huge already I didn’t start to show thisearly with Stella, but carrying two, I knew this pregnancy would be completely different

I had been super tired lately I was hoping the second trimester energy boost would’ve takeneffect already, but if anything, it had gotten worse I couldn’t sleep at night without nightmares ofTravis, I couldn’t get comfortable, and I couldn’t get the image of seeing Stanley with Denny out of

my mind

“Lay down, Mama,” Michael chimed in, waltzing into my room with a tray “I made

breakfast.” I watched as he placed the tray on the bed—set with eggs, toast, orange juice, and a

banana

I waddled from the closet back down to the bed “This is so sweet, thank you.” I startedcrying uncontrollably out of nowhere

“Baby girl?” Michael asked, raising his eyebrow

“I’m sorry,” I cried out “These damn pregnancy hormones make me cry over everything.”

“Over breakfast?” He chuckled, amused

“No, you big jerk!” I laughed “The gesture The way you always take care of me It’s just…

so sweet.”

“I love you, baby girl I’ll always take care of you.” He kissed me on the forehead and

stroked my hair “However, pregnant Molly is a bit dramatic,” he teased

I sniffed and got myself together “Thank you,” I said softly, taking the tray over my lap

“You’re welcome Now get some rest I’ll take the kids to school.”

“You know, I can still do things!” I yelled out sarcastically.

“I know Just not as fast as I can!” he yelled back with amusement Damn, he was right I hadbeen off my game lately

I didn’t have to work until the afternoon, so I enjoyed my breakfast in bed I was trying to eathealthy, moderate meals, but it was as if my body was working overtime Always wanting to sleepand eat Didn’t really help that I worked on my feet and around food all day

Drake walked in wrapped in only a towel The toast I was bringing to my mouth suddenlydropped from my fingers as my eyes roamed over his perfectly toned body My eyes followed down

to his perfect V that went just below the towel

“Breakfast in bed and a show? I’m one lucky gal,” I teased, leaning back against the

headboard enjoying the view

“Someone sounds like they are feeling better.” He smiled

“Well, I for sure am now.”

“Really? Well, perhaps I should take advantage of that.” He grinned, slowly unwrapping thetowel from around his waist I smirked as I watched him tease me, putting on a show as he finallyreleased the towel I watched it fall to the ground I let my eyes wander up and down his body—appreciating every single chiseled curve of muscle

“It’s not nice to tease,” I reminded him “You better put out or get out.”

“Oh, I love it when you talk dirty,” he quipped, laughing “I can’t decide if I love or hateyour pregnancy hormones.” He grinned It was true—I had a love/hate relationship with them as well

On top of always wanting to sleep and eat, I also wanted sex—all the time Not that Drake minded,

but some days, I was all over the place I felt like I had no control over them They were beginning todrive me mad

“Can you be a little late for work today?” I asked, placing the tray of food on the bedsidetable I didn’t take my eyes off him as I watched him walk over to the bed “I’d hate for you to get intotrouble.” I grinned

“I could probably weasel my way out of it with the boss.”

“You are the boss.”

“I know.” And with that, he made his way on top of me, brushing the covers off “I think I

can spare a few minutes…” He pressed his lips across my jaw, slowly moving to my neck He bit itgently, making a moan escape my mouth at his touch and eagerness “…for you.”

His hands slid up my sides, taking my shirt up with them I arched my neck to the side, givinghim better access as the sensations riveted through me

I reached down, pressing him harder into me I felt his hardness against me, making me

desperate and needy for him

The hormones made my body respond to him so much more—not that I didn’t before—but itwas magnified It was intensified, and I felt desperate to have him

“Screw the foreplay I need to have you right now,” I demanded, pushing his body harderagainst mine

“Such a romantic, aren’t you?” I could feel him smiling against my neck as he continuedsoftly kissing

“I mean it I’m going to explode,” I breathed out rapidly Just his touch could undo me

completely

“Alright, hold on, baby.” He lowered his body and in one swift motion, slid my panties

down I wasn’t looking for romance right now I needed him just as much as I needed to breathe

I threw my shirt over my head and unclasped my bra It was still weird seeing my body

naked with the way it was changing so fast, but it was also a constant reminder of the love Drake and

I shared

Instead of pressing into me like I wanted him to, he tenderly laid kisses over my stomach and

in between my breasts He was torturing me He knew it, too I was practically grinding against him,yet he refused to give in

“Baby, please,” I moaned out desperately

“I can’t help it You are just so beautiful You have the most beautiful pregnant glow.” Hecontinued to lay kisses around my bump, slowly, taking his time

“That’s great,” I huffed, cupping his face up to look at me “I’m going to handcuff you to thisbed and straddle you if you don’t—”

He forced two fingers inside me before I could finish what I was saying I moaned loudly atthe surprise sensation, arching my hips up to greet his fingers

“You’re feisty when you’re desperate.” He laughed as he worked his fingers in and out of

me, hitting the perfect spot over and over

I ignored him and grabbed the bedrail behind me, arching my body up to him as I needed andwanted to feel him inside me

“How badly do you need it, baby?” Drake whispered with a hint of humor in his voice

“You know how badly,” I snapped, unable to open my eyes Still, I could hear the

amusement in his tone He enjoyed torturing me and secretly loved it.

“Say it,” he demanded, pressing harder into me, twisting his wrist, and practically taking allthe air out of my lungs “Say what you need, baby.”

“I need you! I need you inside, right now God, I swear, I’ll do anything,” I pleaded, willing

to do just about anything to get what I wanted from him

“Anything for my sweet girl,” he hummed, lowering his lips to where his fingers were Hesucked hard, leaving no time for me to retaliate My back arched, enjoying the sensations that releasedinside of me My body shivered with pleasure, unable to control my own breathing as I moaned out

He lifted his head and covered my body with his I watched as he licked his fingers, moaningout pleasurable sounds

“Keep your hands up,” he ordered I continued hanging onto the bedrail, tightening my grip

as he finally pushed himself into me The feeling was overwhelming as I took him all in, finally

feeling full and satisfied

He leaned down and kissed me gently as he rocked his hips into me His breathing quickened

as the air blew over my lips His mouth wandered to my ear, blowing and licking over my lobe,

making it harder to leave my hands up I wanted to dig my nails into him and drive him insane as much

as he was doing to me He lowered his hand and cupped my breast, squeezing gently I screamed outhis name, pushing my breast into his hand urgently, desperately needing the release

He lowered his face and took it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around my peaked nipple

He grabbed one leg and placed it on top of his shoulder, allowing him to get deeper inside me Thatwas enough to set me off I screamed out, not holding back as I greeted his hips with mine, soaking upevery pleasurable second

It wasn’t long before Drake did the same, milking his own release as he grinded into me Helay on top of me as we both tried to get ahold of our breathing, panting into each other

“Well, if this wasn’t the best morning I’ve ever had—breakfast in bed and sex all before my

shower.” I grinned My legs felt like jelly as all my muscles were stretched and aching

“Glad to be of service.” His voice was filled with amusement I’ve been like this for thepast few months—needing sex on demand I felt bad, as if I were using him, but I figured it wasn’tmuch different from before I got pregnant

“Must be horrible for you, always needing to fulfill my needs, and all.” I stroked his backwith my fingertips as he continued lying on top of me

“It’s not always easy being the boss Sometimes I have to do the dirty work.” I could feel hissmile against my chest as we bantered

“Oh, you poor thing I almost feel sorry for you.” I rolled my eyes

He kissed me lightly on the lips before rolling off the bed I just watched as he walked to thebathroom I listened as the shower started and steam began filling the room.

