Chapter 14 Dove
DOVE
“You are by far the cutest baby I have ever seen,” I whisper to my newborn as he sleeps. “You kind of look like a potato, but you’re still the cutest.” I trace the bridge of his tiny button nose, completely obsessed with him.
His hair is so dark. I would think it was pitch-black if it wasn’t for the light reflecting off the strands, showing streaks of a reddish brown.
I really need to call my family. They’re going to be worried if I don’t check in soon. Especially if the emergency landing made the news.
The sound of Winston’s footsteps comes up the steps. When he reaches the top, plastic bags dangle from his arms while he has a big box in his hands.
“Woah, do you need any help?” I press my palms against the mattress and push myself up into a better position.
“You better not move. You stay right there while I get this together. They were kind enough to get us some clothes and diapers too.”
“Oh my god, we are so underprepared. We don’t have enough of anything. I have an entire diaper bag at home that’s stuffed to the brink for situations like this. I had everything planned out.” The more I think about it, the angrier I become at myself.
Winston drops everything in his hands onto the floor and rushes over to me when I begin to cry. I’m going to blame it on the hormones.
“Hey, none of that, okay?” He brushes the tears away with his thumbs.
“I know it isn’t ideal, but everything will be okay.
He’s fine. He’s sleeping. You’re recovering.
We’ll be just fine without all that stuff waiting for us at home.
I already have so many items being shipped to my house right now for him.
I know it’s stressful and we were both thrown into this, but Dove, I wouldn’t want any other life.
I don’t miss the life I had before you or my son.
Now, I’m going to get this bassinet ready for you, change his diaper, and then help you shower, get some food, and then finally, you can sleep. Okay?”
I sniffle.
“Okay?” He repeats himself.
“Okay,” I whisper in response.
“Good girl.” He empties the bags first onto the bed, showing wipes, diaper rash cream, pacifiers, baby shampoo and body wash, and a tiny hairbrush.
Diaper packs sit on the floor next to the bed too.
“This will get us by until we get home. I have everything under control. Do you believe me?”
“As crazy as it sounds, I do.”
He grins, the lines around his eyes crinkling, another reminder of our age difference. I find him so handsome. Winston is distinguished with his silver hair and slight wrinkles. He must have started graying early for him to be completely silver by the age of forty-five.
He opens the box and I decide to take the moment to change baby Winston’s diaper. While I unbox the diaper rash cream and the wipes, the man of my dreams begins to put the bassinet together.
Which ends up being very simple. He unfolds it, straightens out the small mattress that came with it, and claps his hands. “All done.”
All while I’m fighting with the tube of rash cream. I can’t get the top off.
“Show-off,” I grumble.
He unscrews the lid to the cream and smirks. “I got that, Love Dove.”
I shove him, playfully of course, and giggle. I place my hand on my stomach when the soreness becomes too much from the laughter.
Winston’s smile fades instantly. “Lean back. I can change his diaper. You need to relax. Stop trying to do everything.”
“But I—”
“No buts. I’m serious, Dove. As your doctor and as the man you’re going to marry, please let me take care of you. I need you. Please, don’t push yourself. What happened was serious, Dove. Let me take care of you. Just…let me.”
A curl separates from his styled hair and falls across his forehead, and he’s clearly bothered and stressed as he changes baby Winston’s diaper. I run my fingers through his hair, pushing it out of the way, and turn him to look at me.
“I promise,” I say to him. “I’m so used to doing everything I can, that I’m not used to not staying busy. I’ll take it easy.”
He kisses the inside of my palm. “Thank you,” he says, slipping a new onesie on baby Winston after he put on a fresh diaper, then wrapping him in a small blanket, swaddling him.
“Where did you learn to do that?” I ask, watching him pick Winston up to set him in the bassinet.
“I have brothers. They’re ten years younger than me and Mom needed help sometimes, so I got a lot of practice in.
For a while there, I didn’t think it would come in handy.
” He places the bassinet in the middle of the bed, surrounding it with more pillows to be safe.
“Now that he’s settled, let’s get you showered, and I’ll tell you the boring tale of Landon Vainton. ”
He swings me into his arms and carries me into the oversized bathroom. My eyes have to be as big as saucers as I look around. This bathroom is bigger than my bedroom in New York City.
