Chapter 73

CHAPTER 73

LOGAN

" W e're going to be late, baby," I called once again as I sat on our bed and wondered what was taking Mira so long. "You know how I feel about Halloween parties. Jude said they've got something really special planned for tonight. I don't know what it is, but I really want to be there when it happens."

My knee bounced up and down. My gaze zeroed in on the bathroom door, but it still didn't open. I sighed, as eager to leave as I was to see what her costume was going to be. She was taking forever to get ready and she'd refused to tell me what she would be wearing.

While I really was keen to get to Jude and Mickey's party, I also knew there was a distinct possibility that we were going to miss it entirely. Especially if she walked out of that bathroom dressed as a slutty nurse. Or a sexy librarian. Or, well, if she came out in anything revealing actually.

As it turned out, being engaged was a lot more fun than my previous wild-child self would ever have been able to imagine. With Mira living with me now, it was like having constant sexy sleepovers with my best friend and smart business partner.

It was a blast, and even if she was taking ages in that bathroom tonight, I was loving every minute. "Let me guess. You're a sexy angel. "

"Stop harassing me." She laughed. "The more you interfere, the longer I'm going to take. Or have you decided that you do want to be late?"

"No, but am I right?" I called, a grin playing on my lips as I pictured her as a sexy angel. "Is that what you're going as?"

"Yes!" she finally responded and I groaned, balling my hand into a fist and bringing it to my mouth.

"Shit, we're never going to make it to that party."

She let out a strangely nervous giggle, the sound a bit more high-pitched than normal. "Yeah, we might not."

I heard her muttering something else, but I couldn't make out what it was. Frowning, I got up and moved closer to the door, smoothing out my black suit with the flame detail on it. Catching a glimpse of the horns on my head, I straightened them, and then leaned against the door.

"I knew you were going to end up deciding on a sexy angel," I purred through the wood between us. "Our first couple's costume. A sexy angel to my Lucifer. It's pretty perfect, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it really is," she said softly, though I got the idea she might not have been responding to what I thought she was responding to.

"Are you okay in there? You're not feeling sick, are you?"

"Not yet," she replied.

I chuckled, bowing my head against the door and wishing she would just open it already. "Don't worry. I have hangover kits ready to go. We've got ice cold water in the fridge. Pain killers. Snacks. Movies lined up to watch. We're going to get through it."

She paused for a beat. "I really hope you're right."

I laughed. "They have kids. I doubt the party is going to be that rough. Are you seriously not ready yet?"

"Oh, the harassment through the door," she mused. "Is this what I have to look forward to when we get married?"

"Yep," I said happily. "Come out. Please? You're killing me here. I can't wait to see my sexy angel."

Finally—fucking finally—the door cracked open and Mira came out. Her hair was pulled up into a high, sleek ponytail and her makeup was mostly white with shades of darker grays smudged in places.

It confused me until I lowered my gaze further down and realized that she wasn't dressed like the sexy angel she'd promised. Instead, she was wearing an all-black suit with bones on it that made up a skeleton. Her heart was red and she looked cute, but it wasn't what I thought she'd be and?—

I froze when I noticed the tiny baby skeleton printed on the shirt. Right where her tummy was. My head cocked as I stared at that tiny baby skeleton, my eyes snapping back to hers when the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place in my head.

Mira smiled, her hand moving absently to touch the little skeleton print as her gaze held mine. I blinked hard, swallowing past the suddenly dry island in my throat and swiping my tongue across my lips before my mouth dropped open.

"Are you…"

"Yes," she whispered, moving more deliberately now as she took my hand and placed it on her belly. "I am. Surprise."

I shook my head, still just staring at her for the longest time. "You realize it's not April first, right? This isn't a joke?"

Her sweet smile widened and she shook her head. "According to every one of the most reputable brands on the market and a couple grocery store type tests, I'm not joking. I'm pregnant."

I felt those words in every fiber of my being. Felt them as they touched me everywhere all at once and then found themselves a little place to burrow into wherever they were. Mira was pregnant. With my child. Already.

I couldn't quite comprehend it, but a flare of protectiveness so primal that it made my muscles bunch shot through me and a giant grin spread on my face. I reached for her hands on instinct, tugging her closer to me and winding my arms around her waist as I bent my knees until we were on the same eye level.

"We're going to be parents?"

She nodded again, amusement lighting her eyes as she watched me react to the best news I'd ever received. "It's way sooner than we expected, but sometimes, all it takes is once."

My chest puffed up and I held her even tighter. "Of course, it only took us one try. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. This was meant to be. It's right. Besides, I'm virile as?—"

Mira laughed and cut me off with a gentle kiss, pushing up on her toes to slant her mouth over mine. Her fingers traveled into my hair and wrapped around the ends of it. "Are you okay with this?"

"Okay?" I pulled away, my head bouncing wildly up and down completely out of my control as yet another grin—also out of my control—split my face in two. "Hell, yes. I'm okay with it. This is great, Mira. This is amazing. I can't believe it's already happened."

