by Ella Brooke
Hazel looked at her friends. “I could come around 1:00 pm if that’s okay? I have a meeting, and then I have to eat lunch.”
Ian found himself bobbing his head up and down dumbly. That little emphasis made his heart jerk inside of him. She did have to. It was no longer an option to subsist on Pop-Tarts and bean sprouts. He gave a nod to the others and started to walk to his office. It was still his, despite the fact he wasn’t teaching this semester. God, with this development, they’d probably never bring him back. They’d probably set fire to everything mentioning the idea of the practicum.
***
Hazel showed up roughly twenty minutes late. Rapping on his doorframe, she peered inside, and Ian had flashbacks to those first few weeks they’d know one another, and she came to his office to argue about grades and his lax discipline with his class.
Now, there she stood, face slightly softened, cheeks rosy red, and her body changing right in front of him.
“Hazel,” he said, his voice so much softer than he’d intended.
“Dr. Cartwright,” she replied, coldly.
He stood and beckoned her forward. “Please, take a seat.” He waited for a moment for her to settle herself, and then he shut the door behind her. His office at the university wasn’t very large, but it was a single office, and it had comfortable enough furniture.
“You wanted to talk?” Hazel raised a brow.
“I think it’s obvious why.”
“Is it?” Hazel pursed her lips.
Ian didn’t want to admit that it was fair that she was being so tight-lipped now—since he’d refused to talk about their relationship the many times she’d brought it up. Rather than sit at his desk in front of her, he pulled up a chair beside her.
“Hazel, you’re pregnant.”
“Really?” Hazel blinked, as if surprised, and looked down at her stomach. “I thought I’d just had too many tacos.”
“Be serious.”
“You’re the one who doesn’t want to be serious,” she said, her voice breaking a little. Ah, there. She wouldn’t be able to keep up this cold façade for long.
“I should have tried to talk, yes, but you should have told me about this!”
“Who says you’re the one I should be telling?” she challenged.
Ian stood suddenly, looking down at her. That wasn’t possible, was it? She couldn’t have… Then again…
“How far along are you?” he demanded.
“That’s a personal question.”
Ian leaned over and grabbed her shoulders. “You be straight with me, Hazel! Is that baby mine?”
“I-I um.” She looked away and covered her eyes.
“Oh.” Ian wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I yelled, love, but I have to know. Did I do this? I thought I’d been careful. I can help—”
“As what? A benefactor? You’re going to be the patron of my babies?” Hazel said bitterly.
Ian froze. Babies. Plural. “You’re having more than one?”
“I mean…” Hazel smoothed her hands over the front of her sweater. She definitely was too big for this to be one child.
Ian crouched down and cupped her face, wiping away a tear with his thumb. “They’re mine, aren’t they? I can’t fix the hurt I caused. I can only help you now, not just with money. I don’t know how it’ll work, but I do love you.”
“You’re just saying that because I’m pregnant.”
“No. I’m just saying that because you left me, and rightfully so.” Ian pressed his forehead to hers. “Don’t leave me again? Please? I need you. So much that I can barely breathe without you around. Please understand this failing of mine. It’s frightening to need someone so much.”
Hazel offered him a watery smile. “I kinda get that, yeah.”
More fat tears ran down her cheeks, and Ian kissed her. Gently at first, but more determinedly as she began kissing him back. His hands moved down her sides, feeling her new curves, and the warmth of her body. He wanted to be near to her, to make up for the hurt he’d caused them both in the past month. He’d missed out on the first part of his children’s lives. He wanted to be there for every moment forward.
Lifting her dress tentatively, Ian looked on in amazement. The tender swell of her belly, the smooth skin, he ran his hand over it, half expecting movement, but it was too early for that. They were in there, though, and Hazel had been caring for them in his absence, clearly. He pressed a kiss to the top of her belly, then snaked his hands around her sides as he moved up to kiss her again.
“Hazel, I knew I wanted you for a long time. I’ll find a way for us to be together, for this to be okay.”
Hazel put her hands over hers and claimed his mouth hungrily. She moved his hands down under the waistband of her leggings, and needing no further encouragement, he pushed them down. Her body was changed, but she was still luscious, riper than ever and Ian wanted nothing more than to take a bite. Instead, he pressed kisses down her belly until he could slip her panties down. Then, he rose and lifted her onto his desk. She pushed back a pile of papers and leaned back on her elbows. He ran his hands down her thighs and groaned at how thick and sexy she was right now.
And it would only continue. Ian’s perpetual desire to spoil her might be sated by the end of this. Regardless, he bowed his head before her and licked up and down her lips, feeling her twitching and writhing. She was more sensitive than ever and, after a moment, he pulled back and began to tease her with his fingers. She jerked and moaned. She was almost too sensitive.
He pulled back and hitched her legs up. No need for condoms now. That boat had long sailed. Instead, now that she was slick from his teasing, Ian gave his cock a few pumps and slid his thick erection into her.
Hazel let out a gasp and moaned his name. He pressed his forehead to her knee and said her name as well, followed by a tender, “I love you.”
