people had to do what pregnant people had to do. And as I was learning, Baby Pineapple, with its low center of gravity over my hips, made just about everything harder most days.
Including dressing. Thankfully, I'd been able to slip on one of my nude, open-toed sandals, showing off the bright red pedicure that Paige had treated me to in honor of my baby shower. But the other buckle came unhooked when I tried to wiggle my puffy little foot into the left shoe.
I heard the door to the apartment open, and I called out over my shoulder. "In my room. Can you help me with my shoe, please?"
His heavy footsteps slowed in the living room, and I sat back on the bed, adjusting the neckline of my dress. Claire had been right, the deep V, slightly off the shoulder neckline and pale pink color were perfect. The dress hugged my stomach and hips, ending just above my knees.
It was as sexy as I'd felt the entire pregnancy, with my hair curled, a full face of makeup, and a body with curves I'd never, ever had before. Honestly, my boobs were amazing.
As long as Jude's flights weren't late, he promised he'd be there before the shower ended.
Maybe not ideal to see him for the first time after so long in front of my family and friends, but I was just excited to see him.
Logan approached, and I stuck my foot out. "I can't re—"
My voice broke off at the sight of him, big and tall, filling the doorway of my bedroom.
Jude's eyes drank me in hungrily, and in a daze, I stood slowly.
"Jude," I whispered.
The strong column of his throat moved on a visible swallow when his eyes landed on my stomach, his lips curving slightly. "Hello," he said, voice low and sure and oh, his accent saying that one little word.
I didn't dare move when he closed the remaining distance between us because I couldn't believe he was in my bedroom. His hand rose carefully, and when I knew what he was doing, I gently took it, laying it over the top of my sizeable stomach. A gentle roll rippled the surface of my stomach, and he huffed out in amazement.
"Holy bleeding hell," he whispered. "Look at how beautiful that is."
I laughed, my eyes pricking with happy tears. "I wish you could feel it from my end. It's so crazy."
Jude's other hand slid up my back, and he leaned over to press a gentle kiss to the top of my head. "You look incredible, Lia."
My fingers curled into his forearm as we stood like that, his hand on my belly, the other on my back between my shoulder blades. The room was filled to the brim with palpable tension, the kind that slowed your movements and forced you to breathe it in deeply, like the kind of electric, crackling air before a storm or a first kiss.
I turned into him, wrapping my arms firmly around him, and he did the same, exhaling heavily when I was fully folded between those strong arms.
Tilting my head up, I studied his face. He looked good. Tired, but his eyes glowed like I'd never, ever seen. "You're here."
Jude grinned. "I may have fibbed about my arrival time."
"So ... Logan picked you up? I saw his truck out there."
He nodded, carefully pulling away but leaving his hands to smooth up my upper arms so he could look at me again. "I managed to get his phone number through my agent, and then his agent."
I covered my face with my hand and groaned. "Did he like ... do the scary big brother thing?"
Jude laughed. "Terrifyingly well, yes."
And still we stood there, my hands resting on his waist, his on my arms, and suddenly, I felt a flurry of self-consciousness. Carefully, I extricated myself, fidgeting with my hair while he looked at my queen bed and upholstered headboard, then smiled at the bassinet in the corner next to the ivory-colored glider that Molly and Noah bought me as a housewarming present. "My apartment isn't really ... ready yet."
"Do I get the tour?"
I smiled. "Yeah." My arms spread out. "My room, obviously."
"Big windows."
"It's what I loved about this place. When we do get sun, I wanted as much of it as possible. And it's only ten minutes away from Logan and Paige's house."
He glanced into the room that would be the nursery, now only filled with the white crib and dresser, a wicker lamp in the corner,