“You are adorable,” I exclaim, melting in his arms. “You speak so seriously about it, like it’s a science.”
Eric offers me a smirk. “Wait until you have a crying baby on your hands, and you’ll make a science out of it too.”
“Luckily, you’ll be there to help.”
“I will be there. Always. For everything.” The playful twinkle in his eyes diminishes, seriousness replacing it, and I cocoon in his arms, feeling his heartbeat against my chest. He covers my mouth with his, while letting his hands roam freely over my body. His caresses speak of promises, his kisses taste like dreams. I believe every single word because he is this kind of man. This is why I love him.
“I can’t wait for you to be Mrs. Callahan,” he whispers.
“Oh, that. Umm… I don’t want to change my name.”
He blinks. “What?”
“I want to keep the Bennett name.”
“Not happening. That would be a severe blow to my ego. How will everyone know you’re my wife?”
“You’re protecting your bragging rights?”
He chuckles, and the sound is music to my ears. “Can you blame me? You’re smart, beautiful—”
I leap from his arms, rising to my feet and swinging my forefinger at him. “Don’t think you can sweet talk me into this.”
“A man can try, can’t he?” Eric advances toward me with sure steps, and I feel like I’m about to be trapped. I backpedal as fast as I can, until I bump into my bookshelves. Eric places his arms at my sides. Trapped. “Besides, I’m not saying anything that isn’t true. How about Pippa Bennett-Callahan?”
I pout, even though I know I’ll give in. His proximity is too much for my senses, and it’s hard to resist him when he pins me with his gaze like this.
“It’s bad form to upset your pregnant wife-to-be.”
He closes in on me. “We’re not even married yet and you’re trying to emotionally blackmail me.”
I smile, wrapping one arm around his neck. “Not such a terrible negotiator after all, am I? Fine, let it be Pippa Bennett-Callahan.”
“Our first compromise. To tell you a little secret, you’ll get away with almost everything else.” Eric pulls out of my hug, lowering himself until his eyes are level with my belly. “Little baby, you’d better be a boy, so you can be on my team. Otherwise, I won’t stand a chance against your mother and two girls.”
“We’ll have so much fun, the four of us,” I say.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Pippa
“I’m fine,” I repeat, though I feel anything but fine. I’m curled up in Eric’s bed, afraid even to move, because it might trigger another wave of morning sickness. For the past few weeks, I’ve spent my mornings either in bed or with my head over the toilet. Sometimes the afternoons go the same way. I’m hoping things will get better after the first trimester.
A flustered Eric sits at the edge of the bed, looking at me as if I’m about to break, moving his thumb in small circles on the back of my hand.
“There has to be something I can do,” he says. “I feel powerless.”
“Join the club. It should pass soon now,” I reply, smiling at him encouragingly. The door opens, and Julie peeks inside, then enters the room. She holds her open laptop in one hand, and she has our favorite online baby shop open in her browser. Ever since we broke the news to Julie, she’s been almost as obsessed with searching for baby items as I’ve been.
Wordlessly, she climbs into the bed, next to me, showing me her newest findings. I push myself into a sitting position, offering my opinion.
“So this is the cure to morning sickness?” Eric asks with a shake of his head. “Shopping?”
I shrug, pinching his arm. “It helps. I already feel much better.”
Julie sighs, bringing up the wish list she made, which is segmented into girl things and boy things.
She’s thorough. I love this girl to pieces. Hugging her tightly, I wink at Eric. He and I have been doing our own lists. Buying a suitable house is high on our priorities list. My apartment is too small, and the owner of this house isn’t selling. Planning our wedding is also very high on our priorities list, though my family is helping with that.