“I’m still trying to figure it out,” I said, stretching out on the couch. “And I’m not being politically correct, I swear. I just don’t have strong feelings one way or the other. What about you?”

  She scrunched up her face. “You really want me to admit it?”

  I gestured to show that she had the floor.

  “Okay … I’m hoping for a …”

  “Girl,” I finished for her.

  “Yes!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining. “How did you guess?”

  “Well, you already have Rafe in your life, and he’s sort of like a son to you, so now you can have a daughter as well.”

  She beamed at me. “Exactly right. But then maybe we could add a boy, too? Down the road?”

  I pretended to be shocked even though I secretly loved the idea of having a big family with Max. “How many kids do you want?”

  “Um, maybe two. Or four.” Her smile grew wider. “Who knows?”

  “Okay then, I guess we have our work cut out for us.” I waggled my eyebrows at her.

  “My favorite job,” she answered with a wink.

  “Let’s talk girl names. What do you like?”

  Max placed her empty plate on the coffee table and stretched out so her bare feet were against mine. “Oh, I have a bunch. Hannah. Taylor. Tessa. Molly. Piper. It’ll be a tough choice. What do you like?”

  “Those are all good options, actually. No complaints. But don’t you feel like you need to meet the baby before we pick a name?”

  “I do,” she agreed quickly. “We can have a few frontrunners then make our pick when he or she arrives. How about boy names?”

  “My father’s name was Benjamin,” I offered.

  “Oh, I’ve always loved that name,” Max sighed. “And what a way to honor him.”

  “What about you?” I asked quickly, because I could feel myself getting emotional at the thought of my father. “What do you like?”

  “Well, Ben is now my top choice, but I also like Grant, Devon, Perry, and Sebastian.”

  “Perry?” I made a face. “No thank you.”

  “Fine,” she conceded with a smile. “It’s off the list.”

  Being together again felt so right. I couldn’t believe I almost let her slip away. There was no need to fill our time with parties and meals at fancy restaurants where we could see and be seen. All we needed to be content was each other. It was still a shock that the beautiful woman sitting on my couch didn’t need a thing from me.

  I looked around my condo. “You know, my mom was right about this place. It’s not exactly baby-friendly.”

  Max laughed. “You mean the concrete end tables with pointy edges and slippery marble floors aren’t a fit for a baby? And that glass art installation in the front hall that looks like a strong gust of wind could tip it over is a bad idea? Huh, you don’t say.”

  “I feel like I’ve outgrown this place.” I answered, ignoring her sarcasm. “It was the perfect bachelor pad for me when I moved in, but my life is different now.”

  She tilted her head to study me. “How does that make you feel?”

  I could see she wondered whether I’d be upset about downshifting my lifestyle to make room for a baby, but the truth was I’d been over living like a party boy for far too long. It held zero appeal for me now. Even before Max had come into my life. I’d wanted to start focusing on what mattered, but I hadn’t been able to visualize a path to get there until her.

  “How does it make me feel? Happy,” I answered. “It makes me feel so incredibly happy that everything is changing. And that you’re in my life again. For good.”

  She scrutinized me and it felt like she was scanning me to make sure I was telling the truth.

  “Max, I love you so damn much,” I said, hoping to erase any of her concerns.

  Her expression softened into a smile, but she sniffled and wiped the corner of her eye.

  “Are you crying?” I asked.

  She sniffled again and nodded. “I’m so happy, Theo. It’s … it’s overwhelming. Because I never thought we’d get here. I love you, too.”

  I eased off the couch and walked down to her end, then wiped a tear from her cheek with my thumb. “No more crying, okay?”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Maybe this will help,” I said, giving her ponytail a light tug to direct her face up. I moved down to kiss her, one hand resting on her delicate neck and the other tangled in her long hair.

  She met my lips with a hungry intensity. We hadn’t made love in weeks, and it was clear we were both burning for each other, despite our polite dinner and chat.

