Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
EVAN
MAY
“Ugh,” I groan, reaching out a hand and slapping at my phone, trying to turn off the incessant beeping.
“I got it, baby.” Cooper reaches over me and silences my alarm.
When he leans down to kiss my forehead, running a hand over my hair, I peel open my eyes and try to sit up, wincing and pressing a hand to my side as everything inside me tightens suddenly, painfully, before finally, mercifully, releasing.
“Shit,” I mutter, giving up the effort and flopping back down against my pillows.
“Those fake contractions with the weird name again?” Cooper asks, propping himself up on an elbow, laying a hand on my belly and stroking lightly.
I huff out a laugh when the baby shoves her knee or elbow or some other tiny body part right into Cooper’s hand.
Somehow, she always seems to know when he’s right there.
Whatever spooky Wyles mind reading thing Cooper has, I think maybe the baby has it too, and even as I think it, I recognize the absolute insanity of that notion and wonder if I’ve gone completely round the bend when instead of weirding me out, it makes me feel warm all over.
“Braxton Hicks, yeah. Something something preparing for labor? I have no idea. I honestly wasn’t paying all that much attention to the doctor when she was explaining it the other day.
I was too busy freaking out over her very detailed description of the stages of labor and delivery. ”
Cooper laughs, helping me sit up and grabbing the water bottle he fills with ice and water for me every night and leaves on my nightstand so I have it first thing in the morning.
He hands it to me to drink, then sets it back down when I finish.
“You and me both, Rhodes. Maybe you should stay home today.” He lays back down, sliding an arm around my waist and tugging me closer, dropping a kiss on my head and turning so we’re face to face, one of his hands resting on my belly.
“Better yet, we can both stay home. Call in sick on account of practice contractions. Think of the possibilities. No real clothes. None of the ridiculous heels you still insist on wearing. You don’t even have to get out of bed. ”
I press my face into his neck, breathing him in, my whole body loosening at his proximity. “Can’t,” I mumble. “I have a motion to draft, the final deposition for the Lazarus case this afternoon, and a meeting with the associate who’s taking over my caseload when I go on maternity leave.”
“Who did you finally settle on?” Cooper asks, running his nose down my neck, dotting kisses over my collarbone.
“Well, I wanted to settle on you, but you had to be all feminist and decide to take your whole parental leave at the same time as I take mine.”
Cooper smiles against my skin. “We’ve talked about this. Like fuck would I leave you alone right after you birth an entire baby. That’s not how any of this works. Our baby, Ev. We do it all together.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, but you’re the best associate in the group.” I give him a sly smile. “After me, of course.”
Cooper snorts out a laugh. “Of course.”
“And you’re the only one I trust my clients with. How about you just take, like, two weeks. Then you can go back and make sure the baby associates haven’t fucked everything up.”
Cooper kisses my nose. “That is literally the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, but I’m still not taking over your cases. Parental leave, Ev. Me and you. The baby associates are going to be fine.”
“Not likely,” I mutter, my hand fisting in the sheets as my stomach tightens again. I take a slow breath, trying to hide it from Cooper because my due date is still three weeks away, and as appealing as a day at home sounds, I really do need to get to work.
“I hope no one’s naked!” Jordan calls, letting himself in the door of the apartment. “I’m on breakfast today!”
Cooper groans, burying his face in my neck. “I really should remember to lock that damn door. Fucking brothers barging in at all hours of the fucking day.”
I grin, kissing the top of his head. “You love your brothers. And if they didn’t show up here every morning, how would I get breakfast?
” A week or so after I moved in here when pregnancy started making sleep impossible and I started going into the office at a normal time instead of at the crack of dawn, one of Cooper’s brothers started stopping by every morning to make breakfast. Their reason was that Cooper can’t cook for shit, and no fucking way was the mother of their very first niece making her own breakfast. It’s my current favorite thing.
My second favorite thing is how aggrieved Cooper pretends to be about it all.
“I’ll make you breakfast,” he grumbles.
I laugh. “You could, but first you have to explain to your whole family that you’ve been lying to them for, like, twenty-five years and that you are, in fact, an excellent cook.”
Cooper lifts his head. “One day, Rhodes. But not today.” Reaching down, he slides a hand up my leg, grinning lazily.
“Wanna see how fast I can get you off before breakfast?” Hooking a finger in my underwear, he pulls them to the side, stroking through my slit and chuckling when I gasp.
“Bet I can do it before Jordan barges in here demanding we make an appearance in the kitchen.”
“You can’t,” Jordan calls through the door. “Eggs are almost done. Get your ass to the kitchen.”
“You heard him my babies!” Cooper pulls his fingers away from me and lets out a strangled groan at the sound of Cece’s voice, and I just laugh because god, I love it here, even if I’m missing out on a morning orgasm. “Evan, honey, you’ve got a really big day today, so you need a good breakfast!”
“Do you have a big day today?” Cooper asks.
I shrug. “Not particularly. I mean, I just told you what I have going on. It’s a lot, but no more than normal. Come on, Cooper, be a good boy and eat breakfast with your brother and Cece, and later tonight I’ll let you do anything you want to me.”
Cooper’s eyes flash. “Anything?”
Leaning in, I press my lips to his in a kiss that’s slow, deep, and a little filthy. “Literally anything.”
Cooper runs a hand over my ass, squeezing. “Oh, it’s on, Rhodes. It’s so fucking on.”