Baby Makes Five (A Multiple Birth Book 1) Read online

  She remembered the note she tucked in her pillowcase, a reminder of her time with him. She didn’t keep the note for sentimental reasons; she kept it as penance. Every time she thought of him or dreamt of him, she would read it to remind herself that he was an absolute arrogant ass. To say that the note is overuse would be an understatement. She found herself often daydreaming at the oddest times throughout the day. He awakened a sexual side in her she didn’t know existed.

  Everything seemed to remind her of him. The scent of musk, a romance novel she was reading or even the fifties romantic movies that were her guilty pleasure. He's far from being Rock Hudson or Cary Grant, but that didn’t stop her stomach from clenching in memory of their time together.

  No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get him out of her head. Now whether or not she wanted the memory wiped from her mind, it wouldn’t matter because she was carrying his child. She was beginning to think she was out to torture herself and may have developed acid reflux in doing so. It felt like she was losing whatever sanity she had left. Self-torture seems to be her motto lately, wasn’t that why she waited this long to take a pregnancy test when she suspected weeks ago? Deep down, she knew part of it was knowing her mother would be disappointed had she been here.

  Denial didn’t get her very far nor did it present the outcome she hoped for. Now would have been the time to pinch herself awake from this nightmare. She nervously went to bite her nails on her right hand and realized she had already bitten them off trying to wrap her head around the mess she created.

  “Miah, Earth to Miah,” Amanda said waving her hand in front of her face.

  She looked at her friend. She had spaced out again forgetting that they were even talking. She blushed at where her thoughts had strayed. She needed to get him out of her head, but that would be hard to do for a long time with the reminders growing inside of her.

  “If you’re not going to tell the father, have you given any thought to what you want to do about the baby?”

  “There are just two options, and only one seemed the best thing to do. I could put the baby up for adoption, or I could keep it. We both know I’m not financially stable enough to have a child.”

  “If you could keep it, would you want to?” her friend asked softly.

  It was a question she had been asking herself since she suspected she might be pregnant. She wasn’t any closer to an answer now than she was then. She had weighed the pros and cons and still couldn’t come up with an answer.

  Did she want to be a single mother, when she couldn’t financially support herself and a baby? Would it be best to give a loving couple the baby, that way it got a better start in life than it would with her? Can she juggle school while caring for a newborn? Would she have to choose between her child and her dream of becoming a chef? If she kept it was she setting them up for a life of living from one paycheque to the next? The questions were endless, and the answers were in short supply.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered tightly “I honestly don’t know. I could barely provide for myself, how would I provide for a baby? I have another year before I get my culinary diploma, which means more bills. I don’t even know how to become someone’s mother.”

  “You have seven and a half months to answer those questions, but you should know mothers aren’t born. They are made. There are also books and classes.”

  “It still doesn’t answer my questions does it?”

  “No, but you would figure it out. You always do. Pretend you were financially independent. Would you want to put the baby up for adoption?”

  Miah pictured a blue-eyed tot with unruly brown hair, smiling up at her, and felt as if someone had squeezed her heart. She was stunned at the picture; she had to sit down.

  “Your face lights up when you see a baby. The nursery was one place I could always find you when your mom was in the hospital. Remember what you used to say?”

  “New life was light and joy, which made everything else around me seemed small,” she whispered, putting a protective hand on her still flat stomach.

  “You’re the go-to person for parents who need a babysitter. They have you on speed dial. You bring home stray animals and patch them up. Whether you want to admit it or not, you are a born nurturer that’s a good start.”

  “You make me sound like a martyr.”

  Her friend laughed, “no, just human.”

  ***

  “Where would you like me to kiss you, to touch you, here?” she asked nipping gently at his left earlobe.

  He groaned.

  “Maybe here,” she trailed kisses along his cheekbone down to the corner of his mouth. Red curly hair curtained her face.

  “Maybe I’ll just focus on kissing you here,” she whispered close to his mouth, he

  could feel every breath she took. She sucked on her index finger, then outlined his bottom lip slowly with it before giving his lip a little nibble.

  “Lucy,” he whispered breathlessly.

  “I think I’ll leave that for last,” she smiled teasingly.

  “Enough… you’ve had your fun, I….” He swallowed hard losing his train of thought as she kissed and licked the pulse below his jaw.

  He shuddered at the contact. She ran her fingernails gently up and down his torso

  before replacing them with her lips. She kissed the notch on his neck all the way down his stomach stopping just above his pubic hairline. She caressed his inner thighs close to his scrotum before cupping his testicles and gently massaging them.

  “Lucy untie me now,” he growled, pulling at the restraint that binds his wrist to the bedpost.

  “No.”

  “Lucy—"

  “I’m not done with you just yet.” She grinned taking an ice cube from the night table and held it about three inches above his torso watching in fascination as the melted droplets hit the flat surface.

  He bucked as the cold connected with his hot flesh. It did nothing to cool him down. If anything, it made him hotter for her. He licked his parched lips, thinking of ways he was going to punish her for the sweet torture she was putting him through.

  “You will be if you don’t untie me,” he warned.