“Come on, let’s shower together.” He smiled, holding his hand out for me

“Definitely the best morning ever.” I grinned, taking his hand in mind as I followed him in

And it was the best shower ever.

Drake

Watching Molly unravel beneath me is by far the sexiest thing on Earth The way her eyesrolled in the back of her head, and the way she sucked in her bottom lip between her teeth, undoes meevery time The way she moaned and screamed through the pleasure gave me a high I loved hearingher little voice scream out my name as she clawed at the bedrails I loved everything about her—pregnancy hormones and all

The day we went to her first ultrasound is a day I’ll never forget Molly was only eight

weeks along, but they were easily able to determine that she was carrying twins

“Are you sure? I mean, maybe it’s just one big sack?” I asked, sweating nervously.

I heard the ultrasound technician chuckle “Yes, I’m sure There are two heartbeats.” She pointed to the bottom of the screen where the heartbeats were being recorded and turned up the volume I heard two fast beating pulses, strong and perfect.

I never before felt scared, nervous, and happy all at once The way Molly’s face lit up as she watched the screen made everything worth it—the struggles, the pain, being shot—all worth it for this very moment.

Since the beginning when we found out, Molly’s moods have been all over the place I knewshe couldn’t help it, and mostly I just tried not to laugh when she has her outbursts because it’s just thecutest thing ever, but deep down I knew she had a hard time with it She didn’t like not having controlover her emotions She was used to everything being a certain way and on schedule

There have been countless nights where she woke me up and demanded sex Typically, Iwouldn’t mind, but after a while, it was becoming routine I loved her, so I wanted to please her, butbetween the cravings, random horny moments, and crying, I didn’t know how much longer I’d lastthrough this pregnancy—and she still had 4 months to go…

As Molly got dressed after our shower, I just stood in the doorway and watched She was sostunning, so beautiful, and she didn’t even realize it I think she knew she was pretty, but to me, she

was simply gorgeous And seeing her with a swollen belly made her even more beautiful—if that

were possible The way her shirt lay over her stomach with just enough fabric to cover made me

anxious for our babies to be here I knew she had a while to go yet and that she’d get much bigger, but

I was definitely enjoying the journey of watching her grow

“How late do you have to work tonight?” I asked as she buttoned up her chef’s coat I didn’t

want her working anymore so she could take care of herself, but she insisted.

“Blakely and I both close,” she said, smoothing her hands over the coat, ridding all the

wrinkles After everything that happened with Nikos, I made sure the hiring process was much more

in depth with screening applicants I wasn’t going to allow another Nikos in my restaurant

“Please take it easy,” I begged Although I knew Molly could still work while being

pregnant, and that many other women do too, it still made me nervous knowing hot stoves, ovens, andsharp objects surrounded her And knowing how clumsy she could be, it made for a not-so-prettypicture in my head

“I will, don’t worry Colin and Blakely don’t let me do much anyway.” I liked Colin Goodchef, good worker, and best of all, wasn’t into my girl Last I heard from Molly, Blakely was trying todig her nails into Colin, and he wasn’t pushing away

“Good.” I smiled “Well, I’m off to work Don’t want to be much later, or the boss will ring

my neck,” I joked

She walked over and wrapped her arms around my neck I kissed her lightly, and then kneltdown to kiss her belly “Be good for mommy.” I smiled There had been a few instances where thesmells of certain foods at work have made her sick and she’s had to leave early I knew she hated itand wanted to do her part instead of having everyone else work extra hard to compensate for her

“Yeah, you tell ’em, babe Baby A is jammed up my ribcage.” She chuckled, but was

serious “And Baby B is somewhere in the other rib.”

“Well, soon enough, they’ll be here,” I reminded her I stood back up and kissed her oncemore “I’ll come down and visit you when I’m done at the office.”

“Okay Love you,” she called as I began walking down the hallway

“Love you three!”

As I walked down the hall to the staircase, I paused in front of the nursery It wasn’t set upyet, but Molly was having a blast designing it Michael insisted on being the decorator, making sure itwas all set up and designed perfectly I had no idea of all the small details that went into having ababy I especially didn’t know how much work went into getting the nursery ready I figured a crib,some clothes, and diapers However, Michael informed me of how wrong I was

We had looked at baby cribs and everything else we’d need—bassinets, swings, bouncers,changing tables, dressers, clothes, toys, diapers—the list seemed endless There was still a lot left toplan and get ready, but as long as Molly was happy with it, I was happy

Stella and Liam took the news amazing I knew they would, but now that we were in theplanning process, they were over the top excited Violet agreed to let me have Liam twice a week andevery other weekend now that she was living in Chicago with Stanley I’d pick him up from schoolMondays and Wednesdays Then, I’d pick him up Saturday morning on my weekends I loved having

him in my life, regardless of the fact that I had to share him with his mother; I was just happy to begiven a second chance at being his dad.

Having Liam in my life made me extra excited about the twins coming I hadn’t known I evenwanted to be a dad until the day I found out about Liam When I heard about Violet’s secret, I wasdetermined to have my son in my life The visions of baseball games, movie nights, and birthday

parties flooded my mind the entire year I searched for them My dad and I didn’t have that kind ofrelationship; we never bonded like that He was a good dad in that he provided for me and taught mewhat I know now, but I really felt that I missed that in my childhood I was never going to let any of

my children grow up with a dad like that I wanted to give them everything they deserved and more

“Thank you, Carla.”

