20
Olivia
He kissed me. Jace Barone actually kissed me.
And damn, did it feel good—my stomach flutters with butterflies. My heart soars as though I’m floating high above the clouds, and just as quickly as it starts, the heat and passion it’s done.
Jace pulls back and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get out of here,” he says as he steers me away from the shopping cart, abandoning it as he directs me toward the exit.
“Okay,” I whisper.
My lips tingle from the kiss.
Jace is a really good kisser. Like he knows how to make my insides stir, and my body falls under his spell.
I don’t dare ask why he kissed me. I don’t want to break the trance.
Am I dreaming?
I don’t care if it is a dream. It’s wonderful. A dream come true. Maybe he’s realized that his feelings for me aren’t just about having a baby, but something more.
Jace escorts me to the car, opens the front door for me, and waits until I’m buckled before he shuts the door and comes around to the driver’s side.
He’s an absolute gentleman.
Is it because he’s going to be a father?
Does he want me in his life?
The minute Jace slams the door shut and starts the car, he revs the engine, and we tear out of the parking lot. Smoke and dust kick up behind us.
He’s in a hurry.
“Sorry about that kiss back there. I had to make it convincing.”
“Convincing,” I say, repeating his words slowly. The fog is settling, but I don’t have a clue what he’s yammering on about.
“I can’t let anything happen to that little one you’re carrying, and there are dangerous men always watching me. They’re always going to be watching you. That’s why I hired a bodyguard to accompany you everywhere, but it’s not enough. Not by a long shot. Not with news that you’re pregnant. We just have to make sure it’s convincing that we’re in love, and this isn’t a business arrangement.”
My head feels like it’s spinning.
“Jace, what the hell are you talking about?” My stomach tenses. My hands quiver, and I shove them against my lap, hoping that he doesn’t notice the slight tremor.
Everything I ate for dinner tumbles in my stomach.
Please, don’t let it come up.
“Caruso’s men were watching us back at the store.”
“What?” I gasp. The car is warm—sweat beads on my brow. I roll down the window, needing air.
Jace hits the button to shut the window and then locks all of them from the button on his door. “It’s not safe.”
I want to get out of the vehicle.
Run.
Flee.