I’m getting antsy, needy, and downright horny. I need to come up with a plan here because I refuse to give up my secret until she divulges hers; otherwise, she might never tell me.

I glance from left to right, as if I’m searching for something. Like I guessed, she tracks my gaze. When she’s distracted, I lunge for her, catching her off guard.

“Micha!” she squeals as my arms circle around her. “This is cheating.”

“Cheating?” I question as I pick her up and carry her toward the bed. “This whole game of yours is cheating.”

I drop her down on the mattress and she laughs, unable to get mad at me. Her laughter silences, though, as I tear off her bra and cup her breasts.

“The bra was no fair,” I whisper as I dip my head toward her lips.

“So you’re really not going to tell me?” she asks in a breathy groan as I pinch a nipple.

“Tell you what?” I brush my lips against hers and then glance at the clock. “In four hours, I won’t tell you, but I’ll show you.”

“Oh, yeah?” She grins as her hand travels down the front of my jeans and her fingers stroke my hard-on. “Whatever will we do for those four hours?”

Laughing, I shake my head. “I have at least ten ideas.” Then I seal my lips to hers, kissing her fiercely, letting all my feelings for her pour out through that kiss: every second I’ve spent away from this house and her, every smile I’ve missed, every laugh I didn’t get to hear.

Not anymore.

Never again.

Minutes later, our clothes are off, and I’m sinking deep inside her. Her warmth engulfs me, calms me, lets me know I made the right choice. I nip at her lips, feel the softness of her flesh, the heat of her body as I thrust into her. She cries out my name over and over again as her head falls back against the pillow. Her glazed eyes, the halo of hair around her head, the want burning in her expression; they create lyrics and poetry through my head. When she starts moving with me, arching her hips to meet mine, the sensation is too much, and my head empties of all thoughts.

“I love you,” I whisper against her lips as I give one final thrust inside her.

She clutches onto me with everything she has in her. “I love you, too.”

Chapter 7

Ella

I’ll admit, using sex was a dirty move. But it doesn’t matter, since it didn’t work. I still got to have sex, though, more than once. By the fourth time, I feel too exhausted to move.

I lie down on the bed, sweaty, tired, and breathless. “I feel like I should be asleep.” I look up at the clock. “But I want to stay awake so you’ll tell me your secret.”

He laughs at me as he pulls on his boxers then settles on the mattress beside me. “You only have about ten more minutes. Think you can make it?”

“Maybe.” I yawn. “You should talk to me, though, just to make sure I don’t doze off.”

He rolls to his side and props up on his elbow, staring down at me. “Well, I do have something… interesting to discuss with you.”

I tense, wondering if he knows. How could he, though? The only people who know I’m pregnant are the doctor and Lila, and she swore not to tell.

“Relax.” He traces my bottom lip with his finger. “It’s not a bad thing. It’s really good. At least, I hope you see it that way.”

I free a trapped breath. “Okay, lay it on me.”

He appears nervous as he withdraws his finger from my lips. “Well, I quit the label.”

My eyes pop wide. “What? When?”

He shrugs then sits up in the bed and reclines against the headboard. “I talked to Mike the last night you visited me on the road. My contract was coming to an end, anyway, and I just couldn’t stand stuff anymore. The image change. The pressure.” His gaze locks with mine. “Being away from you all the time.”

I offer him a tentative smile as I move to sit up beside him. “So, what are you going to do?”

“I think I’m going to go Indie for a while.” He stares over my shoulder at the sun descending in the sky, casting a shadow across the land. “I know some people that understand the Indie world, and I’m supposed to talk to them tomorrow. What I really want to do one day, though, is open my own studio.” When his eyes meet mine again, he looks absolutely scared. “I know it makes our future a little iffy, but I promise you that, no matter what, I’ll still take care of you. And I’ll be here way more.”

“Micha, if you’re talking about money, we’ll be fine.” I glance around at our spacious home that we own. “We’ve earned more than we’ll ever need. Plus, I have the art gallery.”

“I know, but I’m still going to take care of you.” He cups my cheek, and I lean against his palm, embracing his touch. “So, you’re not mad?”

“Of course I’m not mad. Like I said, you’ve taken way better care of me than you ever needed to, and I love the idea of you being home more. I just want you to be happy.”

He smiles at me. “I am happy. I just want to make sure you are.”

I suck in a discreet breath and nod. “I am.”

“Good.” Suddenly, his gaze darts to the windows. “And happiness is about to spread even more.”

“Why?” I start to turn my head to see what he’s staring at, yet he grabs my hand and pulls me from the bed, guiding me toward the window and out onto the patio.

Wrapping the sheet around my body, I follow him outside, and then my jaw nearly drops to the ground.

Sparkling across the back lawn of Lila and Ethan’s home is over a thousand white, twinkling lights that spell out Will You Marry Me? And standing next to the words is a very fidgety looking Ethan, decked out in a nice suit.

“That’s what you two were doing?” I peer up a Micha. “You could have told me. I wouldn’t have said anything to Lila.”

He shakes his head. “No way. I needed the secret for collateral, which, FYI, you still owe me a secret.”

I force a tense smile, but before I can say anything, he holds up a finger. “Wait for it.”

Moments later, the most delighted scream I’ve ever heard rings across the neighborhood.

“Oh, my God! Yes! Yes!” Lila cries, her voice getting louder and louder.

Micha and I are laughing as we lock eyes. But, his humor quickly vanishes.

“Remember when you said yes?” He tangles his fingers with mine and grazes his thumb across my ring. Only love fills his eyes, and it makes me feel wonderfully full.