by Dahlia Rose
“So, are you ready to see what’s going on in there?” Barbara asked.
“Yes, we are.” John rubbed his hands gleefully. “We’ve been on a good, healthy diet, but unfortunately she’s been sneaking moon pies and ice cream at night.”
Charlie rolled her eyes. “You are a tattletale.”
“The doctor needs to know everything, sweetheart,” he said calmly.
“Luckily for her she can eat healthy and sneak some treats as well.” Barbara laughed. She squeezed some of the ultrasound gel on Charlie’s belly. “Now, let’s see what we have here…. oh…. ohhh.”
The last “oh” made Charlie look at John and then Barbara in alarm. “What, oh my God, what’s wrong?”
John grabbed her hand. “Don’t worry baby, whatever it is, we’ll deal with it, together.”
Barbara continued to move the ultrasound wand over her stomach and reassured them. “It’s nothing bad. The baby is fine, or should I say babies.”
“You’re kidding!” Charlie gasped.
“Holy shit,” John murmured. “Two? There’s two in there?”
Barbara turned the screen so they could see. “Yes, two very strong heartbeats and two babies in one sac.”
“Oh my God,” Charlie said in amazement. “John, are you okay? Babe, put your head between your legs.”
A very pale John did as she requested, and the doctor turned back to the screen.
“Let me get the rest of the measurements done and then we can talk,” Barbara said.
They were quiet as she continued her work, both for the same reason. They were completely in shock at the news.
“Okay,” Barbara said as she turned the ultrasound machine off and used a warm towel to wipe Charlie’s tummy. “You are going to have twins, and they are called mono amniotic twins, which means they share the same sac. That also means they share the same placenta but have two separate umbilical cords.”
“Twins,” John said in a shell-shocked tone. “Oh, crap.”
“Don’t pass out, honey,” Charlie begged and apologized. “He’s been hyperventilating, um, a bit.”
“Big guy like him?” Barbara said in amusement. “It’s always the large daddies who drop like a stone.”
“Twins,” he mumbled.
“They’re going to be identical. That means the egg split but we won’t know the sex for a little bit.” Barbara took a breath and continued. “There is also a chance for complications. With this kind of pregnancy, when they start moving they could get tangled in each other’s cords and cut off each other’s source of nutrition and oxygen. Yes, that can cause death.”
Charlie heard the other shoe of foreboding drop, and it made her heart lurch. “Okay, so what happens now?”
Barbara smiled. “Nothing. We watch your pregnancy carefully as the babies get bigger, and if we see any signs of complications we deal with it. But right now they are both strong and healthy. There is no reason to expect anything but a safe pregnancy.”
“What are the percentages for one of them getting tangled and all you said?” John asked.
“It’s uncertain, it all depends on how active the babies are as they grow,” Barbara explained. “We’ll monitor them carefully, but there won’t be any prolonged labor. Charlie, when your water breaks we have to deliver via C-section.”
“Why?” Charlie tried not to be scared for her babies.
“If you deliver one baby you run the possibility of delivering the cord of the second baby before he or she comes out, and that cuts off their oxygen,” Barbara explained.
“Okay, I understand.” Charlie chewed the corner of her lip worriedly.
Barbara looked between her and John. “Don’t worry, we’ve got this. I’ll be seeing you every two weeks as soon as you hit the twenty-five week mark with ultra-sounds. If we see any signs of trouble we can take them early, but we want them in there as long as possible.”
John nodded. “And the earliest you can take them is around thirty-two weeks?”
“Actually as early as twenty seven but the longer they are in utero the better chance for them to survive.” Barbara stood, turned, and helped Charlie sit up. “These are all variables we don’t have to deal with right now. You can have a full term pregnancy without any complications, so we’re going to be positive.”
Charlie nodded. “Yes, we are.”
After they made another four-week appointment they left and John took her to lunch. They talked about the club, about the weather, anything but what they were both thinking. It wasn’t until later that night in bed as he slowly ran his hand across her baby bump that she finally asked.
“Are you scared?”
John pressed a kiss to her temple. “Terrified, but not for the reasons you think.”
Charlie looked up at him and smiled. “College fund again?”
“That,” he admitted. “Preschools, do you know for any good ones we’re supposed to sign them up now? How is that possible—we don’t even know if they’re boys or girls yet.”
Charlie laughed. “Honey, how about we pick a good, well-rounded preschool when they’re like three or four?”
“I don’t know if I can stand them cutting you open,” he said quietly.
“Women go through this every day.” She kissed his chin. “I’ll be fine. Barbara is the best.”
“Okay.” He moved down to her stomach and kissed it, and the sweet action made her smile. “Hey you in there, well two of you, be good to each other, no squabbling or fighting. There’s enough room for both of you.”
“Tell them we love them.” Charlie’s heart ached with love for him and their unborn babies.
“Did you hear that? Mom said to tell you we love you, and we do so very much,” John repeated. “I won’t stick you in a pretentious preschool. We’re a down-to-earth family.”
