揙h,?I reply, thrown. 揢h, you don抰 have to棓
揑 want to go.?
揙kay.?My voice is barely a whisper.
揙kay,?he echoes.
Then, unexpectedly, he kisses me. It抯 urgent and eager. There抯 no finesse and lots of emotion. The stiff material of his tux rubs against my bare skin, sending moans tumbling out of my mouth. Then something shifts. Slows. Softens. Touches linger and drag. Sink into my skin and sear.
揑 should go let Teddy out,?Crew murmurs, pulling back.
揂re you coming back??
揧eah. I抦 coming back.?
揙kay.?I step away and walk back into the bathroom without looking at him. His footsteps fade as he walks down the hall to the guest room that抯 become Teddy抯 domain.
I shed the lace I抦 wearing and step into the shower. Hot water pounds over me as I wash my skin and shampoo my hair. I rest a hand on my flat stomach as suds slide down it.
I抦 pregnant.
Suspecting felt different than knowing. I抦 scared and excited and a million other emotions I can抰 name.
I抦 relieved Crew knows. I didn抰 realize how heavily telling him was weighing on me until it lifted. There wasn抰 any doubt in my mind he would want this baby. Heirs梖or his family抯 company, for my family抯 company梬ere always a pressing goal of this marriage. All the uncertainty stems from how this will affect us.
Crew and Scarlett.
I step out of the shower and towel off. My hair gets a quick brush and my skin a sweep of moisturizer. I抦 too tired to do anything else. I hang up my towel, pull on one of the silk nightgowns I usually sleep in, and slide into bed.
When the door opens, I抦 still awake. I stay curled on my side as I watch Crew抯 silhouette remove the tux. I close my eyes when he approaches the bed. But I know the exact second he slips between the sheets. His heat radiates. The mattress dips.
I don抰 move and he doesn抰 reach for me.
We usually have sex before bed. Technically we already have. Right now, I抦 craving his closeness more than his cock.
Before I can think it through, I roll over. His eyes hold mine as our bodies brush. One warm palm finds the small of my back and pulls me closer. I snuggle against him, tucking my head beneath his chin and tangling our legs together.
揂re you okay??
揑 was nervous to tell you,?I admit. 揑t feels big.?
揑t is big.?
I hesitate before I keep talking. 揗y parents didn抰 choose not to have more kids. When I was born?I don抰 know the details, but my mom couldn抰 have any more. What if that happens to us??
揟hen we抣l have one kid.?
He makes it sound simple. 揗y father still resents her for it. Not giving him a son.?
揧ou think I抎 care about that??
揗y parents chose to get married. It wasn抰 an arrangement. The way they went from that to who they are now卼hat抯 not what I want, Crew. I know it took more than just not being able to have more kids. But that was part of it, and I桰抦 scared. I like who we are now. I don抰 want it to change.?
揑f it does, it will change for the better. I promise.?
揧ou can抰 promise that.?
揑 just did.?
I close my eyes, but I can抰 fall asleep.
揥hat else is bothering you??
Again, I hesitate. 揑 talked to Hannah Garner tonight.?
揙h??A lot simmers beneath the single syllable. I抦 not sure if it抯 in regard to her, or that I抦 bringing it up. Or because he knows we must have talked about him. But there抯 no panic or guilt.
揝he told me some things. Some lies, I think.?
揕ike what??
揕ike that you had sex with her two weeks ago, in the bathroom of Proof.?
揝he was there the night I got a drink with Asher.?
揙kay.?
揑 didn抰 talk to her. And I definitely didn抰 have sex with her.?
揙kay,?I repeat.
揧ou believe me??
揧es. I told her I didn抰 believe her and walked away. I trust you. I抦 trusting you. Just卍on抰 make me a fool, okay??
Crew tightens his grip, so there抯 no space between our bodies at all. 揑 hope our kid is just like you,?he whispers.
揑 hope it has your eyes,?I murmur back.
揥e抣l figure all of it out,?he promises.
We. I抳e never been part of a we. It just became my new favorite word in the English language. I抦 in love with the sound.
And the man saying it.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CREW
The conference door opens mid-meeting. To my surprise, my secretary抯 head is the one that peeks through. 揗r. Ellsworth棓
I hold up a hand. 揘ot now, Celeste. I told you no disturbances.?
揃ut棓
揟ake a message.?
揑 real棓
I look up from the presentation for the first time, thoroughly annoyed. 揟here better be a financial crash or a family death.?