Chapter 25
Isla
2006
C runching numbers was Isla’s least favorite part of owning her own business. Sure, she had a finance guy, but he was mostly only beneficial during tax season. Most of the day-to-day expenses fell to Isla to figure out, which meant she was currently hunched over a catalog trying to figure out which new deep fryer would be the better deal.
She knew the bar was in great shape financially. When Cliff and Maureen had given her the bar, they had the building paid off. They had also replaced most of the aging equipment before stepping away, which Isla was more than grateful for. That left her with the monthly bills, upkeep expenses, and wages on top of the everyday expenses. Most days, the bar ran seamlessly with more money coming in than going out. Isla knew she had the entire community of Moonflower Cove to thank for that.
Pushing the catalog out of the way, Isla pulled out the yellow legal pad from her desk drawer and stared at it. Not only had she been crunching numbers for the bar all morning, but she’d also been trying to figure out exactly how she and Vera were going to afford twins. Babies were expensive and the idea of multiplying everything by two was pushing Isla to her breaking point.
Isla knew that, in theory, between her job at the bar and Vera’s job at the hospital, they should be set. But between paying for the IVF treatments and purchasing the beach house, their finances had taken a hit. Rubbing her temples with her fingers, Isla sighed. She had regrets about purchasing the beach house but hadn’t told Vera that yet.
Although they had spent many weekends there and Isla wouldn’t trade those memories for anything, she wondered if selling it or renting it out would be a better financial decision. Not that Isla liked the idea of other people staying at their beach house. They had made the house a home over the last few months, and Vera talked often of taking the twins there when they were born.
Isla looked at the calendar hanging on the wall. It was March which meant Vera was halfway through her pregnancy. She had her twenty-week appointment scheduled for a Friday, and Isla was beyond excited to see the babies again. They had decided not to find out the genders, which was more Vera’s idea than Isla’s. But Isla would support whatever her wife wanted. Especially since she was carrying their children so beautifully.
The door to her office in the back of the bar opened, and Isla was pleasantly surprised to see Vera. She had on a light blue maternity scrub top that showed off her belly bump adorably. Vera had been living in her scrubs recently, not that Isla could blame her.
“Hey,” Isla stood from her desk, careful to hide the legal pad under the catalog. She walked over to Vera and kissed her. “What are you doing here? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s great.”
Vera’s smirk was accompanied by a look in her eyes that Isla knew all too well. Since entering her second trimester, Vera had been craving sex more than ever before. Isla had been more than happy to give it to her whenever she wanted. But this was the first time Vera had shown up to the bar obviously horny.
“I took off the rest of the day. I have a need that only you can fulfill and it was affecting my work.”
“Is that so?” Isla teased as she closed the door behind them. She gently pressed Vera up against it, cradling her chin with one hand while the other stayed on the door behind her. “Should we take this party home?”
“Can’t we do it now?”
“In my office?” Isla couldn’t stop herself from chuckling. “Let’s go home. It’ll be more comfortable there.”
“ Isla ,” Vera whined. “Please.”
Isla could see the pleading in her eyes and wanted nothing more than to give in and fuck her right there in the office. But she was the boss. She couldn’t risk someone walking in on them. Isla wouldn’t want her staff hooking up with people on the clock so she couldn’t either.
As much as she hated herself for being responsible as she felt Vera’s erect nipple through her scrub top.
“Give me twenty minutes to finish up here then I’ll come right home, okay?”
Vera sighed dramatically. “Fine. I guess I can get warmed up by taking care of myself before you get home.”
There was a twinkle in Vera’s eyes and it drove her crazy.
“I’ll be home soon.”
“I’ll see you there.” Kissing Vera, Isla walked her out the backdoor to where their cars were parked side by side. She chuckled at the haphazard way Vera had parked, knowing it meant how serious she was about needing to be touched.
Watching Vera drive away, Isla hurried to finish everything she had started before checking with her staff that everything was okay. Isla had an amazing staff and they rarely needed her around to make things run properly. Which Isla was thankful for as she planned to take several weeks off when the twins were born.
