Chapter 13 Winston
WINSTON
“Since you’re family now, I can tell you.” I press the button labeled P for penthouse and scan my card, still reeling from the anger of seeing Landon and the way he dared to speak to Dove.
No one is allowed to talk to her like that. I’m still tempted to kick him out of the conference and cancel his lectures.
I’ll deal with him only when Dove is rested and the baby is taken care of. They’re my first priority above anything else.
“So? Don’t leave me hanging,” she probes, our son letting out a loud wail. “Oh, he’s hungry.” She lifts her shirt, freeing her left breast from her bra, and Winston latches on with ease.
Dove hisses, wincing with pain.
“Are you okay? What hurts? How can I help?” I ask her.
“No, I’m fine. Breastfeeding is a new sensation I need to get used to. It’s uncomfortable, but I’ll be fine. Perfect timing. If he eats, he’ll go to sleep, and then maybe I can rest.” She yawns. “I’m not feeling all that well.”
The elevator doors open, revealing the large penthouse overlooking the city of Los Angeles.
Marble floors shine bright, reflecting another chandelier hanging in the middle of the living room.
There’s a fireplace to the right and a large velvet black couch that wraps around the sunken living room floor.
The kitchen opens to the living room, the countertop pitch-black to match the front desk.
“Wow.”
“Impressed?” I push her toward the elevator that takes us to the primary bedroom.
There are steps, but I’m not willing to risk her going up the staircase after having a baby and having surgery. I know she needs to walk; movement is good for the soul and needed for recovery. But for the next few days, I want her to take it slow.
Sloth slow.
I push her into the glass elevator, pressing the button that takes us upstairs.
“All glass elevator? Never thought I’d see the day,” she says, darting her gaze over every corner of the space.
“Nervous, Dove?”
“A little.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and winces again when my son latches on a bit harder.
I gently rub her upper back, wishing I could help in some way. I feel so useless right now when she’s the one going through everything.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. This elevator is safe.
I wouldn’t bring you on it if it weren’t.
” The doors open, showing a large room with a king-size four-post bed, a couch against the wall, a big flat-screen mounted above the dresser, and to the left, floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook LA.
“This is beautiful. That bed looks so good,” she groans, reminding me of her moans in Costa Rica.
I clear my throat, telling myself that I can’t let my desire for her show. “How about I help you shower? And then tuck you in bed so you can rest.”
“We can’t. I can’t leave him alone in the bed. He’s too little. We don’t have a crib or anything to put him in either.” She yawns, rubbing her eyes just as baby Winston stops feeding. Lifting him to her shoulder, she pats his back to burp him.
She’s a natural.
“I can fix that.” I stroll to the side of the bed where the phone is and press the front desk button.
It rings twice before someone answers.
“Dr. Warrick, how can I help you? Is everything up to your standard? We loaded the fridge with your favorite food and drinks. Is there something we missed?”
“Thank you for that. No, everything is wonderful. I need a brand-new crib or bassinet brought up to me. My fiancée unexpectedly gave birth a month early and we’re very underprepared. I need the crib immediately.”
“I’ll have someone bring one up in the next hour, sir.”
“Sooner, please. She needs her rest.”
“Of course, Dr. Warrick.”
I hang up the phone, tucking my hands in my pockets. “It’s taken care of, Love Dove. I can take him. If you want. You can come lie down and I’ll wake you up when the crib is here.”
“I would love some help to the couch. I don’t want to get in the bed until I have fresh clothes on.”
“I can get housekeeping to change the sheets. You aren’t sacrificing your comfort because of that. Your clothes are clean. You are clean. I know you don’t feel like it, but you are.”
She holds Winston a little tighter to her chest as I grip her arms and lift, giving her needed support for herself. Dove stands on her own and shuffles to the side of the bed.
“It’s a little high. I don’t think I’ll be able to get up there alone. I need a minute, Winston.” She leans against the bed, taking a few deep breaths while kissing our son’s cheek.
I gather a few pillows from the head of the bed and create a comfortable spot. I place one pillow on the mattress, then barricade it with other pillows. The spot is in the middle of the bed so baby Winston will be okay.
“Let me see him, Dove.”
She hands him over, gently tucking him in my arms, and I knee-walk on the bed, placing him in the soft comfort of clouds I made for him.
He yawns almost instantly.
“I think he loves his bed. Come on, let’s get you up here next to him.” I slip from the mattress. “Bend your knees a little. I’m going to swing you into my arms slowly, okay?”
She bends like I say, wrapping an arm around my neck, and her lips brush against my ear. “Okay, Doctor,” Dove says a bit breathlessly, which has me forgetting what I was doing.
My entire brain has short-circuited. I know she didn’t breathe into my ear like that on purpose. It wasn’t even sexual, but god, everything she does, it drives me wild. I can’t get enough of Dove’s existence.
“Winston?” She pats my chest. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Sorry, I’m fine. I’m fine.” I’ll be fine. “Ready?”
“I am.” She wraps her other arm across my chest and I lift her, slow as promised, though a few whimpers still seem to fall from her lips as I lay her on the bed.
“Fuck, Dove. Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Let me check your incisions. I want to make sure—”
“Winston.” She snags my wrist when I grab the hem of her shirt. Her face softens when I look up at her, the sky-blue eyes shining bright when they meet mine. “I’m okay,” she reassures. “I’m just sore and tired. It’s okay.” She cups my face with her palm. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I turn my face, pressing a kiss against the inside of her palm. “I don’t want to lose you again,” I admit. “I finally have you, and when I saw you bleeding out, it was like a chance of a future with you was dropped in front of me only to be torn away.”
