Page 113 of Nine Months to Love

“Maybe.” She won’t meet my eyes now. “Is that crazy?”

Yes. Absolutely. Completely insane.

We’ve known each other for months. We’ve spent most of that time fighting. She’s carrying my child because of a business arrangement. This whole thing started as a misguided deal and got worse from there.

But when I open my mouth, what comes out is: “No.”

Her eyes snap to mine. “No?”

“It’s not crazy.”

“It’s not?”

I cup her face and force her to look at me. “You’re brilliant. Stubborn as hell. You drive me out of my mind. But you’re also the only person who’s ever made me want...” I stop, unsure how to finish that or if I should.

“Want what?”

“More,” I rasp. “You make me want more than I ever thought I could have.”

Her breath catches. “Stefan?—”

“I’m not proposing, either,” I say quickly. “But I’m not saying no to the idea.”

A slow smile spreads across her face. Then she kisses me. It’s different from before. Softer. Sweeter. When she pulls back, her eyes are shining.

“We should definitely go home now,” she says.

“Yeah. We should.”

This time, we actually move. She climbs off me carefully and we both wince at the loss of contact. She fixes her dress. I fix my pants.

The windows are completely fogged. I wipe a circle clear with my hand so I can see to drive.

“This is ridiculous,” Olivia says, but she’s laughing.

Chuckling with her, I start the car and steer us out of the parking lot. She reaches across the console, takes my hand. I lace our fingers together.

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“I do.” She squeezes my hand. “Because nobody else ever has.”

I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “Get used to this,” I tell her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

We’re halfway back to the estate when I make the turn that takes us in a different direction. Olivia notices immediately. “Where are we going?”

“There’s somewhere I want to show you first. If that’s okay.”

She studies my profile. “Okay.”

The drive takes fifteen minutes. We don’t talk. She keeps her hand in mine, her thumb tracing small circles on my palm. Finally, I pull into a small parking lot. It’s empty this time of night. The streetlights are dim, casting everything in soft amber.

“Another parking lot?” Olivia asks with a concerned laugh. “Stefan, I’m still sore from what we literally just finished doing. If you think I can?—”

“Relax, woman,” I tell her, pinching her side playfully. “You already wore me down. I need a good night’s rest before I’m ready for that again, even for a temptation as delicious as you.” My face grows somber. “This is about something else.”

I kill the engine and we get out. I take her hand again and lead her down a paved path. The air smells like pine and water. Our footsteps echo in the quiet.