Quade's Babies - Brenda Jackson [27]
The room got quiet for a second, and Quade decided he would call his cousin Chase in the morning. Chase was worried about him, he could feel it. It had always been strange how although Ian was his fraternal twin and Chase was Storm’s, when it came to that special bond that twins shared, the bond had always been he and Chase, and Ian and Storm.
“That’s enough for you, big guy,” Cheyenne said to the baby, and interrupted Quade’s thoughts when she shifted Troy from her breast to her shoulder for him to burp. The action gave Quade a quick glimpse of her uncovered breast, the whole thing, before she covered it up again. He was blindsided by a rush of sensations that nearly shook his body.
“It’s Venus’s turn.”
Her words reclaimed his attention and he saw she had placed Troy back in his bed. “All right, we’re coming to you.” He stood with both babies in his arms and walked over toward her.
When she took Venus from his arms, their hands brushed and he felt a spark of desire. Their gazes met and he knew she’d felt it, as well. He cleared his throat. “Umm, what happens if you run out of milk?” Curiosity had gotten the best of him and he wished he could bite off his tongue after he’d asked the question.
He expected her to come back with some smart response, but instead she smiled and said. “I won’t run out. I think my body has adjusted to their demands and has given me an unlimited supply.”
“Oh.”
She then slipped by him to sit in the rocking chair to nurse Venus. That left one baby to go, and Athena seemed to be willing to wait. She had yet to put up a fuss like her brother. “How long does it take you to finish feeding them?”
“I can usually wrap things up in about ninety minutes,” Cheyenne said, looking at him. “Once fed they’re off to sleep again. And usually they’ll sleep through the night. Overall, they are good babies.”
Quade returned to the chair, holding Athena, and the room got silent again. He’d noted that Cheyenne hadn’t brought up the suggestion that he leave her and the babies. Although she hadn’t said otherwise, he had to believe that she appreciated the fact that he was there. She might have been able to handle the three of them, but he was glad to be here to help out. After all, these were his babies.
“It’s getting late.”
“Yes, it is.”
Their gazes met and he figured she was about to ask him to leave. Instead she said, “I have a guest room if you want to crash there for the night. There’s no reason for me to send you off to a hotel this late.”
Surprised by her offer he said, “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“And I appreciate you for being here. You helped out a lot.”
He knew it probably took a lot for her to say that, considering she had wanted to flex her independence and not depend on anyone’s help with the babies. “Are you sure I helped or did I get in the way?”
She smiled. “You helped, and I would never admit it to my family or I’d never get them to leave me and the babies alone, but I needed you here, especially when Troy woke them all at once.”
Quade chuckled. “Yes, I’m beginning to think he’s a little troublemaker.”
A short while later he was handing Athena over to Cheyenne after she had finished feeding Venus and placed her back in her crib. Cheyenne had explained that Venus was always the one who lacked interest during feeding time and was the one who could benefit the most because of her weight.
“When do they go to the doctor again?” Quade heard himself asking.
“Next week.”
He nodded. “I’d like to go with you.”
She lifted a brow. “You plan on hanging around that long?”
“Yes, I do.”
Cheyenne opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, and then closed it back. Quade was grateful because he wasn’t ready to hear anything she had to say right now, especially if it had anything to do with him not being a permanent fixture in her and their babies’ lives.
He intended to change her mind about that and would start working on it. Tonight.
Uploaded by Coral
Six
“Y ou make a good mom, Cheyenne.”
Quade’s strong, husky and sensual voice seemed to float across her skin like