Stealing His Heart (The Kingston Heat Series) (21 page)

“He was right,” Pax said. “It wasn’t about your car breaking down or even that you missed that game. Of course I wanted you there, but shit happens. If you remember I tried to get over it. I just wanted to put it behind us but then...” He hated to rehash that night. Bringing up how he felt wasn’t going to solve anything,

“What? Tell me what made you leave me.”

“You ripped my heart in two. It was as if I’d been punched in the gut. I couldn’t catch my breath.” He’d tried to bury his feelings. Wanted to believe he had overreacted and let the anxiety he had been experiencing over pitching and his shoulder take over. But no matter how much he tried he couldn’t get over it. That was part of the reason he didn’t call her right away and tell her about the surgery. He was afraid she might reject him.

“I’ll never forgive myself for not being there,” she said. “We blew things way out of proportion. Please tell me what I did that night that made you run in the opposite direction.”

“It all seems so stupid now, especially with...” He glanced down at her stomach. “We have bigger issues to deal with.”

“We can’t move forward unless we deal with what happened.”

“I asked you to come with me but you couldn’t.”

“You know why I couldn’t, but now I realize that I should have made it work. When I watched you pitch that last game I wanted more than anything to be there with you to celebrate that special moment in your life.”

“I kept hoping you’d show up. I wanted you to surprise me in my hotel room like you did that night in Boston. The night we created a life.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“It wasn’t just that.” He figured he might as well get it all out. She said she wanted to move forward and he was there to secure a future with her. “I made a comment about you being my wife.”

“I remember.” She looked down. “I said I wasn’t your wife and that’s why I didn’t have to go with you. I didn’t mean that.”

“That was the last straw. There were too many other things going on in my life but you were my one constant. You’re the reason, Sophie. It’s as if nothing is real unless I share it with you first.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“I overreacted and let myself get caught up in the moment. Had it been any other time I would have taken a step back. I would have come after you.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You don’t know how much I regret not coming after you. I fucked up.”

“We both fucked up.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “I think I may have screwed up way more than you did.”

“You did keep a really big secret from me.” He took her hand. “I get why you did. You thought I’d betrayed you. I swear there hasn’t been anyone since the night I saw you in that bar. You’re it for me.”

“Things are so different since the day we first met. We’d been having fun and managing with your schedule. We had plans to really get to know one another in the down season.”

“We can still do that.”

“But I’m having a baby.”

“I see that.” He grinned when he imagined a baby in their lives. “Quite unexpected, but no less amazing.”

“You want... I mean you...” She sobbed. “I didn’t think...”

“That I’d want our baby?” He took her face between his hands. “I didn’t expect to come home to find you like this but I wouldn’t walk away.”

“This isn’t what you came home for.”

“You haven’t been listening, sugar. I said I came home to fight for us. That baby is part of us. You’re both a part of me.”

“You want this?” Her brown eyes glistened with tears, but all he could focus on were those full, kissable lips.

“Let me show you how much I want this.” He leaned forward. “Can I?” He sure as hell hoped she didn’t deny him. He didn’t know if he would have the restraint to stop himself.

“Please.” She closed her eyes. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I know.” He tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her lips to his.

As soon as his mouth touched hers she relaxed against him. For the first time since he showed up, her walls came down. She was his. He trailed his hand down her chest, over her luscious breasts and to her stomach.

She opened her eyes when he stopped his exploration. He hadn’t meant to invade her space but he couldn’t help it. “I want to touch your stomach.”

She nodded.

“Can you feel him move?” He rested his hand to her stomach.

“Yesterday there was a fluttering, but I’m not sure. My mom said it was the baby, but because it’s my first it would be hard for me to tell.” She looked down at his hand. “We don’t know if it’s a boy yet.”

“I didn’t want to call him an it.” He rubbed his hand over her bump. It was small and round. “You look amazing.”

“Yeah, that’s because you haven’t seen me naked.”

