Chapter 29
Devin
“Idon’t like this,” I said as I watched Mable wander around the penthouse, adjusting and rearranging the various blankets on the sofa. Her movements were a little slow as she maneuvered, thanks to her rapidly growing bump.
Her head turned to me, her face slightly downturned. “Sorry, I can stop rearranging,” she muttered.
From the kitchen, Percy glowered at me, like I had said something wrong.
It dawned on me that she thought I was talking about her nesting.
I didn’t mind her nesting, at all. In fact, I loved it.
She was slowly turning our cold apartment into a cozy wonderland.
She needed to make this space her own so she would feel comfortable having our baby here.
“No! Shit, sorry, it’s not that. Rearrange all you want, Mable.
” I spoke quickly, walking up to her and waving my hands to clarify that was not my intention.
“I was talking about the game this weekend. I love what you’re doing with the place.
You’re making it so much better than whatever the hell that weird designer did before we moved in. ”
Mable’s face broke out into a small smile. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I can stop being quite so enthusiastic if you want. I’ve kind of let my instincts run away with me here…” she said as she looked around the room.
“Don’t you dare stop. Keep doing exactly what you were doing. I was just thinking about this weekend, and I don’t like that you’re going to be at the dorm while we are states away.”
Mable smiled warmly, stepping up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “I know, but I may as well take the time while you’re not here to get some work done.”
“I can buy duplicate textbooks so you can easily study here.”
Mable laughed. “That is a very sweet notion, if a bit wasteful. I’ll be fine at my place. There’s food in the fridge that needs eating, and I kind of miss my nest.” Her nose scrunched up adorably as she spoke.
“We could move your nest here,” I said lamely.
She smiled at me indulgently before hugging me around the midsection. “I appreciate the concern. I really do. But this place will feel so empty without you guys here. And you already installed the security system at my dorm to ensure I’m safe.”
“You wouldn’t be alone. You would have Spencer, Chase, and Bear,” I pointed out.
Mable cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. “True, but they’re not good cuddle partners, are they?”
I pouted.
Like a child.
Mable had turned me into a tantrum-throwing toddler, and I was supposed to be the sensible one.
We only had a few hours before we all had to be at the rink to get on the bus to go to our short training camp, followed by another exhibition game. The Chargers had decided that, instead of a flight, we would be taking the bus, since the competition was only two states away.
So we were doing our usual routine of closing down the apartment.
If we were going to be gone for longer than twenty-four hours, we checked the fridge to make sure no food would go bad.
We cleaned the sink, emptied the dishwasher, and just made sure that there was no food or garbage left around that could go bad and stink up the joint.
The only reason we were so regimented about it was because we once left Chinese takeout on the kitchen counter when we had an away game and were away for four days. By the time we came back, our place smelled absolutely rancid—it was a brutal lesson but one we’d needed to learn.
Mable was happy to stay with us while we did that, busying herself with rearranging blankets as she had been for days, humming to herself.
Having her near while we did housework made it so much more entertaining.
Everything was better when she was around.
Our house was warmer, smelled like syrup, and was that much comfier.
“We’ve got some cheesecake that goes out of date tomorrow,” Percy said as he rummaged through the fridge.
Mable’s head popped up. “Oh, don’t throw that out!” she rushed to say, quickly dashing across the room to where Percy was emptying the fridge.
“I’ll box it up for you,” he said, going to the cabinet to grab a small container, but Mable shook her head, biting back a smile as she pulled open the silverware drawer and took out a fork. Holding it up, she beamed at Percy.
“Now, please,” she said sweetly.
Her excitement was impossible to ignore. Percy handed her the cheesecake, and she dove in with an enthusiastic giggle. Dancing on the spot as she shoved a forkful of the stuff into her mouth, her hips swayed as she did a little happy dance.
Mable found complete joy in the smallest of things. It was one of several traits she possessed that I found so endearing.
“If you like that, we can always pick up some more on the way back. The place is open late,” Percy suggested as he went back to clearing the fridge. “The least we can do after leaving you for a few nights is stock you up with delicious goodies.”
Mable nodded enthusiastically. “You know what? I am not going to say no to that. And actually, I’m pretty sure that the baby has a real craving for French toast!”
