Love According to Science_ A Hot Enemies-t-Lovers Romantic Comedy (Dirty Martini Running Club #2) - Claire Kingsley Page 0,120

She adjusted her glasses and there was something in her smile. It made me suddenly nervous, but I had no idea why.

“I don’t mind at all. Things change.”

“Yeah.”

She held my gaze with that mysterious smile on her lips. But she didn’t say anything.

“What?”

Her eyes flicked to the side.

I looked. She’d decorated for Halloween a few weeks ago. A string of orange and purple lights draped across the fireplace and she’d put pumpkin shaped candles and a little black cat on the mantle.

But below that, on the hearth, was something covered by a black cloth. Had that been there before? How had I not noticed it?

“What’s that?”

“Go look.”

Erwin opened one eye when I walked by. I crouched down and lifted the cloth.

It was a pile of smooth rocks, arranged in a tidy circle. Most were no bigger than the palm of my hand, and she’d placed them so the largest were on the bottom, leading to the smallest on top.

“What’s this?”

“Those are the rocks you gave me.”

“Really? You kept them?”

Ever since the day of the Soggy Seattle Half-Marathon, when I’d handed her a rock to tell her I loved her, I’d made a habit of giving her rocks. Sometimes they were random. I’d see a rock on campus or in our yard and present it to her to make her smile. Other times they were from special places we’d been, like the rock I’d found on our honeymoon, or the one from when we’d presented our research together at the last Personality and Social Psychology Conference.

“Of course I kept them. Every single one. Even after mate selection, male penguins present their mates with rocks.”

My eyes widened and I slowly stood. “The female uses them to build a nest.”

Her bottom lip caught between her teeth and she smiled, nodding.

“Oh my god, Hazel, are you saying—?”

She nodded again, more vigorously this time.

“Are we going to have a baby?”

“Yes.”

I ran the few steps to her and scooped her into my arms. We didn’t say anything for a long moment. Just held each other.

“You’re pregnant?”

She nodded. “I confirmed it with the doctor this morning. I’m definitely pregnant.”

My throat felt a little thick and emotion swelled in my chest. “Holy shit, Hazel. This is amazing. But when did you make the rock nest?”

“Earlier today. I wondered if you’d notice it before we left.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t.”

She smiled. “I can.”

I grabbed her again, picking her up off her feet. She wound her arms around my neck. I was overwhelmed, so happy I hardly knew what to do with myself.

Realizing what I’d just done, I put her down.

“Sorry, I should be more careful with you.”

She rested a hand on her stomach. “That’s okay. The baby is well protected by my uterus.”

I placed my hand on top of hers, my heart so full I wondered if it would burst. Leaning down, I touched my forehead to hers. “I love you so much. I’m so happy we’re having a baby.”

“Me too. I think our combined genetics is going to produce a remarkable child.”

Wrapping my arms around her again, I held her tight. She rested her head against my chest, and I took a deep breath, inhaling a lungful of her.

It was hard to believe there had ever been a time when I hadn’t had Hazel in my life. Those memories seemed like a bad dream. She was my world. She had my respect, my love, my heart… everything. And now a baby?

I didn’t know what I’d done to get so lucky.

We were perfect together. Perfect in our quirks and our weirdness. In our ability to challenge each other, and to understand each other the way no one else did. And now we were giving each other something we both desperately wanted. We were building a family.

Love really was awesome, and I didn’t even need science to tell me that.

Want more of these two nerdy lovebirds? How about a peek into their happily ever after?

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Have you read about Shepherd and Everly in Faking Ms. Right? Read their hot fake relationship romcom here.

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Book Boyfriend: Chapter 1

Alex

Sometimes in life we all have moments when we realize we screwed up so badly, there’s no way out.

I’m having one of those moments.

Mia is staring at me, wide-eyed, like I just told her I murdered her mother. I didn’t, for the record. But the book she’s holding falls from her limp hand, and