Surprise! I have a little bit more Gracie and Trevor for you. This short outtake takes place at the end of Chapter Six. You can read it below or download a PDF version of the outtake to keep forever.
I hope you enjoy it!
I hope you enjoy it!
| heralphassecretbaby_outtake_nicholerose.pdf |
Gracie
"Do you want a big wedding, Gracie baby?" he asks hours later, his big body wrapped around mine in his giant bathtub. He presses little kisses to my shoulders and neck every few seconds. I don't think he's let me go once since he put his ring on my finger. That's all right. This is heaven. I'm sure of it.
"No. I just want you. And maybe some flowers."
"I don't want to wait to marry you." He places his hands on my belly, holding my little bump protectively. "I want you and our baby to have my last name as soon as possible."
"Okay," I agree, butterflies kicking into flight in my stomach. He's my Trevor again, the gentle giant who stole my heart all those months ago. The only time he isn't so careful is when he's inside me. He loses control then, gets lost in me. I love knowing I can unravel him like that.
"You're moving in now too."
"Okay."
"You aren't going to fight me?" he asks like he's surprised.
I shake my head, smiling. "I love being with you. It's my favorite place in the world. Um, I kind of thought, even if you didn't want me, that I would stick around here to raise the baby. There's nothing for me in Sacramento, but I feel like I have a future here."
"You do have a future here, little lamb." He presses his lips to my shoulder again, lingering for a second. "Do you still want to go to UCLA? I know how badly you wanted to go four months ago. We can find a house in Los Angeles while you're in school."
"I do want to go to college, but I kind of thought I could do that here," I tell him, tilting my head to the side to give him better access to my neck. "I never cared where I went. I just wanted to get away from home. I hated it there."
"That's because it wasn't your home, Gracie baby. This is your home. I'm your home." He turns my face, planting a sweet kiss on my lips. "We'll get you enrolled as soon as you're ready. I'll write out a check for your tuition."
"You don't have to do that. I can afford to pay for school." I bite my lip, studying him. "I'm not rich, but Gary didn't take everything. With the sale of the house, I have enough to cover tuition and anything else I might need for quite a while."
"I hate to break it to you, baby, but you are rich. My family has been very fortunate. The vineyards are quite prosperous. The winery and restaurant have only increased our fortune. You won't need your money because you have mine now."
"I'm not with you for your money, Trevor," I say, scowling at the thought.
His body vibrates with laughter. "You think I don't know that, Gracie baby? Never once have I thought you were after my family's money. But they're going to be your family now too. And the money is yours too, little lamb. Save yours to pass on to our babies or to build a library or whatever the fuck you want to do with it. That son of a bitch took enough from you, made your life harder than it ever had to be. Let me spoil you like you always should have been."
"Do I get to spoil you too?"
"You already are, little lamb. Having you here in my arms with my baby in your belly is everything I ever want or need." His blue eyes shine with sincerity. "You're every dream I ever had, Gracie. I think I've just been waiting for you to show up my whole life. Now I can finally start living, really living."
"You're going to make me cry again." I blink my eyes rapidly to keep the tears from falling.
"No more tears, little lamb. Nathan's already pretty pissed I made you cry today. I was pissed at myself about it," he says, his deep voice full of apology and genuine regret. "As soon as I heard you sniffle, my heart cracked in half. I'm sorry I was a dick to you today, Gracie baby. I was so fucking afraid of losing you a second time."
"You never lost me. I just had to go away for a little while."
"We're not ever spending a single night apart. I felt like the sun fell from the sky, little lamb."
"I'm sorry," I whisper, hating that the last four months were as hard for him as they were for me. Every day was a new kind of pain. "And I'm sorry I told your brother and Brooke about the baby before you. Brooke kind of guessed. I really like her and Nathan."
"You don't owe me an apology, Gracie baby. You left because you had to do so. We're together again, and we're having a baby. That's all that matters."
"I love you, Trevor."
"Forever, little lamb."
"No. I just want you. And maybe some flowers."
"I don't want to wait to marry you." He places his hands on my belly, holding my little bump protectively. "I want you and our baby to have my last name as soon as possible."
"Okay," I agree, butterflies kicking into flight in my stomach. He's my Trevor again, the gentle giant who stole my heart all those months ago. The only time he isn't so careful is when he's inside me. He loses control then, gets lost in me. I love knowing I can unravel him like that.
"You're moving in now too."
"Okay."
"You aren't going to fight me?" he asks like he's surprised.
I shake my head, smiling. "I love being with you. It's my favorite place in the world. Um, I kind of thought, even if you didn't want me, that I would stick around here to raise the baby. There's nothing for me in Sacramento, but I feel like I have a future here."
"You do have a future here, little lamb." He presses his lips to my shoulder again, lingering for a second. "Do you still want to go to UCLA? I know how badly you wanted to go four months ago. We can find a house in Los Angeles while you're in school."
"I do want to go to college, but I kind of thought I could do that here," I tell him, tilting my head to the side to give him better access to my neck. "I never cared where I went. I just wanted to get away from home. I hated it there."
"That's because it wasn't your home, Gracie baby. This is your home. I'm your home." He turns my face, planting a sweet kiss on my lips. "We'll get you enrolled as soon as you're ready. I'll write out a check for your tuition."
"You don't have to do that. I can afford to pay for school." I bite my lip, studying him. "I'm not rich, but Gary didn't take everything. With the sale of the house, I have enough to cover tuition and anything else I might need for quite a while."
"I hate to break it to you, baby, but you are rich. My family has been very fortunate. The vineyards are quite prosperous. The winery and restaurant have only increased our fortune. You won't need your money because you have mine now."
"I'm not with you for your money, Trevor," I say, scowling at the thought.
His body vibrates with laughter. "You think I don't know that, Gracie baby? Never once have I thought you were after my family's money. But they're going to be your family now too. And the money is yours too, little lamb. Save yours to pass on to our babies or to build a library or whatever the fuck you want to do with it. That son of a bitch took enough from you, made your life harder than it ever had to be. Let me spoil you like you always should have been."
"Do I get to spoil you too?"
"You already are, little lamb. Having you here in my arms with my baby in your belly is everything I ever want or need." His blue eyes shine with sincerity. "You're every dream I ever had, Gracie. I think I've just been waiting for you to show up my whole life. Now I can finally start living, really living."
"You're going to make me cry again." I blink my eyes rapidly to keep the tears from falling.
"No more tears, little lamb. Nathan's already pretty pissed I made you cry today. I was pissed at myself about it," he says, his deep voice full of apology and genuine regret. "As soon as I heard you sniffle, my heart cracked in half. I'm sorry I was a dick to you today, Gracie baby. I was so fucking afraid of losing you a second time."
"You never lost me. I just had to go away for a little while."
"We're not ever spending a single night apart. I felt like the sun fell from the sky, little lamb."
"I'm sorry," I whisper, hating that the last four months were as hard for him as they were for me. Every day was a new kind of pain. "And I'm sorry I told your brother and Brooke about the baby before you. Brooke kind of guessed. I really like her and Nathan."
"You don't owe me an apology, Gracie baby. You left because you had to do so. We're together again, and we're having a baby. That's all that matters."
"I love you, Trevor."
"Forever, little lamb."
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