me. But I know it’s not the right time, so I hold back.
Margot stretches her arms above her head, smiling as my eyes drift down her body.
“You make me feel sexy even as my stomach is growing by the day,” Margot says. “I like when you look at me like that.”
“You are sexy,” I answer. “It’s easy to look at you like this.”
When we make love, it feels different. It feels like we’re meant to be here, and meant to be with each other. There are no more barriers between us. By coming with me to Argyle, Margot has shown me that she trusts me and she wants to be with me. By sharing her pregnancy with me, she’s telling me that she sees me as a partner.
When we finally get out of bed, Margot walks to the tall French doors that lead out onto my wide balcony. She opens them, inhaling the scent of the sea air. A soft, warm breeze sweeps through the room, and Margot lets out a sigh.
“It’s so hot here. It’s not even nine o’clock and I’m sweating already.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“Hope you like sweaty pregnant women, because that’s what you’re going to get.”
“I like you however you are, so I guess that means I like sweaty pregnant women.”
Margot laughs, shaking her head. She gathers her thick, long, blonde hair into a messy bun on top of her head and fans herself with a hand. “I might have to chop my hair off.”
“And I’d still love you with short hair,” I say. It slips out of me so naturally that I don’t even realize I’ve said the ‘L’ word until Margot’s eyes widen.
“You…”
My heart stutters. I push myself up on the pillows, leaning against the headboard. Staring into Margot’s eyes, I nod. “I love you, Margot.”
The air thickens between us, crackling with energy. Margot stares at me, wordless.
Maybe it’s too soon. I mean, hell, of course it’s too soon. I’ve known the woman, what, a month? A bit more?
I don’t regret saying it, though. I’d say it a thousand times, because it’s the truth. I love Margot LeBlanc. Maybe I’ve loved her since she mistook me for the pool boy, or since I saw her gather her courage and give a perfect interview after having a panic attack.
I’m not sure when it started, but I know it’s the truth.
Margot’s bottom lip trembles. “How?”
“What do you mean, how?” I laugh. “I don’t know how. I just do.”
Margot slides into bed next to me, staring at me with wide eyes.
I grin. “I’ll be honest, that wasn’t exactly the response I was hoping for when I professed my love to you.”
Margot blinks before shaking her head. She grins at me, shrugging. “You said you loved me how I am. Shouldn’t that include unexpected reactions?”
“True.” I wrap my arms around her and tackle her into the pillows. “And it was the truth. I love you, Margot.”
“You do realize that I’m pregnant, right? I’m going to have a baby? You’re ready for that? For a birth? Blood, bodily fluids, maybe even tearing my vagina? Hemorrhoids? It’s not pretty. I don’t even know if I’m ready for it. How can you be ready?”
I can hear the hesitation in her voice, and it makes my chest feel tight. How can I tell her that yes, she’s enough? How can I let her know that my love for her extends to the baby? That I see a future with her that I never even imagined would be possible for me?
“I love you, Margot LeBlanc. Pregnant, sweaty, short- or long-haired. However you are, I love you like I never thought was possible.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “Even if your vagina tears and you get hemorrhoids.”
Margot’s eyes mist, and I watch her gulp. She laughs, putting her hands to my face and kissing my lips. “I love you too, Dante. I love you so much it scares the shit out of me.”
“What’s life without a little healthy fear, though, right?”
“If you say so.”
I smile, kissing the woman of my dreams before moving to her growing baby bump and kissing that, too. It’s not just her baby anymore—it’s mine, too, and I intend to be the best father I can possibly be.
In the very depths of my heart, there’s a tremor. A nervousness. A hesitation. I try to ignore it, because it’s the part of me that’s clinging onto the past and all its simplicity. As Margot lays her head against my