“Come up here and kiss their mom,” Charlie encouraged him.
She’d never felt so free with any man in her life. With John, everything came naturally, and he made her feel so light sometimes it felt like she was floating. She wasn’t a flowery kind of woman, but he brought her flowers or a graphic novel because he saw it and thought of her. Charlie felt cherished and understood that the right man made a woman feel that way without trying.
“I shouldn’t. When I kiss you I think about other things, sexual things, and we have to be careful,” John said doubtfully.
“Barbara said they’re small yet, and nothing we do will hurt them in the least. She’ll let us know when the loving should stop,” Charlie said.
“The loving,” John said huskily and pulled her close to kiss her lips. “I like how you say that, so proper, but I know you can be a very, very naughty woman.”
“Only for you.” She caressed his chest.
“Damn straight,” he practically growled. It made her shiver in delight.
He sampled her mouth, and she succumbed to the haze of pleasure he created. He tasted like the sweet pineapple and strawberries he’d put in their smoothies. She made a sound of delight in her throat while his hands ran up her sides to cup her breasts and gently bring the beaded nipples to hardness through her blouse. In one fluid motion John removed the fabric that covered her skin and exposed her full breasts to his lips. He pulled the soft brown areolas between his lips while his hands caressed the smooth expanse of her skin.
Charlie arched against his seeking mouth and held his head to her breasts. “Don’t stop, please don’t stop.”
“If the earth shook right now I still wasn’t moving,” he murmured against her flesh. “I can’t get enough of you.”
“All I feel is the heat you make me feel,” Charlie said breathlessly. “I want more of you.”
“The things you say, so innocently sexy,” John said with a groan. “Let’s get the rest of these clothes off, sweetheart. I may need to start keeping scissors in the bedside table.”
“You are not cutting up my clothes,” she said with a laugh.
They got her out of her sleep shorts set with
the Fantastic Four all over them. Then she watched John try to escape his sleep pants over the hard bulge of his arousal. Charlie was on the bed on her knees when he was done and took his cock in her hand. He groaned as she stroked his thick flesh. She watched as his hands clenched at his side when she swirled her tongue over the head of his cock. He flexed his hips, pushing himself further between her lips, and Charlie gave him what he desired, sucking him deeply into her mouth.
“Oh God baby, you do that and my bones turn to butter,” he groaned out between clenched teeth. “Now it’s my turn.”
John pulled her up against his chest and with her knees still pressed into the soft mattress he kissed her senseless. Charlie sank deeper into desire while they both strained to touch and tease each other. She moaned under the onslaught of his lips. It felt like she couldn’t be satisfied with just one touch from him. She whimpered as he kissed his way from her lips to her neck, biting softly before sucking at the sensitive flesh. He knew exactly each sweet spot on her body that drove her wild.
Charlie pulled him down to the bed and wrapped her legs around his waist, coaxing him silently to take her. John was not about to be denied. He didn’t lean his weight on her and she missed that. But she knew even in the midst of passion John was thinking about her pregnancy. He moved his lips down her body, tasting her skin until he came to her center. With one slow, delectable lick he tantalized and pulled a cry from her lips. He delved his tongue between the moist folds of flesh of her pussy, and Charlie’s hips rose to meet his sneaking mouth. She caressed the low hair at his scalp and tried to pull him closer. The ache he created was almost too much to bear, but she didn’t want it to ever stop.
“Oh John, please,” she gasped out breathlessly.
“Baby, I want you too, so much.”
He pressed soft kisses against her stomach on his way back up her body. When he settled between her thighs, she could feel his cock poised at the entrance of her sex. Charlie watched his eyes turn to a smoky blue desire as he entered her slowly. The sensations of his cock sliding against the folds of her sex almost sent her headlong into her release. He buried himself to the hilt before he started the slow movement that sent her swirling in the midst of pleasure. Charlie’s body held him like a velvet glove each time he thrust into her, and she ached for more when he retreated. She moved beneath him, fluidly catching his rhythm, and he moaned as they kissed. With each deep thrust he drove them higher and higher till she cried out as her orgasm built. An overwhelming need to taste him filled her, and she slid her tongue deep into his mouth. Their tongues mated with feverish excitement while their pace to completion increased.
“John, I’m coming…” Her words broke off in a small cry.
She could feel the sweet band of her release tightening within her and his cock throb inside the wet depth of her sex. She could tell he was ready to follow her into the pleasure of release.
“God, yes now,” he said in a guttural whisper against her ear.
This time her cry was of pure fulfillment as she went spiraling off the edge of ecstasy. With a long, deep groan he followed her into the pleasurable abyss. Charlie knew what it felt to be hurt and feel unwanted. For the longest time she made sure she had a strong financial foundation so she would never have to ask anyone for anything. She used that as a shield when relationships didn’t work out. She’d tell herself she can do it alone, and she didn’t need any man to feel complete. But then there was John with his sweet ways and his boyish smile. The way he panicked if she even hiccupped now that she was pregnant. He showed her what it was to be truly loved as a friend, as a lover, and now as the mother of his children. She knew regardless of if it was a good day or if they argued, she’d never have to doubt how he felt about her and the life they were building together.
