Shadow shakes his head and quirks one side of his mouth up, “They won’t find anyone in there. It’s just all way too convenient. A few days after you and Sophia get back together and she’s here with you? No, this is definitely a diversion tactic. But, from what is the question.”
“Are you saying you think Sophia is in on this?” The surface temperature of the sun would be considered the North Pole compared to me right now.
Shadow instantly snaps his head around to look at me when he recognizes the inflection in my voice. He calmly replies, “No, Dominic. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m saying someone is using the circumstances to their advantage, but it’s not Sophia.”
The seed of doubt has been planted and I won’t rest until I see for myself. Sophia claimed she wanted to take her bath right before all of this happened. What if she called someone–like Harry Dick-man–to give him the green light to break in? What if she is just playing me again? Calming my mind, I take a deep breath and make my move. Taking the stairs two at a time, I quietly creep toward the master bedroom. The door is already slightly ajar, allowing me a stealthy entrance.
The lights are off except for a small reading lamp in the far corner of the bedroom. Sophia is curled up with my pillow, her face nearly buried in it, and a folded washcloth across her eyes and forehead. My heart thaws again at the sight of her asleep in my bed. Her hair was obviously wet but has begun to air dry, the smell of her body wash still lingers in the air, and her damp towel is on the floor beside the bed. She did take her bath, climbed in the bed exhausted, and is using her Dom pillow to help her rest.
When I take a step toward her, she suddenly flies out of bed and sprints to the bathroom. Concern fills me and I rush to the doorway, finding her on her knees, hunched over the commode. She looks so thin and frail in her nightgown–so much more so than just over two months ago when I shut her out of my life. Regret and guilt eat away at me for all the time we’ve been apart and thoughts of how hard it must have been on her saturate my mind.
Running cool water over a clean washcloth, I wring it out and hold it against her forehead when she stills. “Are you finished, baby?” I ask gently. She simply nods her head and begins to stand. I help her up and she moves to the sink to brush her teeth. I can’t stand it any longer. She looks like she’s about to fall over right in front of me.
“Let me carry you,” I state, but wait for her to agree since any sudden movement is likely to make her feel sick again. She doesn’t answer verbally, but she wraps one arm around my neck and I bend to hook my arm behind her knees. She lays her head on my shoulder and I pull her close to me.
“You feel so cold, baby. Do you want me to lie down with you and warm you?” Again, she only nods and I carefully place her in our bed. Quickly shedding my clothes, I crawl in the bed behind her and cocoon her with my body. My arms wrap around her, my entire upper body is flush with hers, and our legs are entwined. A shiver runs through her before I feel her becoming warmer.
“Have you been sick the whole time you’ve been up here, Sophia?” I whisper.
“Yes,” she answers weakly.
“Was today too much for you? Did I cause this?” I have to know if this is my fault. If my decision to playfully punish her, then thoroughly love her, drained her of all her energy and brought on this sickness…
“No, Dom, you didn’t cause it,” she whispers back. “Well, you kind of caused it,” she amends and my heart jumps up in my throat. “You impregnated me, so that makes it your fault,” she jokes.
Blowing out a long held breath, I really want to chastise her for that little prank. But, I know there’s no way she could’ve known how responsible I feel for wearing her out. “Are you sure it isn’t because I was too rough on you today? Or because you were too weak to endure everything?”
She rubs my arm lovingly, “I’m sure, Dom. It’s been a regular occurrence for a while now. Morning sickness my ass–it’s morning, noon, and night. There’s no rhyme or reason to it.”
“You’re going to the doctor tomorrow, Sophia. You’ve lost too much weight and I want to know that you’re healthy.” I can’t keep the concern from my voice on this. She needs to know how important her health is to me. She needs to know how important she is to me.
“Okay,” she agrees. The fact that my feisty little sub doesn’t argue that she needs to see a doctor alarms me.
