Chapter 42
Cheryl looked away, but he cupped her chin. “Yes,” she murmured, then flinched away from his touch. “And don’t ask the usual male question, ‘cause it’s yours.”
“Don’t worry. If you’re pregnant, it better be mine.” He furrowed his brow. “Now tell me everything.”
“Everything?”
“Like how long have you known? Have you seen a doctor, and most important of all, why the hell didn’t you tell me before this?”
“Six weeks, yes, and I don’t know.”
“We’re not gonna play that game again, are we? After all, this is my kid we’re talking about.” He walked around her to the center of the room, did a half pivot, and frowned. “I can’t believe you’re living here.”
“It’s all I can afford.”
He surveyed the windowless room and the battered wooden furniture. Seeing the shabby room through his eyes made her flinch slightly, but it was enough to make him soften his voice.
“That ends now, ‘cause I’m supporting you.”
“I have a job.”
“Are you fuckin’ kidding me? There’s no way you’re wearing this skimpy outfit and shaking your ass for tip money.” He motioned around the seedy room. “And I’m not having our kid coming up poor and running the streets. He’d be hanging out on the docks, getting drunk or strung out on drugs, then end up in the joint doing time.”
“Geez, that’s a sad picture.” She flailed her arms in the air. “And what makes you think she’s going to be a boy?”
The room spun, and she listed to the side. He jumped up, and wrapped his arm around her waist, avoiding her abdomen as he eased her onto the bed. “Calm down.”
“I’m fine, it’s . . .” She leaned her head against his shoulder. The warmth of his body made her burrow in deeper.
Jonny stroked her back. She shuddered, and his hand froze. “Ahhh, don’t cry, baby.”
“I’m not,” she whispered into his shoulder as tears scorched her cheeks.
“Yeah, you are.” He swiped away the droplets with the pad of his thumb, then scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “I mean, how did this happen?”
“The usual way.” She smirked through her tears not able to suppress the sarcasm.
His jaw tightened, but she couldn’t resist. Served him right for kicking her out of his life.
“But we used something.”
“Not the first night you brought me to your penthouse.”
“Ohhh, yeah.”
“And if you remember, it wasn’t once, it was . . .”
“Yeah, I remember.”
His eyes glazed over and she knew his memories were as vivid as hers. They’d been so desperate and hot for each other, so needy, they fell into each other’s arms. Arms, legs, and everything else. The way his tongue slicked away the pain. His hard body loving her, giving her what she craved. It was the first time in her life she’d truly felt safe.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before now?” She shivered, and he wrapped his arm around her tighter.
“I didn’t find out until we were back in New York, and . . .” She choked back more tears.
“I pushed you away.”
“Did you ever think of asking me what I wanted?” Emotion made her voice thick. “You didn't trust me enough, didn't . . .” A gasping sob caught in her throat.
“Don't say it.”
“You broke my heart that day.” Her voice hitched again, and an agonizing silence hung over them.
“When I heard that shot go off in Frank’s office it was the same as in Miami. You could’ve gotten shot both times.” He cupped her chin. “But it wasn't just because of the danger I put you in.” He paused. “I pushed you away because you were so fearless. So sure of what you wanted. So sure of us.”
“Fearless?” she echoed. “I'm scared all the time. Scared of being pregnant and alone. Scared of not being good enough for . . .”
“No, it's me that has to do better. Be better.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and sucked in a shaky breath. “I want you to marry me.”
“What?” She reared back.
“Yeah. Especially now with the baby coming.”
“Wait.” She placed her palms against his chest and pushed out of his arms. “Is that why you’re asking me, because of the baby?”
“No.”
“I’m not marrying you because I’m pregnant.” She stood from the bed. “Or because you feel guilty.”
“I don't believe this. Most women get pregnant to lock a guy down, and here I am willing to take care of everything, and you’re saying dumb shit.”
“I'm not most women.”
“Tell me about it.” He huffed out a frustrated breath.
The last thing she wanted or needed was his pity.
“All my life I’ve been screwin’ around with women I don’t care about, and I finally get serious and ask one to marry me, and what do I get?” He stalked away from her mumbling, “So you know what? Forget it.”
When she moved behind him, his back went rigid, and she heard little choking noises. She jerked him around by the arm. “Are you crying?”
“No.” He jabbed at the tears and turned away again.
She never would’ve believed it. He was crying in a strangled, repressed way that touched her heart more than if he he’d been hysterically sobbing.
She leaned up and kissed the base of his neck. “You really want to marry me?”
“I already told you that.” He flinched away. “I’ve got everything I dreamed about, but it doesn’t mean shit. And why do you think that is?”
“Does it have something to do with me?”
“It has everything to do with you.” He spread his arms wide. “You’re all I think about. You’re the one I wanna be with, and you’re the only one I want in my bed.”
“You’re the only one I want to be with too.” Her shaky hand stroked his damp cheek.
