Page 43 of Solid Ground

Tilting her head, she smirks at me. “Because I’m pregnant. I know you want to be here for the baby, but that has to be so unattractive to a man who didn’t want a baby to start with.” She sighs. “I’ll go and put some shorts on.”

As she steps away, I reach out and grasp her arm. “That’s not how I feel. You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Zoe snorts. “I’ve seen your co-stars. I know that’s not true.”

“But it is. It’s what drew me to you in the first place. And pregnancy doesn’t make you less attractive.” I tug her closer. “If anything, it makes you even more gorgeous. That’s my baby you’re carrying.”

Her expression straightens out and she swallows hard.

“Declan.” Her soft tone tells me I’ve hit the mark. And I meant it. I knew she was special the moment I laid eyes on her, and that’s my child in there. All the years of boozing and women, and I got it right with the right mother of my child. I know it.

“I’m a lucky man, Zoe. Even if we’re not together.”

She fans her face with her hands. “Don’t you dare make me cry. You know I’m hormonal.”

“I do now.”

I draw her closer and place a chaste kiss on her forehead.She smells fresh and soapy—she must have already showered this morning. It suits her.

“But please go and get dressed for my sanity’s sake.”

She’s chuckling all the way to the hall door when she turns and smiles back at me. Her gaze flicks down to my cock and back up again before she rolls her eyes and disappears into her bedroom.

These are going to be the longest months of my life.

TWELVE

ZOE

Three monthslater

I’m so bored.

Work has all but dried up, and I spend my days surfing the Internet and looking for something to spark a new idea.

At the same time, morning sickness has lingered, although it doesn’t bother me every day.

And I have a bump.

It popped out about a month ago, and has only grown.

Next week we have a scan to make sure everything’s in the right place. Hearing the heartbeat made the pregnancy real—seeing the baby together will be on a whole other level.

I’ve also taken to stalking Declan.

Hormones swirling in my system have made me lust after him something chronic, although seeing him every morningin that low-slung pair of pyjama pants hasn’t helped. It’s like the man is almost allergic to clothing when he gets out of bed.

My vibrator has never been busier.

And I’ve never been so glad that this apartment has sturdy walls that keep the sound in.

For his part, he’s been just as charming and courteous as he was when he first moved in. He begrudgingly lets me cook when I really want to, but most nights he’s the chef and he won’t ever let me wash the dishes. I’m kind of impressed he’s lasted this long, but he’s showing no signs of being unhappy.

In fact he seems to enjoy being here more and more as my body changes and I’m now visibly pregnant.

I open my Declan stalking tab. He’s in the shower and distracted, and I usually google him once a day to see what the news is saying about him.

No news is good news—there’s not been any Declan updates in months, with the last one being his kiss with a ‘mystery brunette’ outside the Bellagio (spoiler alert—it was me!).

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