  She rubbed the ice on her nipples, causing them to form tight pink pebbles before popping it into her mouth. He watched her engrossed, focusing on her lips, thinking of what they would feel like around his erection. She straddled him mere inches above his throbbing flesh, the hem of her skirt barely grazing his penis, which had him groaning aloud at the touch.

  Ice cube between teeth, she moved closer, rubbing his lips with it before pushing it passed his partially opened mouth. She looked at him knowingly and winked.

  “Hmm, if you come, I promise I’ll start all over again. Enjoy the moment, you can’t always be in control.”

  He wanted to laugh, but couldn’t. This is the first time he had relinquished control to a woman in the bedroom. He was afraid if he did relax, he would lose the small amount he had left, by exploding all over her. He wanted that satisfaction when he entered her body. “I’m warning you—”

  “Shush.”

  She was driving him crazy. He had waited weeks to have another taste of her mouth, yet here he was hands tied above his head as she kissed every inch of his body except his lips. He humored her when she said she wanted to explore every inch of him. However, he was becoming impatient as he watched her slowly trailed hot kisses down his body. His erection throbbed with each contact of her lips. Her vanilla scent filled the room, reminding him how much he had missed her.

  He wanted to run his hands through her silken red curls and crush that wicked mouth of hers to his. He was amazed the sheets hadn’t gone up in flames. If she didn’t hurry, he had a feeling he would. She was enjoying his agony, and she knew what she was doing to him. She hovered over his penis, blew on the tip and was about to take him into her mouth when he abruptly woke up, almost falling out of bed. Was there someone knocking at his door? No, it was the crane from the building next d
oor they were renovating.

  He ran a weary hand over his face. He needed to get over these erotic dreams he’d been having for the past four weeks since his procedure. Ash thought back to the conversation he’d had with his friend Tom, who was still amazed he had gone through with his vasectomy.

  “What if you meet the one?” Tom asked.

  “The one who?”

  “Woman Ash, the one who makes you want to give up your bachelorhood and have a family.”

  He had laughed at the ridiculous notion, wiping the sweat from his face as he served match point in their tennis game. His reply was a simple one, “that’s never going to happen.” Even though he had said those words, he couldn’t help thinking of a certain redheaded vixen.

  They ended their game and conversation with his friends’ last words.

  “Never say never.”

  “I wish she would just get out of my head, why is it so difficult?” he asked the empty room still reeling from how vivid and real this current dream felt. The dreams were beginning to affect his life.

  “Why am I torturing myself? She’s not that different from all the other women I’ve dated,” he said, looking back at his reflection in the mirror.

  However, he knew that there was something different about her. She made him feel alive than he had in years. Every woman he encountered since, whether in his business or personal life reminded him of her. He found himself comparing them to her. And they always seem to come up short.

  Damn her! He hoped wherever she was; she was no better off than he was. Maybe he just needed to redeem himself for the way he reacted after their lovemaking. He had been surprised she was a virgin and took his anger out on her. Maybe it was time he paid her a visit to apologize and to make sure she was doing okay. Then he could move on with his life.

  He had been carrying around her contact details for the past few weeks but lacked the courage to do anything about it. Every time he picked up the phone to call her, he never made it past dialing the first two numbers.

  “Apologize, I never apologize. Here I am talking myself into one. I must be mad,” he said, closing the door to his penthouse.

  He tried looking for her the morning after but didn’t know her last name. He also didn’t know when her flight had been, or if she had left for the airport early. When he returned to his room and saw the cheque on the bed, he had felt something that resembled shame.

  Not once had anyone, much less a woman, made him feel as if he needed to apologize for something he said. To the world, he was Asher ‘Ash’ King ruthless billionaire who took what he wanted and left a trail of women behind him. He was a cold-hearted bastard according to some of his ex-lovers, so why did this one make him think twice about getting his vasectomy? Why did she make him come alive?

  He needed to find out ASAP and take back his life. He craved the control he had before she crashed into his life.

  ***

  She was nervous. She had done the initial blood work her doctor ordered the

  day before. The call confirmed she was indeed pregnant. For some reason, she had held out hope that both tests were false positives. It’s funny, she had been coming here for six months and never really noticed how many pictures of babies in all stages adorned the walls.

  For a doctor's office, she always found the environment-friendly and warm. Not cold like other medical offices she had visited. Maybe it was because Doctor Sand and everyone in her office always had a friendly smile for each of her patients. Said doctor, was now looking at her with an encouraging smile.

  She nervously wiped sweaty palms down the legs of her jeans for the umpteen time.

  “Congratulations Miah.”

  “Thank you, I was hoping….” She didn’t bother finishing her thoughts.

  “I know you were,” the doctor said sympathetically. “I’ll have the results of the remaining tests in a couple of days.”

  “I should have refilled my birth control prescription. I thought… there wasn’t a need for it. One week wasn’t going to make a difference.”

  “Let’s not dwell on what ifs. The pill did the job it was prescribed for; it regulated your period. How are you feeling, any morning sickness?”

  “Not really, I do get nauseous once in a while, but I’ve been good so far.”

