“Are you sure you have enough stuff?”

Callie rocked in the swing rocker set up in the corner of the huge nursery. “I believe a dozen or so of those stuffed animals in that net are from you.”

I twisted my mouth. “Guilty. I can’t help it. Every time I see a baby giraffe, I have to buy it.”

“And that’s why I had to move the crib.” She nodded to the life-sized baby giraffe I’d ordered in a weak moment after a pint of triple chocolate espresso bean crunch ice cream. I’d thought about adding ice cream to the cafe and the cost of it had depressed me into a chocolate binge.

Maybe next year. Especially if sales kept going like they were.

Callie’s nursery had a distinct going-on-safari-meets-traditional vibe. From the billowy white curtains and soft yellow walls to the maple crib that somehow could grow with the kid, it was all perfect. Add in the mural of the African tundra at sunset on one wall with silhouettes of the wild creatures who littered the nursery in cute stuffed animal forms, and the place was an incredible sanctuary for a child. All the elephants and giraffes were the winners of the day though.

Mostly because Keys and I were crazy people who couldn’t stop buying every baby thing we saw. She was the elephant girl and even had gotten her husband, Quinn, in on the buying spree. I was pretty sure baby fever was alive and well in the Alexander household.

I turned back to Cal. She was rubbing her belly in little concentric circles.

“Everything all right?”

“Yeah. Baby Blackwell is a little more anxious to come out than we thought.”

I sat next to her on the huge beanbag block. “You’re okay though, right?”

“Yes. Just those blasted Braxton-Hicks things started this week. Owen is a hot mess about them and texts me once every freaking hour.”

My gaze lowered to her distended belly with the Halloween Jack O’Lantern zipper hoodie stretched over it.

Callie waved me closer. “It’s okay. He’s kicking.”

“He?”

“I’m guessing it is a boy, but Owen’s got girl in his brain.” She grabbed my hand and set it on the side of her belly. The flutter freaked me out, then something came out of the abyss of babyness.

“Was that a foot?”

“Yep. Definitely a footballer regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl. He’s kicking the shit out of my ribs and bladder.”

Sweet God. Hell no.

“Don’t look so horrified. A little person is in there. I’d be worried if he wasn’t moving around.”

Yes, but did it have to look like a scene out of Alien? Nope. That was a hell to the no from my camp. My chosen babies had fur, at least for now.

“I’m actually more worried about Owen than whatever plans this little guy has for me,” Callie went on.

I looked up at her, my thoughts of gore and screeching alien faces forgotten. “Why? You guys are good, right?”

Callie and Owen were probably the most solid couple I’d ever met. Hudson’s friends in his band seemed to be mostly paired off. While I knew Kennedy and Hunter from Love ‘n Paws, I didn’t really have a lot of contact with them outside of the pet adoption services they were involved with.

I’d eaten dinner in the framework of Callie and Owen’s place when it had been nothing but a door over some sawhorses as a dinner table. And now they had a beautiful home and a baby on the way.

Their place was as eclectic and interesting as their lives. I’d even helped them paint the nursery we were sitting in, for God’s sake. I was practically as invested in their relationship as they were.

“We’re awesome. Amazing. But I worry about him.” She blew out a slow breath. “He’s trying to be everything for me and his band and he’s stretched so thin. The album is good at least. But I know he’d rather be here with me.”

“That’s anyone with a job, right?”

“Normally, I’d say yes.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “But with the baby coming in a few weeks and the promotional tour beefing up, he’s sleeping as awful as I am. He’s worried and trying to be strong for me with these stupid early labor scares.”

A little twinge teased at the back of my neck. This was what it would be like to be dating—hell, even loving—a man whose job took him far away from home.

“Wait, did you say early?”

“It feels like labor, but it’s not. We’ve been to the hospital three times in the last ten days.”

“And you didn’t tell me at the baby shower?”

“It’s just one of those things that happens to pregger chicks. But I see all the worry dimming the light in Blackbeard’s pretty eyes.” She sighed. “It’s stressing him out to be torn between two major things in his life. The album is so important to him. Music is as much a part of him as that stupid leather jacket he won’t give up. Even though I bought him a kickass one for Christmas, I know he won’t wear it.”

I laughed. “Well, if you made him look even more like a pirate, maybe.”

