Page 31

"Don't you go thinkin' I'm not excited for this baby because of what I'm about to say. Because I'm over the damn moon excited." Her expression is fierce.

"I'd never, darlin'."

"Things just aren’t going as I always imagined they would, you know? Back in my skinned knees and pigtail days, I wanted the fairytale. I wanted to wear white and say, ‘I do’ with my very own Prince Charming. We were going to have it all . . . a picket fence and a porch swing. We were going to sip sweet tea and watch the sun set while our little ones played in the yard. In fairness, I’ll still have most of that. My Prince Charming will just happen to call me 'Mama’.”

"So, it's a boy?" The thought of a boy growing in her belly makes my heart beat a little faster. I'm instantly hit with visions of teaching him how to ride a bike and how to shave.The fuck?

"Yeah, a boy." Her eyes go all soft and dreamy—her love for this baby is palpable. I can feel it clear across the table.

"Got any names picked out?"

"Honestly? No. I didn't want to get too attached to a certain name and then meet my baby and have it not fit.” She snorts out a laugh. “Wow, I sound a little crazy, huh?"

"Not at all, Myla Rose. Not one bit."

Our server comes back with the dessert menu, and we decide to share a slice of strawberry cheesecake.

I cut into the desert with my spoon, but before I can eat it, Myla Rose plucks a whole berry from the slice. I stare, transfixed, as she wraps her lips around it, a little juice dribbling down her chin.

“Mmmm,” she moans, causing the spoon to drop from my hand and clatter to the table. The noises this girl makes are seriously lethal, and I don’t even think she knows it.

I'm so enraptured with that little trickle of juice that it's literally like a bucket of ice water when she asks me, "So, what exactly was your deal the other day?"

I drop my head to my hands. I should have seen this coming a mile away. I was an idiot, thinking I could just sweep my behavior under the rug with no explanation.

"Ugh. This is harder than I thought." Massaging my temples, I try to relieve some of the tension that's accumulating. This is the first time I've really talked to anyone other than Jake about it. "My ex, Kayla, cheated on me. For almost half of our relationship. You're the first . . .anythingsince her."

Her eyes are wide with shock, and there may even be a little sympathy in there too.

"Cash, I am so, so sorry. I thought it was because of my being pregnant. But I think that'd make just about anyone gun shy."

"I hate that you thought it was you. You're so far from a problem, darlin'—baby and all."

The heaviness of the air around us dissipates a little when our server drops our check. After settling up, I help Myla from herseat, and once again pressing a hand to the small of her back, I guide her to the truck.

I help her in this time, and even though she protests, I know she likes my chivalry. Her lopsided smile is a dead giveaway.

I decide to push my luck and secure her seat belt for her as well. Her breath hitches when my shoulder brushes her chest, and I swear I even felt her nipples harden. All of these little sounds and touches have me wound tight—so tight that I fear I might explode.

"Dinner was amazing, Cash,"she tells me as I turn down her driveway. “Thank you so much for taking me."Why the fuck is she thanking me?

"No need to thank me, darlin'. I had a good time too," I tell her, throwing my truck into park.

"Okay, then. I guess . . . um . . . I'll see you around then?" She makes for the door handle, and I reach across the console to stop her.

"Hey! What did I tell you earlier?" I scold before heading around to open her door. "C'mon, I'll walk you."

She grasps my hand, and like an instant replay from dinner, her body slides down mine. The contact is somehow more intimate than it was earlier, making her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink, only noticeable due to the moonlight peeking through the branches of the oak tree in her yard.

"Okay, Cash." Her voice is nothing more than a rasp.

We make it to the porch, and the inner battle begins. Is she expecting a kiss, or will she slap me for trying, what with how our last kiss ended? I war with myself a little longer before settling on a hug. A nice, safe hug.

"Well, goodnight then," she whispers, looking down as I start to pull away.

Is that disappointment I hear in her voice?Well, hell.I can’t have that.

Keeping my right arm around her waist, I bring my left hand to her cheek, placing my thumb just below her jaw. Using that position, I pull her closer to me.