Lynsey’s eyes narrow for a second, and she takes my phone. “Actually, yes, we should do that. I think you’re a five, and if I’m right, then that really explains a lot of weird things about you.”
“See? It was a productive session. There should be nothing stopping you from moving out of Dean’s place and in with me.”
She shuts my phone screen off and hands it to me. “You think a one-hour session is all it takes to make me move in with you? Why on earth would you think that? I still don’t have a job. I’m not going to just move in and mooch off you when you barely know me.”
“I have plenty of money, Jones. More than enough for you, me, and that baby. You wouldn’t even have to work if you don’t want to.”
“I want to work.” She scrubs her hands over her face. “Didn’t you hear anything I said in there? I’m focused on achieving my career goals, Josh. And it’s important to me to be self-sufficient and feel accomplished. I could never move in and just sit around being pregnant all day. How boring.”
My nostrils flare as an ache in my chest resurfaces. She’s cute when she’s passionate like this. And as much as I’d prefer her to be safe and sound in my house every day, her ambition is sexy.
“So, what’s the solution?” I ask, my voice hoarse with unexpected desire that I really don’t need right now.
She licks her lips and takes a moment to calm herself before replying, “You can be involved in this pregnancy stuff while I’m staying at Dean’s. You can’t possibly have a problem with that.”
I feel the muscle in my jaw tick at the mere mention of his name. “I don’t like Dean.”
She blinks her big brown eyes at me, looking years younger than twenty-seven in her outfit right now. “Your opinion of Dean doesn’t really matter, Josh, because you and I are not in a relationship.”
“But you are carrying my child.”
She faces forward and exhales. “I get it. This is complicated. Look…we’ll…start with a friendship, okay? I understand that you want to be involved with everything, and that’s fine. You can come to my appointments.”
“But nothing else.” The idea of seeing her only once a month grates me.
Her face softens with sympathy. “What more would you want?”
My jaw clenches with frustration because if she wouldn’t have darted out of my house that morning, we could be in a very different place with each other right now.
The truth is, I haven’t been open to the idea of hanging out with a woman since I left the East Coast two years ago and came home to Boulder. But with Lynsey, I want something more. I’ve been drawn to her since the moment I saw her mumbling to herself in the hospital cafeteria. At first, her presence irritated me, but once I confronted her and her sweet, fumbling innocence spilled out, I was hooked. Yes, I was a dick to her…but only because I didn’t want to want her. Then she showed up at the same bar that night, looking seriously fucking sexy and talking about her profession like she knows a damn thing about the world, and I tried to push her away.
But she didn’t budge.
In fact, she asked me to kiss her.
And a whole lot more I never would’ve expected.
And now we’re having a child together, and the fact that I might want more from her than just being the biological mother to my child is confusing as fuck.
“Maybe we could see each other outside of appointments,” I offer, watching her face for a reaction.
“Like how?” she asks, pinning me with a dubious look. “Like more therapy sessions? Hard pass. I only did this one because I wanted to meet this doctor, but this isn’t the normal way men and women interact, Josh. If you want to hang out with me, it has to be more personal than whatever this was.”
“Like?”
She shakes her head like she can’t believe we’re having this conversation. “Like a normal outing, you fool. Think of stuff you’d do with a date.”
I hit her with a flat look. “I’ve always been a little busy with my job. Dating has never been a priority for me.”
Her brows knit as she looks me up and down. “Well, dates usually involve dinner and an activity.”
“An activity?” Arousal builds in the crotch of my jeans when my mind goes to a very dirty place that involves naked activities.
God, she really does look sexy in those overalls.
Lynsey shrugs. “I’m open to that if you are.”
“Okay, then. Dinner and an activity,” I repeat and then a thought hits me. “Oh, there was something I wanted to ask the doctor about but I forgot.”
“What?” Lynsey asks, watching me expectantly.
I deadpan, “I was going to ask her if the fact that you like to be spanked during intercourse is something I need to be concerned about.”
“You motherfucker.” She whacks me on the arm.
“Careful now,” I scold. “That phrase takes on a whole new meaning now that you’re pregnant with my child.”
“Oh, my God,” Lynsey groans into her hands. “I just realized that we conceived this baby while I was begging you to spank me.” Her face turns beet red, and out of nowhere, she starts laughing—a full-on belly laugh.
“I wasn’t spanking you the whole time.” I fight the smile that wants to spread across my face as I watch her come unglued. She really is stunning in her pigtails with the sun shining behind her as she wipes away her tears of laughter. Shaking my head, I reach into the back seat and grab something. “I don’t want to forget to give this to you.”
She calms and stares at the white box. “What is it?”
I shrug dismissively. “Open it and see.”
A dubious look spreads across her face. “If there’s a kinky whip in here, I am getting out of this vehicle right now.”
I have to bite my fist to stop from laughing. “You’ll have to save that for your Christmas list, Jones.”
She pops the top open and gasps. “Is this French silk pie from the cafeteria?”
I nod curtly while putting the car in reverse. “I figured you’ve been missing your favorite food group.”
She blinks rapidly, and I swear tears fill her eyes before she leans back and shoots me a coy smile. “I’ll try to keep this off your crotch this time.”
I wait to back out of my spot so I can pin her with a serious look. “If you want to drop it there, just make sure you’re up for cleaning up your mess this time.”
She bites her lip, and her eyes lower to my mouth. In the few seconds it took for me to deliver that reply, the temperature shot up ten degrees. We stare at each other for a heavy moment.
I don’t want the damn pie in my lap—I want her.
Before either of us can say or do anything, a car honks behind us, breaking the sexual tension fogging up my windows as they wait for me to back out.
I sigh. “It’s probably wise for you to wait to eat that until after I get you home.”
“I think that’d be for the best.” She nods and faces forward, her cheeks flushing with a heat that seeps all the way through my core.
“You really think it’s a good idea to tell Kate you’re pregnant at her The End party?” Dean asks, driving north toward Jamestown.