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The care he’s put into this room warms my heart.
He scratches his head. “And . . . you’re not annoyed I asked Emily and David not to mention it to you? I wanted to be the one to tell you about it, but it hasn’t been so easy for me to get a hold of you lately.”
“Of course I’m not annoyed.” I find his hand and squeeze it.
“I’m glad. Well, any time you’re up from London, the baby can stay here—as can you, if you fancy it. And . . . I don’t want to put any pressure on you, but if you’d ever consider moving in with me, then—”
“Yes! Of course I’ll move in with you, Aidan. Yes, yes, yes!”
There are things I need to figure out, like what to do about Mum. She may have hurt me, but even so, she’s going through a difficult time and needs my support. For now, though, I have to think about what’s best for me and—even more importantly—what’s best for my baby. That means having Aidan in the picture, despite Mum’s attempts to push him out of it.
“This has turned into an okay Valentine’s Day after all, hasn’t it?” Grinning, he pulls me into a hug then winces. “Shit, you really are soaking. Let’s get you back to the stove.”
He leads me into the living area, and while I thaw out by the fire, he closes the curtains.
“It’s a dead-end road, so it’s not as though anyone will go by, but still, you should have privacy while you’re getting changed. I’ll grab you a towel.”
“Wait! First, come over here.”
He raises an eyebrow but does so.
I reach out and touch his jumper. “Oh no! Your clothes are damp too. They’ll have to come off as well.”
“Don’t worry about me—the brolly kept away the worst of it. All I care about is you.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re missing the point.” I tug his jumper up and over his head and toss it aside.
“Ah, I see what’s happening here. Gotcha.” He begins to remove my clothing.
I smile, unbuttoning his shirt. “Before you get any ideas, I’m tired. This isn’t for sex—at least, not for now. Maybe you’ll receive a Valentine’s treat later on. What I want to do is hug you while the fire warms our bare bodies.”
Aidan considers this then nods. “Sounds good to me.”
With ease, I pull off his shirt, drop his jeans, and slide down his underwear, while—with a little more difficulty—he peels my wet things off me. Soon, though, we stand facing each other, naked, the stove flickering and crackling beside us, its glow highlighting every curve and muscle of our figures.
Carefully he draws me to him and runs his hands up and down my back, rubbing warmth into my chilled skin. My protruding belly gently presses into his firm, toned abs. His pubic hair lightly tickles the underside of my bump. Between us, the baby squirms and shifts.
“Love you,” I say for a second time tonight, trying out the phrase again, testing how it feels on my lips and sounds in my ears.
“And I love you, lass.” His words are as comforting as the touch of his body against mine.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
GRACE
The murmur of the river is like a lullaby, soothing and calming. I awoke a while ago, but I’m in no rush to get up. I’m content to lie on my side and become acquainted with the sounds of my new home. Aidan is cuddled up against me, an arm around me and a hand tenderly resting on my bump. I can’t imagine anywhere I’d rather be right now than here.
He’s still asleep, his breath softly caressing the nape of my neck. Although I trained him to wear pyjamas when he stayed with me in London, he’s reverted to his old ways, but I’m not complaining—far from it. His bare skin radiates heat, keeping me toasty on this February morning.
Unlike Aidan, I’m not naked, having borrowed a baggy T-shirt of his to sleep in. Apart from the clothes I wore yesterday, which I left by the stove to dry, I don’t have anything with me in Bannock—no pyjamas, sleep scarf, toothbrush, or fresh outfit to change into. It’s not ideal, but it’s a worry for later on. At the moment, I’m happy, and that’s all that matters.
He murmurs something unintelligible, a whisper of dreams, then snuggles even closer to me. I remember that night in London when we lay like this, our bodies connected like jigsaw pieces. He didn’t sleep at all because I mischievously rubbed my bum against him. I half consider trying that again—he’d probably think it a pleasant way to wake up—but no, I don’t have the heart to disturb him. I let him rest, comforted by the steady rhythm of his breathing, which I feel through the gentle rise and fall of his chest.
My phone sits on the bedside table—Jamie handed it in last night after the restaurant closed. Careful not to rouse Aidan, I reach for it then open a chat with the woman who’s due to cover my yoga classes during my maternity leave. I fire off a quick message to see if she’d be interested in starting a little earlier. I’ll wait for her reply before asking what she thinks about taking over from me on a permanent basis.
There are a number of things I’ll have to sort out. I’ll need to go back to London to complete some admin and collect my belongings, but that’ll involve seeing Mum. So long as I’m lying here with Aidan’s arm around me, I’m not going to think about that. I can’t avoid it forever, but I can put it off for a while.
As I’m returning my phone to the table, it rings. My first thought is it’s my maternity cover getting back to me straight away, but no, it’s Emily’s name on the screen. I answer, Aidan stirring behind me.
