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“It does happen. Especially now that the hotel room keeps getting considerably less roomy.”
Nikolas’s gaze never left her stomach. “Does it hurt? Every time?”
“No. There are times, if the baby hits me the right way, when there’s some pain. Just now, my little soccer-player-in-training caught a rib. But it doesn’t hurt normally.”
As if on cue, the baby kicked again, but the work she had done to move those little feet paid off.
Nova glanced up, surprised to see the slightest bit of longing where she would’ve expected dismissal.
“Can I touch?” Nikolas asked.
“Sure.” She took one of his hands and settled it on the lower right side of her belly. The baby’s latest position made that the most likely spot to feel a kick. “He or she is active this morning, so you shouldn’t have to wait long.”
“And it really doesn’t hurt?”
“No, it doesn’t. At first, it felt kind of funny. But because the kicks have grown in strength as the baby has grown, Mother Nature kind of eases you into it.”
“It’s just so amazin—” Nikolas broke off, his mouth dropping into an O.
The baby kicked again and Nova had the odd sensation of feeling her child kick from the inside and the press of Nikolas’s hand from the outside. That large palm, so warm and firm, pressed against her belly. And for the first time since she ran out of Ferdy’s office, Nova wondered what it would be like to share this pregnancy with someone.
With a man who wanted the child she carried.
One who wanted her, too.
* * *
Nikolas slathered his pancakes with butter, his mind still reeling over those moments in the kitchen. He’d felt the baby kick.
And man, the kid had some strength in those little legs.
It had been...exhilarating.
And those feelings of protection he’d battled with the night before hit even har
der, a reminder that Nova was especially vulnerable right now.
Vulnerable, Slater, as in not someone you make a move on. You’ve got too much of your father in you to make another woman live like Mom did.
Nikolas dug into his pancakes, unwilling to think too hard about what it meant that he felt...stirrings...for the very attractive pregnant woman in his kitchen.
Or that he felt such a shocking wave of disappointment at his own crappy genes and inability to trust himself to commit.
“Any more pancakes?”
Nova smiled at him as she set a serving plate with more pancakes down on the table. Totally oblivious to the direction of his thoughts.
“Sure. Sounds great.” He forked up a few more pancakes, adding butter and syrup to those as well, further dousing the ones still on his plate. “These are great.”
“I’m glad. I really do appreciate your help and I thought maybe waking up to breakfast would be a nice way to show you.”
He set his fork down at that, his focus fully on Nova. “I meant what I said last night. I really am happy to help you, and I don’t see you as a burden.” Before she could interject, he added, “But I’m never one to say no to pancakes and bacon. So thank you.”
She brightened at that, whatever protest she’d been about to make vanishing. “Good. I’m glad.”
The ping of his phone had them both turning to where he’d left it on the counter. Standing, Nikolas saw even from across the room that it was Marlowe.
“Just as she promised.”
