Page 13 of The New York Nighthawks, Vol. 2

CLAY

Grinning like a loon, I hung up the phone and tossed it onto the kitchen counter.

I couldn’t wait to show Marleigh her new home.

The construction company had grumbled about my last-minute changes, but they couldn't complain too much since I was willing to pay. And they’d only delayed our move-in date by less than a week.

They wouldn't be done with everything by then, but none of the additions were big enough projects to keep us from moving in tomorrow.

The movers would be here at ten in the morning to pack everything up and then move it to the new house.

I’d mentioned this to Marleigh a couple of days ago, thinking she might want to pack up some of her more precious items herself.

But she hadn’t moved a single item from its place.

She’d been extra tired for a few days, though, and had said her stomach felt a little off sometimes.

I was worried that she was downplaying something more serious.

Why else wouldn’t she have packed anything?

Since she was still in the bathroom, I stalked down the hall, determined to make her tell me what was really going on.

Before I could grab the handle, the door swung open, and Marleigh stormed out, slamming right into my chest.

“Whoa, baby,” I grunted as I grabbed her wrists to help steady her. “Be careful. I don’t want to hurt you.”

She grumbled something that sounded a lot like, “too late,” but my attention had been snagged by something she had in her hand. “Shouldn’t you be packing?” she snapped, waving her hand—the one with the little white stick in it—in the direction of our bedroom.

“Marleigh,” I croaked because my heart had jumped into my throat. “Baby, is that what I think it is?”

“Is what—” She broke off when I snatched her wrist and plucked the test out of her grip.

I studied the little window, seeing two pink lines, and feeling frustrated because I didn’t know what they meant.

“Two lines?” I asked as I looked into her blue eyes.

I was taken aback by the level of hostility in them.

However, before I could address why she was so pissed off, I needed to know. “Does two mean you’re pregnant?”

Marleigh’s shoulders slumped, and she sighed. “Yeah. I mean, I won’t know for certain until I see a doctor. But I missed my period, and my body usually runs like clockwork.”

I swallowed hard, trying to stay calm even though I wanted to shout to the world that my girl was knocked up. And because we didn’t really know for sure, except… “How late are you?”

“Four days,” Marleigh admitted tentatively.

“And you’ve been feeling sick?” I clearly hadn’t done a good job of hiding my excitement when asking that question because Marleigh glared at me.

“You don’t have to be so happy about me being sick,” she groused.

“Fuck, baby,” I sighed as I tried to wrap her up in my arms. “I didn’t mean it to come off that way. I just, I can’t help but be excited and—why won’t you let me hold you?” I growled when she tried to avoid my embrace again.

“You have a lot to do to get ready for the move,” she gritted out. “I’m going to go lie down.”

Back to being concerned, I ignored her protests and swept her into my arms. I stuck the test in my pocket, then carried her to the couch and gently set her down on the cushions. “What do you need? What can I get for you?” I inquired as I crouched down beside her.

Marleigh’s head was down, and her fingers started playing with some of the strings hanging from the bottom of her cutoffs. “Nothing. I…I don’t understand how this happened,” she blurted, throwing her hands in the air.

I laughed but swallowed back my amusement when her stare turned lethal.

“Baby,” I said tenderly, pushing some of her hair behind her ear.

“We’ve been fucking like rabbits for almost three weeks.

And I took you bareback every time. This shouldn’t be that much of a shock to you. ” I ended with a soft chuckle.

“Holy cow,” she breathed, making my brow furrow at her stunned expression. “Why didn’t you say anything?” she suddenly shouted. “I didn’t even think. Good grief, Clay. You obviously thought about it at least once. Why would you…?”

“Ah, now she’s getting it,” I remarked with a smirk.

“You”—she gulped—“were trying to get me pregnant?”

“Damn straight,” I confirmed in an unapologetic voice.

I’d had a second or two of doubt about my intentions after that first night.

Then a day later, we’d had a conversation about the future, and she’d told me how she would love to have a home with a little studio where she could design but still be home with her kids.

I’d asked about school, and she’d shrugged. I would never forget what she had told me.

“If I were to get pregnant tomorrow, I’d make it work. I can take classes on campus just a few days a week and do the rest online. But honestly, these days, it’s less about the degree and more about the craft, so certificates are often just as important as an undergraduate degree.”

