Stepbrother Romance 2 - Consumed: A New Adult Alpha Billionaire Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

kept asking me why I was so gung ho about finishing the attic, and I couldn’t give him a solid answer, other than to say I was nesting.” She ran her hands over her belly, like pregnant women tended to do. “I guess I knew you’d come stay with us. Even if I didn’t expect it.”
    “I guess so.”
    “Come on.” She waved me toward the hall.” I’ll show you your room. I did the drywall myself. Everything. You’ll be impressed.”
    “I already am.”
    She stopped at the foot of the stairs, grinned and gave me the biggest hug I’d ever had. Her belly jabbed me. I even felt a kick from the baby. “I’m just so fucking glad you’re here. It wasn’t the same, with you way the hell over there.”
    “It wasn’t the same for me either. This is home. This town. It always has been. It always will be.”
    “Good. Because I can’t deal with that man by myself. And soon there will be two of them. I just know this little guy,” she said, smoothing a hand over her belly again,” “is going to be just like his father. A real pain in the ass.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s a good thing I love them both to death.”

 
     

     
Chapter 4
    “Fuck you! You push this goddamn baby out! You asshole, you put it in me.” Ransom growled, bearing down, her face deep scarlet. “I knew he’d be a pain in my ass!”
    “Breathe, Ransom. Breathe,” I said over her shouting.
    “I am fucking breathing,” she shrieked, her expression scary-violent. “Goddamn it, everyone get out of my face!”
    I stepped back to give my best friend some breathing space. Her face was the shade of an eggplant, swollen, and slick with sweat. She looked like she was going to burst every blood vessel in her body if she pushed any harder. I was terrified for her. My insides were doing summersaults. But at least I was still vertical.
    Her husband’s skin was the shade of a toad. And although he was also vertical, I had a feeling he’d be dropping any second now.
    The nurse took one look at him, grabbed his arm and hauled him to a chair. “The last thing we need right now is Dad passing out on us. Head down.” She pushed on his shoulders, forcing his head between his knees. She glanced at me. “Do I need to do this to you, too?”
    “No, I’m fine,” I lied. Little stars twinkled, obscuring my sight, but there was no way I could leave Ransom to fight this battle alone, not after everything she’d done for me. I slid my hand into hers, and her fingers clenched like a vise, cracking my bones and making me wince. “Okay, Ransom. It’s right there. I can see the head. Push!”
    “I am pushing, dammit!” she shout-growled as she bore down. “This kid’s head has got to be the size of a watermelon!”
    “I see it. Just a little more!” I coached, trying to ignore the excruciating pain in my hand. There was plenty of time later, after the baby came, to get x-rays.
    I felt myself trying to push for her. It was agonizing, watching her in such pain. She was exhausted, frustrated, and yet driven to push that baby out. I could only imagine how much it hurt. Based on what I was witnessing, I never wanted to have a child. To hell with that!
    The nurse yelled, “Push, push, push. Don’t stop.”
    Ransom growled and fumed and sputtered.
    The doctor calmly waited, seated at the end of the bed.
    Suddenly, Ransom screeched and out popped a wet head covered in dark hair. The pale little face was all scrunched up, lips pursed.
    John jumped to his feet and shouted, “Baby! You did it!” then he dropped to the floor.
    And while Ransom reached down and pulled her newborn baby to her chest, a nurse ran to the unconscious man sprawled on the floor.
    I looked at John. I looked at Ransom. I looked at their child…and I cried. It was all too much to take in. The image of my best friend cradling her newborn daughter in her arms. The knowledge that her life, John’s life, all of our lives, were forever changed. The recognition that John and Ransom were not