Page 66 of Size Doesn't Matter

She had made a good point though, when she’d said she barely knew him. They had skipped most of the getting to know each other part of dating in favour of falling into bed and getting lost in their pleasure. From personal experience, he knew a lot about what turned her on and what made her come apart in his arms. From her friends and family he’d learned about her favourite flowers and treats, and knew she had a serviceable escape plan in case of the zombie apocalypse. And from her social media he knew which charities she supported and why, knew her favourite colour was pink, that she preferred Coke over Pepsi, and sunsets over sunrise.

But she knew very little about him. He hadn’t even shared his Instagram profile with her.

Jack hoped he had showed her at least some of his true self, besides the fact he was a gym junkie and workaholic. He knew those went his best qualities, and hadn’t lied when he’d told her he would change. He’d never had a reason to skip leg day, or go home on time, let alone early, which was how he’d come to be in the apartment at four in the afternoon and hear Sophie say she loved him.

After settling her on the couch, he retreated to the kitchen, prepared her a light meal and poured her a glass of ginger and lemon tea. When he returned to the lounge room with the food and drink, he found her reading a parenting book, and marking passages with a bright yellow highlighter.

“Studying up?” he joked, and placed the food tray on the coffee table. He waited for her to put the book down before handing her one of her anti-nausea tablets and some paracetamol for her headache.

Sophie swallowed the pills and sipped her drink, then nodded, and said, “Yes. I brought it back from the library at The Forge. I remember reading it when the twins were born and being completely grossed out by it, but it doesn’t seem quite so gross now.”

Jack sat beside her. “Eat,” he said, taking her glass and picking up the plate.

She shook her head. “I’m really not hungry.”

A slight frown pulled at his brow as he studied her face. “A little food will help your nausea, as will the tea.” When she still looked hesitant, he added, “Just two bites of anything on the plate, and I won’t say another word about it, okay?”

She eyed the selection of shredded chicken breast, dry crackers and apple slices, and chose to pick at the chicken.

“Good girl,” he purred, and revelled in the way she immediately ducked her gaze and a shy smile played on her perfect lips. Fuck, she was beautiful.

“I thought we were going to play twenty questions,” she said, grabbing the apple slices next. “And when do I get my foot rub?”

“Brat.” Jack chuckled. “Is that your first question?” When she narrowed her eyes at him, he laughed harder. “Get comfy, angel, we might be here a while.”

Sophie grinned at him and shifted to the far end of the couch, then stretched her legs out towards him and eagerly placed her feet in his lap. He took one foot in his hands and began rubbing it, pressing his thumbs deep into the tissue of her sole. He loved the groan that escaped her as he massaged her arch and worked her toes. Loved seeing the tension bleed out of her body, loved watching her eyes close and her smile soften as she relaxed into the comfort of the couch.

Loved her.

“Do you want to go first?” he asked.

Sophie blinked her eyes open and titled her head to one side as she watched him rub her feet. She took her time before asking her first question, as if mulling over every possibility, but when she finally settled on one, it was not what he’d expected. “What’s one thing that scares you that no else one knows about?”

“You mean besides the possibility of screwing up my mother’s company in the first year I’m in charge, or impending fatherhood?”

Sophie thought about that for a second before nodding. “Yes, besides those.”

Jack snorted a laugh, but he didn’t have to think about his answer. He’d been terrified of one thing more than any other since he was seven. “Crocodiles in swimming pools.”

“That’s very specific. Why crocodiles in swimming pools?”

Jack felt his face flush as he admitted to Sophie what no one else knew. “My mum watched this Aussie mini-series on tele when I was a kid. I don’t remember what it was called, but some people tried to kill a woman by putting a saltwater crocodile in her swimming pool, knowing she swam laps every morning. So of course the lady went for her usual swim and the croc attacked. I had nightmares for a week.” He paused to take in Sophie’s horrified expression. “Even now, I check the pool for crocodiles before jumping in.”

“Wow,” she said, wide eyed and slack jawed. “That was not what I expected you to say.”

He cocked one brow. “What did you expect?”

“I thought you’d say you were afraid of heights or something, like a normal person.”

He chuckled again. “I guess I’m not normal.”

“Crocodiles in swimming pools? Definitely not normal. Your turn.”

“Okay.” He thought for a moment. “Why can’t you cook?”

Ducking her gaze again, Sophie shrugged. “Because my parents hired people to do that for them. And the one time my mother took me back to Italy when I was a kid, my Nonna rapped me over the knuckles with a wooden spoon and banned me from her kitchen.”

Anger spewed up inside him again. Why were people always hurting Sophie? Her own grandmother hit her, too? What the fuck? “Why would she do that?”

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