Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Of course, I didn’t keep the box with the instructions, so I have to look up the instructions online to see how long it takes to process. Only three minutes. I set a timer on my phone and try not to stare at the seconds ticking down, but it’s tough. My fingers itch and a sweat breaks out on my brow because in three minutes, I’ll find out if my whole life is about to change in a huge way. My palms grow clammy and my heart’s racing so fast it sounds like a drumline in my ears. This three minute wait might as well be three years given the way time is dragging right now.
The sound of the timer on my phone is ear-splitting in the stone-cold silence of my bathroom. Squeezing my eyes shut, I take a deep breath, willing myself to have the strength to accept whatever comes my way. With that, I brace myself and pick up the plastic indicator before popping my eyes open. Holy cow. The blue plus sign is as clear as day.
I suck in a sharp breath. “I’m pregnant,” I whisper hoarsely. After a moment, I walk over to the sink and brace my hands on the counter and look at myself in the mirror. “Josie, you’re having a baby with Cyrus North.”
I let that sink in for several minutes as my mind races furiously. When I went looking for this test, I expected to feel nothing but fear and anxiety if it came up positive, but that isn’t what I’m feeling right now at all. Yes, I have butterflies in my stomach, but they’re happy butterflies actually. They dance and spin, and my heart seems to expand. The happiness filling me is unexpected but welcome because suddenly, I realize that I want this child. He or she was conceived in love, and I want to keep him.
Dropping my gaze, I look down at my belly and gently place my hands against the bottom curve where my child is growing inside me. This definitely wasn’t planned, and I have no idea how Cyrus is going to react, but this is our baby. A child that we created together, and I know it sounds silly but I love him already.
But will his father want him? That makes me frown. We’ve never had this discussion, and to be honest, Cyrus has been a father for twenty-five years now. Is he ready to start again while in his fifth decade of life? My heart flip-flops in my throat and I swallow hard because I don’t know what the billionaire desires. Unfortunately, I can only hope that he wants the same things as me.
9
Cyrus
I take a sip of my coffee while sitting on my terrace. It’s early in the morning, and the sun hasn’t come out yet. As a result, golden rays peek over the cityscape, but it’s still cool and pleasant, as opposed to being hot and uncomfortable.
Peace and a bone-deep contentment envelop my soul, and if I had to guess, I probably have a silly smile on my face because my life has never been so amazing. Moreover, I know without a doubt that it’s because of the beautiful woman currently sleeping in the master bedroom. Josie is gorgeous, giving, and so lush, and she makes me happy too. Honestly, it was hard not to wake her this morning for some steamy loving, but she’s been a little tired lately, so I decided against it. Josie works hard at her job, and I want her to succeed. Plus, I keep her up at night, so these extra hours to snooze are well-deserved.
I do a huge bear-stretch, and then take another sip of coffee, the hot liquid scalding my tongue. How did I get here? Before, I was unhappily married to a nitwit who was obsessed with her image on social media. By contrast, the woman I’m with now doesn’t check social media much. Sure, she has accounts on Facebook and Instagram, but I think she goes weeks without logging in. It’s not her thing because the curvy girl is into the real things in life, and not smoke and mirrors.
Plus, this penthouse feels like a home when she’s here. Before, it was just a place to sleep at night. But with her presence, it feels like a space for fun, laughter, and relaxation. I’d like to keep it this way, which is why I want to talk to her about moving in. Of course, that means that we’d need to reveal our relationship to the world, and I’m not sure if the beautiful girl is ready for that. Telling Alyssa and Marilyn will be strange, but at this point, I’m willing to risk it.
Besides, I’m confident that my daughter and ex-wife just want us to be happy, and if Josie and I say that we’re happy as a couple, then they’ll accept it. Of course, they have no idea that we’re in a relationship at all right now. Josie’s told Alyssa that she’s seeing someone, but she hasn’t identified me as her paramour. I have no idea what Marilyn knows.