Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Honey laughs as she tugs me toward it and whispers, “I’m too scared to open it in front of everyone. It’s a present from Anya and River. She said she would never attend such an occasion but sent a present anyway. I’m scared as to what Anya might interpret as baby-friendly.”
“It looks like a fortress.” Will whistles beside me, inspecting its size.
“That’s what we thought,” Rya says as she comes up and gives me a big hug. “It’s good to see you couldn’t stay away from us for too long.”
Will’s face lights up as he sees Alek and his wife, Lena. I haven’t officially met her, but know it’s her from the way Alek is glued to her side. He looks uncomfortable with the children running around. Will flitters off in his direction, and I watch Alek’s expression slacken.
I chuckle as Honey drags me toward an attractive couple who look to be in their fifties. “These are my parents. Mom. Dad. I want you to meet Alina.”
I freeze momentarily as I greet them because I remember the Ricci sisters describing their father. As I look around, I notice how many security guards are standing around the place. Definitely not a normal baby shower.
“Come back,” I hear Crue grumble behind me as a toddler does his best to escape.
Honey laughs as she catches the boy. “Eli’s recently learned how fast he is. Haven’t you?” she says, settling him on her hip. Eli’s bright blue eyes scan the room from the new height, and I suddenly understand why Rya’s concerned. This kid is definitely going to be a handful.
“If you’re happy to take him for the time being, I’m going to corner my wife for a few moments,” Crue says. It’s not so much of a question but a demand as he goes to seek Rya out.
It’s chaos as everyone flutters around us. I’m terrified by the idea of having a child. But I realize that even without Will, I would’ve had all of this around me. Part of me is excited that I get to experience this with the Ricci sisters. And that makes it slightly less scary.
Honey’s already started giving me advice, and it’s… nice.
Eli reaches out to me expectantly, and Honey passes him over. It’s awkward initially because I’ve never had much to do with children, but he seems interested in my hair as he tugs on the fringe part.
A hand snakes around my waist from behind, and Will leans over my shoulder. “We’ve got a problem if the child comes out with stark black hair,” he whispers as he kisses me on the cheek.
I laugh. “Well, we were just a fling. You didn’t think you were the only one, did you?” I joke, and his grip tightens around my waist.
“I know every person you’ve been in contact with and anyone who ever entered your room in the past six months, Alina. Don’t try to play this game, or you will be punished.”
The promise of being punished runs a thrill through me. I sigh and lean against him, comforted by his strength. It feels strange right now to be holding a toddler when we don’t even know where we’re going to end up permanently. Maybe we’ll go back and forth between New York and London for years.
But it all feels right. Right now. For us.
A wild, chaotic mess.
Being brought together by an unexpected pregnancy.
And a soon-to-be marriage, apparently.
I smirk at the thought. Of course, I want to marry him, and of course, I love the ring, but there’s something rather exciting about fucking with him a little.
“What are you smiling at?” he asks, pressing another kiss against my shoulder.
“Just thinking about all the fun we’re going to have,” I admit, but not the fact that it will be at his expense.
“I look forward to each day, love. Out of curiosity, when were you going to return the gold-plated card you stole from my back pocket when we walked in?” he asks, and I shoot him a smile as I look up at him from the corner of my eye. I didn’t think he noticed that time.
“I’m going to go on a shopping spree after this. Do you have a problem with that?” I arch a challenging eyebrow. It’s turned into a game to see how long his things would go missing before he realized. Unfortunately for me, my fiancé is very attentive when my hands are on him.
“What’s mine is yours,” he says with a grin. “I love you, Alina.”
And it fills me with warmth. Every day, he reminds me. And I never take it for granted.
“I love you too, even though you’re an asshole.”
I immediately freeze as Eli stares at me in bewilderment. And I pray that the curse word I just used isn’t the first word he learns.