“I caught the addiction from you,” he accused, smiling now.

Truth was, they were both addicts and always had been. They had, after all, met outside a coffeehouse, both needing their fix that day.

Maddie came into the waiting room, her face shining with happiness. “She’s beautiful. Eight pounds, one ounce, and completely healthy,” she announced, hugging her husband as he rose to sweep her into a hug.

“Kara okay?” Sam asked, concerned.

“She’s fine. Worn out, but good,” Maddie replied. “If I can tear him away, I’ll get Simon to bring the baby out of the delivery room so you can all see her.”

Mia stood up, commenting happily, “I’m sure he’s a proud daddy.”

“He will be. He’s a little green around the gills at the moment. I didn’t think he was going to make it through the delivery. Kara was calmer than he was,” Maddie said jovially, planting a kiss on her husband’s cheek.

Everyone was on their feet, all talking at once, marveling over the birth of Helen’s first grandchild and Sam’s new niece.

Max grasped her hand tightly, keeping her at his side protectively. Slapping Sam on the back, he told his friend jokingly, “Your turn next, buddy.”

Sam’s smile faded and his usually tan complexion turned white as he looked down at his wife. “I don’t think I can do it,” he told Maddie, his voice full of dread.

“You don’t have to do it. I’m doing it,” Maddie answered calmly. “Since everybody is here, I guess we can tell you all. Sam and I are being twice blessed. We’re having twins.”

“Oh shit,” Mia heard Max mumble under his breath, but he was so close only she could hear him. She squeezed his hand, warning him not to make his concern show. It was obvious that Sam was already sick with worry.

Sam sat down, his face white, looking like he needed to put his head between his legs to keep from passing out. No wonder he had been fretting so much over childbirth.

Mia smiled at Maddie, whose happiness was showing in her eyes. Obviously her sister-in-law was overjoyed, and it made Mia’s heart warm. Wrapping her arms around Maddie, Mia whispered, “Congratulations, Maddie. We’ll help the guys get through it,” she said jokingly, although she wasn’t so sure the statement wasn’t true.

“I just told Sam,” Maddie admitted, hugging Mia back. “He’ll warm to the idea eventually.”

Both women looked at Sam, his face white as a sheet now.

“Or not,” they both said together, laughing as Helen joined in the group female hug, leaving the men to ponder the hell of having twins.

She and Max waited until they could see the baby before they left, walking hand in hand out of the front entrance of the hospital after viewing Simon’s adorable baby girl, completely surrounded by Max’s security to keep the media away.

“I wish I could have your baby,” she pondered thoughtfully.

“Sweetheart, you don’t say something like that to me and not expect me to respond accordingly. I thought you wanted to wait,” Max said huskily.

Mia thought for a minute before answering, knowing she was ready to have Max’s child. In fact, she was starting to ache to have his baby. “I know we were waiting to have a family, but—”

“I’m ready if you are. I think we’ve waited long enough to start really living our lives together,” he told her warmly, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Me, too,” she replied, surprising herself with that answer. She hadn’t been ready before, but suddenly she couldn’t wait to have Max’s child, to see a child created with love grow inside her. Maybe she really had grown up.

Two women in the same body…again.

For some reason, she liked the woman she was now. “When I recover my memory, we can talk about it,” she replied. “We do need some time after all that’s happened, but it would be nice to plan it.”

“I’ll be more than happy to do my part to help,” Max replied, his voice intense and sensual, as though he couldn’t wait to get her naked.

“You’ll be my stud once I know what happened and we know everything is going to be okay?” she asked teasingly.

“Baby, Iamyour stud. The only one you’ll ever need. And everything will be fine,” he quipped arrogantly.

“We can’t exactly get started immediately, but you could practice,” she dared him, heat gathering between her thighs and branching outward.

They’d used his car and driver, and he helped her into the back seat of the limo, closing the privacy barrier as he climbed in after her.