Page 70 of Fatal Sloth

"Yes, I am fully sure that you are," Dr. Harlow confirms firmly. "And once I do the ultrasound, hopefully, we might even catch a glimpse of the little bean's heartbeat."

My hand automatically goes to my belly, even though there's not a bump in sight. I start rubbing it absentmindedly. "I'm free this afternoon," I tell her quietly.

After hanging up with Dr. Harlow, I'm left with a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. I decide that I want to wait until I see for myself that a tiny human is growing inside me before I break the news to Sebastiano. Maybe, just maybe, there's still a chance that it isn't true, though deep down, I know I'm just trying to convince myself otherwise.

Pushing the thought away, I return to the room to get ready for the day. The water is turned off, but I can still hear Sebastiano in the bathroom.

I knock gently on the door. "Are you decent?" I ask through the door.

The door swings open, and steam surrounds me. Sebastiano stands there, in nothing but a towel tied low around his waist, droplets of water glistening on his skin.

"Morally, no, but my dick's covered, if that's what you're asking," he quips with a grin, bending down to give me a small kiss on my lips. "You know, you don't need to knock. It's not like you haven't seen me naked," he adds with a smirk. "And if my memory serves me right, I think you were begging for my dick last night, no?"

I return his smile. "I'm just trying to be respectful of your space and not barge in on you," I reply.

"Didn't I tell you that you don't need to ask to be anywhere I am?" he counters before turning back to the mirror to comb his hair, then heading toward the closet. My cheeks flush with embarrassment at his reminder, and I quickly step over to my side of the counter.

Glancing at the birth control pills lying near my makeup bag, I reach out to grab the packet, my fingers hesitating over the foil. But then, with a heavy sigh, I stop myself. There's no need to take the fake birth control pills now.

As I toss the packet back into the bag, a nagging sense of unease creeps over me. Someone must have swapped them, but who? That's a question that's going to plague me until I find an answer. I know Sebastiano didn't mess with them; he doesn't want kids.

My spiral of thoughts is interrupted when Sebastiano re-enters the bathroom, his presence pulling me back to reality. "I have a few meetings today, so I won't be home until later this afternoon," he says.

I look up at him, my breath catching in my throat at the sight before me. He looks as handsome as ever in his black-on-black suit, the crisp white shirt underneath somehow bringing out his dark brown eyes. His cocky smirk tells me that he knows I'm checking him out, but I just smile back at him, unable to resist the charm.

"I can't wait to see you later," I tell him before turning my attention back to getting ready.

With Sebastiano out of the house, I breathe a sigh of relief. I won't have to come up with an excuse for why Dr. Harlow is coming back. It's a perfect arrangement, and I can't help but feel a weight lifted off my shoulders.

I know I'll end up telling him regardless of what news I have, but remembering how tense he was the last time she was here, this arrangement eases my nerves.

Upstairs, I've been sitting in our dark room for what feels like an eternity, clutching the sonogram picture tightly in my hand. How can you love something that's only a grainy blob on a screen?

I'm still trying to process it all, and I'm not sure how Sebastiano is going to react to the news. He was crystal clear about not wanting kids. But the thought of having a little Bash running around brings a smile to my face.

The image of a pudgy little boy with Sebastiano’s curly hair and those intense brown eyes causing mischief around the house - the thought makes my belly flip in excitement. Picturing the big, tough guy carrying a diaper bag and pushing a stroller makes me giggle. I think of him strutting down the street, looking like he's about to bust some heads, but instead, he's on his way to a playdate at the park.

Maybe it's just the hormones talking, but the idea of raising our little family together only confirms my love for him. Sure, he may not be the most refined or gentlest man, but that's what makes me crave him, and want him to ravish me. I've watched him shoot at people, threaten men, and even hit some of them, but he has only ever been gentle with me. He has never shown me his angry side or made me afraid of him. I'm not entirely sure how he truly feels about me, but I want to tell him how I feel, that I'm pregnant and that I want to stay with him, no matter when he becomes the don. I just want him and the little bean in my belly.

Suddenly, the front door slams shut downstairs, jolting me out of the quiet conversation I've been having with myself, rehearsing how I'm going to tell Bash the news. Then the bedroom door swings open, and the light from the hall stings my eyes until they adjust. A very unreadable Sebastiano stands in the doorway.

"What are you doing up here?" he asks.

Quickly, I slide the sonogram images into my back pocket, hiding the evidence. I decide to start with how I feel before dropping the bombshell about the baby.

"Just relaxing, like you told me to do," I reply, mustering up a casual tone. It's a lie, of course. Today has been anything but relaxing, but I don't want to raise any red flags just yet.

"I like it when you do as you're told," Sebastiano murmurs, closing the distance between us.

When he comes closer, my senses seem to go out the window, leaving me breathless and dizzy. Before I can even process what's happening, he flicks on the light and lifts me effortlessly from my seat, pulling me onto his lap.

Sebastiano's lips take mine in a fervent kiss that steals my breath away. When he finally releases me to catch my breath, his lips pepper kisses down my neck, igniting a pleasure that takes over my senses. Before I am lost in the intoxicating feel of his touch and forget about what I need to tell him, I decide to rip the band-aid off now before I end up naked.

"Sebastiano," I begin.

Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I struggle to find the right words. He stops his assault on my neck and locks eyes with me. A bizarre calmness washes over me, turning my jumbled thoughts into a semi-coherent speech.

My words tumble out of my mouth like word vomit. With every word that follows, I lay bare my feelings, showing all my cards to the man who holds my heart in his hands.

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