“Oh, God,” Abel mumbled, ignoring Maggie. “What’ve you done, Patience? You’re upright and you’re cleaning. Is it the End Days and nobody called me?” he asked, looking toward his office manager. “She’s even fucking smiling, Margaret. She hasn’t smiled at me in over a week. Tell me you didn’t spike her drink with tequila. I do not happen to want little drunk Abels and Patiences being born into the world,” he rambled, his hands dropping to his hips in the I-am-man-hear-me-rage stance he seemed to favor lately.
“Well, of course, you wouldn’t,” Maggie soothed. “That’d just be tacky. What about slightly tipsy, though? With you as their daddy, these poor children are gonna want to be mildly intoxicated when they make their debut appearance,” Maggie stated, fluffing her hair as she turned to look in the mirror hanging on Patience’s wall.
Deciding that she needed to intercede before Abel spilled Maggie’s blood all over the floor Honor had just mopped this morning, Patience coughed, drawing Abel’s concerned eyes to her as she’d planned. “I’m fine, Abel. I haven’t had a drop of alcohol in a total of 35 weeks….one week before our babies were conceived, thank you very much. I’m just happy.”
“You’re just happy,” Abel echoed, clearly unwilling to believe such a phenomenon could take place any longer. “That’s it, huh? You’re just happy.”
“I am,” Patience confirmed brightly, the lopsided pony tail she’d pulled her hair into bouncing wildly as she nodded. “Wanna know why?” she asked in a conspiratorial whisper, leaning toward the confused looking man with whom she’d been sharing her life for the last several months.
“Can’t wait to hear,” Abel returned carefully, his eyebrows furrowing as he centered his attention on Patience.
“I just got off the phone with Millie over at Dr. Daniels office before we had our conversation at the window. It’s why I’ve been tryin’ to reach you, King Mule-headed! She had news,” Patience informed him, her voice brimming with excitement.
Abel’s eyes darkened as he took a step toward her. “What kind of news?”
“All my blood work came back perfectly fine and that protein test they ran with my urine looked good, too. That means that I have been officially furloughed for some fun, Abel. My sentence of bed rest has been commuted. I’m a free woman. As long as I continue taking it easy, I can do what I want,” she shared gleefully, her happy face glowing, radiating pure joy as she stared into his eyes. She couldn’t believe her luck. Honestly, she’d gotten accustomed to hearing Dr. Mack Daniels err on the side of caution over the last few months and she’d been fully prepared to hear more of the same when she’d seen his office number appear on her cell phone’s display. But Fate had smiled on her for a change and offered her some good news when she’d been feeling low.
Abel blinked slowly as he absorbed her news. “Are you serious?” he asked, his deep voice hopeful as he began to grin widely.
“As a heart attack,” Patience replied quickly, nodding vigorously before squealing when Abel’s arms suddenly wrapped around her and lifted her off her feet.
“That is the best news I’ve heard in a long time, babe,” Abel announced, clearly thrilled as he spun them in a circle.
“As happy as I am for y’all, maybe you better set her down before either my niece or nephew get squeezed out of there,” Maggie’s amused voice suggested from behind the couple. “You don’t want all that bed rest to go to waste, do you?”
“As much as I hate it, the nag is right,” Patience murmured against Abel’s mouth, offering him a quick kiss before he put her back on her feet. “However,” she continued, lowering her voice so that only Abel could hear her, “Millie did mention that a little light lovin’ would be okay for us, if you know what I mean.” She winked up at his shocked face.
“Are you kidding?” Abel yelped, taking a hasty step back from her. “I’m not letting my you-know-what get anywhere near your you-know-where!”
“And on that note, I’m outta here,” Maggie stated with a laugh as she gathered her handbag from the couch and slung it over her arm. “Patience, I’ll see you at Honor’s tonight, darlin’. Call me if you need a ride.”
