a simple observation became an appreciation.
An appreciation he probably shouldn’t have for the mother of his best friend’s baby.
With a groan, Caleb eased himself away from her, carefully guiding her from his chest onto the pillow beside him. She grumbled and pouted, fisting her hand in his shirt. He couldn’t help his smile. He put his hand over hers and worked to loosen her grip.
“You’re comfortable.” Her words were hardly intelligible. She definitely wasn’t awake. “Don’t leave.” Despite her words, her body slumped backward and her hand fell to her side.
Caleb’s chuckle turned into another groan as he got upright. He had to sit still lest the dizzy spin of his head get the better of him. Nausea rolled through him in waves, and he swallowed down the lump in his throat. This had to be how Zeus felt right before his God-sized headache turned out to be his full-grown daughter Athena trying to bust her way out of his head.
It took him a few minutes before he was ready to stumble out to the living room. He found Slate there, sprawled across his couch. Ambling over, he smacked the younger man on the side, making him huff and curl inward. “Move over.”
Slate made a disgruntled noise as he pulled his legs up to his chest, sitting up. “Fucker, you have a loveseat and two chairs.”
“I wanted to sit here.” Caleb rubbed his eyes and proffered the bottle of aspirin he’d found on the nightstand.
“I’m cool, man. No hangover. I could use some water.”
“Make it happen.”
Slate grimaced, but he got up, coming back with two ice-cold bottles of water. Caleb drank almost all of his without breathing. Feeling slightly more human, he turned to his friend. “How did Taryn wind up in my bed?”
Yawning, scratching his belly, Slate shrugged. “I put her there.” Caleb raised an eyebrow at him, and the younger man made a face. “What? It seemed wrong. She’s pregnant. She shouldn’t be sleeping on the couch.”
“You can’t just put a woman in bed with a man she hardly knows.”
“She knows you. I mean, it’s you. You weren’t going to do anything.”
“Like you did nothing to her when you were drunk?”
“Have you ever been blackout drunk?”
“No, but that isn’t the point. You and I know that I’m not going to do anything, but she doesn’t necessarily know that.”
“It’s very sweet of you to worry, but I do trust you.”
Both men looked over to see Taryn leaning against the wall, her arms crossed and a bemused smile on her face. Looking at her with rumpled clothes, her hair tousled, Caleb felt the same warmth in his chest he had earlier that morning. Her eyes met his, and Caleb’s lips turned up of their own volition.
“Guess you’ve slept with both of us now, huh?” Slate said with a grin.
Taryn blushed, and Caleb smacked his friend upside the head. She rolled her eyes. “I’m going to go get us a greasy breakfast.”
After breakfast, Caleb said he had to go make sure his bar was still in one piece. He left Slate and Taryn to fend for themselves. Taryn was quiet, knowing there was much to say and, as usual, not knowing how to say it.
“So.” Slate rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you want—”
“I, um. I think we should talk.”
“Uh-oh.” He shifted his weight. “Should I be worried?”
Despite the tense atmosphere, Taryn chuckled. “You look like someone who’s about to be castrated.”
“Heh, well. Maybe that wouldn’t be a bad idea.” He was joking, but there was a hint of sincerity to his tone.
Tilting her head, Taryn studied him a moment. She put a hand over her belly, stroking the fabric of her shirt. “Do you regret this that much?”
Slate’s smile fell. “No.” His lips twisted, and when he looked up at her, the expression in his eyes was vulnerable, pleading. “I want to be happy. I really do. I love kids. They’re the most honest people in the world. Even the babies. Hell, especially the babies. Babies know what
An appreciation he probably shouldn’t have for the mother of his best friend’s baby.
With a groan, Caleb eased himself away from her, carefully guiding her from his chest onto the pillow beside him. She grumbled and pouted, fisting her hand in his shirt. He couldn’t help his smile. He put his hand over hers and worked to loosen her grip.
“You’re comfortable.” Her words were hardly intelligible. She definitely wasn’t awake. “Don’t leave.” Despite her words, her body slumped backward and her hand fell to her side.
Caleb’s chuckle turned into another groan as he got upright. He had to sit still lest the dizzy spin of his head get the better of him. Nausea rolled through him in waves, and he swallowed down the lump in his throat. This had to be how Zeus felt right before his God-sized headache turned out to be his full-grown daughter Athena trying to bust her way out of his head.
It took him a few minutes before he was ready to stumble out to the living room. He found Slate there, sprawled across his couch. Ambling over, he smacked the younger man on the side, making him huff and curl inward. “Move over.”
Slate made a disgruntled noise as he pulled his legs up to his chest, sitting up. “Fucker, you have a loveseat and two chairs.”
“I wanted to sit here.” Caleb rubbed his eyes and proffered the bottle of aspirin he’d found on the nightstand.
“I’m cool, man. No hangover. I could use some water.”
“Make it happen.”
Slate grimaced, but he got up, coming back with two ice-cold bottles of water. Caleb drank almost all of his without breathing. Feeling slightly more human, he turned to his friend. “How did Taryn wind up in my bed?”
Yawning, scratching his belly, Slate shrugged. “I put her there.” Caleb raised an eyebrow at him, and the younger man made a face. “What? It seemed wrong. She’s pregnant. She shouldn’t be sleeping on the couch.”
“You can’t just put a woman in bed with a man she hardly knows.”
“She knows you. I mean, it’s you. You weren’t going to do anything.”
“Like you did nothing to her when you were drunk?”
“Have you ever been blackout drunk?”
“No, but that isn’t the point. You and I know that I’m not going to do anything, but she doesn’t necessarily know that.”
“It’s very sweet of you to worry, but I do trust you.”
Both men looked over to see Taryn leaning against the wall, her arms crossed and a bemused smile on her face. Looking at her with rumpled clothes, her hair tousled, Caleb felt the same warmth in his chest he had earlier that morning. Her eyes met his, and Caleb’s lips turned up of their own volition.
“Guess you’ve slept with both of us now, huh?” Slate said with a grin.
Taryn blushed, and Caleb smacked his friend upside the head. She rolled her eyes. “I’m going to go get us a greasy breakfast.”
After breakfast, Caleb said he had to go make sure his bar was still in one piece. He left Slate and Taryn to fend for themselves. Taryn was quiet, knowing there was much to say and, as usual, not knowing how to say it.
“So.” Slate rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you want—”
“I, um. I think we should talk.”
“Uh-oh.” He shifted his weight. “Should I be worried?”
Despite the tense atmosphere, Taryn chuckled. “You look like someone who’s about to be castrated.”
“Heh, well. Maybe that wouldn’t be a bad idea.” He was joking, but there was a hint of sincerity to his tone.
Tilting her head, Taryn studied him a moment. She put a hand over her belly, stroking the fabric of her shirt. “Do you regret this that much?”
Slate’s smile fell. “No.” His lips twisted, and when he looked up at her, the expression in his eyes was vulnerable, pleading. “I want to be happy. I really do. I love kids. They’re the most honest people in the world. Even the babies. Hell, especially the babies. Babies know what
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