Page 62 of One Unexpected Gift

Sky let him take hold of the stroller and couldn’t help but be a little turned on at the sight.

“Does your brother plan on getting married soon?”

“Holden’s plans and the rest of the world’s plans aren’t always on par.”

“Meaning?”

“He’s the settling down type.” Nick laughed. “He falls in love hard and fast but he’s also a bit of a hermit.”

“For real?”

“Yeah. He used to be more carefree, now he borders the line of grumpy, depressed, and a hopeless romantic. We’re all trying to figure him out.”

“That’s adorable.”

“I won’t tell him you said that, or he’ll end up stealing you away from me.”

Sky nearly tripped over her feet. Steal her away? It wasn’t like she was his. Or he was hers. They weren’t anything. They had a baby girl who shared their DNA and had two trysts some time ago. Other than that, she and Nick barely knew each other.

However, the more she learned about him, the more she liked him. Liked him too much. Gabby flapped her little arms and kicked her feet. “We should head back around. She’ll be getting hungry soon, but I want her to have some tummy time first.”

“Tummy time?” Nick turned the stroller around and they walked back toward the house.

“She still sleeps a lot so when she’s awake I like to play with her on the floor. It’s good for her to be on her tummy. It helps strengthen her neck. Eventually she’ll learn to roll over.”

“When does that happen?”

“Around four months.”

“She can’t move until then?”

“Well, she can move but it’s pretty limited to kicking her feet. Yesterday she discovered her fingers. It was adorable.”

Nick picked up his hand and held his fingers in front of his face. “What’s adorable about fingers? Unless they’re touching you in places that make you moan.”

Skylar gasped

“Gasping is pretty sexy as well. So, yeah, I guess fingers are magical.”

Only yours. A few days ago she was more than ready to feel his hands on her body again, now, she wasn’t sure what she wanted. There was undeniable sexual chemistry between them, but if they acted on it, would it interfere with their parental situation? Gabby had to be the number one priority.

“She’s starting to explore, which is normal for her age. Every day she learns something. Soon, she’ll gain control of her muscles and learn how to grasp for her toys. It’s fascinating to watch her change every day.”

Another reason why she feared going back to work. She wanted to be there for Gabby’s first words, for her first steps, her first boo-boo, her first friend, her first boyfriend. If Skylar was overseas, she could miss it. Sure, many families moved with their military parents, but it still wouldn’t solve the problem of who would be around to not only raise Gabby, but who got to experience her firsts.

“Is it okay if I stick around a little longer? I’d like to learn about tummy time.” Nick turned the stroller into the driveway and stopped at the foot of the front steps. He crouched as he ran his hands along the base of the car seat. “I have no idea how to get her out of this thing.”

She bent next to him. “There’s a latch right here. You pull it up and wait for the click.” Her ponytail hung over her shoulder and flicked Nick in the face.

He lifted his head to her and moved her hair out of the way. Their faces were only inches apart and the heat of his blue gaze seared through her to places untouched for nearly a year. Places that hadn’t been touched since she was with Nick.

“Okay,” she said breathlessly.

He squinted in confusion. “Okay?”

His breath whispered across her cheek. Blinking back her control, she stood, lifting the car seat with her. “Okay for you to come inside.” She didn’t wait to see if he followed her. There was no need to look over her shoulder, she could feel him behind her. Smell him. Something between fresh laundry, clean soap, and charm.

Nick reached around her and opened the front door, giving it a little push so she could walk through. “I could have carried her for you.”

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