Page 157 of Daddies' Holiday Toy
It’s ridiculous how much comfort I get from something as simple as their soft inhales surrounding me.
Liam stirs first.
His arm tightens around my hip in a lazy squeeze before he murmurs into my skin, “You’re awake.”
His voice is still thick with sleep, low and rough, and it’s completely unfair how that alone can send heat pooling low in my stomach this early in the day.
Jack shifts next, lifting his head just enough to press a slow kiss to my cheek.
“Big day, sweetheart.”
Reece’s fingers flex around my ankle before he gives it a gentle squeeze, a groan rumbling out of him as he stretches his long limbs and finally sits up. “How you feelin’?”
I try to smile through the restless tumble in my stomach.
“Like I might throw up.”
“Normal,” Reece says with a crooked, sleepy grin. “Nerves.”
Jack leans in closer, brushing his lips against my temple. “Or the baby.”
I huff a laugh. “You think people will even show up today?”
“They will,” Liam says, his voice steady, leaving no room for argument. “Some of them will come just to gawk. But plenty of them will come for your baking. You’ve got more fans than you think, sweetheart.”
I swallow hard, wanting to believe him, but the gossip mill in this town never sleeps. “I don’t know if I’m ready to face them.”
Liam shifts, propping himself up on his elbow so I can see his eyes.
“They’ll see us there with you, and that will make them think twice about saying anything stupid.”
Something about the way he says it settles the nervous flutter in my chest, at least a little.
I know they’ve all been hearing the whispers too, maybe more than they’re letting on.
And I know they’re holding some of it back so I don’t drown in it before I even open the bakery doors again.
Jack pushes himself up to sit fully, stretching until his back pops.
“Alright, sweetheart. Up. Let’s make your grand reopening happen.”
He leans down, kissing me again, this one lingering just enough to make my toes curl under the blankets.
As he pulls away, his palm brushes over the curve of my stomach, his touch gentle, reminding both of us that it’s there.
We end up eating breakfast in bed, the four of us tucked into our own little world for a while longer before the day has the chance to swallow me whole.
I sit in the middle of them all, knees drawn up, a plate balanced in my lap.
Liam’s pressed close on my left, his thigh warm against mine.
Reece leans lazily against the footboard, occasionally stealing bites from my plate while claiming it’s his birthright.
Jack’s on my other side, his knee touching mine, his hand occasionally brushing over my arm when he talks.
Even though my stomach is still doing nervous flips about what’s ahead, for now, it’s just us.
And that’s more than enough.
