Page 36 of Claiming Becca

“That many?” I ask. She arches an eyebrow at me like she can’t believe I’m questioning her. I smirk.

She shakes her head, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. “Yes. The kitchen will be a light gray, the living room will be a darker gray with a light blue accent wall. The bathrooms will be green, and the ivory will be for the trim.”

She’s so good at this. “What about the bedrooms?” I ask her.

“I was thinking your bedroom could be a dark teal and the guest bedroom could be the same light blue for the accent wall in the living room. Your office could be green too, but darker than the bathrooms,” she replies.

I smile at her, shaking my head. “You are so good at this. I think it sounds great. I can’t wait to see it.” She beams at me. I lean down and kiss her again. I’ll never get enough of this.

Our food arrives, so we drink and eat. She tells me the rest of her plans for Bailey’s room and my house. There’s a slight pause in the conversation.

“I have a question,” I tell her, and she looks up at me as she brings her fork to her mouth. There’s a smile playing on her lips. She already knows what’s coming. She motions for me to continue.

“Why did Adele cross the road?” I ask.

She bites her lip, trying to stop smiling. “Why?”

“To say hello from the other side,” I tell her, then start cracking up.

She laughs with me, shaking her head. “You’re so weird.” It’s her standard reply when I tell her one of my dad jokes, but she loves it. And she knows I’ll never stop. “Where do you come up with these?” She takes a sip from her margarita.

“I have a book.” I pick up my margarita and finish it off.

“You have a book?” she asks incredulously. I nod as her mouth pops open. “How did I not know this?”

I tickle her side, and she squirms away, giggling. “I can’t tell you all my secrets, Shortcake.” She rolls her eyes, but she has a big smile. I love seeing her smile and making her laugh. Lucy brings the receipt to pay.

“You ready to go home?” I ask Becca. Uncertainty flits across her face, but she nods. I kiss her and lead her to the register to pay so we can go home. I’ve been dreaming about this for years, and it’s about to become a reality.

CHAPTER TWENTY

BECCA

THIS DOESN’Tfeel real; it’s like a dream. Connor’s hand is on my lower back as he guides me out of the restaurant, then takes my hand as we walk to my car.

“I hate that we have to drive home in separate vehicles,” Connor murmurs. Leaning back against the door, he steps in front of me, putting his hands on either side and leans into me. He’s so much taller than me he has to lean down to get to me, but that doesn’t stop him.

He runs his lips over my cheek and down my jaw, nipping at my chin before taking my lips with his. My hands clutch at his shirt as he deepens the kiss. I’ve never been kissed like this in my life. Granted, I’ve only kissed one guy in my life. But it was nothing like this. Connor takes his time. It makes me feel like he’s savoring every second. When he lifts his head to look at me, it’s like he hates to end the kiss.

“Let’s go home, Shortcake,” he says gruffly. I nod slightly, ready. He stands and pushes away from the car. I move away from the door as he reaches for the handle to open it. I’m about to climb in when Connor’s phone begins to ring. He grabs it out of his back pocket.

“Hey, man!” he greets whoever it is. He mouths Bass to me as he runs his fingers through my hair. Connor stands up straighter as he listens intently. “Right now?” Connor asks. I strain to hear what’s happening but can’t hear Bass. “Okay. We’re on our way.”

Connor hangs up, and I stare at him, waiting for an explanation. “Bass is taking Caroline to the hospital. She’s having contractions.”

I bring my hands to my mouth. “How exciting!” I move to climb into my car, but Connor stops me. I look at him in confusion.

“Leave your car here. I’ll bring you back to pick it up,” he says. “Ride with me to the hospital.” I smile and nod. Closing and locking my door, we walk to his truck. He opens the driver’s side door, and I climb in, scooting to the passenger seat. Getting into his truck in a dress is different. He climbs in after me, and his eyes travel over me, leaving fire in their wake. “You are so gorgeous.” Leaning over, he kisses me gently before starting the truck and pulling out of the parking lot.

We get to the hospital and head to the labor and delivery floor. When we leave the elevator, Bailey and Julian are already there.

Bailey does a double-take when she sees us. “I thought you were on a date.” She glances between Connor and me. I swallow, the nerves settling in my stomach. Should I say something?

“He ate before he came,” I tell her as we walk to the waiting room.

“He ate before he came? Why would he do that?” she asks.

I shrug. “Then I accidentally spilled water on his cell phone, and he freaked out. So, that was the end of that.” Before she can answer, Bass meets up with us. He runs his hand through his hair. Footsteps sound behind me, and I turn to see Lincoln, Ansley, and Liv walking up.

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