Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 139

Chapter 139

Sutton hadn’t stood on her own yet, but with Luca’s arm tucked under hers and a nurse steadying her opposite side, she made the slow, careful walk down the short hallway toward the NICU, that was after a very necessary trip to the bathroom.

It was humbling how broken her body felt. Every shift of weight ached. Her hip radiated something sharp if she turned even a degree too far, and the stitches pulled at her stomach.

She wasn’t thinking about her injuries. She was thinking about him. The tiny baby who had come twelve weeks too early. Their son.

Luca hadn’t said much during the walk. His hand I never left hers, letting her pace herself.

The NICU doors opened with a soft click, controlled and climate–sealed. Monitors beeped at intervals throughout the room. Every crib was spaced out intentionally, and tiny lives lived between glass and plastic domes.

They moved to the second incubator near the end of the row.

Inside, beneath a tangle of tubes and wires thin as threads, a baby smaller than Sutton had ever imagined lay curled up. A knitted blue cap covered most of his dark hair. His eyelids fluttered. His chest rose in soft jerks.

Sutton didn’t realize she was crying again until a tear hit her collarbone.

Luca stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder, one arm around her waist.

She whispered, “He’s… so small.”

“He’s a De Santis,” Luca said gently, eyes still locked on the incubator. “He’s a fighter. He’ll grow into the power trip later.”

Sutton laughed; it was painful, and she winced.

Luca asked when he felt her stiffen. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Sutton said, wiping her cheek. “Laughing just hurts.”

Then she looked again.

Their baby. Pink and translucent. She’d carried him for twenty–eight weeks. And should have carried him longer. But it wasn’t meant to be. He was here weeks before his expected birthday.

“Can I… touch him?” She asked the nurse standing near the monitor.

“You can,” the nurse said warmly. “Try for his hand or foot first. Skin–to–skin will come later, maybe in a couple of days. For now, we keep his temperature stable.”

Sutton nodded, putting her hand inside the incubator, reached slowly, her hand trembling, and gently brushed her knuckle against the soft heel of his foot.

His toes twitched.

“Oh,” Sutton breathed. The sound cracked. She so wanted to hold him, to feed him, but she couldn’t yet. They had her expressing milk so that wh could feed him, her milk would be there and ready.

he

I first came in, his hand wrapped around my finger. It was

She was afraid she might cry again if she opened

just stood

asked softly, “Do you have a

away from

was going to say… Miles,”

Luca blinked.

“Miles?”

mean… it’s probably ridiculous. He is sort of responsible for us

nothing for a

Then he nodded, contemplative.

don’t hate

turned to look

It suits him somehow. Like he’s always going to be a step ahead

laughed again,

“You’re not kidding.”

“Nope.”

her head and smiled softly. “That’s kind of

tiny bundle in the

not always bad,” he said. “Plus, he is a

there for a few more minutes, just watching him

name out loud,

“Miles.”

It felt right.

interrupting their moment. “Sorry, folks, family’s in the

“No, it’s okay;

family was a force of nature,

of wildflowers on a side table. Roman was standing with her, trying but failing to

wife Bella. She could see Bella was very uncomfortable. She would think she was the reason that Sutton and Luca hadn’t been

blame.

careful not to hurt her. Standing back, she grinned at Sutton. “I didn’t wanna

appreciate that. Sister

not dying…” Keira waved a hand vaguely over Sutton’s post–op body. “Jesus, you look like last

Everyone burst into laughter.

hurt, but it

cracked

second later, softer now. “We

Sutton didn’t make her.

and took her sister’s hand and

shifting her gaze. “We’ve named the

Everyone turned toward her.