Page 105 of When She Loves
It was a fucking dream. I don’t need to get this worked up over it.
I grab a towel and turn toward the shower just as the door to the gym opens and Cleo walks in. My gaze sweeps over her. Her copper hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail. She’s dressed in a blouse and a pair of jeans, ready to go out. Her eyes spark as she takes in my sweaty, shirtless form.
“What are you doing here,tesoro?” I ask, tossing the towel over my shoulder.
She bites her lip, her gaze flickering from my abs to the barbell on the floor. “I didn’t even know this was down here. You’ve got an indoor pool tucked away somewhere as well?”
“No, but that could be arranged.”
A smile tugs on her lips. She walks up to me and drags her nails lightly over my bare abs, sending a shiver through my body. “You know, Gem’s spent years trying to convince me to go to the gym, but this view might be what finally does it.”
The appreciation in her tone is good for my ego. I’m normally immune to flattery, but apparently not when it comes from my wife.
I cup her cheek and press our lips together. Her mouth opens immediately, and she slides her tongue against my own. There’s none of the hesitation, none of the resistance from the day of our wedding.
She really is mine.
The dream echoes in my mind. I want to forget it, to push it aside and focus on Cleo and the present moment, but it lingers like a bad taste in my mouth.
I pull away. “You off to work now?”
She tucks a strand behind her ear. “I’m going to go to Loretta’s after my doctor’s appointment.”
A doctor’s appointment? Concern flares inside of me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just need to get another birth control shot. Unless you want to start getting cracking on that heir,” she adds, a teasing smile on her face.
My stomach dips. She’s joking. I know it. But that doesn’t stop a tsunami of emotions from crashing into me.
Having a kid with her…
My heart rate picks up speed.
Producing an heir is expected of me, but it’s always seemed very far away. Fine in theory, but in practice… I blink and peer into Cleo’s eyes.Tesoro mio,pregnant. Just the thought of it makes protectiveness surge inside of me.
I don’t think I’ll make a good father. How can I be a good father if protecting my power, my position, has to always come first? And how can I stay emotionally detached from a woman who’ll one day become the mother of my child?Fuck.I mean, many men have done it. My father being the prime fucking example. But I sure as hell don’t want to be like him.
I take a step back, overwhelmed. I don’t know how to handle this conversation.
Cleo’s smile falls. “Rafe, I was kidding. I’m definitely in no rush to pop out baby Messeros. It was just a joke.”
“I know.” My voice is strained.
“Then why do you look like you’re about to have a heart attack?”
It takes everything—everything—to fix my expression into a neutral mask. “I’m fine.”
“Are you?”
“I said I’m fine.”
She frowns, her perceptive eyes seeing past the mask even though they shouldn’t. “Something’s wrong. Talk to me.”
“I have to get to a meeting. I should hop in the shower.” I give her my back. “Good idea on the birth control.”
I leave her and take the quickest shower in history. My skin feels like it’s crawling off my bones. I need to get the hell out of the house. Good thing I brought my clothes down here with me. I change into them and leave the house without bumping into Cleo again.
Nero’s waiting for me in a car outside. “You all right?” he asks once I get in. “You’ve got a weird look on your face.”
