Chapter Seven
Sleeping on the foldout sofa was the greatest physical trial of her pregnancy, but every time Jessica woke and felt Braden's arms around her and his soft breaths on the back of her neck, it was all worthwhile. She had her dragon back, and whatever happened in the future he would stay with her. That was all that mattered right now.
In the morning, she was woken by a quiet conversation between Stafford and Braden about breakfast. Her hip ached, but she stayed still, hoping to be able to drift back off to sleep. After Stafford left to go and buy eggs, it became apparent that she wasn't going to get any more sleep, and Jessica slowly sat up. It felt like every joint in her body had fused, and she groaned.
"Good morning." Braden kissed the top of her head. "How are you feeling?"
Her stomach clenched, making her feel dizzy. "A little sick. Do you have any crackers?"
"Uh… I've been living off Chinese takeout. I think I have some rice that’s not too old."
It was better than nothing, so Jessica nodded. Braden brought her the rice, sitting beside her while she ate. It was a little old but still tasted good, and Jessica's lightheadedness slowly went away. She sighed after she was done, wrapping her arms around Braden's chest. Bruises still distorted his tattoos, but they were fading, and the cuts he'd suffered already looked a day or two old. She touched a split in his lip, shaking her head.
"You didn't have to get yourself beaten up so badly. Couldn't you have earned money some other way?"
"It wasn't about the money," Stafford admitted. "It was because I hated myself for what I did to you–or what I thought I did. The equinox was the best night of my life, and I thought that you and I were meant to be together for the rest of our lives. We've known each other for what, ten years now?"
Jessica nodded. A dreamy look came to her eye. "Did you love me the moment you saw me?"
"No. You were twelve and I was only fifteen." Braden shook his head and chuckled. "I don't believe in love at first sight. It was the first time I really talked to you, and you started telling me about the romance novel you were going to write someday. Your eyes lit up. I just wanted to see you like that forever."
Jessica ducked her head, a flush rising in her cheeks. It sounded really romantic, the way he said it with the glow in his eyes.
"And what about you?" the dragon cupped her face, bringing her gaze back to his. "Did you love me the moment you saw me?"
"No." Jessica's flush deepened. "I didn't even like you. It was a year later when Stafford told you he was gay and you offered to set him up with some of your friends. My brother is really important to me. And I was ready to fight you if you were cruel to him. But you didn't react how I expected, and I fell in love with you. And I told Stafford and he immediately forbade me from acting on my feelings."
Braden chuckled. "He's very protective of you, your brother. I'd hate to get on his bad side where you're concerned."
Jessica buried her face in his shoulder. "If he has a problem with this, he'll just have to deal. But I don't think he will. He promised me that he wasn't in love with you."
Braden chuckled, kissed her and slid his hand down her thigh, bringing her leg up over his hip. Heat burned between them, and they fell into passion.
***
Jessica sighed as her body was filled with rapture. For the first time since the spring equinox, she felt utterly relaxed. Her hand traced lightly over her belly, Braden's hand under hers. Despite the fear for her babies, making love to her dragon had given her all the reassurance she needed. Even all of her aches had disappeared. It was probably because she was so relaxed now.
"We need to get dressed before Stafford comes back," Jessica said, not wanting to get up. But it would be extremely embarrassing for her to still be in this state of undress when her brother came home.
Braden groaned. "You're probably right. I did text him not to come back for a while, but we both need to eat, don't we?"
Jessica turned awkwardly to him, running her hands over his smooth chest. "You texted him?"
"I didn't want him to come home while we were in the middle of things," Braden said, then looked at her. “I love you, Jessica. And the babies.”
A smile broke over Jessica’s face. Her heart sang, and she felt like she could fly as her whole body lightened. She threw her arms around her dragon, digging her fingers into his hair. Braden laughed into her mouth, then laid her down on her side while he claimed her again.
By the time they let Stafford return, Jessica was ravenous. She ate three servings of eggs before she felt satisfied. After cleanup was done, Stafford pulled out his laptop and began searching lawyers who could help Braden with his case.
While he did that, Jessica and Braden searched through local apartments. None of them had any plans of returning to the coven, but this barely-legal apartment with the lumpy sofa bed was certainly not a suitable location to bring two babies into the world.
"Are you looking for two bedrooms or three?" Stafford asked absently.
