Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHARLIE
A s my lips touched her skin, something extraordinary happened. A tiny flutter, barely perceptible, brushed against my mouth. I froze, my heart skipping a beat.
“Did you...” I trailed off, my eyes wide as I stared at Emma’s belly.
“I think someone wants to say hello.”
I placed my hand gently on her stomach, holding my breath. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, like a butterfly’s wing against my palm: a kick. Our baby’s kick.
A tidal wave of emotion crashed over me. Joy, wonder, and an overwhelming sense of love flooded my system.
He was real before, of course, but now? I don’t know, this was more solid than an ultrasound image or hearing his heartbeat somehow.
“Hey there, little one,” I murmured, my voice thick with emotion. “I’m your dad.”
The word felt foreign on my tongue. Dad. Father. A title I never thought I’d claim, let alone embrace.
As the reality of it sank in, a cold tendril of fear snaked its way through my chest. Images of my own father flashed through my mind — his perpetual disappointment, the horrible things he used to say to my mother, the sound of the front door slamming as he walked out on us for the last time, the years of silence that followed.
What if I screwed this up? I knew I was a better person than he would ever be, but I still couldn’t shake the worry.
“You okay?” Emma’s hand covered mine on her belly, warm and reassuring.
I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just... a lot, you know?”
She nodded, her eyes full of understanding. “It’s overwhelming, isn’t it? Feeling her move for the first time.”
My brows rose. Did she know something I didn’t? “How long have you been feeling the baby move?”
Emma bit her lip, a flicker of guilt crossing her features. “A few weeks now. At first, it was only small flutters, but lately, it’s been getting stronger.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t think you’d want to…” She averted her gaze, her fingers fidgeting with the tassels on one of the new pillows. “You know, touch me. Not until this week, at least.”
For a second, it felt like I’d been sucker punched. Had I really been so distant? So caught up in my own fears and insecurities that I’d made her think I didn’t want to be involved?
“Emma, love, look at me,” I said, gently tilting her chin up. Her eyes met mine, hesitant and vulnerable. “I always wanted to touch you. To be there for you and our baby. Feeling them move... it makes it all so real. I want to be there for every moment.”
I stroked her cheek, staring into her hesitant gaze and willing her to believe me.
“I’ve said it a lot and I’ll probably never stop, but I’m sorry I made you feel like that. It wasn’t my intention, okay?”
Relief flooded her features, and she leaned into my touch. “Really?”
“Really.” I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “This is all new territory for me, and I guess I’ve been fumbling my way through it.”
As if on cue, another kick pressed against my palm. A small laugh escaped me, joy bubbling up again.
“I can’t believe we’re having a baby,” I marvelled, shaking my head in wonder. “A tiny person who’s half you and half me.”
Emma smiled, her eyes shining. “Yeah, it gets me sometimes too.”
I grinned. “We need to start planning the nursery. I’ve got some ideas sketched out, but I want to run them by you. What do you think about a space theme? Or maybe something more nautical?”
I started to stand, eager to retrieve my sketchbook, but Emma’s hand on my arm stopped me.
“Hold on there, Picasso.” She raised a brow, but it was the heated glint in her brown eyes that really froze me to the spot. “Weren’t you in the middle of something before our peanut decided to join the party?”
I smirked, instantly catching onto her meaning.
“You’re right.” I tugged my t-shirt over my head. “How could I forget?” My joggers and boxers hit the floor. “Where were we?”
“About to let me ride you.” Her voice dropped, turning all gravelly and lust-filled.
My cock hardened and her gaze lowered, a hungry expression claiming her face.
It was my turn to chuckle. “Was I?” I stroked myself, enjoying the way her pupils dilated with need. “Or do you want something else first?”
Without a word, she eagerly sat forward and opened her mouth. Her hands landed on my hips, tugging me forward until the tip touched her lips.
Without hesitation, she sucked me deep, tearing a groan from my throat.
As I lost myself in Emma once more, the fears and doubts that had plagued me moments ago faded into the background. This — Emma needing me as fiercely as I needed her, our baby growing strong and healthy — this was what mattered. And I’d be damned if I let my past dictate our future.
I may not have had the best example of fatherhood growing up, but I’d learn. I’d stumble and make mistakes, sure, but I’d never stop trying. Never stop showing up. Because this little family we were creating? It was everything.