Page 153 of Fall Into Temptation
“There is no point panicking over this. We’re married. We’re having a baby. As we speak, Jax and Carter are moving your things intoourhouse. I love you and we’re going to live happily ever after.”
Eva took a deep breath. She reached for his hand and ran her fingers over the plain gold band on his finger. “Okay.” She nodded. “Okay. I can do this. We can do this. I love the hell out of you. I’m sure I’m going to love our baby. You have an amazing kitchen. Yeah. Okay. We can do this.”
“I was thinking about turning the loft into your office… if you’d like to work there. I can make you a desk, a big one. And bookshelves. You can put up a big white board on the wall so you can map out your books.”
Eva stared at him, wide-eyed and woozy.
“You’ll write and cook. We’ll raise our daughter or son. Get a dog. It’s going to be a good, solid life, Eva. I promise you that.”
“I love your faith in us,” she whispered.
“I love your worry. It means you care.”
“I do, Donovan. More than anything. I just can’t believe that this is my life. I don’t want screw it up.”
“Baby. We’re a team. We’ll keep each other from screwing up and if a mistake still slips in, we’ll clean it up together.”
An invisible weight lifted and Eva gave him a damp-eyed smile. She was one hell of a lucky woman. “Whew. Okay. I’m chalking that one up to hormones. No more freak outs tonight,” she promised.
“No freak outs. No interruptions.” He raised his water glass to hers.
“To the beginning of a beautiful,quietlife together,” Eva toasted.
“Excuse me?” A woman in a sequined black cocktail dress approached, a napkin and pen clutched in one hand and reading glasses in the other.
She was staring at Eva with unusual intensity. Eva shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“Can we help you?” Donovan asked.
“Oh!” The woman leaned in and screeched six inches from Eva’s face. “Itisyou! Herbert! This is Ava Franklin.” The dining room chatter came to a screeching halt around them.
“Ava what?” Herbert, in a tan suit, harrumphed through his white moustache. He looked like the type of man who’d have a monocle.
“Franklin! Youknow.” The woman fluttered her ringed hands like a hummingbird. “The one whose book you found soinstructive.”
Eva choked on her ice water and Donovan coughed into his napkin.
“Oh, I can’t tell you how much I love your books! Do you live around here? Are we neighbors?” She slapped her husband in the chest. “Herbert, get my phone. I need a picture. This is the famous author Ava Franklin,” the woman announced to the room.
Donovan slumped a little in his seat as women—and a few curious men—started forming a line. His shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Eva held up her menu in front of their faces. “I’m so sorry! I swear after this, no more interruptions. Just hang in there a little longer.”
Donovan grinned, that quick, panty-melting smile. “Baby, you’re worth the wait.”
