Unchain My Heart(38)

We were just in time for the appointment. I lay on the bed, cold gel all over my stomach as we stared at the black and white image on the screen.

“Let’s measure the body and the head, shall we?” The mouse clicked on one point and then another. “Ah, everything seems fine. The baby is growing at the normal pace and all seems well.” She flipped a switch and a strange sound filled the room—like a heartbeat in water, but a lot quicker than I’d expected.

“Wow, that sounds eerie,” I said in a small voice, overcome with emotion. Ryder smiled down at me as I wiped a tear from my cheeks. His eyes were misty too, but I pretended not to notice. His goofy grin was so adorable that my heart filled with overwhelming love. I was the luckiest woman alive. I squeezed his hand and smiled through my tears.

“All normal.” She wiped the gel from my stomach, smiling. “And you can take this picture home for your baby album.” She handed me the picture of Peanut with the big head and the perfectly formed nose and mouth. I counted the toes and fingers on the hand and foot that were visible. Ryder’s smile nearly split his face. “It's all good, babe. Everything is there.”





Chapter Twenty-Seven — Jade


Lunch was divine. We’d found a place near the beach that overlooked the ocean. While Ryder tucked into a man-sized steak, I opted for the chicken stir-fry with salad. Ryder washed his meal down with a beer and we kept looking at the picture, both in love with our baby already. We each had a list of baby names and some of the things Ryder came up with made me laugh so hard I had to hold my stomach.

“That name rivals all the crazy celebrity baby names. There is no way in hell I’m calling my daughter Thirsty.” I laughed that he would he propose such a name, but I knew it was to tease and get a reaction out of me.

“But it rhymes with Kirsty. And I'm always thirsty, babe, you know that.” He wiggled his eyebrows so that I got he didn’t just mean for beer.

“Oh, I’m sure it will set a new trend. How about Steak if it's a boy. It rhymes with Blake,” I tried, using his own logic on him.

He burst out laughing. “OK, you got me there. Back to brainstorming. Both names suck,” he admitted before taking another swig of his beer. “But in all honesty, I think we should wait until Peanut is born to choose a name. I think every child has a name that’s just right for them, but we won’t know until she’s born and we see what she looks like.”

“Or her temperament,” I added.

“If she is anything like her mother, she will be a fiery little girl. And beautiful.”

“You’re so convinced it's a girl, you nearly have me believing that too.” I grinned at him, delighted that he wanted his daughter to be just like me.

“Come, woman; I promised you shopping too. Or are you too tired? We could just go home and make love?” He raised a hopeful eyebrow. “I’ll go slow if you want . . . kiss you from head to toe.” The salacious sparkle in his eyes made me squeeze my thighs together.

“As tempting as that offer is, I will save that for tonight. Now I want to go and choose baby furniture while I have you with me. Who knows when you’ll make such an offer again? But your patience will be rewarded.” I winked at him as I got to my feet, ready for the next part of our lovely day together. I was going to take more days off work in future so that we could do this again. Soon.

Ryder paid the bill and led me back to the car. Just as he opened the door, I saw a man who’d followed us out of the restaurant storm down on us. It was none other than Marcus Masterton, his fists balled and his face contorted in anger.

“Ryder, watch out!” I shrieked as soon I realized he was going to attack Ryder from behind. Coward.

Ryder swung around in time to face Marcus and ward off the blow that Marcus swung at him. “What the fuck is your problem?” Ryder growled, blocking my still open door so that Marcus couldn’t get to me.

“I was watching the two of you in the restaurant. And I know your secret. I saw how you were touching Jade’s belly. I asked the waitress what you were celebrating and she gushed all about the baby picture you were gawking at.”

“It's none of your fucking business. Back off before I knock you out,” Ryder threatened. His fists were balled by his sides; he was ready to strike.

“It's very much my business. The two of you have ruined my fucking career. Here I am schmoozing a new law firm because old man Summers wants to send me away to some godforsaken little office.” The venom in Marcus’s voice was deadly. Ryder smirked. “No, fucker, you did that all by yourself. But you sure did me a huge favor, because I got the girl.”