Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
“I thought you were joking.”
I shrug and burrow deeper into him. My leg raises up his thigh until I can feel his hardness against it. “Nope. I wasn’t joking.” I brush my hand softly against his chest. “Thank you, Austin… for everything.”
His voice is gruff, as if he doesn’t like for me to give him gratitude. “You don’t have to tell me thank you. I’d do anything for you.”
I clench on to his shirt but don’t say a word. What can I say? Yeah, Austin, I know you’d do anything for me. Even marry me when you don’t love me. I close my eyes and force all the thoughts out of my head. I feel a little guilty, allowing Austin to do everything he’s doing for me. But it’s only for two weeks. Then I’ll be out of his hair, and he can get on with his bachelor life… no matter how much it hurts me to do it.
Chapter 14
Austin
For almost two weeks, I’ve spent my days with Ally. We’ve watched television, talked, laughed, and hung out. I’ve done my best to keep her in this bed, and it’s been absolute torture for me. Night after night, I’ve held her in my arms, tight against my body. I go to sleep with a hard-on and wake up with one too.
So many times I’ve wanted to taste her again, but I haven’t. She’s obviously troubled with everything, and I don’t want to add even more pressure to her. Thank fuck, she hasn’t cried again since the day she moved in here.
“You have to go into work today, don’t you?”
I didn’t realize she was awake. I’ve lain here with my arms around her, cherishing this time when she’s asleep and her body melts into mine. There’s no hesitancy, insecurity, or anything else when she’s like this. It’s just the two of us. I clear my throat. “Yeah, just for a little while. But don’t worry, Elle is going to come over and hang out with you for a while.”
I know she’s rolling her eyes at me, and I’m not even looking at her. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
I rub my hand down her back. “Do this for me, Ally. I just need to go in for a little while, and I don’t want to worry about you while I’m there.”
She’s going to argue. I’m sure of it, so I’m surprised when she says, “Okay.”
I pull back so I can look at her face. “Okay? You expect me to believe you’re just giving in like that?”
Her hand slides across my belly. “After everything you’ve done for me the past week and a half, I figure I owe you.”
I kiss her hair. “You don’t owe me anything, but I do appreciate you listening to what Dr. Reynolds said. Your blood pressure has been great, no headaches. Plus, I mean, I’m a lucky man.” I let my voice trail off. There’s a hundred reasons that I can list why I’m a lucky man, and they all have to do with having Ally in my life, in my arms, and in my bed.
“I feel like a frump.”
I use my body to gently push her to her back. Hovering over her, I search her face. “A frump? You’re not a frump.”
She laughs, but it doesn’t hide the truth of her feelings. She honestly believes it. “I just lie here… and do nothing. I’ve probably gained at least ten pounds in the last week. You’re going to have to probably…”
“Bullshit. You’re perfect.”
I expect her to laugh or smack my chest in the playful way she does, but instead her face is completely serious when she says, “You think so?” She starts to stutter. “I mean, I know I’m not perfect, but do you think… damn, I don’t even know what I’m asking.”
“Ask me,” I demand.
She takes in a sharp breath and releases it slowly. “I just mean, do you think I’m… okay?”
I nod my head, still not sure I understand what she means. “I told you that you and the baby are going to be okay.”
She shakes her head. “Forget it.”
I lean into her, until her belly stops me from getting any closer. “No, I’m not going to forget it. What are you asking me?”
She blinks up at me, and her eyes that are normally a piercing green are more of a darker jade right now. They always get darker when she looks at me like she is. “Talk to me, Ally.”
She blurts it out like she can’t get it out fast enough. “It’s nothing. I just feel fat and undesirable. It’s a me problem, and I’ll get over it. I have more important things to worry about than what I look like.”
I thought for sure she knew. How in the world has she missed the way my cock digs into her any time she’s close? Yeah, I’ve tried to hide it from her, not wanting to take advantage of her, but I must have done one hell of a job hiding it from her. “You’re not undesirable—”