Well, maybe secretly not my mom.
Watching him talk sweetly to Ruthie while he patted her back did something to my insides.
And that scared me.
My baby girl burped, followed by her usual amount of spit up. Fortunately, nothing seemed to hit Alan’s shirt when I inspected it.
I may have double, then triple-checked his chest and back when feeling around for any stray vomit.
“Sorry,” I whispered when I realized what I was doing.
His mouth turned up in a grin. “Don’t be.”
He transferred a now-sleeping Ruth back to her crib and said, “We need to get comfortable touching each other if we’re going to convince our families this is the real deal.”
My heart sped up at the idea, and I swallowed hard before replying, “You’re probably right. What if they expect us to kiss?”
He slowly walked toward me, his eyes twinkling when they met mine.
“We should practice that, too.”
I took a quick inhale of breath and held it for a beat before slowly letting it out.
“I think that’s smart.”
He towered over me when he placed his hand on my hip, and ever-so-slowly brought his face closer.
“We can’t be too prepared,” he murmured before his mouth captured mine.
His soft lips moved slowly at first. His tongue ran along the seam of my lips, as if asking permission to enter. Permission I happily granted.
His mouth tasted cool, like he’d a mint, and I worried that mine must taste like dinner. But as he dug his hand into my hair and gripped, he didn’t seem to mind.
His lips glided against mine, then he caught my lower lip between his and tugged before releasing and repeating. A steady rhythm built between us, then he shifted and angled his mouth to deepen the kiss, and I think I let out a tiny whimper while I held on to his shirt for dear life.
I pressed my body closer to his and could feel his erection against my stomach. He brought one arm behind my back and slid his hand to my butt to push me even closer against him.
I was so turned on, and I could feel that my underwear were a mess. It’d be so easy to lift the hem of my dress and…
Suddenly he dropped his hands and broke the kiss like touching me had burned him.
With his chest heaving, he took a step back and panted, “I think we got it.”
****
Alan
I’m in trouble.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Alan
We put on a good show for her parents when we came downstairs—both of us were all smiles when we talked to Ed and Carol about Ruthie being fast asleep while we were going to get ice cream.
I even reached for her hand when we walked down the porch steps while her parents grinned as they stood in the doorway waving.
I had to give them a little credit. They could have chosen Kevin to marry Jess, and I know if they’d applied the right amount of pressure she would have done it.
