“Well, you don’t get pregnant by talking, girl.” Raine sent her a sassy glance.
“I mean, he says he’s not where he needs to be mentally. I don’t know what to make of that.”
Her bestie frowned. “Have you had sex since he met Hudson?”
Heavenly blushed. She hadn’t stopped thinking about last Saturday night. She’d seen a whole new side of Seth, and she didn’t know what had prompted his uber-Dominant behavior. “Yes.”
“Did either of them glove up?”
“No, but they both knew I was at the end of my cycle.” Heavenly grabbed the baby carrots and arranged them on the veggie tray, pushing down her disappointment. “In fact, I got my period early this morning. But Seth double-checked that I wasn’t fertile before…you know.”
“He and Beck fucked you senseless? What about—” Raine stopped abruptly and grabbed her wrist, staring at Heavenly’s ring as the diamond caught the kitchen lights. “Wait. Is that what I think it is?”
A smile she couldn’t hold back crept across Heavenly’s face. “Maybe?”
“Oh, my god!” Raine squealed. “You’re engaged? When? How? Tell me everything!”
“The night of your wedding. They proposed together. They didn’t plan anything romantic, but somehow it still was.” Heavenly’s smile turned uncertain. “But don’t tell anyone. We want to announce it tonight.”
“I’m so thrilled for you. The three of you will be happy. And bonus, I won’t be the only girl I know with two husbands.” Raine’s expression turned serious. “But you’re worried Seth’s question about your cycle means he’s rethinking having babies?”
Heavenly clutched the appetizer tray. “He’s not only dealing with Hudson; he’s still trying to figure out when and how to tell his mother about our relationship. Plus, I don’t think he’s fully come to grips with losing his wife and son. I’m worried that Beck and I pushing is too much for him right now.”
“You think he’ll crack?”
“Maybe. He seems happy, but sometimes…I can tell he’s not as okay as he wants us to think. I worry he’s just pushing down his feelings to make us happy, and it will ultimately come back to haunt us.”
“Speaking from experience? Upheaval and trauma either make you stronger or break you apart entirely. Seth has you and Beck. Keep reminding him he can lean on you two.”
“I do, but he seems determined to be our pillar, you know?” Heavenly shook her head. “Enough about my problems. How was Paris? Tell me everything.”
Raine’s face lit up. “It was everything I imagined—and more. We toured Notre Dame and the Louvre, took a boat down the Seine at sunset. Liam took us to this amazing little jazz club in Montmartre, and Hammer surprised us with an incredible dinner at this tiny restaurant. They didn’t even have menus, just brought us whatever the chef made that night. The guys let me shop, and I may have gone a little crazy.” She grinned before she dissolved into a dreamy sigh. “And the time together, just the three of us—no businesses, no babies, no distractions—was idyllic. Ten out of ten. Highly recommend.”
“You deserve every moment to celebrate your love and all you’ve overcome. How are you feeling this pregnancy? Morning sickness and exhaustion, like last time?”
“Mixed bag. I’m not as tired, but the sickness sometimes lasts most of the day. And I want spicy food constantly.” Raine dropped her voice. “Yesterday I put hot sauce on ice cream.”
Heavenly tried not to wince. “That’s…creative.”
“Your face says disgusting. Don’t judge.” Raine slid a hand over her middle. “Hammer’s son is very demanding, just like his father.”
“You’re barely pregnant. Liam is sure it’s a boy?”
“Oh, yeah. His mother even called to congratulate us. She knew before we did.”
The O’Neill psychic abilities still surprised Heavenly, but they were too uncanny not to be real.
After a quick knock on the front door, it opened and River appeared in the kitchen. He looked withdrawn. “Ladies.”
Raine took one look at her older brother’s face and scowled. “What’s wrong?”
“The fucking mattress at the rent-by-the-week shithole is almost as bad as Seth’s sofa at the office. I might be desperate enough to take Heavenly’s suggestion and ask Pike about renting a room at his place. I just hate the thought of living with that asshole.”
“You and Pike under the same roof?” Raine shook her head. “That will end in war, especially when he finds out you’ve been stalking Jasmine like some obsessed?—”
“Hey, I figured out where she lives, where she gets her coffee, where she works out, and what her daily schedule is. That doesn’t mean I’m stalking her.”
“Um…that’s exactly what it means, big brother.”