Patience ignored Maggie’s rapid departure as her happy glow dimmed at Abel’s swift denial of his affections. “What?” she asked as her eyes began to sting. Glancing down at her bright pink maternity dress, she swallowed hard. “You don’t want me anymore?” she questioned softly as the door closed behind Maggie. "Is it because my ass requires its own zip code?” she continued, her voice breaking as her lower lip trembled. She knew she’d put on a lot of weight, but both the doctor and Millie had assured her that most of what she’d gained was the babies weight, not just empty pounds. And it wasn’t like she was allowed to exercise to firm up her flab. She’d been confined to her bed for over half her pregnancy.
“Huh?” Abel grunted, looking thoroughly perplexed by the whole situation. “What are you talkin’ about? You’re beautiful. You know how much seeing you pregnant with my babies turns me on, Hellion. Christ, when don’t I come to bed with you sportin’ a hard-on?”
“Exactly!” Patience exclaimed. “Your body’s been cravin’ release for months, Abel. I’ve felt it. So, why wouldn’t you wanna take advantage of the free pass we’ve gotten from the doctor?”
“Truthfully?” Abel retorted.
“Of course, truthfully,” she huffed.
“It’s because I don’t want either one of my kids comin’ out into the world to meet me with a bruise on their forehead. Honestly, you think I want one of my kids to come out, knock on my head,” he said, tapping Patience’s forehead for emphasis, “And say to me, ‘How’s that feel, Daddy? Does it feel good to be sittin’ there and mindin’ your own business and suddenly havin’ somebody rudely knockin’ on your noggin?’ I don’t hardly think so, Patience!”
Patience nearly choked on her laughter. “Are you joking?” she wheezed, wiping her eyes as tears of mirth rolled down her cheeks while Abel’s offended face reddened.
“I’m serious, woman!” Abel retorted, looking tremendously affronted as her giggles continued uninterrupted. “I don’t want my first introduction to my children to scar them for life. Christ, I want ‘em to see my face first, not my dick doing its best to give ‘em a concussion. My cock is pierced, remember! To an innocent little baby, that things gonna look like a weapon of mass destruction! Nope…I’m sorry. I can’t touch you, Hellion. Not like that. ”
She would have sworn it was impossible, but Abel’s speech only made her laugh harder.
“Stop laughing at me,” Abel demanded gruffly as Patience continued to cackle. “You’ve seen my dick! It could totally do some damage.”
“Abel, as much as I love and respect the powers of your penis, I don’t believe you’re packin’ around quite the firepower between your legs that you believe you are, honey,” she managed to finally say between intermittent giggles. “But, I think I get where you’re coming from now,” she admitted, lifting a hand to wipe her damp cheeks.
Abel’s hand lifted and his thumb gently wiped away a teardrop she’d missed. “Good,” he replied quietly, but firmly. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Patience, and no one on Earth has ever offered me greater gifts than the ones you are creating for me right now,” he continued, settling one large hand over the mound of her belly. “I love making love with you, baby. I really love fucking you, too. There’s nothing hotter than watching you come apart beneath my hands and mouth. There’s no feeling in the world that can describe just how fucking sensational it feels when I slide my cock into the tight heat of your body. There’s nothing – and I mean nothing – that comes close to it. But as hard as it is – no pun intended, I can wait to have that aspect of us back again. Especially when it means that we’ll get two happy, healthy babies as a reward for our good behavior.” Leaning forward, Abel planted a slow, sensual kiss against Patience’s lips. “Darlin’, when I get you back under me in our bed, slow and gentle won’t be selections on the menu for e
ither of us. You know it, and so do I. And right now, that’s how it would have to be. And Hellion, I just don’t think I could do slow or gentle. Not when my body is cryin’ out for fast, hard and deep,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. “Can you understand that, baby?”
Patience’s stomach dipped as she listened to his tender explanation and she couldn’t say that he was wrong. She knew how they loved when they were together. And after months of abstinence, he was right; there’d be nothing soft or gentle about the way she knew their bodies would come together. “I understand,” she murmured, their foreheads rubbing together as she nodded gently. “It’s just hard. I’ve missed feeling you so much. I know that you’re beside me every night. Holding me. Comforting me. Protecting me. But it’s different. It’s like my body craves yours; it feels like I’m going through Abel withdrawal or something.”
