Pace grabs the remote control from the bed and presses a button. The TV screen comes to life, displaying a man and a woman.

  "I was watching a movie," he says.

  When the woman laughs, I realize that is the sound I heard.

  My relief is instant, and sobering. "I'm sorry," I say.

  "For not believing in me or for leaving?" he asks.

  "For everything." I sink down onto the edge of his bed, my heart feeling heavy. The adrenaline surge I felt just moments ago, thinking I was about to discover him in a sordid act, makes my pulse plummet. I feel drained. "I was scared, Pace. Scared of feeling something real for you. Scared you couldn’t possibly return those feelings."

  "This is as real as it gets, angel," he says.

  "I know that now."

  "So what happened with you and Elan?" he asks, his voice guarded.

  "If Elan wants a relationship with Max, I won't keep him from that. But I have no interest in him, not romantically, anyway." I glance up at Pace, unsure of what he's thinking. He's never normally so guarded. "If you'll still have me…" I start.

  Pace steps closer and reaches for my hand. I place my palm against his and he pulls me up so I'm standing before him. "I'm keeping you for always. I thought I told you that."

  He leans in, and with Max still in his arms, he kisses me right on the mouth. I kiss him back, my heart thumping wildly. I'm sure he understands that he's the first man I've let kiss me in front of my son.

  "You're stubborn as hell, you know that, right?" Pace asks, pulling back with a smile hot enough to singe.

  "What makes you say that?"

  "You fought my every advance. I've never worked this hard in my damn life."

  I laugh softly. "I did put up one hell of a fight, but you're a hard man to resist," I admit.

  "Did something happen this morning? Did Elan do something to change your mind?"

  "No. It was all the things he didn't do. He doesn't connect with Max like you do. He doesn't make me feel safe and secure. And he certainly doesn't make me feel out of control with desire."

  "Out of control?" he asks, his voice dropping lower. "Last night was…incredible," he admits, planting a kiss on my forehead.

  "Yes, it was," I agree. I'd never felt so deeply connected to a man when he was inside of me like I did with Pace. Sex was just sex, but with him, it was something else entirely. It was so much more. I could lose control and let go, something I rarely did in my day-to-day life. The sensation was freeing.

  I had no idea what would happen next, and as it turned out, Pace proved to be anything but an ordinary boyfriend.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kylie

  It feels so good to finally have my arm out of the cast. I stretch my arms leisurely above my head, wincing at the small ache when I bend my elbow. I study myself in the full length mirror in my bedroom, and smooth my black sleeveless dress over my hips. My poor arm looks pale and scrawny. I add several long layering necklaces, hoping the bling will draw the attention away from my arm. I have no idea what we're doing tonight. Pace said to be ready at six o'clock, and when I'd asked about Max, he just smiled and said he had everything covered. I wasn't sure what his vague answer meant, so I'd probed my nanny for details. I'd asked if she was staying late tonight and watching him, she'd merely smiled and said that she'd been sworn to secrecy. Then she added that I shouldn’t worry, and yes, she was taking care of Max tonight.

  I hadn't been on a proper date in forever, and Pace and I had never actually been on a real date, sans baby, since we started dating six weeks ago. I was almost giddy at the thought of being alone with him. I hoped I could control myself long enough at a restaurant, because I was majorly looking forward to being alone with him. Alone, alone.

  Glancing at the clock, I see it's just now six, so I step into my black heels and grab my miniature handbag. Carrying this thing is a treat – normally my extra-large purse also housed pacifiers, diapers and baby toys.

  I hear voices from the living room and when I enter, Pace is standing talking to my nanny, Lynn. They both fall silent as I enter the room.

  "What's with all the secrecy?" I ask, grinning at my adorably sexy boyfriend.

  He treats me to a crooked grin and drags his eyes down my body. "You look stunning."

  "Thank you," I murmur, my cheeks suddenly heating. I take a moment to admire him as well. Pace is dressed smartly in tailored black pants, and a white dress shirt with a black tie knotted loosely at his neck. His shirtsleeves are rolled up several times, exposing strong, tanned forearms. He looks delicious. Good enough to eat. And suddenly, I'm starving, but it's not for dinner.

