And we were gonna have a baby.

Oh shit. I still needed to tell him. Putting my hands on his chest I pushed him back a little. “Um… There’s something I gotta tell you.” His eyes darkened and I knew he was probably thinking the worst. That I had just been screwing with him and that I wasn’t really going to marry him. Fat chance. I’d marry him right then and there if Emmie could supply a minister and a marriage license—something I didn’t doubt she could do even on a minute’s notice.

Nerves took over again, though. Kids were not something we had ever talked about, although I had seen the way he was with Mia. He was going to make a great dad, but did he want to be one?

“Just spit it out, Dallas. You’re fucking killing me here,” he said with a laugh that was hoarse with emotion.

Grabbing hold of my courage, I leaned forward and whispered it into his ear. “I’m pregnant.”

His immediate reaction scared me. I couldn’t see his face with my lips so close to his ear, but his body stiffened up and I heard him suck in a deep breath. Biting my lip I pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. “You can’t fucking tell me shit like that and expect me not to make love to you right here and now, Dallas,” he said in a tight voice, but there was a grin on his face. “You’re about to kill me with happiness here, baby, and I still have a show to do.”

Giggling with pure happiness I wrapped my arms around his neck again. “Sorry, babe. I’ll try harder.”

He smacked his hand across my ass. “I love you, woman.” A quick, hard kiss that made my toes curl and then he was stepping back. “Go stand with Em, while I try to finish this thing. We will talk as soon as I’m done.”

Blowing him a kiss, I walked off stage and right into Emmie Armstrong’s arms. She was practically dancing with excitement. “Oh my gods! That was the sweetest thing ever.” She kissed my cheek. “Welcome to our fucked up family, Dallas.”

Nik kissed my cheek. “What she said,” he assured me with a grin.

When the music started up again I turned to watch my rock god do what he did best, and smiled the entire time.

Axton

My heart was about to jump out of my chest.

Somehow I kept my shit together long enough to close the show. By the reaction of the fans I must have done a good job because they were screaming for more. I could have sung the songs in my sleep I knew them so well, and I had my stage act down pat, so I wasn’t really worried as I did the show I’d been looking forward to all year on autopilot. But I couldn’t handle another minute without touching, kissing, holding my girl.

I barely gave anyone else a glance as I ran off stage and grabbed Dallas. Lifting her into my arms I carried her down the stairs and around the stage toward the exit. I didn’t feel an ounce of her weight in my arms as I walked out of the arena, past the almost deserted merchandise stands and tents and out of the gates. Taxies were lined up along the side gate and I opened the back door of the first one I came to before placing her inside. When I was seated beside her I pulled her onto my lap and told the driver to take us to the Sheraton.

It took exactly ten minutes to get there, and I kept my lips on some part of Dallas at all times. When the driver pulled to a stop, a valet opened the door for us and I tossed a hundred dollar bill at the driver before getting out and reaching for my girl. I’d arranged for a hotel room earlier in the day because Dallas hadn’t been feeling well and I wanted her to have a real bed and bathroom to herself tonight. Now we were going to put it to better use than I had originally planned.

The guy at the front desk kept giving Dallas a smile as I checked in and he handed over our keys. I just barely kept my possessive growl locked inside. Fucker needed to keep his damn eyes to himself or I was going to beat them out of his head. With a curt nod I picked Dallas up again and carried her to the elevators. When the doors were closed behind us and the elevator started moving upward to our floor, Dallas giggled. “You don’t have to carry me everywhere, you know. I’m pregnant, not crippled.”

“Shut up and let me enjoy this, woman.” I kissed the tip of her nose.

She pursed her lips together, trying her best to fight a grin as the elevator rose. When the doors opened again I stepped out and carried her down the hall to our room. She put the keycard in to unlock the door and I opened it before kicking it shut behind us. The king size bed was welcoming and I placed her carefully in the center before kicking off my boots and falling down next to her.

Now that we were completely alone, I couldn’t find the words to tell her what was going through my head. As if sensing it, Dallas cupped my cheek in one hand and traced her thumb over my lips. “I love you so much, Ax.”

Like it had on stage earlier tonight, my throat closed up with emotion and I had to swallow hard to be able to even breathe for a moment. It felt like I’d been waiting my entire life for her to say those freaking words. “I love you too, baby.” The words came out choked and hoarse and I cleared my throat. “I love you so fucking much, Dallas.”

“I really am sorry about earlier. Seeing her wrapped up in your arms like that hurt and I went a little crazy. Why didn’t you show me your wrist before tonight, though?” She grabbed my hand that was tattoo free and traced her fingertips over the skin that had once been inked.

“Because I wanted you to trust me first. I don’t know. Hell.” I blew out a tired sigh. “I hoped I could make you love me enough that you wouldn’t care about that fucking tattoo.”

She let out a small cry and I watched her chin tremble. “I’ve always loved you, Axton. Always. It was never about not loving you enough. But that tattoo was like a slap to the face every time I so much as thought about it. I know I don’t have any right to be upset with your past, but that doesn’t stop me from-”

I covered her lips to stop her flow of words. “Stop, I understand. But I need to know… Do you believe me now that it was never Gabriella? That I was never in love with her?”

Her blue eyes darkened for a long moment and then finally she nodded. “Yeah, I believe you. She was your beard. And I can even understand why you might have thought you were in love with Emmie at one point, especially after meeting your mom. Em was the first chick to love you unconditionally.”

I nodded my head and kissed her lips again, happy that she got it. “Yeah, that’s exactly how it was. But the moment I met you, kissed you, held you in my arms and made you mine, I knew that everything I’d ever felt for Emmie didn’t come close to what really being in love with someone was about. I love you so damn much, Dallas, and I’m sorry that it’s taken this long to man up and just tell you how I feel.”