Page 39 of The Boyfriend Material Novellas

“We?” She squeaks like Minnie Mouse.

Wait.

Did I read this wrong? Readherwrong? I step back, regarding her curiously. “Do you want to have the baby by yourself?”

She gestures wildly to me. “Do you want to have the baby with me?” Her voice is so high it hits the ceiling.

I laugh like she’s crazy. “I just told you I’m in love with you. I was hoping you felt the same way about me.”

“Yes!” Her shout reaches an octave I didn’t know existed. “But . . . but . . . also, I should have said that first. Yes, I’m in love with you. I just—”

“You’re just surprised.”

Her eyes are soft and brimming with happiness. “Yes.”

“But are you surprised I’m in love with you? I was kind of hoping it had been obvious.”

“I like obvious. And I’m happy about that. Wildly happy.” She swipes away a tear streaking down her cheek as her voice returns to normal and she takes some deep breaths. “I’m so in love with you too. But I didn’t think—”

“That I’d want to have a baby with you?” I ask quizzically.

“I don’t want you to think you have to stay with me because of the baby,” she says.

I wrap my arm around her, bringing her close and sliding my hand over her belly again. “I don’t have to. I want to. I came here early to tell you there’s no way I’m letting you go. I was going to ask you to stay with me. That was my plan tonight. See? I had a plan. Your favorite thing.”

She smiles like she can’t contain her grin. “I do like plans. I like thatthatwas your plan.”

“I wanted to find a way to keep you, even before I knew you were pregnant, because I love you, Quinn Summers. And guess what? I still love you, and I still want to be with you. And—spoiler alert—I’m going to love our baby too.” I take a moment to look into her eyes. “So, are we doing this?”

She melts against me. “Yes. But this kind of changes everything, doesn’t it?”

I laugh, tuck a finger under her chin, and answer her. “Yes, it changes literally everything. And I know you were diligent about taking the pill—I heard your alarm every morning. But this is a good surprise. Some surprises are great surprises.”

Her smile radiates into my soul. “I’m glad you feel that way.” She lets out a long breath. “So, what do we do?”

I don’t have the answer yet, and I’m not going to try to find it just now, because my business partners are strolling into the room. With Quinn’s hand in mine, I head over to join them.

Later, we’ll figure out what this means. Tonight, we have a party to throw. And when the guests stream in, I pull Quinn close and murmur a reminder to only drink the unspiked hot chocolate—not because she needs me to tell her, but because it makes her smile, like we have a secret. And we do.

It’s a secret I’m in love with already.

18

VAUGHN

There are plans. There are damn plans. And there are babies. When the party ends, I take Quinn back to her place.

She plugs in the lights for the tree, turns on a playlist on her phone, and tugs me by the hand to her couch.

“So . . .”

“So, is there something you wanted to talk about?” I tease.

She swats me. “Yes. Only, say,everything.”

I settle into the couch and fold my hands. “We’re going to be here a long time then, if we’re talking about everything. Where should we start? How dinosaurs became extinct? The ancient Roman aqueducts? Are eyebrows considered facial hair?”

She shoots me a look. “Don’t mess with the pregnant woman.”

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