She walked over to one of the boxes and began unpacking baby blankets stacking them on a white dresser. The room was enormous large enough to fit two cribs, two rocking chairs, a couch, and a double bed. Sasha picked up a big blue teddy bear and held it to her chest. “I know.” She sagged against it. “But I thought being a family would be more important to you.”
“More important than my girlfriend?” I sat down on the couch staring at her. Sadness was in her eyes. I hoped that didn’t affect the twins.
She laughed still cradling the bear. “I guess not. I don’t know what I expected. I knew you were involved with someone from the PI’s report, but I guess I didn’t know how much you loved her. I was hoping she was just a hook up to you.”
Reese a hookup? No, more like the love of my life. I felt more passion for her than I do for anyone or anything.
Almost anyone.
I had to admit I was quickly getting used to the idea of being a father. I found myself looking at baby furniture online, thinking about the day I’d be able to hold them in my arms, to hear them call me ‘Daddy’ for the first time, to see them take their first steps, to taking my son fishing and my daughter to her first dance. My heart soared with joy whenever I imagined them.
I never thought of Sasha standing beside me. It was always Reese. How I wished Reese were their mother. I couldn’t stop wishing that no matter how disrespectful to Sasha it was. Reese should be the mother of my children.
But she wasn’t.
Life had taken that from her.
I took a motorcycle mobile out of the box and started affixing it to the ceiling over my son’s crib.
“That looks good there, but don’t you think we should wait for the designer?”
“Nope. I picked this out for my son. I think it looks great. I don’t need some fancy fucking Fifth Avenue designer telling me how to decorate the twins’ room.” I fished through the boxes until I found the butterfly mobile for my daughter.
“Don’t you mean ‘our’ son? Ayden, I think you’re forgetting I’m their mother. These babies are growing inside of me.” She took my hand and held it to her stomach.
I’d felt it before, but nothing had happened.
Just then, I felt it! A slight kicking and pushing from inside her stomach. I jumped back it was so strange. Two babies were alive inside of her. I couldn’t stop trembling as I held my hand on her stomach. Again, there was another kick! I could almost see the outline of a tiny foot in her skin. It was the strangest yet most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. “They’re kicking!” I laughed as I rubbed my hand across her stomach.
“Yes, they are. They’ve been so active lately. I was getting worried that something may be wrong, but Dr. Sullivan said that’s normal. It’s amazing, isn’t it?” She laughed.
“I think I see his little foot!” Elated, I wanted to video this moment. I wanted to share it with Reese.
“Or hers. They’re both feisty.” Sasha laughed. She moved her hand to cover mine. “Thank you for being here,” she whispered as I held my hand with hers for a moment. It was unbelievable to me to think that our babies were alive inside of her. They were a part of me, of her. I was so touched by this.
“Ayden, are you crying?” Sasha noticed me sniffle a few times.
“Of course not. It’s just….I’ve never felt a baby inside a woman before like that. My God, what a miracle.”
Finally, I moved my hand away and ran my hands over my hair. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I noticed it was well past 4 PM. I promised Reese I would meet her back at our house by 4:30. “I’ve got to get going. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to have Reese at our next appointment, but before that, I think we should all have dinner together. We need to have an open discussion about this arrangement.”
Sasha smiled. “I’d like to meet her as well. Sure, what day is good for you? I could cook if you both like.”
“How about we meet at a restaurant? That way it’s neutral territory. I think that would be best for us all.”
“I’ve been having massive cravings for fish. What about The Chowder House?”
“That’s fine. We both love seafood as well. Let’s say 1 PM tomorrow?”
It was a short drive back to my house. When I arrived, Reese’s car was in the driveway. I sighed with relief. I was so happy she was back home. “Reese!” I called as I flung open the door. A quick glance around the house told me she must be in the bedroom. Climbing the stairs, I walked into our bedroom. She was lying atop the bed staring up at the ceiling. “Baby, I’m so happy you’re home.” I laid down next to her. She was lying with her golden hair swirled around her head. Her blue eyes were unblinking. I trailed my hands over her soft sweater.
