Page 8 of His to Keep

Again, he was being paid to do this. But that didn’t mean that I couldn’t enjoy it while it lasted.

I blinked, swallowing the crackers and ignoring how dry they suddenly felt on my tongue. Gates too was snapped out of our stare-fest and quickly looked to the door, the kitchen, before coming to glance my way.

“I’m going to go finish my makeup. I’ll be back down in a moment.”

Gates nodded, rocking back on his heels and rising to stand by the little unused fireplace in the corner. For such a big man, he moved with a cat-like ease that I was instantly jealous of. I was as graceful as a three-legged giraffe on my best days.

I moved to the stairs, a small smile curling my lips. For as much as my giant bodyguard wanted to remain uninvolved, I would be remembering those touches today. The gentleness of his touch and the heat from those fingers.

They were hard to forget.

***

The past three weeks had been a bit of a whirlwind. Between setting up my apartment and my new job at the daycare…and then there was my new number-one companion.

Gates was everywhere. He showed up each morning, drove me to work, picked me up, and then on the weekends, he was simply just around. And honestly, after the first few days, I got used to him. He was incredibly hard to miss, so I never forgot he was there, but he began to simply blend into my life with an ability that I found truly impressive.

This guy was great at his job. And after digging into my contract a bit more, more specifically the part about him requiring security, I knew that in a matter of weeks, around twenty weeks of my pregnancy, he would be moving in with me.

That part made my belly roll…twice. Because instead of dreading it, there was a part of me that reveled in the idea of having someone here to keep me safe. Maybe it was because I’d always fended for myself, but the consistent, strong presence in my life made me smile.

Plus, Gates had spent the other night walking boxes up and down the stairs, tucking extras away into storage, while I had sat on the couch staring. He was insistent that I do not do a single thing that might hurt the baby. And while going up and down stairs was clearly not the problem, it was nice to let him baby me.

I woke up to the sharp rap of knuckles on a door. Staring around my bedroom, I checked my phone then groggily made my way over to the bedroom door. Who would be at my house at this hour?

Yawning, I opened the bedroom door and almost fell into Gates’s arms. A shock flew down my spine as my sleepy brain registered that the knocking had been on my bedroom door, not my front door like I’d initially thought.

“Wha–what? What's going on?” I stumbled back on sluggish legs, and he carefully caught and held me as I attempted to right myself.

I wasn’t shocked he had made his way in; I knew that he had access and keys and whatnot. What surprised me most was that he was right here. His big body looming over me, gentle hands on my waist as I tried to get my brain going.

“You didn’t answer the door. Or your phone.” His voice was low, rumbling against my hands as I pressed back against him. Not enough to push away, but enough to blink up into his face.

Something in his eyes was dark and hot. It drew me in as I blinked up at him. “Gates?”

The name hung in the air, a question. But he drew back as if I’d slapped him. Everything but his hands, which kept their stronghold on my waist.

“You have an appointment in thirty minutes. I thought you would want someone to wake you.”

“Appointment?” I glanced around the room. Baby. Appointment. Fourteen weeks. “Oh my God, I almost missed it.”

For some reason, hot tears burned at the back of my lids as I hurled myself towards my closet. Gates dropped his hands as he followed me for a step or two before halting when he realized I was going to get dressed.

“I’ll be ready in two minutes,” I threw over my shoulder, my voice broken as an anxious, hormone-induced sob choked my throat.

“Take your time. We are only nine minutes out.”

I laughed, but the sound was again stolen by a soft sob. I’d stayed up late, my body and mind awash in various scenarios for what would happen next. I knew it was part of my problem, my obsession with having a backup plan. I knew I was safe. I knew I was secure. But it didn’t stop me from sometimes spending my nights feeling like I was just floating out here, alone and a bit undirected.

This baby was my anchor. I pressed a hand against my belly after I pulled on my T-shirt. It was tight today, tighter than I usually would’ve pushed it. But I also hadn’t had time to go shop for any maternity wear.

“Sorry, baby. I’m trying,” I whispered to my belly as I tugged on my most comfortable pair of yoga pants to go with it. I brushed my teeth, swept my hair up in a bun, and returned to my bedroom, surprised to find Gates still standing there.

“I’m ready,” I told him, gesturing to myself. I glanced down then tugged on the tightness of my shirt. I knew that I didn’t look pregnant still, just a little chunkier than normal. But it still felt a bit odd.

“Don’t,” he said suddenly.

“Don’t?” I look up at him, confused.

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