“I don’t feel right leaving you alone. We can at least wait until Dad comes back.”
“He’ll probably come in as soon as we leave.” Nixon jerked his chin toward the door. “I think my mom is stalling him for me. He was right outside when I got here.”
My brows drew together. “I don’t get it. Why would you need your mom to keep him from seeing mine?”
My mom patted my knee. “Because she wants for her son exactly what I want for you.”
“And what’s that?” I asked as Nixon wrapped his fingers around my wrist and tugged me to my feet.
“For him to be happy.”
Before she could say anything else, Nixon murmured, “And that’s our cue to leave since the rest of this conversation needs to be between Ember and me.”
10
Nixon
I took Ember’s hand and laced our fingers together before guiding her out of the room.
Her dad was still in the hall talking with my parents. When we stepped out, they stopped and turned to look at us. Her dad’s gaze dropped to our linked hands, and one corner of his mouth rose.
My mom gave me a thumbs-up behind his back, and I had to hold in a snort of laughter. Glancing down at Ember, I smiled at her stunned expression as she took in our parents’ reactions.
“I’m just going to take Ember somewhere quiet so we can talk,” I explained, dragging her against my side.
Her dad scratched his head and studied us for another few seconds, then he nodded. “Take your time. I’ll text you when the doctor gives me another update.”
“Thanks, Daddy,” Ember said softly. She took a step toward him, and I followed, unwilling to release her.
My mom snickered and muttered, “I’m surrounded by cavemen.”
Ember giggled and kissed her dad’s cheek, then she turned back to me with an almost shy smile.
Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, I turned to lead her down the hall toward the elevator. At the last second, my mom appeared at my other side and grabbed my arm. I twisted my head to look down at her, confused by the smug expression on her face. Then I felt her shove something in my pocket. “Naomi called before we left and told me you might need that.”
I rolled my eyes and glanced at Ember, glad to see that she wasn’t paying my mom any attention. She appeared to be lost in her own thoughts.
My mom sauntered away, and I rolled my eyes even though I was grateful for her gift.
Ember and I resumed our walk to the elevator, and once we were riding down to the garage, she looked up at me with a slightly bewildered expression. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”
“Believe it, baby. Because there’s no getting rid of me now. I’m here to fucking stay.”
The doors slid open, and I put my arm around her shoulders as I led the way to my rented SUV. I helped her into the passenger seat, then pulled her seat belt across her body. My fingers grazed her tits, and I suddenly pictured them growing from carrying my baby.
That thought, along with her quick little inhale, had my cock rock hard. I had no idea where this Neanderthal obsessed with procreation had come from. But I was beginning to come to terms with him. And the obsession was rapidly becoming more intense.
I wanted to get my girl knocked the fuck up as soon as she’d let me. A little voice reminded me that I could have already done the job.
That put a smirk on my mouth as I jogged around to the driver’s side.
“Do you want to go back to my house?” Ember asked once I was seated.
A frown curled my lips, and I shook my head as I pressed the button to start the car. “I saw a hotel not far up the road,” I murmured, backing out of the parking spot.
Ember didn’t reply, so I glanced at her, a little worried that she was changing her mind about us.
I was about to reassure her that I only wanted a place that was near so we could talk in private while still easily available to get to the hospital if necessary. But until I started lying to myself about how much I wanted Ember, I’d always been an honest guy. And now that I’d finally admitted my need for her, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her nothing would happen in that hotel room.
Right now, if we had relative privacy and access to a flat surface, there was no way in hell that I’d be able to keep my hands to myself.
“Is that okay with you?” The question was forced since it went against all of my instincts to give her an out. Please say yes. Please say yes.
“Sure.”
Halle-fucking-lujah.
I lifted her hand from her lap and twined our fingers together again, giving her knuckles a kiss before resting them on my thigh.