I swallow my annoyance and meet the doc with a glare, when he shakes my hand. Meanwhile, Penny? She's all smiles.
She pulls out her little notebook and her army of colored pens, and I know we're gonna be here for a while. She chats with the man so long I start to lose focus. She’s sure done her homework on this, and even the doc is impressed.
He turns to me, swiveling on his little stool, hands clasped in his lap. “Any questions from the donor?”
I turn and glance at Penny's beaming face. “Nope. All good,” I confirm with a single nod.
“Well, I do have some information I’m required to share, just to ensure we get on the same wavelength.” The man adjusts his glasses on his bulbous nose. "As you probably are aware, the male donor will provide freshly ejaculated sperm at the time of the procedure.”
I nod.
"Donor sperm collection is performed most commonly through masturbation, but if you're having a hard time 'getting there', we'd be glad to provide you with electrical stimulators.”
"What?" I furrow my brow, not understanding what he's saying.
He leans toward me and whispers. "A vibrator."
I blink and give a short head shake. “I’ll be fine without…that.”
The doctor smiles graciously. "No shame in it if you need a little assist—"
"I will be fine without that," I interrupt unapologetically.
Beside me, Penny snort-giggles and I'm tempted to toss her over my knee and give her the spanking she deserves for getting me all mixed up in this.
“Okay then." He adjusts his glasses and his composure. "As part of the procedure, the sperm will be washed in a laboratory and warmed to increase fertilization chances.”
What the heck? Wash? I’m not fucking dirty, and neither are my little guys.
“Most importantly, remember that the best sample is obtained when you abstain from ejaculating for at least three days before providing the sample.”
Abstain. Great. So, no doing what I did this morning in the shower after another long night of dirty dreams.
"Also, the clinic has several medical students who will be present to observe various aspects of the procedure. It's part of their medical training."
My eyes bulge in their sockets.
"Not the masturbation part, Walker. The other parts." The doctor chuckles low in his chest. I swear the man is taking pleasure in torturing me. I grunt.
The doctor lays out a few more instructions, giving me a five-page printout of everything he just covered. Then he hands over a prescription card for a bottle of vitamins to start taking immediately.
“You’ve got an important job ahead,” the doc adds solemnly. “Are you up for it?”
Christ, I want to say no. This is far more overwhelming than I anticipated. The research, the legal drama, the pills, and the entire fucking manual here. I expected to get an email with a day and time to provide my sample, and then my job would be done. I’d maybe even get to see the little booger whenever I hang out with Penn.
I'm having cold feet, dammit. I yank my collar away from my neck. I don't think I can do this...
I open my mouth to ask to speak privately with Penny, but when I turn to her, I spot that big, beautiful, perfect grin on her lips. My mouth snaps shut.
I can’t disappoint this woman.
She wants to be a mom. And I want her to be happy. More than anything. She deserves this, and I can help her. I can give her that much.
I sit up straighter, turning back to the doc. “Okay. I’m in.” I say it like I mean it.
Penny lets out a small squeal, throwing herself into my arms. With a chuckle, I catch her and hug her back. I breathe in her warm vanilla scent. I feel her soft curves fuse with my hard muscled chest.
“Thank you for helping me,” she whispers, her breath tickling my ear.
My anxiety settles, fading away. It’s replaced by a sense that this will all be worth it.
Having Penny smile at me like this, feeling her embrace…I’d be her baby daddy a million times over.
14
Penny
Real talk—how attached are you to this whole roadkill moose taxidermy vibe you've got going on over here by the mantle?" I glance over my shoulder at Walker when he opens the front door. "'Cause honestly, I think it's dragging down the aesthetic of the room."
With my bartending job and all the prep for my insemination, I've had to work extra hard to squeeze in my design gigs. This week alone, Cannon hired me to spend a few days selecting furniture for some office suites Kingston Realties is looking to rent out. Then, I got a small home decorating job through one of Lexi's acquaintances. She also hooked me up with a long-distance mentorship with Dahlia Windsor, the big-time Manhattan interior design guru who re-designed Lexi’s bridal shop last year. Plus, I booked a few gigs, window-dressing some of the boutique storefronts running along Promenade Boulevard.
Anyway, this is the job I've been waiting for. Today, I'm finally having my initial design consultation with Walker at his tiny, one-bedroom hunting cabin. I'm in full-on business mode. Blazer. Pencil skirt. Sleek bun.
There are shoulder pads involved.
Walker views me as his friend. But I want to impress him. So I'll go above and beyond to prove my capabilities as an interior design professional.
He kicks off his work boots on the front mat and hangs his cowboy hat on a hook before striding across the room to me.
Jeez—do you see that walk? That's the wide stance of a man who's gotta leave thigh space for his massive dick to swing free. I just know it.
There are a lot of things about Walker Kingston that make me all fluttery in the stomach. The way his honey brown eyes darken dangerously when his thick eyebrows pull into a frown like rainclouds. The way he scrubs those thick, long fingers along the back of his neck when he gets frustrated. The way his beard goes caveman chic quick-fast in between shaves. But it's his walk that really does me in. That broad-shouldered, wide-stanced, Superman-stride always makes me weak in the knees.
