Page 86 of Total Abandon

“Yeah, but he has a meeting in ten minutes. Want me to—”

As soon as I find out what I need to hear, I throw open the door to Zeke’s office and barrel in. I spot him immediately, just as he turns. Words die on my lips as I look at him standing there, his broad shoulders filling out his white shirt that is rolled to the sleeves, the top two buttons undone. His hands are planted squarely in his pockets and his face is wearing a faint mask of surprise. I drink in every chiseled edge, every carved piece of beauty from his straight nose to his full lips with a scar that now holds a whole new meaning. Beautiful. Mine. Slamming the door shut, I force my leaden feet forward.

“Zeke, Logan told me everything. You can’t tell Miguel. I’m so sorry I asked you to, if I had known…” My stuttered words catch in my throat as he begins to move, his long strides eating up the space between us. “Oh Zeke, I’m so sorry. I should have let you speak, I was just soangry.”

His long arms wrap around my waist and I fall into his embrace, my hands sliding up the front of his warm chest to clutch at his collar as tears roll over in shuddering sobs. Masculine pine and citrus musk fill my nostrils. His chocolate gaze locks with mine, glistening with the lights of a thousand emotions. Without saying a word, he crushes his lips down to mine. I moan into his mouth, my hands snaking up to bury into his hair as I try and pour all of my emotions into the kiss. To tell him what I’m too frantic to say with words.

A little voice tells me that there is something I do have to say. Something he deserves to know. Pulling back, I place one hand on his stubble-covered jaw.

“I— I know the timing of this sucks and I should have told you, but I only just found out myself and everything was so messy… I’m…I’m pregnant, Zeke.” He freezes and shock flares in the depths of his mahogany gaze. His lips fall open, and I’m sure he’s about to speak but he snaps them shut again.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you angry at me? Please don’t be angry, I think it must have been the antibiotics thatfucked with my pill. I swear I didn’t plan this, I— Say something!” Annoyance burns into life quicker than I can process. Why the fuck is he just staring at me?

The corner of his lips tugs like he’s trying to withhold a smile before he clears his throat slowly. “You told me to shut up and listen, so that’s what I’m doing.”

I stutter out a stunned laugh. “That doesn’t apply now!” I whine, slapping his chest.

His eyes sparkle and dance as his face splits into a grin so bright my knees buckle. Warmth floods his gaze, heating me from the inside as one large, rough hand reaches up to cup the side of my neck, his thumb brushing against my ear.

“You’re not mad?” I whisper, fresh tears rolling down my face.

“Mi amor, you’ve just made me the happiest man on earth. Of course I’m not mad.” He beams, gazing at me like I hung the damn moon.

I let out a small moan of relief, which promptly turns into a strangled sob. More tears fall and before I realize what’s happening, I’m crying hysterically into the front of his shirt. The kind where you can’t suck in a breath and every few seconds is punctuated by a spasm of your ribs. A deep, rumbling chuckle vibrates through his chest and gentle hands pry my face away.

He cradles my cheeks in his palms, grinning down at me. I’m sure I’m a blotchy mess of tears and snot right now, but he doesn’t seem to care.

“Chloe Devlin, this is not hot girl behavior.” He grins, quirking one brow. He gives me a second for his words to sink in, the weight of his familiar gaze acting as a balm to my hysteria. I let out a small disbelieving giggle, my heart flip-flopping in my chest as overwhelming love for this man flows into every inch of my body.

“Do you know what, Zeke Guerra?” I sniff, shaking my head with a small smile. “You’re so right.”

He laughs and then suddenly his brows knit together, and he lets out a long, tortured groan. “Oh god, if it’s a girl, I’m so fucking screwed.”

EPILOGUE

“Do we really have to? All I want is to be a fat slob on the couch and watch reruns of Friends.” I pout, running a hand over my swelling belly as we step out of the elevator into the penthouse lobby. After our appointment, he took me to dinner where I ate far too many arancini balls and now I feel like I’m going to pop.

Zeke’s eyes catch on the movement and heat floods his sparkling gaze. Closing the distance between us, he places a hand over mine. “I promised Diego, he’s up there with Maria, but maybe we could be a little late.” He growls as he backs me up against the wall.

I giggle, sucking in a sharp gasp as his lips dust over my neck, stubble scraping my skin and sending tingles radiating in all different directions. One thing I’ve learned about Zeke? He fucking loves me pregnant. I’m only eighteen weeks today, but the moment my little bump started to show? He was on me like white on rice. Even more than usual.

Today is the day we found out that, just like Zeke had worried, we are expecting a little girl. My hands curl into the back of his hair as he traces hot kisses down my collarbone, smiling as I remember his stunned look of joy in silver-lined eyes as we watched the little flicker of a heartbeat on the monitor. Swiftly followed by a slight pallid shade slipping over his chiseled features when the nurse announced the sex.

The last few weeks have been blissful—just Zeke, Diego, and I in our little bubble as we prepare for an addition to our newly formed family. X-tech crumbled after a series of unfortunate events, leaving Anthony Sweeney in the mud where he belongs. And Miguel Guerra currently sits in an American jail waiting to be extradited formurder. To summarize, life is simple and easy and entirely fucking awesome.

Zeke’s teeth graze over the sensitive flesh just above my collarbone as his large hands curl around my ass and rock me into him as much as he can around my belly. I moan, heat pooling between my legs.

“Papi?” Diego’s voice yells down the stairs, followed by muffled little plunking footsteps. Zeke mumbles out a grumpy curse against my skin and reluctantly peels himself off me as I laugh. Chubby cheeks appear around the corner, split into a wide smile that proudly shows off the very tip of one front tooth that’s burrowing its way through his gums. He runs over and Zeke catches him up in his arms, swinging him around to a chorus of giggles before he settles him against his chest. A large hand reaches back for me, and I take it without hesitating, my fingertips sliding over rough calluses.

He leads us up to the third floor, pausing every now and then to allow me to take a beat. I’m not heavily pregnant yet, but my body just feels sore from stretching to accommodate the little nugget. When we reach the hallway that leads to the French doors for the sun terrace, Zeke crouches down and places Diego back on his feet. He whispers something into his ear and the little boy nods before tearing off up the hallway ahead of us.

“What are you two up to?” I ask suspiciously as Zeke gives me an easy smile.

“Lo descubrirás muy pronto, mi amor.” He tugs me along by my free hand. Dancing light reflects off the ajar doors, giving me a peek through the decking that’s rapidly falling into dusk behind. Air catches in my throat as he pulls it back and I see a sea of rose petals littering the bleached timber. Fairy lights wrap around every surface, woven over our heads as he gently pushes me through the door.

“Zeke, what…” I cast my eyes around for Diego, but he’s nowhere to be seen. My sandals slap softly as I walk across the deck, the surface of the back-lit pool water glistening from the clusters of pillar candles in glass lanterns scattered all around. It’s breathtaking. Iturn, mouth parted, ready to ask what is going on again, and every muscle in my body locks.

Zeke crouches on one knee, his eyes dancing with humor as he watches my eyes tumble to the navy-blue velvet ring box propped open in his hand. My fingers fly to my mouth, tears springing to my eyes as I stare at the small ruby encased in a sparkling ring of white diamonds.