by L. S. Pullen
I stifle the urge to laugh at his cockup. “I don’t expect you to marry me because we’re pregnant.”
He lets out a soft groan. “That’s not why I’m asking you to marry me. It’s because you’re my person, Lottie. And I love you.”
I bite on my bottom lip. “Well, when you say it like that, of course I’ll marry you.”
“You will?”
“Yes.”
He pulls me up and lifts me off my feet, spinning me in his arms before his lips crash against mine.
Until today, I never knew a perfect day like this existed. It’s a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. We met our babies, heard their heartbeats, and as of ten seconds ago, I’m engaged. And we’re having twins. How is this even my life right now?
Ethan
When we walk indoors, the hallway is lined with rose petals, and so are the stairs and landing leading to our bedroom. The staircase is wrapped in fairy lights. Never would I have thought I’d be saying ours, but we’re a fucking team now, and we need to be. We’re having two little babies. Every chance I get, my hands seek out her tummy, making me feel closer to it, them––that’s going to take some getting used to.
I remove my gloves and coat and then help her out of hers before I lead her upstairs.
“What’s all this?” she asks in a whisper.
“I told you I had this planned out.” While I was out, I had Nathan set this all up for me. He didn’t even grumble.
On the floor in our room there are loads of giant cushions, a blanket, an indoor picnic, and non-alcoholic bubbly. I couldn’t propose without bubbly. In the centre of the bed is an open box holding the engagement ring I picked out.
I stare at Lottie, her eyes dancing over the room as she takes it all in.
“Wow, you did all of this?” And then she’s pointing. “Is that what I think it is?”
I nod and step around her and reach out for the box. I drop to a knee in front of her, holding up the diamond ring, the one I had Violet help me choose. I knew better than to leave her out when it came to the plan. She’s very vocal and passionate about her friendship with Lottie, and I love the loyalty they share.
Pinching the ring between my thumb and forefinger, I reach for her left hand.
“Charlotte, I have no intention of ever letting you go. If you ever left me, I’d fucking hunt you down. I want to spend the rest of my forever with you. You. Are. Mine.”
I slip the ring on her wedding finger, thankful it’s the perfect fit, and I let out a relieved sigh.
I didn’t ask permission for her hand, because honestly, it’s only her answer I care about, but I did, however, give Olly the heads up I was going to propose. He read me the riot act as I would have expected, but he couldn’t hide his smile when he said he was happy for us.
Henry didn’t even seem shocked when I told him. Meg was grinning like a hyena too. There was once a time when I wondered if I could move past our history. I worried it might be awkward but seeing how she is with my brother and how he is with her, I know it was the right decision. Lottie is proof.
She’s openly crying, and I climb to my feet, caressing her face between my palms.
“You make me so damn happy,” I say, brushing my lips softly over hers. “Ready to celebrate?” I ask.
Her teeth dig into her bottom lip, and I free it with my thumb.
“I mean food,” I say, pointing my thumb to the picnic behind us.
“How about an appetiser first?”
I swallow hard, my dick straining against the fly of my jeans.
“Are you feeling horny, baby?”
She pulls me to her and sighs. “Yes, and I love it when you call me baby.”
“Duly noted,” I say before my lips clamp down on the soft flesh below her ear.
Groaning, her hands sneak to my arse, squeezing hard. I pull away, and she lets out a groan.
“Clothes off,” I order, crossing my arms and taking a step back.
Chapter Forty-Three
Charlotte
I wake, wrapped in Ethan’s arms, and everything about yesterday comes crashing back to me. We’re having twins, and he proposed. Holding up my left hand, I admire the engagement ring. The morning light reflects off the centre diamond, surrounded by smaller ones––a halo platinum engagement ring. I never envisioned what the perfect ring would be on me, but this is most definitely it.
“Do you like it?” Ethan asks, reaching out and taking my hand in his. I peer up and find him watching me.
“It’s perfect. I love it.”
He kisses the tip of my nose. “Because if you want to change it, we can.”
I shake my head and tuck my hand back under the duvet as if to protect it, loving how he always says we; he completes me in a way I never thought possible.
“No way. I never plan on taking it off.”
And I know he likes my answer when I’m rewarded with that smile, the one that when I’m standing makes my knees weak and my insides completely melt.
“Duly noted,” he says, winking, and I envy how even fresh from sleep, he looks hot as hell.
“I still can’t believe we’re having twins.”
He shakes his head. “It’s fucking crazy. We’ll need to double up on everything,” he says. “Car seats, cots, changing mats, nappies. We should start making a list.”
I giggle, loving how invested he is in planning.
Rubbing my fingertips over his chest, I air my thoughts out loud.
“So, I was thinking we keep it a secret about having twins until the gender reveal. What do you think?” I ask, my eyes dancing over his face.
“Yeah, I like the sound of that.” He leans down, brushing his lips over mine when an excessive buzzing comes from the doorbell.
“What the fuck?” he says and climbs out of bed, pulling on his joggers.
