She headed over to it, running her hand over the enamel. “It’s huge.”
“That’s what they all say.” Because I really was still a teenager.
Her laugh was what I wanted to hear, second tocan we use it together now?
“You don’t have to tell me that.” She moved her attention onto me and the air thickened.
I ran my fingers through my hair, a groan slipping out. “Amber– ”
She looked at the floor and shook her head, but when she raised her eyes again to mine, I figured she’d been thinking about how we’d fit together in that bath too, and the shower.
And on my bed.
“I’m thinking about moving. Actually, it was on my list of things to do before this came up.” She pointed to her belly. “I need a bath. Kids like baths.” Her smile almost burst.
“They do. Or some do. Libbie would spend a day in the bath if she could, but Zara prefers the shower. I think she likes the pressure of the water.” I crossed the few metres between us and without second guessing myself, put both my hands on her waist. I wanted to tell her to sell her house and move in here, at least until the baby was born, and then she wouldn’t have the stress of moving while she was pregnant.
I also wanted to tell her my plans; that when the baby stayed with me, they’d be in my bedroom at first. Then as they got older, there’d be a room for them next to Zara’s, which also had its own bathroom. That room was empty right now. Over the next few months, it would be filled with baby paraphernalia and clothes, and my daughters’ curious eyes as they started to understand the change this would bring to their lives.
The thick air in the room had evaporated with Amber bringing up her plans to move, but my hands were still on her waist. I moved her closer to me, pulling her into a hug, her arms wrapping round me and her head leaning into my chest.
“I wonder what this child will like best.”
I chuckled at her words, feeling relief that she seemed to be accepting the change in her life. “Do you like baths or showers best?”
“Both, depending on the mood.”
“Then maybe they’ll be like you. That would be no bad thing.” I twirled a tendril of her hair that had come loose around my finger. “It’ll be exciting finding out.”
She moved back an inch so she could see me. “How do you want me to meet the girls?”
The hand that was still on her waist slipped a little lower to the top of her ass. She didn’t move me away, in fact, she arched a little into my touch.
“Just be here. They’re used to people from the club being around, usually Jesse or Jude. I’m not going to stage a big thing by telling them that you’re coming round for dinner because there’s someone I want them to meet. Just be here. Meet them. Be a friend of mine.”
“I think we are friends, aren’t we?”
Her eyes were heavy, and I didn’t think it was with sleep. “Friends don’t have their hands on each other’s arses like this.” I let my hand slip down lower to cup her bottom. My half hardness had turned to full hardness, an erection she would be aware of and hopefully not unhappy with. I didn’t want to hide it; I wanted her to know how she still made me feel.
Her lips curved into an amused smile, and that air thick with the best sort of tension was back.
“People are going to know we’ve been more than friends in a few more weeks. My stomach’s already started to get a little bump.” She rubbed it with one of her hands, the other still on me.
“I saw. I like it.”
“It’s kind of your fault it’s there. It wouldn’t have got there on its own.”
“That’s probably why you like it.” Both hands were back on me now.
I knew my grin was of the shit-eating variety. “It probably is.” I went for it, moving my lips down to hers and stealing a kiss that she gave willingly. Just a small kiss, a peck. “I think that bump suits you.”
“Even though that bump means a lot of explaining in our near future?”
I shrugged. “We made a baby. People do that all the time. We’ll look after that baby and make sure it has the best possible life we can give it – something people don’t do all the time. My girls get another sibling. My parents get another grandchild and Jez is an auntie again. They’ll be thrilled at a new baby to spoil.” Which was the truth. My girls were young enough to not have a whole list of questions or judgements. My parents had mentioned a couple of times – at least my mum had – about me starting to go out with women again. She’d mentioned it just after the first anniversary of Chan’s death, but I’d been in no way ready to even talk about it then. She’d mentioned it again when the season had started, hinting that I should see if my sister knew anyone I might get along with. I’d ignored that too, because I knew most of my sister’s friends and I wasn’t going there with any of them.
Plus, I’d already noticed Amber at that point. I’d felt guilty for noticing her, but because I knew she didn’t want kids, it hadn’t seemed like it had any chance of happening – certainly nothing serious.
“You make it sound so easy.”
