“It’s kind of depressing that you don’t have a Christmas tree or menorah here,” I say blankly, and I have no clue why that flew out of my mouth, but I’m truly mesmerized and can’t even blink.
“That is the least of our worries right now but feel free to fix that.”
“Right. Because we’re having a baby and I just agreed to move in with you, so that is clearly the pressing matter in this moment.”
His eyes dip down, and his two long fingers on his right hand drift to my stomach. The feeling of his fingers touching my belly is pure affection on his part, but I can’t help feeling that this is the man that will be so much more than a baby daddy.
The holidays suddenly feel extra magical.
And the room is getting very warm.
Burning-hot warm.
“Are you okay?” Asher looks at me concerned, and he must notice.
Warm. Painful. Aching.
I struggle to relax my body, because I’m tense with arousal. I attempt to scoot away to distance myself. “You know… just a little warm.” I’m clenching my thighs together to control my frustration.
“Shit. What’s wrong? Let me get you a cloth.” Is he that oblivious?
I grab his arm to stop him from leaving. “I’ll be fine. It will pass,” I lie. “My body has just been notifying me that your touch does strange things to me. So why don’t you eat a goddamn snowman cookie while I come to terms with that challenge.”
He bubbles a laugh then rolls his lips in to observe me fora few seconds. His tongue glides along his teeth, only to reveal an almost a cocky grin before he listens and grabs a cookie from the tin.
A peanut butter blossom with red and green sprinkles.
Good choice.
CHAPTER 9
ASHER
My arm lying above my head is sore, and I begin to move on the sofa, my eyes heavy as they open. It takes mere seconds for me to realize that Gracie is still in my hold, and we must’ve fallen asleep.
My other arm is wrapped around her waist, and my hand has gravitated to her still-flat belly at some point. The corner of my mouth tugs because underneath my palm is a baby. One that was not on my holiday wish list a few weeks ago.
Gracie begins to stir in my arms and yawns as she wakes. “Did I fall asleep?” she mumbles groggily.
“Mmm-hmm,” I answer her and begin to sit up, and she follows.
She rubs her eyes and latches her view onto me. “You too?”
I glance at my watch and it’s almost eleven. “Yeah.”With you in my arms.
“Oh. Well, I should probably get home.”
I snicker as I stand because of every ridiculous word in that sentence. “It’s fine. You can stay here. I have to get up early for practice, but you can sleep in.”
She stands and wiggles her finger side to side. “No. I’m at the boutique tomorrow. There will be no sleeping in, as it will only tip off my mom. I so much as sneeze and she is diagnosing me with health options.”
Rubbing the back of my neck, I have to point out the obvious. “I guess we wait for our parents to find out. Probably at some point we should at least mention one another’s names to them to ease them into this before we drop the big baby news.”
Her head nods as she yawns again. “You are totally right.”
“Come on, let’s go to bed.” I indicate with my head. “I’ll give you a shirt if you want.”
A droll smile ghosts her lips.
