My eyes were tearing up as I watched the reverent way he was staring at my stomach, like it was a miracle, which it was. Looking at me, I saw tears in his own as he wrapped his arms around my legs and pressed a kiss to my stomach. “For whatever reason, this just makes it seem all the more real.” His forehead rested against me as I tried to pull myself together.
I let my hands drop to his head, combing back his hair, and I was lost. Shaking my head to rid myself of the trancelike feeling, I spoke. “Tell me about it,” I said quirking my mouth. “I saw this when I got out of the bath and had a flash to what I’ll look like in a few months.”
“You mean gorgeous, of course.”
“More like I swallowed a beach ball,” I muttered. Tugging on his arm, I said, “Get up.”
“Nope. I’m not done worshipping this belly,” he said and pressed his lips gently to my belly button. Glancing back up, he asked, “We still calling the kid Bean, or have we moved up the food pyramid? He has to be the size of a prune by now, right?”
My heart thudded with what felt dangerously like love. “Yeah, I’ve been still calling him Bean, but no, that’s not the right size.” I paused, trying to remember the article I read. “A peach, I think.”
“No shit? Wow.” His fingers lightly trailed over my stomach as I tried, and failed, to hold back a moan. Looking down, I saw Sully’s intense gaze lock onto mine. He continued to watch me as he ran a finger along my waistband of my pajama shorts. I had to say they were my shortest pair, and Imighthave worn them regularly because I knew they drove him a bit crazy. I mean, I said I wanted to be friends, but clearly my libido wanted more.
He traced up the inside of my leg before reaching the apex and paused. “Umm, Mags?”
I looked down, working to regain my breath. “Yeah.”
His touch was light as his fingers traced the band around my underwear. “Trying to be a friend here, babe. What do you want?”
It felt like hours went by as we stared at each other. Then I gave in to everything my body was screaming for. “Sully, I need you.”
He continued to watch me before he quietly asked, “You mean you need me for the next hour in a friends-with-benefits way, or something more? Not to say I wouldn’t be there if it’s the first, but I figured we might as well establish the nature of what this is.”
I sucked in my lower lip as I debated how to be honest here. “Umm, I think something more?”
Sully’s face broke out in a wide grin. “Really, babe?”
A tear flowed down my cheek, then another one. Fuck these hormones. Sully had, apparently, had enough and finally stood, pulling me against him. He kissed the tracks of the tears that had flowed down my cheeks as he waited for me to get my shit together.
“What are you thinking?” I murmured.
Sully’s eyes searched mine. “I’m thinking that this feels right. You in my kitchen in your pajamas with a tiny belly popping out. I’m thinking I want you to get that. To understand that I’m not here only because your pregnant, that I’m here because I’ve wanted to be with you for some time. And I’m thinking that when I see a future, I cannot imagine you not in it.” His eyes widened like he couldn’t believe he had just said all that.
Hell, I couldn’t believe he had.This isn’t real,I told myself. Sully was in some fantasy world, and I was along for the ride. I needed to think, to really analyze all this, and in the safety of his embrace, I wasn’t thinking clearly. My body and heart were melting into him, telling me to go with this. My brain was screaming that I needed to hop in my car and get the hell out of town.
“Babe?” Sully spun us from in front of the fridge to have my back to the island. He picked me up and settled me there so I could look into his eyes. “Say something.”
Of course,of course,my eyes decided to well up again. “Damn it. This little bean, or peach, of ours is in danger of causing some dehydration here. I’ve never cried so much in my life.”
“Want some water?” he asked with a smirk.
“Shut it. I need to get this out.”
Sully lightly pushed my legs apart and settled between them. His hands found that narrow strip of skin on my back between the tank and shorts and began to trace light circles. God, that felt amazing.
Clearing his throat, he said, “Go ahead, princess.”
I looked up at the ceiling, searching for courage. “I’m fucking scared, Sully.” He started to interrupt, but I immediately looked at him and placed a hand on his mouth. “Nope. No talking until it is your turn.” Sensing that he was going to remain quiet, I removed my hand and continued. “I don’t know what I can promise you right now. I’ve always planned on leaving Highland. Coming back after college was just temporary.”
His look was one of pain, but he stayed quiet and just nodded.
I squeezed his arms, then continued. “Some stuff that happened today is making me think more about that plan, but I don’t want you to get your hopes up or make any decisions too quickly. I realized tonight that this,” I gestured toward my stomach, “isn’t a temporary change. I guess that should be obvious, but whatever.” Taking a deep breath, I went on. “So I still need space to get my head on straight. I’m still a hot mess, but”—I felt my cheeks heat up—“I’m also saying I’d like to explore a bit more what we are as more than friends.” I closed my eyes and gave my head a shake before opening back up and looking at him. “Okay, your turn.”
He grinned as his fingers continued tracing my back. “So are you saying we’re in a relationship?” He seemed to be holding his breath, waiting for my answer.
I smiled, grabbed one of his hands, and placed it squarely on my stomach. “Umm, Sully, I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but we’re definitely in a relationship already.”
He leaned forward and kissed my neck where it met my shoulder. “Yeah, babe. I’m aware of that relationship.” He ran his tongue up my neck and then snagged my ear. Kissing it, running his nose along my jaw, he looked up at me, and I worked not to shiver from arousal. “I mean a romantic relationship and”—leaning forward, his lips grazed mine, then pulled back—“a sexual relationship.”