  "We better get going, we've got a schedule to maintain," Pace says.

  I nod, then turn to Lynn, who is holding Max on her hip. "Are you sure you guys will be okay? I have a leftover chicken casserole in the fridge for dinner, and…"

  She stops me with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We will be just fine, Kylie. You deserve a night out. Enjoy it."

  I nod. Lynn is amazing, and Max loves spending time with her. I know I have nothing to worry about. "Thank you."

  Pace offers me his arm and he leads me outside, where there is a black stretch limousine waiting for us at the curb. A slow smile uncurls on my mouth. "Well, this is unexpected," I say.

  "We're going to have fun tonight," he says, fighting off a grin of his own.

  I know Pace is wealthy, but he doesn't throw his money around or live an extravagant lifestyle, which makes this little treat so much more enjoyable. The limo driver opens the car door for us and Pace gestures for me to get in first. I slid across the black leather seat, my eyes wandering around the dim interior of the car. There's soft jazz music playing, and a bottle of champagne chilling on ice. He's pulled out all the stops. The date hasn’t even begun yet, and I'm already in love with it.

  Pace slides in beside me, and I note the soft scent of aftershave permeating the air around him. I picture him taking extra care in getting ready, and I like it. I can't help my eyes falling to his lap, wondering if he's gone commando tonight like he so often does, or if I'll find boxers underneath and be able to unwrap him like a present…

  "My eyes are up here, angel," Pace reminds me with a playful smirk.

  I grin back at him, unable to help the bubble of laughter that escapes me. "Sorry. I guess I'm just excited to be alone – just us."

  "Me too. But you don't have to strip me naked and ride me in the limo, we have the whole night ahead of us."

  While I lean back against the seat, feeling blissfully happy, Pace pops the cork on the champagne and pours us each a glass. I take a sip of the bubbly drink and make a little contented sound. Pace's eyes dance on mine as he takes a drink of his own. Then he presses his lips to mine. It's an innocent kiss – he's nuzzling into me and lightly kissing my mouth – but the promise of hot, wild sex later tonight hangs in the air between us.

  "When are we going to have the discussion?" he asks, pulling back from his kisses.

  "What discussion?" I ask.

  He lifts one dark eyebrow and smirks at me. "About our living arrangements."

  Oh. That one. We've had this argument probably ten times already, but couldn’t seem to figure out where we were going to live, and what to do with each of our places. Pace wanted Max and I to move into his condo as soon as possible – yesterday preferably, but I was hanging on to my home. It was all Max knew. My office was already set up there, and I had a small backyard where Max could play. Besides, Pace's condo wasn't exactly baby-friendly.

  "I have a solution," he says, bringing his lips to my neck.

  "I'm listening," I say. I don't want another heated argument where we don't get anywhere. We're supposed to be enjoying tonight. And he knows where I stand, so if he suggests we move in to his condo again, I won't hesitate to put him in his place.

  "What if I bought a new home for us? Somewhere with a home office for you, a backyard for Max, and an extra bedroom for baby number two."

  I choke on my champagne. Fighting to clear my airway, I sputter and cough. "Baby number two?"

  Pace smiles at me adoringly. "I want to get you pregnant."

  I think my ovaries just melted. "What?"

  "I think Max should have a little brother or sister, don't you?"

  Dear God, what is he saying? My mouth opens, then closes, like a fish gasping for air. "Y-yes, someday, but we're not even married." Why I just said that, I have no idea. I'm smart enough to know that people don't have to be married to have a baby. Elan and I were never married, and Max is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Aside from Pace.

  Pace just smiles knowingly at me. "I'm just saying, it might be a good idea to stop taking your birth control pills. We could pull the goalie, so to speak, and see what happens." The light flickering in his eyes tells me that he's secretly in love with this idea. A warm tingling sensation spreads through me. I don’t know if it’s the champagne, or the deep love and adoration I feel emanating from this beautiful man.

