Free Not Just A One Night Stand by Jennifer Willows Page A

intentionally, no.”
    “Then why haven’t you told me?”
    She wasn’t even certain they spoke about the same thing, but she answered him honestly anyway. “Because I’m afraid.”
    “Of what?”
    “You’ll leave us.”
    “Why would I leave you, Taylor? I love you.” That was the first time he’d ever said those exact words to her.
    “I…” She inhaled a deep breath and took the plunge. “I love you too, Chandler.” That was her first time speaking the words to him and the admission felt so good, as if the weight of emotion were an anvil that she couldn’t get remove from her chest until she spoke the burden aloud.
    “That seems like a good start to me.”
    It was. Taylor lost some of the fear that she had carried for most of the day. But the release of nervousness must have been too late as she suddenly felt sick enough to jump from Chandler’s lap.
    She made a mad dash into the kitchen when she expelled the contents of her belly into the garbage disposal. Chandler was right behind her, but she didn’t realize that until she noticed her hair was held away from her face and the disgusting contents in the sink basin with his hands.
    He poured her a glass of ginger ale with no ice before he carried her back to the chaise.
    “Sip that.”
    “Thanks, Chandler.”
    “Taylor, I’m not the type of man to put the cart before the horse in business. And I certainly will not do that in my personal life either.”
    She watched as she pulled a small blue box from his jacket pocket. Her heart sped up and her mouth dried up into a pasty, sticky tongue housed in the Sahara.
    Her heart beat was rhythm-less and erratically cadenced, but she refused to show it. “Okay, what is this?” She asked him nonchalantly.
    He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s your engagement ring. I hope you like it.”
    “Your taste is quite good. I don’t think I will have any cause to dislike it.”
    But when he popped the box open, she gasped. The ring was simply amazing. It was the Oval diamond engagement ring. Even she knew that was one of the more costly bands. The huge ovoid was ringed with tiny stones and the thin band was paved the same way.
    He always had excellent taste and this was no different. She watched as he slid the band onto her finger, the fit was close to perfect and only a tad loose. Although, she would be taking on a bit of weight the next seven months and she would probably be grateful for the extra room then.
    “So Taylor, will you do me the honor of being my wife? And love me the rest of our lives?”
    “I sure will, Chandler.”
    “Now I think there is something you have to tell me.” He was going to make her admit it out loud.
    “I can show you better than I can tell you. Wait here.”
    She walked into her bathroom and grabbed up the tests she had taken earlier. When she walked out, Chandler looked at her, then down to the bundle in her arms.
    “Do you think you may have gone a bit overboard?” He chuckled.
    “Yeah, but I had to be sure. Plus, they come in multi-packs.”
    There were ten tests in all and he looked at each one with a growing smile. When he looked at the last one with the tiny pink plus sign, he practically beamed at her.
    “Taylor, thank you.” He clasped her hands and she could see the tears well up in his eyes. “You don’t understand. For so long, I walked around unaffected by life. I worked, slept and ate. I didn’t have any expectations beyond those of my own comfort. But there was nothing in my life to anticipate either. There was no one for me to come home to. There was no one to love. And I didn’t even know that was what I was missing until you.”
    “Really? I would have never imagined that...” He seemed so self-assured, the gait and bearing of a man who knew his place in the world. “But I do have a question.”
    “Yes, love?” He asked, eyes closed and the smug grin said he was supremely satisfied with himself. She couldn’t blame him, he was fertile and men loved