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  Haley and her girlfriend Bree agreed to lunch with Morgan and me after a long morning of legal and paper work. It was hard not to get our hopes up because everything about this time around felt different. I was freaking the fuck out on the one hand, because twins”, but on the other hand, everything felt so right.

  “Have you guys talked about names?” Morgan asks Haley and Bree as we sat at a little ice-cream shop a few blocks from Murphy Kinzer’s office. We’d all walked down there after the several hours long meeting with everyone involved. Haley had mentioned wanting ice-cream while we were waiting for her partner to arrive, and Morgan was ready to promise her the world. He was clearly not wanting to let her leave yet, so ice cream at Mac’s was where we headed.

  “No, we thought it might be too hard that way.” Bree grabbed Haley’s hand and kissed the back of it, while we waited for our order of sundaes to arrive. “I know you guys probably think we’re being selfish-“

  “We don’t think you’re selfish. Not at all.” I tell them both, interrupting Bree rudely.

  “We think you’re brave; both of you. For wanting to give these babies the best life, that’s not selfish; it’s selfless. I promise you; we’ll do that. Won’t we, King?” He looks to me for confirmation.

  “Absolutely. We absolutely will.” I promise them.

  “It’s just that; I’m scared…” Haley started to explain. I wanted to tell her that she didn’t need to, but Morgan squeezed my hand, and I figured he’d wanted to hear what she had to say. Or maybe she just felt like she needed it to be said; either way, I let her finish. “I’m scared that I won’t be able to love them. Like, maybe I’ll see him in them, and I won’t be able to love them the way a mom should.”

  “I think by doing what you’re doing proves that you love them more than anything, already,” Morgan tells her softly, as Bree hands her a napkin to wipe her now tear-streaked face.

  “I hope you’ll tell them that. That I loved them so much that I wanted the best for them.” Haley says hopefully. Morgan assured them both that we would as he cried right along with her. I winked at Bree who looked very uncomfortable with not only her girlfriend in tears but now some random dude sitting with them, crying in public. She gave me a grateful smile, and everyone’s tears dried up as our waiter brought out our ice cream.

  “What do you think about names?” Morgan asks me on the ride home. We’d exchanged numbers with the girls and hugged them both as Morgan thanked them both profusely until I pulled him gently away. I think that he thought they might change their mind if they were away from us, but I had good feelings about them. They both seemed to ultimately want to do what was best for the babies.

  “I’m not sure; you got any in mind?” I ask. We’d had one picked out for the time before, but it somehow didn’t seem appropriate now. I didn’t want to feel like we were replacing one baby with another, so I’d hoped Morgan was okay with choosing a different name.

  “No, but can we look when we get home? In the name book? I want to name them already.” He smiled over at me, and my heart hurt. He was so happy; I really hoped everything worked out this time around. The waiting was going to be agonizing.

  When the lawyers showed up and asked who the father of the babies was, Haley said that she didn’t know. She told both of our attorney’s that she’d been raped and as it was only a half-lie, she didn’t feel guilty. I think the attorney didn’t push it because Haley was prone to crying jags and I knew he was uncomfortable. I was just glad that they didn’t have to get ahold of this mother’s boyfriend and have him sign his rights away. I didn’t want to see that sick fuck, and I was glad Haley was getting away from him by leaving the state.

  “Whatever you wanna do, baby.” I laid my hand on his hand that was resting on my thigh as we drove home together, praying for all our possibilities.

  Morgan

  “Lucas and Ava,” I ask Kingsley as we lie awake for the fourth night in a row, trying to imagine the names of our future babies.

  “Thomas and Theresa.” He suggests instead.

  “Ugh, no.” I veto that one, hard. “Kaci and Max.”

  “Baby.” Kingsley shook his head. “Adam and Aria.”

  “Why do you want them to have matching sounding names? They don’t have to start with the same letter.” I tell him honestly. All of his suggestions have been rhyming names or names with the same letter. It really limited our options.

