Page 80 of Good For Me

“I’m fine,” I say, but my tone is breathless, not at all like the way I usually sound.

He leans down so his lips just brush my ear. “You sure about that?”

My heart feels like it wants to pound out of my chest. I try to tell myself it’s the hormones. One of the chapters I skimmed in a baby book did talk about the way pregnancy hormones can affect a woman’s sex drive. Is that why I feel all tingly all of a sudden?

Or is it just River? The feel of him so close to me, the gentle warmth that radiates from his body. The delicious smell of his shampoo or soap or whatever that is. The memory of the way he touched me that night when—

“You ready?”

I jump about a foot in the air and this time, I do drop a pancake on the counter.

“Shit,” I gasp, reaching for it then immediately dropping it—because it’s hot off the griddle, Jas, you genius.

“Sorry,” Rose says at my side. “Didn’t mean to startle you.” She holds up a platter. “I just figured I’d take whatever’s done out to the table.”

I glance around the kitchen and see that we’re mostly alone. River’s dad is carrying dishes of scrambled eggs and bacon out of the room while Cash is pulling trays of breakfast pastries from the pantry, probably left by the caterer. Everyone else appears to have left.

Except for Rose. Who’s looking at us with badly disguised glee, like something about the sight of me standing next to her brother—and blushing my face off if the heat I feel on my cheeks is any indication—makes her indescribably happy.

“We’ll get these,” River says, and I wish he would step away. It’s very difficult to steady my breathing with him so close.

Rose looks between us, smiling, and chirps, “okay, see you out there!” before turning in a flounce of blonde hair, leaving us alone in the kitchen.

I turn back to the griddle, taking a big step to the side as I do, providing some much-needed space between River and I. He chuckles softly to himself while he helps me load up the pancakes. The asshole knows exactly what he’s doing to me.

But the light, happy sound of River’s laugh makes it awfully difficult to feel mad.