Chapter 8
chapter eight
Beau
I’m done pretending there’s not something growing between me and Daisy. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I know enough to see that we both feel it.
For the last several nights we’ve met in the kitchen. Having an insomnia buddy is kind of nice. But it’s getting increasingly more difficult to keep my hands off of her. I want to pull her into my lap and kiss the hell out of her. Learn her taste and every curve of her body.
I know that’s not my baby growing inside her, but that’s not how it feels. I feel just as protective over that little life as I do for my Little Mama.
Tonight when I pad out to the kitchen, she’s already in there rummaging through the pantry.
“What are you looking for?” I ask.
She jumps and shrieks. When she turns to face me, she’s frowning. “I’m going to have to hang a bell around your neck so you can quit scaring me half to death.”
I just smile at her.
“I’m hungry, if you must know. I’d like a cinnamon roll, but obviously we don’t have any of those.”
“Sit down, Little Mama. I’ve got you.”
She harrumphs but goes and sits at the table.
“While I’m making your snack, tell me what you did today,” I say. I pull out the bread I hide—store, whatever—in the freezer. My dirty little secret, plain sliced white bread. No nutritional value, but some things call for it.
“I read in my baby books. Nugget is getting their fingernails and toenails. I ate my weight in antacids. Stupid heartburn.”
I go about toasting the slices. While the toaster works, I get out butter and cinnamon and sugar. I make a quick mixture of the two spices and then get down two plates.
“I took a nap. Took Mouse for a walk. Peed about a hundred times. You know, the usual. How about you?”
“We got in some new dogs today. These came from Louisiana. Some shelter that was destroyed with that string of tornados that hit last week. They brought the bulk of the dogs to us.”
I butter the toast then sprinkle the mixture over all four slices. Then I bring the plates to the table.
“Want some milk?” I ask.
“Yes, please,” she says, already talking around a bite. “Ohmygosh!” she moans.
And just like that, my dick is hard. Fucking spectacular. I try to adjust my shirt so it hangs over most of the tent in my shorts.
“This is so good. Perfect. Exactly what I was craving.”
“Good ol’ cinnamon toast to the rescue. This was the only thing I could make myself for the longest time. I’m just glad I never got tired of it.” I set down the glasses of milk and sit next to her. I resist the urge to pull her to me and just lean into her neck and breathe in her sweet scent.
She grins at me. “Thank you for my snack.”
“Of course.”
There’s a bit of cinnamon and sugar stuck to the corner of her mouth.
“You’ve got a little,” I lean over and swipe it away with my thumb then like a fucking moron, I lick it away.
She sucks in a breath, her eyes locked on my mouth.
“I really want to kiss you,” I admit.
“Me too.”
“It’s probably a bad idea though. Right?”
“Oh, because of the baby.” She doesn’t look at me as she sits back in her seat. “You’re probably right. I mean I do come with a lot of baggage. Not that my baby is baggage, per se?—”
I put my finger over her mouth to stop her talking. “It’s not about the baby. I just don’t want to push you for something you’re not ready for or that you don’t want.”
She nods.
“Also, your brother threatened to pull all of my limbs off if I touched you.”
She laughs. “Flynn? I mean he’s taller than you, but you have way more muscles. Not that I’ve been looking at all your muscles.”
“You can look at my muscles, Little Mama. Any time you want.”
Her attention moves back to her cinnamon toast. After we eat for a bit in silence, she clears her throat. “You said once that you never had a mom or a sister. Then you said you had a rough go of it in foster care. I don’t need to know anything you don’t want to share. I’m just curious.”
“What do you want to know?” I ask.
“Did you ever have a family?”
“Not until I joined the Army. And even then it took until my Ranger unit. Those guys—including your brother—they are my family.”
She nods. “Do you want one of your own? Like a wife and kids or whatever?” Then she winces. “That sounds like I’m offering myself up, which I’m not, I truly am just curious.”
I scoot my chair closer to hers. “Until recently, no, I never wanted any of those things. Never felt like that sort of thing was an option for a man like me. When you grow up never being picked, you learn pretty quickly that sometimes things are better just on your own.”
Her throat bobs as she swallows.
“You’re the first pregnant woman I’ve ever been this close to. Frankly, I’d never given much thought to any of it.” I take a chance and reach out, putting my hand on her stomach. “You’ve definitely given me a different view of a possible future.”
“Would you take me to the doctor tomorrow? It’s the ultrasound for the anatomy scan, and I’m nervous. I’d rather not go alone.”
“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, Daisy. You need only ask.”