As I scanned through them, I saw an interesting one catch my eye Stanley Webber What did

he want? I only spoke to him if it pertained to Liam, and usually, Violet would text or call me if itwere important

It was weird knowing Molly’s secret about Stanley I knew she didn’t want to tell him oranyone else for that matter, but a part of me felt like she should Perhaps it was because Stanley was agood man, and maybe I thought he deserved to know, but it was Molly’s decision, and I’d never forceher to do anything she didn’t want to do Stanley was good to Liam, so for now, that’s all that

mattered

I decided to ignore it for now and catch up on my emails Things have been crazy busy

lately, the holidays approaching soon and the restaurant expanding I’d have to hire another chef tocover the expansion and another to cover Molly when she goes on maternity leave If I had my way,she would stay home and never go back to work at all But I knew it was important to her, so I neverpushed the subject too much

I worked on my computer through the morning, catching up on financial statements and

documents when an eager knock startled me “Yes?” I called out

“Mr Stagliano, there’s a Mr Webber here He says it’s urgent.” Her eyes were fierce letting

me know she was uncomfortable with him just showing up She had worked for me for many yearsnow, so I was accustomed to her facial expressions

“Sure, let him in.” I waved in my direction I stacked the paperwork on my desk and put it in

one neat pile I watched as she escorted him in and offered a beverage He denied and thanked herkindly She closed the door quietly as Stanley walked toward my desk “Come, sit down,” I ordered,motioning to the chair.

“I apologize for just showing up, Drake, but I wanted to catch you before you left for lunch.”

He sat down across from me

“Is everything okay? Is Liam alright?” I asked

“Oh yes, he’s fine Nothing like that I’m actually here on business.”

“What is it?” I crossed my arms, looking intently at him

“I’m hoping you’d be willing to help me out with something.”

“Go on.” I nodded

“I have a new business partner, and I want to host a welcome event into my company I washoping to be able to do it here at the Riverside, keep it low profile until his partnership is

announced.”

“I’m sure we could work something out You don’t want to use one of your hotels?” I askedcuriously

“Well, the ones in the city I have are all booked for holiday events coming up, and I wanted

to do this in a few weeks, if possible.”

It seemed odd to me, but Stanley was a nice enough guy, so I decided to go along with it

“I’m sure we can plan something on short notice What kind of things are you looking to do?”

I grabbed a notepad and pen to write some notes down I’d have my assistant book the hall and geteverything ready

“Something on the casual side, but nice More like a meet and greet.”

“Do you want the caterers?”

“Yeah, I was thinking a sit down event; we’ll eat, and have a couple speeches, just

something to welcome him into my company Mostly businessmen will be there networking.” I

nodded as I wrote it all down It sounded simple enough It was always good to network with otherfinancial experts and hotel owners Stanley was very professional on the outside, but I’ve gotten toknow his soft side around Liam

“Great, I think I’ve got it all I’ll give this to my assistant and see when she can squeeze itin.” I smiled, setting the pen down We both stood up and shook hands “I’ll be in touch.”

“Thanks, Drake Appreciate it.” He nodded back at me and turned to leave I ripped thesheet off the pad and called for my assistant

* * *

“How are you going to pull that off in only a few weeks?” Molly asked, rinsing potatoes inthe sink I had just finished telling her about my meeting with Stanley She hadn’t said too much about

him since she confessed the truth about him, but I guess there really wasn’t much for her to say abouthim She didn’t know him She didn’t want to get to know him, and whenever he was with Violetdropping Liam off, she would be sweet, but guarded I always felt it was her way of keeping her

distance, not wanting to get too close

“It’s small, nothing too big Plus, I think Stanley wants to enjoy the evening rather than

always feeling like he’s at work.”

“That’s nice of you,” she said in a surprised tone

“Aren’t I always?” I answered with an amused grin I stood behind her, nuzzling my face inthe nape of her neck

“Well, it’s better than Violet showing up at your office…again.” She tensed I blew air over

her ear and nipped it with my mouth Her body relaxed and shivered underneath me, making me grin

at how easily her body reacts to me

“Stop it I’m trying to make dinner.” She giggled, pushing her neck down

“Yes, please stop it I don’t want to throw up before I even get a chance to eat,” Michaelinterrupted, making a gagging sound

“Oh, like you’re any better?” Molly fired back “I swear, I walk in on you and Trey onemore time—”

“Hey,” he interrupted, putting his hands up in surrender “No one told you to walk in Everhear of knocking?”

“Ever hear of shut the hell up?” She made a face at him and swatted him with the wood

spoon in her hand

“Alright, you two Play nice,” I interjected I backed away to let them bicker it out

Michael’s boyfriend, Trey, had been coming over a lot more recently Michael finally decided tosettle down and date Molly liked him, but lately she was a little edgy about it Personally, I think itwas because she was jealous of all the time Michael spent with him instead of her And add that tothe pregnancy hormones, you had one emotional recipe for disaster

On top of planning Stanley’s event, I wanted to surprise Molly with an engagement partysoon She hadn’t mentioned a lot about the wedding with focusing on the babies and work, so I

thought I’d do all the organizing of getting a party together We’ve been engaged five months now, so Ifigured we needed to do it soon

Christmas was coming up, so I thought a holiday engagement party would be the route to go

I had a party planner already on top of it I didn’t want Molly to stress about it—and I knew she

would—so I didn’t plan to tell her until the night of Risky, yes But in my experience, it was better toask for forgiveness than to get permission So a party was in the works

I set the table and called for Stella to come down Michael and Molly were still teasing eachother in the kitchen, so I sat at the table with Stella.

“So how was your day, sweetie?” I asked, pouring her a cup of milk She shrugged, not

looking up from the table “What’s wrong?”

“First grade is hard,” she pouted

“I’m sorry, sweetie Anything I can help with?”

“Can I bring gum to school?” She looked up bright-eyed

“Gum? I don’t think you’re supposed to have gum in school, are you?”

“It’s not for chewing,” she informed

Confused, I asked, “Okay…what’s it for?”

“It’s a secret.”

“You can trust me, I promise.” I crossed my arms on the table, leaned my head on top, andgave a wink

“I want to give it to someone.” She smiled, almost blushing

“Who?” I asked curiously, leaning back up to take a drink of my water

“My boyfriend,” she answered bluntly Shocked, water spat out of my mouth and nose Shelaughed as I covered my face

“Your what?” Molly interjected, dropping a pan in the middle of the table “Did you just sayboyfriend?” She placed a hand on her hip, raising her eyebrows

“And the fun begins,” Michael muttered, taking a seat across from me He chuckled as hesaw Molly’s scowl

“You, young lady,” Molly said, pointing a finger at Stella, “are not allowed to date nor haveboyfriends until you’re thirty, you hear me?”

Stella giggled

“Thirty? Girl, please,” Michael snorted He reached across the table and grabbed a scoop ofcasserole

“She’s gonna need a tracking device.” I chuckled

“You better get a chastity belt on her,” Michael continued

“Oh my god! Stop it, you two!” Molly snapped back “I mean it There will be no talk ofboyfriends!”

