Twins for Christmas

by Layla Valentine

  “Yes,” she said with a soft smile. “Two weeks. I had to get special dispensation from my doctor to fly.”

  “I’ll finish up here in Rio as quickly as I can. And I’m going to send you back to the city first thing in the morning and have you looked after by the best doctors. When the time comes—”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head.

  “No?” I asked, confused.

  “That’s not what I want.”

  “Then…what do you want? This would be the best thing for you and the babies. When you’re ready to give birth, I’m not going to leave anything to chance. I’ve spent enough time letting you do this all on your own, so give me the opportunity to start making it up to you.”

  “I appreciate the thought,” she said. “I really do. But it’s…just not what I want.”

  I took her hand again.

  “Then tell me. Anything I can do to make this easier for you.”

  Another warm smile.

  “You want to be there for me?” she asked. “Then that’s easy. Just…be there for me, then.”

  Another wave of confusion.

  “What do you mean?”

  She laughed softly.

  “You still don’t get it, do you? I swear, for one of the smartest men I’ve met, you sure have a thick head sometimes.”

  I said nothing, waiting for her to say what was on her mind.

  She squeezed my hand.

  “When I say I want you with me, I don’t mean some fancy hospital or anything like that. I mean that I want you here at my side. Just…be here. That’s all I want.”

  “You mean here in Rio?” I asked. “Because as much as I’d like to hop on the plane right now and head back, I can’t leave the team here in the lurch like that.”

  “No, no,” she said. “I know why you’re here and I know what’s at stake. And if you ask me, what you’re doing is so important that I don’t think you should be doing it alone.”

  I realized what she was saying.

  “You’re serious?” I asked. “You want to help?”

  I glanced down at her big belly.

  “I mean, do you think that’s a good idea? You don’t exactly…ah…”

  “Please,” she said. “My boss told me to stay home and wait for the babies to come, and it’s been driving me insane. I need to work—and you need my help.”

  I couldn’t argue with her on that point. Having her skills at my side would make this whole process go more smoothly.

  A look of realization and worry took hold of her features.

  “What?” I asked.

  “But wait…what about the board?”

  Right. There was that little issue.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said.

  “How does it not matter? Won’t you get fired?”

  “Isla,” I said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned since you’ve come into my life, it’s that there are more important things in life than work. Like…love, for example. I know how I feel, and I know what I want. And no board is going to tell me that I’m not allowed to love you.”

  I’d been so caught up in the message that I hadn’t paid attention to the words I’d chosen.

  Love.

  I’d told her that I loved her.

  “You…love me?” Isla asked. “Do you mean that?”

  I knew I had a chance to take it back and tell her that it wasn’t what I’d intended to say. But as the beats of silence passed, I realized without a shadow of a doubt that it was the case.

  “I mean it,” I said, full conviction in my voice. “I love you so much, and the idea that I almost lost you scares me like nothing else. If you don’t feel the same way, I’ll understand. But that’s what’s in my heart.”

  She regarded me with a stunned expression for a moment, and I found myself worrying that she might tell me that while she was fond of me, she wouldn’t go so far as to say she loved me.

  But the blank expression soon turned warm, and the tears returned to her eyes.

  “Of course I do!” she said. “I love you, Adam. So much.”

  I didn’t think it was possible to experience any more joy than I had when I’d learned that Isla was carrying my children. But hearing those words out of her mouth was beyond anything I’d ever experienced in my life.

  There was nothing else to be said. Looking into her eyes, seeing how they glistened with a slight sheen of joyful tears, all I could do was kiss her.

  So, that’s what I did.

  I placed my hand on her chin exactly as I had back on Christmas. Then, I gently tilted her head up toward mine and gazed down into her beautiful brown eyes one more time before bringing her lips to mine.

  However much electricity and excitement our first kiss had brought, that one, filled with love, was even more exhilarating. My body felt light as air, everything around me melting away and leaving nothing but my lips on hers, her hands in mine, the softness of her breath against my skin.

  A question popped into my head, the same one that had after we’d shared our first kiss. I took my lips from Isla’s.

  “Do you want more?”

  She nodded eagerly.

  “I do. Of course I do.”

  With that I rose from the couch and offered her my hand. She took it and we were soon in the bedroom. The moonlight poured in, giving the space a captivating glow that matched the otherworldly mood I was in. The two of us went right back to kissing again, our hands all over one another’s bodies as we rushed to remove each other’s clothing.

  “Wait,” she said, stopping.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “It’s, um, well…”

  She placed her hand on her belly.

  “I feel kind of…well, not my sexiest.”

  “Don’t be crazy,” I said. “I’ve never seen you more beautiful than you are right now.”

  She smiled, a trace of hesitation in her expression.

  “Do you mean that?”

  “I mean it.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “And we might need to…um, figure out the logistics of this.”

  I laughed softly.

  “We’re a good team,” I said. “I’m sure we can figure it out.”

