Page 162 of South Beach Bodyguards

I had to brazen it out. “Hi,” I said, walking toward him in my heels. I had chosen a white sundress with red cherries on it and stable wedge heel sandals. The dress gave me good cleavage, and I could already see his eyes drifting to my breasts. “Am I interrupting you?”

Holding my breath, I waited for his response. To my relief, he shook his head, lifting his gaze to meet mine. “No, I was just working out. Come on in.” He stepped back to let me into his apartment.

Alejandro looked sexy as hell. Hard as a rock and I remembered what he was capable of doing with all those muscles. How he had held me against the wall and driven me crazy. I felt the fluttering of desire. I stared at his ass as he walked down the hall. I had been a lucky woman to experience that body up against mine and I wanted it again.

Unlike me, he hadn’t decorated for the holidays. My apartment was an explosion of flamingos in Santa hats and a hot pink tree. He lived like a bachelor, giving me further anxiety.

He gestured to his couch. “Have a seat.” His voice was polite. I could tell he was curious but waiting for me to explain. He held his hands out. “Can I take that from you?”

“Happy Birthday!” I said in a cheerful singsong voice. “I baked you a cake.”

“Really?” He smiled. “Thank you. That was really sweet of you. God, I can’t believe you remembered.”

“It’s Dulce de Leche. I remember you said that’s your favorite.”

“Yes.” He looked downright excited. He set it down on the coffee table. “Can I have some now? Do you want a piece?”

“Sure.” I was going to die if he didn’t actually open that box. I was waiting impatiently for him to see my message.

Fortunately he did open the box instead of going for plates and a knife first. “Happy Birthday, Daddy,” he said. “Uh, babe, I think you gave me the wrong cake. Unless that’s supposed to be you hitting on me.”

That had never even occurred to me.

“Open the Christmas gift,” I urged, heart in my throat.

He eyed me curiously but he did as he was told, ripping open the box. He pulled out the silver rattle. “I don’t understand.”

I just waited. I was catching him totally off-guard but I knew he would figure it out after a split-second. His head snapped up. “Wait, does this mean you’re pregnant? Are we having a baby?”

His eyes were huge. I nodded, tears of happiness springing to my eyes. “Yes. Ten weeks. I wanted to wait a bit to tell you just to make sure everything was going to be okay. So thank you, Alejandro, from the bottom of my heart.”

“You’re welcome. Damn, I can’t believe it. You thought it was the wrong time.”

“I was wrong about it being wrong.” I reached out and touched his arm. “And I want you to be involved if you want to.” I searched his face, wanting some kind of a sign of encouragement. But mostly he looked stunned. “I want you to be involved with the baby and me, if that’s what you want.”

I had rehearsed this speech a million times and in my head it had sounded much better. Now it seemed weird and desperate. But it was out, just hanging there.

His eyebrows shot up. “Why?” he asked. “What does that mean? As friends? Co-parents? I want to know why me and I need it all spelled out before I say anything else.”

It was what he had asked me three months ago when I had made my request for a baby. I gave him the same answer. “Because I love you.” But that wasn’t enough. I needed to be honest, to tell him what I had figured out about me, him, and our future. I leaned forward, raising my hand to his cheek. “I really truly love you. I think you’re an amazing, caring man, and I would like us to be together. Forever. With our baby. If you want to. But I don’t know if you want this, if I can have this, you and me.” Damn it. I was choking up. On the verge of tears.

His hand covered mine and for a split-second I was worried he would remove it. But instead he turned and kissed my fingers. “Baby, you had me when I was fifteen years old. You’ve always had me. People always want to know why I don’t have serious relationships and it’s always been because I was waiting for you. You’ve always been my ultimate.”

My heart soared. “Really?”

He nodded. “Really.” He pulled my face to his and gave me a soft kiss. “I love you.”

I just about jumped into his lap. I was absolutely sure I had never been so happy in my entire life. “You do?” He had told me before, but that he would tell me now, after everything, made me feel amazing. This was it. We were doing this.

“I do.” He pulled me down onto his thighs and cupped my cheeks. “You are so beautiful.” His hands drifted down to my still flat belly. “I can’t believe there is a baby in there. My baby. Our baby.”

“Are you happy?” That definitely worried me. I wanted him to want this as much as I did. “You’re kind of young to have a baby,” I teased him.

That made him laugh. “Not too young to make a baby, obviously. And clearly, I have some serious mojo in the baby-making department. So yeah, you’re welcome.”

He was having a proud man moment, his chest a little puffed up. After everything, I could certainly let him have that. “Very impressive, I have to say. I thought it would take months and months.”

“Well now we can have worry-free sex for the next six months.” He touched the swell of my breast. “And I think we should start now because I feel like you wore this dress to tempt me, and it’s working.”

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