The walls are painted white to make the room bigger and lighter.
In the middle of the ceiling is a skylight, allowing natural light in as well.
There’s a double sink, faucets a brilliant shade of gold, and a mirror that takes up the entire wall.
To the far right is a huge walk-in shower with two shower heads that hang from the ceiling while in the left corner, a beautiful soaking tub sits.
A faux sob escapes me as I stare at it. “What a waste. I want nothing more than to sit in that tub. I bet it would feel so good.”
“I know. When you’re cleared, the tub at my house is like that and you can take all the baths you want.” He sets me on my feet, slow and easy to make sure he doesn’t hurt me by jostling me on accident.
How is he so damn thoughtful? A person like this can’t be real. I have to be living in a dream. Winston tugs his shirt off, tossing it on the floor, and my eyes fall to his chest. My breath catches when I see how in shape he is.
I remember.
This time, I don’t have alcohol in my system.
I’m able to memorize every detail, every defined edge.
His chest is wide and his pecs are muscular, defined in a way that has me wanting to trace his body.
On either side of his hips, the V is more cut than I remember and the hair across his chest is dark.
I press my palms flat against his chest, inhaling a sharp breath when the familiar buzz travels between us just like it did the night we met. “You are a beautiful man, Winston,” I say in awe, drifting my hands down his abdomen, my fingers dipping into the valley of his abs.
With both hands, he cups my face, staring into my eyes with those green irises that remind me of the waters off the shore of Costa Rica. “Every time you touch me, I feel it to the marrow in my bones, Dove,” he whispers, pressing a kiss against my lips.
“Too bad I’m not cleared,” I mumble, hooking my fingers in the waistband of his pants.
My fingers toy with the button of his expensive dark blue jeans, pinching the silver head of the zipper. The metal is loud as I lower it, but not louder than his breaths. He grabs my wrist, stopping me from going any further.
“Dove.”
The way he says my name almost has my knees buckling with how breathless it is.
“Winston.”
He lifts my hand, kissing the inside of my wrist. “I’m always ready for you, but you and I both know nothing can happen right now. Come on, let’s get you in the shower.” He slides the glass door open, twisting the handle to turn the water on.
Steam immediately begins to rise, the room filling with heat. Winston’s hands are on my hips, tugging my shirt off, and then he kneels, tugging off my sweatpants.
I have a few incisions on my stomach from the surgery. I’m swollen and sore, but I know a shower will make me feel a lot better.
His hands drift down my sides and he leans in, kissing my stomach. “Your body went through so much to bring my son into the world, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing how much I appreciate you and your sacrifice, Dove.”
My eyes water, never imagining I’d be someone’s obsession. “I can’t wait to do it again one day. I’ll have all your children, Winston.”
His palms settle on my hips and he looks up at me while kneeling on the floor, vulnerable. “And I’ll be right here, every time. On my knees to show you how worthy you are of so much love.”
I catch myself on his shoulder, my fingers digging into his firm muscle. A tear breaks free, wishing I could wrap him in my arms and hold him as tight as I can. The pain won’t allow me.
“I’m going to buy you the biggest diamond you’ve ever seen, Dove.” Winston stands, taking my hands in his. “I want every man to know you’re taken and I want every woman to be envious when they see the diamond I gave you.”
“Winston,” I gasp. “That’s not nice.”
He steps in closer, his front touching mine, but he doesn’t add pressure.
Again, thinking of me and the pain. “My love for you isn’t nice, Dove.
It’s fierce, sweet to you, yes, beautiful, yes, but fierce.
I will stop at nothing to show the world that you belong to me.
” He lowers his jeans, never breaking eye contact with me, and his cock slaps against his stomach.
I can’t help it. I look down, my hand reaching to take a quick feel of his thick cock.
He grips my wrist and tsks. “Nothing can happen, Dove. Remember?” He leads me into the shower.
“I wanted to remember what you felt like in my hand,” I admit, keeping my eyes trained on the floor to hide my embarrassment.
I follow him into the shower, the warm water rushing over me.
He stands close to me, the water dripping down the pout of his bottom lip. Locking eyes with me, Winston guides my hand to his cock, still hard and pointed up to his belly button.
“I can’t have my wife not remember the feel of my cock, can I?” he growls, his eyes dropping to my lips as he allows my hand to memorize him.