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“If I could take it back, I would,” he goeson.
“Take us back, sleepingtogether?”
“No, take back my behavior. I might’ve not been all there, but I didn’t bring you to my home for a simple fuck. I promise youthat.”
I bump his shoulder with mine. “It’s my turn to say you don’t have to lie to make me feelbetter.”
“Babe, no bullshit. The opportunity for a quick fuck has been open to me several times, but I’ve never succumbed to any advances. Not one. Drunk. Sober. Horny as hell. It wasn’t only my dick that felt a connection with you. I didn’t want to admit that to myself that morning.” He shakes his head. “I’m still having trouble with admitting that you pulled something out ofme.”
I wring my hands together. “Yes, there’s an attraction between us, but that’s as far as our relationship can go.” I refuse to be second best to anotherwoman.
He rests his hand on my knee and sucks in a breath. “I know. We’ll stick to staying friends and co-parents. I didn’t say that in hopes of having sex again. I said it, so you’d know I never meant to disrespect you, and what happened that night seems to be what makes us uncomfortable most of the time. I don’t wantthat.”
“Me either,” Iwhisper.
“Good. Then, it’s settled.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders. “We’re newbesties.”
* * *
It’s almost midnight.
Even though we had the no-more-awkwardness conversation, it has yet to leave the building. Everything was fine while we finished eating, when we had to share a toothbrush because there was only one in the vending machine, and even when we watched endless episodes ofCops, which I learned is his favoriteshow.
Our problem now is going tobed.
We have to make ourselves comfortable and slip underneath the sheets. The lights will go off. There’s intimacy involved in this whether we like it ornot.
“You ready to admit, you’re tired?” Dallas asks when I’m on my eleventh yawn. He chuckles. “Come on, go to sleep. You’re not going to miss anything excitinghere.”
“Fine,” I groan out. “If you insist.” My shirt rises when I slide down until my head hits the rock-hard pillow. The air in the room grows thinner when I peek up and notice his eyes pinned to my exposedstomach.
He lifts his hand. “CanI?”
I nod in response since I’m struggling for words. My stomach flutters at the same time he presses his steady hand against it. It dawns on me that he’s never touched my stomach like this before. Not even during theultrasound.
His touch comforts me, the opposite of what I thought would happen, and I settle myself on my elbows to watch him. He’s gentle, treating me like I’m expensive china, and he cradles my skin with his hand inawe.
“I can’t believe we have two babies growing in here,” hewhispers.
I smile when he shifts, so he’s eye-level with mystomach.
“It’s beautiful.” He lifts up to focus on me with compassionate eyes. “You’re fucking beautiful.” He lowers his head and places his lips against my stomach. “Fuckingperfection.”
I miss his touch as soon as he pulls away and makes himself comfortable on his side. The smile that’s been plastered to his lips since I gave him the okay is still there while he stares down atme.
He’s waiting for me to tell him not to call me beautiful, to make a sarcastic comment, because that’s what I do when conversations getheavy.
“What are you thinking?” he finallyasks.
That your touch calms me more than a lavender bath and an expensive massage. That I wish we hadn’t agreed to keep things platonic because the things I want to do with you right now are far fromthat.
“I’m thinking …” It takes me a second to come up with something. “I’m thinking today is officially the weirdest day of mylife.”
He cocks his head to the side. “That’s what’s heavy on yourmind?”
I gulp. “Yep.”
“You seemed to be in deep thought about that,” he argues, running a finger over hischin.
