by Amy Brent
When we were done in the shower, Ethan took his time to dry me off with one of his plush brown towels. He took his time running it over my skin and delighted in how hard my nipples were. He kissed my breasts as he dried me off, and then we went to the bed.
He had me get on my knees the way he knew I liked and spread my legs as wide as they could go. My belly rested on the mattress as he entered me. It felt exquisite. I was so sensitive, sensitive enough to feel the head of his cock slip into me and slide against my insides. I could have sworn I could feel the veins of him inside me.
I reached down and began rubbing my clit. Ethan held my shoulders so that I wasn’t pushed away from him every time he buried his cock in me. As he quickened and deepened his thrusts, I hung my head, pressing my forehead to the blankets.
I cried out his name as something broke open inside me, and I came. I was so wet. I could hear my pussy taking Ethan’s cock as he grunted behind me. I knew he was about to finish too.
“Come on, baby,” I encouraged. “It feels so good.”
That was all he needed to send him over the edge. He came hard and fast and held his cock deep inside me. I could feel it pulsing and swelling inside me as he came.
When he was done, we fell apart from each other. I lay down on my back and rested my hands on my belly as Ethan went to the bathroom. He returned a couple minutes later with a towel in one hand. He ruffled it in his hair, which was still wet and looked nearly black.
Suddenly, I was wetter than I ever had been. I felt it leak out onto the sheets beneath me, and it was followed by an abrupt tension that felt like a bad period cramp.
“Ethan,” I said, looking up at him anxiously.
He froze with the towel still pressed to his head. “What’s the matter?”
“The baby is coming,” I said.
He looked dumbfounded. HIs mouth was slightly open as he stared at me. I parted my legs to show him the wetness on the sheets. “My water broke,” I said. “We have to go to the hospital.”
“Right,” he said, the towel falling to the ground.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ethan
“How many minutes?” Devon asked.
“Three,” I said. I was terrified. Her contractions were already only three minutes apart. Everything felt like it was happening so quickly.
After her water broke, I helped Devon get dressed. Then, I hurried to put clothes on and rushed to grab our hospital bag which was in the nursery. I made sure I had my keys, wallet, and phone, and concluded that everything else was not a priority. I wrapped a blanket over Devon’s shoulders and called Eddison, who arrived outside the building within six minutes. By the time the elevator hit the ground floor, he was pulling up to the curb.
Her contractions had started in the elevator. Her second one came as we got into the limo. Now they were getting closer and closer together, and I couldn’t recall a time where I had ever been so scared.
With shaking hands, I fished my phone out of my pocket and made all the necessary phone calls. I called my parents and Heather first and told them we would be at the hospital shortly. Then I called Liam, whose reaction promised that this whole thing freaked him out too. At first, he thought I was pulling a prank on him. After telling him I was serious and we would be at the hospital, I hung up. I knew he would come.
By the time we arrived at the hospital, Devon had broken out in a sweat. Her forehead was shiny, and her eyes were screwed shut with pain as I helped her to her feet. A nurse rushed to our aid and helped Devon into a wheelchair.
I followed the nurse through the sliding doors to the delivery ward where I checked us in with the head nurse. Then we were brought to a room where our doctor met us and measured Devon.
“She’s nine centimeters,” the doctor said as he looked up at me through his thick-framed glasses. “Sorry, sweetheart,” he said to Devon. “We’re past the point of drugs. You’re going to have to do this naturally.”
Devon clenched her teeth and nodded once.
I went to her side and grabbed her hand. “You’re doing great, Dev. You can do this. I know you can. You’re so strong.”
Her hair was soaking wet and plastered to her forehead. Her fists were clenched so hard that her knuckles were as white as the bedding she lay upon, and there was something in her eyes that told me she was as scared as I was.
I closed my hand over hers. “Dev, look at me.”
She met my eye and took a shaky breath.
“When this is all done, we’re going to be able to hold our son,” I said. Then I pressed my forehead to hers and tried to will calmness into her.