“I scared you,” she says, confused and a bit stunned.
I nod. “You did. Medically, for a lot of reasons. As a doctor, you had lost a lot of blood, but as a person who cares about you, I was terrified.”
“Does that have anything to do with you calling me your fiancée?” She tucks her chin, becoming shy.
“Yes. I knew a long time ago you were mine, Dove. I’m sure you haven’t thought that way and that’s okay.
I’m fine with that. I told the doctors at the hospital we were engaged, or I wouldn’t have been able to see you or get any updates.
That wasn’t a possibility. Not having you, that isn’t a possibility, Dove. Do you understand what I mean?”
She glances down at her lap, toying with her fingers to keep herself busy, her lips twitching to fight a smile. “Yes,” she says. “I understand.”
“Good girl,” I praise, her cheeks deepening to a beautiful pink flush. “I wanted to make myself clear on this relationship and the future.”
“We’re together, then?”
“We’re more than together, Dove. I don’t want you to think for one minute about what happens after this conference.
No doubts, no second thoughts, none of that.
After this conference, I’m taking you to my house.
You’re going to live with me. We’re going to be a family and start our future together. I won’t accept another ending for us.”
I stare at our son, watching his chest rise and fall to make sure he’s breathing.
I never knew I’d love someone so much who I can’t even hold a conversation with yet, but here we are.
My life has changed so much in the last two days, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
How did I spend most of my life without dreaming about this?
How did I get so lost in my career that I forgot I could have a family of my own creation?
It probably has to do with my biological parents putting me up for adoption. There’s always been a part of me that felt like my life wasn’t mine.
This. This right here. This woman, this child, they were always meant to be mine. This is where my life officially starts. I’ve never felt like I’ve belonged more than I do right now.
The phone rings, interrupting our moment, and the loud blare wakes baby Winston up.
“Damn it,” I curse under my breath. “I’ll tell them to call my cell phone next time so we don’t wake him. I’m so sorry, Dove.”
“Don’t apologize. I love holding him. It isn’t a hardship.” She scoops him into her arms and she begins to rock him, humming a melody that I don’t know.
“Yes?” I bite out, annoyed that whoever is on the other line woke up my child.
“I’m so sorry, sir. The crib is on it’s way up to you.”
“Excellent. Next time, please call the number you have on file. You woke up my son.”
“Apologies, Dr. Warrick. It won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t.” I hang up the phone harder than I mean to, but I’m irked.
I see how tired Dove is. She has dark circles under her eyes, she’s probably hungry, and I know how much she wants to shower. I refuse to have her shower alone, but first and foremost, our child needs to be safe.
“I’m going to go meet them at the front door, Love Dove.
I’ll be back up. I’ll get the crib set up and then we’ll get in the shower, then you can sleep for however long you want.
” I kiss the top of her head, bringing a smile to her face even though she’s so tired.
“I’m happy there are a few days before the convention. You’ll get plenty of rest.”
She nods. “And when you get back up here with the crib, you can tell me how you and Landon have so much history instead of leaving me wondering for so long.”
I groan, tilting my head back in annoyance at having to think about that man again.
“Fine. I’ll tell you all the boring details, but he’s never been a good man.
He’s always been who he is and I want you to know you’re done with him.
You never have to work for him. From this moment on, you can do whatever you want.
If you want to work, great, if you don’t, great. ”
“I need health insurance, Winston. For me and baby Winston. I can’t have you pay for everything.”
“You two are mine. You’re my family. That means I take care of you.
Remember, you aren’t alone anymore. I’ll take care of you now.
I’ll be putting you on my health insurance and you’ll have access to my bank account by the end of the day.
I was serious when I said you’re mine, Dove.
” I walk away, stopping at the edge of the steps.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t try to do anything without me.
I have a feeling you’re the ‘I’m fine’ type when you aren’t fine. Don’t attempt it.”
She rolls her eyes at me, placing Winston in the pile of pillows I made.
“I’m not that bad.” She blows me a kiss and I catch it like the lovestruck fool that I am, then tuck it in my pocket.
It’s enough to make her smile and laugh, bringing a brightness to her face that hasn’t been there since I saw her on the plane.
I hurry down the steps, almost stopping in my tracks when I remember I have to tell my family about Dove and the baby. My entire family will want to throw a party and my mom will want to plan the wedding immediately, but that’s up to Dove.
I won’t allow my mom to control anything in our lives. I don’t think she would take over on purpose, but Dove seems too sweet to say anything if my mom did try to take control.
Dove hasn’t been able to speak up for herself since working for Landon, and I’m sure the habits she got while working with him have stretched into her personal life without her awareness.
Landon loves playing the game of survival.
Watching others suffer is how he’s made his small fortune, and he’ll continue to do so until someone stops him.
That person will be me.
He has no business in this industry and I’m going to make sure he no longer has a foot in the door by the time I’m done with him.
When I open the front door, two employees from the hotel stand there. Both are holding very large boxes.
“Two?”
“We didn’t know what you wanted. One to build or more of a foldable one? When I saw the foldable one I thought it would be more convenient. And we got diapers.”
“And wipes,” the shorter one chimes in.
“And a few newborn clothes? We know you’re not prepared and wanted to help, but I don’t know anything about babies.”
In a world where there seems to be more and more thoughtless people, these two remind me that good souls still exist.
“If you could send the crib that I have to build to my home address on file, that would be wonderful. I’ll take everything else.” I snag the bags and the foldable bassinet, knowing that it will be perfect for the time being.
All I want to do is go home now. I want to start building my life with Dove, but for now, I’ll soak in this time as I know we’ll never get it back.