Page 129 of Riot's Thorn
“What?”
“Making you see yourself the way I see you.”
“And how do you see me?” I kiss down her neck.
“You do the right thing, even when the right thing has you doing something the civilized world thinks is wrong. You’re compassionate and caring. Your mind is a beautifully chaotic mess in the best way. And you’re so hot.” She leans back and grins.
“Oh yeah?” I quirk a brow.
“So hot,” she repeats, fanning herself.
My lip quirks, and my eyes light with amusement while her lips flatten to a straight line. “What’s wrong?”
“I think you smiled.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? I smile.”
“No, you don’t, not ever. At least not until now.” She fucking claps her hands and bounces, which makes her tits bounce. Jesus fuck, this girl. “Holy shit. I madetheRiot smile. I can’t wait to tell everyone.”
I wrap my arms around her and stand while she squeals, fighting to hold on. “You’ll do no such thing.”
“Oh yes, I am. This is monumental.”
Setting her on her feet in the bathroom, I flip on the shower now connected to an on-demand water tank. “For someone who hates their nickname, you sure like to prove the way you earned it.”
“I’ve already accepted it. The same way I accepted I’m yours,” she says in mock defeat.
I pull her into the shower and kiss her nose. “Good, because I’ve been yours since the first time I saw you.”
“When I got sick all over the floor after you killed my dad?”
“Exactly.”
“Can we make up a different story to tell our future children?” she asks.
“Future children?”
“I guess we never talked about it, but I want at least one.”
“Don’t know if I’d be a good dad,” I say, trying to picture it and coming up blank.
“You’d be an amazing dad because you know what a bad parent looks like. All you have to do is the exact opposite.”
“I could maybe do that,” I say.
“That’s good, because I’m pregnant.”
“What?” I’m hit with a wave of nausea.
“You look green. Do you need to sit down?”
“No. I just didn’t—what did you say?” I ask, needing to make sure I heard her right.
“I’m pregnant. I know it wasn’t planned, but I hadn’t been good about taking my pills while we were apart. I was just so busy. Then you fucked me at the club, and it must’ve been the right time. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you’d knock me up after only one time without protection.”
I only just thought about it for the first time seconds ago, so hearing it’s not just an idea for the future but a real thing that’s happening? It’s overwhelming. I need to sit with this. “I think I need a minute.”
“Oh. Yeah. Of course,” she says, but she looks disappointed, and it feels wrong to make her feel that way right now after life-altering news.
