20. River
Chapter Twenty
RIVER
The rapid thuds of a tiny heartbeat fill the room. While it warms my heart every time I hear it, Teddy’s face is the highlight of this visit. Seeing a man whose expression is regularly set to stern light up with joy overwhelms me with pride. I’m happy to know that I can fill a man with so much more life experience than me with wonder.
His white teeth pop out from under his lightly salted beard as his face breaks into a smile so big, I wonder if his face hurts. I’ve seen him smile but never for this long or as wide. His hand tightens over mine, and I swear his excitement flows through me. Usually, I keep my eyes glued to the monitor to get every glimpse I can of my baby, but Teddy is the star of this appointment.
Our baby.
“Thank you again, River,” he whispers to me and kisses my knuckles as his eyes remain glued to the screen.
His gratitude is the cutest thing. “Of course, I didn’t plan to get pregnant.” I don’t know why but chose to point it out at least once.
Teddy looks at me for the first time since the scan started. “No, but you chose to stay pregnant and tell me about it.” His blue eyes glow with his love for our child. “So, thank you.”
Damn, this man is so mesmerizing and his gratitude makes me want to get pregnant again. We zone out of a moment, studying each other while the tech takes measurements of the baby. He’s been living with me for about nine days, and I’m scared to try to remember what it was like without him.
I forget myself for a moment, getting lost in him and the emotions swirling inside of me. I don’t realize how I’m looking at him until he quirks an eyebrow in a silent question. There is a lot going on with both of us adjusting our lives and trying to find our new norm. I cannot add my feelings for him to the mix. It’s hard not to fall for him, though. I know everyone is different and likes different things, but it’s hard to imagine anyone not thinking he’s the perfect man. Yes, he’s grumpy sometimes, but he’s committed, loving, sexy, and is an amazing lover.
Teddy has the trifecta of size, attention, and stamina. Yet the cloud of betrayal still looms over his head like his personal dark cloud. His warm hand squeezes mine, and I know he’s trying to get me to look at him.
“Would you like to know the sex of the baby?” the tech asks, her hazel eyes bouncing between us.
“Yes,” we say in near unison, but she doesn’t seem fully happy to continue.
I’d originally thought it was because she’s used to this sort of thing, but now I see her body language. I was so busy looking at Theodore that I didn’t notice her soft huffs or semi side-eyes. Just when I’m about to ask her what’s her problem, my eyes catch the tiny ballet shoes dangling on her charm bracelet. She must be a fan of Helena.
I get it. Had I never met the nightmare, I'd be shocked by their divorce as well. I'm not stupid, I know she did the math. I, however, learned that you don't know what the fuck is going on unless you're in it.
For a moment, I debate between saying something and possibly making everything super awkward, or just leaving her to her assumptions. No, I'm going to say something.
“Fix your attitude before you piss me off. I'm trying to have a happy moment and you're shitting all over it.”
Teddy's steel voice cuts through my thoughts, and I whip my head in his direction to see if he's somehow talking to me, but his sapphire gaze is burning into the tech.
“They were already broken up,” I add to warm the climate, but I keep forgetting that Teddy was a part of that life and his best friend is his best friend for a reason.
“ Bethany" —he drags out her name to infer that he remembers her and can find out everything about her if necessary—“doesn't need an explanation. She needs to mind her damn business and do her fucking job.”
I shouldn't be turned on, but damn if he didn't flash his teeth like a wolf ready to attack…
“It's a boy,” she announces with a shaky voice.
Teddy's entire demeanor changes as his face lights up with delight. It doesn't stop the tech from walking backwards out of the room.
He leans over and kisses me like he didn't make that girl almost piss herself.
“A son!” he repeats with a happy laugh.
I should be worried since Theodore and Andrea will be my boy's first examples of manhood. At this rate, he'd be shaking down kids at his preschool. I choose to focus on the good things about them like how both of them are fiercely loyal.
“I always wanted the first child to be a boy. It's old-fashioned, but I love the idea of him protecting his little sister,” I admit. I grab Teddy by the lapels of his blazer until we're almost nose to nose. A slight upward tick of his eyebrow is his only indication of being surprised. “Listen to me well, Mr. Kelly. If we have a daughter, you, this boy, and your little friend will NOT bully her crushes.”
Teddy flashes a wicked smile but pulls my hands off his outfit.
“Don't do that again.” He intones as he swipes the wrinkles out of his blazer. “It was kind of hot, but no. My little friend, huh? Tugging me almost got you spanked.” His eyes hotly roam my body. My insides heat when he grabs my naked thigh with his fingers pressing against the seat of my panties. “Knowing that you're already planning the next child almost got you fucked on this table.”
He presses my clit through the fabric, eliciting an aroused shiver from me.
“Trunk is out to play a little, I see. First, you scared the piss out of that girl and now…” My thought breaks in a whimper since his fingers have found their way underneath the fabric. “This.”
“No, Trunk would have been balls deep inside of you. Already making you come on his dick, loving that you're making the other patients uncomfortable from screaming his name.” I moan and grind against his fingers. His aroused gaze watches me, eating up every sign of pleasure. I'll never get used to the way he sounds when turned on, the raspy quality of his voice highlighted by the breathless urgency of his delivery can be enough to get me there. “But it was never good to meet him.”
“Then why does he sound so fucking hot?” His wet fingers squeeze my clit, making me come as he steals my moans with his tongue.
“Maybe you like danger.”
This voice is no louder than a whisper, but the underlying growl as he removes his fingers just guarantees him a second child. The doctor knocks and enters while Teddy sucks on the fingers that were just inside of me. The unspoken sexual promise in his eyes makes her blush although he’s still looking at me.
“Sorry about the wait,” she stammers.
“Your tech is rude,” he tells her, shifting his steady gaze to her.
She nods apologetically. “That’s what detained me. I was talking to her about focusing on her job and not gossip columns.
He leans back and folds his arms as he gives her his full attention. “Good.”
Dr. Porter drops her eyes back to the chart. “The baby’s measurements are normal. No abnormalities present. He’s right on track.”
I breathe easier every time I hear those words. Teddy and I are pleased, but the doctor lingers like she never has as she looks at me, then Teddy. I know she has a question she doesn’t know how to ask.
“It’s cute when River does it, but it annoys me when everyone else does. Stop stalling and just ask.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Kelly. It’s not my goal to upset you. Normally, I’d leave business to business, but I don’t know when else to ask.”
“Spit it out.” Ah, there’s the stern boss I’m used to seeing.
Dr. Porter wrings her hands, displaying a lack of confidence I’ve never seen in her. “Can you ask Mr. Tesio to allow my sister to call me? I just want to know that she’s okay.”
Teddy softens a little since she’s not trying to pry into our business. My lip pokes out because it hurts my feelings. I don’t know how I’d react if it were my sister who was taken by a mob boss because he decided they should be together.
“I assure you she’s fine. If he chose her, it—believe it or not—means he thinks highly of her. I’ll talk to him.”
She nods sadly. “Thank you.” She tries to perk up and focus on the appointment. “Do you two have any questions about the baby?”
“None for me,” I answer with a glance at Teddy, who shakes his head.
Dr. Porter nods so hard that her sleek, black ponytail bounces behind her. “Okay, well, I’ll leave you to get dressed and the front office will make your follow up appointment. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
We thank her, and the moment her door closes, I look at Teddy, but he holds up his hand before I can speak.
“I know. I’ll go to his house after this. Delaney will talk to her sister, even if I have to hold down Andrea and give her my phone.”
I sigh. “Don’t get shot.”
He lets out a bark of laughter, but shrugs. “That’s always possible with Andrea.”