A Perfect Ten
Page 178
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“Fine.” I rolled my eyes, took a drink, because that meant I’d lost my turn. But then I still had to guess until I got the right answer. “Buttercup, then.”
She snorted and rubbed her belly as well. “If you don’t think I let Mason know every chance I get that I’m five months pregnant with his twins, then you’re insane.”
“And she really does let me know...every chance she gets,” Mason added. When his wife shot him a dark look, he quickly added, “And I love it every time she does.” Then he broke off a piece of the chocolate bar he was holding and hand-fed her the chunk. She immediately sighed and closed her eyes, appeased.
Damn, Lowe was good. I’d have to remember that trick for when Caroline—shit. She couldn’t get pregnant. I’d been a douche and forgetting that a lot lately. I blamed Gamble completely. Ever since he’d knocked up Shakespeare, I’d been...antsy.
Speaking of Shakespeare, I shot her a curious glance after I took my second slug of beer.
She immediately shook her finger at me. “Don’t you even look my way, buddy. I just finished breastfeeding Beau. I am so not ready for a second one yet.”
So, I transferred my glance across the room to the couch where Parker’s wife cradled a sleeping infant in her arms and Parker cradled her in his arms. Freaking newlyweds. As the newest couple to our group, they fit in fine, but ever since they’d become parents, they liked to tuck themselves off to the side in their little family bubble. I had to admit, it was kind of cute to watch them together. If Caroline and I had a kid—shit. I had to stop thinking about us and kids.
“I’m not either,” Parker’s woman, who I’d dubbed Three, spoke up. “So, yeah, stop looking at me like that.”
“Damn.” I took two more drinks, and everyone in the room swerved their attention to Blondie.
Even Ham blinked at her with a shocked awe. “Zoey?” he asked quietly.
But she shook her head and waved his hands. “Oh, no. No, sorry, it’s not me. I think J.B. and Luke are it for us.”
She’d had enough trouble getting J.B. here. He’d ended up being born more premature than Milk Tit’s first kid had been. When Luke had come along two years later, Hamilton had been a freaking emotional mess, worried about her the entire nine months. But she hadn’t even had morning sickness with him. Incredibly, both her boys were healthy and hearty now, currently being watched by college-boy Brandt, who was also stuck back at home babysitting Gamble’s little boy with Colton—who, Jesus, was now in high school.
“Well, fuck,” I muttered after another sip. “I don’t know.” There were no more ladies left in the room to guess from. “Hart’s woman, then.”
“How could Remy toss in a turn if she and Asher aren’t even here yet?” Pick asked.
Hart had called about half an hour ago, saying he and his wife were on their way, but they still hadn’t showed up yet.
I shrugged. “Fuck if I know. There’s no other woman to choose from, unless one of you guys miraculously got yourselves knocked up.”
When silence answered me, I paused from taking a drink and scowled at them. “What?”
Buttercup jabbed her finger in the direction of the woman I was leaning against. “There’s still one woman you haven’t guessed yet.”
My arm tightened reflexively around Caroline’s leg, wanting to protect her. “Don’t be cruel.” I narrowed my eyes at Buttercup for even suggesting the idea. “Caroline can’t...”
But her leg tensed under my touch, and I looked up at her, concerned. When I met her blue eyes, they looked bright and anxious. Her lips tightened into a nervous smile as if she wasn’t sure whether to apologize or congratulate me.
“Oh my God,” Buttercup ranted. “I cannot believe you, Ten. We came up with this stupid-ass drinking game as a cutesy way to tell you you’re going to be a daddy, and you still don’t get it, even though Caroline is the very last woman in the room to guess. Gah!” She looked up at Lowe as if she might start crying, or commit murder. I wasn’t sure which. “Sometimes he just...irritates the hell out of me.”
“I know, baby. I know.” Lowe fed her another piece of chocolate and kissed her cheek. “He irritates the hell out of me, too.”
I gawked at them for another moment while my dazed brain tried to catch up. Then I whirled back to Caroline.
