The Before

The Before

AGE: 24

Gianna sighed, blissfully, as she rolled onto her stomach.

She was spread out over her towel on the white sand beach of the resort she and Riley were staying at in Aruba. The sun was out, she was relaxed, Riley had rubbed sunscreen over her back…

All right, that hadn’t actually been relaxing for her, so much as incredibly arousing.

But Gianna was now several years along in her deep, unyielding love and desire for Riley Beckett, and she was really great at re-directing her mind and re-focusing her body’s natural impulses. She’d been able to tamp down the sheer lust at Riley’s touch after a minute and just… enjoy the connection.

“Do you want kids?” Riley’s voice broke into her thoughts.

Gianna blinked her eyes open, lifting her head to peer over at Riley, both baffled and amused. “What did you just say?”

Riley was laid out next to her, only – unlike Gianna – spread out on her back. The bathing suit she wore was a classic one-piece, with a halter top that dipped scandalously low between her breasts.

So low that Gianna had nearly swallowed her tongue on sight, and she’d noted several other very appreciative spectators throughout the day so far as well.

“Did you seriously just ask me, while we’re taking our first official grown-up vacation together, if I want to have children ?” She couldn’t help but laugh as she pushed herself up on her elbows, wanting to get a better look at Riley.

Who was looking at her thoughtfully as she vaguely gestured down to the water in front of them. Gianna didn’t have to look to hear the kids that were splashing around in the surf. “I just realized that we talk about basically everything, but I don’t think we’ve ever talked about that.”

Gianna studied Riley, realizing that she was right; they hadn’t ever talked about this. “Do you ? You’ve never seemed all that interested in bringing new life into the world.”

She delivered the words jokingly, but she realized that she was increasingly interested in Riley’s answer.

Riley slowly moved her gaze back down to the water, her eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t think so,” she slowly answered. “I mean… I think literally raising a kid wouldn’t be something I’m against. But I just don’t think I’d ever want to be pregnant.” As soon as she spoke, she frowned – adorably – as she shook her head. “Yeah, no. Even saying that aloud made me feel all kinds of wrong.”

Gianna laughed, resting her head against her palm, feeling utterly enamored at Riley’s expression. “But you’d want them if you weren’t the one carrying them?”

Again, Riley slowly nodded with that thoughtful expression. “Yeah, maybe.”

This really wasn’t something Gianna had ever thought about, before. Hell, what did Gianna know about being a parent? She’d had the worst two examples in the world.

And yet… she felt this strange, new tug around her heart as she thought of the pictures she’d seen of Riley and Ellie when they were little. Staring at Riley, she saw such a clear mental picture of mini-Rileys running around on this beach, laughing.

The warmth that gripped her was so unfamiliar, she didn’t quite know what to make of it.

All she knew was that she needed to turn her face away from Riley and face forward, before she let the offer to carry Riley’s babies slip out.