Duke smiled as he must’ve thought I was kidding. But I wasn’t kidding at all. If this is what sex does to you, then I wanted no part of it any more. Not even protected sex. I didn’t trust anything to keep me from having to endure this torture again, except abstinence.
The doctor came in to check me. An excruciating process that involved her sticking what felt like her entire hand up my cootch. “Ow!” I let her know that hurt.
She ignored me. “So, we’re at a nine now. It’ll be soon.”
“We’re at a nine?” I asked her as I was the only one who was splitting open in that room.
Duke gripped my shoulder. “No need to be mean to the good doctor, sweetie. She’s just trying to include me in on this.”
The doctor nodded then went to talk to the nurses—about what, I didn’t know. How to torture me further, I’m sure.
I looked at Duke with pure hatred. “Include you in on this?” I shook my head. “It’s not you who’s gained enough weight to resemble a beached whale. It’s not you who’s cried for no reason at all for months. It’s not you who’s tearing apart to bring these little creatures into this world.” Another contraction stopped me, and I just screamed through the whole thing.
I’d picked the absolute worst day to go into labor. There was a storm raging outside, and every damn pregnant woman in the city of New York seemed to be in labor at that exact same hospital. That was the reason behind the anesthesiologist running behind and not giving me my epidural yet. Apparently, every woman in the damn place was begging for one. I must be the last one on the list as he hadn’t gotten to me yet.
And just as I thought my doctor would make him come and hook me up, she blew my world completely apart, “So, there’s not going to be time for an epidural, Lila.”
“What?” my mind shattered. “No! No! No! There’s always time for an epidural, doc!”
Duke took my hand. “It’s going to be okay, baby. I’m with you. I’ll help you through it all. Just breathe. Relax.”
“You relax! I’m about to push two watermelons out of my ass, Duke!” I just couldn’t stop screaming. “This is all your fault! You did this to me! Asshole! Never again, Duke. You’re never touching me again! I’m never having another baby as long as I live!” And I meant it, too.
The next half hour was filled with crying, begging, pleading, and cursing as I pushed out our daughter first, and then our son. And with their tiny cries, and after each one of them wrapped their little hands around my pinky finger, all the anger faded away like magic.
Duke’s smile lit up my world. “You did it, baby.” He kissed my sweaty forehead. “I’m so proud of you.”
I didn’t see how he was proud of me. I’d been a total bitch. I started crying as I looked at my husband who’d been a saint throughout the whole pregnancy. “I love you… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of what I said…you can touch me again…” My sobbing began to stifle my words.
Duke just laughed and hugged me. “It’s all going to be okay now, Lila. You’ll see. I never took anything you said to heart anyway. One day we’ll have another baby, you’ll see.”
I shook my head. “Oh, no. That part I meant. No more babies for me!”
I’d meant it, too. But only three years later, I found myself yearning for one more kid and went and put myself right back into the position I’d sworn I’d never get into again, pregnant with twins again.
We’d found our happily ever after anyway as that pregnancy wasn’t bad at all—mostly because I’d been assured I would get first dibs on the epidural before anyone else when the time came. And I did, too.
The End.
The In-laws: A Dirty News Extra
Lily
I’d met my new brother-in-law, Duke, plenty of times before he and my twin sister, Lila, tied the knot. I could definitely see what my sister saw in that man. Duke was tall, dark, and handsome—the epitome of most women’s perfect man. So, you can imagine my surprise when his younger brother, Jake, turned out just as good looking, if not more.
Dark, wavy hair that fell to his broad shoulders, eyes the color of a cerulean sea, muscles that just wouldn’t quit—and tall, too. Jake Cofield seemed almost too good to be true.
The fact he’d shown up to his brother’s wedding without a date had me wondering why a man like him wasn’t already taken. So, me being me, I asked, “Jake, your brother told me that you’re a veterinarian.” I picked two glasses of champagne off a passing tray and handed one of them to him; his hands were empty, and I was sure he could use a drink, too. “Here, have one of these while I interrogate you. It’ll make your answers more honest.”
