Page 66 of Beyond Enemy Vows

"It's funny. I'm not thinking about me. Or if I'd be scared to be a mother," I say, pausing for a moment. "I'm scared he'll feel trapped. Or ashamed. Or that this will be the thing that makes him realize I'm not worth the trouble."

Keira shakes her head. "No way. I saw how he looked at you. Like you hung the stars. The only thing he's gonna be mad about is not knowing sooner."

My fingers find the necklace, my secret collar, the diamond that marks me as his. I touch it like it's my lucky charm, as if it might assure me all of this is going to be okay.

"And this goes without saying, but you're not alone in this," Keira continues. "No matter what happens with him, you have me. Always."

I nod and smile. "I know."

So this is it. I'll tell him in Rome. I might as well tell him how I feel, too.

"Hey Niko, I love you and I'm pregnant with your baby."

Jesus.

In a little over a week, he'll know everything.

One way or another, everything changes, and the destruction we've been heading toward might finally arrive.

20

NIKO

The first thing I notice when I wake is her.

She's curled against me, hair spilling across my chest. The sheets are tangled around her hips, leaving most of her bare to the morning air. The sunlight coming through the terrace doors flows across her skin in gold strips, and the sight alone is enough to make me forget everything and watch her like this for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

I don't move right away. I just lie there, taking her in. Rome has been different. Here, I can almost pretend we're just us, free. No brothers watching, no father breathing down my neck, no eyes in every corner of the room. Just her and me, the way it should be.

She shifts, revealing the smooth curve of her breast. She's still naked from last night. Fuck. My cock stirs instantly. I want to wake her with my mouth between her thighs, keep her in bed all day.

But I've got other plans. Plans I've been turning over in my head for the past week.

Tonight. At the opera.

I can picture it perfectly.

The lights dimming, the hush falling over the crowd, her profile in the dark. I'd lean in, kiss her once, and tell her I love her. And then I'll face forward again, let her sit with those words of exactly how I feel.

I smile at the thought. She'll squirm in her seat, I'm sure. Try to get me to say more. But I'll make her wait until after. Because that's what we do. We play these games of restraint and release. And the release is always worth it.

I lean in, pressing my lips against her shoulder, inhaling the scent of her skin mixed with last night's perfume. She stirs slightly but doesn't wake. She's probably tired. We were up until nearly three.

I slip out of bed quietly, walking across the marble floor to the bathroom. I turn on the shower, step under the spray, and close my eyes.

Her face is the first thing I see. The way she looked last night when we got back, on her knees for me, the collar snug around her throat. She's worn it inside every day since we got here, only taking it off to sleep. And it's been fucking incredible.

Hmm, maybe we should skip the museum today. Stay in. Put the collar on her and keep her in bed until we need to leave for the opera. The thought of her being all mine makes me insane.

Jesus, if I keep thinking like this, we'll never leave. I turn and let the hot water cascade over my shoulders, forcing myself to think about other things.

I consider maybe I shouldn't wait until the opera. Maybe at dinner instead, over dessert and wine. Watch those green eyes widen in surprise.

I start humming without meaning to. That song we danced to last night at the little café that transformed into a nightclub. She laughed as I spun her and then bit her lip gently when I pulled her close up against me, my hands wandering.

She just makes me feel like a completely different person. I mean, I'm fucking humming, for crying out loud.

I shut off the water and grab a towel, slinging it low on my hips. As I step out, I can see she's no longer in bed. The sheets are rumpled but empty. I dry off quickly, pulling on a pair of pants, not bothering with a shirt yet.