Page 27 of Forbidden Desires

I take another bite, slow and careful. If I can just get through this breakfast without puking or slipping up, maybe I'll have a little more time to figure out what to do.

"You know," Pete says, tapping his finger on the edge of the coffee cup I haven't touched. "You could talk to us, if something was wrong, right?"

My heart pounds in my chest, and I look down, busying myself with my food. "Nothing's wrong. I promise." It’s a lie. Not really. My baby—our baby—isn’twrong.

Pete nods, and there's something so grounding in the way he reaches out again, this time resting his hand on my knee under the table. His touch is gentle and steady. No pressure. Just a reminder that he's here. They both are.

Tears prick the back of my eyes—damn hormones—before I can stop them. Damn it.

I take a deep breath, forcing a smile. "Now, seriously. What's the plan for the rest of the day? You have me all to yourselves."

Dexter smirks. "A little birdie told me you haven't done too much sightseeing yet. So today, we're playing tourist. I hope you have comfy shoes, sunshine. You're going to need them."

I huff a small laugh, shaking my head. "I told you that!"

Dexter shrugs. "I guess that makes you a little birdie then, doesn't it?"

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Suzie

The morning sky is the perfect gray—just enough cloud cover to make everything feel cozy, but not enough to dampen the excitement humming in my chest.

"Ready for your day of fun, chaos and so much walking you might want to kill us, sunshine?" Dexter grins, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

I snort in response. "Ready as I'll ever be," I say, pulling my jacket tighter around me.

"Good," Pete adds with a slow smile. "We've got a full itinerary, so buckle up, baby."

Our first stop is Point Defiance Park, where we take a hike along a beautiful beach trail. The air smells so fresh, and I enjoy watching the waves lapping lazily at the rocky shore. There's nothing quite like the sound of the ocean and the smell of the fresh breeze to calm a turmoiled soul.

"I bet," Dexter says with a grin, "that you can't skip a rock as far as I can."

I turn to him, a smile on my face as I eye him up and down. "And what do I get if I win?"

His smile broadens and then he bends down to hunt for the perfect pebble. Standing up he throws a small rock up and down as he responds. "Oh honey, you can have whatever you want. If it's within my means, it's yours."

My laughter rumbles through my chest. "Confident, or cocky?" I ask Pete.

He in turn only smiles, before shaking his head. "I'm not getting in on this. You're both way too competitive and I'd rather remain neutral." He holds up his hands in front of him and takes a step back.

Clearly, I'll not be getting any backup or feedback from him so I focus my attention back on Dexter. "What do you getifyou win?"

"A kiss. Obviously."

I hold out my hand for him to shake, and as I've come to expect from him, he takes full advantage. A shiver runs up my spine as his fingers gently stroke the inside of my palm before he tightens his grip and pulls my body flush against his.

"Good luck, sunshine," he whispers, his mouth mere inches away from mine.

And then he pulls away, leaving my body reeling with the sudden loss. Pete chuckles behind me and when I turn around to look at him in question he shrugs in response.

"He has that same effect on me too. He's way too damn handsome for his own good."

We both face Dexter as he turns around to watch us one more time before Dexter throws the pebble only to have it plunk without a single skip.

Pete chuckles, folding his arms. "You call that skipping?"

"Excuse me," Dexter says, mock offended. "That was the perfect example... of hownotto do it."

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