What I wouldn’t have given for another few hours of sleep. Pregnancy was certainly taking a lot out of me. I could hardly remember ever feeling so exhausted in my life. But I guess that was to be expected since my body was busying developing not one, but two whole human beings. I knew part of my exhaustion was mental though too.
I sat up in bed, a dull ache having set in across my back, another symptom pregnancy had given me. I rubbed my belly, smiling slightly. Symptoms were annoying, but the two little lives inside me were anything but.
Although I still had a while before my check-out time, I was already ready to leave Chicago behind. I needed to leave Tobias Gentry’s world and figure out where I was going to go and what I was going to do from now on.
I had to prepare for the life that lied ahead of me, as well as the life I would be providing for my children.
But then the nausea began to kick in. My stomach churned, and I felt a wave of my usual morning sickness coming forward. I sat at the edge of the bed, willing it to go away, just wanting one peaceful morning that didn’t involve on-and-off puking. It gave me nightmares to think that some women experienced this kind of nausea for the entire duration of their pregnancies; I’d been praying relentlessly to not be one of them, hoping that as I moved through my trimesters, the sickness would subside.
But clearly, that wasn’t going to be the case at the moment. A powerful wave of nausea sent me running to the bathroom, doing the best I could to ignore the aching in my lower back as I kneeled over the toilet.
Afterwards, I brushed my teeth, showered, and dressed. And then my sickness was replaced by nagging hunger.
Seems like I just can’t win these days, I thought to myself, reflecting on how if I wasn’t nauseous from morning sickness, I was nauseous from hunger, which was a strange sensation I hadn’t even known was possible before.
Knowing I couldn’t hit the road without eating something first, I picked up the hotel room phone, ordering from room service before packing the rest of my belongings.
“A pickle, cinnamon toast, and vanilla ice cream?” the voice on the other end asked skeptically.
“Yes,” I said somewhat agitated, although I couldn’t blame them for thinking they’d heard me incorrectly. I realized my request wasn’t the most common breakfast combination. “And some orange juice, please.”
After finishing my unusual breakfast, I grabbed my suitcase, preparing to go downstairs to call an Uber. I opened my hotel room door.
“Good morning.”
I froze, unable to believe my eyes.
Tobias Gentry stood in the hallway holding two dozen of the reddest roses I had ever seen in my life. All I could do was stare at him in utter shock.
He looked back at me, smiling tentatively. “I spoke to the receptionist downstairs,” he said. “She told me that you still had a couple hours before you checked out. She let me come up here to meet you.”
“I bet she did,” I mumbled, my voice small. I thought back to the girl who worked the front desk and the way she had been so enamored with Tobias. I knew she undoubtedly thought he was here to whisk me away for another romantic outing, as if our lives were something straight out of a movie.
Tobias stepped forward, handing me one of the bouquets. He then gestured toward my hotel room. “Is it all right if we talk for a while, Scarlet? Please.”
I swallowed and breathed in the scent of the roses. My eyes had started to tear up and I wasn’t even entirely sure why. Damned hormones. Not wanting him to see, I turned around, letting my back face him. “Sure,” I said, my voice flat.
I stepped back inside the hotel room and he followed after me, lugging my suitcase back inside with him and then shutting the door.
I went to place the roses on the dresser and then turned around once I was sure my eyes had dried.
Tobias had set the second bouquet of roses on the bed, and then took a seat at the edge of it. He patted the space beside him, his eyes already pleading for my forgiveness.
I folded my arms and slowly approached, sitting at the other end of the bed, not wanting to be too close to him. Awkwardly, I looked down to my lap, noticing that I held my hands clasped tightly together. I folded my legs at the ankles and stared ahead at the dark green carpet covering the floor.
Feeling rather than seeing Tobias stirring beside me, I heard his intake of breath. I waited for him to speak, wondering what he had to say, although it took him a while to get started.
“Scarlet,” he said, “I want to apologize for yesterday.”
“Oh yeah?” I said after a moment.
“Yes,” he said. “Look, I was just…surprised, that’s all. But I never meant to upset you. I realize in hindsight how shitty my response must have looked from your end. I don’t blame you for leaving after that. I should have been…more understanding.”
I swallowed, my throat feeling uncomfortably tight. On some level, I wanted to apologize as well for leaving so childishly. But then again, I figured that Tobias could have called me if he was that concerned. All he’d done was send a text without bothering to call for the rest of the night. I was just about to point this out to him when I realized doing so would have been another immature move. After all, he had done better than just called; he’d shown up with a whole flower-shop as a peace-offering.
I glanced at him. He was staring directly at me, his eyes still pleading for my forgiveness. But I didn’t know what to say, so I averted my gaze and stared at the carpet again, simply nodding my head.
“I can’t deny,” Tobias continued, “it’s going to take some time for me to get used to the idea of being a father, of twins no less, but I’m up for the challenge. If you’ll allow me to try.” He slid over on the bed and reached for my hand. “What I’m trying to say is that I want to be there for you and the babies. I’m not going to let you go through this alone. Whatever you and the babies need, I’m here. No matter what. All right? I want to be a part of your lives. I can’t imagine not being there for you guys. I can’t imagine not knowing my children. That’s just not the type of man I want to be. I could never live with myself if I wasn’t there for you and the babies.”
