“Security wouldn’t let me through since my flight wasn’t until the morning.” I lowered my eyes and shook my head, remembering that night and what a basket case I’d been. “I showed them the napkin. Even told them part of our story, thinking maybe they’d make an exception. No luck. Guess that only happens in movies.”

I slowly looked up at him, curious about what was happening in his head. He’d remained dead quiet during what may have come across as a little too “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo” dramatic. It was all true, though. Zero acting on my part. But very much a tragedy.

Constantine stepped back, murmuring, “You wanted me, too?”

I swallowed. Processed the pain in his tone, then finally confirmed with a soft, “I did.”

It was a slow journey for his eyes to return to mine, but when they did, I wasn’t expecting to find his glossy. “You wanted me, too,” he repeated, his voice raw.

My tears rebelled against my inner pleas to not fall. “I’m so sorry.” Those words were far too weak for the actual weight of what I was feeling. “You wanted my name, and if I’d only given it to you⁠—”

“No, don’t go there. Not your fault.” He stepped inside my room, swiftly drawing his arm behind my back and my body against his.

My hands rested between us against his chest. His heart beat frantically beneath my palm, not matching mine beat for beat, but outpacing it at double the speed.

“Are you okay?” I whispered as he continued to study me quietly. I’d blown a hole in his world. Maybe he needed to save what little oxygen he had left by not speaking.

He remained quiet, and I wasn’t sure how long I could stand there, not knowing what he was thinking, without collapsing to my knees.

“Tell me more,” he said, and it was my turn to hesitate, feeling “more” would only hurt him as much as it did me.

My body shuddered beneath his touch as he ran his palm up and down my spine. The fabric of my top did nothing to lessen the sensation and energy of his caress.

“Well, um, it took about a month for me to discover I was pregnant. I was so confused since we used protection. And there was no one else, I promise.”

I waited for him to question me, but he didn’t.

“My stepbrother was in the military, and I had this ridiculous idea that he could somehow use his government resources and contacts to figure out who you were based on your first initial and the fact you had an accent.” I realized how naïve that idea was, but desperate times . . .