“Not lately.” He smiled. “We could fix that.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You’re flawless.” He reached for the tie on her hip that wrapped the dress around her perfect frame.

“What are you doing?”

“I missed our child growing inside you.” He pulled the belt. “I want to see.”

“Okay,” she whispered as she leaned back against the sofa.

“Thank you.” He kissed her jaw, working his way to her ear as she spread open the dress and touched her exposed skin. “Just as soft as I remember. Do you know how many nights I thought about your skin, the way you smell, the warmth of your body cuddled against mine?”

Her breath caught in her throat when he moved his hand along her tiny bulge. Her breasts were fuller than a few months ago. Not that they were small before, but now they filled out her bra, overflowing from the top. He could see her nipples straining against the white cotton.

“You’re stunning.”

She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I hated being away from you.” She kissed him hard. “The days were awful, but the nights were so long.”

“I know, baby.” He reached down and unzipped her boots and pulled them off her feet. “I’m here now, and I don’t ever plan on leaving you.”

“You’re sure this is what you want?”

“I want you.” He slipped the dress from her shoulders. “I can’t be without you.”

“I’m sorry about what happened.” The desperation in her kisses drove him wild with need. “Things never should have gotten that far.”

“I’ll never let it happen again.” He vowed to himself he would never let her walk away from him ever again.

She reached for the buttons of his shirt. “I should have trusted my heart.”

“It’s a delicate thing that heart.” He ran his fingers through her hair, bringing her closer to his face. “I’ll cherish yours always.”

“I’m safe with you.” She spread his shirt open and ran her palms along his chest and down his abs.

He closed his eyes when she leaned in and brushed her lips across his throat. He trembled as she moved lower. “Wait, Sophie. I don’t want to rush you or make you do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“Do I look uncomfortable?” She swirled her finger just below his bellybutton. “You started it by taking my clothes off, remember?”

My sexy vixen.

“I want you, Pax. Today, tomorrow, forever.”

He stood, extending his hand for her. When she took it and looked up at him, he noted there were no questions or hesitation in her eyes. She wanted this as much as he did.

“Let’s go to my bedroom.”

“Lead the way, sugar.”

Chapter 23

Late Christmas Eve Sophia and Pax cuddled on the sofa by the fireplace, gazing at the massive tree he’d insisted they needed. It had to be at least fourteen feet tall. It dominated the corner of the room. They had just gotten back from her parents’ house where they had dinner with Maggie and Kyle. They’d opened presents and ate a wonderful meal. Tomorrow Pax was hosting dinner with Soph’s and Maggie’s families, and some of the guys from the team who weren’t heading back to their hometowns. Her mother offered to cook but he wanted her to have a day off so he had the whole thing catered. She and her mom wouldn’t even have to set the table. He had tended to every detail.

“It’s a great tree, isn’t it?” He propped his feet up on the coffee table.

“It’s huge.” She rested her head on his shoulder.

“Darlin’, I’m from Texas where everything is bigger.”

“You’ll get no arguments from me, cowboy.” She winked.

“There’s my bad girl.

“You corrupted me.”

“I couldn’t be happier.” He held her close to him. “And not just because you’re freakin’ fantastic in bed.”

“Good to know.” She giggled.

The past week had been light and festive. She and Pax had spent much time together reconnecting and forgiving one another.

“I had a good time tonight. My parents are glad we worked things out.”

“Your dad told me how worried he was for you. I assured him I’m not going anywhere. I told him I was crazy in love with you and I would always take care of you and our child.”

“I hope he wasn’t too weird with you. He can get a little overprotective.”

Her dad had been great when she told him she was pregnant. While he encouraged her to work things out with Pax when she was ready he also told her he’d support her decisions and that he and her mom were going to be there for her and the baby no matter what.

“You’re his little girl. He should be protective.” He placed his hand on her stomach. “I know I’m gonna be.”

“We don’t find out the sex of the baby until next week, but I can’t wait to know.” She had the opportunity to find out at the last ultrasound, but she wasn’t sure if Pax would want to know so she didn’t make that decision without him. Part of her had always hoped they’d somehow work things out and become a family. “I’m glad you want to know.”