Again, pesky tears began to form in my eyes and there was no hope of me hiding them this time. Noticing them, Tobias squeezed my hand.
“What made you have a change of heart?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I never had a change of heart. It was never my intention to abandon you in the first place. I was just shocked last night and needed time to process what you told me. I never once fathomed not being in our children’s lives, Scarlet. It’s just that you left so abruptly, I didn’t have a chance to explain. And when you didn’t answer my text, I figured I needed to wait until I actually saw you again to say what I needed to say.”
He reached out, gently running a hand down the side of my face and then leaning in to press his forehead against mine.
I closed my eyes, breathing in his scent. I squeezed his hand back in mine. “Thank you, Tobias.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said. “You guys are my responsibility now, and I will never walk away.”
I opened my eyes, only to find him staring back intently at me. He slowly brought his lips to mine, giving me a delicate lingering kiss.
Moving closer, he fully wrapped me into his arms, cradling me against him. I exhaled, feeling like the weight of the world had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders. I wasn’t in this alone; the elation I felt couldn’t even be put into words.
Letting my tears fall freely, I grabbed Tobias’s face with both my hands and kissed him. Without even realizing it, I had stood and positioned myself in front of him to deepen the kiss.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned back until he was lying on the bed with me straddled on top of him.
I stared down at him, and he smiled up at me, gazing into my eyes.
“Everything is going to change, you know that?” I said.
“Yes, as it should,” he replied. �
��And I’m excited about it, especially since I’ll be going through this experience with you. Now come here,” he said, pulling me down to him.
CHAPTER 21
Scarlet
I straddled his lap as he pulled me into a kiss, pressing his lips against mine with urgency. Our hands were restless, running over our bodies as our tongues fought for dominance. I’d thought I lost him. I’d thought he wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me ever again, and now that he was touching me again, I felt like I was going to explode with desire for him.
I pushed him to the mattress and started unbuttoning his shirt, impatient to feel his skin. He moved to help me, but I brushed him off, wanting to have full control over the next few minutes. I was so lust driven that my movements were too rough, and I actually managed to rip a few buttons off his shirt when I gave up on unbuttoning and pulled his shirt open instead.
He chuckled. “So impatient and naughty,” he told me, fisting his hands as if he was hardly controlling himself not to touch me.
“Just the way you like me.” I brought my lips to his chest and left a trail of wet kisses over his taut skin, paying special attention to his puckered nipples that were silently begging for my attention.
He hissed when my mouth wrapped around his hardened nub, his body jerking in response to my velvety touch. I continued playing with his nipples as I slid my hands over his torso to his pants, intent on taking them off next. My hands worked fast, undressing him in no time.
“Don’t move,” I told him and removed my clothes, already wet for him.
I straddled him again, but this time I brought my pussy to his face. “Scarlet...” His voice was husky, revealing surprise at my boldness.
“Fuck. You’re going to kill me.”
He grabbed my hips and slammed me on his face, immediately meeting my mound with his hot tongue. I let a raspy moan out, grabbing my breasts when the intense pleasure rushed through me.
“Ah, Tobias... This is... Yes...”
I couldn’t form anything more coherent, overcome with these addictive sensations that drove me crazy. He knew how to please me, lapping at my pussy like I was his most delicious meal. I ground against him fast, tweaking my nipples between my fingers.
“Yes! Yes! Yes! Don’t stop, Tobias...” His mouth enclosed around my swollen clitoris and sucked at it hard. “Tobias!” It was so good!
I could feel myself soaking his face, which only seemed to spur him to suck me faster, pushing me close to my climax. I thrashed against him, moaning and screaming, and I was so close...
“I’m going to come. I’m going to—”
He pushed me off him before I could orgasm and flipped us over, supporting himself with one arm as he hovered above me. His lips covered mine—right when his fingers pushed inside of me, penetrating me brutally. I was so sensitive now that I was close to my orgasm, so each thrust of his fingers brought sensations that I could barely stand, making me sopping wet.
“So sexy and beautiful. I can never get enough of you,” he said and crooked his fingers, stimulating my g-spot.
“Ah yes... That’s good...”
I moved my hips toward him, getting closer by second... He touched that sweet spot inside of me a few more times, which was more than enough to lead me to an explosive orgasm.
I began screaming, but he covered my mouth right away, fingering me through my climax. Just as the last aftershock passed, he lay down and pulled me on top of him, but in a reverse cowboy position. Grabbing my hips, he led me to his cock and impaled me on it, settling all of him inside of me at once.
My heart was hammering against my chest, and it became difficult to breathe. I supported myself against his knees and made sure to give him a nice show as my ass bounced off of him every time I went up and down his rigid cock.
“You’re even more beautiful to me now. I didn’t think that was possible.”
We came together hard and then he collapsed next to me on the bed, and we fell into silence, too exhausted and breathless.
Finally, after what seemed like a couple of minutes, he said, “Was I too rough?”
I chucked and turned my head to look at him. “No. Not at all.”
