Chapter 15 Maeve and Gray
MAEVE AND GRAY
“What is going on, my girl?” Gray asked as he tucked Maeve into bed later that night. He moved to the other side of the bed and climbed in.
She rolled toward him, looking worried.
There was something going on with the girls and for some reason, he just knew it had to do with Maeve.
The last couple of days she’d been more tired than usual. Gray had been worried that she was getting sick. However, she’d seemed to perk up and she’d eaten plenty of dinner tonight.
Still . . . he had a feeling that something was worrying her and he was done waiting for her to confess.
He wanted to know.
Now.
“I don’t want to tell you,” she whispered, looking guilty.
“Maeve,” he said sternly as he brushed her long, dark hair back off her face. “You know that you’re not to keep anything from me. Tell me.”
He needed to know so he could stop worrying about her.
And then he was going to spank her ass for not confiding in him immediately.
“If I tell you, though, you’re going to make me stay in bed and it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow. We have big plans.”
“I heard all the plans at dinner,” he said. “What I want to know is why you think I would make you stay in bed.”
“I’ve been . . . sick a few times.”
“Sick, how?” he asked, sitting up.
“Vomiting,” she whispered, sitting up as well to face him.
Gray got out of bed and started pacing back and forth. “How the fuck did I not know? When? It can’t be a stomach bug, though. You haven’t vomited when I’m around, have you?”
“Um, no. See, I just seem to get ill in the mornings. Well, sometimes I feel queasy during the day but that usually passes quickly. Most of the time, I feel good.”
“I’m going to go and talk to Alejandro. He can get his doctor out here to examine you.”
“No, no! Gray, wait! I don’t think I’m sick-sick!”
What the heck did that mean?
He turned back at the door. “What? What do you mean?”
“I mean, I, um . . .” She had climbed out of bed which he didn’t like. He strode back to her, picking her up and placing her back into bed.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Cat and Immy, they think . . . they . . .”
“You told Cat and Immy?” he asked.
“I kind of had to since I started vomiting in front of them,” she confessed.
“How long have you been vomiting for?” he asked.
“Well, just a few days. I threw up the day before we left. But I was fine yesterday. But this morning I vomited again while I was with Cat and Immy.”
“You should have told me the first time it happened,” he scolded as he placed a hand over her forehead. “You are in big trouble for that. Hmm, you don’t feel hot. Or look flushed. You’ve only vomited once today?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. I don’t think—”
“You need to stay in bed. I’m going to message Alejandro.”
“But you don’t need to do that. I don’t need a doctor, because I think—”
“I can’t believe you kept this from me. You shouldn’t have been traveling.”
“Gray!” she snapped.
“What?” he asked, focusing on her.
“I think I might be pregnant.”
That was not the way she’d meant to tell him.
And now she was feeling kind of guilty that she’d just blurted it out like that.
But the man wasn’t very good at listening and she’d needed to get his attention.
“W-what?” He grew pale and gaped at her.
Oh no.
Sadness stabbed her in the stomach. Was he not happy?
“Are you not happy? Do you not want a baby?” She placed her hand over her stomach as if she was protecting the baby inside her from being hurt.
Not that she knew for sure she was pregnant. But as she’d thought about it over the day, she’d started to wonder and hope and . . . she just wanted to know for sure.
“Hey, precious girl. Look at me. Look at me.” He cupped her chin, tilting her head back. “Of course I want our baby. The thought of our baby growing inside you . . . fuck, a man could get emotional.”
She had to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling. Pleasure sizzled inside her. “Really? Because you went a bit pale and you didn’t look happy.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean . . . shit. It was just a shock, that’s all. I am so damn happy. It kills me that you would ever think I wouldn’t love our child as much as you.” He placed his large hand over her stomach. “But how . . . I mean, obviously I know how, I just meant . . . urgh. Fuck.”
She stared at him in delight. There were red patches on his face and he was stumbling over his words. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him flustered.
It was so cute.
“I mean, I don’t know for sure that I’m pregnant,” she said.
“There might be another reason I’ve been getting ill.
But that’s why we wanted to go into town, to get a pregnancy test. I hadn’t thought that I might be pregnant because I’m on birth control.
But remember how I was on antibiotics not long ago?
We waited a few days after I was finished them to, uh, have sex.
But perhaps the birth control was less effective? ”
“Fuck, I didn’t even think of that. I should have used extra protection.”
“I guess so. But . . . I mean, the idea of a baby . . . it’s a surprise. But a good one, right?
“The best one. The absolute best.” Leaning forward, he kissed her before pulling back and standing. “I need to go and get a pregnancy test. Stay in bed.”
“Wait, you can’t go now!”
“Sure, I can.”
“Gray! It’s ten at night. It’s dark and not the best conditions out there. You don’t even know if anywhere will be open. Just wait until morning. Please. I’ll worry about you if you go now.”
He paused at the door to the bedroom, then turned back to her. “You’re right. I don’t want you to worry. No worrying. It’s not good for you or the baby.”
Amusement filled her. He’d only just found out a few minutes ago that she might be pregnant and now he was suddenly an expert on what was good for the baby?
