He quickly envelopes me in a hug, and I respond just as tightly in return.
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I. Although, not about stealing your car. What kind of private investigating company do you run?” I joke, poking him in the side as he pinches my thigh. I leap away from him, exaggerating my pain. “Ouch!”
“That didn’t hurt,” he grumbles. “I will be getting you back for stealing my car again. I might have a pair of handcuffs somewhere.”
Now that idea warms me up, and I smile happily at him, making him groan before he drags me forward.
“Come on; we need to get inside quickly before I am arrested for indecent exposure.”
“Sounds kinky,” I mutter, letting myself be dragged toward the apartment building, where I am introduced to a doorman. I have never lived anywhere where there has been a doorman!
“Please tell me we’re on the first floor,” I beg hopefully.
“Twenty-eighth,” he tells me, and I almost pull my hand from his grip right then and there.
“No way am I taking the stairs up twenty-eight floors!”
“I know,” he concedes immediately.
I breathe out in relief.
“We’ll take the elevator up to the twentieth floor and walk from there.” He grins at me, and I slap him hard across the arm.
“No fucking way. You can do that, but I’m riding up in the elevator the whole way.”
He rolls his eyes and gives me an exasperated sigh, but he does nod his head in agreement.
“I swear, if Van tries to challenge me to run up twenty-fucking-eight flights of stairs, I will feed him seafood for a month,” I threaten, already knowing this won’t stop Van for long. He hates seafood, but he probably loves a challenge more.
Zander laughs, but as we get closer to the twenty-eighth floor, I feel his nerves begin to build. Is he nervous that I will hate it? Is he nervous that this will cause another fight between us?
“Ready?” he asks as the elevator dings with the knowledge that we have arrived.
“Sure.” I’m really not.
He keeps ahold of my hand as we walk down the hall and stand in front of apartment 282.
Wow, that is a crazy number.
“I got a spare key from the contractor. He hasn’t put in the soundproof walls yet, but we’re free to stay in here tonight. I thought maybe after a night here, you can make up your mind.”
I nod, staring in wonder as he opens the front door, and am immediately overwhelmed by the amount of room in front of us.
This place is also an open living room and kitchen, which is all a dark marble, including the fridge door to match. Exquisite. The living room looks ridiculously huge, and I hope that it will look less daunting with furniture. The next area will be perfect for a long dining room table, and the windows are ground to ceiling high.
I look out at the view and see countless rooftops, buildings, and a beautiful sun beginning to set. The orange sky and the way the light hits the floor and lights up the walls around us looks stunning. I can imagine myself enjoying this view every day, not that we get much weather like this.
He moves past the first closed door and shows me our office, Van’s bedroom, and then the bathroom Van will be using, as well as the guest bedroom.
I had no ideas places like this existed. At least, not without having to give up a body part to be able to afford.
After oohing at everything, already envisioning what I can see us doing for each room and how I will organize the office, he finally takes me back to the first room. There, he takes a deep breath before he opens the door.
My eyes are immediately drawn to the floor where Zander has set up a mattress, placed some bedding down, and then covered it all in rose petals.
“Oh, Zander,” I gasp, squeezing his hand when I next notice the candles he’s set up around the room.
“I wanted out first night here to be perfect. I want you to love this place as much as I do,” he tells me, excitedly dragging me to the adjoining bathroom to show me how large the bathtub is. That’s right; we also have our own tub, which will definitely fit us both! And he shows off how roomy the shower is, and without innocent thirteen-year-old ears around to overhear, he finishes telling me his ideas for the bench. He’s being cheeky and fun, yet I know he’s still a little nervous, waiting for my verdict.
“Come back out onto the bed,” he suggests, moving me toward it where I notice he also has a bucket of ice with a bottle of champagne off to the side. He really has been busy.
He moves to open the bottle, but I stop him, which immediately wipes the smile off his face.
“Just let me speak first,” I beg, seeing a forlorn expression settle over his features as his shoulders droop. “You’re right; this place is amazing, and I love it. If you say we can ditch your awful couch and buy a new comfortable one for this place, then I’m definitely okay with moving in here.”
His smile returns, his face lighting back up, and he reaches out, pulling me toward him and kissing me long and hard.
I’m breathless when he pulls away and reaches for the champagne again.
