Say You Want Me (9 page)

I truly mean that. If Wyatt Hennington is half the man they all say he is, our child is going to have one hell of a dad.

Her eyes soften a little more. “You are, too, Angie. I can see already how much he cares for you. Now, tell me about some of the flavors you make up there in the North.”

My head spins, and the seed of hope starts to take root. Now we have to see if it grows.

“Hey, Big City.” He comes in the door with a grin.

“I’m going to come up with a nickname for you.”

Something he hates. Maybe Tiny Wanker or something to question his manhood. I know for damn sure he isn’t lacking there, but I have to find something super annoying.

“Can’t wait to hear it, honey,” he says as he slaps my ass.

He’s been great about my rules. He doesn’t even attempt anything at night, which I was most worried about.

However, each night is growing increasingly harder for me. He now sleeps shirtless for one. It’s not only his bare skin that is getting to me, it’s also his scent. I close my eyes, and his cologne mixed with the clean smell that’s Wyatt overwhelms me. I can remember the way his sweat tasted as I kissed his body the last time when we had sex. I can feel the way his hands roughly touched each inch of my skin. Every time I lie next to him, it takes every ounce of my strength not to maul him. Plus, we wake up the same way each morning—tangled limbs and a very hard erection against me.

I’m going to crack.

And very soon.

“You have a good day?” he asks as he places a soft kiss on my temple. I love that he does that. It’s as if he’s been doing it forever. Weird that in such a short time we’ve become so comfortable around each other.

When I look at him, I don’t see the guy who knocked me up. I see a man who I could like. I see a man that I want to like me, and I want him to know me the way no one else has cared to do before. I worry that he could hurt me, which is always possible. Wyatt wouldn’t be a man I could come back from. I can see in his eyes the way he’ll own my heart and soul. If I give them to him, they will be his forever. His mother confirmed that today.

Wyatt crouches in front of me and places his hands on my belly. I don’t have a bump. If you didn’t know that I was pregnant you wouldn’t be able to tell. But we know, and each night Wyatt lets me know that he’s thinking of the baby in some small way. Sometimes it’s a simple touch, other times it’s a glance. Then, the other night, he rolled over and his palm rested there. He was sleeping and probably didn’t know he did it, but I do. I laid there, unable to move, feeling every emotion possible. It wasn’t as if he hasn’t done it before, but this time it was an unconscious, protective gesture. It was as if it was the most natural thing to do. To make sure that me and the baby were safe.

Eventually, I draped my hand over his and fell asleep.

“Baby?” he asks again, and I realize he’s calling me that, not the actual baby.

I shake my head. “Oh, I did. I had an eventful day.”

A slow grin forms across his lips. “Yeah? I can’t wait to hear it. I’m going to hop in the shower. Come in and talk if you want.” He wiggles his brows, and I laugh.

“Persistent.”

“Hedging my bets.”

Wyatt turns and heads into the bathroom. I listen as the shower turns on and wait a minute. The truth is, I want to talk to him. I enjoy when he comes home and we have a little time to go over his day, because really, my day is boring.

“Wyatt?” I ask from outside the door.

“Come in!”

This is a bad idea. “You better be in the shower,” I say as I open the door. Thankfully, or maybe not, he’s in, and I walk to the other side of the bathroom so I don’t see through the glass. “Your mom came by today.”

He opens the door and leans out. I quickly turn my head. “Did she?”

“Yup.”

“What did Mama have to say?”

I bet he’s worried. I decide to be a little playful. “She told me all about you. All the things to watch for.”

The sounds of the water splashing do nothing to calm my imagination. He’s in there. Naked. And I’m out here, because I’m stupid. No, not stupid. I’m cautious and being smart.

We’ll go with that.

I move over to the sink and hop up.

“Did she now?”

“Worried?”

“Nope. I’m her favorite. She’d never sell me out.”

“You could at least play along.”

