Page 103 of The Billionaire Experience

He grinned. “No shit?”

“No shit.” Since returning from New York with Brody, she had been open to some adventures of her own. Living here was lovely, but she’d bet visiting Paris was lovely as well. “I’ve been busier lately. I can serve more clients with help. And, if I hire enough help, I’ll be able to delegate so that I can do more of what I love.”

“And what would you love to do?” He stole a kiss. “Besides me.”

Her hands on either side of his neck, she locked eyes with him. “Be a mom.”

His smile vanished, his face going slack. “Be a— Seriously?”

She nodded. She’d not only secretly hired someone but had also taken back-to-back pregnancy tests yesterday. It was official. They were expecting.

“I’ve always wanted to try my hand at building furniture,” she continued since Brody was tongue-tied. “I can rent a studio in the city and build a bassinet.”

“You’re pregnant.” He blinked in rapid succession. “With my baby.”

“Well, it isn’t anyone else’s.”

He stamped her mouth with a hard kiss as she laughed against his lips. Then he rested his forehead on hers and promised to build a house wherever she wanted to raise their child. “We don’t have to live in the city. How about we buy a patch of land outside of the city? Somewhere close enough that my family can visit but without spare bedrooms so that none of them can sleep over.”

“Jaylyn is going to be an amazing aunt.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You sure about that?”

“And the baby will give everyone an excuse to be together again. Maybe Dante will visit more often.”

“I’m still wrapping my head around being a father.” He blew out a breath. “I only have nine months to prepare.”

“You’re great on your toes. You’ll be a natural.”

“Me? You are going to be the best mom. I hope we have a girl with your green eyes.”

“I hope we have a boy with your sense of adventure.” She kissed him sweetly. After not making future plans, pregnancy had forced her hand…and on a tight timetable.

“That reminds me.” He pulled a black velvet bag from his pocket.

“What is it?” She loved his surprises. “A gumball machine ring to add to my collection?”

“Something like that. Octavius blew into town to drop it off this morning before he flew to Japan. Took him a hot minute to locate a green diamond.”

Her stomach dipped when he opened her hand and deposited the contents of the bag onto it. There, in the center of her palm, was the ring that Jaylyn had designed. The tree with its upward branches and delicate bejeweled leaves. In the center was a sparkling green stone.

“Green diamonds are real, but rare. Like you.” He slid the ring to its home at the base of her ring finger on her left hand. “What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful.” She stared. Stared and stared and stared. “You planned this.”

“Well, to be fair, I planned to give it to you when we meet up with Zander and Chloe and J for dinner, but then you dropped the bomb about my being a dad and, hell.” A grin transformed his entire face. “I couldn’t wait.”

She sniffled, her emotions getting the best of her. It was all so fast, all so good.

“I’ll live here with you. I’ll live in the city with you. I’ll move to Siberia and raise orphaned tigers with you if you want. You’re my forever, Reagan Palmer. Or should I say Reagan Crane?”

A watery laugh stuttered from her lips.

“I’m not sure what I’ll do next. What if I want to write a book on tantric sex now, and then after the baby is born write a parenting book? I like the idea of researching one of those more than the other, but I’m sure I’ll grow to appreciate both.”

He stopped teasing her and pushed the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. “It’s unique. Like us. I like to think it represents the tree you wouldn’t let me chop down. Our meet-cute.”

“I love that tree.”

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