Chapter Five

Sinead sat on the bed and watched the smile spread across Gabriel’s cheeks, the real smile, so wide his whole face relaxed and creased up at the same time. His dimples came out in full force. Full of joy. This was the smile she didn’t see often enough.

A warm glow like a sunrise spread through her whole body at the thought of a new version of Gabriel she hadn’t met before: proud father.

“I can’t believe you can already see two distinct little heads.”

Gabriel stared at the printed copies of the ultrasound scans, the size of two polaroid photos. He sat on the edge of the bed next to her, turning to show her the same images she’d been staring at that morning.

“It’s pretty early, but there’s already some evidence they are little humans, not aliens after all.” She grinned at him.

He shook his head and snorted. “Good to hear.”

Then he met her eyes, and there was an uncertainty in his gaze that she knew well. He was worried. She didn't blame him, not at all. She’d been worried ever since her regular doctor sent her to the specialist obstetrician. Twins could be riskier than single births, but she was still young, she was healthy, with a wonderful doctor, not to mention a caring husband. They would all be okay.

She nodded at the scans, leaned over and took his hand in hers. “So far, everything looks perfect. My new obstetrician recommended another scan at about twelve weeks to check everything is progressing okay. Come with me and you’ll see them on the big screen.”

“I’d like that, more than anything.” He reached for her hand and then pressed the back of her hand to his lips. She loved it when he did that, like an old-fashioned gentleman.

“You know, I freaked out a little back there.” He pointed vaguely to the bathroom attached to their suite. “It’s nothing to do with how much I want a family with you. I want you to understand, it worries me. I don’t know what sort of father I’ll be. I didn’t have a role model, or any kind of example growing up. It was only Mum and me. I don’t want to stuff this up.”

She knew in her heart of hearts that was what had been worrying Gabriel. He cared too much, in some ways. He wanted to be perfect at everything he did.

“I’m also having blood tests for my iron levels and all that. So, assuming I'm as healthy as she thought, it should be a routine pregnancy. Even though I might have to eat a lot.”

Gabriel grinned and sat back against the leather headboard of the hotel suite’s gigantic bed. “I’m not the world’s best cook, but I’ll learn. I want you eating all good meals, and I’ll serve them to you.”

She snuggled up beside him at the head of the bed, stretching out her legs. The t-shirt that she wore, rode up her thighs. “Really? I do like the sound of that, Mr Anderson.”

His face broke into a sunshiny smile. “I’m glad you approve, Mrs Anderson-Kennealy. Now, onto more pressing matters. I must say, this look suits you.” He ran his fingers up her bare leg, stopping somewhere around mid-thigh. He gave her flesh a little squeeze.

“What? Barefoot and pregnant?” She laughed as she wiggled her toes with the dark red polish. Sexy. He raised an eyebrow and made circles on her skin with his index finger. Delicious tingles ran down her legs and back up again.

She’d rid herself of her leggings and only wore Gabriel’s old university t-shirt. The one that had been washed a thousand times so it was super soft, but it still smelled like him. It felt like home.

She tipped her head to one side and studied him. “Do you want to go to bed early, husband? I could take this off, if you like.” She inched the shirt off one shoulder.

Now, his hand stopped moving. He pulled away and let out a long breath. “Ah, maybe we should get some sleep. You must be tired. No need to take anything off.” He glanced away, refusing to look her in the eye.

“You don’t think we should get naked?”

“Maybe it’s not such a good idea. I didn’t know earlier, or I never would have… I might have hurt you. We can’t risk it.”

“Hmm.”

She had heard enough of that nonsense. Gabriel needed to get with the program. Or maybe, she was jumping ahead. Was he really worried about something? Like the way she might look? “Does the thought of my pregnant belly repulse you? Do we need to see a sex therapist?”

“What? No.” Gabriel’s face creased into a confused frown. Then he sighed, the long, drawn-out sigh of a man about to say something stupid, in her experience. “I only want to make sure I’m not hurting you, or the twins. If we, er, you know . . . exert too much energy.”

And there it was. The stupid comment. Ah, well. At least he was trying to be caring. Even if he was being an eejit. “That is not a problem. In fact, my doctor said I should try to exercise and keep fit.” She beamed at him.

