He kicked off his shoes and tossed his jacket over the back of the couch before picking it up again only to hang it in the closet. (Fuck you, he's not whipped. He just preferred to keep the peace and not listen to his girlfriend bitch about making a mess of her apartment, okay?) Soft light was flickering in the door of the bathroom that she left ajar and he could hear her singing along with the music. Poking his head in the room, his blood swam south when he got an eyeful of Alisha relaxed back in the tub, eyes closed and one long leg peeking through the suds, her foot resting on the faucet. Naked and wet Alisha was undoubtedly his favorite.
"Hey," he greeted loudly over the music.
Alisha's eyes snapped open and she started screaming at the top of her lungs. Finally registering that her would-be-assailant was actually her boyfriend, the screaming subsided and she scowled at him for scaring the life out of her. "Big!" she bit out through gritted teeth, her heart hammering away in her chest. "You scared the hell out of me!"
Big laughed and held up his hands. "Sorry, babe," he grinned, raking his eyes over newly exposed body parts (most specifically her tits).
"God," she huffed, placing a hand over her still rapidly beating heart. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming over?" Pouting, she lay back in the tub and willed herself to relax again.
Big's eyebrow arched up and he folded his arms over chest. "I did—check your phone."
"Oh," she murmured, casting apologetic eyes his way. "Sorry. I guess I left it on my bed." She sipped her wine and smiled coyly at him. "Want to join me?" she asked, her smile growing naughty.
He liked her so much it was stupid. "Baths are for chicks." She rolled her eyes at him. "I might make an exception though if you're gonna fuck me in the tub…or anywhere for that matter."
"Jake," she sighed. "It's not that I don't want to, you know that." She arched her back and wiggled until she found a more comfortable position against the porcelain.
"How 'bout I just sit and watch?" he asked, putting down the lid on the toilet and taking a seat. "S'pretty good show so far."
Alisha pulled a face. "Okay, one, you're disgusting and two, I'm not even doing anything."
His grin was quick and wicked. "But you could be. Come on, baby! There're candles, some sexy music playing and best of all, you're wet and naked. If that's not the makings of a hot show, I don't know what is," he told her flatly. He cocked his head to the side and smirked at her.
She rolled her eyes again and barked out a laugh. "I bought you something today while I was out shopping," she said, ignoring his previous statement. His eyes lit up and she smiled. "It's in a bag on my bed if you want it."
He wagged his brows playfully at her and walked into her bedroom. There were no less than six shopping bags scattered on her bed and he didn't know where to start. He picked one at random and pulled out a book. Turning it over, he read the title and felt like he'd been sucker punched right in the solar plexus. The Dudes' Guide to Pregnancy. "What the fuck?" He rooted through the same bag and pulled out a stuffed elephant and a purple top clearly marked maternity. "Oh, Jesus fucking Christ. This is not happening."
"Jake?" Alisha called. "Did you find it?"
Big stomped back into the bathroom and Alisha smiled at him before taking another gulp from her wineglass. "Put the damn wine down," he snapped, holding up the book. "Something you need to tell me?"
Alisha saw what he was holding and spit her wine out. Coughing and laughing she waved her hand furiously. "No! Oh my God, no, you idiot! That's not your present."
He blew out a breath and felt some semblance of order being restored in the universe. "So you're not knocked up?"
"No!" she cried. "Absolutely not."
"Thank fuck!" he exclaimed. He leaned over the tub and snatched the glass of wine from her hands, draining it in one greedy gulp. "I mean, no offense or anything, Shorty, but shit…"
His face was positively ashen. "None taken," Alisha giggled. "I bought you a shirt, actually."
"Oh." He let out a ragged breath and shook his head to get every last thought of him becoming a father out of his brain. "Thanks." He Bent over and kissed her.
"God, you were really spooked, weren't you?" Alisha asked, reaching for his hand.
"Uh, yeah. Want more wine? I'mma get you some. I could use a drink right now myself."
She chuckled at his retreating back. He returned quickly with a full glass of red for her and a beer for him. "So, who's the book really for?" he asked, sitting back down on the toilet seat.
Alisha wasn't sure whether or not she should tell him. It wasn't her secret to tell, but he was going to find out eventually. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth and he arched an inquisitive brow as he took a pull off the bottle.
"It's—it's for James."
It was Big's turn for a spit take and the yellow bathmat bore the brunt of the liquid assault. "James?" He coughed roughly, which only aggravated his injuries. "Son of a bitch," he winced.
Alisha flew out of the tub and grabbed the glass on the sink, filling it with cool water. "Here," she said softly, taking away the beer and thrusting the glass into his hands. "Drink this."
He gratefully accepted the water and gulped it down.
She pulled the fluffy bath towel off the bar and wrapped it around her body. Turning off the music, the
