Page 77 of Rage

She was beautiful this way, allowing herself to let go and reach the maximum amount of pleasure, and I was so grateful that she trusted me enough to give it to her, to witness how she responded.

Her body tensed, stilling as she rode the wave until it crashed through her. A sigh escaped as she melted back against the mattress. Her face was flushed from exertion, but soft from the release I’d given her. I trailed kisses along her stomach, and up her body until my mouth was against hers.

“Thank you,” she said, the corners of her lips curving. “That’s just what I needed before bed.” Her tongue slid into my mouth, and Thea groaned as she kissed me, drinking up the taste of her release.

She was a freak like that. Loved tasting her come, and ours. And me and the guys loved it, too.

My hand found her belly again, and I smiled against her mouth when she placed hers on top of mine. “Can you believe we’re halfway through this?” she asked, her stare landing to where our hands were touching.

“No,” I said honestly. “I’m still in shock that there’s something growing in here.”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “It’s weird. With Paisley, I was so stressed. My relationship with her dad was already rocky, and then I was a teen, moving away from my parents. It was hard. Ifeel like this time is so different. I’m getting to enjoy it, which is nice.”

I nodded against her cheek. “Yeah. I’m sure it helps you’ve got four men doting on you, too.”

She laughed, her hands playing with the hair around my face. “Yeah. You guys spoil me. I don’t know where I’d be if it weren't for my Georgia boys.” She pressed a soft kiss to my nose, then closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.

Chapter Two

Thea

Idropped my phone into my purse, then climbed onto the exam table as I waited for the doctor to come in. The nurse checked my weight and blood pressure already. I hadn’t gained any weight since our last visit four weeks ago, and while she wasn’t concerned, I was. Because I was eating a lot. And exercising too. In fact, she said I’d lost two pounds.

I smirked, brushing my hair from my face, and pulling it into a low hold with a butterfly clip. It probably had to do with all the sex I’d been having. My hand found my stomach, and I mindlessly rubbed it while I waited for the doctor to come in.

My daughter, Paisley, was nearing fourteen now, so I remembered little of the process of things, but I’d been in the office enough for this pregnancy to know that the early morning appointments often ran late if there’d been a delivery overnight. I could be waiting for five minutes or forty-five. There was really no way of knowing.

I counted the lucky stars today when Dr. Romana knocked on the door only three minutes later. She greeted me with a wide smile. “Hey, Thea,” she said, glancing around the room. “No dad today?”

Dr. Romana knew I was in a relationship with four men, and she was one of the only doctors who’d been able to keep a straight face when we were looking around. She was well worth the hour drive away from town, if it meant I could bring any of the guys in without feeling even an ounce of shame.

Shane usually was the one who tagged along with me, but if he couldn’t, he made sure that someone was always with me. Until this visit.

“There was an incident at the shop this morning,” I said. “Shane was very upset he couldn’t make it.”

She smiled, nodding her head as she washed her hands. “I’m sure he was. Lie back for me and lift your shirt so we can get these measurements.”

I did as she said while she rubbed her hands together to warm them before she touched my bare belly. “How have you been feeling?” she asked.

My cheeks warmed, flashing back to the last few days of my life. My energy had been amazing recently, and the morning sickness was gone. And my sex drive was through the roof. “I’ve been good. Not as tired anymore.”

“That’s great to hear. She pressed the measuring tape along my pubic bone and then up my belly. “Measuring a little small. Probably about 19 weeks instead of 20. That’s not too worrisome, though.”

“Paisley was small, too,” I said.

“Yes, I remember you mentioning that. Let’s find a heartbeat.” She swapped the tape for a heart Doppler and began searching for a heartbeat.

After a moment of searching, her face paled, and I could tell something wasn’t right.

The inside of my bottom lip was raw and bleeding from the amount of nervous chewing I’d been doing. I knew in my gut that something was wrong. That whatever news was about to be delivered to me would wreck me. Dr. Romana squeezed my hand while the ultrasound technician helped lift my shirt.

Shane still wasn’t here, and I didn’t think he’d make it. I was sure Dr. Romana knew that too, because she hadn’t left my side since she called for an ambulance to transport me from her office to the hospital. I wasn’t going to react until I knew for sure what was happening.

I needed to remain calm. Stress wouldn’t do any good in this situation, and I knew from Paisley’s sick years in the hospital that I’d be useless if it overcame me. Her kidney transplant had left me with no appetite, and hitting my daily 10,000-step goal by 9:00 a.m.

I breathed slow, intentional breaths to force my mind away from what I already knew deep inside. That thought sent me spiraling, heart racing. I hated being alone. I needed Shane or Hendrix. They’d be able to keep me relaxed enough to hear the news.

Seven years spent constantly with arms wrapped around me, or hands squeezing my shoulders and holding my hand, meant that right now I felt cold and alone, even with Dr. Romana right beside me.

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