I nod. Lynn is amazing, and Max loves spending time with her. I know I have nothing to worry about. "Thank you."
Pace offers me his arm and he leads me outside, where there is a black stretch limousine waiting for us at the curb. A slow smile uncurls on my mouth. "Well, this is unexpected," I say.
"We're going to have fun tonight," he says, fighting off a grin of his own.
I know Pace is wealthy, but he doesn't throw his money around or live an extravagant lifestyle, which makes this little treat so much more enjoyable. The limo driver opens the car door for us and Pace gestures for me to get in first. I slid across the black leather seat, my eyes wandering around the dim interior of the car. There's soft jazz music playing, and a bottle of champagne chilling on ice. He's pulled out all the stops. The date hasn’t even begun yet, and I'm already in love with it.
Pace slides in beside me, and I note the soft scent of aftershave permeating the air around him. I picture him taking extra care in getting ready, and I like it. I can't help my eyes falling to his lap, wondering if he's gone commando tonight like he so often does, or if I'll find boxers underneath and be able to unwrap him like a present…
"My eyes are up here, angel," Pace reminds me with a playful smirk.
I grin back at him, unable to help the bubble of laughter that escapes me. "Sorry. I guess I'm just excited to be alone – just us."
"Me too. But you don't have to strip me naked and ride me in the limo, we have the whole night ahead of us."
While I lean back against the seat, feeling blissfully happy, Pace pops the cork on the champagne and pours us each a glass. I take a sip of the bubbly drink and make a little contented sound. Pace's eyes dance on mine as he takes a drink of his own. Then he presses his lips to mine. It's an innocent kiss – he's nuzzling into me and lightly kissing my mouth – but the promise of hot, wild sex later tonight hangs in the air between us.
"When are we going to have the discussion?" he asks, pulling back from his kisses.
"What discussion?" I ask.
He lifts one dark eyebrow and smirks at me. "About our living arrangements."
Oh. That one. We've had this argument probably ten times already, but couldn’t seem to figure out where we were going to live, and what to do with each of our places. Pace wanted Max and I to move into his condo as soon as possible – yesterday preferably, but I was hanging on to my home. It was all Max knew. My office was already set up there, and I had a small backyard where Max could play. Besides, Pace's condo wasn't exactly baby-friendly.
"I have a solution," he says, bringing his lips to my neck.
"I'm listening," I say. I don't want another heated argument where we don't get anywhere. We're supposed to be enjoying tonight. And he knows where I stand, so if he suggests we move in to his condo again, I won't hesitate to put him in his place.
"What if I bought a new home for us? Somewhere with a home office for you, a backyard for Max, and an extra bedroom for baby number two."
I choke on my champagne. Fighting to clear my airway, I sputter and cough. "Baby number two?"
Pace smiles at me adoringly. "I want to get you pregnant."
I think my ovaries just melted. "What?"
"I think Max should have a little brother or sister, don't you?"
Dear God, what is he saying? My mouth opens, then closes, like a fish gasping for air. "Y-yes, someday, but we're not even married." Why I just said that, I have no idea. I'm smart enough to know that people don't have to be married to have a baby. Elan and I were never married, and Max is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Aside from Pace.
Pace just smiles knowingly at me. "I'm just saying, it might be a good idea to stop taking your birth control pills. We could pull the goalie, so to speak, and see what happens." The light flickering in his eyes tells me that he's secretly in love with this idea. A warm tingling sensation spreads through me. I don’t know if it’s the champagne, or the deep love and adoration I feel emanating from this beautiful man.
I'm so thrown off by him wanting another baby, I haven’t even been able to process his statement about buying us a home. One thing at a time. "This new home idea," I say. "Tell me more."
"I'm thinking we each sell our places, and move into a new home that we pick out together."
His idea is actually a good one. Someplace fresh where we can both start over. And if we're looking ahead to the long term, room for another baby is probably a smart idea too. There is one thing that bugs me, though.
"When you said that you would buy us a home…I want to be in this fifty-fifty with you."
His mouth curls up in a grin. "So you're in?"
"I'm in. Except for the baby part, I've just barely lost the baby weight, so forgive me if I'm not jumping for joy at the thought of gaining another forty pounds and toting around a big belly, with a toddler on my hip." Plus Max is still in diapers. Maybe we can wait a little while, for my sanity's sake. Pace chuckles and I swat at his shoulder. "Why are you laughing?"
"I'm just picturing you barefoot and pregnant," he says, with a wide smile. "And I like it."
"You pig," I murmur, but I'm unable to hide my smile.
Pace moves closer and places his hand on my stomach. "I don't care how much weight you gain or lose, and for the record, I can't wait to see you with a big belly, knowing I put a life inside of you."