“No. No one will think it’s strange she gets to spend so much time with Aunt Isabelle. You’ll just happen to be there. Besides—” she shrugged, relief obvious in her shoulders “—my family will be encouraging you two to spend time with her. They’ll be sure I’m going to warp her.”
“They’re wrong about you.”
“I know. But that’s how it is.”
He nodded and paused, then asked, “How are you?”
“I’m brilliant. I am. I’m happy about it, Dominic. I want this. I’m happy and I’m healthy. And I have support.”
“There wasn’t any American, right?”
“No. I hate American accents.”
“And the list is much shorter than you said.”
“Do you need it spelled out, really?”
“I’m willing to be Uncle Dominic, but…yeah. I want to hear it.”
Eve took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay. You’re the only person I was sleeping with. You’ll be an excellent uncle.”
She watched his pupils dilate, and he seemed to be struggling to breathe. He leaned forward to put his head between his knees, and Eve hurried over to the sink to wet a towel. She folded it over the back of his neck, letting it cool him for a moment before she spoke. “A few months ago, I thought you were going to LA. I didn’t think you were that serious about her. I thought you were going away and we’d never see you again. I wasn’t careful enough because I thought I could afford to be careless.”
“You knew it was possible?” His voice was strained.
“It’s always possible when you’re fucking, Dominic. I honestly didn’t think it would happen. I’ve been on the pill forever. I didn’t think it was going to happen.”
He swallowed hard again, shoulders shaking, and she laid a hand in the middle of his back, wrapping her arms around him when he shifted to press his face into her middle, hot tears wetting her shirt. When he had cried himself out, he let his arms fall away from where he had clutched her to him.
“I can’t believe it.” He wiped his face with both hands as Eve backed away. “Sorry—it’s just…Issie and I wanted to try quickly.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, the idea of Isabelle being tied to him by a baby ironically upsetting. “Well, at least you know you aren’t shooting blanks.”
That made him laugh. “Do I at least get to offer a name suggestion?”
“Why not? Everyone else seems to have ideas.”
“The neighbor included?”
“Tad? He thinks I should go with anything that does not begin with a vowel.”
Dominic laughed again then tilted his head at her. “Shagged him yet?”
“Are you kidding me? Of course.”
“Before or after you knew?”
“Before, if it matters.”
“Did he know?”
“He’s the second person I told.”
“I don’t suppose I’m allowed to be jealous?” He chewed his cheeks.
Eve knelt down in front of him, leaning between his legs and letting him hug her close. “Best of both worlds, Dominic. You got the girl you wanted. You get to be uncle to what promises to be a beautiful baby girl—and never change a diaper—and you don’t have to deal with me being a stumbling block. Because, be honest, feeling any desire to shag me just now?”
“God, no,” he groaned, giving her another squeeze. “No. I think you’ve found the key to making yourself unattractive to me.”
“Well, that’s good, right? Makes it easier? So…friends? Civil?”
“Friends,” he said. “Always.”
“Oi, there?” Tad’s voice rang out from the entryway. “You all decent?”
Eve rolled back on her heels, letting Dominic help her stand. “You very nearly caught me in a compromising position, but we’re decent.”
Tad walked back to where the two of them stood, and she considered both men for a moment. In the short time she’d known Tad, he had shown her more real kindness and consideration than almost anyone else she’d ever taken to bed. He was smart, funny, creative, and confident, which was all the more apparent in the
“They’re wrong about you.”
“I know. But that’s how it is.”
He nodded and paused, then asked, “How are you?”
“I’m brilliant. I am. I’m happy about it, Dominic. I want this. I’m happy and I’m healthy. And I have support.”
“There wasn’t any American, right?”
“No. I hate American accents.”
“And the list is much shorter than you said.”
“Do you need it spelled out, really?”
“I’m willing to be Uncle Dominic, but…yeah. I want to hear it.”
Eve took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay. You’re the only person I was sleeping with. You’ll be an excellent uncle.”
She watched his pupils dilate, and he seemed to be struggling to breathe. He leaned forward to put his head between his knees, and Eve hurried over to the sink to wet a towel. She folded it over the back of his neck, letting it cool him for a moment before she spoke. “A few months ago, I thought you were going to LA. I didn’t think you were that serious about her. I thought you were going away and we’d never see you again. I wasn’t careful enough because I thought I could afford to be careless.”
“You knew it was possible?” His voice was strained.
“It’s always possible when you’re fucking, Dominic. I honestly didn’t think it would happen. I’ve been on the pill forever. I didn’t think it was going to happen.”
He swallowed hard again, shoulders shaking, and she laid a hand in the middle of his back, wrapping her arms around him when he shifted to press his face into her middle, hot tears wetting her shirt. When he had cried himself out, he let his arms fall away from where he had clutched her to him.
“I can’t believe it.” He wiped his face with both hands as Eve backed away. “Sorry—it’s just…Issie and I wanted to try quickly.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, the idea of Isabelle being tied to him by a baby ironically upsetting. “Well, at least you know you aren’t shooting blanks.”
That made him laugh. “Do I at least get to offer a name suggestion?”
“Why not? Everyone else seems to have ideas.”
“The neighbor included?”
“Tad? He thinks I should go with anything that does not begin with a vowel.”
Dominic laughed again then tilted his head at her. “Shagged him yet?”
“Are you kidding me? Of course.”
“Before or after you knew?”
“Before, if it matters.”
“Did he know?”
“He’s the second person I told.”
“I don’t suppose I’m allowed to be jealous?” He chewed his cheeks.
Eve knelt down in front of him, leaning between his legs and letting him hug her close. “Best of both worlds, Dominic. You got the girl you wanted. You get to be uncle to what promises to be a beautiful baby girl—and never change a diaper—and you don’t have to deal with me being a stumbling block. Because, be honest, feeling any desire to shag me just now?”
“God, no,” he groaned, giving her another squeeze. “No. I think you’ve found the key to making yourself unattractive to me.”
“Well, that’s good, right? Makes it easier? So…friends? Civil?”
“Friends,” he said. “Always.”
“Oi, there?” Tad’s voice rang out from the entryway. “You all decent?”
Eve rolled back on her heels, letting Dominic help her stand. “You very nearly caught me in a compromising position, but we’re decent.”
Tad walked back to where the two of them stood, and she considered both men for a moment. In the short time she’d known Tad, he had shown her more real kindness and consideration than almost anyone else she’d ever taken to bed. He was smart, funny, creative, and confident, which was all the more apparent in the
Similar Books
