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“Me too,” Enzo agrees. It’s easy to hear the smile in his voice.
My cheeks warm at hearing their praises. I like them both too.
“And I’m happy for you. After you-know-who, you deserve this, Michael. You deserve her and that precious baby boy,” Gabriella continues.
You-know-who? Who’s that?
My eyes pop open, and I squirm in Michael’s arms, suddenly feeling the desire to get down. He peers down at me when he feels me moving.
“Time for you two to go,” Michael instructs his sister and friend.
The two say their goodbyes and promise to visit again soon. Before the elevator doors even close, Michael turns away and walks toward his bedroom. He gently places me down on the bed, setting the brand-new baby video monitor beside me before he disappears into the closet to change. I glance at the video to make sure Liam is still fast asleep before turning back to the matter at hand.
“Did you have a good time?” he calls out. "Gabriella told me Liam fell asleep with no trouble and that he’s settling in good.”
My gaze fixes on the empty doorway with a frown. Does he actually expect me to ignore what I just heard? He has to know I heard the last part and is trying to distract me with Liam, but it won’t work.
“Who were they talking about?” I ask before I lose my nerve. “Who was you-know-who?”
I count a total of five breaths before he reappears…and fuck. The man looks downright sinful. He’s changed into a pair of light gray sweatpants that rest low on his hips. My eyes drink in the sight of his muscular chest and his cut arms, tracing his well-defined Apollo’s belt that points down to a certain outlined part of his body that I’ve missed very much…and what did I ask again?
“How much did you hear?” He sounds tired, not angry, but he also doesn’t seem thrilled to be having this conversation either.
“Are you married?”
Michael moves quickly then, sitting beside me on the bed before I can even move away. He gathers my hands and holds them tightly. Our clasped hands are the only thing I focus on, trying hard to ignore the burning behind my eyes. I was just thinking how safe I feel here, but now I’m worried that’s not the case.
“I am not married. There is no girlfriend or anything of the sort. I promise.”
Relief floods my system, and I let out a deep breath. Only for it to be ripped away by his next words.
“I do have an ex-wife, though.”
“What?” My head snaps up. He looks at me like he’s worried I’ll run, which, to be fair, I’m considering…if I had somewhere to run.
“We were married for a few years and divorced a couple of months before I met you.”
“Why?”
“I wanted kids.”
“And?”
“And when it didn’t happen, we got professional help. That was when I was told I was sterile.”
“Then?”
I guess one-syllable questions are all I have in me to ask.
“Then we got divorced,” he answers and pulls one of his hands away, gently tracing down my cheekbone and across my jawline. His thumb caresses my bottom lip, his eyes growing darker as he watches the motion. “And then I met you, and my entire life changed in one night.”
I lean into his touch, savoring the warmth of his hand on my skin and closing my eyes. I believe him. The sadness in his eyes as he relives the memories of his dream of a family being torn away are too real to be faked.
“I just have one question.” I open my eyes and catch the spark of humor in his.
“So long as it’s not another one-word question.”
Snorting softly, I reach up and pull his hand away from my face. I keep hold of it and trace the back of his hand with my thumb. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to look into his eyes as I ask my question because I have to see if he’s lying.
