Page 140 of First in Line

I’m still pondering when Jax hooks his index fingers into the belt loops of my jeans and pulls me in.

“Like I said,” he softly starts, “I’ll stand by whatever decision you make, princess. But if you want to keep it, I’ll be thrilled to become a dad. I make enough money to take care of both of you. You’d still be able to keep up with your courses. We can get a nanny to help if needed.”

“I’m not letting someone else raise my baby.”

“Then no nanny. We can do this any way you want, okay? You’re in charge here, princess.”

With my hands on his shoulders, I consider the implications of keeping this baby. It will make everything more complicated, but we’ve done complicated before. He’s not completely wrong in saying it’ll give me a purpose. Not just by occupying my days, but by throwing me into motherhood and its responsibilities.

When I look down, Jax’s eyes are already on mine. Heterochromia is genetic, isn’t it? His maternal grandfather had it. Could our baby have different colored eyes, too?

As I scan my husband’s handsome face, I’m suddenly eager to find his features in the children we’ll have. There’s no way they wouldn’t grow up loving cars and racing, too. Jackson has it in his blood at this point, and he’d pass it on to them.

The little one in my womb right now could become the next big thing in Formula One in twenty years. A little champion who takes after his or her father. I’d braid their hair before the races, too, if they let me.

Jackson’s eyes are brimming with hope and a silent plea. And I don’t have it in me to break his heart.

“Are we having a baby?” I ask, almost breathless at the thought.

“I don’t know. Are we?”

“I think we are…”

He pulls me right into his arms, hugging my hips while he looks up with a big, bright smile. “We’re having a baby,” he repeats, still stunned.

“We are.”

He kisses my stomach, the band of skin exposed, and then hauls me into him as he effortlessly rolls us into the bed.

“Jackson,” I giggle, feebly trying to resist. “You need to go to work.”

“It can wait.”

Settled over me, he covers me in elated kisses everywhere he can think of. It’s not sensual, but rather excited. Still, I can’t helpthe tingle that awakens in my core at his ministrations. When he returns up to lay a long and deep kiss on my lips, I hook my arm around his neck and spread my legs under him.

“I can’t believe this,” he whispers, resting his hand over my lower stomach, where my tank top has risen. “I love you so fucking much, Evie. You’ve given me so much already, and now this…”

“Well, this one’s still cooking. It’ll take eight to nine months to get here.”

“I can’t wait. A perfect little angel with her mom’s eyes.”

“You want a girl?”

“I want a healthy baby. But I’d love a baby girl, yes. I’d spoil her rotten, like I do her mom.”

“I’m not rotten,” I protest with a huff. When I push against him, he grabs my wrists and pins them on either side of my head.

“Then I’ve not been spoiling you enough, princess. And not taking care of you as much as I should.”

He adjusts himself over me, spreading my legs wider. “Won’t they worry about you at the facility?” I wonder as he drops a series of kisses on my throat.

“Ugh …”

He lets go of me to kneel between my legs and pulls his phone out of his pocket. I watch, sprawled in front of him, as he types something on it. Once he’s done, he throws it on the bed and returns to me.

“What did you tell them?” I ask.

“That I had a personal emergency.”