CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Blake's hands cover mine as he kisses my exposed belly. It looks like chubby weight, but Blake's in love with the little bean floating around. His warm breath tickles my stomach and I squirm under his soft grip. His hand slides down my thigh and he hooks it around his waist. His green eyes gleam with an excitement which makes my stomach knot.
"I crave that feeling to be with you. I need you so much." He brushes his nose along my collarbone, then across my jawline and to my lips. I squeeze his arms and sigh as his lips reach mine.
I slide my fingers into his short, soft hair and tug. Blake presses his body against mine and grins.
"And I miss that noise you make when you-" The door creaks open and Blake groans as he rolls to the side. He pulls the blanket around his body and turns the lamp on.
I squirm under the bright light as I sit up. London appears at the end of the bed dives under the blankets. She crawls up the bed and plops beside us. She wraps the blanket around her face and pouts.
Tears trickle down her rosy cheeks and she sniffles. I brush the tears away and cup her cheek. London flutters her eyelashes and looks up.
"What's wrong? Did you have another nightmare about the monster?"
"Yes, then I woke up, and now there's a monster hiding under my bed. I told him to leave, but he won't go away." She frowns.
"Aw no." I sigh.
London leans against my side and I wrap my arms around her body. Blake droops against the pillows and boops her nose.
"Don't be sad, bubba. I'll tell him to find someone else's bed to live under."
"He doesn't listen." She sniffles.
"Daddy will take care of everything." He grins.
"You will?" Lo springs up.
"Yes, of course I will."
He opens his arms and London dives into them and snuggles into his chest. She sniffles and rubs her cheeks, so Blake rubs her back and kisses her head.
"Don't cry, everything is going to be okay." He squeezes her.
I slide across the bed and wrap my arms around the pair. London rests her head against my chest and I kiss her head.
"How about a bedtime story?" I chuckle.
Blake's body tenses and he glares.
"We can read the princess story again." Lo cheers.
His eye twitches, which makes me laugh.
Lo turns around and looks at me. Her blue eyes sparkle as she snuggles into his chest.
"Can Mummy come?"
Blake rips the blanket away and springs off the bed.
"Of course she can come." He smirks.
"Oh, I'd love that." I tug on a smile.
As I stand up, I clutch onto the bed and gasp from the pain. Blake tosses London onto the bed and races around. He grabs my shoulders and trails his hands over my body.
"Are you okay? What happened?"
I smack his hands away and wander to the door.
"Seems like our lil bub is excited for the book, or she's telling me to hurry up."
"Are you sure everything is okay?"
"Yes." I nod.
Blake's shoulders slump forward and he sighs with relief. Lo jumps into his arms and we wander to her bedroom. He tries to place her on the bed, but she clings to his body.
"I can't tell him to leave if you're hanging onto me."
"But I'm scared." London pouts.
"Can you go to your mother?"
London peeks over his shoulder and nods.
He passes her to me and she clings to my body. London rests her head against my chest and squeezes the fabric of my shirt between her fingers.
Blake drops to the ground and flips the blankets onto the bed. He peers under the cover and swings his arm under it.
"Go away monster, you're not welcome here anymore."
"Yeah, go away monster!" Lo shouts.
"He's gone now. Do you want to check?"
London's death grip tightens, and then she nods. I lower her to the ground and she tip-toes towards Blake. She hides behind his muscular frame and peeks around his arm.
"Oh, he's gone." She sighs with relief.
Blake fixes the blankets and places London onto the bed. She slides under the covers and pats the free space beside her.
"Mummy, can you sit with me?"
"Yes." I nod.
Blake looks through the bookshelf while I take a seat. London tugs the blanket over my thigh, and brightly grins. Once Blake finds a book, he sits on the side of the bed and presents it to London. She subtly nods her head and he reads about the mouse and the sunflower.
London snuggles into the pillow and her eyes droop. I run my fingers through her hair and she zonks. Blake closes the book and kisses her head.
"I only read five pages." He laughs.
"Shh, let's go." I chuckle.
He places the book on the shelf and we sneak to our bedroom. I climb under the covers and Blake slides next to me. His hand trails down my thigh and I roll away.
"What's wrong? Are you still in pain?" He squeezes my side.
"Nothing, I'm just tired from today."
"I can call our mothers and get one of them over if you need a check up."
"Everything is fine."
"Hm, okay."
I roll onto my side and snuggle into his warm chest. Blake wraps his arms around my body and kisses my forehead.
"I love babies, but creating them is exhausting work."
"Sure is, especially after-"
I smack his chest and groan.
"There's nothing exhausting about your part."
His chest rumbles with laughter and I roll my eyes.
"I understand it's hard work, and sometimes I wish I could take some of the pain away."
"Thank you!" I grin. "And I'd happily give you half of the work."
"Since you can't, does reading London all those bedtime stories count?"
"Sure does." I laugh.
Blake's body tenses and he groans with annoyance. The door creaks open and he presses his face into the blanket.
"I liked it better when she couldn't walk or talk."
"Do you see why babies are so much easier?"
"Yes."
His arms tighten around my body and we wait. The blanket is lifted and London crawls up to the top and presses her head against my back shoulder blade.
"I'm scared."
Blake flips the blanket away and turns the lamp on.
"Come on, let's have another story."
London bounds to the end of the bed and Blake carries her back to her room. While they're gone, I move to the middle of the bed and sprawl out.