Free The Unexpected Choice by Stephanie Taylor Page A

I guess we’ll find out when we get there?”
    With a quick peck on the lips, Joey helped her up. She then realized she’d removed her contacts. She blindly patted the nightstand for her glasses.
    â€œHere you go.” Joey placed her glasses on her nose with careful precision. “Better?”
    Suddenly self-conscious, Stacey looked down. Her world might be a little too focused now. With Joey standing before her in his birthday suit, and her in a skimpy chemise, the reality of their new life settled around her like a mound of falling debris.
    â€œWhy don’t you wear contacts more often?” Joey casually asked.
    Stacey shrugged. “Too expensive.”
    â€œWould you like to wear them more often? I can tell you’re not confident when you have your glasses on. I have a good job now, and we can afford to keep you in contacts. But it’s your call. At the very least, let’s get your glasses fixed.” Joey’s hand enclosed around hers, and he smiled.
    â€œIf you want…” Stacey replied.
    â€œI do. You just think about it, and let me know what you want to do.”
    â€œI will.”
    Suddenly, her world tilted, and it took her a moment to realize Joey had scooped her off her feet and walked into the bathroom with her. Planting a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose, he put her on her feet again and reached behind her to turn the shower on. Then he took a step back, just enough for him to grab the hem of her nighty and pull it over her head.
    Even though they’d made love several times during the night, Stacey hadn’t undressed completely. Instead, Joey had seemed content to kiss her through the fabric and leave the small barrier between them. Now, she bared it all before him, and his eyes were rounded with desire yet again.
    â€œSeriously, Joey, I need food.”
    â€œI need you ,” he murmured.
    With a deep sigh, not born completely from frustration but rather excitement, she let Joey usher her into the shower.
    She wasn’t sure how a honeymoon was supposed to play out, but this was shaping up to be a pretty good one.
    ****
    Several hours later, Joey inhaled a hotdog with chili as he sat next to Stacey on a park bench downtown. She carefully ate her pretzel as he licked the chili away from his chin. He gave her a smile and winked.
    â€œHungry?” she asked with a chuckle.
    â€œJust in a hurry to get back to the hotel room.”
    She gave a little smile and shook her head, even as pink tinged her cheeks. “When is Cameron due?”
    â€œA few more weeks. When we get back, we need to start thinking about a nursery and names.”
    Stacey frowned and shook her head. “Names are between you and Cameron.”
    Wadding up his hotdog paper and napkin, he tossed them in the trash next to Stacey. “Cameron has no rights to her baby right now. She’s signed everything over to me already until she’s out of prison, Stace.”
    â€œDoesn’t mean I should be involved in the process of naming the baby.”
    Joey engulfed her hand with his large one. “You’re my wife. This baby is going to call you Mama. You have every right to name her.”
    â€œIt’s a girl?”
    â€œLast check with the ultrasound tech, it was.”
    Stacey leaned back against the bench, clearly perplexed. It was almost as if Joey could hear her thoughts. During those younger years, she didn’t do frilly or play with dolls or know how to fix hair. All she said she remembered when she was a kid was playing in the dirt and coming home to a scolding. Climbing trees was more her thing.
    â€œI know what you’re thinking.”
    â€œWhat, Einstein?” She studied the simple gold band on his ring finger she’d placed there yesterday. He loved the way it looked on him, even if it was a little surreal. Stacey, the girl he’d worshiped, still worshiped if the truth be told, was his wife. He sent up a prayer of thanks.