Page 96 of How to Rescue Your Surprise Baby

Mav

I’m sorry. I’ll stop. You’re not weird.

Telos

Thank you. Btw, you should be here. I’m feeling pukey.

Mav

Give me 10 minutes.

It helped that Mav lived close to Telos’ penthouse. Some days, Telos tracked Mav’s car from his windows, watching as it navigated the streets.

More and more frequently, Telos considered accepting Mav’s offer to move in. Mav had been leaving some of his own clothes behind, gifts that Telos brought to bed to sniff before he fell asleep.

It also helped that Mav had been warming up even more to Telos and Estie. He’d been bringing along snacks for Telos and toys for Estie, showing up every day after he finished work at his accounting firm.

The elevator chimed, and Telos’ heart skipped.

When their eyes met across the living room, excitement fluttered through their mutual bond.

“Missed me?” Telos tried to ask flippantly.

Mav grinned. “I did.” More affection came through the bond. He crossed the room to sit next to Telos on the couch, slipping his arm around Telos’ shoulders. “How was your day?”

“What do you think? It’s the day after a long weekend. Most of my students were hungover.” Telos rolled his eyes and paged through the journal article on his tablet. “You should’ve been there. You might even have done better than them in class participation.”

Mav snorted and rubbed Telos’ belly with his other hand. “How are the babies?”

“Oh! Estie stood up today! She grabbed the crib’s bars and pulled herself to her feet.” Telos swelled with pride, then deflated when he realized she was napping. “Maybe she can show you when she wakes up.”

Disappointment came through the bond; Mav sagged. “I’m definitely sticking around for that.”

It was crazy, how much Mav cared about Estie even though she wasn’t his. Telos hadn’t thought he could fall deeper in love. But here he was, completely at Mav’s mercy.

“What about this baby?” Mav traced circles over Telos’ baby bump.

“Hates salad. I keep puking when I eat my favorite food.” Telos glared. “This is all your fault.”

Mav winced. “At least the pregnancy won’t last that long.”

“‘Won’t last that long’? Five months is fucking long, damn you!” Telos growled. “Why don’tyoutry going without your steak and waffle-cut fries for five months? Along with your wine and fried mozzarella sticks?”

“Sorry.” Mav grimaced. He manhandled Telos so Telos’ back faced his chest, and began kneading his shoulders.

Telos relaxed almost immediately. “Fuck, that feels good.”

Satisfaction fluttered at the back of Telos’ mind. Mav eased him forward to lie down, so he could work on Telos’ back, except the change in position made Telos nauseous.

“No, fuck. Now I need to puke.” Telos groaned, scrambling to sit upright.

Mav grabbed the bucket nearby and held it against Telos’ chest. While Telos heaved, Mav brushed his fingers through Telos’ hair, his gaze turning soft and apologetic.

“Sorry,” Mav murmured, rubbing his back.

“You’re fine,” Telos said when his stomach felt better. He rinsed out his mouth with a glass of water that Mav handed him, pushing himself to his feet.

Mav stole the bucket from his hand and went to the bathroom.

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