Page 60 of Prognosis Baby Daddy

Ben rubbed his hands through his hair. ‘No. I’ve been hanging onto my bitterness not because I still love her but to protect myself from getting hurt again. I was a fool. You’re the one I love. You were right there in front of me and I didn’t realise it until you were gone. I’d been so used to emotional isolation I didn’t recognise that you’d brought me back into the fold.’

Beneath her hands, the baby moved giving Katya a couple of hefty kicks. She looked at Ben, his face so earnest, so hopeful and picked his hand up off his knee. She brought it across and placed it under hers down low on her bump where the baby was partying.

Ben stared in wonder at the strong movements, dropping to his knees beside the bed and burying his face against her abdomen, his cheek resting against the bulge. He kissed her gently there, where the baby was somersaulting, and cinnamon suffused his senses.

He had missed her so much.

Katya stared at his head as his lips seared her abdomen even through layers of bed linen and pyjamas and her heart swelled with love. ‘Do you remember the moment?’ she asked quietly, her hand creeping down to sift through his dark hair.

Ben looked up at her. ‘What moment?’

‘That you fell in love with me.’

‘Of course. It was the night we made love for the first time. I didn’t realise it then but, looking back, I know I’ve loved you since that night.’

Katya smiled. ‘Me, too.’

Ben stilled. ‘You, too?’

‘Yep.’ She pushed a lock of hair off his forehead. ‘I didn’t realise it until the night we made love at the villa. But you were so devastated after the news of Mario’s death. So intense. So...different. You flipped every switch I possessed.’

He nodded slowly. ‘It was a night of great pain, but also intensely moving. I’m so sorry about the next morning.’

‘Don’t,’ she said dismissively. ‘I reacted badly, too. I was angry at myself for being so irresponsible. Like my mother.’

They looked at each other for long moments, slowly breaking into grins as their revelations just now sunk in.

‘Move,’ Katya said, as she wriggled.

Ben straightened as she displaced him from his position, looking at her questioningly. He’d liked that spot. But then she pulled back the covers and held them open for him.

‘Well?’ she said. ‘You want to get closer?’

Ben’s grin got even bigger. Standing, he shucked his shoes then joined her under the covers, fully clothed. He sighed as she came eagerly into his arms, her head against the steady thump of his heart and he knew this was where he wanted to be forever.

‘I’m sorry about these last two weeks, Ben. Once I realised I couldn’t give up the baby, I couldn’t stay. I didn’t want to live with a man who could never love me back.’

‘Hush,’ he said revelling in their bodies pressed together again. ‘I know. I understand. I didn’t know how I was going to face you every day either, knowing I loved you. Knowing you didn’t love me.’

Katya sighed. What fools they’d been. ‘I love you, Ben.’

He looked into her eyes capturing her gaze. ‘I love you too, Katya. Marry me?’

‘Anywhere,’ she agreed. ‘Any time.’

Ben lowered his head, claiming her mouth, tasting her tears as they tracked down her face and mingled with their meshed lips.

‘Don’t cry,’ he whispered. ‘I’m going to make you happier than you’ve ever been in your life. I’m going to start right now.’

And Katya gave herself up to the delicious promise.

––––––––

THE END

---