“I’m glad to be back.” She turned to smile at me. I felt myself melt inside. She always had that effect on me.
“I missed you.” I pressed my lips to hers pulling her against me.
“So, tell me, Ayden how did the move go?”
I hesitated talking about Sasha. I just wanted to enjoy Reese being with me instead of thinking about her. “It went well. Sasha is getting settled into the new house.”
“That’s good. How are the twins doing?”
I cleared my throat before proceeding. “They’re great. So far so good. I actually felt them kick today.”
She smiled sadly. “That’s amazing. I bet that something special.”
I clasped her hand tightly. “It was. Speaking of the twins, I wanted us to have lunch with Sasha tomorrow. It’s time you two met.”
Reese looked horrified. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. It might be too much.” She bit her lip as she kept her hand in mine.
“Please, baby. I think it’s for the best. I want you to be a huge part of the twins’ lives. You will be their stepmother. That’s important.”
Reese grew silent curling up into my arms. “I know it’s important. I’ll go.”
Even though her words were everything I wanted to hear at the moment, I felt a growing sense of unease.
Were both my worlds about to collide?
The restaurant was relatively slow in the afternoon which is why I had suggested it. Reese stiffly sat next to me eying Sasha.
She, in turn, sat across from us glaring over her plate of Garlic Butter Salmon.
Clearing my throat, I attempted conversation, “Reese, Sasha is planning to have a mural painted in the twins’ room. Maybe you’d have some suggestions seeing that you enjoy painting.” I gulped my water nervously.
Reese looked up from her salad and nodded. “I’d love to, that is, if Sasha doesn’t mind.”
Sasha looked up as if she finally realized a conversation was going on around her. “That would be great. I’m looking for something playful, but soothing to go on their walls.”
“Soothing?” Reese raised her brows while stabbing a piece of lettuce.
“Studies show that when babies come out of the womb, they’re in shock. They naturally gravitate towards something that reminds them of their mother’s womb, something dark and warm.”
Reese shook her head slightly. I could tell she wanted to come back with a biting comment. She glanced at me and changed her mind. “I’ve never thought about that.” She managed as she swallowed a cherry tomato.
After several more tense moments, I requested the check. “Sasha has a doctor’s appointment in an hour. Would you like to come?” I asked Reese hoping Sasha would chime in.
Reese wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I would love to if Sasha is okay with it.”
Sasha had been shoveling her dessert, a piece of Chocolate Pecan Pie into her mouth. She swallowed and nodded. “Fine with me,” she mumbled dabbing the smears of chocolate and caramel from her mouth.
“Great. Sounds like a plan.” I signed the receipt before taking a final sip of water.
Looking from Reese to Sasha, I should’ve had a drink. Several drinks. If lunch had been thunderstorm, I had a feeling I was about to walk into a tornado.
Bett
er batten down the hatches.
“This is the boy right here. You can see his tiny…” Melissa, the nurse traced her finger along the screen.
Reese gazed at the screen in awe. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “That’s amazing. To think they were once just…” She choked on her words.
I grabbed her hand holding it tightly.
Sasha laid there not looking at either one of us. She was focused on the screen.
“Here’s the girl!” The nurse excitedly moved the wand over Sasha’s stomach.
“It’s beautiful,” Reese murmured unshed tears welled in her eyes.
“A miracle,” I whispered back to her.
The nurse handed Sasha tissues to clean her stomach as the two of us waited outside.
“Ayden, thank you for letting me be a part of this. I thought it would be too hard for me, but it was simply amazing. I’ve seen my own eggs on an ultrasound like that, but to see what they can become is spectacular.” Reese’s eyes misted with tears.
“How are you doing? I was worried this would be painful for you.” I stroked her hair as we stood waiting for Sasha. We sank down onto a couch outside the exam room. The smell of Betadine lingered in the air. Several announcements went over the intercom shattering my already strained nerves.
