Page 72 of Masterson Made

He laughs out loud.

“That’s the idea, baby, and just imagine, you have two weeks of this coming to you.”

Roman stands up to grab a few clean napkins and some mini carrot cakes from the dessert table. He cleans in between my legs with one of the napkins, then feeds me a piece of cake. I’m ravenous and it’s so delicious that I lick the corner of my mouth, getting every bit of the cream cheese frosting.

“Yummy.”

“Are you cold, baby?” he asks.

“No, I’m perfect.”

“Yes, you are.”

I still blush whenever Roman pays me a compliment, and I probably always will because this man still gives me those first-day butterflies. The feeling you have when he kisses you for the first time or when he looks at you like there is no other woman in the world.

“Duchess, I almost forgot, what did you have to tell me?”

I immediately stop chewing my food. I don’t know if I should tell him my secret or not. Maybe now’s not the time when everything is so perfect.

“I didn’t give you my wedding present,” I say.

“Is that all?” He sounds relieved. “You know I wasn’t expecting anything. I’ve got everything I could ever want or need in you and Knox.”

We sit back on a different couch and Roman takes one of the throw blankets and wraps it around us as we sit back and reflect on the beautiful evening behind and ahead of us. We are pulling farther and farther away from the coastline and soon it will really just be us and the stars.

“I want to give it to you, anyway.”

“Is it in your luggage? I can open it when we go to the suite later.”

“No, it’s in my handbag over there.”

Roman grabs my bag and hands it to me. I pull out a long, rectangular box with a black satin bow around it and hand it to him.

“Hmm,” he shakes it playfully. “I wonder what it is.”

“Dunno.” I shrug my shoulders.

I hold my breath as he opens the box. He stares at it for a long moment, and I watch with some trepidation as his inky eyes become watery.

“What is this, Elizabeth?”

“You know what it is.”

“You’re pregnant?”

My gift is a positive pregnancy test sitting on a bed of white cotton stuffing.

“Congratulations, you’ve knocked me up again.” I lie on top of him and kiss his chin. “I hope you’re okay about this. I promise you I won’t be as crazy and clingy as I was with the first one.”

Romans quiets me with a kiss and lays a hand on my stomach.

“I am definitely okay with this, Duchess.”

“Really?”

“You’re going to besoooofucking horny for nine months.”

I slap his chest.