Page 33 of Paradox
“You two have fun.” Aunt Nita winks, heading for the door once more.
“Bye, Momma. Bye, Daddy!”
“Bye, baby. See you tomorrow.” I blow him a kiss and then turn to Jon. “So, are you gonna tell me what you have planned?”
“It’s a surprise.” He smiles, leaning down to plant a gentle kiss on my lips. “Now go get ready. I’m gonna jump in the shower.”
“What are you up to, Dr. Emerson?” I raise a skeptical brow.
“What? I can’t take my woman on a date?”
I’m still suspicious but I turn away, heading to the bedroom. “Okay, but I’m famished. I might order everything on the menu.”
“Anything you want, beautiful.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that.” I throw him a smile over my shoulder as I make my way to the closet. Removing my dress, I admire it for a few seconds before laying it on the bed. It’s a rich chocolate brown—perfectly matching the color of my hair—with elbow-length sleeves. The bodice is lace, a satin sash wrapped around the empire waist and tied into a bow. The stretchy material of the skirt makes it comfortable and easy to maneuver.
With Jon in the bathroom, I sit at the dresser and apply my makeup. That done, I slip into my dress and walk back to the closet to fetch my brown and gold pumps with the three-inch heels. Given my short stature, I prefer a higher heel, but I’m foregoing those for the next couple of months. I have no idea how some pregnant women walk around in six-inch heels.
“Jesus.”
I turn at the sound of Jon’s voice, finding him staring at me from the doorway to the bathroom.
“What?”
His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “Gorgeous” is all he says.
I blush, averting my gaze. “I’m not even ready yet.” I reach up and start removing the curlers from my hair, sitting at the dresser again.
“Doesn’t matter. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“There you go again, inflating my ego.”
“Just the truth, Ellen.”
The sincerity in his tone touches my heart. Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones, but my eyes tear up. I turn on the bench, pointing my brush at him. “Get dressed before you make me start crying.”
Smiling, he walks over, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. I track his movements in the mirror as I fix my hair, wondering what I ever did to deserve this man. He’s the stuff that dream men are made of.
And he’s mine.
I finish getting ready with a smile on my face. My life couldn’t be better. It’s perfect, and it’s all because of Jon Emerson.
“Ready?”
He emerges from the walk-in closet wearing a white shirt with a vest and pants in a shade of khaki that perfectly complements my dress, his tie a striped silk in gold and khaki. It’s my turn to gawk at him. I swallow, licking my lips as thoughts of foregoing dinner enter my mind.
“Stop looking at me like that or we’ll never make it out of the house.”
“That’s the plan.”
“I thought you were famished?” He smirks.
“For something else now.”
He stalks slowly toward me, buttoning his cuffs. His smirk is gone, smoldering eyes trained on me. I tell you, Einstein is something to behold in his cut and jeans, but Jon in a suit? He rivals any billionaire CEO from the romance novels. My breathing picks up, getting more ragged as he closes the distance between us. He places a finger under my chin, tipping my face up to his.
“I promise you, Ellen.” His voice is low and husky, his cologne wafting around me, drawing me closer to him. “When we get home, I’m going to make love to you all. Night. Long.”
