Page 31 of The Bride's Desire

Now, she sounded irritated, and that was never good.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, you’re going to be a grandmother.”

His mother sounded giddy. “That’s wonderful news, dear. Tell Naomi I am so excited, and I’ll be the best grandmother ever.”

Joe chuckled. “I’ll tell her. I want us to get married as soon as possible. I want her tied to me as much as possible.”

“Now, see, that’s actually very romantic,” Carolyn said.

That floored him, but he didn’t say anything. “I was thinking about flying to Vegas.”

“I have a better idea. How about I ask William to come out and marry you? He’s a judge, so he can do that.”

“How do I make it special?” he asked.

“Let me think on that and get back to you.”

“Sounds good.” He was relieved she was helping. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome. Love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Joe sat there for a moment with a grin on his face. He put the ring in his desk drawer and went to find his future wife. He just hoped his mom could make it happen soon.

Chapter Seventeen

Naomi sat on the sofa and waited for Joe to come back. Her mind couldn’t seem to pause at any one thought.

The fact that she found out he loved and wanted to marry her astounded her. She loved that he was excited about the baby, which made it even better. A smile crossed her face. How could two people miscommunicate so badly? She’d been so off the mark she felt stupid. But thinking back, it would have helped if she had known how he felt.

She glanced around the room. It was large but cozy. The walls were gray, and the floor was hardwood. On one wall, there was a fireplace with a TV over it. There was also a gaming table, a few other different seating arrangements, and a bar in one corner.

She’d never spent any time there, but she could see herself, the baby, and Joe spending much time in it. The house wasn’t as large as hers, but her house didn’t have the character Joe’s did. The woodwork was amazing, and the rocks that made up the fireplace looked natural.

She’d seen every room but thankfully didn’t have to clean most of them. During any downtime, she liked to relax in a room with two glass walls that faced east, so the morning sun made it warm. There was only a love seat and a table in it, but she wanted to fill the room with plants and replace what was there with comfortable wicker furniture. The room was big enough so she could do whatever she wanted. She’d ask Joe about it.

She also dreamed of having an indoor pool. She had one at her house but never used it because she was afraid Robert, her stepbrother, would find her, and he’d always scared her by the way she caught him looking at her. Thinking of her family, she needed to tell Joe about the situation. The fact that they would get married made her feel more secure, but it was going to be ahassle, getting them out of the house, selling it, and moving the things she wanted to keep to the ranch.

When Joe walked into the room, her thoughts scattered, and her body started to tingle. It felt like every nerve was electrified—it always had been.

He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You didn’t find a movie you wanted to watch?”

She shook her head. “No. I didn’t even try because I don’t know what kind of movies you like.”

“Oh, I can watch about anything but horror.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t either.”

“Good.” He reached for the remote and turned the large TV on. He quickly found one and then relaxed back, pulling her tighter against his body.

She couldn’t concentrate on the movie. His scent was making her panties wet and her nipples so hard her bra irritated them.

Joe kissed the side of her head. “I don’t think either of us are into it. Do you just want to go to bed?”

“Yes, please.” God, she sounded so eager it was pathetic.

“Good.” He helped her to stand. “Go up, shower, and get in bed. I’m going to lock up, and then I’ll be there.”

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