Under the table, his hand rested on Patti’s thigh, and he moved it higher, skimming the silky flesh beneath the fluffy fabric of her dress. Her eyes darted to his, and she chewed her lip, making his mind run wild with ideas for what they’d be doing later.

“So,” his mother said, breaking the heated moment of silence. “How are you handling everything at the office, Patti? My son isn’t working you too hard?”

A secret smile passed across her face before Patti looked away from him to answer the question. “Everything is going great. I love working with Jon.”

He squeezed her upper thigh, the tip of his pinkie finger tracing the edge of her panties. “I love working with you, too,” he told her. To his parents he said, “This way we get to spend the whole day together. I’m glad I thought of it.” He winked at Patti. Despite her initial claim that she never mixed business with pleasure, once they’d decided to move in together, merging their lives in every possible way, she saw how much trouble he was having finding an accountant worth their salt, so she finally agreed to sign on for the job. They both agreed it was one of the best decisions they had ever made.

“You’re such a smart man,” Patti said sweetly, then nudged him playfully in the side.

“He gets it from me,” his father said proudly. Biting off a hunk of his dinner roll, he grinned and waggled his eyebrows.

“Behave,” his mother scolded, tossing a cloth napkin across the table and hitting him square in the face.

His father’s eyes widened innocently. “What did I say?”

“So it’s not too tough on you and the baby? You get off your feet often?”

“Believe me,” Jon said, laughing. Removing his hand from her thigh, he slung his arm over the back of her chair, absently caressing the length of her arm. “I make sure she’s taken care of.” Beneath the table, Patti gave his foot a warning kick. “Plus, a couple of her friends work there, too. I’m beginning to wonder if all those hours they spend working in the break room is them actually working, or if I’m really just paying them to conspire against us men.”

“Definitely conspiring, honey,” Patti teased.

Jon pressed a kiss to her temple. “Then it’s money well spent.”

“Speaking of money well spent,” his mother said as she cut into her chicken cutlet, “are you ever going to put a ring on this woman’s finger?”

“Good segue, honey,” his father said with a grin. “How ‘bout it, Jon. There isn’t much time left before the baby gets here, and I hear that shotgun weddings are all the rage.”

Jon sighed. This had been the main topic of interest since his parent’s had learned they were expecting, but he and Patti had already agreed that they didn’t want to rush things. Everything about their relationship had moved at warp speed from day one. For now, they just wanted to focus on each thing one-step at a time, starting with the birth of their child. He’d already explained this to his parents, but that didn’t mean they would stop pushing. He couldn’t begrudge them for wanting to ensure their son was happy, though.

“It’s like I said before,” Jon said. “We’re good with taking it slow. I think me selling the condo and moving in with Patricia is pretty good start toward showing my commitment to our relationship.” He passed a look to his mother, and she held up her hands in defeat.

“Okay, I get it. No more pushing. You’re going to be a father, and I just want to make sure you are both happy.”

We are, Mom,” Jon assured her.

“Then we’re happy for you, son,” his father returned.

After dinner, Jon and Patti spent another hour hanging around the house talking with his parents. They were ecstatic that they were going to become grandparents soon and insisted that they be present for the delivery. They also made it quite clear that they’d be an active part of the baby’s life, starting from day one. Jon groaned teasingly over what a hardship it would be to have them around so much, but in reality, he was thrilled to have their support. He had no clue how to raise a kid, so their input would be invaluable.

By the time they left, it was getting late. He’d noticed several times Patti trying to hide her yawns, and so with a practiced ease, they had said their goodbyes and headed home.

Jon knew that Patti would be asleep by the time her head hit the pillow. Over the past few months Patti had begun taking naps, which soon grew to include early bedtimes, but tonight, Jon needed just a few extra minutes.

He had a surprise for her.

While they were gone, he’d arranged for Travis to stop by the house and get everything ready. The closer they got to home, the more his nerves jangled.

To calm himself, Jon reached over and placed his hand against Patricia’s rounded belly. He didn’t say anything. Instead, Jon focused on the road and the feel of his son or daughter’s little feet pounding against his palm. Could there be anything more perfect? Each time he touched her stomach, he experienced the deep, abiding love coursing through him for his little family.

Patricia let out another yawn.

“Tired?”

Looking at him, she gave him a drowsy smile. “Very.”

“Give me five minutes,” Jon requested as he pulled into the driveway in front of what was now their house, their family home. “I have something I want to show you, and then I’ll tuck you in to bed.”

Dropping her head back against the seat, she groaned.

“Are your eyes closed?”

Patti stumbled a little, her hand shooting up to grab hold of Jon’s forearm to steady herself. “For the millionth time, yes, they’re closed. Now hurry up before I trip and kill myself,” she grumbled. If there was one thing Patti had learned from living with Jon was that he liked surprises, and she hated being surprised. Okay, make that two things.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Be patient,” Jon entreated. His large hands were clasped tight over her eyes as he led her through the living room. “Almost there.”

Patti took each step with care. At seven months pregnant, she felt as big as a boat. She swayed on her feet, her balance completely shot now that she was carrying extra weight up front. It didn’t help that she was blind now, too.

Shifting so that one hand covered both eyes, Patti waited patiently as Jon leaned over her shoulder. She heard a door open. “Okay, one step forward, stop,” he instructed her. With her arms extended, Patti felt for the doorframe and used it as her guide. “Step down. Good. Now, I’m going to remove my hands but keep your eyes closed. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Patti said smartly, earning a playful slap on her ass.

She felt the air stir as Jon left her side. It was incredibly difficult to keep her eyes shut knowing that something was waiting for her on the other side of her closed lids, but she remained dutifully still, focusing on all of her senses to see if she could figure out what all the fuss was about…

She smelled a hint of gas mixed with the pungent odor of motor oil. There was also the spicy tang of rotting garbage mixed in there, too, letting her know exactly where they were. “Jon?” she called out, wondering how much longer this was going to take. The baby was sitting on her bladder, and she wasn’t sure how long she could hold out before she wet herself, again.

The process of becoming a mother wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Most days she felt like a beached whale, and she’d hit that stage where her face looked like an oil slick. Of course, it was really just the “glow” that women got during their pregnancy. Patti didn’t feel like she was glowing. She felt fat and frumpy and swollen, not to mention perpetually tired. The only nice thing to come of all of it was that her hair had never been so thick or luxurious before. And her rack was amazing. Jon couldn’t keep his hands—or mouth—off it.

“Are your eyes still closed?” Jon’s deep voice asked her as he moved in front of her to take her hands.