Page 31 of The Devil on my Chest

“Do you have to tuck the head of your dick in your boots when you get dressed in the morning?”

“No. Ew…” Rocky screwed up his nose. “Imagine it being that big. If it ever got hard, you’d have no blood left in the rest of your body.”

“At least you know that much, then. But let’s leave that for now. Explain why Mal can’t make himself a sandwich.”

“Knives are dangerous.” Rocky was very firm about that one. “If Mal falls with a knife in his hand, he could badly cut himself and hurt the babies as well.”

“Aha. And how often has Mal fallen making himself a sandwich in all the years you’ve known him?”

“Never. But then it doesn’t mean it can’t happen, especially when his belly gets bigger.”

“Is that right? Is there a reason he’s not allowed to sit on the dining chairs anymore and is only allowed to eat on the couch?”

Rocky frowned. “Those seats are wooden. They’d be uncomfortable for him.”

“Did you ask him if he was uncomfortable? And while we’re on the subject, did you ask Mal if he was worried about falling while making a sandwich, or ask him if he liked the fact his mate was neglecting his very normal heightened sexual needs while he was pregnant?

“Did you ask Mal if he liked being treated like a brain-dead idiot in the office earlier today, when you used his pregnancy as means to make it appear he couldn’t do his job? Not being yelled at in a sheriff’s office? What planet are you living on?”

“Stress is not good for the babies. I know that much.” Stress wasn’t good for anyone in Rocky’s opinion – he should know. He was feeling decidedly stressed with every word that came out of Doc’s mouth.

Doc lowered his tone. “What do you think you’ve been doing to Mal, in just one week?Youare stressing him out.”

Rocky’s eyes suddenly blurred, and he blinked rapidly. “I didn’t want him to be stressed, I’m trying to make things easier for him. Doc, I’ve got no idea what I’m doing here. I’ve never been a dad before – I barely had one of my own. I’m just trying to do the things I saw other mated couples do when one of them is pregnant.”

Sighing, Doc said, “That’s why I’m here, sticking my nose into mated business. It’s not normally what I do. I’m not saying your heart isn’t in the right place, Rocky, I’m telling you you’re going about things all wrong.”

“Well, what am I meant to do? Is there a book where I can learn all this stuff, or a website link you can give me?”

“There’s millions of them but I don’t think any of that will help.” Doc shook his head. “What you need to do is talk to Mal. Don’t make assumptions for him, don’t try and do things for him if you don’t do them already. Think about it. Before he got pregnant, if Mal was sitting on an uncomfortable chair and he didn’t like it, what would he do?”

“Move somewhere else.”

“And if he was making a sandwich, what would he normally do?”

“Probably make two for me as well.” Rocky wasn’t the best sandwich maker. His tended to end up a bit squished.

“And if someone is yelling at him at the office, which is a very common occurrence I know, but what does Mal do when that happens?”

“He calms things down.” Rocky met Doc’s eyes. “He’s got that way about him and people listen to him.”

“That’s right, they do. Everyone does, except you apparently.” Doc quirked his eyebrow. “Now tell me this. If you and Mal were sharing sexy times, and something you do might make his back twinge, or he was just wasn’t comfortable in a position you were in, what would he do?”

Rocky snorted. “Slap me on the arm, tell me to move, or just move anyway.”

“Well, then?” Doc prompted.

“All right. I admit it. I’ve been an idiot, just like those boys in there.” Rocky gestured in the direction of the cells. “Now all three of us are stuck here until morning.”

“And you’ll all have probably learned something by morning. Speaking of which” – Doc got up and arched his back – “Joe is waiting for me at home, so I’ll leave you to it. I’ll make sure he comes in early in the morning so you can head home.”

“I’d appreciate it.” Rocky stood up too. “Are you sure Mal’s going to be all right?”

“Mal’s blood pressure was really high by the time he made it to my office today. Rocky, high blood pressure is serious, and over time that could harm the babies or cause them to come early, which is not good either. His levels had calmed down after he and I had a long talk, and I’ve given him a mild sedative for him to have tonight. It’s perfectly safe for pregnant shifters, but it willlet him get some rest he really needs. And yes, that will be why you can’t get him through your mind link.”

Phew. He’s not blocking me.That made Rocky feel a little bit better. “At least he’s asleep and safe.”

“You need to trust him more,” Doc suggested. “Let him tell you what he needs and for god’s sake, don’t treat his body as though it was a holy freaking baby shrine. You’re shifters. Mal needs that closeness with you, and if you’re both in the mood then just do it. Mal will tell you if he’s not interested. I can’t believe you’ve managed to keep your hands off him for a whole week.”

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