Page 62 of Secret Baby for the Bad Boy

“Are you ready for an adventure?” he asks, offering me his hand.

My hand finds his, and we're moving, out of the office, up to the roof in the crisp air of the city.

A sleek helicopter awaits, its blades whirling fast and loud, making it impossible to hear my own thoughts. Lark helps me inside, the roar swallowing any chance for conversation or questions.

As we lift off, the world falls away—skyscrapers shrink, streets blur into dark ribbons. He slips bulky headphones over my ears, but I’m busy watching the world fall away as the chopper angles toward the tree-covered mountains.

Lark catches my eye, his gaze steady over the noise. He mouths something, but I can't make it out. Yet his smile makes my heart do a little dance in my chest.

I give him a questioning look, but he just grins wider, pointing out the window. I follow his gesture and gasp. Below us, the mountains hide the city and instead, all we see is a vast expanse of green with blue rivers threading through. The taller mountains are dusted with snow even now, and I’m awestruck by the beauty of this place. We so rarely get out of the city, this is a surprise I never saw coming.

The helicopter begins to descend, and I realize we’re heading toward a secluded clearing near an open meadow dotted with so many colored flowers it’s hard to look at anything else. The sight is breathtaking. As we touch down, Lark helps me out of the helicopter, his hands warm and steady as he grabs my hips and lowers me to the ground.

“Welcome to your adventure,” he says once the chopper lifts off and is far enough away we can hear one another again.

I look around, taking in the beauty of the place. “This is incredible,” I say, exhaling as I take in the nature surrounding us. I feel tiny amongst the tall mountains and the meadow is the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen.

He turns me around and I see a structure nestled in the trees ringing the meadow. Glass glints in the sunlight, making me wonder if it’s just a giant greenhouse. And every bit of me wants to go explore.

I glance up at him and he nods. “Where do you want to go first?” he asks.

With that, I turn and make my way to the greenhouse. He follows, his hand a constant on my back, guiding me through the crisp mountain air. We walk through the grass among the wildflowers, and I study the blue, purple, pink, white, yellow and red blossoms, wondering what each of them are, but not caring because they’re simply beautiful.

With every step, I’m stunned by the majestic splendor. I’m speechless as I take in the mountains shrouded in fog and snow. The green endlessness of the trees fade into blue in the distance along the mountain ridgelines.

“Come on.” He takes my hand, leading me toward the greenhouse.

“What is it?” I ask as we walk.

“Where we’re staying,” he says.

I glance up at him. “A greenhouse?”

He nods, a smile on his face.

“It was a greenhouse. Now it’s a cabin made of glass that can enjoy every bit of the view.”

As we approach, I see the greenhouse-turned-cabin nestled among the trees. Its glass walls reflect the surrounding beauty, making it seem like a part of the landscape. Lark opens the door, and I step inside, my breath catching at the sight.

The interior is cozy and inviting, with a comfortable seating area and a small kitchen. The glass walls offer a panoramic view of the mountains and the meadow, making it feel like we’re still outside, surrounded by nature.

Lark wraps his arms around me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. “What do you think?” I squeeze my eyes closed, loving the contact, the closeness.

“It’s perfect,” I whisper, leaning back into him. “Absolutely perfect.”

He kisses my temple, then takes my hand, leading me to a staircase. “There’s more. Come on.”

We climb the stairs to a lofted bedroom, where a plush bed is positioned to face the glass wall. The view from here is even more breathtaking, with the mountains stretching out as far as the eye can see.

Lark pulls me close, his eyes shining with joy and heat that has my body tingling and ready for whatever he wants to do next. “I wanted to give us a place where we could escape the world and just be together.”

I smile, feeling tears of joy welling up. “You’ve outdone yourself, Lark. This is incredible.”

He brushes a tear from my cheek, his touch gentle. “You deserve it. We deserve it.”

We stand there for a moment, soaking in the beauty and the peace of our surroundings. Then, hand in hand, we make our way back downstairs, ready to settle in.

The sound of our laughter echoes through the glass and steel, as I tell him about the first time Win learned he could climb. We laugh, we lean in close, talking about everything and nothing. How I started my business. Why he got hung up with the wrong crowd and the things he had to do to survive. The pop of a wine bottle cork punctuates our conversation, and we pour the rich liquid into glasses, toasting the moment. We joke that we both only drink on special occasions anymore, but every time we’re together, we feel like celebrating.

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