Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“You’re so romantic. I feel so lucky,” I teased dryly.
Giggling happily, she tugged on my hand, pulling me out of the theater. “Hurry up, because you’re about to get luckier.”
Thirty-Four
LEWIS
Sunlight crept in through the cracks in the hotel curtains as Callie lay naked in my arms. Her head rested on my chest, her arm over my stomach as I rested mine on her hip over the duvet.
We were both awake after another enthusiastic night. Callie was a bit sore from all the attention, so we’d mostly taken care of each other with our hands and mouths. It had been one of the best nights of my life. Now, lying together, enjoying the quiet and the feel of her in my arms, I wished we could stay like this forever.
“We should enjoy this while we can,” Callie said, breaking the silence, and as if reading my thoughts, she continued, “I doubt we’ll have many peaceful moments like this together once the baby comes.”
Of course, I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t feel a touch of trepidation at the thought, but I’d always wanted a family. And I felt lucky that this had happened with Callie and not with a woman I didn’t love. For our child’s sake as well as my own.
“Then we’ll appreciate every moment.” I caressed her upper arm. “And remind ourselves that we have a shit ton of family who are more than happy to babysit when we need alone time.”
I felt her smile against my chest. “That’s true.”
“You know …” I tangled my fingers through her hair, playing with it. “Yesterday was the first time you’ve told me you loved me since we started dating.” Shit. Did that make me sound like a needy bastard?
Callie pushed up to look at me. “No, it isn’t.”
“Aye, it is. You told me you loved me in the museum.”
A deep frown marred her brow. “Is it really?”
I nodded, watching her carefully.
“I’m sorry if that’s true.” Callie cupped my face, her fingers scratching through my beard. “But you must know how much I love you. You do, don’t you?”
“It’s nice to hear it sometimes.”
“I’ll do better,” she whispered. “I love you, Lewis. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. Always have. Always will.”
“Always only ever you,” she repeated words she’d said to me weeks ago. “Once I have the baby, I’m going to get a tattoo. For you. For us.”
The thought of me inked on Callie in some way made my cock twitch. “Aye? Where?”
“I don’t know.” She pulled the duvet away, revealing her beautiful naked body. “Where do you think?”
I joked, “I think you should get Property of Lewis Adair tattooed on your face.”
Callie shook her head, laughing. “Arsehole.”
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” I asked randomly as I reached out to slide my hand over her belly.
Callie covered my hand with hers. “I’ll take either. I just want to have a relationship with them like the one I have with Mum. For them to know that I’m here for them, through everything, that I’m a place they can run to when the world seems too big and scary. That I’ll never judge them, will always accept them, and will be the fiercest friend they’ve ever known. That’s what I want.” Her eyes gleamed with emotion. “When they grow up, I want them to consider me one of their best friends.”
Gratitude crashed through me. How lucky was I that someone with Callie’s good heart would be the mother of my child? Emotion thickened my voice as I replied, “Then that’s the way it’ll be.”
She caressed my hand. “Do you want a boy or a girl? I won’t judge you if it’s one or the other.”
“It’s not,” I answered honestly. “I’ll love them no matter what.”
Callie considered me. “This isn’t the way I wanted to have a child. Accidentally. Do you know Sarah and Theo Cavendish?”
“Of course.”
“She and Mum have gotten friendly through Aunt Ally. Anyway, she invited us to her baby shower and it was before Paris so I attended too. There was just us and Sarah’s close friends so Aunt Ally didn’t mean anything by it when she made a joke about how she thought Sarah and Theo never wanted to have kids. I didn’t know anything about that. But Sarah got very emotional, and started telling us all how she hadn’t planned for kids. That she and Theo had decided they just wanted each other. How terrified she was. How when she realized they’d gotten accidentally pregnant, she couldn’t explain it, but she wanted their baby more than anything. She was so afraid to tell Theo.”
“He wasn’t shitty to her, was he?” I heard the scowl in Lewis’s voice.
“No. Not at all. Sarah said he was shocked but determined to reassure her that she had his support. Except, she could see he was struggling really badly with it. And she was scared that having a baby would change what they had together. Mum and Aunt Ally were so kind to her that day. I felt so awful for her and promised myself I’d never get pregnant accidentally.” I snorted at my own naivete.