Page 23 of Forget It

“I swear I haven’t been waiting outside for you all day like a creeper.” He steps closer, hands raised innocently.

“How do I know that?” I ask, lifting my chin.

“I promise. I showed up a few minutes ago but I didn’t want to make it weird and just ask you where you were. So I thought I’d be clever about it.”

I laugh as I take my keys out of my bag. “You can come in.”

“Yes,” he cheers. “Are you going to cry this time?”

I roll my eyes trying to hide my smile. Why is this man sexy, sweetandfunny? It’s like a cruel triple threat. My poor womb had no hope at all. “No, I’m not going to cry.”

He chuckles softly behind me as I lead him up the stairs.

“I like your place by the way,” he says as I unlock the door.

“You’ve only seen the kitchen.” I reply dryly.

“You don’t sleep in here?”

“Well, this is the living room and then the bathroom is down that little corridor and the bedroom is opposite. Don’t ask me where a baby is going to fit. I haven’t got that far yet.” I bite my lip. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. “I’ll find a place for it, obviously. I mean the baby, notit. I figure they will sleep in my room for the first part anyway, so I think that’ll be okay. Or maybe I could, like, move into the living room. I’ll just need to get a new sofa, since my one is pretty small at the moment. But maybe I should probably spend my money on the stuff for the baby rather than a new sofa?—”

I’m halted by a finger on my lips. “Where does that brain go, pretty girl?”

I clamp my lips together behind his finger, the warm digit making me remember what it felt like when his hands were–Rosie, concentrate.

I hold my breath until he removes his hand with a smirk. My blush probably gives away where my traitorous mind took me.

“Cool set-up.” Jackson gestures to my desk, wandering closer.

“Yeah, it’s for work and play.” Jackson tugs the chair out from under the desk, glancing at the two consoles underneath. “I have this one for work and then this one for gaming. I spent an afternoon folding away all my wires so I could switch between without having to get on my hands and knees and unplug. And so my work wouldn’t slow down when I want to play games.”

“You’re such a nerd,” Jackson teases with a smile. “It’s cute.”

I hide my blush by fiddling with my glasses. He spins in the chair and sits, the familiar squeak at the movement filling the room.

“Rosie.” He shifts his large body, the chair protesting under his weight. “What the fuck is this chair?”

“What do you mean?” I laugh.

The look he shoots me is a cross between bewildered and concerned.

“This is like some sort of medieval torture device.”

“I love my chair!” I say defensively. “I saved up for this for ages.”

“Why does it feel like I’m simultaneously sitting on a steel bar and a yoga mat?”

I laugh, my hand resting along the back of the fluffy chair. “It’s ergonomic.”

“Rosie, there is no way this thing is good for you. You’d be better off sitting on a metal fence. Why is it so wide?”

“It’s so I can sit with my legs crossed.”

The look Jackson gives me makes me snort with laughter.

“I don’t understand this. I’m getting you a new chair.”

“No!” I protest, shoving at his shoulder until he takes the hint and rises. “Look, it’s perfect.” I sit on the chair, the thin padding that has definitely seen better days barely cushioning my butt. I fold my legs up and tuck them underneath me, shooting him a smile. “Ergonomic.”

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