Landlady: A New Adult Romance (Northbridge Nights Book 1)
Page 23
My feet were swollen and my breasts were painful and tender. I hadn't even gone through morning sickness yet, but I had a feeling that it'd be no walk in the park. I didn't have that 'glow' everyone was always raving about in the magazines or on TV. In fact, my face sort of resembled a baboon's ass at the moment, puffy and blotchy and incredibly itchy. Even makeup irritated my sensitive skin so I couldn't cover up my imperfections with foundation.
At eight, Asher finally popped through the door. He was lucky he brought a giant bouquet of roses with him because my patience had dwindled down to almost nothing at that point.
“Dinner's cold,” I said, irritated. Irrational emotions frayed my nerves and tugged at my tear ducts. I could feel the waterworks coming, though I wasn't sure why. Pregnancy hormones?! It was supposed to be a night we remembered for the rest of our lives. Instead, I felt like an unappreciated failure.
“I'm sorry, baby. I had an errand to run, and it took forever. Forgive me?” Asher handed me the roses, and I set them on the coffee table, unimpressed.
“What was so important it couldn't wait until tomorrow?” I pouted, sinking deeper into the sofa.
“I had to pick up something. I ordered it months ago, and it finally came in,” Asher said.
“Couldn't you have gotten someone else to do it? I—we had plans,” I said, nodding at the candlelit dining table.
“Sorry, Sierra, I had to pick it up personally. It was something very important.”
“What?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. “What could be so important that you made me wait an hour?” I was pregnant with his child, and he still prioritized “important” errands over me. I knew I was acting childish, and it wasn't fair that his demanding job sucked up a lot of his time, but tonight was not just any night.
“This,” Asher said, reaching into his breast pocket. “I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to give you this.”
When his hand reappeared, it held a velvet box.
“I had it specially designed and shipped from London,” he explained. Asher descended on one bended knee and cleared his throat. “Sierra Maywood, I've wanted to ask you this question for months now. I just couldn't because it took so damn long for me to get the ring. But now that I have it...Will you marry me, baby?”
Asher popped open the box, and I was in love. With the ring. But with him too, obviously. It was a brilliant channel-set ring with a marquise diamond at the center. And of course, it fit my left ring finger perfectly when he slipped it on.
“You are so lucky you have a good excuse for being late. I was about to lose it on you.” I smiled as I admired the ring. The acid in my throat subsided, and I reached for a tissue to blow my nose. A billion confetti cannons exploded inside me all at once and I could hear my heart ricocheting in my ears.
He finally proposed!!
“You forgive me now?” Asher asked, grinning.
“Only if you forgive me for snapping at you,” I said.
Asher leaned in and gave me a kiss. “I could never get mad at your beautiful face. So is that a yes then?”
I nodded. “A million times, yes.”
“You make me the happiest man alive,” Asher said. “Soon to be happiest husband alive. Now shall we eat?”
“Hold on. I have a present for you too,” I said, walking towards the mantle. I picked up the frame and ran my thumb across it once more.
Please be happy, please be happy.
“Here,” I said, handing him my gift with trembling hands.
When Asher's eyes dawned on the photo, they grew wide as saucers.
He just stood there, clutching the frame, speechless.
“So is your silence a good thing or bad thing?” I asked, poking his side.
“Are you sure?” Asher asked.
I nodded. “Pretty damn sure. Read the card.”
After Asher had read my message, he looked at me with wet eyes and a shaky smile. “I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a fucking dad!”
“Mmhm.”
Asher sank to his knees and kissed my belly over and over. “Hello, baby,” Asher said, running his hand along my flat stomach. “Hi. I'm your daddy, and I love you. So much.”
“You know the baby's like the size of a pea right?” I asked. “You look a little ridiculous.”
“Shh, you're hurting his feelings,” Asher said. “He may be a pea now, but in a few months he'll be ready to see the world.”
“Are you happy?” I asked.
“Are you kidding, babe? This news couldn't have come at a better time. We've got to have a party and tell the whole world. I can't—This just—I've got to phone my dad and do your parents know yet? Is it a boy or a girl?”
I pressed a finger to Asher's lips. “Shh, just slow down, baby. One step at a time. How about we get through dinner first?”
Asher beamed. “Fine. But after dinner, I'm calling everyone.”
“I love you, Asher Morgan,” I said. “You're going to be a wonderful father.”
Asher kissed my forehead. “And I love you, Sierra-soon-to-be-Morgan. You're going to be the best wife and mom in the world.”
~THE END~
Author's Note: Loved Asher and Sierra's story? Please leave a review here: https://amzn.com/B01GUCDCEM. Every review counts and helps promote this book's rankings, making it more visible to other readers. Don't forget to tell your friends about 'LANDLADY'! I love and appreciate all my fans. Thank you for sticking with Asher and Sierra all the way!
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A million thank yous to Dominique Scott, my editor and proofreader, for catching all those pesky typos and missed commas. Thank you to all my beta readers, Facebook fans, author and blogger friends for all your moral support and encouragement. And as always, thanks to my family for putting up with my non-stop yapping about my novels.
Love you all, Jackie
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OTHER BOOKS BY JACKIE WANG
CUTTHROAT CARMINE
LOVE AFFAIR IN VENICE
3 other books planned (so far) for the Northbridge Nights series! Stay tuned!
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