“Do we need to go now?” The alarm at the company can wait. Tucker is more than capable of handling it without me. My first concern and responsibility is right here in my arms.
“No, I just want to sleep,” she says, the fatigue overtaking her. Within a few minutes, her breathing slows and becomes steady. Her body is warm and she seems to be resting comfortably.
Easing out of bed, I quietly grab a pair of lounging pants and walk back downstairs to find Shadow.
“Have you heard from Tucker?” I ask, running my hand through my hair and glancing back up the stairs.
“He’s there, but he’s busy securing the building. Is everything okay?” he abruptly changes the subject.
“Sophia is sick. It may just be normal morning sickness, but she’s lost too much weight. I’m taking her to the doctor tomorrow and I’m not leaving her tonight.”
“Understood. We got it,” Shadow replies just before his phone rings. “Yeah,” he answers.
After a few clipped responses, I gather that Tucker is talking to him and he’s just taking all the information in. It’s hard being on this side of the conversation with Shadow because the mountain gives nothing away. Several minutes later, he disconnects with Tucker and I wait for an update.
“No one was found and he said they combed all the floors that are assigned to your company. There was nothing taken, but your office was broken into and some papers were disheveled on your desk. After they secured the office, Dana went in and checked the papers. She said they were a contract she had printed earlier in the day and left for you to review. The pages were numbered and they’re all there. The security camera feed shows someone wearing all black, including the ski mask that covered his face and the black gloves that covered his hands.
“The strange thing, though, is when he jimmied the door to your office, he had papers in his hand. When he ran out, there were no papers. Something was planted in your office and only you would know what wasn’t there before. When you and Sophia finish at the doctor, we need to go through everything carefully. Whatever he left behind was worth breaking into the building and risk getting caught,” Shadow explains.
The cameras don’t capture what happens inside my office, for obvious reasons, but it’s really unfortunate in this instance.
“I need to go work off some of this pent up energy. Do me a favor and listen for Sophia. If she gets sick again, come get me. I’m concerned about her getting dehydrated.”
“Sure thing.”
The gym in the lake house is nowhere near the size of the one that was in my main home, but it’ll do for tonight. I change into some gym shorts and running shoes that I always keep in here and prepare to work out my frustration. Hitting the treadmill, I continually increase the speed and incline and run until I don’t think I can take another step. Checking the time, I realize I’ve been at this for about an hour on full throttle. After a quick shower, I rush up the stairs to check on Sophia again.
Approaching the door, I soften my steps and ease into the room. She hasn’t moved from the position I left her in. Slipping back into my spot behind her, I envelop her with my body and place a soft kiss on her head. “I love you, My Angel,” I whisper softly before sleep overtakes me. As I begin to drift off, I realize that holding Sophia in my arms relaxes me more than anything else. Even with the shit storm going on at my office now, the most important part of my life is here with me and everything else can wait.
Sophia
I’m being pulled out from the deepest slumber I’ve had since I lost Dominic. The bed is more comfortable than I remember and I’m warmer than I’ve be
en in weeks. Moving slowly, I try to turn over but there is a hard wall behind me, and I feel a thick, muscular arm snaked around me. Forcing my eyes open, my heart flutters and I almost cry from happiness.
I would recognize the intricate design of those tattoos anywhere. My Dom. I love waking up in his arms and every morning is like the first time all over again. The memories of last night flash before me and I recall him helping me when I was sick. He carried me to bed and I could feel the concern radiating off of him. For a few minutes there, I thought he would take me to the emergency room and demand that they “fix” me. Just the fact that he helped me in the only way he could makes me fall deeper in love with him.
Twirling the ring he gave me on my finger, the inscription still holds so much meaning to me. “My Dom’s Angel.” It’s my collar from him, the symbol that I belong to him, and he said it was to never come off. “There is no going back,” he said when he gave it to me. I thought I understood what he meant at the time, but it is all so much clearer to me now.
