Something is up with my Emily tonight. She is refusing to drink anything alcoholic. It’s not like she’s a heavy drinker, but I’ve never known her to be a teetotaler either. Maybe she needs food in her belly to be comfortable drinking.
“Are you ready to eat yet?” I ask.
She nods. “Absolutely. Those burgers smell good.”
I guide her towards the table and load our plates, grab some drinks, and find a spot near the edge of the crowd where we can see everything without feeling boxed in.
Everything about this night is perfect in my eyes. After we get finished eating, Emily leans into my side, her shoulder tucked under my arm. “Are parties always this loud at the clubhouse?” she asks.
I grin. “Of course. Who wants a fucking party that is as quiet as a funeral procession?”
She laughs. “You’re right. What was I thinking?”
My hand tightens around her waist. “If you want to go ahead and turn in for the night, we can. It’s been a long day.”
She shakes her head almost before I get the words out. “No. I haven’t been to a real party in years. I want to stay a little longer.”
Her choice to stay among my family and club brothers hits me right in the feels. We’re a boisterous bunch and she clearly accepts us just the way we are. I decide to broach another subject with her.
“You know, now that the danger is over, you don’t need my protection anymore. If you had a mind to, you could get back to your regular life. If you want, I could help you rebuild your cabin. We could make it look just like the one your grandfather built. My old man helped him, and I hear we still have the building plans around here somewhere.”
She shoots me a rueful grin. “Not a chance, handsome. You put me in your cut, moved me into your suite, and gave me mind-blowing orgasms and made all my dreams come true. Now, you’re stuck with me.”
“You’re really gonna stay with me for good?” I ask hopefully.
She smiles and kisses me on the cheek. “If you’ll have me. I love you, your family, and your clubhouse. You’ve built a nice life for yourself here. And I feel like I have something to contribute.”
I reach into my pocket and pull out the special delivery from earlier today. Opening the jewelry box, I hold it up so she can see the ring I picked up for her.
She stares down at it for the longest time. When her eyes lift to mine, I explain, “I saw this online and thought it would be the perfect ring for you. It’s got a cat curled around the diamond. I know how much you love cats, so I ordered it for you.”
When she doesn’t respond, I add, “Remember, I promised you an engagement ring?”
She perks up. “Oh, I remember alright. And this is the perfect one for me. It’s beautiful. I love it.”
I relax back in the seat. “I’m glad you like my gift.”
Emily slides her hand into the inside pocket of her cut and pulls something out, keeping it hidden between her palm and her body.
“What do you have there?” I ask curiously.
“I happen to have a gift for you today as well,” she replies. “I hope you like it too.”
I glance up at her. For some reason she’s looking worried and I wonder what’s up.
She opens her hand just enough for me to see that she’s holding one of those plastic pregnancy test sticks. For a second, my soul leaves my body as I struggle to get my head around thefact that this is actually fuckin’ happening to me. I’m having a baby with the woman of my dreams.
“Em,” I say, my voice rough. “We’re having a baby?”
She nods once. “Yeah, unless you don’t want to. I’m having this baby either way because if there is one thing the world needs, it’s another little Onyx running around.”
My hands come up to cup her face because she’s tearing up and rambling about having my baby whether I want it or not.
“Fuck,” I whisper. “Slow down, woman. I already told you I love you. So, of course I want to have a baby with you.”
Before she can speak, my lips find hers, pouring every single emotion I feel for her into one single kiss. When I pull back, I’m smiling so hard my face hurts. I lift the pregnancy test over my head like a trophy. “Talk about getting everything you ever wanted out of life in one fell swoop,” I say, loud enough that Slate’s head snaps around.
“What did you get?” he calls.
