Page 20 of Suddenly Pregnant

“Lobster spaghetti?” Billie asked, then let out a whistle. “Angelica is really impressive.”

“That was me, actually,” he said. “I don’t cook often, but I have a few recipes.”

She touched the linen, her gaze admiring the table, then darted to him. “You did that?”

He nodded, hating how fast his heart raced. If he was going to survive tonight, he couldn’t go down with a simple compliment from her.

“Wow. I thought you didn’t cook at all.”

“I prefer not to.”

She frowned, then closed the distance between them. “What made you change your mind?” she asked, a note of skepticism in her voice.

He ran his fingers through his hair, measuring his words. If he told her exactly how much he wanted her, he could complicate things. “I thought the occasion called for it.”

She came closer still, within a breath of him, staring at him with intent. Even when she was serious, her eyes lit up, like their spark could never be dimmed. “Before we go on… I need to ask. You’re not doing this out of pity, right?” She chewed on her bottom lip, and he could sense her nervous energy.

He shook his head, confused. Looking at her square in the eye had already landed him in hot water. He could barely connect his thoughts together. “What?”

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I don’t know, it just hit me that I told you my sob story and didn’t really give you much of a choice. You’re an experienced guy, so if you’re not into having sex with a desperate pregnant woman I totally understand.”

Desperate pregnant woman. He chuckled. Oh, if only she knew how desperate he was for her… “I’ll have you know you’ll be the first pregnant woman I’ve ever fucked.”

“How charming,” she said, a small smile dancing on her lips. “So I’m a milestone.”

He took her hand and placed it on his heart. He wanted to show her how much he wanted her—how much she brought him to his knees. “You’re not a milestone,” he said, his voice dropping an octave.

Her eyes caught his, and her hand trembled under his. Damn it. A powerful emotion ping ponged between them, and the honesty in her eyes pulled him in. The light in her eyes had the power of showing his dark soul the way home.

“What am I?” she whispered.

God, how would he respond to that? That was the question he’d been avoiding altogether. His heart took flight, and her hand was still on it.

He should lie.

He should say something vague, or even funny.

Stick to the plan.Don’t complicate things. He dipped his head, his heart about to skip from his chest. Right then, his gut clenched, and he knew he couldn’t lie to her. “Right now, you’re everything.”

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