He nudged her back to the wall as his lips possessed hers. Their tongues twisted and teased until he had his fill, then he moved to her ear. “Now I’m gonna try this one more time.” His hands closed around her waist, and he pulled her to him. “Will you marry me?”
He fumbled in his pants pocket, then flipped open a small velvet box and held it out to her.
“Oh, Jonny, it’s beautiful.” The brilliant diamond sparkled even in the dim lighting. “I guess you were going to ask me before you knew about the baby.”
“I think I already said that.” He slipped the ring on her finger and tossed the box on the bed.
“I’ve never had something so beautiful.” She couldn’t stop staring at the elegant ring and what it represented.
She trailed her lips over his jaw and down his neck. The soft butterfly kisses made him shiver, and she enjoyed the power she held.
“My sweet baby.” He caged her to the wall and slipped his hand into the back of her skirt, palming her ass. His other hand pulled at the hem of her tank top and yanked it over her head. “These were beautiful before, but now they are damn perfect.” He suckled her nipple into his mouth.
They’d definitely become more sensitive with pregnancy because his tongue was sending a spasm of pleasure right down to her toes.
“I’m probably not gonna stop saying stupid shit, but I’ll always be honest with you and put you first.”
“I know,” she whispered as she undid the buttons of his shirt, then pushed it off his shoulders, desperate to feel the warm, smooth skin of his chest.
He pushed his hips to hers until he was melded around her. The rumbling in his chest barely covered the sound of his belt sliding open and his zipper scraping down. “I’m bossy and stubborn, but I love you.”
He pushed her skirt down over her hips, and it fell past her thighs to the floor. His palm splayed lower until his fingers found her wet center.
“I love you too.” She gasped as he entered her and set off a pulsing rhythm that sent blood pounding through her ears and blurred her vision.
“And there’s nowhere I’d rather be than between your legs, feeling your heat and knowing I trip something in you that lights you up.”
She sighed, as she wrapped her leg around his waist, searching for relief, yet not wanting it to end.
“Ohhh, yeah.” The heat of his breath on her ear matched the heat of his skin. “I wanna show you how good you make me feel. How much I love you.”
Then he stilled. Completely shut down. The abrupt change brought her up fast. Like teetering on the edge of a cliff, two seconds from plummeting over the edge.
“What’s the matter?” she croaked, her throat dry and hoarse.
“Should we be doing this?” He held her leg around his waist, but his face filled with fear.
“If we don’t, I think one or both of us is going to die.”
“No, I mean with the baby and all.” He stared at her abdomen. “I don’t wanna hurt anything. Do anything to . . .”
She burst out laughing, a combination of her pent-up emotions and his serious expression of horror and concern.
“Don’t laugh at me.” He frowned like a five-year-old being bullied in the school yard. “I’m fuckin’ serious.”
“You are so adorable.” She cradled his cheek. “We’re fine. Nothing’s going to happen to the baby.”
He furrowed his brow. “You sure? ‘Cause I don’t wanna . . .”
“I’m positive.” She assured him as her lips fought off a grin. Her big, tough, bad boy had no idea how a woman’s insides worked. But his concern was sweet. “We’re fine.”
She threaded her fingers behind his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. “Now, where were we?”
He tightened her leg around him, and she felt him, hard as steel, a whisper away from where she wanted him. She ground into him harder because if she didn’t have him soon, she would implode.
He arched his back and rocked inside her. The relief was short-lived because he filled her with such want it made her helpless to do anything but surrender to her needs. He angled himself, hit her spot, and thrust harder. No teasing, no mercy. With her leg hitched up, every inch of him stretched her until all that mattered was the smack of their bodies.
“No more leaving.” Her warning gasp grazed his ear.
“Never.” His hand slapped her ass.
Every tense, hard muscle thrust faster, telling her he could never leave. Not if he wanted to live because, like her, there was no life without the other.
His lips touched hers fierce and claiming, swirling together, stealing her air, then easing back to nip at her swollen lips, and her eyes drooped close.
“Look at me, baby.” His hand slapped on the wall. “I want eyes on me when you come.” The mounting pleasure wound tight within her as his hips lost control. He kept his hand pressed against the wall. “Fuckin’ perfect. Yeah.”
His strangled growl undid her.
One more thrust and the coil within her unwound and spiraled from her core to her toes. The bolt of pleasure had her clenching around him, leaving her too weak to scream. Too weak to breathe. Too weak to do anything but grab onto his shoulders for support and hope she didn’t crash to the floor.
He panted, their skin slick as he slowly lowered her leg. His one arm wound around her waist, while his other hand braced the wall.
“So? Is that a yes?”
Two heartbeats were all it took for her to make the biggest and best decision of her life.
“You’re bossy and arrogant, saying stupid shit, but I love you.” She smiled at him. “And yes, I can’t wait to be Mrs. Jonny Vallone.”