I chuckled, shaking my head. That was definitely more of a Mable craving than a baby craving because she was obsessed with all things breakfast.
Given our scents, that made me very happy.
“Well, luckily for you, I’m pretty sure that place also makes a French toast-themed cookie of some sort,” I said, leaning against the kitchen island.
Her eyes widened, and she looked at me with such ecstatic hope that I couldn’t help but smile.
“Okay, I think I need to go there. You know, I never used to like late-night snacks, and then I got pregnant and everything changed. Now, as soon as the clock hits midnight, I go on the hunt for treats.”
As she spoke, she tilted her head to the side, lost in thought, like it was a new discovery for her. For us, it wasn’t.
Percy smirked. “We know. Every time you message us about a craving, it’s usually in the dead of night. Why do you think we have an entire drawer dedicated to snacks?”
“Wait, that wasn’t always there?” she asked, the fork halfway to her mouth.
I shook my head, walking closer to her and Percy. “Do you really think candy lasted long around here before you? When you started coming over, we stocked the drawer with extra and made a rule that no one but you could take snacks from there.”
“So it’s my snack drawer.” Her whisper was almost in awe.
“Yes, it’s all yours,” I confirmed, pulling her in for a side hug as she turned back to her cheesecake.
After all, a well-fed pregnant omega was a happy pregnant omega.
“Make sure you message us regularly. I know we won’t always be able to answer, but we will check whenever we can.”
I insisted on being the one to drive Mable back to her dorm. Being the first to get my bag packed and organized had its perks. We didn’t have long before we needed to be at the rink to meet with the team and get on the bus, so the others were scrambling to get packed.
“I’ll message so much, you’ll be sick of me,” Mable insisted sweetly, leaning over the center console to kiss my cheek. Her lips were soft against my skin, leaving her sweet maple scent behind.
“Impossible. I could never be sick of you.”
She chewed her lip awkwardly, hardly able to meet my eyes. “Can… you know what? Never mind.”
“What’s up?” I asked, reaching for her cheek and rubbing my thumb up and down.
“Can I steal your sweatshirt?” she asked, her face flushing as she did so.
She wanted my scent. The navy blue hoodie I was wearing was old and a little worn, but it was drenched in my scent.
“Of course you can,” I said, probably a little too quickly, and grabbed the neck of the sweatshirt, pulling it over my head.
Her eyes lit up as I handed it to her, and all my instincts hummed pleasantly.
I wanted her wearing my scent, too. If I couldn’t be with her for a few days, this was as good a middle ground as I was going to get.
The idea of her snuggled up in her nest wearing the sweatshirt eased the lingering tension in my neck, and I smiled.
“This is still so new, I know, but…” She looked down, suddenly a little shy.
“It’s not. I get it.” I shook my head, still stroking her cheek. “Actually, you know that small lilac blanket from the sofa? The one that’s hardly big enough for a lap?”
“Yeah…”
“It smells like you, so I may have packed it in my bag for this weekend. I don’t like the idea of being away from you or your scent any more than you do.
I assure you, it’s totally mutual. Also, you’re welcome to take any clothing of mine that you want.
I like the idea of you being wrapped up in my scent. ”
Her eyes lit up. “Don’t say that. I’m growing so fast that yours are the only clothes I’m going to fit into in no time!”
“That sounds the opposite of a problem.” I grinned, still content to smooth my thumb over her cheek.
Mable’s eyes flared wide. “You’ll run out of clothes!”
“We’ll go shopping for more. I’ll even let you pick them out.”
“Bu—”
I cut her off with a kiss, sweeping my tongue across the seam.
Mable immediately let me in, and I would be thinking about the taste of her until I got back and could do this again.
Being away from my sweet Mable was going to test me in ways I’d never experienced, and if kissing her was all I could do right now, I was going to milk it for all it was worth.
She moaned against my lips, and I breathed her in. Mable melted beneath my touch so beautifully, and I couldn’t wait to get her back in bed again. When she was breathless, I pulled back, adoring the look of pleased shock on her face. That expression of bewilderment was one of my favorites.
“Sleep with that shirt, princess. And when I get home, I’m going to fuck you in it.”
Her stare flared wide, a blush covering her face, but she grinned and nodded.
“That’s my girl.”