And he did. With every tease, every thrust, every moment her body writhed and jiggled in response to his erection moving in and out of her, in and out, he loved her more. This was the woman so complex that he was continuously surprised by her strength and her dreams for a better world. Carefully, he rubbed his fingers over her mound as he thrusted, aware that too much might be painful. He had given her enough pain. Now was only pleasure for them both.
Hazel came, squeezing her legs together and biting back a shriek. Ian gasped as well, as the walls of her tightened around him. It only took a few more thrusts to finish him off, and he jerked forward, holding back his own guttural moan.
He would have to take her back to the penthouse so they could take their time with their reunion. Then, he could make her scream properly. For now, he kissed her lips over and over, petting her hair and feeling ever so grateful she had taken him back so easily. It may have simply just been because she was pregnant and wanted her children’s father to be near, but Ian aimed to make this last. She had him now, and he was going nowhere.
Chapter Twelve
Hazel stood in the middle of the first floor of Ian’s penthouse. She had butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. It was like she was actually standing in the middle of the freeway, and the world around her wouldn’t slow down. She wasn’t sure what to say or do. The words caught in her throat every time she tried to make sense of it. Men walked around her, carrying boxes of her things. She’d agreed that morning to move in with Ian for the duration— when they’d seen the ultrasound.
Ian had wanted her to see his doctor, instead of the one from the student clinic, and she had agreed that it was a good idea, especially when twins were almost certain and she hadn’t secured a permanent doctor yet. It had been a bit romantic, she’d thought, lying back on the table and holding Ian’s hand as the doctor felt over her belly carefully. It felt good to be so close to him after their separation. They hadn’t been able to keep their hands off of each other. If she’d had any worries that Ian wouldn’t find her sexy now that she was pregnant, they had flown out the window.
Then, Dr. Nguyen had brought out an ultrasound machine to get a better look, and Hazel’s heart had nearly stopped.
“Looks like we’ve got quadruplets here,” Dr. Nguyen said as she pointed at the screen.
Hazel had thought Nguyen had to be joking—until she’d asked if multiples ran in Hazel’s family. She’d nodded dumbly and murmured, “Twins. I have a twin brother. And two little brothers who are also fraternal twins.”
“It’s not uncommon for multiples to run in families. It appears that you normally release multiple eggs for fertilization. In this occasion, three were fertilized, and one split. So you’ll have one set of fraternal twins, and one set of identical,” she explained.
Hazel had gone numb. She couldn’t think of any questions or say anything in response. Ian, inappropriately calm as ever, had thanked Dr. Nyugen and asked for her to give them some general advice to go by until the next checkup.
The most obvious was Hazel’s diet. She had been slipping in meat once a week for the baby’s sake, but now that there were four, her diet would have to be even more controlled. She was advised to stop working, and that it might not be possible for her to finish her semester.
Hazel moved into the kitchen and leaned back against the island. Had the sex on the island been what had gotten her into this mess? Or their first time in his bed? The time in his office at the Cartwright & Benton building? The time in that upscale Chinese place? Or the French place? The time after hours on the copier?
Bowing her head, Hazel started to cry.
Ian was busy directing the movers where to put her things, but with an almost supernaturally awareness, he turned his head and when he saw her here on her own, came to her side. His lips pressed warm against her cheek, and he rubbed his hand over her shoulders.
“I want you. I want all of you, and all of them.”
“The penthouse isn’t suitable to raise four children,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Maybe any children.”
“We’ll make room. I’ll have a house prepared for us during the pregnancy, and we can move there after they’re born.”
Hazel cupped her belly, imagining four sweet little babies growing inside there. This was going to be hard. It was going to be sacrifice from this point on. She’d known that when she’d thought she might have twins, but now… Four children at once were so intimidating.
“I don’t even know if I’d be a good mother, Ian. I’m barely an adult!”
“I’m an adult enough for the both of us. And I don’t want you to worry about anything.” Ian rested one hand on her belly. “You get them here, and I’ll take care of the rest, okay? We’re partners, above everything else.”
Hazel laughed softly at the thought. “Partners in crime.”
“Well, we haven’t broken any laws. We sure struck the lottery though.”
Hazel smiled softly. “Yeah. We did.”
Ian lifted her chin and kissed her. It was funny. She’d expected that upon finding out all of this, Ian would want to get out of this again, but he had been so calm and collected. She was really grateful he’d come back into her life just as she was finding all of this out.
“Ohh…” Hazel pursed her lips. “I need to call my mom.”
“Does she even know you’re pregnant?”
Hazel grinned and shook her head.
“That should be interesting. Let’s wait until we’re all settled in for that one, hm?”
***
“This place is something else.” Natalie’s expression as she walked through the penthouse was probably a lot like the one Hazel had worn her first time here.
“Yeah, you picked the right guy to be your baby daddy.” Hawk crouched by Ian’s sound system and looked over the extensive CD and record collection. Hazel punched his arm.
“No fair. I can’t hit a pregnant girl,” he complained.
“Nope. You can’t.” Natalie put her arm around Hazel’s shoulders. “Have you talked to your professors yet?”