To my surprise, it worked. She sighed, and her fists became less tight. “I love you,” she said, and then she looked down at her belly. “And it’s time for you to get out, little man. Mommy and Daddy can’t wait to meet you.”
The doors to the room burst open at that exact moment, and Devon and I looked up to see a very frazzled Heather rushing to the bed. She threw her arms around me first before pulling away and jumping up and down. She clapped her hands together and beamed at Devon.
“It’s happening, you guys! I can’t believe it! This is so exciting! Dev, what do you need? Can I get you anything?”
Devon shook her head and gave Heather a tight-lipped smile.
“Ethan? You good? Need anything?” Heather asked, her eyes so wide, I could see the whites around her irises.
“No, I’m good. Thanks, though. Things are moving along pretty quickly here. He’ll be here pretty soon.”
“Really?” Heather asked. “I was expecting to have to wait a few hours.”
“Doesn’t look like it’ll be that long,” I said. “She’s already nine centimeters. No drugs allowed.”
Heather stared at Dev, who stared knowingly back. “I know,” Dev muttered through the pain. “Lucky me, right?”
My phone started ringing. I answered it when I saw it was my parents. My father spoke calmly to me and asked where I was. I told him I would be out to meet them shortly. I kissed Devon on the forehead and told her I’d be right back. I left Heather in my place and hurried out into the hall and around the corner to find my parents standing near the registration desk.
“Ethan!” my mother cried, rushing forward to hug me.
My father gave me a hug too. “The big day,” he said, patting my shoulders. “How you holding up, lad?”
“I’m scared out of my mind,” I confessed.
“Darling, go along and see Devon. She needs a motherly influence in there right now. I’m going to have a quick word with our son.”
My mother said nothing. She just smiled sweetly and hurried around the corner to Devon’s room. My father turned me to face him and looked me straight in the eye. “You have nothing to be scared of, son. Trust me. You’re going to have a healthy baby boy, and Devon is going to be fine.”
“It’s not that,” I said, peering down the hall.
My father squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’re going to be a great dad, Ethan. I know it. I can feel it in my bones.”
His words eased my mind. “Thanks, Dad,” I said, gripping his shoulder in return.
“Come on,” he said, turning me around and steering me down the hall. “There’s a girl in there who needs you to be strong for her. Don’t let her get a hold of your arm hairs, whatever you do. There is no greater pain than that, I swear to God.”
“Except, you know, childbirth,” I said.
My father chuckled as we pushed through the door to Devon’s room.
Chaos ensued. Nurses were bustling around the bed, and Heather was coaxing Devon through her breathing exercises. The doctor was prepping everything and looked up to meet my eye.
“Hey there, Dad. You ready to meet your son?”
“Uh,” I said lamely, looking at Devon, whose face was screwed up tight as she endured another contraction. “Yes,” I said more sharply, springing forward to Devon’s side. “We’re ready. Right, Dev?”
She looked u
p at me and nodded through the pain. I held out my hand. She grabbed on tight.
“Everyone out,” Devon muttered, “except for you and Heather.”
I nodded. “Clear out, Mom and Dad. I’ll be out to get you soon.”
My parents wished Devon and me good luck and exited the room, leaving the three of us alone with an overwhelming amount of hospital staff.
Before I knew what was happening, Devon’s legs were being raised and the doctor was between them. “We’re ready to start pushing, love. On the count of three.”
When she started pushing, her grip on my hand tightened like a vise. I gritted my teeth and didn’t say a word. She needed me, and I was going to do whatever it took to help her through this. Heather was on her other side speaking words of encouragement as Devon bore down.
I hated seeing her in pain. It was ripping me apart inside. When she took a quick break from pushing, I brushed her hair off her forehead and held rubbed my thumb on the back of her hand.
“You’re doing so great, babe.”