  We kissed again, this time finishing the job of getting us both down to nothing at all. The sight of her body, full with pregnancy, filled me with more love and excitement than anything had before in my life.

  Carefully, I laid her down onto the bed, positioning myself next to her. We kissed deeply, lovingly, my hands moving along her curves, over her belly. Soon I was behind her, my arms around her as I kissed the back of her neck.

  “Are you ready?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “I’ve been ready all year.”

  Nothing more needed to be said. I took hold of myself, Isla making a small moan of anticipation as I positioned myself against her. With a slow drive of my hips, I entered her.

  The feeling was beyond incredible.

  I moved into Isla, a soft sigh escaping from her lips, her fingers tightening their hold on the sheets.

  When I was entirely in her I held for a moment, letting the two of us savor the feeling of being joined together, our bodies becoming one.

  It wasn’t the most athletic lovemaking we’d ever done, but that didn’t matter. The closeness between us, the love we shared made it more sensual, more meaningful than I’d ever known sex could be.

  I took her all in—the way her body moved against me, the rise and fall of her chest, the sounds of pleasure she made as I drove into her time and time again, gently increasing the intensity until I could tell she was close.

  “I love you, Isla,” I said, feeling on the verge of release.

  “I…I love you too, Adam,” she said, locking eyes with me.

  My thrusts continued, deep and slow. Soon I passed the point of no return, Isla’s warmth guiding me to orgasm.

  Together we came, our skin melting together, our lips in a kiss of unthinkable passion.


  I stayed inside of her for a time, not wanting to leave, letting the afterglow of our lovemaking wash over us.

  Eventually, she rolled over to face me. The two of us simply looked in one another’s eyes. Nothing else needed to be said.

  Before too long the day and the emotions caught up with me. My eyes closed as I felt myself drift into a deep sleep, a smile on my face.

  Chapter 29

  Isla

  I woke up in the middle of the night feeling strange. It wasn’t an uncommon thing to happen—it had become something of a habit during my third trimester—and usually it wasn’t that big of an issue. I’d get up, use the bathroom, have a glass of water, and go back to bed. On some nights it was harder to go back to sleep than others. Something about waking up in the middle of the night had a way of making all your stresses come to you at once.

  Luckily, I was usually in such an exhausted state that I’d be out before things got too intense. But that night was different. As I lay in bed, Adam at my side, my mind wouldn’t stop racing.

  The difference, this time, was that I wasn’t thinking stressful thoughts. No, for the first time in a long while, all I could think about were the positive things in my life. The father of my children was back in my life, and I felt as though a part of me that I’d previously ripped out, the hole ragged and raw, had been returned to its proper place.

  I thought about the future, what it might hold. After we returned from Rio, I’d be back in San Francisco, away from the LA apartment I’d thought I was going to make my home. I realized that I’d never even seen Adam’s place before. It was likely huge, of course, but it was probably one of those bachelor pads, all angles and coldness, that needed a woman’s touch. As much as I didn’t want to take time off from work, I decided that making the place homey and inviting for the girls would be a great way to spend my maternity time off.

  And then what? We’d be living together, raising the babies. There was still the matter of the board’s reaction to us being together, and the real chance that Adam would lose his job. But hadn’t he made his fortune striking out on his own? He had that drive, that ambition that made me realize he’d land on his feet no matter what. I was excited to be there at his side supporting him all the way.

  I’d been thrilled about the girls, but I’d also been worried as hell. Thinking about it with nothing but positive feelings was something I was going to have to accustom myself to.

  Adam was there. He was there with me and ready to be a father. And not just ready but thrilled about the idea. I’d spent the plane ride down to Rio terrified that he’d send me packing. But it had all gone better than I could’ve hoped. It was all…so freaking perfect.

  The restlessness was a touch rougher that night, a strange feeling coming over me as I made my way to the kitchenette for a glass of water. I was ready to chalk it up to my nerves still being jangled from the trip and everything after. I’d had one of the most stressful, exhilarating days of my life—of course I was going to feel a little out of sorts once it was all over.

  But as I stood there, glass of water in hand, I felt…weird. Not simply post-flight weird, or the type of weird you feel after the kind of emotionally exhausting night I’d had, but like there was something really amiss with me.

  I sipped the water, and right at the moment I was about to swallow, a tight, sharp pain rushed through my belly. I jerked forward where I stood, the glass slipping out of my hands and landing on the floor with a crash.

  “Shit!” I said.

  Before I could say or do anything else, I felt the trickle of something wet down my leg. At first I assumed it was the water that I’d spilled, but then I realized there was far too much of it for that.

  Another pain hit me, this one severe enough to cause a yelp of pain to shoot out of my mouth as I grabbed onto the kitchen counter.

  “Ahh!” I cried out as I held on.

  At the peak of the pain, Adam appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, nothing but a pair of boxer briefs on. I couldn’t even appreciate the view, my stomach hurt so badly.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Careful,” I said, gesturing to the floor. “Glass broke—”

  I stopped talking as the pain reached its crescendo.

