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“Hey, Jame, do you want to go swimming?” Shannon came across the yard with a towel wrapped around her.
“You read my mind.”
“I put our stuff in the balcony room at the top of the stairs.”
“Okay, thanks.” She stood and headed into the house, passing Max on her way.
“Where ya goin’?” He handed her the glass of water he’d fetched for her.
“Swimming. Wanna come?”
“Maybe later.”
“Okay. Thanks for the water.”
Jamie went upstairs and threw on her pink polka dot bikini, then examined her pregnant form in the mirror. Her chest was ampler and her baby bump stuck out, which made her feel more beautiful than she ever had. It amazed her the way her body was changing to accommodate this baby, and tears sprung to her eyes, thinking she might not have experienced any of this if she’d made a different decision.
She rubbed her hand over her tummy as she felt little Coconut move and kick inside.
After wiping away a few stray tears, she tossed a towel over her shoulder and made her way downstairs, where Max was standing by the back door, chatting with some of the guys. She didn’t miss the way his eyes skimmed over her baby bump, and she wondered if seeing her this way would change his mind about dating a pregnant woman, but she wasn’t going to worry about that now. A day of swimming and fun was exactly what she needed.
Chapter 34
Duncan was sure his eyes would betray him. The second Jamie stepped out of the house in that bathing suit with all her smooth skin on display, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. And this was a problem for a few reasons—the most important being his fiancée, who stood no less than three feet away from him since Jamie’s arrival. Dréa was obviously having trust issues, and she was right to be concerned. Duncan hated himself for staring.
But despite that, and knowing Jamie was his weakness, he still headed down to the lake to swim with the rest of them. He fixated on her as he strode across the grass, watching her and Shannon jump from the end of the dock with triumphant cries as they flew through the air and dropped into the shining water below.
He glanced over his shoulder to where Dréa was talking to Mama, then picked up the pace, jogging across the yard and along the dock. As he reached the end, he let out a cry of his own and jumped over the girls’ heads. He hit the water in a hard cannonball, sending a large wave their way.
When he emerged, Shannon was already splashing him, and he splashed in return.
“Thanks a lot.” Jamie pushed her plastered hair back from her face.
“What do you think, Jame?” Shannon moved closer to Duncan. “Does he need to pay?”
“I think he does,” Jamie replied.
He kicked and moved his arms through the water, hoping to escape, but they were faster. Both girls jumped up on either side of him, grabbed his head and shoulders, and pushed him under. He came up and spit water at his sister, who was then grabbed by Micah and dunked.
Duncan laughed. “Serves you right.” He backed up, running into Jamie, who was floating beside him. His hand skimmed her thigh, and he felt her fingers brush against the middle of his back. Heat instantly spread through his body, and though he knew he should’ve gotten the heck out of that lake, he remained still, floating next to her, allowing the dark water to hide the fact that they were touching each other. He let the backs of his fingers drift down the outside of her leg and over her knee, and fought the urge to spin around and pull her against him.
She removed her hand from his back and pulled her leg away from him.
He rotated slowly to face her. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine.” Her cheeks were pink, and not from the sun. “Baby’s kicking. A lot.”
“Right now?” he asked.
She nodded. “A little.”
His hand glided through the water, his palm coming to rest against her belly. Her sharp intake of breath sent the blood pumping through his veins.
“I don’t think you can feel it yet.” Her voice was shaky.
He felt a little shaky himself. But he waited, holding his hand still, staring at her, the sound of his heart beating in his ears. She was looking at him in that adoring way he loved, but there was a hint of uncertainty there as well.
“You look good.” He shouldn’t have said that, but it was the truth.