Well Suited (Red Lipstick Coalition #4)(18)

At that, her face opened up. “Oh my gosh. The heartbeat?”

I nodded. “We’re supposed to get a picture, too.”

She pressed her palm to her chest. “Oh, Theo.”

Now I was flushed, too. So, naturally, I changed the subject. “She’s moving in when she’s out of the first trimester, so in a few weeks. She laid out her ground rules. I’m optimistic.”

“Think she’ll come around?” Tommy asked.

I glanced at Amelia, not sure if she knew how I felt about Katherine.

“She knows,” Tommy answered the unspoken question.

I sighed.

“I want to believe the way I feel isn’t one-sided. When I touch her, I know it’s not. But she’s not ready. So, I’ll be patient and hope she either learns to trust me or can’t fight it anymore. And if not…well, I suppose there are worse things than wanting a woman who doesn’t want you back. We’re bound together regardless. Do I have a reason to be optimistic about that too, Amelia?”

“You do,” she said. “She resisted being friends with us at first. But once she opens that door and lets you in, her loyalty is unwavering. She is one of the most dependable, steadfast, giving people I know. I mean, as long as giving doesn’t require hugs. She has a thing about personal space.”

I chuckled. “I’ve heard. In fact, I’ve been asked to stay out of hers so as not to tempt her with my pheromones.”

“That sounds about right. But just…just be patient. I can’t say much, but I’ll tell you there’s hope.”

And I took that blessing and let it fuel my resolve.





8





Blob





Katherine

7 weeks, 3 days

The silence in the cold waiting room was broken by the sharp crinkling when my naked ass stuck to the paper under it.

I shifted, my face pinched in a glorious frown as I tried to dislodge the thin, cold liner of the table from my butt. My feet were in stirrups, my bare knees pointed at the dotted ceiling tiles, the gown draped between my legs so my entire vagina wasn’t on display.

Theo was thankfully at my shoulder and not sitting in the chair. From there, he probably would have been able to note the anatomy of my vagina in great detail.

I huffed, pushing myself up to sit. “This is silly. I don’t know why the nurse made me put my feet in the stirrups when the doctor isn’t even here yet.” I was so worried about covering my legs, I forgot the back of the gown was wide open.

“Here, let me help you.” His fingers brushed the exposed skin of my back with the softest touch.

A riot of goosebumps flared from the spot.

He tied each of the ribbons deftly and in quick succession.

“Thank you,” I murmured. “I dislike feeling helpless.”

“Something we have in common. But I have to admit, I like being useful.”

“Something we have in common,” I echoed as he rested his hand on my back in a gesture of comfort for only a second. I was instantly cold when it disappeared.

“Nervous?” he asked.

I shifted to look up at him. He was resplendent in a suit so dark, his eyes looked like shining mahogany, shot with a brown so vibrant, it was nearly red.

“A little,” I admitted. “There’s a possibility she won’t find a heartbeat.”

A shadow passed across his face, but before he could speak, a knock sounded on the door. It opened without confirmation.

“Hello, Katherine,” Dr. Stout said, extending her hand. Her smile was kind, comforting. The gesture coupled with the firm shake put me instantly at ease.

“Hello,” I echoed.

“I’m Dr. Stout,” she said to Theo, offering her hand again.

“Theo,” he said as he shook it.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, taking a seat on the rolling stool. She glanced at my chart on the counter as she pulled on rubber gloves the color of a robin’s egg with a creak and a snap. “So it looks like we’re nearing seven weeks. How are you feeling?”

“Fine, other than the nausea.”

“She’s on the beige diet,” Theo added helpfully.

“Smart. Carbs, carbs, and more carbs. Keeping your stomach full will help.” She rolled over to the stirrups. “All right, let’s get your feet up here.”

I exchanged a look with Theo, who shifted to move further up the table in a discreet display of respect for my privacy. I reminded myself that at least a dozen people would see my vagina, and all those people saw vaginas for a living. Old news, no big deal.

But if I were being honest, I was more concerned with Theo seeing it than the doctor. There were times and places for a man to see a vagina, and in the presence of a doctor was not my preference on any one of them.

The view was shielded by my gown, which Dr. Stout draped artfully between my legs. The click of the speculum in the quiet room made me wince even more than the cranking of the damn thing to open me up. Theo shifted again, this time to lean on the table next to my head. I looked up at the upside-down image of him.

He smiled and reached for my hand. His was so broad that it easily covered mine, warm against the chill of the room.

“We’re looking good,” she said, removing the device.