Page 29 of Black Mark's Heart

"Oh, Mora." Cassandra cuddled me to her. "It was probably your reaction to his voice that caused that. Maybe your heart rate picks up around Dare and the baby reacts to the excitement and anxiety you feel. Don't read too much into it."

I nodded against her shoulder. "Cass, I can't choose a cot. Zander's been trying to get me to choose names and baby furniture for weeks, and I can't bring myself to do it."

"You want Darius to help you choose?" Cassandra asked, understanding. I nodded. "You can tell him, Mora. He'd be here in a heartbeat to help you through this."

I shook my head. I knew the cost.

"Then you need to make these choices yourself," Cassandra urged me gently to standing. "Come on. I'll hold your hand and you tell me what you like and dislike about the cots."

I cleaned my face up while Cassandra checked that the coast was clear, and then she took my hand and stood by me while I finally made a choice on the cot.

"Right. That's been a rather emotional outing I hadn't intended on. I think that calls for a milkshake," Cassandra smirked, sliding into the back of her chauffeured car. I dropped down next to her with a smile. "Zane, we need milkshakes," Cassandra told her driver.

Zane smiled. "I know just the place, Mrs. Green."

***

I sat nervously on the lounge, Zander pacing across the room. "Warren was furious with me on the phone," Zander informed me. He stopped and looked at me. "If he won't understand and insists on telling Dare, you need to beat him to it, okay? If Dare finds out from anyone but you, he'll flip his...what do you say?"

"Lid," I answered quietly.

"Flip his lid. So it needs to come from you, Mora. If Warren won't keep your secret, I'll ask him to give you twenty-four hours, and I'll call Dare and ask him to come and meet you." Zander looked at me. "The bonus is you won't even have to tell him now."

"The baby kicked," I murmured.

Zander stopped, a smile slipping across his face. "Just now?"

"When it heard Darius laugh," I mourned. "Every time he laughed, the baby kicked."

Zander's smile disappeared. He came and sat next to me, placing his hand on my tummy. "Think of Dare."

I looked at him. "Not you too?" I sighed. "Cassandra thinks it was my reaction to Dare that caused it."

Zander gave me a gentle smile. "Humor me? Think of a good time you and Dare were together, a moment where he was laughing and happy."

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and remembered Dare. I remembered making love to him on our wedding day, of walking down that aisle and the look on his face; of the words he said to me while we lay naked in the meditation hall, just before he filled me with his child.

The baby kicked hard. I jumped and looked down. I moved Zander's hand, and Zander smiled big as the baby kicked against his hand.

"I've always wanted to feel that," Zander smiled, a sadness I'd never expected in his voice. He rested his head against mine and we sat laughing while the baby kicked. "That must feel amazing."

"It feels weird; like I have an alien inside me, and it's about to burst out of my chest," I admitted.

Zander laughed, and the baby started going crazy.

I put my hand over his and looked at it, amazed. "Laughter; he likes hearing laughter."

Zander smiled, brushing my cheek. "He's had five months of hearing you cry, Mora. He's probably craving happiness."

I took a deep breath, "I'm trying, Zander."

"I know."

We both looked up as the door buzzer rang. Zander squeezed my hand and went to the monitor and pressed the button to let them in. I stood up and waited nervously while Zander opened the apartment door.

"You son of a bitch," Warren cursed. "How could you not tell me something this big?"

"Mora told me in confidence. I couldn't be sure you wouldn't tell Dare," Zander admitted.

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