AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That was the second.” I smoothed a hand over my stomach and tried not to shiver as he tracked the movement. “I’d say it’s pretty definite.”
Also, that expression of yours? All broody, thinky, and intense? Equally capable of making a woman sprout a child. Just saying.
Still holding the stick, he stepped up to me and cupped my cheek in his broad, warm hand. “Are you ill?”
“Right now? A little, waiting for your response. Killing me, Blackbeard. Just tell a girl if you’re happy or…whatever. But if you’re not happy, there’s no sending it back. This isn’t like a toy you ended up not liking when you got it home. Once you put one of these suckers on layaway, you’re pretty much—”
“Bunny.” His minty breath wafted over my lips.
“Yes?”
“Shut up.” Then he crushed his mouth to mine.
* * *
Baby.
Little person.
Don’t hurt her.
Don’t manhandle her.
How was I supposed to do this? All these intense emotions were driving me toward maximum overload. All the things I was used to doing with her—and now shouldn’t do—overrode my brain.
Abort. No, don’t use that word.
Go easy.
Baby.
Sweet bleeding Jesus, she was having my baby. I glanced down at the stick in my hand and the lines that blurred and focused like a camera gone haywire. It should have made me shrink like I was swimming in the Atlantic, but no. I was as hard as a fucking pike.
Mybaby.
I set the stick on the side table and dropped to my knees in front of her.
“Owen, jeez.”
She staggered when I dragged at her leggings she was forever wearing. I needed flesh. Her skin under my lips.
I needed to touch all that was housing our little one.
I swiped my thumb across the baby-fine hairs along her skin and the cute little belly button I’d spent ages kissing, talking to, begging for a baby to start growing behind.
Now he—she?—was finally here.
Did I mention I was hard as a feckin’ piece of rebar? Not that I knew what rebar was until a few weeks ago. Building a damn house, I was.
Well, not me. Workmen.
But I’d been freaking out about all the materials everywhere in our little place as we survived in the only corner of the house that was done—confining ourselves to our bedroom and master bath was like living in a small apartment in the midst of chaos. Now I had even more to worry about. Dust, debris, chemicals, noise…God.
A baby.
I pressed my cheek against her belly and blew out a long, slow breath. “A wee little one in there?”
She looked down at me with those huge, guileless eyes. My beautiful wife and her perfectness that fit me in so many ways. She toyed with my hair. “Aye, Blackbeard. We have a little guy—or girl—in there.” Her eyes shone. “Happy?”