“You’re horny, darlin’,” Abel chuckled. “It’s natural. But every one of those baby books I’ve read have said that an orgasm can trigger labor. Do you wanna take that risk?”
“No,” she denied miserably. “Not if it means that it could hurt our babies.”
“Me, either,” Abel concurred tenderly, pressing a kiss against her temple. “It’s just a few more weeks,” he consoled her, tightening his arms around her back and pulling her into his body.
“Eleven weeks, provided I make it to forty weeks and you factor the six-week recovery period into the equation. Eleven weeks is not a few, Abel. Eleven weeks feels like an eternity right now,” Patience grumbled, burying her face in Abel’s chest and inhaling deeply. God, how she loved that man’s smell. Woodsy and complex, the scent of his cologne added to his own unique purely male aroma made her want to climb him like a tree and impale herself on his long, hard branch, she thought wickedly, even as she silently acknowledged that it wasn’t an option for either of them.
“It’ll suck, but we’re a team, baby; we’ll get through it together,” Abel promised her solemnly, rocking her gently as they stood in the center of the loft together.
“Fine,” Patience mumbled into his shirt, lifting her head to look into his clear grey eyes. “But, since you refuse to screw me, I assume that you’ll support my field trip to Honor’s tonight. We’re all getting together to ooohhh and ahhhh over my new niece,” she imparted with a smile as she rested her chin against his chest and batted her eyelashes at him. “And, as a price for that privilege, I’ll have to listen to my weekly lecture on why I need to sit through a baby shower from Faith. She’s bound and determined to host this thing,” she complained with a groan.
“And why don’t we want her to host one again?” Abel questioned, tilting his head as he studied the woman in his arms.
“Would you relish the thought of seventeen thousand women wanting to paw at your growing belly?” Patience asked petulantly. Seeing the slow smile stretching across Abel’s lips, she rolled her eyes. “Never mind. Do yourself a favor and don’t answer that question.” Sighing heavily, she slowly disengaged from his arms to walk to the couch and sit down. “Jokes aside, though, it’s just not my scene, Abel. I mean, at Faith’s baby shower, Harmony had everybody tasting the baby food and guessing what flavor it was! Let me tell you, ALL of it tastes like CRAP! Don’t let anybody talk you into a taste test.”
Abel snorted his amusement as he sat down beside her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and settling her comfortably against him. “Okay, so maybe you ask her to refrain from any game involving baby food. You know you don’t wanna hurt your sister’s feelings by refusing to let her host a shower. Especially since these are our first kids. Just maybe guide her away from baby food fueled games.”
“And toilet paper!” Patience added indignantly.
“Excuse me?” Abel asked, frowning down at the top of her head as Patience nodded.
“You heard me right, Abel. I refuse to partake in any games involving toilet paper if I let Faith host this goody goody baby shower she insists I must have. I saw what they did to her at hers with it, and I’ll have no part in it. It’s degrading!” Patience maintained vehemently.
“Explain,” Abel directed, his lips twitching as he fought a grin.
“When Harmony hosted Faith’s shower they played this stupid game with the Charmin. See every woman there was given a roll of toilet paper and told to tear off the amount that would fit around Faith’s waist perfectly. I’m twice the size that Faith was, Abel, and I absolutely re-fricking-fuse to be the object of ridicule. I look like the whale that swallowed the other whale, dang it!”
“You do not,” Abel argued calmly, sliding his hand up and down her arm soothingly. “You’re gorgeous. And you’re housing twice the number of babies that Faith was carrying, darlin’. Of course you’re gonna be bigger than she was.”
“I don’t care,” Patience decided sulkily. “I’m not lettin’ anybody play a game where they wrap toilet paper around me. I’m not a damn gift box. I don’t want a toilet paper bow!”
“Agreed,” Abel supported her decisively.
“I wouldn’t mind having one of those cakes that Honor made for the shower though,” Patience mused out loud. “Oh, Abel, you should have been there. Each person got an individual cake shaped like a baby carriage, each one iced with different color and flavor. Mine was done with an orange crème flavored icing. God, it was good,” she moaned, remembering how tasty that treat had been.
