When she turned around and saw him shirtless, she froze briefly, then walked toward him. She slowly raked her fingernails down his chest, then curled her hand around his leather belt.
“I’m going to freshen up.”
As she walked away, she looked back over her shoulder.
“Tease,” he called out.
He chuckled to himself. He was creating a monster. Drake ran a hand through his hair as he surveyed the bar. This was a nice suite. He’d have to keep that in mind for the future.
Come Monday, he’d help Mira with her pawnshop. He had a lot of plans for their lives together.
He unbuckled his belt as he stared out the wall of windows into the nightscape.
“Drake…”
He turned around and found his wife partially naked. Drake couldn’t stop from growling. He prowled toward her, ready to worship her body.
Before he could even touch her, she held up a stick.
He frowned. “What’s that?”
She waved it in front of him. He grabbed her wrist to still her hand. It was a pregnancy test.
“What’s going on?”
“I bought it at the pharmacy because I’ve been feeling off the past few days.”
“And?”
“Drake, it’s positive. I’m pregnant.”
A rush of happiness nearly knocked him over. Part of him was relieved he could produce an heir and another part felt his relationship to Mira finally cemented.
But she didn’t look happy.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” he asked.
He took the stick from her and set it down, then held both her arms to get her attention.
“Yes, of course, but I’m on the pill. I don’t want to hurt the baby.”
“The baby’s just fine.”
“How do you know that? We’ll have to see the doctor tomorrow. No, he’s closed. We’ll have to wait until Monday. Will that be too late?” She began rambling on, and he sensed her nerves ramping up.
“Hush, baby girl.” He pressed her head to his chest and held her close. “You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world.”
This was the end goal, so he saw no reason to postpone the inevitable. He’d switched her birth control pills with placebos the day she came home from the doctor after their honeymoon. She had no idea.
His conscience had been nagging him, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as his insecurities that Mira would walk out on him once given the freedom to do so.
Chapter Eleven
Drake was elated, but Mira was confused. She’d followed the instructions exactly for the birth control. Even waiting the necessary couple of weeks to allow the protection to kick in, waiting to have sex over using condoms. He’d marked the day on the calendar as if it was some special event.
She rubbed at her temple as she stared out across their penthouse suite. Drake had already consulted with a realtor about a new house for them. She’d sat with him, feeling numb as he gave the requirements for the perfect family home.
Putting a hand on her stomach, she didn’t feel any different. She was a couple of months along. The doctor promised at the next ultrasound, he’d give them a date, but for now, she didn’t have anything to go on.
A couple of months meant the pills hadn’t worked.
“You are a bit of a mystery to me,” she said.
She was happy and terrified. This baby, it was a big deal. She knew having children was a big deal. Her father had once told her the best treasure he ever had was his kids. She missed her father so much. He’d have known what to do and say to help her feel … secure. Her emotions were all over the place.
Would she be a good mother?
This relationship with Drake was so new. She was scared of screwing it up.
“I’m not going to get any answers from staring out of the window.” She pushed away from the glass and went to the fridge, pulling out several bell peppers with the intention of making a very delicious vegetable pepper stew. She was so hungry.
She’d gone to see her brother about the pawnshop, and he hadn’t wanted to know anything about it. He told her she was a fool to even consider going back there, like a dog to its shit. His harsh words had hurt a great deal, but she ignored him.
Unlike her brother, she intended to make the shop flourish. Nigel had never really cared about the business, so she didn’t understand why he cared what she did now. He was happy to be out of that place, even if he was still recovering from the broken legs.
With the onions, peppers, and garlic in the pot, she measured out her spices, giving the dish aromatics and heat, before adding in some tomatoes and stock. The moment the dish came to a boil, she lowered it to a simmer and placed the large cast-iron pot in the oven to stew. Her mouth was already watering.