Page 109 of The Baby Bargain

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And, oh yeah, he's the future father of my baby.

God, he knows so much about art. The passion in his steady voice when he talks about dot shading—

I want to listen to him forever.

I want him to talk me to sleep.

To talk me through dreams.

But he has other plans. When we finish dinner, he stands, offers his hand and nods to the bedroom.

It's time to do this.

For real.

Him inside me. Him coming inside me. Possibly getting me pregnant.

I can handle that.

Totally.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ariel

The string lights are tiny stars against the black walls. Like the sky over the ocean in Malibu.

Like the candle flickering between me and Phillip as he saidno, I can't do this with you.

Would that be easier? If Phillip was the one getting me pregnant? If I was going into this with a partner instead of a…

Friend who's helping me get pregnant.

A friend I'm helping get over his ex.

A friend who is going to make me come until—

Ahem.

I can have sex that's just sex. Sure, I've never done that before. And my feelings for Chase aren't strictly physical. And we're not just having sex. We're trying to make a baby.

But the point stands.

This isn't about an emotional… uh… romantic connection between me and Chase.

"Take off your clothes, princess." His voice is low and demanding.

My body begs me to obey.

My heart sings.

My head—

Ugh.

This is why people drink before sex. To dull the distracting thoughts and turn up the dirty ones.

That isn't an option.

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