like that, we’re gonna have to revisit the no sex ruling you have in place.”
A myriad of emotions cross her face. First, a sexy smile. Then an anxious expression. After that, she bites her lip and says, “We need to discuss that some more with the doctor. I’ve read so many conflicting articles about it.”
“You need to stop reading shit online and just listen to what the doctor has already told us.”
More biting of her lip. “But what if there’s something to these articles? What if having sex is the one thing that could harm our chances? It’s not like the cycle takes months and months. Surely we can go without sex for this length of time.”
“Baby, I can go without it for as long as needed. I’m more concerned about your anxiety over this. As far as I’m concerned, that shit is more harmful than me fucking you.”
My phone sounds with a text, interrupting our conversation.
“Fuck,” I mutter, knowing it’ll be my vice president with new information likely to give me a headache. Our club is in the middle of shit with Zenith, a gang determined to take as much drug business from Storm as possible, and after nine months of this, tensions have escalated to new levels over the past two weeks.
“You should check that,” Birdie says, and I love my wife a little bit more if that’s possible. She never gives me hell over the club or the amount of time I’ve been away from her since she moved to Melbourne just over eight months ago. Club problems have kept me away a fuckload more than I would have preferred.
I reach into my pocket for my phone.
* * *
Ransom: We lost two more customers to Zenith overnight. We may need to take a trip to sort this out.
Me: I’ll be in around lunchtime. Will discuss then.
* * *
As I shove my phone back in my pocket, Birdie says, “You have to take another trip?”
“Not an overnighter.”
“I’m good if you have to go away longer. I can manage everything on my own.”
We’ve spent weeks going back and forth over when to begin IVF. I wanted to wait until things with the club settle down, but Birdie pushed for us to start now. She argued we’d be waiting forever for the perfect moment, and because I would give her the world if I could, I agreed. But fuck if I’ll allow her to go through any of this journey alone. I’ve made that mistake once; I won’t make it again.
Shaking my head, I say, “I’m not going away. It’s a day trip only.”
“Yeah, but if you need to—”
I take hold of her face with both hands. “The only thing I need to do is be here with you.” My words come out with more force than I intend, but that’s because the emotion coursing through me is extreme. I feel it so fucking deeply I can’t help but express it.
Her eyes flare again, but this time I haven’t upset her. This time she curls her fingers around my biceps and grips me hard as she says, “I love you.” She then gives me her lips, exactly how I want them, and I’m pulled further under her spell. After all these years of knowing her, that spell is boundless, and she weaves it over me in ways I’ve never imagined. Ways I would willingly chase down just to give her more of myself.
“Fuck, angel,” I rasp when she shifts her hands to my chest and then down to my stomach. Letting her go, I take a step back to separate us. “We’ve gotta leave in fifteen minutes, and there’s no way we’re meeting that deadline if you keep this up.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but her phone rings, distracting her. Glancing at it, she says, “It’s Cleo.”
“Talk to her.” I press one last kiss to her lips. “Just keep it quick.” Fuck knows those two could talk for a full twenty-four hours without coming up for air if they had the time.
She waves me away, reading my tone perfectly. “Go do some boy stuff or something.”
I leave her to take the call. Cleo is what she needs right now. Her best friend will help calm her nerves in ways I can’t. And I need the space that Cleo offers with that call, too. I need a breather to get my head sorted before we leave for our appointment.
Life as we know it is about to change, and while I’m