“I know you’re right,” I go on. “But it’s all happening so fast. We can’t just spring it on him.”
“I need you. But we can’t start our journey before he knows.”
I understand what my man is saying. He wants to join our bodies, to slip inside of me as he tried to the first time we became intimate…but he doesn’t want to betray Dad more than we already have.
It’s not like he’s going to wear a condom. I don’t want him to.
“But we can eat our meal like planned,” I say, aware I’m stalling. “We can enjoy this…knowing we want it all. Silas, our future. We don’t have to blow it up right away.”
He sighs, nodding. “I’ll have to be strong. Being around you, knowing your virgin body’s waiting for my seed… isn’t easy. But Julian deserves better.”
“We’ve gone too far already, I know,” I murmur.
He helps me stand, and then we start folding the parachute together.
“There’s no such thing,” he says after a pause.
“Huh?”
“As too far.” He meets my eye, smiling warmly. “There’s no such thing, not with us.”
CHAPTERNINETEEN
Silas
We’re sitting on the rooftop garden of a small restaurant, and the place is unusually quiet this afternoon. A tree shades us from the sun, the air cool despite the ever-present glow, my woman tugging at the sleeves of her hoodie.
“Are you cold?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “I’m okay.”
It’s terrifying, the power of the desire inside of me, trying to send me to my feet and around the table, wrapping my arms around her.
But though the café is quiet, it’s not deserted. Of course, nobody’s recognized me since I’m notthatfamous, but there’s a chance they might.
It happens fairly regularly.
I hate all this, the paranoia, the wondering when and how it’s all going to go wrong.
“We could go inside,” I tell her, though there’s more I want to say.
I know it won’t help with us being good or pretending until Julian knows.
“When you’re my wife,” I go on, keeping my voice low, “you’ll never have to be cold. I’ll always hold you whenever you need it.”
She smiles in that alluring way. It’s changed since the skydive since the rushing air and exhilaration madenotsaying the words seem like an impossible thing.
“What if I’m being super annoying?”
“Like when you’re pregnant?” I can’t help but say.
She laughs, the most beautiful sound, even sweeter knowing her laughter’s only ever going to belong to me. No other man will hear that sweet noise and think,That’s my woman, my wife, the mother to my children.
“Maybe I’ll get a bunch of weird cravings and have you running around town. Or base jumping around town.”
I chuckle. “I’d get it all for you. To keep you strong for the baby.”
“That gives me motivation to get pregnant lots, right? If you’re going to be my servant.”