Mr. Big Jerk: A Forbidden Second Chance Romance (Kinda Cocky Series Book 3), стр. 40

My fingers flew across the keyboard as quickly as they could fly. I was eager to get out of the office and whisk Roxy away to our next shopping adventure. I loved parading her around on my arm, especially now that she was starting to show. We were finally at the end of her second trimester, and things were going splendidly. My parents knew about us and had taken her in like family. After having an earnest talk with her father, I got his approval to continue being there for and to support her and the baby. Not that his disapproval would have stopped that. But, having our families work in tandem with one another could only help instead of hinder.

Sometimes, though, Roxy still acted as if she were doing it alone.

I have to get a crib set up in my apartment.

Should I worry about baby-proofing now?

I need a safer car. I’ll never be okay toting our kid around in this thing.

No, no, I can pay for that. It’s not an issue. I’ve been saving up anyway. Might as well put the money to good use.

I mean, I understood Roxy wanting to retain her independence. But, it was almost as if she were preparing for the moment when I left her in the dust. And I didn’t like that one bit. It’s one of the reasons why I enjoyed people seeing us together, whether in the office or out in public. I enjoyed people knowing that she was mine, and I was hers. I enjoyed people seeing her swell with my child and knowing damn good and well I wasn’t going anywhere.

I just needed to convince her of that now.

“Just bring up wanting to move in together,” I murmured to myself.

We were approaching a breaking point for both of us. Because I knew she’d get to a point in her pregnancy where she’d start to nest. At least, that’s what I kept reading. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on about what was changing with her body and happening with her hormones. I tracked every moment of the pregnancy. I even called my guys looking for advice on how to slowly merge mine and Roxy’s life so she didn’t feel as if her independent spirit was being snuffed out by me.

“And… done,” I said.

I slid my pen back into its holder and flipped the files closed. I stood up and packed my things in my briefcase, ready to deliver it all downstairs to the new front desk secretary. She was only here part-time, but it was better than nothing. And she was handy whenever she was around. I locked up my office and made my way toward the elevator, anxious to get to Roxy’s office.

After dropping those files with my new hire in the front lobby, I backtracked down the hallway.

“Roxy?” I asked.

I knocked on her door before I heard her shuffling around.

“Come in. I’m just wrapping things up.”

I opened her door. “Having a good day?”

She sighed. “If you call dealing with a bunch of grumpy, over-muscled meatheads a good day, then sure. It was fine.”

I paused. “Do I need to speak with someone?”

She eyed me hotly. “What? I’m not capable of speaking with them myself?”

“I didn’t mean personally. I meant professionally.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

I furrowed my brow. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She shoved something inside her desk. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m just hurting a bit today.”

“What hurts?”

“What doesn’t hurt? My feet. My back. My thighs. My elbows. Why do my elbows hurt? I’m not carrying a child in my elbows.”

I chuckled. “Well, hopefully, my plans for this afternoon will help cheer you up.”

She slammed her desk drawer closed. “Say what now?”

I smiled. “I have a surprise for you. Come on.”

“Clint, I really just want to go home.”

“Give me an hour, and then I’ll take you wherever you want. I promise.”

She sighed. “Can we at least get a cinnamon roll on the way there? I was dreaming about them all last night.”

I chuckled. “Whatever you want, beautiful.”

I couldn't help but notice just how exhausted Roxy looked, but I knew better than to bring it up. I wanted to start scaling back her schedule and the hours she worked, but I knew she’d fight me on that, too. I watched her limp over to me, and I wrapped my arm around her. I looked down at her ankles and noticed how swollen they were. Her feet looked like they were crying out for mercy from beyond the seams of her flats. And it made me worried that something bigger might be wrong.

“Roxy, maybe we should--.”

She groaned. “Clint, please stop. Just--just stop.”

I paused. “What?”

“I can’t have you worrying over me with every step I take. I see you staring at my ankles. I know they’re swollen. I know they don’t look good. But, can you at least not stare.”

“I’m not staring because--.”

She pulled away from me. “Cinnamon roll, before you die, please.”

I grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

But, the further we walked, the more her limp grew. The more she waddled instead of strutted. Her hand pressed into the small of her back, and she began to massage it, and it called attention to her shoulders. The way they were hunched over.

I can’t take her shopping like this.

“How about this?” I asked.

She grumbled. “Just pick a plan, Clint.”

I wrapped my arms around her. “Why don’t we get you that cinnamon roll, then go back to your place and order some takeout, yeah? We can rest on your couch, put our feet up. I could make us some milkshakes.”

“Mmm, talk dirty to me.”

I pressed my lips against her ear. “Maybe move the television into her bedroom.”

She groaned. “Fuck, you’re so sexy.”

I kissed the shell of her ear. “Come on. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

She gripped my arm. “Wait, wait, wait.”

I paused. “What is it?”

She sighed. “You know my place is an absolute wreck right now, with everything I’m moving around.”

I paused. “What are you moving around?”

“You know, rearranging things to make it more