Page 142 of Downpour

I held the fluffy fabric to my body to keep my heart from thumping out of my chest as lights flashed for test shots.

He was sinfully sexy with wet, tousled hair, neatly trimmed stubble, and a lazy smirk on his face.

Bree and Gracie had come down to the house that morning to color in his tattoos for luck. They had only colored a few, but it meant the world to all three of them to have their Uncle Ray back.

I chewed on my fingernail and clenched my thighs as Ray slumped casually in his wheelchair and draped his arm over the back of it, opening his body to be photographed for the ad campaign.

He flicked his eyes at me and licked his lips. I could read the devilish thoughts racing through his mind. I could still feel the ropes twisting and twining around my body.

The photographer called out for him to change poses. Everyone was patient as Ray readjusted his legs, lifting one off of the footrest to stretch out on the floor. He cupped the back of theopposite knee and drew it up so his foot was resting on the edge of the wheelchair seat.

Oh… That wasn’t a bad view.

My heart raced as he looked off into the distance and tangled his hand in his hair.

The camera shutter raced as the photoshoot flew by. I was fascinated by the computer screen off to the side that showed each black and white shot lining up in real-time.

It was incredible how the shift of Ray’s mouth or the flick of his gaze could change the mood of the photo. Some were casual and relaxed. Some were playful, with the corners of his eyes crinkling as he laughed.

Others were devilishly provocative.

When the shoot ended, I handed the robe to Ray and crossed my arms protectively over my stomach. I watched as the father of my child interacted with people with joy in his eyes.

He had never looked sexier.

“You know, we should probably think about getting you a bigger vehicle,” Ray said as we made our way to his truck. He opened the passenger door for me, then wheeled around to the driver’s side.

I put his wheelchair in the back while he got behind the wheel. “Why’s that?”

Ray shrugged as he cranked up and waited for me to get buckled. “Your car’s small. A carseat in my truck will be a pain in the ass. We should get a minivan.”

A bark of laughter escaped me. “A minivan?”

“Yeah. Why not?” He pulled out onto the highway. “We’re gonna have a baby. It just makes sense.”

“We’re just having one baby, unless you know something I don’t know.”

He snickered. “I’m serious, Brooke. We should go ahead and do it. We’ve talked about wanting a lot of kids.”

Those conversations had always been hypothetical until I missed my period.

“In the future. Not today or tomorrow or in nine months,” I pointed out.

“In the future,” he conceded.

I couldn’t help but stare at him as he drove us back to the ranch. “You’re excited about this aren’t you?”

His grin was infectious. “It’s the best thing that could have happened.”

Vehicles and animals were clustered around the front of Claire and Silas’s house when we pulled down the drive. We were a little early for dinner, but that had never stopped us before.

Besides, I was starving and I was certain Ray’s mom would have something sweet tucked away in a Tupperware container.

My stomach lurched as soon as my flip-flops hit the grass.

“Baby—” Ray looked at me from the driver’s seat with concern. “What’s the matter?”

I grabbed his wheelchair out of the back. “Just nerves.”

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