She tried to answer me, but the doctor told her to start pushing again. Her hand tightened on mine once more, and we rode out the second round of pushing.
This routine continued for what felt like ages. When there was another burst of commotion, the doctor announced that he could see the head. This encouraged Devon to push harder. She could see the finish line. She was almost through it. I told her so, and she pushed, her teeth clenched and eyes closed, until all of a sudden, a single cry filled the room.
“Here he is!” the doctor cried.
My throat tightened, and a wave of emotion rolled over me. Devon’s head fell back on the pillow, and she closed her eyes as the doctor and nurses bustled around her to clean her up and cut the umbilical cord. Then the baby was swept away to be cleaned, checked, and bundled. Once they had a silver identification band on him, they brought him back to us.
A nurse with bright blond hair went to hand the baby to Devon. She looked up at me. “His daddy should hold him first,” she said, her lips curled into a smile. She was still sweaty and pale, but she looked beautiful.
The nurse came around to my side of the bed. She told me how to cradle him, and then she slipped him into my arms. He was wrapped in a pale blue swaddle. All that was showing was his tiny, pink little face. He had a perfect, round nose and lips that looked like Devon’s.
The tightness in my throat overcame me. I cried as I held my son. He was so perfect, and I was astounded to feel so full of love and joy. I had never loved anything as much as I loved this new little human.
I hadn’t had my fill of him yet, but I knew Devon should hold him, so I turned to her and lowered him into her arms. She held him to her like a natural and ran her finger over his nose. She kissed his tiny little forehead and cried openly on the hospital bed. Heather cried with her.
A nurse brought me a chair, and I sat beside the bed watching my son and his mother. There had truly never been a more wonderful sight.
The nurses brought my parents and Liam in shortly after, and we all celebrated the birth of our little boy.
“Do you have a name for him?” my father asked as he held the little blue bundle.
I looked at Devon.
“I kind of feel like he’s an Eric,” she said. “What do you think. Ethan?”
“Eric,” I said, liking how it felt on my tongue. “Yeah. Eric. The newest Garrison.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Devon
Eric was strapped and swaddled to my chest as I made my way out of the clinic. Eric was sucking his thumb with his eyes closed. He winced under the brightness of the warm sun, and I cupped his head closer to my chest, feeling his warm cheek against the bare skin beneath my neck. There was no greater feeling in the world.
“You’re exactly six weeks old today, my little bean,” I cooed to Eric as I made my way to the limo. Eddison was holding open the door for me, and there was a smile on his lips that lit up his eyes. He loved baby Eric and always stole a peek at him whenever I got into the car. I slipped into the back seat and detached the carrier from my torso to put Eric in his car seat. I buckled him in and fixed the little beanie on his head, pulling it down to cover most of his ears. “You’re a happy and healthy baby boy,” I said, bopping him gently on the nose before buckling myself in.
Eddison pulled away from the curb, and I spent the entire drive admiring my baby beside me. I let him curl his tiny fingers around my pinky, and I whispered lovingly to him until we were back home.
I was so excited to go inside. The doctor had checked me as well as my baby and given me the green light in terms of returning to my usual routines. This meant I was cleared for sex again, and not being able to make love with Ethan had been a bit of a struggle for me for six whole weeks. Ethan played it off well, insisting he could wait and that he didn’t want to push when I wasn’t ready.
He was much more reasonable than me and always had been. And patient.
I swaddled Eric to my chest and made my way through the lobby and up the elevator. Eric was content against me, and I could read all the signs that he would be ready to be put down for a nap when we got inside. It would probably only be an hour if I was lucky, but it was something. Then I could spend some much needed alone time with Ethan.
The elevator doors chimed as they drew open, and I made for our front door. It was unlocked. I stepped in, closed it behind me, and then turned around and stopped in my tracks.
Ethan was there as he always was to greet me. But this time, he was down on one knee. It took a moment for me to register what was happening.
“Oh,” I inhaled sharply, my eyes taking in the sight of him before falling to the small blue velvet ring box he held in one hand.