“I have.” Hazel put her hands on her hips as she strolled out onto the lower level patio and let the crisp February wind blow her hair. “I only had two courses left in my plan anyway, so I worked out an arrangement with those professors. My Women and Media class isn’t that difficult, and Dr. Abrams said I could just watch the movies and videos on my own and provide written responses to the discussion questions he sends. I actually need to show up for the Law and Advocacy class, but Dr. Cashdan said she could find a way for me to only have to go for the first half of the semester and work on the second half’s research paper with her via email.”
Hazel shrugged and rubbed a hand over her belly. “The only real problem is my Capstone, and my advisor said we could talk about that after the quads are born. I just can’t physically be running back and forth doing a final internship.”
“That’s right. You can have it all, but you can’t do it all.” Natalie winked and stood next to Hazel as she looked out over the city.
“I thought Mom was gonna have a coronary when she heard this news. She didn’t even know you were dating anyone.” Hawk walked out to lean on the rail and stare down. “She can be so obtuse.”
“And you knew?” Hazel asked.
“You acted like you were having guy trouble at Christmas. I knew that part. I’m unemployed, not stupid.” Hawk tapped the front of his sneaker on the deck, then turned to face her. “I can’t believe Mom thought you were getting fat. You’d think that after popping out four of her own, she’d know what being pregnant looks like.”
“Now it’s your turn to find out what it’s like to be Mom,” Natalie said with false cheer.
Hazel looked down. “Oh, God.”
“Well, if you need a babysitter, I like kids,” Hawk offered.
“What happened to your game?” Hazel asked.
“My artist stopped emailing me; I haven’t heard from him in months. And the writer won’t do what I ask him to do. It’s on hold indefinitely.”
Hazel pinched her mouth to the side as she thought about that. “You should talk to Ian. His company is starting a whole new division, and they’ll need people to work at every level. If you had a steady job, you could squirrel away enough money to hire people who are reliable.”
Hawk wrinkled his nose. “Maybe. I guess if you’re gonna be a mom, I have to try to grow up a little, too. When did this happen to us?”
“I swear, it seems it all happened in the blink of an eye.” Hazel sighed. “I’m just holding on for dear life.”
“We’re here for you, if you need it,” Natalie said.
“Ian is, too. He’s been amazing.” Hazel smiled, imagining the look on Ian’s face when he thought about the babies.
“Did he ask you to marry him?” Natalie asked hopefully.
“No, we’re going to wait on that. We talked about it. For hours, actually, about all the ways we could do this, and we decided to wait on the marriage until we’re settled, and everyone feels secure. It just makes sense for now.” Hazel folded her hands under her belly. “Besides, after all this, Ian is definitely going to have a nice dress made for me, and I want to be able to fit into it.”
“That’s sickening,” Hawk said. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, twin.” Hazel beamed.
“Just don’t name them after plants, for the love of God,” he muttered.
***
Ian heard Hazel snoring softly. He’d woken her already and set her up in the bed with her books. She wasn’t officially on bed rest, and probably wouldn’t be until March, but Dr. Nguyen had given them fairly strict orders regarding rest, food, sex, and exercise, and he was determined to follow it. Of course, if Hazel dozed while waiting for Ian to give her a kiss goodbye, that would be okay, too.
He straightened his tie and checked himself in the mirror before going over to check on her. She startled awake and laughed softly in embarrassment.
“Sorry.”
“No worries, love. I’ll be back sometime around lunch. Don’t get
too bored without me.”
Hazel lit up. She looked so happy that Ian didn’t want to leave her.
“I’ll just be doing my readings. If they get boring, I’ll switch to working on the book,” Hazel promised.
Since having her at the office daily wasn’t an option, Ian had suggested that he simply task her with finishing their book—something she could do from bed or from one of the many comfortable chairs around his penthouse as the babies took up more and more real estate inside of her. Ian had cut back his time at work so that he could be there with her. He could just as easily do video conferences from his study here, and he quite liked being around to help Hazel. She was giving him a tremendous gift, one that he hadn’t known he still wanted, and he wouldn’t take it for granted.
There had been an option to reduce the pregnancy to three, or even two. It would’ve been safer for Hazel, but as scared as she was, and she was scared, she could tell that Ian didn’t want to do that, and had decided for them.
“Four children run in the family,” she’d said. “We can have them in one go and build everything from there.”
So that was that.
Ian pulled the covers over Hazel’s legs and made sure she had enough pillows to prop her up. He’d already set up the comfortable chair he’d bought for her by on the patio so that she could go out and work in the sunlight if she chose. The hard part now was that he had to leave her.
Ian kissed her. Not a light peck, but a long, lingering kiss that she returned in kind. He then gave for little kisses along her belly, which seemed to have gotten bigger even since yesterday. If Hazel could handle the changes, so could he. He rose, then bowed over again to give her one more kiss.
“You need to get to work, Dr. Cartwright.”
“Yes, dearest.” Ian touched the top of her head and steeled himself.
He adored her and their children. From now on, his thoughts were in plurals: what he could do for Hazel and the babies, and how he could make the world better for all of them. And once Hazel had delivered the children, she could rejoin him in that effort. Until then, he knew that she had already done so much, just by being her wonderful self, and teaching him what it meant to live in the world for others.