  As it faded, Adam swept me up in his arms and away from the broken glass, and it hit me what was likely going on.

  It was happening.

  “When did you say you were due?” asked Adam, apparently of the same mind as me.

  “Two…two weeks,” I said faintly.

  “Not looking like that to me,” he said. “These girls look like they’re ready to come now.”

  Panic took hold of me, and I thanked God that Adam was there at my side.

  “Okay,” he said. “I want you to sit down and focus on your breathing. I’m going to grab you something to wear and throw some clothes on. And then we’re going to go to the hospital. Okay?”

  I stared forward in a daze, not saying anything.

  “I need you to say ‘okay,’ Isla.”

  “Oh…okay.”

  He nodded and was off. Moments later he was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, carrying in his hands some similar clothes for me. I barely had the mental presence to get dressed, but Adam was there to help me along.

  “Here’s what’s going to happen,” he said, his calm voice a total contrast to the panic I felt. “You’re not going to think about anything other than taking one step and then another. I’m going to do all the thinking for us. I’m here for you, and everything’s going to be fine. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  I was still anxious, but Adam’s even tone put me more at ease than I otherwise would’ve been.

  “Now, let’s get downstairs and grab a taxi. I don’t know the area all that well, but I know there’s a really big hospital near here. I’m sure they’ll be able to take good care of you.”

  “Okay.”

  And with that, we were off. Once down in the lobby, Adam quickly let the front desk know that we needed a cab, the staff taking one look at me and realizing how serious the situation was. Thankfully, we only had to wait a couple of minutes before the cab showed up outside.

  “Hospital!” said Adam in English.

  The driver got it and was off. Another contraction hit me as we drove.

  “I’m not going to have them in the back of this taxi, am I?” I asked. “Please tell me I’m not.”

  “Ah, cuántos minutos?” said Adam.

  I knew that was Spanish and wasn’t sure if the Portuguese-speaking driver would understand. Thankfully, he did.

  “Umm,” said the driver. “Five minutes, sir.”

  “Five,” said Adam, relief in his voice. “Can you handle five?”

  “I…I think so.”

  The taxi drove fast, whipping through the sparse early-morning traffic. It wasn’t long before I could see the hospital off in the distance, the large, low-rise building aglow with lights. There wasn’t a sweeter sight I could imagine.

  Well, maybe Adam next to me, my hand in his—that wasn’t bad either. I was so happy he was there, so relieved that I finally had someone to go through this with. But I could only feel warm and fuzzy for a moment before yet another wave of pain hit me.

  “Now,” said Adam as we approached the hospital. “I don’t know much about giving birth, but I know that the closer together the contractions are, the closer you’re getting. Can you hold out a little bit longer?”

  “Not like I have a choice,” I said, trying to maintain a sense of humor.

  “There you go,” he said with a smile.

  Before too long we were in front of the hospital ER, the driver opening the door and helping me out as Adam shoved a large handful of bills in his direction. The driver barely had a chance to say thank you before the staff noticed us. They hurried over and wasted no time getting me into a wheelchair and on my way.

  The lights of the ER were bright and disorienting, and another wave of pain ran through me as I
was wheeled through. Adam still held my hand, still stayed at my side.

  “English?” asked Adam to the team of doctors. “Anyone speak English?”

  “Yes, sir,” said one of them. “And the doctor you will see can speak it too.”

  It was a major relief. Knowing that I was in good hands with people I could actually talk to made me instantly feel better about what was happening.

  Soon I was brought into a smaller room, changed out into a medical gown, and helped up onto a delivery table.

  “I’m still here,” said Adam, squeezing my hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  I couldn’t put into words how good it made me feel to hear him say that.

  Seconds later a white-coat-clad doctor, a short bald man with thick glasses, stepped into the room.

  “Good morning,” he said to Adam and me in perfect English. “I’m Dr. Sousa. I’ll be delivering your baby.”

  “Babies,” said Adam. “We’re expecting twins.”

  The doctor raised his dark, bushy eyebrows in mild surprise before glancing at my enormous belly.

  “Ah,” he said with a smile. “Even better!”

  He clearly had a positive attitude, which made me feel a touch better.

  “Doctor,” I said. “I’m…I’m supposed to have them two weeks from now. Is…that bad?”

  Fear took hold in anticipation of his answer, fear that vanished the moment he shook his head in the negative.

  “Not at all,” he said. “Two weeks early is very common. Just means you’ve got a couple of kids ready to get out and see Mom and Dad.”

  “There you go,” said Adam, giving my hand another squeeze. “Nothing to worry about—don’t stress yourself out about a thing.”

  As soon as he finished, another contraction blasted through me.

  “Okay!” said Dr. Sousa. “How far apart are the contractions?”

  “They’re close,” I said. “Less than a minute, I think.”

  “Excellent,” he said. “We’ll examine you to make sure, but it looks like these kids are ready to march.”

  As nurses crowded around me, hooking me up to various monitors, Adam rushed to my side and planted a soft kiss on my already sweaty forehead.