“You know what word I like even more?” she asked.
“What?” He gave her the indulgent smile of a man on his honeymoon, a man who knew he was about to get very lucky for the third time that day.
“Daddy,” she whispered. “I like the word daddy.” She watched as he went very still.
His eyes cut to the hand he held on her still-flat belly, his fingers tightening a little as his eyes went hot with that wild emotion called love.
“Remember on your desk last month?” she asked softly. “When the condom broke-”
“I remember.”
“Well, funny thing about broken condoms…”
His eyes cut to hers. “Are you saying-”
“Would you mind a whole lot?” she asked, holding her breath.
“Mind a whole lot?” he repeated and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were bright and just a little damp. His voice broke, his breath hitched. “Minding isn’t quite the right word.”
Her own breath hitched, too. “What is?”
“Ecstatic,” he said fervently. “Blown away. Overcome.” He spread his fingers wide on her stomach, his expression pure love and protectiveness. Then he bent his head and kissed her right below her belly button. “Another generation…” He let out a breath.
“Terrified?”
“Only slightly,” he admitted, then scooped her up in his arms, against his chest. “I’m crazy in love with you, Tess.”
“I know.” Her joy complete, she sighed with pleasure. “Let’s go inside, back to our stateroom. You can show me just how much…”
Jill Shalvis