“Devon Marie Mansfield,” Ethan said, his eyes locked on mine, “ever since we started this crazy journey, I’ve known things could never go back to how they were. And I didn’t want them to. In just a short time, we’ve built a life together. We have a beautiful son. We have each other. There is nothing else I want more than our family. I was wealthy when you came into my life, but I’m rich now. Rich because of you. I want to finish this adventure together because you’re the love of my life. Will you marry me?”
Ethan opened the ring box. The light from the chandelier above caught the diamonds and sent sparkling reflections all over the ceiling and walls. I didn’t look at the ring, not yet. All I could see was the man I loved on his knees asking to be mine forever.
I was crying. Nothing could have prepared me for this moment. Everything was perfect.
“Yes,” I said, nodding fiercely and holding Eric to me. “Yes!”
Ethan rose from his knee and took my left hand. He held my ring finger gently and slipped the dazzling diamond ring over my knuckle.
It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was white gold with a band that was covered in frosted diamonds. The biggest diamond was set in a halo and was round, which flattered my small hand. Colors bounced in the diamonds from the light, and I wondered for half a second how much money such an exquisite thing would cost.
“It’s gorgeous,” I said through my tears.
“You deserve nothing but the best,” Ethan whispered, leaning in to kiss me.
Then he held me close, careful not to squish Eric, and we stood in an embrace for a full minute.
“I’m so happy,” I whispered. “I have everything I could ever need. You and our beautiful son. There is nothing better.”
Ethan pulled away and held my face in his hands. “You are what I’ve been waiting for my whole life. I just didn’t know it.” Then he kissed me passionately, his fingers sliding into my hair and his teeth grinding against my bottom lip.
I forced him away with a giggle. “Let’s put Eric down for a nap,” I said, and then gave Ethan a wink. “The doctor has told me we’re good to go.”
“Really?” Ethan asked, one eyebrow arching dramatically as that devilish, crooked smile of his appeared. He walked behind me toward t
he nursery, peeking over my shoulder at a half-asleep Eric while he held my ass in his hands. “You better sleep for a while there, kid,” Ethan said. “Your mom and I have a lot of time to make up for because of you.”
“And a lot to celebrate,” I added with a wry smile.
“Indeed,” Ethan said, kissing the back of my neck as we went into the nursery.
I lowered Eric into his bassinet. Soon, he would be ready for his crib. He wiggled around for a minute as Ethan and I stood over him. Ethan wrapped a hand around my waist and tugged me to his side. It was the one place I felt like I fit better than anywhere else. We watched our son drift off to sleep, and once we were sure he was down for the count, Ethan took my hand and pulled me out of the room. The baby monitor was on, and we wouldn’t have anything to worry about for the next sixty minutes.
Hopefully.
We half-ran, half-skipped to the bedroom, giggling like high school kids about to have sex for the first time. Ethan closed the bedroom door behind us.
“Why are you doing that?” I asked, unzipping my jeans and wiggling them down my thighs.
“I don’t know,” Ethan said lamely. “I don’t want him to hear us I guess.”
“He’s six weeks old,” I teased as I pulled my shirt over my head. “Even if he does hear us, he won’t know what it is. Besides, this is what made him.”
Ethan’s eyes raked over my now nearly naked body. I let him take in the sight of the curve of my hips, my thighs, my ankles, everything. Then, I slowly took off my panties, twirled them in my fingers, and shot them at him like an elastic.
He burst out laughing as they hit him in the chest and fell to the ground at his feet. Then, he came for me with the clear intention of ravaging me in his eyes.
I squealed as he picked me up and spun me around. He carried me to the bed and tossed me down on the mattress. I propped myself up on my elbows and watched him undress in front of me. He was all rippling muscle and broad shoulders. He had kept the stubble on his jaw because he knew I liked it so much. He was a dad. He was my fiancé. He was everything.
