Page 58 of It's Always Us

“What is that?” His voice is so uncharacteristically soft my skin pricks to life with goosebumps.

I close my eyes, needing a moment. Silence lingers a second before he asks again.

“Lex, what . . . is . . . that?”

I stand in my mostly clean bra, frozen in space and time. I should cover myself, but the reality is he’s seen it all before and more. Not that this isn’t exactly why I’m here.

I pull in air, and only a trace of the smell still lingers around me. I stare at him as his eyes flick to my little bump and back up to meet mine.

“A baby.” It comes out in a rush, like a secret finally flowing freely. It’s the first time I’ve said the word out loud, and it’s to the man I wanteverything with. A warm wave of love washes over me, and it generates a tickle in my throat.

“Nooooo,” Mark says slowly, not trusting it.

His dark eyebrows retract back to a normal level as he stares at my stomach in deep thought. I cross my arms over myself, feeling a bit exposed.

Then a full grin spreads across his face, and I can’t look. That bright and freaking contagious smile has a way of melting all my defenses and resolve, and that CANNOT happen.

I glare at him, needing to activate all reserves.

He lunges for me, and before I can react, I’m pressed up against him as he holds me tight. He feels and smells so good.

“Lex! We made a baby. I’m going to be a dad.”

He sounds so wistful it almost brings tears to my hormonal eyes, but I scream at them to retreat. I can’t cry. I need answers.

He pulls away, and his hand glides against my cheek. “Lex, we made a baby. This is the best news of my life! How did this happen?” He laughs in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

His question sounds pained, and it pierces my reinforced exterior. “I don’t know. Maybe I forgot a pill or . . . it didn’t work.” He stares at me, his face shining with complete awe and elation. “I’m not sure when I was supposed to tell you.”

“How about any of the times we spoke on the phone?”

“Our five-minute conversations when you had a free moment didn’t really seem like an appropriate time to tell you the most important news of my life.”

He pushes out a long breath. “Our lives. I can’t wait to tell Sean I beat him to it. He’s going to be so pissed.” That damn boyish grin takes flight, and he leans in to kiss me.

I drop my chin, taking a step back. I look around the room, spotting a suitcase lying open with clothes shoved in. “You heading somewhere?”

He laughs. “Yeah, to see you. Couldn’t get a plane until the morning. It was only going to be for a night, but this is so much better.” He studies me, his smile falling. “What’s wrong?”

My throat thickens, but I swallow it away. “We need to talk.”

“Clearly.”

I reach for a shirt on the floor and pull it over my head, needing to get this out. I grip the hem with both hands, hoping it will give me strength.

“I think maybe . . . we got ahead of ourselves. This baby has to be my priority, and I don’t know how—”

He takes a quick step forward. “I know these months have been unfair and difficult, but I didn’t have a choice.”

“I know,” I say, softly and meaning it—or at least what I think I know about his life. “But we haven’t seen each other for months. I . . . My life is in Ohio. It’s the only place . . . ” I can’t say the words. The burn is too deep and raw when I’m already trying to hold it together. “I don’t see how we make this work.”

He closes the distance between us, pushing the sticky strands of hair over my shoulder and out of the way. “That night in Vegas, there wasn’t a single thing that didn’t work.”

“I’m not talking about sex, Mark.”

He shakes his head. “That was so much more than just sex, and you know it.” He hesitantly reaches down to put his hand on my stomach. “There’s no better proof of that than this.”

Well, just freaking great. His handsy ass is going to pierce all my reinforcements. A tear slips down my cheek, and I quickly swipe it away. He puts his hand on my hip and tugs me to him. I surrender, needing to feel the safety in his arms that’s never faltered.

---