Titus: Book Two of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Twenty-One

“C'mon,” Titus groaned, hitting the spare pillow right next to his. “C'mon.”

The downstairs bathroom's toilet was being flushed again, the sound of sink water drowning out the calm peace he had been in only a few seconds ago. Titus didn't know what bothered him more – the fact that Anna was down there in a cut off t-shirt and her polka dots sleeping shorts that she always wore for pajamas or that this was a regular occurrence.

Her room was Trace and Taivon's old bedroom his brothers had occupied when they had been boys. It was a generously sized room, and although it had been hard for her to move in and put all of her things in that room, he could tell it was getting easier for her. And by the way she was taking her time with washing her hands and most likely brushing her teeth, he knew that she certainly felt at home by now.

He checked the clock again and scowled at the bright, green numbers. 2:17. In the God damn morning. But, he reminded himself, it couldn't be helped. At eight weeks pregnant, Anna was still within the throes of morning sickness passion. Although he had never, ever been near a pregnant woman – let alone around her for twenty-four hours in the same house – Titus still felt at home.

It felt right. Every single second of pulling back Anna's hair when she was sick to making sure that she took all of her prenatal pills and kept up with appointments just made Titus feel. It was a roller coaster ride that needed maintenance along the way, a bumpy path with a shitty car that he knew just how to pave and smooth out.

And he loved every second of it. The loss of sleep, the mood swings that were sometimes directed at him, and even the desire that was even more pent up was all worth it with Anna riding in that roller coaster with him. He could tell by the way her eyes lit up when she read the baby development books that Anna was looking forward to this child, all sad pretense of the father gone.

Titus gritted his teeth, trying to contain the pure, unadulterated rage that coursed through him at the mere thought of Hunter James. The man was getting married in a few months to some beautiful, Amazon-like woman who was also being lied to. But Hunter had hurt Anna more than that Jasmine girl, the life growing inside of her belly always reminding him.

The sound of the old fridge opening downstairs made Titus relax his rigid form on the bed. Just thinking about Anna and her crazy antics when she had one of her cravings made him grin like the idiot he was in his bed. Alone, that empty pillow reminded him with a feathery sneer of its inanimate mouth..

His only reply to the infernal pillow was to throw it across the room and listen as she did something or other in that kitchen. Even from the second floor at the end of the hall, he could smell something akin to breakfast being made in a pan on the stove.

It was different from most nights when she would just have a piece of fruit and go back to her room with him right behind Anna to tuck her in. Deciding that he wouldn't get to sleep after tucking her in for bed again, Titus walked downstairs into the kitchen where he found – as expected - Anna slicing up a fresh peach. Wearing that same, ratty cut off and pink polka dotted shorts that dug deep at his self-control, she didn't even look up, only continuing to cut up that sweet piece of fruit.

“Not feelin' well again?” he asked before sitting down at the wooden aisle and smelling the air heavy with something that smelt like fried eggs.

Anna shrugged. “I feel better now, ya know? It always feels better when I just get it over with. You want some?” She held out one juicy slice to him.

Titus accepted the offering and took a small bite from the juicy chunk, letting the nectar wash some calm over him. “Thanks. How many do we have left by the way?”