Matteo walked Julian to the door and returned to the kitchen. I slid a cup of coffee toward him, letting him sip the beverage and think about what Julian had told him. Finally, he spoke.
“Nothing changes until DNA is confirmed, Evie. Plus, I want to know for certain no one is taking up his cause. We’re still being cautious.”
“I understand.”
“Once I’m comfortable, Marcus can start taking you for errands again.”
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, pushing the heavy mass off my face. “Matteo, it’s been months. No one is looking for me from my old life. No one is threatening me in my new life. Could I not start going out on my own?”
“There are still risks. The answer is no.” His look gentled. “You know how much I love you, my wife. I need to protect you.”
“Will you ever ease up on this?”
“Perhaps. But not right now.”
I knew when not to push him. “Fine. We’ll discuss it later.” I stood. “I’m going to make dinner. I’d like a quiet evening with my more-relaxed husband, if that is possible.”
He caught me around the waist as I walked past, pulling me to his lap. He kissed me—long, hard, and zealously. “I love your feisty side, Evie. I love that you challenge me, even if it pisses me off at times.”
I returned his kisses happily.
“I like challenging you. Someone has to.”
He laughed and kissed the end of my nose. “Things will get better now. Once this is one hundred percent confirmed, I promise I will relax.”
I played with the hair at the back of his neck. He loved it when I did that. “Good. I need you relaxed.”
“Oh?”
My stomach fluttered a little as I took his hand and laid it over my abdomen. “I understand being a father is stressful enough.”
He frowned, confused. “Being a father? I’m not…” His eyes widened, and he looked down at his hand. “Evie, are you…am I…are we?”
I nodded. “Yes, I’m pregnant. With everything going on, I realized I missed my shot. I had to have a test before I get it again, and Geo confirmed I was pregnant.” I paused. “Are you angry?”
“Angry? Absolutely not. Stunned, perhaps. You were unsure about children. How do you feel about it?”
I had told him my fears, and he had assured me he wanted children. Especially with me. He told me a family was something he had longed for since he’d lost his parents. He’d said when I was ready, we could discuss the future. And that if I chose not to have children, he would understand. But he had looked so sad at the thought.
“I was scared at first, then I realized how excited I was.”
“Tell me again, Evie.” He spread his fingers wide over my stomach.
I cupped his cheek. “You’re going to be a daddy, Matteo, and we’re going to be parents.”
His face broke into a smile. A real one. His eyes shone, and his joy was evident. His kiss was filled with love. “Evie, my wife. First, the news Raoul is not a threat to you, and now this? You just made this day the best one of my life.”
He stood, swinging me up into his arms.
“What are you doing?” I gasped. “Put me down.”
He strode from the kitchen, heading for the stairs. “No. I am taking my wife, my beautiful, pregnant wife, upstairs. I am going to run her a warm bath, rub her shoulders, and we are going to make plans for the future—about our child and our life together. Then, I’m going to make love to her until she is totally sated.”
I snuggled into his chest, feeling happiness and relief flooding through me. “That might take a while.”
He grinned down at me. “I was hoping it would.”
Chapter Eighteen
Evie
“One hundred percent? We’re confident?” Matteo frowned as he flipped through the papers.
Julian shook his head. “What else can I give you to prove it, Matteo? It’s his DNA. Raoul is dead.”
A rush of relief flooded me. This was the news we’d been waiting for. I watched Matteo process the information. Slowly, the realization of Julian’s words sank in, and Matteo’s expression cleared.
“The threat is over.”
“Yes. Your team, your wife, and your identity are safe.”
Matteo met my eyes, his relief blatant. His gaze dropped to my stomach, then lifted back to my eyes. I knew what he was thinking. His family was safe. That was paramount to him. We had become more important than his work. More important than anything. I knew it without a doubt. Our gazes locked and held. Love blazed from his eyes as he looked at me, and he nodded slightly.
He sat back in his chair. “This is good news, Julian. Thank you.” He inhaled a deep breath. “And I have some news for you as well. I’m leaving the squad.”