A Bundle of Mannies Read online

  I was no longer the hottie he’d first seen naked in this very room. Although I’d argue the hottie part was a bit of an exaggeration. After two babes, my skin wasn’t as taut as it had been and my flat stomach less flat. But now, standing before him, my belly rounded but at the stage where it could go either way: pregnant or fat. I saw not much sexy about the naked man I caught glimpses of in the mirror as I got ready for work.

  Zave, however, looked at me as if I were the sexiest man on the planet. Like he wanted to lick me from head to toe before sinking into me and filling me with his knot. Like I was…his, all his. And finally, I was in all ways. Not just in our hearts, like we had been, but legally. He was mine, and I was his.

  “I am trying to decide what to do with you, omega mine.” He raked his eyes up and down my body. “There are so many ways I would love to celebrate becoming your husband.”

  “Might I offer a suggestion?”

  “I guess.” I loved how his playfulness shined through at moments like this.

  “I think that you might be able to come up with an idea or two if you were naked as well?” I tapped my chin with my forefinger. “Yes. I have a feeling that will help greatly.”

  “I suppose that could be arranged.” He took off his jacket and set it on the edge of the bed. “This is new bedding, too.” Had he really missed that?

  “And a new mattress. I wanted to make this room ours.” In my head, I had planned this big romantic reveal, but my cock had been hard since before we made it inside the house and with that came far less eloquence and even less brain power.

  “I am the luckiest alpha on this planet.”

  “Works for me since I am the luckiest omega.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Zave

  Although I’d stayed in my own bedroom until now, I’d been doing “light housework” for months as well as sneaking in and out of the master bedroom late at night while kidding ourselves that it didn’t count as long as everyone woke in their own beds in the morning.

  But that was over. Maggie had, in fact, informed us that all her friends’ parents slept in the same room, so we would have to as well. As the recent occupier of her own room, separate from her sister’s nursery, she clearly felt bad for us having to give up our independence to share.

  “It’s very nice, omega,” I told him, reiterating what I’d already conveyed in other words. Because I couldn’t really say it well enough. What a special gift. And one I intended to put to use immediately.

  But suddenly, the weight of the day settled on my shoulders. The responsibility I’d taken on willingly, but the trust my omega had shown me was overwhelming. I paused, hand on my tie, which, in coordination with my panic, had tightened around my neck, threatening to cut off my air. I looked at Ronnie, the omega carrying my child, and tried to say something, to express my thoughts because ’that was what married couples did, right?

  But no words could get past the narrowing in my throat, no words to express the worry I wouldn’t do a good job, the honor of being the alpha to this amazing family, and, over it all, the love filling every cell in my body for my omega.

  But then he looked back at me, and his eyes held everything I couldn’t say. The love, the connection, the incredible...everything. “Alpha, not very long ago I thought my world was over. I had a very sad little girl, a desperately ill child, and my own grief to handle. But from the day you showed up at my door, a glimmer of sunshine showed through until now it’s blazing. I’ll never forget Lauren, but I know she would be happy for us. Thank you for coming into our lives and for marrying me.”

  I took his hand and sat on the bed, drawing him down next to me. “I don’t know what to say.” But the words now came. “Until the day I showed up at your door, I was failing at everything I tried. Relationships, jobs, life in general. I never felt like I was on the right path. All wrong turns.

  “And weirdly, although we had no relationship beyond library chatting buddies way back when, I missed you.” I stroked his palm with my thumb, savoring that little bit of touch. “You and the girls, and the little person currently under your heart turned all that around. I don’t know if all those things were wrong turns or if I was just biding my time until I found you again. But whatever it was, we’re together now. And if you’re up for it...I’d like to make love to my husband, my mate, my omega.”

  “I think that would be fine.”

  When he lay back on the new pillows and blankets of our new bed, I stood and took off my clothes. I lay next to him and gathered him close for the first kiss in that new bed. And it was sweet, at first just lips as if we’d never been so close before, and, in a way, I guess we hadn’t. Because when I skated my hand down his torso to close my fist over his very erect dick, it was the first time as husbands, and that added an edge of heat and sweetness I’d never seen coming.

