Taking Chances (Taking Chances #1)(109)

When I walked into the room and brought him out of the crib, he cried even harder and it took a few minutes to calm him down. I walked around the dark room with him in my arms, trying to soothe him. Only after his long fingers grasped onto a chunk of my hair, did he finally stop crying. His eyes went wide and his mouth molded into that little O shape I love so much.

“Well hello grumpy.” I cooed at him lovingly, “Thirty minutes is pretty short, even for you mister.” I turned when I heard a noise from the hall, and watched Brandon as he leaned against the door jam. I took in his tan muscled body and bit my lip, thinking of our few moments we just shared, and the hours we would spend together tonight. My breaths were getting heavier and coming quicker as I thought about his body pressed to mine. It really had been too long since we’d kissed like that, let alone done anything more. The last time we’d gotten as far as we had now, had been before our horrible break up.

“Still my favorite thing.” He said, breaking me out of my fantasy.

“What is babe?”

“Just watching you hold him.” I smiled as he sauntered over to us. “How’s he doing?”

“Good now. He was mad that it took me so long to come see him.”

“Oh he was mad?” Brandon took him from my arms and kissed his head tenderly, immediately offering up his finger for Liam, “I hate to break it to you little man, but you interrupted my very important time with your mom.”

I laughed and sat down in my glider chair, suddenly exhausted with the three and a half hours of sleep I’d gotten in the last forty eight hours. Watching them walk in circles for a few minutes, I fought to keep my eyes open. Brandon walked up to me and carefully bent over so I could kiss our now sleeping son before putting him back in his crib. When he was all settled, Brandon slid an arm under my knees, another behind my back, and carried me back to our bed. I tried to pull my shirt back off but Brandon stopped my hands and kissed me softly.

“Just sleep sweetheart. We can pick up where we left off tonight.” Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled me tight into his chest and let out a content sigh. “I love you so much Harper.”

I pressed my lips to his throat and whispered back my love for him. I was out in seconds.

***

Leaving Liam with Mom and Dad was incredibly difficult. Of course he didn’t notice because he was sleeping, but it took me over five minutes to actually leave the house. I almost started crying when I got back in the car but forced myself to keep it in. I knew he would be fine with them, I wasn’t worried about that at all. It’s just that other than taking a shower and the few hours I did sleep, I hadn’t been separated from him since we came home from the hospital. Taking a deep breath, I focused on Brandon and what we had planned for when he got back from his class. Glancing down at the clock, I cranked the car and drove home.

I enjoyed taking my time in the shower since I hadn’t been able to do that in almost two months. All my showers were about five minutes these days, and I’d been in serious need of this. After I was done, I took my time doing my make-up and hair as well. I know Brandon loves me without make-up, but I was starting to feel like a slob since I never got ready anymore, and I wanted him to know that I wanted to look good for him. I stood in the closet for a few minutes trying to decide what to wear, but eventually ended up in matching hot pink and black lacy underwear and bra. I wasn’t confident enough to just be naked when he got home, but I was pretty sure actually getting dressed was unnecessary. Running back into the bathroom, I studied my reflection to make sure I looked perfect. Tracing the lines of my tattoo, I was still beyond words that I’d just given birth a little over six weeks ago, and the only real physical evidence was my chest. Bree and I had gone shopping when my boobs grew two cup sizes during the pregnancy, and I was glad she’d forced me to get a few sexy bras, because everything else I had either wouldn’t fit now, or would be anything but a turn on. I put a little bit of body spray on and turned to leave the bathroom when I heard the front door open. My heart picked up pace instantly as I forced myself not to run to my future husband.

“Harper? I’m ho–” He stopped short when he saw me, eyes bulging, “dear Lord.”

I smiled and slowly walked toward him, “Good or bad?”

“Good,” he gripped my hips and pulled me to him, bringing his lips to mine, “definitely good.” Picking me up, he carried me back to the bedroom and sat me on the edge of the bed.

Grabbing the bottom of his shirt, he helped me bring it over his head as he bent to kiss me again. I let my fingers trail over his chest, down his abs and to the button of his jeans. Like this morning, he sucked in a quick breath when I ran my fingers along the top of his pants and I laughed against his lips. After unbuttoning and pulling down the zipper, he stepped out of his jeans and brought his hands to my back to unclasp my bra. When it fell to the floor, he pushed my body back to the bed and let his lips trail over me. My chest was rising and falling quickly by the time he brought his mouth back to mine. I caught his boxers with my fingers and tugged slowly, groaning when he stopped me.

“Let me love you first.” He whispered against my neck.

He pulled back, and put all his weight on his knees so he could slide me farther up the bed. Kissing me once more, he ran the tips of his fingers down my stomach, to my underwear. His eyes never left mine as he slid them down my legs, letting them fall to the floor too.