Page 204 of Rules of Association

I chuckled and shook my head. After Lila scared me half to death in the morning and Ididcall Connor to chew him out for always being gone when she got sick (something he tried to say wasn’t his fault, but I’m sure he planned) I was both relieved and sort of horrified to learn that it wasn't some kind of virus that was making my cat sick…and fat.

And upon hearing that, I had a realization of my own. A period missing for over a month type of realization.

My heart panged againhard, and I longed to pick up my phone. But Connor was off doing important things. I hated interrupting his important things. He’d worked so hard to get where he was and he was doing so well. Six expansions across the states in six years. Multiple investments. A real name for himself. Everything he’d ever wanted, and I think a whole lot more.

He hung out with little ol’ me all the time. Through kissing and fighting and crying and making up, he’d stayed my best friend through it all. And I was so grateful for him. We could wait a week until we told him. We could.

Scooping Lila up I got to my feet, a wave of nausea hitting me as we righted ourselves with gravity.

“Woah,” I muttered, bringing my little cat up to nuzzle her nose. I brought my forehead down to hers, pressing my skin into her soft fur as I sighed. Was it bad that I still wished he was here? So much so, I actually felt my throat burning a little bit. I sniffled. “Li. I can’t believe we’re pregnant.”

The sound of something heavy slapping against the floor pulled me out of my little moment with my fur ball and had me whipping my attention around to the kitchen entrance.

To Connor.

What was he doing home? He wasn’t supposed to be home for another four days, gone three already. Looking down at my watch I checked the date just to be sure I wasn’t missing anything.

Nope. It was still day three of seven without my husband. Or, it had been. Before he just appeared in our home out of nowhere.

“What did you just say?” Con asked. It was the way his voice wobbled, the way his face looked pinched and unsure and concerned and hopeful and excited and terrified all at the same time, that told me he had heard me just right.

I bit my lip as I held onto his eyes. I tried to shrug, but it was shaky. “There’s going to be a third little shit running around here pretty soon.”

“Holy fuck,” he said. And then he was on me. Crushing me to him, kissing me, laughing with me, picking me up and spinning me around. “Holy fuck, Ceci!”

I laughed right along with him. Kissing him, hugging him—almost puking on him when his excited spinning started to make me nauseous.

Setting me down on my feet, he waited all but a second before he was fussing all over my person. Pressing his hand to my forehead, checking me for God knows what, asking me if I needed to sit. I refused it all, just liking the feeling of being pressed up under him. Simply reveling in this feeling ofhimthat’s never wavered, or changed, or dulled, or lessened. This electric shock I got when I simply existed around him. And this sense of home that he brought, evident as ever upon his return.

Reaching up to my tiptoes I pressed my forehead into his much like I’d done with Lila a few minutes ago. The lump in my throat had grown to the size of Texas as I watched as genuine joy overtook Connor at the news. I didn’t know before, but a crazy part of me thought that maybe he wouldn’t be happy. That fucking smile he’d yet to wipe off his face proved me so damn wrong. But it also proved me right.

I really did have the best man on planet earth.

“Why are you home?” I asked.

Leaning down with his hands on either side of my neck, Con nuzzled me too. Pressing his forehead into mine. Running his nose along my nose. Laying his mouth over my mouth. Just existed there with me in this moment. In every moment. Here with me.

“You were sick.”

“So you flew home?”

“Of course.”

“What about your speeches and conferences?” I asked.

“Not important.”

“What about that big—”

Slow lips pressed down gently over mine. Familiar and warm; perfect and totally mine. Against my cheek, I could feel the coolness of the titanium that made up his black wedding ring from over three years ago now. Against my front, I could feel the hardness of not just his muscular body, but the reason we were in this position in the first place. Against my heart, I could feel the imprint of him. The one he made on me that very first day where he looked at me and cocked a slow smile that had me addicted on the spot, and the new ones he continued to give me every day he was this perfect man I loved.

Pulling away, Connor stayed on my lips, speaking over me as he rubbed at my wet cheeks and under my eyes. “Not important, honey. Nothing is more important than you…Than us.”

And as he said“us”I got the feeling he was already including the little, tiny baby growing inside of me. And that might have been when it really hit me.

Trembling slightly, I tried to hold back my happy tears. But the gentle way he was touching me, rocking us from side to side in a melodic sway, was sending more and more streams down my face.

Finally, I was able to open my eyes and gaze up at the man I’d given myself to body and soul. And as he looked down at me his eyes pinched.

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