Page 33 of Wrapped Around My Heart
Shit. Did I unintentionally turn my dog into an emotional support animal?
Knocking on the car window makes me jump. My phone slips from my hands and lands on the floor with a soft thud. Leaving itwhere it is, I turn to find Arianna standing there with a nervous smile on her lips while she waves at me. In an instant, my erratic heartbeat finally slows to a normal pace for a fraction of a second before taking off once more.
I scramble to shut off my car and open my door, not once taking my eyes off her.
The green sundress she has on clings to her chest before billowing around her waist and down her luscious thighs. My eyes catch on the hem of the dress. Ideas of how easy it would be to push the fabric up around her thighs skip through my mind.
Thank you, Florida heat, for providing us with sundress weather all year round.
Her fiery red curls are pulled into a messy bun on top of her head, with a few strays framing her face. Freckles dot her cheeks, drawing my attention to those hypnotic green eyes that glimmer in the sunlight, providing me with a glimpse at the depth of emotions she’s feeling.
She’s absolutely breathtaking.
“Hi.” Ari flashes me a sheepish grin and a little wave before dropping her hand back to her side.
Closing the distance between us, I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her into my embrace. The second she’s in my arms, a relieved breath spills from my lips. All the tension that had been boiling beneath the surface dulls.
Arianna sinks into the hug, burying her face into my chest as she clings to me. Neither of us makes any move to either head back inside or get into one of our cars.
“Was traffic bad on your way over?” she mumbles, resting her cheek against my chest.
Bending down, I press my lips to the top of her head.
“Not that I noticed. I was too focused on a audiobook.”
Her head pops back so she can stare up at me with a raised eyebrow.
“Since when do you listen to audiobooks?” she questions and for the first time since I was a teenager, I feel my cheeks heat.
Avoiding her gaze, I focus on the decorations that are sprinkled through her front garden as I answer.
“Since last week. When you told me you are pregnant.”
“Wait.” Ari’s hands drop from my back, only to move to my shoulders, where she grips me tightly. Unable to resist, I finally cave and look down at her.
Her eyes are wide, that delectable mouth dropped open in shock.
“What do you mean? What exactly are you reading?”
Smiling softly, I reach up to push a curl from falling into her eye and shrug before finally responding. “Found a couple highly recommended pregnancy and birthing books. I also downloaded some newborn baby books and a parenting guide.”
“You’re listening to…baby books?” She sounds so baffled that it makes my stomach flip.
“Yeah. Although the one I started with is what to expect during the pregnancy. Figured that was the best place to start so that I can focus on helping you through the pregnancy and after birth instead of just watching you go through it all.” I cup her cheek in my palm, admiring the way her green eyes shine as she stares up at me. “I know it’s still early, and you haven’t even seen a doctor yet, but I realized I know absolutely nothing. About pregnancy and what your body is doing, about childbirth and keeping a baby alive. So I figured I’d start learning while I work out, while we’re traveling for games, or when I’m driving to come see you.”
She blinks once, then again. I keep her in my arms, gently stroking her cheek with my thumb.
I like to know everything there is about things I’m interested in. Even more so, it’s more difficult not to fixate on things that pique my interest or capture my attention. When I was learninghockey, I spent every free second I had watching old games and reading every book possible about the sport. By the time I made the team in middle school, while most of the kids were learning how to skate, to me it was just a way to get my first hands-on experience.
My fixation and need to know everything are borderline uncontrollable. On the one hand, my focus is normally aimed at hockey, Pokémon cards, or Cora. Now it’s on pregnancy.
“I’m both surprised and not shocked at the same time,” she finally says, her eyes swirling with a mix of emotions.
With one last kiss to her forehead, I reluctantly let her go. “Why don’t we go get this little bean confirmed?”
Ari nods, her hands falling to straighten out her dress before she turns back to her house.
“Let me go get my purse.”
