Evaline:
Dinner finally ended, and I couldn’t have fled the room faster if soone had chased with a pack of raging rogues.
My heart was still hamring against my ribs, my cheeks were burning, and every step I took down the hall felt like running from sothing... or maybe running from soone.
Before slipping away, I made sure to hand River his coat, his tie, and his phone. I practically shoved them into his hands before I escaped, mumbling a quick thanks that sounded more like a squeak than actual words.
Only when I reached the safety of my bedroom did I let out a deep, heavy sigh, collapsing onto the bed.
How was I supposed to process all of this?
Did I love the food? Absolutely. Every dish had been perfect - flavors that danced across my tongue in ways I didn’t think food could. Did River make nervous? Every single second. His sharp gaze, his calm presence, his way of focusing entirely on ... it was enough to make my pulse trip over itself.
And... did I enjoy his company, his attention, the subtle ways he made feel like I mattered?
Yes.
The word slipped unbidden into my mind. I buried my face deeper into the sheets as if I could smother it, as if pretending hard enough could make those ridiculous butterflies in my stomach vanish. But no matter how much I tried to deny it, they were there, fluttering furiously like they had found a permanent ho.
Barely a few minutes passed before a soft knock pulled from my thoughts. The door creaked open a mont later, and in ca Oscar and Draven.
"Little mate," Draven greeted warmly, his voice carrying that steady calm that always made feel grounded. Oscar, however, wasted no ti. He strode across the room, hopped onto the bed, and within seconds, had his head resting against my lap.
I blinked at him.
His face was turned toward my bump, his breath tickling through the fabric of my sweater as he snuggled closer. "I missed you," he murmured, his tone unusually soft, almost vulnerable.
My heart ward, and just as I was about to reply, he pressed a quick kiss against my bump.
"Did you miss too, pup?" he whispered.
My jaw almost dropped. My eyes went wide, and I stared at him as though he just got caught cheating. Wait... what? That "I missed you" hadn’t been for ? It was for the pup?
Draven must have noticed my scandalized expression because he burst into laughter, the deep, rich sound filling the room. He draped his arm casually around my shoulders, tugging against his solid warmth. He pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek and said, "Don’t worry, Eva. I missed you."
I blinked between the two brothers, not sure whether to laugh, pout, or just shove Oscar off the bed. He clearly knew exactly what he had done because the mont he looked up, he winked and blew a flying kiss.
I smacked his shoulder lightly, but I could feel the heat creeping into my cheeks.
Before I could retort, another knock echoed through the room. This ti, when the door opened, it was River.
The air seed to change instantly. My spine straightened, and without thinking, I pushed Oscar off my lap and shifted away from Draven. Both of them shot questioning looks, but I ignored them, my eyes fixed on River as he stepped inside.
He was carrying a paper bag in one hand, his presence as commanding as ever despite the casualness of the mont. Closing the door behind him, he made his way toward the bed and set the bag on the bedside table.
Without a word, he began unpacking. Bottles and small boxes soon lined the table - massage oils, stretch mark oils, creams with soft pastel labels that looked strangely delicate in his large hands.
"I spoke to your gyno," River said matter-of-factly, his deep voice cutting through the silence. "These are the best brands to use during pregnancy."
My mouth opened, then closed. I didn’t even know how to respond. The thought of him going out of his way to not only buy these but also confirm with my doctor... it tugged sothing deep inside that I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
He turned toward . "Do you want to bathe before bed?"
For a second, all I could do was blink. Then, wordlessly, I nodded.
"Good," he said simply, and without waiting for more, he disappeared into my bathroom.
I whipped my head toward Oscar and Draven. Both of them looked as lost and wide-eyed as I felt. We exchanged silent expressions of is this really happening? and what on earth is he doing?
He returned a few minutes later and inford the bath was ready. Without wasting any ti, I slipped inside the bathroom and locked the door behind .
When I finally stepped out after the long, soothing bath, dressed in comfortable pajamas, I felt lighter, more relaxed. But the mont I walked back into the bedroom and found all three n still there, waiting for , that relaxation evaporated instantly.
"Lay down," River instructed calmly.
I hesitated, glancing at Oscar and Draven, but neither moved to stop . With my heart beating far too fast, I settled onto the bed. River picked up one of the massage oils, unscrewed the cap, and rubbed so into his palms.
Then he took my foot in his hand.
The first touch sent a shiver racing through . His fingers were warm, strong, and impossibly gentle as he began to massage my foot. I gasped softly, the sound slipping out before I could stop it.
He kneaded carefully, his thumbs pressing into the arch with just enough pressure to lt the tension I didn’t even realize I had been carrying all day.
"Oh..." The sound was barely audible, but I couldn’t help it. My toes curled, my head tipping back against the pillows.
He didn’t comnt. His expression remained unreadable, focused entirely on my comfort as his hands worked over my foot, then up to my ankle. He slid the hem of my pajama bottoms upward, baring my shin and calf as his fingers trailed higher. Every movent was precise, deliberate, as if he had morized exactly where to press, where to soothe.
I couldn’t stop watching him. And yet, every ti his fingers pressed into my skin, a strange flutter stirred inside . Not just comfort... sothing else. Sothing warr, softer, far more dangerous.
Oscar and Draven exchanged looks, though neither interrupted. They seed just as surprised, just as caught off guard, as I was.
River’s voice broke the silence. "I have booked a masseur for you. She’s trained in prenatal massage. She’ll co tomorrow evening after you return from work."
My heart skipped a beat.
He said it so simply, as though it wasn’t one of the most thoughtful things anyone had ever done for . As though he didn’t just turn my carefully guarded emotions upside down.
I swallowed, not trusting my voice, not trusting myself to speak when his hands were still gliding over my skin, soothing and awakening all at once.
And as I lay there, caught between relaxation and butterflies, between disbelief and sothing dangerously close to yearning, one thing beca painfully clear... River had no idea what he was doing to .
Or maybe... he did.
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