He shook his head and let out a huff of breath. “No, I meant, in the bedroom. Making love.”

“Oh, my love, I understand.” She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and scrolled until she found the number she was looking for. “Don't worry, we're going to sort this out right now.”

“Wait, what are you doing? Sinead? Who are you calling?” His eyes were wide, the liquid blue of the Pacific Ocean in midsummer. Slightly panicked.

Sinead plastered a wide smile on her face and waited as the phone call connected. Gabriel’s composure was obviously ruffled, as he sat rubbing a hand through his hair and frowning in that grumpy way he did, when he was all at sea. It made him all the more kissable, not that she’d tell him at that moment. She pressed her lips together to stifle a giggle.

The call connected and the doctor was on the line. Sinead spoke to her while watching Gabriel’s reaction. “Hello, Doctor Sharma. I hope I’m not disturbing you too late.”

Doctor Sharma replied, “Of course not, I told you to call with any concerns. And call me Alisha.”

She flicked her gaze between Gabriel’s narrowed eyes and her own belly. Smoothing a hand over the gentle curve there, she remembered something important she meant to ask. “Thanks, Alisha. I wanted to ask, do I really have to give up all coffee and chocolate because I’m pregnant? I heard caffeine is bad for babies, but I might die without any caffeine. Not really, but maybe. Did I mention it keeps me alive? Oh, my husband is here with me. Is it okay if I put you on speaker?”

Alisha laughed, the lighthearted sound endearing her even more to Sinead. She loved having a doctor who was super smart and explained things properly but wasn’t a dour lecturing type. “Sure, put me on speaker.”

She hit the speaker button and Gabriel sat up straighter and cleared his throat. “Hello, Doctor Sharma. I’m Gabriel Anderson, Sinead’s husband. I’m looking forward to meeting you.”

“Alisha, please. Likewise. To answer your question Sinead, some studies suggest caffeine can be dangerous to a foetus, or in this case two foetuses, because it can restrict blood flow to the uterus and placenta. But other studies have shown a small amount of caffeine makes no difference at all. So, I would recommend you limit yourself to one cup of coffee per day and then switch to decaf. Chocolate should be enjoyed in moderation.”

“Moderation. Got it. Um, Alisha. There’s another reason I called. Actually, Gabriel has a question.”

Gabriel shook his head and stared Sinead down. Okay, he was embarrassed. But he needed to know being pregnant didn’t mean they couldn’t engage in some sexytimes. She pointed at him and nodded, mouthing the words: ask the question.

He sighed and finally got the words out. “I just wanted to check whether it’s okay to engage in…certain activities.” He cleared his throat again. Maybe he was choking on his ego. “Marital relations. When Sinead is pregnant. With twins. I want her to be safe, and I can’t even think about hurting her or the babies.”

Sinead covered her mouth to stop another burst of giggles. Marital relations. Anyone would think he was a Regency era gentleman setting out to woo her over cups of tea in a drawing room, rather than a hot young CEO who picked her up for a one-night stand in a hotel when she was a flight attendant. Or maybe she was the one who had picked him up. Minor details. Anyway, they were a respectable married couple now…happy ever after, et cetera.

Gabriel cleared his throat right as the doctor spoke.

“Ah, this is a common concern. I want to reassure you, Mr Anderson, in most cases there is absolutely no reason to avoid having sex or any sort of close personal contact with a pregnant person. But I would caution you both to use your common sense in matters such as bondage and discipline or use of oils and fragranced products that may irritate the mucous membranes. And of course, in the third trimester, things may become a little awkward to manage. A lot of my patients tell me that doggy style or reverse cowgirl positions do the trick.”

This time, Sinead let out a loud snort, at exactly the same time that Gabriel chuckled and turned red as a beetroot. It was adorable. Sinead gestured for Gabriel to go ahead and speak.

“Thanks, Alisha. That was very informative. Good advice. Ahem. And please, call me Gabriel.”

“Gabriel. Of course. Now, if that will be all, I have to go and check on my own twins. They’re three and half and won’t go to sleep! But I won’t scare you too much with things to come.”

Sinead snuggled into Gabriel’s shoulder. “Thank you, Alisha. We really appreciate it. Goodnight.” She ended the call and chucked her phone down again.

