Page 20 of All or Notching

“No, why?”

“Considering you’re into your third trimester now, I think you should have somebody around, just in case. You don’t want to hurt yourself or the baby. Do you have family you can stay with or somebody who can come live with you?”

“That won’t work.” While I can work remotely, it’s not something I like to do. I prefer to be hands-on with my team and my clients. Besides, no way in hell I am saying anything to my sisters. They’d be here in a heartbeat to pack me up and ship me home.

“I can stay with her.”

I gape at Sally. “No, you can’t. You have your own life.”

“But—“

“No.”

“I’ll stay with her.”

We all stare at Tristan.

“When I’m working nights, maybe Sally can spend the night with you.”

Clearly, Doctor Frye is interested, given the blinking owl thing he’s doing, but he’s quick to move past his curiosity because he talks at me while I’m still stuck on Tristan moving in with me. “I’m sorry. Can you repeat that, please?”

“I want to make sure you schedule a follow up appointment with your doctor. She will probably discuss things like diet, rest and exercise with you. Light activities that you should be doing, but nothing too strenuous that will make your blood pressure shoot in the opposite direction.”

“I’ll make sure she follows the rules, Ian.”

“Tristan, you don’t need to do this.”

He raises his hand, effectively telling me to zip it. “Anything else, Ian?”

Doctor Frye shakes his head. “Nope. I’ll complete the discharge papers. The stitches are dissolving so they’ll fall out on their own in about a week to ten days. Don’t scrub the area for twenty-four hours.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” I smile at the man, keeping my smile in place until he leaves. Then I turn to my two guard dogs. “Look, I am fine. I don’t need a babysitter.”

Sally is not going for it. “You heard the doctor. Tristan will stay with you, and when he’s working nights, I’ll crash on our couch. During the day, depending on schedules we can work from your home if necessary.”

“I’m not an invalid, Sally. I can go to the office, where, by the way, there are lots of people, including you should I fall and scrape a knee.”

My best friend actually glares at me. “Youneed to take this seriously. If your doctors are advising you to do this, then I will make damn sure you pay attention.”

“Same.” We both swivel toward Tristan. “I know my schedule is, well, not idea right now, but I will be there as much as possible. After my shift today, I’ll head home pack a few things, and I should be at your place by eight or nine tonight.”

I can tell I will not win this battle, so I give infor the moment.

When I’m free to leave, Sally gives me a ride home. While I argue it’s unnecessary, she sticks around until Tristan shows up. The helpful person that she is, she even takes it upon herself to ensure my guest room is ready for him.

The room a door away from my own. A few steps.

How the hell am I supposed to sleep in my bed with the handsome Tristan Tessler,My Guy, my baby daddy, right next door?

CHAPTER 8

Tristan

How the hell am I supposed to sleep when the woman carrying my baby is next door? I can hear her soft footfalls on the carpeted floor as she moves around her room, getting ready for bed. I lay here, my body rigid and horny as fuck, as she climbs between the cool sheets of her queen-sized bed. Alone.

We’ve been doing this for over a month now. I know her routine. Returning to her bedroom, she takes a bath, soaking for a good thirty minutes. Sometimes she listens to classical music while she lays in the scented bubbles. The fragrance is barely there come morning, but when she walks past me to grab her morning coffee, I catch a slight whiff of orange blossom and coconut.

After her bath, she takes time to brush her hair until it’s smooth and shiny. I’ve caught her in the kitchen stealing a snack during the night, her long beautiful hair spilling down her back over a frilly nighty stretched taught over her belly. Then she puts on various moisturizers, making her skin silky soft. This one I figured out because I remembered how her skin felt beneath my fingers last summer. I remember that light coconut scent on her body. Once she’s in bed, she’ll read for another half hour before she finally turns out her light.

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