His fingers spread over where our baby is growing. He touches me like he’s scared of hurting me, like he already thinks he’s damaged us beyond repair. So I grip him, holding him there. There is no bump yet, just a softness around my hips and abdomen that I didn’t have before. It doesn’t matter.
Our world is growing under our hands.
I close my eyes as he kisses my belly with such reverence it makes my throat burn.
“Hey little one,” he murmurs. “It’s your dad. I’m sorry I’m an idiot. You’ll probably have to put up with a lot of idiotic shit from me as you grow up. It’s just because I love you and your mom so much.” My heart is full watching him talking to my stomach. “We both love you so much.”
“And I love you,” I say, just in case he still doesn’t believe me.
“I know.” He kisses me, our mouths fused together as if we can erase the last twenty-four hours from our history. I feel lighter. The weight that was on my shoulders yesterday is gone and in it’s place is hope.
I want this with him.
I want him to love me and take care of me.
I want him to feel like he can.
I just… don’t need a six man team trailing me every time I sneeze.
The way he’s claiming my mouth now sends heat skittering down my spine. The kiss is more than intimacy. It’s reaffirming what we are to each other. It’s resetting the walls around us.
He slants his head, kissing me like he hasn’t touched me in years, and my pulse stumbles. I lean into him because resisting Jensen feels impossible, even with the ghost of our fight in the back of my mind.
When he pulls back, his eyes are soft. “You hungry?”
“Maybe. I’m a little nauseous, but I’ll try to eat something.”
“That’s all I ask.”
We take our time getting up. Once I’m dressed, I make my way into the kitchen. The light is streaming through the windows, bright and warm. The city bustles beyond our four walls, but in here it’s just him and me.
I slide onto the stool, watching my husband as he moves between the stove, the toaster, and the fridge.
He still has that weight on his shoulders, that uncertainty pulsing beneath his skin, but when he glances at me, my stomach flutters.
“You want coffee?”
I shake my head. “Water’s fine.”
He grabs me a bottle, uncapping it and he presses his mouth into my hair as he puts it down in front of me.
I eat the toast he gives me, and it’s a miracle that it stays down.
Just before 8:30a.m I hear the door open, as it always does on a workday. I expect Theo and Mike to step inside, but this morning, it’s just Theo.
I glance at Jensen, who’s watching me carefully.
It’s only a small thing, but it feels like a huge win. It feels like he saw me, like he listened. Like he respected my choices.
My throat’s clogged as I step into his arms, hugging him tight. “Thank you,” I whisper against his chest.
Jensen cups my face with one big hand, his thumb stroking under my eye. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Mia.Nothing.”
Theo’s gaze slides between me and Jensen, his brows drawn together. “Mrs. Rivers, are you ready to leave?”
My smile’s warm as I untangle myself from Jensen’s hold. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
Jensen’s hand slides to my hip, holding me in place for a moment. His eyes are wild and intense, ruined with need, and wrecked with desire. “If you want to walk, grab coffee or lunch, then all I ask is that you take Theo with you.”
