Awake My Heart (The Bentini Brothers Book 3) Page 6

  “The big deal is that they are on their way to my apartment and I have to be there when they get there.”

  Looking at his watch and then looking back up at her, his heavy brows slash down in an irritated frown. “I don’t see how you’re going to be able to be in two places at once, in case you have forgotten you have a doctor’s appointment that we are definitely going to keep, and I thought you wanted to swing by and visit with Kathy today.”

  “Couldn’t we reschedule the appointment and I can visit Kathy once I have my parents settled in,” Tiressa tries to wheedle for a compromise.

  “We could reschedule the appointment, but we aren’t going to. You are almost three months pregnant Ti and you haven’t seen a doctor yet.”

  “I know, but this is an emergency—”

  “Not really. It’s an inconvenience. Your parents can check into a hotel or stay here if you prefer—”

  “Antonio stop. There is no way I am going to have my parents check into a hotel when they come to town. And as for staying here, absolutely not.”

  “Okay, then what’s your solution—other than missing the appointment, which we are not going to do.”

  Giving it some thought, she finally hits on an idea. “I got it,” she smiles cleverly. “We take separate cars.”

  “You don’t have a car anymore.”

  “I’ll ask Garrett to loan me his. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

  “I don’t like the idea of you going to another man for anything.”

  “Put your barbarian away and stop being difficult. I will borrow Garrett’s car, go by my apartment, leave the key under the doormat, and then meet you at the doctor’s office. After the appointment, I’ll dash by the hospital for a quick visit with Kathy and then head back to my place to deal with my parents.”

  “No,” he responds emphatically.

  “Tony please be reasonable.”

  “I want us to ride together.”

  “Tony. I need you to work with me on this.” Getting up, she goes over and sits on his lap. “Please Baby.”

  Heaving a sigh of exasperation, he finally gives in. “I’m not crazy about it, but seeing as I have very few options, we’ll do it your way.”

  Running her finger down his rugged olive cheek, she flashes him a bright smile before kissing both sides of his neck, giving him nibbling little love bites along the way. “You know it turns me on when you’re willing to capitulate to my wishes.”

  His husky laughter is lasciviously sensual as he places kisses across the delectable caramel breasts peaking from the top of her bodice. “Quit trying to seduce me vixen, we have to get a move on.”

  ***

  Driving across town takes longer than anticipated and by the time Ti makes it to her apartment and leaves the key, she’s running late for her appointment.

  “This is the very reason why I was against taking separate cars,” Antonio grouches, strolling to her as she rushes up the walkway leading to the entrance to the doctor’s office. Giving him a light peck on the lips, she grabs his hand as she continues into the pretty pink and blue building proudly advertising the number of babies delivered by way of a billboard with a giant stork delivering a “precious bundle.”

  “I’m not that late Tony so stop being mean. You’re just upset because you didn’t get your way,” she teases quietly as they enter the waiting room.

  “Have a seat Ti, and I’ll check you in.”

  “Can you do that? I mean, we aren’t married,” she whispers so that only he hears, acutely aware of the other women in the room, some looking over at them speculatively. He gives her one of his pointed looks that implies that he is Mr. Antonio Bentini and he can do as he pleases. She takes a seat in a less crowded corner sinking into one of the plush cream-colored chairs; glancing around the luxurious room trying not to appear impressed by the extravagant layout.

  Returning to her side, Antonio places a hand at her elbow, “Come on Baby.”

  “Is it my turn already?” she asks surprised, looking around the full room.

  “Don’t worry about that, come on,” he repeats, urging her in the direction of the smiling pretty brunette standing at the open door that separates the waiting room from the examining rooms.

  “Tiressa Hawkins?” the nurse queries politely.

  “Yes, I’m Tiressa Hawkins.”

  “Welcome, Ms. Hawkins, please follow me this way,” she directs, flashing her pearly-whites, more at Antonio than Tiressa, who slants him a look, gaging his reaction to this bit of flirtation. To Tiressa’s delight, Antonio takes her hand and throws her a wink accompanied by one of his sexiest smiles. Squeezing his big warm hand, she winks and blows him a kiss in return.

