Her eyes went wide and her smile turned down. “I think the arrival of our child will be the thing to look forward to, don’t you?”
“Absolutely,” he chuckled. “What I meant to say is ‘it’s completely up to you when we find out whether it’s a boy or a girl’.”
Her hand patted his chest. “Good save. And it will be next week. I can’t take not knowing. And I want to be able to feel settled. With their nursery, and clothes, and all the million other things I need to check off the to-do list before their arrival.”
She went stiff in his arms, her eyes going a bit glassy as she continued to nibble on her cracker.
“Jess?”
She blinked, as if clearing something from her mind. “Sorry. There’s just so much still left to do.”
“And we’ve got time. I’ve got everything covered, so you just focus on the stuff that brings you and Bee happiness. I’m here for all the other pieces.”
Jessie stretched up to grab her dress off the hanger in the closet. She absolutely was not looking forward to Hawk beinggone, but she was so proud of him and knew he deserved this moment.
Her phone buzzed on the dresser back in the room, and she padded gently back out to the bed, the shower still running in the bathroom. She’d had half a mind to join him there a few minutes ago, but thought better of it.
A message from Mae was waiting for her.
Okay, Jessie. Enough’s enough! I’m ditching work today and we’re spending time together. So, what’ll it be? Pajamas on the couch with all the things my niece or nephew wants you to snack on, or a walk around town and then a lunch out and about? You get to pick, but you’re picking one of them!
She smiled. There was a fifty percent chance that Hawk had put his sister up to this, but also, knowing Mae, her reaching out came from a genuine place of concern. Jessie hadn’t been the best friend since getting pregnant, and she isolated herself after moving in with Hawk. Maybe it was time to put herself back out there.
I’d love to go for a walk. Hawk leaves in an hour, can we plan for something after that?
Of course! Say bye to your man and then just shoot me a text. I’m hanging out with Stone in the office until you’re ready.
Jessie liked the message, then tossed her phone on the bed and pulled her hair up into a bun as she walked over to the mirror.
“Holy shit.”
“What?” Jessie asked, the heat of Hawk’s eyes burning a trail from her neck down to her belly. His hair was stillshimmering with little drops of water from his shower. She forced herself not to think about how good he looked.
“The bump. It’s really just…there now, isn’t it?”
She smiled. “You have this reaction every time you see me getting dressed lately!”
In two strides he was next to her, angling his body so one of his hands could come up and rest against their baby while the other rested against the small of her back. “Yeah, because it’s incredible.You’re incredible.I did this, Jess. Fuck. I put this baby inside you and now they’re growing so big. I’ve never seen a more perfect sight before in my life.”
Hawk dropped to his knees and smiled. She laughed, her hands reaching out to rest on his shoulders. “I’ll try to remind you of that when I’m the size of a whale and I won’t be able to see you over the belly when you’re down there like that.”
“And what would I be down here doing where you couldn’t see me?” His eyebrow raised as he smirked at her. His fingers slipped beneath the hem of her dress and danced along the skin of her thigh.
Her fingers raked through his hair. “We don’t have time for that right now,” she sighed.
“You sound sad about that. I can’t leave knowing you’re sad.” Hawk’s finger traced along the edge of her panties, slipping between the soft fabric and her skin.
“Hawk…”
“It’s okay, Pretty Girl. I can be very efficient when I put my mind to it. One or two orgasms before I leave should set you up nicely until I’m back tomorrow.”
“Mm. Oh!” Jessie gasped, her fingers tightening around the handful of hair she’d taken hold of as Hawk’s thumb pressed against her clit.
He chuckled. “And that sight right there will be all I can think of today.”
“Hawk… I…”
“I know how you like it, mama.” His free hand came up under her thigh, lifting it to rest over his shoulder. Her back rested more on the wall as her leg shook with every stroke of his fingers. “I’m in charge right now. You’ll get there. I promise.”