  I read somewhere once that the kundalini, or the chi...something life force that I hadn’t studied enough to be sure, but the idea was that when two people married, it connected in a way not easily unwound. At the time, I’d thought it explained how people I knew who divorced, even if they had terrible marriages, didn’t walk away smoothly and easily. But it changed everything. This new connection.

  I couldn’t wait any longer and moved to kneel between his legs, grasping his knees and pushing them back toward his chest. When I tested his slick and found him so ready for me, I hesitated, not wanting to rush things despite my own desperation.

  “Alpha, I need you now.”

  It took no more, and I plunged inside, feeling the tight clasp of his body surround me. I retreated and plunged inside again, and again, each time a little deeper and harder, and faster. “Touch yourself, omega,” I panted, staying my movements. “I’ve wanted you all day, and I won’t last long.” Not this time.

  He skated his hand down his chest and abdomen, teasing me until he finally closed it around his cock and squeezed. I’d never seen anything hotter. “Oh that’s it, omega.” I retreated nearly all the way then drove into him again. The fist of his body caressed and massaged me, sending me into the stratosphere. Stars blazed in front of my eyes, my balls tightened. “Omega...now. Come for me now.” The first white stream spurted onto my stomach and fell to his chest, and I followed, sending hot jets of cum into the depths of him. My knot swelled, binding us together in the most intimate of embraces.

  I rolled to the side, taking him with me and bringing him where I could kiss him. “I love you, my husband,” I told him.

  “Husband. Isn’t that the best word ever?”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Ronnie

  “And when the doctor comes back in, please don’t jump on them with a thousand questions.” I sounded like an ass, a hangry ass. And the hangry part I blamed on Zave, which was why I didn’t feel so bad snapping at him. He wanted to wait until after the appointment so we could have a romantic lunch out. Well, as romantic as you could get with your now mobile baby in tow. It blew my mind how quickly she went from being happy to just lie there and watch you to I gotta get everywhere and now in the blink of an eye.

  “I don’t jump on…”

  I rolled my eyes. He very much did. The poor doctor on rotation would have Zave asking about my thyroid levels before the door was completely open.

  “I’ll try,” he conceded as the doctor knocked and then entered the room. They never waited for a response, so I never quite got the whole knocking thing.

  “Hello, dads.” It was Dr. Tucker, my personal favorite. “And, yes, his levels are fine.” My very favorite. “The nurse indicated there was a very strong heartbeat, and your vitals are fine.” She tapped at her tablet. “A boring visit. I love those.” She smiled brightly.

  “I’m a fan as well.” This pregnancy, ER visit aside, had been so much easier than last for so many reasons. At thirty-two weeks pregnant, I was starting to lose the energy burst that came with my second trimester, but all things considered, I felt amazing. Huge, but amazing.

  “You
look like you are about to self combust.” She pointed her stylus at Zave as she shook her head.

  “He’s trying to behave.” I winked at her, and she shook her head even more. “He has a list of questions, and I asked him not to bombard you.” Or was an asshat about it. Darn hormones and hanger.

  Fifty questions and answers later, Dr. Tucker sent us on our way, telling us to come back in three weeks. How very different from the last pregnancy where I practically lived at the doctor’s.

  “I’m about to eat your arm,” I growled as we drove out of the parking lot and he mentioned stopping for a quick errand.

  “I can think of better things you can nosh on.” Bastard. Sexy bastard, but still.

  “You think you are so clever. Can we drive through someplace at least?” I was at the point of begging.

  My phone started to buzz in my shirt pocket.

  “Tell them you are on a date.” Zave’s hand settled on my knee.

  “It’s work. They need me to sign off on something.” I sighed. I was never going to be able to eat.

  “Burger along the way?” he offered, and I did a mental trip from where we were to where we were going. Zero drive thrus along the way.

