Epilogue
Her breath caught in her throat. Her hand clamped over her mouth. Oh God.
Tears stung her eyes. She took a deep, steadying breath and stared at the tiny screen on the pregnancy test.
Two pink lines.
She was pregnant.
She sat down on the closed toilet seat lid and tried to slow the rapid beating of her heart. It had been more than six months since the whole fiasco had been over with. It wasn’t until yesterday that she realized her period hadn’t come. She’d checked her calendar, and sure enough, it was two weeks late.
She was pregnant…with Cal’s baby. Happiness flooded through her. She bit her lip. A dark fire took over her. What if Cal wasn’t happy? Before, he’d said that one day he wanted a wife and kids. That didn’t mean today. She loved living here with Cal; it felt more like home to her than her father’s ostentatious mansion ever had. She loved waking up to the warmth of his body.
Everything had fallen into place. With the persistence of Nate, Andrea Reid’s case had been reopened, and Tanner was now being charged. Shawn had turned out to have an even darker past, which explained his suicide that fateful night. Grace, too, had confessed her plan to murder Lana. She was looking at a long prison sentence. After taking some time out to cope, Lana had gone back to work, and now Cal’s MMA training gym was under construction. In a few months, it would be open, and already he had a growing list of athletes waiting to join. Nate and Ethan had been a big help in recruiting members, and several were FBI agents.
After she finished work last night, she’d stopped at the drugstore to pick up a pregnancy test. She hadn’t wanted to worry Cal, so she didn’t mention it. Now it was Saturday morning and he lay in bed asleep. She had to tell him. It couldn’t wait.
She clutched the test in her hand and exited the bathroom. Maggie, their new pitbull rescue dog, lifted her head from her bed near the window. Her chocolate eyes scanned Lana with sleepy disinterest before dropping back down.
She tiptoed over the cool floor and climbed into bed. Cal’s arm draped over his eyes, his chest bare like the rest of him beneath the blankets. She tucked the test under her pillow and cuddled next to him. He stirred, and his arms stretched above his head before he closed her into his warmth.
“Morning, babe.” His voice was deep and husky with sleep. Her hand rubbed against his stubble.
She forced a smile. “Good morning.”
He looked at the clock beside him; it read just after 7a.m. “Geez, I slept in today.” He smiled down at her. “I blame you for that.”
She giggled. “Blame yourself. You’re insatiable.”
He rolled on his side so he faced her. “‘Insatiable’? No way. You satisfy me every time.”
“I’m grateful for the review.”
He tweaked her nose. Her gaze fell to his chest. “Hey, what’s the matter?”
She kept her gaze down. Tears stung her eyes. Dammit, she didn’t want to cry. Her hand moved under the blanket to rest on her tummy. A fierce love for the tiny baby growing inside her flooded her chest. If Cal was anything less than happy, she wouldn’t be able to handle it. No way in hell would she let her baby feel anything but acceptance.
Cal rolled onto his stomach to look down at her. “Lana, you’re scaring me. What’s the matter?”
She met his warm green eyes. Love poured from his soul, and concern etched the lines of his face. If he loved her at all, he would love their baby without hesitation. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. She swallowed over the constriction in her throat.
“I have something to tell you.”
She pushed herself into a sitting position. Cal sat erect next to her. His hand closed over hers. She pulled the blankets up to cover her nakedness and wet her lips.
“Baby, whatever it is, you can tell me.”
She nodded. Her throat tightened. Her mouth opened and closed. His hand squeezed hers impatiently, urging her. She had to tell him. She turned, reached under the pillow, then handed him the pregnancy test.
His eyes fell to her hand. His face froze. Slowly, as if it was made of fine china, he accepted the stick. He let her fingers go and held the test in both of his hands. His eyes searched the screen over and over, as hers had. He swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed. The stick lowered to the bed.
“You’re pregnant?”
Tears spilled over her lids to roll down her cheeks, but she didn’t wipe them away. She nodded.
“We’re going to have a baby?” His eyes fell to her covered tummy. “Now?”
Lana laughed. The sound shook out of her tangle of nerves. “Well, not today. In about eight months or so.”
“Jesus,” he breathed. His hands raked over his shaved head. “Holy shit.” His lips lifted. His smile froze. “Honey, you’re not happy?”
She couldn’t stop the tears. Cal pulled her onto his lap; his hands caressed her bare spine as he pressed her face to his throat. “Baby, tell me why you’re upset.” His body tensed. “You don’t want to have a baby?”
She tore herself away from him. Her hand still held her flat tummy. “I do. More than anything. I just—I don’t want you to feel trapped. I was so scared that you wouldn’t be happy.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you crazy? Why wouldn’t I be happy?” His hand came around to rest on her belly, replacing hers. “I love you. And I love our baby.”
Relief washed over her with the force of a tidal wave. Her arms closed around his neck. She breathed in his musky scent. God, she loved him. “You’re amazing.”
He laughed. “You know, I had something I wanted to talk to you about before you so rudely broke this news to me.”
She pulled away. Her eyes narrowed at him. “What?”
He reached under his pillow and pulled out a small black box. Her breath caught. Her eyes met his. They sparked with mischief. His thumb moved to the lid of the box, prying it open.
“Lana, will you marry me?”
Her hands closed over her mouth. She stared down at the sparkling diamond ring. A wave of giddiness vibrated through her. Cal was proposing…and they were having a baby. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes, happy ones. She nodded wildly. He chuckled, pulled the ring from the box, and took her left hand. He slid it over her ring finger.
“Still worried you’re trapping me?”
She laughed and dashed her tears away. “Not anymore.”
His hand slid to her bare shoulder and cupped the back of her neck. “You make me so damn happy, honey. The only thing that would excite me more is if we found out we were having twins.”
Her eyes widened. She shook her head. “I don’t know about that.”
He laughed and tumbled over her onto the bed. “Maybe we can make it happen if we hurry.”
She laughed. Giggles racked her body—until Cal moved over her, his lips hot with need on hers. Her chest expanded, and every void she’d every carried her entire life had closed up. Everything she’d ever wanted in her life had come together over the last few minutes. He was everything to her…and now, their baby was, too.
Up next in the Dangerous Distractions series BAITED
Riley Jones is back in Beaufort for one reason only: to find her missing best friend, Hanna. If that means using herself as bait for the kind of guy who’d prey on a vulnerable young woman, so be it. She doesn’t need a rugged knight in shining armor like Ethan distracting her, and she doesn’t want his help. But it turns out she needs it. And together, as the heat between them rises, so does the danger.