  “Maybe we should just see them first before we decide.” He suggests. Maybe we should, but, I’m antsy, and this helps me pass the time while we wait. I cannot imagine people who find out and then have to wait nine freaking months to have their baby. It’s not even been a week, and I’m already going out of my mind.

  “Here, let’s look at the sonogram and see if anything pops out at us.” I volunteer. I’d stared at these little black and white, grainy pictures until my eyes hurt. I’ve studied every curve in their little lips and every single finger and toe that’s pictured. I wondered what color hair they’d have and if by some miracle, they resembled one of us. I knew it was unlikely, but maybe just an eye color or hair tint. I’d love a little girl with Kingsley’s dark brown eyes or maybe a little boy with my light ones.

  “I can’t believe these are pictures of our babies,” Kingsley says, taking one strip and admiring, while I memorize the other. Because Haley’s having twins, she normally got sonograms every month, high risk, they said; but this is the last month, so she’s getting them every week. Of course, she’s kept several for herself; something to remember her babies by and I know we’ll take tons of them at the hospital. We promised her and Bree that we’d keep in touch, but Haley is skeptical. She admitted that a clean break might be easiest. We’d play it by ear. If ever the kids or their mommy wanted to meet them, I’d be all for it. I’d be indebted to her for the rest of my life. I told her as much too. She’s called every day, and we gabbed like long-lost friends. I hope she knew how much I appreciated her and loved her for this gift that she was giving my husband and me because I doubt I’d ever be able to express it adequately.

  “Bonnie and Benji.” Kingsley suggested, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “They’re babies, not dogs.” He laughs with me. “Glenn and Gladis?” He blurts and sets us off again.

  “We’re having 90-year-old babies?” I tease, setting the pictures on the bedside table before rolling my body into my husband’s chest. He wraps his arms around me and snugs his leg between mine, cuddling me to his front. His eyes are sparkly, and I love how happy he looks.

  “Wyatt King and Gracie Joy.” He whispers, touching his lips to mine. Wyatt King and Gracie Joy. I love them immediately.

  “Wyatt and Gracie.” I smile at him.

  “He’ll be our King, and she’ll be our Joy.” He tells me seriously and with all the clarity in the world; I know that those are our baby’s names. Everything is going to work out this time, I can feel it deep in my soul.

  “I love you, so fucking much Kingsley Kennedy.” I declare just before pulling my husband over top of my body and claiming his mouth with my own. He frames my face with his large hands and looks down at me with all the love in the world in his eyes. He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t need to; I feel it consume me, as I always do. He lowers his head to reclaim my lips, nipping and sucking at my tongue; letting me feel his weight against my body. Best feeling in the world, being claimed by this man.

  “Take those off,” Kingsley’s body lifts off of me as he eyes the sleep pants I’d put on after my shower. He stands by the bed and has his boxers off in record time. The sight of his massive, muscled, tatted up body has me moving quicker than I thought possible before following him back down to the bed.

  “Turn over.” He growls, flipping me onto my stomach and pulling up on my hips as I get my knees under me. With a big hand on my back, he guides my top half down to the bed, and I feel his tongue swipe my hole before my head hits the pillow. I gasp and groan as he spreads me open and feasts on me with unleashed fury.
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  “Kingsley!” I cry out as he pierces my body with his tongue. His hands are moving over every inch of my exposed skin, and I feel as though I’m on fire. Nobody has ever loved me like Kingsley does, so thoroughly and completely. He’s not even touching my dick, and I feel at any second that I could explode. I whine unapologetically when I lose his mouth, but he rolls me onto my back as I hear the snick of the lube cap opening.

  “Open for me, baby.” My husband groans, stroking his massive length and reaching a lubed hand towards my opening.

  “Don’t tease me,” I whisper, feeling his finger rub but not breach me. “Kingsley, don’t tease me, I can’t ta-“ I start to tell him that I couldn’t take it when his slides his whole finger inside me, in one swift glide. The sweet burn and delicious feel of him have me reaching for him; he doesn’t disappoint. His big body makes room between my legs and I wrap myself around his middle.

  “You’re not ready yet.” He comments, fucking me slowly with his meaty, bigger than normal handed fingers.

