One Moment Please (Wait With Me #3)(44)
“Josh,” she says my name softly and reaches out to touch me, but I pull away.
“I don’t need psychoanalyzing or empathy or even complete understanding. I just need you to live here.” I swallow the knot in my throat and press my hand to my chest when that familiar ache returns. “Would it be that bad to live here and cohabitate? Doesn’t it seem like what’s best for the baby?”
She’s watching me, but I can’t bring myself to return her look. I’m too…exposed and stupid. And really fucking out of control, which is not a sensation I relish. In fact, it’s one I live my life trying to avoid.
“Okay,” she says softly, her voice barely audible.
My eyes snap to hers. “Okay?”
She nods. “I’ll move in.”
I move toward her, ready and raring for a gentle round two, but she puts her hand to my chest. “But I have conditions.”
I lift my brows and shake my head. “Of course you do.”
She chews her lip nervously and stares at my chest for a second. “No more sleeping together.”
My entire body revolts. “Seriously?”
She rubs her lips together and nods firmly. “Sex complicates things. You and I still have a lot to learn about each other and a lot of things to figure out before this peanut is born. I’m fine doing that under your roof, but that means no sex.”
Confusion hits me as I ponder her surprising reply. Most women in her situation would want a relationship or a commitment. Maybe even marriage so they can get that picture-perfect family they always dreamed about as little girls. But not Lynsey. She wants boundaries and rules, and who knows what the hell else she’ll come up with.
I exhale heavily and let this idea really sink in. Honestly, this is probably the best-case scenario for me. With my past, I’m only able to give a limited amount of myself to someone. Far from one hundred percent. This no-sex rule will save me from breaking her heart eventually.
And at least she’ll be here under my roof where I can watch out for her and take care of her and make sure that the baby is taken care of as well. This may not have been a situation I would have asked for, but now that it’s here, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure this baby and this woman are good.
I relax my shoulders and take her hand, giving it a platonic shake. “Okay. Strictly roommates.”
The next day, my jaw drops when I pull up to my parking spot and I’m blocked by a giant storage pod sitting in the driveway. Lynsey must have seen me coming because she’s standing on the front lawn, her eyes wide and wary on me as I climb out of my vehicle.
“I didn’t know you moving in was going to involve a storage POD.” I stare at the monstrous thing in front of me.
“You’re home early,” she says, playing with the strings on her hooded sweatshirt.
“What is going on?” I ask, seriously annoyed with what’s happening. “You haven’t been doing heavy lifting, have you?”
“No, she hasn’t,” Dean says casually as he comes around the POD to stand by Lynsey.
My jaw clenches at the sight of him standing next to her, wiping sweat off his face with his T-shirt. He adjusts his glasses and shoots me an infuriating smile.
“So, what? Dean here has just magically moved everything on his own and you didn’t lift a finger?” I ask, narrowing accusing eyes at Dean.
“Miles and Sam are here,” Lynsey replies, biting her lip. “They’re mounting a TV in the living room.”
“They’re what?” My jaw drops as I head inside to see the damage.
“You said she could move in,” Dean snaps, stepping into my path and crossing his arms over his chest. “Did you think she was just going to sit on that ridiculous plastic chair throughout her whole pregnancy?”
“No,” I growl defensively, my body tensing from his proximity. “I told Lynsey I was going to buy shit. I even said she could pick it out.”
“I didn’t want you to do that,” Lynsey interjects, standing between me and Dean as we glower at each other. “There was no need for you to buy anything when I have a pod full of perfectly good home furnishings.”
Dean scoffs and shakes his head. “What kind of freak doesn’t have any furniture?”
“The kind with a grown-up job,” I quip back.
He narrows his eyes and smiles. “And what I do isn’t grown-up?”
“I still don’t know what the hell you actually do.”
“Ask your buddy Max. I’ve made him a lot of money.”
I roll my eyes and turn my attention to Lynsey, taking a deep breath to calm the nerves that Dean riles in me. “If you wanted to move your stuff in here, you should have told me. I would have helped.”
She stares at me, fiddling with her hair. “I was hoping I could get settled before I start my new job on Monday. I like things…in order. And you were working today so I didn’t want to bother you.”
“This wouldn’t have been a bother.” I shake my head and purse my lips in disappointment because after everything we discussed last night, she still doesn’t get it.
She smiles sheepishly. “Well, we’re almost done so why don’t you come in and have a look? It’ll be a fun surprise.” She gestures for me to follow her, and I begrudgingly end up in Dean’s wake.