  “No.” I sighed. “Let’s just get it over with.”

  We were pretty close to my office, so it only took a few minutes to get there and park.

  “I’ll come up? Or is this a thing I can’t be there for?” His question took me off guard. I hadn’t even asked them what it was. Pregnancy brain was the worst.

  “Come on up, and, worst case scenario, you can wait in reception.”

  We walked in hand in hand. Or rather, I waddled in and he strutted like a proud papa. As we stepped off the elevator, we were greeted by Paul who scurried me into the conference room. At the time it felt off, but I brushed it aside. As I was surrounded by all my coworkers shouting, “Congratulations!” everything fell into place.

  “You set me up.” I leaned my head onto Zave’s shoulder, where he kissed it gently.

  “Maybe.” His coy response told me everything.

  “We like cake.” Paul pointed to the stork-shaped caked on the table. It looked far too fancy to cut into and, frankly, a little bit creepy. “And when I talked to Zave, he agreed you do, too.”

  I still couldn’t piece together whose idea the entire thing was, and it didn’t matter. At the end of the day, seeing such support from my coworkers was everything. And the cake tasted even better than it looked.

  “This might be the best thing I have ever put in my mouth.” I shoveled another forkful in as I stared at the extravagant present my office had gone in on. The stroller did all kinds of fancy things and was perfect—absolutely perfect.

  “The best thing?” Zave whispered in my ear, and I felt myself blushing.

  “Have you tried it?” He had not, stating that it looked too real. I held a forkful out for him, and he acquiesced.

  “Omega mine, you tell the truth.” He stepped away to get his own piece.

  “I thought for sure Zave was going to give it away.” Paul came up to me, cake in hand.

  “He had to deal with my wrath over being hangry. I’m probably going to have to make that up to him.” I’d already thought of a thousand ways to do so, most of them naked.

  “You have a keeper. That’s for sure.” Paul handed me a card. “This goes with the stroller.”

  “Thanks. For this and for everything.” Paul had bent over backward to make it possible for me to keep things afloat at work without too much stress, especially during my I need sleep time of the pregnancy and the all the doctor’s appointments time following my ER visit. He deserved a promotion. I would be sad when he got it and left his role with me, but it was so well deserved, and if the paperwork I had submitted to the bigwigs went through, he’d be moving up sooner rather than later.

  “Anytime.” He put the last bite of cake in his mouth and mumbled something about needing to get everyone back to work. I offered to help clean up, but he shooed us both away.

  “This thing is insane.” Zave slid the stroller into the back of the SUV. “It can be for one kid or two and they can face different directions and be at different heights. When did they get so fancy?” He pointed to each of the pictures on the box showing the configurations.

  “I don’t even know.” I climbed in the car as he shut the back then got in the driver’s side.

  “They had a card, too.” I opened it up, my tears instantly welling.

  “Not just a card?” Zave surmised.

  “Not a card. They all donated two sick days to my sick bank so I don’t have to go back when my leave runs out.” I’d been worried about it, having depleted so much of it when Mae was small and not having time to rebuild it yet. “They gave me their hard-earned time.” Tears began flowing down my cheeks.

  “They love you, omega. You’re kind of hard not to love. Ask me how I know.” He wiped the tears away. “You deserve to be spoiled like this. You have been through so much and have come out so strong. You amaze me every single day. This only shows you that I’m not the only one proud to know you.”

  “I love you.” The words weren’t enough. Not even close.

  “Not as much as I love you.” He leaned in for a sweet kiss. “Not as much as I love you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Zave

  The weeks after the surprise shower seemed to go on forever. Although the doctors were happy with everything about my omega’s pregnancy, his anxiety level rose. Not that I could blame him after his last experience. But by the time week thirty-nine rolled around and the awesome Dr. Tucker announced it could be “any time,” Ronnie wanted that baby out of him.

