Page 89 of The Brutal Arrangement

Waiting out the nausea, I took comfort in the steady rubs of his hand over my back.

“Better?” he asked eventually.

I nodded, smiling up at him and hoping I wasn’t lying.

“I hope it’s not like this the whole time,” he said, frowning. “You don’t seem to have much of an appetite.”

“I think it could fade later on.” I sighed, sitting up and brushing my hair out of my face. “I don’t know. Time will tell.”

“Maybe we should get you to the doctor sooner,” he said, clearly unhappy at the idea of me in any discomfort.

“No. Not yet. Sloane said this can be normal.”

He furrowed his brow. “I don’t remember her acting like this.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t near her in the morning, but when I asked Maxim about morning sickness, he said Sloane was lucky. She seemed ill because of work exhaustion rather than her pregnancy when she first knew about it.”

I patted his thigh, indicating for him to get up. “I’ll be all right. Thank you for the help.”

“I feel like there’s nothing Icando to help,” he said as he stood.

“You are. Your just being here helps me.” I tipped my face up for a kiss. “Go on. I know you’ve got that appointment with your father’s specialist.”

“Lucy, you are my wife. You matter and?—”

I leaned up to kiss him. “I said I’m fine. It’s better now.” Smiling to show that I wasn’t faking it, I relaxed when he nodded and turned to get dressed.

Still, he watched me closely as I lay in bed some more. “I can ask Sloane to come sit with you.”

“No need.” He was too damn good to me. He’d asked her to come sit with me yesterday, and she’d distracted me as I puked into the toilet—since he was away with a meeting. She’d carried on with baby name ideas, laughing at the ridiculous ones she’d seen on name websites.

Once he left, I got up and figured I could start that yoga routine that Sloane swore by. I would never have the body she had as a mom-to-be. She’d told me that her exercise of choice was stripping and dancing, and neither of those had ever been mypreference for cardio. Yoga, though, that could help me stay flexible.

As soon as I moved into the first position, though, the nausea returned with vengeance.

“Oh, no…” I ran to the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time.

Fifteen agonizing minutes later, my abs hurt from heaving. Nothing was coming up, but I felt so gross from the effort that I wanted to shower and steam myself clean.

No. Maybe a bath would be better.

I’d already read in the baby books that I couldn’t have it too hot or warm. Besides, it wasn’t like I had a huge baby bump yet, where soaking in hot water could directly impact them.

I filled the tub and lay back, wishing this morning sickness could be managed.

Thank God I don’t have to worry about a job.

I’d be burning through all my sick time.

“Lucy?”

I smiled at the sound of Damon coming into the bathroom.

“Oh, no.”

I winced at him as he sat next to the tub, not caring about his suit getting wet.

“I thought you said you were fine.”

I nodded. “I was. For maybe five minutes. Then…” I shrugged.

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