“And you should be asleep. Pregnant women need lots of rest. Going to need to do some research.”
Maeve watched him with no small amount of alarm as he tucked her back into bed, muttering to himself about all the changes that would be necessary.
Did he . . . did he just say that she wasn’t to walk up and down stairs on her own?
Oh heck.
She was beginning to think that she might have created a monster.
Gray held his girl’s hair back as she threw up.
Worry filled him. Was she supposed to vomit this much? This seemed excessive. What if she wasn’t pregnant and was actually ill?
Or if she was pregnant and this happened every morning of her pregnancy?
How was he going to keep her safe from this?
And how was he going to keep a helpless, vulnerable baby safe?
Fuck!
Okay. You have this.
Gray wasn’t a guy who let himself get consumed with worry. He just got on and did stuff. He’d work out what he needed to do to keep both Maeve and their baby safe.
Maybe Ilya, Maeve’s bodyguard, would have to stay with her all the time when Gray wasn’t there. Whether she was off the property or not.
Yeah, that was a solution.
Maeve let out a small moan.
Jesus. His poor baby. She didn’t even have anything in her stomach to throw up. When she finished, he helped her sit against the wall while he flushed the toilet and grabbed a cloth and glass of water. After wiping her face, he held the water up for her to take small sips.
She needed electrolytes. And food. He studied her carefully. Were her cheekbones more pronounced? Was she losing weight?
Shit. That wasn’t good.
He still wasn’t happy with her for not telling him as soon as she started to feel ill. However, he’d deal with that naughtiness at another time when she was feeling better.
“I can hear you thinking,” Maeve said, eyeing him. “I’m just a bit concerned about what has you frowning so much?”
“You’re losing weight.”
She sighed. “No, I’m not.”
Gray took in her pale skin and the dark marks under her eyes. They hadn’t been there yesterday, had they?
Right. Someone was staying in bed today.
“You are.”
“Gray, I’ve thrown up a few times over several days. Did you see how much I ate last night? If anything, I’m probably gaining weight.”
He disagreed.
“You look tired and pale. You’re staying in bed today.”
“No, I’m not!” She attempted to stand.
What did she think she was doing? She could get dizzy and fall! He stood and picked her up, putting her on his hip.
“Yes, you are. I’m the boss.”
“You’re bossy. There’s a difference.”
Not to his mind.
“Need to brush my teeth,” she told him as he turned toward the bedroom.
Right. Of course she did. He set her on the counter by the sink and put some toothpaste on her toothbrush.
“Open wide,” he ordered.
He brushed her teeth and waited for her to rinse before picking her back up and carrying her to bed.
“You are staying in bed until your cheeks have more color and you don’t look like you’re going to pass out,” he told her.
“I’m pregnant, not ill.”
Well, they hoped not. What would he do if she was ill? Worry filled him and he had to take a deep breath in, letting it out slowly.
Nothing could happen to Maeve. She was his whole world.
You’ll fix it.
Like you always do.
Right. What was he thinking? He’d just fix things.
“I’m going to have a shower and go into town to get a pregnancy test,” he told her, sitting on the bed and facing her. “I don’t really want to leave you, though.”
“I’ll be fine, Daddy,” she told him. “I’m just a bit tired now. I’ll rest a bit, then have some toast or something.”
He brushed her hair off her face. “You’re everything to me, precious girl.”
“You’re everything to me, too, Daddy,” she whispered back.
“Lie down. I’ll check on you before I’m ready to go.”
Maeve opened her eyes as the bed dipped down.
Oops. When had she closed her eyes? What was going on?
“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you, baby,” Gray murmured, running his hand over her head. “Go back to sleep.”
“I wasn’t sleeping,” she grumbled. “Just resting my eyes for a moment.”
“Sure you were. I still don’t want to leave you.” He frowned, looking worried.
“Go get the test. I’ll be okay. I promise.”
“I want you to wait in bed until I get back,” Gray bossed.
Wait. No. She was planning on getting up, having a shower, and getting dressed in her Christmas Eve dress.
“I don’t need to stay in bed. It’s Christmas Eve! And I just had a rest. I’m feeling heaps better.”
Mostly.
And who knew how long he’d be gone? Maeve didn’t want to miss out on anything.
“I want you to rest,” he said firmly. “You were just ill. Can’t believe I didn’t notice that you were ill before. You’re in trouble for keeping that from me, by the way.”
Drat.
She’d kind of hoped he’d forgotten about that.
“Not going to punish you while you’re not feeling well, but I’m also not going to forget.”
“Daddy! That’s not very fair. I was just sick and now you’re threatening me!”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so now you’re sick? I thought you were feeling heaps better.”
This was not going well for her.
“I do feel a lot better. I feel good enough to get out of bed, but not good enough to be spanked.”
Gray snorted and shook his head. “Good try. I’ll get someone to check in on you.”
“Daddy! I’m not staying in bed.”
“I can see that I need to start writing things in a naughty girl notebook.”
“Nooo!” That sounded terrible.
“I will be as fast as I can,” he told her. “When I get back, we’ll see how you are feeling. But no getting up unless you need the toilet and then straight back to bed. I mean it.”