Page 47 of What A Croc
He hadn’t been wrong in his assessment of himself. He did look a bit battered around the edges. His hair was a mess, his skin too pale and colorless. The dark circles rimming his dull eyes made him look like he’d been in a fight.
Rubbing my hands together, I asked, “Soup first, or shower?”
He didn’t even hesitate. “Shower. Please. I’m so gross.”
“You’ve been sick,” I soothed him, holding my hands out for him to grasp so I could help him to his feet. He came up easily, but stopped suddenly, his fingers curling into my forearms tightly.
“Just a little dizzy,” he moaned, closing his eyes and biting his lip.
“Take your time, we’re not in a hurry.” Taking a deep breath, I meant to have him mimic my breathing, thinking it would somehow help steady him. Instead, I was met with his scent and my eyes widened at the smell.
He opened his eyes just as I realized what I was smelling, and he frowned at me, yanking his hands from me and breaking our contact.
“I told you I stink,” he said grumpily, moving around me and trying to make his way to his bedroom. He had one palm planted firmly on the wall, as he shuffled along.
Quickly catching up to him, I wrapped an arm around his waist and brought him against my side. His honey eyes flared anger at me, but I just grinned at him. I couldn’t help it! Happiness was rushing through me like some kind of crazy drug.
“I’m taking a shower,” he pouted adorably, and I grinned until my cheeks hurt. “I need a shower. Clearly.”
“Robert, stop a second,” I urged, fighting the need to just pick him up in my arms and twirl around in sheer excitement.
“I know I smell bad, okay?” he grumped, and it was so unlike him it made me laugh. Which, judging by the annoyed look on his face, wasn’t the response I should have had. “I told you that. But oh no, you insisted on coming over, and being all sweet and nice, and taking care of me. I told you I can take care of myself.”
He pushed off the wall and stomped down the hallway before I caught his hand and spun him into my arms. Probably not the best thing to do to a man who had spent the last two days becoming one with the porcelain God, but I was so fucking happy right now, I couldn’t help myself.
“Ugh!” Robert groaned, swatting at me. “Stop spinning me. What is wrong with you? Do you want to get puked on? Because that’s how you get puked on.”
Finally giving in to my need to have him as close to me as possible, I swung him up in my arms in a bridalcarry. Ignoring his gasps and shrieks, I carried him into his bedroom and sat down on the edge of the unmade bed. He needed fresh sheets, and I would get that taken care of after his shower for him.
“Sweetheart,” I brushed a limp lock of his hair off his dry forehead. “Are you sure you have the flu?”
He stared at me, frowning. “What? Of course it’s the flu? I mean, I guess it could be a really bad case of food poisoning, but I don’t see how.”
In the midst of my excitement, it had dawned on me that Robert really didn’t have a clue what I was pretty sure of. Especially with him this close to me, a lovely heap on my lap. Running my nose behind his ear and down his neck, I ignored him as he wiggled and squirmed away from me, holding him tightly.
“Jackson, what are you doing?” he huffed. “I’m all gross. Stop it! You said you were going to help me get cleaned up.”
“I am.” The smile still hadn’t left my face, and I imagined I looked like a deranged, smiling lunatic. “Sweetheart, I smelled something on you.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Yes, that is called sweat and puke.”
Snorting a laugh, because well, yes, I did smell all of that too, but that wasn’t what I was smelling. Maybe another tactic was needed. “Your scent has changed.”
His chest heaved with the breath he sucked in. “Jackson–”
Stopping his protest before he could get wound up, which was the last thing he needed in his well…condition, I kissed the tip of his nose. “Robert, I’m pretty sure you’re pregnant.”
Robert’s mouth opened wide in shock, before it snapped closed with an audible sound. He blinked once, twice, then just shook his head, pushing away from me so quickly I wasn’t able to catch him as he slid off my lap. Right onto the floor. Where he stared up at me with wide, shocked eyes.
Reaching for him, he shook me off. “Jackson, I…no…I can’t. Just…it’s not possible. Why would you even say that?” His voice rose with the last sentence, sounding just this shy of stepping right on the line of hysterics, but there was a tinge of hurt there also.
Holding my hands out in a soothing manner, I just let him sit. “Your scent has changed. Even from last weekend.”
We’d spent the weekend together, with Aiden, just doing errands together, then making a meal and watching movies. It had been fun, natural, and easy. He’d also spent the weekend in my arms. I already knew his scent like the back of my hand. Would be able to pick it out in a crowd of strangers. It was still embedded in the pillowcase he had used, that I had held in my arms as I slept, every night since.
“I…what?” He looked completely shell shocked at my announcement and I couldn’t blame the man.
“It’s richer. It’s a mixture of both of us.” I quietly explained to him. “And I know what a pregnant omega smells like. Especially whatmypregnant omega smells like.”
