Page 87 of Blissful Devotion

Tonight is date night, and the first time Kat will be away from Nico for longer than an hour or two.

I had to leave for an overnight work trip a few weeks ago, and it was harder than I thought, but not impossible. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for her, but I also know she needs room to breathe and be more than just Nico and Addy’s mom.

That doesn’t explain why I’m so damn nervous, though.

I’ve been on plenty of dates, been with dozens of women over the years, so why do I feel like I’m a child ready to go to prom with the most popular girl in the school?

“Why do you look like you're trying to defuse a bomb?”

I look up from my reflection to find Des standing in the doorway, his usual cocky smile on his face, arms crossed over his chest, the poster boy for relaxed, but he can’t fool me. I know he’s jealous.

We’d picked straws for the first date; obviously, we all wanted to be the one to take her out, but there wasn’t anyone we would leave Nico with, not yet.

I’m sure we could leave him with their parents with time, but for now it made Kat uncomfortable. He’s her first baby, and with so much having happened recently, I can’t say I blame her.

None of us do, which is why we didn’t push. We’d been between small groups or one-on-ones, but in the end, the appeal of one-on-one time with her was too good to pass up, even if we had to wait a few weeks.

“Hey, you're overthinking it. She wants to go out with you, no matter what happens. Just have fun. You guys deserve it,” Des says, pulling me from my thoughts and kind of surprising me with how logical that advice was.

It settles me a bit; he’s right, I know he is, and despite my nerves, I’m excited to spend time with Kat.

It’s been so much lately, one thing after another, and while it isn’t all bad, I’m excited for a moment to breathe and just enjoy her company. The start of our forever was long before I was ready to accept it, but now I know, and I won’t waste another moment of it.

“And then bring her home and fuck the shit out of her so you can actually have a chance at the next one.” He waggles his brows at me in the reflection before he turns and leaves, and I roll my eyes.

He’d been so sure Nico was his only for it to turn out he’s Alex’s. Watching him eat his words was a treat, but now all he can talk about is how he’s got dibs. It doesn’t help that Kat refused birth control the last time the doctor visited.

She’d warned Kat that she was more likely to get pregnant now that she was going to start pumping and could introduce some baby foods in the coming month.

Kat’s exact words were, ‘That’s okay, I always wanted a big family,’ and just like that, all talk of never making her go through birth again was out the window, and it was a race to be ‘next.’

Both Nathan and Des swore that once they had one they would be happy, that it was all in fun, but I knew better. They’re more alike than they realize, and something tells me they might never be satisfied.

Kat’s always beautiful, but something about her being pregnant or with a baby…

She glows, a fucking goddess.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

Speaking of…

I turn to find Kat standing in the doorway where Des had been just minutes before, and holy shit.

She’s breathtaking.

I told her to dress comfortably; I don’t plan to take her somewhere over the top; that’s not who I am, and I’m sure she will get more than enough of that from the others.

No, dinner and a movie sounded good, safe, and enjoyable, but now I’m wondering if maybe it’s not enough.

She’s in a deep green dress… if you can call it that; really, it’s hardly more than a large sweater, hanging to about mid-thigh and off her right shoulder. It’s fall, not exactly winter yet, but the night does get a little chilly; I’d be more worried she would be cold if not for her thick black leggings and the fact that I have a stack of blankets I’m more than happy to use.

Her shoes are just little black slip-ons, ballet flats, which I only know the name of because she had me pick those shoes up last week while I was out. Apparently Ruby had thought they looked like a snack and had chewed one up when she left them out on the deck.

I love her legs and her ass, and even without her turning around, something tells me that’s going to look great too.

She clutches a tiny purse; it’s black and hardly more than a wallet, but it’s more than she’ll need. Her hair is down, falling in soft waves that reach nearly to her waist now. She’s stunning, which is why it takes me a second to remember she’d asked me a question.

Shit.