Page 41 of Unexpected Delivery

I love the crinkling that happens near her eyes when her nose wrinkles.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure there are laws that protect your ability to breastfeed her anywhere. And I’m not just saying that because I’m trying to catch a peek of your nipples.” I laugh as her head tilts.

See, she might have just given birth, but her ex destroyed her self-esteem. I don’t see a problem with a little harmless flirting to make sure she knows she’s still sexy as hell.

I wiggle my eyebrows as Gracie continues to grunt and fuss. “Fine, I’ll turn around if Ihaveto.”

Arbor smiles, snagging the extra baby blanket out of the diaper bag. “You’re a terrible flirt.”

Oh no, beautiful. I’m very good at it, and you’ll see firsthand as soon as you’re feeling better.

“I thought we were going into the diner to grab lunch…” Arbor picks up her speed to keep up with my long strides.

“We are. I just need to make a quick stop here. After we’re done, we’ll walk over and grab lunch.” Normally, I would slow down to keep pace with her, but I’m afraid if I don’t get her into the store before telling her what we’re here for, she’ll try to leave.

Hell, she still might.

Being careful not to jostle Gracie, I snag the door to the cell phone store and nod for Arbor to go on in. She slides past me, and I follow her in, appreciating how well the coat I picked for her fits.

Sure, we spent most of the time yesterday shopping for Gracie, but Hayes made it clear exactly how much Arbor was lacking, so we got a few staples for her too.

The peacoat she’s wearing falls mid-thigh and has big black buttons that fasten up the middle. It’s a fit-and-flare style that looks fantastic on her curvy figure.

Her long dark hair falls over her eyes as she spins to face me. “Is something wrong with your phone?” she asks, licking her lips.

Fucking hell.

My dick jumps. Everything in me wants to wrap my hand around her back, pull her to my chest, and kiss the hell out of her.

How long do we have to wait for things like kissing and cuddling? I get that she’s healing, but intimacy exists outside of sex, right?

Hell, even sex doesn’t have to be all that intimate if you do it right.

No.

Fuck.

I’m so screwed.

We may be the same age, but Hayes seems to have aged several lifetimes while he was in the military. Then again, he’s always been serious and focused. That makes him a safe bet for a relationship.

Morris is an even safer bet for a woman because the man is incapable of playing games. Once he’s committed to something, he doesn’t waver.

I want Arbor to trust me too. Making her want me physically seems exponentially easier, since I have plenty of experience with that, but if I don’t figure my shit out, I’m afraid I’ll get left behind.

“We’re here for a new phone foryou.” I grin extra deep to make my dimples pop. They might be hidden by my stubble, but they should still get the job done.

Arbor takes a step back, frowning. “I have a phone.”

My brow furrows, and I continue to blink. “Sweetheart, you’ve got to hit seven four times to get the S. That’s not a phone. It’s a relic.”

“It’s not like I have anyone to text, anyway. It works for what I need it to do.”

“If it did, I don’t think we would have stumbled across you in the first place.” I step forward, wrapping my hand around her lower back. Tugging gently, I give her a sincere smile. “Look, it’s a new phone or I’ll buy you a digital camera. You need something you can take pictures with. I realized it while snapping pictures of Gracie’s first weigh in.” Her big blue eyes stare up into mine, but she still looks torn, so I shrug. “I’m going to level with you. Either you pick one you like, or Morris or Hayes will be in here after work, buying whatever is newest and most expensive.”

Her nose wrinkles. “You’re very sneaky.”

I laugh, readjusting Gracie’s car seat on my forearm. “Now, are you more of an Apple or an Android fan?”

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