Page 27 of His to Keep

I nodded, pressing his hands even firmer and begging our usually shy baby to stay with us and keeping showing off to us.

“It’s the first time I’ve felt them.” I was surprised to feel the tears still slipping down my face. Emerson must’ve noticed, because one of his hands tore away from my belly to sink into my hair and tucked me forward against his mouth.

The kiss was everything I needed, his comfort and strength seeping into me with every moment I spent in this house with him. We broke apart, both of us panting.

For a long moment, we stayed there, completely still, hoping to feel them move again.

Disappointed, I shrugged and looked up at Emerson. “Maybe they fell asleep?”

“Maybe.”

I could actually hear the whine in his voice as he stepped back. I immediately loathed the distance between us, so much that I stepped towards him as he left.

He caught the movement and stilled, his face a mask of cool interest again.

“Maybe you want to lie down with me tonight.” I coughed a little, my cheeks feeling hot. “With us. You always hear the stories about how babies move all night.”

Emerson’s eyes brightened, but his face remained still “Are you sure? I don’t want to pressure you.”

“I’m completely sure.”

At that, his lips curled in a smile, and his hand returned to my belly once more. “I’d love to be there.”

***

He felt like heaven against me. I hadn’t meant to doze off last night, but Emerson had tucked himself into bed with me, and between the warmth and his gentle strokes down my back, I was out like a light.

And now, waking up with Emerson was like waking up curled into a cocoon of softness and warmth. Well, somewhat soft. Even as I shifted, I could feel the steel of his erection against my ass. I tried to ignore it, even while my thighs clenched and unclenched as I sorted out the best way to get out of bed. One arm was still thrown over my body from where he’d fallen asleep, waiting and hoping to feel the baby move again.

I sighed deeply, loving that his fingers twitched at the noise, but he didn’t move. Maybe he was still asleep, but I doubted it. I thought he was just soaking in the perfection of this moment like I should be. With a happy little noise, I turned and burrowed deep into my pillow.

I’d only gotten up to go pee once in the night, and I was suddenly very glad because it meant I wasn’t busting at the seams to get out of bed. Experimentally, curious to see if he was really asleep or not, I rolled my hips a little, feeling the length of him press deep between my cheeks. His fingers clenched again.

“How are you feeling?” His voice was rough from sleep, sending tingles down my spine as he nuzzled into the back of my neck.

Definitely not asleep. I bit my lip. Not that I really thought I was the first one awake. The man was a trained bodyguard for God’s sake. And a CEO. He probably hadn’t slept in ten years.

And for sure hadn’t slept since he’d started taking care of me too.

My heart thumped, and I waited for that pang of anger over what he’d done. I wanted to be mad. I did. But when I looked, really looked, at my emotions, anger wasn’t there. Not like yesterday.

Today, everything felt oversensitive and tentative. As if afraid to hope, but so desperate to.

“I feel great.” I stretched the length of my body, purposefully letting my ass rock in his cradle of his body once more. To my surprise, teeth flashed out, pressing into my neck in a mock bite that made me freeze.

“Yes,” he growled against my skin. “You do. But I meant everything else.”

“You mean, am I still furious at you for lying?”

He was silent, confirming the response.

I ran my nails down the forearm still draped over me. “No, I don’t think so. So much of life is wasted on anger. Especially when there is so much more to experience.”

Emerson sat up on an elbow, looking down at me, his handsome face a puzzle. “How old are you?”

I blinked. “I’m twenty-three. You know this.”

“I just had to check, because that was the wisest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

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