Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
I was still laughing. “Naughty, naughty, Meghan,” I teased.
* * *
✶ ✶ ✶
* * *
When I stepped back into the house from the back porch where I had been talking to my agent, I found Axel sitting on the couch with his arms wrapped around Meghan. She was lightly snoring, and the smell of ginger tea was in the air. A pack of saltine crackers was on the table as well as a half sucked Preggie Pop.
“Shit,” I whispered, quickly making my way further into the living room. Axel dragged his eyes from the movie in front of him to look up at me. “How bad?’
He shrugged. “She’s finally sleeping, so I think we’re good right now, but it was pretty bad.”
Guilt swirled in my stomach. I had gotten her pregnant yet again, and I couldn’t even be fucked to take care of her.
“Bro, don’t worry about it,” Axel told me quietly. “She understands. She knew you were busy, so she came to me because she wasn’t feeling good. It’s one of the reasons I’m here, Julian.”
I looked at my watch and cursed again. “Fuck—your sister—"
Axel shook his head at me. “Dr. Gresham thought it might be better if I didn’t assist in moving her to the facility.” He looked down at Meghan for a moment. “She needed me anyway.”
I sighed and dropped into the recliner. “Your sister still needs you, Axel,” I told him, knowing that look anywhere. He was feeling guilty for letting Alli get this bad.
Axel shook his head. “I think she relies on me too much, Julian. She needs to grow outside of me. She’ll never be able to do that if I keep coddling her. She’s going to get better in the center. It’s going to take time, but she will get better.” He blew out a soft breath. “Meghan is my family now, bro. I’m not leaving her side. It’s like you said last night. I’m creating my own family now.” He let his dark eyes meet mine. “And yeah, this baby she’s carrying might biologically be yours, Julian, but it’s just as much mine.”
I regarded him for a moment, watching as he lightly situated Meghan before he rested her comfortably against him again, running his fingers up and down her arm. “It doesn’t bother you that she’s having my kid?” I finally asked him.
He shook his head, his eyes moving to the painting over the fireplace. “No,” he told me honestly, nothing but sincerity ringing in his voice. “You two need this, Julian. You guys need the second chance to do this right. My time with her will come, but this—this is your time.”
Meghan released a soft groan, her hand fluttering to her belly. I instantly stood up and made my way over to the couch. She released a low moan of discomfort when her eyes opened. “Hey, baby girl.” I leaned down to scoop her up in my arms. “Let’s go lay down.”
“My tummy is turning,” she mumbled, resting her head on my shoulder, her arm loosely wrapping around my neck.
“I know, baby. Let’s lay down and suck on that Preggie Pop some more, yeah?”
Axel quickly snatched her Preggie Pop up before he followed me to my room. I gently laid her out on the bed before I yanked my shirt over my head and my jeans down my legs. Axel yanked his shirt over his head and slid in bed behind her. He placed the pop at her lips, and I released a low grumble as I watched her lips wrap around the pop.
“Fucking hot as hell, sweet girl,” Axel rumbled in her ear, basically reading my mind.
She blushed and shut her green eyes. He rubbed her belly, and rested his chin on the top of her head. I slid in bed in front of her and rested my hand on her hip, letting her draw comfort from me as Axel took care of her. “Does that help?” I asked her softly.
She nodded. “Don’t let me choke,” she mumbled sleepily.
I resisted the urge to make an inappropriate joke, instead nodding. “Okay, baby girl. Rest,” I gently commanded.
She eventually fell asleep again, and I gently took the pop from her, setting it back in its wrapper. I sighed. This pregnancy was proving to be just as bad as her last one with all of the morning sickness.
“I know you’ve been busy, so I made her an OB appointment for the Monday after we get to Massachusetts,” Axel told me quietly as he continued to rub her belly. “She should be able to get prescribed some medication to help with the nausea.”
“Thanks, bro,” I whispered, keeping my voice low so I wouldn’t wake her. “I’m not normally this fucking clueless.”
Axel softly laughed. “Julian, you’ve got a shit ton of stuff going on. I’m here to take care of her, too,” he reminded me. “Trust me to do that.”