She shook her head placing her purse on the couch next to us. “It was upsetting at first, I’ll admit that, but then I relaxed and just allowed myself to enjoy the moment. I’m getting to be a part of something much bigger than me, than you, than Sasha. It’s the miracle of life. If I can’t be a biological mother, than I can be a fantastic stepmother, can’t I?” She smiled.
Her smile always lit up my world. I was so relieved she was starting to come around. I hugged her tightly. “That’s what I was saying all along.” Now, we just had to get Sasha on board. That was going to be anything but easy.
One Hundred Nine
Ash
“No fucking way! Did you see that?” I called out as the clay pigeon shattered in the air as the shell pierced it. “I made that!”
Ayden laughed as I did my stupid victory dance. “You’re too weird to be my brother. Stop it!” He slung his shotgun over his shoulder.
Shooting skeet I thought would be a great way to get Ayden to relax. It’d been a tough couple of weeks for him, so I thought it would be beneficial for us both, to get out and enjoy venting some frustrations. It was also a great way to practice for duck hunting season.
“I give up, Ash. You’ve had too much practice.”
Gathering up my shotgun, I placed it into the gun case.
“This isn’t over yet. I’m going to start practicing myself.”
“Sure, you are. You’re not going to have much time to practice anything when the twins come.”
A dark cloud passed over his face. He looked down as he finished packing up his shotgun.
“Everything okay?” I asked as we walked back to the Range Rover.
“Define okay.” Ayden slung his shotgun into the back of the SUV.
“You had lunch with Sasha and Reese. How’d that go?”
“The lunch was the highlight of the day, let’s just say that.”
We hopped into the vehicle. The day was unseasonably warm. I cranked on the A/C. “Reese not able to handle it?” I guessed turning the Rover down the gravel drive to the highway.
“Actually, she did very well. I was happy at her reaction to the ultrasound. She seems like she might be able to handle this after all. But Sasha…”
“…Sasha being a bitch about it?” I filled in. Damn, the A/C was too cold. I shut it off and opened the windows.
“I wouldn’t say bitch. She just doesn’t think the situation is going to work. Hell, I don’t know. It’s hard being stuck in the middle. I wish, oh God, I wish these babies were Reese’s.”
I nodded towards the glove compartment. “Open that will you?”
Ayden pulled it open and a box of cigarettes fell out.
“Light up, man. I know you can’t smoke around Sasha anymore.”
He shook his head. “I’m trying to quit.”
I was astonished. He’d been an avid smoker since I’d known him, particularly since he’d stopped using. “Why? I know you can’t smoke around Sasha, but it’s okay when you’re not.” I lit one myself and inhaled.
“I figured I should stop for the twins. I’m going to be around them all the time, so I thought why not just stop now.”
I took another drag and flicked the butt out the window. Something was different about him. And I didn’t like it. He seemed so…defeated as if he’d just resigned himself to unhappiness. “What’s going on? You’re not like yourself.”
He sighed heavily slapping his hands on his thighs. “Fucking Sasha. She demanded I move in with her for the twins’ sake. I don’t want to, God knows I don’t want to, but she made some good points.”
“Holy fuck, man! What about Reese?”
Letting his head fall back and hit the headrest, he groaned. “I don’t know. I love her more than anything, but my kids are my kids. You know how terrible it was for me growing up without our dad. Look at Ava how damaged she is growing up without our father. I don’t want that to happen to my kids. I couldn’t live with myself,” he confessed looking forlornly out the window.
With one jerk to the right, I pulled the car over. Gravel spun everywhere as I ground the brakes to a screeching halt. “You’ve got to get a hold of yourself, man. Don’t sacrifice your whole life. You can still be a part of your kids’ lives even if you’re married to Reese. Don’t let her do this to you.”
“Do what?”
“Guilt you into leaving Reese. She’s using your twins against you. This is such fucking bullshit. You can be a part of their lives without giving up your own.”
