Shoving the covers off me, I jump out of bed and hurry out of my room. Aware of how early it is and that Ellie Mae is still sleeping, I race down the hall as quietly as possible before bursting into Graham’s room. He’s still asleep, lying flat on his stomach—lucky bastard—and it’s not until I notice his bare ass poking out from above the blanket that I realize I probably should’ve knocked.
He sleeps naked.
Of course, he does.
Flustered, I take a step back, planning to make a swift exit before he realizes I’m in here, but before I can, I run into the door and accidentally knock it shut. “Fuck!” I hiss. It didn’t slam hard enough to wake Ellie Mae, I don’t think, but itdoescause Graham to startle.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
As if this wasn’t bad enough, I very quickly remember what I’m wearing, and it’s not a whole lot more than what he’s got going on.
Cool.
Graham’s bare-ass naked andwassleeping, and I’m standing in his room like a freaking creep, wearing the shortest pair of booty shorts ever known to man and a sports bra.
Cool, cool, cool.
The bed creaks as I imagine him sitting up, but I can’t know for sure, because I’m still facing the door, holding my breath, with my shoulders clear up to my ears. “Charley?”Goddamnit, his sleepy voice is fucking hot.“What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
The concern in his voice makes me feel bad, so I finally spin around and pray he’s covered himself up. “I’m so sorry.” Iwince, my face scrunched up. “I didn’t mean to, uh… I should’ve knocked. I’m just gonna…go.”
“No, Charley, it’s fine,” he rasps, rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand. “What’s going on?”
I stay rooted in place for a moment, unsure what the best course of action is, but then I remember why I came in here in the first place, and I’m giddy all over again. A smile splits my face as I run over to the bed and practically leap onto it beside him. “I think I felt the baby kick!” I squeal. “Twice!”
“You did?” Graham’s eyes widen and his mouth curls up. There’re creases on his cheek from the pillow, and I hate how adorable I find the sight of it. “Can I try?” he asks. “See if I can feel one too?”
The question and the twinkle in his eyes make my chest tighten. Swallowing thickly, I say, “I think it’s too early to feel it from the outside, but you can try.”
His scent surrounds me, and it makes me feel all tingly inside. I’m in Graham’s room…on his bed. He’s naked, and I’m practically there too. It’s fine.Totally fine.It’s not like we haven’t already seen each other naked before. This doesn’t have to be weird, even if my heart feels like it’s about to explode out of my chest as he places his large, warm hand over my navel. His touch is electric, burning into my skin. Flicking his gaze up to mine, he smiles, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe.
“What were you doing when you felt it?” he asks. “Maybe we should do that.”
I clear my throat. “Just lying in bed and listening to music.”
Graham looks down at my belly, rubbing his hand around. “Do you like music?” he says to the baby, and I nearly melt into a puddle. “Should we turn on some music? Would you like that, peanut?”
“I can go get my phone out of my room,” I offer.And put on some more clothes.
“That’s okay.” He shakes his head and reaches beside him to grab his own. “What were you listening to?”
My mouth is dry, and my tongue feels twice the size it should be. Graham’s hand is still rubbing gentle circles around my stomach, and it’s making my brain go haywire. “Chris Stapleton,” I finally manage. “A Simple Song, but I’ve also been playing Céline Dion’sBecause You Loved MeandMore Than Anyoneby Gavin DeGraw for them too.”
A smile tugs on the corner of his mouth. “You have?” I nod, chewing on the inside of my cheek as I pray he can’t tell how fast my heart is beating. “That’s really sweet,” he breathes, and a moment later, Céline fills the quiet air around us.
Graham sets the phone face down on the top of my belly, and I know he doesn’t mean to, but his knuckle brushes against my nipple, and it sends a ripple of heat down my spine. Resting his head in his propped hand, he keeps the other on me as he peers up at me. Neither of us says anything, but the eye contact is heady. His hand is so warm, the skin rough as it rubs my bump, but he’s gentle—so gentle—and it’s not helping matters.
I try to keep my breathing even as heat pools between my thighs, Graham’s gaze like a physical touch all over my body.What is wrong with me?This is such an innocent moment, and all I can think about is mounting him like a freaking horse.
“Feel anything yet?” he questions, seemingly oblivious to the way my body is reacting to him.
I shake my head and swallow roughly. The song ends and another begins, but I can’t hear anything over the blood rushing to my ears. Graham clears his throat, and his cheeks have the faintest splash of pink to them. I wonder if he’s feeling like I am, or maybe I’m just a pervert and making this way bigger than it needs to be. It doesn’t help that I’m hyperaware of the fact that one measly blanket is the only thing separating me from his naked body. A really fucking nice body, at that.
“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” he asks, his husky voice barely above a whisper.
A few weeks ago, Graham and I agreed to wait to find out the sex until the baby was born. It was my idea, and I didn’t think he’d go for it. It’s driving me nuts knowing I’m far enough along to tell, but I think it’ll be that much more exciting finding out once they’re here.
“Honestly, I don’t have a strong feeling one way or the other yet,” I admit. “What about you?”
