Page 17 of False Start

I couldn’t wait to see Dakota round and swollen with our baby. And it would be a great way to get her down the aisle sooner rather than later.

* * *

Dakota sighedand shook her head.

“What’s up, baby?”

“My mom is so weird sometimes.”

I raised an eyebrow as I turned my car onto her street. “Weird?”

“She sent me a text to let me know she’s packed me a bag, so we don’t have to linger before going back to your place.” Dakota spoke animatedly with her hands, making me smile because she was so damn cute. “Shouldn’t moms be trying to keep their little girl away from men? Or something like that?”

I laughed and reached across the console to lace my fingers with hers. “I’m just that awesome, I guess.”

She grinned and squeezed my hand. “True, but still…”

“Don’t question it, baby,” I encouraged her. “Just go with the flow.”

I slowed the car to a stop and parked in front of her parents’ building. When she moved to open the door, I covered her hand and put it back in her lap. “Relax. I’ll get your stuff.”

She shrugged. “Go for it. It’s not as if you have to actually pack me or anything…”

I smirked, trying not to give anything away. After checking the street and seeing no cars, I hopped out, then jogged to the front steps. I walked into the building and over to their front door. Dakota’s mom had also sent me a text to let me know I could just come in and grab the suitcase.

It was in the entry, so I picked it up and pivoted to leave.

“Have fun! And bring me back a grandbaby!” I heard shouted as I pulled the door shut, making me chuckle.

I added her luggage to mine in the trunk, then got back into the driver’s seat and drove toward the George Washington Bridge.

“Where are we going?” Dakota asked, her brow furrowed as she looked around at the thickening traffic.

“It’s a surprise,” I replied, tossing her a wink.

“We’re leaving the city?”

“Yep.” I maneuvered into a stream of vehicles that were headed for a cashless toll before we all merged to drive over the bridge. “I keep thinking about something Dempsey said the other night.”

“Dempsey?”

“Yeah, right before you waltzed into my life, distracting me from everything but your sweetness and sexy body, we were talking about the vacation he and Skye had just taken.”

“Okay…” She looked adorably confused.

I smiled widely. “He said, ‘Ten days of seeing my wife in a bikini was definitely the highlight of my year.’ Unfortunately, if you get this job, which I know you will, we don’t have ten days. However, we have until Sunday.”

Someone honked, drawing my attention back to the drive just as we took the lower level of the bridge to New Jersey. I flipped my sunglasses onto the top of my head because it was so dim underneath.

“Until Sunday for what? To see me in a bikini?”

“Not just a bikini, baby. To see you hot and wet, coming out of the ocean like my very own wet dream.”

“That was a terrible pun,” she giggled.

“Yeah, but true.”

“So…you’re taking me to the ocean?”

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