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Her brows crease and she shakes her head. “Why is that funny?”
“Connor is my brother.Notmy kid. Anna is his nanny. My father traded my mother in for a youngermodel, literally, and knocked her up almost immediately.”
Her lips part and I think I hear a relieved sigh release from her.
“When I told you there were no other women, I fucking meant it. It’s only you, Lexi. There isno oneelse.”
She smiles. “I’m glad.”
“You’re adorable,” I admit. “What were you thinking?”
“I thought how awful it would be to become the evil stepmother. I kept thinking that you’d knocked up someone in two weeks and broken it off after fourteen days.” She shakes her head.
I chuckle. “I’m notthatbig of an asshole.”
“That’s the thing, Easton. I want to know everything about you. I’m in a constant state of guessing and gathering crumbs from the things you do share. I don’t even know your favorite color or number or day of the week.”
“Black. Thirteen. Saturday.”
“Very emo of you.” She swallows hard. “And I want to know the deeper things too. Like, do you want kids?”
“I don’t know,” I say on an exhale. “This world and life are so fucked up. I don’t know if I’d want to subject anyone else to this. By the time I’m ready to retire, Connor will be old enough to take over the business, so it’s not like I need an heir, and I’m sure Weston will have fifteen children when he findsthe one. It’s never really been an option for me, so it’s not something I’ve ever considered.”
She meets my gaze, and I can’t place the sadness on her face.
“I think you’d be a wonderful dad,” she whispers. “And you’d be able to give your children one of the best lives there is to live.”
“With the right person,” I say. “I don’t want them to have the same life I did. My parents weren’t in love. I realize that now.”
She nods. “You’ll eventually find someone. I know it.”
“I hope,” I say, wondering if I already have. “And what about you?”
She glances at me. “Yellow. Four. Friday. And maybe about the kids.” She pauses for a long while. “I’ve always wanted to be a mom, but I can’t get pregnant. Pretty sure I’m broken.”
“You’re not.”
“I am, and that’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it. When I’m no longer anti-love, maybe I’ll try again or adopt.” She forces a smile. “It doesn’t really matter right now though, not until our agreement has expired.”
I watch her intently as she shuffles through her emotions and buries the ones she doesn’t want to share.
“Please don’t look at me like that,” she whispers.
“It’s not pity, Lexi. It’s admiration.”
She nods, giving me a small smile.
“So, onto my next question. Do you have plans tonight?” I ask, smirking, knowing she wants to talk about anything but this.
“Actually, my calendar has been cleared for the next year.”
“Love to hear it. I want to take you somewhere.”
She smiles. “You know I love surprises.”
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LEXI