  Max pulled back. “Make love to me,” she whispered.

  I pulled her up from the couch without another word and started toward my bedroom. Max tripped behind me, her hand on my ass as I walked down the long hallway. It was enough to make me go hard instantly.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” she murmured as she draped her arms over my shoulders from behind.

  “You don’t even know how much I’ve missed you,” I growled back at her, kicking open my bedroom door.

  I pulled her into another kiss and walked her backward toward the bed. She climbed onto it then reclined on her back, her eyes half-mast.

  I gazed down at her. “How is it possible that you’re even more beautiful now? I’m in fucking awe of you.”

  She rolled onto her side and covered her face, laughing. “Stop, you’re embarrassing me. I’m a total mess.”

  I kicked my shoes off and straddled her on the bed. “You’re a masterpiece,” I said, gazing down at her. I ran my thumb along her mouth. “These lips.” I trailed down her neck and cupped her breasts. “This body.”

  I had to fight to keep from grinding against her.

  “It’s changing,” Max said softly. “Every day, it’s a little softer, a little rounder. Will you still love me when I’m big as a house?”

  “I’ll love you no matter what size,” I answered quickly. “I love all of you, from your funny crooked pinky toe to your perfect little ears.”

  “And I love all of you,” she responded. “And I’d like to see all of you, please. So take your clothes off, now.”

  I pulled the t-shirt over my head and Max’s hands flew to my chest, massaging, exploring, and driving me wild. She dragged her thumb over my nipple and I went concave.

  “Ticklish?” she asked.

  “Theo Barnes? Ticklish? Never.”

  “Oh really?” she had a devilish look in her eyes as she let her fingers drop to my hips. “How about this?”

  Her soft fingertips danced along my skin, forcing a laugh out of me. “Stop.”

  “Not ticklish, huh?” she said, moving toward my stomach.

  “Max,” I yelled as she went in for the kill. “Enough!”

  I grabbed both of her hands and pinned them to the bed over her head so she was powerless, getting a scream of protest out of her. “No fair!”

  “Now it’s my turn to torture you,” I leaned over her and whispered.

  I kept both of her hands clenched in one of mine while I used the other to pop the button on her jean shorts. Her breath hitched as I slid my hand under her panties.

  “Theo …” she whispered, arching against me as my fingers brushed the center of her pleasure.

  I paused, moving my hand so it rested on the soft skin of her low belly. “Yes?”

  “Don’t stop,” she pleaded.

  “You mean you want me to keep doing this?” I murmured in her ear as I let my fingertips glide along her soft, warm heat. A teasing, featherlight touch that had her squirming.

  Her breath hitched. “Yes.”

  She parted her legs to give me more access, and I slipped my finger inside of her, alternating between massaging her clit and letting her ride my hand. I could tell she was close, so I stopped again, only to get an anguished cry out of her.

  “Theo, what are you doing to me?” she panted.

  I released my hold on her wrists then hooked my hands on her jean shorts and tugged them off along with her panties, repositioning myself between her legs. “This.”

  I dropped my mouth to taste her, and she nearly flew off the bed the second my lips found her. She tasted better than I remembered, and if I didn’t want to fuck her so badly I would’ve gladly stayed between her legs, kissing and teasing her, for the rest of the night.

  Max was writhing against me, and I had to fight to keep from stroking myself. Her hands wove into my hair and she gripped tightly, like she was worried I’d break off again, right before she came. My tongue explored every inch of her soft folds, slow and languid then pulsing with pressure against her clit. I slipped a finger inside of her and she made a noise that sounded almost animalistic.

  I could feel the tension building inside of her. Her thighs trembled, and a few seconds later she was crying out, hoarse with pleasure. I sucked and kissed her until she finally pushed me away.

  “Theo Barnes, if you don’t fuck me this instant I’m going to lose my mind.”

  She didn’t need to ask me twice. I stripped off my jeans and briefs and moved toward my nightstand.

