Page 45

Chapter forty-four

Hudson

16-17 weeks

I’m standing outside Daphne’s dorm, shifting from one foot to the other to keep warm. The January air bites at my cheeks, and my breath plumes in front of me as I glance down the path for the millionth time. I check my phone again—no new messages. She texted when she left, but now I’m waiting to see her in person, which feels like a whole different kind of impatience.

Ten days. Ten long-ass days. I actually ended up working a bunch, only spending two days at home, and boosting the money I’ve been saving for us to get our own place before the baby comes. It now doesn’t look like a penny fund, which is great.

I’ve resorted to watching the reel she posted while she was away. A short clip, less than thirty seconds, where she talks over the top of the video for top tips for managing school, sports, and motherhood with someone from the soccer team who also has kids. It doesn’t matter that we video called every night; I wanted more. It doesn’t matter that she sent me random pictures of whatever she was eating or the view from her room. None of it’s enough. I wore her scrunchie on my wrist every day like a lovesick fool.

I want her here, beside me, filling the empty space that’s been nagging at me since the moment she left. The ache is sharper than I expected, this pull toward her that I don’t know how to explain. It’s like something inside me has shifted, like she’s not just someone I want anymore. She’s someone I need.

It’s not like we haven’t been apart before, but this time... Knowing she was facing her dad and all the crap that came with that? It made every hour drag. She told me not to worry, and I tried, hell, I really tried, but I’m not great at sitting back and doing nothing.

I’m just about to call her for an update when I see her.

She’s walking toward me, suitcase in one hand, her other hand shoved into the pocket of her jacket. Her hair’s loose, catching in the winter wind, and her cheeks are flushed pink from the cold. My heart damn near stops. Ten days, and somehow, she looks different. More beautiful.

When she spots me, her lips curve into a smile, and just like that, everything feels right again.

“Princess,” I call out, crossing the distance between us in a few quick strides.

She drops her suitcase as I wrap her in my arms, lifting her off the ground. Her laugh bubbles out, warm and familiar, and I bury my face in her neck, breathing her in like I’ve been holding my breath for a week.

“Miss me?” she teases, her arms tightening around my shoulders.

“You have no idea,” I murmur. Setting her down, I keep her close. I step back just enough to look at her, my hands resting on her hips. “Let’s not do that again. Being away from you was my least favorite thing.” Grabbing her suitcase with one hand, I slide my other arm around her waist.

“I saw you every day on my phone screen.”

“Yeah, and I watched your reel at least a thousand times,” I admit. “But video calls aren’t you being here, smelling so good.” I turn, dipping to taste her lips quickly. “Tasting you and just having you here.”

The flush of color staining her cheeks makes my own heart beat faster. “Huh, so you’re the reason that reel’s views went so high?”

I pull her to me again, smiling like a loon. “C’mon. Let’s get inside before we freeze.”

Once we’re inside, the warmth hits us, and Daphne shrugs off her jacket, tossing it onto the back of her chair. The motion pulls her sweater taut, and that’s when I see it, her bump.

My breath catches, and I stop in my tracks, staring at the subtle curve now visible. It’s not huge, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s enough to notice a little more than before she went away.

“You’re really showing now,” I say as I set her suitcase by the door. “My baby has changed.”

She glances down at herself with a shy smile, resting a hand on her belly. “I know. I noticed it a little while I was home, but I wasn’t sure if it was just me eating a lot.”

I step closer, needing to touch her.

Daphne laughs, her fingers brushing over the tiny swell like she’s still getting used to it. “It’s weird, isn’t it? Knowing there’s a person growing in there.”

“Not weird,” I say, crouching in front of her. “Amazing.”

She tilts her head, her smile widening as she watches me. I lift her sweater just enough to press a gentle kiss to her belly, my hands resting on her hips. “Hey, booger,” I say quietly. “You’ve been busy, huh?” I press another kiss to her skin and look up at her. “C’mon. I want to see you. All of you.”

She raises an eyebrow, but she lets me guide her to the bed. When she sits, I kneel between her knees, my hands resting lightly on her thighs. For a moment, I just look at her, taking in every detail. The way her hair falls over her shoulders, the flush in her cheeks, the way she seems more comfortable in herself.

“What?” she asks.

“Nothing,” I say. “Just missed you. Missed getting late-night snacks with you and just hanging out together. Kissing you. Holding you. Missed it all.”

She rests her hands on mine. “I missed you too.”

Then my hands slide from her thighs to her belly, resting gently over the small curve. I let my fingers trace the subtle swell. “Hi, baby girl, were you good for your mom? I hope so.”

Her cheeks flush a deeper pink, and she laughs lightly, her hand drifting to rest over mine on her belly. “Girl, huh?”

“I got a hunch.” I shrug, then remember that I have something for her. “Can I give you your presents now?”

Her eyes go wide. “Plural presents?”

I grin but don’t answer, already moving to my duffel bag. “Just…trust me.”

She watches curiously as I return with her presents, wrapped by me, which leaves a lot to be desired.

I place the first one on her lap. “Start with this one.”

With a giddy smile, she peeks inside the bag and pulls out a pair of thick, fuzzy socks with a gasp.

“Your feet are always cold.”

