I feel him chuckle from behind me. “I mean, I’ve always been this guy. Even when I wasn’t ready to get serious, I still know how to treat a woman. I always made sure to make them feel special even if it was just for a night. And I never pretended that it was going to be more than it was.”

I know he’s not blowing smoke up my ass. I’m learning that’s not who Dylan is.

“Who taught you how to be so wonderful?” I ask.

“It’s not that hard. Baby, I grew up with four sisters and my mother. That’s a lot of estrogen to deal with. One thing my father instilled in me is to treat women in a way that I’d want my sisters and mom to be treated. If I wouldn’t want something to happen to them, I shouldn’t do it to someone else. Even when I was dating around, it’s not like I made a bunch of promises that I had no intention of keeping.”

“Seems like such a simple concept. I wish more men thought that way.”

“But then, you wouldn’t understand how truly awesome I am,” he jokes.

“Oh, I’m sure I could still figure it out.”

Ever since the birthday party, I’ve thought more and more about taking the next step with Dylan. Only in my deranged mind would I think that it’s normal to get pregnant before becoming boyfriend and girlfriend.

I realize we’re basically doing the relationship thing already. We have sex. We spend all our time together, and we aren’t seeing anybody else. The only way I’m still keeping him at arm’s reach is that I still sleep in my own bed. Well, and I don’t call him my boyfriend.

I’ve been telling myself that I don’t want to be influenced by my pregnancy hormones, but I know I’m scared to put myself out there because I don’t want to get hurt.

How long am I going to avoid being happy, though, before I believe Dylan won’t hurt me?

The man let me move into his house when he barely knew me. He’s dealt with my crazy emotions, taken care of me, and even planned an amazing birthday party for me. He’s pretty damn wonderful.

The baby breaks my concentration when she starts doing flips and moving from one side of my belly to the other. I take Dylan’s hands and set them on either side of my stomach.

“Holy shit,” he says. “That’s crazy.”

He’s felt her kick a few times, but this is the first time he’s felt her move like this.

“I can’t believe you get to feel this all the time,” he says.

“It’s great until she kicks me in the ribs and keeps me up all night.”

“Fair enough.” He reaches to the side of the tub and grabs a washcloth. After dipping it into the water, he opens it up and lays it on my belly.

I look back at him, and he says, “I don’t want her to be cold.”

“I think it’s pretty climate controlled in there.”

“Just in case.”

Much to my surprise, the baby settles down and stops the kicks. Dylan continues rubbing me all over and doesn’t stop until I’m ready to get out. I’m worried that if I don’t, I’ll get too relaxed and die from drowning.

Of course, Dyl gets out first so that he can help me. After drying off, he leads me to his room and lays me on the bed. He rubs me once more, completely relaxing every square inch of my body.

I’m lying with my eyes closed, just focusing on how good it feels. If I’m this relaxed now, I bet I’d be relaxed doing something else too.

I open my legs, spreading my thighs wide enough for Dylan to get the message. He doesn’t say a word but instead starts to tease my slit with his fingers. Sparks of electricity shoot through me when he touches my clit. This time, I don’t stare at the ceiling. I keep my eyes closed and focus on every single touch.

He uses one hand to gently tease my nipples while the other slips two fingers inside me. His tongue licks my clit in small circles. All the sensations together hold my focus.

All I can think about is how good everything feels.

It doesn’t take long before I feel myself climbing toward an orgasm.

“Oh my God, Dylan!” I cry as my fingers clutch the sheets next to me. “Don’t stop!”

I feel the very beginning of an orgasm creeping closer, and I hold onto it for dear life so that I don’t scare it away. This is an odd concept for me because I’ve never had an issue coming with Dylan before. This is a side of pregnancy I’m not fond of.