Page 72 of Nightmare’s Playground

I was six months along, and counting down the days until my girl was here.

As the water ran down my back, I heard the front door close. Then the thud of his boots hitting the floor in the closet.

My belly fluttered, and it wasn’t the baby.

Five years and two kids, and the man still gave me butterflies every time he walked through the door.

A second later the bathroom door opened, and through the glass I watched my husband bend down, scoop my leggings off the floor, and drop them in the hamper without saying a word about it.

God love that man, he was a keeper.

“Hi, honey.”

“Hi, baby,” he rumbled as he pulled his tee over his head, shoved his jeans down his legs, and opened the shower door.

Lord have mercy.

My breath caught as he stepped in behind me, cupped the back of my head and kissed me, deep and wet and slow, the way he did when he’d been gone all day.

Then his big hand slid around to my belly.

“How’s my girl today?”

I giggled against his mouth. “Me or her?”

His eyes were dancing. “Both.”

“We’re both good, honey.”

“Good.” He dropped to a crouch in front of me, water running down his back, and spanned my belly with both of his hands. His tattooed fingers didn’t quite meet anymore.

“Fuck, I love you like this,” he said, pressing his lips to the side of my bump. “Round with my baby.”

I rolled my eyes, but I was smiling. “You just love that I’m always horny when I’m pregnant.”

He laughed. “Fuck yeah, I do, Sweets.”

I knew he did.

From the day we found out we were pregnant with the boys, Jax had decided he wanted a houseful of kids.

I’d nixed that immediately. Two was plenty. Two was more than plenty when they were twins.

Then I’d gotten the flu last winter, missed a few pills, and here we were.

I’d been terrified at first because the boys were an absolute handful. Two handfuls. I didn’t know how I was going to do it.

But then I’d heard her heartbeat, and the last piece of a puzzle I didn’t even know I was missing slid into place.

Rising to his full height, Jax turned me toward the tile with one hand on my hip, the other flat on my belly.

“Missed you, baby.”

I put my palms against the wall.

“I can see that,” I said, rubbing my bottom against his erection.

“Such a naughty girl.”