She shook her head quickly. “I like watching you with her.”
“Right? He’s amazing with all the kids,” Elli said, patting Jensen’s back. “And doesn’t forget a name.”
“I forget your name all the time,” he teased, and Elli laughed as she nodded. “No wait, that’s a lie. You sign my checks,” he said with a wink, and everyone giggled as he looked down at Rose. She was basically covered in pink, but for a moment, he imagined her in blue.
And his.
It felt right.
He glanced back to Wren, and her gaze met his. He wondered what she was thinking. “What?”
“It’s nice.”
He smiled as Rose stretched her body out, a yawn coming from her small body. “What is? You haven’t even held her.”
But she shook her head. “I know. But I mean you and her. It’s nice.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
His heart did a little jig as he nodded slowly. “You sure you don’t want to hold her?”
Gone was her smile, and it was replaced by a look of horror. “I could drop her.”
“You won’t,” he insisted as he slowly moved Rose from his arms to a very unwilling Wren. But she took her, cuddling the baby to her with all the fear one could muster in her eyes.
“Is she okay?”
“She fine,” he reassured as he moved Wren’s hand down a bit to support Rose’s bottom. “Have you never held a baby?”
“I was the baby.”
“What about Shanna’s kids?”
Her lips pressed together as she shook her head. “Nope. I never wanted to.”
He knew they weren’t talking and he wanted to ask about that, but it wasn’t the place. “How does it feel?”
Her lips curved a little on the left as she gazed down at Rose. “Good. She smells like heaven.”
“She does,” he agreed, wrapping his arm around Wren’s middle, holding her against him.
She beamed up at him. “I haven’t dropped her.”
“Nope, I’d say you’re doing well.”
“I am,” she agreed, looking back down to Rose. “I think I can do this.”
“You can, I know it.”
Her grin didn’t leave her lips as she leaned her head into his shoulder. Her demeanor had changed so much from when they had arrived, and he was thankful for that. He hoped she realized that she was good. Even without him, but she was better with him. He just needed her to realize that because he loved her. He loved the way her lips curved, how the little hairs on her neck flared out, and most of all, how green her eyes were. How they held every secret she was hiding. He wanted to know them all. He wanted her. All of her.
He needed her to give that to him.
As he looked up from Rose, his gaze met Vaughn’s. His best friend shook his head as he took a picture of them with his phone. Vaughn didn’t have to say anything, though; it was all in his eyes. He was worried for Jensen, and he got that, he did. But as he held his wife, looking down at the first baby she had ever held, he felt good.
Because if he felt anything else, like the fear that could eat him alive, he would drive himself mad. So he would ignore those feelings.
Instead, he would love her.
And hope that she loved him back.
Wren was pretty sure she could still smell baby Rose on her.
As she lay back on Brie’s couch that was up against the fireplace, not in its usual place since the interior designer was coming over, she cuddled into it as a smile played on her lips. That baby was so sweet, and Wren was glad that Rose was the first that she had held. She was perfect, didn’t cry, and let Wren just love on her. It was perfect, but being held by Jensen while she did it was about a billion times better. Exhaling hard, she felt her grin grow as she looked down at the picture that Vaughn had sent in the family thread the previous day.
They looked right. It was sort of nuts. She hadn’t noticed how good they looked together. Maybe it was how damn good-looking he was, but they just fit. She looked adorable in her overalls, but then, so did he in his simple shorts and tee. Really, though, when did Jensen not look good? Standing beside him, she came to his shoulder, and his arms fit around her, bringing her against him like she belonged there. His head rested on hers as he looked down at baby Rose, this content, gorgeous smile on his beautiful face. He looked like he was meant to be a husband and father, but when she looked at herself, she was surprised to find she felt she looked the part too.
She didn’t look like a fake.
Like an impostor.
She looked like she belonged.
In Jensen Monroe’s arms, holding their child.
Holy shit.
Before she could really decipher those feelings, which she felt were a little insane, she was distracted by the thread below the picture.
Vaughn: Look at them, practicing for when their baby comes! Isn’t it sweet? Gagggggggggg.
Mom: Oh my goodness, they are so cute together!
Mom: I can’t wait to get my hands on her belly!
Dad: Why would you want to touch her belly? That’s weird.
Mom: It’s my grandchild, you freak! Come out of the woodshed and spend time with me.
Dad: No, I’m hiding from you.
Mom: I’m going to kill you.
Dad: Bring it.
Vaughn: Was that their version of foreplay?
Wells: I feel it might have been, and I just threw up.
Jensen: I did too.
Wells: But hey, you two look cute. Like real and shit.
Jensen: Because it is.
Vaughn: Ooooooh, he told you.
Wren: You guys are losers.
But even with her addition to the ongoing and annoying thread, she still couldn’t stop staring at the picture or Jensen’s text to her brother.
Because it is.
It was that simple for him.
Too bad she wasn’t completely convinced, but then, how could she be? She was realistic, and she knew her track record. Everyone she fell for dumped her like a bad habit. She didn’t want to be Jensen’s bad habit, the thing he dropped the first chance he got. While the day before had been awesome and they had a great time with their friends, they had gone home and went to bed. Right to bed. No cuddling, no kissing to the point of a boner, nothing. Just sleep. It was boring, and she was losing her ever-loving mind. She wanted him. God, she wanted him. Each little caress, each little look, and those kisses? They were torture! She just didn’t get it. Why didn’t he want her? Why hadn’t he taken her to bed? It was beyond her comprehension.