The drive home felt longer than usual as Isla thought about what was waiting on her at home. She loved Vera’s body always, but ever since becoming pregnant Vera had been insanely more sensitive to every touch. Isla couldn’t wait to get home and make love to her beautiful wife.
But finding Vera sitting on the edge of the bed crying wasn’t what she expected to find when she opened the bedroom door.
“Vera,” Isla was instantly at her side, sitting beside her as she wrapped her arms around her. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
“Why didn’t you want to have sex with me?”
Isla furrowed her brow. What? She’d left work to come home and have sex with Vera. Of course, she wanted to have sex with her. In fact, her pants had gotten wet on the way home simply thinking about touching Vera.
“Honey, what do you mean? Of course, I want to have sex with you.”
“Not at the bar you didn’t.”
Isla hugged her tighter. “Vera, I was at work. I had employees running all around. That’s why we came home.”
Sad blue eyes looked up at Isla. “Do you not want to touch me because I’m pregnant?”
It was then Isla realized what was happening. Hormones. They had been a bitch both times Isla had been pregnant, but Ben was the last person she wanted to touch her. Instead, Isla had always just taken care of the need herself. She never had to worry about if anyone wanted her body while pregnant.
But it was clear Vera did. And Isla mentally kicked herself for not realizing that before now.
“Baby,” Isla kissed her head. “I love you so much. You’re so beautiful to me and I thought about touching you the whole drive home.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Framing Vera’s face with her hand, Isla softly kissed her lips. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world. Always, always know that.”
Vera nodded, then stood. There was something else on her mind. Isla could read her too well to not notice that. But she couldn’t decipher what else was bothering Vera. Thankfully, Vera started talking.
“You’ve just felt distant the last few days and I’ve been worried about us.”
As Vera let out a sob, Isla felt her heart breaking.
“Vera.”
Isla resisted the urge to go to her and hold her, knowing she needed to be open with what had been on her mind recently.
“Honey, I’m so sorry I ever made you feel that way. I know I’ve been stressed lately. It’s just all hitting me that we’re going to have twins. That’s two of everything for the next eighteen years, then two college tuitions to pay for. And Mason is fifteen, and she’ll need a car, but we can’t afford that, and I don’t know why I bought that beach house. It was so impulsive and I’m sorry and we could probably sell it.”
Vera took a step toward her, shaking her head.
“We’re not selling the beach house.” Reaching out, Vera tucked Isla’s hair behind her ear. “I wish you had told me you were so stressed.”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Hello?” Vera laughed. “Have you met me? I always worry. Especially now. I’m worried about the babies and Mason and,” she paused, her voice lowering, “us.”
“Baby, there is never a reason to worry about us. I am always going to be here for you. Always. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“And if it helps,” she shrugged slightly, “I don’t have to take the extended maternity leave. I can go back to work sooner and that way…”
Isla shook her head. “No. No way. You’re taking as much time off with the birth and the babies as you need. We will figure it out.”
“But together? Right?”
She could feel the broken pieces of her heart coming back together at Vera’s words.
“Together.”
The look in Vera’s eyes told her they were going to be okay. But Isla needed to show her they were okay as well. Standing, she pulled Vera close.
“Will you let me show you how much I love you and your body?”
Vera nodded, and Isla reached out for the string on her scrub pants. She loosened the knot while never breaking eye contact with Vera and she slowly pulled her pants down to the floor. As Vera stepped out of them, Isla focused on removing her top. Again, she took her time, keeping her eyes locked with Vera’s.
Unhooking Vera’s bra, Isla tossed it aside. She let Vera take off her clothes in the same way before carefully laying Vera down on the bed. They scooted up the bed together, and Isla made sure she wasn’t putting any extra weight on Vera’s stomach. She kept her knees beside her hips as she leaned down to kiss her lips.
As she often did, Vera ran her hands through Isla’s curly hair. Isla slowly moved her lips from Vera’s down her neck to her breast. She was pleasantly surprised when Vera moaned her name, gently pulling on her hair in the process. It turned Isla on and she felt her own center growing wetter as she kept kissing Vera’s breast.
Isla had always loved Vera’s breasts. She liked to think she wasn’t objectifying her wife, but Isla was only human. And she loved Vera more than anything. Before becoming pregnant, Vera had always responded sexually to her breasts being touched. But now? The sounds she was making were making it hard for Isla to concentrate on anything else.
