Joey huffs dramatically. “My ‘man period’? What the hell has gotten into her?”
Hormones.
Reese walks through the front door, grabbing the last suitcase Brooke apparently left for whomever to pick up for her. My eyes narrow in on his perfectly-messed-up hair, and I can’t hide the smile that will most likely blind anyone who looks at it.
Mini-Reese’s running around my shop. How crazy cute would that be?
He raises his head and locks eyes with me, shifting the suitcase into his left hand and holding his right out for me to take. “Cabs are here. Are you two ready?”
I’m ready. To go back to Chicago. To take a test and find out if I’m simply losing my edge when it comes to my drinking ability. To be one day closer to marrying the only man I’ve ever pictured having tiny lookalikes with.
I could be pregnant right now. There could be a tiny peanut inside me, pissed the hell off that I chose to drag him to my bachelorette party. I flatten my hand against my stomach as I move toward Reese, holding out my other hand for him to take.
His brow furrows. “Is your stomach still upset? I can ask the driver to stop on the way to the airport to get you something for it.”
I shake my head, patting my stomach before dropping my hand down. “No. I’m okay.”
You hear that, peanut? If you’re in there, I’m definitely okay.
12
“You want the window seat, love? Is doesn’t matter to me.”
I glance up at Reese, bringing my attention away from my belly. He secures my carry-on in the overhead compartment above our row before turning his eyes to me. I smile and press a kiss to his stubbly jaw before I move between the seats, feeling his hand smack my ass. “Thanks, handsome. Juls hogged it on the way here,” I say with a teasing tone, loud enough for her to hear.
She scrunches her face at me in the row ahead of us.
“I’m going to use the bathroom before we take off,” Brooke says, getting out of her seat in front of me and proceeding toward the back of the plane.
Joey stands from his seat across the aisle from us and claims Brooke’s, kneeling so he’s facing me. He motions for me to come closer, grabbing Juls’ attention in the process. “So, what happened with the dress? Did it survive the night?” he asks in a hushed whisper.
I glance over my shoulder at Reese, making sure he’s unaware of Joey’s questioning which apparently can’t wait ‘til we land in Chicago. His head is tilted down as he glances at his phone, completely focused. I scoot to the edge of my seat. “No, it was destroyed in a very Reese-like manner.”
“Hot.” Joey wiggles his brows playfully at me. “I bet you got laid hard, didn’t you?”
Juls slaps his arm. “Shouldn’t we be asking you that, Mister Threesome?”
“That did not happen. I’m gayer than gay, and so is Billy. We just snuggled.”
“Oh?” I ask, teasingly. “You snuggled with Brooke?”
He looks from me to Juls and then back to me. “Yes. In my drunken stupor, I snuggled with a girl. Now, if you both don’t mind, I’d like to hear about someone getting laid last night because I sure as shit didn’t.”
Juls rolls her eyes as I scoot closer to both of them. Frowning, I shake my head before I reply. “No one got laid in my bedroom. I wasn’t allowed any relief and was forced to watch Reese jerk himself off. It was hot and frustrating. And hot. Did I mention hot?”
Joey and Juls’ both stare at me, mouths gaped open. Ian turns his head and glares over the seat. “What did you just say?”
Oh, shit.
I sit back quickly, glaring at Juls and Joey with panicked eyes. Juls turns and plants her butt down in her seat while Joey stands and excuses himself across the aisle.
Reese places his hand on my leg. “Everything okay?”
“Hmm mmm.” I slide my hand underneath his, interlocking our fingers. “Do you want to have kids?” The words cascade out of my mouth like the scalding coffee did earlier, surprising us both in the process. Shit, Dylan. Way to just blurt it out. I drop my head against the seat, feeling my hand tighten against his and my breathing become slightly restricted.
He tilts his head, leaning closer to me. “With you? I’ve thought about it.”
“Yeah?”
He nods, his lip twitching in the corner. “Yeah.” Before I can pry anymore, he brings his free hand across his body and places it flat against my stomach. I stop breathing all together as I watch his eyes go to my belly. “I want to mark this, too.” I feel his palm slide across my shirt, applying the tiniest amount of pressure. He’s studying his hand on my belly like he always studies me, with pronounced focus. Like nothing could pull him out of his moment.
“Shit. He couldn’t stay here,” Juls grumbles in front of us.
My eyes lift and land on Bryce as he walks down the middle aisle. I immediately tense and Reese feels it. The hand on my belly is removed, and he brings our conjoined hands to his lap. I take my eyes off Bryce and watch as Reese sits back in his seat, his chest rising with a deep inhale. He’s radiating with an unspoken threat, and I know Bryce feels it. I can see the apprehension in his eyes as he approaches our row. He tries to hide it, but it’s there. And it should be; Reese could easily snap this asshole in half.
He doesn’t say anything to us, but I see the shift in his expression, the moment he grows balls as he walks up to our row. All uneasiness fades and I immediately recognize the Bryce who came into my shop that day. The one who stared at me as I kissed Reese goodbye outside the conference meeting. The one who bought me the drink last night.