Hold (Gentry Boys, #5)(45)

“I’ve been thinking about my mother,” she whispered. “I really wish she was here. I wish there was someone to tell me how to do this.” She swiped at her eyes. “I wish she’d had the privilege of living long enough to meet her grandchild. It hurts so bad when I think about how much she would have loved this baby.”

So that was it. I should have guessed. Stephanie had adored her mother. She had died of cancer when Steph was a teenager. It was the most painful event of Stephanie’s life and she rarely spoke of it.

She stayed in my arms while I stroked her hair and let her cry. She needed that, a good cry. When her tears finally began to let up and her breathing returned to normal, I tipped her chin up again.

“She’d be so proud of you,” I said. I didn’t have to know Stephanie’s mother to know that it was true. “So incredibly proud.”

That made her smile a little. “I really wish she could have met you. She would have loved you too.”

I permanently abandoned the idea of grand gestures. I knelt at Stephanie’s feet and took her hand once more.

“I could have planned better for this,” I told her as she stared down at me, looking like a flushed angel. I kissed her hand and continued. “But someone wise told me the best moments in life are the unscripted ones. So I’m just going to say the words that are in my heart and wait for your answer. Stephanie Bransky, I love you more than I would have ever believed it was possible to love anyone. Will you marry me?”

She leaned her forehead into mine. “You know I will, Chasyn Gentry.”

I grinned and pushed her long hair aside. “I wouldn’t mind hearing it one more time.”

Stephanie slipped off the couch and into my lap. “Yes,” she whispered. “I will absolutely marry you.”

“Anytime?”

“Anywhere.”

“Tomorrow?”

She laughed. “If you’d like. But I think Saylor and Truly will have a fit if we don’t plan some kind of an event. They’ve been waiting for this you know.”

“Have you?” I asked her.

“Have I what?”

“Been waiting.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I never doubted that it would happen.”

I ran my hands over her hips and pushed her skirt up, repositioning her so she was straddling me. Lifting her shirt slightly, I gently touched her stomach. The protective sense that surged within me was ferocious. I could have moved mountains with it.

“You think it’s a boy or a girl?”

She pressed her hand over mine. “I just hope it’s not triplets.”

I flexed. “It might be. I’m betting my juice is very prolific.”

Steph rolled her eyes but she was still smiling. “Whatever.”

I kissed her again. “I can’t wait to marry you.”

Stephanie’s nausea had subsided for the time being so I whipped up some scrambled eggs with a side of cereal.

She dug in happily. “Somehow, this looks like the best dinner in the world.”

I swallowed a forkful of eggs. “Pregnancy cravings?”

She gathered both eggs and cereal together on the same spoon. “Maybe that can explain it. Oh my god, that’s good.”

“You gonna be in the mood to say that again later? Maybe with even more gusto and some heavy breathing?”

She gave me a naughty look. “Absolutely. Must be a case of raging, primitive hormones because I swear I almost jumped you when I walked through the door and saw you hunched over the vacuum cleaner.”

“Next time don’t hesitate.”

Stephanie put her spoon down. “Chase?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“I really do adore you. I always have.”

I took her hand. “A whole houseful of babies, huh?”

She gazed soulfully into my eyes. “Each one with your smile.”

We just dumped all the dishes unceremoniously in the sink. So much for a spotless apartment. I’d get to it tomorrow or something. Who wants to stop and take care of dishes when romance is so thick in the air?

Stephanie had already kicked off her heels as I followed her to the bedroom.

“Wait,” I demanded as she started to unbutton her shirt.

She stopped. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I moved her hands to her sides. “Keep them there. I want to do this my way.” I started to unbutton her blouse while she kept still. I slid the fabric from her shoulders and admired the view. “You’re so beautiful,” I said, hearing the lust in my voice and wondering how long it would agree to stand down. I unhooked her bra, letting it fall, and cupped her sweet breasts in my hands. They felt more delicate, hotter to the touch, than usual.

“Careful,” she moaned. “They’re kind of sore these days. Pregnancy thing.”

For some reason the warning made me even more insanely hard. I laid her down gently on the bed, sliding her skirt down, followed by her panties. Now I could detect the slight changes in her body. She was still slender but when I ran my hand over her lower belly there was a firm, swollen feeling to the skin that hadn’t been there before. I would know. I knew every inch of her by now.

“That’s you in there,” she whispered as my hand lingered.

“It’s us,” I corrected, scooting back enough so that I was able to easily remove my shirt and pants. I was dying to get skin on skin but I wanted to enjoy her for a little while longer first. Lightly, carefully, I massaged her tender breasts.