I was more than happy to do whatever she needed to help her achieve her dreams, starting with her dream studio—which Wrenley had helped me design so it would be perfect. And I’d put my baby in her belly while I was at it.

“Why…?” She shook her head, then put her face in her hands. “I’m so confused.”

Prying her hands away, I gave her a quick kiss, then scooped her up and took her place on the sofa, cradling her in my arms. “It’s pretty fucking simple, baby,” I informed her teasingly.

“We’ve established that you’re mine. And”—I splayed my hand over her flat belly—“I want to have a family with you. So yeah, I’ve been doing my damnedest to knock you up. ”

“But I don’t want to have a baby like this,” she whimpered as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

I reared back, blown away by her confession. Had I misread what was between us? No. There was no fucking way I was that wrong about her feelings.

“What do you mean?” I was proud of how calm and neutral I sounded because inside, I was roaring. Frustrated that she was sad and at her cryptic words, which had the potential to bring my world crashing down around me.

“I mean, first of all, we don’t even live in the same house.”

“Yes, we do.” She wasn’t making much sense, so I hoped things would become clearer as we talked through it all.

“Yeah, but you’re moving tomorrow. And it’s not like you’re going to stay here with me. Not when you are so excited for your new place and, um, whoever you plan on living with there.”

“Of course, I’m excited,” I replied, my tone conveying my exacerbation.

“When I leave here, you’re coming with me.

I’m excited because it’s not one of us moving in with the other, this is a place where we will start fresh and make it our home.

” A cocky smile curved my lips. “And I’ve got a few surprises up my sleeve for you.

I can’t help being impatient to share them with you. ”

Her brows drew together. “Surprises for me at the house?”

“Yeah, baby. I want this to be your dream home, too.”

Marleigh looked as if she was about to melt. “So…you’re not just asking me to move in with you because I’m pregnant?”

“What?” I gaped at her. “Marleigh, I’ve been planning to take you with me since the moment you opened your door. I instantly fell in love with you and knew I wouldn’t take anything less than forever.”

“I’m the dream woman you were talking about on the phone with your contractor?” Marleigh sat up straight, and her eyes searched my face as she asked, “You love me?”

“Of course, you are. Who else would I be talking about? I love you, baby,” I sighed, bending my neck so I could rest my forehead against hers. “You really think I would knock up a woman I didn’t love? Spend every available minute with her? Force her to move into my house with me?”

She giggled, and her smile was hesitant when she spoke. “You never said anything. I mean, I hoped. It felt like you were showing me, but I didn’t know if I was interpreting things wrong.”

“Because I’m a fucking idiot,” I grumbled. “I wasn’t sure you were ready to hear it, so I focused on showing you. But I should have just gone with my instincts and told you every chance I got that I am hopelessly in love with you.”

Marleigh beamed at me and chirped, “I love you, too.”

“Damn straight,” I muttered, making her chuckle. Then I lifted my head, and my gaze probed hers as I asked the question I’d been avoiding. “Are you happy about the baby?”

Marleigh bounced in my lap, and her eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Yes!” she exclaimed. Then she sobered a bit and placed her palms on my cheeks. “I’m beyond excited to have your baby, Clay. To start our future in a brand-new place with a brand-new addition to our family.”

“Damn, I love you so fucking much,” I uttered before I gathered her close and sealed my lips over hers. I was close to dragging her back to the bedroom for some celebratory sex, but before we did that, I wanted to know for certain that those two little lines were right.

Marleigh mewled in protest when I stood with her in my arms, then gaped at me when I grabbed my keys and walked toward the door.

“Um, Clay?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“The bedroom is the other way.”

I laughed and hugged her close before striding out of the apartment and setting her on her feet near the elevator. “I want to know if this will be celebratory or if I need to buckle down and really get to work on knocking you up. So I’m taking you to a doctor to get an official test.”

“Buckle down? Really work?” she sputtered. “Clay, how could you possibly try any harder?”

I grinned and laced our fingers together just as the elevator doors opened. “I’ll figure out something.” Then I winked, and she leaned into me with a dreamy smile. “Just wait until I get you in our bed at home. Room to roll around is an understatement.”

A few hours later, we celebrated in her old apartment. Then the next day, after the movers left, we celebrated again in our new home. And again. And again…