Page 56 of How to Rescue Your Surprise Baby

Everyone crowded around the seven test kits laid out on the coffee table.

“This is like watching water boil,” Crush said.

“More like watching buns baking in the oven,” Raptor muttered.

“And you still haven’t kissed,” Ace said, shaking his head. He went back to tapping a message on his phone.

Mav jerked his head up. “What?”

Telos buried his face in his hands. “No one’s kissing anyone.”

He peeked out through a crack in his fingers, though, watching Mav wet his lips.

What would it be like, if Mav ever wanted to kiss him? If Mav wanted to pin him and carefully touch their mouths together?

Like Telos wasprecious?

Telos ached with longing, only to tamp it down too late when Mav glanced over.Damn it.

That was supposed to be a secret, too. This mission was turning out to be theworst.

Mav buried his face in Estie’s fiery belly; she giggled and yanked on his hair. Telos didn’t have the heart to tell either of them to stop.

He jumped when someone’s phone timer went off.

Everyone crowded over the test kits, the tension in the air so thick that Telos could cut it with a knife.

“Oh,” Mav said quietly.

15

MAV BEGINS HIS COURTSHIP (PART 2)

Telos’heart pounded. He leaned in with great trepidation and made himself look.

On four of the seven test kits, two lines showed up.

It couldn’t be possible. He turned his focus inward, trying to see if his body was the way it should be. Just that he sensed something new, low in his belly. It was nothing he recognized.

It pulsed with life, though.

“Fuck,” he said.

There really was a baby in his belly. It wasMav’s.

Telos wanted to run home, hide the baby, and raise it with all his love. He touched his abdomen, his heart thumping.

Mav rumbled and turned, watching Telos intently. “We’ll talk about that soon.”

His gaze dropped to Telos’ abdomen and lingered for a long time. And a muted thrill came through their connection, something like excitement.

Mav wanted their baby. Telos stared.

Didn’t Mav only want babies from his One True Love? Maybe holding Estie had made him desperate for his own.

“Congrats,” Crush said enthusiastically.

“That’s amazing,” Hilly-Billy said, all starry-eyed.

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