Page 64 of Baby for My Billionaire Rival

Jake stretches out one of his hands and hovers it over my middle, unsure of himself.

“You can touch,” I say. “There’s not much there, yet, but you can.”

He nods and places his hand on my middle. His forehead tightens, thumb sliding back and forth across my skin. “There’s a baby in there, huh?” Jake smiles at me.

I smile back, tears welling in my eyes. No one has talked about the baby to me like it’s a miracle yet. It’s all been some sort of accident. A mishap. Something unwanted and unplanned. I nod. “Yeah, there is.”

Jake leans down, nuzzles his nose against the skin below my belly button and then kisses me softly. I cup the back of his head, playing with the locks of his hair. He rests his head on my stomach, blue eyes finding me, flickering in the yellow lamplight.

There’s no such thing as a right moment. But what moment could be more right than this?

“I love you,” I say.

Jake closes his eyes like he’s not sure if this is real life. I’m not sure it’s not a dream either. “Say it again,” he says softly. “Please.”

“Jacob Leslie –”

A tear springs from his eye, and glitters down his cheek. He smiles.

“I love you.”

He pushes himself up from the bed, taking a step back. He runs his hands through his hair. “You mean it.”

I giggle. “Yes.”

“Seriously.” He sits on the edge of the bed, taking me by my shoulders. “You really mean that?”

I nod.

Jake kisses me softly, cupping my face in his hands, and sliding his fingers back through my hair. “I can’t believe it,” he whispers.

“Why?”

“Because, I…”

I place my palm on his and tangle our fingers together. “Why can’t you believe I love you?”

“I just…”

Jake begins to cry, his head hanging down, tiny sobs racking his voice. I tuck him to my chest, holding him close, and coo to him softly. I can feel all the pain. The pent-up hurt I caused. But more than that. There’s grief here. His father. Grief is never far behind joy.

“You’re going to make a great dad,” I say into his hair.

Jake presses his nose to my cheek and weeps. “Thank you. Thank you.”

I take his hand, slide it down to my stomach, and let our hands marry there. Together. Anticipating the fruit of our love. I slide my hand flat against his. Tight. The time will go faster than either of us will be able to conceptualize. I’ll swell up, the world will know it’s us, always been us.

And then we’ll be a little family.

There’s no one I’d rather do this with.

“Caroline?”

“Yes, baby?”

“I love you more than life itself. And, I’m the luckiest man on earth.”

I kiss him gently and hold him close, both of us quickly drifting off to sleep with smiles on our faces.

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