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“Flush yes, but she didn’t have anything to do with the state of my nipples. That was all you, Becks. Oh, shit!” I let out a gasp as Patches jumped down from the third shelf of the bookcase where I kept odds and ends. She liked to wedge herself in there and not move so that she looked like a statue to go with the other bits of glassware and crystals and knickknacks I’d collected, some of which would be rotated into the store’s stock.
“Are you okay?” When I didn’t immediately reply—since I was rushing across the room to scoop up my cat—August’s tone took on an edge. “Kinleigh, answer me.”
Patches decided to meow loudly enough to respond for me. August laughed. “Guess I don’t need to call the cavalry.”
“What cavalry? You know you would’ve run up the steps in a single bound yourself.”
“Got me pegged, woman. So any chance of you coming down here? Soon?”
I couldn’t deny enjoying that thread of desire in his tone. Knowing he was as turned on by me as I was by him was so intoxicating.
A text came through with Ivy’s ringtone. Uh oh.
“I have customers. I’d like to.” I shifted the cat while trying not to drop the phone. “I’d really like to.”
“Show me your panties too. I’ll know if you mean it.”
A laugh bubbled out of me as I set down the cat, who skulked away with an irked glance over her shoulder. She wasn’t used to me choosing anyone over her.
“Quickie one,” I murmured before tugging up my skirt and snapping a picture of my hip and the curve of my backside. I hit send.
He laughed. “Cheater. But I like that view too. Your ass is stupendous.”
“Am I supposed to say thank you?”
“No, that’s my job, since you gift me with the present of your body daily.”
“Flatterer.” I twisted my hair over one shoulder. “I have a doctor’s visit today.”
“Already?” There was no mistaking the excitement in his voice. No hesitation at all.
When August went in, he went all in and then some.
“I have some questions.”
“Is everything okay?”
Then there was that too, that inherent kindness in him that sneaked out at the most unexpected, wonderful times. “Everything is fine, but I set up an appointment for a consultation to let my physician know I’m trying and to find out next steps. Not an exam or anything. Just to nail down my ovulation days and all that, even though I have a pretty good idea already. She mentioned taking a pregnancy test, but I told her it wasn’t necessary yet. Too soon.” The others had been negative, so the door from New Year’s Eve was closed.
“Good plan. Always prepared Kinleigh, dotting all her I’s and crossing all her T’s.” He cleared his throat. “Let me know what she says.”
“Actually, I wanted to ask you to come.”
Until that very moment, I hadn’t planned on that at all. I was used to doing everything alone. But he was so interested and invested that there was no way I could close him out—at least when it came to the baby.
Our baby. Maybe. If the fates aligned.
“Yes. Of course. Really? Oh, wow.”
I giggled like an idiot. “It’s just a doctor’s appointment. My doctor is very professional. She won’t ask any probing questions about us or anything.”
“Probing like what? Like how’d I get so lucky?”
I didn’t know how to react when he said stuff like that. His words gave me a nice warm glow, but I didn’t want to set either of us up for a fall later on. Better to stick to the parameters we’d established and enjoy them without building up false hopes—on either side.
“You know, like if we’re married or seeing each other or whatever you want to call it.”
“Far as I’m concerned, I don’t see you enough. So yeah, count me in. What time?”