Something I'd never felt before sped through my veins, spreading like wildfire even if I couldn't quite identify what it was. That protectiveness was definitely there, but the rest of it was an unfamiliar mix of gratitude, hope, love, joy, and a profound sense of just. fucking. Yes!

My hands dropped her hands and I flexed my fingers as my eyes searched those shimmering orbs I loved so much. "Are you okay with it? I mean, you wanted a big white wedding before I put a baby in you."

I groaned. "Slate is going to kill me. Do you know that he made it crystal clear that dating comes first, then engagement, marriage, and only then the babies? He said that's what you?—"

Her amusement was out in full force now as I started breathing harder. It danced in her eyes and around her lips as she pressed a finger to mine. "I said I wanted a ring on my finger before you put a baby in me, and I have that. Slate won't kill you because he'll be too excited about becoming an uncle. He adores kids. As for the rig, I still need to figure that out, but it'll be fine."

She giggled, her finger still pressed to my lips as she looked up at me with so much love shining through that amusement in her eyes that it made my knees feel slightly weak. "I have to admit though, it's nice to see you having a moment too. I had one myself when I found out and I felt a little weak for it after, but you're the strongest person I know and you're having one too, so that probably means it was okay for me to have one."

"A moment? This isn't a moment, my love. This is a full-blown meltdown," I said without skipping a beat. My heart raced and my head was trying to outrun it. "This is the biggest, most important news a person can ever get. We're pregnant with our first child. Everything is about to change for us, and it's not like we've been trying for ages and we've already bought everything."

My eyes widened. "Do you have any idea what babies need? Because I don't. We'll have to think about moving. I didn't buy this place for the school district. I don't even know if there's a school anywhere near us, let alone if it's a good school. We'll also need a stroller."

Mentally, I ran through the things my friends had done after their kids had come. "Babyproofing. Jude's house is covered in it. We'll have to find a house so we can start with the babyproofing. And sell my car. A dad can't drive a sports car. We'll need to get a family car. Oh, and a seat to go in it. Flynn has a car seat that can turn. That's pretty cool. We should get one of those."

I was out of my depth here, but I was starting to feel better about it. Obviously, I'd soaked up more than I'd realized about what my friends had bought and done when they'd had kids, which made me feel slightly more confident.

"A nursery," I said suddenly. "We'll have to put one together. What goes in there? A crib, but what else?"

Mira opened her mouth to respond, but my head was completely running away with me now. To the extent that my body felt numb as I dumped out every thought I had through my mouth. "We're going to have to figure out work and how we'll manage our hours to spend some quality family time together. I wonder if the baby will be a soccer player. Or a ballerina. I think we should channel it toward chess. Chess is strategic, you know?"

She started laughing, bowing her head until it dropped against my chest with her body shaking against mine. I frowned. "Baby? "

"Yeah?" she managed to bite out between laughs. "I'm sorry. Just ignore me."

I drew in a few deep breaths in quick succession, feeling my heartrate begin to slow and my limbs come back online. As they did, I grinned slowly, finally starting to see the humor in my reaction myself.

Letting her laugh, I pushed a hand in between us until I found her chin. Then I lifted it gently until her teary eyes were back on mine. "You think this is funny, do you?"

"I think it's hilarious," she murmured, bringing her palms to my face and holding it gently. "You really are okay with this."

"I really am okay with it."

She moved her eyes from one of mine to the other. "For a guy who didn't know if he ever wanted kids a few months ago, you're adapting surprisingly well and surprisingly fast."

"A few months ago, I didn't realize I could be having those kids with you ," I said softly, my gaze never leaving hers. "I love you, Mira. I want everything there is to have with you. I'm ready for this. Emotionally anyway. Practically, we've got some work to do. Let's start with?—"

"Slow down, honey," she said. "We'll figure it all out together, but we don't have to do that today." She dragged her fingernails over my scalp and kissed me again, slow but deep, before she murmured against my lips. "Come help me out of this costume and into my angel one. Then we'll go."

My hips rocked into hers as I gripped the hem of the T-shirt that had changed my life. "Oh, I'll help you come, alright, but we're not going anywhere just yet."

She laughed and turned in the circle of my arms, leaning her head back against my shoulder and raising her arms. "What happened to not wanting to be late?"

"Well, I think you being late trumps us being late to a party," I murmured against her throat, pressing hot, wet kisses to her skin as I peeled off the shirt and flung it on the bed.

As I ran my hands down her sides, they skated across her bare belly and my heart grew at least sixteen sizes. Somewhere in there, under the whisper-soft touch of my fingers, was our baby. Safe, snug, and warm, and preparing for the day it would be coming out into the world to meet us.

Fuck slutty nurses and sexy angels. This right here, knowing that Mira was carrying my child, that was the best and the sexiest thing in world, and I planned on savoring every moment of finding out about it.

Just like I planned on making the best of every minute of the rest of our lives together. It was starting earlier than we'd planned, but this was the beginning of forever and I couldn't fucking wait to find out what happened next.