  “I am,” I promise. So, so ready. I take a deep breath as my eyes roll back and close when he adds a second finger. “I’m so ready.”

  “Baby,” He groans, adding yet another finger. It’s too much; I’m too close. I reach down and grab his wrist, stilling him when his fingers are buried deep inside. I try to breathe around the undeniable need to come; that familiar burn flowing through my entire body.

  “I’m gonna come.” I gasp, his fingers jerking and brushing against that little bundle of nerves that has me strung so tight I feel seconds away from breaking apart.

  “No, you’re not. Not yet.” He argues on a whisper, stilling his fingers.

  “I am, I have to,” I tell him, urgently. The need, right there.

  “Look at me.” He commands gently. I was looking at him. “Baby, stop for a second and look at me.”

  My head shakes on its own accord; I can’t. I’m looking at him, I see him, I feel him all around me, in me but he can’t stop. “Kingsley, please don’t stop. I’m so close.” I beg him.

  “Fuck,” Kingsley curses, yanking his fingers from my depths, clasping ahold of my leaking cock tightly and surging forward to the hilt without pause. I scream in pained pleasure as he stretches me, but Kingsley doesn’t stop. He pounds me relentlessly, and I can’t catch my breath. It’s delicious torture. Years of knowing exactly what I like and exactly how I like it; my man knew my body better than I did.

  “You wanna come for me?” He growls, hand fisted in my hair, the other still around my cock. I open my mouth, but words are lost to me, only whimpers and cries answer his question.

  “My baby.” He groans, forehead to mine and his body trapping my cock between us. His big hands frame my face as he looks down me. “I love you, so fucking much.” He whispers my words back to me, and that’s all it takes. My body jerk’s underneath him as I throw my head back on a silent scream.

  “Fuck, yeah.” Kingsley spits, fucking me through the most intense orgasm of my life. Ok, maybe not of my life, but it’s top three for sure All of which were with him. Feeling my man fuck me through it while using my body to find his, it sends spasms through every muscle of my body until I feel him slam inside and stay there; emptying himself inside me.

  I wrap my arms around his shaking body and pull him down on me. My hand's stroke his sweat-slicked skin, and I feel his heartbeat hammering against my chest.

  “You know, you better get as much of this in while you can, I don’t see us having much privacy for the next, eighteen years or so.” I tease softly, unable to hide my smile behind the comment. I feel his body shaking with his quiet laughter, but he doesn’t move his face from my neck.

  “You okay?” I ask when several seconds later, he still hasn’t moved. His body is still shaking, and I can feel his hitched breath, fanning my neck. He nods but otherwise, doesn’t speak. “Honey.” I try again, moving my shoulder to try and see him. He takes a deep breath and wipes his face on my pillow before he leans up and looks at me.

  “I’m just really happy.” He whispers and brushes his lips against mine. I feel him softening and sliding out of me, and just like every time he leaves me, I hate it. We’d stopped using condoms years ago; so he didn’t completely leave me. Still, I loved keeping him with me. Pulling me with him as he rolled to his back, we scooted out of the wet spot, and he cuddled me closely to his chest after flipping the switch on the bedside lamp and plunging us into darkness.

  “I love you,” I whisper as my eyes get heavy. I feel his lips against my temple in answer. Lovingly sated and wrapped up in my man; my mind wanders to what life will be like a month from now. Wrapped up in my man and lovingly sated, I cannot wait for it.

  The phone ringing what felt like so early in the morning, wasn’t uncommon. Kayson often called at weird hours, and Jody called when he needed a gym buddy, so it wasn’t until Kingsley shook me more awake that I’d even opened my eyes.

  “Baby, it’s Haley.” His rough sleepy voice sounded sexy. Haley- my eyes snapped open, and I rolled to grab the phone.

  “Hello?” I asked, trying to sound as awake as I suddenly felt.

  “Hey, sorry it’s so early, but we had a little scare last night.” She tells me, and my stomach drops to my feet.

  “Are you okay? What happened? How’re the babies?” I ask rapid fire and feel Kingsley tense beside me as we both sit up against our headboard. I can’t even appreciate his nakedness; I’m so afraid of what she’s going to say.

