“I love you,” he mutters against my mouth, repeating it every time he comes up for air.
There is so much more that we need to talk about, but we’ll make time for it after tonight. For now, this is enough. I never had plans to do anything big with my life, but Alex Connors will always be my greatest achievement. My life’s mission will be to show him how much I love him, and how much he is worth not only to me, but to others as well.
There’s a loud knock at the door right before it opens.
“Oh, they’re very much alive,” Kyle calls out to someone out there. “Hey, love birds, they’re getting ready to sit us.”
He then clears his throat louder when we don’t pay him any attention.
“Mona has to go sit with her date.”
That grabs Alex’s attention. His head comes up, determination clear in his eyes. When he turns to look at Kyle, I swear there’s smoke coming out of his ears.
“She’s sitting with me.”
Kyle scratches at his brow. “That’s not how these things work, brother. The seats are assigned way before the event. You can’t just sit where you want. She has to go sit with this dude…” He clicks his fingers to get my attention. “What’s his name?”
“Jonathan,” I supply.
“He’s out there flirting with the wife of a hockey player,” he tells me. “In case anyone was wondering,” he adds when I don’t react. “Anyway…”
“She’s sitting with me,” Alex growls again.
Kyle remains standing in the doorway for a few long moments. Suddenly, someone is pushing him from behind, and his girlfriend, Zara, pops into the room.
“He’s only trying to give you a hard time.” She smiles shyly and pushes her glasses up her nose. “We’re all sitting together.” She looks at me apologetically. “Your date will have to sit with us as well…”
Kyle walks into the room, getting right in between us. He places an arm around each of our shoulders and starts leading us out of the room.
“This is a really good story to tell the grandkids,” he declares. “Especially for you guys.” He drops his eyes to my stomach. “Is there a kid in there?”
“What?” I place both hands over my nonexistent belly.
“That’s how the grandkids come into play, through the kids,” he explains to me with a serious face. “Do you have a kid in there?”
“Uh, no, but thanks for asking.”
He gives Alex a healthy shove. “You gotta try harder next time, dude.”
“What is even happening?” I am lost. It’s like they’re having a side conversation that’s about me, but I’m not involved.
“My buddy here told me he had sex with you with no protection…”
“Kyle,” Zara gasps out loud. “Use your filter! Please!”
She pulls him away from us, leaving me and Alex alone to follow them. When I look up at him, I notice him staring thoughtfully.
“I never in my life imagined having a baby with anyone before.” He winces. “In fact, I never wanted to have kids, period.”
I swallow hard. I never gave it much thought either.
“And now?” I ask.
The sexiest smirk lifts the corner of his mouth. “And now I can’t wait until we’re ready to have a baby.”
I grab his hand as we continue walking toward the dining area. The noise of the other guests swallows any conversation we could have. But I’m sure we’ll start later where we left off now.
Either way, the future looks bright. I’ve never been happier. And it’s all because of Alex Connors.