  I'm so thrown off by him wanting another baby, I haven’t even been able to process his statement about buying us a home. One thing at a time. "This new home idea," I say. "Tell me more."

  "I'm thinking we each sell our places, and move into a new home that we pick out together."

  His idea is actually a good one. Someplace fresh where we can both start over. And if we're looking ahead to the long term, room for another baby is probably a smart idea too. There is one thing that bugs me, though.

  "When you said that you would buy us a home…I want to be in this fifty-fifty with you."

  His mouth curls up in a grin. "So you're in?"

  "I'm in. Except for the baby part, I've just barely lost the baby weight, so forgive me if I'm not jumping for joy at the thought of gaining another forty pounds and toting around a big belly, with a toddler on my hip." Plus Max is still in diapers. Maybe we can wait a little while, for my sanity's sake. Pace chuckles and I swat at his shoulder. "Why are you laughing?"

  "I'm just picturing you barefoot and pregnant," he says, with a wide smile. "And I like it."

  "You pig," I murmur, but I'm unable to hide my smile.

  Pace moves closer and places his hand on my stomach. "I don't care how much weight you gain or lose, and for the record, I can't wait to see you with a big belly, knowing I put a life inside of you."

  His words warm my heart, but before I have time to respond, the limo pulls to a stop. I glance out the heavily tinted windows and am surprised to see we're parked near a plane. "What's this?" I ask.

  The limo driver parks and Pace opens the door. "Remember when I said we were going to have fun tonight?"

  I nod.

  "I meant all night. It's an overnight date. Lynn is staying the night with Max. We're headed to Napa Valley for a wine tasting and dinner, and a night alone in a hotel. Is that okay with you?"

  "I…I…" The thought of staying an entire night alone with Pace is intoxicating.

  "Max will be in good hands," he says. "And so will you."

  I swallow and follow him from the limo to the jet, still in a state of shock.

  "Is this a private plane?" I ask.

  He nods. "It's Colton's."

  "I don't have an overnight bag," I say, stopping at the stairs that lead to the jet.

  "Already taken care of."

  "You packed for me?" I ask, spinning to face him.

  He meets my eyes. "I told you I would always take care of you."

  I swallow as a sudden rush of emotion hits me. He's planned everything out so carefully tonight and just knowing the time and care he put into this date makes me weak in the knees. In everything he does, I can feel his love for me. It's not in his words, it's in his actions. It's always been that way, I realize.

  After a short flight, with more champagne, and a delicious wine tasting where the sommelier paired fancy wines with scrumptious foods from the menu, we are full, happy, and slightly tipsy.

  Pace and I spent most of dinner discussing which areas we would like to live and the features of our new dream home.

  "Do you remember that night at the gala?" I ask, once we're back inside of yet another limo, this one taking us to our hotel for the night.

  Pace's deep blue eyes have been on mine almost the entire night – and his attention is dizzying. "Of course. What about it?"

  "You brought that terrible date." I giggle. Platinum blonde hair, large double-D breasts and not an ounce of fat or jiggle anywhere on her body.

  He groans. "The date from hell," he agrees.

  I recall how he spent a good portion of the evening talking to me, even though he was there with another woman. "Did you have sex with her that night?" I hadn't meant to ask that, but the words roll off my wine-loosened tongue before I can take them back.

  "Do you really want to know?" he asks, his tone low.

  I wince. Geez, maybe not. I give a careful nod.

  Pace looks out the window, looking a little lost. "We didn't have intercourse." He doesn’t say anything more, and I don’t pry. I don’t want to ruin this perfect evening with talk of our exes. I'm just feeling nostalgic about how much Pace has evolved from the man I first met.

  I reach over and take his hand in mine. "I love you no matter what." We just recently started saying the L word to each other, and each time my belly does a happy little flip. "All the baggage in the world couldn’t keep me from you. Besides, I have baggage of my own."

  "Max is not baggage. He's a bonus. I've told you that." Pace brings my hand to his mouth and kisses the back of it, his eyes lingering on mine. "What I remember best about that night at the gala is how completely stunning and classy you were. The moment I saw you, my mouth went dry and I was at a loss for words. My heart started beating too damn fast and I had no idea what was happening. I think I fell in love with you right then."

