Page 3 of After this Summer
And I hate that.
I’ve never needed anyone.
But it’s not his fault. From the moment we met and every moment after, he’s just been this pillar of strength that I want to lose myself in.
And now is no different.
“I need to tell you something.”
“Picked up on that all on my own if you can believe it,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair as he moves through the small entryway to the living room. Without setting me down, he eases us onto the couch with me now straddling his lap, as his arms envelop me in a hug that’s exactly what I didn’t know I needed.
“Only one of us can be sassy right now and it’s not your turn,” I grouse, sitting up so I can look at him. His eyes are brown and they look darker than I remember, the brim of his baseball hat casting a shadow over his handsome face. Spinning it backward, my pulse quickens as the corner of his mouth curves up in amusement.
“Indie.”
“Shh, just let me have like five more seconds of looking at you.”
“I mean, I can take my clothes off and you can look at me naked. I seem to remember you liking that.” His words are as teasing as they are true, and I know I can’t wait anymore.
At least not about this. I’m still hoping I can clear up things with Toni before anyone in my circle finds out.
“I’m pregnant,” I whisper.
“A baby?” he asks, his voice just as quiet except where mine was filled with worry, his is filled with awe.
“Yes.”
“Stunner, I need you to look at me.”
Exhaling heavily, I do as he asks, his gaze searching mine as his fingers dig into my hips, holding me steady—maybe holding usbothsteady.
“I’m scared,” I admit and he nods.
“Me too.”
“You’re not gonna ask if it’s yours?” I ask, needing to poke him—needing a reaction.
“I know it’s mine.”
Huffing, I shift on his lap. “Do you?”
“Yeah, Stunner, I do. And I’m trying like hell to figure out if you’re excited or not because I’m already in. All the way.”
“That’s what got us in this predicament in the first place.”
“Indie.” He says my name like a warning, and I sigh as I weave his fingers with mine.
“I’m more excited now that you’re here…that you know.”
“And?”
“Andeverything,Beau. We’re havin’ a baby and besides how good I know you are with your tongue between my legs, we don’tknoweach other well and we’re gonna be parents and we have to figure all these things out and?—”
My rant is cut off as Beau pulls me down to press the sweetest kiss to my lips. “Stunner, there’s nothing we need to figure out right this second.” I open my mouth to argue but he shakes his head. “I want to help you in any way I can before the baby comes. I want to read the books and do those breathing classes. I want to do this together, and we can start tomorrow but tonight I just want to take care of you.”
Tears well in my eyes because this man is sweeter than apple pie at a barbeque, and I don’t know what I expected but this is more.
So much more.
