He couldn’t see it but Kendry could make out the smile in Jared’s barely there voice as he added another log and said, “And you were cleared to go back to normal activity?”
“Yes.”
“Including sex?”
“Mmm-hmm,” she responded, gazing down into her wineglass.
“And an occasional glass of wine might help you relax?”
“Mmm,” she said with a nod and rosy cheeks. Although she still seemed a little skittish, she didn’t deny where the night was headed. To distract her, he said, “Whit looks like he’s ready to pass out. Does he need to be bathed first?”
“I gave him a bath before I got ready for tonight. He can wait until the morning. I just need to change his clothing and diaper.”
“While Jared gets a roaring fire going, why don’t you and I take care of the baby?”
With a nod, she followed him down the hallway to the master bedroom door. The bedside lamps cast the room and the bed in warm shadows.
“Is this your room?” she asked as she looked around it while he put their bags at the end of the bed. She laid a receiving blanket across the heavy, dark red bedspread and then eased Whit onto it and began undressing him.
“Up to this point, it’s been Jared’s bedroom. My things and my bed are down the hall. If you stay with us tonight, this is our room.”
She looked around as she worked. “It’s a nice room. Relaxing. Sensual.”
He liked hearing her use that word.
“The bathroom is through this door,” he said, pushing against it and turning on the light so she could see it.
A wide smile crossed her lips and she said, “I already love that tub.”
“You can try it out tonight or in the morning if you’d like.”
“Okay. He’s going to wake up hungry in a bit. I have him on a regular schedule. He’s not to the point yet where he sleeps through the night. I hope it won’t disturb you if I get up with him during the night.”
“Course not. You’re his mama and that takes precedence over everything else.”
Kendry noticed the baby’s bedtime ritual felt so normal. Yes, he wanted her alone and between him and his brother in whatever capacity she could handle, but Kendry knew that the baby came first with her, and with him. Whit never stirred as Presley Ann dressed him while Kendry unwrapped the reclining seat she’d brought for the baby to sleep in. “He’ll be okay in this for the night?”
“Oh yeah,” she murmured as she lifted him and slid his legs and bottom gently into the cushiony soft harness and then tucked a blanket around his lower body and covered his little hands to keep him warm. She carried the contraption to the recliner in the corner and gestured for Kendry to open it. Wedging all the throw pillows in around the base of the seat gave it extra stability, and appearing satisfied, she leaned down and kissed his forehead and whispered softly for a few seconds before turning to Kendry. “I’ll hear him if he needs me if we leave the bedroom door open.”
Back in the den, the fire had warmed the room. Jared had shed his boots and socks and was reclining on the wide sectional, facing the fire. He’d placed her wineglass on the coffee table beside him and turned off the kitchen lights so the only illumination came from the lamp on the end table and the fireplace. Kendry switched off the lamp as he walked past it and noticed when Presley Ann faltered a step.
Jared held out a hand to her, and Kendry stroked her shoulder, encouraging her to go to the sectional. The chaise on one end was wide enough for the three of them to recline comfortably if they didn’t mind being close. She sat and reached for her boot, smiling when Kendry said, “Allow me,” and gently slid it from her foot before doing the same with the other one.
Gripping her knees, Presley Ann looked up at Kendry and then over her shoulder at Jared and whispered, “What now?”
Jared scooted forward to the end of the cushioned seat, smoothed her hair over her shoulder, and kissed her throat. “Trust us?” Her nod came without too much hesitation as she looked up at Jared and then at Kendry. Her gaze seemed to plead for understanding before it slid down his body, making his cock stir at the attention. Placing a knee on the sectional, Kendry bent forward and claimed her lips.
“Move back against the pillows,” he said, herding her with his upper body as she scooted back, never allowing them to be more than a few inches apart. “Let us take care of you.”
She placed a hand on Jared’s to halt him as he slid a finger into the overlapping edges of her top. “I’m wearing a nursing bra, Jared. It’s…it’s not sexy.”