I shook my head frantically. “No! I can’t do that!”

  “Why not?”

  “It would be weird.”

  Logan rolled his eyes. “Nothing weird about it. Besides to have a healthy, happy baby, Momma needs to be healthy and happy. Right?”

  Good looking, logical bastard.

  Reluctantly, I nodded in agreement.

  “Cool. Now come on, follow me back to my place. I want you to get a bath, then take a nap. While you’re sleeping, I’m gonna come back here for a few hours and then when you wake up, we’ll have dinner. Sound good?”

  His adorable blue eyes twinkled at me. We weren’t together, but damn his eyes easily swayed me.

  “…Sounds good.”

  Logan

  I knew something was wrong with Elle the moment I saw her. It sucked that her apartment burned down, but I was glad she and Blobby were physically okay. Mentally she was a wreck, she wore her pain all over her face. I hated to force her into a decision, but I needed to take care of her. As the father of our child, it was basically my job.

  “Did I ever give you a tour?” I asked as I unlocked the front door to my condo.

  Elle shook her head. “Something kinda preoccupied us last time I was here.”

  Like a deer caught in headlights, I whipped towards her. She laughed and, for the first time today, she smiled a genuine smile.

  “I’ll give you the detailed tour later, but for now, I want you to get comfy.” I led her to the master bedroom.

  Elle and I avoided making eye contact as we entered the room where Blobby’s origin story began. Where we traded orgasms back and forth.

  What I would give to toss her down on the bed, spread her legs and…

  I shook that thought right out of my head. That was very much off the table. I wanted to make Elle comfortable. For 5 fucking minutes, I needed to control my hormones. I dug around in my dresser and grabbed a pair of my workout shorts and a black T-shirt. I motioned for Elle to follow me into the connected master bath. Being a man who got his ass kicked for a living, it was a necessity that I invest in a good bathtub. My heated, jacuzzi tub with adjustable jets was worth every penny. I sat the clothes on the counter beside the sink.

  “Towels and washcloths are in the cabinet,” I told her as I bent down and turned on the bath. “The buttons for the tub are kinda self-explanatory. Just to warn you, it can get kinda hot, so try not to stay in for longer than an hour. Then change clothes and take a nice, long nap. I’ll bring us dinner.”

  “…Logan. Thank you.” Elle mumbled.

  “Of course.” I turned towards her.

  That uneasy look had returned to her face. Tentatively, I stepped towards her. When she didn’t react, I took another step closer. Then another. Wrapping my arms around her was so effortless. There was no other way to explain it. Elle’s head slumped forward onto my shoulder and her whole body relaxed against mine. I didn’t want to do anything else but hold her. This warm, secure feeling was so sparse and foreign to me. Even though I was in the middle of my first hit, like an addict, and I wanted it all the time.

  Danger Will Robinson…

  Alarms blared in my head and carefully, I pulled away from everything that was so intoxicating about Elle. Sheepishly, she smiled at me and muttered another thank you. I nodded and shuffled out of the bathroom as fast as possible while still attempting to look totally casual.

  “I CAN’T BELIVE I MISSED MEETING YOUR GIRLFRIEND!” Davis shouted as I walked into the back office.

  I rolled my eyes. I loved my friends, but for an extended period, I wished they could act like functional fucking adults.

  “Not my girlfriend.” I retorted.

  Elle’s wishes lined up perfectly with my values, or so I thought. Since sushi night, I’d been rethinking my stance on dating. But those thoughts were private. I wasn’t ready to share them with Elle, and I damn sure wasn’t ready to share them with Davis.

  “I can’t work my entire shift tonight-”

  Davis cut me off, “Nick and Zeke told me. Kinda weird for you to move a girl into your place and she’s not your girlfriend.”

  I leaned against the door frame and let out an audible groan.

  “Well, if she’s not your girlfriend, did she at least knock the cobwebs off your dick? Are you gonna spread that potent seed across the Canadian/Great lakes border?” He grinned like a creep.

  “How are you, a real person?” I asked.