  “Excellent, today we are going to do a pap test and an ultrasound. Knowing you, I assumed you weighed all your options?”

  “Yes, but still I am not sure what to do.”

  The doctor patted her hand. “Sit up here, let me take your blood pressure. There are many resources for women in your position. I’ll have Kelly gave you the information on your way out.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Your blood pressure is perfect. I need you to undress from the waist down. The Pap

  test is to screen for any abnormalities of your cervix. I will also do a test for STDs. We will do the ultrasound after that.”

  Miah took a deep breath. She was so concerned about the possibility of being pregnant; she didn’t think of other consequences.

  “Just a few swabs and you’ll be finished. I promise it won’t hurt.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes, holding back tears. It would have been much better if she had someone to hold her hand. Oh, mom, I’m so sorry I disappointed you. The thought of her mother had hot tears running silently down the sides of her face. She was such a terrible daughter. One promise, just one, and she couldn’t keep it a mere ten months after her mother’s death.

  “Okay, take a deep breath and relax,” Dr. Sand instructed.

  In, out, in, out, she chanted quietly. Please forgive me, mama, she pleaded silently as the face of her mother flashed before her. Her sweet smile, caring touch, and a warm hug would have been welcome right now.

  “All done, great job Miah. Are you okay?” Doctor Sand asked, noticing the tears.

  She shook her head, “Just wished my mother was here to help me get through all of this,” she said trying to smile, but it was wobbly.

  “I know it all seemed intimidating at first, but there are lots of resources to help you through it all. I am here for you as well,” she said, giving her patient hand a reassuring squeeze.

  “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome, now I am going to get the machine, and we can start your

  ultrasound. If we are lucky, we might hear the heartbeat. From the levels of HCG in your blood, I’m anxious to see what we find.

  “Is that good or bad?”

  “Depends on what you think is good,” she said pulling the machine. “Here we go,” she said, squeezing gel onto the probe.

  “See that there? That’s your baby,” she pointed to the screen.

  Miah was mesmerized by the imagine on the screen. That was her baby. Her baby was the size of a kidney bean, and he was all hers.

  “He’s beautiful,” she whispered blinking back tears.

  “Yes, you might want to take a deep breath. I just showed you baby B now here is baby A. You are having twins.”

  “Twins…. But I…. Twins?” she asked speechlessly. She didn’t think beyond

  being pregnant, that there might be a possibility of more than one baby. It never crossed her mind.

  The doctor nodded. “You’re having dizygotic twins, meaning they have their individual gestational sac. Here are their heartbeats.”

  The two heartbeats on the screen made the decision she had been struggling with for her. She was keeping her babies, even if it meant giving up her dream of becoming a chef for a few years.

  “Fraternal, does this mean I’m having a boy and a girl?”

  “Not necessarily, they could be the same sex or one of each. We’ll find out when

  you reach the eighteen to twenty-two weeks mark. Would you like some pictures?”

  “Yes, please. Twins,” she said in wonder, smiling for the first time in weeks.

  “I take it; you know what you want to do?” Dr. Sand asked smiling.

  “I’m going to be a mom.
I am keeping them.”

  “I’ll write you a prescription for folic acid; you’ll need to take it for the next couple of months. Also, you need to start taking prenatal vitamins.”

  “I’m already taking Materna.”

  “I’d like to see you in three weeks. I’ll make an appointment for an NTS. It’s a screen done by blood work and ultrasound, to determine if your babies are at risk for Down syndrome and any other chromosomal problems.”

  She nodded.

  “It would be helpful if we could get a copy of the father’s medical history as well.”

  The feeling of joy vanished. Cold fingers ran down her spine and fear hit her like a backpack of books. She should get used to it; her babies would also have questions about the man who fathered them. Those questions were years off, though, and she had plenty of time to figured out the answers she would give.

  “I’m not sure I could get you that information, Dr. Sand. I have no clue who he is or where he lives except for a first name. These babies were souvenirs of a one-night stand,” she said, feeling the shame wash over her. She watched as the doctor digested the information calmly, she knew Miah’s fear of getting pregnant out of wedlock, and she wasn’t judging her. It was one of the things Miah liked about the doctor. She was never in a rush and took her time to answer any questions she might have.

  “Okay, that won’t be a problem. Your due date is January twenty-first. I want you to be extra careful when you are lifting something. Try not to lift anything more than ten pounds or so. Don’t announce you’re having twins until after your first trimester. As you are still in your first trimester, one of the twins can disappear it’s called vanishing twin syndrome. I am not saying it will happen with you. I just wanted to let you know it’s a possibility.”

  “O-okay, thank you, Dr. Sand.”

  “Kelly will give you the information packages. Don’t forget to make an appointment for your next visit. Everything will be alright Miah, just take it one day at a time.” Dr. Sand said grabbing Miah’s file and giving her an encouraging smile.

  ***

  Twins, she was having twins. Did anyone in her family have twins or was it his side of the family? Miah was so engrossed in the information pamphlets she had gotten from her doctor, that she wasn’t focused on where she was walking. Somehow she ended up on the patient side of the hospital.