Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
I rubbed the heel of my hand against my chest, hating that my anxiety levels were spiking. He dropped his hand from my neck and placed it over mine on my chest, flattening my hand. “Breathe,” he coaxed. “You promised Axel you would be strong for him, baby girl. Remember that.”
“What if they hate me?” I asked him.
He smiled at me. “They already love you, baby girl.”
“Do they know about Axel?”
He nodded. “They know, baby, and they’re okay with it. As long as I’m happy, they frankly don’t give a fuck what you and I do. They just want to meet you—want to meet the woman who has stolen my heart.”
A smile stretched my lips at his tender words. He grinned. “Better?”
“Mostly.”
He leaned down and kissed me. “Good. Come on.”
He pushed open the front door to his dad’s house, not bothering to knock. “Julian, kid, that better fucking be you!” his dad called out from somewhere in the house.
“Like anyone else is stupid enough to just walk into your fucking house, Dad,” Julian snarkily retorted, that bad boy demeanor he’d always had now shining through. He shot me a smile before he led me into the kitchen.
A beautiful woman with curly, black hair was sitting at the kitchen table reading over a stack of papers. She looked up at our entrance, and a smile spread across her lips. “Julian!” she exclaimed. She jumped up from her chair and rushed around the table.
Julian never released my hand as he caught her in his other arm, squeezing her to him. “Hi, Mom,” he greeted, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. “Beautiful as always.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Been long enough since you came home,” she scolded as she smacked his arm. “Is this Meghan?” she asked, her eyes zoning in on me.
I squirmed next to Julian under her dark eyes. Julian dropped my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me close to him. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Meghan, this is my mom, Linda. Mom, this is my girlfriend, Meghan.”
“Oh, I’m so excited to finally meet you!” she gushed, sweeping me up into a warm hug. My throat closed with tears as I hugged her back, not used to affection from a motherly figure. “Oh, you’re so beautiful, darlin’. No wonder Julian and Axel snatched you up so fast.”
I blushed. “Um, thank you,” I said shyly, quickly stepping back against Julian’s side.
“Oh, you’re so sweet.” She smiled at me. “How in the world did my son land someone like you? He’s such a hard ass.”
Julian scoffed next to me. I laughed softly. He grinned down at me. “Soft only for her, Mom.”
“Means I raised you right,” a man that looked shockingly like Julian said as he stepped into the kitchen. The only difference was the hair. The man in front of me had dirty blonde hair that was pin straight, whereas Julian’s was black and curly like his mother’s.
Otherwise, the two men were basically identical, the only other difference being that Julian was just a younger version of the older man in front of me. They both had the same shade of blue eyes. They were even built the same with tattoos covering the exposed parts of their upper bodies.
“Hi,” I squeaked. My cheeks tinted red in mortification at the way I sounded. I slapped my hands to my face.
Julian barked out a laugh. “So fucking adorable.” He pulled me into the circle of his arms, allowing me to hide my face against his chest.
His dad laughed as well. “Hello, Meghan,” he replied.
Julian pressed a kiss to the top of my head before he turned me to face his dad. I blushed and waved. Julian laughed softly behind me. “I’d say she’s not normally this shy, but she really is.”
“I hear congratulations are in order,” his dad said as he moved to the coffee pot to make himself a pot of coffee.
Julian settled his hand over my belly. “She’s fifteen weeks tomorrow,” he informed his dad. “Axel and I are fucking ecstatic.”
“And you?” Linda asked as she looked at me. “How are you feeling, darlin’?”
I shrugged. “A bit nervous,” I told her honestly. “It goes a lot faster than I thought it would.”
She nodded. “Cherish each moment, no matter how small. Nurturing a child inside of you is something beautiful.”
“Would you like anything to drink, Meghan?” Julian’s dad asked me.
“No, thank you, um, Mr.—?” I asked, trailing off when I realized I didn’t know his name.
“Shit,” Julian swore. His dad rolled his eyes. “Meghan, this is my dad, Jaxon.”
“Just call me, Jaxon,” his dad told me. “Come on. Let’s move to the living room.”
“I’ll follow in a few minutes,” Linda told us. “I need to finish grading these last couple of papers.”