She knew he desired her and in the months they’d been together, that desire had turned into a red hot inferno. It seemed neither of them could get enough of each other but that wasn’t enough to make a relationship work, especially with a baby on the way. She had such mixed feelings over the test. She wanted the baby with an overwhelming desire but at the same time was terrified of what that would mean between Ryan and her.

She walked into the shop and for once was grateful neither Jasmine nor Trinity was there. They were as bad as Ryan at reading her every expression and she really needed time to take her test and deal with the emotions to follow, whether the answer was yes, or no.

She couldn’t wait even a second longer and headed straight for the bathroom. Shakily she read the instructions, then sat with the small stick sitting on the edge of the sink. She waited a full ten minutes before getting the courage to grab the stick again and see what the results were.

Her eyes filled with tears and overflowed down her cheeks but they were not tears of sadness, or even terror. They were tears of complete joy. She’d already known the answer, so she really didn’t see why the stick turning blue should be able to fill her with so much emotion but it was a confirmation that she was carrying Ryan’s baby within her womb.

By the size of her stomach, she figured she was several months along already too. She was surprised he hadn’t said anything about her weight gain. Actually, looking back, he’d made a comment she was so much healthier and her body was even more attractive to him. She smiled as she thought how his tune would change when she was as big as a whale.

She wasn’t ready to share her secret with anyone yet, so she stayed in the bathroom a while longer. She had to get control over her features, or the girls would know for sure something was up. She buried the test in the bottom of the garbage can and walked out.

Jasmine had arrived but was literally buried to her elbows in batter, so she couldn’t follow Nicole around, as she sometimes did. Trinity ended calling them and saying she couldn’t make it in because her youngest child had a cold. Nicole knew the women loved owning their own place, most of all because it allowed them to be mothers first.

She unconsciously rubbed her hand along her stomach and thought she’d love to be a full-time mother. If she could still work for them, she’d get to make that a reality. The place was set up for kids, with a nursery in the back and a playground out front. It would be ideal for a new mother.

She had real hope and she wanted to shout to the world she was going to be a mother. It would be hard not to say anything to Ryan that night but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to share with him, yet. She didn’t know how he was going to react to the news. She knew he loved children because he was amazing with his cousin’s kids but he’d been emphatic with her that their relationship was a temporary thing.

A child tied them together unlike anything else and even when they went their separate ways, they would always be a part of each other’s lives. It was all too complicated, so she decided to make some floral arrangements to get her mind off the situation.

“Good morning,” Ryan said, getting Nicole’s attention. She jerked in surprise and looked up with guilty eyes.

Ryan wondered what she was up to. He’d stood there watching her for several minutes and she’d been concentrating so hard on what she was doing she hadn’t been aware of anything around her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him suspiciously.

“I’m meeting an architect here for the girls, they want some remodel work done,” he told her.

“Oh, I didn’t know,” she said, seeming to breathe a relieved sigh. She really had his curiosity up. She wasn’t normally one to keep secrets. If she wanted to say something, she outright said it and to hell with the consequences.

“It looks like we’ll be around each other a lot because this project will take at least a couple months,” he said, with a self satisfied smile. Her eyes rounded at his words. There was no way she could be around him constantly at home and at her place of work and still keep her secret to herself. She needed to tell him but didn’t know how to do it.

“Well, um, I need to do some stuff in the back,” she said and then ran away. He was close to chasing her down and demanding to know why she was acting odd, but the man he was meeting showed up and that kept him busy for several hours.

By the time he was finished, Nicole managed to pull herself together and he knew he was getting nothing out of her. Ryan had discovered over the last several months even though she infuriated him on a continual basis he couldn’t imagine living without her, or Patsy for that matter.

He looked forward to seeing them both when he walked in the door and his once empty home was filled with warmth and laughter and he didn’t want it to go away. Now that he knew what she’d gone through as a child he knew she hadn’t left him for the reasons he’d once thought. It was time to put his heart out on the table and take a gamble.

He was afraid if she rejected him again he’d never be the same but he didn’t want to continue on the way things had been. He didn’t want her to give him everything of herself in their bed and nothing in the daylight.

“I have to head back home. I’ll see you in a few hours,” he said. Taking her in his arms, he kissed her with so much tenderness it left tears in her eyes. Nicole stared at him with a shell-shocked expression and simply nodded at him.

Ryan walked out of the shop whistling and feeling positive about the night to come. He went home and began setting the scene for what he hoped would be a romantic night, with a very happy ending.

