“You do know I can walk, right?”
“I’m just being safe, Cherry. Bathrooms are slippery and I don’t want you to fall. You’re carrying our baby.”
I roll my eyes and Carter gives me his “do as I command look” and I just roll them again. “I’ve been taking showers for the last three months all on my own, so I think I’m fine.”
I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth. I see the pained look on Carter’s face and I think he’s going to say something. Instead he brings his hand to my stomach and rubs it. When his eyes meet mine again, I can see how much we mean to him. It’s written across his face, clear as day. Carter isn’t a man with many faces, and the ones he gives me are nothing like I’ve ever seen him give anyone else.
“No one will keep you from me again. Ever. I have a plan, Cherry. I’ll keep you close to me, but I’m going to finish what needs to be done. I know someone fucked with your car, so evidently they found you. I thought I hid your tracks when you took off, but it looks like I missed something. Or maybe it was me. I was selfish when I left prison and I came straight for you. I didn’t think I had any tails but I should have known they would be watching me. They knew how bad I wanted you. How nuts I went that night. They also knew the minute I took that plea deal that I’d give up anything for you. They knew I would sit in that jail cell and not give two fucks about doing that time if it meant that when I was done I would get you.”
“Oh, Carter,” I whisper, his words bringing tears to my eyes.
“Let me finish, Layla,” he says and places a finger over my lips. “I missed that moment when you found out you were pregnant. They took me away from here and they took that from me. I’m done with them taking me away from you. I’m going to say this one more time so you know how serious I am. I’ll never leave you again unless I’m six feet fucking under. You got me?”
“Yes,” I tell him, feeling some of my worry slip from my shoulders.
“Yes what?”
“Yes, I got you Carter.”
“Good, baby,” he says. He reaches for the shampoo. “Now let’s get you all cleaned up so I can spend the day dirtying you.”
“Sounds perfect,” I reply, and lean my head back into the spray.
“But after we’re all clean you have to make your men some food. I’ll need energy to do all that dirtying up.”
“Men?” I ask. Is someone coming over?
“Yeah, Junior and me,” he says, rubbing my belly.
“Hey, that’s a little girl in there. Well it better be,” I scold.
“No fucking way, Cherry. If we have a little girl who looks like you, I’ll end up back in a jail cell.”
“Well I sure can’t squeeze any boy you made out of my vagina. That’s not happening.”
“Fuck me. I never even thought about you going into labor. Holy shit. I don’t think I can handle seeing you like that,” he frets, the panic clear on his face.
I burst out laughing. This is the thing that brings panic to Carter’s face.
“Not funny, Cherry,” he growls.
This only makes me giggle even more, earning me a classic Carter glare.
“Okay, okay. Get me clean so I can make us something to eat. I’m starving here.”
Carter starts rubbing me down with soap, getting my boobs cleaner than they’ve ever been in my life. He says he’s only checking to see if they’re sensitive yet but I call bullshit. Next thing I know my nipples are in his mouth. He moves and kneels in front of me, thoroughly cleaning every part of me until I can barely stand. My body is like Jell-O when finishes. He stands up and makes quick work of his own cleaning. He deems us both clean and pulls me from the shower. He spends extra time drying me off, then hands me a shirt from the bag he brought in last night. He puts it on me and then nods his head in approval. It’s so freaking huge the sleeves fall to mid-forearm on me, and the hem is almost to my knees. This is saying a lot, because I’m a curvy girl, and all his shirts fit him like a second skin.
“I have clothes I can wear. This thing is huge on me.”
“I like seeing you in my shit, so you’ll wear it. Got it, Cherry?” He says this like it’s a question but we both know he’s telling, not asking. He smacks my ass and pushes me towards the kitchen. “Food, woman. We’re all starving here.”
I shoot him a pissed-off look but the idea of going into the kitchen and making us breakfast makes me way happier than it should. It shows me how much we’ve missed, and how excited I am to do these little things with him.
When I’m halfway down the hall, Carter grabs me and spins me around.
“I gotta make a call so I’m going to step out back,” he tells me.
I want to question him, but I want him to know I trust him too.
“Mmkay.”
“Kiss me, Cherry.”
“I can’t,” I pout.
“And why the fuck not?” he growls.
“Because you’re a freaking giant and I’ll never reach,” I snap at him, loving that this is what we’re bickering about. Picking me up, he gives me a soft tender kiss, different from his usual punishing kisses. He nibbles at my lips and lazily slips his tongue into my mouth. After a moment, he’s sets me back on the ground again.
“I’ll just be out back if you need me.”
Nodding my head, I go to the kitchen and start taking things out of the fridge to make omelets. Suddenly I hear the front door lock click and Justin comes strolling in.
“Layla! I’ve been so worried about you. I heard what happened, and you haven’t been answering any of my calls,” he says as he rushes over towards me.