Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
“But I don’t want to have a baby like this,” she whimpered as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
I reared back, blown away by her confession. Had I misread what was between us? No. There was no fucking way I was that wrong about her feelings.
“What do you mean?” I was proud of how calm and neutral I sounded because inside, I was roaring. Frustrated that she was sad and at her cryptic words, which had the potential to bring my world crashing down around me.
“I mean, first of all, we don’t even live in the same house.”
“Yes, we do.” She wasn’t making much sense, so I hoped things would become clearer as we talked through it all.
“Yeah, but you’re moving tomorrow. And it’s not like you’re going to stay here with me. Not when you are so excited for your new place and, um, whoever you plan on living with there.”
“Of course, I’m excited,” I replied, my tone conveying my exacerbation. “When I leave here, you’re coming with me. I’m excited because it’s not one of us moving in with the other, this is a place where we will start fresh and make it our home.” A cocky smile curved my lips. “And I’ve got a few surprises up my sleeve for you. I can’t help being impatient to share them with you.”
Her brows drew together. “Surprises for me at the house?”
“Yeah, baby. I want this to be your dream home, too.”
Marleigh looked as if she was about to melt. “So…you’re not just asking me to move in with you because I’m pregnant?”
“What?” I gaped at her. “Marleigh, I’ve been planning to take you with me since the moment you opened your door. I instantly fell in love with you and knew I wouldn’t take anything less than forever.”
“I’m the dream woman you were talking about on the phone with your contractor?” Marleigh sat up straight, and her eyes searched my face as she asked, “You love me?”
“Of course, you are. Who else would I be talking about? I love you, baby,” I sighed, bending my neck so I could rest my forehead against hers. “You really think I would knock up a woman I didn’t love? Spend every available minute with her? Force her to move into my house with me?”
She giggled, and her smile was hesitant when she spoke. “You never said anything. I mean, I hoped. It felt like you were showing me, but I didn’t know if I was interpreting things wrong.”
“Because I’m a fucking idiot,” I grumbled. “I wasn’t sure you were ready to hear it, so I focused on showing you. But I should have just gone with my instincts and told you every chance I got that I am hopelessly in love with you.”
Marleigh beamed at me and chirped, “I love you, too.”
“Damn straight,” I muttered, making her chuckle. Then I lifted my head, and my gaze probed hers as I asked the question I’d been avoiding. “Are you happy about the baby?”
Marleigh bounced in my lap, and her eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Yes!” she exclaimed. Then she sobered a bit and placed her palms on my cheeks. “I’m beyond excited to have your baby, Clay. To start our future in a brand-new place with a brand-new addition to our family.”
“Damn, I love you so fucking much,” I uttered before I gathered her close and sealed my lips over hers. I was close to dragging her back to the bedroom for some celebratory sex, but before we did that, I wanted to know for certain that those two little lines were right.
Marleigh mewled in protest when I stood with her in my arms, then gaped at me when I grabbed my keys and walked toward the door.
“Um, Clay?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“The bedroom is the other way.”
I laughed and hugged her close before striding out of the apartment and setting her on her feet near the elevator. “I want to know if this will be celebratory or if I need to buckle down and really get to work on knocking you up. So I’m taking you to a doctor to get an official test.”
“Buckle down? Really work?” she sputtered. “Clay, how could you possibly try any harder?”
I grinned and laced our fingers together just as the elevator doors opened. “I’ll figure out something.” Then I winked, and she leaned into me with a dreamy smile. “Just wait until I get you in our bed at home. Room to roll around is an understatement.”
A few hours later, we celebrated in her old apartment. Then the next day, after the movers left, we celebrated again in our new home. And again. And again…
Epilogue
Marleigh
My college friends warned me about the risk I was taking by dropping out of my degree program after my first year, so I had been thrilled to prove them wrong only two years later when I successfully launched my own line. With Wrenley as the face of my high fashion designs for girls with curves, we had gotten a lot of media attention. Her modeling career had taken off with the Every Woman contract, and she was a hot commodity after she gave birth to Joshua.