Page 110 of Together We Burn
In the vanity cupboard in the spare bathroom–a set of throwing stars.
In the coat cupboard–a baseball bat.
I pushed off the floor, carrying the knife in the hand I hadn’t almost sliced into pieces, and searched for the woman who was turning the apartment into one gigantic hazard, instead of baby proofing it.
Stefany was in the spare room Nate had used when he and Chris had stayed, the one we had decided would be a nursery when the baby came, humming to herself as Rocky slept on the floor by her feet.
The dog hadn’t left her alone from the first moment we found out she was having my baby, following her like a shadow and wanting to rest his big head on her belly.
She was five months along and only popped last week; the sight alone brought me to my knees as I pressed my lips to where she kept our baby safe.
I came up behind her, encasing her between my arms, and sat the knife on the changing table I’d put together last week.
“I almost took my hand off with this,” I growled in her ear. She shivered and pressed against me. One thing all these hormones were doing to Stefany’s system was making her extra horny. My dick twitched at her ass wiggling against me.
“I told you I put it there,” she replied innocently, folding over the last of the wrapping paper for Nate’s birthday present.
Last year, Chris moved them both back to Carlin Valley and lived not too far from Alex and Stefany’s old place. Alex had moved out not long after taking over as CEO, buying a place near the office.
“I don’t think you did, baby,” I said, kissing her neck. “I would have remembered that.”
She moaned, the paper she was about to tape down slipping from her grip.
“I’m sure I did,” she sighed, pushing against my growing erection. “Blame it on the baby brain.”
I trailed my hands down her sides, cupping her small belly in my hands. “You can’t hide sharp objects around the house and then forget where you put them.”
Trying to elbow me in the stomach, she tore off a new piece of tape from the holder and fastened the wrapping paper together, finishing Nate’s birthday present.
“I suppose now you’ll tell me a knife isn’t a suitable gift for a thirteenth birthday either?”
I froze, the fingers I had been running over her bump pausing next to her belly button. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No,” she said, like she didn’t understand why there was anything wrong with her gift idea. “Chris demanded I take it back after all the shit with, you know…” She twisted in my arms and held her hand to the scar where I’d been shot. “But it’s sentimental to me, and I think to Nate. He seemed to like it when I gave it to him anyway.”
I chuckled, pressing my lips to her forehead. “And when the baby comes, what do you intend to give her as toys to play with?”
She shrugged, and I pushed her hair over her shoulder, exposing the smooth skin of her throat.
“I don’t know, plastic throwing stars?Hecan use them as teething toys,” she replied, tilting her head back as I started kissing her again. I fucking loved kissing her neck and how receptive she was to me when I did it.
I laughed against her, eliciting a throaty moan. “I think you need to read up on those parenting books I bought you.”
“I wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you anyway. I don’t know the first thing about kids.”
“We wouldn’t have the little miracle growing inside you if you didn’t forget you needed to change your implant,” I reminded her. I stopped kissing her to look into her blue eyes, wide with a level of fear whenever she spoke about the baby. I brushed the back of my fingers down her cheek. “Stefany, you’ve got this; you’re going to be a great mom. Look at how amazing you are with Nate.”
She huffed, her eyes glassy. “You’re better with him.”
I shrugged and gave her a cocky grin. “Hey, not everyone can be born a natural.”
She punched my gut this time, and I coughed, stepping back. She might not be training anymore, but my girl was still strong. I grabbed her hands and hauled her against me again, her hard stomach pressing against mine.
“I don’t know what I’m doing either,” I said, cupping her face in both hands. “But we’ve got this. Together, okay?”
I tilted her face up and captured her mouth with mine. Stefany’s body was sensitive to my touch before she got pregnant, but now, the slightest touch had her wanting more.
“Jake,” she moaned against my lips, curling her hands in my shirt. “I want you to make me come.”
