Chapter Nine

IT HAD BEEN ALMOST THREE WEEKS SINCE WE’D BEEN TOGETHER. I so badly wanted to sleep with him again, but he hadn’t been feeling well, and I knew I’d have to take it slow with him. He was so hesitant about the possibility of us—I didn’t want to scare him away. We were out picking some apples in his orchard, and he put his palm on a tree trunk, blowing out a breath.

I placed my bushel down and went over to him. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just um, yeah,” he said, nodding.

I rubbed his back. “Sure?”

“Yeah.” He blew out a breath and licked his luscious lips. His cheeks were flushed, and God I had it bad for him.

“How ‘bout we break for some lunch?”

“Okay.”

I plucked his cowboy hat from his head and plopped it on mine. He wore it whenever he was out working, said it kept the sun out of his face. But despite wearing it, his cheeks were flushed, so I figured he could use a bit of cooling off. He walked back, holding his stomach.

“You sure you’re okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

We went inside, and I put the bushel of apples on the kitchen counter.

“Sit. I’ll make you some lunch.”

He sat down at the kitchen table, and I gave him a light kiss on the lips. He gasped, so I pressed harder, separating his lips with my tongue. Cupping my hands behind his head, I straddled him on the chair. He wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing me back, his growing hardness pressing against me. We gasped and moaned into our kiss—our chests rose and fell together. It was like we became one, and he had to feel how in synch we were. Even if he would not admit it, his cock was giving it all away.

I slowed our kiss and put my forehead on his as we both panted. “How about that sandwich now?”

He gulped and nodded. “Okay.”

I made us some awesome sandwiches, and as I took a big ass bite of mine, my phone buzzed. “Oh, shit.”

“What?” Max asked, putting down his sandwich.

“My cousin’s husband is in labor.”

“Oh, wow.”

“I told them I would help out.”

“Of course, yes, go.”

***

There was so much horrible screaming. It sounded like a horror movie. I gulped and took in the worried expressions of the twins, Madison and Michael. “Having babies is a lot of work.”

“Is Daddy hurting Dad?” Madison asked with a severe expression.

“No, sweetie. Dad just has babies coming out of him, and it sounds like it might be the most painful thing in the world.”

“They come out of his tummy?”

“Sure.”

“Do they have to rip him open, the babies?” Michael asked.

“In a way.” The doorbell rang. Thank God. I ran across the living room, answering the door with Madison and Michael at my heels.

“Hey, I’m Hank, the neighbor. I believe I’m on kid-watching duty.”

I let him in. He was short, round, and exuberated happiness.

“All of them?” I asked.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” he said with a smile.

“I’m Bauer. Theo’s cousin.”

“I’ve heard about you.”

“Hopefully, good things.”

“Only good things. I’ll keep an eye on these ones if you want to see if they need any help in there.”

“Ank, Ank.” A couple of the quads came running toward him.

“Okay, thanks,” I said, secretly wanting to stay in the safety of the living room.

I gulped and went down the hall, walking into the bedroom. I tried to go back out when I saw Garver naked on the bed screaming, his face bright red, dripping with sweat, and Theo holding his leg back. Garver’s dad held his other leg, and there, God, there was his hole, so stretched and swollen, bright pink and protruding as the top of the baby’s head lingered there. Dear lord. The midwife kneeled at the foot of the bed, encouraging him to push.

“Here, hold them.” Garver’s other dad handed me a baby. It was purple and wrinkly and most obviously just came out of Garver. Dear God, I held something that came out of his body, out of his sacred parts that I had no business seeing or knowing about, but yet there I was. Garver cried and screamed, holding his thighs so tight, trying his darndest to get that baby out as I held another one of the babies he had already given birth to.

It seemed it was now my duty to look after the baby I held as everyone got ready for the next one. My head felt a bit dizzy, and I didn’t know where to look, but Garver’s wails drew me back as his hole stretched more. Holy shit. I gulped and sat down on a rocking chair, leaning back; I didn’t want to drop the baby because I really thought I was going to pass out for a minute there.

Giving birth was not for the weak. It was grueling. Garver screamed and pushed as the top of the baby’s head strained at his exit for far too long. I was so glad I was an alpha because if I was an omega, I would’ve been like no thanks, I’m not the one having the kids.

I texted Max later that evening.

Bauer: I think I’m officially traumatized.

Max: Did your cousin’s husband have the baby?

Bauer: Yes, three of them, but I can’t talk about it beyond that.

Max: Why?

Bauer: He was naked, Max, and screaming, and I saw … saw … I have to go sit down.

Max: Sounds like you had a great time.

Bauer: Smartass.

A COUPLE MORE WEEKS PASSED, and Max was still barfing. Instead of going to the doctor, he kind of lived with it. We continued to get closer. We had made out a hell of a lot more, and he even let me blow him, and then he reciprocated. It was the best damn blow job I had ever received. In the past couple of weeks, there had also been a lot of hand jobs and so much humping.

“What if it’s something that’s going to kill you?” I sat next to him on the couch, walking my fingers across his shoulder and poking the side of his nose. It was so damn cute.

“I’ve been looking online, and I might be lactose intolerant or allergic to gluten. Supposedly gluten bloats you, and I have been very bloated.”

“Let me see.”

He lifted his shirt, showing me his slightly distended stomach.

“Oh, you are. I can help you with a new diet. I know all about that stuff.”

“Being a model and all?”

“Well, yeah.” I shrugged. While the modeling industry was becoming more inclusive, it was still much easier to get work if you were nice and trim. “Hopefully, you’re not allergic to me.”

He scoffed. “I’m sure it’s not you.”

“Prove it to me,” I said, running my palm over his hair.

He quirked up an eyebrow. “How?”

“I’ll show you how.” I pulled on his pants, bringing him to me, cupping his bulge in my hand.

His eyes widened.

“I’m going to make love to you,” I whispered in his ear.

“But we’re not in love.”

I wrapped my arm around his waist. “Maybe not yet, but give it time. This will be the start.”

“You can’t just decide you’re in love,” he said with a huff.

“We’re fated, Max. The love always comes.”

He shook his head. “No, that’s you.”

“No, it’s just an excuse.”

“Okay, then,” he said with a gulp.

I guided him to the bedroom, pushed him onto the bed, straddling him and peeling off his shirt. Smoothing my hands up his abdomen to his chest, I brushed my thumbs over his nipples. He hissed.

“No nipples?”

“They’re just really sore.”

“Maybe I can make them feel better.” I kissed his one and then the other, and my cock swelled in my jeans.