We both laughed, but her words stuck in the back of my mind as I helped her pair up the three-dozen baby socks she had in a basket. Hudson’s life was much the same. And while he didn’t seem to have the musical obsession that a lot of the members of Hammered had, he had that drive to be with them. To be on the road.

To be away from Los Angeles.

Away from me.

I swallowed hard. We were just having fun. At least that was what we’d been saying since the first time I’d thrown my little game at him. But nothing had been that simple when it came to Hudson.

In the very best way possible.

“Bunny?” Owen’s voice came from downstairs.

“In the nursery.”

“Are you decent, love?”

“No,” she called back.

I heard a murmur of voices.

“You’re not having an orgy, are you?” Owen stood outside the door. “Darn. Just baby booties.”

“Funny guy, aren’t you?” Callie tipped up her chin as Owen lowered to kiss her. His hand automatically went to her belly. His long fingers were clad in heavy silver rings. Along with his wedding ring, there was one on his forefinger and a skull with sapphire chips for eyes on his right ring finger. The rest of his knuckles spelled out love in a tattoo.

“How’s the little one?” Owen asked.

“Is there a football game on or something? He thinks there is.” She winced. “Oof. Hi there, baby.”

Owen crouched beside her and rubbed lightly. It was an automatic gesture that told me he’d done it often. Another pang blindsided me. I’d never been the girl who was hungry to have children. I much preferred furry things to pink and squalling ones who always wanted something.

But to have someone in my life who knew me that well? Who could come up to me and instantly know what I needed?

That was a whole different story.

“Hey, kitten.”

My gaze went to the door. The green striped bootie I held fell from my fingers. “Hudson. What are you doing here?” I stood up.

“Thought I’d kill two birds. Get a little Callie time and see you.” He strolled into the room, his hair still wet and curling against his neck. He was back in his regular clothes. A white dress shirt with an almost imperceptible gray plaid tucked into dark washed jeans and a gunmetal gray vest skimmed his black belt.

His eyes skimmed me with a flare of interest. I was suddenly glad I’d decided to put on a dress today. It was a berry-colored sundress in a paisley print. I’d dragged it out of the back of my closet to go with my new purple-tipped hair.

I hadn’t been sure I’d see him today, but I wasn’t going to lie even to myself. I’d hoped I would. When I came around the laundry basket, I was doubly glad I’d gone with my heeled boots.

I brushed a quick kiss over Owen’s bearded cheek. “How’s it going, Dad?”

His face split into a ridiculous grin. “I do like that sound of that. We’re good. Tired.” He absently trailed his fingers over Callie’s hair. “Murdock kicked the shit out of us today.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“The new single has everyone on pins and needles. We put the first twenty seconds of the chorus up on our accounts today. Good reactions so far. A few complaints, but overall, they like what they’re hearing.” Owen grinned down at Callie then patted her belly. “You stay in there just a little bit longer, yeah? At least until I get home next week.”

Callie twisted her fingers around his wrist. “We’re going to be fine. Promise.”

Hudson came into the room and wandered around the perimeter as Owen filled in Callie a bit more about their day in the studio. His excited voice prompted more questions from his wife, but I only had eyes for Hudson.

He picked up one of the giraffes I’d bought. His thumb stroked over the little tuft of brown hair at the top of its head and I had inappropriate thoughts.

It was a baby toy, for God’s sake. But all I could remember was his thumb and my…person.

Lord, I was going to hell.

Then again, I knew for a fact that Callie and Owen had done a few inappropriate things in this nursery already. But still.

Hudson’s hazel eyes sparkled and I knew he was thinking the same—or at least in the same ballpark.

He came to a stop behind me, his fingers tugging on the laces at the base of my spine. Instead of untying the little bow there, he tightened it. “Wouldn’t want anyone to accidentally untie this.” His thumb stroked along the skin between the laces.

I swayed my ass across the front of his jeans and couldn’t stop the smile. Apparently, the inappropriate thoughts were mutual.

“I’m dying for ice cream,” Callie announced.

Hudson’s fingers fell away. “Is that right?”

“Yes. And I can’t watch you two do whatever it is you’re doing. At least not without ice cream since sex is off my table.”

“It was on the table?” I blurted out.

“Well, I’ve had sex on a number of tables with this one.” Callie pointed a thumb at Owen. “He’s got a thing for flat surfaces in any room of the house.”