Even when we were apart, I was still his and this ring stayed on my finger. My heart, my mind, and my body knew I still belonged to him. I knew without a doubt there could be no other man for me after loving my Dom. Now that I have him back, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep him. He wants to take me to the doctor today because he’s worried about me. If such a small thing would give him peace of mind, I’d never deny him that. I’m sure the doctor will just explain that this is a normal part of pregnancy but he’ll feel better hearing it from Dr. Perry.
“Good morning, my love,” I hear his husky morning voice from behind me.
“Good morning to you,” I turn my face over my shoulder and respond. He leans in and plants sweet kisses on my eyes, nose, and chin.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Better than ever,” I say honestly. “Did you?”
“More relaxed than ever, baby,” he snuggles in closer to me, burying his face in my hair. “How do you feel this morning?”
“I just have to lie still in bed for a few minutes after waking. If I try to jump up right away, it usually makes the nausea worse,” I explain.
“Lazing in bed it is, then,” he chuckles. “We’re still going to the doctor today.”
“Okay, Dom,” I agree and he raises his head, concern filling his eyes.
“Are you worse than you’re telling me?”
“No,” I smile at him, “I just know you won’t rest until the doctor tells you it’s all normal and I’m fine.”
The concern hasn’t faded from his eyes but I see gratitude swirling in them, too. He knows I’m agreeing to go for him, not for me. It’s a small sacrifice–spend a little time in the car and in the waiting room with my Dom, just to see the doctor and hear that my symptoms are normal. That’s why his next words shock me so much.
“I’m not so sure this is normal, Sophia. I didn’t realize how much weight you’ve lost until I really looked at you in your nightgown last night. If the doctor says you need to go on bed rest until the baby is born, there’ll be no argument. That means no work, no trip to Austin, nothing. If I made it worse by tiring you out too much yesterday, I’m so sorry and I’ll do everything I can to help you feel better.”
Slowly turning in his arms to face him, I lovingly stroke his face. “Dominic, you didn’t do anything wrong. I felt fine the whole time we made love yesterday. You took good care of me. It wasn’t until after dinner that I felt sick and I’ve done that so many times, I should’ve known to only eat a light meal in the evening. It’s not your fault.”
He nods, but I still see the question in his eyes. When the doctor says so, he’ll believe it. I love that he cares for me so much. I love that he takes such good care of me.
I love how he loves me.
Chapter Thirteen
“Sophia Vasco,” the nurse calls from the open doorway.
Dominic and I rise from our seats and follow her to the weight scales. As she adjusts the counter-weights, she states my weight and then begins to write it in my chart. The alarm in her voice catches me off guard when she realizes the difference.
“Sophia! Why have you lost six pounds since the last time you were here?”
“I’ve been sick all the time. I’ve had a hard time keeping anything down,” I explain and feel the tension rolling off Dominic in massive, crashing waves. I’ll be on complete bed rest with an electric wheelchair to cart me back and forth to the bathroom by the time he’s finished with me.
“You should’ve called us, sweetie,” the nurse says. “It’s not good for you to lose that much weight when you’re pregnant.”
She escorts us to an exam room, tells me to undress and put the hospital gown on, and then leaves Dominic and me alone. He helps me undress then he helps me into the hospital gown before circling his arms around me and pulling me close to him. His warm hands are splayed across the bare skin on my back and he smells so good. I love his scent–his woodsy cologne mixed with the purely dominant, alpha male scent that only belongs to my Dom.
He tenderly strokes my back, along my spine, before he says, “Hop up on the table and get off your feet, baby.”
I smile at him but I do as he says. “Are you going to be this overprotective for the next seven months?” I laugh.
He gives me a real smile, the one that can break hearts and melt glaciers, before his answer makes my heart swell with more love than I knew I could even feel. “No, baby, not for the next seven months. For the rest of your life.”
He stays at my side, his arms wrapped protectively around me, his head nuzzled against mine, until the doctor walks in the room. “Hi, I’m Dr. Tabitha Perry,” she says as she shakes hands with Dominic.