“Right? He’s amazing with all the kids,” Elli said, patting Jensen’s back. “And doesn’t forget a name.”
“I forget your name all the time,” he teased, and Elli laughed as she nodded. “No wait, that’s a lie. You sign my checks,” he said with a wink, and everyone giggled as he looked down at Rose. She was basically covered in pink, but for a moment, he imagined her in blue.
And his.
It felt right.
He glanced back to Wren, and her gaze met his. He wondered what she was thinking. “What?”
“It’s nice.”
He smiled as Rose stretched her body out, a yawn coming from her small body. “What is? You haven’t even held her.”
But she shook her head. “I know. But I mean you and her. It’s nice.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
His heart did a little jig as he nodded slowly. “You sure you don’t want to hold her?”
Gone was her smile, and it was replaced by a look of horror. “I could drop her.”
“You won’t,” he insisted as he slowly moved Rose from his arms to a very unwilling Wren. But she took her, cuddling the baby to her with all the fear one could muster in her eyes.
“Is she okay?”
“She fine,” he reassured as he moved Wren’s hand down a bit to support Rose’s bottom. “Have you never held a baby?”
“I was the baby.”
“What about Shanna’s kids?”
Her lips pressed together as she shook her head. “Nope. I never wanted to.”
He knew they weren’t talking and he wanted to ask about that, but it wasn’t the place. “How does it feel?”
Her lips curved a little on the left as she gazed down at Rose. “Good. She smells like heaven.”
“She does,” he agreed, wrapping his arm around Wren’s middle, holding her against him.
She beamed up at him. “I haven’t dropped her.”
“Nope, I’d say you’re doing well.”
“I am,” she agreed, looking back down to Rose. “I think I can do this.”
“You can, I know it.”
Her grin didn’t leave her lips as she leaned her head into his shoulder. Her demeanor had changed so much from when they had arrived, and he was thankful for that. He hoped she realized that she was good. Even without him, but she was better with him. He just needed her to realize that because he loved her. He loved the way her lips curved, how the little hairs on her neck flared out, and most of all, how green her eyes were. How they held every secret she was hiding. He wanted to know them all. He wanted her. All of her.
He needed her to give that to him.
As he looked up from Rose, his gaze met Vaughn’s. His best friend shook his head as he took a picture of them with his phone. Vaughn didn’t have to say anything, though; it was all in his eyes. He was worried for Jensen, and he got that, he did. But as he held his wife, looking down at the first baby she had ever held, he felt good.
Because if he felt anything else, like the fear that could eat him alive, he would drive himself mad. So he would ignore those feelings.
Instead, he would love her.
And hope that she loved him back.
Wren was pretty sure she could still smell baby Rose on her.
As she lay back on Brie’s couch that was up against the fireplace, not in its usual place since the interior designer was coming over, she cuddled into it as a smile played on her lips. That baby was so sweet, and Wren was glad that Rose was the first that she had held. She was perfect, didn’t cry, and let Wren just love on her. It was perfect, but being held by Jensen while she did it was about a billion times better. Exhaling hard, she felt her grin grow as she looked down at the picture that Vaughn had sent in the family thread the previous day.
They looked right. It was sort of nuts. She hadn’t noticed how good they looked together. Maybe it was how damn good-looking he was, but they just fit. She looked adorable in her overalls, but then, so did he in his simple shorts and tee. Really, though, when did Jensen not look good? Standing beside him, she came to his shoulder, and his arms fit around her, bringing her against him like she belonged there. His head rested on hers as he looked down at baby Rose, this content, gorgeous smile on his beautiful face. He looked like he was meant to be a husband and father, but when she looked at herself, she was surprised to find she felt she looked the part too.
She didn’t look like a fake.
Like an impostor.
She looked like she belonged.
In Jensen Monroe’s arms, holding their child.
Holy shit.
Before she could really decipher those feelings, which she felt were a little insane, she was distracted by the thread below the picture.
Vaughn: Look at them, practicing for when their baby comes! Isn’t it sweet? Gagggggggggg.
Mom: Oh my goodness, they are so cute together!
Mom: I can’t wait to get my hands on her belly!
Dad: Why would you want to touch her belly? That’s weird.
Mom: It’s my grandchild, you freak! Come out of the woodshed and spend time with me.
Dad: No, I’m hiding from you.
Mom: I’m going to kill you.
Dad: Bring it.
Vaughn: Was that their version of foreplay?
Wells: I feel it might have been, and I just threw up.
Jensen: I did too.
Wells: But hey, you two look cute. Like real and shit.
Jensen: Because it is.
Vaughn: Ooooooh, he told you.
Wren: You guys are losers.
But even with her addition to the ongoing and annoying thread, she still couldn’t stop staring at the picture or Jensen’s text to her brother.
Because it is.
It was that simple for him.
Too bad she wasn’t completely convinced, but then, how could she be? She was realistic, and she knew her track record. Everyone she fell for dumped her like a bad habit. She didn’t want to be Jensen’s bad habit, the thing he dropped the first chance he got. While the day before had been awesome and they had a great time with their friends, they had gone home and went to bed. Right to bed. No cuddling, no kissing to the point of a boner, nothing. Just sleep. It was boring, and she was losing her ever-loving mind. She wanted him. God, she wanted him. Each little caress, each little look, and those kisses? They were torture! She just didn’t get it. Why didn’t he want her? Why hadn’t he taken her to bed? It was beyond her comprehension.
