Kai: I’m guessing you’re busy? Or is there some other reason you’re being rude?
I growled.
Me: Currently creating an algorithm to solve the values in a rectangular subset of a grid in constant time.
Kai: Ha. That one’s already been created, toots.
I laughed out loud. Everyone in the room looked my way, so I hid behind my computer. It was bad enough I was the pregnant loser who everyone knew slept around. My old acquaintances pitied me for getting knocked up. So I didn’t speak to any of them.
I had forgotten that Kai was probably more trained in that field than I was. Which would make for good conversation if I ever ran out of other things to talk to him about. But he was still a mystery to me. There was so much I’d never learned about him in all our witty banter and joking over the last year.
Me: What kind of car did you find yourself?
That seemed like an appropriate question. The type of car a guy drove usually said a lot about them… I assumed. I hadn’t been lying when I told him the relationship thing was new to me, because it was. I didn’t know what it entailed aside from sex. Which was something I would probably be avoiding for some time given my current situation.
Kai: A truck. Crew cab. Thought the size would be good for all of us to fit.
His answer almost made me laugh again, but the sweetness of it kept me from doing so.
Me: Hmmm. I pegged you as more the fast car type.
Kai: Trucks. Cars suck ass. What kind of car you want?
Me: My current car.
Kai: I’ll get you to fold. I can’t wait till you see what I got you.
My stomach sank again. What he got me? Did he actually go and buy me a freaking car? I couldn’t let him do things like that for me. I could take care of myself. I could get myself a different car if my current one wasn’t safe enough for the babies. I would figure something out.
But how could I keep him from butting into my life like that if we were in a relationship and having babies together? How could I put distance between us when I had just barely let him in? All I wanted was to get to know him a little better, but now texting him at all seemed like a huge mistake.
The rest of my class was spent mulling it over. I didn’t respond to his text or any of the others he sent. I didn’t look at them. Not even when I texted him that a friend of mine would give me a ride to work since I had to be there right after class anyway. That was a lie, though. I didn’t have any friends. The idea that he would have to drive me, that I would have to sleep in my own apartment with him in there, that there was absolutely no escape from him, was harrowing. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him I could do a relationship if the first sign of him getting into my business caused such a reaction.
When class was out, I just started walking, not checking to see what his response was. I didn’t get far. As in, I didn’t even get past the parking lot. He stood, leaning against my car with no emotion showing aside from his arms crossed over his chest. It was my lemon he was leaning on. Not a new one. Not what I’d been freaking out about. My meltdown, my shunning him, was for no apparent reason. Guilt coated my tongue. The formidable look he gave me as I approached had my stomach churning.
“Where’s your friend?” he clipped, not moving from where he leaned. I shrugged, finding the asphalt to be very interesting. “I say I got something for you, and you shut down to the point of wanting to walk to work?”
I nodded. There was no point in hiding it.
He pursed his lips. My heart sank lower. I still couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t face myself, really. I had trained myself so thoroughly in closing off, but it was unnecessary in this case. And I’d hurt him. I could see that when he approached me, lifting my chin with the crook of his finger. His gaze was still hard, but there was hurt in his eyes, hidden beneath the anger.
“You thought I went and bought you a car?” His voice was ragged, eyes searching mine. Humiliation flooded me, making me tear up. I nodded again, not knowing what to say to him. He swiped away the one tear that escaped. “I wouldn’t force you into anything. Ever. If you don’t want it, I would at least wait until I convinced you to change your mind before just going and doing it.”
“M’kay.” I sniffled.
He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight, my belly squished against his. There was no reason for him to be kind to me, and yet he was. I kept kidding myself thinking I didn’t know him, thinking I didn’t care beyond measure for him. I knew him. He was kind, caring, protective of those he loved, courageous, and so much more. More than any other man I’d ever known. His amazing scent had me relaxing, of all things. I sighed, wanting nothing more than to stay wrapped in his arms for the rest of the day. My sudden bliss must have reached the babies, because they both wiggled around, pushing against my stomach.
Kai jerked back, eyes wide. “Was that them?” he asked in awe, reaching for my stomach but not touching. He would wait for me to give him permission. More respect than I got from most strangers.
“Go ahead,” I told him.
His warm hands gently held my bulging belly. The babies must have felt the change his touch caused in me, as they started nudging against his hands. His eyes were huge, staying glued to my stomach while the twins wiggled around more than they ever had before. Such joy filled me, watching the father of these babies loving them, that I was bursting with it. It was the absolute perfect moment with this guy who didn’t have to care but did. Just. Perfect.
I cupped his face, and he smiled dazedly right before I crushed my mouth to his. He held me while our lips moved, tongues gliding, teeth clashing. Much like that first kiss we ever shared, with the same amount of heat, only joy and love replacing the irritation and angst that had been there before.
He broke the kiss, glancing around the lot. “We’re giving everyone a pretty great show.” With a smirk, he winked at me. My limbs were on fire.
Sure enough, people were actually staring, some with their mouths hanging open.
I chuckled. “Who cares?” I didn’t. I could kiss him all day.
He laughed before grabbing my hand. “You have to be at work by three. You’ll be late if we don’t get going.”
Right. Work.
I let him put me in the passenger seat and noticed the bag on the floor at my feet. I glanced sideways at him, asking, “What’s this?”
Lips twitching, he shrugged. “What I got you.”
What he’d told me he got me that made me freak out and close up. Apprehensively, I looked in the bag and found a white muslin blanket covered in pink feathers with matching jammies. To match the set he had Ava give me a month ago. My heart about exploded as I leaned over the center console and kissed him again.
“You’re going to be late,” he said against my mouth, which had me kissing him harder.
I was only a few minutes late to work. The place wasn’t too busy, since the lunch rush had already come through. Tim greeted me at the front counter, seeming excited I was back in town, but kept telling me to take it easy, as he did every day I worked. More often than not, he’d urge me to take breaks way more often than any of the other servers.
While I talked to Brittany about what needed to be done in her section before I took it over, Tim sauntered over, leaning against the entrance to the server’s station. “So, what are we having?” he asked, interrupting Britt telling me about a poor tipper she had earlier in the day.