Tears leak from the corners of my eyes and roll down my temples, catching in my hair. My little peanut.

“My God. It’s so fast. Is that normal?” Levi asks, referring to the rapid heartbeat.

“Yep. He’s perfect,” the tech says.

After printing off a couple of pictures, she leaves us to finish our appointment. I finish wiping the jelly off with some Kleenex and Levi helps me down from the table. There is nothing but love in his eyes and a giddy grin on his face. I’m so damn glad he came.

To me, Doctor Sommers says, “You’re all set, Vista. Continue taking your vitamins. If you exercise, which I recommend, don’t overdo it. Other than that, keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll see you back here next month.”

I nod, eager to leave so I can steal some time alone with Levi. I’m sure he’ll be leaving again soon.

On the way out, the doctor stops Levi with a hand on his arm. “This is a little unorthodox, I’m sure, but can I get your autograph. My son is a huge fan of yours. You’ve practically been a household name since he was ten.” Her smile is tight, hopeful.

“Absolutely,” Levi says cheerfully. Taking the pen and paper she offers, he scribbles something down that takes way longer than a simple signature, and hands it back. “Tell him I said hi.”

“Thank you so much,” she gushes, and for a brief moment, I question who the bigger fan is: her or her son.

“That was very nice of you,” I tell Levi as we exit the building.

“Eh, comes with the job.” He shrugs. His hand falling between us, he takes mine and laces our fingers together. “So what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

Biting my bottom lip, I say, “Depends on what your plans are.”

With his head tilted, Levi slants me a mischievous smile.

27

Levi follows me home on his motorcycle. At least now I know how he got here so fast. Although I wish he wouldn’t race around on that thing. It makes me uneasy knowing that he drove miles on that and wasn’t exactly safe about it.

As soon as we pull up to my cramped apartment complex, I see the merciless paparazzi lurking in the shadows. They think they’re being covert? They couldn’t be any more obvious. Usually I have enough time to get out of the car and attempt to get by them before they notice, but not this time. As soon they catch the sound of Levi’s motorcycle pulling in behind my cab—Levi won’t allow me to ride with him in my current “condition”—they leap up and rush over.

Lights pop as they frantically snap pictures. Mainly of Levi. Apparently, I’m chopped liver with him around.

Levi ignores their request for comment and shoves his way over to me, opening my door and helping me out. He keeps my body close to his, hunching his shoulders to shield me as best he can as we slowly carve a path to my building.

“Move please,” Levi requests tightly when they begin getting too close for comfort. “You all need to back off,” he warns.

A guy with a goatee and thick, coke bottle glasses shoves his camera right into our faces and the lens fires several times in quick succession. Raising my hand, I shield my eyes from the blinding light. Levi, on the other hand, grabs hold of the camera and smashes it back in the guy’s face with a vicious grunt.

“I said back the fuck off! Don’t you understand English?”

Gripping tight to the back of his leather jacket, I cling to Levi. It’s never been this crazy. Normally, they at least respect my space enough to give me some. But this? This is a madhouse.

We’re almost to the door when I glimpse movement on my left. A middle-aged balding man rushes forward, presumably to catch one last close-up before we’re inside. He’s so busy trying to get his shot that he doesn’t watch where he’s going.

Before I can register what’s happening and shield myself, he trips over a lip in the sidewalk and crashes straight into me.

All at once, my body slams into Levi and curls toward him, its first instinct to protect the baby. Levi’s clasp on my shoulders tightens. Then everything after that is a blur.

In a blink, I’m set aside and Levi is gone. From the shelter of the entryway, I see him leap onto the man who ran into me. He’s cursing and shouting as he takes him to the ground. The camera skitters across the sidewalk, shattering into pieces. There’s a lot of yelling and commotion as several other members of the paparazzi crowd in, some helping, some recording the action on their cameras.

My hands cover my mouth. This isn’t going to end well. I feel it like a stone in my gut.

The fight ends as quickly as it started and Levi storms over to me with fire in his eyes. Snatching my elbow, he turns me and pushes me inside.

True fear grabs hold of me as he continues maneuvering me how he likes. He doesn’t say a word, and I don’t dare speak. Menace radiates off him in thick, turbulent waves, and even though I know he would never hurt me, I’m not willing to risk it.

Levi lets go of me only long enough for me to take my keys from my purse and open the apartment door. Immediately, he crowds me inside and slams it behind us, flipping the locks with a quick snap of his wrist.

“Levi,” I breathe, at a loss for how to handle him in this state.

His breaths saw past his parted lips as he turns and stares me down, reminding me of a bull preparing to charge. Then, in three long strides, he crosses the floor and grabs me up into his arms, crushing me against his chest.

“Holy shit. Are you okay?” he breathes against my neck where he’s buried his face. I nod into his shoulder, some of the tension bleeding out of me.

His entire body is trembling. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I run my hands up and down his back, soothing him as best I can. I’ve never seen him like this before—out of control, literally shaking from fear.

“I almost killed that guy. I almost…Fuck!”

Releasing me, Levi paces the limited floor space. Stabbing his fingers through his mussed hair, he curses roundly before dropping down on the edge of the bed and hanging his head. “I fucked up,” he mutters. “I shouldn’t have touched him, and now it’s going to be plastered all over the place. But when he touched you,” he says, his voice and expression strained as he lifts his head to look up at me, “I lost it. It was like something inside of me just…snapped. I’ve never wanted to hurt someone more in my life.”

Easing down onto my knees in front of him, I hold Levi’s torn gaze wanting nothing more than to rid him of that look. It’s shredding me to see him so upset. “I’m okay. We’re okay. And all of that,” I say, pointing at the window and what lay beyond it, “will be okay.”

His eyes narrow slightly as he studies me, almost as if he isn’t sure whether or not to believe me. Then, with a loud groan, he throws himself back on the bed. He lays like that for several heartbeats before asking, “Is this what it’s like for you every day? Are they always like that?”

I sense where this is going and I’m not sure I want to answer, but I know I have to. I don’t believe in lying just because it’s easier than dealing with the truth. “No,” I say softly. In fact, I suspect that the only reason things got as heated as they did was because of Levi. He’s the one they really want. He’s the story.

The shrill ringing of the phone snaps at my attention and I hurry to answer it, eager to tell whoever is on the other line to call back later. “Hello?”

“Is this Miss Vista Marquis?”

I don’t recognize the woman’s voice. Figuring it’s a telemarketer, I cringe and reply, “Yes, this is she.”

Immediately, the woman launches into an excited speech. “Is your relationship with Mr. Black the real deal, or is this a publicity stunt like some are saying. Are you being paid—”

I slam the phone down and step back like the thing just caught fire.