“Thanks, Bunny.” Owen’s voice was flat.

Callie struggled out of the rocker and Owen leaped over the basket of laundry to help her up. “Thanks.” She grabbed her lower back. “If I can’t have sex, then I definitely want ice cream. Chocolate.”

“Caffeine.” Owen’s voice was almost hesitant.

“Crap. I miss caffeine. But yeah, with the Braxtons, I don’t want to give him—”

“Her,” Owen insisted.

Callie rolled her eyes. “The baby any more reason to come out early. Oh, strawberry orange coconut from Lloyd’s would be perfect.”

“That’s a flavor?” I asked.

“It is for her.” Owen helped her around the basket. “Here we go, Bunny.”

“I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”

“I know. I’ll remind you of that when you try to put your shoes on in a minute.”

“I hate you.” Her voice faded down the hallway.

I turned to Hudson. “You don’t have to—oh,” I moaned into his mouth as he swept me into his arms. He tasted like mint and Hudson. It was a taste I was getting addicted to.

He palmed my ass to drag me against his jeans. “What are you wearing under this dress?” he asked against my mouth.

“Underwear.”

“What kind?”

“Why are you asking, sicko?”

“Because I’m a little obsessed with your cute kitten shorts over my very favorite kitten playground.”

My cheeks flushed. “Um, I’m not sure. Whatever was on top in my drawer this morning.”

He started tugging up the hem of my dress.

“Hudson,” I gasped and pushed his fingers away.

“Just a peek.”

“Wait until later.”

“I want to know now.”

“How’s it feel to want?” I asked as I skipped away from him and zipped through the doorway and down the steps. He thundered down after me and caught me around the waist at the bottom of the stairs.

“We’ll meet you down at Lloyd’s,” Hudson yelled up the stairs.

“Sure you will,” Callie answered.

I snagged my purse from the table in the foyer as he hustled me out the front door and down the walkway to my car. “In a rush for a particular reason? I thought you were here to see Callie.”

“I saw her. She looks great.” He crowded me against my car. His mouth came down on my neck and his long fingers cupped my breast. The curve of skin that rose over the scooped bodice of my dress pressed against the window.

I let out a little squeak as he found my nipple and his cock tucked between my ass cheeks.

“I had a very long, very frustrating day. And you know what made it better?”

His freshly shaved jaw grazed across my cheek. “What?”

“The thought of you waiting for me.”

My chest tightened. “Really?”

“I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever had someone waiting for me. Who actually wanted to be with me after a long day. But when I walked in and saw your face,” he rolled his hips against my ass, “and then I saw your quick smile, it knocked me off my feet. You instantly stood as if you were going to come to me. Yeah, that was something. You wanted to come to me, right, kitten?”

I shuddered in his arms as he dragged the front of the dress just a little lower to press my nipple to the glass. It tightened immediately and I hissed out a breath.

“Right?” he asked again.

“Yes.”

“What stopped you?”

“I wasn’t…I didn’t.” I tried to breathe through the onslaught of cold against my front and the opposing heat of his mouth on my neck. And I was supposed to answer questions about this? Especially when I didn’t even know what we were. If we were anything more than this.

Even if I wanted it so very badly.

I lifted my chin and shifted to meet his gaze. He was already looking down at me, his eyes glittering in the muted glow of the solar lights. “Did you want me to?”

“I like having people know you’re with me and only me.”

I swallowed. That was good to know. Because I really wanted to be his. I just wasn’t sure how long I was going to be allowed to keep him.

“If you two are finished making out, we’ll meet you at the ice cream shop. Unless you have someplace you’d rather be?”

Hudson took a step back and opened my door for me. “Do you still want ice cream?”

“Can we get it to go?”

“That’s a fucking yes.”

I got in my car and realized I was in the passenger seat. How had he done that? When he opened the door, I looked over at him. And there were my keys in his hand. “This is my car.”

“And I’m,” he grunted as he pushed the seat back, “driving it.” He glanced at the gear shift with a sneer. “Automatic? You hurt me in my soul, kitten.”

“Some of us don’t drive a stick.”

He glanced at my legs and I tried to tug down my dress. “Well, if I don’t have to worry about shifting…” He flashed me a grin as he slipped his hand between my legs. “Then my hand is free for other things.”

I was a dead woman. But oh, what a way to go.