“Wait, I’m not finished.” I wait for him to settle. He leaves his arms around me, and I’m half-draped over him. “If you had talked to me about wanting to move, if you had shown me this place before you decided, I would have appreciated it. I know we’ve never really discussed money before, but you have to realize that it felt like a bit of a slap in the face to find out you didn’t feel you needed me at all to make a decision like this.”
“You’re right.” He hangs his head. “I’m sorry.”
“I know you are, and I know that next time something important comes up, we’ll discuss things between us first.” I say it like a fact, but my voice has a small amount of warning echoing there.
“Of course,” he rushes to agree.
“Good, because I think we might have some big decisions coming up in our future and I don’t want this to be an issue again. I don’t like fighting, and I definitely don’t want to have the same fights over and over with you.”
“I agree.” He waits a moment.
I have obviously been quiet enough for him to assume I’m done.
I’m not.
“There’s one more thing.”
“Ava, this ice is going to melt before we even get to drink this. We have an entire night free of Van, and I am definitely going to make the most of it. Do you know how long it has been since I heard you scream while you’re coming?”
I roll my eyes at him, trying to act like he’s being ridiculous, but deep down, I’m desperate to let loose and enjoy our freedom, too.
“This will be quick. I don’t think we should make the fourth room a guest room.”
“You don’t? Why?” His eyes widen as he comes to his own conclusion. “Are you thinking a gaming room for Van? Because that’s actually not a bad idea—”
“I’m two weeks late,” I blurt out.
“Late to what?” he adorably misunderstands.
“Zander! I might be pregnant.”
His mouth drops open. “Are you for fucking real?” he wheezes out, a smile so huge taking over his face that I can barely see his cheeks anymore.
With zero warning, he wraps me in his arms and leaps to his feet, still holding me and jolting me, no doubt risking a serious back injury for himself, too.
“This is amazing news!” he yells at the top of his lungs, endearing us to our new neighbors, no doubt. He then swings me dizzily around, and I have to slap him to stop him.
“Zander!”
“This is the best day of my life!” he cries, his eyes shiny from unshed tears.
I laugh as he kisses me chastely on my lips before he kisses me all over my face.
“Zander, I might not be pregnant, you know. I’m just late at this stage.” And I have never been late in my entire life. Still, I might not be … maybe … Am I seriously ready for motherhood?
“Then let’s go out right away. There is
a drugstore on the corner—”
“No,” I blurt out.
“No? Why? Are you …? Do you not want this?” He stares at me carefully now, his undivided attention on me.
“I do. I absolutely want this with you. But tonight is our first night in our brand-new home, and I like knowing that the possibility is there. If I take a test and it comes back negative, it’ll put a damper on our night. We can buy a test tomorrow. For tonight, let’s just enjoy each other.”
He smiles then, kissing my lips again, long and sweetly. “I love you so much.”
“Even though I keep stealing your car?”
“Yes,” he sighs dramatically, “even though you keep stealing my car.”
I smile.
We enjoy ourselves in our new bedroom. Then we get some takeout and feed each other as we laugh about all the comments Zander has had to put up with from Sasha. She is not at all fooled by our worktime nooky. Then we break in the bathroom because, well, it wouldn’t be us if we didn’t have bathroom sex on the regular.
For many months, this night is the best night of my life. And then, a few months later, that changes to the night our son is born.
He comes into the world happy, healthy, and surrounded by close family and friends, all full of love for each other and our little boy.
And all of this came about because I stole a car.
The right car.
And from that crime, I found love.
Note to Readers:
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Until next time!
- Jessica Frances
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Looking for a New Adult Paranormal series?
Check out Jessica Frances’s Taken Trilogy:
Taken By Surprise
Taken By Force
Taken By Choice
For a New Adult Sci-Fi Romance series,
Check out Jessica Frances’s Invasion Trilogy:
Earth
Roth
Oden
For an Adult Paranormal Stand-Alone,
Check out Jessica Frances’s ghost romance:
Haunted Love
For an Adult Contemporary Romance Stand-Alone,
Check out Jessica Frances’s romantic comedy:
Happily Ever Single
And, for an Adult Dystopian Romance Stand-Alone,
Check out Jessica Frances’s futuristic romance:
Revolution
I Stole His Car (Love at First Crime Book 1) Page 22