Ethan goes downstairs, and I hear muffled voices followed by a laugh and know all too well who it belongs to—Violet.
“Where is she?” I hear her feet pounding up the stairs before she rushes in and throws herself on the bed.
“Well?” she asks.
“Hello to you too,” I say, laughing, and she rolls her eyes.
“Boy or girl?”
“I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet,” I say.
“I’m not asking you to kiss me; I just want to know whether I have a niece or nephew.”
I shrug and sit up, holding the cover to my chest. “I’ll tell you as soon as you get out of my space and let me get dressed.”
Her eyes scan to my hand, and she lets out a squeal, grabbing it as she checks out my ring.
“You knew, didn’t you?” I ask.
She winks. “Yes, of course. Do you love it?”
I nod and sigh. “It’s beautiful.”
She smiles, and it’s genuine. “I knew you would. But forget about that already, niece or nephew?”
“Pass me that T-shirt first,” I say, aware of how very naked I am under the duvet.
She tuts but stands up and passes it to me anyway. “I’ve seen you naked before,” she says.
“Yes, because you don’t understand boundaries.”
Flipping me the finger, she waits, tapping her foot against the floor impatiently.
“I made you both tea,” Ethan calls upstairs.
I dig through my underwear drawer, slip on some knickers under the T-shirt that stops mid-thigh, and then pull on a pair of leggings. My boobs will just need to hang until I get ready, they’re not designed to be without support, but Vi is getting very impatient.
“We don’t know the sex of the babies,” I say.
She huffs out loud. “What? Please don’t tell me you’re waiting until… wait, what did you say?”
“We don’t know the sex of the babies.”
Her eyes widen, and I don’t think I have ever seen her in shock before.
“We’re having twins,” I say, looking down at my bump.
She lurches forward and pulls m
e into a hug.
“Can’t breathe, and you’re squashing the babies,” I say, only half-joking, but she releases me and steps back.
“So can they not tell the sex then?” she asks.
“They can, and they put it in an envelope, but we wanted to do a gender reveal, and a twin reveal at the same time.”
She claps her hands together. “And you picked me, right? Say you picked me. If I find out you picked his imbecile cousin, Nathan, I will go bat shit crazy on your hot boyfriends’ arse.”
“I heard that,” he says, walking past her and up to me for a sweet kiss. “And I’m her fiancé now.”
Vi just pokes out her tongue, but he’s not even phased.
“I’m going to shower. Don’t let your tea get cold,” he says, walking into the bathroom. I stare at his arse until he closes the door. When I turn back to Vi, I know she was checking him out too.
“Mine,” I say. “Get your own.”
She sticks her fingers in her mouth and mock gags.
“Well, did you pick me or not?”
I walk past her and downstairs, her hot on my heels.
“Of course we chose you. But you have to keep the sex a secret from us and that we’re having twins from everyone else.”
She claps her hands. “So, I am the only person who knows you’re having twins?”
I nod and pick up my tea, smirking behind my mug.
“That better be decaf,” she declares, examining hers before taking a sip. She’s as fussy as fuck when someone else makes her a cup of tea, even me, but she tilts her head, which I take to be her approval, and takes another sip.
The doorbell goes again just as excessive as when Vi rocked up, and I am pretty sure it can only be one other person.
I walk over and check the peephole, and sure enough, with his face moving in and out of focus, I see Nathan.
“Hi,” I say, opening the door.
“Well?” he says, walking straight past me and into the living room.
“Morning to you too,” I say to his retreating back until he comes up short when he sees Vi already sitting on the sofa, with a cat just got the cream smile adorning her face.
“You,” he says, pointing to her but spinning back to face me.
“Please tell me you haven’t already told her the sex of the baby?” he asks, hooking his thumb over his shoulder.
I laugh and shake my head. “No, we’re going to have a gender reveal so we can all find out together,” I reply.
He turns back to Vi, who gives him a smug look.
“And who is organising it?” he asks.
“That would be moi,” she says before taking a gulp of her tea.
Shaking his head, he turns back to me. “What? But I’m family,” he says, looking hurt, and then points to the rose petals still lining the stairs and hallway. “Who do you think helped do all of that, lovey-dovey shit?” he says, eyeing my engagement ring.
Violet gets up, walks up to him and pats him on the back. “You snooze you lose.”
To be fair, I actually feel sorry for him and wonder if Vi could do with the extra pair of hands. “Maybe you could do it together?” I suggest.
Nathan says yes, even though I can tell she’s the last person he wants to be around.
Vi shakes her head. “What? No,” she says, and I half expect her to stomp her foot.
Arms wrap around my waist from behind, and Ethan rests his chin on my shoulder. The smell of his shower gel engulfs me, and I’m jealous I wasn’t able to join him.
“Are you stressing out my fiancée?” he asks.
“No,” Nathan and Vi say in unison.
“Good, then it’s settled. You can arrange the gender reveal together.”
Nathan gives Vi a shit-eating grin, but I already see she’s about to one-up him.
“Yeah, well, I take great satisfaction in knowing that they’re having twins before you do.”