Chapter Four
The Pyramid was its usual hot spot on a Friday night. John and the second bartender were mixing drinks like a blur. As soon as one order was filled another came in. We’re going to need to hire another server and bartender, John thought. It wasn’t a bad thing—it meant they were turning a profit. For the first year after they opened they all wondered if they’d survive and be in the black.
Caleb was working the floor helping out the best he could. He wasn’t wearing leather pants, thank God, but John knew if anyone came in making trouble Caleb could handle it. The man may have been a lawyer, but he had some linebacker moves. Angel was at home with Lucas but they already had a plan in place for the club. Especially now, since Charlie was pregnant with twins. It still floored him each time he thought of his children. A higher risk pregnancy, but so far so good. Even so John wanted her off her feet, working from home on the books if necessary. John grinned and threw Caleb a quick wave when their eyes met. The club was so packed he didn’t notice Charlie until she was across the bar right in front of him.
“Hey guy, buy a girl a drink?” she said with a smile
“Only milk or juice for you.” John stopped cleaning down the bar and waved the second bartender over to finish up. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to get the books I wanted to start a spreadsheet at home tonight. I needed my external hard drive with the information,” Charlie explained.
John looked around. “It’s a mad house in here. I don’t want you hurt or shoved around. Go get that hard drive and I’ll walk you out to the car.”
“Okay.” Charlie smiled and headed up the stairs.
He watched her walk up the stairs and behind the curtains that blocked the office from the eyes of the patrons. He knew she pressed the key code to go into the office by the small billowing of the curtain. It meant the door was open and the cool air from the office escaped. He made drinks and took cash or credit cards and swiped them quickly for payment. Any tips left on the bar he stuffed in the jar next to the registers. The rule of The Pyramid was, all tips were divided equally among staff. It was only fair and no one ever complained because at the end of the night they all walked out with at least one hundred dollars in their pockets. They were one of the few clubs that paid out a paycheck and didn’t make staff work for just tips. They were all good people, he, Charlie and Angel treated their staff well. He saw Charlie come downstairs and make her way carefully back over to the bar.
“Ready?” John asked with a smile.
Before she could answer a man slid up to the bar and wrapped his arm around Charlie’s shoulder.
“Let me buy you a drink, no need to schmooze the bartender.” His voice was slurred. “You’re too pretty to beg bar staff. I can buy you anything…”
Charlie moved away. “I’m not drinking.”
“Step back buddy, the lady is not interested,” John snapped.
“So, she’s too good for my drinks?” He was tall and built like a football player. His ebony face was sheened with sweat. “I know girls like her. I can look at her and see she ain’t white, she’s one of those high colored girls that like to play white. Because a black dick is too much for her. So now she got her a white dude, going to play at being sophisticated.”
“Walk away,” John warned.
“Why?” The man stood up his full height. “If I go up to her right now and press her up against this wall, bartender, what can you do, huh? I got the paper.” He threw a handful of bills at Charlie. “I can pay for shit, I can pay for her pretend ass. Pick it up, bitch.”
“John, no!”
He barely heard Charlie cry out nor did he notice the second bartender calling over security from the door. He didn’t notice Caleb pushing his way through the crowd, all he had was the asshole in his cross hairs. The one who dared insult the mother of his children, the woman he loved. He came over the bar, not caring that he knocked over glasses and drinks in the process. He had a moment of intense satisfaction as the man’s eyes widened and he stepped back. There was no escaping him because John had his neck under his grasp and squeezed as he pushed him back into the wall. The music stopped suddenly, and the crowd surged away from the fray.
“Apologize to the lady.” John’s voice was deadly.
“Let me get my money, and I’m outta this punk ass place,” the man managed to croak defiantly and tried to swing.
“My turn.” John squeezed and punched the man in the ribs and was delighted to see him double over. He slammed him up to the wall again. “I said apologize to the lady. One, she is my woman, the mother of my children, and you will respect her as such. She is the partial owner of this bar and classier than any of the whores who ever let your ass lay with them. I don’t care how much paper you have, you’ll apologize.”
“I’m sorry.” The gasp was a strangled one, and John knew it wasn’t just sweat rolling down the man’s cheeks.
“You’re banned from here,” John said calmly. “I have your face ingrained in my memory, and if I ever see you again, I won’t be so nice. Nod that you understand.”
The man nodded and John smiled coldly. “Good, and that paper you just threw down now goes into the jar for our wonderful waitstaff and bartender.”
Caleb finally managed to get through the crowd and put his hand on John’s shoulder. “Hey John, he can’t breathe. You may want to let him go.”
“Sure.” John finally let go and left the man coughing. He called security over. “Get him out of here.”
“This ain’t over, man.” The man gasped and his friends flanked him.
John surged at him angrily. “You want more? I will take you and these motherfuckers on!”