Page 48 of Unexpected Delivery

My hand lands on her middle, pulling her back against my chest. “The other option is that I climb in with you. I’ll help you shampoo and condition your hair. I’ll even scrub your back. Either way, after the shower, you’re going to come lie down with me in the pack bed and let me cuddle you until you fall asleep.”

“What about Gracie?”

“Hayes has her.”

“Yeah, but?—”

“You need a solid night of rest,” I murmur, nuzzling my beard to her cheek from behind. “I will be happy to grab her bassinet and collect her from Hayes once you’re asleep. I’ll even wake you up if you tell me when you need to pump, but tonight you’re off duty.”

“Gracie is my responsibility?—”

“All three of our names are listed on her birth certificate,” I growl, moving to stand in front of her. “That means something to me. Now, pick an option.”

“You’re very bossy all of a sudden.” Her adorable nose wrinkles, and a shy smile takes over her face as she blinks up at me from under her lashes. “I think I’ll take option two.”

My heart tries to race out of my chest.

Okay, then.

Now it’s time to actually do the damn thing and take care of her.

Chapter Eighteen

Arbor

Imomentarily lost my mind.

There’s no other explanation.

Morris puts me at ease in a way no one else ever has, and that’s what led to my momentary lapse in judgment. However, I just remembered my boobs leak every time I shower, I have stretch marks in places I didn’t know they could form, and I’m still bleeding occasionally.

The worst of the postpartum stuff has lessened, but it’s still something that pops up intermittently.

“The water is already running.” Morris steps back and tugs his T-shirt off with a hand at the back of his neck. My fingers seem to have a mind of their own as they migrate to his sides. He’s warm and soft—at least his stomach—and that gives me a weird comfort. My body is nowhere close to what it looked like a year ago. “I will be a gentleman and keep my eyes in respectable locations, but this is going to require removing all of our clothing.”

“Yeah,” I say, shivering when I realize how breathless I sound.

Morris’s massive hands slide up my waist, pulling my shirt off over my head. He tosses it into the hamper and spins me around, unhooking my bra.

My arm flies to push against the material as I use my other hand to snag the breast pads. There’s a little room where the toilet is housed, and I make a break for it. Tossing the pads in the trash, I pull down my bottoms and handle all that stuff too.

I’m surprised they have a trash can in the bathroom. When I moved in with Adam, he didn’t have any of the comforts women require.

Bundling my clothes up, I carry them out with me. The air is warm from the running shower, but I still have goose bumps.

My focus stays on my feet as I make my way to the hamper, tossing the bundle inside. By the time I turn around, Morris is inside the shower. It’s a fancy model with frosted glass and an actual door. While I was busy, Morris must have handled hanging up the towels because they’re now on the rack next to where you get in and out of the shower.

I make it to the doorway, and Morris greets me with a smile.

Never in my life have I had such trouble keeping my eyes on another person’s.

I still have peripheral vision, though.

My cheeks feel hot as I try to keep my face nonchalant.

Morris is massive, meaning I’m basically at eye level with his nipples. He has a decent smattering of blond hair across his chest and a small amount following a trail down his abdomen.

My eyes pop up when I spot the top of his pubic hair. His long blond hair falls well past his shoulders in waves, and that seems like a much more appropriate thing to focus on.

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