Page 31 of Teasing a King

The next store is much closer to what I’d imagined a baby store to be. There are brightly colored toys and racks of adorable baby clothes in a range of sizes and colors. Mya smiles as we enter, taking everything in. I see the moment she spies something she’s interested in. I follow her gaze and see that she’s looking at a display of baby furniture. I head in that direction, Mya beside me.

This section of the store has been laid out to mimic several mini nurseries. Each crib has a matching dresser and changing table. Some even have rocking chairs. Mya and I walk among the furniture displays, admiring each until she stops in front of one. I look over to see that she has a small smile on her face as she stands there looking at it. The crib doesn’t look much different from the others we’ve seen, but she must see something about it that stands out.

Mya walks over to the rocking chair next to the crib and sits down. She still has that serene smile on her face as she pushes the chair just a little to set it rocking. As she rocks, her hands move to cover her barely visible baby bump. Something in my chest squeezes almost painfully as I watch her. I can picture her in that rocking chair, in our home, rocking our baby to sleep, smiling. Suddenly, I want it more than I can stand. More than anything.

“Did you two need any help?”

The salesperson’s voice beside me startles me from my thoughts and I turn to see a young man standing next to me. I swallow against the sudden lump in my throat and muster up a smile. I see Mya stand and begin walking toward us.

“We’ll take this one,” I say.

“The crib?” the salesman asks.

I shake my head. “All of it,” I say. “The whole set.”

The man’s eyes widen slightly, but he only nods. “Yes, sir,” he says, walking over to write down some information from a placard on the dresser.

“Van,” Mya says, hesitantly. “Are you sure? We haven’t even looked at all the stores.”

I nod. “I’m sure,” I say. Then I have a thought that makes me hesitate. “Unless you don’t like it?”

She shakes her head. “I love it,” she says. “It’s just what I pictured. But what about you? What do you like?”

I smile at her and say exactly what I’m thinking. “I like seeing you in that rocking chair. I want to see you rocking our baby in it. You’re going to be an amazing mom.”

Mya’s mouth parts in surprise, and I wonder if I went too far. But she smiles. “Thank you,” she says softly before turning back to look at the crib. I watch her for a moment until the salesman motions for me to follow him to the register to complete the purchase. I ask Mya if there’s anything else she wants to shop for before I pay, but she shakes her head. I wonder at the shift in her demeanor, but I don’t say anything. I follow the salesman over to the register.

The car ride back to Oak Hill is mainly silent. After the salesman had assured us the furniture would be delivered within the next week, Mya and I had headed back to the car. She hasn’t spoken except to thank me for opening her door for her. After ten minutes of silence, I can’t take it anymore.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, wondering if I did something to upset her.

Mya nods, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “Everything is great,” she says. “I just got a little overwhelmed for a minute there. Things are starting to feel real, you know.”

I nod. Her answer makes total sense. But I don’t think it’s the entire truth. I’m tempted to question her further, but I don’t know how she’ll respond.

“I know what you mean,” I say instead.

Without thinking, I reach over to where her hand rests on the center console and cover it with my own. Mya tenses but doesn’t pull away. I give her hand a squeeze. I smile over at her as I pull the car to a stop at a red light.

“We’ll figure it out together,” I say.

Mya nods. “Together,” she whispers.

I’m still holding her hand, my gaze locked on her face. My eyes slide down to her mouth and I have the strongest urge to lean over and kiss her. I can almost feel the softness of her lips against mine, the startled little gasp as it escapes her. I can almost taste her on my tongue. I remember just how perfectly her mouth fit against mine the night we’d slept together. I can remember exactly how responsive she’d been to my touch.

A horn honks, startling me out of my daydream and making me remember where I am. Mya jumps, pulling her hand from mine as I see the light has turned green. I pull away, keeping both hands on the wheel as I drive the rest of the way home. We go inside and Mya says something about being tired from the long day and turning in early. I mumble some response and watch her as she heads up the stairs. As I watch her walk away from me, I have the sudden thought that I need to stop her. I can’t let her leave yet.

“Mya, wait,” I call up to her.

She freezes, halfway to the second-floor landing and turns to look at me. Her brows are raised in a question. I don’t know if this is a good idea or not, but I can’t help myself.

“Would you like to have dinner with me this weekend?”

The words are out before I have a chance to think them through. I just know I want to spend more time with Mya. Outside of the house. Spending the afternoon with her today just made me want more. I want to put on a nice shirt, take her to a restaurant and sit across from her. I want to talk to her and laugh with her. I want to learn her favorite foods, her favorite color, where she was born, her first celebrity crush and how she likes her eggs cooked. Or if she even likes eggs. I want to learn everything about her.

Ordinarily, that sort of thinking would set off alarm bells in my head. I’d worry I was moving too fast or falling in too deep. But with Mya, I’m not scared. I want to fall deeper. Spending the afternoon with her today has made me realize just how much I like her. And not just as a friend, though I know she claims to want that. Mya looks at me for several seconds before answering and for a moment, I wonder if I’ve overstepped. Maybe she doesn’t feel the same thing I’m feeling. Maybe she wants to stick to her rules.

But Mya just gives me a shy smile and nods. “Okay.”

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