Burned Hearts (Burned 3)

“She’s warning you, not me,” I told Kyle.

“Like you’re going to hurt me.”

“You’ve been here two seconds. Just you wait.”

Sure enough, when things really got going I caught him biting back a few winces and I might have pierced an eardrum or two.

I had no idea how long this went on, but after one particularly grueling “push”—really, that didn’t even begin to describe the massive shove I gave—Dr. Preston let out a delighted sound and then suddenly I heard a wail to match mine and there he was.

Kid Bax.

“Holy shit.” I stared at him, a bloody mess but mine nonetheless.

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

I spared a glance at Kyle, who’d turned a bit green around the gills at the sight of the newborn.

“He actually is big,” I said to Dr. Preston and Macy.

“With all ten fingers and toes intact,” my OB-GYN announced. “Some hearty lungs from the sound of things. Steady breathing.” She loo

ked pleased and that relaxed me a bit. I still didn’t let go of Kyle’s hand, though.

He muttered, “Vise grip, Ari.”

“Suck it up.” I closed my eyes, in desperate need of some rest.

“I’m going to examine him,” Dr. Preston said. “I’ll bring him back in a little while.”

I didn’t like the idea of being separated from something I’d been so intimately attached to for seven and a half months, but I couldn’t fight the overwhelming fatigue. And was out within minutes.

* * *

I woke sometime later to the gentle sweep of hair from my forehead and the light dabbing of a cool washcloth on my skin.

“That’s nice,” I murmured. I figured Macy was playing nursemaid. She was perfect at it—when she wasn’t challenging me to take better care of myself. Likely the reason she was so successful with her rehab retreat. A soft touch mixed with some tough love went a long way.

“You are absolutely amazing.”

Not Macy’s voice.

My lids snapped open.

“Dane.”

Tears flooded my eyes.

He gave me his sexy half-assed grin. The one that only lifted one corner of his tempting mouth. “You think I’d miss this?”

“Damn that Amano.”

“I only wished I could have gotten here sooner.”

“It doesn’t matter. You came.” As adamant as I’d been about him not being distracted, nothing compared to having him here.

I wanted him here. I needed him here.

I said, “You won’t believe how beautiful our son is.”