Page 38 of Keeping Happily Ever After

“Mmm.”

She moaned against his lips and instantly, Jeremy’s cock was hard. She turned him on so easily. His body responded perfectly to her.

“It’s going to get crazy, Jeremy.” Bella broke the kiss and his hopes that he would be getting her naked in the next few minutes. “I’ll be in LA for months, and—”

“I can’t wait to visit,” he said casually. He traced a hand up her leg to rest in the dip of her waist. He worked his fingers beneath the fabric of her sweater and splayed his hands on her bare skin as he spoke. “I’ve always wanted to go to LA. The Hollywood sign? Universal Studios? You bet, I’m in.”

“Really?” She looked up at him. “You’ll come visit?”

“I’ll be there so much you’ll get sick of me.” He bent and pressed his lips to hers again. This time, moving his hand farther up her body as his kiss grew more urgent.

“Never.” She grinned wickedly and bit her bottom lip. “And I’ll never get sick of the way you kiss me.”

“And that’s all I needed to hear.”

She squealed as he moved over her, pressing her flat on her back and kissing her in such a way that left no more room for conversation.

ChapterThirteen

“Tellme again how they were able to pull this off in only a few days.” Bella looked around the barn at Ever After Ranch for at least the sixth time, taking in all the new details as she let her eyes travel the room. It had been less than twenty-four hours since Bella and Jeremy had emerged from the woods and their romantic night in the cabin. After they’d confessed to each other that they’d both looked at their phones, they made a big show of turning them off and putting them away until they drove back down into town and Sweetie Pies for a morning coffee.

When they’d turned on their phones, they’d both been surprised to hear that later that evening there was to be a baby shower for Hope and Levi and, according to the email invitation,they better be there.

Not that Bella would want to miss it. Not for anything. She was only just starting to develop friendships with both Hope and Levi. They were great people and even if she didn’t know them, Jeremy was close with them. And their baby…well, it was like a miracle. And most definitely deserved a celebration. And what a celebration it was. Ever After Ranch was known for weddings, but after this production, maybe they’d have to start venturing out into baby showers.

Because Hope and Levi didn’t know the sex of the baby yet, the decorations were all done in neutrals of creams and browns with a teddy bear theme. Everything had a rustic, yet soft feel. There were clusters of candles on all surfaces, and teddy bears of all sizes piled as centerpieces. Everything was very cute, but very classy at the same time. Very much like Hope herself.

“It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Bella sat with Katie and Sarah. They’d claimed a table and were enjoying a quick catch-up in the middle of the festivities, and more accurately, enjoying a selection of the food Brody and the staff at Birchwood had prepared.

Katie lifted a smoked salmon roll and licked her lips. “And the food…your husband is amazing.” She popped the appetizer into her mouth and closed her eyes with a groan as she chewed.

“Hey,” Sarah said. “I’m the only one he’s allowed to make groan like that.”

Katie laughed so hard she almost spat out her food.

Bella didn’t even try to hide her smile. “Still,” she said. “This food…allhis food is amazing.”

“Right?” Sarah turned to face her. “Brody said he made you and Jeremy a special picnic dinner for last night. What was that all about?”

“Ohh, sounds romantic.” Katie grabbed another treat from the plate in front of her. “A picnic? In the winter?” She put a mini quiche in her mouth. “Not going to lie, it sounds cold.”

“Well…” Bella debated how much to tell her new friends. “We actually stayed in one of the little cabins at the old fishing camp.”

“Lynx Creek cabins?” Katie said through a mouth full of food before covering it with her hand. “Sorry, I’m starving. I have no idea why.”

“Pregnant.” Sarah said it so casually, Bella’s mouth fell open.

But Katie shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Nope. No babies here.” She patted her flat stomach. “At least not for a bit. I’m way too busy with the store right now. There is no time for a baby.”

“Like a baby cares how busy you are.” Sarah shook her head. “I mean, you do know that’s not how it works, right?”

Bella watched with wonder as the two of them discussed what could be a potential life changer for Katie, who seemed way too calm if there were a possibility that she could be pregnant.

“Nope,” Katie said again. “Not preggo. Now, I want to hear about this romantic picnic in a cabin.” And just like that, the attention was back on Bella. “Spill.”

Bella shrugged. “It was nice.” That was lame and she knew she should give her friends a little bit more, but at the same time she didn’t want to tell them too much. Or more specifically, she didn’t want to tell them that Jeremy had…what had he done? He hadn’t proposed. Not really. At least, shehopedthat wasn’t a proposal. Sure, maybe she wasn’t a diehard romantic, but still, she wanted a bit more effort than that. Even so, he had definitely brought up marriage. And even though there hadn’t been much time to think about it yet, or what it meant, Bella wasn’t so sure how she felt about the whole thing.

Marriage?

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