She drops her head to my chest and shudders against me. “I’m so embarrassed,” she groans. “You must think I’ve lost my mind.”
I rub her back soothingly. “No, not at all. You’ll probably have to do the same thing for me tomorrow when it finally hits me.” I laugh, only half joking. A revelation of this magnitude would normally send me scurrying for my drug of choice. Even I’m amazed that I’m still level, without help, although I’m not naive enough to think it will remain that way. It’s been less than two weeks though and my aunt has warned me that the worst is still yet to come. Had I been a daily user, the withdrawal symptoms would have hit me sooner and with much more ferocity. I hope my struggle won’t be too severe, as I need to be her strength until she regroups. “Would you like to skip Leo’s and go home?”
Lia’s stomach growls almost on cue, and she smiles ruefully. “I think I can pull it together enough to have dinner. Apparently, I’m rather hungry.” She rubs her hands over her eyes one last time and we rejoin the people on the sidewalk until we reach Leo’s. I’ve been a regular for years so we’re immediately seated at a private table in the corner. We discuss the menu before deciding on the lasagna for two. I order us both a glass of tea, not wanting to make the fact Lia can no longer have wine obvious.
“So, are you ready for school to start next week?” I ask, trying to keep the conversation casual. I think it best we avoid talking about the baby again tonight until we’ve both had a bit of time to accept the news.
She finishes chewing her bite of bread before saying, “I think so. I can’t believe I’m almost finished. It won’t be long until I have my degree.” With a grin, she rubs her hands together. “Then it will be time for the hard part…finding a job.” Her eyes widen and she looks down. “No one is going to hire someone fresh out of college who’s pregnant, are they?”
I sigh in exasperation before taking her hand. “You’re not going to let yourself have one night for this to sink in, are you?”
She gives me a sheepish look before shaking her head. “I’m going to school to be an analyst, Lucian; do you honestly think it’s in my nature not to think about this from every possible angle?”
I can’t hold back my grin. She’s so fucking hot right now that I want to give her something to occupy that mouth of hers. Whoever said smart was sexy was spot-on. I have a favorite fantasy of her wearing that beautiful hair in a bun, some glasses, and a business suit. The skirt would be short and she wouldn’t be wearing panties. I’d put my hands on—
“Luc…hellooo. Are you listening to me?” She sounds slightly pissed as I refocus. I can only imagine how glazed my eyes must have been as I was carried away by the dream playing out in my head.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Sorry, baby. I was just picturing how you’ll look when I fuck you on my desk.” I shift in my seat, thankful for long tablecloths.
Her face flames red as she squeaks out, “What?”
“I might even let you take charge,” I muse. “What would you do with that kind of control? How would you choose to take me?”
“I…you…Lucian!” She’s stuttering now, which is adorable. I love throwing her off balance. If I have to suffer through dinner for an hour with a hard cock to take her mind off her pregnancy, then I will. Hell, I’ll work us both into an underwear-ripping frenzy by the time we pay the check.
“Yes?” I say idly as I drop a hand onto her leg before trailing it closer and closer to the apex of her thighs. “Do you remember our first date?”
“You mean the night I was drunk on Nyquil while Monique groped you all through dinner?” she chokes out as she attempts to clamp her legs closed.
I chuckle softly recalling how she had taken my breath away from the moment I’d laid eyes on her. She had been working as an escort for Date Night to help pay for her schooling and I’d been desperate for someone to accompany me to a business dinner. When I’d stepped from my car, there had been this beautiful woman staring at me and then to my utter shock, taking pictures of me with her cell phone. I had been thrilled to find out that she was my date for the evening.
Of course, considering nothing in life is ever simple, we’d had the misfortune to sit next to Monique Chandler. I’d made the monumental mistake of fucking her in the past and I’d spent months trying to convince her that I did not intend to take it any further than that. I had believed that taking a date with me to dinner would dissuade her from pawing me. In the end, she had still managed to do her fair share of touching while throwing barbs at Lia. But I couldn’t regret the evening. It had brought the woman I love into my life and for that, I would forever be grateful to Aidan for suggesting it.
“I was actually referring to our first dinner here at Leo’s.”