  “Here we are,” the nurse announces, opening a door marked ‘private’ and stepping inside what appears to be an examining room; but not any kind that Tiressa has ever been in or even seen. The swanky room fairly shouts, “Only the rich can afford to be in here!” It’s set up with not only a small office area with just about all the amenities a doctor needs, but also with everything a normal examining room would have.

  “Ms. Hawkins, here is the preliminary paperwork and medical information that we will need before we get started. You can have a seat right here at the desk. You’ll need two forms of identification. If you don’t have both, a driver’s license will do and we can get the other when you come in for your next appointment.” Tiressa hands the nurse her ID, noticing how hard she’s trying not to ogle Antonio. “If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Dr. Montenegro will be in to see you momentarily.” Again, she’s smiling and speaking more to Antonio than to the patient. Antonio had been politely standing while the nurse was in the room, but as soon as she leaves, he takes the seat next to Tiressa.

  “I’m not sure I want you to come to my appointments with me if I have to deal with that,” Tiressa pouts, only half-joking as she turns her attention to the folder and the information she has to provide.

  “Although I know that you must be kidding—because you know I intend to be at every last appointment—if her foolish behavior really is a problem for you, I can make sure she isn’t working on the days that we have an appointment scheduled.”

  Tiressa immediately stops writing and stares at him in astonishment. “Antonio—”

  Leaning close, he takes her lips quickly, “Do you want her gone?” Seeing that he is dead serious, Tiressa speaks up, “No. It’s not her fault that I’m a bit insecure.” She kisses him back softly. “But I thank you for the offer.”

  Twenty minutes later the doctor taps on the door and enters. Antonio immediately gets to his feet. “Antonio,” she addresses him cheerfully as they embrace. “It’s been too long since Thad and I have seen you,” she complains, smiling up at him.

  Antonio turns to Tiressa. “Beverly and Thad are close friends of mine, we go way back. We all met in college and ended up stationed in Germany at the same time; we’ve been friends since.”

  Tiressa gets to her feet, standing next to Antonio, looking up at the elegant woman in front of her and thinks to herself, “Oh gawd, she’s one of the gorgeous ones. With her looks it’s obvious that she’s mixed and has been beautiful since birth. This is just fucking great! My doctor is a damn supermodel!” Tiressa’s insecurities come flashing back instantly and she wonders if this bombshell and her guy have ever hooked up. They probably have…a lot! They look so good together, both tall and dazzling and rich.

  Perhaps sensing her inner turmoil, Antonio wraps a strong arm around Ti’s waist. “Beverly, this beautiful lady is Tiressa Hawkins, my fiancée and the mother of my unborn child,” he proudly proclaims, laying his hand on Ti’s stomach.

  “Hi Tiressa, I’m so very glad to meet you,” her sincere warmth astonishes Tiressa.

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” Tiressa replies, shaking the other woman’s hand, still unsure.

  “Let’s all have a seat and I’ll tell you what today’s appointment will consist of. This first visit is to a
ssess your overall health, identify risk factors, if there are any, and to give you an estimation of how far along you are in your pregnancy. The first pregnancy can be overwhelming for new mothers, I went through it recently myself…believe me I totally understand how you are feeling. My primary job is to give the best medical care and advice for you and your baby during your pregnancy and to help you understand the changes that will be taking place inside your body,” Beverly Montenegro states with gentle, yet firm confidence. “Have you experienced bouts of nausea?”

  “No, not really. Although there are times when certain smells make me queasy, it’s nothing major and it usually passes quickly.”

  Antonio interjects, “I’m interested in knowing what can be done about the nausea even if it’s mild.”

  “Sure. Eating meals that are low in fat and easy to digest throughout the day can help. Also, it helps to drink plenty of fluids, particularly all natural drinks that are low in glucose…stock up on ginger ale, ginger ale helps settle the stomach. What about dizziness, do you experience fatigue or dizziness?”

  “No, no dizziness, no fatigue.”

