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I tense when my vision disappears. “Ican’tactually.”
His hands land on my hips. “Trust me.”
Then we’re moving. My steps forward are tentative, but the solid heat of Kit behind me is reassuring.
We cross a rug, which I think means we cut through the dining room. But then we’re back on hardwood, and I’m lost. Are we in the kitchen? Is he cooking me dinner? Or maybe this is a surprise for the baby and he’s bringing me to the nursery? But I can’t think of anything that would be a surprise in there. We’ve discussed every detail of what to order and how to arrange it. Plus, I was in there this morning, and nothing appeared out of place. We’ve both been home all day, so I don’t know when or how Kit would’ve changed things around.
“Almost there … okay.”
The blindfold falls away. I blink at our bedroom, still confused. Because it looks the same as it did when I woke up this morning.
“You, uh, cleaned?” I guess.
He snorts, then grabs my shoulders and steers me to the left.
“Oh,” I realize.
A dress is hanging on the back of the closet door. And not just any dress. It’s silvery and silky and familiar.
It’s the dress I was wearingthatnight in the Hamptons. Except this version doesn’t have an Aperol spritz stain on the front, like the one I haven’t been able to bring myself to get rid of.
“Oh,” I whisper again, lifting a hand to finger the flawless fabric.
I still love this dress. Even more now because I’ll forever associate it with my first night with Kit.
I tear my eyes away from it to look at him. “How did you find this?”
I never told him the brand or where I bought it. It wouldn’t have been that easy to find.
He grins. “I’ve got connections, Monty. I spent a lot of time staring at you that night. I remembered the style and that the color was called pewter. My mom tracked down the rest. You said the original wasruined, so I thought you might like a replacement.”
“I would. I mean, I do. Thank you, Kit. This is …” I shake my head. “I can’t believe you did this.”
I mean, I can. It’s thoughtful and considerate and extravagant, something he knew I’d appreciate.
I just can’t believe he did this forme. That he’smine.
He plants a swift kiss on my forehead. “Get dressed and meet me in the front hall.”
I snag his sleeve before he can step away. “I’m about to get naked, and you’releaving?”
“If I stay in here, we’re going to be late for dinner.”
“So?” I fist his tie. “We can stay in. Eat mac and cheese on the floor.”
“That’s not amac and cheese on the floordress, Monty. This is adate, and I’m buying you dinner.” He kisses me again. “I’ll fuck you later, as many times as you want. Deal?”
I pretend to consider the offer before I happily capitulate. “Fine. Deal.”
Kit grins before leaving the bedroom.
I strip out of my pajamas, then unzip the dress and pull it off the hanger.
It occurs to me halfway through pulling it on that my body is a different shape now than it was in August, but the zipper slides back up with no issue. The bodice isn’t tight, the silk flowing freely to the hem. It drapes over the bulge of my bump like it was meant to be a maternity dress, the fabric chafing my skin a lot less than some of my other clothes have been.
There’s a massive mirror in the walk-in closet.
I stand in front of it, smiling as I survey my appearance. Thefurther I’ve gotten into my pregnancy, the less confident I’ve felt. The stranger my own skin has seemed. I know it’s a natural, normal,incrediblepart of pregnancy—that the changes are to accommodate the life growing inside of me—but it’s still an adjustment. An ongoing adjustment because I keep gettingbigger.