“Sophia, I hear you’ve been very sick and have lost six pounds.” Her voice conveys concern and I feel Dominic tense beside me.
“Yes, the morning sickness isn’t following the rules. I’ve been sick all day and night,” I explain. “Dominic was worried about me last night when I got sick again and wanted me to come see you as soon as possible.”
“Morning sickness is a bit misleading,” she smiles, “because it’s not always morning when it hits. The problem comes when you’re not able to keep nutrients in your body to feed the baby. The baby will first steal what it needs from you, but when that’s depleted, then you both suffer.”
I notice, with deep foreboding, that she hasn’t said it’s normal to be this sick. Casting a weary look at Dominic, I see the worry in his eyes, too. “What do I need to do?” I ask Dr. Perry, terror and panic rising in my throat.
“Let’s do your exam, get your blood work back, and we’ll go from there. In the meantime, I will give you a prescription for anti-nausea medication that will help you keep your food down.”
“Is that medication safe the baby?” Dominic asks.
“Yes, pregnant women have safely used it for many decades now. Your mother probably even used it with you,” Dr. Perry explains before having me lie back on the examination table.
“Have you seen any spotting or bleeding?” she asks as she checks my stomach.
“No.” I’m so scared now. It’s not normal to be this sick and I shouldn’t have let it go on so long.
“Any cramping? Either in your lower abdomen or in your lower back?”
“No.” Oh my god, why is she asking all these questions? What’s wrong?
She nods, “I’m going to check you now. Put your feet in the stirrups and scoot all the way down to the edge of table.”
Dominic helps me move down and I know it’s just so he’ll have something to do, something to contribute, and something to help distract him from his thoughts.
“Dr. Perry,” I start apprehensively, “I have to ask you an embarrassing question.”
“Sure,” she laughs. “I assure you, I’ve heard them all and nothing will shock me.”
“Will…vigorous…sex hurt the baby? Or make the morning sickness worse?” I’m so glad I’m lying down, staring at the ceiling, and can’t
see her over the sheet draped across my legs.
“No, not at all. Your baby is well protected in your uterus, surrounded by amniotic fluid, and padded with your internal organs. At most, the baby would be rocked to sleep,” she assures us.
“What if it overexerted Sophia?” Dominic chimes in. “What if it took too much of her energy?”
“Still wouldn’t hurt the baby. Sophia may want a nap afterward, but a healthy, even vigorous, sex life won’t hurt the baby in a normal pregnancy. There are very few circumstances where we have to worry about that–previous preterm labor, if she had a cervical mesh inserted, or other similar known medical issues.”
Dominic releases an audible sigh of relief and reaches to take my hand in his. Love shines in his eyes and I give just as much love back to him.
“It’s still too early to hear the baby’s heartbeat with the fetal Doppler,” Dr. Perry says as she stands. “As of now, everything looks normal except your weight loss. We have to turn that around immediately. Major organs are forming now and the baby needs all the nutrients he or she can get.
“Take your medication, eat smaller but more frequent meals, and keep something on your stomach at all times. Many women have found that if they let their stomach get completely empty, the sickness is much worse. Keep crackers beside your bed and nibble on them before you even lift your head from the pillow. You should see major improvements soon.”
“Thank you, Dr. Perry,” Dominic says sincerely as he shakes her hand, clasping her one hand with both of his.
I have a feeling that my loving, possessive, protective Dom is about to amp it up to the one-thousandth degree.
After making several phone calls when we left the doctor’s office, he has managed to have all of his work and my work delivered to the lake house. Christine has stocked the kitchen with every type of food the grocery store carries. Dana has bought multiple pairs of comfortable, but stylish, pajamas so the baby and I will always be well taken care of.
“When does it say to take your medication?” he asks.
Her Dom's Lesson (Dominic Powers Book 2) Page 12
