Page 44 of Dangers of Love

Before I did, however, a text came through on my phone. Eoin’s name flashed on my screen, and I opened the message.

I hope I’m not waking you. I know we said we’d talk today, but I was wondering if, instead, you’d be willing to come to my place tomorrow evening? We can have dinner and talk face-to-face.

He didn’t give a reason, but considering how good he’d been about me needing some time to myself, I wouldn’t have felt right denying him the same opportunity.

A second message came in as I was typing out a reply.

I should have asked this first. How are you doing? Do you need anything?

I smiled and added to my response.No morning sickness today, so that’s good. I didn’t really sleep well. Mind was going a mile a minute. I don’t need anything at the moment, but thank you for asking. Tomorrow evening is perfect.

A couple minutes passed, and my phone lit up again.

If you need me before then, just let me know, and I’ll be there.

I read those last three words two more times and then sent:Thank you.

It wasn’t a declaration of love or commitment, but I couldn’t get those words out of my mind.I’ll be there.

However he meant those words, this man and I would always have a connection. I put my hand on my stomach, even though I couldn’t feel any change yet. Despite trying hard not to have any expectations about Eoin, I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be if, someday, those words were for forever.

Twenty-Five

Eoin

I’d worked hardenough yesterday that I’d slept without any dreams or nightmares, but the moment I’d woken, I’d been all the way awake. Immediately, my mind had flooded with everything I’d still needed to do today, and I hadn’t wasted any time.

I’d finished with more than an hour to spare and then showered, finishing in just enough time to answer the door and get the food I’d ordered for our dinner. I hadn’t wanted to add the possibility of me messing something up with our meal because I was too distracted by everything else.

The ball of anxiety in my stomach hardened as I finished getting dressed. Some of my siblings had gone to various charity events over the years, and most of them also had jobs where suits were the norm, but with me having been in the army and not really a part of the whole high society shit, I didn’t have a single suit. Honestly, it was probably a good thing that I didn’t have one. It might’ve been over the top for what I had planned tonight, and I wanted to get this right.

I checked my reflection, which was something I didn’t do often, but I wanted to make sure that I looked my best. For the first time in a long time, though, I barely even noticed my scar. It didn’t bother Aline, and I wasn’t going to let it bother me.

Dress slacks and a nice short-sleeved dress shirt set the right tone but didn’t make me less nervous. For a brief moment, I wondered if I should’ve called my brother, Carson, since he was a designer, but if he suggested something I didn’t have, it’d be too late to do anything about it and that would just fuck with my head.

The food was in the oven, staying warm, and I had a bottle of sparkling cider on ice. The table was set with my brand-new matching dishes and a pair of wine glasses out of the dozen I’d picked up yesterday. A vase filled with a mixture of flowers sat in the center.

I could recognize the roses, but the woman at the flower shop hadn’t told me what the other ones were when I’d picked them up. They looked and smelled good, which was the most important thing.

Aline had sent me a text that she was on her way, so I took the time to do another walkthrough of the entire condo, making sure I hadn’t left any shit out, that I’d put everything exactly where it belonged. When I’d brought her here on Saturday, the place hadn’t been messy, but it’d been very clearlynotlived in. Which made sense, since I hadn’t actually lived in it at that point.

Now, even though it’d been less than forty-eight hours since I’d officially moved in, it looked more like a real home. I hadn’t filled it up completely, because I didn’t want her thinking of it as my space, but I’d done enough for it to look like a place she’d want to live.

I hoped.

I made it back to the front room a few minutes before she rang the doorbell, and then she was standing there, smiling at me, and it was time to show her that I was the sort of man she could trust to protect her, to take care of her and our child.

Her eyes widened as she stepped inside. “You’ve been busy.”

“I have.”

She ran a hand across a table. “I thought you didn’t have a lot in storage.

“I didn’t. I picked up some things.”

“Some?” She sounded amused, but it wasn’t condescending. More like she was enjoying herself.

I watched her looking around the room, seeing the new sectional and coffee table, the lamp and bookcase from my bedroom at my parents’ house. The flatscreen across from the couch was new, but the gaming system on the bottom shelf of the bookcase was one I’d gotten last Christmas. I doubted Aline enjoyed that sort of thing, but I could play while she read. Hell, with the type of games that were out there, I could find something that was based off a book. That could make for an interesting date night where we wouldn’t even have to leave.

---