Page 59 of Exposed

We’re a few minutes early and head to the bar. Oliver, who rarely gets a day off, is standing behind it and beams at me while trying to stay professional. “Goldie! I miss you, girl. I hear congratulations are in order.”

I return his smile, which might be my only genuine one tonight. “I miss you too. How’s Lonnie?”

“Great. He graduated from nursing school last week.”

“Tell him congrats for me.” It’s time to settle into my role and who better to practice on than my favorite bartender. I turn to King. “Daniel, this is Ollie. He’s one of the last holdouts from before my father died. Ollie, my fiancé, Daniel Armstrong.”

There.

That wasn’t so bad.

I can do this after all.

“You’re Goldie approved,” King states. “I like you already.”

Ollie reaches for the bottle of cabernet. It might be the housewine, but it’s way better than I buy for myself at home. “Can I get you your normal, Goldie?”

I’m about to accept his offer and tell him to pour with a heavy hand, because I’ll need it.

“Goldie won’t be drinking for a while.” King interrupts and looks down at me. I frown and am about to open my mouth to ask why when he blows my mind. “For another seven months and two weeks. Right, baby?”

I suck in a breath, but before I can scream or kick him in the shin for altering our love story without discussing it with me first, he leans in and seals a kiss right on my smacker.

“You’re pregnant?” Ollie exclaims. “That’s amazing. I didn’t know you liked kids! Congratulations.”

“I’m—I…” My words come out jagged because I can’t focus on anything other than how happy King is about his lie. His smile has swelled into a huge grin. To anyone else, he’d look like a proud, expectant father. But to me, he just looks like an arrogant agent who’s not making this any easier on me. Finally I turn to Ollie. “It was a surprise.”

“Best surprise ever,” King exclaims. His hand that was flirting with my bottom just moments ago slides all the way down and gives me a squeeze. “Goldie’s coming around to the idea. She’s too polite to let on that she’s not crazy about kids.” My eyes widen in horror as King turns to Ollie. “I’m just lucky nature took its course.” He turns back to me and takes my mouth for the second time before gazing into my eyes and professes, “I could have ten babies with you and it wouldn’t be enough.”

“Ten?” I repeat.

He shakes his head. “Let’s make it a dozen. Hell, a baker’s dozen. It’s going to be fun keeping you pregnant.”

My face heats. Ollie will most likely think it’s from embarrassment from King talking about all the sex that will be required to make thirteen babies, when really, it’s from anger.

I place my hand low on his abs starting just above his belt and slowly slide up before landing on one of his rock-hard pecs. I might enjoy it too much after ogling him shirtless in my kitchen today. “Darling, there’s no way we can have thirteen children. At your age, I’ll have to wheel you into their high school graduations. You may have one. If it doesn’t turn out to be a menace, I’ll think about two.”

His eyes dance with a glimmer. If eyes could speak, they’d saytouché, my fake love. He shakes his head. “This is why I love you. You’ll keep me young drinking from your fountain of youth.”

I turn to Ollie, finding it easy to pretend with someone I know. “Pregnancy makes my broody fiancé turn sappy. And here I thought I’d be dealing with hormonal mood swings.” I look up at King and smile. “When, really, you’re the hormonal one. It’s okay, Danny. You’re getting in touch with your feminine side. You’ve surely given me a girl.”

“Or a gay son,” Ollie interjects with a smug smile. “Just saying.”

I smile at my friend who I miss. “Love you, Ollie.”

My booty gets another squeeze. “Don’t make me jealous. You know how I get.”

“A-hem.”

King doesn’t let my bottom go when he swings us around. That throat being cleared was not a friendly sound, and now I know why.

Dex.

“No offense, but I got tired of waiting,” Dex grits before stating with contempt, “You’re pregnant.”

Nothing has felt more unnatural in my life, but I bring my hand up to my fake baby bump. “I am.”

Dex glares at me. “Congratulations.”

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