Page 72 of Until Hanna

“Come on.” She fake pouts as she starts to get undressed in front of me. When she is down to her t-shirt underwear and bra, her eyes find mine and narrow. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” I watch as she lifts her shirt over her head.

“You know exactly how you’re looking at me.”

“You’re getting naked.” I watch her slide the lace of her underwear down her hips. “How else am I supposed to look at you when you’re getting naked?”

“I’m getting undressed for an examination.” She tosses them at me, and I catch them with one hand and bring them to my face. “Oh my God, don’t do that in here,” she hisses.

“You smell good.” I tuck them in my pocket. “How long do you think we have before someone comes back in here?”

“You stay on your side of the room Mr. St. James.” She quickly puts on the paper gown and sits on the edge of the table, her cheeks pink. I smirk, and she lets out a huff, crossing her arms over her chest.

When there is a knock on the door a couple of minutes later, a good-looking guy around my age walks into the room, and my back straightens.

“Ms. Mayson.” He smiles, focusing on Hanna, then turns to me. “Dad?” It’s a question, and I jerk up my chin but keep my mouth firmly shut. “Dr. Shelly and I spoke this morning. She told me this is your first pregnancy.”

“It is.” Hanna gives him one of her beautiful smiles.

One ofmysmiles.

“Great. Today, we’re just going to check you over, and I’ll give you another ultrasound. I know Dr. Shelly already did, but I’d like to see for myself that everything is okay and confirm how far along you are. And when I’m done, you two can ask me any questions you have.”

“Okay,” Hanna agrees, glancing over at me, and I force a smile.

When he opens the door and calls out for someone, the woman who checked Hanna’s weight joins us. I feel a little bit better when she stands next to him as he goes through Hanna’s exam, but only a little. My hands are balled so tight that my circulation is cut off as I watch him touch her.

“All right.” He takes off his gloves after doing something between her legs that has me feeling crazed with rage. “Everything looks good.” He glances at the nurse, who without being told takes a large wand off the machine in the room and rolls a condom down it while he changes his gloves.

“What is that?” I don’t mean to bark the question, but seriously, the thing looks like the curling iron Hanna has on the counter in our bathroom.

He smiles at me. “At eight weeks, we like to do a transvaginal scan. This allows us to see things a little more clearly.”

“You’re going to put that inside her?” I watch him squirt clear lube on the end.

“Walker,” Hanna says quietly, and I focus on her. She doesn’t say a word, but it’s written on her face that I need to calm down and shut up.

“Right,” I grumble. “Never mind. Proceed.”

Dr. Potter laughs, then the lights go out, and he tells her that she might feel some pressure.

Standing, I walk over to Hanna and take her hand as I look at the image on the screen. I can’t make anything out in the grainy black-and-white image until it moves, and suddenly there is a white mass in the dark, and I can just make out a head and what looks like legs. Then, within seconds, I’m dizzy as the steady sound of a thudding woosh fills the quiet room.

“He has a strong heartbeat.”

“He?” I look at the doctor.

“Sorry, it’s a habit. It’s too early to know the sex. You have a few weeks to go before we’ll be able to tell that, but Dr. Shelly was right in saying you’re about eight weeks along.”

Eight weeks. I found out this morning that a pregnancy lasts about forty weeks, so she has thirty-two to go. I look down at Hanna, who isn’t looking at the screen but is watching me. Even with the room mostly dark, she’s never looked more beautiful.

When the doctor is done, he tells her she can get dressed and that he’ll be back.

Alone, I lean over the table Hanna is still lying on and kiss her, but it’s not a soft, sweet kiss. I knot my fingers in her hair and nip her bottom lip, and when she gasps, I take advantage and tangle my tongue with hers. I kiss her until she latches onto me and only stop when she moans against my tongue.

“What was that?” she asks when I lean back, placing one last soft kiss against her lips.

“I fucking love you.”

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