Betting the Bad Boy (26 page)
Read Betting the Bad Boy Online
Authors: Sugar Jamison
Duke shook his head. “Gracie.” He led her to the bed. “Calm down. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about you leaving me to raise two kids without you.” She stood up. “I’m not going to beg you to stay, Duke King. I love you but I’m not going to beg you to stay.”
“What!” Duke grabbed her and yanked her down on the bed, rolling her beneath his heavy body. “I wasn’t leaving you, you nut job. Are you pregnant?”
“Then why are you packing your bags?”
“Answer my damn question. Are you pregnant?”
She nodded. “I took a test today. I need to confirm it with my doctor.”
He threw his head back and laughed loudly, his entire face lighting up. It was something that she had never seen from him before. It was something that looked very much like joy.
“Are you happy about it?”
“If I exploded right now, you’d see little pieces of confetti flying out of me. Of course I’m happy about it. We’re going to have a baby.” He slid his hand up to her stomach and held it there.
“Then why are you packing?”
“You just ruin every goddamn thing.” He rolled off her, reached into his bag and handed her a packet of papers.
“Hawaii?” Her jaw dropped opened. “You rented us a beach house?”
“Yeah. We need a place to stay while they start the renovations. And I thought it would be nice if we could have a family vacation. I’ve never been on one before.”
“Oh.” She felt mighty dumb then. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“Because it was a surprise.” He reached into his bag again and pulled out a ring box. “And I was going to ask you to marry me the first night we were there on the beach. I had this big speech planned where I told you how much I love you and couldn’t live without you and how my life is no good without you and Ryder in it, but you had to go acting like a nut case and ruin everything for me.”
“Oh.” More tears spilled down her face. “You love me.”
“Of course I do. Of course I do, Gracie. So much I feel like I could bust with it. Don’t you know that? Can’t you feel it?”
She nodded. “But you never told me before.”
Duke let out a long breath. “I don’t think I’ve said it to anyone but Ryder before, to tell you the truth, and that was just the other day. But I love you, Grace. Since the moment you first smiled at me. It’s always been you. It will always be you.” He got down on one knee before her and opened the ring box.
It was a simple single diamond, on a simple silver band. Exactly right for her.
“Ryder!” he bellowed. “Get down here.”
A few moments later he was there. “Yeah?”
“I want you here while I propose to your mother.”
“Really? You know she’s going to say yes.”
“I am.” She lunged at Duke, knocking him over on his backside as she squeezed him tightly. “Of course I’ll marry you. I want to be your wife.”
“And I want to be your husband.” He cupped her face and kissed her deeply.
“And I want to puke in a bag,” Ryder said, which caused them to break their kiss and laugh.
They separated only to go over and hug him. Duke and Grace had finally gotten what they’d always longed for, what they’d always wanted. And that was to be a family.
Don’t miss the next novel in this sassy new e-series from
Sugar Jamison
HEART OF A BAD BOY
Coming in June 2016 from St. Martin’s Press
Sugar Jamison
is a Southern belle trapped in a New Yorker’s body. With a love of big hair and high-heeled shoes, she spends her days at her very normal day job and her nights dreaming up sweet and sassy romances. Visit her on the Web at
www.sugarjamison.com
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
BETTING THE BAD BOY copyright © 2016 by Sugar Jamison.
All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover art © Shutterstock
Author photo © Dawn Lyn
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eISBN 9781466891142
First eBook Edition: February 2016
Contents