“How are you feeling?” I ask.

“I’m fine.” She waves me off.

I will get to the bottom of this soon.

“I’m sorry we ruined your engagement party,” Luke says to Meg with a rueful smile.

“Nah, don’t be. I didn’t really want one anyway, and Jules got her new shoes…”

“And a new dress,” Nate adds with a chuckle.

“So we all win,” Meg finishes, making us all laugh.

I glance around the room and sigh, relieved that everyone is safe and healthy. Leo is holding Sam in his lap, whispering in her ear soothingly as she leans on him. Will, Meg, Isaac and Stacy all make their way into Nat’s room, anxious to see Natalie for themselves. Nate and Dominic are chatting with Luke, and I have the woman of my dreams by my side.

Speaking of, I’m ready to check with Nat myself so I can get my girl home and take advantage of her in that hot dress.

“Why don’t we just go out to dinner together after we’ve all seen Nat before we all head home?” Will asks.

So much for taking Nic right home.

I glance down at her, and she just nods with a half smile.

“We’re in,” I confirm.

Finally, it’s our turn to see Natalie, and I guide her into my arms, holding her tightly to me for a long minute. Nat takes a deep breath, clinging to my shirt and then pulls away.

“Scared me,” I murmur down to her.

“Me, too,” she replies with a smile. “I’m sorry.”

I shake my head and back away so Nic can get close.

“Matt was right. Things are never boring with this family,” Nic says with a wink. “But maybe from now on, we’ll keep things less exciting.”

“I’m in favor of that,” Natalie agrees with a smile. She rubs her hand over her belly and gazes over at her husband, who has also joined us.

“I think a bunch of us are going to go get dinner. Do you want one of us to bring you guys back anything?” Nic asks, and I smile at her.

“No, thanks,” Luke replies. “Nat has to eat what they give her, and I’ll grab something from the cafeteria. The food’s not too bad.”

“Yuck,” Nic replies, sticking her tongue out.

“Bring him back a burger,” Nat adds and shakes her head at Luke. “No cafeteria food, baby.”

“We can do that,” I reply. “Call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

“I love you, sweet girl.” I kiss her cheek and push her hair back behind her ear. “Take care of them,” I say to Luke and wave as we leave Nat’s room and join the others, ready to go out for dinner.

Chapter Sixteen

~Nic~

“I wasn’t listening to a thing anyone was saying all the way through dinner,” Matt informs me as he unlocks his apartment door and ushers me inside. “All I could think about was getting you home.”

“And naked?” I ask with a raised brow.

“Not exactly,” he replies with a wolfish smile.

He tosses his keys in a glass bowl by the door and advances on me. He backs me farther into the living room, sits on his couch and pulls me onto him to straddle his lap. I have to shimmy my dress up around my hips to spread my thighs wide enough to comfortably sit on him. His eyes flare and darken as he glides his big hands up my bare thighs to cup my ass. “You looked amazing today.”

“Thank you,” I reply and offer him a small smile. I won’t let him see that my whole world has been turned upside down in the span of mere hours.

He and I aren’t going to work. I’ve known it from the beginning, but this afternoon at the hospital cemented it for me.

But I’m too fucking selfish to let go of him without saying goodbye, even if it’s only with my heart.

“You looked hot yourself,” I murmur. “Of course, you look hot in most anything.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” he disagrees with a grin.

“It is.” I lean in and nuzzle his nose with mine then kiss his cheek and down to his neck where I breathe him in.

I’m going to miss the smell of him.

“The green in this dress makes your eyes shine,” he whispers and licks my chest across the top of my dress. “Watching you move in it is every man’s fucking fantasy.”

“Every man’s?” I ask skeptically.

“This man’s,” he replies and nips my chin before claiming my mouth with his. His hands plunge under my hemline, grip the black thong I bought specifically for this dress, and rip it on each side, sliding it off me.

“That was new,” I murmur breathlessly.

“I’ll buy you another one,” he replies. “Put your hands behind your back.”

I scowl down into his face. I don’t want him to tie me up. Not this time. This is the last time we’ll make love, and I want to touch him, feel every glorious muscle under my hands as he moves inside me, but he doesn’t know yet, and I can’t argue.

I pull my arms behind me, and he quickly ties me with my own underwear then pushes me back on his knees so he can look his fill.

“Beautiful,” he whispers. He unfastens his pants and pushes them down his thighs far enough to unleash his cock.

“Please take your shirt off, too,” I whisper, keeping his gaze locked in my own.

He tilts his head but does as I ask, unbuttoning just two buttons on his shirt and pulling it over his head, tossing it aside. He reaches for my hips, and I raise up on my knees as he pulls me close to him and sink down on him, seating myself perfectly on top of him.