Page 26 of Rescued By Four Alphas
She complies without an argument, allowing me to pull her sweater over her head. I kneel to remove her yoga pants and slide them down her legs. Her body has changed so much in the past few months. Her breasts are fuller, her hips wider, and there's now a small but distinct bump where our children grow.
When she's naked, I help her step into the tub, supporting her as she sinks into the warm water with a sigh.
"Better?" I kneel beside the tub.
"Mmm." Her eyes close as she leans back. "Thank you."
I press a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I understand, you know."
"Understand what?" Her eyes remain closed.
"Why you're upset. Why you feel trapped." I dip my hand into the water, swirling it gently. "Your emotions are probably all over the place right now anyway, with the pregnancy hormones."
One eye cracked open. "Are you saying I'm being hormonal?"
"No," I chuckle. "I'm saying pregnancy is hard enough without all this extra stress. You have every right to be angry."
She closes her eye again. "I'm not seeing it that way from you guys."
"We're scared," I admit. "All of us. The thought of something happening to you or the babies..." I trail off, unable to put that fear into words.
"I get that," she says quietly. "But I can't live in fear, Leo. I can't."
"I know." I reach for a washcloth, dipping it in the water. "And I'm sorry. We all are… even Evan, though he's too stubborn to admit it right now."
"I don't want to see him," she says firmly.
"He'll come around," I assure her. "He just needs time to cool off."
"He called me stubborn."
"You are stubborn," I point out. "It's one of the things we love about you."
She opens both eyes to glare at me, but there's no real heat behind it.
"You're acting like a child," I tease gently.
A reluctant smile tugs at her lips. "I'm not."
"Are too." I grin, relieved to see her mood lifting slightly.
She splashes water at me, and I laugh, holding up my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! Truce!"
I reach for the sponge floating in the water. "Let me help you relax."
She sits forward, allowing me to run the sponge over her back in long, soothing strokes. The tension in her shoulders begins to ease as I work, the hot water and gentle pressure doing what words couldn't.
"That feels amazing," she murmurs.
I move the sponge to her shoulders, then down her arms. When I reach her front, I hesitate briefly before running the sponge over the swell of her breasts. Her breath catches.
"Too sensitive?" I ask, pausing.
"No," she whispers. "It's... nice."
I continue and pay extra attention to her breasts, which I know have become increasingly sensitive with her pregnancy. When the sponge brushes over her nipples, she lets out a soft moan that goes straight to my core.
"Enjoying that, are we?" I tease.
