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He steps into my space, and my traitorous heart skips a beat. “Tree first, then lunch at The Busy Bee, and I’ll buy you whatever decorations you want for the tree.”
“Fine,” I agree but refuse to let him have the last word. Partly because I’m not ready to give in, but mostly because demanding, commanding Callen is really... really hot. Not that I’m going to be telling him that any time soon. Wait. Any timeperiod. Not soon. Not later. Stupid, traitorous hormones. “I want the whole house decorated if I have to go to lunch. All of it, Callen. Not just the tree. I want lights outside. I want garland on the fireplace. I want a stocking for Cupcake. If you’re going to try to buy my forgiveness, which isn’t going to happen, I’m going to bankrupt you.”
I walk away and drop the bananas off in the kitchen as Callen laughs.
“You can try,” he laughs, and it sounds so good.
Too good.
I try to ignore him as I pretty much stomp my way upstairs to the guest room I’ve claimed as mine—because there was no way I was going to share a room with Callen—while a familiar mantra repeats in my mind.
I will not kill Callen Sinclair.
Only now, it should probably beyou cannot kill your baby’s daddy.
CAITLIN
Most girls want roses and romance.
I want honesty and someone who will fight for me.
Is that too much to ask?
—Caitlin’s Secret Thoughts
Iglare as Callen looks at the medical instruments attached to the ultrasound set up and wait for the smart remark.
Three. Two. One.
“What the fuck is that thing? It looks like a dildo.” He turns around to me with a stupid grin. Sexy but stupid.
“It’s a transvaginal ultrasound wand.” Callen’s eyes double in size. “Stop,” I warn him. “Kenzie had to tell me what it was last time before she used it. Get your mind out of the gutter.”
If someone had told me six months ago, I’d be lying in an ugly paper gown—yes I’m still stuck on this—basically naked from the waist down on an exam table with Callen Sinclair nextto me... well first, I’d have probably been confused, then I’d have wondered if we were getting kinky in a doctor’s office. And that would still be easier to believe than our actual reality.
“Knock, knock,” Kenzie announces from the other side of the door, and Callen immediately moves next to me with his arms crossed over his chest. He looks protective. Always protective. Damn him.
“Come in, Kenz,” I tell her and lock eyes with him. “Breathe, Callen.”
“Aren’t I supposed to be telling you that, Cait?”
Kenzie smiles when she sees Callen before masking her surprise and going back into professional mode. “How are we feeling today?”
“Pretty good,” I tell her, a little nervous. “The nausea is gone, but I’m still exhausted.”
Kenzie’s mask slips again, and she looks between Callen and me. “That’s not abnormal, and you’ve had a lot going on, Caitlin. Stress can do crazy things to a body. I want you to listen to what yours is telling you. If you’re tired, sleep. If you don’t feel up to doing something, don’t do it.”
Callen drops his hand to my shoulder and squeezes once before he slides it down my back for support, and I hate how much I want to lean into his touch.
“Your blood pressure looks good, and your urine was fine. No issues with sugar. We’ll schedule you for a gestational diabetes test at your next visit.”
“Why? Is something wrong?” Callen asks as he moves closer.
“Not a thing. These tests are standard procedure. Nothing to worry about. We’ll do plenty of testing over the next few months, and your job is to not worry unless I tell you to.” Kenzie sounds perfectly clinical as she eases Callen’s nerves.
It seems to work, and he slides his hand back up to that spot between my shoulder and neck and squeezes. It’s unfair just howright his hands feel on me and just how much comfort he can still give.
It doesn’t go unnoticed by Kenzie either. “Now… Let me just do a quick internal to make sure everything looks good. Pop your feet up here,” she tells me, and I get to experience the lovely humiliation of having an internal exam in front of Callen, before she pulls her gloves off and smiles. “All good. Are you ready to see your baby?”
