Page 8 of Line of Fire
“So, there is a chance that there may be an us?” Sunny smiled at him, and he chanced another step in her direction.
“You aren’t being a good listener, Aaron. What I’m saying is that there is most definitely an us; the proof is larger than life.” She rubbed her belly, and he rested his hand next to hers. “But you were willing to throw all this away because you were too stubborn and too wrapped up in your self-pity party to even give me a second glance. Do you know what that felt like—seeing you pass by on the street and not even acknowledging my existence? It fucking hurt.” Aaron couldn’t help himself. He took the final step to close the distance between the two of them and pulled her back into his arms.
“I’m so sorry that I hurt you, honey. I would do anything to take that back, but I can’t. The only thing I can do now is to try to make everything up to you. Will you allow me to try? I want to be a father to our daughter, and well, I want to be whatever you’ll let me be for you.” Sunny smiled up at him, and it gave him so much damn hope.
“I’m not sure what I want from you, Aaron. Right now, I like the way we are. We can figure out the rest as we go, if that’s okay with you?” He nodded, not wanting to seem overly enthusiastic. Sunny stretched in his arms and yawned. “I’m exhausted, and my back is killing me. Do you mind if we go to sleep?” Aaron pulled her into the bedroom and helped her into his bed. She didn’t fuss with him tonight, so he took that as a good sign. “Do you mind if I ditch the robe? I like to sleep naked. Now that my belly is so big, it’s the only way that I can get comfortable,” she admitted.
“Um, sure.” Aaron’s voice squeaked, making him sound like a thirteen-year-old boy. Sunny laughed and pulled her robe off. He took it and removed the towel that he wrapped around his waist after their bath.
“You’re sure that you are okay with this? I can always sleep on your sofa.” Sunny said, around another yawn. Aaron pulled her into his arms, cradling her belly with his hands.
“I think I can handle this, honey. You just get some sleep.” Aaron lay in his bed, his body tangled up with Sunny and his baby, and he finally felt like his world was right again. Actually, it never felt right, and he didn’t know what he did to deserve either of them, but he wouldn’t question it. Sunny and their baby were quickly becoming his world, and he would never take them for granted again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sunny was feeling like a hot mess for days. Her pregnancy hormones had her feeling needy and left her in a constant state of desire. She heard that some women wanted nothing to do with sex while they were pregnant, while others couldn’t get enough. She was in the latter group, but Aaron was treating her with kid gloves, and that pissed her off. Aaron hovered over her like a mother hen, always asking if he could do anything for her. She wanted to tell him yes and then strip out of her clothes, but she was afraid that he would just push her away, and right now, his rejection would gut her. She was going to use the fact that tonight was New Year’s Eve to send him out to his fire station’s party. She needed a few hours to herself to get her hormones under control; otherwise, she would ruin what they were building together.
Aaron seemed to want to be a team for their daughter, but deep down, she was hoping to build a family. One step at a time. She knew that she needed to be patient, but her overactive libido didn’t get that memo. Aaron accepted his old job back down at the fire station. His captain took him back on the spot and was going to work him back into the rotation as soon as he was ready.Aaron told him that he might wait until the baby was born, but Sunny didn’t want him underfoot for the next two weeks. Every time he asked if she was all right, she wanted to hurt him, but instead she pasted on her best smile and told him she was fine.
Tonight, she planned that Tag and Torren would come by and insist that Aaron join them for a night out. Piper hadn’t been feeling well since Christmas, since she was dealing with morning sickness. But her best friend never did anything like everyone else, so she was having her morning sickness at night, and the poor thing was exhausted. Pipe was all for sending Tag out for some fun, so Sunny’s plan was all set. She was going to help push Aaron out the door and slip into a warm bath. Tag and Torren showed up, and Aaron took some convincing, but she told him her plans of total relaxation, and he left with the guys. Although she could see the trepidation in his eyes, he rubbed her belly and gave her a scorching kiss goodbye in front of the guys. She was getting used to Aaron touching her and kissing her—he always had his hands on her or around her. They slept in the same bed every night together, and he held her against his body all night long, but that was it. She lay next to him night after night, naked and horny, hoping that he would make some move—but nothing. She knew Aaron wanted her—his erection poked into her back most of the night, but he wasn’t pressing her for sex. Her pregnancy hormones were making her crazy enough to want Aaron to make some sort of move.
Sunny slipped into the tub and relaxed in the warm water. She stayed there for almost an hour, adding hot water whenever it got cold. She was pulling herself out when she heard the front door slam and Aaron’s voice shouting her name through the condo. She wrapped a towel around her belly and went out into their bedroom to find him. He was breathing hard and looked mad as hell, even a little wild.
“Aaron, why are you here? What’s going on?” He took a step towards her, and she wanted to take one back, but she didn’t.
“Honey, I’ve been calling you for the last thirty minutes and you didn’t answer.” He found her cell phone on the bed and held it up as if to prove that he had called. “I was worried sick.” He threw her phone back to the bed and crossed the room to where she stood in her towel, standing in front of her.
“I’m sorry. I was in the tub.” He sighed and pulled her into his arms. “I thought—well, all I could think about was you going into labor and being here all alone. I had Torren run me home. I was so worried.” Sunny wrapped her arms around Aaron and rubbed her hands up and down his back as if to soothe him. He leaned into her body, and she looked up to see the want and desire in his eyes. She was tired of him holding himself back from her; she wasn’t as fragile as he thought.
