“No, it’s…” Adrian winced again, and he covered his belly and turned over onto his side. His legs folded, but his belly was too big for him to curl up into a ball. When he sucked in his next breath, it was uneasy. “Oh god,they’rereal.”
“What’sreal?”
“The contractions.” Adrian sucked in a breath, face already starting to turn red. “I’ve been having them all day but I thought they were Braxton Hicks like the ones before, but I don’t think they are. Notanymore.”
It was a strange feeling, to know that in the next few hours, Sterling’s life would change forever—that until the end of time, he’d be a father. He’d considered the situation before, marveling that he’d had a hand in creating the tiny life inside of Adrian, but to be confronted with the news that he or she was about to make his or her grand debut was different from any wonder Sterling had feltbefore.
He sat bolt upright in bed as Adrian hobbled up, momentarily too shocked to know what to do. Then, like an elastic stretched to its limit before it snapped back into place, Sterling shot up from the bed and braced Adrian as he made his way across the room. They’d already packed an overnight bag, and they’d come up with a plan for when labor did start, but now that it was real instead of abstract, Sterling could remember almost noneofit.
He was going to be afather.
“Let’s go,” Sterling announced. He kept a hand on the small of Adrian’s back, supporting him as he dressed. No matter how scatterbrained he felt or how nervous he was about Adrian’s state during the delivery, he had to hold himself together. Right now, Adrian needed him more than ever. It was up to Sterling to be there for him no matter how panicked histhoughts.
“Will you still love me even when I’m in the middle of labor?” Adrian asked as he wiggled into his t-shirt.
“Yes,” Sterling said withouthesitation.
“When I’m cursing you for doing thistome?”
“Yes.”
“How aboutwhenI—”
“Enough hypotheticals.” Adrian was dressed, and Sterling had never stripped. “It’s time to go. The sooner you get in to see Dr. Harris, the betterI’llfeel.”
But Adrian didn’t go. He snagged Sterling’s sleeve and held him in place, forcing him to turn so they were face to face. The dreamy, affectionate look Sterling associated with subspace still rounded Adrian’s eyes, and it hit Sterling’s nerves like a punch inthegut.
When Adrian looked at him that way, Sterling was his pawn—a plaything that Adrian had wrapped around his littlefinger.
“Sterling?” Adrian asked, suddenly veryserious.
“Yes?” Sterling asked, preparing for theworst.
“No matter what I say in there, no matter what I do, I want you to know that I stillloveyou.”
The panic fled. Sterling’s nerves vanished. The tension dragging down the bottom of his stomachletgo.
All it took was one statement to let him know that they were going to be okay. He didn’t need to worry about depleting himself any longer—he’d found someone to love, and in him discovered someone to love him inreturn.
“I love you, too, Adrian.” Sterling smiled and ran his thumb across Adrian’s aching jaw. “Everything’s going tobeokay.”
Epilogue
Adrian
Adrian only told Sterlinghe wanted him dead three times. The rest of his suffering was channeled into informing Sterling that he was never,everallowed to put his dick anywhere near Adrian’s assagain.
Fourteen hours of labor later, the pain paid off. Lilian Francis Holt was born just shy of five in the morning, bald and wailing, but healthy ascouldbe.
The first time Adrian held her, her skin pruned and still covered in vernix, he wailed, too. For the first time he had physical proof of what his heart had known all along—he had a new family. For as long as he lived, he would be a father, and Sterling would be there by his side, sharing in theresponsibility.
They’d taken two broken homes and made themwhole.
The next twenty-four hours stretched on for an eternity. Sterling alternated between cooing over Lilian and lavishing Adrian with enough praise and attention that he shamelessly slipped into subspace in his hospital bed. The mellower, longer-lasting high that came from Sterling’s brand of sensual domination was just as good as the highs Adrian had experienced during the few times he’d allowed himself to be traditionallydominated.
Under Sterling’s command, he made the most of his downtime in the hospital. The scarce times Sterling left the hospital room to bring back food didn’t even bother him. How could they when it was so clear he had such an attentive partner looking outforhim?
On the way home, they visited Gabriel at Stonecrest. Lilian, wrapped up in blankets and sleeping peacefully, was the star of the show. Counselors and patients alike stopped by to see her, their eyes kind and their praise flattering, and Adrian felt more at peace with his decisionthanever.
