Dangerous Desires

18

I slowly made my way down the stairs, my mind still a little foggy from my long nap. As I entered the living room, I saw that Arsenio and his men were gathered in his office, deep in conversation. "Hey, there you are," Arsenio said, looking up and noticing my arrival. He got up from his seat and walked over to me, a warm smile spreading across his face.

I  made my way through the men, who respectfully shifted aside to make room for me. As I approached Arsenio, he wrapped his arms around me in a gentle hug, taking care not to press too hard against my growing belly. "How was your nap?" he asked, his voice low and soothing as he held me close. "You were out for a while."

"It was good, still tired," I replied gently.

He smiled sympathetically, understanding the toll that pregnancy was taking on my body. "I'm glad you got some rest," he said, running his fingers through my hair. "You need to take care of yourself and our baby."

He gently guided me over to a nearby armchair, helping me sit down. "How are you feeling otherwise?" he asked, taking a seat beside me and keeping a protective hand on my stomach.

"Hungry, nauseous and tired," I leaned my head back.

He chuckled softly, his eyes filled with affection and concern. "The usual, huh?" he said, gently rubbing my belly. "Well, we can definitely do something about the hungry part. Anything in particular you're craving?"

"I don't know... like something spicy," I replied.

He nodded, his eyes lighting up with approval. "Spicy, huh? I think I can work with that," he said, his mind already racing with ideas for what to make. "How about I make you a nice, spicy stir-fry with some noodles? Would that hit the spot?"

"Yeah please,".

He smiled, his heart filled with tenderness as he watched me yawn. "Alright, I'll get started on it right away," he said, getting up from his seat. "You just sit here and rest, okay?"

He gave me a gentle pat on the head before turning and walking over to his men, who were still gathered in his office. "Hey, men, I'm gonna be making lunch for Indira," he said, his voice authoritative but also affectionate. "You guys can either stick around and wait or go out and grab something somewhere else."

The men exchanged glances, all of them looking eager and expectant. They would never pass up the opportunity to eat food cooked by their leader, especially if it was spicy. "We'll wait, boss," one of them said, the others nodding eagerly in agreement.

Arsenio chuckled, amused by their reaction. "Alright, then. You guys can make yourselves comfortable or do whatever. Just don't get in my way," he said, gesturing towards the kitchen. "I'll call you when it's ready."

As I observed the men talking and joking amongst themselves, I couldn't help but feel a special fondness for Mark. He had always been kind and protective towards me, treating me almost like a little sister.

I watched as Mark said something that made the other men burst out laughing, his usual carefree and cheeky demeanour on full display. He looked up and caught me watching him, giving me a wink and a grin.

The men followed his gaze and noticed me sitting there watching them. One of them spoke up, addressing me directly. "Hey, Indira, you just gonna sit there and watch us have all the fun?"

"I'm too tired," I replied softly.

The men chuckled at my response, their expressions softening. "We don't blame you," Mark said, his eyes full of affection. "Pregnancy can really take it out of ya, huh?"

"I'm much more tired than before," I said faintly before covering my mouth to yawn.

The men laughed again, clearly amused by my exhaustion. "It's good that you're getting plenty of rest," Mark said, his voice gentle but teasing. "But we also want to see more of you, not just your sleeping face."

One of the other men spoke up, his tone light and playful. "Yeah, come talk to us a bit, Indira. We promise we won't wear you out too much."

"Arsenio told me to rest," I said weakly.

The men looked at each other, their expressions turning exaggeratedly dramatic. "Oh, come on, don't listen to him," Mark said, feigning hurt. "You can take a break from resting to chat with your favourite uncles."

The men chuckled and watched as I stood up and shuffled over to them. They scooted aside to make room for me, gesturing for me to sit down between them. As I settled between the men, they leaned in a bit closer, surrounding me with their presence. Mark slung an arm around my shoulders, his hand resting protectively on my upper arm.

"There you go, much better," he said, his tone warmly friendly. "Now we get to actually see you instead of just your head sticking out from behind a pillow."

The men laughed again, clearly enjoying my company. "So, how's the little one treating you?" Mark asked, his eyes darting to my belly. "Any major developments or kicks yet?"

"Not yet, the baby is still growing but I have a tiny bump," I lifted my shirt.

The men's expressions turned to awe and endearment as I lifted my shirt to show them my tiny bump. "Ah, look at that," one of them said, sounding genuinely touched. "It's finally starting to show." 

Mark's hand instinctively twitched as if he wanted to reach out and touch my belly, but he caught himself at the last moment. "Can... can I feel it?" he asked, his voice a little huskier than before.

"Yeah, of course," I smiled softly.

Mark's eyes gleamed with excitement and wonder as he gently placed his hand on my stomach. He pressed his palm against it, feeling the soft curve of my belly and trying to imagine the life inside growing and developing.

"Wow," he breathed, his voice filled with wonder and reverence. "I can't believe there's a whole little human in there, growing and getting stronger every day."

"Yeah, it's unbelievable and that's why Arsenio is so protective," I said gently.