Addison lay on her side, not daring to move. This topped the list of the dangerous things she’d done and she still didn’t know why she was doing it! Myers said it was for Jacob. That must have been the reason. After he was born… I won’t be rid of him. Myers. She’d have to at least tolerate Myers for Jacob’s sake. At the moment it didn’t seem so bad.

Addison reluctantly admitted that she liked the weight of Myers’ hand on her abdomen. She seldom experienced this sort of closeness, and rarely sought it. It was a necessary sacrifice to rise in the Triptych ranks. This indulgence was dangerous, as the knot in her stomach warned. I should leave. Teleport away. Bugger if Myers knows I can. Yet the calm radiating from her unborn son kept Addison there in Myers’ bed. The warmth of his body against hers had nothing to do with it. Once the prat nodded off, she’d teleport away. Problem solved.

Addison waited, enjoy— feeling Myers’ breath on her shoulder. The arrogant git didn’t say a word. If not for her mental awareness she’d have thought he’d dropped off. So she waited.

Eventually Jacob drifted off and Myers’ breathing slowed. Soon, Addison told herself, blinking to keep sleep at bay. Another minute…

Jacob’s squirming wrenched Addison awake. The discomfort from her son’s restlessness was familiar, yet something was off, and the sodding air conditioning wasn’t working because warm air blew on the back of Addison’s neck. It was puffing even, like…

Bloody hell!

Addison forced herself to remain still even as her heart tried to beat its way out of her ribcage. She was in Myers’ bed with Myers, who was sound asleep with his arms wrapped around her! Jacob’s happiness only added to her confusion.

Once she’d calmed down Addison teleported to her quarters. The green LED numbers on her alarm clock read 6:07—a bit earlier than when she normally awoke. It was just as well. She’d get a jump on the day and put last night’s bizarreness behind her.

Addison strode into her department at 8:00 and got to work. Normally she could lose herself in artifact cataloging and translations, even 34 weeks pregnant, but the mystery of the previous night haunted her. Her mood soured and was shared with anyone who crossed her path. Her normally competent assistants couldn’t do anything right. The cafeteria server who spilled a bit of soup on Addison’s hand got a tongue-lashing. And Ashlynn chose that day to escape from her nanny Svetlana. Daniel found the girl hiding in his office. Although no harm was done, Addison dressed down Daniel and Svetlana. What sort of “father” or nanny couldn’t keep track of a four year-old?

By mid-afternoon Addison’s nerves were frayed, her back, ankles and feet hurt, and it was all Myers’ fault. It was Myers’ fault that her subconscious was attracted to him, for practically fucking her in the hall weeks ago, and for going bipolar last night and turning nice. The fact that he hadn’t tried to shag her was surprising… and disappointing.

Addison turned in early that night, exhausted. Although Jacob had settled down, sleep eluded her. After two hours of tossing and turning, Addison got up and pulled on her satin bathrobe. She stared at her discheveled reflection in the mirror over her dresser. Barmy. You’re right barmy, you are. Light flashed as she teleported.

The angles of Myers’ bedroom replaced the graceful lines of Addison’s. The cause of her frustration was nowhere in sight. Addison reached out with her mind. Myers wasn’t nearby. Still working, most likely, but that was fine. She wasn’t disappointed, she told herself. She just needed sleep. Her and Jacob.

Addison crawled into Myers’ bed, burrowing into the pillows and sheets that smelled so much like him. The now-familiar scent lulled Addison to sleep.