A groan vibrated under my cheek. His arms tightened a fraction further, almost to the point where I had the urge to fight my way out of his smother, then released me.
“Go back to bed, babe. I’ll wipe the floor, then bring in our drinks.”
His fingertips grazed through my hair once more before I turned to shuffle back to the room, highly embarrassed about my explosive reaction. He’d only been trying to do something nice.
I was munching my way through another cracker when he silently walked into the room, startling me slightly. He set my mug down with a flourish, complete with a dimple popping grin, and my body temperature instantly spiked.
“Have you called Alice yet?” he asked while climbing into bed beside me, shooting me a look of scorn as he flicked crumbs aside.
I giggled and swallowed a mouthful of hot chocolate. “Nope, not yet. Shit, I’ve been taking so much time off lately. I hope she doesn’t fire me. Believe it or not, I actually love my job.”
Jace’s warm smile turned serious again. “Does she know you’re pregnant?”
“Yup. She hit me up a few weeks ago after I sprinted out to vomit for the fifth time that day. I’ll give her a ring now—she’ll be at the shop already.”
Swapping the mug for my phone, I waited for the call to be connected. Alice was breathless when she answered, mornings before opening were always crazy. This, of course, made me feel terrible for leaving her in the lurch,again.However, as soon as the wordsbumped stomach on counter, some bleeding,andtrip to A&Epassed my lips, she insisted I stay home and rest.
Alice had a heart of gold and two children of her own, so she understood what was at stake. I had to admit that it was nice being able to confide in her after she discovered my secret. The relief at not having to hide how shitty I was feeling was immense.
Jace tugged the blankets back around him after I finished up the call. “So, whatcha gonna do today?”
“Probably sleep some more, throw up a little, then feast on ice, carrot sticks, and more crackers.”
“Wow. Sorry to miss out on that. I’ve gotta get going soon—some of us have to work.”
He smirked, and I took the bait. “Well, as soon as you grow a fetus or two within that six-pack of yours,youcan stay home and ‘relax’,” I air quoted, because it was anything but relaxing thus far.
He grinned and looked at me from under his lashes in a way that melted panties. “Six pack, eh?”
“Get the hell out of my bed,” I laughed and reached for the crackers again, this time in threat.
“Whoa, easy there, Mumma. I’m movin’, I’mmovin’!”He tugged on his jeans, then paused mid-reach for his shirt. “Speaking of moving, I’m serious about moving in. I can stay here at night for the rest of the week, then move in properly on Saturday.”
I pursed my lips. “Do I get a say in this?”
“No. But if you’re really opposed to it, then I won’t force myself on you.”
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant even though I wanted to tell him to get his ass into gear and move in already.
“Yeah, that’s okay. It’s a win-win for both of us. I’ll grab you a key on the way out. But this—” I flicked a finger between us and my bed, “—is not the norm. You’ll be sleeping in your own room, not in mine.”
Sure, we were engaged, but I wasn’t quite ready to share my bed full time. That’s not to say I didn’t relish waking next to him in the morning. Because, Lord knows, I did. A lot.
His face dropped briefly, but he schooled his reaction just as quick. “Not a problem, sweetheart. I’ll still be in the house if you need me.” He opened his mouth to say more, but snapped it closed again.
“What?”
“It’s just that you’re really warm when you sleep.”
“Blame the pregnancy.”
He chuckled. “The babies will really increase your heat output.”
I gulped at how foreign it was to hear the wordbabies.I rolled it around my mind while gazing into a faraway land.
Jace clearing his throat pulled my attention back to him. His eyes had darkened a shade as he stood watching me mindlessly rub a hand over my swollen belly. My breath caught when I noticed his subtle transformation and what it meant.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he swallowed thickly. “I ah… need to get going.” He shook free from the sexual energy and cleared his throat. “Call me if you need anything. You want me to stay tonight, or you’ll be okay? I’ll sleep on the couch.”