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“Max? Say something,” Arlo pleaded.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say, except…” There were so many things I didn’t know, but one thing was certain, so I decided to lead with that. “I love you,” I finished matter-of-factly.

“You—I—” he stammered, visibly flustered. “You broke rule number four,” he finally huffed.

“Arlo, I can’t promise how things will turn out. Our future is up in the air, and I know this baby wasn’t something we planned, but… I’m not upset about it. I’d like to think that, if we’d been given the time to explore our relationship, we would’ve reached this point on our own eventually, because… I want to have a baby with you, Arlo. I want to build a family with you, even if we’re moving a little faster than we planned. People are going to talk about us, strangers mostly, speculating about our relationship and doubting how we feel about each other, and it’ll probably be tough at times, but they won’t know how much I love you. How much I will love our child. But what I can promise you is that I will take care of you and our baby, whatever that looks like for us.”

Arlo let out a shaky breath. “Max?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

The relief those words brought was so immense that my vision blurred with growing moisture. “You do? You’re not just saying that?”

He nodded frantically. “I’ve felt that way for a while, but I didn’t want to say anything that might influence your decision in this.”

“As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one decision to make, and that’s about when I can get back there to see you.” I groaned. “You’re too damn far away right now. Gods, I want to kiss you so badly.” Among other things I wanted desperately to do to him.

Arlo pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. “Are we really doing this? A relationship, a baby… a family?” He looked a bit unsettled, and I wished I could pull him into my arms and tell him everything was going to be okay.

“For as long as you’ll have me,” I whispered, soaking in every detail of his beautiful face.

I wished I could talk with him longer, but the office door opened and Stanley stalked out, gesturing for me to get up. “That’s enough of a break. We don’t want your body to cool down yet. Back at it.”

“Sorry, precious, I need to go. How about this weekend? I could come for a visit… if you want?”

He gave me a relieved smile. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

Meanwhile, I had no intention of waiting that long to see him. I was already rearranging my schedule in my head to allow for more time with my omega.

19

Arlo

In the shadowy corner of The Bar Cherry, I was able to stand back and watch without anyone seeing me. I wasn’t watching Cass up on stage, though he was certainly something to behold in his sequined thong and tasseled pasties—no, tonight my eyes were focused on the audience.

Their expressions ranged from horny to excited, but the one thing they all had in common was how they couldn’t look away. They devoured Cass, the way he rotated his hips, moved his hands over his body, and he took their devotion (and cash) as payment.

I could do that, I thought to myself.

It made me think of how Max fucked me on the balcony, how he’d said, “Let the world watch you… because you are so damn beautiful.” And that was exactly what I’d felt. Beautiful, powerful, in control. And I wanted to feel it again.

Not tonight, but soon maybe, before my body changed forever. What would Max think? Would he sit in the front row and watch me? Would he cheer?

With Max always lingering in my thoughts, I almost wondered if I was imagining him, because the man who had just walked in the front door certainly looked like my alpha. But then he looked up, and I knew. This was no dream.

With no hesitation, Max crossed the room and drew me into his arms, his nose buried against my neck, the light beard he’d been growing rasping along my skin and setting me on fire. I had to wave off the security guards before they took him down.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, squeezing him as tightly as I could. I hadn’t felt him like this since before that stupid fucking article was printed. How sure am I that I’m not dreaming? “You said Sunday, didn’t you? It’s not Sunday. Not that I’m complaining.”

He pulled back just enough to rest his forehead on mine, sharing my air. “Are you kidding? I couldn’t wait. I got on the first plane I could. You’re carrying my child, Arlo. You’re my everything. I needed to see you in person to tell you I love you, and I want to marry you—for real, this time.”

I choked on a laugh, tears blurring my eyes as I stroked his cheeks and kissed his perfect lips. “Does that mean I can put this back on?” I asked, pulling the chain out from my shirt and holding up the ring.

“Is that a yes?” he asked, already fumbling for the chain’s clasp.

“Yes, Max. Yes, I will marry you.”