I couldn’t help but laugh It was innocent teasing, but I could tell it was really starting tobother her On top of already being emotional, she was having a hard time letting go Stella was herfirst baby and had been the center of her attention for five years, and now here Stella was alreadyacting grown up

“Okay, no more teasing,” I promised I put my hand over my heart and crossed it so she

knew I meant it

“So…” Michael began I could tell he was trying to come up with a better topic “Have youguys given any thought on the wedding? I mean, are you going to set a date sometime soon? I’d reallylike to get planning.” He stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork and popped it in his mouth

“You’re planning it, huh?” I asked amused

“Well, you want it to kick ass, right?” Michael raised an eyebrow, grinning

“I’m not really sure, Michael,” Molly interrupted “With the babies, it just makes more sense

to wait, don’t you think?” She turned to look at me I hadn’t really wanted to wait that long, but I

could definitely see her point

“Whatever you want, baby We could wait until after the babies are here.”

She smiled and took a sip of her water “I mean, unless you just want to elope,” she teased.Honestly, I could care less what route we took Of course, I wanted it to be special for us, but I justwanted to make her mine I wanted to call her my wife I wanted to stamp my initials in her to keepany wandering eyes off her

“Hey, Elvis could marry us Vegas-style, for all I care.” I smiled back at her I grabbed herhand in mine and brought it to my lips

“Oh gross,” Michael groaned, ruining our moment “I will not allow you two to get married

by Elvis Absolutely not Hell will freeze over before that happens.”

“And why is that, Michael?” Molly snapped “If I want Elvis to marry me, I will.”

“Unless Elvis himself resurrects from his grave, I can’t let you do it.” I watched as Mollyrolled her eyes and stabbed another piece of chicken

“Hell!” Stella screamed, jerking all of our attention toward her

“Excuse you, young lady?” Molly narrowed her eyes

“Michael said it first.” Her body lowers in the chair

Molly slowly turned her attention toward Michael “Nice going.”

Michael busted out laughing as Molly cringed “I teach her all my best qualities, remember?She’ll have a great sense of fashion, and a foul mouth Get used to it, babe.”

“You are no help,” she growled

The rest of our evening was spent listening to Michael test Molly’s limits Apparently,

Michael had a death wish I just sat there, shaking my head as Michael dug his own grave But I knew

they had a relationship I would never understand Whatever works for them…

Molly

Drake left early for work the following morning, leaving me alone for a few hours before Ihad to go into work I enjoyed working the later shift, giving me enough time to get through my nauseaand morning sickness Not only that, it gave me some peace and quiet time

“Damn, you swallow a watermelon?” Michael walked into my room, raising an eyebrow ashis eyes roamed my belly

Apparently, quiet time is over.

“Two actually.”

“I don’t envy you, that’s for sure Just the thought of how those babies are getting out makes

my balls hurt.” He made a pained face, which made me laugh

“That’s exactly why men could never go through labor You’re all a bunch of babies.”

“Oh, is that so? You think women are the only ones that could stand the pain?” he retorted

He sat on the bed next to me, causing the bed to dip

I moved closer to him and twisted his nipple “Ow, oh my god!” he squealed

“Case in point.”

“That’s not fair That’s sensitive,” he whined, rubbing over his chest

“And my vag isn’t? Please, men could never handle it.”

He rolled his eyes, not willing to argue with my raging hormones

“You’re lucky I love you.” He grinned

“Or what?”

“Or I wouldn’t—” He grabbed my hips and started tickling me uncontrollably

“Michael, stop!” I squealed

“Never! Let’s see how much you can handle! Mwahaha!”

“You’re an evil man! Stop! I’m gonna pee my pants!” I screamed back, wiggling out of hisgrasp “Seriously, I think I leaked!”

Michael finally stopped, but he couldn’t contain his laughter I swatted at him as I clenched

my thighs together, waddling to the bathroom

“Sorry, babes But…I still have it,” he gloated, brushing his hands together

“Don’t be so sure I’ll retaliate when you least expect it,” I threatened, pointing a finger athim Michael and I use to get into tickle fights back in high school, and because he was bigger andstronger than I was, he’d pin me down and always win Then he’d hold me down and make a spitbubble until I cried out, “Michael’s the greatest!” Oh yes, he had it coming to him big time now

Michael was like a brother to me He was my best friend, but he was more than that He was

my gay soul mate—if there was such a thing—but it was true He was my other half in being the

perfect best friend

As I walked out of the bathroom, Michael continued, “Maybe if I tickle you enough, yourwater will break.”

“That’s gross Plus, I don’t want it to break for like 4 months yet.” I walked back to the bedand lay down

“Okay, fine We’ll renegotiate in four months,” he teased, grinning

“Whatever.” I made a face at him “Now, go away You’re interrupting my quiet time.”

“Fine I guess you don’t have much of that left.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead

As I watched him walk away, his words roamed in my head He was right—I didn’t have alot of time And yet, it felt like it was taking forever

I decided I would just lay in bed, enjoying every solid second until I had to shower for

work This pregnancy was sucking all the energy out of me I was always tired and had absolutely nomotivation to do anything

“You’re so lucky you’re pregnant right now, otherwise…”

“Otherwise, what? There’d be some girl on girl action?” Colin interrupted He had a smuglook on his face as he casually leaned up against one of the counters

“You wish.” Blakely laughed “If, and that’s a big if, I were to do any girl on girl action, it

wouldn’t be with Molly.”

“Hey, I take offense to that.” I stuck my tongue out “And you’d be lucky to have me.” I

laughed “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”

“And all before I’ve had my afternoon Red Bull,” Blakely groans

“So anyway,” Colin said slowly, moving his eyes between Blakely and I “Time to get readyfor the dinner rush.”

“I think you’ve made Colin uncomfortable.” I chuckled, nudging Blakely as I walked passedher

“That’s not the only thing I’ve made him.” She smirked and winked at me before walking to

her section.

“Ew That’s just not something I needed to know.” And I definitely didn’t want to know

about her hookups

Blakely walked up to me and whispered, “I’ve made him whimper like a baby as he beggedfor it.”

I raised my eyebrows up at her and cringed “Well, if I wasn’t nauseous before, I definitely

enjoyed it He was a single dad after his girlfriend left him, so I think him being chased down bybombshell Blakely fed his damaged ego

We worked long into the night, keeping up with the dinner rush With the holidays

approaching soon, the Chicago streets were packed The restaurant stayed busy, making my shift go byquickly Drake stopped in, but I didn’t have time to chat, so he grabbed some food to take home toStella and Michael

By the time I finally slowed down, my body went dizzy I leaned up against a counter tobalance myself, but my eyes weren’t focusing I took in a few slow breaths, hoping to get my heartrate down, but after a few minutes, nothing was working

“Hey, are you alright?” Blakely asked from behind, placing her hand on my shoulder

“I don’t know I just got really dizzy all of a sudden.”

