Page 32 of His to Love
Chapter Fifteen
Patton
I would never make the first move—not ever. It wouldn’t be right to do that to someone in Alexa’s situation.
She’d called me her angel. She’d called me her hero. Heroes and angels didn’t put the moves on the people who adored them. When you added in everything I’d done for her lately—knowing how grateful she felt for it all, it just wouldn’t have been right for me to let her know that I wanted her. And I wanted her in the worst way.
Lying on top of that blanket as she undressed down to her bra and panties, I knew I should stop looking at her. They matched, too. A perfect little set made of pink satin, a tiny bow at her cleavage and one in the middle of the top of her panties.
Her body was smoking hot. Round hips, thick thighs, a midsection that dipped in all the right places, and then her heavy breasts. Breasts that would only get heavier as the pregnancy went on.
I turned to my side, not wanting her to see me checking her out. “Do you know if there’s like a throw blanket or something in here? It’s a little on the cool side.” I needed to hide the boner that was welling up inside my underwear.
“Knowing my mother, I bet there is one at the top of the closet.” She went over to the closet and I snuck a peek, taking in that luscious ass of hers. Perky, bouncy, and plump. She had no idea just how appealing she really was.
I watched her move up on her tippy toes, stretching her body as she reached up for the blanket. I should’ve gotten up to help her. But if I had, then she would’ve seen what she’d done to me. I couldn’t do that to her. “It’s okay if you can’t reach it.”
Wiggling her fingers, she finally got it and pulled it down. It fell right into her arms and she brought it back to me. “No, I’m not about to let you get cold.”
There are other ways to make sure I stay nice and warm, honey.
She laid the blanket out to cover me as I lay on my side, hiding the effect she had on me. I knew I shouldn’t even be thinking about the what if’s, but I couldn’t stop myself.
What if she made the first move? What if she told me she really loved me? What if she asked me to make her my wife in every way?
Closing my eyes, I knew I’d drunk one or two too many beers. Her brother and cousins had kept making sure I had a cold one in my hand all night long. I knew why her cousins had. They had no idea the ruse behind the marriage and baby. But Luci? Why he hadn’t thought about how hard it would be for me to keep my hands off his sister when we went to bed together, I did not know.
Of course he wouldn’t know, you idiot. He trusts you to keep your distance.
Every time I turned around, there she was, looking cute, sweet, and gorgeous. So, naturally I thought we should put on a good show. I’d grab her up, kiss her, hug her, tell her how happy she’d made me and how much I loved her.
She thought it was all for show though. What if she knew none of it was fake?
The bed moved as she got under the blanket. “Well, you have a good sleep then, Patton.”
I hated this—absolutely hated it. “Yeah, you too.”
All day and night we’d pawed at each other like lust-filled teenagers. And here we were, in bed together, acting like none of that had even happened.
But that’s the way it had to be. And I thought that’s the way she wanted it. There were so many things I wanted to know. Like if she felt anything romantic for me. I wanted to know if she ever thought about us making this marriage into a real one and making a lifelong commitment to each other as well as to our baby.
Our baby.
One by one, my brothers had come to me, wanting to give me their advice. And I listened to them all. But I didn’t agree with any of them.
They all agreed that this was a bad idea. They all agreed that this would end badly. They even all agreed that it would be Alexa who would be hurt the worst in this thing.
None of them knew about how I felt though. I hadn’t admitted it to anyone. I barely let myself think about it.
I loved her. I adored her. And I already loved the baby we would raise together.
Doesn’t that make this all real?
As soon as she turned out the lamp, I turned over to look at her in the moonlight. I knew it would bring out her beauty even more. The silver rays ran through her dark hair, making me think about the future, when she would be older and have silver streaks in her hair. And where I would be when that happened? “Do you think about the future, Alexa?”
“All the time.” Lacing her fingers, she rested her hands on her chest. “But who doesn’t?”
I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, but I did it anyway, laying my hand on her stomach. “Do you want a boy or a girl?”
