Taking Chances
Page 86

He softly kissed his way from my forehead, to my temple, to my cheek and finally my neck before his whole body went rigid and he sucked in an audible breath. Getting up, he shrugged out of his shirt and started toward the ocean. I tried not to look at him, but my eyes betrayed me. While he walked towards the water I admired the muscles that stretched across his strong shoulders and arms. He was far enough away now that I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw some more tattoos, and frowned when I saw a large bruise on his waist spreading to his back. Not that I had a right to know anything about his life anymore, but I hadn't known he started again. I'd never asked him to stop fighting when we were together, but I think my freak out after the fight that had landed him in the hospital had pushed him to quit. After walking out a ways into the water, he dove under some waves and tread for a few minutes before coming back to shore and the blanket.
“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that.”
I knew what he was apologizing for, though I didn't want him to. I couldn't handle him pressing his lips to me again either, but I hadn't responded to the kisses, and he knew we could only be friends. “For cooling off? You should be, it's hot out today and I don't have a suit.” I turned to look at him, his face was guarded, but his eyes were thankful.
“We can go stand in it, if you want?”
Bree and Konrad were still nowhere in sight, and it was actually really warm today. “Okay.” I stood up and headed out, thankful Bree had picked out shorts for me today, that way I could go in a little further without soaking my clothes. “Oh my God, it's freezing!” I screeched and back away. “I change my mind, it's not that hot out.”
Brandon grabbed my hand before I could make it far and slowly pulled me back into the water. I squealed again when it hit my ankle but bit the inside of my cheek and kept going.
“Still bad?” He grinned and I almost lost myself in that smile. I hadn't seen him smile wide enough for his dimple to show in a very long time, I was glad for it now.
My teeth chattered and I nodded my head vigorously, I started to wrap my arms around my waist when I felt something, “Ha! I don't think he likes it much either.”
“What's he doing?”
“Come here.” I put one of Brandon's hands on my stomach and watched his face over my shoulder. His strong chest and abs were pressed against my side and I allowed myself to relax into him. My gummy bear continued on his kick boxing lesson for a few minutes, and I smiled at feeling him move inside me. I'd been so out of it, I hadn't even been paying attention to if he moved.
Brandon continued to stare at my growing belly, his hand slowly moving so the kick hit perfectly into his hand each time. “I think you're wrong.” He said softly.
“What do you mean?”
“I'll bet he's happy you're in the water. He's gonna be a little surfer when he gets older.” He smiled sweetly at me.
“Oh is he now?” I touched the other side of my stomach and spoke, “Hate to burst your bubble little guy, but Mommy doesn't know how to surf. Sorry.”
“I'll teach him.”
My heart kicked up in pace, this conversation with the way we were positioned was now too intimate. Brandon must have realized it as well because he dropped his hand and stepped back a few feet.
“So,” he said breaking the silence, “you said you think he'll be early?”
“Yeah. Did I tell you the Doctor said he was measuring big and developing quickly?”
Brandon nodded.
“Well there's that, and I mean, I know everyone's bodies respond differently to pregnancy, but I'm a lot bigger than I'm supposed to be. I'm afraid I'm gaining too much weight.”
“You still look perfect, nothing about you has changed except for your stomach growing out.”
“But I looked at pictures of other expecting mothers, and I'm as big as the women that are twenty eight weeks. And that was when I looked over a week ago when I was only twenty two weeks. I didn't even really look today,” I frowned when I realized how long it'd been since I paid attention to what was going on with my gummy bear. I didn't even know where my What To Expect book was anymore, “but this shirt is tighter than it was...I think I wore it the day before the funeral.”
“Harper, I promise you look beautiful. I honestly think you've looked more beautiful over the last couple months than I've ever seen you. And that's saying something. You're probably just going to have a big baby, I mean Chase was over six feet, it makes sense. Just be glad your son won't be short like you.”
I laughed, and it felt so good to laugh I wish it would have gone on longer. “Jerk.” I socked his arm pathetically. “I'm average height...kinda.” Brandon loved how small I was, since my body fit perfectly into his when we curled up with each other. But that didn't stop him or any of the other guys from constantly making fun of me and Bree for being short. It wasn't my fault Brandon was over a foot taller than me.
He held his hands up in mock surrender, “Just saying. Can you imagine having a boy that small? Girl, sure, but not a boy.”
“I guess you're right.” I smiled and reached out to interlace my fingers with his, immediately dropping my hand to my side when his look made me realize what I was doing, “I'm kind of tired, I'm going to take a nap.”
Brandon stared at me with an expression I couldn't name before he sighed and turned toward the beach, “I'll come with you.”