My shock pitched into the bottom of my stomach as my jaw dropped open. “Holy shit. You’re pregnant?”
She snorted and rubbed her belly as well. “If you don’t think I let Mason know every chance I get that I’m five months pregnant with his twins, then you’re insane.”
“And she really does let me know...every chance she gets,” Mason added. When his wife shot him a dark look, he quickly added, “And I love it every time she does.” Then he broke off a piece of the chocolate bar he was holding and hand-fed her the chunk. She immediately sighed and closed her eyes, appeased.
Damn, Lowe was good. I’d have to remember that trick for when Caroline—shit. She couldn’t get pregnant. I’d been a douche and forgetting that a lot lately. I blamed Gamble completely. Ever since he’d knocked up Shakespeare, I’d been...antsy.
Speaking of Shakespeare, I shot her a curious glance after I took my second slug of beer.
She immediately shook her finger at me. “Don’t you even look my way, buddy. I just finished breastfeeding Beau. I am so not ready for a second one yet.”
So, I transferred my glance across the room to the couch where Parker’s wife cradled a sleeping infant in her arms and Parker cradled her in his arms. Freaking newlyweds. As the newest couple to our group, they fit in fine, but ever since they’d become parents, they liked to tuck themselves off to the side in their little family bubble. I had to admit, it was kind of cute to watch them together. If Caroline and I had a kid—shit. I had to stop thinking about us and kids.
“I’m not either,” Parker’s woman, who I’d dubbed Three, spoke up. “So, yeah, stop looking at me like that.”
“Damn.” I took two more drinks, and everyone in the room swerved their attention to Blondie.
Even Ham blinked at her with a shocked awe. “Zoey?” he asked quietly.
But she shook her head and waved his hands. “Oh, no. No, sorry, it’s not me. I think J.B. and Luke are it for us.”
She’d had enough trouble getting J.B. here. He’d ended up being born more premature than Milk Tit’s first kid had been. When Luke had come along two years later, Hamilton had been a freaking emotional mess, worried about her the entire nine months. But she hadn’t even had morning sickness with him. Incredibly, both her boys were healthy and hearty now, currently being watched by college-boy Brandt, who was also stuck back at home babysitting Gamble’s little boy with Colton—who, Jesus, was now in high school.
“Well, fuck,” I muttered after another sip. “I don’t know.” There were no more ladies left in the room to guess from. “Hart’s woman, then.”
“How could Remy toss in a turn if she and Asher aren’t even here yet?” Pick asked.
Hart had called about half an hour ago, saying he and his wife were on their way, but they still hadn’t showed up yet.
I shrugged. “Fuck if I know. There’s no other woman to choose from, unless one of you guys miraculously got yourselves knocked up.”
When silence answered me, I paused from taking a drink and scowled at them. “What?”
Buttercup jabbed her finger in the direction of the woman I was leaning against. “There’s still one woman you haven’t guessed yet.”
My arm tightened reflexively around Caroline’s leg, wanting to protect her. “Don’t be cruel.” I narrowed my eyes at Buttercup for even suggesting the idea. “Caroline can’t...”
But her leg tensed under my touch, and I looked up at her, concerned. When I met her blue eyes, they looked bright and anxious. Her lips tightened into a nervous smile as if she wasn’t sure whether to apologize or congratulate me.
“Oh my God,” Buttercup ranted. “I cannot believe you, Ten. We came up with this stupid-ass drinking game as a cutesy way to tell you you’re going to be a daddy, and you still don’t get it, even though Caroline is the very last woman in the room to guess. Gah!” She looked up at Lowe as if she might start crying, or commit murder. I wasn’t sure which. “Sometimes he just...irritates the hell out of me.”
“I know, baby. I know.” Lowe fed her another piece of chocolate and kissed her cheek. “He irritates the hell out of me, too.”
I gawked at them for another moment while my dazed brain tried to catch up. Then I whirled back to Caroline.
My shock pitched into the bottom of my stomach as my jaw dropped open. “Holy shit. You’re pregnant?”