His mouth drops open, and before I know what’s happening, he pulls Ethan and me into a hug.
“Oi, don’t squash the babies,” Vi says, tugging at his shoulder.
“But you can’t tell anyone else. It’s going to be a surprise,” she says before finishing off her tea.
“Fine, but so that you know, you’re not my boss.”
She winks at him and takes her empty mug back into the kitchen.
Nathan leans in closer to us. “I can’t believe you told her before me. We’re family.”
Ethan chuckles softly, the vibration sending happy thoughts to my lower stomach. “So is she, man.”
At this moment, I couldn’t love him more.
“Fine, but she’s not calling all the shots,” he says.
“Keep telling yourself that, pretty boy,” Vi says as she sashays past us. “I need to get to work. How do we get the info for the gender?” she asks.
“Oh, let me go get it.” I step away from Ethan’s hold and rummage through my bag for the envelope holding the sonogram images and the gender envelope.
“Want to meet them?” I ask, pulling out the photos.
They both dive towards me, but Ethan intercepts them, putting his hands up. “Children,” he says, taking the image from me and holding it up for them to see.
“I’ll be good. Let me get a better look,” Vi says, wiggling her fingers. He hands it over, and Nathan leans over her shoulder. She tries to elbow him away, but he won’t budge, and I can’t hide my laugh.
About time someone else got in her personal space for a change.
“I don’t get it,” she says, turning the image at different angles.
Nathan covers her hand with his and tilts it slightly, and I swear I hear her breath hitch. I glance at Ethan to see if he noticed, and he shrugs but says nothing.
“There, see? Baby number one and baby number two.” He points them out, and Vi scrunches her nose like she still doesn’t see it, and to be fair, they do look like blobs to me too.
“Can I take a photo of it?” she asks, pulling her phone out.
“Of course,” I say, and Nathan has his phone angled over the image too.
She groans in frustration. “I was first,” she says, and I see her nostrils flare. Wow, he’s really getting under her skin.
Ethan wraps his arm over my shoulder and pulls me to his side as we watch their exchange.
We pass over the envelope and they each grab a corner––I swear they’re going to rip it if they aren’t careful.
“Guys,” Ethan says in warning.
“Come on, you big lug,” Vi says, pulling on Nathan’s hand. “We can’t open it here.” She brushes past us and drags him towards the front door.
“Okay, bye,” he calls back over his shoulder.
Ethan bursts out laughing, and I can’t help but join him.
“This is going to be interesting,” he says, pulling me into a hug.
“He looked hurt that she was organising it. I felt sorry for him.”
He kisses me on the forehead. “Thank you. I know it meant a lot. I just hope they don’t end up killing each other.”
I reach up on my tiptoes and kiss the edge of his mouth. “Maybe it wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had.”
He kisses my mouth softly before pulling back. “It will be fine. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited for everyone to find out we’re having twins just as much as their gender.”
I nod in agreement.
Ethan’s phone chimes and he groans before letting me go.
“Tell me again why I have to adult?”
I laugh. “Because twins cost money.”
He kisses my forehead before grabbing his phone. He looks back at me. “And whatever naughty thoughts you have, save them for later,” he says with a cocky smile.
Chapter Forty-Four
Ethan
Violet and Nathan have outdone themselves. Lottie and I walk through an arch decorated in pink and blue balloons, and to the side is an easel with our names, gender reveal, and the date. As we enter the hall, there are t
ables to the sides with centrepieces.
Vi is whisper-shouting to Nathan, who is trying not to laugh under his hand. She spots us and swats his shoulder before she comes over.
“Well?” she asks, holding her arms out and spinning around until she faces us again.
“It’s stunning,” Lottie says, her eyes taking it all in, and I can tell she’s pleased.
Violet sighs, and Nathan puts his hand on the small of her back. “I told you they’d love it.”
He holds out a fist to me and pulls Lottie in for a hug, lifting her off her feet.
“Mine,” I say, and he laughs gently, putting her back down. His hand reaches for her stomach, and I wonder which version of Lottie he’ll get. It’s incredulous how many people will reach out and touch her stomach, even strangers, and I have to say that she has more patience than I do, but lately, she’s been getting agitated and snapped at a few people.
“What the fuck? When I did that the other day, you snapped my head off,” Vi states, a scowl on her face.
“Well, I figure today everyone gets a free pass, but after it is by invitation only,” Lottie says.
I lean down to whisper in her ear. “I hope you don’t mean me.”
She gives me a chaste kiss. “Of course not.”
Violet huffs and crosses her arms.
“Bloody hell, Vi.” Lottie grabs her hand and holds it on her belly.
“Don’t swear around them.”
Nathan laughs, and Vi looks ready to rip him a new one, but I can already see he’s going to say something stupid.
“You know bloody isn’t a swear word, right?”
She flips him off, and he laughs harder. “How is that any better?”
“They can’t see it for one thing.”
He blows her a kiss, and I swear if humans could shoot fire from their eyes and smoke from their ears, it would be coming from Vi right now.