  “What about that time you were rushing down the stairs and you lost your balance? If I hadn’t been standing at the foot of the stairs you would have fallen on your face.”

  “Yes, that happened, but it wasn’t that bad and it hasn’t happened since.”

  “The point is you become dizzy at times and we need to know what to do about it, I don’t want you or the baby hurt,” Antonio gives her knee a squeeze.

  “Although it may seem minor to you Tiressa, Antonio is right to be concerned. The best way to prevent the dizziness from occurring is to avoid moving about too quickly. When you stand or sit or walk up and down a flight of stairs, do so slowly. And avoid standing for prolonged periods of time.”

  “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Now, if you’ll come with me, we’ll get started,” Dr. Montenegro says moving over to the examining area of the well-equipped room with Tiressa and Antonio obediently following. Antonio helps Ti up onto the examining table. “You won’t need to remove your clothing, just your blouse.” When Ti, lays flat, she begins speaking again. “This is a fetal Doppler stethoscope,” she explains stepping back to the side of the examining table. “It uses ultrasound technology to bounce sound waves off the baby and return a representation of the fetal heartbeat. Don’t worry it’s perfectly safe and can detect fetal heartbeats as early as eight weeks in utero.” She places the chestpiece part of the stethoscope—which picks up sound—in two or three areas of Tiressa’s lower belly. The sound of galloping horses suddenly fills the room. Dr. Montenegro watches Antonio link his fingers with Tiressa’s as they smile into each other’s eyes listening to the miraculous sound of their baby’s strong heartbeat. Beverly muses to herself, “After everything Antonio’s been through, it’s good to see him so in love, he deserves such happiness in his life…I pray she is the right one…this time.” The doctor completes a thorough examination of Tiressa with Antonio at her side watching the process like a protective mother hen.

  “Although I have your results from the hospital, I’m also going to take blood and urine samples. I like to have my own analysis done by a lab that I trust…not that I question the hospital’s results…but when it comes to my patients, I feel more assured when I use a lab that I trust explicitly.” Tiressa shoots Antonio a questioning look wondering how he managed to get her medical records released to this doctor’s office without her knowledge or consent.

  “We’ve covered a lot this first visit. I’m sure there are a million things going through your mind.”

  “Yeah, it’s all a bit overwhelming,” Tiressa agrees distractedly; recalling the sound of her baby’s heartbeat makes it all so very real… she’s having a baby!

  “What about you Antonio?”

  “Yes, it is a lot to take in, but I’m excited and thrilled that we’re having this baby.” He leans over and gives Ti a quick light kiss, placing his hand on her belly.

  “I will have Jenna set your next appointment. I’d like to see you back in six weeks. You’ll be well into your second trimester and we can do the ultrasound then.”

  “Sounds great.”

  Dr. Montenegro walks over to the door. “I’ll be right back with a little surprise for the both of you.”

  When she leaves, Tiressa hops down from the examining table, swaying slightly. Antonio rushes to put his arms around her waist, steadying her. “Ti, Beverly just told you not to get up like that.”

  “I know, I guess I forgot.”

  “You’re going to have to be more careful, Baby.”

  “You’re right, there are a lot of things I’m going to have to get used to.”

  “There are a lot of things we’re both going to have to get used to.”

  After a quick courtesy tap on the door, Dr. Montenegro reenters carrying a pink, blue, yellow and green gift bag. “Come on back to the desk, I’m writing you a prescription for prenatal vitamins and we’ll discuss your next visit.”

