Page 54 of Playing It Forward

He brushes the hair from my forehead. “I’m sorry. Do you think you can eat?”

My nose wrinkles. “Maybe.”

“I can bring it in here.”

“I’ll come into the kitchen.”

He places a hand on my lower back and ushers me to the kitchen. I frown when I notice the blankets on the couch.

“Did you sleep out here?”

His cheeks darken. “We hadn’t discussed sleeping in the same bed. I didn’t want to step over any of your boundaries.”

I blink up at him. He was worried about my boundaries? “Thank you.”

He kisses my nose. “Whatever you need.” He holds out a chair for me. “Now, what do you want for breakfast? I was planning on making eggs and bacon.”

I groan. “No eggs.”

“I thought not. Can you manage pancakes or do you want some dry toast?”

“Dry toast and a coffee, please.”

He frowns. “Caffeine’s bad for the baby.”

“Which is why there’s only decaf in the house.”

He grunts. “No wonder I’m sleepy after drinking a cup.”

“I’ll buy some normal coffee.”

He grins. “For the next time I sleep over.”

Butterflies explode in my stomach. I want Nolan to stay over. I want to sleep in his arms. But he’s not here for me. He’s here for the baby. Except the way he kissed me didn’t say ‘convenient mother of my child’. He kissed me as if I’m precious. As if I matter.

It’s too early for these thoughts. I wave away his comment. “For the next time you stop by.”

He whistles as he makes me some dry toast and a coffee. I frown when he sits down across from me with the same breakfast.

“You have to eat more than dry toast.”

“I’m not eating eggs and bacon when you can’t stand the smell of eggs.”

“You could make bacon or pancakes or at least put some peanut butter on your toast. I’ve recently discovered athletes are addicted to peanut butter.”

“We’ll eat a nice brunch later. Once you’re feeling better.”

“Later? I can’t. It’s Sunday. I visit my dad on Sundays.”

“Wonderful. I can’t wait to meet him.”

I scowl. “I didn’t invite you.”

“There’s no reason to delay. I’m going to meet him eventually. I am the father of your baby.”

I groan. “You can’t tell him I’m pregnant. He doesn’t know yet.”

He raises a brow. “Really? After you visited the hospital yesterday? He won’t find out?”