Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
He shakes his head. “No, I bought this house for her when I signed with the Assassins.”
“She lives alone?”
“Yup,” he says as he turns onto another street. “My brothers live about ten minutes away in different directions.”
“Your brothers are Santiago, Mario, then Hugo?” I ask out loud, just to be sure.
He nods happily. “You’ll meet them at the game tomorrow with their wives. Santiago’s wife is Venessa, and they have one girl, Mila. Hugo is married to Ise with two girls, Kallie and Elaine, and then Mario is married to Alma, no kids yet.”
I say the names over and over, and then I realize something. “Our baby will be the first boy.”
Alex smiles proudly. “He will.”
I feel my smile burst over my face. “Maybe lead with that to butter her up.”
He chuckles. “I don’t need to butter her up,” he says, pulling into the driveway of a white brick ranch-style home with black shutters and door. When he puts the car in park, he leans over, kissing my lips. “She’s gonna see how I look at you and know you’re it.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “Please give me an ounce of your confidence.”
His lips curve sinfully. He kisses me again, running his tongue along my lips, and I open eagerly for him. His kiss is deep, thorough, and searing as he draws a soft moan from me when he pulls away. “There you go. Have all my confidence.”
I wish it were that easy.
I grin, though, unable not to. His smile is infectious, sweet, and so damn hot. He gets out, coming around to let me out just as I notice the front door open, and a beautiful woman in her fifties steps out of the house. She is my height, plump, with dark black hair and darker eyes. Her face is weathered, lined with wrinkles that I’m sure are from raising four boys by herself. Still, though, she’s beautiful, and Alex favors hers fully. I’m breathless at the sight, or maybe it’s from how happy her eyes are when they fall on her son.
Her love is bright, beautiful, and I know I’ll love my son the same.
I already do.
I see the instant she notices me.
Her brows draw together tightly as confusion pulls her mouth down from the big smile to a frown. At that moment, I wish I were surrounded by bubble wrap to protect me from whatever is coming. Alex is oblivious as he shuts the car door and wraps his arm around my middle, splaying his hand across my stomach.
This man has no self-preservation, I swear.
When I look up at him, though, all I see is pride.
Hell, if it doesn’t stir something deep inside me.
And just like that, I fall a little bit more for him.
His eyes flash down to me, that grin unstoppable, and my heart can’t take it. I almost tell him. I almost whisper those words, but before I can, his mom calls out in Spanish, “My fat boy, you didn’t tell me you were bringing someone home.” Alex just chuckles, and I don’t miss the moment she sees my stomach. Her eyes widen even more before she looks up at her son in disbelief. “Alejandro Benito, what in the world?”
My body stiffens as I lean into Alex for support. He tightens his grip on me, but that grin doesn’t waver. “Mom, this is my future wife, Elliot Bea McDavid. And right here,” he says, rubbing my belly, “is your grandson, no name yet. We want to meet him first, but I’m leaning toward Alejandro Benito Cruz Jr.”
If I weren’t so riddled with anxiety, I would laugh. I told him I wasn’t a fan of the junior thing, but I don’t know another name that would fit a child of his.
His mom looks me over and blinks as Alex goes on. “Mami, this is my mom, Gladys.”
I swallow as I force myself to smile. “It’s so wonderful to meet you,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “I know this is a lot to take in at once, and I truly apologize from the bottom of my heart that you weren’t told earlier. He was insistent that you meet me first before he told you.”
Her eyes move to Alex’s, and I can’t read her. I don’t know if she’s pissed or excited or a bit of both. Her eyes hold her son’s. “No warning?” she asks in Spanish. “You told me you weren’t seeing anyone. Who is she? Where did she come from? And how far along is she?”
Alex isn’t affected by her line of questioning. “How about we head in—”
I cut him off, and, in Spanish, I answer her back. “I am sorry again. We were dating last year for a bit, and then he went off to play for the Assassins. I found out I was pregnant on Christmas Day, and I couldn’t bring myself to distract him while he was with the Assassins. He was doing so well, and I didn’t want him to come back to me just because I was pregnant. We weren’t… Well, I wasn’t serious about him, but when he came back to Knoxville, he didn’t give me much of a choice. And everything changed.” Tears spill over, trailing along my cheeks, and Alex cuddles me closer. “I deceived him. I lied to him and hid the pregnancy for six months, and somehow he has forgiven me—”