“Colin, grab Molly a chair from the office, please!” she yelled

“I’m fine Really, I just—”

“Shut up and sit.” Blakely grabbed the chair from Colin and all but pushed me down on it

“You want me to call Drake?” she asked concerned She was typically a goof ball, but now I couldtell she was truly worried

“Guys, I’m fine I just worked too long without taking a break, that’s all Next time, I’ll takebreaks in between,” I promised

“There won’t be a next time.” I heard Drake growl from behind Shit.

I slowly turned and saw Drake leaning up against the wall, ankles and arms crossed I couldfeel his angry eyes burning into me

“I thought you went home.”

“I did I tucked Stella in and wanted to come back and pick you up I didn’t think I’d see you

sitting out of breath like this.” He pushed off the wall and walked toward me “I don’t want you

working anymore if it’s going to put you and our babies in jeopardy.”

“We’re not in jeopardy Like I just said, it’s because I didn’t take a break I won’t let it

happen again,” I promised again Drake knew how important it was to me that I keep working I’d gostir crazy if I had to stay at home all day I needed to be doing something—contributing something.Not to mention, that I really loved what I was doing Plus, I knew the restaurant needed me, even ifDrake insisted he could get a temp to replace me

“Okay, but—and I mean this—if this happens again, you are done I don’t want you

overworking yourself into preterm labor.”

“Deal.” I smiled, agreeing to his terms because I knew it wouldn’t happen again When I gottoo big or too tired to work, then I’d stop, but I wanted it to be on my terms I wanted to continue

working until I could no longer do it I didn’t just want to give it all up after I had worked so hard toget here in the first place

Before I met Drake, I had put myself through culinary school Those dreams were still

important to me I knew I didn’t need to work, but it’s what I loved doing I’ve always wanted to set a

good example for Stella I want to teach her that if you try hard enough and set your mind to it, you canaccomplish your goals

I said goodbye to Colin and Blakely before letting Drake take me home He could be toughsometimes, but was also very sensitive to when it came to making his family or me happy After

everything that went down with Travis and Nikos, he’d been more protective than ever— not that I

blamed him.

“Are you mad?” I asked as we pulled out into the street

“I’m not mad I’m just worried.” He didn’t look at me, keeping his eyes focused on the road

“I know And I’m sorry for making you worry, but I really will be careful from now on.” Henodded and we drove the rest of the way home in silence

I tiptoed to Stella’s room and quietly kissed her good night and covered her back up Shetended to kick the sheets off in her sleep I brushed her hair off her face and smiled as I watched hersleep peacefully I couldn’t help thinking how proud her daddy would be if he were still here Shelooked so much like him that it’s hard not to think of him often

I quietly shut her door and walked back down the hall to our bedroom I decided to take ashower and get the restaurant smell off me

“You’re free to join me, if you wish.” I slowly unbuttoned my chef’s coat and he watched as

I slid it down to the floor I walked backwards to the bathroom, unbuttoning my pants and giving him

a view of the black lace panties, I’m wearing

“Hmm…you are making a shower very tempting.” He grinned.

I smirked as I opened the bathroom door and walked inside I shut it briefly and took mypants off I slipped my panties off and cracked the door back open I waved the panties in my hand,giving him a view of what he was missing

“Just in case you change your mind…”

I heard him laughing as I shut the door again I turned the water on and waited for it to warm

up I took my hair down and combed my fingers through it, untangling the knots I took the rest of myclothes off and opened up the shower door

I grabbed the luffa and poured body wash over it I lathered it up and began washing over

my body I smiled as I washed over my swollen bump The reality of having twins suddenly overcame

me as I felt butterflies and kicks on the outside for the first time

“Oh my god!” I squealed, smiling I dropped the luffa and brought my hands over my belly,anxiously waiting to feel them again “Drake!” I called out, opening the shower door I wanted him tofeel this

I left the door open as I waited for him I heard the bathroom door open and heard Drake,

“What is it? Everything okay?” He peeked in looking worried

“Everything’s great! The babies just kicked!” I pointed down at my belly, all giddy “I canfeel them on the outside!”

“I can’t believe this,” he gushed “It makes it so much more real.”

I watched as his hands roamed over my belly I could tell it was making him emotional Thiswas the absolute best part of pregnancy—watching Drake become a father and finally being able toexperience these moments with him

“Isn’t it amazing?” I looked up into his eyes

“It’s incredible.” I wiped under his eyes where I could tell he was crying

He cupped my face and softly kissed my lips until they were nearly bruised The water

continued sprinkling over our heads as we kissed under it, not moving or saying a word—just soaking

up every second of this moment

* * *

The following morning, I woke up feeling sick I’ve been blessed with not much morningsickness, but this particular morning was different Something was different.

“Drake!” I called out, not exactly sure where he was

“Coming!” I heard him yell from the hallway I sat up and leaned against the bedrails I

pushed a pillow behind my back, hoping to reduce the amount of pain I was beginning to feel

“Everything okay?” he asked, walking in as he adjusted his tie

“I don’t know I just feel…weird My back is in some pain And my stomach isn’t feeling sohot either.”

He rushed over and immediately put his hands over my belly to soothe the ill feeling Heshoved another pillow behind me and one behind my head I finally started to feel comfortable, but Istill felt like something was wrong

“Do you want some water or anything to eat?”

“Water is fine.”

As I waited for Drake to come back, I rubbed my hands over my belly, waiting to feel somemovement I don’t know why, but I had a strange feeling overcome me

“I think I need to go see my doctor,” I informed Drake as soon as he walked back in

“You think something’s wrong?” he asked worried I nodded slightly as I took a drink ofwater He reached for his cell phone and began dialing

“I just don’t feel right I don’t know…mother’s instincts, I guess.”

“Okay, baby I’ll call now.”

As soon as we arrived to the doctor’s office, my back pain had decreased slightly I still feltoff, but I was hoping the doctor had a simple explanation and that nothing was majorly wrong

“Come in, and let’s take a look at you.” Doctor Nora was one of the best in Chicago Shespecialized in multiple birth pregnancies and was the top 10 rated OB/GYN in the country

I pulled my shirt up and let her exam my stomach The pressure made me cringe “Yeah, thatdoesn’t feel good,” I groaned

“Alright, I want to do a cervix exam I’ll have you undress from the waist down.” She

handed me a gown and a little sheet

Drake stayed silent as he helped me undressed I could tell he was worried, but I didn’t want

to give him any false hope by being overly optimistic

The doctor came back in, snapped her gloves on, and sat down in between my legs Thiswas one of the most embarrassing parts of pregnancy—all opened and exposed for all to see

“Everything looks really good, Molly I’m going to schedule you for some testing and anultrasound though, just to be safe.” She smiled up at me as she snapped her gloves off “There’s

always a chance of preterm labor, especially in twin pregnancies, so I’m going to recommend bedrest.”

“Bed rest?” I gasped, leaning up on my elbows

“Yes, I think with your higher blood pressure, you are at risk of developing preeclampsia.And you definitely don’t want that, especially with twins If you do—you’ll have to deliver rightaway.”