  “Well, I kept getting dizzy yesterday, and my legs and feet are incredibly swollen. It’s not uncommon, twins, ya know,” She explained. I felt myself nodding, but I didn’t interrupt.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Kingsley asks, and I realize he’s waiting for me to say something, anything, most likely.

  “I’m going to put you on speaker, is that okay? Kingsley’s here, and he’s worried too.” I say, pulling the phone from my ear and hitting the button. “Okay, go ahead,” I tell her, praying that nothing is seriously wrong with her or the babies.

  “Well, like I was telling Morgan, I was feeling a bit dizzy last night, and my feet and legs swelled up double in size. I rested all day yesterday but even getting up to go to the bathroom had me feeling dizzy and sick at my stomach, so Bree took me to the emergency room,”

  “You should’ve called! We would’ve taken you.” I interrupt, hoping it didn’t come across as harsh as it sounded to me.

  “It’s okay; we’re at Bree’s cousin’s house-sitting for the week. It’s been nice, relaxing, even.” She tells us. I relax slightly, knowing she’s away from her mother and the man responsible for this. We asked her to come stay at our house, but she and Bree both declined; I could tell they both felt weird about it, but King and I just wanted to make sure everyone stayed, okay.

  “So, what’d the doctor say? It’s nothing serious, is it? Are you and the babies, okay?” I ask, Kingsley grabbing my hand and pulling it to his lips before giving me a reassuring squeeze. He always knows when I need him.

  “I have what they call, preeclampsia. My blood pressure got too high, too quickly. They want me on bed-rest for the rest of the pregnancy.” She explained, sounding very put out. Preeclampsia, I’ve never heard of that, I look at Kingsley, and he looks just as confused.

  “Is it dangerous? What’s it mean? Did they get your blood pressure under control?” I ask, needing to know what steps to take and what we need to do. How much should we worry? Did we get ahead of ourselves, yet again? Sensing my inner turmoil, Kingsley pulls me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me as we listen.

  “It can be dangerous, yes, but we’ve got it under control; plus, bed rest and they’ve got me cutting out caffeine and salty foods, that’ll help. The babies’ heartbeats were strong, they’re healthy and can be safely delivered cesarean if needed, but the doc would feel safer if they baked a little longer. I’m to call her every day with my blood pressure reading; she sent me home with my own machine and Bree learned how to read
it before we left. I’m okay, the babies are okay, and this is almost over. I just wanted to let you guys know what happened.” She tells us, and I feel slightly better thinking that if something were terribly wrong, they wouldn’t have let her out of the hospital, and since she was technically thirty-six weeks now, she could safely deliver. I’d read that in our pregnancy book.

  “Thank you for telling us, and if you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate. We’re in this with you, Haley; you and Bree, you’re not alone in all this, we want to help. We want to be there, so, please… anything at all, okay?” I practically beg, but I need her to hear my sincerity. We’re still so grateful that she chose us, we want to help with anything we can.

  “Thank you.” She whispers into the phone. My hand jerks wrapped up in Kingsley’s, but he only smiles. “I’m so glad we picked you.”

  “We are too,” I say back just as quietly. She told me about hearing the heartbeats; our boys ran around 157 beats per minute and our girl around 143. Our boy was slightly bigger in his measurements, but our baby girl was usually slightly hidden, so one couldn’t really get an accurate reading. The 3D ultrasound had shown both babies with big full lips and pudgy cheeks; I couldn’t wait to meet them in person. Having asked a dozen more questions about how Haley was feeling and after she assured me a dozen or so more times that she was fine; we thanked her for calling, and she said she’d be in touch.

  “That was scary,” I say to Kingsley when he places the phone back on the stand.

  “It’ll be over before we know it and mommy and babies will be fine.” He tries to assure me. He looks confident in his words, and I wish I could be, too, but now that doubt has taken hold; now that the fear is there, it’s all I can think about.

  Kingsley

  Sometimes high blood pressure is present before pregnancy. In other cases, high blood pressure develops during pregnancy.