“It’ll be the driver. Coming to pick us up. We should walk to the nearest road.”
“He’s already on his way?”
“GPS on my phone,” he says. “But who cares about that? All I care about isus.”
His grin widens, mine doing the same, like we can exist here and never have to think about anything or anybody else.
“I wondered if you felt the same,” he says, squeezing me tightly like he never wants to let go. “When you mentioned wanting to be a mother…and then that you had a crush on me.”
“I’ve been thinking about you as the future dad to my kids for a couple of years.” I shiver against him. “It’s like I had this whole magic future planned out, but I never believed it could be real…that we could sort of….”
“Tattoo it into existence?”
I feel my cheeks flushing, and my heartbeat reverberates throughout my body. “How did you know I was going to say that?”
“Because you’re mine,” he says passionately, pushing his body closer, letting me feel his manhood against my belly…igniting my core like he’s trying to make our future happen now.
“I had a perfect future planned out too. Kids, happiness…but I always knew it would take somebody special.”
“To cage you,” I whisper.
“It won’t feel that way with you,” he says, both of us smiling, his eyes glistening like he might cry, but he’s withholding them…way better than me since my cheeks are wet with tears.
“I’m glad I never found anybody before you. But I know I couldn’t have, ever. Ithadto be you. When you walked into my office…that was it. You were mine. I know you wanted me sooner, and that’s fine as long as you’re sure. As long as this isn’t just some crush.”
“It’s notjustanything,” I say passionately. “It started with a crush, but I’ve thought about it…a lot, in detail, realistically. I want a family with you. I want a life. I want it on a level….”
“Which doesn’t make sense,” he goes on, holding me tenderly, with somehow more affection in the softness of his embrace. “It’s deep for me too. The second I saw you before I realized you were Julian’s daughter.”
We both cringe at Dad’s name, knowing we’re crossing countless lines by not ending this or stopping when we have the chance.
But is there a chance, really?
Could we ever stop now?
“I knew I’d done the right thing by waiting. All my life, wondering if I’d find my woman and you just walk in, artistic, beautiful, more than I ever could’ve dreamed.”
“But you never dreamed the awkward part.”
He sighs, kissing my cheek with surprising kindness as though he’s able to hold back the hunger.
“No, now I’ve got no clue what to do.”
We sit up together as we speak, extricating ourselves from the parachute.
“Before,” he goes on. “My plan was to try and fight this. I realize how impossible that would’ve been. But we’ve got no choice now. We have to tell him. If we both want what we want….”
“We do,” I whisper, as his hand slides up my thigh, taunting toward my sex, but then he stills it.
“We’ve got no other choice. We have to explain. The impossible has happened. We didn’t ask for it. But we can’t deny it. I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life without you, not now that I know you want it too.”
“More than anything,” I say fiercely.
“I’ll always support you.” He moves closer, wrapping his arms around me. “Whatever direction you want to take your career, I’ll be there. And I know you’re going to be the best mother.”
“And you’ll be the best dad,” I say passionately.
The worddadstabs into me.