“Smart man.” Selene giggles.
I snort and toss her a smile. “Learned my lesson, Wallflower.”
“Sounds like you could use a cup of coffee, then.” She points to the service counter behind me. “Do you want to order one?”
I glance over my shoulder, eyeing the line of at least ten people waiting to place their order. I turn back to face Selene and rest both my arms on the chair and simply sit back and stare at my girl. My girl and our baby growing inside her. I still can’t believe they’re both mine.
Fuck, she owns me.
“Nah.” I wave her off. “I’d rather not waste my time standing in line. There are other things I need more than caffeine at this point.”
Her cheeks blush bright red. She knowsexactly what I mean.
Selene’s phone vibrates on the table. My sister’s name pops up on the screen with a message, along with Charleigh and London’s.
“Girl chat?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she laughs, picking her phone up to read the message. “Ever since I showed them the ultrasound pictures yesterday, they haven’t stopped gushing over the fact we’re having a baby. Julianna is convinced it’s a girl, even though it’s impossible to know at this stage. At least not by that ultrasound picture.”
“Of course, she is.” I chuckle. “She’s been sending me messages, too. I’m pretty sure she’s already done a bunch of baby clothes shopping. She sent me a picture of some designer dress she picked up at a boutique. I didn’t even know they made designer dresses for babies.”
“Oh, my God.” Selene groans and rolls her eyes. “What if it’s a boy?”
“She’ll probably end up saving them for when someone else in our group has a baby,” I offer. “Then, if we find out we’re having a boy, she’ll go on a shopping spree for boy clothes.”
She nods then stares at me with this unwavering grin.
“What?” I chuckle.
“Nothing. I was just thinking how much I love you.”
My cheeks grow sore from how hard I’m smiling. “I love you, too.”
“Okay.” Selene sits forward, placing her hands gently on her knees. “I just need to finish up one more thing and then we can head out.”
I toss my gaze to her laptop. “What are you working on?”
Puffing her chest and raising her chin, she gives me the largest grin I think I’ve ever seen her wear. She’s fucking stunning, glowing with pride as she spins her laptop around to show me what’s on her screen.
“I submitted my manuscript to that agency I was telling you about.”
I read the email she just sent, along with her query letter.
My wide-eyed gaze bounces between the screen and Selene on the other side. “Holy shit, Wallflower.” I stand and move around the table before bending to kiss her again. I cup the sides of her face and pull her close. “You’re going to get it,” I tell her, crashing my mouth to hers.
She laughs against my mouth, and it sends a delightful shiver across my body. My dick twitches, aching to show her just how proud I am to have her in my life.
“We’ll see.” She giggles between kisses. “I’m trying not to get my hopes up.”
“You will,” I tell her again before reclaiming my seat.
Her smile fades, and she looks off to the side, distance and uncertainty in her eyes. “I’m just glad I was able to gather the courage to put myself out there.” Her gaze shifts back to me. “The romance market is flooded with incredible works that often go unnoticed. For a time, I thought I would go the self-publishing route, but I figure why not try this way first. If I don’t hear back from the agency, I’ll publish it myself.”
“I think that’s a smart way to go about it,” I tell her, understanding the struggles of the publishing world. “Your story deserves to be told.”
“Thank you. I’ve spent so much of my adult life with this story, and I think when I was finished with it, I got scared. Like, in a way, I was holding myself back from taking the risk. Much like everything else in my life.”
“Selene…” I soften my voice.