“Mmm, Isla,” Vera moaned as she squirmed slightly under Isla’s touch. She tightened her grip on Isla’s hair as she shifted her hips, causing Isla to readjust her position. “Mmm.”
Slowly, Isla moved her kissing down to Vera’s stomach. She carefully placed several kisses on her baby bump, very conscious of making sure Vera watched her kissing each and every stretch mark. Vera’s body was beautiful to Isla, and she needed her to know that.
“Isla,” Vera squirmed again, and Isla knew what she needed. This wasn’t the time to make Vera wait. No. Today, Vera needed to be loved. “Please.”
Keeping a hand on Vera’s breast, Isla rolled her hardened nipple between her fingers as she settled in between her legs. Isla knew Vera’s body like her own and knew exactly what she needed. She sucked her clit as Vera’s back slightly arched off the bed with a moan.
She moved her tongue down to her wet center before moving back up to her clit. Isla knew she was hitting all the right spots when Vera wrapped her legs around Isla’s neck. Vera did it often when she needed Isla to stay right where she was.
And Isla gladly would.
Switching hands, Isla focused on the other breast as she slipped three fingers inside Vera.
“ Fuck ,” she moaned as she grabbed a fistful of sheets with the hand that wasn’t still in Isla’s hair.
Watching Vera come was one of the most beautiful sights to Isla. She kept the rhythmic moving of her fingers going while she rolled her nipple between her fingers with her other hand. Vera’s moaning was making Isla wetter but she couldn’t focus on that now. All that mattered was Vera.
“Come for me, baby,” Isla whispered against Vera’s thigh as she curled her fingers inside her.
Vera’s back arched off the bed, and Isla quickly moved with the movement. “ Isla! Fuck! ”
The wetness on Isla’s hand told her she’d done exactly what Vera needed. As Vera’s body fell back onto the bed, she reached down and put her hand on Isla’s that was still inside her.
“Don’t move. Not yet,” she breathlessly requested. “Fuck.”
“You okay?” Isla teased, knowing the answer.
“Yeah, I just know you,” Vera chuckled. “And you’ll go for round two before I’ve recovered. But I got two babies pressing on my lungs and bladder and I just need a minute.”
Isla lowered her lips, running her tongue quickly over Vera’s clit.
“I said don’t ,” she dramatically whined as she giggled. “Okay, you’re not playing fair and I have to pee.”
Vera propped herself up on her elbows as Isla slowly removed her fingers from her. It was met with a softer moan from Vera as Isla helped her to the end of the bed and to her feet. As Vera walked off to the bathroom, Isla followed behind her a few minutes later. She leaned up against the doorframe as Vera washed her hands.
“You wanna shower?”
“With you? Always.”
After getting the shower ready, they stepped inside together. Isla lathered Vera’s favorite body wash onto her hands as she rubbed it over her body. She knew Vera was enjoying it by the way she was happily humming.
Isla had decided not to go back to work, so they cuddled up in bed after their shower. She savored the way Vera’s body pressed into hers as she spooned her from behind. Vera hummed in response as Isla moved her hands over her belly, up to her breasts, and back again.
“Oh,” Vera gasped with a laugh. She rolled over onto her back as she smiled up at Isla. “Give me your hand.”
Isla did as she was told as Vera placed her hand low on her stomach. It took Isla a moment to realize what was happening. But the softest little baby kick made her start crying the happiest tears.
“Vera,” Isla pressed her forehead into Vera’s as the baby kicked again. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she was overcome with so much love for Vera and their family. “This is amazing.”
“I’m so glad you’re finally getting to feel them.” There were tears in Vera’s eyes but she didn’t wipe them away. “I know you felt Blake and Mason, so I know it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Hey.” Propping herself up on her elbow, Isla looked down at Vera. “This right here? One of the top moments in my life.”
“Yeah?” Vera sobbed.
“Totally. My beautiful wife is carrying our babies. What could be better than that?”
“I love you, Isla.”
“I love you more.”
“We’ll argue about that later,” Isla chuckled as they cuddled back up together and fell asleep in each other’s arms.