Page 66 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

That familiar spark of tenderness and slight pleasure moved through me at once, and I sighed into the kiss as Damien returned it gently, still holding my cheeks.

His lips on mine were a balm to that ache within me that had been begging for him. The part of me that wouldn’t survive if I never had the chance to feel him against me again.

Breaking the soft kiss after a moment, Damien smiled faintly before leaving another against my cheek.

“Come on…let's get out of here.”

Chapter 29 - Damien

My excitement for the baby’s arrival was something that consumed me entirely the whole time Sky was pregnant.

I could only think about seeing the little one for the first time and getting to hold them in my arms. I knew it would be one of the most significant moments of my life, and it was something I didn’t want to miss for the world.

But with that moment quickly approaching, suddenly feeling the weight of it all stacking on my shoulders had me on edge. The reality was quickly setting in all the while we went to the hospital after she started dilating, and as strong as I tried to be, I couldn’t shake the indescribable fear I had for Sky and the baby.

Throughout her pregnancy, I ensured that everything was perfect and that she was nothing short of comfortable. She was carrying our baby, after all, and I only wanted the best for both of them.

Little did I know, that was the easy part. I focused entirely on that aspect, as well as being as supportive as I possibly could be, but I failed to prepare myself for the actual birth. For the delivery of our baby.

Needless to say, I was freaking out while I paced in the waiting room.

I knew I should be in there. That I should be by her side to help her through the process in whatever way she needed me to.

But the uncharacteristic fear and anxiety were so great that the doctors and nurses told me to leave for the time being. It wasn’t their first time dealing with a stressed-out father, so they were right to the point with me and didn’t hesitate.

It was embarrassing to say the least, but I took that opportunity to clear my head. Yet, being out there while Sky was getting closer to the moment only made me feel worse.

But I still couldn’t go in.

I didn’t want to scare her or ruin her concentration. I knew it could be a delicate thing, and I wasn’t going to be the one to mess it up.

I wanted to be in there more than anything, but by then, I wasn’t sure if I even could. So I continued pacing, scrubbing a hand down my face from time to time.

“What are you doing out here?”

Turning at the sound of Alex’s authoritative voice, my shoulders relaxed and I sighed upon seeing my brothers. They were all there, looking a lot more at ease than I felt.

“I was freaking the hell out,” I admitted, somewhat sheepishly.

“So who’s with her right now?” Daniil asked, somewhat incredulous as he assessed the situation.

“Gemma is, luckily. She knows how to handle this better than I do.”

They all looked at me with subtle disbelief. Alex was less subtle, however.

He narrowed his eyes at me slightly. “That’s nice and all, but you should be in there with her too. That’s your baby she’s delivering.”

Forcing out a breath, I rubbed at my neck and felt another wave of guilt and loathing hit me at once. “I know…I just don’t want to ruin the moment for her. I’m terrified for her...for something to potentially go wrong.”

At the admission, they all seemed to sigh once they understood a little better.

“Don’t worry, I’d be shitting bricks right now too,” Yuri said with a lopsided grin as he clapped my shoulder.

I threw him an irritated glare before Valentin put a rough hand against the back of his neck and jostled him a bit. “Not helping…”

Alex sighed and redirected his attention to me. “I thought you were all ready for this being a dad thing…now that the time’s here, you can’t handle it?”

I hated how it sounded, and I hated even more that he was right. “I am ready…I have been for a while now. I just want this part to be over.”

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