Jake exits the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist and I ogle him. He grins at me and swaggers around to get dressed slowly, and I know he’s putting on a little show.
“You are a tease, Jake,” I murmur as I kiss him.
“I’ll show you again tonight I’m not teasing.” My belly rolls between us. He slides his hand down over it and kneels before me.
“Hey, baby girl. Daddy can’t wait to meet you,” he tells my belly. There’s a sharp jab as if she’s saying hi to him.
“I better feed her.”
“What do you want for breakfast?” Jake asks.
“Fried eggs,” I answer immediately.
“I love that you know what you want.”
“I’d really love to eat you.”
He waggles his eyebrows at me. “You need a protein shot, huh?”
I shake my head. “You really do think only about sex.”
“I can’t help it when you’re naked and sexy.”
“Just go downstairs and start cooking breakfast, will you?”
“Yes, boss.” He kisses me quickly and then walks away.
I shake my head as he moves and then make my way over to the baby’s room. I can’t wait to start putting the furniture up in here and make it her room. First, her daddy needs to start painting it. Then, we can start decorating and fill it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jake
Toby and I have spent the best part of the last two weeks getting the room ready for the baby’s arrival. Today is the big reveal. I have a surprise for Stephanie up my sleeve to reveal it to her. I can’t wait to see what she thinks of it. I’ve left a lot for her to do, but I mainly just assembled the furniture and put up the wall decorations that we bought together.
“Jake,” Stephanie’s voice calls from down the hall.
She’s been out visiting Aria at my request so I could get this done. I’ve been waiting for her for about ten minutes now. It’s a complete surprise for my woman. In my hand, I have an emerald green blindfold.
I hear her moving around downstairs, and plastic rustling before footsteps start on the stairs and then I see her ponytail from earlier is gone, her long dark hair cascading around her shoulders. Her high heels are clasped in her hand as she sighs. I smile as she looks at me. I can’t help it. I’m in love with her.
She looks down at my hand, then back into my eyes. Her opals are full of lust, desire and a little bit of fear. “Why do you have a blindfold in your hand?”
“It’s for you,” I reply, placing it around her eyes.
“Jake, I’m all for you using the ropes, that’s kinky, but I’m not sure about blindfolding,” she says. The tone of her voice is shaky, but a little excitement is present too.
I brush her hair from her neck. “I promise you, my love, that I will never hurt you. If you don’t want to be blindfolded in bed, that’s fine, but this is temporary because I have a surprise for you.
“A surprise for me?”
I walk her down the hall, guiding her gently towards the baby’s room. I really hope she’s going to love what I’ve done with it. I lean forward and open the door, guiding her inside, then I move behind her.
“I have to say, my love, seeing you blindfolded is sexy. I could do so much with you like this, and there’s nothing you can do but let your senses be your guide,” I whisper. I’m damn sure I feel her shiver just a little bit.
I untie the blindfold and let it drop. She blinks for a moment.
“Jake…this is...”
“Our daughter’s bedroom,” I say.
She moves further into the room and looks around before turning back to me.
“Jake this is… Honestly, I’m speechless. You’ve bought everything I wanted. I didn’t mean for you to buy them.”
I shrug. “I wanted our daughter to be happy; for you to be happy.”
She rubs her hands along the frame of the cot. Watching her makes my heart swell. I know I did things right. She turns to me, tears glistening in her eyes. Fuck, I never meant to make her cry.
“You got everything I said I wanted.”
“Of course, I did. Nothing is too good for our little princess.” I step towards her and wrap her in my arms. “I didn’t take the mattress out of the plastic or the bassinette because I know you want to do those things.”
From my back pocket, I pull out a gift card that I put money on for her to buy all the things for the baby that she needs. I hand it to her. Stephanie’s hands shake as she begins to look at how much I put on it. “I thought you could use this to buy things going forward for our daughter. Larger size clothing, nappies, wipes, things like that.”
She looks up at me. “You are the most awesome boyfriend in the world.”
One day I’ll make that husband.
“You know I’d do anything for you, right?” I tilt her head up to mine. I lean down, pressing my lips to hers. My heart swells in this moment. Three words sit on the tip of my tongue. I never knew I could feel so much love for someone, and soon there’ll be two people in my life who I’ll adore more than the world itself.
“Steph…I…” I can’t form the words as I look deep into her opal coloured eyes. She owns my heart, body and soul. Who knew I’d fall in love with my sister’s best friend?
She looks up at me. “I love you, so much more than you’ll ever know.”
“Wanna show me?” I ask.
She gives me a wicked grin and slides her hand into mine before tugging me towards our room. Some would call me a coward for not telling her I’m in love with her. I want to do it more romantic than this.
She deserves to be shown, not just told.
Stephanie
Jake is full of surprises. Yesterday he set up our daughter’s room, and then he presented me with a gift voucher with four hundred dollars on it for me to spend on our child for whatever she needs. I never expected him to do anything like this.
Something is bugging me though, and I know Aria will clear it up. I swear he was close to telling me he loves me. Those are three words I’m longing to hear. I’m nearing desperation at this point.
Parking my car outside Aria’s place, I climb out as best I can. It won’t be too long, and I won’t be able to drive at all. I grab my handbag and make my way to the front door, knocking, then opening it to let myself in.
“Hey,” I call.”
“Hey,” Aria says. I find her on the couch, reading. Sitting down beside her, I wait for her to finish reading. She does, shuts down her Kindle and puts it to the side.
“If that is Riley’s new book, I’ll be pissed.”
“It’s not, I promise. I do know she’s got a new one coming, though. How are you?” she asks.
“I’m okay, almost ready to have this baby.”
“You’re ready? Girl, you’ve got ages to go. I wanted this kid out yesterday. I’ve started looking at old wives tales to get the baby out. I’m so ready to get my body back. Do you want a cup of tea?” she asks.
“Don’t get up. I’ll make them,” I say.