Nicole got held up at the shop. The girls never asked her to stay late but they’d needed inventory done and asked for her help. It was eight by the time she made her way out the door. She was dead on her feet and still in shock over the pregnancy test.

She’d figured out she’d simply tell him the truth and explain a baby didn’t mean they needed to change things. They could come to a mutual agreement so they could both be equal participants in their child’s life. She hated the thought of them being nothing more than strangers. It hurt her in ways nothing had ever hurt before.

Nicole stepped into the house and looked around in confusion. The lighting was incredibly dim and no one seemed to be about. She looked down at the floor and saw rose petals everywhere. Had someone spilled something? Had there been an accident? She followed the path and found herself in the dining room.

Nicole gasped as she saw the scene before her. Her body began to tremble and her mind refused to acknowledge what she was seeing. Ryan was standing at one end of the room in a tuxedo, which showed his impressive body off to perfection. The man really wore a tux well, she thought. He was stunning and she could barely pull her eyes away from his magnificent form.

She looked at the table that was set for seduction. There were candles burning and more rose petals strewn about. Champagne was chilling and the aroma’s drifting in made her stomach growl in hunger. In the middle of it all, there was the largest rose bouquet she’d ever seen. A romantic song was playing in the background causing her body to react.

“What is all this?” she asked in awe.

“I thought you deserved a bit of romance,” he told her, with passion burning in his eyes. It took her breath away. He’d gone to so much trouble.

“I…I don’t know what to say,” she finally gasped. She felt the prickle of tears come to her eyes and quickly turned, not wanting him to see. She blamed her weak emotions on her pregnancy.

“Dance with me,” he gently commanded and then she was in his arms. She didn’t even think about resisting him. She fit into his body as if they were meant to be together. She laid her head on his masculine shoulder and he pulled her tightly against his hard body.

He smelled like home and she burrowed even closer against him. She didn’t care about anything other than that moment. She needed to have this night with him, before she told him about the baby and their world changed. She knew she’d look back on their night together and it would cause pain but at least she would be able to honestly tell her child how very much she was in love with her father.

Nicole had the feeling she would still be in love with him until the day she died. She’d never loved another and something like that didn’t just fall away. She would certainly lose a piece of her soul when he ended it.

Ryan spun her around the room in a gentle dance that was for just the two of them. He bent his head down and took her lips with his in such tender passion her heart grew to twice its normal size. She ran her hands up his neck and pulled him even closer.

He broke apart from her and took a step back, leaving her unsure and aching. He never broke contact with her and she didn’t think that was a good sign. She didn’t know it but she was looking at him with her heart in her eyes and Ryan knew at that moment she loved him. As long as she loved him the rest would fall into place.

“I want you badly, never doubt that but tonight is about romance and if I keep kissing you dinner will be forgotten and we’ll end up in bed,” he growled at her. Her chest puffed up with pride. She knew it was only sex but weren’t many other relationships built on so much less than that.

Ryan sat her down at the table and within moments a plate was set before her. They ate their meal and she found herself relaxing. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to give her a romantic night and she was feeling the effects of it. He poured her a glass of champagne and she didn’t say anything but made sure she didn’t pick it up instead of her water.

Over their dessert, Ryan took her hand in his and started caressing her wrist, which immediately sent her pulse skyrocketing. She didn’t think she’d ever get enough of him.

“Nicole, you’re unlike any other woman I’ve ever known and before you get all defensive, that’s a good thing. You’re beautiful, without a doubt but you’re also compassionate, loyal, giving, passionate, stubborn and everything else any man could possibly ever want. I started this relationship wanting to punish you for leaving me. No don’t try and pull away, let me finish,” he said to her when she tried removing her hands.

She squirmed in her seat but stopped trying to pull away. She could hear him out but it sounded as if he was about to break up with her and she didn’t know how she was going to listen to him with her heart breaking apart. She wanted to rub her stomach and somehow guard her unborn child from hearing his words.

“I’m trying to say I screwed up. I tried to punish you for leaving me but I know what really happened. Patsy talked to me and I wish so much you would’ve told me. I would have been there for you and protected you. I loved you then and I love you now and it nearly destroys me to know I wasn’t there to keep you safe. I should’ve been the one taking your pain. I should’ve known something was wrong but I let pride get in my way. I’ll never let that happen again. I’m laying my heart before you, right here and now. I love you, Nicole and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Please accept my love and let me protect you for the rest of my life,” he said tenderly, never breaking eye-contact.