Page 38 of Daring the Bad Boy

“Cal, you made it back? How did you know I was here?” she said, so pleased to see him and yet so anxious now about what she had to tell him, her hands were shaking.

“I took a wild guess.” Dumping the bag, he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the booth to haul her into his arms. “Now stop stalling and kiss me.”

The wild fever slammed into her as his mouth captured hers, the taste of him both wonderfully familiar and still wildly erotic. She threaded her fingers into his hair and tugged him closer, devouring him as he devoured her.

Eventually they had to come up for air. She could hear both Tash and Imo and a few of the pub’s other customers clapping, reminding her of that first kiss all those months ago when they’d gotten a standing ovation.

She couldn’t speak, her heart too full, as she watched Cal lift his bag back over his shoulder. Holding her trembling hand, he addressed her friends. “You’ll have to excuse us, ladies, but it’s Valentine’s Night and we’ve only got four hours left to make the most of it.”

Rosie found herself blushing as her friends waved them off, Tash supplying some typically filthy encouragement.

Suddenly they were outside on the pavement, the shrill whistle as Cal hailed a cab shocking her out of her trance. She shivered, the magnitude of what she had to say to him overwhelming.

“Damn, did I just drag you out of there without your coat again?” Taking off his jacket, he slung it over her shoulders. A cab pulled up at the curb. He gave the guy directions, then helped her inside. “Wait there. I’ll go back and grab your coat.”

“No don’t.” She grasped his forearm before he could head back into the pub. “Leave it. I can get it off Tash at work, tomorrow. She’ll keep it safe.”

“You sure?”

She nodded, her throat closing. “Please, let’s just go home…”

He laughed and jumped into the cab, then thumped the partition, signaling the cabbie to get moving. But as the car pulled away from the curb, he settled back and got a good look at her face. “Hey, are you okay?”

She blinked furiously. “Yes. It’s just that I’ve missed you so much.” But the tender concern as he cupped her cheek had a single tear spilling out.

He brushed it away with his thumb. Then hauled her into his arms. “Me too.” Cradling the back of her head with one hand, he stroked her back with the other. “But I’ve got great news,” he murmured against her hair. “I’ve spoken with my agent; I’m cutting right back on these foreign assignments.” He pushed her hair behind her ear, drawing back. “Leaving you is too damn hard, and the work doesn’t interest me as much anymore. I want to concentrate on the studio stuff.” The flirtatious light in his eyes sent arousal soaring, to tangle with the knot of emotion lodged in her throat. “How would you feel about posing for me again? I’ve got an idea for a new series of shots that…”

“Wait. Cal…” She pressed trembling fingers to his lips, to halt the request. “I have something I need to tell you,” she managed, round the blockage in her throat. Exhilarated and aroused now, as well as terrified. “The thing is, you might not want me to pose for you soon.”

“Don’t count on it,” he said, still assured, still happy, as he captured her finger and lifted it to his lips to kiss the tip. “What have you got to tell me? Something dirty I hope,” he added, still teasing.

She pulled back, as she shook her head. “It’s… It’s a shock. A huge shock, and I only found out for sure this morning, but…”

His brows arrowed down, his expression confused and worried now, as he settled large hands on her arms and rubbed. “Hell, Rosie, you’re shaking. What is it?”

“I took a test, two days ago, because I was over a week late. And then I went to the doctor, this morning, to get it confirmed. And…” The explanation choked off in her throat.

Oh for Pete’s sake, just spit it out already.

“And I’m going to have a baby,” she said, forcing the words out. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“What the hell?” He dropped her arms, as if she were suddenly red hot, his brows shooting up his forehead, his mouth falling open, as his gaze drifted down to her abdomen.

“Are you okay, Cal?” she asked, shivering in earnest now. Why wasn’t he saying anything? That couldn’t be good? Could it?

“I know we’ve never talked about this. Because, why would we? We’ve only been together a year,” she babbled, trying to fill the tense silence with conversation. “And I’m on the pill. I have no idea how it even happened.” He continued to stare at her stomach as if it were an unexploded bomb. “Although the doctor said it might have been the antibiotics I was on last month.” She’d had a slight chest infection, and Cal had been so sweet, insisting she see a doctor, making her soup in bed, and then agreeing to join her there the next morning when she’d begged. Which must have been when she’d conceived. “Obviously, this is a huge shock for both of us.” Had she said that already? “And I have no idea how you feel about becoming a father, especially so soon.”

Please just say something? Anything?

“For real?” His voice was so low she almost couldn’t hear it above the rumble of the cab’s engine. “We’re going to have a baby?”

He’d said we. Was that good? It had to be good. He didn’t sound upset. Just stunned.

She nodded. “Yes, yes we are.”

“When?” His head lifted at last, and her heart swelled, all but blocking off her air supply, because the unguarded expression on his face was easy to read – love, awe and fierce, unconditional joy. “When is it due?”

She sniffed. Love and contentment flowed through her in waves so strong they would have bowled her over, if she weren’t sitting down. The doctor had said she might get over-emotional at times. Boy, had he been right about that.

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