  “No need,” Max said. “I can’t get any more pregnant than I already am.”

  “That’s right,” I said as I moved back onto the bed. Max was still wearing her shirt, so I stripped it off. “No bra?”

  She giggled. “I won’t be able to go braless for much longer so I’m taking advantage of it. They’re already getting bigger.”

  I took her breasts in my hands to appreciate the fullness. “I thought so.”

  I leaned over to take her nipple in my mouth, and she writhed beneath me, reaching down between my legs.

  “Cock. Now,” she ordered, grasping me firmly.

  She started caressing my shaft and I felt like I couldn’t move. Max knew exactly how to drive me insane. I finally found the strength to push away from her enough to reposition myself so that I was poised with my dick resting against her heat.

  I finally plunged inside of her, getting a little cry out of Max as I let every sensation wash over me. The perfect way we fit together, Max’s beautiful face glowing up at me, and the promise that we’d be able to share this magic over and over again.

  I started moving against her, undulating slowly because I wanted to make it last. Max arched against the bed, and I dragged my hand down her chest, claiming every bit of her.

  “Do you feel good?” I asked.

  Her eyes were closed and her lips were parted, but she managed a tiny nod.

  “Then come for me,” I whispered.

  I slipped my hand down between us and her breath caught again. Within seconds she was filling the room with the noises that could bring me to my knees. I only managed a few more thrusts before I found my own release.

  I lowered myself so that my body covered hers as we both tried to catch our breath.

  “I love you, Theo,” Max whispered in my ear.

  “And I love you more,” I said, wrapping my arms around her, warmed by the knowledge that I’d never have to let go.

  39

  MAX

  “Hand over that baby.”

  I shielded my eyes from the sun and looked up at the two figures hovering in front of me on the yacht deck. My mom had her arms outstretched toward us, her eyes trained on Molly, with Elena waiting beside her like she was next in the queue.

  “Are you sure?” I adjusted Molly in my arms. “She’s acting really fussy right now.”

  The baby arched her back and made a whining noise to prove my point.

  “Of course I’m sure.” She flapped her empty hands at me for emphasis. “This is where I shine. Plus, you look exhausted. You need a break.”

  “Okay, ouch,” I said. “And here I thought I looked pretty good today.”

  I’d put in extra effort for the party. It was a big deal, since we had so much to celebrate. We were on the Celeritas for her maiden voyage, the first yacht constructed under the partnership with Ford. Theo and I laughed that the boat was named for speed even though nothing about the arrangement with Ford had been fast.

  “Oh stop, you look incredible,” Elena said. “It’s hard to believe you just had a baby,”

  “You’re being generous. Molly is almost a year old; that’s hardly ‘just.’ And this dress hides all my sins.” I plucked at the diaphanous black maxi dress.

  My mom took advantage of the fact that I was busy talking to Elena to gently pry Molly from my arms, as if I didn’t notice what she was doing. The baby made a few mewling noises then quickly settled against her grandmother’s chest as she started walking in circles.

  “You really don’t know how to take a compliment, do you?” Elena scolded. “I mean, here you are, with a baby, a new house to run, a growing business, and an incredible profile in the New York Times. You’re unstoppable!”

  I blushed. “Okay, okay, you’re right. Thank you for being my cheerleader. But, not to be contrarian, it wasn’t exactly a profile.”

  She huffed at me. “Well, it’s still a very big deal.”

  Elena was right, the coverage in the newspaper had been an unexpected boost to my business. I’d worried that passing up the internship would set me back, but the opposite had happened, to my shock. A few of the models I’d worked with over the years had become pregnant at the same time as me, so I started a series of photos I called “The Nature of Pregnancy.” The series was all about capturing women in the full bloom of pregnancy against the backdrop of their favorite outdoor spaces, so I’d done shoots on hiking trails, in swimming holes, and set amid the flowers of botanical gardens. It gradually grew from taking photos of pregnant women I knew personally to strangers reaching out to me, saying that they wanted to be photographed by me as well. I attracted quite a following online, and the Times reached out to me to feature my pictures, also having me photograph a few pregnant celebrities for the piece.

