Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
His concern incited my remorse. I didn’t want him constantly battling against my overthinking but … “If I told you what just crossed my mind, you’d run so far and so fast I’d see a Baird-shaped hole in my front door.”
He grinned that sexy grin of his. “I doubt it. Tell me.” At my hesitation, he prompted, “Did you know I’m like a dog with a bone when I want something?”
The fact that he’d stuck around for over a year waiting for me to open my eyes and see he was the better choice, I think I did. Oh well. Here went nothing.
“I’m thirty. By thirty-five … pregnancy is considered high risk.”
One thick handsome eyebrow quirked up toward his forehead.
“Rethinking the Baird-shaped hole?”
“Keep going.”
“I … thought I’d most likely have a child by the time I was thirty-five.”
“And that won’t happen now why? My swimmers are all in working order, as far as I’m aware.”
I gaped at him. “But … but … you’re only twenty-six.”
“And?” He shuffled closer to me. “Obviously, I want you to myself for a bit longer. But I also want to be a young dad. I want to have energy to raise my kids.”
He just … he just kept surprising me. Over and over again. “I … you want kids? You’ve thought about it?”
“Of course. I was never not open to finding the right person and starting a family just because I played the field.”
After several long seconds of me staring at him, Baird bent his head to mine. “Are you ever going to speak again?”
I shook my head.
His lips twitched. “That would be a shame because I enjoy the sound of your voice.” He waggled his brows. “Especially when you’re screaming my name.”
I shoved him playfully, almost losing my dinner plate.
He rescued it for me and asked quietly, “So … are we good, My?”
“We’re more than good, Bear. I’m … you make me happy.”
His chest moved upward in one heave of feeling. When he exhaled, he let out hoarsely, “You make me happy too.”
As we cuddled into each other, picking at our food, I squeezed my eyes closed, soaking in this unbelievable contentment. Joy. Thrill. Hope. For a beautiful future together.
I did my very best to shove back that insidious wee voice in my head that whispered I couldn’t be this lucky. That something or someone would find a way to take Baird McMillan away from me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
BAIRD
The past week had been a blur. I was an optimist, so the good far outweighed the bad, and thankfully, Maia seemed to feel the same way. I kept glancing at her as I drove through Falkirk, watching her curious expression as she took in the town where I grew up. She’d told me she’d never been here before, so I promised her we’d drive down to see the Kelpies, our most visited tourist landmark, once we’d had dinner with my family.
Ainsley had a work thing so she couldn’t make it this time, which was probably a good thing since she was the reason Maia and I had to jam a second family dinner into an already packed week when all we wanted to do was fuck. That was the straight-up truth. The woman made me horny all the time.
I put a leash on it, though, knowing we were heading to my childhood home.
Instead, I wondered what Maia was thinking and hoped it was all about the present and not about some of the shitty things that had happened this week.
Last Sunday we’d done the second video shoot for the venue part of the campaign, including filming at Blantyre. Good news was Pennington’s went for our idea, and we were now going to get free marketing for our hotel. Bad news was when the video went live, we discovered the film crew had included private footage.
Neither of us really wanted to look at the campaign posts. Maia, however, gave into her curiosity and had scrolled through the comments during her lunch break.
There were comments like:
Ugh, this is obviously so fake. I want to see REAL people getting married.
Eh … like Maia and I weren’t real people. What the actual fuck?
He’s so hot. He could do way better than her.
Why did women do that to each other? Especially when it was straight-up bullshit.
There are people dying in the world. Maybe talk about that!
So, because it’s just occurred to you that people die, you don’t want anyone to talk about anything else ever? Make that make sense.
And then there were nice comments like:
They look so in love. I want this!
And then confusing comments like this:
I think my ovaries just exploded.
I’m afraid to admit how many times I’ve rewatched that kiss.
Find a guy who kisses you like this!
That kiss was a bit NSFW, no??
It was that last comment that prompted Maia to watch the video because our kisses for the camera were polite. She’d then called to tell me to watch the video. One of the fucking cameramen had followed me and Maia at the venue where I dragged her into the ballroom to kiss the life out of her. Now, don’t get me wrong, the kiss was hot. But it was a private moment that should not have been part of the footage. It was the kind of kiss some sickos might get their rocks off to, and I didn’t want anyone seeing my fiancée like that.