“By the look of it, I didn’t need to.”
“Bax.”
“Court. I’m not going to go for conflict only because you like to disagree for the sake of disagreement.”
“I don’t like to disagree for the sake of disagreement.”
“Okay.”
“See!” She threw her hands up. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
She’d pushed him about as far as he could go without saying something that might hurt her feelings.
“Okay.” He leaned in, popping her personal space bubble. “You’ve got a lot of pent-up energy again. Energy you used to release by fighting with me. But now that I’m not fighting, you don’t know what to do.”
Her breath came shallow. The skin above her collarbone turned red.
“Would you like me to help you with this?”
“You cannot just get me off instead of communicating with me.”
“Getting you off is communicating.”
“What if I want to get you off?”
“You know the cost. You ready for that?”
She closed her eyes. She seemed to not breathe. Then she opened them. “You’re not in this for me. I’m really struggling with that.”
The vulnerability in her expression tugged the pirate shenanigans right out of him. “What are you talking about?”
“The only reason you’re not arguing with me is because we’re going to be parents.”
He wasn’t really sure where this was going, but it didn’t seem to be a good place. “That’s not true.”
“I get it, Bax.” She moved her palms to his chest, gripping the cotton of his shirt in her hands, pulling him closer.
That movement? It felt fucking good.
The entire front of her pressed against the entire front of him. Her belly just an added curve to the gorgeousness that was Courtney.
“I just don’t want to always come in second.” She released his T-shirt. Smoothed the fabric.
He caught her hands. Held her gaze with his own.
“Who says there’s a line?” Because last he heard, there was only her.
She flinched. “You want our baby. I’m only part of the package. Like a bonus you didn’t really want.”
“Yes.” Dammit. That was not what he meant. He shook his head. “I mean, no.”
She pulled her hands away.
No. No. No. Red alert, Bax. Red alert.
“I mean, you’re not a bonus,” he blurted.
The hurt in her eyes. Fuck a fucking French fry.