  It was a Saturday afternoon, a few days after that appointment, and we had the whole house to ourselves. Maggie and Mae were at the aquarium in the city with Nana and Papi, our amazing support team, and Ronnie was waddling back from his third trip to the bathroom in the last hour. He flung himself down on the couch and groaned. “Shoot. I promised myself I’d never sit in this thing again. I’ll never be able to get up when I have to pee in five minutes.” Rubbing his belly, he spoke to our child. “Buddy, I know it’s comfy in there, but wouldn’t you like to come out and meet the family? They’re all dying to get a peek at you.”

  I laid my hand on his feeling the ripples underneath. “Is that a contraction?” Hope rose in me like bubbles. Not only did I want the baby born for his sake, but for my own. My easy-going omega fit that name in no way anymore.

  “Another stupid Braxton-Hicks,” he growled. “Just another way to torture me. Is it hot in here?”

  “Not really, but if you’re warm I can—”

  “Don’t placate me, alpha. I can tell if it’s hot or not.”

  “Okay.” I started to remind him that if he needed to get up, I was sitting right next to him, but decided not to risk it.

  “I’m thirsty.”

  I reached for the giant glass of ice water on the coffee table and handed it to him, but he looked at it like it was filled with swamp muck instead of the delicious fresh spring water I’d brought home from the store.

  “I’m sick of water.” Still, he took a gulp. “I want coffee.”

  Setting the glass down for him, I moved to stand. “I can make some decaf.”

  “That’s not coffee,” he moaned, burying his face in the sofa cushions.

  Gathering my patience, I also gathered him to me, and he shifted his face, burying to my chest, soaking it with tears. “It’s going to be okay, omega,” I told him, stroking his back. “Not long now at all.”

  “No, it’s never coming out. Never.”

  He’d been pregnant twice before, but this was my first round with a pregnant omega, and I was doing the best I could, although that felt like little to nothing. “Omega, maybe we could try something? I have heard there are some tricks to speed things along, and the doctor did say the baby was fully developed and ready to go. What do you say?”

  He sat up and sniffed.
“I say let’s do this thing. Both of the girls were a little early, and of course Mae was C-section, but I don’t ever remember being this uncomfortable. The baby spends all its time on my bladder. And I have to pee again.”

  I stood and took his hands, hefting him to his feet. As he disappeared into the bathroom, I picked up my tablet and looked for some ways we could speed things up. By the time he was out, I’d found a helpful site and was ready for show and tell.

  We started with a walk—which I didn’t have much faith in because we walked all the time, but the site had it listed as the first thing to try, so we looped the block before returning to our seat on the couch.

  “Anything?” I asked him, but Ronnie shook his head.

  “I feel just the same. What was number two?”

  “Spicy food. Mexican, maybe Indian?”

  He winced. “I’ve had way too much heartburn with this pregnancy. That scares me a little. What’s number three?”

  “Nipple stimulation and/or sex.”

  He let out a huge sigh. “Are you sure you’re not just coming on to me? I know it’s been a few weeks since we’ve...well, since we’ve anything, but I’m so not in the mood.”

  “Really? I take that as a personal challenge, omega. Just lie back there and relax. I’ll do all the work.”

  I pressed him back into the cushions of our soft—and usually beloved—couch and went to work. Finally, a way I could help. His nipples were sensitive always and now, swollen and protruding, they were a logical starting point. I pinched one between finger and thumb before closing my lips over the other and sucking it into my mouth. At his sharp intake of breath, I laved it with my tongue and scraped the edges of my teeth over its stiffness.

  “Oh my god, alpha.” He gripped my hair, but I managed to move enough to switch sides, pinching the wet tip of the one I’d left behind and mouthing the other one. Ronnie shuddered under me, his breath catching in his throat.

  While my cock fought to escape its clothing prison, I reminded it and the rest of me that this was for my omega. Not the time to be selfish. But giving him this pleasure was amazing for me as well, and as I kissed my way down his swollen, taut belly, and came in sight of his rock-hard dick I wondered if it wasn’t almost as good for me just touching him than being touched myself.