“I would have done whatever you wanted.” He rubbed her belly. “I can’t wait to see Baby Bean as Maggie calls the kid. I want to hear the heartbeat.”

“It’s surreal. I cry every time.” She was glad Pax would be able to experience it with her this time. “Your mom will be here then too.”

“She gets in that morning.” Pax’s mother and brothers were flying in after Christmas to meet Sophia. “She’s real excited to meet you.”

“I want to meet her too. I wish we could have met before I got pregnant.”

“It doesn’t matter.” He scooted her into his lap. “She’s going to love you.”

“I hope so.”

“There’s something else I want to do before she gets here.”

“What is it?”

“I had plans this summer to do this. I wanted to talk to your dad before the play-offs but things got hectic and the Crushers kept winning.”

“What does my dad have to do with that?” She was confused. “What did you want to talk to him about?”

“I took care of it tonight.” He slipped his hand inside his pocket and pulled out a platinum ring with a huge, sparkly diamond. “I asked for your hand.”

“You…” She stared at the ring, processing what he had just said. “You asked his permission?”

“Yes.” He took her hand which was now shaking. “Sophia Marie Ballis, will you do me the biggest honor and agree to become my wife?”

OMG! He’s proposing to me while I’m in my flannel jammies and fuzzy socks.

“I was going to wait until tomorrow when your family was here and Maggie. I had this whole thing planned, but being here alone with you, snuggling and talking about the baby, seemed more appropriate.”

“You want to marry me?”

“Um, yeah, that’s what the ring is for.” He held it up in front of her. “May I put it on your finger, sugar?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “Of course.”

“So, that’s a yes you’ll marry me?” He smiled as he slipped the ring on her trembling hand. “I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

“Yes, a thousand times, yes!” She smiled through the tears that insisted on streaming down her cheeks. “I’ve cried a lot these past few weeks, but these are good tears.”

“I love you.” He kissed her softly. “I know life with me won’t always be easy. The press will follow me and will probably insist on rehashing my past.”

“I don’t care about that. I know better now than to trust anyone but you.”

“My schedule is absurd. April to October will always be crazy as long as I’m a professional baseball player. I know it’s a lot to ask.”

“Are you trying to scare me away?”

“I’m trying to tell you we won’t have the normalcy other couples have. My job won’t allow it.”

“I can handle it.” She would never let anything pull them apart ever again. “I want a life with you.”

“You’re all I’ll ever need.”

She believed that with all of her heart. He’d been spending so much time with her these past few days he hadn’t confronted Kenny yet. She worried about how that would go.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

He knew her too well. She didn’t want to ruin the moment but she needed him to know how she felt. “I was thinking about Kenny.”

“Seriously?”

“He’s been your best friend your whole life. He acted like an idiot. You’re grown men. I shouldn’t have been able to come between you.”

“You didn’t.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Whatever his problem is will stay his problem. I haven’t contacted him because my focus has been on us and this relationship. No one will come between us ever again. When I do deal with him, I’ll make it very clear where my priorities are.”

“I just want you to know if you can work things out with him I would support that decision.”

“That’s very generous of you. I do believe he had my best interest at heart, but he was wrong. It’s going to take me some time to come to terms with things. Now isn’t the time.”

“I’m sorry, but I know it’s on your mind and I wanted you to know that I would never make you choose.” Maggie could be impulsive and overprotective, so if Kenny was acting in Pax’s best interest she understood. Soph didn’t think she could ever be friends with Kenny, but she wouldn’t stop Pax.

“There’s no contest. If I had to make a decision I hope you know who I would choose.”

“I do.” She hugged him. “I hope you can work things out and get him to see how happy we are together.”

“After the holidays I’ll see where we stand. If he can’t accept you he can’t be in my life.” He stared up at the tree. “I don’t want to talk about that anymore. I just proposed.”