Pack Plus Three (Pucking Pregnant Book 1)

14. Daisy

Istirred the pot once, leaning in to smell the sauce I was attempting to make. I”d wanted to do something nice for Jeremy, so I was preparing fresh chicken breasts, sweet potato fries, and a medley of greens that I was going to douse in a homemade cheese sauce.

Only, thanks to pregnancy ruining my sense of smell and taste, I couldn”t tell if the cheese sauce was incredibly bland or over salted.

Jeremy had left early in the morning for his game, but he had left his keys with me so I could get into the apartment and keep Gilbert company while baking. The first thing I did was make a raspberry-and-honey layered sponge cake.

Then I’d followed Devon’s advice and scrounged the well-stocked fridge to put together a sensible, healthy meal. I’d known what time Jeremy was due to come home because he had told me in explicit detail. He’d wanted me to know he wouldn”t be back too late, so I wouldn”t have to stay with Gilbert too long.

Not that I would have minded. I would have happily snuggled with Gilbert on the couch late into the evening. He was basically a breathing pregnancy pillow, so fluffy and so comfortable.

I had also turned on his gigantic TV and flicked through the channels until I’d found the California Chargers game. Hockey was clearly important to Jeremy, even if he didn”t intend to play forever, and I found myself curious about that part of his life.

The players had whizzed across the ice as I peeled the sweet potatoes. It was almost impossible to keep track of any of them, even with the helpful commentary. By the time I was cutting the sweet potatoes into fries, I had only glimpsed Jeremy once, and I had only recognized him because he had removed his helmet to take a drink of water at the exact moment the camera panned to him.

The game was broken into three periods, each lasting twenty minutes. Then there was a twenty-minute gap between each. Between the speed of the game and the short periods, it felt like no time at all. When I was putting the sweet potatoes in the oven and seasoning the chicken breasts, the game was already halfway done.

I purposely left part of the chicken unseasoned so I could give Gilbert a little snack as I was dishing up the meal.

“Do you want this?” I asked sweetly as he sat at my feet, giving me those gorgeous puppy dog eyes. “You”re impossible to say no to, you know that? No wonder your daddy can”t stop giving you cheese.”

On the word cheese,his ears perked up, and he started tapping his paws ever so lightly against the floor in excitement.

Oh, crap. I had said the C word out loud.

“I guess I can”t let you down now.” I sighed, moving across the kitchen to the fridge and pulling out a slice of cheese. “Don”t tell your daddy,” I whispered as I leaned down to feed the gentle giant. Content with his snacks, he gave my palm one last rub with his nose before wandering over to his bed and flopping down with a satisfied harrumph.

As the game came to a close, I started to focus more on the task at hand. Jeremy had told me that there would be a short meeting after the game, and then he would come straight home. We were only fifteen minutes away from the rink, so he would be home imminently.

My timing was impeccable. As I placed the chicken breast, smothered in butter, on his plate, I was alerted to someone at the front door when Gilbert jumped up and ran at a breakneck speed to the door in pure excitement.

“Hey, boy!” Jeremy’s voice drifted in from the doorway, where he was no doubt fussing over the excitable dog. “Have you been looking after Daisy?” he asked. Footsteps echoed around the apartment as he rounded the corner to the kitchen.

Freshly showered, Jeremy looked divine. He wore a pair of simple black jeans and a black T-shirt, with his messy hair, still damp from the shower, slicked back. The now familiar scent of sawdust and fresh hay was extra potent, fresh out of the shower. When he noticed me, his grin became even wider.

“It smells amazing in here,” he said, coming straight over to me and enveloping me in a hug. Despite my heavily rounded stomach, I molded into his side with ease.

“I made dinner,” I told him.

“You did?” he asked excitedly.

“I remember you said you preferred healthier food after a game, so I made chicken and sweet potato fries.”

Jeremy’s grin somehow got wider. “You remembered? How did you know exactly what I eat after a game?”

“Of course, I remembered...and I may have asked Devon what you eat. Though there is a raspberry and honey cake for dessert, so I don”t know how healthy that really is.”

His arms tightened around me, and he kissed the top of my head. “I will never complain about desserts, Duckie.”

We stayed like that, wrapped around each other, for several minutes.

“We should probably go eat,” I said begrudgingly.

“But it”s so nice having you here,” he grumbled, pulling me tighter to him.

I sighed. I wouldn’t disagree. I could very quickly become attached to being in his arms. There was a sense of security there that made me feel at ease.

