Page 16 of Baby Maker

Keegan is more amused than disturbed by my coffee fountain trick. He grabs a napkin, helping to clear the evidence from the table. "I'm safe. This time."

"I've never heard that expression before. It struck me as funny."

"Which one? A village is missing their idiot? My mother's family is originally from the South, and they are the kings of random expressions." Keegan laughs, and I notice the dimple beneath his stubble. "To be honest, I'd always hoped for a reaction just like the one you've given me. Thank you, Calli."

I pause at the use of my nickname. It's not that I dislike being called Calli. Hell, most of my friends and family adopted the moniker decades earlier. But there's a familiarity with it, one far beyond the connection that I have with Keegan.

Although Keegan doesn't feel like a stranger to me. He's the most comfort I've found since Nigel passed.

Shaking off the path my brain is treading—again—I motion to his face. "Are you growing a beard or just giving your razor a few days off?"

He runs his hand over his jaw. "I haven't totally decided yet. I'd like to, but—"

"Your girlfriend doesn't like beards."

He snaps his fingers, clicking his tongue against his teeth. "Bingo. Do you like beards, Calli?"

There's my nickname again. And every time he says it, a warmth flows through my body, heating areas that have been frigid for almost two years. "I do. I have a weakness for them, actually. Nigel couldn't grow a beard. He tried, but it was all patchy and looked like he had mange. But a man with a nice beard? That's sexy."

Oh my God, did I just infer that Keegan is sexy? There go my cheeks again, turning a lovely shade of lobster. At this point, I might as well paint my face red and save my body the trouble.

I clear my throat, my brain trying to figure out how to scale back my last statement. "Not that I'm calling you sexy. I mean, you are. Obviously. Look at you. It's no wonder that women call you the Baby Maker. You're gorgeous. I'm going to go die now before I say anything else."

With every sentence, his eyes grow wider, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. By the end of my mortifying diatribe, he's grinning from ear to ear.

I grab my purse, scooting my chair back from the table. Well, that takes the cake as the most embarrassing moment of my life. That's the trouble when I get flustered—I let everything flow from my brain to my mouth with no filter in sight. Lucky for me, it rarely happens. I haven't been flustered since the night I met Nigel.

Until now.

And now, I need to find a new reproductive… whatever Simon called him. A new Baby Maker.

Keegan reaches across the table, grasping my arm. "No way. You don't get to rush off now. I can sit here and listen to you sing my praises all damn day."

I bury my face in my hands, the heat from my face radiating in all directions. "I don't know why I said all that."

"Could it be because you meant it?" His question isn't cocky or sarcastic. Instead, there's a hint of uncertainty lacing his words, as if he really cares about the authenticity of my statements.

Pulling my face from my hands, I offer a rueful smile. "How do I answer that without sounding like a crazed stalker?"

That smile. Lord, I'm in trouble with that smile. "I promise, I don't think you're a stalker. Or crazy." His hand squeezes mine, that dimple on full display. "It actually made my morning."

"Glad to be of service." I glance at my phone, noting the time. "I have to get going."

"Are you sure you're not just running off?"

"No. I have a legitimate excuse. I'm stopping by my yoga studio."

His brows raise. I've piqued his interest. "Where is it?"

"A few blocks from here, up on Cheshire. I haven't been there in months, and I figured it was about time to show my face."

"Getting back out in the world, Calli?" His gaze holds mine, daring me to look away.

"Something like that. But, this was wonderful. Embarrassing and mortifying—for me at least—but wonderful all the same. Thank you, Keegan." I extend my hand, wondering if he feels the same tingle when our bodies connect.

"I'd like to see your yoga studio."

"You should come by for a class."

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