Page 120 of Playboy

HANNAH

Shit.He crossed another item off the bucket list.

“Daniel.” I sigh, shoulders drooping.

“Yes, dream girl?”

“I’m going to tip the gondola.”

Head thrown back, he laughs loudly, the sound echoing off the ridiculously tall ceiling painted to look like the sky. The people in line watch us with mostly amused expressions.

I rest a hand on my ever-growing belly. At seven months, I swear it gets bigger by the minute. The baby is sitting high, making it convenient to rest my arms on my stomach. Though I haven’t been able to see my toes in a month. The last time I tried, Daniel laughed at me. That didn’t end well for him.

I’m always hungry, but even a single bite of food feels like it’s sitting in my esophagus—probably because my stomach starts rounding just beneath my boobs—so finishing a meal is impossible. It’s cruel, really. I want to order one of everything on the menu, yet I can’t eat more than a few bites.

With tears in his eyes, he doubles over, still laughing.

I smack him. “You’re rude.”

Straightening, he clears his throat, doing his best to compose himself. Then he wraps his arms around my belly and smilesdown at me. “Baby, you’re beautiful and I’d never let anything happen to you. Besides, the water’s like two feet deep. If we tip, I think we’ll survive.”

This time I swat his abdomen with the back of my hand. “Rude.”

“Come on, Han. It’s on your list. I promise I won’t let you fall in.”

“A gondola ride in Venice, Daniel. This is not Venice. This is Vegas.”

“We’re in the Venetian Hotel, baby. You can’t fly to Venice, and I swore I’d help you cross off every item.”

Arms crossed, which gets harder every day, I frown. Why is he so determined to cross shit off my bucket list? Every time I add something, he comes up with a creative way to get it done. I was sure that including experiences that could only be accomplished in other countries would slow us down, but no. The man brought me to Vegas, and in a single day, he’s crossed off more activities than should be possible.

“This doesn’t count,” I grind out.

His lips curl in a smirk. “So you don’t want to do it? Or how about this? We do this today, but we don’t cross it off until we go to the real Venice someday.”

I clench my jaw, but there’s no stopping my smile. “Promise?”

I’m being ridiculous. I don’t even recognize myself sometimes. All of a sudden, I need reassurance that he loves me every minute of every day. I’ve never been that woman. It has to be the baby. When my son is older, I’ll be sure to tell him about all the outrageous things he made me do. Well, maybe notallof them.

Daniel pushes my chin up with his finger and practically folds himself in half to get close now that my belly sticks out so far. “Promise.”

The moment his lips touch mine, my body heats. I wrap my arms around his neck and push in as close as I can, deepening the kiss.

A loud throat clearing breaks us apart. I drop to my heels, slightly dazed, as Daniel steadies me.

“So are you coming on the ride or can the next couple go?”

Daniel breaks into a wicked smile. “We’re coming.”

After he’s helped me back out of the gondola, he doesn’t check it off the list. I breathe a sigh of relief. Good. I don’t ever want it to end.

“You sure you’ll be okay?”Daniel leans over me as I snuggle in bed. After the gondola ride, we had coney island hot dogs in New York and crème brûlée in Paris, and if I don’t take a nap now, there’s no chance I’ll make it to the Top of the World for dinner.

“I will miss you, but I do promise I’ll be fine.”

He’s headed to a meeting, so I’ll have the bed all to myself.

Daniel smirks, still hovering silently. It kind of gives me the creeps.

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