Unlike my past relationships, when I was with Jeremy, I felt safe. He wasn”t going to betray me or mistreat me. He was a genuinely amazing guy, and I had faith in him.

“I don”t want to move, either, but the veggies are going to burn if I don”t get them soon,” I admitted.

“Ugh, fine, then. Go rescue the disgusting vegetables, even though I”m sure they”re not disgusting because you made them.” Jeremy sighed dramatically, gently pushing me toward the kitchen.

I reached for the oven mitts, but he swiped them away before I could even touch them, pulling the tray of roasted vegetables out of the oven with a smile.

“I was about to do that.”

“I”m here, and I can be helpful.”

“You must be tired from the game. Hockey looks like a lot of work.”

“It is, but I”m used to it.” He shrugged. “Did you watch?” he asked, nodding toward the TV, where the sports station still played.

“I had it on in the background while I cooked. It’s really hard to keep up with, though. You guys all look so small on camera, and you”re moving so fast.”

“Maybe one day, if you”re feeling good, you can come watch the game in person? The players have access to several of the boxes. Three of the guys on the team are a part of the same pack, and their fourth pack member is often in one of the boxes with their omega, watching. Devon or Nate can come with us, and they can show you where the boxes are, because I”ve gotta go warm up. I”d love to have you there for one, though.”

I nodded thoughtfully. “That does sound fun. Maybe once my ankles are no longer the size of swollen sausages and the little parasite isn”t draining me of all my energy?”

Was it wrong to suggest doing something so far in the future? Part of me still felt like we had a time limit. Soon enough, I would have to focus on being a mother. And Jeremy would go back to his glitzy life and his packhouse.

“That sounds perfect. Hey, maybe when the little one is a few months old, you can bring them. People often bring their kids. They just make sure they wear those big ear defenders. They are honestly so stinking cute!” His face lit up as he thought about babies wearing ear defenders. I had to agree with that sentiment and, as he spoke, my chest both tightened and swelled at the same time. He was talking like he was going to be in my life for many months.

That shouldn”t have been so exciting.

“Have I told you lately you’re amazing?” Jeremy moaned, leaning back. “I’m so full. That food was amazing.”

“No room for cake, then?” I asked with a smile.

He looked at me in abject horror. “There’s always room for cake!” he insisted, standing up and grabbing both our empty plates, taking them over to the sink and rinsing them, Gilbert hot on his heels, begging for scraps.

“Aren”t you supposed to be an athlete? At the rate you”re eating cookies and cake, you”re not going to be an athlete for much longer,” I teased, trying to get up from my chair and struggling because of my abnormally large stomach.

“Bring it on.” Jeremy laughed from the sink. “I will be more than happy with a dad bod.”

I would also be more than happy with his dad bod,I thought as I slowly made my way over to him. Jeremy”s current body was physically amazing; it was all hard lines and defined muscles, making it obvious how much he worked out. There was a small part of me—that inner omega of mine—that loved the idea of fattening him up a little bit with all the baked goodies I made. Giving my alpha all the baked treats and seeing the results.

“What are your plans for the evening?” I asked as I pulled out the cake and a few dishes to serve it with. “What do you usually do after a game?”

“It depends on how the game went, honestly,” he said as he placed the rinsed dishes in the dishwasher and dried his hands on a kitchen towel. “If the game went well, I would probably be lazy for the evening, and if it went badly, I may go to the gym and work out some extra stress in the form of a run or a few rounds with the punching bag.”

“Guess it”s good the game went well today, then. Once we”ve had our cake, I”ll leave you to rest.”

“Or you could stay? I just subscribed to a new streaming service, so we can check out what’s on there…”

I only had to think about his offer for a moment. I wanted to spend all the time with Jeremy that I could, and even though I felt like I should give him his privacy, I didn”t want to.

“Okay.”

His face broke into a dazzling smile. “Thank you,” he said, stalking over to me and gently pulling me into his arms, leaning down and capturing my lips in his.

Sinking into his embrace, I let him have his way with me, thoroughly enjoying every touch. Even his hands on my hips sent fire running through my veins.

He”d only kissed me two times, but I was quickly becoming addicted to Jeremy”s kisses. He started off slow, almost leisurely in pace. His tongue pressed against my lips, demanding entry, and my whole body went molten. The pressure of his hands on my hips pulled us closer together, and I could feel myself starting to get wet.

Usually, I would have been embarrassed that a simple kiss was such a turn-on, but Jeremy wasn’t a boring kisser by any means—his kisses consumed me in a way no other kiss had before.

I wanted him.