Light Her Fire (Private Pleasures 2)

His hands were supporting her before she could catch her breath and tell him she was okay.

“Contraction?” His eyes were dark and fixed on hers.

“Yes.” She gulped in air, got on top of the wave, and smiled at him. “I think Baby Bradley is finally ready to make an appearance.”

“Okay. No problem. Stay calm.” He let go of her, started one off way, then the other, and then danced in place for a moment. “Where’s your bag?”

“It’s in your truck.” For some reason, the abject terror in his eyes calmed her. This man was trained to handle emergencies, but the birth of his child left him floundering.

“Right.” He took her hand and dragged her around the house like a tugboat with an ungainly load.

“Josh,” she called out. She tried again because he didn’t seem to hear her. When they reached the passenger side of his truck, she dug in her heels. “Josh!”

“What?” He spun to face her and grasped her arms, but his eyes jittered to his watch. He was ready to time her.

There were so many things she wanted to say. Don’t worry. I’ve got this. It’s going to be fine. And she knew, from the bottom of her soul, every word was true, but what came out of her mouth was, “I love you.”

He looked up, focused on her, and smiled. “I love you, too, Bluelick.” He splayed his hand over her big belly. “I love you, I love us, and I can’t wait to meet the newest member of our family.” Then he lowered his head and kissed her. Reverently. Passionately. Everything in between.

She kissed him back, looking deep into his eyes the whole time, and then exhaled slowly into his mouth as muscles tightened around her middle. When the contraction passed, she rested her forehead against his. “Are you ready to make your move, Chief, or are you just going to stare all night?”

He kissed her again and lifted her into the passenger seat. “Bluelick, don’t you worry. I’m ready.”