His dark brows raised as he accepted the flute of bubbly liquid; Jake took a sip and continued to regard me. I went on, “You seem to have it all—great looks, a career that would impress most women. So, that has me asking myself—why isn’t this guy attached to someone already?”
As Jake pulled the glass away from his plump, caramel lips, he smiled at me. “Funny you should ask me that, Lily. I was told that you were a child prodigy and had started college when you were only fourteen years old. You wanted to become a doctor, which you did by the age of twenty-two. Quite the prestigious career. When you add in your great looks, I asked myself the very same question. How is this gorgeous woman all alone?”
There we both were, each wondering why the other was alone at an event as romantic as a wedding. I knew why I was alone. I was one busy person. My practice took up my entire day. I’d grab a quick bite after work before it was onward to the hospitals I had privileges at, checking on any patients who needed me. I’d usually wrap that up by nine o’clock or so at night and head home to hit the hay. Mornings started early for me, and I insisted on getting in my eight hours of sleep each night.
“So, you know all about me then...” I sipped the expensive champagne as I looked the man over. He was a couple of years younger than Duke—about twenty-nine, I thought. Not too old or too young. “I’ve been busy since I started my own practice right out of medical school. The last few years have been a whirlwind. Being in the middle of a whirlwind leaves one little time to date. And your reason is?”
“Almost the same story, Lily, only I didn’t get the early start you did. It took me a little while to gain my degrees. I’ve had my own veterinary practice for the last five years. I’m not as busy as you are apparently, but I am still pretty busy. There’s been no time for me to date either. I have to admit that I go out on occasion with friends, and there has been the occasional hookup. No one ever stuck, though. My lack of attention has been my problem in the past. I’ve just never met anyone I wanted to spend more than a night with.”
I nodded as I pointed at his glass that was nearly empty. “See there? What did I tell you, Jake? Alcohol helps people tell the truth. We’ve just cut through a lot in one little conversation, haven’t we?”
“Seems we have.” He looked out at the dance floor and then back at me. “Care to dance, Lily?”
I thought he’d never ask. “I guess so.”
Leaving our empty glasses behind, we stepped to the dance floor where he swung me out and into his strong arms. He didn’t try to do any fancy footwork, which I was thankful for. I’d never danced much; studying always took precedence over social activity in past years.
The William Vale Hotel hosted us in their grand ballroom, and most of us had rooms in the hotel. As Jake held me close, I wondered if I’d get an invitation to his room later. It had been a long time since I’d been in a man’s arms. And never one as sexy as Jake.
Laying my head on his shoulder as we swayed to the soft music, I wondered what I was doing. This wasn’t like me at all. I was already thinking of going to bed with the man—almost an absolute stranger.
But then again, he wasn’t. I’d heard quite a bit about Duke’s younger brother Jake. What Lila hadn’t told me, Duke shared. And now Jake had just filled me in on the rest.
I couldn’t ignore the electric current I felt from his touch that ran
throughout my body. That had never happened to me before, but I’d heard of connections like this. Lila told me she always got a jolt whenever Duke touched her. She always had since the very first touch, and throughout the two years they’d been together, it had never stopped. That was one of the signs that told her Duke was the one.
I had no idea if Jake was the one for me. What I did know was that I lived in Loveland, Colorado, and Jake lived in Sacramento, California. That wasn’t exactly a hop, skip, and a jump from each other.
We couldn’t have anything long term anyway. But we could have one night. That had to be better than nothing at all, right?
Jake
I knew Lily and Lila were identical twins, so I expected the girl would be a knock-out just like her sister. What I didn’t anticipate was how attracted I’d be to the woman who looked just like my new sister-in-law.
