Page 38 of Her Shifter Babe

Chapter 14

Stacey

THE NEXT MONTH JUST flew by. Between specialist appointments, including scans, and regular baby measurements—due in part not just because of my premature labor scare, but also my significant weight loss, not to mention a ton of movies and sleep—I was solidly occupied despite being put on strict bed rest. The boys made sure that someone was with me most of the time, so between them, Nancy, and Lexie, I always had someone to keep me company.

Our daughter was growing well, proving herself to be a tough little girl, and we’d officially hit thirty weeks. The elation I felt knowing that our baby had immensely better odds of survival if she was born now was immense. Her lungs were developing quickly, preparing her for the world beyond my womb, and thanks to the OB/GYN I’d seen this morning, I was looking forward to my evening.

“What do you want for dinner?” Tommy asked when he arrived home after his day shift. “I was thinking... steak maybe?”

I grinned at him from my comfy little nest on the couch. “Sounds perfect.” The boys cooked a lot of meat. They almost ate like freaking carnivores and had the appetites to boot, but considering my low iron levels, I was grateful. I turned toward the kitchen with one thing on my mind.

Tommy was busy pulling out potatoes and various fresh salad ingredients.

I licked my lips and cleared my throat. “So, do you think we could maybe spend some time together tonight?” I asked.

His dark gaze flicked up to meet mine, his brows furrowed. “Don’t we always?”

“David is coming home tonight too, yeah?” It was a rare evening when they were both home and I was still awake.

Tommy nodded. “Yeah, why? You got something special planned?” he ventured.

Butterflies flicked their wings up inside my belly as I slowly smiled at him. “Yes. Yes I do, as a matter of fact.”

It had been too long since we’d been intimate. The boys routinely took turns sleeping beside me in bed, and while they were affectionate and loving, neither of them had done more than give me a chaste kiss on the lips in the past month, and it was driving me crazy.

Especially David.

I sighed. He was kind as always, but there was something about the way he held himself in control all the time that reminded me of a caged lion. There was restrained power there, and I so, so, so wanted to see him unleashed and allowed to go wild.

David arrived home half an hour later, and we ate our delicious, fresh meal together.

I was practically bouncing with energy after an earlier nap during the day, but I also knew that my energy was limited and struck infrequently, so I needed to act quickly and seize this precious opportunity before it faded, and I was relegated to another night of sweet snuggles.

David was talking about work and their extended family at length, but as soon as he stopped to take a breath, I jumped in, seizing the night as it were.

“Can you both sleep with me tonight?” I asked, waiting with bated breath for their response.

Tommy and David shared a worried look, then turned toward me, unspeaking.

“Is it my size?” I asked when the silence dragged on, putting my hands around my huge belly defensively. “Are you both repulsed by me now?” Thanks to the “no stress” lifestyle, couch time, and likely too much food, I’d put on a stack of weight. I had the big belly, of course, but now my boobs and ass were having a competition as to who could get biggest, fastest.

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