Giving the game away.
Is he talking about what I think he’s talking about?
“Harry, I’m pregnant.”
His grip tightens on my shoulder and for a second panic surges through me. I wonder if this is the moment where he realizes his mistake in getting too involved and flees.
I hear him, a mean traitor voice in my mind, telling some girl in a club one day,“You won’t believe it, sweetheart, but I almost got reeled in by a pregnant girl once upon a time. Dodged a bullet there.”
But then I realize that his grip has tightened because his whole arm is shaking, his body trembling. “Jesus,” he whispers, a smile breaking out across his face. “This is real, right? You’re not messing around?”
“Messing around?” I giggle, standing on my tiptoes and bringing my lips close to his, tasting his smile, assuring myself that it’s real. “Do you really think I’d mess around about this, playboy? This is one hundred percent real.”
“We’re having a baby,” he mutters, kissing my forehead. “Jesus, Grace, I’m going to be a father! And you’re going to be the best damn mother who ever lived!”
I let out a wild peal of laughter as he throws his arms around me and picks me up, spinning me around and around. I squeeze on tight, spinning as the world rushes all around us.
Finally, he puts me down.
“Grace, come with me,” he growls. “I can’t wait until dinner. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make it special for you. Here.” He hurries to the front door, to the coat rack, and takes down my heavy faux-fur jacket, the one he bought for me last month even though I told him it was too expensive.
But it’s soft and stylish and I love to disappear into its folds.
He drapes it over my shoulders, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me close to his taut body.
“I love you, Grace,” he whispers. “And I just know you’re gonna be the best mom in the world.”
I grab his arm, kissing his hand, feeling his skin prick in desire and love. “You’ll be the best dad, too,” I whisper. “But where are we going, Harry?”
“That’d ruin the surprise, Nancy Drew,” he laughs.
***
He takes me by the hand and leads me down the hallway as we exchange looks that say more than words ever could. It’s actually sort of crazy, how silent and easy we’ve become around each other at times.
Of course, wedotalk. But sometimes we can have a whole conversation just by exchanging a glance.
Now his glinting eyes say so much.
Come with me, Grace,they roar.I’ll always protect you and our child. I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you. Come with me and your wildest dreams will come true.
And I stare back at him, silently screaming.
I’m here, playboy, always.
We get into the elevator and Harry quickly presses the button. I’m not sure which one he’s pressed until there’s a jolt and we start going up.
“Um, we’re on the top floor, right?” I say. “Or am I going crazy?”
He reaches over and tickles my neck, grinning. “I know you make me crazy, Grace. But yeah, we’re on the top floor.”
“So we’re going to the roof?”
He leans over and hugs me, kissing my cheek softly. “Nancy Drew,” he teases. “She can never drop the case.”
I slap him playfully, laughing. “You know, if we have a girl, I’m so calling her Nancy Drew now.”
He winks. “I think we both know what we’re calling our kids, Grace.”