"Two, of course." Jessica laughed, but it was cut short by a sudden gasp as pain lanced through her belly. She wrapped her arms around herself, turning wide, frightened eyes towards Braden. He put an arm around her, one large hand instantly going to her stomach.
Stafford abandoned his laptop, knocking over his chair in his attempts to get to her. Both men gazed at her in concern, and Braden held her tightly.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I don't know," she whispered back. "What if I go into early labor? I'm only nine weeks, they'll die!"
"Do you have a car or just your bike?" Stafford asked.
Braden clutched Jessica tighter. "Bike. I'll have to fly her."
Another lance of pain made her whimper. "Fly where?"
"The hospital." Braden scooped her into his arms and carried her outside. Jessica's heart pounded. She had been so relaxed, so hopeful that everything was going to be fine, that because she had her dragon with her, suddenly her happily ever after was right there again, that nothing could take it away from her again.
Had she been wrong all along? Was her happiness going to be marred by the heartache of losing her babies?
Braden didn't transform completely when he took to the skies. His body was covered in black scales, his eyes electric blue, leathery wings sprouting from his back. The flight wasn't very smooth and made her feel sick, but the pains had stopped by the time they reached the hospital. Braden explained everything to the nurses as he pushed through the waiting line, taking Jessica right into one of the ER rooms despite the protests that followed him.
He didn't leave her side as they waited. Jessica clutched his hand, wanting him to reassure her, but not daring to speak herself. Even though the doctor was there in five minutes, it felt like hours later. Braden snarled at the red-haired woman to tell them what was happening, but she ignored him while she gave Jessica an examination.
When she was finished, the doctor smiled. "You are not in labor, and your babies are fine. You don't have anything to worry about."
Relief washed over Jessica, and she rubbed her belly, unable to stop a sigh of relief. Braden kissed her temple, smiling broadly.
"So everything is developing as it should?" he asked the doctor.
She nodded. "Your mate has a strong body. There are a few things you ought to be cautious about, though. For starters, no sex."
Jessica blushed. Had the doctor been able to tell what they had been doing just a few hours ago? She tried to relax her shoulders, focusing on what the doctor was saying. She could survive without sex.
"You ought to stay in bed, drink plenty of fluids and eat iron-rich foods. Liver, especially. If you can eat it raw that would be better, but cooked is fine, too. And if you have any concerns, don't hesitate to come back to the hospital. Who is your regular doctor?"
"I…" Jessica hesitated. She never did meet the specialist the midwife suggested. If it was discovered she was here, then it would be almost certain that Braden would be discovered as well. She didn't want to put him in any sort of danger. "I don't really have one. At least, none that I want to see again."
The doctor's brow furrowed, but she patted Jessica's hand and nodded. "We get a lot of girls like you from the coven. But you're okay to head home now. Just take it easy, okay?"
Jessica nodded as Braden thanked the doctor. The dragon pressed his lips to her temple again and rested his forehead against hers. She leaned into his strong arms as her eyes drifted shut. Now that she knew everything was okay, she was exhausted again.
"Thank you for being here with me."
"Of course. I'll phone Stafford while you dress," he said, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. "Your brother's going to be worried sick."
Jessica nodded, swinging off the side of the hospital bed. Her feet landed wrong somehow, and she immediately lost her balance, pitching forward into Braden. He caught her and, laughing, set her back on her feet. His mouth caught hers briefly–too briefly. She moaned and stood on her tiptoes, stretching her lips to his, but he shook his head.
"No sex, remember? And certainly not in this flimsy hospital room, where everybody could hear us."
"I wasn't!" Jessica's face flamed and she smacked Braden's arm gently. "Dirty mind."
"You think that was dirty?" Braden's eyes glinted and he leaned in, whispering in her ear. "Just wait until I tell you what I'm going to do to you once you've healed up from the babies being born. I'll show you the meaning of dirty."
His words left Jessica breathless, her heart pounding. Pressing her lips together she nodded, not trusting herself to speak lest her voice give away her desire. Braden's eyes were dark with lust and a promise, and he kissed her again, long and slow, before pulling his cellphone from his pocket and stepping outside the room to call Stafford.
Jessica was left with heat swirling through her body, and she moaned. Five more weeks and the babies would be born. She could wait that long to have sex again. She would have to wait.
Her own eyes darkened as she realized that there was a whole lot she could do for Braden in that time that wasn't technically sex…