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Sid leaned down and kissed her belly before gently scooping her into his arms. “Even if I wasn't, whatever I had to do could wait. You're my priority, honey. Always have been, always will be.”

Lana wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him before resting her head against his shoulder. For once, she wasn't going to argue about him carrying her or insist she could walk on her own. She was tired, her feet hurt, and she loved the stubborn bastard holding her more than anything. Closing her eyes, she let Sid do what he did best. Take care of her.

CHAPTER 8

Dawn was getting the examination room ready for Becky and Sloan, still a little surprised by the text she'd received from Sloan asking if she could do an ultrasound tonight. Apparently, they'd changed their minds about wanting to know the sex of their baby, and she couldn't have been happier for them. She'd never really understood why some couples wanted to wait until the baby was born to find out. If it were her, she'd definitely want to know if she was having a precious little girl or a handsome little boy. Smiling at the thought, she opened the cabinet where she kept her supplies.

Her smile faded when she couldn't find the alcohol wipes. Frowning, she moved a few things around, certain she'd grabbed some from the extra supplies stored in Slade's office. She could have sworn she'd brought them in here earlier. After searching the cabinet one more time, she closed the door and glanced around the room, but they were nowhere to be found.

With a sigh, she headed toward the door, her high heels clicking against the tile floor. She had a date tonight, and when Sloan had contacted her, she'd already been dressed and ready to go. Since she didn't need to wear scrubs to perform an ultrasound, she'd decided not to bother changing. Once she finished with Becky and Sloan, she could head straight to her date without having to rush home first.

Although she had a room at the compound, she preferred spending her downtime at her small apartment near the hospital. It gave her a little privacy while keeping her close enough to the compound that she could get there quickly if needed. Once Becky and Lana got closer to their due dates, however, she planned to stay overnight at the compound rather than risk being too far away if one of them went into labor.

Walking across the hallway, Dawn knocked on the door to Slade's office even though it was already open.

Slade was sitting at his desk going through some files. He glanced at her over his shoulder before turning completely around in his chair. “Hey, Dawn. What can I do for you?”

“Sloan and Becky are coming in for an ultrasound, and apparently, I've managed to misplace my alcohol wipes.” Dawn stepped inside, shaking her head at herself.

Slade stood and walked over to a large cabinet, pulling out a couple of boxes. “How many do you need?”

“Just a couple of boxes should do it.” Dawn took the wipes he handed her with a grateful smile. “Thanks, Slade.”

Closing the cabinet, Slade turned toward her, his gaze dropping briefly to her dress before a grin spread across his face. “Do you usually wear a dress when you're doing ultrasounds?”

Dawn chuckled, remembering how intimidated she'd been by Slade when she'd first met him. The man was ridiculously handsome, but then again, that seemed to be a requirement for all the Warriors. The fact that he was also a doctor had only made her more nervous, which was ridiculous considering she was one herself. Thankfully, that awkwardness had disappeared once she'd gotten to know him better, especially after meeting his mate, Jill, whom Dawn absolutely adored. Now she could actually carry on a conversation with him without worrying about making a complete fool of herself.

“I do when I have a date.” Dawn started backing toward the door. “Sloan texted me just as I was dressed and ready to leave. I figured the ultrasound wouldn't take long, and I could head straight to my date instead of going all the way back to my apartment to change again.”

Still looking at Slade, who was now frowning at her, Dawn continued backing toward the door when she suddenly ran into something hard. The boxes flew from her hands as she stumbled, but before she could fall, a pair of strong arms caught her.

Glancing over her shoulder, Dawn found Kent looking down at her with a frown on his face. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she apologized, embarrassed as he released her. For a moment, she could still feel the warmth of his hands where they'd caught her. She started to bend down to retrieve the boxes, then remembered she was wearing a dress. Before she could figure out how to pick them up without giving everyone a show, Kent stepped around her and scooped them off the floor.

Straightening, he handed them back, his eyes lingering on her a little longer than usual. Dawn took the boxes, trying to ignore the strange flutter in her stomach. Kent wasn't exactly the most talkative Warrior, but the way he was looking at her made her wonder if she'd done something to piss him off.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice sounding a little squeaky.

He gave a slight nod, but instead of moving out of her way, his gaze dropped briefly to her dress before returning to her face.

Dawn raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Nothing,” Kent replied, although his expression said otherwise.

“Hey,” Jill greeted as she walked into the office, passing Dawn and Kent before stopping when she got a good look at Dawn. “Well, damn, girl! I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down or wearing a dress. You look gorgeous! Not that you don't usually, but holy shit. I'm gonna have to keep an eye on my man around you.”

Feeling her cheeks heat, Dawn rolled her eyes with a snort. “First of all, thank you...I think.” She glanced toward Slade, who was also frowning at her. “And second, your man is so infatuated with you that I don't think he even realizes other women exist.”

Jill smiled proudly as she looked at Slade, but her smile slowly faded when she turned toward Kent and noticed he was wearing the same expression as her mate. “Ah, what's going on?”

“Did you clear this with Sloan or Duncan?” Slade asked, his teasing tone from moments ago completely gone.

“Who is this guy?” Kent demanded at almost the exact same time.

“Uh-oh.” Jill glanced between the two men before giving Dawn a sympathetic look. “You got a date?”

For a moment, Dawn could only stare at them, clutching the boxes of alcohol wipes against her chest. What in the hell was happening here? One minute they were joking about her dress, and the next she was being interrogated like she'd committed some kind of crime. “Yes, I have a date. No, I didn't ask Sloan or Duncan for permission, and who he is happens to be none of your business.” There. That should answer all three of them.

Slade sighed, shaking his head. “Dawn, I thought we made it clear how important it is to keep your situation here top secret. We take the protection of the women very seriously.”