  Davis laughed. “One day, you’ll admit that you love me.”

  I rolled my eyes again. So hard this time I worried I might have sprained my eye socket. At a loss for words, I left Davis’ dumbass and went in search of Zeke or Nick. I found Zeke first. He was in the kitchen supervising the line cook. Upon noticing me, he looked like he wanted to let out an enthusiastic shriek but was fighting to keep it in. I asked him to fit in an order for me ready by 8:30 and he happily agreed. At the bar Nick, just like his brother, looked like he was about to burst at the sight of me. The bar was busy for a weeknight, so it was easy to ignore him.

  I peeked at my phone a few times, but there were no texts from Elle. I hoped she was resting. For the first time ever, I was eager to leave work early. Luckily, there was no commentary from Nick or Zeke as I collected my takeout order. Davis smirked at me as I passed by his office. I ignored him. As I drove home, I realized two things: 1) I was happy to leave my friend’s high school mentality behind, and 2) I was excited to go home. I struggled to remember the last time I felt that.

  “Hello!?” I called out as I closed the front door behind me.

  I thankfully stopped myself from shouting ‘honey I’m home!’

  “Hey!” Elle called from the bedroom.

  “Did I wake you?” I asked.

  “Nah. I was reading on my phone.”

  “I hope you don’t mind eating on the couch?” I asked as I placed our food on the coffee table.

  “No, I don’t mind.” Elle walked out of the bedroom.

  I swallowed hard. My shorts showed off her smooth, thick legs. Underneath my T-shirt, her nipples stood at full attention. Nothing about the clothes I lent her was inherently sexy, but her body in them instantly made them sexy. Getting some rest seemed to help, Elle looked much better. Almost radiant. Feeling the heat under my cheeks, I ducked into the kitchen. Unlike Elle, my skin showed embarrassment and arousal too damn easily. I needed a moment to allow the color to leave my face. Several deep breaths and several whispered swears later, I returned to the living room with two bottles of water for us. Elle was curled up on one end of the couch and I took a spot opposite.

  “I hope you’re okay with pub food.” I said as I reached across the table and started opening the food containers.

  “Pub food sounds great. My stomach is doing okay, so I should be able to handle it. I was skeptical, but these wristbands really do help, I hardly take them off.”

  “See? The wonders of the pregnancy message board.” I smirked.

  Elle scoffed and rolled her eyes. Her expression changed as soon as she spotted the mozzarella sticks and fried pickles. Eagerly, she reached across me and snatched a mozzarella stick. Amused, I watch her practically inhale the fried cheese. Not wanting to make her feel self-conscious, I held back my laughter and asked what she would like to watch.

  “Could we watch cartoons?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Sure.” I handed her the remote and opened a container of chicken wings.

  Elle settled on a show called Adventure Time, which I had heard of but never seen before. We munched on our smorgasbord of fried food, and I was very aware I would need to make up for my bad eating with my workouts this week. The show was about a boy in a cute hat and a shapeshifting dog. I didn’t really understand the plot, but it was funny. Eating bad food and watching cartoons, very relaxing. No complaints.

  “What’s your favorite cartoon?” I asked as an episode ended.

  “That’s a hard question.” her forehead scrunched with deep thought lines.

  “Really? What’s hard about it?”

  “Well, it depends on the category. Favorite childhood cartoon? Favorite teenaged cartoon? Favorite comfort cartoon?”

  I blinked, “…Uh, well, what’s your favorite comfort cartoon and what’s your favorite anime?”

  Elle groaned and rung her hands, “The crossover in those categories is astronomical.”

  “Okay. What’s your comfort cartoon?”

  “Sailor Moon. Always has been and always will be. Besides the comforting color palate, I love the romance, friendship, and action. Weird and awkward girls taking control of their destiny and kicking bad guy ass is totally my brand. And although I’m still a little salty, I can never become a magical girl. I work hard to make Sailor Moon proud.”

