I slunkinto my bedroom and removed my cardigan and dress.In the bathroom, I washed away the sweat of the day and took off my makeup.Of course I had to pee, too, but that was par for the pregnancy course.Once I’d washed my hands and brushed my hair, I went back out into my bedroom to grab some lounge clothes.
“Millie…” Luka stopped talking and just stared at me from the doorway.
I fought the urge to cover myself—he’d seen me naked before, and this was his baby growing in my bulging middle.Whatever affection he might be feeling, I now knew he didn’t want me sexually after he’d told me to back off a few minutes ago.Got that message loud and clear, so I might as well let him take in the changes his baby had wrought.I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my breathing slow and steady.I felt so exposed.
Unsure what to do next, I stood there, waiting.
“Can I…” He trailed off again.“Can I touch you—her?Skin to skin?”
“Sure.”I shrugged like I didn’t care, but my heart rate tripled as he came forward and laid his palms on my stomach.This is about the baby.
Bree kicked into his left palm, and he laughed, his eyes meeting mine.“She’s active.And strong.”
I nodded, a lump in my throat.He lowered his eyes to talk to my belly, delight dancing across his features.
“Oh, good one, baby Bree.”
He was slaying me with his kindness.Whyhad I thought to deny him this—deny me this?
From the time I was a little girl, I’d dreamed of being a mother.Trent had torn that dream; I shouldn’t have let him.I should never have let him seduce me with kindness…and touch.
I still craved touch.Luka’s specifically.If only I hadn’t been so forward with him.My cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Luka shifted his weight, crooning against my skin, causing me to shiver.Bree shoved hard, seemingly energized by his voice.Luka yelped and tumbled backward, and I laughed.He smiled up at me, sheepish.“She’s active tonight.”
I sucked in a breath, those words slamming into me, mending my most tattered edges.I’d been different since Trent’s attack.Harder, yes, but also brittle.Scared to trust, scarredfromtrusting.
I placed my hands on my belly, enjoying Bree’s movements.Enjoying this moment with Luka more than I could have imagined.
I would never have another child.I’d only needed one to ensure the future of the Jones fortune—something Trent had informed me that fateful night.
Now that I’d been with Luka—been lonely without him to share these moments, missed his sweet smile and the way his eyes lit up, the softness of his fingertips trailing across my skin—I couldn’t imagine ever allowing another man to touch me.
And I’d made that impossible with Luka.
He’d go back to play in the NHL, and I’d be here—alone with Bree.That’s what I’d wanted, yet now, seeing Luka on his knees, his bulk between our vulnerable daughter and the world, I had to wonder if I’d failed him, Bree, and myself by not giving him this chance from the get-go.
Luka
Millie’s inattentionduring dinner gave me time to study her.Her thick glasses sat on her pert nose, and I had to resist the urge to boop it.She was just too cute.
Pretty.
Fresh and smart.The best thing ever to happen to me.
“Tell me about your job,” I suggested, this time determined to actually learn what the hell she did for a living.
Millie looked up from her plate of spaghetti.“What would you like to know?”
“What exactly do youdo?I know you’re a chemical engineer, but you’ve never told me what this position entails.”
She stared at me for a long moment before she swallowed.“I—I’m sorry,” she stammered.“I’m not used to people being interested in my work.”
She meant a specificpeople,but I let that go for now.“Well, I am.”
She offered a shy smile.“I mainly analyze the formation of rocks and oil reservoirs, but I’m here to improve our computer-based models for drilling.”
“That’s…”Hard, intense, not something I totally understand.“Cool.”
