Page 68 of Pastel Kisses

His lips graze the fabric of my hospital gown, but I feel the warmth of them in my soul.

“I already love this baby so much it hurts,” he admits softly. “I’m going to teach them everything I know. How to be strong. How to stand back up when life hits hard. How to fight for what matters. But mostly… how to love like you do. Fierce and full and without apology.”

A laugh bubbles up from my chest, fragile but real. “You sure you’re not going to teach them how to be dramatic and bossy?”

His grin turns devilish. “Oh, we’ll get there.”

I chuckle and feel the familiar flutter from inside—like our little bean is laughing right along with us.

“We’re going to have the best life,” I whisper.

“With the best mom,” Jaxton replies, eyes locked on mine with a look that makes the world disappear.

I don’t realize I’m crying until he’s brushing away the tears, a thumb sweeping gently over my cheek.

“Okay,” he says, tone shifting with the unmistakable glint of mischief in his eyes, “since we’re being all emotional and sentimental, I feel like it’s only fair that I bring something else to the table.”

I raise an eyebrow, already suspicious. “Oh?”

Jaxton leans back in his chair, lacing our fingers together. “I just think, and this is purely a biological observation, that it’s probablymykid, because—well—superior swimmers.”

I blink. Then smirk. “Oh, we’re doingthatnow?”

He shrugs, utterly unapologetic. “What can I say? Science.”

“Oh yeah?” I tease, resting my hand on the swell of my belly. “Pretty sure Liam would like a word.”

“Damn right I’ve got something to say,” Laim fire back, groggily. “My guys gave yours a run for their money—don’t count them out just yet. But then again, it’s not twins… and Iknowmine will come through with two. So yeah, maybe this oneisyours.”

Jaxton barely glances over his shoulder. “He can talk all he wants, Kitten, but I’ve got Hollywood-grade genetics. That baby’s got charmliterallywritten into their DNA.”

“You both are ridiculous,” I say through a smile, the warmth in my chest spreading like sunlight through frost.

Jaxton leans in closer, brushing a soft kiss to my temple. “Maybe. But ridiculous or not, this baby’s gonna be a heartbreaker.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Or they’ll have my stubborn streak and scare off everyone.”

Liam laughs. “Then they’ll be unstoppable.”

Jaxton’s teasing melts into something softer, more serious. His hand settles on my bump, fingers splayed wide with reverence. “Kidding aside… I don’t care whose DNA did the heavy lifting. This baby isours.Yours. Mine. Theirs. All of us. And I’m honored as hell to raise them with you.” His voice thickens, and his next words are barely more than a whisper. “I can’t wait to see you with them. I already know you’re going to be the best mom.”

My heart twists with emotion. His words hit deeper than I expect, breaking open something inside me I didn’t realize I’d been holding so tightly.

But before I can respond, a groggy groan rumbles from across the room.

“Are you twoseriouslyalready fighting over baby daddy rights?” Lennox mutters, voice raspy with sleep. His bedhead is a full-on explosion, like he battled a hurricane in his dreams and barely survived.

“I’m not fighting,” Jaxton replies smoothly, sitting back down, and kicking his feet up like a smug villain in a rom-com. “I’m stating facts.”

“You’re statingbullshit,” Liam grumbles, his voice muffled under the arm he’s thrown across his face like the light personally offended him. “You’re about to get paternity testedinto humility.”

Kamden stretches by the window, spine popping loud enough to make me wince. “If I had a dollar for every time Jaxton talked out of his ass, we could’ve bought our own island by now. Raised the baby with chickens and coconut trees.”

Jaxton shrugs, completely unfazed. “Jealousy is so loud in the morning.”

From the recliner in the corner, my dad lets out a warm chuckle. “As long as someone’s on diaper duty—and it’s not me—I don’t care who wins the title. I’ll love that baby no matter what. But I’m not touching a blowout. That’s where I draw the line.”

I glance around at all of them—my guys, my dad—scattered around the room in various states of sleepy disarray. Their banter wraps around me like a blanket, warm and familiar, making the sterile hospital room feel more like home than anywhere I’ve been in months. Their voices, their laughter… this is what I missed the most. Not just feeling safe—but feelingsurrounded.

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