by Loraine, Kim
Stacy:
Remember, ladies. Do it. Whatever it is you want to do. Wherever you have wanted to go. Whatever you want to try, to taste, to feel, to live....do it. This is our year.
I take a deep breath and focus on my reflection. “I am going to have a baby.”
The words don’t sound real even as I say them. I stare down at my ringless left hand and the wedding dress hanging in my open closet, and I wonder if this is a terrible decision. When Bryce left me last year, a day before our wedding, I’d thought I’d never recover. I’d just lost everything I’d planned for. My entire future, gone with one short sentence. “I don’t want you.” But now, it’s New Year’s Eve and I’m ready to take the steps I need to get the life I deserve. Part of that is my family. I don’t need a husband to have a baby. I just need a willing guy to provide his half of the DNA.
My hands shake as I grip my phone and stare at Max’s number. He’s my brother’s best friend, the guy I grew up with, and the perfect choice for my proposal. Never mind that he has gorgeous brown eyes and a perfect swimmer’s build. He’s also completely unattached, successful, driven, and smart. All qualities I want passed down to my child.
I type a quick text and hit Send before I can chicken out.
Hey, is the invitation to your NYE party still open?
He responds within a few seconds, bringing a smile to my lips.
Always for my favorite girl. What time will I see you?
I bite my lower lip, a thrill of excited energy running through me. I can see him now, standing at the balcony of his rooftop bar, looking over the chilly streets of New York.
I’ll be there by 11.
I’ll be waiting.
Rushing to my closet, I rifle through the few sparkly cocktail dresses I’ve designed over the years. My fingers slide over the fabrics, sequins, beads, shimmery metallics. All of them would work, but for this I need to break out the big guns. I pull out the dress I wore to my engagement party. It’s silver with a back low enough I can’t wear underwear. I’ll have to be careful tonight. Something tells me Max won’t want me flashing any of the bar patrons.
A text comes through and I grin, hoping it’s Max. Instead I see it’s from my brother Logan, and I frown.
Max says you’re going out tonight.
My frown deepens. I don’t want my big brother interrupting me tonight.
It’s NYE. I’m single. Of course I’m going out.
Last I heard, you said you’d be a hermit forever.
I changed my mind.
He doesn’t know about the pact I made with my girlfriends. We all resolved to do something we’ve never done before, take a step we wanted to take, or make a change. My resolution is all of those things, but I can’t share that with my brother. He won’t understand.
Want me to come out too?
My reply is lightning fast. No.
Hot date?
No way. But you never know where the night will lead.
Just be safe.
I smile. He’s always been protective, but after our parents died when he was eighteen and I was fourteen, he took on a fatherly role. I promise.
Slipping the dress over my head, I wiggle and watch the hem swish and sway, the glitter in the fabric catching the light. I look a little like a disco ball, and that makes me grin. Even if this doesn’t work, I’m sure I’ll have fun. Max always makes things fun.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m in a cab heading to SoHo, nerves fluttering in my belly, heart racing. Max could say no. He could laugh at me. Or…he could say yes and change my life.
Resolution: Baby Fever
Contemporary Romance
Until the Stars Fade Get this FREE by joining my Facebook Group: Loraine Lovers
The Royal Virgins
The Virgin’s Playboy Prince
The Virgin’s Royal Guard
The Virgin’s Forbidden Lord
The Virgin’s Royal Secret
The Virgins
The Virgin’s Fake Fiancé
Rescuing His Virgin
His Hollywood Virgin
The Cocktail Girls
His Whiskey Sour (A Stand Alone Rock Star Romance)
The Halloween Honeys
His Wicked Witch
Santa’s Coming
Mistletoe Magic
The Resolution Pact
Resolution: Baby Fever
The Golden Beach Series
Restoration
Renovation
Foundation
Resonance
Redemption
Resolution
Devotion
Remnants
Paranormal Romance
Reverse Harem
Their Vampire Princess (A Reverse Harem Romance)
Their Shadow Queen
Protecting Their Shadow Queen
The Siren Coven
Eternal Desire
Cursed Heart
The Excalibur Duet
Wicked Temptation
Immortal Flame
The Fallen Angel Trilogy
Waking the Watcher
Denying the Watcher
Releasing the Watcher
Kim Loraine writes steamy romances in both the contemporary and paranormal genres. When not writing, she’s busy herding cats (raising kids), trying to keep her house sort of clean, and dreaming up steamy ways for fictional couples to meet.
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