Page 32 of King

Connor tucked me against his side. “If Stella wants to take a vacation, it’s gonna be with me.”

My dad rolled his eyes. “The past month has been hell, man. This is not the time to yank my chain.”

“I’m not joking, Joseph.”

Dad’s gaze darted toward me, and I flashed him a soft smile before confirming, “He really isn’t.”

My smile didn’t stop my dad from losing his mind. He shook his fist in the air and yelled, “I sent my daughter to you for protection, Kingsley. Not for you to take advantage of her when she was vulnerable.”

I was trying to understand the fact that a lot had changed in the short time he’d been out of touch with me. But that accusation used up most of my patience. “You should know me better than that.”

“Same goes for me,” Connor growled. “You sent Stella here because you trusted me with her life and yours. Remember?”

“Yeah, and clearly I was wrong in that belief,” my father scoffed.

I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my toe against the ground. “With all due respect, Dad, I am a twenty-two-year-old woman with a black belt and a college degree. I can plan my own vacations…and choose who I fall in love with.”

“Love?” they echoed in unison, but with very different expressions. My dad’s was stunned while Connor looked as though he had just won the lottery.

Figuring my dad could wait for a moment after the crap he’d been spewing, I turned to Connor. “Yes, love, you big lug.”

“Big lug, huh?” he teased.

“If you don’t hurry up and tell me that you love me back, I’m going to put my language skills to good use and come up with a long list of less flattering words to call you,” I threatened.

He was laughing as he said, “I love you so fucking much.”

“Good,” I huffed.

Tugging me against his chest, he wrapped his arms around my waist. “You know that you haven’t actually told me the same yet, right? Just hinted at it.”

My cheeks filled with heat as I realized that he was right. “I love you, Connor Kingsley.”

“Thank fuck,” he breathed before capturing my mouth in a deep kiss without any care that my father was in the room with us.

Something he reminded us of by clearing his throat rather loudly. When that didn’t make us stop, he yelled, “I’m standing right here.”

“Only because I saved your ass,” Connor pointed out.

“You better get on board with us being in a relationship soon, Dad,” I warned, pressing Connor’s palm against my still-flatbelly. “Because we’re going to make you a grandpa in about eight months.”

Connor’s fingers flexed against me. “You’re pregnant?”

“Uh-huh.” I flashed him a watery smile. “At first, when I missed my period, I just thought it was from the stress of the situation. But a few days ago, I woke up a little nauseous, and it hit me. I haven’t taken a test yet to confirm because I wanted you to be the first to know and there would be no way to keep it a secret when I promised to stay inside the compound.”

“A grandbaby?” Dad sputtered, his eyes wide.

“Yup,” I confirmed with a grin.

“It’s possible that I might’ve been a little hasty in my reaction to the news about you two,” he muttered.

“You think?”

I elbowed Connor in the side. “Don’t you start now that I’ve finally got him coming around to the idea of us as a couple.”

My dad laughed, no trace of his earlier anger remaining.

“He’d better hurry up if he wants to walk you down the aisle. We’re getting married this weekend,” Connor announced.

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