Temporary Marriage (Complete MATCHMAKER BOOK 3)

Chapter 14

“ NATHALIE POV ” 

I bit down hard on my lip to try to stop myself from resorting back to my verbal vomit habit.

It had taken me a couple of weeks to move past it again.

But I’d discovered today that I wasn’t as comfortable around him as I’d thought—and the reason was currently the size of a sweet pea, if my suspicion was correct.

I was pretty darn sure it was, even though it’d taken me longer to catch on to what was going on than it probably should’ve.

Between the sore breasts, irritability, late period, and all the unprotected sex Garrett and I had been having, it was kind of a no-brainer.

Even though he’d just said he wanted as many children as his wife—me—would give him, I was still afraid to tell him I was pregnant.

There was a big difference between wanting kids someday and being excited that you were going to be permanently tied to the wife you’d married for only a year.

No matter how many times you’ve told her she was yours in the heat of the moment.

But I wasn’t ever going to get a better opening than this one, so I needed to pull up my big-girl panties and get the ball rolling by answering Garret’s question.

I took a deep breath, rested my hand over my stomach again, and blurted out,

“Yes, I’d love a big family. Being an only child was hard for me, especially after my mom died. I don’t want that for my children.”

“You mean that you don’t want that for our children, beautiful.”

He pressed his hand against mine, right over where our little sweet pea almost definitely rested.

“Because any children you have will be mine, too.”

My mind whirled with the implication of what he’d just done and said.

Did he suspect I was pregnant? If so, was he okay with it?

Because he seemed like maybe he was. Also, it wasn’t the heat of the moment.

He’d pretty much just said outright that he expected us to be together for a lot longer than one year, if he was going to be the father of any children I had.

It was all so confusing, and there was only one way to straighten it all out.

“What if the first one came in about eight months?”

“Eight months?”

His hazel eyes widened before they filled with an air of wonder that left me no doubt that he was thrilled by the idea of me being pregnant.

“As in you’re pregnant right now?”

His tone was full of excitement, and it caused butterflies to erupt in my belly.

My gaze darted to the front seat of the car.

Jack’s focus seemed to be on the road, but it felt weird to share something so important while we weren’t alone.

“Maybe,” I whispered.

“I haven’t taken a test yet, so I’m not sure.”

Garrett didn’t share my shyness, and my cheeks filled with heat as he called out,

“I’m going to need you to run an errand for me as soon as you drop us off at home, Jack. Head over to the nearest Duane Reade and grab two of each kind of pregnancy test they carry.”

“Garrett!”

I swatted at his arm, but it didn’t do any good, since he just lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

Not only was I mortified that he’d basically just announced that I was possibly pregnant when I hadn’t really come to grips with it,

But I was surprised he would send Jack on such a menial errand.

“It’s fine, Nathalie,” Jack chimed in with a laugh.

“There are certain things that require discretion, no matter how small.”

His words made me feel a little less embarrassed, since I knew Jack valued privacy as much as Garrett and would keep the news to himself.

He looked at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes crinkling.

“Besides, I’m used to his demanding ways.”

“Aren’t we all?”

I rolled my eyes as I buried my face against Garrett’s chest.

“Hey,”

he grumbled against the top of my head.

“No teaming up against me with another guy.”

“It’s just Jack.”

He tilted my head back, his hazel eyes burning into mine as he insisted,

“It doesn’t matter who it is, beautiful. You’re mine, which makes you team Hendricks all the way.”

My heart fluttered at the possessive rumble in his voice.

“Then team Hendrick needs to have a rule that certain topics, like possible pregnancies, are only talked about in the cone of silence.”

“The cone of silence?”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“You know what I mean.”

“I do, and it’s just one more thing that makes you so damn cute.”

Jack made the turn into the garage as Garrett bent low and whispered,

“Which only makes me want you more.”

I wriggled in my seat, my thighs rubbing together and my panties growing damp.

His hot breath blew against my cheek when he chuckled deeply,

Making it clear that he knew exactly how my body was reacting.

My cheeks heated, but not with embarrassment. It was pure, unadulterated need.

Stronger than usual, which was saying a lot, considering the kind of response Garrett normally pulled from my body.

“Awesome. Maybe I need to add extra-horny to my list of possible pregnancy symptoms,”

I grumbled as he helped me out of the car and into the house, Garrett laughing all the way.

The door had barely closed behind us before he yanked me into his arms and slammed his mouth against mine.

I melted against his body, my eyes blinking open again when he ended the kiss to whisper against my lips,

“If that’s one of the side effects of knocking you up, then you can plan on being pregnant often.”

“But—”

He pressed his lips against mine again, and I felt his curl up at the edges as he pulled away.

“I know what you’re going to say—we don’t even know for sure if you’re pregnant yet. But it won’t take Jack long to run to the store and grab the tests.”

That wasn’t what I’d been planning to say at all. I’d been focused on how he’d mentioned getting me pregnant often.

It indicated a future between us far beyond the year our contract had stipulated.

And once again, it hadn’t been made in the heat of the moment. My heart filled with hope, and tears spilled down my cheeks.

“Shh, beautiful. You don’t need to be scared. I’ve got you.”

He lifted me off my feet and carried me into the first-floor living room.