“Good. I don’t want to hurt our babies.”
I cupped his cheek, melting inside because he was this caring. “Don’t worry. The babies are fine.”
“Good. Because I think I’m ready for round two.”
I was more than ready for it myself.
Tobias filled the bathtub and led me into the warm water. It felt so good, washing over my body. He sat right behind me, pulling me in between his legs. A shiver ran up my spine when his lips landed on my neck and caressed it sensually. I closed my eyes shut and let his hands explore my body.
He was teasing me because he never touched my core, focusing on my thighs and lower belly. Each time he was close to touching my throbbing flesh, I raised my hips, urging him to reward me with that special touch, but it never came.
“Why are you teasing me like this?” I said, panting, and bent my knees. I gripped the edges of the bathtub, his delicate touch sending jolts of fire through my body.
“Because I love seeing you like this—squirming and desperate for me.”
“But please...” I moaned and leaned my head against his shoulder, trembling stronger. His hands were now right beneath my pussy, stroking my upper thighs, and I spread my legs more widely. His erection was pressed against my back, and I wiggled against him, wanting to taunt him just the way he taunted me. “Touch me, Tobias.”
“I am touching you,” he joked, and I groaned.
“You know what I mean. Please...”
He bit into my shoulder, covering my breast with left hand, and wrapped his right hand around my neck. His lips left a line of kisses along my shoulder and neck, while his hand massaged my breast. My nipple hardened, and he twisted it with his thumb and forefinger, which made my knees go weak.
“Mmm, so soft,” he murmured into my neck when he finally covered my mound. He rubbed my clit with the heel of his palm while he probed my entrance with his middle finger.
I bucked my hips, gripping the edge of the bathtub even harder when his sudden intrusion brought a sizzling pleasure. He licked my earlobe, tweaking my nipple at the same time, and the triple stimulation was almost too much. His finger wasn’t gentle at all, fucking me just the way I liked it the most, and my pussy pulsated faster.
“Ah... Yes... So good...”
He pulled his finger out of me and pushed it into my mouth. “Taste yourself.”
My insides clenched, my tongue swirling around his finger like he was feeding me with the most delicious nectar. “Mmm...”
He brought his finger back inside of me and thrust a few times before he pulled it out again and tasted it, holding my gaze over my shoulder.
He did this a couple more times, feeding us both with the abundant amount of my juices until I was too close, begging him to let me come.
This time he pushed three fingers inside of me, fucking me harder, and it was all I needed to burst into pieces.
Arching my back, I called his name and screamed as I orgasmed. He moved before my orgasm even finished, pushing me against the edge, and entered me from behind. His dick ripped through my sensitive folds, hitting my cervix, and I cried out. It was so intense!
“Tobias! I...”
Once again, he was rough, fucking me uncontrollably, pushing through my walls that welcomed this more than anything. He flicked my nipples with his thumbs and pinched them.
“Always so responsive.” He groaned and slapped my ass. “If you only knew how good you’re making me feel...”
He pushed my upper body down and pulled my hips toward him, penetrating me more deeply. Gradually, he slowed down his tempo, creating a different kind of sensation in me that was equally potent.
“I like that... So good...” I muttered.
He entangled his fingers into my hair and kept my head pressed against the edge of the bathtub,
increasing his pace again.
“I have such a good view here,” he teased me and chuckled, caressing my ass.
His voice was strained, his breathing turning more labored when he sped up even more, and more screams left my mouth.
I was getting closer to a new climax, every part of me convulsing. He pulled me toward him and smashed his lips on mine. I was so close...
“Let’s come together,” he said, and a few moments later, I exploded, my vision turning white as bliss spread through me.
He pulled me for another kiss right when his orgasm started, and spurts of his hot seed filled me, which made my climax last longer. Amazing.
“What are you doing to me, Scarlet?” he asked me and brought me back against his body, pulling me into his hug. I snuggled closer to him, letting my eyes close for a moment.
“I could ask you the same thing. It feels like it’s never enough.”
“With you, it never is.”
“Thank you for everything, Tobias,” I told him, cupping his hands on my stomach. “Thank you for accepting our babies.”
“You don’t even have to say that. From now on, we’re in this together.”
I yawned, suddenly too sleepy, and he laughed softly. “Tired?”
He stood up and helped me out of the tub, wrapping a towel around me and leading me to the bed.
“It’s hard work growing two babies, you know.”
“Then close your eyes, I’m not going anywhere.”
CHAPTER 22
Tobias
Scarlet had fallen asleep in my arms. While I would have been perfectly content just holding her for the rest of the morning, I had business to work out. Plus, she eventually had to check out of the hotel. Our time together was going to inevitably come to an end, at least for this particular day.
I checked the time, seeing that she still had a little over a half hour before her official checkout time.
I looked down. Her head rested on my chest, her breathing deep and content. It all made sense now. When I’d seen her the previous day, I knew there had been something different about her, but I hadn’t been able to place my finger on what. Now I knew. It was the pregnancy glow that she had, making her even more stunningly beautiful than she had already been. Her skin was luminous, her hair more luscious, and I had been right to notice that there was more fullness to her figure. How did I miss that in my office?
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