Chase and I are both dragging ass as we work together to keep an eye on Milo and get ourselves ready. I feed him a bottle while Chase showers. When he’s ready to go, and the baby is sleeping again, I run through the world’s fastest shower and throw on my office attire. I keep it a little on the casual side today, donning black dress capris and a light green smock top. After a quick blow dry, I pull my hair up in a no-mess ponytail and go light on the makeup for the sake of time.
Sliding into a pair of comfortable black flats, I meet my roommate in the hallway. Milo is cradled in his arms, and my heart starts to do a little pitter-patter dance in my chest. The sleeve of his T-shirt molds tightly to his bicep, and his powerful legs look amazing in basketball shorts. He’s a walking wet dream, and throw in the fact that he’s holding a baby, my ovaries start weeping with joy.
“Hey,” I mutter, glancing down at the bundle.
“He just went back to sleep,” he confirms. “I thought it’d be all right if I brought him downstairs.”
Nodding, I’m quick to agree. “Of course. Let’s get him in his carrier and we’ll make sure the bag is packed. We have a fairly light day at the gym. We need to go talk to Harrison right away and make sure he’s okay with me keeping him at the office. Maybe over our lunch break, we can run to the store and buy baby stuff. We have a lot to get.”
“Like a crib and stuff,” he says, his face already starting to show signs of panic.
“Eventually. I think we can get a bassinet at first. He’s still little,” I reply, noticing that my finger is rubbing tiny circles against the baby’s cheek. I didn’t even realize that I had moved to touch him.
Chase nods. “Makes sense. But we’re definitely going to need more clothes. Especially if there’s many more of those blowouts like this morning,” he adds, shivering in disgust.
Smiling, I agree. “Definitely. We should anticipate a few more of those, yes. I’ll try to make a list of the things Gwen got at her shower. That should give us a good place to start.”
Slowly, we make sure we have the diaper bag packed up and the baby secured in the seat and head to Chase’s truck. “I can drive my car if you want. This way, we have two vehicles at the gym, in case something comes up.”
He adamantly shakes his head. “No way. I want you with me.” Chase reaches over with the hand that isn’t carrying the car seat and runs his palm along my cheek. The moment his skin touches mine, flashbacks of last night fill my mind. He’s the perfect combination of powerful, yet tender. When he touches me like this, I can’t help but wonder why in the hell I fought this connection for so long.
Trying not to smile, I help him buckle the seat in the truck, noting that we definitely need to get a base as soon as possible, before climbing in the cab. On our way to the gym, Chase pulls into the coffee shop and orders my favorite drink. He also grabs two large black coffees for him and Harrison, and three cinnamon rolls.
When I glance at him in mock horror, he replies, “I think this situation calls for extra carbs and trans fats, okay?”
As the bag is set in the seat between us, I respond, “Oh, you won’t get any complaints from me.”
He hands me the drink carrier as he says, “You’ll be complaining later when I make you work off that cinnamon roll.”
I know he’s meaning in the gym, but that doesn’t stop me from asking, “Do you mean later tonight? In your bed?”
Before he pulls away from the window, his eyes fly to mine, dark and hungry with desire. His shorts suddenly look a little snug in the front, which makes me silently preen with excitement. I did that to him, just by mentioning having me in his bed. “Oh, sweet Gabrielle, that’ll definitely be happening later tonight.”
We’re silent as we drive the remaining few blocks to the gym, me smiling and sipping on my latte. Harrison’s truck is already there, but I expected nothing less. He’s always there before me. The only person who isn’t there is the man sitting beside me. “I’m surprised Harrison hasn’t called looking for you,” I say, unbuckling my belt and climbing out.
“He sent a text earlier. I told him I was running late but would be in around eight.”
The man climbs from his truck and immediately goes for the baby in the back seat. He has his belt released and the carrier in his hand quickly, the full diaper bag thrown over his shoulder, which is sexy all in itself. Pulling my eyes away from the man and baby, I retrieve our rolls and coffees and follow him to the back door. I’m secretly happy that Chase pulled in back, choosing to sneak in the back way, instead of walking through the front door. I’m sure everyone and anyone would question why we’re arriving – together – and with a baby, and frankly, that’s not something I’m ready to get into yet.