“Nice try, troublemaker,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She smelled like baby shampoo and Cheerios, making my chest warm. “I think I should start putting aside more funds for college. For you and your baby sibling.”
We tried to keep Paige’s pregnancy quiet because we wanted to have some time just for us before everyone else got involved. But my mom had figured it out within days, probably from the way I was hovering over Paige like she was made of glass. And once Mom knew, Sean knew. And once Sean knew, Chelsea knew. And then Emma, and then... well, everyone in our friend group knows now.
So we decided to tie the knot before the baby arrived.
But I didn’t want to marry Paige because it made sense. I wanted to marry her because I loved her for decades and couldn’t imagine a future without her in it.
The sound of the front door opening pulled me from my thoughts.
“In here!” I said, already closing my laptop.
Paige appeared in the doorway of my study, and the sight of her stole my breath the way it always did. She was glowing. Literally glowing with the pregnancy radiance people always talked about made her skin luminous and eyes bright.
She looked happy and relaxed.
“How was brunch?” I asked, but I was already standing, already moving toward her.
“It was nice. The girls send their love. Emma’s already planning the baby shower even though I told her it’s too early—” She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Lily had fallen asleep against my shoulder, her little head lolling and mouth slightly open. “Oh, she’s out.”
She was awake seconds ago. Maybe talking to her about work and pre-natal care had made her sleepy.
“Just dozed off,” I whispered. “Give me two minutes to put her down.”
I laid Lily in her crib with practiced ease and returned to find Paige still standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame and watching me with a soft expression.
“Hi,” I said, suddenly feeling like a teenager with his first crush.
“Hi,” she repeated with a small smile.
My hands found her waist as I pulled her close. Her arms slid around my neck, her body fitting against mine like it was made for this exact spot.
“I missed you,” I murmured against her hair.
“I was gone for three hours.”
“Three hours is too long.”
She laughed softly, the sound vibrating through both our bodies, and tilted her face up to mine. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes warm with affection, and it made my pulse race.
I kissed her, it was a slow and deep kiss to tell her how much I loved her. How terrified I was of losing her and how grateful I was that she was here, in my arms, carrying our child, about to become my wife.
Even if it only made sense.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathless and I was hard. Her cheeks were flushed and judging by the look in her eyes, I knew she felt me.
I scooped her up and carried her straight to the couch, and had her beneath me before she could kick off her heels.
“Again?” she laughed, since we had a quickie before she left. But she was arching up to me, and I knew she wanted it as much as I did.
“Always,” I growled, stripping her sundress over her head. Her bra and panties followed, and I threw them across the floor. She pulled down my zipper, my cock throbbing, ready to slide into her, but her phone started ringing in her purse.
We both ignored it as I dropped to my knees, spreading her thighs wide. My mouth watered at the sight of her glistening pink folds.
Before I could dive into the sweetest heaven, her phone rang again.
“It could be important,” she whispered.
I sighed dramatically, but fetched it for her. The screen flashed with his name. Jack.
