‘Other than my father and you? No.’ He frowns then. ‘Well, there was this one time, a few months ago, I got that feeling. Though I never did find out what caused it.’
‘When? Do you remember the date?’ I tip my head back to meet his eye.
‘Yes, it was May third. I remember because it’s my brother’s birthday.’
A surprised laugh slips from my lips. ‘That’s the day I found out I was pregnant.’
He blows out a breath. ‘Unreal. What time did you find out?’
‘Around lunchtime. My appointment was at twelve forty-five, so maybe one o’clock?’
‘I got that feeling at like five a.m. It woke me.’
‘Which would have been one o’clock here…’ I remind him.
‘That’s unbelievable.’ He nuzzles into my neck. The scent of his familiar aftershave seeps into my senses. ‘We were connected even when we weren’t.’
I place my hand over his on my stomach. ‘We were connected, we just didn’t know it until then.’
He prises the mug from my hand, placing it on the shelving to the left of the window. When he turns again, his cool blue eyes burn with desire.
‘Oh no, California.’ I shake my head. ‘Do not dare give me those come-to-bed eyes when my entire family are on their way over at your invitation. And Livvie!’
Cole asked Helen and Magda to organise drinks and nibbles as a mini moving in party for me.
‘They’ve only just accepted you, but if they walk in on you balls deep in me, that feud between you boys will be worse than ever before.’
He groans.
‘Are you ready for the Becketts?’
A soft huff of a laugh leaves him. ‘As I’ll ever be.’
Right on cue, the security cameras ping on Cole’s phone. He glances at the screen.
‘They’re here.’
‘All of them?’
‘Six SUVs, and a partridge in a pear tree.’
‘Do I look okay?’ I smooth a hand over the white Seraphine shift dress floating over my body.
‘No, you don’t look okay.’ He dips his lips to catch mine. ‘You look fucking stunning.’
Heat ignites my blood, turning it to molten lava. ‘We’ll get back to those come-to-bed eyes later.’
Within minutes, the house is alive. Magda and Helen glide around like the domestic angels they are, circulating trays of delicate canapés—smoked salmon blinis, mini beef Wellingtons, truffle arancini—along with crystal flutes filled with champagne. Cole asked them to buy a barrel of Beckett’s Gold whiskey too, and not just to get on my family’s good side, turns out he loves the stuff, just like I told him he would.
My sisters-in-law charge in, cooing over the view, the décor and my outfit. My mother breezes in behind them, in a cloud of expensive perfume and air kisses.
‘My baby.’ She pats my stomach, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
‘This place isstunning, Zara.’ Scarlett sighs, sweeping her gaze over the oak beams, the neutral palette, the ocean light.
‘It’s perfect.’ Ivy grins, looping her arm through mine.
Rebekka’s taking photos of the kitchen island. ‘We need a girls’ night here. I’ll bring the mocktails?—’