She presses the socks to her chest, eyes crinkling. “You noticed that?”

“’Course I did,” I say, reaching for the next thing.

She unwraps it quickly to reveal a plush blanket. Her fingers sink into the material immediately, and she lets out a contented sigh. “This is perfect.”

I smile, leaning back on my palms. “You said your old one felt scratchy.”

Blanket and all, she leaps forward and kisses me. It’s quick at first, but then her hands cup my face, and the kiss deepens. She tastes like happiness. My hands slide into her hair, pulling her closer, and I feel her smile against my lips.

When she finally pulls back, she sighs happily. “Do you want your presents now?”

“You got me something?”

She gives me a duh look as she climbs off me. In her bag, she pulls out two things that look the same color. Neither are wrapped.

She places a tiny one on my thigh.

Unfolding it, I freeze. A baby jersey with my name and number.

“It’s from my dad. He wanted us to have one for your final season next year.”

My eyes meet hers in an instant. “He gave this to us?”

She nods. “I told you everything went well with him but,” she pauses for a second and I watch her ocean eyes glisten, “thank you for encouraging me to go home.”

I swallow thickly, my thumb brushing over the fabric. Something creeps into my chest, coiling and uncoiling at the same time. Her dad’s approval wasn’t something I’d admit to craving, but seeing this small gesture hits me harder than I expect. Maybe I’ve been trying to prove something to him, to myself, to Daphne too. That I’m worthy of this life we’re building Someone who can and will show up day after day for them. And now him and Daphne are on good terms too… it feels right. “This is…” I can’t even finish. I just look at her my heart full. My hands slips to her stomach.

As if on cue, I feel it—a tiny flutter under my palm, almost like a ripple. My breath catches, and my eyes snap to hers. “Was that—?”

Eyes tearing up, her smile widens. “Yeah. That’s your baby saying hi.”

“Holy shit,” I whisper, my other hand joining the first as I press a little more firmly. The movement happens again, this time stronger. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced. I can’t stop the grin that stretches across my face. I feel like my heart might actually burst. “Hey, booger,” I say softly, leaning in so my face is level with her belly. “It’s me, your dad. You’re already showing off, huh? You’re gonna play football with me, I know it.”

Daphne rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling so much that I know she doesn’t mean it. “They’re probably kicking because they’re hungry.”

“Or because they’re excited to meet me,” I argue, pressing another hand to her belly, just in case I can feel it again. “I’d kick for me too.”

Her laugh fills the room. I love seeing her like this, happy. She leans forward and kisses me, soft and unhurried, her hands coming up to cradle my face again. It’s not like our usual kisses, full of teasing and heat. This one is different, it feels more… Just more.

When she pulls back, her lips curve into a small smile, and she brushes her thumb over my jaw. “You’re amazing, Hudson Parker, and I’m lucky to have you,” she says, her voice soft and curious, like she doesn’t realize she’s just flipped my world upside down.

“Now, I have one more present for you…” In one smooth move, she stands, and I watch without blinking, pulse spiking, as she pulls her shirt over her head and shimmies out of everything else, leaving nothing but her.

“I like where this is going,” I say, licking my lips.

Then she lifts something else, dark and familiar. My jersey. My official jersey.

And—oh, fuck me—she slides it on.

It’s too big, hangs loose, brushing the tops of her thighs, and the sight punches every bit of air from my lungs.

I shake my head, my grin turning lopsided as I run my fingers down her arm. “Is it too soon to tell you I love you?”

Her breath catches, eyes growing wide, and that sweet pink makes an appearance from what I’d said and the meaning but I’m not about to take it back. Then her eyes narrow slightly, the corners of her mouth quirking up in that way that drives me insane. She steps toward me, hiking one leg over my hip, then the other to straddle me, my hands encasing her. “You just want my body,” she teases, tilting her chin up playfully.

My tongue is barely contained inside my mouth, my dick hard as stone beneath her. I let out a low, rough laugh, the sound vibrating between us. “Fuck yeah, I do,” I admit, my grin turning wicked as I lean closer, pressing her gently against my body. “But it’s fine, because I’ve missed you, so I’m gonna fuck you with so many feelings tonight.”

She rolls her eyes, her lips twitching like she’s trying not to laugh. “Fleeting feelings, I’m sure.”

“Nothing fleeting about this. Stop ruining my fantasy,” I say confidently, nipping at her bottom lip and feeling the small shiver that runs through her in response.

“The one where you love me and fuck me?” She arches an eyebrow.

“Exactly,” I reply, my voice dropping as I look into her eyes and pull her closer to move us until she's laying down. “Just lie back and let me worship you.”

Her playful expression shifts, her cheeks flushing as she tangles her fingers in my hair and pulls me down to meet her lips. The kiss starts slow, but it doesn’t stay that way for long. It’s full of heat and hunger, all the pent-up longing from the past ten days spilling out between us.

I trail kisses down her neck, letting my hands roam over her curves, and her laughter turns into soft, breathless gasps. My chest feels tight, but it’s not nerves or doubt, it’s her. Everything about her, all at once, and the overwhelming certainty that she’s mine, and though I know she thinks I’m joking, I think I might be in love with my baby mama.