Page 17 of Hot Shot

She shakes her head. “There’s been nobody else.” She inhales, the breath shaky. “Max, I’m pregnant.”

It takes a few moments for her words to permeate my brain.

Pregnant.

Baby.

My eyes leave her face for a moment as I trace the shape of her tits. They do seem larger, but I can’t be certain without touching her and now isn’t the time. My gaze lowers to the undeniable swell of her belly. How had I missed this earlier today?

I swallow past the lump that’s knotted in my throat. “I don’t know how to ask this without sounding presumptuous or judgmental. The baby is mine, right?”

She nods. “Yes, it’s definitely yours.”

I drop to my knees in front of her. I look up at her face, knowing my heart is sitting directly on my sleeve. This woman is it for me and fuck if this doesn’t prove it. I reach to place my palms on her stomach, but stop just short of touching her. “May I?”

“Of course.”

Gently, I place my hands on her stomach. It’s firm beneath them which surprises me for some reason. My vision blurs with unshed tears.

“He might kick you in a minute. You can move your hands around.”

I look up at her. “It’s a boy?”

“Oh, I actually don’t know yet. I’ve just been calling him a boy. I don’t know why.”

I lean forward and press my lips to her rounded skin. “This is very unexpected.”

“Max,” she says my name. Then her hand is cupping my cheek. “I would have told you the moment I found out if I’d known how to find you. I hope you know that.”

“Of course. Are you happy about it? About the baby?”

She smiles, and it’s so gentle and so full of love that I swear my heart cracks open. As if it’s craving even more of her than I’ve already absorbed. “Yes, I’m very happy. But I’ve had a few months to get used to the thought. You need time. There’s no pressure on you for anything. I know this wasn’t planned. We took precautions, for heaven’s sake.”

“What do you mean no pressure on me?”

“Oh, whether or not you want to be involved.”

Something that feels remarkably like fury simmers in my gut. I sit back on my heels, removing my hands from her body. “That’s an option? Is that something you’re expecting from me?”

“Max, you just found out. I want you to have some time to get used to the idea of becoming a father. You’re only twenty-two. You have so much of your life left.”

“How old I am is irrelevant. That’s my child in there.”

She nods. Then she grabs my hand and presses it on the right side of her belly. “He’s kicking now. Do you feel that little thump?”

I can’t help but smile. “He’s strong.”

“Yes.”

“I want to be as involved as possible. With the baby and with you.” I lean forward and kiss her. It’s relatively chaste and short, but I couldn’t not kiss her.

“I’ll text you about the upcoming doctor’s appointments if you want to go with me.”

“Yes, I want all of that.”

We stand together and I grip her hands in mine. “Come and live with me, Charlotte. I will be traveling before you know it, and I want to spend as much time now as possible with you and the baby.”

She frowns. “This is my house. I can’t just move. Where do you even live?”