My ovaries nearly combust from the lethal combination of those glasses and his gray sweatpants sinfully low on his hips. His bare chest is illuminated by the bedside lamp, highlighting every defined ridge of his stomach, earned from long days on the ranch.
Thankfully, I recover before he notices me staring… again. The last thing I need is to feed his already oversized ego. It’s notmy fault my baby daddy is ridiculously sexy, and my self-control seems to disappear when he’s around.
My predicament was made worse by our earlier trip to Meadowbrook. He effortlessly won Florence and Grams over, despite their initial reservations. The story about falling for me while watching me dance on the bar at Blue Moon Tavern was a stroke of genius—he even had me believing he’d choose me even if I wasn’t pregnant with his kid.
It’s a cold dose of reality that this picture-perfect facade is still an illusion. No matter how much I’m starting to wish all the romantic gestures and declarations were real, they’re not. I might have discovered Heath’s thoughtful side, but it’s reserved for the little peanut growing inside me. I’m just the unavoidable part of the equation he has to placate until the baby is born.
“Didn’t realize you needed glasses to read, cowboy,” I taunt as I climb into bed beside him.
Heath lifts his gaze. “You’re clearly enjoying the view, given how you can’t stop gawking. For someone so insistent on keeping things strictly platonic, you’re not exactly making a convincing case. I’m pretty sure you’re drooling.”
I scoff, fluffing the pillows behind me. “Am not.”
He leans closer, squinting playfully. “Yup, there’s definitely some hanging from the corner of your mouth. Must be one hell of a view to leave you this flustered.”
I frown and swipe the back of my hand across my lips on reflex. “If I were drooling, it’d be from boredom. Who reads a manual before bed? Unless you’re using it as a substitute for counting sheep.”
He curls his fingers around the manual. “Let me guess, you prefer smutty novels as bedtime stories?”
I tilt my head. “Oh, you’re well-versed in romance books, are you?”
He shrugs. “Ma loves historical romances and won’t stop going on about her novels. The ones where the dukes are always declaring their love during rainstorms or chasing women across manicured gardens at midnight.”
A small chuckle slips out of me. “Yeah, that tracks. I prefer shows over books, but I’ve learned a thing or two from Walker and Birdie’s dad when they read to her mom.”
Birdie’s mom has Parkinson’s and the severe tremor in her hands makes it impossible for her to hold a book or use an e-reader. She prefers a deep male voice when listening, so it’s been sweet watching the guys step up.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to your riveting reading material,” I say with a teasing smile.
I grab my tablet from my nightstand and slip my earbuds in. There’s a popular college hockey series I’ve been dying to binge, and I’ve been waiting for the third season. The second ended on a cliffhanger with everyone still guessing whether Chase, the star player, and Lauren, the coach’s daughter, finally hooked up after she showed up at his place unannounced, right after he told the team she was off-limits and admitted he didn’t want her to date anyone else because he wanted her.
I settle against the pillows, propping my tablet on my knees and pressing play.
The episode starts with Chase standing in his doorway, his chest heaving as he stares at Lauren. The fragile control between them snaps when he closes the distance and kisses her hard.
“Fuck me,” he growls. “I’m not waiting another second to claim you, baby, but first we’ve got to get you out of these clothes.”
I subtly angle the tablet away from Heath, sneaking a peek to see that thankfully his attention is back on his manual.
“Oh god, yes,” Lauren cries as Chase’s tongue traces along her throat.
A shudder snakes down my spine, and I inhale sharply, the sexual tension on screen hitting me like a spark to dry tinder.
Chase slowly drags down Lauren’s zipper, peeling the dress from her body. A soft groan escapes her as he grinds his rigid cock against her ass. He lets the fabric drop to the floor, then lifts her into his arms and carries her across the apartment to his bedroom. They make out the entire way, their kisses deep and desperate, hands roaming greedily over bare skin.
It takes every bit of focus to keep my eyes on the screen, but pleasure blooms low in my core as I recall the way Heath’s hands felt on me, tracing along my own curves. My breathing quickens while the couple on screen kiss passionately, him lying down on the bed with her straddling him.
“You doing okay, sweetheart? You look flushed.”
The tablet nearly drops from my hands as Heath’s question jolts me out of my haze.
“I’m fine,” I squeak.
He scoots closer until his knee grazes mine. “Don’t be shy. Let me see what’s got you so worked up.”
My pulse stutters as he steals an earbud and slips it into his left ear. His eyes widen the moment Lauren’s breathy moans flood through our shared audio feed, and he tilts the tablet so we both can see.
The camera pans to their locked gazes as Lauren slowly sinks down onto Chase’s cock, her mouth falling open on a gasp. His eyes darken while he brushes a strand of hair from her face.