  Elle’s shoulders stiffened and her head stooped as she spoke. Although she had a clear love for animation, talking about it embarrassed her. She was very knowledgeable about something she liked. Knowing that someone had shamed her for it whipped up burning winds of irrational anger in me. Picturing Elle in a schoolgirl uniform like her hero, Sailor Moon was cute as hell. Fuck whoever told her otherwise.

  “My Japanese is pretty good so we can watch the subtitled version together sometime,” I smiled in a thinly veiled attempt at assuring Elle her interests were safe with me.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but another episode of Adventure Time started and pulled focus. Many thanks to Cartoon Network for helping things not get awkward.

  “Thank you so much, Logan. I don’t think I could eat another bite.” Elle relaxed into the cushions with a smile.

  “It’s no problem.” I collected the empty food boxes.

  Trash thrown out, I returned to the living room where Elle was braiding her hair back.

  “Why are you changing your hair?” I asked as I sit down.

  Elle laughed. “I’m not changing my hair. I’m just braiding my hair back for the night. I don’t have my bonnet.”

  “Bonnet? What’s a bonnet?”

  Elle laughed harder. “You don’t know what a bonnet is?”

  I shook my head. My face burned. Elle was laughing at me, and I didn’t like it. I sat stoically and waited for her laughter to subside.

  “…We both have curly hair, but the texture of mine is way different than yours. A bonnet is something people with tighter curls or kinky hair wear to protect their hair at night. Kinky hair can be prone to brakeage without one.” She explained once she collected herself.

  I really had no idea about the differences in our hair. I hadn’t really thought about Elle’s hair besides the fact like I liked it. Suddenly, I felt like a jackass for not being considerate. Elle placed a hand on my shoulder.

  “Hey. Don’t get all pensive. I was just poking fun. It’s nothing you’ve had to deal with, so there’s no reason for you to know.”

  “I guess.”

  I made a mental note to research Black haircare once she went to bed.

  “How’s your stomach doing?” I asked as she finished her hair.

  “Okay, I think?”

  “You think?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “It’s touch and go. I should be okay for the night, but I don’t wanna jinks it.”

  “Makes sense.”

  Hair braided back, Elle curled up her legs and pressed play on more Adventure Time. We watched several episodes, including one where the kid in a hat gets a train ride for his birthday, but it turns out to be a murder mystery. I glanced over at Elle. Her eyes were heavy and losing the fight to stay open. A chuckle vibrated in my throat. She’d been through so much, no wonder she was exhausted.

  “Elle?” I whispered.

  When she didn’t move, I lightly shook her shoulder. She snorted herself awake and I couldn’t help my chuckle this time.

  “Maybe you should head to bed?” I suggested.

  Elle wiped her eyes and smiled at me. “Really classy lady, aren’t I?”

  “The height of class,” I smirked.

  She climbed off the couch and dragged herself towards the bedroom. She paused in the doorway and turned back to me.

  “Thanks for everything, Logan. It means a lot.”

  “Of course, and it’s no problem. There’s toothpaste and an unopened toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet. Let me know if you need anything. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.” Elle closed the bedroom door behind her, and I collapsed back with a heavy sigh.

  Elle

  Logan’s bed was a dream to sleep in. The blankets were soft and cool on my skin. The pillows were lightweight and fluffy. Everything must have been some ridiculously high thread count. I’d been awake for a while, just stretched out in the middle of his king-sized bed. I could gladly spend my whole day smack dab in the middle of this bed. I had given that thought serious consideration until my pregnancy bladder screamed at me. With a heavy sigh, I dragged my ass out of bed and into the ensuite. Morning bladder needs taken care of. I brushed my teeth and tried not to get hung up on where to put my toothbrush. Putting it in the holder seemed too permanent, and this arrangement was temporary. After too much thought, I decided to just put in next to the sink.

  Back in the bedroom, I resisted the urge to climb back into bed and straightened the sheets and rearranged the pillows instead. Something I wouldn’t have done at my own place. Despite his insanely comfortable bed, Logan’s bedroom was sparsely decorated. Dark mahogany was the only constant in the room, as the headboard, nightstands, and dresser all matched. The simplicity of it screamed single male, and I idly wondered how long he’d been single.

