Chapter 28 Not Crowded, But Hot
A sudden knock on the door startled Xandra.
"Mommy, open the door, Mommy."
Her daughter's tearful voice snapped Xandra out of her reverie.
She opened her eyes, and the romantic mood vanished instantly.
"Get up, I think Maggie's crying!"
Frederick heard it too.
He frowned slightly, his eyes still filled with desire, but he got off Xandra.
Glancing at her smooth skin, he helped her put her clothes back on.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Xandra hurriedly got out of bed and ran to open the door.
At the door, little Margaret stood in her pink bear pajamas, barefoot and sobbing.
Xandra quickly picked her up.
"Maggie, why are you crying? Did you have a bad dream?"
"Yeah, I dreamed of a big monster. It was so scary!"
The little girl clung to her neck, sniffling.
"Mommy, I want to sleep with you."
Maggie, the youngest of the triplets, was the clingiest.
Sometimes, like tonight, she would wake up scared and want to sleep with her.
Xandra instinctively patted her back and said, "Okay."
Only after agreeing did she remember that things were different now.
She wasn't living in the big mansion of the Cavendish family anymore.
She was married now, and there was someone else in the room.
Seeing Frederick walking over, she said, "Maggie had a nightmare and wants to sleep with me. I'll go sleep in the other room tonight."
Frederick still felt a lingering heat inside him. He frowned at her words.
"You want to squeeze into a small bed?"
"Of course not. But Maggie can't sleep in the big bed with us, right?" Xandra said without thinking.
Margaret looked at Frederick with big, pitiful eyes.
"Mr. Flores, the big monster was so scary. I want to sleep with Mommy and Mr. Flores."
Xandra instinctively glanced at Frederick, about to say no, but his gentle voice interrupted her.
"Alright, tonight you can sleep with your mommy and me."
Xandra was speechless.
He actually agreed!
Though they hadn't known each other long, she knew Raymond was very particular and didn't like anyone invading his space.
Even when his grandfather wanted to sleep in this room, he had strongly resisted.
But now, he agreed to Margaret's request so easily!
"Mr. Flores, pick me up!"
Margaret's big eyes sparkled as she stretched out her arms for a hug.
Frederick's lips curved up as he picked her up and walked to the bed.
He was tall and strong, making Margaret look tiny and well-behaved on his shoulder.
At that moment, it almost felt like a father holding his daughter.
"Mommy, come to bed!"
Seeing Xandra in a daze, Margaret giggled at her.
Xandra snapped out of it, smiled, and walked over.
"Mommy on the left, Mr. Flores on the right, and I'll sleep in the middle."
The little one directed them to bed.
Xandra and Frederick exchanged a glance and lay down on either side of her.
"I'm so happy! Tomorrow Chuck and Beth will be so jealous."
The little one looked from one to the other, her face full of pride.
Xandra chuckled and tucked her in.
"Alright, time to sleep."
The little one yawned, rubbed her eyes, and indeed looked sleepy.
But she fought off sleep, glanced at Frederick, and grabbed his finger.
"Mr. Flores, can I call you Daddy?"
Her small, soft hand clung to him, showing a bit of dependence.
The sweet smell of milk on her made Frederick's restless heart calm down unexpectedly.
For some reason, even though he didn't like kids, he couldn't resist the charm of Xandra's three children and just wanted to spoil them unconditionally.
"Okay."
"Goodnight, Daddy."
The little one beamed with joy.
Her calling him Daddy softened Frederick's heart, making it feel like she was his own daughter.
He patted her little head, his voice gentle.
"Goodnight."
The little one closed her eyes contentedly, and soon, her breathing became steady and even.
Next to her, Xandra felt a mix of emotions hearing her daughter call him Daddy.
The kids never said it, but they must long for a father.
And her new husband had just agreed to it so easily!
A ripple of emotion stirred in her heart as she looked over at Frederick.
"Maggie fell asleep. Are you feeling cramped?"
Propping herself up slightly, her nightgown slipped off one shoulder, revealing her smooth skin.
Frederick looked up, his gaze deepening at the sight of her bare shoulder. The heat he had suppressed began to rise again.
"Not cramped, but hot."
His voice was husky and suggestive.
Xandra followed his gaze and instantly understood.
Her face flushed, and she quickly lay back down.
"Um, I'll turn off the light."
Frederick didn't respond.
Xandra didn't wait for him and turned off the light.
Darkness enveloped the room, bringing a quiet stillness.
Only the soft sounds of breathing filled the space.
Xandra closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart.
She heard movement beside her, making her heart skip a beat, her fingers curling unconsciously.
He had been so close earlier, almost ready to lose control.
Interrupted by Margaret, his desire wouldn't just disappear.
Would he still want to continue?
But Margaret was right here!
Xandra's mind raced with thoughts until she heard soft footsteps moving away.
She opened her eyes to see Frederick heading to the bathroom.
Soon, the sound of running water echoed.
Was he taking a cold shower?
Xandra let out a breath, the tension easing a bit.
His warmth still lingered on her skin, making her blush. She quickly turned over.
Watching her daughter's peaceful face, she tried to calm her mind and forced herself to sleep.
When Frederick returned from his cold shower, Xandra was already asleep.
The sight of the mother and daughter sleeping peacefully was heartwarming.
His gaze lingered on Xandra's curves, her rising and falling chest, and her rosy lips. The desire he had just quelled seemed to stir again.
Damn old man, I'll deal with you tomorrow!
Frederick frowned and looked away.
Unable to sleep, he went to the study to work.
After a while, he rubbed his tired eyes and stopped working.
It was already past 3 AM.
He closed his laptop and walked back to the bed.
The mother and daughter were still sound asleep.
Frederick's hand itched to pull Xandra into his arms.
But then he glanced at the little one's pink face...
Frederick frowned slightly.
Something seemed off about her.
He bent down and touched her forehead, realizing she had a fever!
"Xandra, wake up! Maggie has a fever."
Xandra woke up in a panic, her thoughts clearing quickly.
She touched her daughter's forehead and confirmed the fever.
"Do we have any fever medicine?" Frederick asked.
"We do, but it doesn't work for Maggie!" Xandra explained, "Maggie was the last to be born and didn't get as much nutrition in my womb, so she's the smallest and weakest. Whenever she gets a fever, she needs an IV. Fever medicine never worked."
Before their family went bankrupt, her parents had hired a private doctor for the kids.
So whenever Margaret had a fever, the doctor would come immediately.
But now, without a private doctor, she had to take Margaret to the hospital.
Xandra quickly got dressed.
"Do we need to take her to the hospital for an IV?" Frederick asked.
Xandra nodded, dressed and ready to get Margaret's clothes from the other room.
Frederick hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his phone and called Aiden.
"Get the best pediatrician ready. I'm bringing a child to the hospital."