Love Thy Neighbor

Chapter 53

When Shawn drives us home that night, it's assumed he's staying over. His family is so happy we're back together that they don't mind him not being there. Plus, everyone will be sleeping, so it is not time he'd be spending with them.

We follow the exact same routine as the night before, except this time I give Lila a bath. Shawn reads her a couple books and then I feed her. We put her down in her crib and go down to my living room.

"Red or white?" Shawn calls from the kitchen, holding up a bottle of each.

"Red sounds good," I say, "and bring in a couple of those cookies your mom sent us home with."

Shawn brings us each a glass of wine and a big plate full of cookies.

"These had better mostly be for you," I say. "I already need to lose some weight."

He looks at me like I am crazy. "You don't need to lose a pound."

"Ha. You say that now, but wait until you see me naked."

Shawn takes the wine glass out of my hand and sets it on the end table. He then pulls me onto his lap.

"Jessica Levine, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. It hurts me when you put yourself down."

"Thank you. You just don't know what having a baby does to a woman. Lila was over nine pounds. My belly was gigantic."

"Do you have any pictures of when you were pregnant? Because I'd like to see them."

I get off his lap and go over to the built-in bookcase. I pull out a photo album.

"This covers my pregnancy and Lila's first couple months."

I sit back on his lap so we can look at it together.

I'd taken monthly pictures of myself in a pair of yoga pants and sports bra to document my pregnancy. Obviously my baby bump starts out small, but by month 7, I am huge. I look ready to pop at the end.

"Damn. That is an impressive belly," he says, grinning at me.

"Sexy, huh?"

"Am I weird if I think you look gorgeous? You were really glowing."

He turns to the pictures of Delilah right after she was born.

"Look at that hair!" he exclaims. "That's a lot for a newborn, yeah?"

"It was. I think she got that from David's family because Elsie and I were bald babies."

He flips through the pictures making various comments, mostly about how cute Lila was or how good I look. When he's done, I put the album away.

"Back to how you look now," he says, pulling me into a straddling position this time. "I've held you and touched you and seen you half clothed, and you look perfect to me."

"I'm not perfect. I have stretch marks above my hips. My boobs are still kind of weird from nursing. You might be disappointed."

Shawn give me a quick kiss. "Do you think the scar on my cheek makes me less attractive? What about my lazy eye? Does that bother you?"

"Of course not. Those are all part of who you are. If anything, I find you more attractive because of them."

He smiles. "And that's how I feel about you."

I sigh. "But you can't say that because you have not seen all of me yet. Get back to me after you do."

Shawn hands me my glass of wine.

"Drink this. Maybe drink another if you need it. I want you to relax and let go of your inhibitions. I'm then going to take you upstairs and I am going to undress you. I want to touch and kiss every inch of your beautiful body. I am going to prove to you just how attractive I find you."

I get goosebumps. I take the wine and drink it in one swig. I get up and refill my glass halfway and drink it quickly, too.

I go to the bottom of the stairs and look over my shoulder at him, "Let's do this."

Shawn laughs and gets up, following me up the stairs.

"Lights on or off?" he asks as we get in my room.

"I guess since this is show and tell, we should leave them on."

Shawn walks over to me and takes my face in his hands. He leans in and kisses me. He moves his hands to my waist, drawing me closer. I put my hands on the back of his neck and run them up into his hair, pulling his head closer and deepening the kiss.

"It's been a really long time for me," I say when we break apart.

"How long?"

"Um, probably since I was 7 months pregnant. Things fell apart with David quickly."

"I promise I will be gentle. If you change your mind or want me to stop at any point, just tell me. I can wait," he says before kissing me again.

His hands find the hem of my sweater and he pulls it up. I still have on a tank top, bra, and jeans.

I reach out and start unbuttoning his shirt. His torso is perfection, which makes me more self conscious about revealing my own.

Shawn reaches for the button of my jeans and undoes it. He then pulls down the zipper. He slowly pulls the jeans down and I step out of them.

I reach for his buckle and undo it, and his jeans are soon on the floor next to mine. I grab my tank top and pull it off, leaving me in just my bra and panties. It's a nursing bra, but the prettiest one I own. It's still not particularly sexy.

Shawn steps back and admires me.

"You are so stunning, Jess. I don't know what you see in the mirror, but what I see in front of me is amazing."

I rush into his arms and kiss him. Things are heated and frantic and our remaining articles of clothing fly off.

A bit later, we're laying naked on the bed, trying to regulate our breathing.

"Was it okay?" I ask, after a few minutes.

"Could you not tell? I thought it was pretty clear how much I enjoyed that," he says with a chuckle.

"Everything down there was the same?"

"Yes, Jess. It's all in tip top shape."

I breathe a sigh of relief. I turn and put my leg over his waist, trying to get as close to him as I can.

"Shawn?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Thank you for being so loving and patient and understanding," I say.

"I love you," he says as he pulls the covers over us.