AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He rolled off and flopped onto the bed beside her, drawing her into his arms. She tucked up beneath his chin and he hoped she couldn’t feel how hard his heart was hammering. He’d never experienced anything that intense before, and it had left him shaken. Sex was usually good, but he’d never felt so connected to his partner. Somehow, he knew he was standing on the precipice of a massive change, and he wasn’t sure whether to be excited or terrified.
17
Gabby wokea few hours later feeling refreshed and pleasantly tingly. She smiled as she recalled her time with Logan and rolled onto her side to face him. Her smile dropped when she saw that he wasn’t there. Disappointment flooded her gut. She swallowed against the rising tide of bitterness. She shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d gotten what he’d wanted, and he’d never made promises. In fact, she could say the opposite was true. But she thought they’d bonded, and that being together today had meant something, even if they hadn’t said the words. She sighed. She knew better, but she’d let herself get caught up in the moment.
With a grunt of effort, she kicked her legs off the edge of the bed and got up. Her back twinged. Even though she hadn’t gained much weight yet, it always seemed to be achy. She hated to think how it would be once she was further along. She crossed her fingers that she’d have small babies. If they were big, she was in for an unpleasant few months followed by a birth she’d rather not dwell on.
She washed in the bathroom and paused to pat Karen, who seemed to be watching her judgmentally.
“I know you can’t help it,” Gabby said. “That’s just your face.”
If possible, Karen’s furry little features became even more disapproving, but that could have been Gabby’s imagination.
“Are you talking to your cat?”
She jumped in surprise and banged her knee against the sink. “Ow, shit.”
“Sorry.” Logan winced. “That looked like it hurt.”
“It did.” She rubbed her throbbing knee and glanced at the doorway, where he stood holding a tray. He hadn’t left. She pressed her lips together so he wouldn’t see her smile of relief. “What’s that?”
He looked down at the tray and shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly unsure of himself. “I thought you might be hungry after the painting, the confrontation with your ex, and, of course, the awesome sex.” He waggled his eyebrows, but she could tell it was all for show. “I’ve got crackers, nuts, chocolate, fruit, and lemon and ginger tea.” He glanced at her and kept talking. “If you don’t want it now, I can put it away for later. Only, you were asleep and I thought it would be nice to bring it to you in bed.”
Her heart swelled with joy. Not only had he stayed, but he was trying to take care of her. She knew she shouldn’t read anything into it, but after the way he’d defended her earlier, it felt significant.
“Thank you.” She smiled like a goof. “That sounds lovely. Should we take it to the living room since I’m out of bed and the bedroom smells like sex?”
Mischief glinted in his eyes. “There are far worse things it could smell of. If it bothers you, I’ll open a window. But yeah, okay.”
They headed for the living room, and he carefully set the tray on the coffee table. He’d found a porcelain teapot in one of her cupboards, and now he used it to pour tea into a delicate cup. He left, presumably to open that window, then detoured to the kitchen and returned with a mug of coffee for himself. Gabby reached for a cracker and munched it slowly. She hadn’t felt so nauseous lately, but it paid not to eat too fast or her gut would protest.
He watched her, uncharacteristically serious. “I put the dogs outside,” he said. “I figured they could use a run in the sun.”
Her heart squeezed. “Thanks.”
Don’t get attached. It was just sex. He’s still not the commitment type.
Thomas wandered into the room and jumped onto the end of the coffee table. Logan swept him off.
“No, you don’t, pal. That’s our food.”
Gabby laughed. “Good luck with that. He’s the boss in this house.”
“Maybe so, but he can’t be touching our food. Or the babies’. We want to make sure we keep them safe from contamination.”
She frowned. “I know. It will be fine.”
She liked that he was thinking about what was in their kids’ best interest, but she didn’t like the part where it sounded like he was lecturing her, or that he wanted the animals reined in. They were her fur babies. She pressed her lips together and didn’t say anything. He was probably used to being overly cautious because he worked in the food industry.
Logan bit a piece of apple and reached for more. Silence stretched between them. Eventually, he broke it.
“I hope you didn’t mind me intervening when I arrived and saw your ex here earlier. I should have waited to see if you wanted my help before just grabbing him.”
“It was fine.” She recalled Henry’s face. “More than fine, actually. I don’t think he knew how to handle it. He’s so used to everyone giving him whatever he wants.”
He arched a brow. “Did you do that?”
“Maybe.” It wasn’t a pleasant thought. “We didn’t see each other often, so I tried to make the most of it, and that sometimes meant sacrificing other things. I wasn’t a doormat though.”
