Page 62 of Small Town Firsts

Me

You work Monday?

Myla Rose

Kind of. We’re interviewing a stylist.

Me

Gotcha. You have lunch plans Tuesday?

Myla Rose

Just work. A whole lotta work. Call me later? XOXO

I smirk at her little ‘XOXO’,because hell yeah, I’d sure love a bit of that from her. A bit of that, and then some. And I’m not just talking about sex either. I’m talking about everything that is Myla Rose.

It’s the little things. Like the way she looks at me when she thinks I’m not looking. A shift of her eyes, a lilting smile. It heats my blood, causing it to run faster in my veins. I know this feeling. Need—it’s need. Indescribable and insatiable need.

I mean, yeah, it’s her touch, especially now that I truly know it, but it’s still more.

So much more.

It’s her laugh. Her thoughts. It’s the glint in her dark chocolate eyes. It’s the way her freckles dance across her skin. It’s the swell of her belly. Fuck, just knowing she’s growing life inside her. It’s the soft, quiet way she sighs my name. It’s all-consuming. She’s all-consuming, and I wouldn’t change a goddamn thing. I just hope she’s feeling it too.

I’m so focused on the task at hand that everything else falls to the wayside. Time, food, hydration, comfort . . . all of it. This crib needs to be perfect, and I’ll settle for nothing less. Hours and hours of marking, cutting, and sanding, and I think I’m just about ready for assembly.

It’s not until a bead of sweat drips from the tip of my nose that I realize just how hot it is in here. With a quick check of the time, I see that I’ve been here far longer than I thought. Hoursupon hours have passed. It’s damn near nine o’clock and well past dinner time.

Calling it quits, I clean my work station and cover the crib with a tarp for safekeeping. It’s time for food and sleep. Keeping Preston and Lucas all weekend drained me. But I loved every second of it, and I sure as shit hope that one day, it’ll be Myla’s little man wearing me out, and if I’m really lucky, calling me ‘Dad’.

Ain’t no sense in working when I’m tired and risking being sloppy. First thing tomorrow, though? This bad boy is getting nailed and varnished.

CHAPTER 33

MYLA ROSE

I’m lyingin bed wide awake, knowing—dreading—the fact that my alarm clock is about to buzz. I’m so far beyond exhausted, and this time, it’s not pregnancy related.

No, this is all due to Cash Carson. He called me last night around ten . . . said he wanted to hear my voice before his head hit his pillow.Talk about butterflies.

However, what was meant to be a quick good-night turned into hours. We talked about everything under the sun, and eventually, I fell asleep to the sound of his voice. Which is better than any damn sound machine.

My eyes drift shut as I replay events from the past week in my mind. While the direction I’m heading in surprises me, I wouldn’t change a thing. Cash is the very embodiment of everything I’ve ever wanted. Where Taylor belittled me and made me feel small, Cash is constantly building me up. I swear, the man is one part easygoing, one part good looks, and two parts Southern charm. More importantly, though, he’s mine. All mine.

With a long stretch and a groan, I force myself out of bed. Today is a big day at the salon. We’re meeting Seraphine’s cousin, Magnolia, and I want to make a good first impression.

A quick shower, a dollop of tinted moisturizer, and a swipe of lip gloss and I’m out the door. I also detour to Dream Beans for an extra-large vanilla latte, because caffeine. I savor that first piping hot sip, relishing the way it warms me from the inside out.

Azalea’s voice comes from behind me. “Myla Rose, how did I know I’d find you here?”

“Great minds think alike?”

“That they do, sister-girl, that they do.” She pops the lid off her coffee and adds three packets of raw sugar. “So, you ready to meet Ms. Magnolia?”

“I really am. I hope she’s what we’ve been looking for,” I tell her as we make our way across the street.

“I have a good feeling about her, Myles, I really do.”

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