I surrendered back to the table and lay down This can’t be happening I knew it wasn’t the worst news ever, but bed rest? God, I was going to go crazy.

“Isn’t it too soon for bed rest? I mean, I’m only half way through.”

“It’s always better to be safe, Molly Once I get the results from the ultrasound, I’ll havemore information for you.” She gave a sincere smile, and I knew everything she was saying was right

I just really didn’t want to be put on bed rest already

“This is going to suck,” I mumbled as Drake tucked me into bed

“You will survive.” He grinned, pulling the covers over me He fluffed the pillow behind

my head and gently pushed me back “You need your rest Don’t you worry about a thing.”

“I’m probably going to go crazy, you know Just laying here, doing nothing,” I whined Thiswas not like me I hated sitting around, and I hated not working

“And when you do, I’ll be here to help you through it.” He smiled as he leaned in He

pressed his lips firmly against mine, while he rubbed circles with his thumbs over my cheeks “It’sjust temporary,” he reminded me I knew it was, but I was still bummed

“I’ll write down the kids’ schedule for you, and the recipe to Stella and Liam’s favoritemeal And the grocery shopping list—”

“Molly!” Drake’s dark voice interrupted “Sweetheart, I love you, but you need to trust me.”

I closed my eyes and inhaled “Okay, I’m sorry I just…really hate this,” I admitted

“Hate having no control? Hate letting others do things for you?” he smirked

“Yes, okay! It drives me crazy not helping or knowing what’s going on Just sitting here…you might have to admit me into an insane asylum,” I warned

“And when that time comes, I’ll be sure to send you to the best one in the country.”

I huffed in surrender, knowing Drake was just trying to make me feel better, but it wasn’t Iwanted to be a part of the family, to make breakfast for my family in the mornings, and to make love to

my fiancé without putting our babies and myself in jeopardy

Guess I had to get used to it…for the next four months.

Drake

Knowing Molly was struggling with being on bed rest, I tried to keep her involved as much

as I could—dinner plans, homework with Stella and Liam, movie nights in bed It had only been aweek since she was ordered to bed rest, and she was already begging to get out

“Oh, hell no You are not reading that smut.” I grinned and crossed my arms as I leaned

against the doorframe

“What’s wrong with Fifty Shades?” she asked, lowering the book “I have to do somethingwith all this unwanted free time,” she groaned

“Because I’ve heard how worked up that book gets ladies.” I pushed off the doorframe andwalked toward her

“And what’s wrong with that?” she laid the book flat on the bed, eyeing me as I inched

closer to her

“Well, my love, normally nothing would be wrong with that.” I crawled on the bed, crawlingover her slowly “But right now, I can’t give you what you need Right now, you need to rest, and sex

is not something you can have.”

“Why?” she whined, crying out “Please?”

“You know why Baby, if I could, I would I’d—” I bent my lips down and softly kissed hermouth “—kiss you here, and then I’d kiss you here—” I brought my lips to her neck, suckling andkissing her soft, sensitive skin “—and then I’d kiss you down here—” I lowered my body down toher bare legs and kissed right in between her thighs I spread her thighs wider with my hands as Inuzzled my face against her She moaned out, arching her body up to greet me

The truth was that I wanted to make love to her so fucking badly And if I knew I wouldn’t

be putting her at risk, I would every which possible way, but I wasn’t about to risk the babies’ healthover my desires However, that didn’t mean I couldn’t make her feel good I could tease and seduceher enough to get her off and relieve some of her sexual tension that I knew she was holding

“You are evil,” she growled, digging her nails into my hair I continued kissing up her thighsand eventually made my way to her panty line, just barely grazing my tongue and lips over her wetspot

“Just giving you a taste, baby.” I smiled as I slowly tongued her panties aside As long asshe lay completely still, I wouldn’t be putting her at risk “You must stay still,” I demanded in a firmtone as she began wiggling

“You got to be kidding me,” she roared She cemented her nails into the bed sheets, grasping

on tight as she released from her first intense orgasm I always loved watching her unravel underneath

me It was the fucking sexiest thing ever to watch—the way her eyes would roll back, the way herhead would fall back against the pillows, and the way her toes would curl as she screamed throughthe pleasure

I wasn’t done with her yet I pressed two fingers in lightly, not wanting to be too aggressivewith her I twisted and pressed against her until she begged and pleaded with me to stop

I chuckled at the way she demanded me to give in, but I wouldn’t With her high blood

pressure and being a high-risk pregnancy, there was no way I was going to add to the distress But Ivowed to make her feel as good as I could without giving in completely

I devoured her with my mouth, licking and sucking her clean She screamed my name overand over as she came down for another orgasm I wanted to give in so damn badly and please her theway I knew I could But for now, I’d give her all my pleasure

“Drake, baby, please,” she begged as I finished cleaning her up “Just once I swear, it’ll befine.”

I couldn’t contain the amused grin on my face as she begged for it

“Sweetheart, no,” I replied sternly “Did I not satisfy you enough? Do you need more?” Imused

“I need you,” she said sadly

“I know And I want to, but I can’t… not knowing what the doctor said.”

She stuck her lower lip out in a pout, making an insanely cute sad face “Soon, baby I

promise.”

“Fine I guess in the mean time, I’ll just read about Fifty Shades of kinky fuckery.”

I lowered my brow at her “I don’t even want to know what the hell that means.”

She laughed as she lay back in bed with her book I kissed her gently on the lips and walkedout to give her some quiet time before the kids got home

24 minutes, 24 hours, 24 days, 24 months, or 24 years…

would never be enough time with you.

For every day I get with you, my life feels complete.

Don’t ever forget that.

My life only just began the moment you were mine.

Love yours and forever more,

Drake xo

It wasn’t much, but I wanted to give her at least one reason to smile today I had been

working so much lately on Stanley’s event that I had been coming in early and staying late to get

everything organized and ready

The caterer’s and coordinator were all set in place Now it was just handling all the smalldetails I had to move some stuff around to squeeze it in, but I was also secretly working on the

engagement party I wanted to throw for Molly I knew she’d be excited to get out of the house at least,but I had to make sure I got her doctor’s approval before allowing her

“Baby!” Molly screamed in my ear after I picked up the phone “You know how much I loveyou? These are breathtaking!”

I smiled at the excitement in her voice “I’m glad, sweetheart I was hoping they’d make youfeel better.”

“They do They are simple stunning They’d be a little better spread out on the bed

underneath us.” I could hear the amusement in her tone

“Oh, is that so? I could go for a nice snuggle.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” she fired back

“Sorry, baby That’s all I can give you right now.”

“Ugh,” she huffed “I know.” I continued clicking away on my computer, needing to finishsome last minute paperwork before I checked out for the night

“Listen, I’ll be home soon, I promise Can I bring you anything?”