I hear the door open, the flap of the towel, and his throaty chuckle. I gaze at the floor as his feet come into view. God he even has sexy feet. I didn’t even know that was a thing, but Wyatt’s got them. My eyes drift up, taking in his body as he stands before me wearing only a towel. “I would rather play with something else.” Slowly, he starts to unravel the knot tied at his waist.

My hand flies to my face, ensuring I don’t see anything. “Put clothes on!”

“You can look,” he offers.

I shake my head. He’s so close. All I smell is his clean and musky scent around me. The steam from the shower billows around us, and my hormones kick to double time. “I’ve already seen you naked. It’s nothing to write home about.”

He shifts forward and nestles himself between my legs. “I think you’re lying, Big City. I think right now you want to look.”

My eyes flash open and I glare at him. “I’m looking.” My voice is laced with venom. “I see nothing I want to play with.” I push him back a little and hop off the sink. It’s too hot in here.

“No?” Wyatt steps forward, grips my wrist, and places my fingers against his chest. The heat from the shower and the feel of his skin under my palm sends a current through me. Oh God. I can’t breathe. His heart beats beneath my hand as his lips graze my cheek. “Are you cold?” he asks knowing damn well I couldn’t be. I curse the goose bumps that are giving me away right now.

“No.” The word escapes as a plea. I’ve been doing good. I’ve managed to keep my hands off him at night, my lips to myself, and my rules intact.

“Just checking.” He shrugs, looking completely unaffected.

Meanwhile, I’m a bundle of pent-up sexual tension.

“Asshole.”

“Your rules, honey.”

I huff and cross my arms. “Whatever.”

“Listen, Mama’s been quite busy today. She called and said we’re needed at dinner tonight.”

“Okay,” I say with apprehension.

“She said we better be there.” Wyatt kisses the side of my head as he passes.

I don’t know why she needs us there, but maybe she has more pie. “Will your dad be there?”

“No.” He cracks his neck. “He’s up in Nashville. You’ll meet him soon.”

“When are we going?”

“As soon as you get yourself ready. You know I should probably meet your parents, Ang. We’re kinda bound together.”

I let out a deep sigh and head into the bedroom. “I’m putting that off as long as possible.”

While he knows about my parents, I didn’t get too deep. I’m the youngest and by far the most challenging. I tested her at every turn, until she got sick at least. Then I became her caretaker for the most part. My father worked a lot, my brothers were away at college or too busy when they were home, but I was always there. I sat with her at the hospital while she got her chemo. I held her shoulders as she would get sick, and I shaved my head when she lost her hair.

You would think that would forge an unbreakable bond, but it didn’t. As soon as she went into remission, she practically erased all the time we spent together from her mind. It was as if every moment we shared vanished with the cancer. Since then, I’ve been on my own. I don’t want her to ruin this for me.

I know exactly how she’ll feel about my being pregnant. And Wyatt. My mother expects a certain type of man. She would not be able to find that value in one who works his ass off on a farm. When Todd brought Presley around, there were some ugly things said about where she grew up. Things that I know my brother did not take kindly to. While Todd and Josh can hold their tongue—I can’t. If she were to say one hateful thing about Wyatt, I’d lose my shit. No need to bring her into this now. I need to figure out too many other things first.

I exit the room with a sense of unease. “I’m ready.”

Wyatt smiles and puts his arm out. “You look beautiful.”

“You’re not so bad yourself.” I hook my hand around his forearm.

“Told you that I’m a catch.”

I roll my eyes and smack his shoulder. “You’re also a tool.”

We walk the trail that leads to his parents’ house. It’s not far, and I could use the exercise. The short trip is spent with me telling him all the stuff his mother said. He tells me about the crazy day on the ranch and how he couldn’t wait to get home. His smile is open and full of warmth. We laugh about Cayden and Logan’s antics today and how Trent and Wyatt are teaching them things to do to Zach. Their newest lesson is the art of toilet papering.

Boys.

