Page 84 of His to Save

“Didn’t know ham and cheese did it for you like that, Pip.”

Her eyes widen and her throat works as she swallows. “Atlas!”

“I’m just saying.” I grin and raise my brows. “Over there moaning like that for Black Forest ham.”

“I can’t help it,” she mumbles, her cheeks turning my favorite shade of pink. “I was really hungry.”

“I’m just teasing, Nora. It’s cute.”

“Cute?” She frowns, tipping my grin into a full-blown smile.

I don’t know what it is about her, but somehow, she manages to be the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seenandthe sexiest. Which is why I keep on goading her.

“Yeah, that’s right. Cute.”

“Babies are cute.” She shifts her plate to rest on the blanket and then crosses her arms over her chest, glaring at me. She looks about as fierce as a kitten.A cute kitten.

“They are,” I agree, “and ours is going to be the cutest.”

Her hazel eyes flare. “You mean that?”

“Wholeheartedly. How could our boy be anything but perfect?”

She nods before narrowing her eyes at me. “I know you’re trying to change the subject, and I’ll allow itthis time.”

“Will you now?” I roll my lips inward to keep from smiling. “How kind.”

“I will, but only because you went to all this trouble to plan such a perfect first date.”

“Speaking of, I have something for you.”

“Really?” I don’t miss the spark of excitement in her tone. Nora’s not used to receiving gifts, and it’s something I damn sure plan to rectify. “What? Why?”

“Because I wanted to. Because I love you. Because it’s Friday. Do I need a reason, Pip?”

“I guess not.” The uncertainty in her voice is like a poison tipped arrow to my heart. “What… what is it?”

“Eat up and then I’ll give it to you.”

Nora sighs, and I swear it comes all the way from the bottom of her gut it’s so longsuffering. “Fine.”

Three bites later, she primly wipes her mouth and then sets her plate down near the edge of the blanket. “I’m ready.”

I stack my plate on top of hers and then gesture for her to come closer. She doesn’t hesitate, crawling right onto my lap.

“In one of your diary entries you mentioned your dad used to bring you a new book every week, and while I’m most certainly not your daddy, I thought you might like this…”

I reach behind me, feeling blindly for the slim package I tucked under the edge of the outermost blanket. My fingers finally make purchase and I bring my arm back around Nora with her prize in my hand.

“What is it?” Her voice is feather-soft as she rubs her index finger over the seam in the wrapping paper. “It’s so pretty…” I’m a shit wrapper, but Ellis is like Martha-Stewart-level good at it and took care of it for me.

“Open it, Pip.”

Her fingers tremble as she pulls the paper apart at the seam.

“What is it?” she asks again, glancing from the orange box up to me.

I wrap my arm around her middle, resting my palm on the swell of her belly. “A Kindle—part eReader and part tablet. So, you can go online and?—”

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