Page 113 of A Tempting Seduction

I jogged out to my truck, my mind racing through possibilities. Food poisoning? A twenty-four-hour bug? Ruby pushing herself too hard again? The woman had a tendency to work through exhaustion until her body forced her to stop.

The drive to my house felt like the longest fifteen minutes of my life. When I pulled into the driveway, Ruby's Honda was parked in its usual spot next to my truck, but something felt off. The kitchen light was on, which was normal, but I could see through the window that things weren't quite right.

I let myself in through the front door, calling out softly in case she was sleeping. “Ruby? Sweetheart?”

No answer.

The kitchen looked like a baking project had been interrupted mid-stream. Flour dusted the counter, measuring cups sat out, and the mixer was still plugged in with batter clinging to the beaters. A bowl covered with plastic wrap sat in the refrigerator, filled with what looked like yellow cake batter.

That was odd. Why would she be baking a cake if she was sick? Well, maybe she stopped baking the cake because she was sick.

This was just weird.

I quickly climbed the stairs, listening for any sounds that might tell me where she was or how she was feeling. Our bedroom door was cracked open, and when I peered inside, my heart nearly stopped.

Ruby was curled up on her side, wearing the sexiest lingerie she owned. Black lace that hugged her curves in all the right places, the kind of thing she wore when she wanted to drive me absolutely crazy. But she was sound asleep, her red hair spread across the pillow like silk, her breathing deep and even.

Nothing about this made sense. She'd left work sick, came home to bake a cake, then put on her most seductive underwear and fell asleep? My Ruby was a lot of things, but random wasn't one of them. Everything she did had a purpose.

I sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair away from her face. Her skin felt cool and normal under my touch, no fever. She looked peaceful, not like someone who'd been sick.

“Sweetheart,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Are you okay?”

Her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment she looked confused. Then tears filled those green eyes I loved so much, and she sat up quickly.

“What are you doing home so early?” Her voice cracked. “You've ruined our surprise.”

“What surprise? Whose surprise?” I pulled her into my arms, feeling the familiar weight of her against my chest. “You're sick, honey. I wanted to come home to take care of you. You're never sick. I was worried.”

She buried her face in my neck, and I felt her shoulders shake. “I wanted to have the cake baked. We need a cake.”

“Ruby, you're not making any sense.” I stroked her hair, trying to understand what was happening. “Why do we need a cake?”

She pulled back to look at me, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I love you so much. You deserve a cake.”

I cupped her face in my hands, studying her expression. “I don't deserve a cake. I deserve you.” I felt her forehead again, checking for fever. “You don't feel like you have a temperature.”

“I'm not sick,” she said firmly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Hold on, let me get my trash together.”

She took a deep breath, and suddenly her whole demeanor changed. Her eyes lit up like green fire, and a smile spread across her face that made my heart skip beats.

“Your sperm didn't get the memo that we were waiting to start a family until after the wedding,” she whispered.

“What?” I felt like someone had just hit me upside the head with a two-by-four.

“One of your little soldiers made a break for it, and I'm guessing that in seven or seven-and-a-half-months, we're going to have a little hellraiser like you on our hands. Some stubborn, persistent little boy who'll never take no for an answer.”

Pregnant?

Ruby was pregnant?

We were having a baby?

My heart felt like it might explode right out of my chest. All the air left my lungs, and for a moment I couldn't speak. Couldn't think. Could only stare at this incredible woman who'd just given me everything I'd never dared to hope for.

“My life just keeps getting better and better,” I managed to say, my voice rough with emotion. “And it's all because of you.”

I touched her face, traced the line of her jaw, tried to memorize this moment. “But I really hope we have a red-headed spitfire who'll end up wrapping me around her little finger, just like her mama.”