“If it’s not what you want and we stay together long enough for it to be a thing, then I’ll deal with that.” Roman touched the apple of her cheek with his thumb. “Because I’ll be with you. And that’ll always be enough.”
Sadie’s eyes fell closed as she laughed, leaning her forehead against his. “You’re a little nuts.”
“It runs in the family,” he said before he kissed any further argument away.
“I have a question,” Sadie said. Clearly, he hadn’t kissed her well enough if she was asking questions afterward. He’d need to remedy that.
“Yes?” He pecked little kisses around the edges of her lips.
“What did you trade your maybe-future daughter’s name for?” she asked, eyes huge with a subtle hint of accusation.
Well, that was not the kind of question he wanted to answer when there was a strong possibility and a whole lot of hope that his maybe daughter would betheirmaybe daughter.
“It doesn’t matter,” he replied, drawing an X over his heart. “Promise.”
Sadie had that look about her—the one that he dreaded because it meant she was going to push and get an answer. Even if he didn’t want to give one. “The trade must have been good for you to make such a big concession.”
He continued pecking kisses over her cheekbone and across to her earlobe.
“Nope.” She shook her head. “I will not be distracted by your sexual prowess.”
He sighed and drew back. “Before I came over for girls’ night, I met a guy at a bar.”
Sadie rubbed at her eyes. “All the best stories start this way, but I’m not sure I like it coming from you.”
He chuckled. “It’s not that juicy. I met a new friend. He’s trying to show his wife that they’ve still got a spark.”
Sadie crossed her arms across her chest, stretching her suit jacket across her breasts. “And this has to do with the name of your future daughter because…?”
“Because I asked Babushka to go all Babushka on them and help me out with my new friend’s problem. So far, all she did was tell him to tell her that he loves her.”
“You traded your daughter’s name for a guy you’ve only just met at a bar and advice that he tell his wife that he loves her?”
“We also had lunch today. He’s a great guy.”
“They all are.” Sadie glanced at the fountain. “But maybe there’s a reason the relationship isn’t working out. Have you considered that?”
No. Because Rex was genuine and so concerned.
Roman shook his head.
“Do you know the details of their issue?” Sadie asked.
He continued to shake his head as she spoke.
“How deep their challenges go? Have they been to therapy? How are the assets to be distributed if they aren’t able to work it out? Is there a prenuptial agreement?”
“No,” he admitted. He turned on the most intense version of himself. “I have no idea about any of that. But Sadie, the guy seems like he really wants to make it work. He’s willing to try.”
Sadie stared at the water flowing over the curves of the fountain. “I’ve been at my job for a long time. Being willing to try is never enough. To be honest, Rome, I’ve never seen a second try work out.”
“Maybe he’ll be a first.” Roman used the edge of his thumb to tip her face back toward him.
“We’re not talking about picking a frozen yogurt flavor here,” Sadie said, clearly taking his new mission to heart and not appreciating it. “We’re talking about a guy and his wife and you pawning your future kid’s name.”
She was getting hot—and not in the bedroom sense.
“When you put it like that, it seems like a really bad idea,” he conceded, hoping that would diffuse the ticking time bomb pulsing at her temple.
