“Wow.” I yawn and stretch my arms wide to relieve the tension in my neck and back. “Okay, so it’s definitely not as bad as it looks at first glance.” And I’m actually taken aback at how well he’s doing for himself. “But if you want me to keep the books”—I throw him a glance and wait for his nod—“then I’m going to need some accounting software. I can’t take care of things to the best of my abilities without something to make compiling reports easier.”
Especially if he ever gets audited. Geez.
“You got it, kitten. Anything you need. Now come here.” He pulls me from my chair to straddle his lap and then proceeds to massage my shoulders and neck. “I shouldn’t have let you sit for so long without taking a break.”
Sighing in relief as the pressure dissipates almost immediately, I rest my cheek against the hard wall of his chest and wrap my arms loosely around his waist as his strong hands work magic behind me. How does he know my body so well already? “Feels so good.” God, I sound like a horny woman, but I swear I’m just trying to enjoy the platonic touches for what they are.
But now that I’m not hunched over the desk anymore, I can feel the sides of my head throbbing with the beginnings of a headache. And judging by my most recent experiences with this pregnancy, it seems the only cure is to take a nap. I close my eyes, the combination of his massage and the warmth of him lulling me into a relaxed state.
“Are you about to fall asleep?” His voice rumbles through his chest cavity as he works down to my lower back, hitting that one spot right above my hips that always catches lately. “You’re getting mighty quiet.”
“My head’s killing me,” I murmur.
“Aw, I’m sorry, little mama. Let me make you a quick snack and then you can rest if you want.”
As he carries me down the hallway, I get a glimpse of the future. One where Connor carries a sleeping baby down the hallway like he is with me right now. Just a small, fleeting glimpse, but it’s enough to make my heart threaten to burst open in happiness.
My babies are going to have a daddy.
Crossing the threshold to our room, he gently places me on the bed and grabs a navy blue weighted blanket from the footboard, being sure to keep it loose around my feet. “Be right back,” he whispers, running the backs of his fingers over my cheek before quietly leaving.
I sigh, snuggling deeper into the pillow and blanket. Eyes too heavy to hold open, I let gravity pull them down, but they pop open again when the bed jostles. “Aww...c’mere, Toto.” Tail wagging in happiness, he licks my nose and then cuddles next to me. Naturally, Bagheera is close behind, and he squeezes his way between the two of us, rubbing his head against my lower belly through the blanket.
They haven’t been allowed in the room at night since that one time Toto went berserk at the sight of us having sex. As much as he loves his dad, he sure didn’t like him being on top of me. So now Toto and Baggy both worm their way onto the bed anytime they can. Sneaking my left hand out to pet them, I falter. This ring is definitely going to take some getting used to.
“Look at this.” Silent footsteps bring Connor to the bedside where he places a tray on the nightstand and carefully sits on the edge of the bed. “Rotten animals. Feel like taking a few bites?”
I ignore the pulsing in my head and sit up, much to the chagrin of my furry friends. “What is it?”
“Toast with apple butter.”
My stomach growls, and I give a quiet chuckle. “Guess that sounds pretty good.” I wolf it down in record time, then chug the glass of cold apple juice. “Thank you, baby. Don’t go.” About to take the empty tray back to the kitchen, he pauses as I pat the spot next to me. “Stay with me until I fall asleep?”
His face softens. “Of course.” Rounding the bed, he climbs in behind me and throws a heavy leg over mine. I absentmindedly link our fingers together, my small ones smothered by his big ones, and think on just how lucky I am to have met him when I did.
He’d told me to listen to his actions and not his words, but between the two of them, I’m falling for him faster than I ever thought could be possible.
“Comeon,baby.They’renot going to bite you.”
My sweaty hands wring together as I stare with dread at the sprawling, ranch-style house lit up by Connor’s headlights. I can’t bring myself to get out of the truck and meet his family. Not even with the promise of making s’mores over the fire. “But what will they think about us marrying so quickly?” Something else hits me. “Oh, God. They’re going to think I got pregnant on purpose to trap you into marriage, or...or...that I’m a pregnant, gold-digging whore looking for a sugar daddy.”
Either outcome is equally horrifying. I feel sick to my stomach. Can’t I just keep Connor to myself and never have to meet anyone else? Just the two of us—four, actually, once our babies get here—tucked away in his house and hidden away from the rest of the world?
Connor clamps my chin firmly between thumb and forefinger, a hint of anger tightening his features. “Neither one of those things is going to happen. And if I ever hear you call yourself a name like that again, I’m going to put you over my knee and spank it out of you.”
My mouth drops open in shock that he would threaten something like that, but he continues. “And believe me, everyone in my family is going to be so fucking excited when we tell them the news. Everyone,” he emphasizes. “Especially once they find out about the twins. We all love kids.”
I frown, but not because of the word he let loose. “Have you ever brought a girl to meet them before?” The ball of jealousy that forms in the pit of my stomach and rolls around is...not pleasant. At the same time, though, it signifies something I hadn’t realized before—I definitely don’t like the thought of Connor having been with other women. It’s not something we’ve discussed, but he obviously knows about he-who-shall-not-be-named. I just don’t know anything about his past.
“Nope,” he replies in a clipped tone.
“None? I don’t believe you. Not even a high school girlfriend?” I cross my arms.
“Kitten, you listen to me, and you listen to me good.” He takes my mouth in a hard kiss, then touches our foreheads together. “If there’s one thing you should know by now, it’s that I’m a man of my word. I don’t lie. I fucking refuse to. If I tell you something, you should know that I mean what I say. And when I tell you that I’ve never brought anyone home to meet my parents, that’s exactly what I mean. Hell, I’ve never even brought a woman to my own house before.”
I soften inside. I must have really riled him up for him to let two curse words slip. “Just me?”
“Just you. So when I say that my family will be excited for us, I absolutely mean it. They’ve been waiting years for me to bring someone home.”
