Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 34934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
He nods. “I know. I screwed up. I told you it was because of the alcohol. You were twenty years old. I was thirty, and I was worried about Kane and—”
I shrug. “What? You’re not worried about Kane now?”
He looks into my eyes. “I talked to him today. I told him I wanted to start dating you.”
Shocked, I scoot my chair back from the table and stand up, hand on my round belly. “I can imagine how that went. Did he remind you I’m pregnant? Wait, let me do it. I’m pregnant, Elijah.”
He stands up and comes around the table to stand next to me. Like any other time he’s this close, my senses go haywire. He reaches for me, and right before his palm touches me, he asks for permission. “May I?”
I nod, and he puts his hand on my belly and holds me there. “I think I know you’re pregnant, Sassy. I was there. I heard the heartbeat. I saw him on the screen. Hell, I have a printout on my refrigerator.”
I turn my head to look at the refrigerator, and sure enough, the pictures from last week’s appointment are up there. “I had wondered why you wanted a second set and then where they went. Why? I don’t understand.”
I’m so confused by it all. Elijah cups my cheek in his palm. “Date me? That’s all I’m asking, for you to consider dating me. We can spend time together, get to know each other, and see where this goes.”
I bring my hand up and cover his. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
He drops his hand from my face. “You don’t want to be with me?”
I roll my eyes. “That’s not it.”
He stuffs his hands in his pockets. “What is it then?”
I take a step back to try and clear my senses. It would be so easy to just fall at his feet and beg him for whatever he’s willing to give me. His time, his heart, his all.
But I only have a little bit of self-preservation left, and I’m going to need to muster every ounce of it. “I’m pregnant, and I can’t just think about me now.”
He shakes his head, confused. “What does that even mean, Sassy?”
I take a deep breath and let it out. “It means that if I was just thinking about me, I wouldn’t even hesitate. Anything you wanted from me you could have.” I curve my hand around my belly. “But now I have to think about him.”
He takes a step toward me. “You think I’m not thinking about him?”
I put my hands on my hips and stare up at the man that I would give anything to say is mine. This has to be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. “I’m sure you are thinking about him. Elijah, you have this thing about you that you have to fix everything and everyone. I’m something that has to be fixed.”
“Bullshit,” he mutters. “You don’t have to be fixed. You’re not broken, Sass. That asshole didn’t break you. You’re too strong for that.”
I take a step back. “But I’m not. I’m trying to be, and I want to be, but I’m not strong.” I suck in a breath and blow it out. “I wouldn’t survive dating you and then it ending.”
I take a few steps back, needing the distance. “When Jason walked away, I didn’t care, Elijah. It didn’t hurt me. But if you did, it would break me, I know it would, and I can’t break. Not now.”
I cup my belly and stare at the only man I’ve ever truly loved.
He doesn’t like what I’m saying, and I don’t blame him. He reaches for me but then crosses his arms over his chest. “I promise I won’t break you, Sass.”
I blurt out a laugh. “You can’t promise that.”
He nods and steps toward me slowly, as if he’s not wanting to spook me. When he stops right in front of me, one of his hands curves around my belly, and the other cups my cheek. “I can promise you that because I will never hurt you. I want to be with you, and I will wait until you’re ready. Until you trust that I’m not going to hurt you.”
Darn it, I can’t say no to him. It doesn’t help matters that I don’t want to say no. I want to throw all caution to the wind and beg him to take me right here, right now, but I don’t do that. As calmly as I can muster, I nod my head. “Okay.”
I barely get the word out and he has me pulled against him, chest to chest. He’s hugging me like he never wants to let me go. My voice is muffled as I continue. “On one condition.”
He tenses and leans back to look at me, but he doesn’t let me go. “What condition?”