raising a baby and planning a wedding and working on this project at the same time.” She replied, continuing to fold the end of the robe’s belt in her hands. He couldn’t tell if she was truly happy about getting married or not.
“You know, sometimes we plan on doing things that we think are right, but really, they may not be what’s best for us.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He could see in her eyes when she turned to him, he may have said a little too much.
“I’m just saying I know you. I know how important family is to you and how you’ve always wanted the ideal one.” He knew he was precariously close to touching a sore spot with her. Sloane had shared the hurt she felt losing her parents at such a young age. He knew it affected her then, and he was pretty sure it still did. “But, just because Brayden biologically belongs to Chase, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to marry him. It seems pretty quick.” Shut up Gates. It’s none of your business.
“What?” Her deadpan response had him kicking himself for the words that slipped from between his lips, but he hated the thought of Sloane being someone else’s wife. He always pictured her standing beside him in front of a minister saying ‘I do,’ but now she was going to do it with someone else.
“Look at me, overstepping my boundaries again. Obviously you know what’s best for you and your son and who is best to be in his life. I apologize,” He explained, back peddling from his admission and inquiry. “I have to say I was a little surprised that you are a mom.”
“It’s okay. I have to admit it’s been a little scary at times and an even bigger learning experience.”
“I’m sure. But I always knew you’d be great at it.” He watched her fiddle with the belt to the robe and grinned at her nervous energy. She may be someone else’s fiancée and a mother, but she hadn’t changed. Her nerves always seem to get the best of her and he fought the urge to reach out and stop her from worrying the terry cloth into oblivion.
“Really? You thought that?” She looked at him with wide eyes. With them being only inches apart, his need to touch her was growing intense. If he kept clutching his hands as tightly as he was, his skin was sure to pop.
“Sure. There wasn’t much you weren’t great at.”
“Wow, thank you.” She continued fumbling with the belt to the robe, until his urges finally overcame him and he reached over and grabbed her tiny hands in his larger ones. He gently rubbed the soft skin between her thumb and pointer finger on each hand to try and calm her fidgeting. After all of this time, he still hadn’t been able to shake his need to take care of her. It was the main reason he’d run after her that night at Elijah’s. He hated to see her in pain, and he couldn’t stand it when she cried. When she looked up again, their eyes met and his heart slammed against his chest. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and try and convince her marrying Chase would be a mistake, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
Breaking their intense moment, Sloane pulled her hands from his and clutched her arms to her body, turning towards the window. “So if you don’t mind me asking, what happened to you?”
“What do you mean what happened to me?” He could still feel the softness of her skin in his and he rubbed his hands together trying to erase the recent memory. He left her side and walked closer to the bar trying to put as much distance between them as he could. Get a grip Gates. She’s not yours anymore.
“The Gates you were today, with the spontaneous trip and the jokes and laughing, that’s the Gates I remember. What happened to him?” He looked up to see her eyes trained on him.
“Sloane, do you really want to get into this now?” He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. He didn’t want to talk about any changes between them. He wanted to feel her soft skin beneath his
“You know, sometimes we plan on doing things that we think are right, but really, they may not be what’s best for us.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He could see in her eyes when she turned to him, he may have said a little too much.
“I’m just saying I know you. I know how important family is to you and how you’ve always wanted the ideal one.” He knew he was precariously close to touching a sore spot with her. Sloane had shared the hurt she felt losing her parents at such a young age. He knew it affected her then, and he was pretty sure it still did. “But, just because Brayden biologically belongs to Chase, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to marry him. It seems pretty quick.” Shut up Gates. It’s none of your business.
“What?” Her deadpan response had him kicking himself for the words that slipped from between his lips, but he hated the thought of Sloane being someone else’s wife. He always pictured her standing beside him in front of a minister saying ‘I do,’ but now she was going to do it with someone else.
“Look at me, overstepping my boundaries again. Obviously you know what’s best for you and your son and who is best to be in his life. I apologize,” He explained, back peddling from his admission and inquiry. “I have to say I was a little surprised that you are a mom.”
“It’s okay. I have to admit it’s been a little scary at times and an even bigger learning experience.”
“I’m sure. But I always knew you’d be great at it.” He watched her fiddle with the belt to the robe and grinned at her nervous energy. She may be someone else’s fiancée and a mother, but she hadn’t changed. Her nerves always seem to get the best of her and he fought the urge to reach out and stop her from worrying the terry cloth into oblivion.
“Really? You thought that?” She looked at him with wide eyes. With them being only inches apart, his need to touch her was growing intense. If he kept clutching his hands as tightly as he was, his skin was sure to pop.
“Sure. There wasn’t much you weren’t great at.”
“Wow, thank you.” She continued fumbling with the belt to the robe, until his urges finally overcame him and he reached over and grabbed her tiny hands in his larger ones. He gently rubbed the soft skin between her thumb and pointer finger on each hand to try and calm her fidgeting. After all of this time, he still hadn’t been able to shake his need to take care of her. It was the main reason he’d run after her that night at Elijah’s. He hated to see her in pain, and he couldn’t stand it when she cried. When she looked up again, their eyes met and his heart slammed against his chest. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and try and convince her marrying Chase would be a mistake, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
Breaking their intense moment, Sloane pulled her hands from his and clutched her arms to her body, turning towards the window. “So if you don’t mind me asking, what happened to you?”
“What do you mean what happened to me?” He could still feel the softness of her skin in his and he rubbed his hands together trying to erase the recent memory. He left her side and walked closer to the bar trying to put as much distance between them as he could. Get a grip Gates. She’s not yours anymore.
“The Gates you were today, with the spontaneous trip and the jokes and laughing, that’s the Gates I remember. What happened to him?” He looked up to see her eyes trained on him.
“Sloane, do you really want to get into this now?” He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. He didn’t want to talk about any changes between them. He wanted to feel her soft skin beneath his
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