“Hm, maybe some cheesecake?”

“Of course Strawberry?”

“Yes, please.”

“Alright, leaving soon Love you.”

We hung up, and the truth was, I had a ton left to plan for the surprise engagement party, but Iwas dying to get home to see Molly and the kids, so I decided to leave it until tomorrow

“Hey, Michael, how’s everyone doing?” I asked, placing the bag of cheesecake on the

kitchen counter

“Seriously? This is worse than flu-Molly, 9 months pregnant-Molly, and PMS-Molly all

combined.” I knew he was referring to stuck-at-home-Molly I chuckled as I took the cheesecake out

of the package and put it on a plate

“Sorry, man Only four months left.” I winked and grabbed a glass and filled it with milk

“Easier for you to say You get to leave and go to the office everyday.”

“Look, I can work from home if you need me to I can make it work if it’s getting too roughfor you I know Molly can be a handful, I just know I won’t get much done if I’m here,” I repliedhonestly

“No, man It’s cool I’m use to crazy-Molly I just need to keep her busy.”

“Good idea But one thing—keep the smut books out of her reach, k?”

“Got it No kinky shit.”

“Thanks.” I patted him on the back as I walked out of the kitchen I walked up the stairs andmade it to our bedroom where Molly was sitting up against the bedframe and combing Stella’s hair asshe sat in between her legs

“Hey, my gorgeous girls.” I walked in and kissed Stella on the cheek, and then Molly “Howare you all holding up?”

“Mommy’s combing my hair for the zillionth time,” Stella replied right away I couldn’t tell

if she was complaining or just amused that Molly was brushing her hair

“Well, it looks beautiful.” I gave a sympathetic smile

“We just ate dinner Sorry, the kids were hungry, and they didn’t want to wait,” Molly

informed

“No problem I brought dessert.” I held up the plate and handed it to Molly “There’s more

in the kitchen if you and Liam want a piece.” I told Stella, hoping she’d jump at the opportunity

“Yay! I’ll tell Liam right away!”

With Liam’s schedule, she didn’t get to see him very often unless he was home for the

weekend I felt awful having to work late, so I told Molly I’d be back up in a few

I entered the kitchen and watched as Stella and Liam devoured their cheesecakes It was thefunniest and sweetest thing ever They were shoving spoonfuls into their mouths while laughing andtalking

“Slow down kids You’ll get a stomachache.”

“We’re racing!” Stella announced in between bites

“Well, you’ll be racing to the bathroom when you need to throw all that up.” I crossed myarms as I leaned against the counter

“Doesn’t matter,” Liam chimed in “The first plate empty is the champ!”

“You two seriously crack me up.” I couldn’t stay mad at them for long They were just thefunniest kids

“I win!” Liam yelled out, spiking his spoon into the air in victory.

“No! Not fair Daddy Drake interrupted me,” Stella complained, quickly shoving the rest inher mouth

I leaned into Liam’s ear and whispered, “You should always let the girl win.” I winked andnodded toward Stella

He smiled back at me and gave a happy shrug

“Alright, you win, Stella.”

Before she could thank him, he grabbed another piece and quickly smashed it into her face

“Oh my god!” I yelled out, shocked Half expecting Stella to get mad, I braced myself for thewar that was about to develop

“You’re so dead!” she screamed out, laughing She grabbed another piece and threw it atLiam, getting him right in the face

I was so shocked that I didn’t know what to do They just continued laughing and throwingcheesecake at each other

“Okay, okay Stop!” I laughed, separating the two “I’m probably supposed to yell at youguys or something, but it’s just too damn funny.” I laughed again I snuck a piece off the tray and

quickly smashed them in their faces, surprising them both

“Hey!” Stella screamed out, giggling

“Get her!” Liam yelled out, throwing the leftovers that had fallen on the floor at her Thekids and I got in a full out food fight I hadn’t laughed this hard in weeks, but seeing their bright

smiling faces, I just couldn’t resist allowing them to go at it It was innocent fun, and I figured, hey,they only get to be kids once, so why not?

“Oh My God.” I heard both Michael and Molly say in unison

I quickly brushed a hand over my face, getting most of the cheesecake off “They started it,”was all I managed to say through the chuckles

“Liam did it!” Stella ratted him out, pointing at him

Liam brought both hands up in surrender “Don’t look at me I’m innocent.”

I laughed and took both their hands “Alright, you two Time to wash up.”

I kissed Molly on the cheek as we walked passed her and Michael

“I am so not cleaning that up.” I heard Michael say as we walked to the bathroom I

chuckled, knowing how much Michael hates cleaning

* * *The following morning at the office, I worked fast and quickly to get everything done thatstill needed to be planned for both Stanley’s event and the engagement party

I planned the engagement party to be in three weeks I knew with the holidays that peoplewere going to be busy, but if I didn’t do it then, we wouldn’t be able to until after she had the babies.

“Yes Three weeks.”

“That’s impossible I mean, no way I can pull that off in three weeks.” The planning

coordinator was panicked over the phone as I told her my plans

“Not even for double your salary?” I intrigued When I wanted something bad enough, I wassure to make it happen

“Drake, you know that’s not how I work,” she persisted

“Deal Rachel Mason Stagliano will make a beautiful boy’s name.”

“Oh my god, shut up, Drake.” She laughed

“So we have a deal then?”

“Yes, fine I’ll get started right away.”

“Good I’ll catch up with you in a week and see where you are.”

“You got it.”

After finally getting her on board, I went to my files and dug out Stanley’s He wasn’t veryspecific on what he wanted, so I just assumed a quiet, simple evening would suffice I hadn’t evenmet his new partner yet, so I decided to call him up

“Drake, what’s up man?”

I found it funny that Stanley, a man in his 50’s, spoke like a teenage boy

“Hey, want to grab lunch today? Bring your new partner so I can meet him.”

“Sure Blanche’s on 56th and East.”

“Okay, meet me at two.”

He agreed and hung up If I weren’t getting much information from Stanley, I’d have to sink

my teeth into his partner for info

“Stagliano, for three,” I told the hostess I had my assistant make reservations so we didn’thave to wait around

“Yes, sir Right this way.”

Stanley was already there waiting for me “Drake, this is Dan Gillian, my new partner.”

We exchanged hellos and sat down to look over the menu We chatted, drank a little, and

laughed about our work It was nice getting together with a couple guys that understood the busy workschedule I had friends in college and colleagues, but none that I really connected with outside ofwork Dan was nice, and easy to get along with.

Stanley and I had a different kind of bond—the kind that you have respect for each other,secretly knowing what Molly is hiding from him, making me want to thank the man over and over

Even though Molly’s parents could’ve picked a different donor, he’s what made Molly—Molly.

