Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
HARRIET
“These booties are so fucking adorable, I could throw up.” Talia curls her lip at a pair of butter-yellow baby shoes.
“They are cute.” With a glance at the price tag, I change my mind. “Twenty bucks for shoes they’ll wear once? I told you not to go wild.”
Talia jerks her hand away. “Ah-ah! These are treats from Auntie Tals. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about the price. Can you believe you’re going to squeeze something out that’ll fit into this?”
She dangles a newborn onesie in the air.
My vagina withers in fear. “Yeah, thanks for the reminder.”
She drops it onto the mountain of tiny clothes collecting on my living room floor.
Apparently, someone took an extended lunch and bought out the entire baby store.
With her spending spree and the hand-me-downs from family, Button will have a different outfit for every day of their life.
I’m grateful beyond measure, but jeez, a small human requires a lot.
My dissatisfaction over the amount of money she’s spent flies out of the window when I spy a pair of denim overalls. “Shut the fucking front door. These are precious.”
“I know, right? I was tempted to get myself a matching pair.” Talia laughs while rummaging around in the shopping bag. “Wait until you see this.”
My mouth falls open when she reveals a green and ivory mobile, felt animals spinning in the air.
“I saw this and knew you had to have it. Hopefully, it goes with the woodland animal theme you’re planning.”
“It’s perfect. Thank you.” I flash her a worried smile. “Now, all I’ve got to do is get the nursery ready.”
“You have plenty of time,” she says. “Plus, the baby will be sleeping with you for the first few months, right?”
I nod. “Yeah, but I still want it complete before I’m distracted by diapers and covered in spit-up.”
Talia drops her gaze, absentmindedly flipping through the pile of clothes. “Will Warren be staying over to help? You said he’s come over a few times. How’s that going?”
Don’t blush. Don’t blush.
“He’s stopped by twice, and, yeah, it’s going well.” Especially when his tongue is buried between my legs. “This arrangement is working great for us. I doubt he’ll stay over, though. The baby will have their own room at his place.”
A place I’m yet to see or be invited to, which is fine.
Okay, it’s not totally fine, but that mostly comes from me being a Nosy Nelly and wanting to see inside his house.
These renovations seem to be going on forever.
He hasn’t visited since he barged into my bedroom and left me boneless on my mattress.
In hindsight, inviting him to stay for dinner after he fucked me into another universe was off the cuff.
Can you pass the salt, please?
Here you go. Oh, remember when you ate me out an hour ago?
No wonder he bolted out of there. It took two days to truly wrap my head around what went down.
When he stormed into my bedroom like a man on a mission, a fog of frustration and lust, skewed my senses.
On any other day, I would’ve never asked him to “help me.” Or, at least, I don’t think I would. Either way, he made it clear: one time.
You said that at Oktoberfest and look where that got you.
Even though we text almost every day, sometimes briefly, other times late into the night when pregnancy insomnia kicks my ass, I can’t help feeling what happened in my bedroom has changed things, and not for the better. Maybe it’s the baby, but I miss him and his impromptu visits to the cottage.
I drag my attention back to Talia, who eyes me quizzically.
“You realize I can read you like a book?” She smirks.
Ah, shit, I’m blushing. “What do you mean?”
“Pfft. You totally fucked your baby daddy.” She folds her arms and leans against the sofa smugly. “Don’t bother lying.”
I scoff, unsure of what to do with my hands as I fiddle with a pair of socks. “We did not fuck.”
“Sure,” she volleys sarcastically.
“We didn’t. He just went down on me.” I mumble the last part without making eye contact.
“I’m sorry, come again? Or is that what you said to him?”
She’s never going to drop this. God help anyone who goes against her in a court of law.
“He. Went. Down. On. Me.” I throw my hands in the air. “Happy?”
“Oh, very. Not as happy as you, though, I bet. How did this transpire?”
Begrudgingly, I give her the Cliff Notes version. By the end, her jaw is on the floor, and she’s bouncing up and down on her knees. I give it an hour before she voice memos the group chat.
“He actually left without wanting anything in return?”
I jerk my head. “For the tenth time, yes.”
“Wow. I wasn’t his number one fan at first, but Daddy Warren has painted himself in a new light. Pleasing horny women one small town at a time.”
A frown cuts across my face. I hope that’s not the case. Not that I’m jealous. He’s single. A free agent. “Do you think he’s seeing someone?”
Talia recoils. “Um, how did you jump to that conclusion? I was kidding.”
I’m not convinced. “It would make sense. It’s not like we’re dating. A man has needs. Apart from his ex-wife and Peter, we’ve never really spoken about our dating history.” Dragging myself off the floor, I move to the sofa, and Talia joins me. “If he wants to date, I’m totally okay with it.”
“Yeah, totally.”
I frown at her mocking tone.
“Harry, be so real right now.” She flings a mitten at my face. “I can’t see him having eyes for anyone else. The way he looks at you is downright territorial.”
“As if.” Does he?
“Ask any of the girls. I’m going to hold your hand when I say this.
” She literally does. “What you have going on is great and very admirable. Not a lot of strangers would go to the lengths you two have, but if this were any other man, can you confidently say you would’ve given him a spare key to your house and let him give you the ‘orgasm of all orgasms,’ as you call it? ”
Screw her eagle-eye perception. I don’t argue, though.
Deep down, a tiny voice in my head says I wouldn’t.
One of my flaws is handing over my trust without caution—Peter is prime example number one.
With Warren, it came naturally, even from the first night.
Something about him told me he’d handle it with care, and he has.
Our attraction is palpable, but do I want to risk what we’ve got going on because we have good bedroom chemistry? No.
I give Talia a flat look. “The other day was a hiccup. He knows it. I know it. You know it. The last thing I want is this to get messy and find ourselves at an impasse or worse, not able to stand the sight of one another. I want my child to grow up with two dedicated, reliable, loving parents, and being in a relationship shouldn’t dictate that. ”
To her credit, she keeps whatever counterargument she has brewing under wraps.
I search for my phone between the cushions and fire off a text determined to remind myself and Warren this is a strictly platonic arrangement. We can’t avoid each other forever.
Harriet: Hey, dinner at mine tomorrow?
Harriet: And before you politely decline, I insist. The baby too.
Warren: You don’t leave me with much choice, but I’d like that.
See? Everything is fine.