Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 138

He sat in a hard plastic chair beside her bed, elbow resting on the edge of the mattress, his fingers wrapped around her wrist as if it were made of delicate glass. It was morning, and he hadn’t slept at all. Roman had dropped clothes off, and the nurses had let him use the shower in Sutton’s private room they had moved her to around eleven last night.

Luca hadn’t left her for more than a few minutes; he could

He was so worried that if he turned his back on her for even one second, she might disappear. He could not lose her again. Even though he hadn’t realized he was in love with her the first time, he had still felt the loss of her when she had left. It was only then that he started to understand what she had truly meant to him. It hadn’t been a lightbuth moment at first; he had told himself it was the baby. But he had only been fooling himself.

Sutton stirred; at first, it was just a twitch of her fingers. Then, ther

was a deep indrawn breath.

Luca leaned closer. He watched as her eyelashes fluttered.

She blinked once, twice. Then looked at him through heavy lids.

“Hey,” she whispered; her voice didn’t sound like her. Not surprisin with what she had been through.

But seeing her awake and alive was like the biggest gift

of

all,

This was the most conscious she had been since she had been brought in. Last night, she barely mustered the strength to check on the baby.

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles without answering.

She moved slightly, then flinched.

“You are going to be in pain if you move, so take it easy,” he murmured. “Don’t push.”

She gave a slow, drowsy blink in response and tried to wet her lips. “The baby?”

“He’s okay,” Luca said with a small nod. “He’s small, Sutton… but he’s here. Breathing. Alive. He’s on a ventilator, and he’s surrounded by the best team looking after him, but… he’s here. He’s loud, actually. Even for a little guy.”

He hadn’t been allowed to hold him. Instead, he had slipped his arms into the side of the incubator and held his son’s tiny hand. But Blair and Keira had checked with him to see if he was alright with them seeing the baby. He was glad they had offered and asked. They had all gone through so much since last night, and he could feel the strain between him and Keira had lifted. They all loved Sutton and now the baby.

Her mouth barely bent into a smile. “You saw him?”

“Earlier this morning. Finally got the okay from the NICU. I wasn’t prepared.” He rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand, slower now. “He’s so damn tiny. But perfect. He grabbed my finger like he had something to prove.”

in

said he’s strong.

swallowed hard.

head slowly. “I told them I couldn’t name him without you. I

nodded just a small movement. He could see that their

her strength. She looked at him

heard you,” she

Luca blinked. “When?”

When they brought

didn’t need her to

thought she had been unconscious but had feared her finding out by one of the medical staff. He had

away, her eyes misting again, blinking at the ceiling like it might give her

said

words made his

a wave of something thick rolled behind his sternum. He exhaled low through his nose

“I did,” he admitted.

the energy to make her facial muscles work. The painkillers would be helping. “That… it wouldn’t have been my

was waiting for her next

he whispered, finally meeting

for

I made because I didn’t want him,” Luca said. “And it wasn’t made easily, Sutton. I love him already. I’ve barely

know,” she said, her

Looked down at their hands. “I can’t

eyes briefly, a single tear slipping down the side of

she whispered. “That grief in your voice before

didn’t

“I’m glad I did.”

Luca’s brows pulled together.

hate you for it,” she

didn’t answer. Not

just shifted in the chair, leaned forward,

kept replaying it. Thinking maybe I’d gone too far. Maybe I didn’t have

face toward his hand, her temple just brushing where his

“I don’t.”

He looked up.

whisper, but there was no hesitation in it.

He swallowed hard.