  Once Tiressa and Antonio are seated across from the doctor, she begins explaining. “Although ultrasounds are harmless, I prefer to give only one ultrasound exam during the length of the pregnancy unless it becomes medically necessary due to concerns or complications. It’s becoming more and more popular to offer first trimester ultrasounds, but ultrasounds done that early in the pregnancy are basically done to tell the parents the sex of the baby and not much more. The most common screening still remains the mid-pregnancy ultrasound, which is usually done between sixteen and twenty weeks. Mid-pregnancy ultrasounds are preferred because it gives you the most information…all of the baby’s anatomy is in place and a detailed assessment can be done to ensure that there are no abnormalities. We will take basic measurements of your baby’s head, abdomen, and bones. We will be able to get an estimate of how much the baby weighs and exactly how far along you are. But the most exciting thing we will be able to tell you whether you’re having a boy or girl, if you want to know. We’ll be able to point out the baby’s tiny body parts…fingers, hands, arms, legs, feet. We’ll check the placenta and the fluid around the baby. We can look at the baby’s brain, heart, and lungs. As I said, the mid-pregnancy ultrasound will be very comprehensive, which is why I like to wait until my mothers-to-be are at least sixteen weeks along. Now if you must know the sex of your baby we can schedule an ultra sound earlier, but it won’t yield nearly as much information,” she concludes looking at Tiressa and Antonio expectantly.

  They look at each other and agree simultaneously, “No, we can wait.”

  “Good! Before we conclude this lovely visit, do either of you have any questions or concerns?”

  “No,” Ti says immediately.

  “Yes,” Antonio says with a flush creeping up his neck and into his face.

  “Okay, Antonio, let’s hear it.”

  “As you know Tiressa was in a car accident less than a week ago.” When Beverly nods her head, he continues, “I know that Chase—you remember Chase Lassiter from college?” Although her insides tighten at the mention of that name, Beverly nods again. “Chase gave Ti a clean bill of health and now you’ve given her one as well, but I’m still concerned about…” He glances over at Tiressa, who has now caught on to what he wants to ask and dips her head in embarrassment. “I want to make love to Ti, but I don’t want to hurt the baby.”

  “There’s no need to be embarrassed,” the doctor says looking between Antonio and Tiressa. “This is a common question that all couples have. Tiressa is young, strong and healthy. I don’t foresee any complications in this pregnancy and as long as you don’t have her swinging from the chandelier, you can have an energetic sex life.”

  “And if I happen to be well-endowed?” Antonio asks with a straight face.

  “Oh gawd Tony…” Tiressa murmurs in extreme embarrassment, wishing the visit were over already.

  “If you are well-endowed, I would caution you to be gentler in your lo
vemaking, but that won’t be necessary until Tiressa is much further along. The baby appears to be firmly settled in, so an energetic sex life is not only possible, I highly recommend it,” she smiles at Tiressa and winks at Antonio—and again Tiressa speculates if these two have ever been intimate.

  “Are there any more questions or concerns?”

  This time they both say no.

  “Good! Now, here is the little surprise I promised you.” She plucks the colorful gift bag off the floor and places it in front of Tiressa. “All my mothers-to-be receive a gift bag to celebrate their impending arrival. It’s full of treats and goodies and the absolute best reading material every expectant parent should have; go ahead, take a look inside,” Beverly encourages with a wide smile. Tiressa takes the bag off the desk and slides it onto her lap. She reads the title of the book as she is taking it out of the bag, “What To Expect When You’re Expecting. Oh, I remember my sister Mya, having this book when she was pregnant with her daughter. Thank you Dr. Montenegro, for everything. I feel better knowing that you’re going to be my doctor,” Ti fibs, still not certain she wants such a beautiful woman as her doctor with Antonio seeing her get bigger and more bloated and this creature remaining slim and gorgeous. She doesn’t think her self-confidence can withstand that.

  “Oh, please call me Beverly. I hope to be more than your physician, Tiressa. We, my husband, Thad and I, hope to have you and Antonio over for dinner soon. Please say you’ll come.” Her expression is open and she appears to be genuine in her offer of friendship. Ti looks to Antonio with a question in her expressive eyes. Receiving a silent agreement from him, she turns back to the doctor. “Yes, we’d love to join you and your husband for dinner.”

  “Wonderful! Antonio is important to us, and now, so are you. Love is always beautiful to see. I’m glad you’ve found yours Tony.” Beverly Montenegro smiles brilliantly at the both of them. Although the other woman hasn’t flirted once with Antonio, she’s so attractive that Tiressa finds it difficult to believe that they have only been just friends …even if it was years ago. Tiressa’s heart sinks a little, knowing that she will not feel comfortable with this situation until she finds out the truth.