Page 50 of Size Doesn't Matter

She’d already decided to keep the baby, had intended to call him first thing Monday morning to inform him of his impending fatherhood, and yet, as if she’d been having even an inkling of a doubt, hearing him ask that question had firmly cemented the decision in place.

She wanted this baby—Jack’s baby.

And she wanted Jack too. She’d missed him for all the reasons he’d listed and more. The scent of him on her skin, the feel of his warm hands, his sensual mouth, his silken tongue on her body. The sound of his delicious voice when he called her angel. Listening to the steady beat of his heart when she rested her head on his chest. Even the way he’d spoken to her after sex, the way he’d listened to her, as though what she had to say mattered to him.

As thoughshemattered to him.

She still couldn’t believe he hadn’t flipped out when she’d told him her news. That wasn’t normal, right? Not that she wasn’t happy that he was happy, but he was right. The whole situation wascrazy.

And terrifying. “But I’m scared, Jack. Besides babysitting the twins when I was a teenager, I have zero experience with kids. And my mum….” She laughed bitterly. “Let’s just say she wasn’t exactly the gold standard of parenthood, you know? And yeah, I’d always thought that one day I’d have a kid of my own, but now one day is right here and—” She moistened her suddenly dry lips and stared at him, knowing her uncertainty, her insecurity was pinging back and forth in her wide eyes, then felt a sharp prickle at the back of her nose, signalling tears were about to fall whether she liked it or not. “What if I can’t do this?”

But again Jack surprised her. His expression softened and grew indulgent as he stared down at her. “You talk as though you have to do this alone. But you’re not alone, Sophie. You have your family,” he said, then pressed his forehead against hers again, “and you have me. And I promise you, angel, I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re not alone.”

It took a moment for the words to sink in, for the wonder of them to make itself fully known to her. She’d had a similar realisation at the wedding, but somehow, hearing Jack tell her the same thing, knowing what he meant by it and knowing that was something very different to what she’d imagined, made it more tangible. More real.

“You have me.”

That felt real too. That felt like the start of something wonderful, something more than just mutual physical satisfaction.

That felt a lot like…love.

19

Something shifted in Sophie’s expression, something Jack couldn’t quite put his finger on. On the one hand, she looked like she’d just won the lottery. On the other hand, she looked damn near terrified.

She’s tired. Exhausted. That’s what she’d said. On closer inspection, he could see the weariness in her eyes and in the way her shoulders slumped. He had no doubt that her artfully applied make-up was hiding dark rings under her eyes.

She needed sleep.

He needed to make that happen.

Decision made, Jack levered off the sofa, then reached out for Sophie, encouraging her to take his hands. It was time to take care of his girl, to show her he was a man of his word and that she wasn’t alone in all of this.

“Let’s get you to bed, shall we?”

Her gaze sharpened and flicked to the obvious erection tenting his trousers, and a sultry little smile bloomed on her face as she grabbed his hands. “I’d thought you’d never ask.”

Hauling her to her feet, he chuckled and shook his head. “To sleep.”

But even exhausted, his girl didn’t miss a beat. “It’s pronouncedsex.”

He turned her around and swatted her arse, enjoying her little yelp as he urged her towards the bedroom. “We’ve both had a very long day and could use a good night’s rest. It’s almost midnight, baby.”

“You do remember what we did around midnight the last time we saw each other, right? Besides, I’m not sleepy,” she said, pouting before immediately stifling a yawn. He smacked her arse again and cocked one brow in challenge. “Okay, fine, I might be a little bit sleepy,” she conceded, “but I sleep so much better after sex.” She smiled broadly and batted her eyelashes at him, feigning innocence again, as if she wasn’t begging him to fuck her.

Jack bit back a grin and shook his head. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve run out of ideas already.”

“Oh, I have ideas, angel—lots and lots of ideas.” He fisted his hand in her hair and tugged her head backwards, leaned into her until his breath brushed over her lips. “But unless you want the first idea to come raining down on your arse until you’re a sobbing mess on the floor at my feet, I suggest you be a good little girl and do as you’re told.”

Sophie’s lips parted and she sucked down an almost inaudible breath, causing her chest to heave against his, the unyielding fabric of her dress forcing her breasts to swell above the neckline. Her dark eyes softened, her pupils expanding as she searched his gaze. “Yes, sir,” she whispered, then licked her lips, inadvertently brushing the tip of her tongue over his lips in the process.

The urge to kiss her, to take her mouth and dominate her breath, the very air in her lungs, was almost too much to resist, but he could hardly master his woman if he couldn’t master himself.

Pulling away, he released his grip on her hair and stroked his knuckles over her jaw. “Let me take care of you, Sophie.”

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