Page 44 of Exposed

I don’t have the heart to wake Pepper. She worked hardcatering, then came home and took care of my son after I yelled at her.

Tiredness seeps into every cell in my body. I’m exhausted from worrying about my parents. They called on my way home from work saying they were okay and almost home. My dad fractured his wrist and will get a cast tomorrow.

One thing is for sure, I don’t want my parents driving all the way from Aveline every time I need a babysitter. They can’t be my nannies. Once in a while, sure, but they need to be able to enjoy being grandparents without the obligation of driving into Miami almost every day.

I need a nanny, and my top pick is currently cuddled up next to my son. She may not be here forever, but I’m going to make the most of the time I have with her. Although, I’d like to convince her to stick around. She’s courageous and kind, and her beauty rivals even the coolest ocean sunrise I’ve seen.

17

A FEW GOOD PULL UPS

PEPPER

Falling asleep in Simon’s bed last night was awful. I could’ve accidentally kicked him in my sleep. I woke up when Simon started crying around midnight and quickly excused myself to the guest room. Matt assured me it wasn’t a problem as he left the room to get Simon’s bottle ready.

“I’m sorry. Sleeping with him was dangerous. I could’ve rolled over on him,” I say for the hundredth time while we’re in Matt’s workout room. I’m wearing a t-shirt, sports bra and shorts that Matt bought for me. Believe me, I’m bringing that up next. I don’t know what his motive is for buying me stuff, but I’m about to find out. As soon as I redeem myself from the fact that I crawled inside a crib.

“His crib is small enough that you don’t have room to roll over on him.” He pauses to bang out a few reps of a liftwhere he squats while holding insanely looking heavy dumbbells on his shoulders, then explodes to a standing position and pushes the weights up above his head.

He’s shirtless, and the muscles in his torso and arms strain and stretch under the work. His chest and abs rise and fall and from the effort he just expended. Hot damn, I want to lick him.

“Pepper.” Matt’s voice breaks through my lust-filled thoughts.

“Hmm?” I move my eyes from his body to his blue gaze, and he’s grinning at me. He knows I was checking him out, and I feel my cheeks heat.

“I don’t care that you fell asleep with him, Pepper. I can work easy knowing you’re here caring for him,” Matt explains, wiping sweat from his brow.

Simon is kicking his feet and throwing his hands around on his little play mat in the corner of the workout room.

“I’ve watched babies hundreds of times, and I never once climbed in the crib with them. Simon was so fussy, and he calmed down as soon as I got in the crib. I sang to him, then I fell asleep accidentally.” Laying next to a sweet smelling, tiny baby was incredibly relaxing.

“You guys looked adorable in there together,” Matt grins.

“Well, it won’t happen again. But I’ve gotta say, once he can have a blanket, he’ll totally fall asleep with that cozy blanket. I’ve never felt anything so luscious.”

“It’sluscious?” He laughs, then picks up his dumbbells for another set.

“That’s the best word to describe it,” I shrug. “Next subject. Why are you buying me clothes and shoes?”

Matt raises his eyebrows at me in the mirror as he lifts.

“What’s your motive, Matt? Be straight with me.”

Once he finishes his set, he turns to face me with his hands on his hips. His black shorts hang low on his waist, and his bare torso glistens with sweat.He’sluscious. I wanted to wrap myself up in Simon’s blanket last night, but right now, I’d much rather have Matt’s body wrapped around me.

I can’t forget the night when he made me come, and I’d like to do it again.

Focus. Find out what he wants.

“Have you ever had someone do something nice for you without wanting something in return?” He asks.

“No,” I shake my head.

“I like you, Pep. I do things for the people I care about.”

He does another set of reps that looks incredibly difficult with the big dumbbells he’s using, and I do the same lift with five-pound dumbbells he bought for me when he bought my clothes.

Yeah. Another nice thing he did. There are now dumbbells in his exercise room for guess who? Me.

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