“I really wish I could’ve watched you do that.”

“Fuckin’ Christ, I just came, and you’re already making me hard.” He sat back and slid his finger out of me. I lifted my shoulders off the freezing table just in time to see him use that same hand to wipe his mouth with his palm and then lick it.

Lick it.

He’d eaten me through two orgasms, but it hadn’t been enough for him.

He’d needed every last drop.

I flopped down again and closed my eyes.

One day.

I made it one day before crawling back.

The fact I hadn’t literally crawled didn’t make me feel any better because I totally would’ve if he’d asked.

I’m in big trouble.

The dim lighting was cut off, and I opened my eyes to find him leaning over me with an arm at either side of my head. “Gotta get you to the fire before you freeze to the table.”

“I’ll be like the kid with his tongue stuck to the light post except way worse.”

Ward chuckled and lifted my boneless torso.

I stood the rest of the way and smiled up at him. “It’s late. I should—”

“I got hummus.”

His words made me hesitate because they were so random and I seriously loved hummus. “What?”

“Black olive and jalapeño. It’s got folate, iron, protein. Good for Squish.”

Squish.

He said Squish.

It wasn’t the first time he’d acknowledged my pregnancy or the baby, of course. But it was the first time he’d used my nickname for them, and hearing his deep voice say it made my heart squeeze and my vision blur.

“Ward—”

“Wait till you taste it.” He used my appetite against me and guided me over to sit near the fire. Adding a couple more logs, he leaned down to kiss my forehead. “I’ll be back.”

I watched him walk away, too stunned to speak.

Many men and women would prefer the kind of no-strings arrangement that entailed no post-sex hangout.

To come and then go.

Jizz and then jet.

Ejaculate and then evacuate.

Blow the load and then hit the road.

And unlike the day before, I hadn’t come over because of a nightmare. There was no need to comfort or distract me.

But not only did Ward want me to stick around, he also wanted me to have a snack that was loaded with healthy nutrients for my baby.

I had no clue how he knew all that. Hell, I hadn’t even known all that. I just ate it because it was delicious and not on the list of forbidden foods for pregnancy.