We approach the house, and Mrs. Hennington is already standing on the huge wrap around porch. “Hi, Mrs. Hennington.” I smile.

“Oh, now. You can call me Macie, dear.”

“Macie,” Wyatt says from behind me. “I’m starvin’.”

“Wyatt Earnest Hennington,” she chides. “You will call me Mama, or I’ll slap you into next Tuesday. Now, gimme some lovin’.” She pats her cheek.

Wyatt wraps his arms around her and kisses her. “Sorry, Mama.”

“Don’t you let him get away with a thing,” she tells me.

I giggle. “I won’t.”

“I’m serious,” she says. “You let these boys get an inch on you, they’ll take ten miles. And if that baby inside is a boy, Lord help you, darlin’.”

My face pales a little. Macie turns toward the door as I stand a little stunned. I didn’t even put any thought into the sex of the baby. I mean, I figured it was a girl because . . . I am one. But a boy? I don’t know what to do with a boy by myself. A girl I can teach things to, but boys like dirt and bugs. I’m so not meant to be a mother to boys.

Especially if he’s like Wyatt. These boys are
boys
. They hunt, fish, ride horses, and for all I know, they ride bulls too. I’m so screwed.

“She’s kidding,” Wyatt says against my ear. “My brothers and I were angels.”

She laughs and shifts so she’s facing us. “More like hellions.”

“She also has some kind of super hearing.” Wyatt throws his arm over my shoulder and turns to her with a smile. “Don’t you?”

Macie smirks back. “When you have kids, you learn what to listen for. And if it’s ever quiet . . . you know they’re up to no good.”

She’s amazing. I want to be her. It’s obvious that she loves her kids and they love her. Wyatt, Trent, and Zach have all stayed close to her. There’s a good reason for that. There’s also a reason my brothers and I got the hell away from our mother.

Wyatt and I enter the house, and I’m in awe. This house is straight out of a
Southern Living
magazine. The tapestries on the walls are soft creams with beautiful patterns. The floors are a deep mahogany hardwood. The entryway alone is magnificent and has a staircase on either side that meet in the middle. The foyer is filled with photos of their family. There’s a formal living room off to the right that looks untouched and a huge dining room on the left. We move farther and pass a powder room and a study.

We enter into the kitchen, which takes up the entire back of the house, and the smells are overwhelming. It’s filled with scents that make me feel at home—a pie baking in the oven with a mix of warm foods. I instantly relax. “Well, if it isn’t Wyatt and Angie.” An older woman stands from her seat at the table.

“Mrs. Rooney,” Wyatt says before turning his gaze toward his mother. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Of course, sugar.” She pats the side of his face. “I wanted to make sure Angie knew how happy we all are.” She looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve met her before.

“All?” he asks with alarm in his voice.

“We’re all here, honey.” Two more women step in from the back porch.

Oh dear God.

Now I remember.

These are the four women who were all sitting around Presley’s house and plying me with baked goods when hell broke loose. Presley told me all about the older women from the town. All four of them have been friends since grade school, and they know
everything
. They also make the most amazing cake. I swear, I could’ve orgasmed from one slice.

“Mrs. Townsend!” I walk over and give her a huge hug.

“Angelina Benson, it is so good to see you again.” She returns my embrace. “You look just radiant.”

She’s another one of those moms I wish I had.

We all gather around the table as Mrs. Hennington, Mrs. Rooney, Mrs. Kannan, and Mrs. Townsend talk about the baby and how they can’t wait for the wedding. Wyatt laughs and shakes his head at me whenever I start to correct them. “You need to tell them we’re not getting married,” I whisper in his ear.

“Trust me. You don’t want to do that. It’s better to let them go off on their tangent. If you correct them, they’ll keep you hostage. Think of it as me savin’ you.”

I glare at him, and he laughs. “Stop being so damn adorable.”

My lips purse.

He leans in and kisses my temple.

All the conversations that were going on around us cease. I glance around and everyone is looking at us with expressions of delight on their faces.