  A job that normally would’ve gone to Richard Adams. I wondered how he felt about a would-be “muse” stealing work from him.

  I looked around at the people gathered on the boat and felt nothing but happiness. The familiar faces of his family mixed in with new friends, like the wives of a few of Theo’s business associates. I’d immediately liked both Kaitlyn and Maddy, married to his friends James and Noah, respectively. Kaitlyn’s stepdaughter Harper couldn’t get enough of the baby, and I felt a kinship with Maddy because she was newly pregnant with her first.

  “Are you two good with Miss Molly for a few minutes?” I asked as I stood up.

  “A few minutes?” Elena snorted at me. “Good luck trying to get this angel back from us.”

  She and my mom walked away cooing at Molly, leaving me to snag my camera for a few shots.

  I wandered around until I spotted Theo, Ford, and Rafe on the aft deck. The two younger men were listening to Ford explaining something. Ford was growing on me. For starters, he really was as brilliant at his job as Theo had claimed. Also, he and Pam had finally started couples therapy after her failed seduction of Theo. I was never going to fully understand their marriage. But he’d started treating Pam as a person instead of a prize. And in return, she’d stopped trying to make him jealous and insecure. Which meant Ford was a lot more pleasant to be around—especially when he was talking about his true love, yachts.

  I could see the wheels turning in Rafe’s head even from a distance. He’d never been much for boats, but his growing relationship with Theo seemed to be changing his perspective. He’d been shadowing Ford when he had free time, and I could envision a summer job in the works. It made me happy that having Theo around had managed to improve Rafe’s life so much. The divorce didn’t seem to impact Rafe negatively at all.

  I snapped a few photos of the men, smiling to myself at how much had changed since my first time on a Barnes yacht, when I was a sleepy stowaway. I was happier than I ever thought I could be with the very person I thought back then that I couldn’t stand. But I’d been so wrong about him. Sure, Theo was cocky as hell, and sometimes it was annoying, but I knew firsthand that he was the kindest and most generous person around. Not to mention, the best boyfriend imaginable and the world’s most devoted dad.

  I ran my thumb along the tiny date tattooed on the inside of my wrist. Molly’s birthday, which was permanently etched onto her father’s skin in the same spot as well. It was safe to say we were both addicted to our daughter.

  Sweet Molly, the most beautiful, clever, charming baby to ever be born. It’s possible I was a little biased—or maybe I was right and Theo and I were just exceptionally good at babymaking. I couldn’t wait to have another one. I was ready to really start trying, but Theo finally admitted he wanted more solo time to dote on his firstborn. Although he wasn’t opposed to getting rid of the goalie, which, given how often we made love, meant that there could be a positive pregnancy test any day now.

  The afternoon passed quickly, a blur of happy faces and an endless blue sky. Pam and I even found a few minutes to make nice over drinks. I still didn’t trust her, or even like her much, but I pretended to for the sake of the partnership. It turned out that when she was focusing her desires on the newest designer collections, instead of Theo, she was a lot more tolerable.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, dinner will be served in fifteen minutes if you’d like to make your way to the tables,” a steward said over the intercom.

  I headed for the stateroom where I’d put Molly down for a nap and found Theo stretched out on the bed with her, laughing and playing.

  “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be outside schmoozing?” I asked, plopping down next to them. Molly gurgled her approval.

  “I fulfilled my quota for the day,” he answered as he reached over to give my thigh a squeeze.

  “I’m still in shock that we’re on this vessel,” I said, gesturing around at the grand room. “Have you ever worked harder on a deal?”

  He shook his head. “Never. But I’ve also never had a better payoff.”

  I tilted my head in confusion. “But … this is her maiden voyage. I might not know exactly how your business works, but don’t you need a bunch of renters before you can consider the payoff?”