Nodding, he looked down helplessly. “Logically, I know you’re right, but Sasha said that it wouldn’t work. If I didn’t move in with her, she might leave.”
“What? Look, you can file court papers that order her to remain in this state. Don’t let her do this.”
“But she made a good point. Even if I’m with Reese and see the twins often, I still won’t be there every day to greet them after school, I won’t be there if they wake up in the night. She’ll have to do everything alone. That’s not fair to her.”
“Have you ever heard of joint custody? You can have them part of the week she can have them the other.”
“But wouldn’t that be disruptive to their bonding process?” Ayden asked in a monotone. He sounded as though he were parroting Sasha.
“That’s Sasha talking. It’s bullshit, Ayden.” I pounded my fist on the steering wheel. I wanted him to wake up before he made a serious mistake.
“I just need time to think is all. I have to make the best decision for my kids, not for myself.”
Never in my life did I want to hit someone as much as I wanted to hit my brother at that moment. He wasn’t seeing the big picture. If he moved in with Sasha, he would lose the one thing that had ever made him happy. If he sacrificed himself for his children, he’d end up resenting them later. “What’s best for you is best for them,” I replied quietly.
He shrugged. “Let’s get going. I told Reese I’d be back for dinner. She’s making a special meal for me.”
Slowly, I pulled the car back onto the highway.
“What’s for dinner?” I tried changing the subject. I sensed he wasn’t going to talk anymore about it.
“Grilled Salmon.”
“Sounds delicious.”
We continued the rest of our trip in silence. After I dropped him off at his house, I headed home. Coming into the house, I called to Amber, but she didn’t answer. Running up the stairs to our bedroom, I found it empty. Maybe she was out with Heratio picking out more napkins or trying to coordinate the flowers with someone’s shoes. Just then, a familiar buzzing vibrated in my pocket.
I’m downstairs
Immediately, I felt myself stiffen. It had been so long since we’d playe
d downstairs in our newly renovated dungeon. I practically ran down the steps.
When I reached the dungeon, I opened the door to find Amber standing before me wearing a black corset that left her breasts exposed, a black garter belt and stockings, and black stiletto heels. She looked incredible.
Quickly, I shred my shirt as I strolled over to her. Spinning her around, I led her over to a sex swing. “Sit,” I commanded. She complied leaning back into the swing. I pulled her legs up binding them tightly with leather straps until her legs were wide open. “Tell me what you want, Amber.”
“You,” she whispered.
“Louder!” I ordered.
“YOU!”
“Very good.” I pulled her closer to me until our faces were mere inches apart. Her breath came hot and fast as I angled my mouth over hers. Our tongues twined together as I felt her body began to tremble. My fingers found her wet lips which were swelling between her legs. I lashed my fingers across her sensitive clit.
“Oh my God,” she cried out.
My cock raged at me as I feasted my eyes upon her breasts and her beautiful, wet pussy spread open for me to use. Her lips were so full and pink I could hardly wait to take her into my mouth.
Before I fell to my knees to taste her, I twisted her hardened nipples until she winced. “You like that, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she rasped her breath ragged. I leaned over softly sucking her nipple to ease the pain I’d caused. She arched her back meeting my mouth.
I traced my lips down her torso dragging my tongue to dip into her navel. Her hips thrust at me aching for me to touch her with my tongue. Kneeling before her, I dragged my tongue ever so slowly over her mons then to her lips. Peeling them back, I lapped at her core darting my tongue deep inside her. She tasted of heaven, salty and sweet. Cupping her ass in my hands, I lifted her to my mouth. I drank of her, licking and sucking her clit between my lips until she moaned loudly with pleasure. “Come for me,” I commanded as I felt her juices spill down my chin. She struggled in the swing as she bared down riding hard towards her orgasm. She shuddered beneath my touch as her pussy pulsed on my tongue. Her hands clenched into fists as her toes curled.
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