Her eyes were closed. “I hope so,” she whispered. Her chest rose and fell while she tried to regulate her breathing again.
I kissed her lightly. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
“Me too.”
I took my time pulling out of her. I remembered what she had told me about trying to keep my seed inside her. She th
ought it upped her chances of getting pregnant. I’d do whatever it took to increase the odds.
We faced each other on the chaise. The sun peeked over top of the curtains.
“I really do love this honeymoon, Jer. I know it’s not something you planned. If that reporter hadn’t cornered you at the press conference, we wouldn’t be here. But I want you to know I appreciate that you did this. Even if it’s for show. It’s a fantasy trip for me.”
The guilt shattered me. Thirty minutes ago I was trying to figure out how to tell her we were going to cut the trip short. I heard my phone vibrate behind me on my chair, but I ignored it.
“Evie.” I paused. “It’s not just for show.”
She lowered her lashes. “I know. You want me to get pregnant. The baby is the top priority.”
I tipped her chin forward. “More than that.”
Her soft brown eyes stared into mine. I didn’t know how in the hell I was going to navigate any of this. My wife. Our baby. Becoming a father. Running an empire. Nothing was turning out as I planned. It was fucking complicated. Not easy. Not simple.
I was crazy about her. I just didn’t think I was ready to tell her. I couldn’t put my emotions out there. I’d had practice running plays. Practice buying and selling businesses. Hell, I even had practice breaking hearts, but I had no practice sharing these kinds of feelings.
“Like what?” she asked softly. “How is it more?”
I took another look in her eyes, and it was like she lured me in with the promise that there was a safe place to go with her. As if I could trust her fully. I could say any impulsive thing and she’d never run. She’d never leave.
“I’m falling in love with you, Evie Hartwell.” Fuck. I told her anyway.
5
Evie
I blinked.
He wasn’t supposed to say that, was he? Falling in love? Jeremy Hartwell was falling in love with me.
“Evie?” He cocked his head to the side.
I was thinking faster than I could talk. Or was I feeling? I was thrilled and excited. I was scared and nervous. I felt like a queen. I felt like a teenager. I was all over the map. One sentence and I was mushy gushy inside.
“Jer.” I propped up on my elbow. “I’m falling too.” I shook my head. “I think I already have.” I swallowed. “I’ve already fallen in love with you.”
He grinned. He cupped my face, drawing me down again to his mouth. I moaned into his kiss.
“We are so backward about everything.” I watched the new relaxed expression on his face. Did he just get ten times sexier?
He nodded. “I guess we are.”
“I didn’t want to say anything. I swore I wasn’t going to tell you.”
His hand curled to my hip. “I thought the same thing about two seconds before I blurted it out.”
“You don’t think we’re going to screw everything up?” It was the biggest fear I had. That I’d fall for my husband and get my heart broken. That he’d rip it out and step on it without knowing he had even done it.
He exhaled. “I have no fucking clue.”