  I smirk. "I think you weren't used to a woman telling you no."

  "Hell no I wasn't." He treats me to a gorgeous smile, the light, playful mood of this evening returning between us. His eyes linger on mine, turning serious. "Did you take your birth control pill yet today?" he asks.

  "Pace!" I smack his shoulder again. "Yes. I did." I had no idea he'd want another baby so quickly. It's actually quite sweet. I can picture his big hands cradling a tiny newborn, and my chest feels tight. "But since I didn’t pack my pills…" I grin.

  Pace's answering smile is wide and lights up his entire face. Heaven help me, will I ever be able to say no to this man?

  Our limousine stops and I see a beautiful hotel lit up against the dark sky.

  Pace has called ahead and somehow, miraculously we are already checked in to a lavish hotel room that's more like a large apartment. There's a basket of toiletries, along with men's and women's pajamas sitting on a side table waiting for us. And an overnight bag that Pace says Sophie packed for me. Even though Colton's reaction to us dating wasn't great at first, he's come around, seeing that Pace is different with me.

  I explore the suite – there's a living room outfitted with two cream-colored sofas and a glass coffee table between them, a huge marble bathroom with a steam shower and Jacuzzi tub and a bedroom with a fluffy king bed. It's too much for just one night, but I love that Pace has gone all out for our night away, knowing they are so rare.

  "This is amazing," I say, turning to him. He's been quietly following me from room to room, clearly loving the joy on my face.

  "I'm glad you like it, angel." We're standing in the bedroom, where the huge king bed looms in the distance. Spending the entire night with him in a bed will be a luxury. Even sex in an actual bed is a rarity for us. We're typically trying to hide from Max, and sex is generally quick and quiet. His office is an old favorite – bent over the desk, or sitting on top while he thrusts between my thighs. Tonight there will be no interruptions. No distractions. A warm shiver races over me as Pace's dark blue eyes roam over my exposed skin.

  "Come here," he says, his voice low and authoritative.

  My panties dampen instinctively at the rough sound of his voice. I walk slowly, seductively toward him, thankful without a clunky cast on my arm, I actually feel sexy. I stop in front of him, my high heels giving me an extra boost of height, so my lips are at his throat, and gaze up at him with soulful eyes.

  He leans down, bringing his mouth to mine and kisses me, long and deep. I feel his hands skim carefully down my sides, until they find my backside and cup my ass cheeks, his fingers squeeze and a rough growl escapes his throat. His worshipful reverence of my body makes me feel like maybe I am enough, makes me feel like I should just forget about those last ten pounds and the extra jiggle and accept the woman I am now. I reach up and twine my fingers into the hair at the back of his neck, enjoying the way his roaming hands are exploring my body. While my tongue strokes his, Pace trails his hands down my ass until he reaches under my skirt and lifts my dress up around my waist. His warm palms meet bare skin and he smiles, looking down appreciatively at the black g-string I've worn tonight just for him.

  "Hmm," he growls. "No boy shorts tonight?"

  I almost chuckle, but instead I bite my lip while trying not to smile. He's never complained about my choice of comfy underwear, but I can tell he likes this sexier version I'm wearing tonight. I shrug. "Special occasion and all that." I almost want to tell him about the matching bra with its demi cups, but I know he'll discover that soon enough.

  He runs one finger along the seam of my pussy, lingering over the sensitive nub, and sparks of heat lick at my inner muscles. Then he drops my skirt and his fingers move to the zipper at my back, slowly sliding it lower until I can step out of the dress.

  As soon as I'm free of the dress, his dark eyes glaze over with lust and wandering hands are back, gently touching and appreciating every curve I have. I stand straight and tall in the black heels, feeling every bit like a powerful sex goddess.

  Deciding he still has far too many clothes on, my fingers move to his belt buckle. His erection is already tenting his slacks, and I'm dying to feel his hot, hard flesh in my hands. Especially since I now have the use of both hands.