Brynn was quiet. So quiet I had to look up to make sure she was paying attention. When I did, I found emotion deepening in those eyes I loved and I knew I was right to share the rest. It would've been easy to make it seem like I only wanted to be around during those weeks for her, but the truth of the matter is, part of why I made the suggestion was definitely for me. I wanted to get to know my little girl. I didn't just want to be some guy who came around every now and then. I wanted her to know she had a father who loved her and would be there for her no matter what. And, to me, that started from day one.
A gentle nod from Brynn relaxed me a bit.
"I don't see a problem with that," she answered, her voice soft when she did.
"It doesn't matter to me if it's here or at my place. Whatever you're more comfortable with," I reiterated. "I'd just like to be around."
She nodded again. "Your place is fine."
I couldn't fight the smile that surfaced when she agreed. It was settled then.
I coated my hand with more grease and went back to rubbing, finding that the continuous motion relaxed me as much as it seemed to be relaxing Brynn. Her head settled against the pillows she rested on and her eyes fluttered closed as I watched.
This woman … a short while ago she didn't even exist in my world, now she basically was my world. Inside her, grew the single most important being on this planet to me. That's what she was giving me. No, none of it was planned, but perhaps I was wrong about that. Maybe this just wasn't in our plans.
The creation of a life was never a mistake. That's the way I saw it. My little princessa would never be made to feel like she wasn't wanted. She had a mom and a dad who were damn-near on pins and needles waiting to meet her. That doesn't sound like a mistake to me.
And then there's the evolution of Brynn and I outside this pregnancy. If I ever thought enough to make a list of what I wanted in a woman, she'd hit every point with unimaginable precision. I was convinced there wasn't another like her. From the physical, to the emotional, to the sexual-although I hadn't indulged in that area nearly as often as I wanted to-she was everything and then some. It was this realization that first made me admit I more than liked her …
I loved her.
The sound of a dainty yawn stole my attention and I glanced up at Brynn. The skin beneath her eyes was half a shade darker than the rest of her face-evidence of how sleep deprived she'd been lately.
"I feel bad you're so miserable. I wish there was more I could do."
My words made her smile, but she didn't open her eyes when replying. "I know I had a minor freak out in the car earlier, but, contrary to popular belief, miserable isn't quite the right word. I'm just always … I don't know … on edge. I can never quite get settled enough to fall asleep naturally. It's like I have to force it, you know? Sucks," she concluded. "But I will say … what you're doing right now is kind of working. I'm gonna have to have you come over every night and rub me and baby to sleep." A broad grin revealed white teeth behind soft lips and I smiled, too.
"And I'd be downstairs at that door every time," I said back, laughing when she did.
Her breaths lengthened, became deeper as sleep taunted her. My eyes followed the back of my hand as I continued to massage her gently.
"I'm guessing it feels good then?"
Through closed lips and with eyes that only fluttered apart for a second, Brynn mumbled a subdued, "Mmmhmm."
I smiled again and kept going, gradually smoothing my hand across the base of her stomach, feeling the elastic of her panties graze the side of my hand when I pushed it lower than I meant to, beneath the comforter a little.
I started to apologize for that, for touching her in that way when I honestly didn't mean to, but something stopped me. It was Brynn's facial expression-a tense brow, the slightest flare of her nostrils, and teeth sinking into a plump bottom lip. Her breasts swelled when a deep intake of air filled her lungs and I stared, watching her nipples harden beneath the fabric of her gown.
From the looks of it, with one slip of the hand, I'd unintentionally turned her on.
I moved higher again and decided to conduct a little experiment. My hand lightly stroked across the top of her abdomen just beneath her breasts, inciting another deep breath, but nothing like the one before. I don't even think she realized how intently I watched her, observing her body's response to my touch, but I was taking it all in. Caressing the side of her torso with a slow drag of my fingers down her skin, I made my way lower, back to where I'd gotten the strong reaction before.
She did it again, that look.
Now that I knew she didn't mind the contact, I ran my hand from one side of her pelvis to the other, hip to hip, again just barely brushing the top of her panties when I did. This time she squirmed some, but still kept her eyes closed.
I moved lower still, to her thighs, feeling their fullness against my palm, finding skin so soft it felt like butter. I pressed my fingertips against the firm flesh just below her hipline, and then eased in toward the softer innermost part between her legs where so much warmth greeted me. I watched the movement of me touching her beneath the comforter, only imagining how good the parts of her I was unable to see probably looked right now. Her legs were one of my favorite parts of her body. Hell, I liked it all, but I could remember the feel of being confined between them on both occasions, including that night at the bar, and the memory had me hard as a rock now. When that happened, I pulled away some so she wouldn't feel it pressing against her.
I'm not sure if it was intentional or subconscious, but as I worked her thighs, she parted them. It could've been that she was beginning to drift a little and the movement was natural, but judging by the intense expression, I was pretty sure it was something else. I was pretty sure I'd just figured out at least one of the reasons she wasn't getting much sleep.
Taking a chance, I let my hand glide over her sex as I traveled upward to her stomach. When I did, those legs came apart even more and I had my answer. She hadn't come right out and said it, but she wanted me to touch her.
… so I did.
Her lower lips were pillow-soft when I felt them again through her panties, trailing my finger down her slit and back up again. I pressed into the valley between the two folds and teased her clit, feeling it swell a bit at my touch. Her wetness could be felt even through the material. She was so hot there and I imagined I'd find even more heat inside.
Craving skin-on-skin contact, I eased the comforter down that shielded her from me and slipped my hand beneath the pink cotton I'd fondled the moment before, finally dipping my fingers inside her without obstruction, but only to get them wet. I went back to her clit, this time getting the full effect with no barriers. Her tight, slippery bud swelled even more as I caressed it between my index and middle fingers, fantasizing about sucking it until she exploded against my tongue.
Brynn was panting in my ear, each breath breezing across my face, and I enjoyed the sound and feel of it. Hiding my erection no longer made sense, seeing as how I was pretty sure she knew I wanted her, so I moved close again, letting her feel what touching her had done to me.
"Can I have you?" I whispered, lifting my lips to her ear when asking.
With my fingers still working her middle, it took a moment to get a response. And even then all I got was a nod and a distracted, "Mmmhmm."
I didn't waste any time. As soon as she gave me permission, I was up on my knees and between her legs, working her panties down her hips. She rose a couple inches so I could slide them off more easily, but once she was free from them, she stopped me.
"He'll hear us," she breathed. Honestly? I'd completely forgotten Naseem was even here.
Running a hand down my buzzed hair, I rested with my shins pressed into her mattress, thinking. At this point, we'd kind of reached the point of no return.
"Downstairs," was her suggestion. "The half-bath off from the kitchen. The sound won't travel up from there."
Seeing as how I didn't give a damn whether he heard us or not, I took Brynn's word for it and hopped off the bed. She got up just fine on her own, pulling her gown down into place, but leaving the panties where they lie on the floor.
We were stealthy on the stairs, not making a sound. On the way down, I listened for Naseem's snoring again and he was still out cold. Passing through the living room, we made it to the kitchen, and finally to the bathroom.
Brynn closed the door behind us and kept the light off. The space was still well-lit by the streetlamp just outside the window. In the cramped space, I could feel her everywhere, the heat she gave off.
A memory flashed inside my head of another time we'd been here. Well, not exactly here, but in a similar situation, one that resulted in a bond neither of us had any idea we forged.