A small knock erupts at the door just as an acrylic bassinet is wheeled throughthedoor.
“Here she is!” A man bursts in right along with it wearing the exact same sexy face as Levi, and my stomach drops through the floor. He smiles over at us, and his features quickly morph into something just this side of shock. “And hereyouare.” He looks to Levi with apprehension, as if unsure if he’s about to get handed a cigar or a fist to the jaw—perhaps both. “Levi.” He stops cold with the bassinet between us like ashield.
Levi takes a stepin. “Chip.”
It’s only then I figure out that indeed I’m seeingdouble.
Oh, my ever-loving shit! They’retwins! And seemingly identical at that. Sonotfair.
Wait a doubling-loving minute! What if Meredith here thought she was indeed sleeping with her husband when she accidentally—most likely on purpose—let his twin’s big dick fall into that cave at the base of her legs? God knows the Masterson clan is fifty shades offuckedup.
Chip, the Levi lookalike, leans in my way. “Who’s this?” A lewd smile glides up one cheek as if it were me he was looking to impregnate next. It’s not like he’s above sidestepping his brother—as evidenced by the burrito with a tiny peach face. And, oh my God, she’s so darn cute! Okay, so there might be far worse things than having Levi’s hot twin impregnate me on the fly. Wow. I’m breathless at the beauty this tiny being exudes, and for a fleeting moment I consider taking Chip into the nearest hallway and getting my own baby show ontheroad.
I blink back to life and extend a hand his way. “Evie Slater.” He gives a firm shake, and I scowl at him without meaning to because I suddenly remember whose side I’m on. “I’m Levi’s plus one. Congratulations on the baby. She sure is cute. What’shername?”
Bonnie claps up a storm. “That’s the million-dollar question! Chip and Meredith were just about to share the big news.” She bops over and plucks the tiny tot out of her acrylic confinement. She’s small as a kitten, and the scent of fresh washed linen and all things baby wafts on by along with her. I swear on all that is holy, my ovaries just screamed for a swollen vagina ofmyown.
Chip comes in close and examines me with those eyes veiled in sadness as if he felt sorry for me—or Levi, I can’t tellwhich.
“How long has this been going on?” He flicks a finger my way while referencing me as an inanimateobject.
“I guess he likes them young.” Meredith pipes up as if anyone cared about her two-timing, vag-bleedingopinion.
Levi wraps his arms around me from behind and warms my entire body with his as if we were a genuine couple. And for a fleeting moment something deep down inside of me says we could be. Who am I kidding? That something deep inside me is my clitoris, which happens to be trembling like mad at the moment due to the fact there’s a quasi-sexual prospect on thetable.
Levi clears his throat. “Thisis a woman, and she has a name—Evie,” he says it hesitantly. “I don’t think it’s anyone’s business how long this or anything in my life has beengoingon.”
Chip grimaces a moment. “Fairenough.”
“Congratulations on the baby.” Levi gives my hips a squeeze as if it were me he was congratulating, and just like that, my ovaries blow up oncommand.
My face heats like an oven as I burrow up against him. Of all the places I’ve imagined getting my groove on, a maternity ward with the dude’s ex, brother,andmother looking on were nowhere near the raunchy list. I let out a slight moan without meaning to, and all three sets of eyes that are trained on us popwideopen.
I straighten and try my best to catch my breath. Crap. It’s not my fault all the free radical pheromones shooting around this place have put me in a baby making mood. I always suspected my children would love their Auntie Raven, but this takes Auntie Raven to a whole otherlevel.
Levi pulls me in close once again, his heated chest covering my back. “She’s beautiful.” He lays his head to rest on my shoulder as he peers over at the tiny pink bundle, and there’s something alarmingly normal about this moment. Something about this act, this comfortable hold he has on me feels all too real, like it’s not an act at all. It probably has something to do with the fact Raven’s face is in this room in triplicate, and God knows Raven has always felt likefamily.
Meredith looks sheepishly to Chip as he comes around to her side. Bonnie lays the baby between them, and I can feel Levi go rigidbehindme.
“There,” Bonnie sings. “A perfect littlefamily.”
Meredith shoots a quiet look to Levi, and Chip doesthesame.
I don’t see anything perfect about this. And judging by the fact Levi stopped breathing altogether, neitherdoeshe.
He sighs hard over my shoulder as if proving me wrong. “So, what’s my little niece’s name?” His voice comes out sad and drawn out, and my heart breaksforhim.
Chip looks to his ho, then to his mother, and finally to Levi. “Her name is MaxwellMasterson.”
A gasp comes from his mother, and I can feel Levi drawing in a nice long breathhimself.
Maxwell. That doesn’t sound very feminine, but I’ll be the first to admit it’s adorable. Just think of all the cute little nicknames that can go along with it? Maxine, Maxie, Max. Face it, she’s going to be a doll. If that were my niece, I’d run out right this minute and buy her every pink frilly dress I could get my hands on. And then it hits me. Raven just became an official aunt today, and tears come tomyeyes.
“Where did you get the name?” There. I put an end to the deafening silence myself. “I absolutelyloveit.”
Levi pulls me in close as if he needed me to ground him. “It was my father’s name. It was something I thought I would name my own little girlsomeday.”
My mouth falls open as I look to Meredith and Chip inhorror.
They might be new parents, but something tells me they’re oldmonsters.
I twist in Levi’s arms and take in that harrowing look of sadness etched over his perfectfeatures.
And I do the very thing I figure Ravenwoulddo.
I wrap my arms around this beautiful man andholdhim.
