“I know. I’m not trying to cook Little Spud. We’ll keep it warm-ish. It’s nicer than sitting here while we wait for the room to heat up. It’ll feel good on your back and feet, too.”
“I’m honestly good here.” I give him a thin-lipped smile, pulling the blanket tighter around myself. My entire body convulses when an icy chill runs down my spine, and he cocks an eyebrow.
“Don’t bullshit me. I know you like taking baths. If you don’t want me to come, you can go alone…”
“It’s not that I don’t want you to.”It’s absolutely that I don’t want him to.
“So then let’s go.” He grabs hold of my wrist, tugging until I’m forced onto my feet with a groan.
“It’s that…” I draw wide, attention-grabbing circles around my stomach with my hands. “I’m pregnant.”
“Shit,really? Who’s the father? Somebody I know?” He snorts, a cloud of steam escaping his parted lips. “Jesus, Cass.Duh.I’m aware you’re pregnant. What’s your point?”
It feels both stupid and incredibly vulnerable, so I squeeze my eyes shut and let the question fall out. “A-are you still… um, physically attracted to me? You know… since I actuallylooksuper pregnant now.”
“Cassidy.” Chase grabs my hands, interlacing our fingers, and steps in so our stomachs are touching. I’m trying, and failing spectacularly, to focus on him, rather than the fact that my belly now sticks out farther than my boobs. “I am sofuckingattracted to you. When you showedup here tonight, it took everything in me not to immediately start kissing and touching every inch of you. Every time I see you, I think you can’t possibly get more beautiful. And you somehow keep proving me wrong… I told you before that I’ll always find this”—his hands smooth over my stomach—“beautiful. I meant what I said. Your body is fucking perfect in my eyes. Pregnant, not pregnant. So, please come with me. I know you want a bath.”
I reluctantly allow him to pull me into the bathroom, where there’s an old clawfoot tub under a small window. The outside frost has tooled intricate designs in the windowpane. And he playfully insists we cross our fingers as he turns the hot water knob.
“Thank God!” He exhales dramatically when water comes pouring out, instantly creating swirling steam in the frigid air. “I would’ve been pissed with myself for talking you into this if the water lines ended up being frozen.”
“Can we maybe not have the harsh ceiling light on?” I scrunch my nose. If he’s really insisting on me being naked, the lighting and ambience need to at least be somewhat flattering. Preferably deceiving.
Without a reply, he leaves for a moment and returns empty handed. “Fuck, if I’d known you were coming I would’ve bought some candles or something. There’s nothing in the cupboards.” He pulls his phone from his pocket, turns on the flashlight, and sets it on the counter. “Best I can do.”
“It’s perfect.” I pull him to me for a slow, explorative kiss. Now that I’ve had his lips on mine, I hate knowing I could’ve had this all along and chose not to.
Wasting no time, he’s unzipping my coat. Shimmying my pants down. Delicately pulling my shirt over my head. Unclasping my bra. Until I’m wearing nothing but a shadow cast across the wall.
I gulp, watching him intently for any hint of disgust or disappointment. The slightest tinge of regret. Anything to confirm what the monster inside my head is telling me, that he won’t want me anymore. Ipushed him away and now, seeing me naked for the first time in a month, he’ll realize it was better that way.
“You’re a fucking dream,” he says with a wanton rasp, eyes raking over me.
With his support, I settle into the tub—filled to the brim with water that’s the perfect temperature to ease my muscles and warm my bones. It’s squishy with us both in here, but he doesn’t seem to mind me between his legs, my head laid back on his chest. And for a long while we sit in perfectly comfortable silence.
A sensation I’m sure I’ll never fully get accustomed to lights a smile on my face. I grab hold of Chase’s hand and press it firmly against my skin. Holding it flat on the cold part of my belly sitting just above the water. Within seconds, she kicks again.
“Holy shit, Cass.Holy shit. Was that?” His fingers spread wider automatically—trying to cover as much of me as he can.
“Little Spud. You were the first to feel it—like I promised. It’s been getting hard to dodge hands on my stomach lately, but you deserved to feel her before anybody else. She goes wild every time I have a bath, so I was hoping you’d get this.”
His lips press to the top of my head. Over and over. Soft kisses as his hand holds tight to my stomach. “Remember when you told me not to say nice things or you might fall in love?”
“Mhm.” I stroke my fingertips over the back of his hand.
“We never talked about what’ll happen when I fall in love with you.”
28
Red
Ishouldnothave said that. Cass’s heart is pounding so hard and fast, I swear it’s causing ripples across the water. I swallow hard. It’s too late—obviously.I’m already so far gone for her. Offering up awhat-ifscenario was merely a test to see how she’d react.
I’m not ashamed to say I’m wrapped entirely around her pretty little finger. If she asked me to, I’d give up cowboying to start a fucking potato farm so she can eat them endlessly. I’d build her dream house with my bare hands. Hell,I’d even move to the goddamn city, if that’s what she truly wanted.
Yes, sweetheart. Anything for you, sweetheart.
But Cass’ thundering heart rate makes me think it’s not the night to tell her the truth. Not the moment to express that I love her beyond words.
