River has no idea how much her words warm some of the coldness inside of me. If my emotions weren't shattered, I would have fallen for her just off that statement alone.
“No, thank you.” We shift to our sides, I grab her leg and rest it on my hip, prepared to fuck her again. “What do you want me to give you?”
It's not a sexual innuendo; I'm curious to find what she'd want.
Her lips part to speak, but she closes them again. I nuzzle her neck while she thinks as the head of my cock finds the heat it's seeking.
River squirms from the contact, as I enjoy the sweet sigh that escapes her.
“Answer me, River.”
My head stays at her entrance, not fully penetrating her.
“I can't ask, Teddy.”
“Why?”
Her left arm hooks behind my neck and her soft lips peck mine.
“You have to choose to give it on your own.” I nip her lip but look her in the eyes because I'm puzzled. River's right hand slides up my torso and stops on my chest. My heart beats harder like it's trying to greet her. “Besides, it's not ready yet.”
The realization is both terrifying and arousing. Pushing forward, I feed her my dick, making us both moan. I'm touched, and that doesn't happen often, but I don't verbally respond. It's not a conversation I'm anywhere near having. Luckily, she already knows that.
Chapter Twenty
RIVER
The rapid thudsof a tiny heartbeat fill the room. While it warms my heart every time I hear it, Teddy’s face is the highlight of this visit. Seeing a man whose expression is regularly set tosternlight up with joy overwhelms me with pride. I’m happy to know that I can fill a man with so much more life experience than me with wonder.
His white teeth pop out from under his lightly salted beard as his face breaks into a smile so big, I wonder if his face hurts. I’ve seen him smile but never for this long or as wide. His hand tightens over mine, and I swear his excitement flows through me. Usually, I keep my eyes glued to the monitor to get every glimpse I can of my baby, but Teddy is the star of this appointment.
Our baby.
“Thank you again, River,” he whispers to me and kisses my knuckles as his eyes remain glued to the screen.
His gratitude is the cutest thing. “Of course, I didn’t plan to get pregnant.” I don’t know why but chose to point it out at least once.
Teddy looks at me for the first time since the scan started. “No, but you chose to stay pregnant and tell me about it.” His blue eyes glow with his love for our child. “So, thank you.”
Damn, this man is so mesmerizing and his gratitude makes me want to get pregnant again. We zone out of a moment, studying each other while the tech takes measurements of the baby. He’s been living with me for about nine days, and I’m scared to try to remember what it was like without him.
I forget myself for a moment, getting lost in him and the emotions swirling inside of me. I don’t realize how I’m looking at him until he quirks an eyebrow in a silent question. There is a lot going on with both of us adjusting our lives and trying to find our new norm. I cannot add my feelings for him to the mix. It’s hard not to fall for him, though. I know everyone is different and likes different things, but it’s hard to imagine anyone not thinking he’s the perfect man. Yes, he’s grumpy sometimes, but he’s committed, loving, sexy, and is an amazing lover.
Teddy has the trifecta of size, attention, and stamina. Yet the cloud of betrayal still looms over his head like his personal dark cloud. His warm hand squeezes mine, and I know he’s trying to get me to look at him.
“Would you like to know the sex of the baby?” the tech asks, her hazel eyes bouncing between us.
“Yes,” we say in near unison, but she doesn’t seem fully happy to continue.
I’d originally thought it was because she’s used to this sort of thing, but now I see her body language. I was so busy looking at Theodore that I didn’t notice her soft huffs or semi side-eyes. Just when I’m about to ask her what’s her problem, my eyes catch the tiny ballet shoes dangling on her charm bracelet. She must be a fan of Helena.
I get it. Had I never met the nightmare, I'd be shocked by their divorce as well. I'm not stupid, I know she did the math. I,however, learned that you don't know what the fuck is going on unless you're in it.
For a moment, I debate between saying something and possibly making everything super awkward, or just leaving her to her assumptions. No, I'm going to say something.
“Fix your attitude before you piss me off. I'm trying to have a happy moment and you're shitting all over it.”
Teddy's steel voice cuts through my thoughts, and I whip my head in his direction to see if he's somehow talking to me, but his sapphire gaze is burning into the tech.