“I love you too, Max,” I replied with conviction.

With a satisfied grin, Max held me tightly in his arms and gave me all of him...till I couldn’t take it anymore and his will had been spent. Panting and breathing hard, Max’s head rested on my shoulder. His hot breath escaped against my skin.

“I like my surprise. You can surprise me like that any time,” I said weakly. Utterly drained, I leaned against Max.

Max’s body slightly shook when he let out a soft laugh. “I will. I go wherever you go.” He paused. “I better let you get ready. You girls have a long day planned?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “Tonight is the real party. Some of Nicole’s friends will be there, too.”

“Just be careful. And you sure you’re feeling better?”

“Yes. I just needed that nap.”

“Good, but nothing else is on your mind? You seemed pre-occupied at times. The only time you’re not is when I’m inside of you.”

I flushed with warmth from his comment. “That’s not true.” I pouted, giving him my most sexy smile with my finger in my mouth.

“Geez, Jenna.” Max raked his hair back and looked away. It was probably the way I was sucking my finger that made him do so. “I’d better go before I lock us in the bathroom and don’t let you out.”

“Wait.” I grabbed his arm. “Thank you for everything. For this room, for the limo.”

“Only the best for you. And you can stop thanking me.”

I had lost count of how many times I’d texted Max thanking him for everything. Max walked out of the bathroom and I followed, watching him put his clothes on. The way his muscles flexed when he slipped his shirt over his head, the way he tucked it inside of his jeans, and the way he slicked his hair back was too dreamy. I could just stare at him doing this all day.

“Where are you going?” I asked, slipping into the covers naked.

“Matthew and I are heading back home. I came by to make sure you were feeling better.”

“You didn’t take my word or Becky’s?”

Max slipped on his shoes. “I did...just thought I’d give you a surprise visit.”

“Are you driving back home?”

“No. We took the plane.”

“Spoiled,” I commented playfully, with a light laugh.

“I offered you the plane, but you turned me down.”

“Next time, I won’t. That was a long drive.”

“See, I’m always right.”

I frowned because most of the time he was.

“Call me later. And please be careful.” Max leaned down and kissed me. Then he did it again. This time, each spoken word was punctuated with a peck on my face. “Don’t...talk...to...strange...men. People...are...crazy...here.”

“Understood, Mr. Knight. I’ll call you later.”

Max looked over his shoulder, winking one last time before he closed the door behind him.

Chapter 4

Jenna

“So glad we had VIP passes. Can you imagine standing in that line?” Nicole asked, and took a bite of her smoked salmon.

I glanced at the line again. From where we were sitting, we had a clear view. “The buffet lines are crazy. I don’t remember it being like this the last time I came here, but then again, I was in high school and I came with my parents. We always ate early to beat the rush.”

“We did come around the time when everybody heads to the restaurants. It’s brunch time.” Kate looked like she was going to bust out laughing. “Some of us were ready for breakfast, and some already had breakfast in bed.” She cleared her throat.

Becky and I looked at each other and our cheeks turned the same color. “Sorry,” Becky said sheepishly. “I had no idea Matthew and Max were going to throw us a surprise visit.”

“That’s okay.” Nicole adjusted her tiara; it was made of plastic, and attached to a long veil. On the back of the veil it read Bride to Be. It was Kate’s idea. She also gifted us with T-shirts that read Bride’s Maid, which were decorated with pink trimmings. Though it was something I would normally never wear, we did it for Nicole and for the fun of it. It made Nicole happy and that was all that mattered.

“So, here is the plan …” Becky started to say between bites of her toast. “We’re going shopping after we eat, catching an early show, and going to dinner. We’ll be meeting some of Nicole’s friends, and we’ll all be out together for a fun night.”

“Sounds good,” Nicole agreed, glancing at me. “Jenna, how are you feeling? You look a little out of it.”

“That’s because she has something to tell you.” Becky nudged me underneath the table to reassure me that now was the time to let my friends know.

I couldn’t hold on to this news any longer. I should have told Max when I saw him that morning, but knowing how he felt I couldn’t. The fact that he had traveled miles to surprise me was even more reason not to dampen his visit. However, these were my best friends, friends I could trust. Why couldn’t I just say it? I was embarrassed...that was the main reason.

I swore I would never be pregnant before I got married, so what had happened to the promise I’d made to myself? Max happened. He gave me pleasure beyond anything I could imagine, and he gave me a love that far surpassed the pleasure. I shouldn’t be embarrassed. It was out of love that I was carrying his child.

I had to admit that a part of me was beyond exaltation. Never knowing if I could have children because of my mom’s history, I was thrilled when I found out I was pregnant. I could still recall the day I’d told Becky.