Gabriel’s hand snaked down to rest on her thigh and began creeping steadily northwards. “That was truly evil of you. Trying to embarrass me in front of the baby doctor who I haven’t even met before.” He leaned down and kissed the spot right under her ear that made her shiver.

She stretched out her legs on the bed. “I wasn’t even trying to embarrass you. I wanted you to know it’s okay to touch me.”

“Noted.” His hand slid higher, past the point of no return. Because she would not let him stop. In fact, she arched her back, making her breasts thrust forward in his general direction.

Gabriel's eyes flicked up to meet her gaze, and the heat behind that glance stole her breath. He placed one hand over her swollen breast, cupping her. The sensation was so hot, so sweet, it made her gasp. His other hand met the juncture of thigh and abdomen. It only took one more second for him to realise she wasn’t wearing any underwear under his giant t-shirt.

With an almighty groan, he leaned down and kissed her, along the top of her thigh, then pushed her thighs apart and circled his tongue, just where she wanted him. Sinead shivered, inching her hips up, just a little. Gabriel pulled back, looking up at her with his shirt bunched up around her waist.

"Minx," he whispered, low and deep.

"Husband."

He raised one eyebrow. "Yes. Wife."

His head dropped, and he was back to work. Working her over. His hand snaked up under the shirt until he palmed her bare breast, tweaking her nipple with his thumb and forefinger. She gasped and ran her hand through his tousled hair.

Sinead squirmed under the dual attack, his tongue between her thighs, fingers massaging, until she couldn't think. She could barely breathe, but she sucked in a lungful of air and gasped, "Wait."

Gabriel stilled, then moved away from her, his hands shaking. "Is everything alright?"

She huffed out a breath but nodded. "I want . . . I need you. Naked. Skin. Come here." She whipped her shirt off over her head in one awkward motion, trapping some long strands of her hair.

Gabriel leaned over her, tearing his own shirt off and throwing it on the floor. Then he smoothed her hair back, kissing her, kissing her, kissing his way down her throat. His hands were on her hip, her breasts, his mouth on one straining nipple. Licking and sucking, he teased her, then groaned louder than ever.

He plumped her swollen flesh with his palm. "Bigger? More rounded? I fucking love this pregnant situation."

Sinead laughed, then swallowed the sound as he moved from one side to the other, between her breasts. "I thought you'd like them. Doc says they might grow a couple more sizes yet."

He groaned again, circling one nipple with his fingertip. "Like them? I'm going to annoy the hell out of you wanting to see them all the time."

"Right, but I need you now. Inside me."

He rolled aside in a blink of an eye. After getting rid of his pants somehow, he was finally, gloriously, naked. He settled between her legs and the hardness of him had her rolling her hips, even before he'd urged her legs wider. His golden skin was hot as the sand on the summer beach, hot enough to scorch. Hot enough to melt. He’d melted her heart, melted her body, time after time.

Gabriel surged into her with a fluid motion, holding himself up on his gorgeous, strong forearms. His lips found the side of her throat, and her heart stopped for a second. Everything low in her body tightened, and the noise they made together was a kind of collective release, a mini explosion before the main event.

Sinead couldn’t remember the last time it had been so intense between them. Maybe that first night of the very first day, when they collided in mutual need. It was like that again. Her heart contracted as she heard Gabriel’s breath hitch, his body surging. She gripped his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his back. Holding onto him.

Because he was her husband, her heart, her partner in life. The only man she’d ever truly loved. Now they would be so much more.

She squealed as Gabriel reached down and pressed his hand between them, where she was slick and wanting. He stroked her to a fever of thrashing, panting and all together delicious arousal. “Now, Gabriel. Now.”

With a final few thrusts, her world coalesced into a single, bright point of light. She threw her head back and gasped, “Gabriel!”

He groaned, “I love you, Irish.”

They held each other tight as the warmth, the love, circled them just as Gabriel held Sinead encircled in his strong arms.

“I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

She smiled against his skin where she rested on his broad chest. Content. Exhausted. Ever so slightly hungry. Who knew twins demanded so much food? Probably everyone, but never mind. Gabriel would look after her. He’d look after them.

Now they were a forever family. And babies made four.