I bite my cheek to keep from laughing. “You don’t want it?”
“What?”
If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s in a trance.
I take a step closer, pressing my legs harder against hers.
“Harper?”
“Mmmm?” She leans my way as if she doesn’t have another choice. As if my pull on her is as strong as the one I’m feeling from her.
I lift the box between our bodies and offer it to her. “Your surprise.”
“Oh.” She blinks a few times before shifting her focus to my hands. “I’m so excited. Let me see.”
I place the box into her waiting hands, studying her every move. She opens the box and pushes the tissue paper aside.
“Ryan, this is adorable.” Her eyes are shiny as she takes out one thing after another.
Pregnancy fruit comparison stickers to stick on a belly for weekly photos. There was no way I could pass on those. A T-shirt for Harper that says It’s the Little Things in Life with a heart and a matching onesie that says Little Thing. And a necklace with two connected circles. The card it’s attached to says Being a mama means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life, no matter what.
Silent tears stream down Harper’s face, and I sit next to her to wipe them away with my thumbs. “Happy tears?”
She nods and laugh-sniffles. “Thank you so much. I love it.”
“Welcome.” I don’t want to leave her, not even for a second, but I do to get the tissue box from the nightstand.
After taking care of her tears, she places everything back in the box and puts it on the table. When she comes back to me, she doesn’t sit back on the bed. Instead, she stands in front of me. I open my legs, and she steps between them.
Keeping her hands by her sides, she regards me, her eyes and nose both still slightly red. “That was the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given to me. Thank you.”
No smile, no laughter.
I want to wrap my arms around her and never let go. “It’s nothing.”
She pushes closer. “To me, it is. I love every single piece.”
“I’m glad.” Pride fills my chest that I did right by her. It took me forever to find everything, but to have her look at me like this was worth every single second of it.
“Did you get it all yourself?”
I tip my head left and right. “Google helped.”
At that, she laughs, exposing her neck to me. The sound turns me reckless, and I touch her throat, trailing one finger from the curve of her jaw all the way down to the top of her shirt.
She watches me, her pupils dilating as she closes the remaining distance between us. Her hands rake through my hair, tugging on the short strands at the base of my neck.
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you and how badly I want you.” Her words are a soft whisper against my chin, right before she moves away to bite my earlobe.
“Fuck.” I pull her close to me, squeezing her ass cheeks because I’m helpless around her. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
She draws back. “You won’t. You heard the doctor. Sex is totally safe, and I’ll tell you if anything feels uncomfortable or hurts. Promise.”
“But you’re in charge.”
Her eyes brighten, and she smirks. “Deal.”
She’s quickly become a part of my life I didn’t realize I was lacking. She’s brought a lightness to it with her easygoing personality. And her laughter. Lots of laughter. She’s made me happier.