I knew she would never tell him, and I completely supported that, but sometimes it killed meinside keeping it a secret when he was around

“So, it sounds like everything is coming along?” Stanley said, finishing the last of his meal

“Yes, I’d say so I have my best planner on it, making sure it’s all ready to go.”

“Excellent.” He smiled “Will Molly be coming with?” Dan wore a confused look “Molly

is Drake’s fiancé,” he answered his silent question

“Oh, right,” he said, clearing his throat “I can’t wait to meet her.”

“I’m not sure she’ll be able to attend She’s been put on bed rest, and until she’s cleared, shecan’t really do much I’m probably being over-protective, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“Oh, we understand I hope everything turns out okay,” Stanley replied

“Thanks, and yeah I think she’s doing well I’m actually going to surprise her before

Christmas with an engagement party You are both invited to come You can meet Molly then.” I

smiled at Dan He nodded in agreement

We finished the meeting shortly after, needing to get back to my office before I went homefor the evening to my amazing family

Molly

Having to be waited on hand and foot was not how I imagined spending the holidays thisyear The doctor was strict in making sure I spent the last couple of weeks in bed until my next check

up I knew it would all be worth it, knowing the babies would be born healthy, but I felt as if I were

literally going crazy.

The dreams of Travis still lingered in my sleep They weren’t as bad or as often, but theystill woke me up on occasion I knew I should probably speak to a therapist about it, but I wasn’t sure

I would be able to get the words out

For the first time in years, I dreamt about Liam, my late fiancé I used to have major panicattacks after he passed away, but since Drake entered my life, they’ve decreased substantially

“Baby, are you okay?” Drake asked as he woke up I had been staring at the ceiling for thepast hour as Drake slept

“Yeah, just thinking.”

He rolled over and clicked the lamp on “Wanna talk about it? Have more nightmares?”

“No, the opposite, actually.” I smiled

“What about?”

“I dreamt about Stella’s dad and her He wasn’t dead though Stella was a toddler in mydream.”

“Well, tell me,” he coaxed, sounding sympathetic

“He was singing to her He was playing his guitar and singing her to sleep I watched as Irubbed her head His eyes didn’t leave hers until she eventually fell asleep on my lap And he justcontinued singing, but eventually looking up in my eyes.”

“Sounds beautiful.”

“It was.” I swallowed “But it was the words that were strange, the lyrics in the song.”

“What were they?” He leaned up on his elbow and brushed the hair off my face

“They were…it was like a message…like a hidden message…” I paused “He sang aboutunconditional love and about him being happy for me.” I continued staring at the ceiling, desperatelytrying to remember the exact words.”

“Wow Did he seem happy? Or was he mad?”

“He was happy,” I responded blankly “But his eyes were sad As if he knew.”

“Knew what?”

“Knew that I had moved on and started a new family.”

“He would’ve wanted you and Stella to be happy, sweetheart You know that, right?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilty at times.”

“What is it you feel guilty for?” he asked

“I feel guilty that Stella will never remember him That she’ll never know her real dad Andthen I feel guilty for even feeling guilty because you’re in her life now, and you’re just so wonderful,and I couldn’t ask for a better man in her life But then I feel guilty knowing that if Liam never passedaway, I never would’ve met you Then, of course, that makes me feel sad, making me feel guilty thatLiam had to die in order for me to have you in our lives.”

Holy shit! I am way overthinking this.

“I know that sounds crazy, but it’s like this huge web of guilt,” I confessed

“Listen to me.” I turned and faced him “You have every right to feel the way you do Loss issomething that cannot be understood until you’ve experienced it, so I won’t pretend to know whatyou’re feeling, but I will say that it’s okay to feel sad for Stella’s sake However, it’s not okay to feelguilty for something you had no control over Never feel guilty for being happy and moving on.”

As Drake spoke, a tear escaped my eye, trailing down my cheek He wiped it with his thumband kissed it

“Liam was extremely lucky to have you both in his life And I feel incredibly blessed to haveyou both in mine But that’s the way fate worked out I will forever be in Liam’s debt, knowing what

he gave up for me to have you in my life Even though it wasn’t up to him, he gave me you and Stella.Hell, you waited four years I’m sure he would’ve wanted you to move on.”

“I know he would have And I am truly happy I have I just can’t kick this feeling of guilt forbeing happy, for starting a new family, for meeting you—knowing it never would’ve happened had henot been in that car that night.”

“Some things in life are just mere coincidences Fate takes over, and there’s nothing we can

do about it.”

If only it were that easy…

“Thank you,” I said “Thank you for always knowing what to say And for putting up with myemotional ass.”

“I vow to put up with that ass for as long as I live.” He smirked

“Even if I gain 100 pounds and have a lot of ass?”

“Ooh, I love it when you talk dirty I love me some ass.” He laughed

“You are so dirty!” I playfully smacked him He grabbed me and pressed me close to hischest I looked up at him in awe, thinking how did I ever get so lucky to meet Drake

Drake and I lay in bed for another hour before he had to get ready for work He was meeting

me at two for our ultrasound appointment, so he was going into the office early.

“I’ll see you at two, baby Make sure Michael gets a wheelchair I don’t want you walking

up and down all those stairs at the hospital.”

“Yes, sir.” I saluted and puckered my lips at him

“You’re such a smart ass,” he quipped

“Well, I know how much you love ass.” I wiggled my eyebrows at him

He reached down and squeezed my ass before placing a genuine kiss on my mouth “I loveyou See you soon,” he said, laying one more kiss on my lips before leaving

* * *

“Do you want to know the sex of the babies?” the ultrasound tech asked

We really hadn’t discussed if we did or not We’ve been so worried about their health that itdidn’t really matter to us if they were boys or girls

“I do!” Stella chimed in Michael and I surprised her at school, picking her up early so shecould come with us

I laughed I waited for Drake to respond

“Well, honey, do you?” I asked since he didn’t say anything

“I—I do if you want to,” he stammered

“Are you okay?” I quietly asked

“Yeah, I’m just—I can’t believe how big they are already They’ve grown so much sinceyour last one.”

The doctor ordered ultrasounds once a month from now on so she could keep a close eye ontheir progress

“Mom, look! There’s fishies in your belly!” Stella squealed, pointing at the screen

I laughed “No, honey, those are the babies.”

“They look like fish.”

Can’t argue with a five-year-old.

“Well, that’s because they aren’t fully developed yet Don’t worry, they’ll look like babiesonce they come out,” the ultrasound tech answered

“I kind of want to be surprised,” I said to Drake “What do you think?”

“I want whatever you want, baby I can wait if you want to.” I smiled back at him

“Yes, let’s be surprised.”

“And how am I suppose to decorate a nursery without knowing the sex?” Michael

interrupted, pouting

“They have neutral colors, you know?” I fired back

“Girl, you expect me to decorate the nursery in neutral colors? That’s like room décor