Page 53 of Into the Dark
“You checking up on me? Fucking hell. So possessive, so controlling.” He sighs loudly. It’s playful though.
“You love it.” I smile.
“I love you.” He corrects.
“Well, that’s good because I love you back. So, where are you? And since my birthday is six months away, I really hope you’re not gift shopping.”
“Six months away? So…February. Gonna need a date here, baby.”
“Fourteenth.” I cringe.
“Fourteenth of February. Wait, isn’t that…?”
“Valentine’s Day. Yes. I know, I’m sorry.” Another thing with terrible timing: my birthday.
He laughs. “Fuck. I’d really better get my thinking cap on then. The pressure’s on already.”
“It really is. I’d hate to be you,” I laugh.
Jake chuckles.
“So, did you raid my underwear drawer?”
“Maybe.”
“Find anything you liked?”
“All of it. But, you know, I prefer you without underwear.”
“I did not know that.” I take another sip of my latte, blushing as a giggling toddler runs past, chased by her harassed mother.
“Well, now you do,” he says quietly. “Mmm…I can still taste you, you know.”
“Jake…I’m in a public place.”
“Yeah, me too.” He clears his throat. “And I’m with Cale,” he says, louder now. “He’s helping me with something very important—aren’t you, buddy?”
I get an image of him holding Caleb’s hand. My hand moves across my belly and stays there. “Sounds mysterious.” I smile. “So your location is top-secret then?”
“Yup. It’s a top-secret mission, isn’t it, buddy?” he asks his son, a smile in his voice.
I hear a child’s voice shout “yes” very loudly in the background.
“Shh, it’s a secret. Secrets are quiet.”
“You have him all night? Maybe I could come to yours. To meet him.”
“Nah, I only have him for a few hours today. Taking him back to his mum in a bit. But he’ll be staying with me this weekend if you want to do it then. He wants to go play football in the park—you can come too.” His voice is filled with love and hope, and all it makes me want to do is curl up in his arms.
“Sounds perfect.” I nod. Then I remember something. “I’m going to see Rob for a bit on Saturday. She gets back from Venice on Friday night. But that shouldn’t take too long.” Once I tell her pregnant I’m sure the conversation will dry right up. She’ll be mute from shock. “I’ll come meet you guys after that?”
“Yeah, sounds good. We can sort it out later.”
“Okay.” I nod. “Then I should probably get back to work and let you two get back to your top-secret mission.”
“Yeah. So you’ll be home after six? Just so I know when to have your dinner on the table.”
I laugh. “Ah, my very own sexy househusband in the flesh.”