Holding Lily in my arms as we danced, I couldn’t seem to make myself let her go. An hour had passed with us dancing, holding each other, laughing and talking about things in a way I’d never done with anyone else in my entire life.
Duke and Lila danced up next to us. My brother chuckled, taking my attention from Lily. “You two having a nice time?”
“I am,” I answered him then looked back at Lily. “Are you?”
“It’s not bad at all,” she said as she looked at me. I could see it in her pretty blue eyes; she was completely into me. And I was into her, too—more so than I thought was normal.
From the moment I took her hand to lead her out to the dance floor, I felt a powerful spark. And that spark didn’t die out. No, it just grew in intensity. There wasn’t a fire yet, but then again, I hadn’t kissed her yet. I fully expected a kiss to ignite that spark and turn it into a blazing inferno.
But would starting a fire inside of myself for a woman I couldn’t have a relationship with be a smart thing to do?
We lived so far apart that it made no sense to even think about having anything more than a one-night stand. And how smart would it be to hit it and quit it with someone I’d be seeing at most family functions from this point forward? How would that go down if Lily and I had a one-night stand?
Not great, I thought. But that spark was sure begging me to put some fuel on it—to make it grow.
I had no idea that Duke and Lila had a plan, but it soon became clear when Duke asked, “So, how about we switch partners for this song, Jake?”
Let Lily out of my arms?
“If she wants,” I said, instead.
Lily’s fingers trailed over my shoulder, sending chills through me. “I suppose so, Duke.” She didn’t sound thrilled, but rather obligated, as if it would be rude to turn him down.
I let her go, and she and her sister exchanged places. I didn’t hold Lila nearly as close as I’d been holding her sister. I kept a chaste distance between our bodies.
Lila smiled at me. “You and Lily seem to be getting along well.”
“Yeah, we are.” I glanced sideways at my brother as he danced away with my girl.
I clenched my jaw as I thought about her like that. Lily wasn’t my girl. Why would I even think that way about her?
“My sister is a very busy person, Jake. I’d hate it if you thought there could be something between you two.” Lila tapped her fingers on top of my shoulder. “I’d just hate it if you got hurt.”
“Hurt? Me?” I asked as I shook my head. “I’m well aware of just how busy your sister is, Lila. She’s told me as much. I just like her is all. We have a lot in common. For instance, we both have a calling to medicine—she with humans and I with animals. And she’s just as driven as I am... well, maybe a little more than I am. She doesn’t even take time to go out with friends. She’s so dedicated to her work.”
“That’s right, Jake. My sister is a great person. She’s wonderful, actually. But she’s into her practice and nothing else.” Lila sighed as she looked at her sister who was laughing as Duke must’ve been telling her something funny.
As I watched Lily laughing, I had a thought. “Maybe she should have a little more in her life, Lila. Maybe she just hasn’t met the right person to pull her out of her routine, a person who understands her passion for medicine and only wants to enhance her life a little.”
“And you might be that person?” Lila asked me. Then she shook her head as she answered her own question, “You two don’t live anywhere near each other. You can’t help her branch out and have fun any more than I can.”
I’ve never been a man who backs down from a challenge, and that night I felt a challenge coming on. “It’s not like she lives clear across the map from me, Lila. I’m sure the plane ride from Sacramento to Loveland isn’t that long.”
Lila wasn’t about to back down either. “You’re a busy man yourself, Jake. When will you find time to go see her? And an even better question than that one is—when will she have time to see you if you did manage to get to her?”
“I don’t know, Lila. All I know is that you’re jumping to conclusions.” I twirled her around a little to make her laugh. “Just because I’m enjoying dancing with your sister doesn’t mean I’m about to kidnap her and take her back to California with me. You don’t have to worry.”
The song ended. Lila thanked me for the dance and told me she was glad she didn’t need to worry. But she may have spoken too soon. Just then, as Lily and my brother began walking off the dance floor, another man approached Lily and asked her to dance with him.