“Darlin’, you moan like that again and I’m gonna get jealous. I’m the only person that’s supposed to be able to make you sound like that,” he teased her, nuzzling behind her ear and pulling a little giggle from her lips.
“My apologies, but Abel, I’m tellin’ you, you’ll be moanin’, too, after you get a taste of that cake,” Patience assured him, hungrily licking her lips. “And the appetizers! Honor outdid herself with these little cheese fondue bread bowls she made. They were delicious,” she declared with a longing sigh.
“Well, it sounds like the refreshments alone would be enough of an incentive to let Faith have her way,” Abel contended lightly. “Scrumptious food. Opening presents. Seeing all your friends. A few games seem like a small price to pay for that kind of fun. And as an added incentive, I’ll agree to making this baby shower coed. How would you like that?”
Patience considered his claim. She would love to see everybody. Since she’d been on bed rest her company had mostly just included her sisters and their husbands and Maggie. It would be fun to get caught up with everybody else. “I think I’d like that a lot. Having you there as a buffer might just slow Faith down on the baby propaganda. At least she can’t refer to us as ‘Belly Buddies’ any longer.”
“Nope,” Abel coughed, trying to cover his laugh.
Oblivious to Abel’s obvious enjoyment, she continued. “And maybe we could talk to Faith and get her to host it at our new house, too,” she suggested as the idea began to grow on her.
“Oh, I think that could be arranged,” Abel consented cheerfully, tugging gently on her pony tail to get her to look at him. “Most of my furniture from the old house is already over there. We could arrange for the movers to come in next week and move your stuff from up here,” he said, looking around the loft. “Would you like that?”
“To be in our new home before the babies get here? Hell, yeah,” Patience stated enthusiastically, her blue eyes dancing merrily. “Are you absolutely sure you wanna take me on, Mr. Turner. I’ve been told that I’m quite a handful.”
“As you well know, I have incredibly large hands, darlin’. It’ll be a cold day in Hell before I let you get away from me now, Hellion. I let you slip through my fingers for years, and every time I think about it, I wish I could kick my own ass. I’ll be damned if I ever turn you loose now. If I have to superglue your ass to me, I’ll do it. Does that sound ‘sure’ enough to you?”
Patience smiled. “Yeah, I think that’ll do. Not that you have anything to worry about since I don’t plan on tryin’ to escape,” she replied softly as a voice deep inside her called ou
t that it was time. Time to tell him exactly what he meant to her. “I know I haven’t said it, Abel, but…”
“Knock, Knock,” a quiet voice called out as the front door to Patience’s loft opened. “Patience, Maggie told me…oh, Devil! Abel, I didn’t know you were still up here. I wouldn’t have just barged in if I’d thought…”
“Honor, it’s fine, sugar. Come on in,” Abel invited, his deep voice pitched low and kind to help soothe the younger woman’s frazzled nerves.
“Yeah, sis, everybody still has their clothes on,” Patience managed to say from her spot curled beside Abel on the couch. She forced a stiff smile to her face and aimed it at her baby sister. She loved Honor to death, but for once, she wished that her loft wasn’t quite so accessible to her kin. She’d been so close to finally telling Abel how much she loved him. She knew it was her own fault that she’d waited this long. She couldn’t deny that she’d been waiting for their relationship to fall apart… for her to inevitably screw it up beyond repair. But none of those things had happened. With patience and humor, Abel had slowly worn his way through all her defenses and wormed his way inside her heart. He was like a virus for which she never wanted to find a cure. It wasn’t pretty, but then, neither was their relationship. What it had been was tried and tested. Their bond had been forged in the fiery waters of uncertainty and doubt, but they’d emerged from that water stronger than ever, unified and devoted wholly to each other and their children.
However, she’d waited this long to share all that with him. Surely she could wait a few more hours, she reminded herself silently as the smile directed at her sister became genuine. “What’s up, sis?” she asked cheerfully.
“I am so sorry, y’all. Maggie said Abel was up here but that he had a meeting this afternoon. I just assumed that he’d already left.”
Ready, Willing and Abel (Passion in Paradise: The Men of the McKinnon Sisters Book 3) Page 39