  Why does that matter? What the fuck Elle?!

  Thoroughly chastised for that stupid thought, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and glanced at the time. It was around 9am and I felt so much better after getting some actual rest. I wandered out the bedroom in search of Logan. The living room was empty. I was wary of exploring his space, but my ears perked up at the sudden thudding of a driving bass track. Figuring wherever the source of that sound was where Logan would also be, I took tentative steps down the hall off the other end of the living room. I knocked on the door that contained the source of the music.

  My knocking went unanswered, so I carefully opened the door and stepped inside. Video game battle music filled my ears as I closed the door behind me. The sight that greeted me completely stopped me in my tracks. I found Logan clad in the tiniest pair of shorts I’d ever seen in my life. The scrap of fabric was so ridiculously small that it barely did anything to make this scene decent. He faced the wall, up on his hands in a headstand. His legs were rod straight. Effortlessly, his body moved up and down in the most ridiculous set of pushups I’d ever seen. With each motion, every muscle up his arms, across his shoulders, and down his back clenched. The slick sheen of sweat on his skin highlighted the chiseled definition in his hard-earned muscles. Lust threatened to overwhelm me. Squirming, I pressed my thighs together, but that did nothing to tame my desire. Logan had the body of a fucking Greek god, and it wasn’t fair.

  Totally not fucking fair…

  My mind flashed through scenes from that night and a sexually charged gasp escaped my mouth. Thankfully, his workout music was so loud he didn’t hear. I had no idea how long I stood there drowning literally and figuratively, but I creeped on his complete set of handstand pushups. Gracefully, Logan dropped to his knees to catch his breath. He looked up, surprised to see me standing there. With a grin, he fished a remote out of his pocket and stopped the music. I couldn’t help but wonder how those tiny ass shorts had any room for his massive cock and a set of pockets.

  “Hey! How’d you sleep?” he asked.

  I blinked a few times as reality settled around us.

  “…Uh. Sleep? Yes! Sleep! I slept! I slept great! You sleep great too?” I stammered in sexually charged frustration.

  “I slept alright, I guess.” Logan stretched his arms overhead.

  “…So, what is this room?” I asked, as I finally looked beyond Logan.

  “My workout slash gaming room.”

  A sleek entertainment system held a large flat screen surrounded by name brand speakers. I eyed several retro and newer gaming systems on the neighboring shelves. A fancy gaming chair sat in front of a plush couch that looked hardly used. In the far corner of the room, a set of weights rested in front of a large mirror. The combination of gamer geek and gym bro was so strange it almost shouldn’t work. But it totally did. Logan was chaotic, bisexual, intelligent himbo proof of that.

  “Elle, are you feeling okay this morning?”

  I started to answer him when he climbed to his feet. That scrap of fabric that had no right to be called shorts rode down the tiniest bit, making me want to scream.

  “Totally fine.” I laughed, which came out more like a creepy cackle.

  Logan grabbed a hand towel off the couch and wiped off his face.

  “You sure?” he double checked as he flipped the towel over his shoulder.

  “Yep!” I nodded.

  Logan raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further.

  “So, I was thinking now that you’ve gotten some rest, I’d show you around?”

  “Sounds great!” I shot him the world’s pair of most awkward thumbs up.

  Thankfully, Logan smiled at me as led the way out of the gaming room. For our tour, he showed me around the rest of his condo. There was a second, smaller bathroom, with a standard bathtub. In a hall closet hid the washer and dryer. At the end of the hall, we stopped at a closed door. Logan paused with his hand on the doorknob. I raised an eyebrow at his sudden hesitation.

  “…I was thinking this could be the baby’s room after I get it cleaned out.” He looked over his shoulder at me.

  “What’s in there now?”

  Logan sighed. “Promise you won’t laugh?”

  “You can’t say that! I’m totally gonna laugh now! It’s like required now!”

  He rolls his eyes and lets out another sigh. “Merch.”

  “Merch?”

  “Yep…” He opened the door and stepped aside for me to enter.