My reaction wasn’t typical for me. I moved as fast as I could to get to her before she was swept away. But I wasn’t fast enough. Another song began, and the man had my girl in his arms, dancing her away from me.
And there I was, thinking of Lily as my girl again.
What the hell has gotten into me?
Lily
As I danced with my new partner, I watched Jake go to the bar to get himself a drink. I had to smile as Jake looked more than a little disappointed.
I caught him looking at me as the song came to an end. He mouthed, ‘I want you next.’
Giving Jake a nod, I turned back to my current dance partner to answer him when he asked if I’d like to dance the next song with him, “I really need a break. Thank you though.”
He let me go. “Okay. Maybe in a little while then?”
“Maybe,” I said as I headed to the bar where Jake was.
Jake’s eyes stayed on mine as I walked towards him. He handed me the mixed drink the bartender pushed toward him. “I think we should sit this one out and have a drink, Lily.” He patted the barstool next to him. “Take a seat. Get off those feet for a minute or two.”
“Thanks.” I took the stool he offered, and he sat closely beside me.
He leaned in to whisper in my ear, “You kind of got taken away from me there for a moment. I hate to admit this to you, but I missed you.” The warmth of his breath as it flowed over my neck made my body heat up.
If his breath alone can do that, then what can his lips do to me?
“You did, huh?” I picked up the glass and took a sip to help cool myself off. My internal temperature was climbing quickly; the man seemed to be able to push all my buttons.
Jake nodded as he leaned back, making room between our bodies. Although I loved pulling back to gaze at this muscular Adonis of a man, I truly loved the sensations that ran through me when he and I were close.
His thick fingers brushed through his dark wavy mane as he eyed me. “Did you miss me at all, Lily?”
“Maybe.” I sipped the sweet drink, tasting a bit of cherry and lemon in a mixture I was sure was potent.
The way Jake’s lips pulled into a crooked grin made me smile, too. He had a charm about him I’d never noticed in anyone else. “Does your hotel room have a balcony?” he asked.
I blinked twice.
Is he on the verge of asking me to go to his room with him?
Was I really going to go if he was?
I answered his question with a shake of my head.
Then
I watched his smile grow broader as his eyes lit up. “Mine does.”
My God! Is this really happening?
“Do you have a nice view from it?” I asked as I placed the drink on the bar. If this was going to happen, I didn’t want alcohol to steal the memories from me the next morning. I had a feeling they’d be worth reliving over and over for the remainder of my life.
“I think it’s nice.” He leaned back on the bar on his elbows as he looked out over the crowd.
For a moment I thought he wasn’t going to do anything more than tease me about his room with a beautiful view. “I’m sure it is.” I looked at the drink that only had a sip taken out of it and thought about downing it.
Maybe this guy was just messing around with me. Maybe I wasn’t reading him right at all. Maybe he was into me, but was thinking about how awkward it could get if we had a one-night stand and then had to attend future family functions. If that was the case, maybe I needed the alcohol to steal the memories of this night.
The night I met the perfect man—a man I couldn’t have at all.
He spoke without looking at me, “You can see the stars better from that balcony; it’s on the top floor. Not many city lights can get up that high.”
Okay, so he’s into looking at stars.
Apparently, he’d never been to Loveland, Colorado. I’d seen many a spectacular starry night—and morning for that matter as I got up before dawn each morning to get to work. “I’m sure that view is nice, but it can’t possibly compare to the night sky in Colorado. It is awesome on even the drabbest of nights.” I reached out to pick up the glass as the train of conversation seemed to be derailing.
He turned to look at me as he reached out and pushed my drink back on the bar a bit, our hands touching as he did so. “I’d like you to have a clear head, Lily.” His left eye blinked in a wink. “I’d like you to come to my room to check out the stars, and perhaps one day you’ll see fit to invite me to visit your home in Colorado, so I can see that infamous view, too.”
Dirty News (Dirty Network Book 1) Page 20
