reminded how surreal it is that I’ll be living here, with my former boss, on his beach estate.
He wraps his arms around my belly and rests his chin on my shoulder. He smells clean and fresh, like the air after a good rain. “Everything is going to work out, Coll. It’ll be perfect. You’ll see.”
Leaning against him, I let out a sigh and weave my fingers through his. And then, slowly, I guide his hands in small circles over my belly. “I hope so.”
“You’re good here, aren’t you?” He drops his hands from mine and fishes for the keys in his pocket as he turns away. “I’ve got to get back to the city before ten.”
“Now?” I can’t keep the disappointment from my tone. “It’s Sunday.”
“I have a big meeting with the Lennox Group first thing tomorrow morning, and the team isn’t ready to present the new development yet.”
“Can’t someone else take over? Just for today?”
“Honey, you know this won’t wait. Lennox is important. Besides, you can handle the moving guys. It’s your stuff anyway. I wouldn’t know where anything goes.” He hands me a single key. “Check out the place. Make yourself at home. I’ll be back by seven. Still early enough to spend time together tonight, right?”
“Sure,” I manage, though my voice wobbles. “Sounds great.”
“Hey, are you feeling all right?” He brushes the back of his hand down my cheek. “You went pale just then.”
“Now that you mention it, I am feeling a little queasy. I’m sure it’s simply the excitement of today.”
“Why don’t you lie down?” He motions toward that pristine bed. “The movers won’t be here for a while. A twenty-minute nap might do you good.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
“The doctor did tell you to take it easy.”
I let him guide me toward the bed, and as I lie down on top of the covers, I can’t help but wonder if this is his side or—God, I hate to think it—hers. A fresh linen scent wafts from the duvet and pillow, giving nothing away. Fishing my phone out of the back pocket of my capris, I set it on the bedside table, along with the key to his home.
Michael shoots me one of his classic smiles—the kind that usually gets him anything he wants—and when I finally rest on the pillow, he says, “I knew you’d love it here.”
And then, before I can say goodbye, he’s gone, shutting the bedroom door softly behind him.
His words replay in my head as I focus on my breathing and try to relax. I knew you’d love it here.
How could I not? The views of the Monterey cypress trees and the ocean are stunning. The air is pure, and I feel like I can breathe here. And this house—Ravenwood—is perfect. Everything I could’ve dreamed of and more.
But…
There always seems to be a but where Michael is concerned. He wants to be with me, but thinks we shouldn’t let too many people know yet. He must be worried about how it’ll look to his employees, my former co-workers. Sleeping with the boss is hardly professional. If he’s not ready, I respect that. I’d wait forever for him to come around. After all, he’s the perfect guy—kind and witty, handsome and sophisticated, warmhearted and financially stable—and he wants a big family. Lots of kids running around. A few dogs. Summers spent running on the beach below the house.
But when two tiny blue lines showed up on that stick, the first step toward a future he said he’d always dreamed of, he seemed removed from it all. Distant and almost melancholy. We hadn’t planned on getting pregnant—after all, we’d only been dating for a month—and had used a condom every time we were together. One of them must’ve broken; it was the only explanation I could give when I’d missed my period.
It was both the most shocking and the most satisfying moment in my entire life. I know