Vegas Aces: The Wide Receiver Complete Series

CHAPTER 2 TESSA

I could stand here in his arms forever, but I’m still bracing myself for his reaction.

I realize in this moment that we’re in the same place we were seven years ago. It’s like we’re picking up where we left off. We were in love, and I was pregnant…only I never got the chance to tell him.

And this time, the baby isn’t his.

He pulls back, and I gaze up into his eyes. His are cloudy and confused for a beat before he closes them, and he lowers his head and drops his lips to mine.

It starts soft and slow, just like I remember, and then old habits seem to wash over both of us as I clutch onto him and his mouth opens to mine. It moves from slow and tender into hot and urgent, our tongues battering together with total abandon. He’s about to gain his freedom back, and I’m about to lose mine in a lot of ways, and even though it’s confusing and scary and there’s still so much unknown between us…somehow this kiss feels like the exact thing I need in this moment.

It's telling me that while he might be angry or confused or scared, too, he’s not giving up on me. On us .

And that’s everything I was terrified about leading up to finally making my confession. He didn’t ask me to leave. He didn’t run.

Instead, he pulled me into his arms, and now he’s kissing me like he’s a starved man who needs my mouth for his nourishment. He’s worshipping me with his lips as he holds my body to his, and all the feelings that I always felt for him come back with a vengeance. It’s stronger now—like even though there are still secrets looming between us, we’ve experienced other things and people but realize that nobody, nobody can hold a candle to what we had together.

The butterflies that used to flap low in my belly are back, and maybe they’re flying in a ring around baby girl, because she’s suddenly spurred into action.

I don’t know how long we stand in his garage kissing, but I do feel baby girl kick as my body is pressed against his. He feels it, too. He slows the kiss, but he doesn’t end it. He loosens his grip on me and trails a hand down to my belly, and as he rests it there softly, tenderly, she kicks again.

He pulls back, his cloudy, lust-filled eyes a mirror of my own, but his are filled with surprise. “Was that her?”

I nod, a little smile playing at my lips. “I think she likes you. She’s been kicking a lot at night lately, but it’s usually when I lie down to go to sleep.”

He chuckles, but then he nods down toward his hand. “Is this okay?”

I nod.

“I want to feel it again,” he says softly.

We both wait, and she’s quiet.

“It’s amazing that you have a life growing inside you. That she’s growing and moving. Isn’t that…” he trails off. “I don’t know. Women are just the most incredible, badass creatures that they can do that.”

She kicks again at his words, and we both chuckle.

“She’s going to be a little badass soccer star,” he says. His eyes move back to mine. “I don’t know what this means, Tess. I don’t know where we go from here. We have a lot to work through, a lot to say to each other…but I’m not running scared. Okay? We’ll figure out the next step. Together…if you want me here.”

My eyes fill with tears again at his words. “Of course I want you here.”

He presses his lips to mine again, and suddenly I don’t feel so alone.

But I’m still holding onto a pretty big secret. He didn’t run scared after tonight’s confession, but how do I tell him about what happened all those years ago? How do I even begin that conversation…and will it just drive a huge wedge between the two of us when we’re finally turning a corner?

I don’t think he’ll run scared. Not after the way he reacted to baby girl.

But I’m still not ready to risk that tonight, not when we’re finally on a new road together.

Let’s just get through one baby crisis at a time. Then once she’s here, and we have our own routine and we’ve figured out where we stand with one another…maybe that’ll be the time to tell him what happened all those years ago.

Or not.

We can’t do anything about it, and I still wonder whether it’s best left in the past.

He moves toward the bench in the garage and sits. “Do you have it in writing that the doctor is giving up his rights?”

I shake my head. “My mom asked me that, too, but the things he said…he doesn’t want anything to do with us. I don’t even think he’d sign a paper saying he’s giving up rights because that would be admitting it’s his and that he does have some legal ties to this baby.” I set my hand over my stomach as I sit next to him.

“You’re sure?” he asks. “After dealing with Savannah, I guess I’ve learned a thing or two about how slimy people operate. I just want you to protect yourself.” He sets his hand over mine where it rests on my stomach. “And her.”

I nod. “Maybe I should. Just to be safe.”

“I can have my lawyer send the papers over to the doctor. Nobody ever needs to know anything about it, and we’ll have the paperwork to keep him away should he ever change his mind.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I’ll do anything to help, Tess.”

I nod. “Okay. Tell me what you need and we can send the paperwork over.”

He sends a text presumably to his lawyer, and he tosses an arm over the back of the bench. I lean into him as I start daydreaming of a life with Tristan and this baby girl.

Can I really have it all?

Time will tell, but in this moment…it’s sure starting to look that way.