“Yeah, I’m at the store. I stopped to grab some brownie mix for dessert.”
“The baby loves brownies,” she teases.
“Oh, does he?”
“He or she most certainly does. I can’t wait to find out what we’re having next week.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to do a big gender reveal?” I ask her.
“Nah, Knox and I are too excited to find out at our appointment. We’ll be sure to tell everyone as soon as we know.”
“Fine,” I concede. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Be safe,” she says, ending the call.
Grabbing my purse and keys, I head into the grocery store. I’ve already taken too much time to sit and talk to her. However, talking to Corie helped me realize that this isn’t wrong, even if it feels that way. I want him, and he wants me. We’re consenting adults and can see where this goes. I grab a couple of boxes of brownie mix, some chips, animal crackers for Camden, because he’s almost out, and a gallon of milk. I can’t remember how much is left in the fridge, but that kid and his daddy drink milk like it’s their job, so I’m not worried about it going to waste.
Self-checkout is quick, and I’m back on the road, headed toward Baker’s. When I pull into the driveway, the garage door opens, and he’s standing by the door that leads into the house with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.
“I was starting to get worried,” he says, after pulling open my door for me.
“Sorry, I talked to Corie on the phone in the parking lot for a few minutes before I went into the store.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I—” I hesitate, but then decide that if this is going to work, honesty has to be present in all aspects between us. “I was kind of freaking out.”
“About?” he asks, tucking my hair behind my ear.
“This. Us.”
“Why are you freaking out? Do I scare you?” I can hear the concern in his voice.
“Yes, but emotionally. As in my heart is already so invested in your son. If I add you, too, and then I lose you both, I don’t think I would handle that well,” I confess.
A slow, sexy grin tugs at his lips. “That’s a fear I can squash.”
“How?” I ask, my voice gruff.
“Because I think about you all the time. When Camden does something and you’re not here, I want to call you to tell you about it. I think about you as soon as I wake up. And you and my boy, the two of you, are what’s on my mind when I lay my head on my pillow to go to sleep at night. I’ve never had a woman consume me like this. That’s how.”
He smiles down at me, and it has butterflies taking flight in my belly. “Our lives are so entwined, Baker, not to mention I work for you.”
“So what? Yes, you work for me. You take care of my son. The most important person in my world is in your care. That doesn’t mean we can’t explore this chemistry between us.”
“You don’t date, not since you’ve become a dad,” I remind him.
He grins. “Not since you,” he says, leaning down and pressing his forehead against mine. “We can take this slow, if that’s what you need, but, Sloane, I want this with you.”
I take a moment to breathe him in. My heart is racing, my palms are sweating, but there’s no doubt what my answer is, so when the words tumble past my lips, I’m not surprised. “I want to try.”
“Just us,” he says quickly. “This is exclusive, and you’ll be wearing my jersey,” he says, his voice firm.
“So bossy,” I tease. He’s so damn sexy.
“I know you have one, Sloane. You have one for each of us. Burn the others. You won’t need them,” he says, his tone telling me he's serious.
I laugh. “I’m not burning them.”
