Gage rolled onto his side, dragging Hope with him as he slid out of her, a groan of protest falling from her lips as he did.

“God, I missed this the most.”

“You always were a little bit of a minx, but you’re going to have to give me a little break. That’s the third time in two hours. I’m not a machine, woman!”

“Well, I haven’t had any visitors since you left. What do you expect?” She giggled, hoping he didn’t forget their conversation about past lovers so many months ago.

He leaned up on his elbow and gave her ass a playful smack. “There better not have been. I better be the last visitor in this bed ever again!”

“Ow!” She snuggled into him after his spanking. “You better be able to say the same, Mister!”

He bent his head and feathered kisses against her silky tresses. “Only you, my angel. Only you.”

He smiled as he felt her sigh contently and then grinned mischievously when she rolled over onto her back, giving him a perfect view of her beautiful body. He stroked a hand over her breast, cupping it and swiping a thumb over the hard nipple.

“Is it my imagination or have these gotten bigger?” He bent over and sucked the peak into his mouth, swirling the hard tip around his tongue, eliciting a loud moan from her.

“You better stop that or be ready to suit up for round four.”

He released her nipple with a soft pop and grinned up at her. “Food. We need food if you’re going to make me do this again.”

She giggled and whacked him on the head softly. “Oh, I’m sure this is pure torture for you.”

He watched as she sat up and then stood beside the bed. Laughing lightly, he pointed at her softened middle. “I think, now that I’m here, we’re going to have to get you eating healthy again. Let me guess, all pasta and wine diet?”

Her face paled as she looked down at the little paunch that now graced her normally slim frame before looking back up at him. “I’m not getting fat.” She caught her lower lip between her teeth, biting down hard, and gave him a shrug. “I’m pregnant.”

His heart literally stopped in his chest. His eyes flew open wide as they shot back and forth between her belly and her eyes, in shock. “You’re—”

“Pregnant.” She finished the sentence for him and placed a hand over the round bump protectively.

A thousand questions spun in his head, but the one feeling he could not dismiss was pure and utter joy. She was pregnant with his baby. Holy shit.

And then, as realization sunk in, his euphoria wore off. His brows furrowed, and he frowned. “Were you going to tell me?”

She nodded her head and sat back down on the bed, covering his hand with her little one. “Yes, I just didn’t know how. I was so afraid of what it would mean. I didn’t want to force you to be with me, or be a part of my family, knowing how much you despise my father.”

“When? When would you have told me?” He wasn’t certain if he believed she would have ever told him, a cold wave of fear slicing through him.

“I actually have the plane reserved for Monday next week. I have an ultrasound scheduled that day to learn the sex. I was going to come see you directly after. I swear it, Gage.”

He stared at her, trying to read every emotion displayed in her pleading eyes.

“Please, believe me. I would never deny you this right, especially after what my father did.” She then laced her fingers through his and moved his hand over the soft spot on her belly. His eyebrows shot up at the realization that his baby was growing under his hand. “This is our baby, made only from love. I’m not going to let anything that’s happened before ruin this.”

He brought his gaze up to meet her wet one and grinned widely. “We’re having a baby. You’re having my baby?”

She nodded, small tears trailing down her cheeks. “I’m having your baby.”

“Will you stop pacing already?” Hope was lying on the exam table, hands folded over her middle, watching Gage eat up the space in the small office with his wide strides.

“How much longer are they going to make us wait?” he huffed out, coming to a halt and crossing his arms over his chest.

No sooner than the words were out, the door swung open, and a young woman entered the room. “So sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Yorke.” She stopped then, her eyes landing on Gage. “Oh, you must be the father?”

Hope’s heart soared when she saw his face light up at the reference, and any fears she had about him not wanting this baby evaporated. “That’s right. I’m the father. Gage Flynn.” He had stretched his hand out, but the tech just nodded and walked to the table where she lay.

“Come this way, Mr. Flynn.” The tech pointed to the table beside the bed. “You’ll be able to see the screen from there.”

He moved over and clutched Hope’s hand in his. She was surprised to feel it was clammy and cold. She squeezed it gently and looked up at him. “Hey, you okay?”

He nodded down at her. “Excited.”

“Okay, this might be a little cold.” The tech had lifted her shirt and was squirting light blue gel onto her belly. She placed a white tool onto the goo and started sliding it around. All of a sudden, through the static, they could hear quick thumping.

“That’s the heartbeat,” the tech said, smiling as she looked up at them. “It’s nice and strong. It’s right at a hundred-thirty beats a minute.”

“Is that good?” Concern laced Gage’s voice.

The tech smiled at him. “That’s very good.”

Hope looked up at him, beaming. The tech pointed out the actual heart and took measurements of the baby’s body, head, and spine, again noting everything looked perfect. “It looks like you are nineteen weeks along, making conception right around the beginning of October. Do you want to know the sex?”

“Yes!” Hope and Gage both answered in unison, causing the tech to laugh.

“It makes it easier when parents agree. You’d be surprised how many don’t.” She swirled the instrument around on Hope’s tummy for a moment and then stopped. She pointed to an area on the screen that, quite frankly, just looked like a v shape to her and smiled.

“You’re having a daughter.”