Page 54 of His Best Man's Baby

“I don’t like that I have to ask you.”

He released her waist and backed up. Her heart faltered. “I’m not like Daniel, Tae.”

Let me die right now. I can’t deal with this. No, that’s selfish. She shut her eyes and turned away. Her robe lay across the bed. She walked over to it and drew it on. Jax moved up behind her and helped her get her arms into the robe. He turned her shoulders and closed the garment, then belted it around her wide middle.

She didn’t know she had started to cry until he brushed a thumb across her cheek to wipe away a tear.

“We were great friends,” he said. “You and I would laugh and act stupid while Daniel was the mature one. We made fun of people when we were all out at a restaurant or went bowling.”

“That’s when you didn’t have your tongue down some woman’s throat. I realize I’m probably cramping your style.”

“You are my style. Now.”

She cast him a confused glance. He led her to the rocking chair he’d bought a month ago and sat down in it then drew her onto his lap. Jax had told her he intended to sing to their baby in the chair. She had informed him he couldn’t hold a tune. He insisted he would give it a go. She’d pray for their poor baby.

“We both had to change over the last few months because of our own choices,” he explained. “You didn’t intend to have kids, and I didn’t either, but we both want Little Jaxon, right?”

She smiled. They had decided on that too, giving the baby Jax’s name. He would be a junior. “Yes, we do.”

“I don’t regret those changes at all. I’m not missing my old job.” He held her face between two big palms to keep her focused on him. “I’m not missing sleeping with a different woman every other day.”

“You were that much of a whore?”

He grinned. “Focus, woman.”

“Trying.”

“If you didn’t get pregnant, I’d still be wanting to get in your panties, but I’d never approach you because of Daniel. If I felt like I do now back then, I would drop him in a heartbeat to get you. I have always wanted you, but the feeling has only grown.”

She gaped.

“What I’m saying is, I love you more than life. I can’t promise to say it every day or even often, because I can feel my face on fire telling you now. But I do love you, Tae. You and Jaxon are my entire world, and I’ll give up anything and anyone to keep you. Do you understand?”

She nodded slowly, shocked beyond belief. The intensity in him blew her away. He wasn’t just spewing out words. His love seemed to go as deep as Daniel’s had, maybe even deeper. Tae lay on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you too, Jax. I have for a long time. Over these past months, we’ve developed, and you’re right, we changed, and we see the world differently. Little Jaxon did that for us, and I’m glad of where we are. Once upon a time, my career was the most important thing. Now I can’t wait until we bring him home to the nursery we set up at your house.”

“Our house.” He fidgeted beneath her, and she wondered if she was getting too heavy. “Tae?”

“Do you want me to get off your lap?”

“No, I want you to look up.”

She yawned and opened her eyes. When had she even shut them? Seeing what he held in his hand brought the squeal she’d expected months ago. “Is that…?”

Jax popped the tiny black box open to reveal a dazzling diamond ring. “Tae, will you marry me?”

“You’re slow, Jaxon Hart!”

He winked. “I’m always on time.”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, I will marry you. Yes, yes, yes!”

He slipped the ring on her finger and raised her hand toward his mouth. A flick of movement and he pressed his lips to her inner wrist. Her pulse raced out of control, her pussy clenching.

“My wife,” he murmured.

Tae melted against his chest. “Were you always confident I loved you or that I would choose you because you always seemed like it?”

“Of course.”

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