“Aaron, I won’t break, you know.” She cupped his erection through his jeans, and he groaned. “I want you too. Why won’t you make love to me?” Aaron’s hands dropped to his sides, and he took a step back from her.
“I’m afraid that I’ll hurt you or the baby.” Sunny couldn’t help herself. She took two steps forward, invading his space again. She needed to drive home the point that she was not going to shatter. “You can’t hurt us, either of us.” She took his hands and placed them on her belly. “The doctor said that sex during pregnancy is completely normal and healthy, right up to the end.” Aaron’s eyes shot up to meet hers, dark with desire. Yeah, now he was getting it.
“When did you talk to the doctor about having sex, Sunny? Was there someone that you were thinking about having sex with? Because I wasn’t here for most of your pregnancy.” Okay, maybe he wasn’t getting it. She would just spell it out for him, plain and simple. She dropped her towel since it was barely covering her body anyway and stood before him completelynaked. She slept naked most of the week, and she worried that seeing her body now was a complete turnoff for Aaron. He looked her up and down and then turned away as if he didn’t want to see her. Sunny gasped and reached for her robe. Fine, if he didn’t want her, she would stop trying. Her body wasn’t the same as it was back in April when they spent one night together.
“I’m sorry, Aaron, I read the situation all wrong. I thought that you might want me, but I can see that I was incorrect. I promise this won’t be weird between us.” Sunny started to fidget around the room, putting clothes away that she had just thrown on her nightstand. She needed an escape, somewhere that she could be alone for a bit, because she was about to cry, and that was the last thing she wanted him to see. She didn’t want his pity—she wanted him.
“I’ve got a few things to put away in the nursery to finish setting things up. If you want to go back to your party, feel free.” Sunny left their bedroom and walked down the hall to the room that would be their daughter’s. It was the bedroom closest to the master, and it was perfect for a baby. Aaron put together the crib that Tag and Piper delivered. He helped to arrange all the furniture, and she even started washing and putting away the baby’s clothes. She was finally feeling ready for her little one’s arrival. Sunny grabbed her overnight bag and started adding the things her baby would need at the hospital. At first, she wasn’t quite sure what either of them would need, but Google and her pregnancy books were helping. She was folding some of the baby’s little sleepers and sat back in the rocker that Aaron picked out for the room. Her life certainly changed in the past week. On Christmas Day, she watched her friends get married and felt weepy knowing that she might not get her happily ever after. Then, Aaron rode into town and wanted to take care of her and their baby. She felt like a fool for letting him because that gave her hope. Now, here she was sitting in her baby’s nursery hidingfrom the man that she was falling in love with. She rubbed her belly as her daughter kicked and squirmed inside of her. She was moving a lot lately.
“What are we going to do, little girl? I need to come up with a plan before you get here. We don’t want to be a burden to your daddy.” She felt her sob escape and couldn’t help her tears. She wanted Aaron to want her, not see her as his obligation. Sunny pulled a stuffed bunny that Lorna bought for the baby into her arms and hugged it, suddenly feeling very alone.
“Why would you think that you or our daughter is a burden to me? And what the hell do you need a plan for?” Aaron stood in the doorway, and he looked angry. She lifted her chin as if daring him to challenge her. She got the message loud and clear—he didn’t want her, so she needed a plan.
“Aaron, I’m not going to stay with someone who doesn’t want me. It doesn’t feel right. Plus, if we are going to give this co-parenting thing a try, we need to find a way to remain friends. I can’t live here and watch your life go on while I’m trying to figure out how to be a mom. God, what happens when you bring home a date? Will the baby and I just sit in here and wait for her to leave? It will just be too awkward.” Aaron strode across the nursery and knelt in front of the rocking chair. “I’m fucking this all up. Baby, I’m not sure where you got the idea that I don’t want you. I’m afraid to want too much from you. What if I get too rough and hurt you or the baby?” He rested his hands on her belly, and she slid forward, pulling him into her arms.
“Is that all you’re worried about?” Sunny rolled her eyes. “Aaron, I called the doctor two days ago, when I was having some regular contractions. He told me that if they got closer together, I would need to go to the hospital, but they stopped.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the contractions, honey?” Aaron looked concerned. She didn’t know if she wanted to kiss him or laugh at him.
“It wasn’t a big deal—they happen all the time. I told you that when we went shopping. While I was on the phone with the doctor, I asked him about the whole sex thing. I was hoping that you would want to take our relationship to the next level; I never thought that you wouldn’t want me like this.” She motioned to her gigantic body and cringed.
“How could you think that I don’t want you? Fuck, Sunny, you are hotter now pregnant with my baby than you have ever been.” Aaron pulled her into his arms, and she willingly went.
“Really,” she squeaked. “You think I’m hot?” He kissed down her jaw to her neck, and she just about lost her ability to speak. “Aaron, I need the words. You really want me?”
“Yes,” he whispered and kissed her mouth. Her brain was short-circuiting, and she knew that if she didn’t stop him, she would never get out the rest. She tried to push him back, but he was too big to move.
“Aaron, do you want me for one night or is this something more?” she questioned.
