“Ineed to wash—”
“Theycan wait. Right now, what you need, is to just relax. So, we'regonnasit down and watch a movie.”
So,without dispute, I sat beside him and gave him the remote. He foundHomeAlone, a movie I hadn't seen since I was a kid, and we watched it, laughingtogetherand enjoying the company of someone whowasn't too busy for us. After a while, I found that he had been right.
Itwas exactly what I needed.
Ormaybe, I silently considered,all I really needed, was him.
Chapter Thirteen
TheNew Year came and went, as did the first trimester, and I found that DoctorGoogle had lied. Every article I had read about pregnancy assured me that thesecond would be so much better, so much easier, but I was still waiting forthat to finally happen.
Givenhow horrible I continued to feel, I wasn't sure it ever would.
Brendannever apologized for leaving me at Christmas, but I also never brought it upagain. Just the thought of arguing with him, while feeling so run down and ill,was exhausting. Plus, after he’d come back after a few days away, thingsbetween us immediately went back to being our type of normal. So, I had tuckedit away, to that part of my brain where things go to be forgotten but rarely forgiven.
“Whatdo youwannahave for dinner tonight?” he asked, justminutes after walking through the door after work.
Ishrugged from the couch. “I don't really know.”
“Kendo,”he drawled in a playful tone that reminded me of why I had moved to the city inthe first place. That hopeful girl still wanted to hear that voice and tonemore often. “You know you're cravingsomething. You always are.”
Irolled my eyes, just as playfully, and huffed. “And you know exactly what it isI'm craving, so why even ask?”
“Okay,so lots and lots of boneless wings, then. You got it.”
Inthe past couple of weeks, my desire for the wings at Goose's bar had gone frombeing a general liking, to an insatiable need. I found that, while any wingsusually sufficed, it was really his that I craved, and so, we found ourselvesregularly putting in orders.
“Wantme to pick them up?”
Ipressed my lips firmly together, imagining what it would be like for Brendan tofinally meet Goose. It wasn't as if I’d hidden my friendship from him, and itwasn't as if Brendan had ever shown any inclination of having a problem withit. But I did wonder how that would change if he knew that Goose wasn't afour-foot-tall ogre but really an unreasonably handsome Viking of a man.
“Nah,”I said, shaking my head. “I could use a walk.”
Hestudied me and I studied him back. He wasn't unattractive, not at all, and hecould wear a suit well. In the years we had been together, he'd aged a littlebit. The lines around his eyes were a little deeper now and the hair at histemples was a little greyer. But he wore the age well, especially now, standingthere in his crisp, whiteshirtand loosened tie. Thescruff on his face was just a tiny bit longer than it was this morning, and Icouldn’t help but imagine how good it would feel on the inside of my thighs.
“Whyare you looking at me like that?” he asked, teasing me with his tone, trying topull the words, the requests and demands, out of me.
“Noreason,” I replied, now thinking of what it'd be like to not see my boyfriendthere but a tall, reddish-blond Viking instead. How he would look all dressedup with a tie, so precariously undone and begging to be tugged off.
Iturned away and gave my head a little shake. Sending the images away andwishing they’d never come back, while also hoping they’d invade my sleeplater on, when I lacked the control to make them leave.
“Oh,no?” Brendan took the few steps to reach the couch, where he knelt at my feet.“So, if I took these pants off, I wouldn't find you soaking wet?”
Icouldn't lie; he would. So, I simply said, “Why don't you find out?” in a voiceso coy, I knew he wouldn't say no.
Andjust as I suspected, he didn't. He pulled my pants and underwear off in oneswift tug, spread my legs, and violated my body in wonderful ways with hisexperienced tongue. I got off, more than once, and wanting to return the favor,I instructed him to sit down and take his turn.
ButBrendan had other ideas, as he pulled himself out of his pants and pushed hisway between my thighs. I hooked my ankles around his hips and met him thrustfor thrust, certain it had never been so good before, while unable to stopwondering about how much better it might be with someone else.
Whenwe were both finished and the guilt of thinking about another man burned mycheeks, hot and bright pink, he collapsed beside me on the couch and brushedthe hair from my eyes.
“Youshould move in with me.”
Thecommand came out of nowhere and I faltered in my reaction. What I had withBrendan was fickle and I never seemed to know exactly where it was headed. ButI could handle that, just so long as I knew he was ultimately there for thebaby and me. But now, this invitation seemed to be handed to me out of nowhere,and I wasn't quite sure of what to do with it.
“What?”I pulled my pants on. “You want me to move in with you?”
